Cooking Terminology

What is 'al dente'?

• It means 'you're going to need a dentist'

• Your pasta is too chewy and undercooked

• Something you should never do

• When your pasta is cooked 'just right'; not too soft, nice and firm

What does it mean to 'bake'?

• To cook food with dry heat in an oven. (It is called roasting when it involves meat, poultry, or vegetables).

• To combine two ingredients together which normally would not mix by agitating them with a whisk, blender, or some other agitation method. An example would be oil and vinegar to form a salad dressing.

• To pour juices or melted fat over meat or other food while cooking to keep it moist.

• To cook meat or vegetables first by browning and then by gently simmering in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan until very tender.

What are 'drippings'?

• Undercooked bacon strips.

• What happens when you try to cook outdoors in the rain.

• The juices and fats that come out of meat or poultry during cooking.

• Small, long pieces of melted chocolate.

What does it mean to 'baste'?

• To be absent without permission.

• To apply moisture to the outside of food while cooking to prevent it drying out.

• To turn regularly while cooking.

• To shape into a circle.

What does it mean to 'blanch' food?

• To place vegetables or fruits into boiling water for a very short period of time (usually 30 seconds or less). Usually the food is then quickly moved to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

• To cut food at an angle. This is done to increase the surface area of the food that can be browned and to speed up the cooking time.

• To stir rapidly a mixture of ingredients with a spoon, whisk, or mixer until the desired consistency is reached.

• To cook food on a rack or spit over coals.