Cooking Terms

Baste- To moisten meat with a liquid, such as melted butter or a sauce, while cooking. Beat- To make mixture smooth by lifting it over and over quickly with a big beating stroke or to incorporate air through the mixture. Blanch-Blanching is boiling water, putting food in for quick heating, then removing and placing in cold/ice water to quickly chill.

Blend-To combine or mix so that the constituent parts are indistinguishable from one another. Coat/dredge -To lightly coat food in a powdered substance such as breadcrumbs, cornmeal, flour. Most foods require dipping in a liquid, such as egg or milk, in order for the powdered substance to adhere to the food. Chop-To cut into small pieces. Combine-To join (two or more substances) to make a single substance, mix.

Cream-To beat sugar and fat together until fluffy. Cube- to cut food into small cube shapes, larger than diced, usually about 1/2 inch. Cut-in-To cut fat into flour with two knives, or a pastry blender, until it is distributed in small particles throughout the mixture.

Fold-in- To mix ingredients by gently turning one part over another with a rubber scraper. Knead- To work dough with the “heel” of the hands, using a pressing motion, accompanied by folding and stretching until smooth and elastic. Marinate- Marinate means to coat or immerse foods in an acidic-based liquid or dry rub, to tenderize and flavor before cooking. Food is marinated in a marinade. Mince- To cut or chop food as finely as possible.

Mix- To combine or blend into one mass or mixture Pare-To remove the outer covering or skin with a knife or similar instrument. Scald- To heat milk almost to boiling point. Score-To make shallow cuts (usually in a diamond pattern) in the surface of certain foods, such as meat or fish.

Shred- A long irregular strip that is cut or torn off. Sift- To put (flour, for example) through a sieve or other straining device in order to separate the fine from the coarse particles. Skim-To remove floating matter from a liquid. Whip- To beat rapidly to introduce air bubbles into food. Applied to cream, eggs, and gelatin.

Simmer- . To cook below the boiling point, bubbles form slowly and break on the surface. Poach- Cooking food either partially or completely covered by a liquid which is brought to, and maintained at a temperature just below boiling point. Saute- To cook in a small amount of fat. Roast-To oven-cook food in an uncovered pan.