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Welcome to our culinary glossary, your friendly guide to mastering kitchen jargon! Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, understanding cooking terms can be a game-changer. This A-to-Z glossary is here to help you decode everything from “Al dente” to “sous-vide.”
Our site is packed with recipes, and knowing these terms will make your cooking journey smoother and more enjoyable. Think of this as your handy kitchen sidekick, ready to explain any term you come across. Happy cooking, and may your dishes be as delightful as your culinary adventures!
A
Al dente: Italian term meaning “to the tooth”; describes pasta or vegetables that are cooked to be firm to the bite.
Aging: Allowing meat to rest, either in a refrigerator or at room temperature, to improve flavor and texture.
Au gratin: A dish topped with breadcrumbs and cheese, then baked until golden brown.
Au jus: Served with its own natural juices.
Aromatics: Herbs, spices, and vegetables (like onions, garlic, and celery) used to enhance the flavor of dishes.
B
Bain-marie: A hot water bath used to gently heat or cook food.
Baking: Cooking food using dry heat in an oven.
Barding: Wrapping meat with a layer of fat, such as bacon, before cooking to keep it moist.
Baste: To moisten food while cooking by spooning or brushing with a liquid.
Beat: To rapidly stir a mixture of ingredients with a spoon, whisk, or mixer until the desired consistency is reached.
Blanch: To briefly cook food in boiling water, then plunge into ice water to stop cooking.
Blend: To thoroughly combine two or more ingredients by hand, whisk, or mixer/blender.
Braise: To cook meat or vegetables first by browning and then by gently simmering in a small amount of liquid, in a covered pan, until very tender.
C
Caramelize: Cooking sugar until it melts and turns a golden brown, or cooking vegetables until their natural sugars break down.
Chiffonade: Finely slicing leafy vegetables or herbs into thin strips.
Clarify: Removing impurities from a liquid, such as butter or broth.
Creaming: Mixing butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Cure: Preserving food by salting, smoking, or drying.
D
Deglaze: Adding liquid to a hot pan to loosen and dissolve food particles on the bottom.
Dutch oven: A thick-walled pot with a tight-fitting lid. It can be used both on the stove top and in the oven and are useful for braises, stews, soups, and sauces.
Dredge: Coating food with flour or breadcrumbs before cooking.
Drizzle: Pouring a thin stream of liquid over food.
Dust: Lightly sprinkling a fine layer of a powdered ingredient, like flour or sugar, over food.
Dice: Cutting food into small, uniform cubes.
E
Emulsify: Combining two liquids that usually don’t mix, such as oil and vinegar.
Entrée: The main course of a meal.
Etuver: To cook food slowly, without browning, in a small amount of butter or oil.
F
Fillet: Removing the bones from meat or fish.
Flambé: Cooking with a burst of flame by adding alcohol.
Fold: Gently combining ingredients without deflating them.
Fry: Cooking food in hot fat or oil.
Fumet: A concentrated stock, often made from fish.
G
Ganache: A mixture of chocolate and cream used as icing or filling.
Giblets: The edible organs of poultry, usually the heart, gizzard, and liver. Sometimes these can be found in a sealed bag in the cavity of a whole chicken, turkey, or duck.
Glaze: A glossy coating applied to food.
Gratin: A dish with a browned crust, often topped with cheese or breadcrumbs.
Grill: Cooking food on a rack over direct heat.
Grind: Reducing food to small particles using a grinder or food processor.
H
Herbs: Aromatic plants used to flavor food.
Hollandaise: A creamy sauce made from egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice.
Hydrate: Absorbing water, typically in the context of dried ingredients.
I
Infuse: Steeping ingredients in a hot liquid to extract flavor.
J
Julienne: Cutting food into thin, matchstick-sized strips.
Jus: A light gravy or sauce made from the juices of cooked meat.
K
Knead: Working dough to develop gluten.
L
Lard: Inserting strips of fat into meat before cooking.
Leavening: Agents that cause dough to rise, such as yeast or baking powder.
M
Marinate: Soaking food in a flavored liquid before cooking.
Mince: Chopping food into very small pieces.
Mirepoix: A mixture of chopped onions, carrots, and celery used as a flavor base.
Mise en place: French for “putting in place”; preparing ingredients before cooking.
N
Nap: Coating food with a thin layer of sauce.
Nutrient-dense: Foods that are high in nutrients but low in calories.
O
Oven-roast: Cooking food in an oven using dry heat.
P
Parboil: Partially cooking food in boiling water before final preparation.
Parchment paper: Heat-resistant paper used for lining baking pans.
Pith: The spongy white tissue lining the rind of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits.
Poach: Cooking food gently in simmering liquid.
Purée: Blending food until smooth.
Q
Quiche: A savory pie filled with eggs, cheese, and other ingredients.
R
Reconstitute: To rehydrate a dried food by soaking it in water.
Reduce: Cooking a liquid until its volume decreases and flavor intensifies.
Render: To cook the fat out of meat or poultry over a low heat, in order to preserve the drippings.
Roast: To cook a large piece of meat or poultry, uncovered, using dry heat in an oven. Or to cook vegetables, coated in a small amount of oil, in a high, dry heat.
Roux: A mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces.
S
Sauté: Cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat.
Scald: Heating liquid to just below boiling.
Score: Making shallow cuts on the surface of food.
Sear: To brown the surface of meat with a quick cook over a high heat so that the juices are sealed in.
Simmer: Cooking liquid just below the boiling point.
Skim: To remove any surface foam or fat from a liquid.
Steam: Cooking food with the steam from boiling water.
Stir-fry: To quickly cook small pieces of food over a high heat, using a relatively small amount of fat or liquid, and stirring constantly.
T
Temper: Gradually bringing a cold ingredient to the temperature of a hot mixture.
Tenderize: Making meat more tender by pounding or marinating.
Truss: Tying meat with string to hold its shape during cooking.
U
Unleavened: Baked goods that do not use leavening agents.
V
Vinaigrette: A dressing made from oil and vinegar.
W
Whip: Beating ingredients to incorporate air and increase volume.
Y
Yeast: A microorganism used in baking to make dough rise.
Z
Zest: The outermost part of citrus peel, used for flavor.
Zesting: Removing the outermost layer of citrus peel for use in recipes.