Cooking Terms

A La King: Food served in rich cream sauce, sometimes flavored with sherry.

 

Aspic: A jelly of meat stock or vegetable juice with gelatin.

 

Au Gratin: Food creamed, covered with buttered crumbs or cheese, and baked.

 

Bake: To cook with dry heat in a oven.

 

Barbecue: To roast over coals, basting with highly flavored sauce.

 

Baste: To moisten meat while roasting with pan drippings or sauce.

 

Beat: To make a mixture smooth or to incorporate air by a brisk regular movement that lifts the mixture up and over.

 

Blanch:To dip food in boiling water, then cold water to loosen skins.

 

Boil: To cook in water where bubbles rise to the surface and break.

 

Borsch:Russian beet soup.

 

Bullion:A clear soup from lean beef.

 

Braise:Cook meat by browning in fat and simmer in a small amount of liquid.

 

Bread: To coat with bread or cracker crumbs in preparation for cooking.

 

Broil: To cook by exposing food directly to heat.

 

Canape:An appetizer of well seasoned food on a small piece of bread.

 

Caramelize:To heat sugar in a skillet until melted and brown.  Not applicable to all foods.

 

Chantilly: A dish containing whipped or plain cream.

 

Coat:To dip food into flour until all sides are evenly covered.  To dip food into slightly beaten eggs then in seasoned crumbs. With moist foods, it is best to dip first into crumbs, then eggs, then again into crumbs.

 

Compote: Stewed whole fruit to serve with meat.

 

Condiments: Food seasoning such as salt, pepper, spices, herbs, etc.

 

Consomme:A highly-seasoned clear soup from meat and vegetables.

 

Croutons:Cubes of bread toasted or fried to serve in soups.

 

Croquettes:A mixture of seasoned cooked food mixed with eggs or sauce and dipped in crumbs, then fried in deep fat.

 

Cream:To make soft, smooth, and creamy by mixing with spoon or other utensil.

 

Demi Tasse: Small cup of black coffee service at close of meal.

 

Dice:To cut into cubes.

 

Dredge:To coat with flour or sugar.

 

Entree:The main dish of an informal meal.

 

Fillets:Cuts of boneless meat or fish.

 

Fold:To combine ingredients by cutting vertically down through the mixture with spoon or whip, then turning it across bottom of bowl.

 

Frappe:To ice or semi-freeze.

 

Fricassee:To stew meats, poultry, etc. in stock or sauce.

 

Fry:To cook in small amount of shortening, also called saute or pan fry.

 

Garnish: To decorate.

 

Glaze:To coat foods with syrup, gelatin, or melted fruit jelly.

 

Gumbo: A thick rich soup of meat, chicken, or fish and vegetables.

 

Legumes:Vegetables which bear their fruit or seed in pods, such as peas, beans, lentils, and soy beans.

 

Marinate:To soak in french dressing, vinegar, wine, sour cream, etc.

 

Pan Broil:To cook uncovered in a hot frying pan, pouring off fat as it accumulates.  Pan is ungreased or rubbed lightly with shortening to prevent sticking of food.

 

Parboil:To boil food in water until partially cooked.

 

Poach:To cook in a liquid below boiling point.

 

Puree: To press food through a sieve; a thick soup.

 

Roast: To cook by dry heat.

 

Saute: To fry in a small amount of fat.

 

Scald:To bring to a temperature just below the boiling point.  To scald milk, heat slowly until foamy on top.

 

Scallop:To bake food in casserole with alternate layers of sauce.

 

Shortening:A general term given to any fat used for making a product short or tender, as in breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, etc.

 

Sift: To put through a sieve once or several times.

 

Simmer:To cook in liquid below the boiling point - 185 degrees F.

 

Souffle:A dish of rich cream sauce and eggs baked in a casserole dish.

 

Skewer:A long pin of wood or metal used to fasten meat in shape while cooking.

 

Stock:Meat broth made by cooking meat a long time in water.

 

Stew:To cook gently in liquid a long time.