A creamy sweet drink known widely, the common elements being egg yolks, sugar and high-proof alcohols. Al Dente
Italian for 'to the tooth', this basically means 'slightly firm'. Aubergine
A purple-skinned vegetable known as egg-plant in the US. Doesn't look like an egg at all. Bain-Marie
A covered dish, partly-filled with water, used for poaching foods in an oven without them over-cooking. Don't buy one - they're easily improvised by just pouring some water into a lidded oven dish and standing the food in its own dish, in the water. Follow recipe instructions as whether or not to cover with the lid. Courgette
A green zucchini, or junior marrow, whichever you prefer. Deglaze
To use a liquid to extract flavours from a pan, usually just used for frying something. Usually involves adding the liquid, warming gently and scrubbing off all the caked-on bits using a wooden spoon. More satisfying than it sounds. Double Cream
This is the British high-fat cream, which corresponds approximately to US 'heavy cream'. It is virtually indestructible, and, often, when a recipe specifically calls for double cream, it may be risky to substitute single cream, for that reason. Krupnik
Two preparations commonly go under this name. 'Krupnik' originally meant a rich meat broth with barley, but a sweet and, I think, traditional Polish vodka also is called Krupnik. Polmos produce a very good Krupnik which is sold in the alcohol section of most supermarkets in Poland and good delicatessens outside Poland. Lardons
Thin slices of meat (usually bacon) cut so as to provide some fat and some lean meat on most slices. Rectified Spirit
Justly known as the strongest alcoholic drink in the world, this is as strong as can be made by distillation - about 96% alcohol. It's not really intended for drinking neat, but for use in home-made preparations. No doubt, all teenagers out there aged from 16 to 60 will be wondering what it's like to drink. This teenager can't stop you trying, but knows from experience that you'd better take a deep breath before you taste it. You'll be able to strip the flesh off a gazelle's carcass with your tongue after you taste it. Polmos produce rectified spirit, sold in the alcohol section of most supermarkets in Poland and good delicatessens outside Poland. Roux
This is an emulsion of fat in water stabilised by flour: it can act as a thickening agent for other dishes. It's generally made as follows: the fat is melted and flour is added while heating (the amounts will depend on your recipe but generally, the result is a thin paste). The whole is taken off heat, and a little of the watery part is added - when the whole is re-heated and stirred vigorously, it thickens (to a very thick paste). More water is added, off heat, stirred, heated, etc etc.. The final roux should resemble a medium-thick paste when it's hot and stirred - so when you get to this stage and it's not getting any thicker, don't add more liquid. If recipes simply say 'make a roux', as a general rule it's expected you should season it to your liking. And yes, it is possible to add all the watery part at once, but this can result in a watery mess with hard greasy bits floating in it if you don't know what you're doing. If in doubt, take it slowly and don't over-season - you can always season the final dish. Season
This means, basically, to use commonsense and add flavourings to your liking. However, here and in other recipe collections, the recipe writer usually means that you should use more of what's already in the recipe to begin with, like salt or pepper for savoury dishes, or sugar and vanilla, for example, when making advocaat. True, often, you or I might have a favourite seasoning which you can't resist sneaking into other dishes - for example, I can imagine seasoning piedmontese beef with just a very little chile or tabasco sauce. It's fine to step outside the bounds of the recipe - it's your food, after all - but don't complain that your pierogi taste a bit funny because of that powdered asteroid you added. Tenderise
All meat is fibrous in nature, and tough meat has strong, continuous fibres. Tender meat has short or weak fibres, and cooking generally helps to weaken and break them, making meats nicer to eat. However, some meats benefit from a little help. Tenderising can be achieved by adding enzymes which chemically break fibres, but generally the term just means hammering the meat solidly to break the fibres and help the cooking process along, and it has the added advantage that it allows the cook to exercise a bit of control over the final shape of the meat. Most cookshops or kitchen sections of department stores will stock serrated mallets for this purpose, but a rolling pin can be used to the same effect, with a little care. Put the meat on a wooden board, and hammer away - not too hard, or your steak will develop holes.