| A | B |
|---|
| Chop | To cut food into small, uneven pieces. |
| Mince | To cut food into very fine, uneven pieces. |
| Cube | To cut food into small, equal size squares about ½ inch in size. |
| Dice | To cut food into small, equal size squares about ¼ to 1/8 inch in size. |
| Grate | To reduce food into small pieces by pressing and rubbing it against the “teeth” of a grater. |
| Shred | To cut or break food into long, thin strips by using a knife, fork, or grater. |
| Pare | To remove the stem and the very thin layer of peel of a fruit or vegetable with a paring knife or peeler. |
| Peel | To remove the outer layer/skin, by stripping or pulling off with your fingers or a knife. |
| Score | To make small, straight, shallow cuts with a slicing knife in the surface of a food; often done to tenderize meat or to let sauces soak in. |
| Slice | To cut food into large, thick or thin flat pieces with a slicing knife. Use a sawing motion while gently pressing the knife down. |
| Beat | To thoroughly mix ingredients and incorporate air using a spoon, wire whisk, mixer, or food processor with an up-and-down and circular motion |
| Blend | To stir or mix ingredients until they are thoroughly combined and smooth |
| Combine | To blend or mix two or more ingredients |
| Cream | To beat solid fat and sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth, light, and creamy |
| Cut-in | To combine flour and solid fat by cutting the fat into tiny pieces using a pastry blender, two forks or knives, or the hands |
| Fold | To blend a delicate mixture into a heavier one, using a rubber spatula, spoon, or wire whisk in a gentle up, down, and over motion so that the mixture stays light |
| Knead | To work a ball of dough with the heels of the hands repeating press, fold, and turn motions until the dough is smooth and elastic |
| Mix | To combine two or more ingredients into one mass by stirring or beating them |
| Sift | To reduce dry ingredients to finer particles, add air to dry ingredients, or combine dry ingredients by putting them through a sieve |
| Stir | To mix using a spoon or wire whisk with a circular motion |
| Toss | To lightly mix ingredients by tumbling them with tongs or a large fork and spoon |
| Whip | To beat quickly and vigorously by hand, wire whisk, or mixer to incorporate air and to make a mixture light and fluffy |
| Bake | To cook in an oven with dry, hot air |
| Broil | To cook uncovered under a direct heat source |
| Grill | To broil over hot coals or on a griddle |
| Roast | To cook meat, fish, or poultry uncovered in an oven with dry, hot air |
| Barbeque | To roast slowly on a rack or spit over hot coals or some other direct heat source and baste with a spicy sauce |
| Boil | To cook food in hot liquid, 2120F, having bubbles that rise to and break on the surface of the liquid |
| Braise | To cook large pieces of meat or poultry slowly over low heat in a small amount of hot liquid in a tightly covered pan |
| Microwave | To cook food in a microwave oven using little or no liquid |
| Simmer | To cook food in liquid that is just below the boiling point |
| Steam | To cook food in a pan using vapor produced by a boiling liquid |
| Deep-fry | To cook food by completely immersing in hot fat; also know as French frying |
| Fry | To cook food in a small amount of hot fat |
| Sauté | To lightly brown or cook food in a small amount of hot fat; also called pan-frying |
| Stir fry | To cook small pieces of food quickly over high heat in a small amount of fat while stirring constantly |
| Preheat | To turn on an appliance or oven to a desired temperature about 5 – 10 minutes before the food is to be placed in it |
