Cooking Explained
There are so many terms for cooking, it can sometimes get ridiculous. Below is a list of terms that should help you out.
If you cannot find a term, feel free to drop me a question at the Ask the Chef! page.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N |O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Al Dente
Al dente means that you cook your pasta just to the point where it is underdone. The idea here is that you would finish your item off in the sauce that you are making. When the two are mixed, the sauce goes into the pasta, cooking it to the point of perfection.
A lot of people assume that Al Dente means that you should serve the pasta like that. Slap them in the head. If your pasta is undercooked, don’t use words you do not understand. Pasta should be perfectly cooked when served, no Al Dente!
B
Braising
Cooking meat or vegetables in a covered or uncovered vessel over slow heat for a long period of time. This allows the gentle disbanding of tough fibres, allowing for a silky, tender final product. Here is a link to a blog that describes the steps in detail
C
D
Deglazing
The act of adding an acidic liquid to the bottom of a pan to lift off any brown bits that may have accumulated from searing. Basically, you are recovering the bits of flavor at the bottom of the pan, and making your dishwasher happy at the same time. You just cannot buy that in a can.
Here is a short, crappy video showing what you do when you deglaze:
E
F
Fond
You know the brown bits that lie at the bottom of your pan when you are searing something delicious? The name for that stuff is gold Fond. Those bits are important, so please, do not put them in the dish, deglaze them and get out that wonderful flavor!
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
Mise en Place
Literally means “everything in place.” Mise en place is getting yourself ready to do the task at hand. It is also a religion for some people.
N
O
P
Q
R
S
Sautéing
To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat over high heat. Not to be confused with sweating.
Sweating
Cooking the food until it softens and is translucent. Often this is confused with sautéing, something that drives the Well Done Chef! nuts.
System D
System D is best described by an example:You need to cover a pot with a lid. The lid is broken. You cover it with something else. Hey, it works, right?
