Just when you thought that dining out at trendy restaurants and pulling off a few good dinner parties has made you a culinary erudite – along comes a cooking term or menu item that befuddles the mind and tangles your tongue.

But don’t go running to Webster’s Dictionary if you’re trying to figure out the meaning of something such as bain-marie. You’ll instead need to hunt down a gourmet chef to learn that it’s a French cooking term for “water bath.” And while you may have a reasonable understanding of what pad thai and demi glace mean, you’ll need to listen closely to a waiter’s rehearsed script if the daily pasta special comes with “quahog.” Who would guess that the word refers to large, hard-shell clams harvested along the East Coast?

Here is a list of terms in alphabetical order that will help you navigate through some of today’s contemporary restaurant menus and challenging cookbooks.

à blanc (ah BLAHNK) A French term meaning “in white” to identify meats that aren’t browned during cooking

Abbacchio (ah-BAHK-ee-yoh) The Italian word for a very young lamb

Ackee (ah-KEE) A bright-red tropical fruit with a creamy white flesh used in a growing number of gourmet restaurants to complement meat and poultry dishes. Certain parts of the fruit, however, are toxic when under-ripe.

Bake Blind An English term used for baking a pastry shell before it is filled

Bouquet Garni (Boo-KAY Gar-NEE) A bundle of fresh or dried herbs (bay leaves, thyme, parsley, oregano) tied in cooking cloth to flavor soups and stews

Daikon (DI-kuhn; DI-kon) A large Asian radish that is juicier and sweeter than its American counterpart

Frizzle To fry thinly julienned slices of vegetables in oil until crisp and slightly curly

Ganache (gahn-AHSH) Not to be confused with mousse, this pastry chef’s favorite is a rich icing consisting of semisweet chocolate and whipping cream. The ingredients are heated and stirred together, then cooled for adding into cakes and tortes.

Gyoza (Gee-OH-za) The Japanese equivalent of a pot sticker

Macerate (MAS-uh-rayt) To soak a food (usually fruit) in brandy, rum or liquor in order to infuse it with those flavors

Madeleine (MAD-l-ihn) A small, airy cookie with scallop-shell indentations, often dipped in coffee or tea

Maitre D’Hotel Butter (May-TRA-dee) Butter blended with minced parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper served often in fine dining establishments with grilled meats and fish

Nam Prik (nahm PRIHK) An Asian term that generally refers to various condiments and chili sauces used with fish, rice and vegetables

Parchment Paper Martha Stewart has flaunted it on her cooking shows, but never tells us exactly what it is – or where to get it. This heavy cooking paper is grease-and-moisture resistant and used often for lining baking pans, making disposable pastry bags or wrapping foods for oven baking. Parchment paper is available in gourmet cooking shops and restaurant supply stores.

Quark (qwark) A rich, unripened cheese with the texture and flavor of sour cream that is used as a dip or for finishing off a variety of foods and desserts

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) Similar to couscous, this bland, pearly white grain was a staple in the Inca culture and contains more protein and amino acids than any other grain.

Sablefish (SAY-bl-fihsh) A flaky white fish found in deep waters off the Pacific Northwest coast and prepared in a growing number of expensive seafood restaurants

Tapenade (TA-puh-nahd) In its traditional French form, tapenade is a thick paste made from capers, anchovies, ripe olives, olive oil, lemon juice, seasonings and sometimes small pieces of tuna. It’s commonly spread over fresh baguette or crackers.

Timbale (TIHM-buhl) Usually a cupcake-shaped mold of meat, fish, rice vegetables or custard

Tournedo (Tor-NA-doe) A small thick slice of filet considered the choicest quality and served often with a cream sauce

Veloute (Va-LOOT) A white sauce made of flour, butter, and a chicken or veal stock instead of milk