This blog is meant for anyone looking to elevate their lives (specifically in the kitchen) in a really, easy, non-stressful way. One way to help you do that is for me to provide you with simple and delicious recipes along with tips and tricks to make your kitchen adventures enjoyable. The other way is to provide with you the necessary tools for you to simply get started. Getting started is the hardest part, right? So today, I’m sharing some definitions of basic/commonly used cooking terms.
When you start with any recipe, you may see a ton of terms that you’re unfamiliar with. Guess what? It’s OK. I’ve definitely Googled some things before (haven’t we all?). Whatever the tough word is in the recipe, don’t let it deter you from actually making the dish. I hear stories from friends about their inability to cook. Most of their stories all stem from not fully understanding the recipe.
You may not understand a recipe because you haven’t read it fully (reading it more than once is advised). It could also be because the recipe contains words they don’t understand. We can’t have that. I should say with this post, it isn’t a fully list of every cooking term known to man. This is a group of basic cooking terms – ones that we see quite often in recipes.
Basic Cooking Terms Defined
Let’s get cooking.
Al dente – Cooking pasta (or rice) so it’s firm to the bite.
Baste – To spoon or brush a liquid (melted butter, stock, marinate, etc.) over a food as it cooks.
Blanch – Immerse a food in boiling water for a short time then transferring it to ice water to stop it from continuing to cook.
Braise – Cook/brown meat in fat at a high temperature then finish at a lower temperature for several hours.
Core – Cutting out the center of a fruit or vegetable.
Cream – To beat together two or more ingredients, such as butter and sugar, until the mixture has a smooth and creamy consistency.
Deglaze – To pour water, wine or stock in a pan with browned pan drippings.
Dredge – To coat food with a dry ingredient like flour or cornmeal before frying it.
Fold – To gently combine a light, airy mixture (such as beaten egg whites) with a heavier mixture (like sugar).
Julienne – A french way of cutting foods into strips; similar to matchsticks.
Macerate – The process of breaking down and softening various substances like soaking fruit in alcohol or sugar.
Mince – To cut into very small pieces.
Pureé – To mash or blend food until it’s smooth.
Reduce – To boil a sauce or liquid rapidly until the sauce has evaporated and it thickens.
What basic cooking terms do you need defined?
