Cooking terms glossary

Have you ever read a recipe and been confused by what certain terms mean? Use this guide to learn about commonly used cooking terms in recipes.

• Bake: To cook uncovered by dry heat, usually in an oven or oven-like appliance.
• Baste: To moisten foods with pan drippings or sauces during cooking to add flavor and prevent drying.
• Batter: A mixture of flour and liquid that is thin enough to pour.
• Beat: To mix rapidly in order to make a mixture smooth and light by incorporating air.
• Blanch: To cook food slightly in rapidly boiling water. Usually followed by dipping in cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Blend: To gently mix two or more ingredients thoroughly.
• Boil: To heat a liquid over high heat until bubbles rise and break continually on the surface.
• Braise: To cook meat or poultry slowly with a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
• Broil: To cook food under direct heat, usually on a rack.
• Carmelize: To cook a fruit or vegetable slowly until it becomes brown and sweet. Also to cook sugar, or cook a food (like nuts) in sugar, slowly until it turns brown and sweet.
• Chop: To cut food into small pieces.
• Cream: To make a fat (like butter) soft and smooth by beating with a spoon or mixer. Also to cream together a soft fat with another food (like creaming together butter and sugar).
• Cube: Cut food into small cubes about ½” on all sides.
• Cure: To preserve meat or fish by drying, salting, or smoking.
• Dice: To cut food into small pieces about ¼” on all sides.
• Dissolve: To combine a dry ingredient into a liquid over heat.
• Drain: To remove all liquid using a colander, strainer, or by holding the lid or a plate against the food while tilting the container.
• Fold: To combine ingredients by using a gentle circular motion to cut down into the mixture, slide across the bottom of the bowl to bring some of the mixture up and over the surface.
• Fry: To cook in hot fat. Pan-fry in a small amount of fat over medium heat. Deep-fry in hot fat deep enough for the food to float.
• Garnish: To decorate with a small amount of food that enhances the appearance and flavor of the dish.
• Grate: To scrape food against the holes of a grater (or chop in a blender or food processor) to make fine, medium, or coarse particles.
• Grease: To lightly coat with oil or fat to keep food from sticking to the pan when cooking or baking.
• Julienne: To cut vegetables, fruit, or cheese into thin strips.
• Knead: To press, fold and stretch dough until it is smooth usually done by pressing the heels of the hands.
• Marinate: To soak food in a liquid (called a marinade) to tenderize or add flavor.
• Mash: To squash food with a fork, spoon, or masher to make it smooth.
• Mince: To cut or chop food into tiny pieces.
• Parboil: To boil until partially cooked. Usually followed by final cooking in a seasoned sauce.
• Pare or peel: To remove the outer covering of foods by trimming away with a knife or vegetable peeler.
• Pinch: A tiny amount of flavoring added to a dish — the amount you can hold between your thumb and forefinger.
• Pit: To remove the pit or seed from a fruit.
• Plump: To soak dried fruit in liquid until they swell.
• Preheat: To turn oven on ahead of time so it is ready when needed (usually takes 5-10 minutes).
• Poach: To cook food over low heat in a small amount of hot, simmering liquid.
• Puree: To mash foods until perfectly smooth by hand or in a blender or food processer.
• Reduce: To boil liquid off to reduce the volume.
• Roast: To cook by dry heat in an oven (usually refers to meat).
• Saute: To cook or brown food quickly in a little hot fat (oil or butter).
• Scald: To bring liquid to a temperature just below the boiling point.
• Sear: To brown very quickly over high heat to develop flavor and improve appearance.
• Shred: To cut or tear into long, narrow pieces.
• Sift: To put dry ingredients through a sifter or strainer to remove lumps or add air.
• Simmer: To cook liquid over low heat at just below the boiling point so tiny bubbles form slowly.
• Skim: To remove fat or scum from the surface of a liquid.
• Slice: To cut food into thin pieces.
• Steam: To cook food on a rack or in a colander in a covered pan over a small amount of boiling water.
• Stew: To cook food over low heat in a large amount of simmering liquid for a long time.
• Stir fry: To quickly cook small pieces of food over high heat while constantly stirring until it is crisp-tender.
• Thaw: To change from frozen to liquid slowly.
• Toss: To mix foods lightly with a lifting motion using forks or spoons.
• Whip: To beat rapidly to mix in air and make food light and fluffy. Usually used for egg whites or heavy cream.