We've provided a pretty exhastive list of cooking terms here, but if there is still a term you're confused about or would like to see added here, please let us know!

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-

Aerate
Passing dry ingredients through a fine screen (sifter) to remove larger pieces and ensure consistency of the ingredient texture. Aerating also adds air into the ingredient to make it lighter and fluffier. Often used to thoroughly mix dry ingredients

-B-

Baste
Coating the outside of food with juices during cooking to prevent drying out the dish.

Blanch
Briefly cooking raw vegetables in boiling water.

Blend
Combining several ingredients.

Boil
Boiling something is simply cooking it in boiling liquid. As soon as bubbles break the surface, your liquid is boiling.

Bone
Removing the bones from a piece of meat. A “boning” knife is commonly used for this.

Braise
Slowly cooking meat in a small amount of liquid inside of a tightly covered container. Usually results in a very tender final product.

Broil
Cooking food very close to a very hot heat source. Can be a great option for times when grilling is not practical.

Butterfly
Simply the process of splitting the meat down the middle but not cutting completely through it. Meat is butterflied to help it cook evenly and to be more appealing to the eye.

-C-

Canel
The process of cutting grooves into the outside of a piece of fruit or vegetable. When the piece is then sliced, it has a decorative edge.

Caramelize
Heating a fruit or vegetable until it turns caramel brown in color.

Chiffonade
Slicing an ingredient into thin strips.

Chop
Cutting an ingredient into bite-sized chunks.

Clarify
Butter is “clarified” for some dishes. This is simply the process of slowly heating butter to separate the “solids” which are removed and disgarded. This helps the butter last longer and burn at a higher temperature. Stock and other liquids can also be clarified.

Cure
Preserving food through salt curing, pickling, and smoking.To treat food by one of several methods for preservation purposes.

-D-

Debone
See “bone”.

Deep-fry
Cooking food by completely submerging it in hot oil. It is vital that the oil is hot enough (usually around 375 degrees) or the food will absorb the oil and taste greasy. Ideally, the food should be crispy on the outside and completely cooked (and delicious).

Deglaze
When cooking in a pan, browned food and liquids will gather on the bottom of the pan. This browned residue contains loads of great flavor and many recipes will suggest that you deglaze the pan by adding a small amount of liquid to the pan. This mixture is often the base for a sauce.

Degorge
1. To sprinkle vegetables with salt to eliminate water. Eggplant for example are generally salted and patted dry before cooking.
2. To add cornmeal to water and soak crustaceans in order that they will eliminate the sand in their shells.

Devein
To remove the black vein from the back of a shrimp.

Dice
To cut food into tiny cubes.

Drain
To pour off fat or liquid from food, often using a colander.

Dredge
To lightly coat food that is going to be immediately fried with flour, breadcrumbs or cornmeal.

-E-

Emulsify
Mixing together two liquid ingredients that normally do not combine smoothly, such as vinegar and oil. Use a whisk to combine.

-F-

Fillet
To create a fillet of fish or meat by cutting away the bones. Obviously, fillet knives work well for this, especially on fish.

Fold
A technique used to gently combine ingredients. Usually fluffy or flour based, a folding method is used to minimize the amount of mixing.

Fry
Cooking food in hot oil or fat.

-G-

Grate
As you might suspect, grating usually happens on a grater. Commonly grated ingredients include cheese and potatoes. Grating results in small strips of the ingredient.

Grind
To turn an ingredient into a powder by crushing it.

-H-

Homogenize
Mixing ingredients by breaking the components down into tiny particles, resulting in a well-mixed output.

-I-

Infuse
Allowing one ingredient to absorb the flavor or aroma of another. Vanilla infused sugar is made by putting vanilla beans into a container with sugar, for example. The sugar will be infused with the vanilla flavor.

-J-

Julienne
Cutting food into thin strips or sticks. A peeler, for example, can be used to julienne a carrot.

-K-

Knead
Mixing and stretching ingredients with hands. Most often seen with bread and other doughs.

-M-

Macerate
Soaking foods in liquid to absorb the liquid's flavor.

Marinate
Soaking foods, usually meats in flavored liquids to enhance the taste and tenderize.

Mince
To cut an ingredient into tiny bits.

-O-

Open faced, open-faced, openfaced
Usually refers to a sandwich where the filling is placed on top of the two pieces of bread rather than closed between the two.

-P-

Parboil
To briefly boil an ingredient to start the cooking process. Usually done so it can be added to something else later on and become fully cooked.

Pare
To remove the outer layer

Peel
Removing the skin, rind or husk.

Poach
Slowly cooking in hot, but not boiling, water.

Pound
To hit a piece of meat in order to make it thinner. Often used to thin chicken so it can be rolled up and stuffed.

Puree
To cut, mash or grind food into a smooth paste.

-Q-

Quench
Placing an ingredient into cold water to stop the cooking process.

-R-

Reduce
To heat until a portion of ingredients are evaporated to intensify the flavor.

Rest
Allowing a dish to sit and slightly cool before cutting and serving. This can allow time for meats to re-absorb juices for a tastier result.

Rice
Similar to mashing, a ricer is used to force an ingredient through holes for a rice-like consistency.

Roast
Cooking in an uncovered pan in an oven.

-S-

Saute
To fry in a small amount of oil or fat until done.

Scald
Dipping ingredient in very hot water for a short time (usually less than 30 seconds) to allow for easier peeling.

Scale
Removing the scales from a fish. Also, an item used to measure weight.

Scallion
The same as a green onion, the white part can be unused to provide for a more mild taste in cooking.

Sear
To brown a meat quickly to provide for a sealed outer crust. Usually results in a juicier meat.

Seed
Removing the seeds.

Shred
Shredding may be done with a grater or a pair of forks or other tools. Basically, tearing into thin strips or bits.

Shock
Dropping a cooked ingredient into hot water to stop the cooking process.

Sieve
To strain off liquids.

Sift
Passing an ingredient through a fine screen to provide for a consistent, fluffy ingredient. Often used on flour.

Simmer
Cooking near boiling temperature with small bubbles.

Skim
To remove the top layer of a liquid. This can be used to remove some of the fat from soups and stews.

Skin
To remove the skin of an ingredient.

Stean
Cooking food with steam. Usually done in a basket or bamboo steamer.

Sweat
To soften ingredients until soft, but not browned.

-T-

Temper
Adding a bit of one ingredient into another to normalize the temperature before adding it into the other ingredient.

Tenderize
Making a meat more tender by hitting it or poking it with a mallet or tenderizer.

Truss
To tie or fasten food, such as a turkey, to keep it compact for more even cooking.

-U-

Unleavened
A baked good that doesn’t need to rise and has no yeast, baking powder, etc.

-W-

Whip
Beating until fluffy.

Whisk
To mix together until smooth. Usually with a whisk!

-Z-

Zest
To remove the very outermost layer of a fruit skin. In the example of a lemon, the zest has an intense lemon flavor and contains many of the fruit’s oils. This can be used to make very flavorful dishes. A tool called a "zester" can make this easier for you.