Amyjo Johnson from Food for Change defines Agave Nectar as  "A natural extract from a Mexican cactus of the same name, tastes and has a texture similar to honey".

Kathy FitzHenry from The Occasional Gourmet (San Francisco, CA) defines Avocado Oil as: "This nutty oil has a very high smoke point of 500 degrees. It is a nice alternative to traditional oils. Use it to sauté or try it as a finishing oil in dips or to drizzle over tomatoes."

Karen Barker is the 2003 winner of the Best Pastry Chef Award from the James Beard Foundation and 1999 winner of Bon Appetit's American Food and Entertaining Award for Best Pastry Chef. She and husband Ben Barker own and operate Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina, and are coauthors of Not Afraid of Flavor: Recipes from Magnolia Grill. Her latest book is Sweet Stuff.

Amyjo Johnson from Food for Change defines Barley Malt Syrup as  "Roughly half as sweet as honey or sugar.  Made from sprouted barley and has a slight nutty, caramel flavor".

By spooning or brushing melted fat, butter or other cooking liquid over a food while it is cooking you are basting the food and preventing it from drying out. It also adds color and flavor to the cooking food. Frequently, juices from the cooking pan are used to spoon over the food several times during the cooking process.

Current Chef de Cuisine at Naslada Bistro. In past he has studied in Italy and gained acclaim among his classmates. Currently he resides in Bowling Green Ohio to retain his anonymity..

Mark Bittman is among the country's most widely respected and beloved food writers and home cooks. His bestselling How to Cook Everything won both the James Beard and Julia Child–IACP cookbook awards and helped rekindle enthusiasm for cooking across America. His must-read weekly New York Times column, "The Minimalist," and his frequent appearances on the Today show similarly showcase his love of simple and delicious food. Bittman has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Fish and Best Recipes in the World, the inspiration for a companion public television series starring the author. His latest book is How to Eat Everything: Vegetarian.

Amyjo Johnson from Food for Change defines Blackstrap Molasses as "This syrup is a liquid by-product of the sugar refining process.  It contains many of the nutrients of the sugar cane plant.  It has a strong, distinct flavor (think molasses cookies)."

At sea level, water boils at 212°F.  Food is considered at a boil, in liquid, when large bubbles rise to the surface and pop.   Hint: when boiling liquid for rice or other additions, put on the pot lid so the liquid does not evaporate and reduce the amount called for in the recipe.

Kathy FitzHenry from The Occasional Gourmet (San Francisco, CA) defines Bouquet Garni as: "Bouquet Garni: These are small balls of dried herbs that are wrapped in cheese cloth and tied with string. There are any number of variations of this item. The following gives some typical combinations:

• Beef: 1 Bay leaf, thyme, parsley.
• Lamb: Rosemary, oregano, thyme, clove of fresh garlic
• Poultry: Sage, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme
• Fish: Parsley, tarragon, thyme, strip of lemon peel. "

Chef John Toulze from the girl & the fig (Sonoma, CA) defines Braising as: "Braising is a technique of cooking something slowly for a period of time to either induce tenderness, flavor, richness or a combination of all. It is usually done at lower temperatures. The idea behind braising, for meats, is taking lower quality cuts of meats and cooking them slowly to bring out their true greatness. Braising brings out a lot of flavor. I also love braising vegetables because you soften them and produce a texture they wouldn't normally have. Braising takes time, you can't rush it. You must take it slow, do it at the right temperature and be patient. More people should do it at home. It is the ultimate home cooking technique. You start it in the morning at low temperature, cook it really slow, and leave it. It is very important technique in our kitchen. We are very technical on how we do it from searing meat properly to making sure you get the right carmelization for the flavor. The end-product of braising is amazing."

Chef Clark Frasier from Arrows (Ogunquit, ME) defines Braising as: "Braising is slow cooking, covered normally, in the oven, with liquid."

Braising means to cook slowly at a low temperature in a small amount of liquid. Foods may be braised in the oven or on the range top.  Food is sometimes browned first on high heat. Slow, moist cooking breaks down the fibrous connective tissue called collagen in tougher cuts of meat and they become tender and very flavorful. Osso Buco and lamb shanks become tender and flavorful due to braising.

Georgeanne Brennan is an award-winning cookbook author and journalist. Her expertise in all things related to food and gastronomy ranges from farming and agriculture to history and food lore. Her cookbook, Aperitif: Recipes for Simple Pleasures in the French Style, won the Julia Child Cookbook Award in 1998. Ms. Brennan was educated at San Diego State University, the University of California and the University of Aix-Marseille in Provence, France, the village that would be the inspiration for her memoir-cookbook, The Food and the Flavors of Haute Provence, winner of the 1998 James Beard Cookbook Award. Some of her other cookbooks include Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook and A Pig in Provence.  Ms. Brennan currently resides with her husband on a small farm in Northern California near Davis.

Lucy Brennan owns Mint and 820, a popular bar and a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Her first book is Hip Sips.

Broiling is to cook under intense direct heat in the oven.  A rectangular pan with a rack, called a broiler pan is used to catch drippings as the food cooks. Food is cooked one side at a time. Most ovens have a broil setting on the dial.  Broiling is a great way to cook a steak or brown the top of a cheesy casserole.

Amyjo Johnson from Food for Change defines Brown Rice Syrup as "A relatively neutral flavored sweetener that is roughly half as sweet as sugar or honey.  It's made from fermented brown rice."

Jennie Schacht co-author of the Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook defines Cake Flour: "Also called pastry flour, cake flour has a finer texture and less protein than all-purpose flour. It is used to make cakes and pastries with a light, tender crumb. In a pinch, you can substitute one cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for one cup of cake flour. However, the result may not have quite the same texture."

Brigid Callinan left the East Coast for Napa in 1996, to be pastry chef at Mustards Grill. In 2000, she formed the original culinary team at Copia with Lenny Rice. She now teaches cooking and baking at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center. She lives in Petaluma, California. She is the author of Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook and Fondue

Hugh Carpenter is a cooking instructor and writer.  He teaches at cooking schools throughout North America and at his own school in California’s Napa Valley. He resides in the Napa Valley community of Oakville, California. He is the other of numerous cookbooks including Fast Fish , Fast Appetizers, Hot Barbeques, and Hot Vegetables along with other books in the Fast and Hot series.  

After working in the fashion industry for ten years, Rose Carrarini founded London's renowned delicatessen Villandry in 1988. This 'epicerie fine' in Marylebone inspired many other food places in London. In 2002, along with her husband Jean-Charles, she opened Rose Bakery, a small bakery, shop and restaurant in Paris, where she continues practice the art of simple food made with care and attention to flavor. In recent years, she opened the sister restaurant, Rose Bakery, on the top floor of the fashion center Dover Street Market in Mayfair, London. Breakfast, Lunch and Tea is her first cookbook.

John Phillip Carroll is an avid cook and baker. When he is not testing and writing pie recipes, he works on projects for various California marketing boards. He has written several cookbooks including Pie Pie Pie. He lives in San Francisco.

Linda Carucci is an award- winning cooking teacher, chef, and culinary consultant. She was presented with the Cooking Teacher of the Year Award of Excellence from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and was Julia Child Curator of Food Arts for Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts in Napa, California. In addition to teaching classes she is the author of Cooking School Secrets.

Mary Cech is an award-winning pastry chef and pastry arts instructor. She was twice heralded as one of the "Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America" by Chocolatier magazine. Her recipes have been featured in many cookbooks and magazines. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her latest cookbook is The Wine Lover’s Dessert Cookbook.

In 1961 Cecilia Chang opened the Mandarin, which became a San Francisco institution. In 1974 she wrote the cookbook The Mandarin Way, and her career blossomed to include television appearances, cooking demonstrations, and contributions to international magazines and newspapers. She consults for popular Bay Area restaurants, including Betelnut and Shanghai 1930. Chiang lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.  The Seventh Daughter is her latest book.

Lauren Chattman, a trained pastry chef, is the author of Icebox Cakes, Icebox Desserts, Icebox Pies, Mom's Big Book of Cookies, and Mom's Big Book of Baking. She is also the co-author of Dessert University, which she wrote with former White House pastry chef Roland Mesnier. Chattman's recipes have appeared in Bon Appétit, Redbook, Food & Wine, Cook's Illustrated, and the New York Times.

Rudolph Chelminski is the author of The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine  and I’ll Drink to that. His articles have appeared in numerous national magazines, ranging from PeopleTime to The Atlantic Monthly. He holds a degree from Harvard and has studied at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques. Raised in Connecticut, he began living in Europe more than thirty years ago, when LIFE magazine dispatched him to Paris.

Kathy FitzHenry from The Occasional Gourmet (San Francisco, CA) defines Chile Oil as: "Generally this condiment is made from vegetable oil infused with dried chile.  It is commonly found in Asian restaurants."

Claire Clark is the executive pastry chef at The French Laundry, the renowned Napa Valley restaurant.  Indulge is her first cookbook.

Neil Connolly, award-winning chef of Doc's in Orlando, Florida, was Rose Kennedy's private chef from 1983 to 1995, in Hyannisport, Massachusetts. By extension, he served as executive chef to all the Kennedys at the compound whenever there were major events, large parties, formal dinners, or affairs of state. He is the author of In the Kennedy Kitchen.  

The heating of food to a certain temperature to make the food more palatable or in some cases edible.  The term cooking may also refer to the preparation of food.  With that out of the way let's look at those terms which apply to the heating of food.

Jesse Ziff Cool is dedicated to sustainable agriculture as a writer, spokesperson, and restaurateur. Her books include The Really, Truly, Honest-to-Goodness One-Pot Cookbook.

Since 1989, Paule Cuvelier has been Director of the renowned Maison Debauve & Gallais, founded in 1880, and whose original creator concocted chocolate confectionary for the kings of France. His latest books is Chocolate.

Amyjo Johnson from Food for Change defines Date Sugar as "A granulated sugar produced from drying fresh dates."

Cooking food on high heat with lots of cooking fat so the food floats on top while cooking is deep-frying.  A deep fat fryer can make the process easy and less greasy than on-stove cooking.  This is because less fat is required, a basket is provided for easy food removal and no guesswork is needed for maintaining the proper temperature of the oil. And best of all, most have systems to filter and drain the used oil, making clean up much easier.

Kathy FitzHenry from The Occasional Gourmet (San Francisco, CA) defines Demerara as: "Demerara is used as the generic name of a type of specialty cane sugar that is a natural brown in color. It carries a rich flavor with caramel undertones. It takes its name from the Demerara colony in Guyana- the original source of this type of sugar. "

Gina DePalma has been nominated for the James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Award. She lives in New York City.  Dolce Italiano is her first book.

Marcel Desaulniers is the Executive Chef and co-owner of the Trellis Restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg. He is the recipient of many awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Culinary Institute of America, Food & Wine's Honor Roll of American Chefs, and the 1999 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in America. Desaulnier's books include the James Beard Award–winning Death by Chocolate, which was also the basis of a Learning Channel television series,the IACP Award–winning Desserts to Die For, Death by Chocolate Cakes, Death by Chocolate Cookies, Celebrate with Chocolate, and I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas.

Gwyneth Doland is the associate editor of Fiery Foods magazine. She also writes a food column for the Santa Fe Reporter, and her books include Salsa, Cilantro Secrets and ¡Mole! She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Chef Aaron Wright, Canlis (Seattle, Wa) defines Emulsion: "An emulsion is a reduced liquid blended with oil, sometimes stabilized with heat."

Elizabeth Falkner has been profiled in every major American food magazine and has appeared numerous times on the Food Network, first as a featured destination on Rachael Ray's $40 a Day and more recently on Iron Chef. She lives in San Francisco.  Demolition Desserts is her first cookbook.

Peggy Fallon is a freelance food writer and the author/co-author of many cookbooks including Frozen Desserts. She has contributed to dozens of other cookbooks, providing everything from recipe development and testing to editorial support, copy writing, and copyediting. Peggy also creates original recipes for a variety of corporate clients.

Efisio Farris, a native Sardinian, is the chef-owner of two restaurants–Arcodoro in Houston and Arcodoro & Pomodoro in Dallas. He has garnered acclaim from Gourmet, Saveur, Food & Wine, Southern Living, USA Today, The New York Times, and Wine Spectator. Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey is his first cookbook.

Chef Laura Barclay from The Newcastle Inn (Newcastle, ME) defines Fiddleheads: "Fiddleheads are actually the young coiled emerging fern fronds of the ostrich fern.  Nearly all ferns have fiddleheads, but those of the ostrich fern are unlike any other, and are a Maine delicacy that appears in the early spring during April and May.  They are harvested by foragers almost as soon as they appear within an inch or two of the ground.  They must be picked during a two-week window before the fern unfurls.  Fiddleheads are named for their appearance, which resembles the scroll at the head or top of a fiddle.  These edible shoots have a unique texture but taste a bit like asparagus or okra.  Fiddleheads can be consumed raw or cooked."

Kathy FitzHenry from The Occasional Gourmet (San Francisco, CA) defines Flaxseed Oil as: "This oil is commonly used as a nutritional supplement. Use in salads. Do not heat. This oil is high in omega 3 fatty acids with a nutty flavor. It spoils easily and should be stored in the refrigerator in a light resistant container."

Janet Fletcher is a food columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and author of several Chronicle Books cookbooks. Victoria Pearson's photographs have been featured in Party Appetizers, Ice Creams & Sorbets, and Dinner Parties. Her latest book is Cheese & Wine.

Jennie Schacht co-author of the Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook defines Fold: "Fold is to mix together ingredients, generally lightly or delicately, without crushing or deflating them. To fold whipped egg whites into a batter, for example, gently whisk one-quarter to one-third of the whites into the heavier batter to lighten it, then scrape the remaining whites over the lightened batter. Combine the two by plunging a large rubber spatula into the center of the whites, going down to the bottom of the bowl and then scraping it up along the edge of the bowl and over the top to gently move the batter over the whites. Continue to work your way around, working rather swiftly (again to keep the whites from deflating) and turning the bowl each time, until the mixture is well integrated. With egg whites, you will generally want to leave them a bit streaky.  This technique is also useful for adding berries or other delicate ingredients into a batter, typically at the end."

For more than 20 years, The French Culinary Institute in Manhattan has been teaching the fundamentals of Western cuisine through its Total Immersion(tm) curriculum. With a world-class faculty, a renowned culinary theater, a celebrated student-run restaurant (L'Ecole), and business as well as cooking and wine courses, the FCI is among the leading schools of its kind anywhere. The school is under the direction of deans Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac, André Soltner, Jacques Torres, Alice Waters, Andrea Robinson, and Alan Richman. The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine reflects the teaching of The French Culinary Institute.

Frying is a method of cooking with many subcategories.  To fry is to cook food in a small amount of fat over high heat. A large pan with high sides is the best choice for frying to avoid over crowding and to contain the fat as much as possible.

Janice Fryer is a Pastry Arts graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. A California native and a New Yorker at heart, she lives in Brooklyn with a crazy cat and an even crazier dog. Keeping them from eating her creations is always a lively challenge.  Her latest cookbook is Cookie Craft.

Fran Gage owned the award-winning Fran Gage Patisserie Française in San Francisco for ten years. She now writes about food for the San Francisco Chronicle, Saveur, and Fine Cooking, among other publications. She has published several books, including Bread and Chocolate, A Sweet Quartet, and Chocolate Obsession with Michael Recchiuti. She lives in San Francisco.

Judith Sutton author of Sweet Gratitude defines Ganache: "Ganache --the name is French-- is a mixture of chocolate and cream (some versions also include butter) that can be used in a variety of delectable ways. The cream is heated and poured over the finely chopped chocolate (usually bittersweet or semisweet, but milk chocolate and white chocolate can also be used), then the two are gently blended together until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is shiny and smooth. Less traditionally, ganache can be made in a food processor. A thick ganache, with more chocolate than cream - sometimes twice as much chocolate as cream - is used to make the centers of classic chocolate truffles. Ganaches made with a higher proportion of cream can be used as frostings or fillings. While still warm, ganache can be used as a glaze. And chilled ganache can be whipped, lightening its texture, for a melt-in-your-mouth tart or cake filling."