Glossary

=Cooking Terms Glossary=

Al dente**-** an Italian expression for pasta, rice and beans meaning cooked until firm but not hard. Can be used for vegetables.

Bake- A prolonged technique that uses convection heat in an oven.

Baste- To coat the food with a sauce or marinade during the cooking process, in order to enhance the flavors.

Batter- A thick liquid usually containing egg or flour.

Beat- To stir vigorously

Blanch- This process involves boiling vegetables for a short period of time then quickly cooling them in ice water, after chilling you then slowly reheat the vegetables. The reason you do this is to preserve the texture and look of the vegetable but cooking it at the same time.

Blend- The fusion of multiple ingredients into a slurry or a combination of flavors.

Boil- the cooking of a food in a fluid at at least 100 degrees celcius.

Braise- The slight charring of the exterior of an ingredient. Then recooking it in a lower temperature environment to slowly cook it all the way through.

Bread - a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and possibly more ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed, fried, or baked on an unoiled skillet. It may be leavened or unleavened. Salt, fat and leavening agents such as yeast and baking soda are common ingredients, though bread may contain other ingredients, such as milk, egg, sugar, spice, fruit, vegetables, nuts, or seeds.

Broil - to cook by direct heat under a flame or over hot coals

Broth - a liquid in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered. Broth is used as a basis for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce. It can be eaten alone or with garnish. If other ingredients are used, such as rice, pearl barley or oatmeal, it is then generally called soup

Brown - Cooking method that uses high heat to cause the food’s outside surface to turn brown while the inside surface remains moist; adds rich flavor and appetizing color to foods

Brush **-** to apply a thin layer of egg or butter with a brush or cloth

Bundt pan **-** a special type of tube shaped cake pan with fluted sides

Caramelize **-** to heat food with sugar until the sugar turns brown and has a caramel flavor

Chill **-** to make food cool or cooler

Chop- To cut food in small 1/2" diameters. They should be approximately the same size.

Coat- To cover the surface of an item with another substance.

Coats a spoon- A technique used to test whether or not a substance is done. Take a spoon and put it in the substance. If the substance is done, it should leave a film on a spoon when a spoon is dipped inside it.

Combine- adding ingredients together and stirring.

Core- To remove the inside off a fruit.

Cream- beating, blending and mixing an ingredient or a combination of ingredients to a smooth, creamy consistency.

Crush- To reduce the food into tiny pieces (use a rolling pin or kitchen mallet)

Cube- to cut the ingredient into cubes (1/2 to 1 inch pieces).

Cut in- Used in pastries, a technique of combining butter or shortening (a more solid ingredient) into softer, dry ingredients (flour, sugar etc..)


 * Dash -** a cooking quantity known as a small amount of a substance thrown into a mixture (a dash of cumin). Usually applied by pinching a spice between the index finger and the thumb and sprinkling throughout the food.


 * Deep Fry -** submerging a food completely in fat or oil until cooked. The food is often covered in a deep fried batter and is crispy and high in calories (eg. KFC)

De-glaze- to cook a substance (usually poultry or meat) in a liquid (often wine) to incorporate the cooked juices into the flavor of the sauce.

Dice**-** (similar to "cube") to cut a substance into small cubes or slices

Dilute- To reduce the purity of a substance

Direct heat-

Dissolve-

Dot-

Dough-

Dredge-

Drippings-

Drizzle- To pour liquid over something slowly, particularly in thin lines or small drops.

Dust- To cover or sprinkle food with sugar, flour, or spices.

Egg wash- To mix eggs and water and then use it to cover pastry/baked goods.

Entrée- The main dish.

Fillet- To remove the bones from fish or meat for cooking

Firm ball stage- The point where boiling syrup is dropped in cold water and forms a ball that is compact. This is at about 243 degrees F.

Flake-a thin piece or layer split off or peeled off from something; to cook until the food chips

Flambé- To set a sauce or other liquid on fire so that it flames. Flambéing is used to delight the guests. The dish must be hot, in order to be lit, and flambeid.

Flute-

Fold-

Fry- To cook in a pan or on a griddle over direct heat, usually in fat or oil.

Garnish-

Gel- thickening agent which is used to form semisolid food items (jelly)

Glaze- it the proses of coating a food in any sweet or savory gloss. It gives a shiny look to the food.

Grate- to reduce food to smaller parts by rubbing it against a metal plate (grater) with sharp edged openings

Grease- to apply oil or butter to a pan so that the food will not stick.

Grill- To braise a meat, fish, or vegetable over an open flame.

Grind- To reduce food to smaller particles, usually done with a grater.

Hull- To remove a shell from a food in order to prepare. For example: To remove the leaves from a strawberry.

Ice- To frost or chill a food. Usually done in a freezer.

Julienne-

Knead-

Lukewarm-

Marble-

Marinate- To soak a meat in a flavor rich sauce for a period of time, so the meat obsorbs the flavor

Mash-

Meringue-

Microwave-

MINCE- v - to cut food usually meat by using a special machine(mincer). similar to "grind"

mix - v - to produce a new substance by combining two or more different substances.

moisten - v - to make a substance gently wet.

Pan broil - to cook food on a pan or a stove by just using enough oil not to let the food stick.

Pan fry

Parboil

Parchment

Pare

Peaks: Mounds created when eggs have been mixed long enough to become stiff,, merengue.

Peel: To remove the outter skin of a fruit or vegetable.

Pinch: Adding an ingredient in a very small amount.

Pipe: To decorate food with icing or cream.

Pit..to barbecue or to grill something

Poach...cooking something in simmering water. (boiling)

Pressure Cook..cooking something in a sealed vessel without having any air or liquid escape.

Proof...leaving dough in a warm place for many hours. (usually to let dough expand and rise)

Punch down: To deflate risen dough by pressing it down, forcing the air out of it.

Purée: To mash

Reconstitute: Rehydrating dried foods such as fruits by placing them liquid.

Reduce: To thicken a liquid by boiling it in order to remove the water.

Re-hydrate

Roast n- A peice of meat that is large enough to serve more than one person. v- to oven-cook a food in an open pan, to produce a browned exterior and a moist inside. Roux

Rub

Sauté

Scald

Score

Sear

Season

Set

Shred

Sift

Simmer - to stew gently below or just at the boiling point

Skim -

Skewer -

Steam -

Steep

Stew-

Stir-

Stir-Fry-

Strain-

Thicken-

Thin-

Toss-

Unleavened-

Whip-

Whisk-

Zest-

List adapted from [|Kids Cooking Activities]