A plate of light-coloured stone, either round or rectangular, which is used to replicate the style of cooking of brick ovens. It is placed on the lowest shelf of the oven before the oven is turned on. Thus it warms as the oven does. Food is then placed directly onto it for cooking.
The plaice is a small, side swimming flat fish marked with disctinctive red spots, which gives it its name in many places.
Plain white flour (US: all purpose flour) is essentially precisley that, bleached or unbleached, but with no raising agent. It is a blend of hard and soft wheat but does not include either wheat germ or bran.
The plantain is a starchy type of banana with firm flesh. If it is the variety used for desserts it is cooked when it is green, but it is left to ripen if it is the less sweet type. It is a staple food in many tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. It has a mild flavour, almost like a squash, and is used pretty much as a potato would be used in western cooking.
Icing similar to fondant icing, made from icing sugar, water, gelatine and butter, resulting in a thick, malleable icing.
A process of training plants, mostly fruit trees, to grow with their branches at regular heights along wires. This enables the greatest access of light to the fruits and faciliitates harvesting.
