[Andy1121]

One that I really dislike is saying "mint" without saying what kind of mint. There are many kinds of mint. Even if you just consider peppermint and spearmint, that's an important distinction.

And generalizing "curry". There are so many kinds, some not even having any ingredients in common with each other, other than water and salt.

 

[chrislehrer]

Mint doesn't bother me, though I take your point.

"Curry" is one of those things that can really wind some people up -- notably a lot of South Asians. If I were writing a menu or something, I'd avoid the term entirely unless given some authoritative-seeming advice by folks from more than one part of Bangladesh, Indian, and Pakistan. I'm never sure, either, what to make of Southeast Asian curries; they seem very consistent, in my limited experience, but I don't know where the term comes from. Then there's Japanese curry, and there the term is just fine for me, because it means one thing consistently, I know why, and anyone who's had that knows exactly what to expect.

But to add to the lists of terminological annoyances, here are a couple of my pet peeves:

• "Aioli" that doesn't have garlic, or not much
• "with au jus sauce" (not confusing, just makes me want to punch someone)

I'm sure I'll think of more, as I'm easily irritated....

 

[butzy]

Alioli without garlic
But going on to that is saying that alioli is garlic mayonaisse...
I like the catalan stuff. Just garlic & olive oil.

Sambal ulek is a raw chili paste. Just chili's and salt. I understand a bit of vinegar for keeping quality. But sambal ulek tomato? And fried? No. That's Sambal tomat!

Vegan meat.
Not wanting to be funny, but meat is meat and it is not vegan. Besides, it's denigrating to good vegan dishes. I love meat. But I love tempeh goreng even more and it's fully vegan but I loved it even before I knew what vegan meant

And I'm sure I'll come up with much more. Esp ingredients that suddenly get a fancy name (just can't come up with English language ones at the mo. Just blame my homemade beers)

 

[phatch]

Doesn't curry just mean something akin to stew? I've seen efforts to try and use names to reflect how saucy the "curry" is but I don't see it actually in practice.

I'm kind of tired of with just generally in food names.

 

[butzy]

To me curry and stew are close to interchangable. European recipes, I'll call stew (although boeuf bourgignon, carbonade flamande, coq au vin sound more classy) Asian I call curry
Even worse, I don't always know the difference between a stew and a soup

 

[chefross]

Wow, a few months have gone by.
My peeve is with Prime Rib.
It's a rib roast.
Rarely is prime beef served in a restaurant unless you're going to pay big bucks.
Standing Rib roast Ribeye bone-in. I understand the word prime make people feel better but it's not what they're getting and they seem to be happy with that.

 

[chrislehrer]

Technically the term "prime rib" referring to the dish predates "prime" referring to the grade. "Prime rib" was invented at Delmonico's in the late 19th century, if memory serves. But it's true that now probably most people assume that they're getting "prime" meat. Yes, it irks me too; just a small clarification.

 

[chefross]

The exact origins of prime rib are not know. The roast became popular in the United Kingdom during the industrial age
The word "Prime" is a legal desination by the USDA that refers to that cut of meat as being prime.
The other designatons are Choice and Select.

 

[brianshaw]

If only they’d call it “Primal rib roast” instead….

 

[teamfat]

So how often do you go to the cheese counter and ask for "cow cheese" ? But so many people think that "goat cheese" is going to be goat cheese, no variations possible.

mjb.

 

[Iceman]

"Chinois"
I went through two(2) sessions at the CIA and didn’t know what this was. I knew a “China Cap” and I knew “the big pointy cone strainer”, but this stupid word got past me.
"Lardon"
This was another one. Some (most) Chef-Professors wanted matchsticks. A few others wanted little rectangular globs (think: very small shoeboxes). Just say what the hey you want without the stupid vocabulary.

 

[kuan]

General styles, like "Asian style" marinade. Yep, Curry is another one.

 

[Andy1121]

"Italian sausage". Um, there are so many kinds of Italian sausage. It's an American term for a certain style, and we know what it means, but it's time to start calling it something else. Maybe fennel sausage?

Hummus is another one for me personally. I learned of it and how to make hummus bi tahineh from a Syrian friend a few decades ago. I love it. Traditionally it has only garbanzo beans, tahineh, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt. I suppose it's literally correct to call things hummus as long as they have garbanzo beans, because that's what hummus by itself means. But that thing with cumin and no tahine is just not a substitute when I'm having it with pita bread.

 

[chefross]

I know you all will probably roll your eyes at this one, but Air Fryer has yet to be explained to me.

"Fry" To cook food in oil or fat. Why not call it what it is. A mini convection oven?

 

[JohnDB]

"Chinois"
I went through two(2) sessions at the CIA and didn’t know what this was. I knew a “China Cap” and I knew “the big pointy cone strainer”, but this stupid word got past me.
"Lardon"
This was another one. Some (most) Chef-Professors wanted matchsticks. A few others wanted little rectangular globs (think: very small shoeboxes). Just say what the hey you want without the stupid vocabulary.

There's actually a distinction between a China cap strainer and a chinoise...

China cap strainers have holes about the size of a cooked spaghetti noodle is thick or even bigger.

A Chinoise is a fine mesh metal strainer....the mesh looks like fabric and is a suitable substitute for cheesecloth. (A real pita to get clean)


The general shape of the two are similar. Effect is vastly different. I'll use a Chinoise to strain sauces and soup bases before garnishes are added. I can push them through using an immersion blender or a ladle depending on desired outcome.
China cap strainer....what you use to blanche green peas with and pull them back out of the water so you still have the blanching water.

 

[cheflayne]

I was taught that a chinois is a China cap, but not all China caps are chinois. The fine mesh chinois is known as an etamine.

 

[JohnDB]

I was taught that a chinois is a China cap, but not all China caps are chinois. The fine mesh chinois is known as an etamine.

Gobel Chinois Bouillon Strainer, Tinned Steel with Stainless Mesh Food & Soup Strainers - BakeDeco.Com

"Gobel Chinois Bouillon Strainer, Tinned Steel with Stainless Mesh by Gobel at BakeDeco.Com. Shop for Gobel Chinois Bouillon Strainer, Tinned Steel with Stainless Mesh from Kitchen & Dining / Kitchen Gadgets & Utensils / Food & Soup Strainers at affordable prices.

www.bakedeco.com

People get confused regularly and teach confusion....either because of gaffs of speech or some other reason. I'm not doubting what you were taught...I've heard similar stories before.

But click the link. See the name.

This is the one I bought 30 years ago.

 

[cheflayne]

I certainly don't mean to to teach confusion because of a gaff of speech or some other reason, so I clicked the link, I saw the name, I bought mine 40 years ago, and I still don't see the confusion over what I said.

Chinois - Définition de Chinois - Lexique du vocabulaire de cuisine

Chinois

Le chinois étamine (étamine métallique) qui sert à filtrer les bouillons, les crèmes fines, les sirops.
The Chinese cheesecloth (metal cheesecloth) used to filter broths, fine creams, syrups.

 

[butzy]

I know you all will probably roll your eyes at this one, but Air Fryer has yet to be explained to me.

"Fry" To cook food in oil or fat. Why not call it what it is. A mini convection oven?

I agree
I find it a weird name. To me it has associations with fried air...

 

[teamfat]

"To me it has associations with fried air.."

There is a specialty butcher shop a block down the street from my house. On occasion they have fried pork rinds. I once described them to a person who was thinking about trying some as "crispy, lard flavored fried air". They are So incredibly light and crunchy, once you bite into one they basically disintegrate into nothing but porky goodness.

mjb.