And by the way, More on Mirepoix

A call from Lori learned me a couple new words...

Sofrito: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofrito
Sofrito is the spanish version of Mirepoix... not so much carrot, celery, onion, but garlic, onion, and tomato cooked in olive oil (now we're talkin!), used as a base, as is mirepoix in french cuisine. There are tons of renditions of it in various other spanish influenced areas (Latin america and what not). Apparently comes from
Soffritto...

Soffritto: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soffritto
Soffritto is italian for "sauteed". Basic Italian soffritto starts with onion and garlic in olive oil and then you add veggies or whatever.

Chiffonade: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffonade
Slightly less related, Chiffonade is a method of cutting herbs/greens so that they make thin little strips like ribbons. Comes from french word meaning "rags". Ain't that cool??? I gotta try that sometime just so I can throw the word around!