Cooking Termsthe The Language of
Recipe
The Language of the Recipe
Become familiar Terms are important tools for the cook. Each has its own meaning. Achieve best results.
Techniques of: Preparation Bread Grease
Brush Dredge Flute Marinate Sift Grease
Bread
To cover a food with a coating of crumbs made from bread, crackers, or cereal. The food is often dipped in a liquid such as milk or egg before coating.
Brush
To spread a liquid coating on a food, using a pastry brush or paper towel.
Dredge
To cover a food with a dry ingredient such as flour or sugar. The food may be rolled in, sprinkled with, or shaken in a bag with the dry ingredient.
Flute
To form a standing edge on a pastry, such as pie crust, before baking. Press the dough with your fingers to create this scalloped edge, or use a fork to crimp the edge.
Grease
To rub shortening, fat, or oil, on the cooking surface of bake-ware. Use waxed paper or paper towel to spread a thin, even layer.
Marinate
To soak in a seasoned liquid, called a marinade, to add flavor and/or to tenderize.
Sift
To put dry ingredients through a sifter or a fine sieve to incorporate air. If you dont have a sifter you can use a strainer or a wire whisk.
Beat Knead Blend Mix Combine Stir Cream Whip Cut in Fold in
Techniques of: Mixing
Beat
To mix with an over-and-over motion, using a spoon, rotary, or electric beater.
Blend
To combine thoroughly two or more ingredients .
Combine
To mix together, usually by stirring, two or more ingredients.
Cream
To soften and blend until smooth and light by mixing with a spoon or an electric mixer.
Cut in
To mix solid shortening with flour by cutting the shortening into small pieces and mixing until it is completely covered with the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender, two knives, or a fork.
Fold in
To combine a delicate mixture, such as beaten egg white or whipped cream, with a more solid material. Insert the edge of a spoon or rubber scraper vertically down through the middle of the mixture, slide it across the bottom of the bowl, bring it up with some of the mixture, and fold over on top of the rest. Continue slowly and gently, turning the bowl often, until all is evenly mixed.
Knead
To work dough by folding, pressing, and turning, until it is smooth and elastic. Place dough on a floured board, fold it in half, and press firmly with the heels of your hands. Turn the dough about a quarter turn, and repeat the folding and pressing.
Mix
To combine two or more ingredients, usually by stirring.
Stir
To mix with a circular motion of a spoon or other utensil.
Whip
To beat rapidly with a rotary beater, an electric mixer, or wire whisk; to incorporate air and make light and fluffy, as whipped cream or egg white
Techniques of: Cutting
Chop Core Mash Cut Dice Grate Score Scrape Slice Shred Sliver Trim Cube Mince Pare Grind Julienne
Chop
To cut into small pieces
Core
To remove the core of a fruit with a corer or paring knife
Cube
To cut into small squares
Cut
To divide foods into small pieces with a knife or scissors.
Dice
To cut into very small cubes
Grate
To rub food, such as lemon or orange peel, against a grater to obtain fine particles.
Julienne
To cut food into long, thin strips.
Mash
To crush food until it becomes smooth.
Mince
To cut into very small pieces with a sharp knife.
Pare
To cut away the skin or a very thin layer of the outside of fruits or vegetables. Use a vegetable peeler or a knife.
Score
To make thin, straight cuts through the outer edge of fat on meat to prevent the meat from curling during cooking.
Scrape
To rub a vegetable, such as a carrot, with the sharp edge of a knife in order to remove only the outer layer of skin.
Shred
To tear or cut into thin pieces or strips.
Slice
To cut food into flat pieces.
Sliver
To cut in long, thin pieces.
Trim
To cut away most of the fat from the edges of meat.
Techniques of: Cooking
Barbeque Baste Braise Brown Pan-broil Poach Roast Scald Bake Boil Broil Deep-fat fry Dot Fry Pan-fry Preheat Saute
Bake
To cook in an oven or oven-type appliance in a covered or uncovered pan.
Barbeque
To cook meat or poultry slowly over coals on a spit or in the oven, basting it often with a highly seasoned sauce.
Baste
To spread, brush, or pour liquid (such as sauce, drippings, melted fat, or marinade) over food while it is cooking. Use a baster, brush, or spoon.
Boil
To cook in liquid, usually water, in which bubbles rise constantly and then break on the surface.
Braise
To cook meat slowly, covered and in a small amount of liquid or steam.
Broil
To cook under direct heat or over coals.
Brown
To make the surface of a food brown in color by frying, broiling, baking in the oven, or toasting.
Deep-fat fry
To cook in hot fat that completely covers the food.
Dot
To place small particles of a solid, such as butter, on the surface of a food.
Fry
To cook in hot fat.
Pan-broil & Pan-fry
To cook uncovered in an ungreased or lightly greased skillet, pouring off excess fat as To cook in an uncovered skillet with a small amount of fat.
Poach
To cook gently in hot liquid below the boiling point.
Preheat
To set the oven to cooking temperature in advance so that it has time to reach the desired temperature by the start of cooking.
Roast
To cook by dry heat, uncovered, usually in the oven.
Saute
To cook uncovered in a small amount of fat in a pan.
Scald
To heat a liquid to just below the boiling point; or to pour boiling water over food or to dip food briefly into boiling
Sear
To cook meat quickly at a high temperature until it becomes brown. Use a skillet with a small amount of fat, or the oven at a high temperature.
Simmer
To cook in liquid just below the boiling point. The tiny bubbles that form should break before they reach the surface.
Steam
To cook over steam rising from boiling water.
Steep
To cover with boiling water and let stand without additional heating until flavor and color are extracted, as for tea.
Stew
To cook slowly and for a long time in liquid
Stir-fry
To fry small pieces of food very quickly in a small amount of very hot oil while stirring constantly. Use a wok or skillet.
Toast
To brown by direct heat in a toaster or in the oven.
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