1. And other important things to know about cooking and baking
Cooking Terminology
And other important things to know about cooking and baking

2. Techniques of: Preparation
Bread Grease
Brush Marinate
Dredge Sift
Flute Flour

3. Techniques of: Mixing
Beat Blend Cream Cut in Fold in Knead Mix Stir Whip

4. Techniques of: Cutting
Chiffonade
Chop
Core
Cube
Cut
Dice
Grate
Julienne
Mash
Mince
Pare
Score
Slice
Trim
Zest

5. Techniques of: Cooking
Al dente Bake Barbeque
Baste Boil Braise
Broil Brown Deep-fat fry
Fry Melt Pan-broil
Pan-fry Poach Preheat
Roast Sauté Scald Skim

6. Other important Terms
Aromatics
Batter
Carmalize
Garnish

7. 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.

8. Bake
To cook in an oven or oven-type appliance in a covered or uncovered pan.

9. Beat
To mix with an over-and-over vigorous motion, using a spoon, rotary, or electric beater.

10. Mix
To combine two or more ingredients, usually by stirring.

11. Stir
To mix with a circular motion of a spoon or other utensil.

12. 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. We knead the dough to form “gluten” this is the glue that holds your food product together
Equipment: Hands

13. Cream To beat sugar and fat together until fluffy.
Equipment: Bowl and Wisk or mixer

14. Batter
A mixture of flour and liquid with the addition of flour, eggs and sometimes fat.
Used to prepare cakes, muffins, pancakes, crepes and quickbreads.

15. Cut in
To mix fat into flour with a pastry blender or two knives until it is distributed in small particles throughout the mixture.
Equipment: Pastry blender or two knives and bowl.

16. Blend
To combine thoroughly (parts are indistinguishable from one another) two or more ingredients.

17. Sift
To put dry ingredients through a sifter or a fine sieve to incorporate air and separate the fine from the coarse particles.

18. 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.

19. Zest A thin brightly colored outer part of the rind of citrus fruits.
Only remove the colored part, the white pith beneath it is bitter.

20. Aromatics
Plant ingredients, such as herbs and spices used to enhance the flavor and fragrance of food.

21. Cut
To divide foods into small pieces with a knife or scissors.

22. Chop
To cut into small pieces
Equipment: Chef’s Knife

23. Dice To cut into very small cubes
Equipment: French or Chef’s Knife, cutting board

24. Cube
To cut into small squares larger than diced, usually about 1/2 inch.

25. Mince To cut or chop food as finely as possible.
Equipment: French or Chef’s knife.

26. 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.

27. Mash
To crush food until it becomes smooth.

28. Chiffonade
The fine ribbons obtained when several leafy vegetables or herbs are tightly rolled into a cigar shape and cut across into 1/16 – 1/8 inch wide shreds.

29. Core
To remove the core of a fruit with a corer or paring knife

30. Grate
To rub food, such as lemon or orange peel, against a grater to obtain fine particles.
Equipment: Grater

31. Julienne
To cut food into long, thin strips.

32. Slice
To cut food into flat pieces.

33. To cut away most of the fat from the edges of meat.
Trim
To cut away most of the fat from the edges of meat.

34. Boil
To cook in liquid, usually water, in which bubbles rise constantly and then break on the surface.

35. Fold in Scraping along the bottom of the bowl
Coming up the sides of the bowl
Lifting the ingredients from the bottom of the bowl to the top
Continuing to gently move the ingredients from the top to the bottom and then from the bottom to the top
To gently cut through the mixture, scrape across the bottom and turn over near the surface.
Equipment: Bowl and spatula

36. Steep
To cover with boiling water and let stand without additional heating until flavor and color are extracted, as for tea.

37. Poach
Cooking food gently either partially or completely covered by a liquid which is brought to, and maintained at a temperature just below boiling point.

38. Whip
To beat rapidly to incorporate air and increase the volume, ex. whipped cream or egg white, gelatin.
Equipment: Wire wisk or electric mixer

39. To remove floating matter from a liquid.
Skim
To remove floating matter from a liquid.

40. 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.

41. 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 water.

42. Al dente
An Italian expression applied in western kitchens to pasta cooked just until enough resistance is left…. To the Tooth

43. Toast
To brown by direct heat in a toaster or in the oven.

44. Pan-broil & Pan-fry
To cook uncovered in an un-greased or lightly greased skillet, pouring off excess fat as it accumulates.
To cook in an uncovered skillet with a small amount of fat.

45. Garnish
To add an interesting and completely edible item to a plate to make it look more attractive.

46. Carmalize
The flavor of many foods, including vegetables, meats, and seafood is often enhanced by a gentle browning of the natural sugars and other compounds and intensifies their flavor.

47. Melt
To liquefy a fat or a gel by heating it.

48. Fry
To cook in hot fat.

49. Brown
To make the surface of a food brown in color by frying, broiling, baking in the oven, or toasting.

50. To cook in hot fat that completely covers the food.
Deep-fat fry
To cook in hot fat that completely covers the food.

51. Baste
To spread, brush, or pour liquid (moisten), such as sauce, drippings, melted fat, or marinade, over food while it is cooking. Use a baster, brush, or spoon.

52. 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.

53. To cook slowly and for a long time in liquid
Stew
To cook slowly and for a long time in liquid

54. Blanch
Placing food in boiling water for quick heating, then removing and placing in cold/ice water to quickly chill

55. To cook under direct heat or over coals.
Broil
To cook under direct heat or over coals.

56. To cook meat slowly, covered and in a small amount of liquid or steam.
Braise
To cook meat slowly, covered and in a small amount of liquid or steam.

57. Score
To make thin, straight cuts (usually in a diamond pattern) through the outer edge of fat on meat to prevent the meat from curling during cooking.

58. Marinate
To immerse or coat food an acidic-based liquid or dry rub, called a marinade, to add flavor and/or to tenderize.

59. To cook by dry heat, uncovered, usually in the oven.
Roast
To cook by dry heat, uncovered, usually in the oven.

60. Barbeque
To cook meat or poultry slowly over coals on a spit or in the oven, basting it often with a highly seasoned sauce.

61. Sauté To cook uncovered in a small amount of fat.
Equipment: Frying pan and butter/oil

62. Simmer
To cook below the boiling point, bubbles form slowly and break near the surface.
Equipment: Saucepan

63. 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.

64. Flour/Dredge/Coat
To lightly coat food in a powdered substance such as breadcrumbs, cornmeal, flour. Most foods require dipping in a liquid, such as egg or milk, in order for the powdered substance to adhere to the food.
Equipment: Flour, crumbs or seasoning.

65. 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.

66. Brush
To spread a liquid coating on a food, using a pastry brush or paper towel.

67. Steam
To cook by the vapor produced when water is heated to the boiling point.
Equipment: Steamer or Double Boiler

68. The Language of the Recipe
Cooking Terminology
The Language of the Recipe