Definitions

This flavonoid (a type of vegetable-derived compound) has been popping up in lots of skincare products lately, promising skin texture and anti-aging benefits. Evidence has yet to show whether it's really the holy grail of skincare ingredients, but quercetin does have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

If you're in the market for a new magic bullet, or have have trouble with skin inflammation and irritation, there are plenty of products that offer quercetin as their signature ingredient. If you want to go Greek, Korres makes a Quercetin & Oak Day Cream ($48). If you have easily irritated lips, Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Exfoliating Lip Salvation ($15) also uses quercetin. The cheapest and most direct route for trying it, though, is to buy quercetin nutritional supplements, like Natrol Quercetin ($7), and make an anti-inflammatory face mask out of them similar to the DIY aspirin face mask.

Fond is French for "base" and commonly refers to the browned bits and caramelized drippings of meat and vegetables that are stuck to the bottom of a pan after sautéing or roasting.

It's often retained as a source of flavor and deglazed with liquid and aromatics like onions and garlic. The fond is the base of a number of classic French pan sauces.

Soubise (pronounced "soo-beez") is a rich French onion sauce. It is made by combining the Mother Sauce known as béchamel with cooked onions that have been puréed, and it is typically served with proteins, such as eggs, grilled meat, poultry, or fish.

The French term can also be applied to dishes that come with a soubise sauce, such as "eggs à la soubise."

Tasso (pronounced "tah-so") is a spicy-hot Cajun cured pork. Although it's often referred to as "tasso ham," the use of the word "ham" is technically incorrect, since tasso is made from the shoulder of the pig, not the hind leg.

The pork is salt-cured, then seasoned with cayenne pepper, garlic, filé powder, and other herbs and spices, and hot-smoked for a couple of days. The meat is usually chopped and added to beans, eggs, pastas, collard greens, and Cajun or Creole specialties like jambalaya to add depth of flavor.

Have you tried this Louisiana specialty?

Source: Flickr User tomcensani

French for "to dredge," a dragée (pronounced "dra-zhay") traditionally refers to a colorful covered candy with a hard outer shell and softer center, often used for decoration in addition to eating.

These days, the word is used loosely for most small coated candies, from Jordan almonds to candy- and chocolate-coated sunflower seeds.

Dragées can also describe the tiny metallic sugar spheres used to top holiday cakes and cookies. Can you think of any modern-day candies that are dragées?

Ah, to be in the mood for oud. This luxurious perfume resin comes from the heartwood of agar trees. If you happen to unroll the Torah sometime soon and see a reference to a variety of long-lasting incense called "aloes," it's thought that oud is what they're talking about. The scent is instantly identifiable once you've experienced it, but it can be compared to other rich, pungent incenses like myrrh. Oud is still very commonly used as an incense and perfume in Japan and throughout the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, and it's experiencing a surge in popularity here in the US as well. Look for it in high-end fragrances from the Oriental genre, like Le Labo's Oud 27 ($200), or Trish McEvoy Precious Oud ($100). It's not cheap, but it's definitely worth a sniff.

A kitchen tool used for grating that was first made in the likeness of a woodworking tool in 1994. The blades of the microplane are formed from a unique photo-etching process, which dissolves holes in the metal, leaving sharper edges that slice, rather than tear or shred the substance being rubbed against it.

This orange-yellowish fruit is native to China and can be eaten raw, dry, or cooked. The two most common types of persimmons vary greatly in taste. The astringent variety (hachiya) should only be eaten when it is very ripe and softened, otherwise it has a chalky taste, while the nonastringent fruit (fuyu) can be eaten when it's much firmer and crisper. The taste of the flesh can vary from mild to very sweet, like an apricot or mango, and can be used in cookies, cakes, puddings, stews or curries, and salads.

Source: Flickr user vm2827