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Reference

Cooking terms glossary

Plain-English definitions for the techniques you'll see in recipes and in Forno's cook mode - from al dente to zest.

A

Al dente
Pasta or rice cooked until just firm to the bite, not soft all the way through.

B

Bake
To cook food with dry heat in an oven, surrounded on all sides.
Baste
To spoon or brush liquid, fat, or pan juices over food as it cooks to keep it moist.
Beat
To mix ingredients vigorously with a spoon, whisk, or mixer until smooth.
Blanch
To briefly boil food, then plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking.
Braise
To sear food, then cook it slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
Broil
To cook food with direct, intense heat from above, usually inside an oven.

C

Caramelize
To cook sugar, or a food's natural sugars, until it browns and develops a deep, sweet flavor.
Chiffonade
To slice leafy herbs or vegetables into thin ribbons by rolling and cutting the leaves.
Cream
To beat butter and sugar together until light, fluffy, and pale in color.

D

Deglaze
To add liquid to a hot pan to loosen and dissolve browned bits left after searing.
Dice
To cut food into small, even cubes.
Dredge
To coat food lightly in a dry ingredient, such as flour, before cooking.

E

Emulsify
To combine two liquids that don't normally mix, such as oil and vinegar, into a stable blend.

F

Ferment
To let food transform over time through the action of yeast, bacteria, or other microorganisms.
Fold
To gently combine a light mixture into a heavier one using broad, sweeping strokes, keeping air in the mixture.

G

Garnish
To add a small decorative or flavorful touch to a finished dish before serving.
Glaze
To coat food in a thin, glossy layer of liquid, syrup, or sauce.
Grate
To shred food into small pieces or shavings by rubbing it against a grater.

J

Julienne
To cut vegetables or other food into thin, matchstick-sized strips.

K

Knead
To work dough with the hands, folding and pressing it, to develop gluten and even texture.

M

Marinate
To soak food in a seasoned liquid before cooking to add flavor and tenderize it.
Mince
To chop food into very small, fine pieces.
Mise en place
French for "everything in its place" - having all ingredients measured, cut, and ready before cooking begins.

P

Parboil
To partially cook food by boiling it briefly, with cooking finished later by another method.
Poach
To gently cook food by submerging it in liquid kept just below a simmer.
Proof
To let yeasted dough rest and rise before baking.

R

Reduce
To simmer a liquid until some of it evaporates, concentrating its flavor and thickening it.
Render
To slowly melt fat away from meat, usually over low heat.
Rest
To let cooked meat sit for a few minutes before cutting, allowing juices to redistribute.
Roast
To cook food uncovered with dry heat, typically in an oven, often producing a browned exterior.
Roux
A cooked mixture of fat and flour used to thicken sauces, soups, and gravies.

S

Saute
To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat over fairly high heat, stirring or tossing often.
Scald
To heat a liquid, usually milk, until just below boiling, with small bubbles forming at the edge.
Sear
To brown the surface of food quickly over high heat, locking in juices and building flavor.
Simmer
To cook liquid gently just below boiling point, with small bubbles rising slowly.
Sift
To pass dry ingredients, such as flour, through a fine mesh to remove lumps and add air.
Skim
To remove fat, foam, or impurities from the surface of a liquid as it cooks.
Sous vide
A cooking method where food is vacuum-sealed and cooked slowly in a precisely controlled water bath.
Steam
To cook food using the vapor from boiling water, without submerging it in the liquid.
Steep
To soak an ingredient, such as tea or spices, in hot liquid to extract its flavor.
Sweat
To cook vegetables gently in a little fat over low heat until soft and translucent, without browning.

T

Temper
To slowly raise the temperature of an ingredient, such as eggs or chocolate, to prevent it from curdling or seizing.
Toast
To brown food, such as nuts or spices, with dry heat to deepen its flavor.

W

Whisk
To beat ingredients quickly with a whisk to combine them or incorporate air.

Z

Zest
To remove the thin, flavorful outer layer of citrus peel, avoiding the bitter white pith beneath.
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