There are a great many food related words that even I’m not sure of entirely.  I’ll be doing a letter a day, going over some of the more interesting words, processes, procedures, and vocabulary for the determined foodie.  We’ll both be learning something I’m sure.  Today we’re taking a look at all the tasty (or just food related) words that start with the letter “M”.

Mace - A sweet, but pungent spice, made from the outer covering of the nutmeg, and has a very similar flavor.

Macedoine - Small dice – 1/4″ square

Mâche - A plant with small, tender, dark green leaves and a slightly nutty flavor; used in salads or cooked. It is often found growing wild in cornfields, but it is difficult to find in stores and can be quite expensive.

Madeleine - A small, scalloped, shell shape cake from a butter and egg rich batter.

Maillard Reaction – Process of heating the sugars (or proteins in the case of meats) in food above their melting point until they bread down and tasty browning occurs.  This is what causes that delicious brown on the bottom of your steak, browning in potatoes, and even the roasting of coffee beans rely on this reaction.

Mandoline - A hand-operated slicing and cutting apparatus. Mandolines are used to cut fruits and vegetables evenly.  Used to make gaufrette or julienne slices.

Mantle - The edible, hollow body-tube of a squid.

Marbling - The streaks of intramuscular fat found in meat (especially beef) which add to the meat’s flavor and tenderness. Marbling is a primary factor in determining a meat’s quality grade.

Marmite - Yes it’s that stuff from England and New Zealand, a by-product of the yeast process in producing beer.  Not so sure on that.  Where you also aware that it was the term for a large French stockpot?  Neither was I.

Marzipan - A mixture of almond paste, sugar and egg whites (of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites) used to cover dessert cakes or to mold and shape for decorations on pastries.

Matelote - Stew containing freshwater fish, wine and aromatics.

Menudo - A Mexican soup containing tripe, green chiles, hominy and spices.

Migas - A mixture of bread or tortilla crumbs with scrambled eggs, chiles, onions and seasonings. Occasionally, chorizo (sausage) is added to the dish.

Mise En Place – Literally, put in place.  The kitchen expression for getting everything ready before you start cooking.  When TV chefs have all the little bowls set out with the ingredients pre-chopped and cut, ready to go – that’s it.

Mirepoix - Roughly chopped vegetables and herbs sauteed in fat and used to add flavor.

Miso - Fermented soybean paste that is an indispensable Japanese flavoring ingredient.  It is used in sauces, soups, marinades, dressings, dips and main dishes.

Mock Duck - Fresh, organic wheat gluten that is folded and pressed creating a meat substitute to duck in Buddhist and other vegetarian dishes. Available canned in Asian markets.

Mont Blanc - A classic French dessert made with sweetened chestnut purée. The purée is passed through a ricer and formed into a fluffy mound on a platter. The dessert is then topped with whipped cream.

Monte au Beurre - To enrich a sauce or reduction by dropping in small pieces of butter and tossing to blend.

Muesli - The German term for mixture, muesli may contain raw or toasted grains (wheat, oats, barley, etc.) nuts, bran, dried fruits (raisins, currants, etc…), wheat germ, sugar and dried milk solids. Muesli is often eaten like cold cereal with milk, or with yogurt or fruit juice.  Be careful of muesli.  They say you can drown in a bowl of it, carried away by a strong currant.  HIYOOOO!  Where’s Ed McMahon when I need him?

Muffaletta – Regional sandwich originating in New Orleans; this sandwich originated in 1906 at the Central Grocery.  A garlic, salami and olive filled loaf of Italian bread.

Mutage - Process in which the fermentation of wine stops and sweetness is retained.