3K's Vocabulary List
April 20, 2012
Posted By: Charlotte Abrams
Ever been following a recipe only to be stumped by the vocab? "Cook until fragrant? I could smell it when I chopped it!" With that in mind, we compiled a short guide of terms frequently found when reading recipes and put them in the words of 3K. This glossary with make cooking our recipes even easier.
Beat: this technique is like mixing but faster and usually intended for the beaters of an electric mixer, if you don't have one, then mix violently by hand
Blend: make sure all the ingredients are evenly combined, no pockets or spots of one thing or another
Caramelize: a longer cooking method that browns the sugars in the food, you’re looking for a rich golden brown color and sweetness on vegetables, and a crispy crust on meats
Caramelize: a longer cooking method that browns the sugars in the food, you’re looking for a rich golden brown color and sweetness on vegetables, and a crispy crust on meats
Charred: burnt, but in a good way, a little bit of charring is nice when grilling and toasting
Chop: a somewhat uniform cut, about ½ inch in size, nothing fussy
Combine: mix together
Coat: make sure the entire surface is covered, but no excess
Even Layer: make sure nothing is overlapping, every piece should be touching the cooking vessel or surface
Fold: use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl until it’s underneath the mixture then gently scoop what’s on the bottom to the top with a folding (flipping) motion; its one graceful movement
Even Layer: make sure nothing is overlapping, every piece should be touching the cooking vessel or surface
Fold: use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl until it’s underneath the mixture then gently scoop what’s on the bottom to the top with a folding (flipping) motion; its one graceful movement
Fluffy: it should look like some air has been incorporated into it, a little bit of lift
Fragrant: you’re just trying to cook off the raw smell, so cook until it starts smelling cooked or nutty, usually no more than a minute or so
Fry: more oil than sauteing, medium-high to high heat
Minced: chopped until you can no longer chop, a fine grain, like crushed crackers
Pinch: use three fingers and pinch it up
Roast: same thing as bake, just sounds better for different applications, just put it in the oven at the temperature specified
Minced: chopped until you can no longer chop, a fine grain, like crushed crackers
Pinch: use three fingers and pinch it up
Roast: same thing as bake, just sounds better for different applications, just put it in the oven at the temperature specified
Rough Chop: just cut it up, it really doesn’t matter what size or if it’s even
Saute: a medium to high heat cooking method in a small amount of oil or butter, keep the food moving by stirring or shaking to evenly cook
Saute: a medium to high heat cooking method in a small amount of oil or butter, keep the food moving by stirring or shaking to evenly cook
Sear: a high heat, don’t move the food about, let it get a crust on one side before turning
Thickened: adding viscosity to liquid, it should coat the back of a spoon without immediately dripping off
Simmer: tiny bubbles will rise to the surface
Smashed and Peeled: place a clove of garlic under your knife turned on it's side and use your fist or palm to whack the clove, not too hard, just hard enough to crack it, then peel off the papery skin
Sweat: extracting the liquid to break down the fibers to make soft but not brown, use a gentle heat
Swirl: lift your pan from the stove and rotate your wrist, creating a swirl in the liquid
Toss: lightly combine and coat, nothing fussy
Did we miss a term you’d like defined? Let us know in the comments!
Toss: lightly combine and coat, nothing fussy
Did we miss a term you’d like defined? Let us know in the comments!
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