Cooking Dictionary
A list of relevant cooking terms and processes.
- Arrabbiata
- Italian for “angry.” Traditionally a spicy tomato, pancetta, or chile sauce.
- Baste
- Seasoned liquid applied to meats during slow roasting. Keeps them moist and adds flavor. They don't contain much sugar (which would burn over a long period of cooking).
- Borlotti Beans
- A Tuscany favorite. Mottled bean looks like a pinto bean but rounder. Also known as cranberry bean (if grown in the US). Delicious in soups.
- Ceviche
- A form of marinated seafood salad. The seafood is "cooked" in a citrus-based marinade without heat.
- Chiffonade
- Fresh herbs cut into thin strips or shreds.
- Chiles
- The capsicum genus which includes green peppers, jalapenos, and serranos. The singular version of chiles is chile.
- Daube
- Braised meat or vegetables, especially beef in wine.
- Ditalini
- Small round tubular pasta (small version of ditali pasta).
- Fond
- The small bits on the bottom of a pan left over from saut�ing a piece of meat.
- Frenching
- A form of trimming. Frenching a turkey leg means removing the first several inches of meat from it. Frenching ribs means scraping the fat and gristle from the ends of the ribs.
- Glaze
- Applied to meats in the last few minutes of cooking. Glazes have a high sugar content. The few minutes of cooking caramelizes the sugar without burning it.
- Herb
- Leaves of plants used to flavor foods. Grown in moderate climates. Usually added near end of cooking.
- Julienne
- To cut into matchstick size pieces
- Leavening
- To cause dough or batter to rise by use of a leavening agent, such as baking powder, baking soda or yeast which releases gases during preparation and baking.
- Lentils du Puy
- Smaller in size than green lentils, they have a nice complex flavor. Dark green, almost black, in color.
- Lentils Green
- Greenish-brown in color.
- Marinade
- A liquid that meat soaks in to flavor it and tenderize it. Contains an acid (like vinegar or juice) to break down tough meat. Use a nonreactive container for marinating (the acid in the marinade will react with the metal to form an off-taste).
- Mirin
- A condiment used in Japanese cuisine. It is a kind of rice wine, similar to sake, but a lower alcohol content (14% vs. 20%). It has 40% to 50% sugar. A small amount of it can replace sugar and soy sauce in a recipe. There are three types of mirin: hon mirin, shio mirin (adds 1.5% salt), and shin mirin (1% alcohol). Its flavor is quite strong. Mirin is used on fish to erase the fishy smell. Mirin can be boiled for a short time to lower the alcohol content.
- Nonreactive Cookware
- Cookware that does not react with food - generally acidic foods like tomatoes. Nonreactive cookware is made from stainless steel, has a nonstick surface or is glass or enamel-coated pans (as long as they are not scratched). Iron, aluminum, and copper pans will react with acidic foods.
- Pan Sauce
- Blend of herbs and/or spices that you put on meat before you cook it. Adds a tasty crust to the meat.
- Palliard
- A piece of meat pounded very thin and grilled or saut�ed.ery thin and grilled or saut�ed.ery thin and grilled or saut�ed.
- Polenta
- Italian for cornmeal. A coarsely ground cornmeal (consistency of granulated sugar).
- Rub
- Blend of herbs and/or spices that you put on meat before you cook it. Adds a tasty crust to the meat.
- Salsa
- A combination of fresh vegetables, which can be grilled or charred individually, but are not cooked again once mixed.
- Saut� Pan
- Long handled pan with sides straight up.
- Seasoning
- Enhances flavor of food. Usually sprinkled on after cooking (like adding salt and pepper).
- Skillet
- Long handled pan with sloping sides.
- Spice
- Fruits, bark, buds, flowers and roots of trees and plants that are typically grown in tropical climates. Usually added near beginning of cooking.
- Sweating
- Cooking a vegetable, such as carrots or onions, on low enough heat to soften them but not brown them.
- Turbinado Sugar
- Raw sugar (no chemicals) with the natural molasses left in. It is an amber color and a coarse grain with a slight molasses flavor.
