Glossary
Bake – to cook in an oven, usually at a consistent temperature between 300 and 450 degrees.
Boil – to cook in boiling water (that’s 100 degrees Celcius).
Broil – to cook in an oven under high and direct heat. Grilling is one example of broiling food – not only is there trapped residual heat, but the food cooks rapidly under the heat of the coals.
Chop – to cut into pieces using a sharp knife. Rooty vegetables can be cut thick, while more flavorful veggies such as onions and peppers should be chopped more finely.
Dice – to cut into small, uniform pieces using a knife. Dicing creates more finely-cut pieces than chopping. Generally, a size of approximately 1/2″ inch to 1 inch is acceptable, but it depends on the vegetable. Diced onions, for example, should be cut into smaller pieces than diced potatoes.
Dredge – to run meat or vegetables through a sauce or flour-based ingredient, thereby covering the food in the mixture.
Fry – to cook under direct heat using fat. To saute (or pan-fry), use a small amount of oil or fat – if you are going to deep-fat fry (to cover the entire amount of food), then fill that entire pan with fat. Deep-fat frying is very unhealthy and not recommended for healthy lifestyle!
Grill – to cook over coals or fire (direct heat), often at a medium-high temperature.
Julienne – to cut into very thin strips.
Maillard Reaction – A chemical reaction between sugars and amino acids as a result of heat. This is usually achieved by cooking under high heat.
Marinade – a sauce (such as barbeque sauce) used to marinate food.
Marinate – to cover meat and vegetables in a sauce, allowing them to absorb the sauce. Dry mixtures should be rubbed directly into the meat, but for sauces, a baggie can be filled with meat and the sauce added to cover the meat.
Mince – to chop into very fine pieces. Cut them as fine as you can with a very sharp knife – just don’t get it too close to your fingers!
Puree – to chop food so finely that it becomes near-liquid. Use a blender or food processor to effectively do this.
Roast – to cook in an oven. Similar to baking, but roasting usually refers to a piece of meat, which should reach a consistent temperature (depending on the cut and type of meat) before it is done.
Saute – also known as pan-frying, this is cooking over direct heat using a small amount of oil or fat.
Sear – To cook the surface of the food at a high temperature, allowing the outer portion of the food to carmelize. While some say that searing seals in the juice of the meat, the improved flavor is really due to the Maillard Reaction.
Simmer – to cook under low direct heat, with a shallow layer of liquid (not fat) present. Temperature should be kept to well under a slow, rolling boil.
Steam – to cook over an amount of boiling liquid without submersing the food in the liquid. A tight lid is required to keep the moisture intact.