Kitchen Utensils List

Cooking Terms

• Baste: To pour, brush, or spoon liquid over food as it cooks in order to flavor and moisten it
• Beat: To stir rapidly in a circular motion
• Blanch: To submerge a food in boiling water for a short time
• Boil: To heat a liquid over high heat until bubbles form and rise rapidly to the surface
• Braise: To cook slowly in a covered pot with liquid
• Broil: To cook food directly under a heat source so that the side facing the heat cooks rapidly
• Brown: To cook food quickly over high heat so that the surface browns evenly
• Bruise: To crush food slightly, enabling more of the flavor to be released while cooking
• Core: To remove the core (the inedible central part) from a fruit
• Cream: To beat two or more ingredients (such as butter and sugar) together until the mixture has a creamy consistency
• Dice: To chop food into small, square pieces
• Fold: To blend an ingredient with other ingredients by using a gentle, overturning circular motion instead of stirring or beating
• Garnish: To decorate a dish with small pieces of food, such as chopped parsley or slices of lime
• Grate: To shred food into tiny pieces by rubbing it against a grater
• Hull: To remove the hull (inedible outer covering) from a fruit
• Knead: To work dough by pressing it with both palms, pushing it outward, and then pressing it over on itself
• Marinate: To soak food in a liquid in order to add flavor and to tenderize it
• Mince: To chop food into very small pieces
• Pinch: A very small amount, usually what you can pick up between your thumb and forefinger
• Preheat: To allow an oven to warm up before putting food into it
• Puree: To mash to a smooth blend or make a paste or thick liquid from finely ground food. The mashed substance is also referred to as a puree.
• Sauté: To fry quickly in oil or fat, over high heat, stirring or turning the food to prevent burning
• Scald: To heat a liquid to a temperature just below its boiling point
• Separate: To divide one ingredient into two or more parts that will be used separately, such as egg yolk and egg white
• Sift: To mix several dry ingredients together or to remove lumps in dry ingredients by putting them through a sieve or sifter
• Simmer: To cook over low heat in liquid kept just below its boiling point. Bubbles may occasionally rise to the surface.
• Steam: To cook food with the steam from boiling water
• Stir-fry: To quickly cook bite-sized pieces of food in a small amount of oil over high heat
• Whip: To beat an ingredient, such as cream or egg whites, at high speed until light and fluffy
• Whisk: To beat with a whisk until well mixed
• Zest: To scrape the peel from a lemon, lime, orange, or other citrus fruit using a cheese grater or a special utensil called a zester

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