paella: A traditional Spanish dish made of rice, seafood, meats and vegetables. Flavored with saffron, paella resembles jambalaya.
pancetta: A salty Italian cured pork that resembles bacon without being smoked.
parboil: To boil food for a short time so that the food is only partially cooked. Denser foods, such as potatoes, are generally parboiled before the rest of the dish is cooked in another method.
pate: Translated from the French to mean "paste," pate is a spread made from liver or meat that is eaten as an appetizer on crackers.
pecan: A type of hickory native to the United States that produces a good flavor in barbequed meat when burned.
pectin: A substance naturally occurring in fruits that is used to thicken jellies. Pectin only serves as a thickening agent when mixed with the right amounts of sugar and acid.
perry: Also known as pear cider, perry is an alcoholic drink made from honey and fermented pears.
pesto: Translated from an Italian word meaning to pound, pesto is an Italian sauce or paste made from olive oil, garlic, nuts (either walnuts or pine nuts) and bay leaves. Nearly any dish from pastas to meat or seafood entrees can be dressed with pesto.
petit fours: Traditional French sweets that are small and highly decorated.
penne: Translated from the Italian to mean "quills," penne is a type of pasta that has smooth sides and is round and hollow.
polenta: An Italian dish made of cornmeal. While it may be served as a side dish, polenta may also be the main dish when served with vegetables and meat.
praline: A candy made from nuts (almonds, pecans or hazelnuts), sugar and caramel. Pralines are often an ingredient in other desserts, such as ice creams, cakes or pies.
porcini: Also known as cepes, porcinis are wild Italian mushrooms known for thick and meaty. Porcinis have an earthy flavor and smooth, chewy texture.
propane: A type of transportable gas that can be used in barbeques.
prosciutto: From the Italian for "ham," prosciutto is raw ham cured by salt.
puree: To blend food into a smooth, uniformly consistent liquid. The term puree also refers to the liquid product of this blend. Recipes for soups and sauces often call for a puree of ingredients.
quiche: A French pie filled with a blend of eggs, cream and cheese. Meat, seafood and vegetables are also commonly added to quiche.
quince: Part of the plum family, quince is a yellow fruit that tastes like an apple-pear hybrid. While raw quince fruit is sour and tough, when cooked, the fruit is sweet. Quince is often used in jellies and occasionally as a base for wine.
radicchio: A leafy, red herb (or chicory) with a bitter taste that is used in mixed green salads to add color and a spicy, peppery flavor. Radicchio is also known as "Italian chicory."
ragout: From the French for "brown stew," ragout is a rich, thick soup that contains meat and seafood. Ragout is similar to Ratatouille.
ratatouille: A traditional French stew made with a variety of vegetables, including eggplant, onion, peppers, tomatoes and zucchini. Ratatouille is generally flavored with thyme, basil, oregano and rosemary.
reduce: To thicken and concentrate the flavors of a sauce by cooking it until most of the liquid has evaporated.
relax: To let a pastry sit and rest after it has been rolled out to prevent it from shrinking.
rennet: A substance made from animal and plant matter that is used to thicken and coagulate milk to make cheese. Rennet is also used to thicken puddings.
risotto: A traditional Italian dish made of Arborio rice. This rich, creamy rice-based dish often includes vegetables, seafood and cheeses.
rogan josh: A curry-flavored lamb dish with a tomato and/or red pepper base.
roux: A flour and fat (usually oil) mixture that thickens sauces or soup bases. A roux is generally the first step in Louisiana cooking.
saffron: An expensive, yellowish-orange spice used in Italian and Spanish cuisine. Saffron is a key spice in paella.
salamander: A cooking appliance primarily found in a commercial kitchen that uses overhead heat to cook, broil and glaze foods. This piece of equipment is named after the amphibian because, according to legend, salamanders could live in fire.
saltimbocca: Meaning "hop in the mouth" in Italian, saltimbocca is a classic Roman dish comprised of veal and prosciutto and seasoned with sage.
sambuca: An Italian liqueur with an anise flavor that is similar to the Greek ouzo.
samosa: An Indian appetizer that consists of a triangular fried pastry filled with vegetables and/or meat.
sangria: From the Spanish for "blood," sangria is an alcoholic Spanish beverage made of a blend of red wine, liqueurs and fruit juices. Sangria has chunks of fruit (oranges, apples, etc) in it as a garnish.
sashimi: Thinly sliced raw fish served without rice in Japanese cuisine.
satay: Native to Thai and Indonesian cuisine, satay refers to skewered meat or fish that is grilled or broiled and served with peanut sauce.
scrag: A lean cut of meat taken from the neck.
semolina: A coarse, high-protein flour, generally made from Durum wheat, that is the base for pasta and gnocchi.
smoking: The process of flavoring, cooking and even preserving food by exposing it to the smoke from the barbeque.
smorgasbord: A self-serve buffet that offers both hot and cold dishes.
sorbet: A frozen dessert made from fruit juice, egg whites and occasionally alcohol. Sorbet doesn't contain milk or cream.
South Carolinabarbeque style: A specific type of barbeque style that usually uses slow-cooked pulled pork and has four types of barbeque sauces: mustard, vinegar, heavy tomato and light tomato.
South Texas style: A type of Texas barbeque style which was heavily influenced by Mexican traditions, such as fajitas and tacos.
spice rub: A mixture of ground spices to rub onto raw food before it is barbequed.
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