Culinary Glossary
What is a mandoline slicer?
A mandoline is a blade on a runway that cuts even slices and julienne. Blade types, the hand guard, and the cut-resistant glove.
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Culinary Glossary
What is en papillote?
En papillote means cooking in a sealed parchment packet so food steams in its own juices. How to seal it, and how to know it is done.
Culinary Glossary
What is a reduction in cooking?
A reduction is a liquid cooked uncovered until water boils off and the flavor concentrates. The spoon test, the usual mistakes, and where cooks use it.
Culinary Glossary
Homogenization: what it is in milk and in a sauce
Homogenization, or homogenisation, breaks particles down so a mixture stays together. What it does to milk, and how it differs from pasteurization.
Culinary Glossary
Maceration: what it is and how it differs from a marinade
Maceration draws flavor out of a solid in sugar or a cold liquid, without cooking it. How it differs from a marinade and an infusion, and how to do it.
Culinary Glossary
What does abocar mean in cooking?
Abocar is the Spanish verb for pouring from one vessel into another with the rims together, leaving the sediment. It is not the same thing as an abocado wine.
Culinary Glossary
Hydrolysis: what it is and what it does in cooking
Hydrolysis is the reaction in which water splits a molecule. How it turns collagen into gelatin, ages beef and cheese, and how it differs from Maillard.
Culinary Glossary
Beurre blanc: what it is and how to make it
Beurre blanc is a French sauce of butter, shallot, white wine, and vinegar. Here is where it comes from, the ratios, the method, and how to save it if it breaks.
Culinary Glossary
Beurre manié: what it is and how to make it
Beurre manié is a raw paste of soft butter and flour in equal parts by weight, used to give a thin sauce some body at the end. Here is the ratio, the method, and how it differs from a roux.
Culinary Glossary
Egg-yolk liaison: what it is and how to do it
An egg-yolk liaison thickens a hot sauce with yolks and cream, without letting the egg set into curds. Here is Escoffier's ratio, how to temper, and the 60°C (140°F) limit.
Culinary Glossary
Fish fumet: what it is and how to make it
A fish fumet is a short stock of fish bones and aromatics. Here is how it compares with fish stock, the ratios, the method, and why it turns bitter if you simmer it too long.
Culinary Glossary
Gastrique: what it is and how to make it
A gastrique is sugar cooked to a light caramel and dissolved with vinegar. Here is the ratio from Escoffier's sauce romaine, the method, and what to use it with.
Culinary Glossary
Glace de viande: what it is and how to make it
Glace de viande is brown stock reduced until it coats a spoon and, once cold, sets. Here is Escoffier's method, why it gels, and how to use it.
Culinary Glossary
Monter au beurre: what it is and how to do it
Monter au beurre means whisking cold butter into a hot sauce, off the boil, for shine. Here is the name, Escoffier's amount, and how to keep the butter from separating.
Culinary Glossary
Nap a sauce: what nappé means
To nap a sauce is to coat food with a sauce that stays put. Here is the spoon test Escoffier uses, how to reach that point, and how to correct it.
Culinary Glossary
Starch slurry: what it is and how to use it
A starch slurry is starch dispersed in cold liquid, used to thicken a sauce. Here is the amount, why the liquid is cold, and which starch to choose.
Culinary Glossary
Roux: what it is and how to make it
A roux is flour cooked in fat before the liquid goes in. Here is Escoffier's ratio, the three colors, and how much you need for a liter.
Culinary Glossary
Emulsion: what it is and how to make a mayonnaise that holds
An emulsion disperses two liquids that will not mix, such as oil and water, with help from egg yolk. Here is Escoffier's mayonnaise, why it breaks, and how to bring it back.
Culinary Glossary
Demi-glace: what it is and how to make it
Demi-glace is espagnole and brown stock in equal parts, reduced and finished with sherry. Here is Escoffier's ratio, the method, and how it differs from a meat glaze.
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How to Start a Food Truck Business: Costs, Permits and 13 Steps
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Kitchen Brigade System: Chef Hierarchy and Roles Explained
The kitchen brigade system organizes a kitchen into ranks and stations. See the full chef hierarchy table, classical roles and how kitchens adapt it today.
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Your AI Agents Now Connect with Gmail, Sheets, and Instagram
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GLM-5.2, DeepSeek V4 Flash and Kimi K2.5: three open-source models land on AI Chef Pro
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