Flambe

Definition

The dramatic act of setting food on fire with alcohol, because apparently cooking wasn't exciting enough without the risk of burning your eyebrows off. It exists at the intersection of cuisine and arson, and every home chef attempts it exactly once.

Example Usage

"I tried to flambe bananas foster and set off every smoke detector in my apartment. My neighbors now think I'm either a terrible cook or a budding arsonist."

Related Terms

Intermediate

bridge

A shift worker who covers the gap between lunch and dinner service, usually prepping and maintaining the kitchen during the slow afternoon hours. The unsung hero who keeps everything from falling apart.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Beginner

straight up

An order without modifications or substitutions, exactly as written on the menu. The unicorn of modern dining and every cook's favorite type of order.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Intermediate

Remoulade

A tangy, mayonnaise-based sauce with pickles, capers, and herbs that makes everything taste better. It's basically fancy tartar sauce that went to finishing school in France and came back with a new accent and an attitude.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Beginner

fond

The caramelized bits of deliciousness stuck to the bottom of your pan after searing, essentially liquid gold waiting to be deglazed into a sauce. The stuff that separates mediocre cooks from flavor wizards.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Beginner

chef

The head cook who runs a restaurant kitchen with the authority of a drill sergeant and the stress levels of an air traffic controller. Traditionally the person responsible for menu creation, staff management, and throwing the occasional pan when orders back up. In home cooking circles, it's become a pretentious way to say 'person who watches too much Food Network.'

🍳 Food / Culinary

Advanced

Chiffonade

A knife technique where you roll up leafy herbs or greens and slice them into elegant thin ribbons. It sounds like a French ballet move but it's really just aggressive lettuce rolling. It exists solely so chefs can feel superior about cutting basil.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Translate This Term

See “Flambe” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

tax-free

The mythical unicorn of financial transactions: money that the government has graciously decided not to touch. Income or...