Cooking terms and descriptions

Common Cooking terms and descriptions. If you are new to cooking or just wondering about all the different cooking terms that you might hear below is a list of the most common terms that you might here from a cook or Chief on a TV show or someone that works at your local restaurant.

Hopefully if your new to cooking and looking to become a Cheif as a career you will find this webpage helpful since these are all terms that you will learn.

BAKE — To cook by dry heat, usually in an oven.

BARBECUE — To moisten meat with spicy sauce when broil¬ing or roasting.

BASTE — To moisten food dur¬ing cooking with liquid or fat.

BEAT — To whip with fork, spoon or beater to make mix¬ture smooth and light.

BLANCH — To scald with boil¬ing water.

BLEND — To mix until smooth.

BOIL — To cook in rapidly boiling liquid.

BRAISE — To brown food in fat and to continue cooking with small amount of liquid in covered pan ontop of stove or in oven.

BREAD—To coat with crumbs.

BROIL — To cook under direct heat. (Or over, as in charcoal broiling.)

BRUSH — To cover lightly us¬ing brush or crumpled paper.

CARAMELIZE — To heat sug¬ar over direct heat while stirring to a syrup.

CHOP — To cut in small pieces on board or in chopping bowl.

COAT — To dip entire surface.

CONDIMENT — Salt, spice or herb.

CREAM — To soften with spoon or beater, or to blend shortening and sugar together.

CROUTONS — Toasted or fried cubes of bread.

CRUMB — To crumble or roll bread, crackers or ready-to-eat cereal.

CUBE — To cut in small square pieces.

DICE — To cut in small square pieces.

DOT — To top with small bits.

DREDGE — To sprinkle with flour or sugar.

DRIPPINGS — Fat that accu¬mulates during the cooking of fat meat.

FILLET — Strips of fish or meat free from bone.

FOLD—To cut or turn whipped cream or beaten eggs into a mixture with a folding mo¬tion.

FRY — To cook in hot fat.*Deep-fry — in large amount of fat.

*Shallow-fry — in moderate amount of fat.

*Pan-fry or saut6 — in small amount of fat.

GARNISH — To decorate food for table.

GRATE — To rub on grater. GRILL — To broil, usually on a rack.

GRIND — To put through food chopper.

KNEAD — To press, fold and turn dough with hands until smooth or elastic.

MARINATE — To soak in French dressing or spicy liq¬uid. MINCE — To cut or chop very fine.

PAN-BROIL — To cook in dry, hot skillet, pouring off fat as it accumulates.

PARBOIL — To boil until par¬tially tender.

PARE — To remove skin or rind with knife.

PEEL — To pull off skin or rind.

POACH — To cook in hot liq¬uid without boiling.

PUR£E — To rub through sieve or mash in blender.

SAUTE — To fry in small amount of fat.

SCALD — To heat to a point just below boiling, or to drench with boiling water.

SCALLOP — To combine food with sauce or soft bread crumbs and bake.

SCORE — To cut shallow slits crosswise and lengthwise across surface. SEAR — To brown meat quick-SEASONED FLOUR — Flour that has been mixed with salt and pepper or other seasonings.

SHORTENING — Fat or oil to give flavor and tenderness when combined with flour mixtures. May include fats such as butter and margarine used on table.

SHRED — To cut or tear into thin strips.

SIMMER — To cook in liquid just below boiling point.

SKEWER — To fasten with metal or wooden skewers or toothpicks.

SLIVER — To cut into narrow pieces.

STEAM — To cook over boil¬ing water or in pressure cooker.

STEEP — To let stand after boiling liquid has been added.

STEW — To cook slowly in small amount of liquid.

STOCK — The liquid in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been cooked.

WHIP — To beat rapidly and vigorously with hand or elec¬tric beater.

That concludes our cooking terms hopefully you have learned some new terms and the meaning.

Measure Conversions for liquids and solids

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