The Cook's Essential Kitchen Dictionary: A Complete Culinary Resource - Softcover

Rolland, Jacques

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0778800989 ISBN 13: 9780778800989

Publisher: Robert Rose, 2004

Synopsis

A blend of history, etymology, anecdotes, origins and culture of food.

How often have you found yourself in the kitchen in the middle of preparing a recipe when you come across an unfamiliar term? Not recognizing a word and its meaning can diminish or slow down the pleasure of preparing a dish. Or perhaps you have a love of words and are intrigued by their historical background and linguistic origins.

Cooking is a wonderful adventure especially when the terms, definitions and historical origins of words in recipes are familiar. The Cook's Essential Kitchen Dictionary defines 4,500 key food words and provides a wealth of historical background for many of them. For anyone who cooks or who simply loves food, this book is a vital reference source and an outstanding cookbook supplement.

The book includes:

• Food and alcohol terms listed alphabetically for easy reference
• Illustrations throughout particularly for fruits and vegetables
• British, American and many foreign language cooking terms
• Complete pasta appendix
• Wonderful selection of fascinating food quotes and anecdotes
• Basic cooking methods.

The rich and rare culinary information describes subjects as varied as Humble Pie and Hanger Steak to Squawroot and Stracchino.

The Cook's Essential Kitchen Dictionary is an excellent resource to have on hand in the kitchen and makes for delightful armchair reading as well.

About this title

About the Author

Jacques Rolland has a degree in Culinary Art and Hotel Management from the Hotel School of Thonon-les-Bain. He lives in Las Vegas.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are."
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
The Physiology of Taste (La Physiologie du Goût), 1825

Although all animals eat, only humans discuss and write about this most basic need. Our survival and ability to thrive depend upon the nutrients food provides, and what we eat, not to mention how it is prepared, appreciated and remembered, is as deep and complex as any work of art. To learn about ourselves as consumers of food is to be in touch with the deepest aspects of our humanity.

Ever since Eve ate the apple in the Garden of Eden, our taste buds have influenced the course of world events. "The fate of nations depends upon the way they eat," concluded the French gourmand and epicurian Brillat-Savarin. Thoughts about the way we eat permeate culture, from literature, religion, philosophy and anthropology to science and medicine. In fact, food is such a fundamental part of our lives, we're likely to take it for granted, which would be a terrible mistake. The journey from our ancestors' discovery of fire to the fine art of gastronomy is the story of the human race, an eventful romp, loaded with lively anecdotes and startling information. Often it makes great bedtime reading.

Whether you're looking for an entertaining read or the answer to a specific culinary question, The Cook's Essential Kitchen Dictionary offers a unique vantage point from which to expand your knowledge of food and your appreciation of cooking. Food words, such as the names of fruits and vegetables, recipe titles and cooking techniques or terminology, rarely come about by chance. Insight into their historical origins is not only interesting -- it makes the adventure of cooking all the more enjoyable.

You likely recognize restaurant as a place to eat. But do you know its fascinating history? For the answer, turn to page 319.

Based on many years of research from a wide range of sources and containing more than 4,000 definitions of key food and beverage terms, as well as a wealth of historical background, this treasury of food lore is much more than an excellent resource. It's a book to browse through, one that will take both the interested amateur and the professional cook on a delightful journey through the world of food.

Edition details

• Publisher: Robert Rose
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0778800989
• ISBN 13: 9780778800989
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 413