​The English language is rich and extensive, but sometimes we wish there were more words — especially about the joys and quirks of food and dining experiences. For that, we have “sniglets.” Sniglets were first created in the early ’80s by humorist Rich Hall on the TV show Not Necessarily the News. He defined a sniglet as “any word that doesn’t appear in the dictionary, but should.” The neologisms that appear in Hall’s various sniglet dictionaries express common experiences in ways that are often hilarious and useful. Many consist of word combinations, others of altered spellings. Some are just nonsense. What of “sniglet?”Dictionary.com tells us that the word is “said to be derivative of obsolete sniggle, to snicker.” Perhaps it’s true. Other dictionaries only give its modern meaning: to fish for eels.

These days you’ll find Hall’s sniglets not only in his books but also around the web. We’ve chosen 10 of our favorites and created five new ones. Any mashup specialists out there? Add your own sniglets in the comments. And if you know the derivation of “sniglet,” let us know about that too.

15. Burgacide (n): A hamburger’s death leap through the slots in a barbeque. (From Rich Hall, Fortunecity.com/meltingpot.)

14. Chipfault (n): The stress point on a potato chip where it breaks off and stays behind in the dip. (From Rich Hall, Krishna Kunchithapadam.)

13. Dessertation (n): A waiter’s litany of what’s on the dessert cart. (From Melissa N. Hayes-Gehrke, Dr. Melissa N. Hayes-Gehrke’s Homepage.)

12. Disconfect (v): To sterilize the piece of candy you dropped on the floor by blowing on it, somehow assuming this will `remove’ all the germs. (From Rich Hall, Ziplink.)

11. Expresshole (n): A person who goes through the grocery store’s 12-item express lane with 22 items. (From Rich Hall, Ziplink.)

10. Frigerobics (n): Leaning, bending, and stretching while looking into the refrigerator.(From Melissa N. Hayes-Gehrke, Dr. Melissa N. Hayes-Gehrke’s Homepage.)

9. Genderplex (n): The predicament of a person in a restaurant who is unable to determine his or her designated restroom (e.g. turtles and tortoises). (From Rich Hall,Unexplained Sniglets of the Universe.)

8. Musquirt (n): The water that comes out of the initial squirts of a squeeze mustard bottle. (From Rich Hall, Fortunecity.com/meltingpot.)

7. Mustgo (n): Any item of food that has been sitting in the refrigerator so long it has become a science project. (From Bert Christensen, Bert Christensen’s Cyberspace Home.)

6. Peppier [pep-ee-ay] (n): The waiter at a fancy restaurant whose sole purpose seems to be walking around asking diners if they want ground pepper. (From Rich Hall, Ziplink.)

And now, a few of our own:

5. Aquajammer (n): A friend of the peppier, the aquajammer’s sole purpose is to approach one’s table with water refills or fresh glasses every few minutes.

4. Gadgetation (n): The heart-racing sensation of entering a store stocked with shiny cooking gadgets, such as Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, or Surfas.

3. Headtwisty (adj.): The stiffness experienced after craning one’s neck around a restaurant to see: a) celebrities, b) the chef, c) the server, d) the bathroom, e) the specials menu on a far-away blackboard.

2. Reservignation (n): The acceptance of defeat and disappointment after one fails to secure a table at the newest celebrity chef restaurant.

1. Untensil (n): A fork, knife, spoon, spork or chopstick that’s been bent out of shape in an effort to relieve tension.

Read the full article here.

Cubeb pepper: This pepper is native to Indonesia.  According to Spices Inc, “Cubebs have a pleasant aroma that is pungent, lightly peppery with hints of allspice.” Read more here. Dish: Crispy head-on shrimp with sea salt, cubeb-long pepper.

Fava bean: This bean with the buttery texture and nutty taste is often described as “ancient.”  It has been grown and eaten in many regions, including Asia, the Middle East, South America, North Africa and Europe. Dish: fava bean fritter bäco with poblano feta, chickpea, salmorejo.

Harissa: Hot chili sauce from North Africa. Dish: el cordero [lamb] with merguez, harissa, chevre.

Lebni: Strained yogurt with the consistency of sour cream, said to have a sour or tart flavor.  It is Eastern Mediterranean, and sometimes described as a cheese. Dish: Zataar and olive oil with lebni.

Long pepper: This pepper was used centuries ago in early African, Indian, Indonesian and Mediterranean style cooking. Today it’s not widely used. Read more here. Dish: Crispy head-on shrimp with sea salt, cubeb-long pepper.

Manchego: This cheese was originally made from the milk of sheep in La Mancha, Spain.  Dish: “Deli meat plate” with pork belly ham, prime rib, and manchego.

Merguez: Merguez sausage, usually made with lamb, has its origins in North Africa. Dish: El cordero “coca” [baked crispy flatbread] with merguez, harissa, chevre.

Morcilla: This is a type of blood sausage typically made with pig’s blood, rice, onions and spices that derives from Spain.  Dish: Morcilla with potato, butter, and socca.

Pecorino: Italian cheese (encompassing a variety of types) made of sheep’s milk. Dish: Marinated pecorino with chile flake.

Rapini: Also called broccoli raab and and Chinese flowering cabbage, rapini is a leafy green often used in Italian and Chinese cooking. Dish: Rapini with chile and preserved lemon.

Romanesco: Romanesco is a type of cauliflower that resembles broccoli.  It is not to be confused with romesco, the Catalonian sauce.  Dish: Roasted romanesco with anchovy, garlic, cilantro.

Salbitxada: A sauce from Spain’s Catalonia region featuring tomatoes and almonds.  Dish: the original bäco – pork belly and beef carnitas, smoked aoili, salbitxada.

Salmorejo: A creamy, cold tomato soup from Cordoba, Spain.  It’s richer than a gazpacho.  Dish: fava bean fritter bäco with poblano feta, chickpea, salmorejo.

Socca: A thin, crepe-like dough made out of chickpea flour.  Dish: Morcilla with potato, butter, and socca.

Zataar: Middle Eastern mixture of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds. Dish: Zataar and olive oil with lebni.

​Josef Centeno has had his plate full since his new restaurant, Bäco Mercat, opened its doors in early November. Good thing it’s only half a mile from the Lazy Ox Canteen where he continues as chef.We recently found Centeno perched high on a ladder outside Bäco Mercat wielding a squeegee. It was his first day off in weeks, he said. “But I guess I’m still working,” the chef-owner added with a shrug as he wiped another window clean.There’s a reason for Centeno’s high spirits. “After a great soft opening, Bäco Mercat is happy to announce our grand opening,” he tells us in an e-mail. The downtown L.A. restaurant is now open Monday through Saturday with expanded hours and is taking reservations.

Read the full article here.

Ancho-bell-pepper-cranberry chutney

2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and stems removed

1 ounce dried ancho chiles, stems removed

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup leftover cranberry sauce or ½ can cranberry sauce with whole cranberries

1. Place the roasted bell peppers, dried ancho chiles and sugar in a medium, heavy-bottom sauce pan. Simmer uncovered over low heat until the chiles are very soft and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, remove from heat and cool.

2. In a blender, or with a hand-held blender, purée the ancho-pepper mixture. (This makes 1 cup ancho-pepper purée, more than is needed for the chutney. It will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.) Fold one-fourth cup of the purée (add more to taste) into the cranberry sauce. This makes more chutney than is needed for the sandwich; keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Roasted kabocha squash spread

1/2 kabocha squash, halved and seeds removed

1/2 tablespoon oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup crème fraîche

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the kabocha cut side down on a cutting board and cut away the thick skin with a knife (or also use a peeler for harder-to-cut spots). Cut the squash into about half-inch strips and toss them with the oil, brown sugar and salt.

2. Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven until the squash is soft and caramelized, about 35 minutes.

3. In a food processor, purée the squash until smooth, adding a bit of water if necessary. Cool the purée and fold it into the crème fraîche. This makes about 1½ cups spread, more than is needed for this recipe. It will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Turkey sandwich assembly

1/4 cup roasted kabocha squash spread

4 (about 1-inch) slices buckwheat (or other soft, artisan) bread, sliced

3 tablespoons ancho-bell-pepper-cranberry chutney

6 ounces hot hand-carved turkey breast, sliced

2 ounces cooked applewood smoked bacon

1 cup shredded romaine

Spread a generous layer of roasted kabocha spread on one side of two slices of bread and a layer of ancho-bell-pepper-cranberry chutney on the other side of the remaining slices of bread. Put several slices of turkey breast on top of the chutney. Divide the bacon between the two sandwiches, placing it on top of the turkey. Top with the romaine and invert the bread slices with the kabocha spread over the rest of the sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Each sandwich: 612 calories; 44 grams protein; 67 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 107 mg cholesterol; 25 grams sugar; 925 mg sodium.