Cooking Terminology

Term	Definition
Bake	Cook in oven surrounded by dry heat. Bake uncovered for dry, crisp surfaces (bread, cakes, cookies, chicken) or covered for moistness (vegetables, casseroles, stews).
Baste	Moisten food as it cooks, with sauce, pan drippings, or fat.
Batter	An uncooked mixture of flour, eggs and liquid with other ingredients; thin enough to be spooned or poured (muffins, pancakes).
Blanch	Cook in or simply cover with boiling water in order to simplify peeling. Used as a preparation for canning and freezing.
Boil	Heat liquid until bubbles rise continuously and break on the surface and steam is given off. For rolling boil, the bubbles form rapidly.
Braise	Cook covered in a small amount of liquid, in the oven or on the stove.
Broil	Cook directly under or above a red hot heating unit.
Caramelize	Melt sugar slowly over low heat until it becomes a golden brown, caramel-flavored syrup. Or sprinkle granulated, powdered or brown sugar on top of a food, then place under a broiler until the sugar is melted and caramelized.
Chop	Cut into coarse or fine irregular pieces, using knife, food chopper, blender or food processor.
Coat	Cover food evenly with crumbs or sauce.
Cool	Allow hot food to stand at room temperature for a specified amount of time. Placing hot food on a wire rack will help it cool more quickly. Stirring mixtures occasionally also will help them cool more quickly and evenly.
Core	Remove the center of a fruit (apple, pear, pineapple). Cores contain small seeds (apple, pear) ore are woody in texture (pineapple).
Cream	Blend ingredients with a spoon or fork or with a mixer until softened and creamy. Mainly used for mixing butter and sugar.
Crisp-tender	Doneness description of vegetables cooked until they retain some of the crisp texture of the raw food.
Crush	Press into very fine particles (crushing a clove of garlic, using chef's knife or garlic press).
Cube	Cut food into squares 1/2 inch or larger, using a knife.
Cut up	Cut into small irregular pieces with kitchen scissors or knife. Or cut into smaller pieces (broiler-fryer chicken).
Dash	Less than 1/8 teaspoon of an ingredient.
Deep-fry	Cook in hot fat that's deep enough to float the food.
Dice	Cut food into squares smaller than 1/2 inch, using a knife.
Dissolve	Stir a dry ingredient into a liquid ingredient until the dry ingredient disappears.
Dot	Scatter small amounts of specified ingredients, usually butter, on top of food.
Dough	Mixture of flour and liquid with other ingredients; it is stiff but pliable. Dough can be dropped from a spoon, rolled or kneaded.
Drain	Pour off liquid by putting the food into a strainer or colander that has been set in the sink. If draining fat from meat, place strainer in disposable container. If liquid is to be saved, place the strainer in a bowl or other container.
Dredge	Cover with a coating of flour, crumbs or cornmeal.
Drizzle	Pour topping in thin lines from a spoon or liquid measuring cup in an uneven pattern over food.
Dust	Sprinkle lightly with flour, cornmeal, powdered sugar or cocoa; for example, dust coffee cake with powdered sugar.
Flake	Break lightly into small pieces, using fork; for example, flaking cooked fish.
Flute	Spueeze pastry edge with fingers to make a finished, ornamental edge.
Fold	Blend beaten egg whites or whipped cream into a thicker, heavier mixture, using a gentle under and over motion that does not break down the air bubbles.
Fry	Cook in hot fat over moderate or high heat.
Glaze	Brush, spred or drizzle an ingredient or mixture of ingredients on hot or cold foods to give a glossy apperaance or hard finish.
Grate	Rub a hard-textured food against the small, rough, sharp-edged holes of a grater, reducing them to tiny particles. For citrus peel, grate only the skin, not the bitter white membrane.
Grease	Rub the inside surface of a pan with shortening, using pastry brush, waxed paper or paper towel, to prevent food from sticking during baking. Nonstick cooking spray may also be used. Margarine and butter usually contain salt that may cause hot foods to stick.
Grease and flour	Rub the inside surface of a pan with shortening before dusting it wiht flour to prevent food during baking, such as cakes. After flouring the pan, turn the pan upside down, and tap the bottom to remove excess flour.
Heat oven	Turn the oven controls to the desired temperature, allowing the oven to heat throroughly before adding food. Heating takes about 10 minutes for most ovens. Also called preheating.
Julienne	Cut into thin, matchlike strips, using knife or food processor; for example, fruits, vegetables, meats.
Marinade	Soak in a liquid containing acid such as lemon juice, vinegar or wine, plus seasonings and sometimes oil. Used to flavor and tenderize meat, fish and poultry.
Mince	Cut food into very fine peices, smaller than chopped food.
Parboil	Precook until partially done.
Peel	Cut off outer covering, using knife or vegetable peeler. Also, to strip off outer covering, using fingers.
Pinch	As much as may be taken between the finger and thumb.
Poach	Cook in simmering liquid just below the boiling point.
Purée	Reduce food to smooth, uniform consistency by pressing it through a sieve or running it through a blender.
Reduce	Boil liquid uncovered to evaporate liquid and intensify flavor.
Roast	Cook meat uncovered on rack in shallow pan in oven without adding liquid.
Sauté	Cook in a small amount of hot fat.
Scald	Heat liquid, usually milk, to a temperature just below boiling.
Scant	Measured slightly less than the required amount.
Score	Mark with a sharp knife or with a fork to make decorative lines.
Sear	Brown quickly at high temperature.
Shred	Cut into long, thin pieces, using round, smooth holes of shredder, a knife or food processor.
Simmer	Cook slowly, just below the boiling point.
Slice	Cut into uniform-size flat pieces.
Soft Peaks	Egg white beaten until peaks are rounded or curl when beaters are lifted from bowl, while stillmoist and glossy.
Soften	Let cold food stand at room temperature, or microwave at low power setting, until no longer hard.
Steam	Cook food by placing on a rack or special steamer basket over a small amount of boiling or simmering water in a covered pan. Steam helps retain flavor, shape, color, texture and nutritional value.
Stew	Cook slowly in a small amount of liquid for a long time.
Stiff Peaks	Egg whites beaten until peaks stand up straight when beaters are lifted from bowl, while still moist and glossy.
Stir-fry	A Chinese method of cooking uniform peices of food in small amount of hot oil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Strain	pour mixture or liquid through a fine sieve or strainer to remove larger particles.
Tear	Break into pieces, using fingers.
Toss	Tumble ingredients lightly with a lifting motion, such as a salad with greens.
Zest	Grated orange, lemon or lime peel.