Vocabulary

This is just a starter list.  As we get going, I will add to this list and re post again.

Bake- To cook in the oven

Baste- To prevent meat from drying out during the cooking process by moistening with liquid, usually the meats juices.

Bisque- A cream soup with the main ingredient being a vegetable and/or shellfish

Blacken-  To coat meat with spices and quickly cook over a very hot skillet.  The spices blacken, however, the meat remains tender.  Popular in Cajun cuisine

Blanch- A method of cooking in which vegetables are cooked in boiling water for a few seconds, removed from the boiling water and immediately plunged in ice water, which stops the cooking process. Used mainly loosen the vegetable skin or preserve flavor and crispness

Braise – To cook meat in the smallest amount of fluid possible with the intent of intensifying the liquid and making a sauce out of it.

Broil – To cook under a direct heat source

Butter- A mixture of butterfat, water, air, and salt, churned from milk or cream

Butterfly- To cut a chicken breast in the middle and open out the edges to look like butterfly wings

Caramelize-  To gently brown over about an hour to intensify flavor and allowing the natural sugars to cook

Chowder-  A thick cream based soup that contain potatoes

Coat-  To cover the back of a spoon

Cream-  To whisk to the foaming point

Deep fry-   To cook fully submerged in fat

Deglaze- After pan frying a meat, there is a lot of goodies still stuck to the pan.  Remove meat, add a liquid (usually wine), take a spatula to scrape up the scraps.

Dice-  To cut into small cubes

Dredge- To coat a food with bread crumbs, flour, or sugar

Dutch oven- A cast iron pot used for slow cooking over a fire, on the stove top, or in the oven

Egg wash- Eggs brushed over a pre-baked item like bread to make for a shiny, crusty exterior.

Fold- To incorporate an egg-white foam into a flour batter gently to keep batter light and fluffy

Fry- To cook in a hot fat.

Glaze-  To give food a glossy appearance by coating it with a sauce or icing.

Grill- To cook above a direct heat source for a relatively short amount of time
Margarine- A mixture of hydrogenated vegetable oils mixed with emulsifiers, vitamins, coloring matter, and other ingredients.  USE ONLY TO "BUTTER" BREAD AS A SIDE, NOT FOR COOKING

Pan fry-  To cook in a small amount of fat turning only once

Poach-  To cook by completely submerging in a gentle simmering liquid

Puree-  To blend until smooth

Quick bread-  A sweet bread made with baking powder in stead of yeast.

Roast- To cook food using a dry heat source making a brown crust on the surface and fully cooking the middle of the food using very little to no liquid. 

Roux-  A thickening technique where fat is cooked with equal amounts of flour. The mixture is stirred until the raw flour taste is gone and until desired color has been reached.

Saute-  To cook in a small amount of fat, stirring frequently

Scald- To heat milk just before it boils. 

Sear- To brown the surface of a meat.  NOT cooking. The cooking process is during the stew or braising period

Sherbet- A frozen treat similar to sorbet, but additional ingredients include milk, gelatin and/or eggs

Smoke- To cook meat over indirect heat over a long period of time, giving it a smokey taste
Sorbet-  A frozen treat of pureed fruit, sugar and water.

Steam-  To cook vegetables in a covered dish by cooking foods over, but not in, boiling water

Stir fry-  To cook meat and vegetables in a skillet with a small amount of fat over a high heat, keeping the food in constant motion

Sweat-To cook vegetables over low heat until they release their moisture

Temper-  A technique used to prevent eggs from cooking or scrambling when adding to a hot liquid.  Take a cup of the hot liquid and add to the eggs, stirring briskly, after a minute, add this egg mixture to the hot liquid.

Trinity- The "holy trinity" refers to the three ingredients that are the staple for a region and most prominent in that regions dishes. 

      *Cajun:  onions, green bell peppers, celery
      *Chinese: garlic, ginger, chili peppers
      *French: celery, onion, carrot
      *Greek: lemon juice, olive oil, oregano
      *Hungarian: paprika, lard, red onion
      *Italian: tomato, garlic, basil
      *Spanish: garlic, onion, tomato