Bake
/ beyk /
verb,
1. to cook by dry heat in an oven or on heated metal or stones.
Blanch
/ blanch, blahnch /
verb,
1. to scald briefly and then drain, as peaches or almonds to facilitate removal of skins, or as rice or macaroni to separate the grains or strands.
2. to scald or parboil (meat or vegetables) so as to whiten, remove the odor, prepare for cooking by other means, etc.
Boil
/ boil /
verb,
1. to change from a liquid to a gaseous state, producing bubbles of gas that rise to the surface of the liquid, agitating it as they rise.
Braise
/ breyz /
verb,
1. to cook (meat, fish, or vegetables) by sautéeing in fat and then simmering slowly in very little liquid.
Brown
/ broun /
verb,
1. to fry, sauté, or scorch slightly in cooking: to brown onions before adding them to the stew. The potatoes browned in the pan.
Celsius
/ sel-see-uhs, -shee- /
adjective,
1. pertaining to or noting a temperature scale (Celsius scale ) in which 0° represents the ice point and 100° the steam point. Symbol: C
Chalaza
/ kuh-ley-zuh /
noun,
1. plural cha·la·zas, cha·la·zae [kuh-ley-zee]. /kəˈleɪ zi/.one of the two albuminous twisted cords which fasten an egg yolk to the shell membrane.
Chop
/ chop /
verb (used with object), chopped, chop·ping.
1. to cut in pieces; mince (often followed by up):
to chop up an onion; to chop meat.
Choux Pastry
/ shoo-pey-stree /
noun,
1. a cooked paste or light dough containing eggs, water or milk, butter, and flour that puffs up when baked into a nearly hollow shell, used to make éclairs, profiteroles, cream puffs, and other filled pastries.
Chutney
/ chuht-nee /
noun, plural chut·neys.
1. a sauce or relish of East Indian origin, often compounded of both sweet and sour ingredients, as fruits and herbs, with spices and other seasoning.
Clotted Cream
/ klot kreem /
noun,
1. cream that has been clotted by cooking.
Cream
/ kreem /
noun,
1. the fatty part of milk, which rises to the surface when the liquid is allowed to stand unless homogenized.
2. a soft-centered confection of fondant or fudge coated with chocolate.
3. a purée or soup containing cream or milk: cream of tomato soup.
verb (used with object).
1. to work (butter and sugar, or the like) to a smooth, creamy mass.
Crème Anglaise
/ krem ang-gleyz, -glez, kreem; French krem ahn-glez /
noun French Cooking.
1. a custard sauce flavored with vanilla or sometimes with rum, orange liqueur, kirsch, etc.
Crème Fraîche
/ krem -fresh, kreem; French krem -fresh /
noun, French Cooking.
1. slightly fermented cream that has been thickened by lactic acids and natural fermentation.
Cube
/ kyoob /
verb (used with object), cubed, cub·ing.
1. to cut into cubes.
Curd
/ kurd /
noun,
1. a substance consisting mainly of casein and the like, obtained from milk by coagulation, and used as food or made into cheese.
2. any substance resembling this.
Cup
noun,
/ kuhp /
1. A unit of capacity, equal to 8 fluid ounces (237 milliliters) or 16 tablespoons; half-pint. Abbreviation: c.
a cup of flour.
Custard
/ kuhs-terd /
noun,
1. a dessert made of eggs, sugar, and milk, either baked, boiled, or frozen.
Dash
/ dæʃ /
noun,
1. a small quantity of anything thrown into or mixed with something else.
a dash of salt.
* In culinary measurement, a dash is considered 1/16 teaspoon.
On occasion this measure may be included in a special measuring spoon set.
Devonshire Cream
/ dev-uhn-sher, kreem /
* See Clotted Cream
Dice
/ dahys /
verb (used with object), diced, dic·ing.
1. to cut into small cubes.
Dust
/ duhst /
verb (used with object)
1. to sprinkle with a powder or dust:
to dust cake with a
confectioner’s sugar
Fahrenheit
/ far-uhn-hahyt; German fahr-uhn-hahyt /
adjective,
1. noting, pertaining to, or measured according to a temperature scale (Fahrenheit scale ) in which 32° represents the ice point and 212° the steam point. Symbol: F
Fold
/ fohld /
verb,
1. to mix in or add (an ingredient) by gently turning one part over another:
Fold in the egg whites.
Flour
/ flouuhr, flou-er /
noun,
1. the finely ground meal of grain, especially the finer meal separated by bolting.
2. the finely ground and bolted meal of wheat, as that used in baking.
3. any finely ground meal resembling this, as of nuts or legumes:
Fry
/ frahy /
verb,
1. to cook in a pan or on a griddle over direct heat, usually in fat or oil.
Gram
/ gram /
1. a metric unit of mass or weight equal to 15.432 grains; one thousandth of a kilogram. Abbreviation: g.
a gram of sugar.
Gallon
/ gal-uhn /
noun,
1. a common unit of capacity in English-speaking countries, equal to four quarts, the U.S. standard gallon being equal to 231 cubic inches (3.7853 liters), and the British imperial gallon to 277.42 cubic inches (4.546 liters). Abbreviation: gal.
a gallon of milk.
Grate
/ greyt /
verb (used with object), grat·ed, grat·ing.
1. to reduce to small particles by rubbing against a rough surface or a surface with many sharp-edged openings:
to grate a carrot.
Julienne
/ joo-lee-en; French zhy-lyen /
verb (used with object), ju·li·enned, ju·li·en·ning.
1. to cut (something, especially a vegetable) into thin strips or small, matchlike pieces:
I spent a half hour julienning the carrots.
Level
/ ˈlɛv əl /
adjective,
1. filled to a height even with the rim of a container.
a level teaspoon of salt.
* Usually the straight edge of a small sized spatula is used to level off a measure.
Liter
/ lee-ter /
noun,
1. a unit of capacity redefined in 1964 by a reduction of 28 parts in a million to be exactly equal to one cubic decimeter. It is equivalent to 1.0567 U.S. liquid quarts and is equal to the volume of one kilogram of distilled water at 4°C. Abbreviation: l.
a liter of juice.
Macaron
/ mah-kuh-rohn, ‐ron /
1. a round, colored cookie consisting of a ganache or buttercream filling between two halves made from beaten egg whites mixed with sugar and ground almonds.
Macaroon
/ mak-uh-roon /
1. a drop cookie made of egg whites, sugar, usually almond paste or coconut, and sometimes a little flour.
Mascarpone Cream
/ mas-kahr-poh-nee, mos-kahr-poh-ney, mos-kahr-pohn /
noun,
1. a very soft Italian cream cheese made from cow’s milk.
Mince
/ mins /
verb (used with object), minced, minc·ing.
1. to cut or chop into very small pieces.
Mix
/ miks /
verb,
1. to combine (substances, elements, things, etc.) into one mass, collection, or assemblage, generally with a thorough blending of the constituents.
2. to form or make by combining ingredients:
to mix a cake;
to mix mortar.
Mousse
/ moos /
noun,
1. a sweetened and flavored dessert with a base of whipped cream, beaten egg whites, or both:
chocolate mousse.
Ounce
/ ouns /
noun,
1. a unit of weight equal to 437.5 grains or 1/16 pound (28.35 grams) avoirdupois. Abbreviation: oz.
an ounce of butter.
Pinch
/ pɪntʃ /
noun,
1. a small quantity of (a powder, spice, etc.) mixed with something.
a pinch of nutmeg.
* In culinary measurement, a pinch is considered 1/8 teaspoon.
On occasion this measure may be included in a special measuring spoon set.
Pint
/ pahynt /
noun,
1. a liquid and also dry measure of capacity, equal to one half of a liquid and dry quart respectively, approximately 35 cubic inches (0.473 liter). Abbreviations: pt.
a pint of cream.
Quart
/ kwawrt /
noun,
1. a unit of liquid measure of capacity, equal to one fourth of a gallon, or 57.749 cubic inches (0.946 liter) in the U.S. and 69.355 cubic inches (1.136 liters) in Great Britain. Abbreviation: qt.
a quart of buttermilk.
Roast
/ rohst /
verb,
1. to bake (meat or other food) uncovered, especially in an oven.
2. to cook (meat or other food) by direct exposure to dry heat, as on a spit.
3. to brown, dry, or parch by exposure to heat, as coffee beans.
Sauté
/ soh-tey, saw- /
verb,
1. cooked or browned in a pan containing a small quantity of butter, oil, or other fat.
2. to cook in a small amount of fat; pan-fry.
Scald
/ skawld /
verb,
1. to heat to a temperature just short of the boiling point:
to scald milk.
Scant
/ skænt /
adjective,
1. barely amounting to as much as indicated.
a scant cupful.
* This measure, while not completely accurate, is an indication by an author that filling the measurement vessel just below level edge, works best for that particular recipe. This may vary by baker.
Simmer
/ sim-er /
verb,
1. to cook or cook in a liquid at or just below the boiling point.
Simple syrup
/ sim-puhl sir-uhp, sur- /
noun,
1. a thick, sweet liquid, usually prepared from sugar and water and used chiefly as a base for soda fountain flavors.
Soufflé
[ soo-fley, soo-fley ]
noun,
1. a light baked dish made fluffy with beaten egg whites combined with egg yolks, white sauce, and fish, cheese, or other ingredients.
Sour cream
noun,
1. cream soured by the lactic acid produced by a ferment.
Sous vide
/ soo veed /
noun,
1. the technique of cooking ingredients in a vacuum-sealed plastic pouch, usually for a long time at a low temperature.
Stir
/ stur /
verb (used with object), stirred, stir·ring.
1. to move one’s hand or an implement continuously or repeatedly through (a liquid or other substance) in order to cool, mix, agitate, dissolve, etc., any or all of the component parts:
to stir one’s coffee with a spoon.
Teaspoonful
/ tee-spoon-fool /
noun,
1. a volumetric measure equal to 1/6 fluid ounce (4.9 milliliters); 1/3 tablespoonful. Abbreviations: t., tsp.
a teaspoonful of sugar.
Tablespoonful
/ tey-buhl-spoon-fool /
noun,
1. a volumetric measure equal to ½ fluid ounce (14.8 milliliters), or three teaspoonfuls. Abbreviations: T., tbs., tbsp.
a tablespoonful of cinnamon.
Treacle
/ tree-kuhl /
British, noun.
1. molasses, especially that which is drained from the vats used in sugar refining.
2. Also called golden syrup.
3. a mild mixture of molasses, corn syrup, etc., used in cooking or as a table syrup.
Yield
/ yeeld /
noun,
1. the quantity or amount yielded.
Whip
/ hwip, wip /
verb,
1. to beat (eggs, cream, etc.) to a froth with an eggbeater, whisk, fork, or other implement in order to mix in air and cause expansion.
* A baker should be aware that there are essentially two types of measure: liquid and dry, and two systems of measure: Imperial and metric.
The metric measurement system is based on the meter (length), gram (weight, or more properly “mass”), and liter (volume). “Metric” comes from the French word, “metre”. There’s also a system of prefixes for making things bigger (kilo- , mega- , giga- , tera- ) or smaller (milli- , micro- , nano- ) in multiples of 1000. The metric system is decimal based because it is always based on powers of 10.
The Imperial measurement system is based on the inch / foot / yard / mile (length), the ounce / pound / stone / hundredweight (weight / mass) and the fluid ounce / pint / quart / gallon (volume).
Liquid vs. dry measure: A cup of liquid milk or oil is not the same in mass or weight as a cup of dry flour or sugar. Based on this, a well prepared kitchen has measuring cups suited for both liquid AND dry measuring and which look different in appearance. Depending on what region of the world you find yourself you might use Imperial (generally exclusive to the Americas), or the Metric system (known as a very precise form of measure).
Dry measuring cups are most commonly recognized and are easily found in sets of typically 1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 and sometimes 1/8 individual cups.
Liquid measuring cups are typically taller in appearance, clear glass or plastic that is marked with increments of measure in some form, and so that one can eye the liquid level before finding it as an acceptable amount.
