Food Terminology or How NOT to be a wanker..

Recently Furry and I had the opportunity to eat at a tres Chi Chi Pooh Pooh restaurant, and we were STUNNED by the ridiculous and uber-pretentious use of trendy culinary terms.

"Local organic free-range pesticide/herbicide-free carbon-footprint-friendly Beoef Burgundy sausages served on a bed of garlic skordalia, with a creme fraiche and redwine jus"

Umm.. NO.

Skordalia:

(from The Food Lovers Companion)

skordalia
[skor-dahl-YAH]
A Greek sauce or dip made with pureed baked potatoes, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, parsley and sometimes bread crumbs or ground nuts. Skordalia is served with various dishes including grilled meats, poultry and fish, soups and as a dip for raw vegetables and/or bread.

garlic skordalia is a tautology. If it don't have garlic, it ain't skordalia...

And skordalia is Greek.. Don't blind me with words like "fusion food"... you can't have skordalia with Boef Burgundy sausages... you'd have FRENCH mashed potatoes (that's with onion, guys)

But that overused and poncy word "jus".. you CAN have that with Boef Burgundy... it's French...

Again from The Food Lovers Companion:

jus
[ZHOO]
The French word for "juice," which can refer to both fruit and vegetable juices, as well as the natural juices exuded from meat. Jus de citron is "orange juice," while jus de viande means "juices from meat." A dish (usually meat) that is served au jus is presented with its own natural juices.

So, technically the addition of creme fraiche and red wine does not make it a jus. Oui??

which brings us noicely to Creme Fraiche:

CREME FRAICHE IS NOT SIMPLY SOUR CREME...

Creme Fraiche is

crème fraîche
[krehm FRESH]
This matured, thickened cream has a slightly tangy, nutty flavor and velvety rich texture. The thickness of crème fraîche can range from that of commercial sour cream to almost as solid as room-temperature margarine. In France, where crème fraîche is a specialty, the cream is unpasteurized and therefore contains the bacteria necessary to thicken it naturally. In America, where all commercial cream is PASTEURIZED, the fermenting agents necessary for crème fraîche can be obtained by adding buttermilk or sour cream. A very expensive American facsimile of crème fraîche is sold in some gourmet markets. The expense seems frivolous, however, when it's so easy to make an equally delicious version at home. To do so, combine 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass container. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick. Stir well before covering and refrigerate up to 10 days. Crème fraîche is the ideal addition for sauces or soups because it can be boiled without curdling. It's delicious spooned over fresh fruit or other desserts such as warm cobblers or puddings.

Well.. we're not in America, and if you can get organic free range sausages, you can get your hands on unpasteurized milk, and we're eating a French dish, so again I say... CREME FRAICHE IS NOT SIMPLY SOUR CREME

Guys... Bangers and mash with red wine and sour creme gravy would have sold it to me MUCH better.

And I remember the days when mise en place was called prep, and aerating was still called sifting.