Foodie Terms

When you start a new job or learn a new hobby, there is a new vocabulary that needs to be learned. In my various jobs throughout the years, even though they have all been in the same field, each one has come with its own list of acronyms and pieces of terminology.

This unique vocabulary is also true with cooking. I will occasionally pull up a recipe (it used to be much more often) where an ingredient or a cooking step includes something that I am not familiar with. A quick internet search later and the problem is solved and my cooking vocabulary has grown just a little bit.

A few years ago, the editors at American Heritage Dictionaries published a book called, 100 Words for Foodies. The intent was to provide foodies, emerging foodies and wanna be foodies a good definition of some of the words they have been seeing. The list is an interesting one, composed up of ethnic dishes and ingredients, and cooking styles. Here are a few from the list:

• beignet – A New Orleans breakfast staple, it is a pastry similar to a doughnut or sweet fritter. I once spent 40 minutes in line getting one
• ceviche – Using food acid (typically lime and or lemon juice) to “cook”. Often raw or partially cooked seafood is placed in a bowl with the juice and becomes “cooked” over time. Check out this great shrimp cocktail ceviche.
• chipotle – Really? Chipotle peppers are so much a part of my cooking that I can’t imagine who is not aware that a smoked jalapeño is a chipotle.
• gazpacho – I first hard gazpacho (cold tomato and vegetable soup) late in life but love, love, love it. When fresh tomatoes become ripe I cannot wait to make a batch. Check it out here.
• mandoline – Having just used mine earlier today to thinly slice a dill pickle for a sandwich, the mandolin is in indispensable part of my kitchen.
• pierogi – Living in Cleveland, this dumpling is ever-present.
• roux – Learning how to make this simple paste of cooked butter and flour can take a so-so recipe to new heights.

Here is the whole list. How many do you need to look up?

aioli, amaranth, arrabbiata, baba gannouj, bacalao, bain-marie, beignet, bialy, biryani, blanch, bruschetta, bulgogi, cardamom, ceviche, chaat, challah, chayote, chiffonade, chipotle, choucroute, cilantro, couscous, croque-monsieur, dahl, deglaze, dim sum, edamame, emulsify, epazote, falafel, farci, fenugreek, Florentine, focaccia, fufu, gado gado, galangal, ganache, garam masala, garlic, gazpacho, gravlax, gremolata, haggis, hamantasch, hominy, hoppin’ John, induction cooking, injera, julienne, junket, kecap manis, kibbeh, kimchi, lavash, linguiça, lovage, macerate, madeleine, mandoline, mezzaluna, mezze, mole, mouthfeel, nacho, nopal, nuoc mam, orzo, pawpaw, pho, piccata, pierogi, polenta, ponzu, poutine, purslane, quahog, ramekin, rissole, rouille, roux, salsa, sancocho, shawarma, soba, souvlaki, speck, tagine, tamale, tatsoi, teff, tomalley, umami, vindaloo, wasabi, waterzooi, xanthan gum, yakitori, yuca, zabaglione

To make this delicious Mediterranean Turkey Breast with Lemon and Garlic, you will need to deglaze (from the list above) the pan.

7 ingredients.

Marinate the turkey.

In the pan.

It’s done.

Deglazing the pan to make the sauce.

Awesome!