Wondering what some of the cooking terms mean? Well let us try to sort that out for you, and if there are terms that we've missed (as I'm sure there will be) please let us know so we can add them.
Bacon
A cut of pork from the sides and belly; consists of fat interspersed with strands of meat; it is salted and/or smoked, available sliced or in a slab.
Bagel
A dense, doughnut-shaped Jewish yeast roll; cooked in boiling water, then baked, which gives the rolls a shiny glaze and chewy texture.
Baguette
A long, thin, crisp loaf of French bread.
Bain-marie
A pan of water that is used to help mixtures such as custards bake evenly and to protect them from the direct heat of the oven.
Bake To cook in the oven. Food is cooked slowly with dry gentle heat, causing the natural moisture to evaporate slowly, concentrating the flavour.
Bake Blind (also called blind baking)
A term for baking a pastry shell before it is filled. There are two methods used. 1. The unbaked shell is first pricked all over with a fork to prevent it from blistering and rising and then baked. 2. The unbaked shell is lined with foil or parchment paper, then filled with dried beans or rice, clean pebbles (a French practice) or speciality pie weights made of metal or ceramic. The weights and foil or parchment paper should be removed a few minutes before the baking time is over to allow the crust to brown evenly.
Baking Powder A raising agent that reacts to produce carbon dioxide which expands during baking to ensure that cakes and breads rise.
Baking Soda
sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline compound that releases carbon dioxide gas when combined with an acid and moisture; used to leaven baked goods.
Balsamic Vinegar Dark brown vinegar from Italy, made from grape juice aged in wooden casks. It is aged and blended for many years in a succession of casks made of different woods and gradually diminishing in size. The result is a thick, tart-sweet, intensely aromatic vinegar.
Banana
The berry of a large tropical herb; the fruit grows in clusters (hands) and is long and curving with a brown-stained yellow skin (it is harvested while still green), a slightly sticky, floury, off-white pulp and a distinctive sweet flavour and aroma.
Banbury Cake A oval flaky pastry filled with currants, lemon peel, and spices cake, from Oxfordshire.
Banger Slang for a sausage.
Bannock A large, round traditional Scottish cake of made from barley, wheat or oatmeal, varying according to region.
Bap A light bread oval bread roll with a soft floury crust and light inner crumb.
Bara Brith A traditional Wales fruit bread or cake.
Bard To cover lean meat with strips of bacon to prevent it drying out whilst cooking.
Barbary Duck Breed of duck not as fatty than common duck, requires more basting.
Barbecue
To cook over the embers or coals of an open fire.
Barley
A small, spherical grain grown worldwide and usually pearled to remove its outer husk; the white grain has a slightly sweet, nutty, earthy flavour, chewy texture and high starch content; also known as pearl barley.
Basil
An herb and member of the mint family; has soft, shiny light green leaves, small white flowers and a strong, pungent peppery flavour reminiscent of liquorice and cloves (other varieties are available with flavours reminiscent of foods such as cinnamon, garlic, lemon and chocolate); available fresh and dried; also known as sweet basil.
Basmati
A deliciously flavoured long-grain rice from India.
Baste
To brush or spoon liquid fat or drippings over meat during roasting to add flavor and to prevent it from drying out.
Baster
A large kitchen syringe used to baste meats with their own gravy, another liquid, or melted fat.
Batter A mixture of flour, fat, and liquid that is thin enough in consistency to require a pan to encase it. Used in such preparations as cakes and some cookies. A batter is different from dough, which maintains its shape.
Bavarian
A type of custard made by folding together whipped cream and a flavourful liquid mixture, usually a crème anglaise flavoured with vanilla, coffee, chocolate, or a fruit puree.
Bay Leaves
From a small tree of the laurel family native to Asia; produces firm leaves, which are shiny on top and dull beneath; used as an herb, the leaves impart a lemon-nutmeg flavour and are usually removed from whatever food they are used to flavour before the item is eaten.
Béarnaise sauce
A Hollandaise sauce with a tarragon vinegar mixture added for use with meat and fish
Beat To smoothen a mixture by briskly whipping or stirring it with a spoon, fork, wire whisk, rotary beater, or electric mixer.
Béchamel
A white sauce made with whole milk thickened with a white roux, and flavoured with aromatic vegetables.
Beet
A large bulbous edible root with an edible leafy green top; its colour is typically garnet red but can range from pinkish-white to deep red; also know as the garden beet, red beet and beetroot.
Bell Pepper
A large fresh sweet pepper with a bell-like shape, thick juicy flesh, a mild sweet flavour and available in various colours, including green, red , white, brown, purple, yellow and orange; also known as a sweet pepper, sweet bell pepper and green pepper.
Beurre Manie
Thickener made by combining 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Form into small balls. A thick, buttery paste will result. Beurre Manie is beaten into the cooking liquid of casseroles or soups of sauces that are too thin, or that are meant to be thickened after the cooking is almost complete.
Beurre Blanc
A rich butter sauce made by whisking butter into a reduction of white wine, white wine vinegar, and shallots, and sometimes finished with fresh herbs or other seasoning.
Bias-slice To slice a food crosswise at a 45-degree angle.
Bibb Lettuce
A variety of butter-head lettuce with soft, pliable green leaves that have a buttery texture and flavour and are smaller and darker than Boston lettuce leaves; also known as limestone lettuce.
Bind To thicken a sauce or hot liquid by stirring in ingredients such as eggs, flour, butter, or cream.
Bisque
A thick, rich cream soup generally made from shellfish.
Bitters
An aromatic liquid used to flavour cocktails, soft drinks, as well as soups and sweet dishes, such as ice cream.
Black Bean
A relatively large, dried bean with black skin, cream-coloured flesh and a sweet flavour; also called a turtle bean.
Black Butter
Butter, melted, clarified, and cooked until it is nut brown.
Black-Eyed Pea
The seed of a member of the pea family native to China; small and beige with a black circular eye on the curved edge and used in southern U.S. and Chinese cuisine's; also known as a cowpea.
Blackened A popular Cajun-style cooking method in which seasoned foods are cooked over high heat in a super-heated heavy skillet until charred.
Blanch To boil briefly to loosen the skin of a fruit or a vegetable. After 30 seconds in boiling water, the fruit or vegetable should be plunged into ice water to stop the cooking action, and then the skin easily sloughs off.
Blancmange
A sweet pudding made with milk and cornstarch flavoured with almonds, vanilla, rum, or brandy.
Blend
To mix or fold two or more ingredients together to obtain equal distribution throughout the mixture.
Blind Bake A term for baking a pastry shell before it is filled. There are two methods used. 1. The unbaked shell is first pricked all over with a fork to prevent it from blistering and rising and then baked. 2. The unbaked shell is lined with foil or parchment paper, then filled with dried beans or rice, clean pebbles or speciality pie weights made of metal or ceramic. The weights and foil or parchment paper should be removed a few minutes before the baking time is over to allow the crust to brown evenly.
Blini
Russian buckwheat pancakes served with a variety of spreads, notably, sour cream and caviar.
Blintz
A cooked crepe stuffed with cheese or other filling.
Bonito Large a oily fish fish from the same family as tuna and mackerel.
Borlotti beans Large, plump bean, pinkish brown in colour with reddish brown streaks; often available dried.
Boil To cook food in heated water or other liquid that is bubbling vigourously.
Boiling point
The temperature reached when a mixture maintains a full bubbling motion on its surface
Bok Choy
A member of the cabbage family native to southern China; has long wide, white crunchy stalks with tender, smooth-edged, dark green leaves; used raw, pickled or cooked; also know as Chinese mustard, pak choi and white mustard cabbage.
Bologna
A large, highly seasoned sausage made from pork, beef and veal; named for Bologna, Italy (although the Italian sausage associated with that city is mortadella), available cooked and usually served cold; also known as baloney.
Bordelaise
A brown sauce flavoured with red wine usually served with beef entrees.
Borscht
Soup containing beets and other vegetables; it is usually made with a meat stock base.
Boston Baked Beans
An American bean dish often made in a crock. These are small white beans (navy or pea beans) cooked with salt pork and sweetener such as molasses, maple syrup or brown sugar.
Boston lettuce
A variety of butterhead lettuce with soft, pliable pale green leaves that have a buttery texture and flavour and are larger and paler than bibb lettuce leaves.
Bouillabaisse
Mediterranean seafood soup.
Bouillon
A liquid similar to a stock, but cleaner and richer in flavour
Bouquet Garni
A bundle of parsley stems, dried thyme, and a large bay leaf, tied together and left to float freely in broth, stock, or sauce.
Bourbon
Named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, this all-American liquor is distilled from fermented grain. Straight bourbon is distilled from a "mash" of at least 51 percent corn; blended bourbon must contain not less than 51 percent straight bourbon. Sour mash bourbon is made by adding a portion of the old mash to help ferment each new batch, in the same way that a portion of sourdough starter is the genesis of each new batch of sourdough bread.
Bourguignon
Name applied to dishes containing Burgundy and often braised onions and mushrooms.
Braise A cooking technique that requires browning meat in oil or other fat and then cooking slowly in liquid. The effect of braising is to tenderize the meat.
Bran
The tough, outer covering of the endosperm of various types of grain kernels; has a high fibre and B vitamin content and is usually removed during milling; used to enrich baked goods and as a cereal and nutrient supplement.
Braten
German term for roast.
Bratwurst
A fresh German sausage made from pork and veal, seasoned with ginger, nutmeg and coriander or caraway seeds.
Bread To coat the food with crumbs (usually with soft or dry bread crumbs), sometimes seasoned.
Brine
A liquid of salt and water or vinegar used in pickling. Alternatively used to flavour meats before cooking.
Brioche
A roll made of light sweet dough, originated in France
Brisket
A cut of beef from the lower forequarter, best suited for braising.
Broccoflower
A light green cauliflower that is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, with a milder flavour than either vegetable.
Broccoli
Italian for cabbage sprout and used to describe a member of the cabbage family with a tight cluster (called a curd) of emerald green florets on top of a stout, paler green edible stalk with dark green leaves.
Broil To cook food directly under the heat source.
Broth or stock A flavourful liquid made by gently cooking meat, seafood, or vegetables (and/or their by-products, such as bones and trimming) often with herbs, in liquid, usually water.
Brown A quick sautéing, pan/oven broiling, or grilling method done either at the beginning or end of meal preparation, often to enhance flavour, texture, or eye appeal.
Brownie A firm, chewy cake, often made with chocolate and nuts, cut into squares.
Brown Sugar Refined sugar with a thin coating of molasses, not to be confused with raw, unrefined sugar.
Bruise
To partially crush an ingredient, such as herbs, to release flavour for seasoning food.
Brunoise
Finely diced or shredded vegetables, usually cooked in butter or stock, and used to flavour soups and sauces.
Brush Using a pastry brush, to coat a food such as meat or bread with melted butter, glaze, or other liquid.
Buckwheat A grain sometimes ground as flour.
Buffet
A table of ready-to-eat hot and/or cold foods, self-service generally with the exception of the hot foods
Bundt pan The generic name for any tube baking pan having fluted sides; it was once a trademarked name.
Buttercream
A mixture of butter, sugar, and eggs or custard.
Buttermilk
Fresh, pasteurized skim or low-fat cow's milk cultured (soured) with Streptococcus lactis bacteria; also known as cultured buttermilk. 2. Traditionally, the liquid remaining after the cream was churned into butter.
Butterfly To cut open a food such as pork chops down the centre without cutting all the way through, and then spread apart.
Butternut Squash
A large, elongated pear-shaped squash (Caryoka nuciferum) with a smooth yellow to butterscotch-coloured shell, an orange flesh and a sweet, nutty flavour.
Butterscotch
A flavour derived from brown sugar and butter, used for cookies, candies, sauces and the like. 2. A hard candy with the flavour of butterscotch.
Blind Bake A term for baking a pastry shell before it is filled. There are two methods used. 1. The unbaked shell is first pricked all over with a fork to prevent it from blistering and rising and then baked. 2. The unbaked shell is lined with foil or parchment paper, then filled with dried beans or rice, clean pebbles or speciality pie weights made of metal or ceramic. The weights and foil or parchment paper should be removed a few minutes before the baking time is over to allow the crust to brown evenly.
Blini
Russian buckwheat pancakes served with a variety of spreads, notably, sour cream and caviar.
Blintz
A cooked crepe stuffed with cheese or other filling.
Bonito Large a oily fish fish from the same family as tuna and mackerel.
Borlotti beans Large, plump bean, pinkish brown in colour with reddish brown streaks; often available dried.
Boil To cook food in heated water or other liquid that is bubbling vigourously.
Boiling point
The temperature reached when a mixture maintains a full bubbling motion on its surface
Bok Choy
A member of the cabbage family native to southern China; has long wide, white crunchy stalks with tender, smooth-edged, dark green leaves; used raw, pickled or cooked; also know as Chinese mustard, pak choi and white mustard cabbage.
Bologna
A large, highly seasoned sausage made from pork, beef and veal; named for Bologna, Italy (although the Italian sausage associated with that city is mortadella), available cooked and usually served cold; also known as baloney.
Bordelaise
A brown sauce flavoured with red wine usually served with beef entrees.
Borscht
Soup containing beets and other vegetables; it is usually made with a meat stock base.
Boston Baked Beans
An American bean dish often made in a crock. These are small white beans (navy or pea beans) cooked with salt pork and sweetener such as molasses, maple syrup or brown sugar.
Boston lettuce
A variety of butterhead lettuce with soft, pliable pale green leaves that have a buttery texture and flavour and are larger and paler than bibb lettuce leaves.
Bouillabaisse
Mediterranean seafood soup.
Bouillon
A liquid similar to a stock, but cleaner and richer in flavour
Bouquet Garni
A bundle of parsley stems, dried thyme, and a large bay leaf, tied together and left to float freely in broth, stock, or sauce.
Bourbon
Named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, this all-American liquor is distilled from fermented grain. Straight bourbon is distilled from a "mash" of at least 51 percent corn; blended bourbon must contain not less than 51 percent straight bourbon. Sour mash bourbon is made by adding a portion of the old mash to help ferment each new batch, in the same way that a portion of sourdough starter is the genesis of each new batch of sourdough bread.
Bourguignon
Name applied to dishes containing Burgundy and often braised onions and mushrooms.
Braise A cooking technique that requires browning meat in oil or other fat and then cooking slowly in liquid. The effect of braising is to tenderize the meat.
Bran
The tough, outer covering of the endosperm of various types of grain kernels; has a high fibre and B vitamin content and is usually removed during milling; used to enrich baked goods and as a cereal and nutrient supplement.
Braten
German term for roast.
Bratwurst
A fresh German sausage made from pork and veal, seasoned with ginger, nutmeg and coriander or caraway seeds.
Bread To coat the food with crumbs (usually with soft or dry bread crumbs), sometimes seasoned.
Brine
A liquid of salt and water or vinegar used in pickling. Alternatively used to flavour meats before cooking.
Brioche
A roll made of light sweet dough, originated in France
Brisket
A cut of beef from the lower forequarter, best suited for braising.
Broccoflower
A light green cauliflower that is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, with a milder flavour than either vegetable.
Broccoli
Italian for cabbage sprout and used to describe a member of the cabbage family with a tight cluster (called a curd) of emerald green florets on top of a stout, paler green edible stalk with dark green leaves.
Broil To cook food directly under the heat source.
Broth or stock A flavourful liquid made by gently cooking meat, seafood, or vegetables (and/or their by-products, such as bones and trimming) often with herbs, in liquid, usually water.
Brown A quick sautéing, pan/oven broiling, or grilling method done either at the beginning or end of meal preparation, often to enhance flavour, texture, or eye appeal.
Brownie A firm, chewy cake, often made with chocolate and nuts, cut into squares.
Brown Sugar Refined sugar with a thin coating of molasses, not to be confused with raw, unrefined sugar.
Bruise
To partially crush an ingredient, such as herbs, to release flavour for seasoning food.
Brunoise
Finely diced or shredded vegetables, usually cooked in butter or stock, and used to flavour soups and sauces.
Brush Using a pastry brush, to coat a food such as meat or bread with melted butter, glaze, or other liquid.
Buckwheat A grain sometimes ground as flour.
Buffet
A table of ready-to-eat hot and/or cold foods, self-service generally with the exception of the hot foods
Bundt pan The generic name for any tube baking pan having fluted sides; it was once a trademarked name.
Buttercream
A mixture of butter, sugar, and eggs or custard.
Buttermilk
Fresh, pasteurized skim or low-fat cow's milk cultured (soured) with Streptococcus lactis bacteria; also known as cultured buttermilk. 2. Traditionally, the liquid remaining after the cream was churned into butter.
Butterfly To cut open a food such as pork chops down the centre without cutting all the way through, and then spread apart.
Butternut Squash
A large, elongated pear-shaped squash (Caryoka nuciferum) with a smooth yellow to butterscotch-coloured shell, an orange flesh and a sweet, nutty flavour.
Butterscotch
A flavour derived from brown sugar and butter, used for cookies, candies, sauces and the like. 2. A hard candy with the flavour of butterscotch.
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