I think there should be a dictionary just for words used in cooking, giving us all lessons in how to pronounce, spell, and define each of the words.

It takes me forever to go thru boxes of old recipes collected from my mother, family, and friends as I enjoy reading each one.

Quite a few are for appetizers and the term hors d’oeuvre or the plural of the word, hors d’oeuvres is used. The spelling and pronunciation have always baffled me.

I  think back to the time my husband told me how his relative said the word, which was very funny-sounding, and it did not come close to the correct pronunciation of or-derv or or-dervz.

One just needs to remember the ‘H’ and the ‘S’ are silent.

The definition for hors d’oeuvre refers to them as savory foods usually served as appetizers.

Hors d ‘oeuvres are not sweet.

Remember that.

Not sweet.

Another word often used in recipes that is difficult for me to pronounce and spell is Worcestershire, pronounced  ‘woo-ster-sheer’.

Worcestershire sauce was created, by accident, by John Lea and William Perrins, chemists, who lived in Worcester, England. in the 1830s.

They had made a batch of vinegar-based ingredients and did not like the taste so they abandoned the batch and left it in the basement where it fermented and developed complex flavors.

Later, they found, tasted, and began bottling the mixture.

People bought it.

People loved.

This taste spread throughout Europe, across America, and around the world.

Worcestershire sauce is a fermented condiment made from a base of vinegar and flavored with anchovies, molasses, tamarind, onion, garlic, and other seasons.

To me, that is one sauce a person either loves or just cannot stand the taste.

Words from recipes fascinate, and at times, confuse me.  I think there should be a dictionary just for words used in cooking, giving us all lessons in how to pronounce, spell, and define each of the words.

I wuz just thinking.