al dente: cooked but still firm to the bite; usually in reference to pasta
brûlée: to burn evenly with a blowtorch; usually in reference to burning sugar for a crème brûlée
brunoise: to brunoise vegetables (or other ingredients), one is required to cut the vegetables into 5 mm cubes. You can do this by cutting 5 mm thick slices and then laying each slice flat and cutting horizontal and vertical lines of 5 mm each
chiffonade: a chopping technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables are cut into long, thin strips; usually accomplished by gathering the leaves together and slicing them as finely as possible
chinois: a conical sieve with an extremely fine mesh, used to strain custards, purées, soups and sauces, producing a very smooth texture
confit: when food is cooked in grease, oil or syrup, at a lower temperature than deep-frying; meat (goose, duck, pork) that has been cooked and preserved in its own fat
drum sieve: shaped like a snare drum, its used as a strainer, grater, or food mill; also known as a tamis
espuma: Spanish for foam or froth
lemon cheek: if you hold the lemon upright and cut down the side of the lemon, missing the core, you will end up with a lemon cheek. These are great for dishes in which the lemon cheek is served as part of the presentation, seeing as a lemon cheek is the more elegant version of a lemon wedge or slice
mandolin slicer: a kitchen utensil consisting of a guiding frame and a super-sharp blade, which can be adjusted to very thinly slice fruit or vegetables. If you do not have one, use a sharp knife to shave off the thinnest slices that you can manage
microplane: a kitchen utensil used to very finely grate ingredients. If you do not have one, you can use the finest setting on your grater and then run a sharp knife through the shavings
sauté: to fry quickly over a heat source in a little hot fat, butter or oil
siphon gun: uses nitrous oxide cartridges to incorporate air into liquids to create a dense, mousse-type foam. Hold the gun upside down when screwing in the gas canisters so that the gas runs through the mixture. Also, for safety reasons, if charging with two gas canisters, remove the second canister before discharging the foam
slurry: a thick mixture of water and, in most cases, cornflour
sous-vide: a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath or temperature-controlled steam environment for longer than normal cooking times at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking
vegetable spiraliser: produces spiral cuts, shoestrings and vegetable ‘noodles’
