I’ve compiled a list of the terms I tend to use most often in my recipes for you. As promised, I’m here to help you expand your knowledge of cooking, and understanding these terms is essential for success in your journey to becoming a first rate culinary alchemist. Feel free to contact us if there are any terms you come across, whether here or elsewhere, that you are unfamiliar with.
Let’s begin!
a
al dente: Translates literally as “to the tooth.” Refers to pasta and vegetables cooked until tender, but still firm/crisp, not soft or mushy.
arborio: A high starch, short-grained rice most commonly used in risotto.
acidulated: Making an item slightly acidic with the addition of lemon or lime juice.
aromatics: Ingredients, such as herbs, spices, vegetables, citrus fruits, wines, and vinegar, used to enhance the flavor and fragrance of food.
b
bain-marie: A top-of-stove double boiler. Also refers to a hot water bath where water is heated in one container, then another–smaller–container holding the food to be cooked is placed inside of it. Used to gently cook foods, such as custards, and to keep food warm over a period of time.
basting: To moisten food during cooking with pan drippings, sauce, or other liquid. Basting prevents food from drying out.
beat: To mix, usually with a fork, whisk or electric mixer, until very smooth and well-blended.
blanche: Scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short period of time, then submerging in cold water to stop the cooking process. Primarily used to make green vegetables greener, or to easily peel peaches, tomatoes or other fragile fruits.
bouquet garni: A combination of three herbs: bay leaf, thyme and parsley. To make: take a couple of bay leaves and lay them on a few springs of parsley and thyme, then tie together using kitchen twine. This bundle is added directly to cooking liquids and soups to gently impart their flavors. When it has released sufficient flavor, or “bouquet” to the food, it is lifted out by the string and discarded before it imparts too much flavor, thus giving the food a bitter taste.
braising: A combination cooking method that uses dry and wet heat. Food (such as short ribs) is first seared on high heat to seal in all the juices, then the food is simmered in liquid in a covered pot on low heat for a longer period of time until the food becomes very tender. Successful braising transforms both the food being cooked and the liquid it cooks in, into something delicious and harmonious.
broiling: Similar to grilling, it is a cooking method using direct, radiant heat. Whereas grilling has the heat source under the food being cooked, broiling has the heat source above the food. Uses a direct flame to quickly cook food surfaces, which is ideal for achieving a perfect char on meats and vegetables.
c
caramelize: The process of browning sugars with heat.
charcuterie: A method of preparing meats such as pork and game which includes pates, confit, sausages, ham, terrines and other items. These items are served cold or at room temperature. Also used to refer to the art of assembling these items with other ingredients such as fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, breads and crackers in beautiful and appetizing platters or “boards.”
chiffonade: A slicing technique in which leafy green vegetables such as spinach, sorrel, or Swiss chard, or a flat-leaved herb like basil, are cut into long, thin strips. This is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly and then slicing the leaves perpendicular to the roll. Done in four easy steps: stack the leaves, roll up the leaves, slice the leaves, separate the strips…DONE!
chop: To cut into pieces of roughly the same size, usually ¼” in size.
core: To remove the middle core and its seeds from a piece of fruit like an apple or pear.
d
deglaze: A method of adding liquid to a hot pan in which foods, usually meats or seafood, have been cooked. This allows all of the caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pan to release. The bits are referred to as “the fond” but I like to call them “magical delights!” Wine, stock, broth, vinegar or butter are almost always used for this. The resulting liquid is either poured over the meat or seafood, or used as the base for a flavorful sauce.
degrease: To skim the fat from the cooking vessel as it rises to the top, as you would when making a stock.
deep-fry: Cooking food by immersing in hot fat deep enough to float the food. Deep-fried foods are usually coated in flour, breadcrumbs or batter before submerging in hot fat.
dice: To cut ingredients into small cubes of uniform size and shape, usually 1/8” in size.
dredging: Method of coating wet or moist ingredients with a dry ingredient. Usually done by tossing the wet ingredient in the dry ingredient (ie: marinated chicken in seasoned flour for frying).
dutch oven: A kettle, usually made of cast iron, used for stewing or braising on the stove top that can then be placed in a hot oven to finish cooking.
e
egg wash: A mixture of beaten eggs, either whole or separated into the yolk and the whites, and a liquid such as water, milk or cream. Brushed onto baked items to give them a rich golden-brown color and an attractive sheen.
emulsify: Method of combining two or more liquids that don’t normally mix well so thoroughly, that they come together–for example, oil and vinegar to make a dressing. In this example, the oil is turned into tiny droplets that are dispersed across the volume of the vinegarthereby combining the two and thickening the dressing.
f
fold: To gently combine a light, airy mixture with a heavier mixture by using a spatula, and moving it in a down-across-up-and-over motion.
food processor: A machine with interchangeable blades and disks and a removable bowl and lid separate from the motor housing. It can be used for a variety of tasks, including chopping, grinding, pureeing, emulsifying, kneading, slicing, shredding, and cutting into julienne.
g
gazpacho: A cold soup made from vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions. Fantastic on a hot summer’s day!
glaze: To give an item a shiny surface by brushing it with sauce, aspic, icing, or another ready to use mixture. For meat, it means to coat with sauce and then brown in an oven or broiler.
grate: To rub against a rough surface with tiny holes, usually a cheese grater or microplane, until converted into small pieces.
griddle: A heavy flat iron plate that is used for cooking. Can be heated on the stove or grill, or a device heated by gas, charcoal, electricity or wood. Perfect for cooking pancakes, French toast, grilled cheese sandwiches and many other items over direct heat.
grill-pan: A pan with raised ridges used to simulate grilling on the stovetop. Cast iron grill-pans yield the best results, in my experience.
h
hash: Not what you think, haha! Cooked meat, chopped or ground, usually mixed with potatoes or other vegetables, then well-seasoned and bound together with a sauce and sautéed. Cuban picadillo is a fine example of this!
i
infusion: The process of steeping aromatics such as spices or tea, in a liquid to extract their flavor. Also refers to the flavored liquid which results from this process.
j
julienne: Food that is cut into uniformly sized thin strips, such as carrots, potatoes, pears, etc.
k
knead: The process of mixing a pliable dough, such as in bread or pasta making, by stretching, folding and pushing in order to form gluten in the flour. This forms elastic strands in the dough that keep the naturally occurring gases in, and allowing the dough to rise. Generally performed by hand, although mixers and food processors can also be used. I recommend getting your hands dirty though, in order to connect with your food. Remember, food is love!
l
lard: Rendered pork fat used for pastry and frying. Also, to insert small strips of fat back into naturally lean meats before roasting or braising.
m
macerate: To marinate fruit in liquor, thereby causing the fruit to become soft or separated by the liquid.
mince: To chop very finely.
mise-en-place: Means “everything in its place.” This is the method of organizing everything you will need to execute a recipe in the most efficient way. Mise-en-Place comes before anything else when cooking; this will help you keep your sanity and keep your kitchen clean!
p
par-cook: The process of partially cooking an item before storing, or finishing off with another method.
poach: To cook food such as eggs, seafood, veggies or meats in gently simmering liquid.
r
reducing: To decrease the amount of liquid by boiling or simmering to achieve a thicker consistency and more pronounced flavors.
reduction: What results when reducing a liquid. Usually has a thick, syrupy consistency and pronounced, concentrated flavors.
s
sauté: To cook foods in a pan on a stovetop quickly in a little fat, such as oil or butter.
scald: The process of heating milk or cream to just below the boiling point (212 degrees F).
score: A method of cutting the surface of foods, like meats and poultry, at regular intervals to ensure even cooking.
sear: The process of browning meats in fat, over high heat, to lock in the juices before finishing off with another method. Some foods are served simply seared with a raw or rare center, as in the classic and deliriously delicious Japanese dish Tuna Tataki.
simmer: To maintain the temperature of a cooking liquid to just below boiling (212 degrees F). Usually, no more than 200 degrees F.
stock: A flavorful liquid made by simmering meats or poultry with vegetables and aromatics in water to extract their flavors. To be used as the base for soups, sauces, beans etc.
sweat: To gently heat vegetables in a pan so that whatever liquid they release is evaporated, making the veggies tender and translucent, but not mushy and soggy.
t
tempering: To bring two liquids together, one of them hot, to get them to the same temperature before blending. This is what keeps eggs from cooking (scrambling) when you add them to hot milk in custard preparations.
truss: to bind the legs of poultry together using kitchen twine so that they stay close to the body.
z
zest: The outermost part of the peel of citrus fruits. Also refers to the act of removing the zest by using a grater or microplane for use in recipes. The zest contains essential oils, which make it an excellent flavoring agent.
