General Cooking Terms:
Bake:
To cook by dry heat, usually in an oven. When applied to meat, it called "roasting".
Baste:
To moisten food while baking by pouring liquid or fat over it.
Batter:
A mixture of flour, liquid and other ingredients that can be beaten or stirred.
Beat:
To mix with an over-and-over motion, either by spoon, rotary beater or electric beater.
Blanch:
To immerse foods briefly in boiling water, usually followed by a quick cooling in cold water. Used to whiten or remove skins and for vegetables that are to be frozen.
Blend:
to combine two or more ingredients so that each loses its identity.
Boil:
to heat until bybbles constantly breaks on the surface.
Braise:
to simmer in a covered dish in a small amount of liquid.
Broil:
to cook under direct heat or over hot coals.
Caramelize:
to heat dry sugar or foods containing sugar until light brown and of a caramel flavour.
Chill:
to place in refrigerator or other cold place until cold.
Combine:
to mix ingredients together.
Cream:
to work foods until soft and fluffy. Usually applied to shortening, butter or other fat and sugar.
Dough:
a mixture of liquid and flour that is stiff enough to be handled or kneaded.
Dredge:
to coat completely with flour or other mixture,
Dust:
to sprinkle lightly as with flour or sugar.
Eviscerate:
to remove internal organs of fish or poultry.
Flake:
to break into small pieces, usually with a fork.
Fold:
to combine a solid ingredient with a delicate substance such as egg white with a folding motion rather than beating to avoid loss of air.
Glaze:
to coat with syrup, thin icing, jam or jelly.
Grate:
to rub a food against a grater to form small particles.
Grind:
to put food through a food chopper.
Knead:
to manipulate with pressing motion plus folding and stretching. Usually applied to bread dough.
Marinade:
to let stand in a marinade ( usually a mixture of oil, lemon juice or a mixture of vinegar and seasonings).
Mince:
to cop very fine.
Poach:
to cook slowly in hot liquid to cover.
Purée:
the thick pulp with juice obtained by puttin food through a colander, sieve, food mill or blender.
Sauté:
to cook in a skillet in a small amount of fat.
Scald:
to heat just below the boiling point.
Score:
to cut lightly so as to mark surface of the food with lines.
Sear:
to brown the surfaces of foods quickly.
Simmer:
to cook just below boiling point so that bubbles form on bottom or sides of pan.
Steam:
to cook over, not in, boiling water.
Whip:
to beat rapidly with wire whisk or beater to icorporate air and make a substance light and fluffy.
Some of the tips on this page came from " A Guide to Good Cooking"
Published and Copyrighted by
by lake of the woods milling company, limited