1. Cooking Terms

2. cream
To beat sugar and fat together until fluffy.

3. Cut in
To cut fat into flour with two knives, or a pastry blender, until it is distributed in small particles throughout the mixture.

4. Brown
To bake, dry, or toast a food until the surface is brown.

5. Knead
To work dough with the “heel” of the hands, using a pressing motion, accompanied by folding and stretching until smooth and elastic.

6. Simmer
To cook below the boiling point, bubbles form slowly and break on the surface.

7. Scald
Heat liquid to just below boiling point

8. Steam
To cook in the steam generated by boiling water

9. Dice and Cube
To cut into very small cubes. Dice: ¼ Inch Cube: ½ Inch

10. Mince
Chopping food into fine pieces

11. Blanch
Dip a food briefly in boiling water and then in ice water to stop the cooking process

12. Reduce
To boil a mixture in order to evaporate the liquid and intensify the flavor. “Cooking Down”

13. Whip
Beat quickly and vigorously to incorporate air into a mixture, making it light and fluffy.

14. Flour
To sprinkle or coat chicken or fish with a powdered substance, usually with crumbs or seasonings.

15. Dredge
Coat food heavily with flour, breadcrumbs, or cornmeal.

16. Bread
Coat a food with 3 different layers: flour, then a liquid with egg and milk, then seasoned crumbs or cornmeal.

17. Baste
Pour liquid over food as it cooks.

18. Clarify
To make a liquid clear by removing solid particles.

19. Candy
Cook a food in a sugar syrup.

20. Al Dente
Cooking pasta “to the tooth” or long enough that there is a bite to it, not mushy.

21. Butterfly
To split foods in the middle without separating halves, then spread resembling a butterfly.

22. Julienne
To cut food into thin, matchstick sized pieces

23. sear
To brown a food, usually meat, quickly on all sides using high heat to seal in the juices.

24. Snip
To cut food, often fresh herbs, with kitchen shears into very small uniform pieces.

25. boil
To heat a liquid until large rolling bubbles rapidly move throughout the pan.