Culinary Terms that Should be Banned!

[Kerala]

On 11/26/2020 at 1:00 AM, JeanneCake said:

The word that's getting to me is "artisanal" - not everything is artisanal 🤨 but I see it in regular rotation.  I'm not saying there aren't artisanal producers but the term is being applied very loosely IMHO.

 

The only time I've used the term "artisanal" in the last 10 years in real life was sarcastically while waiting to go through UK border control returning from Portugal.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

On 11/23/2020 at 12:08 AM, liuzhou said:

 

Yup. First mention in writing was 1926.

 

re: fridge", fascinating!   Can you point us toward this or other early mentions?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

On 11/25/2020 at 6:43 AM, Anna N said:

I am not a fan but I use it because I’ve yet to find a replacement that is as succinct. Ditto “foodie”. They survive because they meet a need. I used to consider myself a language prescriptivist but language mutates, grows, stretches and changes like most living entities. I am adjusting but it’s painful. 

Quite!   I used to argue with my Greek instructor about lax or incorrect use, such as a food's being "healthy" as opposed to "healthful".    She correctly maintained that language was living.    Certainly a Greek should understand this.

Edited November 29, 2020 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

On 11/26/2020 at 11:44 AM, ElsieD said:

I think the phrase "cooked to perfection" ridiculous.  Whose idea of perfection?  

I LOVE this one.   Mine, bloody rare, please.   His, medium well.   Back to the old normal curve.

[liuzhou]

17 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

 

re: fridge", fascinating!   Can you point us toward this or other early mentions?

 

Here are some of the earliest usages as recorded by the OED.

 

Quote

1926 E. F. Spanner Broken Trident xvi. 181 Best part of our stuff here is chilled, and with no 'frig plant working, the mercury will climb like a rocket.    

 

1935 C. Brooks Frame-Up xix. 243 Do you mean that you keep a dead body in a fridge waiting for the right moment to bring her out?    

 

1939 M. Dickens One Pair of Hands xii. 198 Your frig is out of order and the trifle hasn't got cold.   

 

 1946 News Chron. 25 Feb. 3/7 (heading) A Communal ‘Frig.’ with 300 Lockers.    

 

1954 I. Murdoch Under Net vi. 90 In the fridge was salmon, raspberries and considerable quantities of butter, milk and cheese.    

 

1955 G. Greene Quiet American 90 We haven't a frig—we send out for ice.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by liuzhou (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

13 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

Here are some of the earliest usages as recorded by the OED.

 

 

 

Should have been banned back then.

 

[Toliver]

On 11/26/2020 at 4:35 PM, Katie Meadow said:

Unctuous.  Is that supposed to be a good thing? Maybe, if you love Velveeta. 

 

1 : having, revealing, or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality. 2a : fatty, oily. b : smooth and greasy in texture or appearance.

Or pork fat. I'm just saying....

[rotuts]

the term

 

" Best "

 

its not so much an Oxymoron 

 

but fooling 

 

can you imagine the $$$$

 

that was made with 

 

book A   " The best .... "

 

then book A revised   " The Best .... "

 

 

futures were made 

 

a bit smaller than Telas's futune

 

but 

 

as Mr. Potato Head said reputedly 

 

Toy Story  I  ,, II  ,, III  

 

and any future 

 

mighty fine stuff from 

 

Pixar

 

Mr Potato said this 

 

""" Money Money Money  ""

 

spart potato

[heidih]

You mindreader! I was just thinking the same this morning. And some major sites still play that game, Are we lemming, stoopid or?

[Nyleve Baar]

The chef thing makes me crazy. I am a food writer and good home cook. And people will almost invariably introduce me as a chef. I argue to the point of embarrassing the person who introduced me and then I have to stop arguing. People just WANT to call any competent cook a chef. You can't stop them. Not sure where this came from but I'm guessing TV.

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, Nyleve Baar said:

The chef thing makes me crazy. I am a food writer and good home cook. And people will almost invariably introduce me as a chef. I argue to the point of embarrassing the person who introduced me and then I have to stop arguing. People just WANT to call any competent cook a chef. You can't stop them. Not sure where this came from but I'm guessing TV.

Yup. Can't change it

[pastameshugana]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

the term " Best " its not so much an Oxymoron but fooling 

 

Reminds me of the movie "Elf" when he runs in screaming "You did it! You made the world's best cup of coffee!"

 

[heidih]

On 11/30/2020 at 3:56 PM, Toliver said:

Or pork fat. I'm just saying....

 

Just read regarding buttering the parchment in the pan of rice to be baked - from Daniel Boulud But he is French. The rice is not just rehydrated; it is enriched unctuously.

Edited December 3, 2020 by heidih (log)

[teonzo]

The use of "unctuous" comes from all the French chefs that relocated in English speaking countries. They were used to the French term "onctueuse", which means "creamy / silky" and is really positive when referred to food. Similar sound, different meaning.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[weinoo]

15 hours ago, Nyleve Baar said:

The chef thing makes me crazy. I am a food writer and good home cook. And people will almost invariably introduce me as a chef. I argue to the point of embarrassing the person who introduced me and then I have to stop arguing. People just WANT to call any competent cook a chef. You can't stop them. Not sure where this came from but I'm guessing TV.

 

You're quite right - and when I'm introduced as a chef it makes me cringe a little. I prefer to say I'm a professionally trained cook.

 

However - I am a chef in my kitchen, in charge of my brigade. Even if my brigade consists of only me!

[chromedome]

4 minutes ago, teonzo said:

The use of "unctuous" comes from all the French chefs that relocated in English speaking countries. They were used to the French term "onctueuse", which means "creamy / silky" and is really positive when referred to food. Similar sound, different meaning.

 

I just think of it as an economical adjective to express the thought that a given food is rich or "fatty in a good way." Like ribs or pulled pork, or - I expect, not having had them myself - Robuchon's notorious "pommes purees" that were equal parts potato and butter by weight.

[mgaretz]

Heritage is another term that is actually meaningless.  Everything has a heritage.  I realize it's meant to describe a breed or strain that dates back to an earlier time, but I just saw a food ad today that said, "All of our beef is from heritage cattle,"  with no other explanation.  

[rotuts]

the above got me thinking :

 

" Angus "   

 

then again there is :

 

""   Cauliflower  Steak  "

 

 

 

 

Cauliflower is Cauliflower and make no mistake about that 

 

and a steak is a slice or slab of cow.

 

not turkey , not chicken , not duck, and not Salmon.

 

however , recently 

 

@Franci 

 

served this :

 

 

she accurately called it grilled swordfish.

 

some might call this Swordfish Steak 

 

Ill give that term a maybe 

 

vegetables are never going to be Steak.

Edited December 4, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[liuzhou]

...and cauliflower isn't ever rice, either.

[weinoo]

I got a ration of shit somewhere for telling someone their vegan hotdog (i.e. a carrot on a bun) wasn't, nor should it be called, a hot dog.

Nor should things be called meatballs unless they actually contain, you know, meat.

[heidih]

34 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I got a ration of shit somewhere for telling someone their vegan hotdog (i.e. a carrot on a bun) wasn't, nor should it be called, a hot dog.

Nor should things be called meatballs unless they actually contain, you know, meat.

 

I get your point but with the aforementioned "steak" and your balls or vegan dogs  I think it is a shape moniker more than simulation term. I draw my line at the carrot/hot dog

[Margaret Pilgrim]

5 hours ago, liuzhou said:

...and cauliflower isn't ever rice, either.

What astonishes me is that some consumers are confused by the marketing term, thinking that it is actually rice made somehow from cauliflower.  

Edited December 4, 2020 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[chileheadmike]

Baby 'bellas. 

WTH?

They are cremini.  

[Katie Meadow]

4 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

What astonishes me is that some consumers are confused by the marketing term, thinking that it is actually rice made somehow from cauliflower.  

But isn't that exactly what it is? Cauliflower that's been "riced?" It imitates rice, but it's made from cauliflower, no?

Surely the people that are into it are people who want foods that give am impression of carbs. as a base for other veggies or meats, but are in reality not carbs or grains. I admit I have never made it, as I am happy eating rice that looks like rice and cauliflower that looks like cauliflower. Maybe cauliflower rice would be a good way to make a veggie pancake.

 

So far I have never felt the need for a vegetable to look like a grain or a grain to look like meat. The concept of being nostalgic for a hot dog and the fact of being a vegetarian is a tough one I guess. I haven't eaten beef for a couple of years now, but I will allow that if I ever get an overwhelming craving for a green chile burger I will make my own and enjoy the hell out of it without any guilt. After all, only one serving of beef per year is still a reasonable contribution to the general good.  But then I don't eschew beef because I think it's unhealthy, but because it seems like one small way I can help the planet. I know my personal choice makes a minimal impact, given the consumption of beef in this country, but it's something I can do. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

We all probably have a version of the kitchen tool, the "ricer".    It forces food through tiny holes, it "rices" them.    To reice is a verb.

 

Of course people are using cauliflower "rice" as a carb sub because it works that way,.    But it is a sub.   One would never think one is creating actual rice from cauliflower.   Or would one...