Glossary

Al dente
Italian for "to the tooth." Used to describe perfectly cooked pasta that is tender but still a bit chewy

Bake
To cook with hot, dry air in an oven

Batter
A mixture made from ingredients used to make cakes, cookies, and pancakes

Boil
To heat a liquid until bubbles constantly rise to its surface

Broth
A liquid rich with flavours of meat, seafood, or vegetables

Carbonation
Process that occurs when carbon dioxide dissolves into water causing it to fizz

Chocolate
A food often prepared in the form of a paste or solid block made from roasted and ground cacao seeds, typically sweetened

Concentrate
A denser or stronger liquid that has water removed from it

Couscous
A type of North African semolina (pasta) shaped like granules which are made from crushed durum wheat.

Cream
To mix ingredients together until they are smooth and creamy

Dissolve
To mix a fine-textured, solid substance such as sugar or salt, with a liquid until the solid disappears

Dredging
To coat wet foods with dry ingredients

Dust
To cover food, hands, or work surface with a powdery substance such as flour or confectioner's sugar

Flip
To turn an ingredient over usually with a spatula and a quick twist of the wrist

Garnish
To decorate a dish before serving. Also, the food used to decorate a dish.

Hummus
A mixture of mashed chickpeas, garlic, and other ingredients to enhance or change the taste

Knead
To work dough with your hands, using pressing folding, and turning motions.

Mash
To break down soft food by pressing on it with a fork, potato masher, or other tool

Mix
To stir together dry or wet ingredients until combined

Pinch
The amount of a dry ingredient that can picked up between your thumb, index, and or middle finger. Less than ⅛ teaspoon

Prick
To make indentations to the surface of a food, pastry, or container. Usually with a fork

Refrigerate
To place food into the refrigerator to chill or firm

Rise
The action of the gas being released by the yeast, baking powder, or baking soda in dough

Room Temperature
A comfortable neutral temperature used to soften, cool or defrost food

Set
When a liquid congeals, a dough, or batter becomes more solid as it cooks or cools

Shred
To cut an ingredient on the medium or large holes of a box grater

Snip
To cut delicate ingredients into tiny pieces using kitchen scissors

Steam
To cook food with the hot steam that rises from boiling water

Sugar
A sweet substance from sugar cane and sugar beet. It is used as a sweetener in food and drink.

Tofu
Bean curd made from mashed soybeans. It is used primarily in Asian and vegetarian dishes.

Vanilla Extract
A liquid flavouring made from vanilla beans

Whisk
To stir a liquid with a whisk by adding air, increasing the volume

Alfalfa Sprouts
Little green sprouts grown from alfalfa seeds. They are used to add crisp texture to salads and sandwiches

Baking Powder
A mixture of sodium bicarbonate, acidic substances, and a starch or flour. It is often used instead of yeast in baking

Beat
To mix ingredients vigorously, stirring with a spoon, fork, or beaters in a circular motion

Bon Appetit
French saying meaning to "enjoy your meal"

Brown
To cook food until it turns a light golden or dark brown colour

Carving
To cut and or design food from its natural state into sliced pieces or food art

Chop
To cut food into tiny pieces. Finely chopped pieces are small; coarsely chapped pieces are large

Consistency
How thick, thin, fine, coarse, smooth, or lumpy an ingredient or mixture of ingredients is

Confectioners Sugar
Finely powdered sugar with cornstarch added

Crush
To press down on an ingredient to reduce it to a paste or a powder

Divide
To split a batch of dough or batter or individual ingredients into smaller, usually equal batches

Drain
To pour off liquid, leaving solids behind. This is done using a colander or strainer

Edible
Able to be eaten

Flour
A powder obtained by grinding grain, typically wheat. Used to make bread, cakes, and pastries.

Grate
To draw food, such as cheese, across a surface of small, sharp-edged holes on a box grater-shredder.

Invert
To turn a piece of cookware upside down so that the food falls gently onto a cooling rack or a dish

Lengthwise
Food positioned or cut in the same direction as or parallel to the longest side

Melt
To heat a solid substance until it becomes liquid

Molasses
A thick brown syrup that is separated from raw sugar

Pitted
An item with the centre pit removed

Puree
To mash one or more ingredients until reduced to a smooth consistency

Reheat
Heating an item through that was previously cooked

Roasting
A cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides from an open flame or oven

Sauté
To cook food on the stove top with a skillet with little liquid or oil

Set Aside
To transfer or put ingredients to the side while completing a different part of the recipe

Simmer
To cook a liquid at just below the boiling point. The surface should small bubbles around the edge

Soften
To let an ingredient sit at room temperature until soft enough to spread

Stir
To move a spoon, fork, which, or other utensil continuously through dry or wet ingredients in a circular motion

Tender
State in which food is cooked and is soft enough to cut through and easily chew

Toss
To mix ingredients by tumbling them together with two spoons or two forks

Vermicelli
A thinner rounder rice noodle

Yeast
A microscopic fungus that makes dough rise

Appetizers
A food or drink that stimulates the appetite. Served before meals

Basting
To moisten with a liquid during the cooking process

Blend
To combine two or more ingredients thoroughly. Often takes using an electric blender

Broil
To cook food under a direct intense radiant heat

Buffet
A meal where multiple foods and dishes are set out and people can eat as much as they want

Chill
To refrigerate food until it is cold

Coat
To cover the surface of a food or a piece of equipment with butter, oil, flour, crumbs, or other ingredients

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

Cream
A thick white fatty liquid which can be eaten in desserts or used as a cooking ingredient.

Dice
To chop food into small even size square pieces

Double Boil
Where contents of the upper pot can be cooked or heated by boiling water in the lower pot

Drizzle
To pour liquid or icing over food in a thin stream

Eggs
A food product produced from poultry. It is used as an ingredient and a main dish for baked foods

Fold
To gently combine ingredients together from top to bottom until mixed together

Grease
To rub a pan or baking dish with fat, such as butter or vegetable shortening, to prevent sticking

Julienne
To slice fruits, vegetables and meats into strips that resemble matchsticks.

Line
To cover a pan with aluminum foil, waxed paper, or parchment paper to prevent food from sticking

Mince
To cut food into very small pieces

Opaque
Not being able to see through

Preheat
To set the oven to heat up to a specific temperature

Reduce (Heat)
To turn down the heat. Reducing the heat takes place on the stove, oven, barbecue and anything that controls the temperature

Ripe
When food is fully developed and ready to be eaten

Roll out
To flatten dough with a rolling pin or flat object to smooth, even and thin out

Season to Taste
The addition of salt, pepper, and other spices/seasonings to food until it is to your liking

Shortening
A solid fat made from vegetable oil and used in cooking and baking

Slice
To cut food lengthwise or crosswise with a knife. Food could be thinly or thickly sliced

Spread
To apply a soft mixture or ingredient over another food in an even layer

Stir-fry
An Asian cooking method where ingredients are in a small amount of hot oil being stirred or tossed

Thicken
When food changes from a thin runny consistency to a thicker firmer one

Trim
To cut away any unneeded or inedible parts

Whip
To be beat rapidly with a whisk, electric mixer, or an eggbeater

Zest
The thin layer on the outer layer of the peel of citrus fruit