Cooking Terms

Mise en Place

 Everything in its place

The process:
1. Selecting tools and equipment
2. Measuring ingredients
3. Preparing ingredients
4. Flavoring foods
5. Preparing to cook
6. Cook
Preheat

 To set the oven to

cooking
temperature in
advance so that it
has time to reach
the desired
temperature by
the start of
cooking
Bake

 To cook in a
oven with
dry heat.
 Alternate

 Add a small amount of one item, then

another.
 Cut In
 To mix solid shortening with flour by
cutting the shortening into small pieces
and mixing until it is completely
covered with the flour mixture.
 Blend

 To mix two or more ingredients to make

one.
 Flute

 To form a standing edge on a pastry,

such as pie crust, before baking. Press
the dough with your fingers to create
this scalloped edge, or use a fork to
“crimp” the edge.
 Cream

 To beat sugar and fat together until fluffy. Mix

until smooth.
 To soften and blend until smooth and light by
mixing with a spoon or an electric mixer.
 Chop
 To cut into small pieces
 Julienne

 To cut food into long, thin strips.

 Core

 To remove the center.

 Cube

 To cut into squares

 Dice

 To cut into very small pieces ½ inche.

 Mince

 To cut into very little pieces.

 Trim

 To cut away most of the fat from the

edges of meat.
 Mash

 To crush food until it becomes smooth.

 Dot
 To scatter food items on another.
 Fold-in

 To mix ingredients by gently turning

one part over another with a rubber
scraper. Very gentle stirring.
 Grate

 To cut food into thin, small pieces.

 Knead

 To work dough with the “heel” of the

hands, using a pressing motion,
accompanied by folding and stretching
until smooth and elastic. To mix with your
hands.
 Scrub

 Toremove loose dirt with a

vegetable brush
 Melt

 To change from a solid to a liquid.

 Pare

 To remove peel with a knife/tool.

 Peel

 To remove the peel with your fingers.

 Quarter

 To cut into four pieces.

 Slice

 Cut into flat pieces

 Shred

 To cut into thin slice or strips.

 Stir

 Mix in a circular motion.

 Tear

 To separate by pulling apart with your

hands.
 Toss

 To mix with a lifting motion.

 Whip

 Beat quickly to add air.

 Toast

To brown by direct heat in a toaster or in

the oven.
 Beat

 To make mixture smooth by lifting it

over and over quickly with a big
beating stroke or to incorporate air
through the mixture. Quick mixing
motion.
 Blanch

 Blanching is boiling water, putting food

in for quick heating, then removing and
placing in cold/ice water to quickly chill.
 Coat/dredge

 To lightly coat food in a powdered

substance such as breadcrumbs,
cornmeal, flour. Most foods require
dipping in a liquid, such as egg or milk,
in order for the powdered substance to
adhere to the food.
 Combine

 To join (two or more substances) to

make a single substance, mix.
 Blend

 To combine thoroughly two or more

ingredients.
 Marinate

 Marinate means to coat or immerse

foods in an acidic-based liquid or dry
rub, to tenderize and flavor before
cooking. Food is marinated in a
marinade
 Scald

 To heat milk almost to boiling point.

 Score
 To make thin, straight cuts through the
outer edge of fat on meat to prevent
the meat from curling during cooking.
 Broil
 To cook with food very close to high heat source.
 Baste

 To put a liquid, such as melted butter

,dripping,or a sauce on top, while
cooking.
 Scald

 Pour boiling liquid over food or to cook

just before boiling.
 Stir-fry

 To fry small pieces of food very quickly

in a small amount of very hot oil while
stirring constantly.
 Stew

 To cook slowly and for a long time in

liquid
 Sauté

 To cook in a small amount of fat.

 Poach

 To cook gently
in hot liquid
below the
boiling point.
 Steam

 To cook with the steam vapors of

boiling water.
 Simmer

 To reduce heat and continue to cook.

Boil

 To cook in liquid,
usually water, in
which bubbles rise
constantly and then
break on the surface.
 To cook until bubble
rise to the surface.
 Skim

 To remove floating matter from a

liquid.
 Level-off

 To move a straight edge over

measuring device to remove excess
amounts
 Packed

 To push food firmly into a cup using a

spoon
 Sift

 To put (flour, for example) through a

sieve or other straining device in order
to separate the fine from the coarse
particles.
 Simmer

 To cook below the boiling point,

bubbles form slowly and break on the
surface
 Roast

 To oven-cook food in an uncovered

pan.
 Barbeque

 To cook meat or poultry slowly over

coals on a spit or in the oven, basting it
often with a highly seasoned sauce.
 Glaze

 Glaze means to add a shine to the

food.
 Season

 Season means to enhance the

natural flavors.
 Flavor

 Flavor means to add a new taste to

food.