Glossary of Cooking Terms
Adjust seasoning - To taste the dish before serving to determine the need for salt, herbs, or other seasonings.
Al dente - Italian term meaning "to the tooth", describing pasta or vegetables that have been cooked lightly and still offer resistance to the teeth.
Appetizer - A small portion of food served at the beginning of a meal.
Appeteaser – Zonya’s take on an appetizer.
Au Gratin – Food that is topped with grated cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with bits of butter then broiled until brown and crisp.
Batter - The uncooked mixture that is the base for most baked goods. It is usually made from a combination of flour, eggs, and liquid, and is thin enough to be stirred. Batter may also be used to dip foods in before frying or baking.
Blacken - A method of cooking in which meat or fish is seasoned with a spicy mixture then fried in a hot skillet until blackened on both sides.
Blanch - To place foods in boiling water briefly either to partially cook them or to aid in the removal of the skin (i.e. nuts, peaches, tomatoes). Blanching tomatoes or peaches for about 20 seconds makes them easier to peel.
Bouillon - A base for soup and sauces made by cooking vegetables, poultry, meat, or fish in water, then straining. Also known as broth or stock.
Braise - Braising involves cooking a food in a little fat to brown--usually on the stovetop--then covering and cooking slowly until done.
Broil - To cook food directly under or over a heat source, usually in the oven under the top-broiling element or on the grill.
Brown - To cook food quickly at a moderately high heat to brown the surface. May be done on the stovetop or under the broiler in the oven.
Butterfly - To cut a food down the center, but not quite through, leaving both halves attached. The food is then spread to resemble a butterfly.
Cajun - A form of cooking that is very spicy.
Casserole – The literal definition refers to a baking dish with a cover. Also known as a food mixture including vegetables and meats, usually held together by a sauce.
Chase – To follow.
Chunks - Bite-size pieces about 1-inch wide.
Creole - A style of cooking that features a spicy sauce or dish made especially with tomatoes, peppers, onion, celery, and seasoning.
Crush - To mash food or fresh herbs to release flavors.
Cube - To cut into cubes, about 1/2- to 1-inch.
Dash - Less than 1/8 teaspoon.
Dice - To cut food into cubes about 1/8- to 3/4-inch in size.
Dollop - A spoonful of soft food, such as mashed potatoes or whipped cream.
Dough - A mixture of flour, liquid, and other ingredients. Dough is too thick to pour but thick enough to roll out or knead with hands.
Drizzle - To pour a thin mixture, such as olive oil, over food in a very fine stream.
Extract - Concentrated flavors from various foods. A familiar example may be vanilla extract, which is used frequently when baking.
Fillet - A boneless piece of meat or fish.
Flake - To use a fork or other utensil to break off pieces or layers of food.
Flour - (verb) To lightly sprinkle or coat with flour.
Fold - To incorporate a light mixture with a heavy mixture, such as beaten egg whites into batter. The lighter mixture is placed on the heavier mixture, and a spatula is used to gently cut down and through the lighter mixture to the bottom of the bowl then up again. This procedure gently turns the mixtures over on top of each other, and is repeated until the two mixtures are combined.
Freezer Burn - A loss of moisture in foods when improperly wrapped before freezing. Freezer burn affects both the texture and flavor of food.
Garnish - To decorate food or the dish on which food is served.
Glaze - A thin, glossy coating applied to the surface of a food. A glaze may also add flavor.
Grate - To cut food into small shreds or particles, usually with a grater.
Grease - To spread butter (or non-stick cooking spray) on a cooking utensil or pan to prevent food from sticking.
Grill - To cook on a rack directly over hot coals or other heat source.
Grind - To reduce food to small particles, as in ground coffee, ground beef, or ground spices. A variety of tools may be used, including a meat grinder, a pepper mill, or a food processor.
Jambalaya - A Creole dish that combines cooked rice with tomatoes, onion, green peppers, and almost any kind of meat, poultry, or shellfish.
Knead - A technique used to mix and work dough, usually using the hands. Dough is pressed with the heels of the hands, while stretching it out, then folded over itself.
Kosher - Derived from the Hebrew word "kasher," which means "proper" or "pure." Kosher foods conform to strict Jewish biblical laws pertaining to the type of food eaten, the kinds of foods combined in one meal, and how an animal is killed.
Leavener - An ingredient or agent used to lighten the texture and increase volume in baked goods. Baking powder, baking soda, and yeast are common leaveners.
Marinade - A seasoned liquid in which meat or other food is soaked to flavor and tenderize.
Marinate - To let food soak in a seasoned liquid in order to flavor and tenderize.
Mash - To crush a food until smooth and evenly textured.
Melt - Heating a food (such as shortening, butter, or chocolate) until it becomes liquid.
Mesquite - Mesquite is used in barbecuing and smoking foods. It gives a slightly sweet flavor to the meat.
Mince - To chop food into small pieces, usually 1/8-inch or less.
Mix - To blend ingredients.
Mold - To form a food into a shape by hand, or by placing or pouring into a decorative container then refrigerating or cooking until firm enough to hold its shape.
Organic Food – Organic refers to foods grown and processed without fertilizers, insecticides, artificial coloring, artificial flavorings, or additives.
Parchment Paper - A heavy moisture and grease-resistant paper used to line baking pans and wrap foods to be baked.
Pare - To cut the skin from a food, usually with a short knife called a paring knife.
Pilaf - A dish that starts with browned rice or bulgur and adds cooked vegetables, meat, seafood, or poultry.
Pinch - A small amount of a dry ingredient, generally around 1/16 of a teaspoon. It's about as much as can be held between the tip of the thumb and forefinger.
Poach - To cook food gently in a liquid at or just below its boiling point. Meats are normally poached in stock, eggs in lightly salted water, and fruit in light sugar syrup.
Preheat - To allow the oven or pan to get to a specified temperature before adding the food to be cooked.
Puree - To blend, process, or mash a food until it's very smooth and has the consistency of baby food.
Reduce - To boil a liquid until a portion of it has evaporated. Reducing intensifies the flavor and results in a thicker liquid.
Rind - The tough outer peel of a food.
Roast - To cook a food in an open pan in the oven, with no added liquid.
Rolling Boil - A very fast boil that doesn't slow when stirred.
Rotisserie - A device that contains a spit with prongs. Food (usually meat or poultry) is put on the spit, fastened securely then cooked. Most rotisseries are motorized so they automatically turn the food as it cooks.
Sauté - To cook quickly in a pan on top of the stove until the food is browned. Sautéing is often done in a small, shallow pan called a sauté pan.
Scallop - To prepare food by layering slices with cream or cream sauce in a casserole. These foods are often topped with bread or cracker crumbs before being baked. Scallop also refers to forming a decorative edge in the rim of pie dough.
Sear - To brown meat quickly over high heat. Meat may be seared under a broiler or in a skillet on top of the stove.
Serving size – The recommended portion of food to be eaten.
Shred - To cut food into narrow strips. A grater or food processor may be used to shred. Well-cooked meat can be shredded with forks.
Shuck - To remove the shell or husk, such as from an oyster or ear of corn.
Sift - To pass dry ingredients through a mesh sifter. Sifting breaks coarser particles down or keeps them out of the food. It also incorporates air, which makes ingredients lighter.
Simmer - To cook liquid at about 185°, or just below a boil. Tiny bubbles just begin to break the surface.
Sliver - To cut a food into thin strips or pieces.
Steam - A method of cooking where food is placed on a rack or in a special steamer basket over boiling or simmering water in a covered pan. Steaming does a better job than boiling or poaching of retaining a food's flavor, shape, texture and many of the vitamins and minerals.
Stir-Fry - Food is chopped into small pieces and cooked very quickly over high heat in a large pan for a short period of time while briskly stirring the food.
Strain - To pour liquid through a strainer or colander to remove solid particles.
Thicken - To make a liquid more thick by reducing or adding a roux, starch, or eggs.
Thin - To dilute a mixture by adding more liquid.
Truss - To hold a food together so it will retain its shape. Poultry and some roasts are often tied with twine or held together with skewers.
Whip - To beat ingredients with a whisk, electric mixer, or other utensil, a process that incorporates air into a mixture and changes the texture.
Whisk - (noun) A metal utensil made of looped wires joined at the handle, used to whip foods such as cream and egg whites.
Wok - A pan with a round bottom. Wok are usually used to stir-fry foods.
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