Cooking Terms

Just what does that mean??

Au Gratin: Topped with crumbs and/or cheese and browned in
the oven or under the broiler

Au jus: Served in it's own juices.

Baste: To moisten foods during cooking with pan drippings or special
sauce to add flavor and prevent drying.

Bisque: A thick cream soup.

Blanch: To immerse in rapidly boiling water and allow to cook slightly.

Braised: To brown food in butter or oil then cook slowly in a small amount
of liquid in a tightly covered pan. This can be done on the stove or in the
oven, usually at low heat. This slow cooking method develops flavor and
tenderness the food.

Carmelize: This means to brown the sugar. You can brown white granulated
sugar or the sugars that naturally that occurs in fruit or vegetables. Granulated
sugar is cooked in a saucepan over low heat until it melts and is golden brown.
Vegetables and fruit are cooked slowly over low heat in a small amount of
butter or oil, until browned.

Chutney: is a spicy mixture of fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices. It can vary in
texture from chunky to smooth and in heat level from mild to hot.

Cream: To soften a fat, especially butter, by beating it at room temperature.
Butter and sugar are often creamed together, making a smooth, soft paste.

Crimp: To seal the edges of a two crust pie either by pinching them at
intervals with the fingers or by pressing them together with the tines of
a fork.

Crudites: An assortment of raw vegetables, i.e. carrots, broccoli, mushrooms
served as an hors d'oeuvre often accompanied by a dip.

Degrease: To remove fat from the surface of stews, soups or stocks. Usually
cooled in the refrigerator, so that the fat hardens and is easily removed.

Dredge: To coat lightly with flour, cornmeal etc.

Entree: The main course.

Fold: Gently mixing a light or fluffy mixtures with a heavier mixture.
When you are asked to fold one ingredient into the other, it generally
means using a rubber spatula to bring what is on bottom of the bowl
gently up to the top to mix with what is on top. It helps to rotate the
bowl as you "fold".

Glaze: To cover with a glossy coating, such as a melted and somewhat
diluted jelly for fruit desserts.

Italian Seasonings: a prepared blend of herbs popular in Italian cooking.
The blend usually includes thyme, oregano, basil, savory, marjoram, rosemary
and sage

Julienne: To cut vegetables, fruit or cheeses into match shaped slivers.

Marinade: To allow food to stand in a liquid to tenderize or to add flavor.

Meuniere: Dredged in flour and sautéed in butter.

Mince: To chop or cut food into very small pieces.

Parboil: To boil until partially cooked; to blanch. Usually this procedure
is followed by final cooking in a seasoned sauce.

Pare: To remove the outermost skin of a fruit or vegetable.

Poach: To cook very gently in hot liquid kept just below the boiling point.

Puree: To mash foods until perfectly smooth by hand, by rubbing through
a sieve or food mill, or by whirling in a blender or food processor.

Refresh: To run cold water over food that has been parboiled, to stop the
cooking process quickly.

Saute: This is from the French word Sauter, meaning "to jump". Sautéed
food is cooked quickly in a small amount of butter or oil, in a skillet, over
a fairly high heat.

Scald: To heat to just below the boiling point, when tiny bubbles appear
at the edges of the saucepan.

Simmer: To cook in liquid just below the boiling point. The surface of the
liquid should be barely moving, broken from time to time by slowly
rising bubbles.

Steep: To let food stand in hot liquid to extract or to enhance flavor, like
tea in hot water or poached fruits in sugar syrup.

Toss: To combine ingredients with a lifting motion.

Whip: To beat rapidly to incorporate air and produce expansion,
as in heavy cream or egg whites.