Talk like a Chef!
Talk like a Chef
Every chef needs their tools. And for someone interested in becoming a chef, here is a brief and basic first step to becoming a chef. Listed below is a list of commonly used chef cooking words that chefs use every day in the kitchen. Get familiar with these words. Start integrating them into your at-home cooking routine. Every small step counts towards becoming a chef, so get started by learning some simple vocabulary.
Bake: cook food in the oven
Beat: use a fast up and down motion, over and over again to make something smooth (IE: Beat eggs)
Blend: to mix together two or more ingredients until they are no longer separate
Boil: to heat a liquid on top of the stove over high heat until it bubbles
Brown: to cook food until it starts to look brown
Chill: to put food in the refrigerator to make it cool
Chop: using a knife and cutting board to make something into a smaller size or shape. First you may slice a food (onion) and then cut the slices into smaller pieces.
Combine: mix ingredients together
Cool: to let food sit at room temperature until it is no longer warm to touch. Often applies to baked goods.
Crack (egg): to break open the outer shell of an egg and release the white and yolk. You can tap the egg gently with a table knife or hit it on the side of a thin edged bowl or pot. With your fingers, pull apart the two halves of the shell and let the insides fall into a bowl.
Cream: to beat/blend something until it is soft and smooth
Dash or Pinch: a few grains (a dash is usually a small amount picked up by pinching a small amount between two fingers)
Dissolve: stir a dry ingredient (such as sugar) into a liquid (such as water) until it disappears
Drain: to empty food into a colander or drainer to separate the liquid from the solids
Grate: to make into small pieces by rubbing against a grater
Grease: to rub butter or oil onto a baking pan to prevent food from sticking. Use a paper towel or waxed paper to rub all corners and edges of pan.
Measure: to get a specific amount of an ingredient
Melt: to turn a solid into a liquid by heating it
Mix: to stir ingredients together
Pack: used mostly with brown sugar, is to press the sugar firmly into a measuring cup so that it is not loose
Peel: to remove the outer skin from vegetables or fruits using a vegetable peeler (carrots, potatoes) or your hands (oranges, bananas)
Preheat: to turn the oven on to a certain temperature before starting to cook so the oven is already at the correct temperature when you need to put something in to bake
Shred: to use a knife or shredder to make long, thin pieces (lettuce, cheese, etc.)
Sift: to shake dry ingredients through a sieve or sifter to make them a fine powder and/or remove any lumps
Simmer: to heat a liquid mixture on medium heat so that small bubbles break on the surface but the mixture does not come to a full boil
Slice: to cut thin pieces off the end of a food using a sharp knife (younger children should not do this task). Hold the food firmly with one hand and using the knife make thin cuts starting at one end and continuing until the whole food is cut.
Toss: to mix ingredients gently in a bowl using two spoons, your hands or serving utensils. Usually refers to "tossing" a salad.
Whisk: to use a side-to-side motion with a wire whisk for combining ingredients
So remember when you are in the kitchen, practice using your chef vocabulary to get you in the habit of using the right words. Best of luck to you and happy cooking!
Be sure to read all my articles featured at http://www.talenttrove.com or Visit http://www.talenttrove.com/SJ2009
Every chef needs their tools. And for someone interested in becoming a chef, here is a brief and basic first step to becoming a chef. Listed below is a list of commonly used chef cooking words that chefs use every day in the kitchen. Get familiar with these words. Start integrating them into your at-home cooking routine. Every small step counts towards becoming a chef, so get started by learning some simple vocabulary.
Bake: cook food in the oven
Beat: use a fast up and down motion, over and over again to make something smooth (IE: Beat eggs)
Blend: to mix together two or more ingredients until they are no longer separate
Boil: to heat a liquid on top of the stove over high heat until it bubbles
Brown: to cook food until it starts to look brown
Chill: to put food in the refrigerator to make it cool
Chop: using a knife and cutting board to make something into a smaller size or shape. First you may slice a food (onion) and then cut the slices into smaller pieces.
Combine: mix ingredients together
Cool: to let food sit at room temperature until it is no longer warm to touch. Often applies to baked goods.
Crack (egg): to break open the outer shell of an egg and release the white and yolk. You can tap the egg gently with a table knife or hit it on the side of a thin edged bowl or pot. With your fingers, pull apart the two halves of the shell and let the insides fall into a bowl.
Cream: to beat/blend something until it is soft and smooth
Dash or Pinch: a few grains (a dash is usually a small amount picked up by pinching a small amount between two fingers)
Dissolve: stir a dry ingredient (such as sugar) into a liquid (such as water) until it disappears
Drain: to empty food into a colander or drainer to separate the liquid from the solids
Grate: to make into small pieces by rubbing against a grater
Grease: to rub butter or oil onto a baking pan to prevent food from sticking. Use a paper towel or waxed paper to rub all corners and edges of pan.
Measure: to get a specific amount of an ingredient
Melt: to turn a solid into a liquid by heating it
Mix: to stir ingredients together
Pack: used mostly with brown sugar, is to press the sugar firmly into a measuring cup so that it is not loose
Peel: to remove the outer skin from vegetables or fruits using a vegetable peeler (carrots, potatoes) or your hands (oranges, bananas)
Preheat: to turn the oven on to a certain temperature before starting to cook so the oven is already at the correct temperature when you need to put something in to bake
Shred: to use a knife or shredder to make long, thin pieces (lettuce, cheese, etc.)
Sift: to shake dry ingredients through a sieve or sifter to make them a fine powder and/or remove any lumps
Simmer: to heat a liquid mixture on medium heat so that small bubbles break on the surface but the mixture does not come to a full boil
Slice: to cut thin pieces off the end of a food using a sharp knife (younger children should not do this task). Hold the food firmly with one hand and using the knife make thin cuts starting at one end and continuing until the whole food is cut.
Toss: to mix ingredients gently in a bowl using two spoons, your hands or serving utensils. Usually refers to "tossing" a salad.
Whisk: to use a side-to-side motion with a wire whisk for combining ingredients
So remember when you are in the kitchen, practice using your chef vocabulary to get you in the habit of using the right words. Best of luck to you and happy cooking!
Be sure to read all my articles featured at http://www.talenttrove.com or Visit http://www.talenttrove.com/SJ2009
