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