Cooking glossary

20 Cooking terms terms

This will be the glossary of everything related to the cooking world, it will include words commonly used in the culinary institute and restaurants. It will be useful for people who want to expand their knowledge on food and cooking terms. This will also be helpful to understand some of the words used in my future posts.

Al dente
adjective
To cook food until just firm, usually referring to pasta, but can include vegetables.
Example: This pasta was prefectly done, it was al dente.
en: Italian expression, that translates to: to the tooth.
pasta al dente
Baste
transitive verb
To moisten food while cooking by spooning, brushing, or squirting a liquid, such as meat drippings to stock, to add flavour and prevent it from drying out.
Example: If you plan to use your marinade to baste meat while cooking, reserve a cup of it for that purpose.
en: Badigeonner
basting the turkey
Braise
transitive verb
To cook first by browning the food in butter or oil, then gently simmering in a small amount of liquid over low heat for a long period of time in a covered pan until tender.
Example: Braising is one the many ways to cook a good steak.
en: braiser
braised chicken
Broil
transitive verb
To expose food to direct heat on a rack or spit, often used for melting food like cheese.
Example: I need to broil these eggs, can you turn on the stove.
en: Brouiller, gratiner
Broiled fish
Brown
transitive verb
To cook over high heat (usually on the stove-top) to brown food.
Example: If you want to make a good chicken broth, you need to brown the meat first to extract all the flavor from the skin.
en: Dorer
browned meat
Caramelize
transitive verb
To heat sugar until it liquefies and becomes a syrup.
Example: Why do you need so much sugar inside of this cooking pot of water, do you want it to caramelize?
en: Caraméliser
caramel on top of the flan
Chef
noun
a skilled professional cook, one who is in charge of a professional kitchen.
Example: In this staged rustic wedding the arrival of the bride and groom is followed by a succession of wedding guests from the pastry chef to the village lord, the local schoolmaster and the midwife, each set of characters dancing its own entrance.
en: Chef
Chef icon
Cook
noun
a person who prepares food for eating
Example: At the same time, in contrast to earlier eras, the housework is more likely to be carried out in isolation, without reference to others or without any external standard of comparison from which she might derive status or recognition for her particular skills as a cook or a housewife.
en: Cuisinier
Baby cook
Cooking
adjective
the practice or skill of preparing food by combining, mixing, and heating ingredients.
Example: We can but guess at the extent of the use of wood or leather containers for storage, cooking, serving, eating and drinking.
en: cuisson
Vincent van Gogh / Peasant Woman Cooking by a Fireplace
Cuisine
noun
A characteristic style of preparing food, often associated with a place of origin
Example: There may in this adoption of French terms be some covert assumption that postmodernist writing, like cooking - or rather cuisine - is something best left to the French.
en: cuisine
Serbian Cuisine
Dash
noun
A small usually distinctive addition.
Example: Add a dash of salt to the cake mix, if you want to elevate the vanilla flavor.
en: pincée
dash of flour
Dollop
noun
A spoonful of a semi-solid food, like whipped cream or masted potatoes, placed on top of another food
Example: If only this cupcake had a dollop of fresh rasberry jelly, then it would be perfect.
en: cuillerée
dollop of caviar
drizzle
transitive verb
To pour liquid back and forth over a dish in a fine stream, usually melted butter, oil, syrup, or melted chocolate.
Example: Drizzle some chocolate syrup on this cake, it needs to be pretty for the client.
en: arroser
chocolate drizzled biscottis
Flambé
adjective
dressed or served covered with flaming liquor —usually used postpositively
Example: You could flambé this cheese wheel and consequently drizzle the melted cheese on the pasta.
en: flambé ( french origins )
flambé cheese
Gastronomy
noun
The study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating.
Example: It is a leisure holiday however not once in a lifetime trip, moreover as the gentleman is motivated for Thailand, mainly because of its culture and gastronomy this is planned to be the first of the many trips in the future.
en: Gastronomie
Gastronomy as a fine art
Julienne
noun
a preparation or garnish of food that has been cut into thin strips
Example: Cut the carrots in juliennes, then drizzle olive oil and put a dash of salt on them.
en: julienne ( french origins )
julienne carrots
Kitchen
noun
a place (such as a room) with cooking facilities
Example: When a butt is ½ as tall as a whole butt That butt is a small butt Let backe and side go bare and the old kitchen left as the monks had left it and the rest as time has cleft it.
en: la cuisine
modern kitchen
knead
transitive verb
The process of mixing dough with the hands or a mixer.
Example: Knead the dough, if you don't want your pizza to have holes.
en: malaxer
kneading a rice cake
Stove
noun
a portable or fixed apparatus that burns fuel or uses electricity to provide heat (as for cooking or heating)
Example: A cold hand on the dishes placing a sacuer inside her who undressed for supper gliding that hair to the snow The pilot light went out on the stove The paper folded like a napkin other wings flew into the stove.
en: Fourneau
Gas stove
Utensils
noun
an implement, instrument, or vessel used in a household and especially a kitchen
Example: By 1500 BC, the metal workers of Crete were producing a large range of cooking and storage utensils, including some large cauldrons made by riveting together several bronze sheets: some fine examples were found at Tylissos.
en: Ustensiles
Plastic utensils