Glossary

“The list of cooking terms below is currently a work in progress and will be updated occasionally”

BAKE                     A method of cooking using an oven to surround the food with dry heat

BASTE                   To spoon a liquid over food during cooking to keep it moist

BATTER                 An uncooked mixture consisting of flour, egg, a liquid, and other ingredients that are
                                thin enough to be spooned or poured

BLANCH               To submerge food into boiling water for a short amount of time to preserve color,
                                texture, and nutritional value. Also used to assist in removing the skins of various foods

BOIL                       A method of cooking that involves heating a liquid until bubbles continually rise from the bottom of the container, break on the surface, and produce steam

BROIL                    A method of cooking that involves placing the food directly above or below a red-hot
heating unit

CARMELIZE         The process of slowly melting sugar over low heat until it becomes golden-brown syrup

CHOP                    A method of cutting ingredients into coarse or fine irregularly shaped pieces

COAT                     The process of evenly covering an ingredient with another

COOL                     The process of allowing hot food to stand at room temperature for a specified amount of time

CORE                     The process of removing the center of a fruit which may contain seeds or may be woody in texture

CRISP-TENDER   A description of vegetables that cooked until they retain some of the crispness of its raw form

CRUSH                  The process of pressing an ingredient into very fine particles

CUBE                     A method of cutting an ingredient into one-half inch or larger squares

CUT UP                 A method of cutting an ingredient into smaller pieces

DASH                    A unit of measurement that is usually less than one-eighth of a teaspoon

DEEP-FRY            A method of cooking utilizing hot fat that is deep enough to float the ingredient

DICE                       The process of cutting an ingredient into squares smaller than one-half inch

DISSOLVE            The process of mixing a dry ingredient into a liquid ingredient until the dry
ingredient is no longer visible

DOT                       The process of dropping small amounts of an ingredient randomly over food

DOUGH                A mixture consisting of flour, liquid, and other ingredients that is stiff, but pliable

DRAIN                   The process of removing a liquid from ingredients by pouring into a strainer or colander

DRIZZLE                The process of pouring an ingredient on top of other ingredients in a thin line over a random pattern

DUST                     The process of lightly sprinkling a powdered ingredient over other ingredients

FLAKE                    The process of lightly separating an ingredient into smaller pieces using the tines of a fork

FLUTE                    The process of squeezing the edge of a pastry dough with your fingers to create a finished, ornamental edge

FRY                        A method of cooking utilizing hot fat over moderate or high heat

GLAZE                   The process of coating an ingredient with an ingredient or mixture over hot or cold food that will leave a glossy appearance or hard finish

GRATE                  The process of rubbing a hard-textured ingredient against rough, sharp edges to create smaller particles

GREASE                The process of preparing a container for no-stick baking by rubbing the interior with shortening using a pastry brush, waxed paper, or paper towel.

JULIENNE            The process of cutting an ingredient into thin, match-like strips

MARINATE          The process of placing an ingredient into a savory, usually acidic liquid stored in a glass or plastic container to flavor or tenderize the ingredient

MINCE                  The process of cutting ingredients into very fine pieces, smaller than that of chopped ingredients

PANFRY               The process of cooking an ingredient starting with a cold skillet using little or no fat
(Fats accumulated from cooking are normally drained as they accumulate)

PEEL                       The process of removing the outer covering of an ingredient using the hands or other utensils

POACH                 The process of cooking an ingredient in a simmering liquid just below the boiling point

REDUCE                The process of boiling a liquid ingredient uncovered to evaporate a portion of that liquid to intensify flavor

ROAST                  The process of oven-cooking meat on a rack in a shallow pan without adding liquid

SAUTÉ                   The process of cooking an ingredient in hot fat over medium-high heat with frequent tossing or turning motions

SCALD                   The process of heating a liquid until just below boiling where small bubbles will start to form around the edge

SCORE                   The process of cutting an ingredient approximately one-quarter inch deep to facilitate cooking, flavoring, tenderizing, or for presentation

SHRED                  The process of cutting an ingredient into long thin pieces using a knife, food processor, or the smooth rounded holes on a shredder

SIMMER               The process of cooking an ingredient in liquid at just below the boiling point causing bubbles that will slowly rise and break beneath the surface

SLICE                     The process of cutting an ingredient into flat, uniform-size pieces

SOFT PEAKS        A description of egg whites that are beaten or whisked until peaks are rounded, or curl when the whisk or beater is removed, while still maintaining a moist and glossy appearance

SOFTEN                The process of letting a cold ingredient remain at room temperature until no longer hard

STEAM                  The process of cooking and ingredient by suspending it over boiling or simmering water in an enclosed container

STEW                    The process of slowly cooking an ingredient in a small amount of liquid over an extended time

STIFF PEAKS       A description of egg whites that are beaten or whisked until peaks stand up when beaters or whisk is removed, while still maintaining a moist and glossy appearance

STIR-FRY              The process of cooking uniform size ingredients in hot oil over high heat stirring frequently

STRAIN                 The process of removing solid ingredients from a liquid using a fine sieve or strainer

TEAR                      The process of breaking up an ingredient into small pieces using the hands

TOSS                      The process of combining ingredients lightly using a lifting motion