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 COOKING GLOSSARY
Mixing It All Up
Beat
Beating is very fast stirring that allows you to smooth out the batter. You can use a fork, eggbeater, whisk, wooden spoon or electric mixer.
Combine
To combine ingredients, either mix or toss so that the ingredients are evenly distributed. You can use a wooden spoon to toss.
Cream
To cream two or more ingredients together, mash them against the side or bottom of a bowl with a wooden spoon. You can also beat them with an electric mixer. It is much easier to cream butter, margarine and shortening if they are soft. To soften them, leave them out on the kitchen counter for a few hours. You can also soften them by putting them in the microwave for one minute on medium heat.
Fold
To fold ingredients, very gently turn the ingredients over from the bottom to the top, but do not stir. Use a wooden spoon for this.
Knead
Kneading dough makes it strong and smooth. Place a ball of dough on a floured counter. Put a little flour on your hands. Press down and away with the palms of your hands. Then fold the dough toward you. Turn the dough and push and fold again. Continue until the dough is smooth and soft (about 5-10 minutes)
Mash
To squash foods with a fork or potato masher to make a smooth or slightly lumpy fluffy mixture.
Mix
When you mix together you are usually combining dry ingredients (sugar and flour), creamy ingredients (butter with sugar) or liquid ingredients (milk and extract) together. The goal is too stir everything together so that the ingredients are evenly distributed and there are no clumps or lumps. Use a wooden spoon for this.
Stir
Stirring is a way of combing ingredients using a large spoon or fork.
Toss
To mix salad ingredients lightly using a large spoon and fork or two large spoons.
Whip
To whip, you need to beat the ingredients very rapidly with a wire whisk or electric mixer. Stirring adds air and cream or egg whites become fluffy. Stop whisking when peaks form.
Whisk
Whisking is a fast back and forth or side to side motion with a wire whisk. This makes your ingredients well blended and smooth.
Cutting It Up In The Kitchen
Chop
To chop ingredients means to cut something into small pieces (not mushy pieces). You can use a food processor or blender. You can even use a knife but this will take a lot longer.
Cut
When cutting you are breaking something into small pieces. Match stick size pieces are called, "julienne". You can also cut things into chunks, cubes or thick slices.
Core
Coring simply means to remove the inner part that contains the seeds of an apple or other fruit.
Dice
Dicing is cutting something into 1-inch cubes. It is similar to chopping only neater. Use a knife to do this.
Grate
Rubbing food against a metal grater (watch your knuckles) to get thin shreds.
Julienne
To cut a vegetable into long thin match sticks.
Mince
When you mince something, you chop into very fine particles. This can be done with a mincer or knife.
Peel
To peel a fruit or vegetable, take off the outer layer with small, sharp knife or potato peeler.
Puree
When you puree something you are taking a solid and blending them so well in a food processor that they turn into a heavy liquid-like consistency. You can use a mixer for this too.
Shred
When you cut or grate something into thin, uneven strips, you are shredding. Usually you use a metal grater to do this.
Seed
To seed means to remove the seeds of fruits or vegetable.
Slice
When you cut something into thick pieces or strips, you are slicing. Use a sharp knife for this.
Cooking Up A Storm
Bake
Food is baked on a rack in a hot oven. The rack in the oven should be in the middle.
Boil
Boiling is heating a liquid on the stove top until bubbles form and burst on the surface.
Broil
food that is broiled is placed under a hot oven broiler for a short period of time. Use oven mitts when placing anything in an oven set to broil.
Brown
When you cook in a small amount of oil in order to give some food a small amount of color. When browning, you do not want to cook the food right through.
Fry
To cook in a frying pan or skillet with a fair amount of oil, shortening or butter until the food is heavily browned and cooked right through.
Grill
Food can be grilled on a barbecue or under a broiler in the oven.
Melt
Foods such as butter or chocolate can be melted in a small saucepan over low heat until they are liquid. They can also be melted in a microwave container in the microwave.
Microwave
Place food in a microwave container (NOT metal). Set the microwave for the level and time and push, "Start". Wear oven mitts when removing something from the microwave.
Saute
To cook quickly and lightly in as little oil as possible in a fry pan or skillet. Usually you are just trying to soften something.
Simmer
Simmer is just below boiling. Bubbles form on the surface but only a few break.
Steam
Steaming is a way of cooking vegetables in the steam produced by boiling water. Place vegetables in a steamer that sits just above the water. Cover the pot to hold the steam inside.
Stir-Fry
Stir-fried food is cooked quickly ina little oil in a wok or frying pan and is stirred frequently while cooking.
Toast
To brown something (usually bread) lightly in a toaster, frying pan or under broiler.
Other Cooking Terms
Baste
To baste meat while it is cooking, remove the pan from the oven using oven mitts. With a spoon or baster, take a small amount of the liquid from the bottom of the pan and pour it over the top to keep the meat moist while cooking.
Batter
A mixture of liquid, flour and other ingredients that can vary in consistency. A baking term.
Chill
To refrigerate something until cold.
Doubling
To double a recipe means using twice the amount of all ingredients to make twice the amount of the recipe.
Drain
To strain away unwanted liquid using a collider.
Drizzle
To dribble drops of icing, chocolate or other liquidy ingredient over food in a random pattern.
Drop
To scoop dough with a spoon, or to scoop other things with measuring cups, making rounded or heaping piles.
Garnish
A garnish is a piece of food or herbs placed on top of a dish for decoration.
Grease
to grease a pan so foods won't stick, put a bit of butter or margarine on a piece of paper towel or waxed paper and rub the bottom and sides of the pan.
Grease and Flour
After greasing your baking pan, add flour to lightly coat the pan. Tap pan to remove excess flour.
Halving
To reduce the amount of all ingredients in a recipe to make only half the amount.
Let Stand
To let baked or cooked foods cool down on a wire rack or hot pad wile it's still baking/cooking.
Marinade
Before they are cooked, ingredients such as meat or tofu are sometimes placed in a spicy mixture, called a "marinade", that flavours then and makes them tender.
Preheat
To turn oven on to correct temperature prior to baking.
Process
To precess means to mix or cut up in a food processor or blender.
Roll
To roll pastry or dough, sprinkle your counter and rolling pin with a little flour to prevent sticking. Put a ball of dough on the floured surface. Gently press down and away with the rolling pin. Continue back and forth, changing direction each time so that the dough forms a circle. Add more flour if the dough starts to stick to the rolling pin or counter. Stop when dough is the right thickness.
Rounded tsp/tbsp
To heap ingredients or dough slightly in a teaspoon or tablespoon.
Rub
To spread a sauce or spice on food so that it coats it, lightly rubbing it in as you go.
Scrape
To use a rubber spatula to remove as much particles of mixture as possible from a bowl or saucepan.
Shape
To use hands to roll or mould dough into balls, rolls or other forms.
Sieve
To remove lumps from flour or icing sugar by pushing through a sieve or strainer.
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