Cooking Terms A-D

Question 1

What does the following cooking term mean?

aioli

Answer 1

a sauce made with olive oil and garlic, although eggs are sometimes added

Question 2

What does the following cooking term mean?

à la nage

Answer 2

poaching (usually seafood) in a court bouillon with the vegetables around the food as part the garnish

Question 3

What does the following cooking term mean?

albumen

Answer 3

another name for egg whites

Question 4

What does the following cooking term mean?

al dente

Answer 4

pasta cooked just until enough resistance is left in it to be felt “by the tooth”

Question 5

What does the following cooking term mean?

aromatics

Answer 5

herbs and spices which are added to enhance the flavor and fragrance of food

Question 6

What does the following cooking term mean?

au jus

Answer 6

of a dish (such as beef) served in its own juices

Question 7

What does the following cooking term mean?

bain-marie

Answer 7

refers to a pan of water used while baking to prevent uneven cooking (of a cake or custard)

Question 8

What does the following cooking term mean?

bake

Answer 8

cook inside an oven (sometimes called roasting)

Question 9

What does the following cooking term mean?

baste

Answer 9

to moisten food during cooking with pan drippings, sauce or some other liquid to prevent the food from drying out

Question 10

What does the following cooking term mean?

batter

Answer 10

a mixture of flour and liquid with the addition of flour, eggs, and sometimes fat to prepare cakes, muffins, and pancakes (Note: dough holds its shape whereas batter does not)

Question 11

What does the following cooking term mean?

battuto

Answer 11

a combination of chopped raw carrots, celery, onion, parsley and/or garlic which is sautéed (usually in Italian food)

Question 12

What does the following cooking term mean?

béarnaise

Answer 12

a warm, emulsified egg and butter sauce which is similar to hollandaise except it is made white wine, shallots, and tarragon

Question 13

What does the following cooking term mean?

beat

Answer 13

effortful mixing to smooth and/or add air into a mixture

Question 14

What does the following cooking term mean?

bisque

Answer 14

soup made from a pureed vegetables, rice, cream, and seafood like lobster and crab

Question 15

What does the following cooking term mean?

blackened

Answer 15

a Cajun style of cooking where meat or fish is seasoned with spices and butter, then cooked over high heat in a super-heated skillet until charred on the outside

Question 16

What does the following cooking term mean?

blanch

Answer 16

placing fruits or nuts in boiling water to remove skins or to make them easy to peel

Question 17

What does the following cooking term mean?

blend

Answer 17

to mix two or more ingredients together until smooth and uniform

Question 18

What does the following cooking term mean?

blind bake

Answer 18

to bake a pie crust without any filling; done so that the crust does not get soggy or if the filling would overcook if baked at the same time as the crust

Question 19

What does the following cooking term mean?

boil

Answer 19

cooking food in very hot water

Question 20

What does the following cooking term mean?

bouillon

Answer 20

the liquid (broth) resulting from simmering meats and vegetables to the point where all of the nutrients of the solid are in the liquid (also made with bouillon cubes)

Question 21

What does the following cooking term mean?

braise

Answer 21

slowly cook in a small amount of liquid so that the liquid has concentrated flavor and the meat is tenderized; note that stewing uses much more liquid

Question 22

What does the following cooking term mean?

bread

Answer 22

to coat foods that are going to be cooked with a bread crumb mixture to create a crust

Question 23

What does the following cooking term mean?

brine

Answer 23

a salt, water, and seasoned solution used to preserve foods

Question 24

What does the following cooking term mean?

brioche

Answer 24

two rows of dough fused together by baking

Question 25

# What does the following cooking term mean? broil

Answer 25

to cook food directly under the heat source (usually a gas flame)

Question 26

# What does the following cooking term mean? brown

Answer 26

to briefly apply heat to meat so that it turns brownish (appealing to the eye) and improve taste

Question 27

# What does the following cooking term mean? brush

Answer 27

using a pastry brush to coat a food (like meat) with a liquid (like a sauce)

Question 28

# What does the following cooking term mean? butterfly

Answer 28

to cut open a food (like a chicken breast), down the center without cutting all the way through, so that it can be spread apart; this creates more surface area for faster cooking

Question 29

# What does the following cooking term mean? caramelize

Answer 29

gently browning certain foods (such as meats, onions, and carrots) to release their natural sugars and improve taste; also refers to heating sugar so that it turns to caramel

Question 30

# What does the following cooking term mean? candy

Answer 30

to cook fruit with sugar

Question 31

# What does the following cooking term mean? chiffonade

Answer 31

herbs and leafy greens rolled together and then cut into thin ribbons

Question 32

# What does the following cooking term mean? chill

Answer 32

refrigerate food or let it stand in ice or iced water until cold

Question 33

# What does the following cooking term mean? chop

Answer 33

to cut food into small (irregular) pieces with a knife

Question 34

# What does the following cooking term mean? clarify

Answer 34

to remove the impurities (fat) from a broth; the fat rises to the top and can be spooned out or strained; sometimes egg whites are used in this process because fat particles tend to stick to the egg whites

Question 35

# What does the following cooking term mean? coat

Answer 35

to evenly cover food with flour, bread crumbs or a batter before cooking

Question 36

# What does the following cooking term mean? coddling

Answer 36

to cook (usually eggs) in water that is just below the point of boiling

Question 37

# What does the following cooking term mean? combine

Answer 37

to mix two or more ingredients together

Question 38

# What does the following cooking term mean? compote

Answer 38

a fruit desert which is cooked in a sugar/syrup and flavored with spices

Question 39

# What does the following cooking term mean? consommé

Answer 39

stock/soup that has been clarified by simmering it with beaten egg whites which attract and trap the impurities clouding the broth; the result is a very clear stock because the fats have risen to the top and removed

Question 40

# What does the following cooking term mean? cook

Answer 40

to prepare food by applying heat

Question 41

# What does the following cooking term mean? corned

Answer 41

meat that has been cured and salted

Question 42

# What does the following cooking term mean? core

Answer 42

to remove the center part of a fruit or vegetable so that the part used is without seeds and/or the tough, inedible center

Question 43

# What does the following cooking term mean? coulis

Answer 43

a thick sauce made from strained fruits and/or vegetables; no seeds or skin are in the sauce

Question 44

# What does the following cooking term mean? cream

Answer 44

to beat vegetable shortening, butter, and/or margarine, with or without sugar, until light and fluffy for baking a cake

Question 45

# What does the following cooking term mean? crêpe

Answer 45

a very thin pancake made with egg batter often served with a sweet filling

Question 46

# What does the following cooking term mean? crimp

Answer 46

to pinch or press dough edges (like a piecrust) to create a decorative finish, and/or to lock in the filling so it does not come out during baking

Question 47

# What does the following cooking term mean? crisp

Answer 47

to make vegetables more firm by briefly placing them in cold water

Question 48

# What does the following cooking term mean? crudités

Answer 48

an appetizer of sliced vegetables dipped in a dressing

Question 49

# What does the following cooking term mean? cure

Answer 49

preserve and flavor a food by covered it with salt and/or sugar, and other seasonings

Question 50

# What does the following cooking term mean? dash

Answer 50

1/8th of a teaspoon

Question 51

# What does the following cooking term mean? deep-fry

Answer 51

cooking food by completely covering it in very hot oil/fat

Question 52

# What does the following cooking term mean? deglaze

Answer 52

after cooking food in a pan, adding some liquid (broth or wine) so that the hardened juices can be scraped off the pan and integrated back into the sauce

Question 53

# What does the following cooking term mean? demi-glace

Answer 53

a thick sauce of equal parts veal stock and espagnole sauce (very dark brown roux, pieces of beef, bones, vegetables, and towards the end, tomato paste) which is then reduced

Question 54

# What does the following cooking term mean? develop

Answer 54

to permit food to sit before serving so that the flavors have time to merge and settle

Question 55

# What does the following cooking term mean? devein

Answer 55

to remove the large, dark vein that runs lengthwise in shrimp

Question 56

# What does the following cooking term mean? devil

Answer 56

to coat with a spicy mixture like hot sauce or mustard; eggs are often deviled

Question 57

# What does the following cooking term mean? dice

Answer 57

to cut into small 1/4 inch cubes

Question 58

# What does the following cooking term mean? direct heat

Answer 58

type of cooking where the heat is making "direct" contact with the food (like grilling or stir-frying)

Question 59

# What does the following cooking term mean? dissolve

Answer 59

to mix a dry ingredient with a liquid so that they are combined into a single solution

Question 60

# What does the following cooking term mean? dot

Answer 60

to sprinkle a small amount of an ingredient over another food (e.g., nuts, butter, or chocolate)

Question 61

# What does the following cooking term mean? dredge

Answer 61

to completely and evenly cover a wet food with a coating of an ingredient (e.g., bread crumbs, sugar, or flour)

Question 62

# What does the following cooking term mean? drippings

Answer 62

the liquid that remains in the pan/pot after food has been cooked; often reused for sauces and dressings

Question 63

# What does the following cooking term mean? drizzle

Answer 63

to slowly pour a liquid (e.g., truffle oil or butter) back and forth over a food

Question 64

# What does the following cooking term mean? dust

Answer 64

to lightly cover a food with an ingredient (like powered sugar, cocoa powder, or flour)