Glossary of Words used in Cooking
Summary of Key Terms
Garnish - enhance the appearance or taste of food.
Knead - to mix using a pressing motion, usually with the palms of your hands.
Marinate - to flavor or tenderize foods by soaking them in oil and acid, such as Italian dressing.
Saute - to cook in a small amount of fat.
La carte - the practice of ordering individual dishes from a menu.
Al dente - describes pasta or rice that is cooked to be firm to the bite. The term also extends to firmly-cooked vegetables. In contemporary Italian cooking, the term identifies the ideal consistency for pasta and involves a brief cooking time..
Broil - is similar to bake the food only cooked on one side (the top) at a very high heat. This high temperature is used to create a golden brown top crust on casseroles or add caramelization to roasted veggies. .
Smidgen - smidgen is approximately 1/32 teaspoon. The measurement is often used when the trying to add the tiniest note of flavor to a dish.
Blanching - food is dipped into boiling water for a small amount of time - usually ranging from one to five minutes and then being plunged into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. a common method for helping veggies keep their bright color and creating a crisp-tender texture.
Braise - has its own category because it's a pairing of both dry and moist cooking techniques. Braising is primarily used to prepare tougher cuts of meat. In a large pot, the meat is browned on all sides. Then it's covered with liquid and cooked low and slow until fall-off-the-bone tender. By searing the meat beforehand, you'll have all that caramelized taste but with a very succulent texture..
Charring - cooking in a very hot pan or grill grate on the stovetop. is the most extreme type of stovetop heat. A charred ingredient walks the line between being burnt and delightfully blackened. It's often used on peppers - like bell peppers and jalapeņos - to create a soft and smoky interior with a blackened skin that can be peeled away. .
Epidermis - the outer layer of the skin.
Knead - to mix using a pressing motion, usually with the palms of your hands.
Marinate - to flavor or tenderize foods by soaking them in oil and acid, such as Italian dressing.
Saute - to cook in a small amount of fat.
La carte - the practice of ordering individual dishes from a menu.
Al dente - describes pasta or rice that is cooked to be firm to the bite. The term also extends to firmly-cooked vegetables. In contemporary Italian cooking, the term identifies the ideal consistency for pasta and involves a brief cooking time..
Broil - is similar to bake the food only cooked on one side (the top) at a very high heat. This high temperature is used to create a golden brown top crust on casseroles or add caramelization to roasted veggies. .
Smidgen - smidgen is approximately 1/32 teaspoon. The measurement is often used when the trying to add the tiniest note of flavor to a dish.
Blanching - food is dipped into boiling water for a small amount of time - usually ranging from one to five minutes and then being plunged into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. a common method for helping veggies keep their bright color and creating a crisp-tender texture.
Braise - has its own category because it's a pairing of both dry and moist cooking techniques. Braising is primarily used to prepare tougher cuts of meat. In a large pot, the meat is browned on all sides. Then it's covered with liquid and cooked low and slow until fall-off-the-bone tender. By searing the meat beforehand, you'll have all that caramelized taste but with a very succulent texture..
Charring - cooking in a very hot pan or grill grate on the stovetop. is the most extreme type of stovetop heat. A charred ingredient walks the line between being burnt and delightfully blackened. It's often used on peppers - like bell peppers and jalapeņos - to create a soft and smoky interior with a blackened skin that can be peeled away. .
Epidermis - the outer layer of the skin.
Take a Quiz on Basic Terms used in Cooking
Select and Buy books on Quizzes here
Express Chemist
(c) Compiled by B V & T M Wood. All rights reserved. Disclaimer