Words for making
good food easier.

A bright-tasting ingredient such as lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar that balances richness and adds lift.

Cooked until tender but still pleasantly firm when bitten.

Flavor-building ingredients, often onion, garlic, ginger, celery, or herbs, used early in cooking.

Preparing a useful ingredient or meal component in quantity for several later meals.

To briefly cook food in boiling water, then usually cool it quickly to stop the cooking.

To cook food gently with a small amount of liquid in a covered pan or pot.

A savory cooking liquid used for soups, grains, and sauces.

The browning of natural sugars during cooking, which adds deeper flavor and color.

Thin ribbons of leafy greens or herbs made by stacking, rolling, and slicing the leaves.

To cut food into rough, bite-sized pieces.

The time an ingredient or dish spends actively cooking after preparation is complete.

The transfer of allergens, bacteria, or other substances from one food, surface, or utensil to another.

Raw, cut vegetables served as a snack or alongside a dip.

To cut food into small, relatively even cubes.

A sauce, often made with oil, acid, and seasonings, used to finish salads, bowls, or vegetables.

To combine ingredients that do not naturally stay mixed, such as oil and lemon juice, into a more unified sauce.

A type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that is not fully digested by the body.

To gently combine ingredients with a lifting motion so delicate textures are not overworked.

A meal in a bowl that pairs cooked grains with vegetables, a protein-rich component, and a sauce or dressing.

To cut food into thin matchstick-shaped strips.

To soften fruit or vegetables by letting them stand with a small amount of sugar, salt, or acid.

The flavor and color changes that happen when proteins and sugars brown during cooking.

Planning or preparing food components ahead of time to make later meals easier.

To cut an ingredient into very small pieces.

Water containing naturally occurring or added minerals; sparkling versions contain carbonation.

A French kitchen term for measuring, chopping, and arranging ingredients before cooking begins.

A substance in food that the body uses for energy, growth, or normal function.

Describing meals that emphasize vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and other plant foods without requiring an all-or-nothing label.

The estimated time needed to wash, measure, chop, and assemble ingredients before cooking.

To process food in short bursts, usually in a blender or food processor, for more control over texture.

Vegetables briefly seasoned with vinegar, salt, and sometimes sugar rather than preserved for long storage.

To cook food with dry heat, usually in an oven, until tender and browned at the edges.

To cook food quickly in a shallow pan over relatively high heat with a small amount of fat or liquid.

To add salt, acid, herbs, spices, or other flavoring ingredients to improve balance and taste.

The amount of a food or recipe used as the basis for a nutrition estimate or recipe yield.

To cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface.

To leave an ingredient in water or another liquid to soften, clean, or hydrate it.

To cook food with the heat of vapor rather than direct contact with boiling water.

Fruit with a large pit in the center, such as peaches, plums, cherries, or apricots.

A smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds, often used in dressings, sauces, and dips.

The physical feel of food, such as crisp, creamy, tender, chewy, or crunchy.

A savory taste associated with ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes, fermented foods, and toasted seeds.

A dressing typically made by emulsifying oil with vinegar or another acid and seasonings.

A grain that retains its bran, germ, and endosperm rather than having those components removed during refining.

To beat ingredients rapidly with a wire whisk or fork to combine them or add air.

The colored outermost layer of citrus peel, used for aroma and flavor.