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."