The language of English cuisine is unusual in that it uses many words of foreign origin, often in their original spelling. The purpose of this dictionary is to give short definitions of these words so that both the practising chef and the amateur enthusiast, the gastronome and the student may quickly determine the meaning. It is not a recipe book or a repertoire, but it does give the ingredients of classic and well-known dishes (chicken tikka masala, for example), together with a brief summary of the cooking processes. A picture of a chef's hat indicates dishes that the professional or amateur cook could, after a little experimentation, roughly reproduce.