A
- al dente
- Pasta, grains, or veggies that are cooked until just firm and somewhat chewy.
B
- bake
- To cook in an oven with dry heat.
- baking powder
- A mix of baking soda, something acidic like cream of tartar, and a flour or starch. Best kind is aluminum free.
- baking soda
- Serves as leavening and is usually added to recipes with an acidic ingredient. Add to other dry ingredients before incorporating liquid ones.
- barbecue
- Also BBQ. To cook on a grill, rack, or spit.
- baste
- To add moisture or flavor by adding liquid.
- batter
- An uncooked, pourable mixture such as for biscuits.
- beat
- To stir quickly using a whisk, spoon, or mixer.
- bias
- To cut at an angle.
- blanch
- To cook briefly in boiling water. Retains color and flavor. Often used for veggies or fruit to prepare for freezing or to more easily remove peel.
- blend
- To thoroughly combine multiple ingredients.
- boil
- To cook in bubbling water that has at least 212° F. At high altitude, water boils before this temperature is reached, so boiling will take longer. See also hard rolling boil and soft rolling boil.
- bone
- To remove the bone from meat.
- bouquet garni
- A bundle of herbs, usually tied or placed in a cheesecloth bag, added to flavor stews, soups, stocks, and sauces. It is bundles for easy removal.
- braise
- To cook by browning first then simmering in shallow liquid over low heat until tender.
- bread
- To coat with crumbs or flour prior to cooking.
- brine
- A salty liquid in which food (such as pickles or meat) is soaked or canned.
- broil
- To cook with direct heat (sometimes higher heat), usually in an oven.
- broth
- A flavorful liquid made with water, veggies, herbs, meat, or bones. It is cooked for a shorter period of time so not as flavorful as stock. It can, however, usually be used interchangeably with stock.
- brown
- To heat until the blood has cooked out of meat. Usually in reference to ground meat.
- butterfly
- To cut a food (usually meat) almost completely in half. It is then opened flat, still in one piece. Each half should look mostly identical, hence the term “butterfly.”
C
- caramelize
- To heat sugar (added or naturally occurring) until it melts, thickens, and darkens. Works with the creation of syrups or for caramelizing foods with natural sugars such as onion.
- cheesecloth
- A thin, food safe cloth used for tying herbs, straining, and various other uses.
- club hand
- A term coined by celebrity chef Alton Brown. Refers to a hand that gets coated in dredge. See also dredge.
- core
- To remove the seeds and hard center of some veggies and fruits.
- cream
- To beat ingredients until smooth and fluffy. Also refers to the butterfat of milk. See also heavy cream and whipping cream.
- cube
- To cut food into 1/2″ cubed or cube-like chunks.
- cut in
- To disburse cold or solid fat into flour using a fork, pastry blender, or two knives using a cutting motion.
- chop
- To cut food into smaller pieces.
- char
- To cook food until it is almost, but not quite, burnt.
D
- dash
- An imprecise measurement that is approximately 1/8 teaspoon.
- deep fry
- To cook by completely immersing in hot oil or fat.
- deglaze
- To remove the flavorful browned or blackened bit on the bottom of pan by adding liquid while heating, stirring, and scraping the pan.
- dice
- To cut into very small (1/8″ to 1/4″) chunks or cubes.
- dollop
- A spoonful of soft food such as whipped cream or sour cream.
- doonk
- A term coined by Trim Healthy Mama. It is a measurement equaling 1/32 teaspoon.
- dot
- To scatter an ingredient such as butter over the surface of food.
- dredge
- To coat a food with a mix of usually flour or cheese. See also club hand.
- dress
- To clean fish, poultry, or game for cooking. Also refers to coating foods (such as salad) with a sauce or dressing.
- drippings
- The juices and fats rendered from cooked meat. Often used to baste or to create a sauce.
- drizzle
- To pour a small stream of liquid over a food, usually in a back and forth motion.
- dust
- To lightly coat a food with a powdered ingredient such as flour, powdered sweetener, or cocoa powder.
E
- emulsify
- A technique that forces the mixture two or more liquids that don’t naturally combine (such as oil and vinegar in mayonnaise).
F
- fillet
- A flat piece of meat. Also, to cut meat into a flattened piece. Also sometimes filet (with one L).
- fines herbes
- A mixture of herbs to flavor fish, poultry, or eggs.
- flambé
- To drizzle liquor over a food. Once heated, this liquor is then ignited with fire briefly just before serving.
- fluff
- To use a fork to break up cooked things like rice or quinoa.
- flute
- To cut decorative grooves in breads or pastries.
- fold
- To combine a light ingredients into a heavier mixture using a gentle over-under motion with a spatula.
G
- glaze
- To coat a food with a glossy sauce, mixture, or ingredient such as jelly or honey. Also refers to the glossy sauce, mixture, or ingredient.
- grate
- To cut a food such as cheese or ginger into tiny pieces using a food grater or the grater attachment in a food processor.
- grease
- To rub or spray an oil or fat along the sides and bottoms of a pan or dish to prevent sticking.
- grill
- To cook foods on a grate or rack under or over direct (often increased) heat. Refers to using a grill or a broiler.
- grind
- To pulverize a food into granulated particles using a grinder or food processor.
H
- hard rolling boil
- A boil that cannot be stirred down.
- heavy cream
- Also known as heavy whipping cream. This is a heavier cream (butterfat of milk) that contains 36% or more milk fat.
J
- julienne
- To cut a food into long, thin strips or matchstick shapes.
K
- knead
- To fold and press dough together using hands or a dough hook in a mixer.
M
- macerate
- To soak in a flavorful liquid. Usually in reference to fruit.
- marinade
- The flavorful liquid that food (usually meat) is soaked in.
- marinate
- To soak a food in a flavorful liquid. Usually in reference to meat.
- mince
- To cut into tiny pieces using a knife or garlic press.
P
- panfry
- To cook a food in a pan with a small amount of fat. See also sauté.
- parboil
- To cook by partially boiling. Often used in reference to rice or oats.
- pinch
- An imprecise measurement that is achieved by grabbing an ingredient with a pinching motion. It is equivalent to approximately 1/16 teaspoon.
- pith
- The white part of a citrus peel.
- poach
- To gently cook over low heat in simmering liquid.
- purée
- To pulverize or smash food to a more liquefied form.
R
- reduce
- To boil a liquid until much of it has turned into steam and the remaining liquid has thickened and intensified in flavor.
- render
- To cook the fat and juices (drippings) out of meat.
- roast
- To cook uncovered using dry heat (usually in an oven).
- rough chop
- To chop into chunks of about the same size.
- roux
- A thickening mixture using equal parts of a fat or oil and a thickening agent such as flour or oat fiber.
S
- sauté
- To cook a food in a pan with a small amount of fat. See also panfry.
- scald
- To heat a liquid almost to the boiling point. Bubbles will start forming only around the edges.
- sear
- To brown the surface of a meat over high. This seals in flavor.
- shock
- To transfer blanched food to a bowl of ice water to rapidly stop cooking.
- shred
- To cut a food such as cheese into tiny strips with a knife or grater.
- sieve
- To drain the liquids off a food using a tool with a mesh bowl. Also refers to the tool with a mesh bowl.
- sift
- To run an ingredients such as flour through a sieve to pulverize or remove lumps.
- simmer
- To cook a liquid to just before the boiling point. Tiny bubbles will form and rise to the surface.
- skim
- To remove foam or fat that rises to the surface while cooking a liquid.
- slice
- To cut a food into thin, flat pieces.
- soft rolling boil
- A boil that can be stirred down.
- steam
- To cook a food in a rack or steamer over (but not in) a simmering liquid.
- steep
- To soak in simmering liquid. Often refers to tea.
- stew
- To cook over low heat in a liquid.
- stir fry
- To quickly cook small chunks of food over high heat, usually in a small amount of fat or oil.
- stock
- A flavorful liquid made with water, veggies, herbs, meat, or bones. It is cooked for a longer period of time so is usually more flavorful than broth. It can, however, usually be used interchangeably with broth.
- smidgen
- An imprecise measurement that equals about 1/32 teaspoon. It is the same as a doonk.
T
- toast
- To brown or crisp the exterior of a food.
- truss
- To tie a poultry with string or skewers so that it holds its shape during cooking.
- to taste
- A phrase that refers to adding spices or other ingredients in whatever quantity you like (to your taste).
W
- whipping cream
- Also known as light whipping cream. This is a cream (butterfat of milk) similar to heavy cream, but lighter. It contains 30% to 35% milk fat.
- whisk
- To stir food with a whisk or beater to incorporate air to create volume.
- whisk
- To stir with a whisk or fork.
Z
- zest
- The grated outer (colorful) part of citrus fruit such as a lemon, lime, or orange.
