nuke it

Definition

To reheat food in a microwave, usually said with mild shame in professional kitchens where microwaves are considered the lowest form of cooking technology. Every chef's guilty secret.

Example Usage

Just nuke that side of rice for 30 seconds—nobody will know.

Origin

Slang from nuclear references to microwave radiation, popularized in 1980s-90s

Fun Fact

High-end restaurants often hide their microwaves in back corners like shameful secrets, despite using them daily for specific tasks like melting chocolate or heating sauces.

Source: Restaurant kitchen slang

Related Terms

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trussing

Tying poultry or roasts with kitchen twine to ensure even cooking and maintain shape, because untrussed birds cook unevenly and look like they gave up halfway through roasting. The string theory of cooking.

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Advanced

comfit

A confection consisting of nuts, seeds, or spices coated in multiple layers of sugar, popular in medieval times when people had different dental insurance. These candy-coated treats required patience and skill to create, as each layer had to dry before the next was added. Think of them as the original jawbreakers, but fancier and less likely to be used as weapons.

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appetiser

The British spelling of appetizer, because even food terminology needs to cross the Atlantic with extra vowels and pretension. A small, savory starter course that UK diners enjoy before the main event, served with a side of linguistic superiority. Proof that Americans and Brits can't even agree on how to spell the foods that make them hungry.

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Plating

The art of arranging food on a plate to make it look beautiful before someone destroys it in thirty seconds with a fork. It's interior design for dinner, and chefs will spend more time on plating than most people spend on their actual living rooms.

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Intermediate

appellation

A fancy French-origin term for a wine's geographic designation, telling you exactly where those grapes grew up and ensuring Champagne snobs can gatekeep their bubbles. It's essentially a protected brand name for regions, preventing California winemakers from calling their fizz 'Champagne.' The wine world's way of saying terroir matters, and no, your backyard vineyard doesn't qualify.

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Fusion

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🍳 Food / Culinary

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