Recipes

[LilBitMissty]

I don't Know about you, but I can remember back long ago when I was first learning to cook. I would have given anything to have a "cheat sheet" of cooking terms!!    So for the beginner cook...this is for you!   I know I missed some, so please add them to this thread! 

Au Grautin = Topped with crumbs and or cheese, browned in oven or under broiler

Baste = To moisten food with pan drippings while cooking, to add flavor and prevent drying

Blanche = To immerse in rapid boiling water , and allow to cook slightly

Cream = To soften a fat (especially butter) by beating it at room temperature. Butter and sugar is often creamed together making it a smooth and creamy

Crimp = To seal edges of a two crust pie. To "crimp" pinch edge of crust in intervals using fingers, or pressing down around edge using fork tines

Dice = To cut foods in small cube shaped pieces

Dredge = To coat lightly in flour, cornmeal ..etc

Entree = Main course

Fold = To mix together a delicate substance (such as whip cream or beaten egg whites)  into other ingredients without making air bubbles. Using a spatula, gently bring part of the mixture from the bottom and bring it to the top. Repeat this process while slowly turning the bowl. Continue until the ingredients are well blended

Glaze = To cover with a glossy coating

Julienne = To cut or slice vegetables into match shaped strips

Marinate = To allow food to stand in liquid, in order to tenderize or to add flavor

Mince = To chop food into really small pieces

Parboil = To boil until just pactially cooked

Pare= To remove the outer skin of fruits or vegetables

Poach = To cook gently in hot liquid kept just below boiling point

Puree = To mash foods by putting in a blender or food processor until perfectly smooth

Saute = To cook or brown food in small quantity in hot oil

Scald = To heat just below the boiling point. when alot of tiny bubbles appear at the edge of the saucepan

Simmer = To cook in liquid just before the boiling point. The surface of the liquid should be barely moving, broken from time to time by slowly rising bubbles

Steep = To let food stand in hot liquid, or to enhance the flavor (like tea in hot water)

Toss = To combine ingredients with a lifting motion. 

Whip = To beat rapidly in order to incorporate air and produce expansion, as in heavy cream or egg whites

[mustang66lady]

LilBit,

Thank you for taking time to compose and post this!  I am going to forward this to my daugthers.   I have hunted antique stores for old copies of Betty Crocker and Good Housekeeping cookbooks for exactly this type of thing and when I find one, I purchase it for them.  This would be easy for them to print out and tape inside their cabinet or pantry door as a quick reminder of what these terms mean! 

[Jeannie29]

Well I am not a new cook and I own a paring knife, but did not know the term PARE!  Just goes to show, you learn something new every day!

[LilBitMissty]

mustang66lady...Hi sweetie. I am so glad you can use this. Like I say, I sure wish I would have had this years ago. LOL might have stopped me from making some BIG mistakes! 

[LilBitMissty]

Jeannie29   Hi dear...Gotta tell ya, you put a smile on my face. I know what ya mean tho! 

[Eileen in Virginia]

My Aunt Marg's go-to bridal shower gift was the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook (red & white plaid cover) because it explained the recipes clearly for beginning cooks and had good pictures of each step in the recipe. Forty years later, I still use mine, even though some of the pages look like they've been through the wars. I recently bought Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks by Linda Carucci after it was recommended by one of the Post's Food editors. It's divided into 3 parts and the 1st part covers cooking basics to include equipment, knife skills, food safety, etc. It doesn't have many pictures, but does have drawings of some procedures (like deboning a chicken). The best part is that I got it from Amazon for either a penny or a dollar - it was a library book in excellent condition!

[momtochloe]

I had to copy this over from Wiki to get the proper definition:

Braising (from the French word, “braiser”) is a combination-cooking method that uses both moist and dry heats: typically, the food is first seared at a high temperature, then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature while sitting in some (variable) amount of liquid (which may also add flavor). Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting, though some authors make a distinction between the two methods, based on whether additional liquid is added.

This is near and dear to my heart as I always missed the searing part first . . .

[momtochloe]

Here is another one that threw me for a loop the first couple times I heard it:

Mirepoix (pronounced "meer-pwah") is a combination of chopped carrots, celery and onions used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauces, soups and other foods. The proportions (by weight) for making mirepoix are 50% onions, 25% carrots and 25% celery.

When you're making stock, the mirepoix is ultimately strained out, so it's not important to use great precision when chopping the vegetables.

The sizes should be more or less uniform, however, to allow for uniform cooking times.

The more finely mirepoix is chopped, the more quickly its flavor and aroma is released into a stock. Since brown stock is simmered longer than white stock, it's perfectly acceptable to cut the mirepoix into pieces an inch or two in size.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/seasoningflavoring/p/mirepoix.htm