Cooking Terms for Newbies

To learn cooking, you must first know the basics. Along with the basic techniques and methods, you should also learn the basic terms used in cooking. Knowing these terms will make it easier for you to follow the procedures in recipes.

The terms below are used in cooking the Chicken Cacciatore, a recipe from Food Network.

Halves. To divide into two equal parts or almost equal sizes using a knife. In the sample recipe, the skinless chicken breasts need to be halved on the bone.

Mince. To chop or cut an ingredient into very small pieces. The garlic cloves in the recipe should be minced.

Pat dry. To dry an ingredient gently using a kitchen towel. The recipe requires you to pat dry the rinsed halves chicken breasts.

Season. To improve flavor by adding salt, herbs, or spices when cooking. You need to season the prepared chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Brown. To fry an ingredient in a pan until it changes color. Brown the seasoned chicken using a saute pan.

Simmering. To cook food in hot liquid below the boiling of of water or 185 degrees to 200 degrees F. You will need to simmer the mixture of ingredients as well as the browned chicken breasts.

These are just a small portion of cooking terms. There are more cooking terms out there and I will probably post other cooking terms in the future. Try the recipe to familiarize yourself with these basic cooking terms.