
What does it mean to heat something before cooking?
To heat an oven or utensil to a specific temperature before using it. To preserve food at home by canning, or to prepare food in a food processor. To allow a yeast dough to rise before baking. Also a term that indicates the amount of alcohol in a distilled liquor. Ham that has been seasoned, salt-cured, and air-dried (not smoked).
What does also mean in cooking?
Also refers to the resulting mixture. To bring a concentrated or condensed food, such as frozen fruit juice, to its original strength or texture by adding water. To decrease the volume of a liquid by boiling it rapidly to cause evaporation.
What does it mean to pan fry something?
To apply a cooked or uncooked topping (which is soft enough to spread but stiff enough to hold its shape) to cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. To cook food in hot cooking oil or fat, usually until a crisp brown crust forms. Pan-frying uses enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. The surface of the food browns and, if coated, turns crisp.
What does roasting mean in cooking?
To cook food with dry heat in an oven. It is called roasting when it involves meat, poultry, or vegetables. To cook food on a roast or spit over coals. To moisten food while it is cooking in order to keep it from drying out and to add flavor.

What is Napé?
It is a term that refers to the consistency of a sauce. Nappe consistency is achieved when the sauce reaches a thickness that allows it to coat the food evenly. It should not be too thick or too thin.
How do you describe sauce consistency?
A sauce should have a consistency that is light yet thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Chefs use the French term nappé, meaning to top or coat with sauce, to describe the proper consistency.
What does mincing mean in cooking?
Mince: This is the finest level of chopping, and is frequently done using a food processor, or a sharp chefs knife. Mincing is a technique that allows the maximum amount of flavor to be contributed by the mined food; frequently the minced vegetable is chopped so finely that it “melts” into the dish.
What does SEC mean in cooking?
In the culinary arts, the term au sec refers to a liquid that has been reduced by heating until it is nearly dry. Indeed, au sec means "nearly dry" in French. It is a reference from classic French cooking instructions and you may see it in printed recipes.
What are the five mother sauces?
What are the five mother sauces of classical cuisine?Béchamel. You may know béchamel sauce as the white sauce that gives chicken pot pie its creamy texture, or as the binder for all that cheese in macaroni and cheese. ... Velouté ... Espagnole. ... Sauce Tomate. ... Hollandaise.
How can you tell if a sauce is thick enough?
To test, dip the spoon in the mixture and then hold it up horizontally, with the back of the spoon facing upward; next, draw your finger along the spoon so that it creates a path through the mixture. If the path fills in, the mixture isn't thick enough. If it stays put, it's ready.
What does parboil mean in culinary terms?
to boil briefly: to boil briefly as a preliminary or incomplete cooking procedure.
What does Chiffonade mean in cooking?
thinly sliced herbsChiffonade is the culinary term for thinly sliced herbs. It literally means "made of rags" in French. First, wash and dry your herbs, then pick off a few leaves and stack them.
What is Paysanne?
Definition of paysanne : prepared (as with diced root vegetables) in country or simple style paysanne sauce potatoes paysanne.
Why is it called a bain marie?
The name comes from the French bain de Marie or bain-marie, in turn derived from the medieval Latin balneum Mariae and the Arabic ḥammām Māriyya, all meaning 'Mary's bath'. In his books, the 300 AD alchemist Zosimos of Panopolis credits for the invention of the device Mary the Jewess, an ancient alchemist.
What is fond lie?
A sauce made by thickening brown stock with cornstarch or similar starch.
What is Bain Marie used for?
In essence, it is a heated bath that can be used both to cook food and to keep food warm over time. The term itself has become more loosely used to describe the type of pan used. So while its origins are focused on cooking and heating, modern bain maries are also commonly used to hold cold food items as well.
What are the characteristics of sauces?
sauce, liquid or semiliquid mixture that is added to a food as it cooks or that is served with it. Sauces provide flavour, moisture, and a contrast in texture and colour. They may also serve as a medium in which food is contained, for example, the velouté sauce of creamed chicken.
What are the characteristics of a quality sauce?
According to Larousse (Larousse, 1993), the most important sensory qualities of sauces are “color, luster, aroma, taste, texture and viscosity”, thus underlining the importance of the sauce in a dish.
How do you determine the quality of a sauce?
The quality standards of a good sauce are measured by the following characteristics: 1. Thickness Consistency is given by partially thickening with roux or starch. Viscosity is the resistance of the sauce to movement, and is then achieved by reducing the sauce over a period of time.
Why do sauces need to have a thick consistency?
The goal of thickening a soup or sauce is to add viscosity, texture, and mouth-feel, helping the food to linger on the tongue and taste buds. Thin sauces have a more intense and direct flavor impact but will not have as lasting an effect on the palate.
What is it called when you cook food in a hot air fryer?
This hot air cooks your food at an even rate by surrounding the roasting pan or baking dish on all sides. When cooking savory foods, such as cuts of meat or vegetables, it's often called roasting. But if you're making desserts, pastries, or breads, it's commonly referred to as baking.
What temperature is moist cooking?
Boiling, a common introduction to moist cooking, is when water is heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to char food?
Charring can be achieved by cooking in a very hot pan or grill gate on the stovetop. You can also use the oven set to broil to char ingredients. Keep an eye on your ingredients; once their exteriors darken and the food begins to bubble, it's done cooking.
What is a braise?
Braising. A braise stands in its own category, since it's a pairing of both dry and moist cooking techniques. Braising is used pretty much exclusively to prepare tougher cuts of meat. In a large pot, the meat is browned on all sides.
What is a rolling boil?
This makes the water produce bubbles and movement, which is why some recipes will instruct you to bring your water to a "rolling boil.". Boiling is often used for pasta, potatoes, and eggs. Simmering describes when water, or other cooking liquids such as broth, are just below the boiling point.
How to saute food?
To sauté, you quickly cook food over high heat. This process often accompanied includes oil or fat to evenly transfer the heat from the pan into the food. Depending on your recipe's directions, you'll want to occasionally stir or shake the pan or pot you're cooking in to avoid burning the food.
What is a slice in cooking?
A slice is when a large ingredient — such as potatoes or onions — is cut into large, flat pieces of a similar size.
What does "sauté" mean in cooking?
Sauté: To cook quickly over high heat in a small amount of fat.
What is cream in cooking?
Cream: To beat solid fat (often shortening or butter) with sugar until lightened in texture and very well combined. Cross-contaminate: To spread dangerous bacteria from one food, such as raw chicken, to another, such as raw vegetables, by using unwashed cooking tools and surfaces for preparing the same foods.
What is a ganache?
G. Ganache: A smooth mixture of melted chocolate and/or butter. A liquid ganache may be used as a sauce, or to glaze a cake; hardened ganache can be rolled or cut to form truffles, or whipped to make dessert fillings. Griddle: A flat, heated surface used for cooking. The 7 Best Electric Griddles in 2021.
What are the ingredients that add flavor and aroma to a dish?
Aromatics: Ingredients such as herbs, spices, and vegetables used to add flavor and aroma to dishes.
What happens when meat rests?
Rest: To allow roasted or grilled meat to rest after cooking and before carving or slicing, so juices can redistribute throughout the meat. As meat rests, its internal temperature often goes up several degrees.
What is offset spatula?
Offset spatula: A blunt, thin, flexible metal tool used to frost cakes and lift foods, such as pancakes and cookies, from cooking surfaces.
What is a griddle?
Griddle: A flat, heated surface used for cooking.
What is a kebab?
Marinated and spiced small pieces of poultry, fish, ground meat, or vegetables, skewered and grilled over a fire. Kebabs may also be shallow fried or grilled. Also spelled “kabob.”
Why press and fold dough?
to press and fold dough in order to give it a smoother consistency needed for leavening
What is a whole wheat pastry?
Pastries made from whole-wheat flour. Filled with freshly grated coconut and sugar.
What is the flavor extracted from tea leaves, herbs, or fruit?
An infusion is the flavor that is extracted from any ingredient such as tea leaves, herbs or fruit by steeping them in a liquid such as water, oil or vinegar.
Why do you need a cookie sheet with a space between its double layers?
a cookie sheet with a space between its double layers to prevent hot spots
What does "au poivre" mean?
Au poivre: French for with pepper, usually for a sauce or preparation incorporating crushed black peppercorns.
What is Asiago cheese?
Asiago cheese: A hard, Italian cow’s milk cheese. Aged Asiago (which is more common in the U.S.) has a crumbly texture and a complex, nutty flavor similar to Parmesan. You can use Asiago Cheese in this Wild Game Sausages on Cheese Grits recipe featuring More Than Gourmet Classic Reduced Brown Stock (Glace de Viande Gold).
What is the definition of "cook"?
To cook food, covered or uncovered, using the direct, dry heat of an oven. The term is usually used to describe the cooking of cakes, other desserts, casseroles, and breads.
What is the method of slowly cooking food on a covered grill over a spot where there are no coals?
Usually, the food is placed on the rack over a drip pan, with coals arranged around the pan.
What is curry paste?
A blend of herbs, spices, and fiery chiles that's often used in Indian and Thai cooking. Look for curry paste in Asian markets. Curry pastes are available in many varieties and are sometimes classified by color (green, red, or yellow), by heat (mild or hot), or by a particular style of curry (such as Panang or Masaman).
What is Cajun cooking?
A popular Cajun cooking method in which seasoned fish or other foods are cooked over high heat in a superheated heavy skillet until charred, resulting in a crisp, spicy crust. At home, this is best done outdoors because of the amount of smoke produced.