If you’ve ever read a recipe or watched a cooking show and thought, “I nod along, but I’m not entirely sure what that means,” you’re not alone. Professional chefs have a habit of using words that sound far more serious than they need to be. The good news is, most of them describe very simple things we probably already do in our kitchens.
Take “mise en place”, for example. It sounds fancy, but all it really means is having everything ready before you start cooking. Chopped veg, measured ingredients, pan on the stove — that’s it. It’s not about being perfect, just about making cooking feel calmer and less rushed.
Then there’s “sauté.” This one simply means cooking food quickly in a hot pan with a little fat, usually while moving it around. If you’ve ever tossed onions in a pan with oil and kept them moving so they don’t catch, congratulations — you’ve been sautéing all along.
You might also hear chefs talk about “deglazing.” This is just the act of adding a splash of liquid to a hot pan to lift all those tasty browned bits stuck to the bottom. Water, wine, or stock will all do the job, and it turns what looks like a messy pan into the base of a lovely sauce.
Another common one is “reduce.” This means letting a liquid simmer so some of the water evaporates, making the flavour stronger and the sauce a little thicker. It’s a reminder that good things sometimes just need time, not extra ingredients.
And finally, “rest.” Chefs say this about meat, but it applies to us too. Letting food rest means giving it a moment to settle before serving — and honestly, after a long day, the cook deserves a pause as well.
Once you break them down, these cooking words stop feeling like rules and start feeling like quiet guidance. They’re not there to intimidate — just to help us slow down, pay attention, and enjoy the process a little more.
I hope you get chance to cook something that makes you smile this week.
