Lactose

A naturally occurring sugar in all dairy products

Ladyfinger

A delicate "cookie" used in famous desserts  such as Tiramisu and Charlotte

Langostino

Spanish word for "Prawn"

Larding Needle

A kitchen tool used to intersperse fat into a roast so that it when cooked; it is much more tender

Lardons

French term for prepared "Bacon"

Lavender

An aromatic plant with violet flowers used to flavor foods, desserts and teas. It is a fabulous garnish for desserts especially if they contain lavender or lavender oil

Leavening

The process of "lightening" bread products. This is achieved using either yeast, baking powder, baking soda or all three

Lecithin

A protein derived from such things as mustard or egg yolks and is used as a preservative, thickener, moisturizing agent or emulsifier

Lemon Verbena

A South American herb with a very strong lemon like flavor

Liaison

A thickening agent for soups and sauces. It can be made many different ways including; cornstarch, arrowroot, egg yolks, flour or roux

Limestone Lettuce

An alternate term for Butter Lettuce or Boston Lettuce

Liqueur

A sweet alcoholic beverage with strong flavors derived from fruits, seeds, herbs, flowers, or many other products

Lobster Pick

A metal tool used when serving Lobster or Crab. It id used by many to get every morsel of meat from the crustaceans

Lox

An alternate term for some varieties of smoked salmon

Lumpfish Caviar

the row or eggs of any fish that is not a green sturgeon from the Caspian sea