Cooking Basics Review

To moisten foods during cooking with pan drippings or a sauce in order to add flavor and prevent drying

• Marinate

• Beat

• Braise

• Baste

To make a mixture smooth by briskly whipping or stirring it with a spoon, fork, wire whisk, rotary beater, or electric mixer

• Beat

• Braise

• Dredge

• Knead

To cook food slowly in a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan on the range top or in the oven.

• Simmer

• Braise

• Scald

• Pare

Means to cut into uniform pieces, usually 1/2 inch on all sides

• Slice

• Dice

• Mince

• Cube

Means to cut into uniform pieces usually 1/8 to ¼ inch in size

• Chop

• Dice

• Slice

• Fold

Refers to chopping a food into tiny irregular pieces

• Pare

• Dice

• Cube

• Mince

To cut foods with a knife, cleaver, or food processor into smaller pieces

• Cream

• Grate

• Cut in

• Chop

To beat fat, such as margarine, butter or shortening, either alone or with sugar to a light, fluffy consistency

• Dredge

• Cream

• Stir

• Scald

To work a solid fat, such as shortening, margarine, or butter into dry ingredients, usually with a pastry blender

• Cube

• Cut in

• Knead

• Chop

To coat food either before or after cooking with a dry ingredient such as flour, cornmeal or sugar

• Dredge

• Scald

• Sift

• Fold