There are some cooking techniques that year after year, recipe after recipe, simply elude event the best of us. An example? Deglazing. Every time this cooking term comes up in a recipe, I simply move on to the next page, leaving that recipe in the great forgotten territory of un-tested ideas. But really, it is not that challenging at all. But among the many French cooking techniques, deglazing is an elegant way to complete your cooking repertoire. It is, in short, the idea that whenever you pan-cook, you will create some sort of caramelized juice, which, diluted with stock, wine or spirit to act as a solvent, will give you a nice base for gravy. Braising is also is a nice posh way to tell your guests that they are eating is more that a simple roast. The meat was, first, seared in fat, and then cooked in a crock-pot, that tenderly simmered it in tasty stock. They will stare in awe. They might even ask you for some cooking tips.