Beginning to cook can be like learning a foreign language. There will be ingredients and techniques that you may not have heard of before and it can be overwhelming. Our glossary covers the basic procedures and ingredients that you would find in Cooking Up Love recipes. We've filtered out advanced techniques and more specialized ingredients for now so we can focus on learning the basics really well.
| Term |
Definition |
| Al Dente |
Usually used in reference to cooking pasta and means a slightly underdone, chewy consistency. |
| Bake |
To cook using hot circulating hair. Preheating your oven is very important before cooking your food. Remember not to overfill your oven with dishes, leaving plenty of room for the hot air to circulate. |
| Baste |
Brushing, drizzling or spooning liquids over the food to keep it moist while cooking. |
| Beat |
Mix ingredients rapidly so that air is incorporated, making a creamy mixture. |
| Blend |
To mix ingredients together until it reaches the desired consistency, usually smooth |
| Boil |
To heat liquids to a temperature of 212 degrees (at sea level). When the liquid boils, bubble burst across the surface. A rolling boil is when large bubbles rapidly vigorously burst across the surface. |
| Bone |
Removing the bones from meat, poltry or fish. |
| Bouquet Garni |
A small bundle of herbs you wrap in cheesecloth and add to soup to add the flavor of the herbs but keep them contained. After the soup is finished cooking, you remove the bundle and discard. |
| Braise |
To brown meat over high heat, then cover and cook slowly in the over with liquid. Often used to soften tough cuts of meat. |
| Bread |
To coat with bread crumbs. Ingredient is usually dipped in a liquid, then the crumbs so they will stick. |
| Brochette |
Another name for meat, seafood or vegetables threaded on a skewer. |
| Broil |
To cook under high heat, usually under a broiler. This is done to seal in the juices and/or brown the outside. |
| Brown |
To cook quickly in a hot skillet or under the broiler to seal in the juices. |
| Carmelize |
To cook under steady heat until turns a carmel brown color. |
| Chiffonade |
Very finely sliced vegetables. |
| Chop |
To cut into pieces. Sizes vary based on recipe - finely chopped to coarsely chopped. |
| Cobbler |
A fruit pie made with a top crust only. |
| Cream |
To mix together softened ingredients with other ingredients until the mixture is well blended and smooth. You will often cream together butter and sugar when baking. |
| Creme Fraiche |
Like sour cream but a little more tart. |
| Crimp |
To use your fingers to make a decorative edge on a pie, pinching the dough to "crimp" the edges. |
| Cube |
To cut into cube-shaped pieces. Sizes vary based on recipe - 1/4 inch to one inch. |
| Cut |
To combine butter or shortening with dry ingredients until the mixture looks likes coarse crumbs. Can be done using fingers, pastry blender or food processer. |
| Dash |
A very small amount added to a recipe. Usually just a shake of herbs or other seasonings. |
| Deglaze |
To add liquid to a pan that has been used to cook food. You'll often add broth, cream or wine to a pan that you've used to saute or brown meat or poultry. The meat or poultry leaves behind little flavorful bits that will season the liquid. Heat the pan after adding the liquid and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. |
| Degrease |
Skimming the top of the sauce or soup that you've been cooking, taking off the layer of grease. The grease will glisten and will often have a "rainbow" appearance. Don't obsess about getting every last bit of grease when degreasing your mixture, just get as much as you can. |
| Dice |
To cut into small pieces, usually from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. |
| Dilute |
Adding more liquid to your mixture to balance or reduce the flavor. |
| Dot |
To scatter ingredients over the top of prepared recipe. Not necessary to be precise in placement. |
| Drain |
To remove or filter out liquid or fat from food. Use a strainer or colander for removing liquid. To remove fat, place food on paper towels. |
| Dredge |
To coat food with a dry mixture, usually seasoned flour or bread crumbs. Shake off extra flour or crumbs. |
| Drippings |
The liquid and bits of cooked food left in a pan after the cooking process is finished. Used to make sauces and gravy. |
| Dust |
To sprinkle ingredients very lightly. |
| Flake |
To test the doneness of fish. The flesh of the fish will easily break away, or "flake" away when it is done. |
| Fold |
To gently mix together ingredients, "folding" the mixture over on top of itself, scooping from the bottom with a large spoon or spatula. Often used when mixing whipped cream or beaten egg whites into a mixture. |
| Fry |
To cook food in hot fat until crisp and browned. |
| Garnish |
To add herbs, vegetables or fruit to a dish to make the presentation appealing. |
| Grate |
To shred an ingredient using a grater. |
| Grease |
To lightly coat a pan with vegetable cooking spray, butter or shortening. Prevents foods from sticking and helps with browning. |
| Grill |
To cook on a grill rack over coals or a gas flame. Can also simulate grilling under the broiler if a grill is not available. |
| Husk |
To remove an ear of corn from the protective outside leaves. |
| Julienne |
To cut food into matchstick-sized strips of uniform width and length. |
| Knead |
To work dough using the palms of your hands to make it smooth and elastic. Can also be partially done using an attachment on a stand mixer. |
| Line |
Using parchment paper or alumnimum foil to cover the surface of a baking or roasting pan. |
| Macerate |
To cover fruits or vegetables with a liquid and let the mixture site. The fruits or vegetables will soften and absorb the flavor of the liquid. |
| Marinate |
Placing food in a seasoned mixture to tenderize and/or add flavor, usually using a combination of vinegar, herbs, citrus juices, wine and/or oil. |
| Melt |
To heat a solid ingredient over low heat so it becomes liquid. You will often melt ingredients like butter or chocolate. |
| Mince |
To cut into very small pieces, usually 1/8 inch cubes. |
| Mix |
To stir together to combine ingredients. |
| Parboil |
To partially cook ingredient in boiling liquid. |
| Phyllo |
Very thin sheets of dough stacked together. Often used to make Greek dishes. It can be found in the freezer section of your market. |
| Pinch |
The small amount of ingredient that fits between your thumb and finger. |
| Poach |
Cooking food slowly in a simmering liquid that doesn't boil. |
| Pound |
Using a mallet to flatten meat. Place meat in between layers of parchment or waxed paper and pound. |
| Preheat |
Turning the oven on so it can heat up and be at the desired temperature when you're ready. Begin preheating your oven 15 to 30 minutes ahead of the time. |
| Prick |
Using the tines of a fork, pierce the food or pastry, creating tiny holes. |
| Puree |
Mashing a solid ingredient into a smooth consistency. |
| Reduce |
Thickening a sauce by heating it, causing the liquids to evaporate and concentrating the flavor. |
| Render |
Liquefying a solid fat, like butter, over low heat. |
| Roast |
To cook in an oven. |
| Saute |
To cook food quickly in butter or oil. |
| Scald |
Cooking a liquid over low heat until it just boils. Look for little bubbles around the edge of the saucepan. |
| Score |
To make thin cuts across the surface of meat or seafood. This helps to tendarize it. |
| Sear |
To brown quickly over high heat to seal in the juices. Can be done in a pan, under the broiler or on the grill. |
| Sift |
Using a sifter or fine-mesh strainer, pass dry ingredients through to remove lumps and incorporate air. |
| Simmer |
To cook over low heat without boiling. Random small bubbles are okay. |
| Skim |
To remove the layer of fat or floaties that rise to the top of a cooked liquid. |
| Steam |
To cook food in a covered pan using the hot steam of a boiling liquid. |
| Stir |
To blend the ingredients of a mixture together using a spoon. |
| Stir-Fry |
To quickly saute ingredients over high heat in a wok or skillet, stirring constantly. |
| Strain |
To separate liquids from solids using a colander or strainer. |
| Stuff |
To fill with ingredients or seasonings. |
| Toss |
To gently mix ingredients together to combine. |
| Whip |
To beat rapidly by hand or with a mixer, adding air and increasing the volume of the mixture. |
| Whisk |
A wire utensil that is used to mix liquid ingredients in a swift, circular motion until smooth. |
| Zest |
Fine strips of citrus peel. Be careful not to get the bitter white "pith" that is between the peel and fruit. |
| Yogurt (Plain) |
1 cup sour cream or 1 cup buttermilk |
