On menus, it sometimes seems that French terms are used to make a dish seem fancier or more exotic than it is. Thus a modest dish of fried chicken livers becomes Foie de Volalaille Sautée. You would pay more for that, wouldn't you?
In recipes, these terms become a kind of shorthand for the recipe writer, describing a preparation in many fewer words. Instead of asparagus soaked in a dressing of oil, vinegar and herbs, the recipe may simply describe it as “asparagus vinaigrette.” The goal of this glossary is to help decipher those pesky French terms.
See also the Glossaries A to B, C to E, or P to Z.