poppy seeds (pop-ee seeds) noun

Papaver somniferum. The seed of the opium poppy plant, Poppy seeds are very small seeds harvested from the dried seed pods of the plant. The seeds can be found in black, gray, blue and white. They are used both whole and ground in savory and sweet cooking (sometimes as a garnish, such as on the exterior of a bagel, other times as an integral part of a recipe, like when they are made into a paste and featured in pastries or incorporated into a cake as in our Poppy Seed Cake with Orange Marmalade Buttercream).

It is true that ingesting poppy seeds can alter drug tests with results showing positive for opiates. Some say as little as one or two bagels heavily coated with poppy seeds could produce a positive urine test. ¹

References

1. New York Times article: The Claim: Eating Poppy Seeds Can Make You Fail a Drug Test

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pecan (pi-kahn, –kan, pee-kan) noun

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Carya illinoinensis. A tall hickory tree, typically 70 to 100 feet, cultivated for its deep-brown, oval, smooth-shelled edible nuts, known as pecans. The pecan tree is native to the U.S., grows in over a dozen states and can also be found in Australia, Israel, Mexico, South America and South Africa. Over 80 percent of the crop is produced in the U.S. and American commercial propagation of pecans dates back to the 1880s.¹

The word “pecan” is an Algonquin Native American word that was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”  Indeed, pecans are not easy to shell and most for culinary uses are purchased ready-to-use. They most often come in halves or pieces. When buying halves, they are graded into sizes: mammoth, extra large, large, medium, small and midget. ¹

The image above shows pecan halves on the left. In the center are chopped pecans and on the right are finely chopped pecans. Below is an image of pecans in their shell.

_{Image: California Pecan Growers}

Pecans are used in many classic baked goods, such as pecan pie, pralines, spiced pecans, butter pecan ice cream and pecan sandie cookies.

References

1.  ILovePecans.org

poach (pohch) verb

A technique used to cook ingredients in hot liquid (water, stock, wine or a flavored stock, either sweet or savory). The ingredient to be cooked, whether it is a fruit, vegetable or a protein, is cooked in barely simmering water until done.

Poaching is considered a fairly gentle cooking technique. Poaching liquid, which retains some of the flavor from the cooked food item, can be discarded or is sometimes used in other parts of a recipe to take advantage of the residual flavors (see Pear Frangipane Tart).

Obviously, water will not lend any flavor to the cooking item; flavored liquids will, and you can use this to your advantage by adding spices, for instance.

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plantain (plan-tin, -tn) noun

Also cooking bananas or cooking plantains. A fruit similar to a dessert banana that is larger in size with firmer flesh. Plantains are commonly used as a starchy vegetable in cooking and are frequently found in African and West Indian recipes in soups, stews, side dishes or desserts. They peel like a banana and have a similar creamy, yellow flesh, although plantains will often show a hint of pink as well.

When plantain skin is green, the flesh is very firm and suitable for frying either as is or as part of a fritter. When the skin blackens, the flesh is ripe and best used as a dessert – grilled, baked or fried. Plantains are eaten cooked more often than raw; if you want to sample one raw, make sure the skin is completely black.

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Poire William liqueur (pwar William li-kur or, esp. British, –kyoor; French lee-kœr)

A pear-flavored eau de vie (colorless brandy) made with Bartlett pears, which are also referred to as Williams pears in Europe. Some bottles contain a whole pear inside, which is accomplished by placing the empty bottle over the pear at the beginning of its growth cycle while it is very small, and allowing it mature inside the bottle. It is typically high in alcohol at 40% or 80 proof. Here is a video of how the pear grows in the bottle.

pepitas (peh-pee-tuhs) noun

Also pumpkin seeds. The seeds of a pumpkin or winter squash from the genus Cucurbita. Right from the squash, these flat, oval seeds are covered with a white hull. For culinary uses, we typically look for the green-colored seed inside the hull (as seen above). They can be eaten raw or roasted. They can be purchased raw, roasted, roasted and salted, or you can roast them at home. They are often eaten as a snack and can be called for in some classic mole recipes and other savory stews where they act as a thickener.

Bakepedia Tip

As with many nut and seeds, these are versatile. Check out the Pepita Toffee in our Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake recipe. It is great on its own as a candy.

Additional Information

Balyess, Rick. Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of World-Class Cuisine, Scribner, 1996.

pie bird [pahy burd] noun

Also called pie vent, pie chimney, pie whistle or pie funnel. A tall, narrow, hollow gadget, usually ceramic, placed in the center of a two-crusted pie to allow and encourage steam to vent, which discourages the filling from boiling over and helps the pastry crust stay crisp. A pie bird is often shaped like a bird with an open beak, hence the name, but can come in other shapes as well.

An additional benefit is that they can help the center crust remain domed and keep it from falling if the raw dough is formed snuggly around the ceramic tool, which helps it stay put. Although ceramic is the classic material for pie birds, they can also be found made from silicone. They have become quite collectable and new as well; antiques are easy to find. There is even a Pie Bird Collectors Convention.

Bakepedia Tips

There are several ways one could use a this tool, but the most accepted technique is to line the bottom of your pie plate with the bottom crust, place the pie bird in the center and pour/scrape your filling into the crust and around the pie bird. Roll out your top crust and cut a small slit in the center. Carefully unroll/place the top crust on top of the filling, easing the pie bird up through the slit; it should be snug. Crimp edges as desired and bake with the tool in place. Allow the pie to cool. Cut first wedge and serve, then remove pie bird and continue to slice and serve your pie.