Cutting and Mixing Foods and Ingredients Cutting Terms

Cutting and Mixing Foods and Ingredients

Cutting Terms Chop: To cut into small pieces using a sharp knife, food processor or blender. Core: remove the center, or core, of a food using a sharp knife or coring tool. Dice/Cube: cut into small, even cubes using a sharp knife. Shred/Grate: To rub against a rough surface as to cut into small pieces (usually a grater).

Chop

Core

Dice/Chop

Shred/Grate

Mince: cut into very small pieces with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Peel: To remove the outer skin of a fruit or vegetable with a paring knife or peeler. You generally peel fruits like oranges and bananas by hand. Slice: To cut into thin slices by cutting across the food with a knife or food processor. Slice vegetable before cooking. Slice bread and meat before cooking.

Minced Garlic

Peel

Slice

Mixing Terms Blend: To thoroughly mix two or more ingredients until smooth. You can use spoons, electric mixer, or blender. Beat: mix fast bringing the ingredients to the top of the bowl and back down again. (spoons, rotary beaters, or electric mixers are used for beating) Mix/Combine: mix two or more ingredients together in any way. Fold In: To mix a light, airy substance with a more solid substance by slowly and gently turning one over the other.

Blend

Beat

o C / x i M e n i mb

Fold In

Cream: To beat ingredients with a whisk or electric mixer at a very high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy Stir: To mix foods by moving the spoon around in a bowl or pan to prevent sticking. Cut in: to mix a soft ingredient into flour with a pastry blender or a fork and two knives until the particles are preferred size. Whip: To make smooth with a quick stirring motion using a spoon, wire whisk, eggbeater, or electric mixer.

Crea m

Stir

Cut- in Shortening

Whip

Recipe Terms Saute: cooking food that uses a small amount of oil or fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Season: To add salt, pepper, herbs, or spices to change the taste. Boil: To cook in a liquid that is so hot it bubbles and steams Simmer: To leave on low heat so that the food is very hot but not boiling

saute

Season

Boil

Simmer

Recipe Terms Brown: To cook food (usually meat) over high heat briefly until the surface turns brown without cooking through the interior. Toss: To coat fruits and vegetables with a liquid by lifting and turning them gently into two forks or a fork and a spoon. Bake: To cook in an oven. Marinate: soak food in a marinade generally for hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Brown

Toss

Bake

Marinate

Recipe Terms Roast: a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air envelopes the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least 150 °C. Steam: To cook food over boiling water in the hot, rising steam. Bread: The process of covering food with bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or also nuts, before it is cooked to improve the flavor and texture of the food after it has been prepared. Puree: A smooth cream of liquidized or crushed fruit or vegetables.

Roast

Steam

Bread

Puree

Recipe Terms Baste: To pour fat or juices over (meat) during cooking in order to keep it moist. Strain/Drain: To pass a substance through a filter to separate the liquids from the solids. Knead: To curve the fingers and fold dough toward you, then push it away with the heels of your hand, using a quick rocking motion. Garnish: Adding decorations to your food.

Baste

Drain

Garnish

Recipe Terms Fry: To cook over direct heat in hot oil or butter. Dissolve: To stir a dry ingredient into a liquid until the dry part disappears. Chill: Place in the refrigerator until cold. Preheat: To warm an oven ahead of cooking time.

Fr yin g

Dissolve

Chill

Preheat

Recipe Terms Grease: To spread the bottom and sides of a dish with butter, shortening, or vegetable spray. Melt: To change from a solid to a liquid by heating at a low temperature. Sift: To put dry ingredients through a fine meshed screen to get rid of solid lumps. Ingredients: Food or food products used in recipes.

Grease

Melt

Sifting

Ingredients