Al Dente
An Italian term meaning “to the tooth.” Al Dente pasta is cooked tender, but still firm.

Bake
Cooking in an oven.

Baste
The process of spooning or brushing pan juices over food while it cooks. This promotes moistness and a browned surface.

Beat
Making a mixture smooth by whipping or stirring with a spoon, fork, wire whisk, or beater.

Blanch
Refers to partially cooking an ingredient, usually vegetables, by placing them in boiling water for a few minutes.

Blend
Combining ingredients until smooth and uniform in texture, flavor, and color.

Boil
Heating liquid, which causes a constant production of bubbles that rise and break the surface.

Braise
Cooking food slowly in a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.

Broil
Cooking food using an overhead source of heat.

Carmelize
The process of causing sugar or the natural sugars in food to darken to a golden brown and develop a rich flavor by cooking on a constant heat.

Chop
Cutting foods with a knife into smaller pieces.

Cream
Beating butter or margarine, either alone or with sugar, until it is light and fluffy.

Cut In
Working a solid fat such as butter or margarine into dry ingredients.

Dash
1/16 teaspoon measure. (Use 1/2 of a 1/8 teaspoon measure.)

Deglaze
Adding stock, juice, wine or water to the pan after meat has been cooked and removed. When the liquid is added, it loosens the flavor from the pan to make a sauce for the meat.

Dice
To cut up in uniform pieces, usually in 1/8 to 1/4 inch cubes.

Dissolve
Stirring a solid food (such as yeast, sugar, salt or gelatin) into a liquid to form a mixture in which the solid food does not remain.

Dredge
Coating food with flour, bread crumbs, corn meal or sugar before of after cooking.

Emulsion
Suspension of two liquid ingredients that do not dissolve into each other.

Fold
A method of gently mixing ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to cut down through the mixture, move across the bottom of the bowl, and come back up, folding some of the mixture from the bottom close to the surface.

Garnish
Adding extra visual appeal to a finished dish.

Grate
Using a grater to rub food, such as vegetables, cheeses and spices across a surface to make fine shreds.

Juice
Extracted liquid that comes from fruits, vegetables or meats.

Julienne
Cutting food into thin sticks about two inches long.

Marinate
A process of flavoring food by soaking in a liquid or dry mixture.

Mash
Removing all lumps from food with either a fork or electric beater.

Melt
To heat a solid food until it becomes liquid or semi-liquid.

Mix
Beating or stirring foods together until they are incorporated.

Pit
Taking the seed out of a piece of fruit.

Poach
Cooking food gently by placing in liquid simmering just below the boiling point.

Proof
Allowing a yeast dough to rise before baking.

Preheat
Heating the oven to the temperature needed before using it.

Puree
Blending a food into a smooth, thick consistency.

Reconstitute
Bringing condensed or concentrated food to its original strength by adding water.

Reduce
Briskly boil liquids, so that the liquid evaporates thereby thickening the consistency and making the liquid more intense and flavorful.

Roast
Cooking an uncovered piece of meat, poultry, or vegetables in an oven.

Sauté
Cooking on a stove in a small amount of oil or butter until tender.

Score
To cut slits through the outer surface of food before cooking to tenderize or to make a decorative pattern.

Sear
Quickly browning meat on all sides with high heat to seal in the juices.

Shred
Making long narrow strips of food with a food processor or a grater.

Sift
Putting dry ingredients such as flour or sugar through a sifter or mesh screen to loosen particles and incorporate air.

Simmer
A method of cooking food in liquid that is kept just below the boiling point.

Skim
Removing any fat or foam from the surface of liquid.

Steam
A method of cooking food placed on a rack or in a steam basket over boiling water.

Steep
Letting a food, such as tea, stand in water that is just below boiling to extract flavor and color.

Stir
Incorporating ingredients with a spoon to prevent them from sticking during cooking or to cool them after cooking.

Toast
Heating nuts, seeds, coconut or bread in the oven until they are slightly browned. This will bring out their natural flavor.

Whip
Beating food rapidly by using a whisk or electric beater to incorporate air into the mixture.