Top Chef / Hell's Kitchen Lingo

I am so sick of watching these cooking shows and being lost on the same terms over and over again! I wish they had a scroll bar that went across the bottom of the screen like on reruns of LOST, to explain what's going on. It would be helpful to know, as sometimes what sucks about a dish is that it isn't even the dish they called it, but as a viewer, I have no idea! Some things are listed cause I know people who confuse the terms (I know what a scallop is, vs. a scallion).

Chef Rankings in the Kitchen:
The big dog whose vision the entire place is, is called the Chef de Cuisine (often called just, "The Chef)". He/She may/may not be present in the restaurant and may even have a fleet of establishments. Next in line is the executive chef. This seems to be a management position, dealing with all day to day tasks from the kitchen to the dining area. Finally, we have the "Sous Chef." From what I gather, it's a crummy, "show us what you got" sort of position. The Chef is seeing what you have, to decide if they can trust to/want to groom you.

Bisque/Boullion/Consommé:
A soup based on vegetables and/or crustaceans, finished with cream is a bisque. Boullion is French for broth and refers to a liquid you get from simmering meats, veggies and spices in water. Consomme, on the other hand, is a broth or stock that has been clarified (see clarified butter) by simmering it with beaten egg whites, which attract and trap the impurities clouding the broth

Braise vs Poach:
A cooking method that cooks something in a small amount of liquid (also called stewing or pot roasting). Braising concentrates food's flavors so it can be made into a sauce. In poaching, the food is completely submerged in simmering liquid.

Ceviche:
Is a dish that uses citrus marinated seafood. When shellfish is used, it's usually cooked ahead of time, while finfish is usually raw. A misconception about ceviche is that the acid from the citrus cooks the fish, somehow. Nope, cooking requires heat. What the acids do, is denature the proteins, so the fish will look as if it had been cooked, but it has not. Bacteria won't be killed, so it is to be considered a 'raw' dish.

Clarified butter:
Is butter without the water and and milk solids. Without these, you can use butter to saute at really high temperatures without burning. This lightened butter is also called "ghee." It's also used as a fire accelerator.

Compote:
Is a dish that uses fruits cooked in a syrup and spices or liqueur.

Emulsion:
A smooth mixture of two liquids, such as oil and water that normally do not mix.

Mis en Place:
Mmeans "everything in its place." If you're in charge of this, you need to get all ducks in a row for the chef for a service. That means all pots & pans and foods (fully prepped) are ready to be used by the chef.

Miso:
"A thick paste made from fermented and processed soy beans. Red miso is a combination of barley and soy beans and yellow miso is a combination of rice and soy beans." Yeah, that definition didn't help me, either.

Roulade:
A slice of meat or fish rolled around a stuffing. So, I guess at the state fair, I didn't get a pickle wrapped in cream cheese and pastrami, I got a "pastrami-pickle roulade."

Roux:
A mixture of flour and butter used to thicken sauces, soups, and gravies.

Scallions:

Immature onions (also called green onions) with a mild flavor. Both the white bulb and the green tops can be used in cooking.

Shallot:

An onion, too, but it looks like a big clove of garlic. They are used to infuse savory dishes with a mild, delicate onion flavor.

Scallops:

Not an onion, a mollusk.

Sabayon:
A light, frothy mixture made by beating egg yolks with water or other liquid over gentle heat. Sabayons may be sweet or savory and may be served as a sauce, often flavoured with an alcohol, or they may form the base of some mousse mixtures. They may also be used for sweet or savoury gratins.

Tempura:
A Japanese method of cooking vegetables and shellfish. They are coated with a light cornstarch batter and deep-fried.