The Food Section: Appetizers

Salt Pork and Other Meat Cuts Translated into French

Meats Words & Phrases [french-at-a-touch.com]

You Too Can Learn How to Speak Oktoberfest

Did you challenge me to an oabischwoam? You, sir, have quite the wampn. Please, please don't tell me you just ordered a quartl.

Oktoberfest.de provides a useful dictionary of Bavarian words, terms, and phrases to help you successfully navigate Oktoberfest (read sampling below)

The Wiesn Dictionary [oktoberfest.de]

Definitions:

oabischwoam (n): "To solve a fight through drinking, a much better alternative than letting the fist do the talking, at the Oktoberfest as well as elsewhere."

wampn (n): "Patronising expression for a oversized oft hanging belly. Caused either through a large consumption of foods with a high fat content or beer."

quartl (n): "Quarter of a litre beer. Is considered absurd and ludicrous at the Oktoberfest."

So, What Is a "Foodie" Anyway?

Chowhounders ponder the ultimate question: what is a "foodie"?

Victual Verse

Robert Bly, Nikki Giovanni, and Charles Bukowski are among the more popular poets chosen by front of the house staff at Union Square Cafe for reading poetry before "family meals." Imported from Gramercy Tavern, the readings began in the late nineties when a manager was inspired by a performance of Dante's "Inferno," according to this week's New Yorker.

Ramsay's Profane Progeny

Foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay, presently under fire from the Catholic Church, is now concerned with his son's swearing. "Yesterday he came running in and said, 'Dad, what's a wanker?','' said Ramsay. "I explained to him it meant like being a bit of an idiot and he replied, 'Oh, you mean like a knob?'." Ba-dum-dum.

Cursing in the Kitchen

Is the rise in profanity among TV chefs a reflection of what goes on in real restaurant kitchens or is it just schtick?

An Egg is an Egg is an Egg

Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni is bemused by the appearance of the term "hen egg" on Momofuku Ko's menu. Elsewhere: Crayola crayon colors "laser lemon" and "wild tangerine" will now be known as "super happy" and "fun in the sun."

Whither "Sammies"?

David Lebovitz proposes five cooking terms that should be left behind in 2007.

"Locavore": Word of the Year

The New Oxford American Dictionary has named "locavore" its 2007 "Word of the Year."

Taking the Joy Out of Enjoyment

Frank Bruni rails against patronizing restaurantspeak: "Dining out nightly has taught me many things, including this: Nothing kills enjoyment like too many mentions of it."

Biodynamic Defined

A brief glossary of ecologically-correct winemaking.

Absurd Dishes

Language: Sage marinated hand-picked mahi-mahi with a garlic reduction and other absurd randomly generated menu items. Via eG. See also: The silly tasting notes generator.

"EVOO" Officially a Word

Language: It's official: Rachael Ray-ism EVOO will become an entry in the next edition of the Oxford American College Dictionary. No word yet on peaness.

In Praise of Peaness

Language: Julie Powell sings the praises of penis (or was that "peaness") on Iron Chef.

The End of Hunger? Not Really

Language: For the first time, the USDA has eliminated the word "hungry" from an annual report that measures Americans' access to food. Instead, those who can least afford to put food on the table have been classified as "very low food security."

Gastronomista

Language: Gastronomista: "A savvy woman who turns blogging about what she ate last night into a mini-industry, e.g., 'Did you hear about the latest gastronomista book deal? She’s even doing a lingerie line, Mise en Place'."

Profanity and Food Writing

Language: Is the new profanity in food writing inspired or f*cked up?

He Loves Loo

Language: In a reader feedback post, Frank Bruni, New York Times restaurant reviewer and lavatory critic, finds a bathroom attendant he can stand and declares, "I love the world loo."

Rachael Ray Glossary

Language: From "EVOO" to "Yum-O," a glossary of Rachael Ray-isms.

Salumi Confusion

Language: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that diners are bewildered by the word salumi: "No one knew what the heck it was. They thought it was a mistake, a typo," says Chris Lee, chef/owner of Berkeley's Eccolo. To avoid confusion, Lee's "salumi plate" has been renamed "antipasto Eccolo."

Couch Potato Ban

Language: British potato farmers are demanding that the term "couch potato" be removed from the Oxford English Dictionary, claiming that the description is harmful to the potato's image. The British Potato Council wants the expression replaced with "couch slouch."

Vegetarians, Fruitarians, and Vegans

Language: William Safire on the words vegetarian, fruitarian, vegan, and rawist, a.k.a. "one who exclusively noshes on crudités (a Yiddish-English-French phrase)."