Cooking / Culinary Terms

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

Barbeque-To roast or broil over a direct heat source, like a grill or char broiler, gas , electric or charcoal.

Baste-To add liquid to cooking foods to add moiture and flavor.

Beat-to smooth foods by introducing air by brisk motion that lifts food over and over in a circular motion with mixer or whisk.

Blanch- to heat in boiling water, to inactivate enzymes, shrink food for canning or freezing Also to remove skins from fruits and vegetables. !-2 minutes is all it takes. Not meant to Cook food.

Blend- To mix two or more ingredients together so each loses identity.

Boil- To cook in a liquid that reaches 212* at sea level. Where bubbles are constantly breaking the surface.

Braise- To cook slowly in a covered pan using small amount of water or steam.

Bread- To coat food with a crumb type coating before frying or baking.

Broil-To cook by direct heat over or under food.

Candy- To cook  fruit or foods in a heavy syrup intil translucent.

Caramelize- To heat dry sugar or foods containing sugar until a brown color and flavor characteristic appear.

Chop- To cut into pieces or chunks with a sharp knife or cleaver.

Coddle- To cook just under the boiling point as for eggs and fruits.

Combine- To mix ingredients.

Cream- To mix one or more foods together until creamy and smooth.

Cube- To dice foods into squares.

Cut in- To evenly distribute solid fats into dry ingredients with pastry blender or knives.

Devil- To mix with hot seasoning like pepper or mustard.

Dice- Same as cube above.

Dissolve- To cause a dry substance and liquid to pass into a solution.

Dredge- To sprinle or coat a food with flour or other fine substance.

Fold- To combine by using a vertical cutting motion and sliding rubber spatula under food on bottom of bowl to the top and repeating until mixed.

Fry- To cook in fat.

Grate-To reduce food into small particles by passing through small holes of grater or shredder.

Grind- To reeduce food to particles by crushing or through a food processor or chopper.

Knead- To fold, press, and strech dough repeatedly as for breads.

Marinate- To allow foods to sit in liquid to enhance flavor and texture.

Mask- To completely cover foods with a thick sauce or covering.

Mince- To cut or chop to fine pieces.

Mix- To combine food ingredients that effects a distribution.

Panbroil- To cook uncovered on a hot surface.

Parch- To brown by dry heat, applied to grains and nuts.

Pare- To peel outside skin of fruits and vegetables.

Pasteurize- To preserve foods by heating to a temperature 140*-180* which arrests microorganisms and fermentation. (Usually milk and fruits).

Peel- To strip off outer coverings of fruits and vegetables.

Poach- To cook in small amount of water to maintain shape.

Puree- To force through a fine sieve or a blender until smooth.

Reconstitute- To restore concentrated foods to their normal state by using water or another liquid.

Reduce Liquid- To continue cooking to reduce the amount of liquid in a food concentrating flavor and sometimes causing thickening.

Render- To remove fat from connective tissue over low heat.

Rice- To force food through a ricer, or food mill.

Roast-To slow cook food in oven by dry heat.

Scallop- To bake foods usually with a sauce.

Score- To make cuts on the surface of meats before roasting.

Sear- To brown meats quickly with high heat.

Sieve- To force through a sieve.

Simmer- to slow boil a food so bubbles slowly break to the surface.

Steam- To cook foods using indirect steam.

Steep- To allow a substance to stand in a hot liquid to extract flavor and color as tea.

Sterilize- To destroy all organisms through heat or chemical sanitizing.

Stew- To cook slowly in a small amount of liquid.

Stir To mix food in a circular motion using a spoon.

Truss- To bind meat with twine or netting or skewers.

Whip- To beat rapidly to incorporate with air causing expansion of food, like whipped cream.