Basic Cooking Definitions
meaning, and how to carry them out.
Al dente – This Italian expression meaning "by the tooth" describes pasta cooked a shorter time so that it has
just slight resistance when chewed. Fresh pasta is too soft already to be cooked al dente. The term also describes
cooking vegetables until crisp by steaming, boiling, or stir-frying.
Bake – To cook in the oven. While roasting is often used as a synonym for baking, the terms are actually
different. Roasting describes cooking food at a higher temperature to brown the surface of the food quickly.
Beat – To blend a mixture of food quickly with the goal of making it smooth and adding as much air as
possible.
Blanch – To submerge foods in boiling water for just a few seconds, remove from the water, and refresh under
cold water to stop the cooking process. Blanching is a gentle form of cooking used to loosen skins, firm flesh,
and heighten color and flavor.
Boil – To heat water until bubbling vigorously and also to cook food in water that is bubbling vigorously. Most
often, foods should be poached instead of boiled, because boiling tends to dry out and break down food too
much. See definition below for poaching.
Broil – To cook close to a direct heat source, such as a gas flame or an electric coil. Broiling cooks food in just
a couple minutes with a nice browned exterior (especially good for tender steaks).
Chop – To divide into small pieces with a knife or other sharp tool.
Cube – To cut food into smaller pieces, roughly the size of dice. This is somewhat ironic because dicing food
produces smaller pieces.
Deglaze – To loosen the cooked ingredients and caramelized juices that have stuck to the bottom of the pan
after sautéing or roasting to release the full flavor of the meal. Usually deglazing is done with wine or stock to
create a sauce.
Degrease – To skim off fat that forms on the tops of simmering broths, sauces, and other liquids.
Dice – To cut into smaller pieces, roughly the size of 1/4 inch.
Drizzle – To pour a liquid over a food in a thin stream to create a thread-like coating.
Grate – To shred food, such as cheese, into small pieces with the use of a grater.
Grill – To cook above a heat source, such as traditional wood coals or charcoal, in the open air.
Hull – To remove the outer covering from fruits, nuts or seeds.
Julienne – To cut food, usually vegetables, into thin stick-shaped pieces.
Marinate – To soak a food, usually meat, seafood, or vegetables, in a seasoned liquid mixture, the marinade, so
that the food absorbs the flavors of mixture. Marinades also help to tenderize tough meat. Macerate is the term
for soaking fruit in a similar manner.
Mash – To crush, beat or squeeze food into a soft state by using a fork or a masher.
Match Cut – A long thin cut, ¼ x ¼ x 3 inches
Mince – To cut into very fine pieces using a knife, food grinder, blender or food processor.
Panfry – Panfry and sauté both mean to cook quickly in a small amount of hot oil, butter, or other fat. Strictly
speaking, panfrying means to cook larger pieces, like meat, in a hot pan, turning only once or twice. Sautéing
means to toss foods over high heat.
Pare – To cut off the outside covering. Pare is applied to potatoes, apples, etc.
Peel – To strip of the outer covering. Peel is applied to oranges, grapefruit, etc.
Puree – To grind, chop, or mash a cooked food into a thick paste, usually with the help of a blender or sieve.
Reduce or Reduction – The technique of cooking liquids down so that some of the water they contain
evaporates. Reduction is used to concentrate the flavor of a broth or sauce and, at times, to help thicken the
sauce by concentrating ingredients such as natural gelatin.
Resting – To allow a roasted meat to sit for 20 to 30 minutes after removing from the oven before serving.
Roasted meats should always be loosely covered with aluminum foil during resting to keep them warm, but
allow the juices to distribute fully throughout the meat.
Roast – To cook in an uncovered pan in the oven to produce a well-browned exterior and a moister, cooked
interior. During roasting, no liquid (such as water
Sear – To brown food, usually meat, quickly over very high heat to seal in juices. Thus, seal is often used
interchangeably with sear. Searing can be done under a broiler, in a skillet, or in a very hot oven.
Shred – To cut into many, very fine strips or pieces.
Slice – To slice is to cut into even slices, usually across the grain.
Snip – To cut food into small uniform lengths using kitchen shears or a small pair of scissors.
Strain – To pour a liquid through a strainer, sieve, or cheesecloth to remove unwanted particles or to separate
out solids.
Wedge – A wedge-shaped cut of food, usually a section of a round or oval product such as an apple or lemon.
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