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Glossary of Culinary Terms
Angelfood cake- a type of cake made
from meringue (egg white and sugar)
and flour.
Baguette- a French bread that has been
formed into a long, narrow cylindrical
loaf. It usually has a crisp brown crust
and light, chewy interior.
Basting- to spoon or brush foods as it
cooks with melted butter or other fat,
meat drippings, or liquid such as stock.
Beurre blanc- a French sauce made of
butter, vinegar, and wine. It is a very
delicate sauce and can be served with
poultry, seafood, vegetables and eggs.
Biscotti- a twice-baked Italian biscuit
(cookie) that’s made first by itself in a
loaf, then slicing the loaf and baking the
slices. The result is an intensely crunchy
cookie that is perfect for dipping into
dessert wine or coffee.
Blend- To mix two or more ingredients to
achieve a certain quality.
Blanch- to partially cook in boiling water.
Blind-Baked- baking a pastry shell
before it is filled. The shell is usually
pricked all over with a fork to prevent it
from blistering and rising.
Braising- a cooking method by which
food (usually meat or vegetables) is first
browned in fat, then cooked, tightly cov-
ered, in a small amount of liquid at low
heat for a long period of time.
Brisket- a cut of beef taken from the
breast section under the first five ribs.
Brisket is best when braised.
Broth- a liquid resulting from boiling
vegetables and meats in water.
Bundt pan- a tube pan with fluted sides.
It is important to grease this pan very
well when baking so batter doesn’t stick
in the fluted sides.
Caramelize- to cook sugar or a food with
a naturally high sugar content (such as
some vegetables and meats) over high
heat to brown the natural sugars and
develop a deeper flavor.
Carry over cooking- this is the cooking
of food that occurs after it has been
pulled out of the oven. Foods will cook
an additional 5-10˚. This is especially
important when roasting foods, as this
extra time will allow juices to redistrib-
ute in a roast, making it both juicier and
easier to carve.
Challah- a rich egg bread, often made
as a braided loaf.
Cheesecloth- a lightweight, natural
cotton cloth that won’t fall apart when
wet and will not flavor the food it touches.
It has various uses: a turkey wrapped in
cheesecloth will remain moist if basted;
a rack wrapped in cheesecloth will
prevent dehydrated foods from falling
through, etc.
Chiffon cake- a cake of folded whipped
egg whites into a batter of flour, yolks,
and oil.
Chopped- Using quick, heavy blows with
a knife to cut food into bite-sized pieces.
A food processor may also be used to
chop foods.
Creaming - the process of beating fat
and sugar together to blend them
uniformly and to incorporate air.
Crème Brulee- a rich custard with a
brittle top crust of caramelized sugar.
The French name means “burnt cream.”
Crepe- a very thin French pancake, often
served rolled around a filling.
Croissant- a flaky, buttery yeast roll
shaped like a crescent.
Cut-in- to mix a solid, cold fat (such as
butter) with dry ingredients (such as
flour). This is often acheieved by using
a pastry cutter or a fork. A good consis-
tency is to form the fat and the dry
ingredients into about the size of a pea
Deglaze- after meats have been sautéed
in a pan and excess fat has been
removed, deglazing is done by reducing
the heat and pouring in a small amount
of liquid (usually stock or wine). This liq-
uid is used to loosen the small browned
bits of food on the bottom of the pan.
The results usually becomes a sauce to
accompany the sautéed meat.
Docking- piercing or perforating pastry
dough before baking to allow steam to
escape and to avoid blistering.
Dredge- to sprinkle thoroughly with
sugar or another dry powder.
Eclairs- a dessert made of boiling water
or milk, butter, flour and eggs. May also
be called cream puffs.
Emulsify- a uniform mixture of two or
more unmixable substances, such as
olive oil and vinegar.
Fermentation- the process by which
yeast changes carbohydrates into
carbon dioxide gas and alcohol.
Fold- a technique to combine a light, airy
mixture with a heavier mixture. The
lighter mixture is placed on top of the
heavier one in a large bowl. A rubber
spatula is then used to cut down the
middle of the bowl, across the bottom of
the bowl and then up the side. The bowl
is then turned, and this technique is
repeated until the two mixtures are
fully combined.
Free form breads- any yeast dough that
is shaped and placed on a cookie sheet
to be baked.
Genoise cake- a sponge cake made
with a batter containing melted butter.
Glaze- a shiny coating, such as a syrup,
applied to a food. An alternate meaning
is to make a food shiny or glossy by
coating it with a glaze or by browning it
in an oven.
Gougere- a savory form of a cream puff.
Grate- to reduce large pieces of food
into shreds. This is usually accomplished
by rubbing the food against a grater.
Jelly roll pan- A cookie sheet that is
made of a light-colored aluminum and
has a 1-inch rim around it.
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Knead- the technique of pressing, fold-
ing and turning a yeast dough in order to
develop its glutens, causing the dough to
rise. It is essential for any yeast dough.
A well-kneaded dough will be smooth
and elastic.
Macaroons- a cookie made of eggs
(usually whites) and almond paste or
coconut.
Mince- to cut food into very small pieces.
Mousse- a soft or creamy dessert that is
made light by the addition of whipped
cream, egg whites, or both.
Parchment paper- oil and moisture-
resistant paper used to line baking
sheets and pans to prevent baked items
from sticking.
Pavlova- a crisp meringue dessert
topped whipped cream and fruit or
fruit sauce.
Peel- a flat wooden shovel used to
place hearth breads in an oven and to
remove them.
Phyllo- a paper- thin dough or pastry
used to make strudels or various Greek
or Mediterranean desserts.
Pissaladiere- a flaky, pizza-like tart
topped with onions, black olives and
tomatoes. It is a specialty of Nice, France.
Popovers- a puffy, muffin-sized bread
with crisp brown crust and a somewhat
hollow, moist interior. The batter consists
of milk, flour, butter and eggs and
expands as it bakes.
Profiterole- a small puff of éclair paste.
Often filled with ice cream and served
with chocolate sauce.
Proof- the process of fermenting yeast
dough. This starts with dissolving yeast
in a warm liquid, then allowing it to
swell and become bubbly. This “proves”
that the yeast is alive and is capable of
producing a leavened bread.
Prosciutto- dry-cured, spiced Italian
ham. Available in gourmet markets.
Puff pastry- a very light, flaky pastry
made from a rolled-in dough and leav-
ened by steam, Puff Pastry is a rolled-in
dough—meaning that it has many layers
of fat (butter) sandwiched between
layers of dough. When the butter melts,
it releases steam, causing the dough to
puff up. Great care needs to be taken
to have the correct dough ingredient
amounts and the butter needs to be
refrigerated before baking to get the
maximum rise.
Puree- a food made into a smooth pulp,
usually by being ground or forced
through a sieve.
Reduce- to thicken and intensify the
flavor of a sauce by boiling it down
through evaporation.
Sauté- to cook food quickly in a small
amount of oil.
Scones- a type of biscuit or a biscuit-like
bread.
Sear- to brown meat quickly. The object
of searing is to seal in the meat’s juices.
Shock- to submerge briefly in ice- water
to stop the cooking process.
Shortbread- a crisp cookie made of
butter, sugar, and flour.
Simmer- to cook food gently in liquid at a
temperature low enough to just form tiny
bubbles around the edge of the pan.
Soufflé- a baked dish containing
whipped egg whites, which cause the
dish to rise during baking.
Sponge- a batter or dough of yeast, flour
and water that is allowed to ferment and
is then mixed with flour and other ingre-
dients to make a bread dough.
Sponge cake- a type of cake made by
whipping eggs and sugar to a foam, then
folding in flour.
Springform Pan- a round pan with high,
straight sides that expand with the aid or
a spring or clamp. The pan also has a
removable bottom when the clamp on
the side is released. This allows cakes
to be removed easily by removing the
pan’s sides.
Stock- a liquid resulting from boiling
vegetables, meats and their bones
in water.
Stollen- a type of sweet yeast bread
with fruit.
Streusel- a crumbly topping for baked
goods, consisting of fat, sugar, and flour
rubbed together.
Superfine sugar- more finely granulated
sugar. To make this, you can grind
granulated sugar in a food processor.
This type of sugar is better for baking, or
topping/ broiling crème brulee.
Tart pan- a shallow, round baking dish
made of aluminum with a removable
bottom. The 1-inch sides of the pan are
fluted.
Tempering- the process of melting and
cooling chocolate to specific tempera-
tures in order to prepare it for dipping,
coating or molding.
Wash- a liquid brushed onto the surface
of a product, usually before baking.
Water Bath or Bain Marie- a technique
used to cook delicate dishes, such as
custards and sauces. It consists of
placing a container of food in a large,
shallow pan of water. The food can be
cooked in this manner on the cooktop
or in the oven. The purpose of this
technique is to surround the food with
gentle, consistent heat.
Whip- to beat ingredients to incorporate
air into them, thereby increasing their
volume, until they are light and fluffy.
This technique is commonly used for
egg whites and cream.
Zest- the colored outer portion of a
citrus fruit’s peel.
Glossary of Culinary Terms