Bake: Cook in dry heat in an oven
or oven-type appliance.
Barbecue: Broil or roast food on a rack or spit over hot coals.
Baste: Moisten food as it cooks by brushing liquid, juice, vegetable oil, sauce or pan drippings over food to add flavour and prevent it from
drying out.
Beat: Make a mixture smooth and lighter by stirring vigorously in an over-and-over action with a spoon, fork, or whisk, or an around-and-around action with a beater.
Blanch: Place food in boiling water for a short time and then plunge into cold water to stop further cooking.
Blend: Mix or stir two or more ingredients together until mixture is smooth, or mix food in a blender.
Braise: Cook food in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan.
Broil: Cook under "broiler" unit in range or on a rack over hot coals
or burner.
Coat: Cover all sides of food with another ingredient such as egg, flour or crumbs.
Crisp: Make food firm and crunchy by letting vegetables stand in ice water or bread dry in an oven.
Cube: Cut into small squares, 1 to 2 cm (1/2 to 3/4 inch).
Cut in: Work fat into flour mixture evenly with a pastry blender, a fork, or by cutting action of two knives.
Dice: Cut into very small squares, 5 mm (1/4 inch).
Disjoint: Cut poultry apart at its joints, such as cutting drumstick from body of chicken.
Dredge: Coat food with flour.
Fold: Mix with spoon or rubber scraper with a down-and-across
bottom of bowl and an up-and-over action until mixture is blended.
Garnish: Decorate cooked or prepared dishes with attractive pieces of food in a contrasting colour, such as parsley, green onion, fresh lemon slices, whipped topping.
Grease: Spread baking sheets
and pans with a thin coat of oil or margarine, butter or shortening to keep food from sticking. A small brush does it best.
Grind: Cut food, such as meat,
into tiny particles by putting it through a grinder.
Julienne: Cut vegetables into thin, matchstick-size strips.
Knead: Work food, usually doughs, by hand by folding over toward you, then pushing away by pressing with heel of hand.
Marinate: Let food stand or soak in a flavoured liquid to make it more tender and to flavour it.
Poach: Cook gently in simmering water over enough heat so that the surface of the water jiggles slightly, but does not boil.
Puree: Process food in a blender or food processor until blended and smooth.
Roast: Cook, uncovered, by dry heat, as in an oven.
Roll: Move rolling pin over food, such as dough or crackers, to flatten or crush it.
Sauté: Cook in a small amount of fat over medium to high heat.
Season: Flavour food by sprinkling with flavourings such as vanilla, herbs such as oregano, and spices such as pepper.
Shred: Cut food into very fine
slivers or thin strips with a knife
or shredder.
Simmer: Cook slowly in water over enough heat so that water barely
ripples on the surface.
Skewer: Fasten or close with metal or wooden pins.
Skim: Remove top layer of food from bottom layer such as fat from top of soup or stew.
Steam: Cook in a container with holes over boiling water.
Stew: Simmer in liquid on top of range or in the oven.
Stir-braise: Mix food as it cooks with a liquid in a hot saucepan or skillet.
Stir-cook: Mix food as it cooks.
Stir-fry: Mix food as it cooks with fat or oil in a hot skillet or wok.
Toast: Brown food by dry heat in toaster or oven.
Toss: Mix foods by lifting them lightly with two forks or spoons.
Unmould: Remove food such as a jelly that has set from mould.
Whip: Beat rapidly with a whisk or beater until mixture expands with air and is light.
Whisk: Whip food with a wire whisk made for this purpose.
