• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Food Above Gold logo

  • START HERE
  • Recipe Index
  • Culinary Techniques
  • Contact
    • About Food Above Gold
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Food Above Gold
  • Recipe Index
  • Culinary Techniques
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Uncategorized » Glossary

    Glossary

    Aug 1, 2015 · Modified: Feb 22, 2021 by Mackenzie Ryan · This post may contain affiliate links | Disclosure policy in footer.

    Glossary of Cooking Terms

     

    AL DENTE: In italian it means "to the tooth", meaning that the pasta is cooked through but still firm when bitten into

    AU JUS: A sauce made of the natural juices from meat.

    BLIND BAKE: Baking a crust without filling in it. This is best for pies or tarts that have filling that does not need baked, like custard.

    BISCUIT METHOD:  The process of breaking cold butter into small pieces in flour by using your hands, forks, or pastry blender.

    BOUQUET GARNI: An assortment on fresh herbs or other aromatics tied into a bundle with string. A basic bouquet garni usually has thyme springs, parsley stems, and bay leaves tightly placed between two vertical halves of a leek and tied together.

    CLARIFIED BUTTER:  Butter that has had the milk solids removed from it, leaving behind only the pure butter fat. Also known as ghee in Indian cooking.

    CRUMB:  The consistency of the inside of an item baked with flour. The crumb can show how dense an item is, whether it was commercially made or handmade, as well as how much water was in the dough.

    CUTTING BUTTER : Cutting butter is the process of breaking butter down into small pieces while mixing it with dry ingredients. This is usually done with short breads utilizing the biscuit method.

    DEMI-GLACE:  A sauce made by evaporating most of the liquid out of stock. This is done reducing it down to make it thick and gelatinous

    DRY-HEAT METHOD:  A cooking method where no water is necessary to cook. Dry-heat cooking can still use direct application of fat.

    EGG WASH : Eggs that have been beaten, sometime with the addition of another liquid, that is brushed on top of short breads to give color and sheen when baking.

    EMULSIFY/EMULSIFICATION : The process of breaking down a liquid into tiny particles so they can become temporarily cohesive with another liquid that usually wouldn't mix together (ex. oil & water). This is usually done with the aid of a surfactant or emulsifier such as egg yolk or mustard.

    GRANITA:  A frozen dessert that is made by freezing purée without the addition of other ingredients. Once frozen it is scraped into pieces with large ice crystals and served.

    MOIST-HEAT METHOD  A cooking method where liquid is necessary to aid in cooking - whether by direct application or steam.

    PROOFING:  The process of allowing yeast to become foamy and active. Usually this is reserved for active-dry yeast, and the yeast needs four times its weight in water to proof.

    RENDER:  When solid fat is heated up and melts to create a liquid fat to cook with. Example: Bacon fat.

    ROUX: A mixture of fat and flour, in equal parts by weight, to make a thickener for soups, sauces, etc...

    SABAYON: Also known as zabaione, this is the stage when an ingredient, such as egg yolks, thickens enough to create a "ribbon" when the whisk is removed from the ingredients and it drips back on itself. To tell if you've hit this stage, raise your whisk from the egg yolks and if the drippings take 1-2 seconds to sink back in, creating an effect that looks like a ribbon on top of the rest of the egg yolks, you've hit sabayon stage.

    SACHET:  French for "bag", a sachet is a collection of herbs and spices that are placed in the middle of a layer or two of cheesecloth and then tied into a bundle with a long string that can be used for easy removal of the sachet from what you are cooking, like stock.

    SHORT BREADS :  A type of baked good that is not leavened with yeast, but rather relies on a chemical reaction within it's ingredients, like baking soda, to create rise and expansion.

    SIEVE:  Similar to a colander except with finer holes, made by mesh, that is used for straining liquid or separating materials.

    SLURRY:  A mixture of water and cornstarch used for thickening. It is imperative for you to add the water into the cornstarch (not the other way around) to prevent clumping.

    SMOKE POINT:  The temperature at which the fats in your pan begin to burn - forming a visible smoke. Each fat has a different smoke point - so choose your fat based on your cooking method.

    « Grilling and Griddling: Cooking Methods 101
    Understanding the Different Types of Flour »

    Reader Interactions

    What are your thoughts? Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    a girl putting a flower behind her ear in a meadow.

    Hi! I'm Mackenzie! If you're looking for a modern culinary education at home, then you've come to the right place. Let me help you become your own master chef by learning professional cooking techniques without the cost of culinary school! Learn more about me and the blog.

    Comfort Foods

    • A wooden bowl of sauce next to fried onion strings.
      Homemade Crispy Onion Strings (French Fried Onions)
    • Skillet scalloped potatoes on a plate with asparagus and ham.
      Skillet Scalloped Potatoes with Mushroom Soup
    • Seared golden brown pork chops in a cast iron pan.
      Crispy Cast Iron Pork Chops
    • A red mug of soup with croutons and a spoon.
      Steak and Ale Soup with Mushrooms
    • Bacon wrapped chicken thigh on a plate next to roasted potatoes and asparagus.
      Smoky Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
    • A bacon wrapped burger on a bun with toppings.
      Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Burger Recipe

    Featured In:

    Business logos of popular websites

    Popular Recipes:

    • tray of biscoff cookie truffles on a wooden board with a blue napkin behind it
      No Bake Biscoff Cookie Truffles
    • a white tub of homemade custard ice cream in front of an ice cream maker
      How To Make Custard Ice Cream + Best Vanilla Custard Recipe
    • a tray of fruit with a french martini
      How To Make A Phenomenal French Martini
    • overhead image of a wooden bowl of caramelized onion at an angle
      How To Make Caramelized Onions Perfectly Golden Brown
    • small mason jar spilling out dry rub for ribs
      Ridiculously Good Dry Rub For Ribs
    • A stack of homemade tortillas in a kitchen towel
      Homemade Corn Tortillas (That Don't Fall Apart!)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates!

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 Food Above Gold

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest