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Good Cooking's Food & Cooking Dictionary

Macedoine, A mixture of fruits and vegetables.

Macerate - the process of softening or breaking into pieces using liquid, often referring to fruit or vegetables, in order to absorb the flavor of the liquid.

Machi, Indian for Fish. Makrele, German for Mackerel.

Malasada, A Portuguese doughnut. Manzo, Italian for Beef.

Marinate - the process of soaking foods in seasoned and acidic liquid before cooking for hours or days, adding flavor to the food.

Marzipan, A confection of almond paste, sugar and egg whites. Maui Onions, A sweet and mild onion similar to Vidalia Onions.

Melanzane, Italian for Eggplants. Merluzzo, Italian for Cod.

Mesclun - a salad consisting of tender mixed greens such as lettuce, arugula, and chicory, herbs, and edible flowers.

Mignonette - roughly cracked or coarsely ground peppercorns, used for au poivre dishes or for mignonette sauce, which contains vinegar and shallots as well and is often used for oysters.

Mince - to finely divide food into uniform pieces smaller than diced or chopped foods, prepared using a chef's knife or food processor.

Mise en place - the preparation of ingredients, such as dicing onions or measuring spices, before starting cooking.

Mojo, A classic Spanish sauce made with olives, tomato sauce and vinegar.

Mother Sauce - the base sauce used to make other variations of the original sauce; there are five variations: brown or espagnole, velouté, béchamel, tomato sauce, and emulsions.