Have you ever read a recipe and been confused by what certain terms mean? Use this guide to learn about commonly used cooking terms in recipes.
- Bake: To cook uncovered by dry heat, usually in an oven or oven-like appliance.
- Baste: To moisten foods with pan drippings or sauces during cooking to add flavor and prevent drying.
- Batter: A mixture of flour and liquid that is thin enough to pour.
- Beat: To mix rapidly in order to make a mixture smooth and light by incorporating air.
- Blanch: To cook food slightly in rapidly boiling water. Usually followed by dipping in cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Blend: To gently mix two or more ingredients thoroughly.
- Boil: To heat a liquid over high heat until bubbles rise and break continually on the surface.
- Braise: To cook meat or poultry slowly with a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
- Broil: To cook food under direct heat, usually on a rack.
- Carmelize: To cook a fruit or vegetable slowly until it becomes brown and sweet. Also to cook sugar, or cook a food (like nuts) in sugar, slowly until it turns brown and sweet.
- Chop: To cut food into small pieces.
- Cream: To make a fat (like butter) soft and smooth by beating with a spoon or mixer. Also to cream together a soft fat with another food (like creaming together butter and sugar).
- Cube: Cut food into small cubes about ½” on all sides.
- Cure: To preserve meat or fish by drying, salting, or smoking.
- Dice: To cut food into small pieces about ¼” on all sides.
- Dissolve: To combine a dry ingredient into a liquid over heat.
- Drain: To remove all liquid using a colander, strainer, or by holding the lid or a plate against the food while tilting the container.
- Fold: To combine ingredients by using a gentle circular motion to cut down into the mixture, slide across the bottom of the bowl to bring some of the mixture up and over the surface.
- Fry: To cook in hot fat. Pan-fry in a small amount of fat over medium heat. Deep-fry in hot fat deep enough for the food to float.
- Garnish: To decorate with a small amount of food that enhances the appearance and flavor of the dish.
- Grate: To scrape food against the holes of a grater (or chop in a blender or food processor) to make fine, medium, or coarse particles.
- Grease: To lightly coat with oil or fat to keep food from sticking to the pan when cooking or baking.
- Julienne: To cut vegetables, fruit, or cheese into thin strips.
- Knead: To press, fold and stretch dough until it is smooth usually done by pressing the heels of the hands.
- Marinate: To soak food in a liquid (called a marinade) to tenderize or add flavor.
- Mash: To squash food with a fork, spoon, or masher to make it smooth.
- Mince: To cut or chop food into tiny pieces.
- Parboil: To boil until partially cooked. Usually followed by final cooking in a seasoned sauce.
- Pare or peel: To remove the outer covering of foods by trimming away with a knife or vegetable peeler.
- Pinch: A tiny amount of flavoring added to a dish — the amount you can hold between your thumb and forefinger.
- Pit: To remove the pit or seed from a fruit.
- Plump: To soak dried fruit in liquid until they swell.
- Preheat: To turn oven on ahead of time so it is ready when needed (usually takes 5-10 minutes).
- Poach: To cook food over low heat in a small amount of hot, simmering liquid.
- Puree: To mash foods until perfectly smooth by hand or in a blender or food processer.
- Reduce: To boil liquid off to reduce the volume.
- Roast: To cook by dry heat in an oven (usually refers to meat).
- Saute: To cook or brown food quickly in a little hot fat (oil or butter).
- Scald: To bring liquid to a temperature just below the boiling point.
- Sear: To brown very quickly over high heat to develop flavor and improve appearance.
- Shred: To cut or tear into long, narrow pieces.
- Sift: To put dry ingredients through a sifter or strainer to remove lumps or add air.
- Simmer: To cook liquid over low heat at just below the boiling point so tiny bubbles form slowly.
- Skim: To remove fat or scum from the surface of a liquid.
- Slice: To cut food into thin pieces.
- Steam: To cook food on a rack or in a colander in a covered pan over a small amount of boiling water.
- Stew: To cook food over low heat in a large amount of simmering liquid for a long time.
- Stir fry: To quickly cook small pieces of food over high heat while constantly stirring until it is crisp-tender.
- Thaw: To change from frozen to liquid slowly.
- Toss: To mix foods lightly with a lifting motion using forks or spoons.
- Whip: To beat rapidly to mix in air and make food light and fluffy. Usually used for egg whites or heavy cream.