Mise en place your vocabulary with these culinary gems.
A light, aromatic poaching liquid made with water, vegetables (mirepoix), and seasonings, used for cooking fish, seafood, or vegetables; basically light stock with attitude.
Butter with the water and milk solids removed, leaving pure butterfat. It has a higher smoke point than regular butter and a cleaner appearance in sauces.
A paste made from butter, water, flour, and eggs that puffs dramatically when baked—the foundation for éclairs, profiteroles, and other showoff pastries. It's magic disguised as cooking.
Preserving food with salt and/or sugar, sometimes with added spices and nitrates. It's one of humanity's oldest food-preservation techniques and still delicious centuries later.