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This
week's theme: Cooking like a gourmet!
braise
(transitive verb)
[brayz]
1. to cook (meat or vegetables) by browning briefly in hot fat, adding a
small amount of liquid, and cooking at a low temperature in a covered pot:
"I am devoting the better part of this rainy afternoon to reading and
braising beef."
Origin
Approximately 1797; from French, 'braise': live coals; from Old French, 'brese':
embers; of Germanic origin.
parboil
(transitive verb)
[PAWR-boil']
1. to cook partially by boiling briefly, usually before frying or roasting:
"The trick to my amazing home fries is to parboil the potatoes, then fry
them with garlic and finish them with teriyaki sauce."
2. to make uncomfortably hot
Origin
Approximately 1381; from Medieval Latin, 'perbullire': to boil thoroughly;
from Latin, 'per': through, thoroughly + 'bullire': to boil. Main modern
meaning 'boil partially' is by mistaken association of the prefix with
'part.'
fricassee
(noun, transitive verb)
[frik'-ah-SEE, FRIK-ah-see']
noun
1. pieces of chicken or other meat stewed in gravy, often with carrots and
onions and served with noodles or dumplings: "Zoe subsists on salads while
her skinnier sister eats substantial meals like fricassee or lasagna every
night!"
transitive verb
2. to prepare (chicken or other meat) by cutting into pieces and stewing in
gravy; fricassee meats
Origin
Approximately 1568; from French, 'fricassee,' feminine past participle of 'fricasser':
to mince and cook in sauce; of uncertain origin, perhaps Medieval French 'frire':
to fry, from Latin, 'frigere': to fry or roast + 'casser,' 'quasser': to
break, to cut up, from Latin, 'quassare': to shake.
decoct
(transitive verb)
[di-KOKT]
1. to extract the essence of something by boiling it: "To produce the ginger
flavor, restaurant staff will decoct the root for hours."
2. to cook until very little liquid is left; 'boil down'
noun form: decoction
Origin
Approximately 1450; from Latin, 'decoct-,' past participle of 'decoquere':
to boil down, from 'coquere': to boil, to cook.
julienne
(noun, adjective)
[joo'-lee-EN, zhu-LYEN']
noun
1. a clear soup with vegetables cut into thin strips
adjective
2. (also: julienned) cut into long thin strips: "Where did my daughter learn
how to make julienne vegetables without cutting any fingers?"
Origin
Approximately 1841; from French, literally, (soup made) in the manner of
Julien, the proper name, from an otherwise unknown cook
.
This
week's theme: Going and going and going.
interminable
(adjective) [in-TUR-mah-nah-bahl]
1. seemingly without end: "The interminable delays at the airport were
cutting into our vacation time."
2. tiresomely long; 'an interminable sermon'
noun form: interminability
adverb form: interminably
Origin
Approximately 1374; from Late Latin, 'interminabilis': unending ('in-': not
+ 'terminabilis,' from 'terminare,' from 'terminus': end, boundary).
relentless
(adjective) [ri-LENT-lis]
1. unrelenting or unyielding in severity; 'relentless persecution'
2. unremitting, steady and persistent; never-ceasing; "The relentless beat
of the drums drew me in from across the park."
adverb form: relentlessly
noun form: relentlessness
Origin
Approximately 1592; from English, 'relent,' from Latin, 'lentus': slow,
viscous, supple + '-less': without.
immutable
(adjective) [i-MYOO-tah-bahl]
1. not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form, quality, or
nature; unable to be changed; "The view of that time was that all species
were immutable, created by God."
noun forms: immutability, immutableness
adverb form: immutably
Origin
Approximately 1412; from Latin, 'immutabilis': unchangeable ('in-': not + 'mutabilis':
changeable, from 'mutare': to change).
unabated
(adjective) [un'-ah-BAY-tid]
1. continuing at full strength or intensity; 'the winds are unabated';
'unabated violence'; "The popularity of his books among young people
continued unabated."
adverb form: unabatedly
Origin
Approximately 1611; from 'un-': not + 'abate,' from Latin 'ad': to + 'battuere':
to beat.
indefatigable
(adjective) [in'-di-FAT-i-gah-bahl]
1. extremely persistent and untiring; "She was an indefatigable advocate of
equal rights."
noun forms: indefatigability, indefatigableness
adverb form: indefatigably
Origin
Approximately 1586; from Latin, 'indefatigabilis': that cannot be wearied
('in-': not + 'defatigare': to tire out, from 'de-': utterly, away + 'fatigare':
to weary)
.
This
week's theme: Making me uncomfortable.
beset
(transitive verb)
[bi-SET]
1. to assail or attack from all sides: "The zebra was beset by leopards."
2. to annoy continually or chronically
3. to surround or hem in; 'the mountains which beset it round' (Nathaniel
Hawthorne)
4. to decorate something with jewels or other ornaments
noun form: besetment
Origin
from Old English, 'besettan': to surround; of Germanic origin.
privation
(noun) [prie-VAY-shahn]
1. lack of the basic necessities of life: "Jeff has chosen a life of
privation over steady employment."
2. the act of depriving someone of something
Origin
Approximately 1340; from Latin, 'privationem': a taking away, from 'privatus,'
past participle of 'privare': to deprive.
discomfiture
(noun) [dis-KUM-fi-choor', dis-KUM-fi-chahr]
1. anxious embarrassment: "Everyone shifted in their seats as the
discomfiture in the dining room grew."
Origin
Approximately 1325; from Middle English, 'desconfiture' ('discomfit,' from
Old French 'desconfire': to defeat, to destroy, from 'des-': not + 'confire':
to make, to accomplish + '-ure.')
vexation
(noun) [vek-SAY-shahn]
1. the act of troubling or annoying someone: "The tight living arrangement
was a great source of vexation for the whole family."
2. the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed
3. something or someone that causes anxiety
Origin
Approximately 1375; from Latin, 'vexation-,' from 'vexare': to shake, to
harass + '-ion.'
gadfly
(noun) [GAD-flie']
1. a persistently annoying person: "I think I have finally figured out how
to shake this gadfly off, once and for all."
2. any of various large flies that annoy livestock
Origin
Approximately 1626; from English, 'gad': goad, metal rod; from Old Norse, 'gaddr':
spike, nail; of Germanic origin.
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