Aerate
To pass dry ingredients through a fine-mesh sifter so large pieces can be removed.

Al Dente
To cook pasta so that it is still firm to the bite. Pasta that shows a slight resistance when bitten. Italian for "to the tooth."

Bain Marie
To melt or cook gently by placing the ingredients in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering hot water.

Bake
To cook using dry heat - either covered or uncovered in an oven or oven-type appliance.

Bake Blind
To bake a pastry crust before it is filled. To retain the crusts shape it is often lined with baking/parchment paper and filled with rice, beans or ceramic beads.

Bard
To tie bacon or pork fat over a joint of meat or poultry before it is roasted to prevent it from drying out during cooking.

Baste
To brush or spoon food as it cooks with melted fat or the cooking juices from the dish. Basting prevents foods from drying out and adds color and flavor.

Beat
To mix rapidly in order to make a mixture smooth and light by incorporating as much air as possible.

Blanch
To immerse food in rapidly boiling water and allow to cook slightly.

Blend
To combine two or more ingredients together with a spoon, beater or blender.

Boil
To heat liquids until bubbles form on the surface, and then to keep it at that temperature during the cooking process.

Bone
To remove the bones from meat, fish or fowl. Use a sharp boning knife and angle the blade toward the bone to avoid tearing or nicking the flesh.

Braise
To cook food tightly covered, in a small amount of liquid at low heat for a long period of time.

Bread
To coat with flour, then dip into beaten egg or milk, then coat with crumbs from crushed stale bread, cereal or crackers.

Brochette
To "skewer," thread or mould a food onto a thin metal or wooden stick skewer and then grill or barbecue.

Broil
To cook food directly above or under a heat source. Food can be broiled in an oven or on a grill.

Brown
To cook quickly in a hot pan or on the grill or under a broiler until all sides turn golden or brown in color. The purpose is to seal in the juices and add flavor.

Brush
To apply a liquid, like a glaze, to the surface of food using a pastry brush.

Butterfly
To split food down the center, cutting almost, but not completely through. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly.

Canel
To create small V-shaped grooves over the surface of fruits or vegetables for decorative purposes using a canelle knife. The fruit or vegetable is then sliced, creating a decorative border on the slices.

Caramelize
To heat sugar until it liquefies and become a clear caramel syrup ranging in color from golden to dark brown. Fruits and vegetables with natural sugars can be caramelized by sauteeing, roasting or grilling, giving them a sweet flavor and golden glaze.

Chargrill
To cook foods on a metal grid over hot coals or on a stovetop grill pan. Creating charred marks and lines on the food.

Chiffonade
To slice into very thin strips or shreds. Literally translated from French, the term means "made of rags".

Chop
To cut food into bite-size pieces using a knife. A food processor may also be used to chop food. Chopped food is more coarsely cut than minced food.

Clarify
To make a liquid clear, as with butter. Unsalted butter is melted over low heat until the milk solids come to the top. They are then removed. Without the milk solids, the butter may be used in recipes in which you don’t want it to brown.

Coat
To cover food on all sides with flour, crumbs or batter.

Coddle
To cook gently just below the boiling point. Most commonly refers to eggs, where the egg is cooked for 1 minute in the shell.

Congeal
To turn liquid into solid by chilling.

Cool
To let hot food stand at room temperature until it is no longer hot.

Cream
To soften a fat, especially butter, by beating it at room temperature. Butter and sugar are often creamed together, making a smooth, soft paste.

Cube
To cut a solid food into squares of about 1/2" in size or larger.

Cure
To treat food by one of several methods for preservation purposes. Examples are smoking, pickling - in an acid base, corning - with acid and salt, and salt curing - which removes water.

Cut & Fold
To incorporate flour into a batter of butter, sugar and eggs while making cakes.

Cut In
To mix a solid fat (eg butter, shortening or lard) evenly into dry ingredients by chopping with two knives or a pastry blender.

Debone
To remove the bones from meat or poultry.

Decant
To pour off by gently inclining the bottle without disturbing the sediment.

Deep Fry
To fry foods rapidly in a deep pot of oil so that the food is totally submerged. The oil should never come up much more than half way in the pot, and should be a type with a high smoking point.

Deglaze
To dissolve the thin glaze of juices and brown bits on the surface of a pan in which food has been fried, sauteed or roasted. To do this, add liquid and stir and scrape over high heat, thereby adding flavor to the liquid for use as a sauce.

De-Gorge
To sprinkle vegetables with salt to eliminate water or to add cornmeal to water and soak crustaceans to eliminate the sand in their shells.

De-Grease
To remove fat from the surface of stews, soups, or stock. Usually cooled in the refrigerator so that fat hardens and is easily removed.

De-Vein
To remove the blackish-gray vein from the back of a shrimp. The vein can be removed with a special utensil called a deveiner or with the tip of a sharp knife.

Dice
To cut food in small cubes of uniform size and shape.(about 1/8- to 1/4-inch).

Dissolve
To cause a dry substance to pass into solution in a liquid.

Drain
To pour off fat or liquid from food, often using a colander.

Dredge
To lightly coat food that is going to be fried with flour, breadcrumbs or cornmeal. The coating helps to brown the food and provides a crunchy surface. Dredged foods need to be cooked immediately, while breaded foods, those dredged in flour, dipped in egg then dredged again in breading, can be prepared and held before cooking.

Drizzle
To sprinkle drops of liquid lightly over food in a casual manner.

Dust
To sprinkle lightly before or after cooking with dry ingredients, such as flour, granulated or confectioner’s sugar or spices. OR To sprinkle flour into the areas where any batter or dough is to be handled is known as dusting. For e.g chapatis, baking cakes.

Emulsify
To bind together two liquid ingredients those normally do not combine smoothly, such as water and fat. Slowly add one ingredient to the other while mixing rapidly. This action disperses tiny droplets of one liquid in the other. Mayonnaise and vinaigrettes are emulsions. Use a good whisk for steady, even emulsification.

Fillet
To create a fillet of fish or meat by cutting away the bones. Fish and boning knives help produce clean fillets.

Flake
To break food into small pieces, usually using a fork.

Flambe
To flame foods by dousing in some form of potable alcohol and setting alight.

Flute
To make decorative indentations around the edge of pastries, vegetables or fruit.

Fold
To incorporate a delicate substance, such as whipped cream or beaten egg whites, into another substance without releasing air bubbles. Cut down through mixture with spoon, whisk, or fork; go across bottom of bowl, up and over, close to surface. The process is repeated, while slowing rotating the bowl, until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Fricassee
To cook by braising; usually applied to fowl or rabbit.

Fry
To cook and brown food in a specified amount fat, usually done very quickly so that a minimal amount of the fat is absorbed into the food.

Garnish
To enhance finished foods with flavor or visual appeal by using other edible products on the plate. The most common are herbs, but there are many other possibilites including, but not limited to, fruits, small vegetables and edible flowers.

Glaze
The process of dipping or brushing, usually with a sugar-based liquid, to give flavor and a shiny finish to foods.

Grate
To reduce a large piece of food to coarse or fine threads by rubbing it against a rough, serrated surface, usually on a grater.

Grill
To cook food on a grill over hot coals or other heat source. The intense heat creates a crust on the surface of the food which seals in the juices.

Grind
To reduce food to small pieces by running it through a grinder. Food can be ground to different degrees, from fine to coarse.

Hang
To Leave fresh meat, especially game, to dry or become tender.

Homogenize
To create an emulsion by reducing all the particles to the same size. The fat globules are broken down mechanically until they are evenly distributed throughout the liquid.

Infuse
To steep an aromatic ingredient in hot liquid until the flavor has been extracted and absorbed by the liquid. Teas are infusions. Milk or cream can also be infused with flavor before being used in custards or sauces.

Joint
To cut meat and poultry into large pieces at the joints using a very sharp knife.

Julienne
To cut vegetables, fruits, or cheeses into thin strips.

Knead
To work and press dough with the palms of the hands or mechanically, to develop the gluten in the flour.

Knock Down or Punch Down
To punch or knead the air out of risen dough so that is resumes the volume it had before rising.

Lard
To insert strips of fat (lardons) or bacon into a dry cut of meat using a utensil called a larding needle. Larding makes the cooked meat more succulent and tender.

Leaven
To add an ingredient, such as yeast, baking powder or baking soda, that adds gas to a dough or batter, causing it to expand, or rise, and lighten the texture of the finished product.

Line
To cover the bottom and sides of a cassoulet, mold or terrine with a thin layer of bacon, pork fat, flavorings or pastry. Cake pans are frequently lined with parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan after baking.

Lyonnais
To slice onions into thin wedges. Sometimes refers to the inclusion of onions as a feature of a dish.

Macerate
To soak foods, usually fruit, in liquid so they absorb the liquid’s flavor. The macerating liquid is usually alcohol, liqueur, wine, brandy or sugar syrup. Macerate is also frequently applied to fruits sprinkled with sugar, which intensifies natural flavor of the fruit by drawing out its juices.

Marinate
To soak food in a seasoned liquid mixture for a certain length of time. The purpose of marinating is to add flavor and/or tenderize the food. Due to the acidic ingredients in many marinades, foods should be marinated in glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers. Foods should also be covered and refrigerated while they are marinating. When fruits are soaked in this same manner, the process is called macerating.

Mash
To crush a food into smooth and evenly textured state. For potatoes or other root vegetables, use a ricer, masher or food mill. While food processors provide a smooth texture more like a puree or a paste, they should not be used for potatoes.

Meuniere
To dredge with flour and saute in butter.

Mince
To cut food into very tiny pieces. Minced food is cut into smaller, finer pieces than diced food.

Mix
To combine ingredients until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Mount
To whisk cold butter, piece by piece, into a warm sauce for smooth texture, flavor and sheen. Each piece of butter must be thoroughly incorporated before a new piece is added so that the sauce does not break (or separate into liquid and fat).

Nap
To completely coat food with a light, thin, even layer of sauce.

Pan Fry
To brown and cook foods in fat in a shallow pan, where the fat does not completely cover the food.

Pan Broil
To cook uncovered in a hot fry pan, pouring off fat as it accumulates.

Par Boil
To boil until partially cooked; to blanch. Usually this procedure is followed by final cooking in a seasoned sauce.

Pare
To remove the outer peel or skin of a fruit or vegetable with a knife.

Pat
To take the underside of the hand and gently press a food. The purpose might be to pat dry ingredients onto the surface so they will adhere during cooking, or to pat with a towel to remove excess moisture.

Peel
To remove the rind or skin from a fruit or vegetable using a knife or vegetable peeler.

Pickle
To preserve meats, vegetables, and fruits in brine.

Piping
To force a pulp or batter through a piping bag, to give a desired shape.

Pit
To remove the seed from a piece of fruit by cutting around the sides of the fruit and pulling the seed away from the flesh.

Plump
To soak dried fruits in liquid until they swell.

Poach
To cook food by gently simmering in liquid at or just below the boiling point. The amount of the liquid and poaching temperature depends on the food being poached.

Pot Roast
To cook meat slowly by moist heat in a covered pot. The meat is first browned, then braised either on top of the stove or in the oven. Pot roasting is good for tougher cuts of meat which require longer cooking times to break down connective tissue.

Preheat
To heat the oven to the specified temperature before adding the foods.

Pressing
This is done to shape foods like cutlets and sometimes as a method of subdivision to separate liquids from solids as for in paneer.

Pressure Cooking
By increasing the pressure in an enclosed vessel, the boiling temperature is increased leading to decrease in cooking time.

Prick
To make small pointed openings on a food item for the purpose of marination or to let spices penetrate inside.

Proof
To activate yeast, or other leavening agent, before using in a recipe. The yeast is normally added to a liquid, possibly mixed with sugar, and allowed to set a given amount of time until it bubbles. If it doesn’t bubble, it is old and should be discarded.

Prove
To let dough or yeast mixture rise before baking.

Punch Down
To deflate a risen dough. With your hand, press on the dough until the gas escapes.

Puree
To process foods into a smooth substance of varying degrees of thickness as dictated by the recipe. Usually done with a blender, processor, sieve or food mill.

Quadriller
To mark the surface of grilled or broiled food with a crisscross pattern of lines. The scorings are produced by contact with very hot single grill bars which brown the surface of the food. Very hot skewers may also be used to mark the surface.

Quench
To quickly place a heated object in cold water. This is usually done to either stop the cooking process or to separate the skin of an object from the meat.

Reconstitute
To restore condensed or concentrated foods to their original strength with the addition of liquid, usually water.

Reduce
To rapidly boil a liquid until it partially evaporates, leaving a thicker texture and a more intense flavor.

Refresh
To run cold water over food that has been parboiled, to stop the cooking process quickly.

Render
To make solid fat into liquid by melting it slowly.

Rice
To push cooked food through a perforated kitchen tool called a ricer. The resulting food looks like rice.

Roast
To oven-cook food in an uncovered pan. The food is exposed to high heat which produces a well-browned surface and seals in the juices.

Saute
To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat or oil, until brown, in a skillet or saute pan over direct heat.

Scald
To dip food in boiling water in order to loosen their skins and simplify peeling. The produce should be left in the water for only 30 seconds to prohibit cooking, and should be shocked in an ice water bath before the skin is removed

Scallop
To bake a food, usually in a casserole, with sauce or other liquid. Crumbs often are sprinkled over.

Scooping
To shape a fruit, vegetable and icecream in spherical shape for decorative food presentations, using a scooper.

Score
To cut slits into foods before cooking for various purposes, including decoration, ease of cutting after cooking or tenderization.

Sear
To brown very quickly by intense heat. This method increases shrinkage but develops flavor and improves appearance.

Seed
To remove the seeds from fruits and vegetables.

Shallow Frying
To cook food in a pan with little fat / oil so that only bottom and side surfaces of the food are immersed, hence this method ensures excellent colour and crispness to the fried product.

Shred
To cut food into thin strips. This can be done by hand or by using a grater or food processor.

Sieve
To strain liquids or particles of food through a sieve or strainer. Press the solids, using a ladle or wooden spoon, into the strainer to remove as much liquid and flavor as possible.

Sift
To pass dry ingredients through a fine mesh sifter so large pieces can be removed. The process also incorporates air to make ingredients like flour, lighter. Synonymous with AERATE.

Simmer
To cook food in liquid over gentle heat, just below the boiling point, low enough so that tiny bubbles just begin to break the surface.

Skewer
To spear small pieces of food on long, thin, pointed rods called skewers.

Skim
To remove impurities, whether scum or fat, from the surface of a liquid during cooking, thereby resulting in a clear, cleaner-tasting final produce.

Skin
To remove the skin from food before or after cooking. Poultry, fish and game are often skinned for reasons of appearance, taste and diet.

Slice
Cutting any ingredient into thin pieces lengthwise.

Slit
Putting a cut on a food object in a manner such that the opposite side remains intact the opening allows filling of spices etc.

Sliver
To cut into long thin pieces with a knife. Often used with almonds or pimentos.

Smoke
To expose fresh food to smoke from a wood fire for a prolonged period of time. Traditionally used for preservation purposes, smoking is now a means of giving flavor to food.

Soften
To fry gently until transparent and no longer crisp.

Steam
To cook food on a rack or in steamer basket over a boiling liquid in a covered pan. Steaming retains flavor, shape, texture, and nutrients better than boiling or poaching.

Steep
To extract color, flavor, or other qualities from a substance by leaving it in water just below the boiling point.

Sterilize
To destroy micro organisms by boiling, dry heat, or steam.

Stew
To simmer slowly in a small amount of liquid for a specified amountin a covered pot or pan.

Stir
To mix ingredients with a circular motion until well blended or of uniform consistency.

Stir-Fry
To cook small pieces of food in very little fat, tossing constantly over high heat, usually in a wok.

Strain
To pass a liquid or moist mixture through a colander, sieve or cheese cloth to remove solid particles.

Supreme
To remove the flesh sections of citrus fruit from the membranes.

Sweat
To cook vegetables in fat over gentle heat so they become soft but not brown, and their juices are concentrated in the cooking fat. If the pan is covered during cooking, the ingredients will keep a certain amount of their natural moisture. If the pan is not covered, the ingredients will remain relatively dry.

Tenderize
To make meat more tender by pounding with a mallet, marinating for varying periods of time, or storing at lower temperatures. Fat may also be placed into a piece of meat to make it more tender during cooking.

Toast
To brown with dry heat in an oven or toaster.

Toss
To combine ingredients by gently turning over until until blended.

Trim
To remove excess or unwanted element of a food item or making it lean. Like removal of fat portion in meat or fish.

Truss
To secure food, usually poultry or game, with string, pins or skewers so that it maintains a compact shape during cooking. Trussing allows for easier basting during cooking

Vandyke
To cut zigzags in edges of fruit and vegetables halves, usually oranges, tomatoes or lemons. The food is usually used as a garnish to decorate a dish.

Whip
To beat rapidly with a wire whisk, beater or electric mixer to incorporate air, lighten and increase volume.

Whisk
To beat ingredients together until smooth, using a kitchen tool called a whisk.

Zest
To grate the outer, colored portion of the skin of a citrus fruit, avoiding the white pith. The thin parings that result are also called the zest.