eat those words
Cooking terms and menu terms.
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cooking terms
baste - to spoon or brush liquid fat, drippings or other liquid over a food as it cooks in order to keep it moist.
beat - to stir rapidly in a circular motion.
blanch - to plunge fruit or vegetables into boiling water briefly, then into cold water to stop the cooking; used to heighten color in vegetables, or loosen skin for peeling as in peaches.
blend - to mix any two or more ingredients together fully.
boil - to cook food in a boiling liquid; a full-rolling boil is one that can't be disturbed by stirring.
braise - to quickly brown a food then cook it, tightly-covered, slowly in a small amount of liquid at a low temperature.
chop - to cut food into bite-sized or smaller pieces.
cream - to beat an ingredient or combination of ingredients together until smooth, soft and creamy, often in cookie or cake recipes with butter and sugar.
dice - to cut food into small cubes, about ¼ inches square.
dredge - to lightly coat food in a dry mixture such as flour or breadcrumbs before frying.
fold - to gently combine a light, fluffy mixture (e.g. beaten egg whites) with a heavier one (e.g. cake batter) through a series of rotated strokes with a spatula; often accomplished in a series of additions.
glaze - to coat food with a thin, liquid mixture that will be smooth and shiny after setting; often brushed onto the food.
julienne - to cut food into matchstick-sized strips, often seen with carrots or ginger.
knead - technique used to form dough into a cohesive, pliable mass; consists of a pressing-folding-turning action with the heels of the hands that activates flour's gluten; well-kneaded dough should be smooth and elastic.
macerate - to soak a food (usually fruit) in a liquid to render it softer and to infuse it with the liquid's flavor; liquid is often a liquor.
marinate - to soak a food (usually meat, fish or vegetable) in a seasoned liquid mixture to flavor the food and tenderize it; marinades often contain acid ingredients as vinegar or citrus juices.
mince - to cut food into tiny pieces, often seen with garlic.
reduce - to boil a liquid rapidly until its volume is reduced through evaporation, thickening the consistency and intensifying flavor; often designated with a volume e.g. "reduce by half."
sauté - to cook food quickly in a small amount of oil or other fat in a pan over direct heat.
sear - to brown meat quickly at a high temperature, often in a skillet, with the object of sealing in the meat's juices.
shuck - to remove the husk and silk from corn-on-the-cob.
simmer - to cook food in liquid at a temperature so that small bubbles just break the surface.
zest - the outermost, colored layer of a citrus fruit, e.g the "twist" in a cocktail with a twist; also, to remove this layer with a zester, peeler or grater.
Information reproduced with permission from Harvard University.
