.Cooking Terms
Source of Recipe
The Healthy College Cookbook
Recipe Introduction
excerpt from outstanding cookbook gives overview of cooking terms for the new cook..
Bake: To cook food in an oven with dry heat. Unless otherwise specified, always preheat your oven before putting your dish in to bake.
Barbecue: Although barbecuing technically refers to cooking over a charcoal grill, it has evolved to denote just about anything, including roasting, broiling, or grilling, that involves barbecue sauce.
Baste: The point of basting is to keep roasting foods, usually meat, moist by reapplying sauce, pan juices, wine or whatever liquid you're using. You have all seen turkey basters, those giant eye droppers hidden somewhere in your parents' kitchen. They're used to suck up the liquid collecting in the bottom of the pan and dribble it back on top of the roast. Basting can also be accomplished by brushing or spooning the liquid onto the food.
Beat: Rapidly mixing ingredients. Should result in a smooth, airy mixture.
Blanch: The point of blanching is not to cook the food (usually a fruit or vegetable) but rather to soften it so that it may be peeled more easily or cooked every so slightly. Submerge the fruit or vegetable in boiling water for a minute or two (the length of time depends on the food). It should soften and the skin will become easy to remove. If you haven't blanched for long enough the skin won't peel. If that's the case, just dip the food back in.
Blend: To mix well.
Breading: As the name suggests, to cover with bread. Dip the food in raw egg or milk, roll it in bread crumbs, place it in a dish and bake. You can also bread with crushed corn flakes or potato chips, among other things.
Broil: To cook under or over a direct, intense heat. Broiling browns the outside of the food and seals the juices in. You can broil under the broiler in your oven or on a grill. (Some ovens require that the door be kept ajar when broiling).
Boil: When you've heated a liquid to a boil, you'll see bubbles bursting up from the bottom of the pot. There are different degrees of boiling: a violent boil, a moderate (or rolling) boil, and a slow boil (simmer). Remember, a liquid is oily boiling when bubbles are popping through the surface. It is not boiling when you see little bubbles resting ont he bottom of the pan (although that means that you are close).
Burn: If you are having success with this one, you probably should not be left alone in the kitchen.
Chop: This dictionary definition, "to cut with an ax or sharp-edges tool; make chopping blows (at)," may not be the best suggestion for your purposes. The general idea is to cut into small pieces. If you are going to be cooking the food you're chopping, make sure that the pieces are all approximately the same size so that they'll cook evenly.
Cream: To cream does not mean to add cream to a mixture, but rather to fully soften an ingredient, such as butter. When creaming, you will often have to blend in other ingredients, such as sugar, untilt he mixture is completely "creamed" or blended together.
Dice: To cut into very small cubes, usually about half an inch in length and width.
Fry: Although fried food is great, it is not usually considered the healthiest of cooking techniques. Break out the skillet and throw some oil or butter in. Heat the pan on the burner and then pop the food in. Be carqeful with hot oil. Not only can it hurt when you're splattered (boiling oil will spit at you when foods, expecially liquids, are added) but it is also a big fire starter if left unattended. SEe also Saute.
Grate: Technically speaking, to grate means to reduce to small particles - just think of grated Parmesan cheese. Using a grater wills ave you the trouble of painstakingly chopping and shredding foods into small pieces.
Gratin: Au gratin is a French term meaning "with cheese." You can make anything au gratin by sprinkling with grated cheese, butter and bread crumbs over the top of a dish and then broiling it until golden. Looks good when finished and sounds fancy for dinner parties.
Marinate: This takes a little while to do, but don't worry -- you won't be doing much of the work, the marinade will be. Marinade is the liquid (usually flavored with various spices) that you soak a food in. The marinade will flavor the food while at the same time tenderizing it (if you're marinating meat). This will make cheaper, tougher meat taste much better. And experiment with your creations. They won't all work well, but you'll come across some that you love.
Mince: To cut or chop into extremely, very, ultra-small pieces.
Poach: To cook by simmering in a liquid that does not quite reach a boil.
Preheat: To set the oven or broiler to the desired temperature 10-15 minutes before use to allow time for it to reach the appropriate temperature prior to cooking.
Puree: Remember baby food? Well, it's food, pureed, so it can be swallowed at that toothless age. PUreeing by hand is great for venting aggravation. Just smash and pound the food until it's a pulp. You may have to boil some vegetables to soften them first (unless you['re really upset). Most people, however, understand puree to mean putting something in the blender or food processor, since it does the hard work for you. The blades turn and miraculously your solid food is transformed into a creamy consistency.
Saute: To cook food in a buttered or oiled pan until slightly brown. Sauteing is similar to frying, but it implies that you use less butter or oil and stir the dish constantly.
Reconstitute: To rehydrate a dry food by adding liquid.
Reduce: Reducing serves to concentrate flavor while at the same time cutting down on the total amount of liquid. You reduce something by boiling it for a while uncovered. This causes some of the liquid to evaporate, leaving a substance with less volume but more taste.
Shred: This slightly barbaric term refers to the act of tearing. You can use a knife or a grater to do so, and, just like in a paper shredder, the pieces should come out relatively long and thin.
Simmer: To simmer is to keep something on low heat so that it does not quite reach a boil. You should hardly be able to notice any bubbles boiling up to the surface. The surface should just ripple a little.
Skim: To remove the top layer of something. For example, after refrigerating or freezing a broth, you'll notice a layer of hardened fat on the surface. Scoop it off and you've skimmed it. This is a good way to decrease the amount of fat in soups or gravies.
Tenderize: As you might guess, to make more tender. Some cooks like to gently pound cuts of meat, thus tenderizing them, before cooking or marinating.
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