Baste: Ladle pan fat, marinade or other liquid over food as it roasts.
Beat: Stir vigorously with a spoon, an electric mister, or a rotary beater.
Blanch: Plunge food quickly into boiling water, then immediately into cold water.
Blend: Mix two or more ingredients until smooth.
Braise: Brown in fat, then cook in a covered pot in a small amount of liquid.
Broil: Cook by dry, direct heat under preheated broiler.
Chop: Cut into uniform, medium sized pieces.
Cream: Beat softened (not melted) butter, margarine, or shortening, alone or with sugar until light, smooth and creamy.
Crimp: Press down on the edges of the piecrust with the tines of a fork or with your fingertips.
Crumble: Break a hard item between fingers into small, irregular pieces.
Crush: Smash food with a rolling pin, or whirl in a blender until it becomes grandular or powdered.
Cube: Cut into squares.
Deglaze: Loosen the browned bits in bottom of skillet or roasting pan by adding liquid while stirring and heating; the resulting glaze is a flavor base for sauces and gravies.
Dice: Cut into uniform, small sized pieces.
Dot: Scatter little bits of butter, margarine or seasonings over the surface of food just before cooking or baking.
Dredge: Coat with flour prior to frying.
Dust: Cover lightly with flour, powdered sugar or other dry ingredient.
Flake: Break food, such as salmon or tuna, into pieces with tines of a fork.
Flute: Press a design into the edge of a piecrust with your fingers.
Fold: Combine a light, fluffy ingredient, such as beaten egg whites, into a thicker mixture with a gentle over-and-under lifting motion.
Garnish: Accent with pretty decorations such as herb snippings.
Glaze: Coat with honey, syrup or other liquid.
Grate: Shred into coarse or fine pieces.
Grease: Rub cooking surface of pan with butter, margarine or other fat to prevent sticking.
Julienne: Cut food into long, uniform pieces, like matchsticks.
Line: Cover the bottom of a pan with parchment or waxed paper, or even thin slices of food; occassionally, sides are also covered.
Macerate: Let food, usually fruit, sit in wine or spirits such as rum or kirsch to gain flavor.
Marinate: Immerse food, usually meat, in acidic mixture, often with lemon juice or vinegar, for a time before cooking to tenderize and add flavor.
Parboil: Cook in water until about halfway done.
Pare: Remove skin from fruit or vegetable with a swivel-edged peeler.
Peel: Remove the skin of a fruit by pulling it away with your fingers, as with a banana.
Pipe: Press frosting, whipped cream, mashed potatoes or other soft mixtures through a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to create a fancy design or edge motif.
Plump: Soak raisines or other dried fruits in liquid until they soften and almost return to their natural state.
Poach: Cook in barely simmering liquid to keep foods moist.
Proof: Let yeast-water mixture bubble to test yeast's strength.
Puree: Whirl in a blender or press through a fine sieve or food grinder for smooth, velvety texture.
Reduce: Boil to a liquid, uncovered, to diminish quantity and concentrate the flavor.
Saute: Cook quickly in a small amount of hot fat in skillet on top of stove.
Scald: Heat a liquid, such as milk, just until bubbles form around the edge of the pan but liquid does not boil.
Score: Make shallow, crisscross cuts over the surface of something with a sharp knife.
Shred: Cut food, such as cheese or carrots, into small, thin slivers by rubbing over a shredder or grater.
Simmer: Cook in liquid just below the boiling point, meaning occassional bubbles will break the surface.
Skim: Remove fat or film from the surface of a liquid.
Slice: Cut into flat pieces of uniform size and thickness.
Sliver: Cut into long, thin strips, like wooden picks.
Soak: Let stand in liquid.
Steep: Soak in hot liquid until flavor is absorbed, such as tea.
Thin: Lighten the consistency of a liquid by adding more liquid.
Toss: Mix by gently turning ingredients over and over in a bowl, either with hands or a large fork or spoon.
Truss: Tie meat into a compact shape before roasting in oven.
Whisk: Beat until frothy or stiff with electric mixer.