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Ramekin
A small baking dish used for individual servings of
sweet and savory dishes.
Reconstitute
To take a dried food such as milk back to its original
state by adding liquid.
Reduce
To cook liquids down so that some of the water
evaporates.
Refresh
To pour cold water over freshly cooked vegetables to
prevent further cooking and to retain color.
Render
To melt down fat to make drippings.
Roast
To cook uncovered in the oven.
Roux
A cooked paste usually made from flour and butter used
to thicken sauces.
Sauté
To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil in a
skillet or sauté pan over direct heat.
Scald
Cooking a liquid such as milk to just below the point of
boiling; also to loosen the skin of fruits or vegetables
by dipping them in boiling water.
Score
To tenderize meat by making a number of shallow (often
diagonal) cuts across its surface. This technique is
also useful in marinating, as it allows for better
absorption of the marinade.
Sear
Sealing in a meat's juices by cooking it quickly under
very high heat.
Season
To enhance the flavor of foods by adding ingredients
such as salt, pepper, oregano, basil, cinnamon, and a
variety of other herbs, spices, condiments, and
vinegars. Also, to treat a pot or pan (usually cast
iron) with a coating of cooking oil and baking it in a
350° F oven for approximately 1 hour; this process seals
any tiny rough spots on the pan's surface that may cause
food to stick.
Seize
To form a thick, lumpy mass when melted (usually applied
to chocolate).
Set
Let food become solid. (See also "Jell.")
Shred
To cut or tear into long narrow strips, either by hand
or by using a grater or food processor.
Sift
To remove large lumps from a dry ingredient such as
flour or confectioners' sugar by passing it through a
fine mesh. This process also incorporates air into the
ingredients, making them lighter.
Simmer
Cooking food in a liquid at a low enough temperature
that small bubble begin to break the surface.
Skim
To remove the top fat layer from stocks, soups, sauces,
or other liquids such as cream from milk.
Springform pan
A two-part baking pan in which a spring-loaded collar
fits around a base; the collar is removed after baking
is complete. Used for foods that may be difficult to
remove from regular pans, such as cheesecake.
Steam
To cook over boiling water in a covered pan, this method
keeps foods' shape, texture, and nutritional value
intact better than methods such as boiling.
Steep
To soak dry ingredients (tea leaves, ground coffee,
herbs, spices, etc.) in liquid until the flavor is
infused into the liquid.
Stewing
Browning small pieces of meat, poultry, or fish, then
simmering them with vegetables or other ingredients in
enough liquid to cover them, usually in a closed pot on
the stove, in the oven, or with a slow cooker.
Stir-Fry
The fast frying of small pieces of meat and vegetables
over very high heat with continual and rapid stirring.
Thin
To reduce a mixture's thickness with the addition of
more liquid.
Toss
To thoroughly combine several ingredients by mixing
lightly.
Truss
To use string, skewers, or pins to hold together a food
to maintain its shape while it cooks (usually applied to
meat or poultry).
Unleavened
Baked goods that contain no agents to give them volume,
such as baking powder, baking soda, or yeast.
Vinaigrette
A general term referring to any sauce made with vinegar,
oil, and seasonings.
Water bath
A gentle cooking technique in which a container is set
in a pan of simmering water. (See also "Coddle.")
Whip
To incorporate air into ingredients such as cream or egg
whites by beating until light and fluffy; also refers to
the utensil used for this action.
Whisk
To mix or fluff by beating; also refers to the utensil
used for this action.
Zest
The thin, brightly colored outer part of the rind of
citrus fruits. It contains volatile oils, used as a
flavoring. |
