Blind baking: this refers to the process of baking a pie or quiche crust without a filling; the uncooked pastry is first covered with a layer of foil weighted down with baking weights such as dried beans, to prevent the crust from bulging.

Bread crumbs:
Soft: fresh breadcrumbs, made with one-or-two-day-old bread in a blender or food processor.
Dry: commercial packaged breadcrumbs.

Cheddar cheese: most of the recipies aged cheddar, which performs better in cooked dishes than unaged cheddar.

Hoisin sauce: Chinese sauce made from onions, garlic & salted black beans.

Lined cake pans: to prevent cakes from sticking or burning, the instructions often suggest greasing the pan, then lining it using greased wax paper.

Sesame oil: an aromatic oil made from sesame seeds popular in Chinese cooking. There is no substitute; if you have none, leave it out of the recipe, although the flavor will be slightly different.

Soy sauce: made from soya beans. Some brands are very salty, so experiment to find the one you like best.

Spring-form pan: a straight-sided cake pan with a removable base.