“Sir, what is truffle?” “And risotto, what is risotto actually?” Seriously, my ears were ringing when those questions were asked in class at the Hotel School. People, you have eaten that at least once, right? I thought quietly. But well, when I heard that he came from very far up north and had a part-time job at the snack bar, I could understand it. And… on the other hand: maybe I was also lucky that I had tasted all that in a restaurant before. Or at home. We used to put truffles with the eggs in one bowl, boil them for a bit and the eggs had an insane flavor at Christmas breakfast. My mother often made the most delicious risotto with peas. And because I worked in the hospitality industry from the age of fifteen until two years ago, I no longer blink at pappardelle, lamb's ears, Zeeland flat and those kinds of tricky words on the menu. Of course, I still sometimes have to grab Google, but from what I know, I’ll give you a lesson in reading menus. Here it comes.

Confit de canard – duck cooked in its own fat.

Something from the hare (satay of the hare for example) – No, it doesn't have rabbit ears; it's another word for steak.

Bavette – Also a specific cut of beef.

Sweetbreads – This is organ meat (a gland from a calf for example) and you have to like it. This is really considered a bit of a delicacy.

Herring roe – Herring do not have calves, but they do lay eggs. So that is herring roe.

Smoked herring – A smoked herring.

Burrata  – Very young and creamy mozzarella.

Ricotta- Very soft white Italian cow or sheep cheese (very light!).

Porcini – May-Britt thought seven years ago that it was bread. No no, it’s a mushroom.

Lamb's ears – There is really no lamb on your plate here, but a bunch of vegetables.

Parsnip – Also called a forgotten vegetable or white carrot.

Topinamboer – You might think you are eating a potato, but that is not the case: it is a tuber. So a vegetable.

Blanched – Briefly boiled.

Flambéed – The dish has been briefly set on fire with an alcoholic drink.