Culinary Dictionary

The world of cooking and culinary art, with a lot of cooking materials, recipes, and culinary terms, can be daunting at times. As a beginner, aside from the fact that you should learn about the basics of cooking like the materials and the safety precautionary measures, it is important that you are aware of the many cooking terms of the culinary industry. A culinary dictionary is one of the most useful tools that you should have. Below are the basic glossary of cooking terms, with its respective cooking term definition.

Aerate is synonymous with the term ‘sift’, meaning to pass fine ingredients through a device primarily to break up larger pieces of the ingredients while incorporating air into the, making them lighter. Al dente is an Italian term that means ‘to the tooth’. This means that the pasta is cooked enough to keep its firm yet chewy texture. Bake means to cook into the oven. It also is defined as the food that is slowly cooked using gentle heat, thus causing the natural moisture of the food to slowly evaporate, concentrating more on the flavor. Baste is to spoon or to brush liquid fat or juice over a roasted meat to add some flavor and prevent it from drying during the roasting method. Batter is another term in the culinary dictionary that means a mixture of fat, flour, or butter, thin enough in its consistency. These are used primarily in cookie and cake preparations. This is different from the dough because the latter maintains its shape. Beat is the term used that means to smoothen a particular mixture by whipping it briskly or stirring it continuously with a fork, a spoon, a wire whisk, a rotary mixer, or an electrical mixer, until the desired consistency is achieved.

Caramelization is the term that means browning sugar over flame, even with or without water to help this process. Normally, the temperature range where the sugar starts to caramelize is about 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Coddle is another cooking method where food, like eggs, are placed in separate containers, before putting it in a pan that is full of simmering water, primarily for slow yet gentle cooking. Custard is that mixture of beaten milk, eggs, and other sweet and savory flavorings. The mixture is gentle cooked under medium heat, often on double boilers or water bath. As for the pie filling, the custard is cooked frequently and chilled before layered into a crust that is already pre-baked.

Dredge means to sprinkle evenly and lightly with flour or sugar. Dredgers have holes that are pierced on the lids so that even sprinkling is attained. Drippings are those that are used for sauces and gravies. These are basically the liquids that are left at the bottom of a frying or roasting pan right after the meat is cooked. Emulsion is another term in a culinary dictionary that means a mixtures of liquids, one being water based and the other one being oil or fat so that smaller globules of each are equally suspended between each other. Entrée is a French term originally referring to the very first course of a particular meal that is served right after the soup but before the other courses of meat.

Ganache is a very rich chocolate coating or filling that is made with vegetable shortening, chocolate, or even heavy cream. This is the one that serves as the coat for cookies and cakes, and is sometimes used as truffle fillings. Glaze is that particular liquid that gives the food a shiny and attractive surface. Some examples are the fruit jams that are heated and chocolate thinned along with shortening from melted vegetables.

There are actually a lot of culinary terms that you should be aware of. Read more about them over the Internet, or you can try to purchase cookbooks with cooking terms that are made easy. Equip yourself with the basics of cooking so that you will not have a hard time, come your cooking situations.