Thursday, June 07, 2007 8:51 AM
Dinner Glossary
Dinner Glossary
8 fluid ounces : 1 cup
16 ounces of meat : 1 pound
A dash : a splash or a few pinches
A dollop : a generous spoonful
Acidifying foods : foods that make your body’s liquids more acidic (a pH between 0 and 7); include foods like corn, cranberries, lentils, most meats and fish, sugar, alcohol, cheese, butter, beans, etc.; a body that is too acidic is more prone to illness
Alkalinizing foods : foods that make your body’s liquids more alkaline (a pH between 7 and 14); includes most fruits and vegetables (with the exception of corn, lentils, olives, winter squash, blueberries, cranberries, currants, plums, prunes and canned and glazed fruit); a body that is more alkaline is believed to be healthier
Baste : to pour liquid, such as a marinade or meat juices, over something (usually meat) during cooking, often using a spoon or baster
Blanch : to quickly submerge (usually vegetables) in boiling water (for no more than a few minutes), then in very cold water. This process allows food to remain crisp, while making its colors more vibrant and outer shells and skins easier to remove
Boning knife: a long, narrow knife used for separating meat from the bone.
Braise: to brown (usually meat) slowly and thoroughly in a pan and then cook covered at a simmer in a small amount of liquid; makes meat tender
Bread Knife: a long knife with a serrated blade that allows for easy bread slicing
Brie Cheese: a soft-ripened cheese made from cow’s milk; this cheese is very soft and may even be runny at room temperature; its outer shell is edible and becomes more flavorful with age.
Broil: to cook (usually meat) under direct high heat for a short period of time; broiled dishes cook and brown quickly
Camembert Cheese: very soft, creamy French cheese made from un-pasteurized cow’s milk.
Carving Knife: a large knife with a specialized blade to thinly carve roasts and poultry
Cheddar cheese : a firm to hard cheese made from cow’s milk; comes in varying degrees of sharpness; used both for cooking and as an appetizer with crackers.
Chef’s Knife: large kitchen knife used to chop and dice just about anything. (Also known as a French knife)
Chevre Cheese: popular variety of fresh goat cheese.
Chiffonade: to slice herbs or leafy vegetables into long, thin strips
Clarified butter: butter where the milk and water have been separated from the butter fat; this is typically served with shellfish like lobster and crab.
Cream of tartar: a potassium compound that is used in baked goods, usually in conjunction with baking soda and/or powder
Cleaver: Very large kitchen knife used for chopping raw meat
Dutch oven: a heavy, round pot usually made of cast iron or metal that comes with a secure lid; often used for slow-cooking casseroles, soups, and stews
Feta cheese: fresh cheese that is very soft and creamy and cured in brine; available in cow’s milk, goat’s milk and sheep’s milk varieties; commonly found in Mediterranean dishes.
Fontina cheese: a firm, creamy Italian cheese made from cow’s milk.
Goat cheese: cheese made from goat’s milk (as opposed to cow’s milk).
Gorgonzola cheese: Italian blue cheese made from un-skimmed cow’s milk.
Gruyere cheese: a hard, yellow cheese made from cow’s milk; good for cooking with (especially in quiche) because it has a milder taste relative to other hard/firm cheeses.
“Hinge” method: a cutting technique where the dominant hand holds the handle of the knife while the fingers from the free hand are placed on top of the blade, anchoring the knife on the cutting board. To cut, lift the handle of the knife up and down moving it slightly to the left and right each time.
Jicama: a plant whose root is edible (the rest of the plant is poisonous); it is crunchy, but has a sweet taste and is often used in salads.
Julienne: to slice (usually vegetables) into long, thin matchstick strips
Knead: to stretch, fold, and press (usually dough) firmly but gently with your hands
Marinate: to cover with dry seasonings and/or submerge in a flavorful liquid prior to cooking; used to add flavor and tenderize
Mascarpone cheese: thick, creamy Italian cheese commonly used in sweets.
Pairing Knife: a small knife used to peel and slice small fruits and vegetables, de-vein shrimp and de-seed peppers
Parmigian-Reggiano cheese: a hard, Italian cheese made from cow’s milk; typically served grated over Italian dishes.
Parsnips: long, root vegetables that are shaped like carrots. They have a sweet flavor and are always eaten cooked.
Pecorino cheese: Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk, usually served grated or shaved
Pressure cooker: an airtight pot that cooks food quickly using pressurized steam at high temperatures
Provolone cheese: an Italian cheese made from cow’s milk that’s part of the pasta filata, or “spun” family; good on sandwiches or melted onto meats.
Rhubarb: a vegetable known for its long pink to red stalks but often eaten as a fruit sweetened with sugar.
Roast: to cook using dry heat, in an oven, over hot coals, or on an open flame
Rutabaga: hybrid root vegetable of a cabbage and white turnip; usually prepared in casseroles, stew or mashed up with other vegetables.
Santoku: a smaller version of the chef’s knife; good for chopping, mincing, rough slicing and making precise cuts.
Saute: to fry briefly in a small amount of liquid fat (usually butter or oil) over high heat in a shallow pan
Sharpening steel: instrument used to keeps knives sharp.
Shears: kitchen scissors used for snipping herbs.
Sift: to separate fine particles from coarse ones using a straining device like a sieve
Simmer: to cook gently just below boiling point
Steak knife: a utensil used at the table to cut meat.
Stir-fry: to fry quickly while stirring over high heat in a wok or saute pan
Tang: the part of the knife blade that fits into the handle.
Toss: to gently mix
Utility knife: Medium sized kitchen knife with either a plain or serrated blade commonly used to cut tomatoes.
Whisk: to whip or beat swiftly, usually with a fork or a whisk
Posted by
Knot Heather
Filed under: Cooking, Dinner