Cutting, Preparing and

Cooking Terms

Cutting, Preparing, and Cooking

Terms 1
Cutting Terms

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 2
Chop
 To cut food into sm
all, uneven pieces

 Equipment: French
or Chef’s Knife

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 3
Mince
 To cut food into ver
y fine, uneven
pieces.
 Equipment: French
or Chef’s knife.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 4
Cube
 To cut food into sma
ll, equal size squares
about ½ inch in size.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 5
Dice
 To cut food into sma
ll, equal size squares
about ¼ to 1/8 inch i
n size.
 Equipment: French or
Chef’s Knife, c. board

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 6
Grate
 To reduce food into
small pieces by pres
sing and rubbing it a
gainst the “teeth” of
a grater.
 Equipment: Grater

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 7
Shred
To cut or break food
into long, thin strips
by using a knife,
fork, or grater.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 8
Pare
 To remove the stem
and the very thin la
yer of peel of a fruit
or vegetable with a
paring knife or peel
er.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 9
Peel
 To remove the outer
layer/skin, by strippi
ng or pulling off wit
h your finger or a k
nife

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 10
Score
 To make small, strai
ght, shallow cuts wit
h a slicing knife in t
he surface of a food;
often done to tenderi
ze meat or to let sau
ces soak in.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 11
Slice
 To cut food into larg
e, thick or thin flat p
ieces with a slicing
knife. Use a sawing
motion while gently
pressing the knife d
own.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 12
Preparation Terms

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 13
Baste
 To pour or spoon pa
n juices, melted fat,
or sauces over the su
rface of a food durin
g cooking, using a b
aster, cup, or spoon,
to keep the food moi
st and add flavor.
2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and
Cooking Terms 14
Freeze
 To lower a food’s te
mperature to freezin
g or below by placi
ng it in a freezer.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 15
Defrost/Thaw
 To expose to warmt
h in order to free fro
m a frozen state.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 16
Dissolve
 To cause a solid foo
d to turn into or bec
ome part of a liquid.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 17
Drain
 To remove liquid fr
om a solid food by
pouring off the liqui
d, putting the food t
hrough a colander,
or drying with pape
r towels.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 18
Strain
 To separate solid fr
om liquid materials
by pouring the mixt
ure through a strain
er or sieve.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 19
Dust
 To lightly sprinkle t
he surface of a food
with crumbs, flour,
or sugar.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 20
Flour/Dredge/Coat
 To sprinkle or coat a
food with flour.
 Equipment: Flour,
crumbs or
seasoning.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 21
Grease
 To rub fat on the sur
face of a food or a c
ooking utensil

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 22
Marinate
 To soak food in a co
ld, seasoned liquid,
usually containing a
n acid, in order to ad
d flavor to or tenderi
ze the food.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 23
Tenderize
 To make something
easy to chew by app
lying a process or a
substance that break
s down connective t
issue or fiber.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 24
Melt
 To change food fro
m a solid to a liqui
d by applying heat.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 25
Soak
 To immerse food in
a liquid for the purp
ose of wetting, softe
ning, dissolving, or
cleaning.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 26
Season
 To increase the flav
or of a food by addi
ng herbs, spices, or
other ingredients; to
prepare a cooking u
tensil for cooking. (
Ex. Cast iron skillet
)
2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and
Cooking Terms 27
Vent
 To leave an opening
in the covering of a
food through which
steam can escape.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 28
Mixing Terms

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 29
Beat
 To thoroughly mix i
ngredients and incor
porate air using a sp
oon, wire whisk, mi
xer, or food process
or with an up-and-d
own and circular mo
tion
2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and
Cooking Terms 30
Blend
 To stir or mix ingre
dients until they are
thoroughly combine
d and smooth

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 31
Combine
 To blend or mix two
or more ingredients

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 32
Cream
 To beat solid fat an
d sugar with a wood
en spoon or electric
mixer until smooth,
light, and creamy

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 33
Cut in
 To combine flour an
d solid fat by cuttin
g the fat into tiny pi
eces using a pastry
blender, two forks o
r knives, or the hand
s

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 34
Fold in
 To blend a delicate
mixture into a heavi
er one, using a rubb
er spatula, spoon, o
r wire whisk in a ge
ntle up, down, and o
ver motion so that th
e mixture stays light
 Equipment: Bowl
and spatula
2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and
Cooking Terms 35
Knead
 To work a ball of doug
h with the heels of the
hands repeating press, f
old, and turn motions u
ntil the dough is smoot
h and elastic
 Equipment: Hands

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 36
Mix
 To combine two or
more ingredients int
o one mass by stirri
ng or beating them

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 37
Sift
 To reduce dry ingred
ients to finer particle
s, add air to dry ingr
edients, or combine
dry ingredients by p
utting them through
a sieve

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 38
Stir
 To mix using a spoo
n or wire whisk with
a circular motion

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 39
Toss
 To lightly mix ingre
dients by tumbling t
hem with tongs or a
large fork and spoon

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 40
Whip
 To beat quickly and
vigorously by hand,
wire whisk, or mixer
to incorporate air a
nd to make a mixtur
e light and fluffy
 Equipment: Wire
whisk or electric
mixer
2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and
Cooking Terms 41
Cooking Terms:
Dry Heat Methods

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 42
Bake
 To cook in an oven
with dry, hot air

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 43
Broil
 To cook uncovered
under a direct heat s
ource

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 44
Grill
 To broil over hot co
als or on a griddle

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 45
Roast
 To cook meat, fish,
or poultry uncovere
d in an oven with dr
y, hot air

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 46
Barbeque
 To roast slowly on a
rack or spit over hot
coals or some other
direct heat source an
d baste with a spicy
sauce

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 47
Cooking Terms:
Moist Heat Methods

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 48
Boil
 To cook food in hot
liquid, 2120F, havin
g bubbles that rise t
o and break on the s
urface of the liquid

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 49
Braise
 To cook large pieces
of meat or poultry sl
owly over low heat i
n a small amount of
hot liquid in a tightl
y covered pan

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 50
Microwave
 To cook food in a mi
crowave oven using
little or no liquid

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 51
Simmer
 To cook food in liqu
id that is just below
the boiling point
 Equipment:
Saucepan

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 52
Steam
 To cook food in a pa
n using vapor produ
ced by a boiling liqu
id
 Equipment: Steamer
or Double Boiler

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 53
Cooking Terms:
Cooking in Fat Methods

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 54
Deep-fry
 To cook food by co
mpletely immersin
g in hot fat; also kn
ow as French fry

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 55
Fry
 To cook food in a s
mall amount of hot f
at

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 56
Sauté
 To lightly brown or
cook food in a small
amount of hot fat over
moderate heat; Pieces
of food are cut into
small or thin pieces
preserving texture,
moisture, flavor.
 Equipment: Frying pan
and butter/oil
2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and
Cooking Terms 57
Stir-fry
 To cook bite-sized s
mall pieces of food q
uickly over high heat
in a small amount of
fat while stirring con
stantly.

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 58
Miscellaneous

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 59
Preheat
 To turn on an applia
nce or oven to a des
ired temperature ab
out 5-10 minutes be
fore food is to be pl
aced in it

2.03I_1 Cutting, Preparing, and

Cooking Terms 60