| Kitchen vocabulary is full of different | | | | only until it starts to bubble on the |
| words for different functions. Here's a | | | | surface. To maintain a simmer, you need |
| list of those you need to know. | | | | to turn your burner heat down as low as |
| Terms Applied to Food: | | | | it will go. |
| Cube. Cutting food into cubes means to | | | | Poach. Poaching means to simmer fish, |
| cut them in about 1-inch square pieces. | | | | chicken or other foods submerged in |
| Dice. To dice foods, means to cut up | | | | liquid. |
| into smaller cubes - between 1/4 and 1/2 | | | | Braise. To braise means to cook slowly, |
| inch square. | | | | covered, in moist heat, either in the |
| Chop. To chop means to cut food into | | | | oven or on top of the stove. It doesn't |
| smaller pieces than the dice. The pieces | | | | mean to submerge the food in liquid. |
| don't need to be perfectly square but | | | | Roast. To roast means to cook, |
| should be fairly uniform in size. | | | | uncovered, in an oven. Be sure the hot |
| Finely Chop. Chop into smaller pieces | | | | air will easily circulate freely around |
| than the regularly chopped foods but | | | | the oven. (Don't crowd too many items |
| larger than minced. | | | | together.) |
| Mince. To mince a food is to chop it as | | | | Brown. Browning adds flavor to your |
| fine as possible, to the point of its | | | | foods. Degrees of browning are usually |
| almost being a puree. | | | | indicated by color; from very dark brown |
| Shred or Grate. Shredding is coarser | | | | to light golden brown. Browning is done |
| than grating. You shred cabbage for | | | | over a low heat rather than a high heat. |
| coleslaw but grate cheese for pasta. | | | | Terms Applied to Baking |
| Shred vegetables like cabbage with a | | | | Beat. To beat is a less vigourous mixing |
| knife by cutting thin. Use a box grater | | | | that whipping or whisking. You would |
| to shred carrots or zucchini. | | | | beat eggs to blend them but you would |
| Slice. Slicing foods takes a bit more | | | | whip cream to form stiff peaks. |
| skill than chopping, shredding or | | | | Stir. Stirring means to blend |
| grating. The most important thing to | | | | ingredients or to keep them moving so |
| have with slicing is a sharp knife. Some | | | | they don't burn. |
| people can slice vegetables extremely | | | | Knead. Kneading refers to the process of |
| quickly - without losing a finger. But, | | | | working dough by hand by folding it over |
| most of us need to take more time. | | | | onto itself. The gluten binds and |
| Terms Applied to Cooking | | | | stretches as you knead, making the dough |
| Saute. To saute means to cook quickly in | | | | smooth and elastic. |
| fat over medium-high to high heat. Saute | | | | There you have it. The most important |
| doesn't mean to brown the meat. | | | | kitchen terms you should know. Knowing |
| Boil. To boil means to bring a pot of | | | | these terms will help you to follow |
| liquid to a fast, rolling boil. Soups | | | | recipes more accurately and therefore |
| and stews should not boil, but simmer. | | | | get a better result from your cooking |
| Simmer. To simmer means to heat a liquid | | | | efforts. |