Bain-Marie: Classic French method of cooking in a water bath, generally achieved by footing the foot in one container and setting it within a larger container, then filling the larger with water until about halfway up the side of the smaller.
Barigoule:
A dish of artichokes that have been braised with white wine and vegetables.
Brick leaves: Ultra-thin pastry from North Africa, the type used to make the traditional meat- and cheese-filled turnovers known as some version of "borek."
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Brunoise: Soups and stews get lots of flavor from this mixture of vegetables that have been thinly sliced or shredded, then slowly cooked in butter.
Beurre blanc: This grand old French sauce (literally "white butter") is a mixture of wine, vinegar and shallots. After the liquid is reduced, chunks of cold butter are whisked in to thicken and smooth.
Chinese slicer: A form of slicer that cuts vegetables all the way around, similar to a turning slicer.
Chinois: A sieve with extremely fine mesh, usually used with a spoon to press foods through in the form of puree.
Cold-smoke: The application of smoky flavor to foods without any direct encounter with heat. Gives a gentle, subtle taste.
Deglaze: The process of rescuing flavorful browned bits of food from the surface of your pan, primarily by splashing in wine.
Demi-glace: Intensely flavored and thick as jelly, this is the result of reducing larger amounts of stock into small amounts. A long, though hardly difficult process produces demi-glace that adds a lot of flavor using small amounts. Demi-glace can be poured into an ice cube tray and frozen for future use, one cube at a time.
Escabeche: From the same root word as "ceviche," meaning pickled. Often though to mean the Mexican dish of "raw" fish, anything called "escabeche" usually involves some application of vinegar and pickling-type spices.
Escolar: New market name for the fish long known as "oilfish." This Guld denizen has come into its own in recent years, with the supply problems that have afflicted traditional Louisiana redfish and speckled trout.
Florentine mix: The ingredients (usually butter, sugar, cream, honey and candied fruit) used to make the Austrian cookies known as Florentines.
Frisee: This member of the chicory family, with slender, curly leaves, is often used as a component of a salad mix called mesclun.
Hana katsuo: A Japanese product, these are shaved flakes of the fish called bonito.
Harissa: A fiery hot sauce from Tunisia made from chiles, garlic, coriander, caraway and olive oil.
Japanese mandolin: A device that (used carefully!) produces slices of vegetables that are ultra-fine and quite uniform.
John Dory: This odd-looking fish from European waters has flesh that is delicate and milk. It's terrific grilled, sautéed or poached.
Juicing: A procedure using one from a wide variety of kitchen machines available today to extract the natural liquid from fruits and vegetables. It's best to follow the instructions for your juicer.
Kaffir lime leaves: These glossy, dark green leaves of the lime tree from Southeast Asia and Hawaii can be used in cooking fresh or dried. The fresh are more intensely flavored and aromatic.
Kalamansi: Asian citrus fruit, a cross between an orange and a lime.
Ketjap manis: A thick, dark Indonesian sauce that's a bit similar to soy but more complex.
Lardoons: Also lardons. In the traditional French kitchen, these were strips of each fat or bacon. Sometimes they are used after being diced, blanched and fried.
Mache lettuce: Sometimes called "corn salad," this European plant has nothing to do with corn. Its leaves are dark, tangy and nutlike -- making them wonderful in salads.
Opah: Hawaiian fish, also known as "moonfish," can reach 200 pounds. Its pinkish flesh is full-flavored and fine textured.
Osetra caviar: One of three types of "true caviar," roe taken from a sturgeon. A classic delicacy.
Palm sugar: A dark, coarse, unrefined sugar made from either the sap of various palm trees or from sugar-cane juice. Also known as jaggery.
Raft: Formation of pureed meat and vegetables atop cooking consommé, draws up any impurities.
Rillette: Meat cooked in seasoned fat, then pounded or pulverized into a paste. The mixture generally resembles a pate.
Rougail: Old-fashioned dish from the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. It is to homesick Mauritians what curry is to homesick Indians.
Rouget: A Mediterranean fish, famed as one of the traditional components of bouillabaisse.
Sake: The legendary Japanese rice wine.
Sambal olek: A condiment enjoyed throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and southern India, the simplest is just hot peppers, brown sugar and salt.
Scotch bonnet peppers: This irregularly shaped pepper favored in the Caribbean is closely related to the habanero.
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Truffle butter: Butter flavored with truffle and herbs.
Truffle oil: Oil flavored with a bit of truffle, imparts flavor without the expense of buying truffles.
Turning slicer: Kitchen device that turns vegetables such as potatoes to produce a single long slice.
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About this article: This article originally appeared in New Orleans Gourmet Magazine.
