Continual Learning: Food Network Style

One of my favorite hobbies is watching Food Network and expanding my culinary knowledge via the shows. My three favorite shows are:

Iron Chef America

Next Iron Chef

Chopped

Watching professional chefs cook with expert narration (especially by Alton Brown) can be very instructive. It is also a great way to learn about ingredients not commonly used in the average home kitchen. In order to remember everything I've learned, I've started compiling a Culinary Dictionary using Google Docs, so I can add new terms whenever I watch a cooking show. Here are some of my recent additions:

1. Sabayon: is a type of dessert "foam", made by whipping together egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine (like Moscato).
2. Cava: a Spanish sparkling wine; what Champagne is to France or Prosecco is to Italy.
3. Dacquoise: a cake made from layers of almond and hazelnut meringue, buttercream, and often ganache. 
4. Pistou: a French sauce made with basil, garlic, and olive oil. It differs from its Italian cousin pesto, which is made with the same ingredients and pine nuts. 

So far my culinary dictionary has reached 264 entries. As soon as I think I've got every possible food term in my dictionary, they'll give a new ingredient to the contestants on Chopped that I'll have to add it. At this rate it will never be finished!