Terms Used in Cooking:
Gourmet Cooking Terms
Food Equivalent's Chart
Herb Seasoning Guide:
GENERAL COOKING TERMS:
AU JUS: Served with the natural juices from roasting
BAKE: Cook uncovered in an oven.
BASTE: Moisten food while cooking to add flavor and
prevent drying.
BEAT: Make a mixture smooth, using a spoon or mixer.
BLANCH: Cook in boiling water for a short time to
loosen skin or for freezing.
BLEND: Mix two or more ingredients, or to prepare
food in blender.
BOIL: Cook food over high heat in liquid in which
bubbles rise to surface.
BONE: Remove the bones from.
BRAISE: Cook food over low heat in a small amount of
liquid in covered pan.
BREAD: Coat with bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, or
other coating.
BROIL: Cook food by direct heat on a rack.
CHOP: Cut food into small pieces with knife,
blender, or processor.
CUBE: Top cut food into small cubes about 1/2 inch.
To cut surface of meat in a checkered pattern
for tenderness.
CUT IN: Mix solid fat in dry mixture by using two
knives or pastry blender.
DEEP FRY: Cook in hot fat deep enough for food to float.
DICE: Cut food into very small pieces. (1/4 inch)
DOT: Scatter bits, over food.
DRAW: Remove entrails from, and clean.
DREDGE: Cover with flour or other coating.
DRESS: Add a dressing or sauce to food.
FOLD IN: Combine ingredients by cutting down into the
mixture, sliding across the bottom of the
container and up to the top.
FRY: Cook over high heat in fat.
GLAZE: Coat with mixture.
GRATE: Rub food against a grater to get fine
particles.
GREASE: Rub surface of pan with fat to prevent
sticking.
GRILL: Cook on a rack with direct heat.
KNEAD: Work a mixture with a pressing-folding motion.
MARINATE: Soak in a seasoned liquid.
MINCE: Cut into very small pieces.
PAN: Cook uncovered in a small amount of liquid.
PAN-BROIL:Cook uncovered over high heat while pouring
off accumulated fat.
PAN-FRY: Cook over high heat in small amount of fat.
PARBOIL: Boil until partially cooked.
PEEL: Remove outer covering of food.
PIT: Remove the seed from a fruit.
ROAST: Cook uncovered in oven.
SCALD: Heat liquid just below the boiling point.
SCORE: Cut shallow slits in surface of food for
tenderness.
SHRED: Cut food into thin pieces.
SHUCK: Remove meat of clams or oysters from the
shell.
SIMMER: Cook over low heat in a liquid just below the
boiling point.
SKIM: Remove fat or top layer from surface of food.
STEAM: Cook food on a rack in a covered pan over
steam.
STEW: Cook food over low heat in a liquid.
STIR-FRY: Cook over sliced food quickly in skillet.
TOSS: Mix lightly using forks or spoons.
WHIP: Beat rapidly to mix air with the mixture.
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GOURMET COOKING TERMS:
A la Broche
- foods grilled on a skewer, as with shishkebob.
A la Forestiere
- foods served either with sauteed mushrooms or
potatoes.
A la Greque
- seasoned vegetables, cooked in olive oil and served
cold.
A la Lyonnaise
- foods garnished with onions and potatoes.
A la Meuniere
- foods prepared in browned butter, with lemon, parsley
and other seasonings.
A la Princesse
- foods garnished with asparagus tips.
A la Provencal
- foods served with garlic and tomaties.
Al Dente
- "tender crisp". Refers to the consistency of pasta
and some vegetables when they are properly cooked.
Americaine
- foods prepared with tomatoes.
Antipasto
- a dish of cold meats, h'ors d'oeuvres and vegetables,
which is served before the pasta.
Aspic
- a clarified jelly used to cover cold foods. Also a
gelatin salad.
Au Bleu
- fresh fish lightly poached in court-bouillon
Au Gratin
- foods garnished with grated cheese. The finished
dish is usually browned under the broiler so that the
cheese forms a crust over the food.
Au Jus
- foods served in their natural juices, usually roasted
meats.
Bain Marie
- a water bath. The disk containing the food is set
into a larger pan containing water. Cooking sauces
and custards by this method prevents the food from
drying out.
Barder
- to wrap foods, such as roasts, with strips of pork
fat before cooking. This method prevents the meat
from drying out.
Baste
- to spoon juices over food while they are cooking in
order to prevent them from drying out.
Bavarois
- a creamy molded custard, also known as a Bavarian
Cream.
Bechamel
- a creamy white sauce which is made by adding hot
liquid to a roux of equal parts fat and flour.
Beiqneto
- another name for a fritter or fried doughnut dough
containing fruit.
Beurre Blanc
- a rich sauce containing white wine, vinegar, shallots
and butter.
Beurre Manie
- a paste of butter and flour which is used to thicken
sauces
Beurre Noir
- browned butter flavored with parsley, seasonings and
vinegar, used as a sauce for fish.
Beurre Noisette
- browned butter with lemon juices and seasonings.
Bind
- the addition of eggs, milk or other liquid to a
mixture to hold the ingredients together.
Bisque
- a creamy soup made with seafood, game or poultry.
Blanch
- the momentary immersing of foods in boiling water.
This may be done to loosen the skin of the food or to
soften the food.
Bourquignon
- a food cooked in a sauce containing red Burgundy
wine.
Blanquette
- stewed or poached meats served in a velvety white
sauce.
Bouchee
- a small pastry shell.
Bouquet Garni
- a mixture of herb seasonings, often placed in a
cheesecloth pouch and immersed in stocks during
cooking.
Bouquetiere
- foods, such as steaks, served with a garnish of
several vegetables.
Brine
- a salt water solution used to preserve foods.
Braise
- foods which are browned, then cooked in a tightly
covered pot with a small amount of liquid.
Canape
- small cut pieces of bread, garnished with meats or
vegetables and served as appetizers.
Carlonnade
- a beef stew cooked largely with beer.
Cassoulet
- a French stew made with dried beans and preserved
meats, such as sausages, pork and preserved goose.
Charcuterie
- French term for preserved pork products.
Charlotte
- French dessert prepared in a round mold. Can be hot
or cold.
Chiffonade
- a soup garnish made with sauteed strips of lettuce or
green vegetables.
Choucroute Garni
- Alsation disk made with pork, sauerkraut and
sausages.
Chowder
- a milk based soup, usually containing seafood.
Chutney
- An Indian relish made with cooked or uncooked fruits,
vegetables and spices.
Clarify
- to remove impurities from stocks and soups.
Cobbler
- an American fruit dish, baked and served with whipped
cream or ice cream.
Cocotte
- an ovenproof dish used to bake egg dishes.
Compote
- spiced fruits which are cooked in syrup.
Concassee
- skinned tomatoes chopped into large pieces.
Confit
- either fruits or vegetables preserved in sugar, or
meat preserved in its own fat.
Court-Bouillon
- poaching liquid for fish, containing water,
vegetables and spices.
Cream
- light mixture of butter and sugar beaten together
Croquette
- breaded, deep-fried mixtures of meat, fish, eggs or
vegetables.
Croustade
- meat or chicken served in pastry shells.
Croutons
- cubed pieces of bread fried in butter.
Curd
- Coagulated substance which is produced when milk is
soured.
Daube
- a stew made with braised meat and vegetables.
Deglaze
- to remove browned material and juices from the bottom
of a pan by pouring wine or other liquid into the pan
to loosen the material.
Degorger
- to soak foods in water to remove unpleasant colors or
flavors.
Devil
- foods seasoned with a spicy sauce.
Dredge
- to coat food with flour or find powder.
Dress
- to prepare poultry for cooking. To add dressing to a
salad.
Dumpling
- a starchy mixture or dough which is poached in and
served with a stew.
Duxelles
- chopped mushrooms and onions, sauted in butter with
spices and served as a garnish.
Emulsion
- a liquid mixture in which fat or oil is suspended.
En Groute
- food baked in pastry -- such as pate.
En Papillote
- food prepared and served in a paper casing.
Entree
- a single prepared dish served before the main meat
item.
Faree
- a savoury stuffing for meats.
Flake
- to break into small pieces with a fork.
Flambe
- to add alcohol to a dish and ignite it.
Flan
- an uncovered pie or tart.
Fleurons
- small pastry garnishes.
Fold
- to add gently other ingredients to a light beaten
mixture. To mix carefully.
Fondue
- a sauce of cheese and white wine, into which cubes of
bread are dunked. Also a sauce of chocolate and
liqueur into which pieces of fruit are dunked.
Forcemeat
- a stuffing made with bread, vegetables and meat.
Frappe
- iced.
Fricassee
- a stew of white meat and vegetables.
Frit
- fried.
Fritter
- deep fried dough, usually containing pieces of fruit.
Fry
- to cook in fat.
Fumet
- a concentrated stock which is added to sauces and
other stocks.
Galantine
- Boned stuffed meat, poached in court bouillon and
served cold, glazed with aspic.
Glaze
- a shiny coating for foods which enhances its
appearance.
Gluten
- the elastic material contained in grains which
contributes to light breads.
Gratine
- served with grated cheese.
Gumbo
- a thick soup, usually containing poultry and okra.
Hang
- to suspend meat or game to allow it to age and/or
tenderize.
Hash
- a fried dish which contains vegetables and meat.
Infuse
- the process of steeping foods in liquid to extract
their flavor
Julienne
- meat and vegetables cut into thin strips and used as
a garnish.
Kosher
- foods prepared in accordance with Orthodox Jewish
law.
Larder
- the process of inserting thin strips of fat into
meats before roasting.
Liaison
- a thickening agent for soups and souces, usually
containing flour and fat.
Macedoine
- a mixture of cubed fruits or vegetables.
Mariande
- liquid in which meats are soaked in order to make
them more tender flavorful. Marinades usually
contain vinegar, wine and spices.
Matelote
- a thickened fish stew.
Milanaise
- dipped in egg and flavored bread crumbs and fried in
butter.
Minute
- small and quickly cooked.
Mirepoix
- a mixture of dices vegetables used in soups or as
garnishes.
Noisette
- boneless, trimmed cut of lamb or veal.
Paella
- Spanish dish containing rice, shellfish, ham and
chicken.
Pate
- finely chopped meat or game, baked and served cold.
Paupiettes
- thinly sliced meats wrapped around fillings.
Pilaf
- Dish of rice and meat and/or vegetables which is
baked.
Pit
- to remove the stone or seed from a fruit.
Poach
- to gently simmer in liquid.
Potage
- French for soup.
Pot au Feu
- French dish of meat and vegetables cooked in broth.
The broth is consumed first as a soup.
Praline
- a confection containing nuts and syrup.
Printaniere
- made with young vegetables.
Puree
- to press through a sieve or put in a blender.
Quenelleo
- dumplying containing finely chopped fish or meats.
Quiche
- a pastry shell containing a custard mixture and meat
or vegetable fillings.
Ragout
- French meat and vegetable stew.
Rechauffe
- reheated.
Reduce
- to decrease a liquid in volume, usually by boiling.
Render
- to melt animal fat into a liquid.
Risotto
- an Italian rice dish.
Roulades
- rolled sloces of meat or pastry which are stuffed
with cheese.
Roux
- mixture of equal parts of fat and flour which is used
to thicken sauces and soups.
Saute
- to lightly and quickly fry foods in butter.
Scald
- to heat liquid to near the boiling point.
Score
- to make shallow cuts into meats before cooking. This
process cuts the connective tissues and makes the
meat more tender.
Sear
- to fry meats quickly so as to seal in their juices.
Simmer
- to keep a liquid at just below the boiling point.
Skim
- to remove substances from the surface of cooked or
cooking liquids.
Smorkasbord
- a Swedish cold buffet.
Souse
- to pickle in brine or vinegar.
Steam
- to cook foods in perforated metal containers by
suspending them over boiling water.
Stew
- lengthy cooking in a covered pot using liquid.
Stir Fry
- quickly to fry chopped meats or vegetables over high
heat. The food is stirred to prevent burning and
sticking.
Stock
- liquid base for soups and sauces made by poaching
meat bones or fish in water with vegetables and
spices.
Tart
- covered or uncovered pastry filled with fruit.
Terrine
- pottery dish used to bake pates.
Toss
- to mix lightly.
Turnover
- a fruit-filled pastry rolled into a triangle.
Veloute
- rich and smooth; usually referring to a Bechamel
sauce to which egg yolk has been added as an
enrichening ingredient.
Vin Blanc
- white wine.
Vin Rouge
- red wine.
Vol au Vent
- small puff pastry shell.
Whey
- watery liquid which separates out when milk curdles.
Zest
- the outer part of a citrus skin, used as a flavoring
agent.
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THIS....................equals...................THIS
BREADS and COOKIES
2 slices white bread ..................1 cup soft crumbs
1 lb loaf white bread..................14 to 20 slices
14 square graham crackers.............1 cup fine crumbs
22 vanilla wafers.....................1 cup fine crumbs
28 saltine crackers...................1 cup fine crumbs
DAIRY
1 lb margarine or butter...............2 cups or 4 sticks
1/4 lb stick margarine or butter.......8 Tbsp
1 cup heavy or whipping cream..........2 cups whipped
4-oz container whipped topping, thawed.....1 3/4 cups
8 oz cream cheese......................1 cup
1 lb Swiss or Cheddar cheese...........4 cups shredded
4 oz Parmesan or Romano cheese.........1 1/4 cups grated
1 large egg............................3 tbsp beaten egg
FRUITS
1 medium apple....................about 1 cup sliced
1 lb apples.......................3 medium
1 medium banana...................about 1/3 cup mashed
1 lb bananas......................3 medium
1 pint blueberries................3 cups
12-oz pkg whole cranberries.......3 cups
1 medium lemon....................about 2 Tbsp juice
.about 2 tsp shredded peel
1 medium orange...................1/3 to 1/2 cup juice
2 large pineapple.................about 4 cups cubed
1 pint strawberries...............about 3 1/2 cups whole
.about 2 1/4 cups sliced
NOODLES, PASTA and RICE:
3 oz dry medium noodles (3 cups)......about 3 cups cooked
8 oz dry elbow macaroni...............about 4 cups cooked
8 oz dry spaghetti....................about 4 cups cooked
1 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice.....about 3 cups cooked
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking rice.....about 2 cups cooked
VEGETABLES
1 lb green beans, cut into 1-inch.....about 3 cups pieces
1 1/2 lbs broccoli (1 large bunch)....5 cups flowerets
1 small head cauliflower (1 1/2 lbs).....about 4 cups flowerets
1 lb cabbage..........................about 4 cups shredded
1 medium carrot.......................about 1/2 cup shredded
1 rib celery..........................about 1/2 cup sliced
1 lb mushrooms........................about 3 cups sliced
4 oz snow peas........................about 1 cup
1 large green pepper..................about 1 cup chopped
1 lb all-purpose potatoes.............3 medium
1 medium green onion, sliced..........about 2 Tbsp
1 lb yellow onions....................5 to 6 medium
1 lb tomatos..........................3 medium
MISCELLANEOUS:
1 lb cooked boneless meat or poultry.....5 cups diced
1 lb raw boneless meat...............2 cups cooked, cubed
1 lb raw ground beef.................2 3/4 cups cooked
1 Tbsp snipped fresh herbs...........1 tsp dried leaves
1 cup dried beans or peas............about 2 1/4 cups cooked