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.
Paella
A Spanish dish of rice cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, saffron, vegetables, and various meats, including chicken, chorizo, and/or shellfish.
Panache
Two or more kinds of one item in a dish, mixing colours.
Pakora
A small, deep-fried snacks of India with chick-pea flour as an ingredient in the mixture. Vegetables, fish, or chicken are spiced with ginger, cumin, chopped onion, and garlic, blended with the flour, shaped into small patties, and deep fried.
Palmier
A delicious flat flaky palm-shaped pastries made by layering puff pastry with sugar, rolling it, then slicing it thin and baking.
Panbroil To cook a food in a skillet without added fat, removing any fat as it accumulates.
Panfry
Some use the terms panfry and sauté interchangeably, but there is a difference. Both terms refer to cooking in a small amount of hot oil, butter, or other fat, sautéing means to toss foods over high heat, while pan-frying describes cooking pieces of meat, seafood, or large pieces of vegetables in a hot pan, turning with tongs, a spatula, or a fork only once or twice.
Pan gravy
A sauce made by deglazing pan drippings from a roast and combining them with a roux or other starch and additional stock.
Papaya
A tropical fruit.
Papillote
Food wrapped in parchment paper for aluminum foil and baked in an oven where it will steam in its own moisture and that of any vegetable added to the package to flavour the meat.
Paprika
A blend of dried red-skinned chillies; the flavour can range from slightly sweet and mild to pungent and moderately hot and the colour can range from bright red-orange to deep blood red; used in Central European and Spanish cuisine as a spice and garnish; also known as Hungarian pepper.
Parboil
To cook partially in boiling water.
Parchment paper
Heat-resistant paper used in baking to line pans. It does not need to be buttered or greased.
Pare To peel or trim a food, usually vegetables.
Parfait
Different coloured ice creams served in a tall parfait glass with syrup and often fruit, topped with whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a cherry.
Paring knife
A short knife used for paring and trimming fruits and vegetables. Its blade is usually 2 to 4 inches long.
Parmesan
A hard Italian cheese, usually sold in the grated or powdered form.
Parmigiano-Reggiano
The king of Italian hard-grating cheeses made from cow’s milk.
Parsley
A herb (Petroselium crispum) with long, slender stalks, small, curly dark green leaves and a slightly peppery, tangy fresh flavour (the flavour is stronger in the stalks, which are used in a bouquet garni); generally used fresh as a flavouring or garnish; also known as curly parsley.
Pasta
The Italian generic name for all forms of alimentary pastes made from a mixture of flour, semolina, and whole eggs or egg whites, but no water, as opposed to macaroni, which contains water and no eggs.
Pastasciutta
Literally “dry pasta,” meaning fresh or dried pasta with sauce (as opposed to a soup or a baked pasta dish).
Pasticcio
A baked dish of pasta and other ingredients, moistened with one or more sauces.
Pastrami
Spicy smoked beef eaten hot or cold. Italian variation of corned beef.
Pastry bag
A cloth, cone bag with a metal or plastic tip at the small end used to decorate foods with frosting or icing.
Passata A smooth tomato sauce.
Pâté
A rich forcemeat of meat, game, poultry, seafood, and /or vegetables, baked in pastry or in a mold or dish.
Pâté à choux
Cream puff paste, made by boiling a mixture of water, butter, and flour, then beating in whole eggs.
Pâté brisee
Short pastry for pie crusts.
Pâté en croute
Pâté baked in a pastry crust.
Peach
A medium-sized stone fruit (Prunus persica) native to China; has a fuzzy, yellow-red skin, pale orange, yellow or white juicy flesh surrounding a hard stone and a sweet flavour; available as a clingstone and freestone.
Peaks The mounds made in a mixture. For example, egg white that has been whipped to stiffness. Peaks are "stiff" if they stay upright, or "soft" if they curl over.
Peanut
A legume and not a nut (Arachis hypogea), it is the plant's nut-like seed that grows underground; the hard nut has a papery brown skin and is encased in a thin, netted tan pod; also known as a groundnut; earthnut, goober (from the African work nguba) and goober pea.
Pear
A spherical to bell-shaped pome fruit (Pyrus communis), generally with a juicy, tender, crisp off-white flesh, moderately thin skin that can range in colour from green to golden yellow to tawny red and a flavour that can be sweet to spicy; pears can be eaten out of hand or cooked and are grown in temperate regions worldwide.
Peas
The edible seeds contained within the pods of various vines; the seeds are generally shelled and the pod discarded.
Pecan
The nut of a tree of the hickory family (Carya oliviformis), native to North America; has a smooth, thin, hard, tan shell enclosing a bilobed, golden brown kernel with beige flesh and a high fat content.
Pecorino
A hard grating cheese derived from ewe’s milk mostly made in the Roman Lazio countryside and Sardinia.
Pectin A substance in fruit that cause the pulp to set, as when making jams.
Peel
To strip off an outer covering or skin.
Penne
Italian for pen or quill and used to describe short to medium-length straight tubes (ridged or smooth) of pasta with diagonally cut ends.
Pepitas
Roasted pumpkin seeds.
Pepper
The fruit of various members of the Capsicum genus; native to the Western hemisphere, a pepper has a hollow body with placental ribs (internal white veins) to which tiny seeds are attached; a pepper can be white, yellow, green, brown, purple or red with a flavour ranging from delicately sweet to fiery hot; the genus includes sweet peppers and hot peppers.
Peppermint
A herb and member of the mint family (Mentha piperita); has thin stiff, pointed bright green, purple-tinged leaves and a pungent, menthol flavour; used as a flavouring and garnish.
Pepperpot
A spicy stew without much sauce.
Pepper Steak
A beefsteak dipped in crushed pepper and sautéed in butter, then flamed with brandy. A sauce is made from the pan drippings and red wine. Also, a Chinese dish made with green pepper strips and thin-sliced beef.
Pepperoncini
Chillies that have a slightly sweet flavour that can range from medium to medium-hot. Pepperoncini are most often sold pickled and generally used as a part of antipasto and as an addition to various types of sandwiches.
Persillade
Finely or coarsely chopped mixture of garlic and parsley.
Périgeux A demi-glace sauce made with finely diced or chopped truffles.
Perry An alcoholic drink, similar to cider, made from pears.
A Spanish dish of rice cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, saffron, vegetables, and various meats, including chicken, chorizo, and/or shellfish.
Panache
Two or more kinds of one item in a dish, mixing colours.
Pakora
A small, deep-fried snacks of India with chick-pea flour as an ingredient in the mixture. Vegetables, fish, or chicken are spiced with ginger, cumin, chopped onion, and garlic, blended with the flour, shaped into small patties, and deep fried.
Palmier
A delicious flat flaky palm-shaped pastries made by layering puff pastry with sugar, rolling it, then slicing it thin and baking.
Panbroil To cook a food in a skillet without added fat, removing any fat as it accumulates.
Panfry
Some use the terms panfry and sauté interchangeably, but there is a difference. Both terms refer to cooking in a small amount of hot oil, butter, or other fat, sautéing means to toss foods over high heat, while pan-frying describes cooking pieces of meat, seafood, or large pieces of vegetables in a hot pan, turning with tongs, a spatula, or a fork only once or twice.
Pan gravy
A sauce made by deglazing pan drippings from a roast and combining them with a roux or other starch and additional stock.
Papaya
A tropical fruit.
Papillote
Food wrapped in parchment paper for aluminum foil and baked in an oven where it will steam in its own moisture and that of any vegetable added to the package to flavour the meat.
Paprika
A blend of dried red-skinned chillies; the flavour can range from slightly sweet and mild to pungent and moderately hot and the colour can range from bright red-orange to deep blood red; used in Central European and Spanish cuisine as a spice and garnish; also known as Hungarian pepper.
Parboil
To cook partially in boiling water.
Parchment paper
Heat-resistant paper used in baking to line pans. It does not need to be buttered or greased.
Pare To peel or trim a food, usually vegetables.
Parfait
Different coloured ice creams served in a tall parfait glass with syrup and often fruit, topped with whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a cherry.
Paring knife
A short knife used for paring and trimming fruits and vegetables. Its blade is usually 2 to 4 inches long.
Parmesan
A hard Italian cheese, usually sold in the grated or powdered form.
Parmigiano-Reggiano
The king of Italian hard-grating cheeses made from cow’s milk.
Parsley
A herb (Petroselium crispum) with long, slender stalks, small, curly dark green leaves and a slightly peppery, tangy fresh flavour (the flavour is stronger in the stalks, which are used in a bouquet garni); generally used fresh as a flavouring or garnish; also known as curly parsley.
Pasta
The Italian generic name for all forms of alimentary pastes made from a mixture of flour, semolina, and whole eggs or egg whites, but no water, as opposed to macaroni, which contains water and no eggs.
Pastasciutta
Literally “dry pasta,” meaning fresh or dried pasta with sauce (as opposed to a soup or a baked pasta dish).
Pasticcio
A baked dish of pasta and other ingredients, moistened with one or more sauces.
Pastrami
Spicy smoked beef eaten hot or cold. Italian variation of corned beef.
Pastry bag
A cloth, cone bag with a metal or plastic tip at the small end used to decorate foods with frosting or icing.
Passata A smooth tomato sauce.
Pâté
A rich forcemeat of meat, game, poultry, seafood, and /or vegetables, baked in pastry or in a mold or dish.
Pâté à choux
Cream puff paste, made by boiling a mixture of water, butter, and flour, then beating in whole eggs.
Pâté brisee
Short pastry for pie crusts.
Pâté en croute
Pâté baked in a pastry crust.
Peach
A medium-sized stone fruit (Prunus persica) native to China; has a fuzzy, yellow-red skin, pale orange, yellow or white juicy flesh surrounding a hard stone and a sweet flavour; available as a clingstone and freestone.
Peaks The mounds made in a mixture. For example, egg white that has been whipped to stiffness. Peaks are "stiff" if they stay upright, or "soft" if they curl over.
Peanut
A legume and not a nut (Arachis hypogea), it is the plant's nut-like seed that grows underground; the hard nut has a papery brown skin and is encased in a thin, netted tan pod; also known as a groundnut; earthnut, goober (from the African work nguba) and goober pea.
Pear
A spherical to bell-shaped pome fruit (Pyrus communis), generally with a juicy, tender, crisp off-white flesh, moderately thin skin that can range in colour from green to golden yellow to tawny red and a flavour that can be sweet to spicy; pears can be eaten out of hand or cooked and are grown in temperate regions worldwide.
Peas
The edible seeds contained within the pods of various vines; the seeds are generally shelled and the pod discarded.
Pecan
The nut of a tree of the hickory family (Carya oliviformis), native to North America; has a smooth, thin, hard, tan shell enclosing a bilobed, golden brown kernel with beige flesh and a high fat content.
Pecorino
A hard grating cheese derived from ewe’s milk mostly made in the Roman Lazio countryside and Sardinia.
Pectin A substance in fruit that cause the pulp to set, as when making jams.
Peel
To strip off an outer covering or skin.
Penne
Italian for pen or quill and used to describe short to medium-length straight tubes (ridged or smooth) of pasta with diagonally cut ends.
Pepitas
Roasted pumpkin seeds.
Pepper
The fruit of various members of the Capsicum genus; native to the Western hemisphere, a pepper has a hollow body with placental ribs (internal white veins) to which tiny seeds are attached; a pepper can be white, yellow, green, brown, purple or red with a flavour ranging from delicately sweet to fiery hot; the genus includes sweet peppers and hot peppers.
Peppermint
A herb and member of the mint family (Mentha piperita); has thin stiff, pointed bright green, purple-tinged leaves and a pungent, menthol flavour; used as a flavouring and garnish.
Pepperpot
A spicy stew without much sauce.
Pepper Steak
A beefsteak dipped in crushed pepper and sautéed in butter, then flamed with brandy. A sauce is made from the pan drippings and red wine. Also, a Chinese dish made with green pepper strips and thin-sliced beef.
Pepperoncini
Chillies that have a slightly sweet flavour that can range from medium to medium-hot. Pepperoncini are most often sold pickled and generally used as a part of antipasto and as an addition to various types of sandwiches.
Persillade
Finely or coarsely chopped mixture of garlic and parsley.
Périgeux A demi-glace sauce made with finely diced or chopped truffles.
Perry An alcoholic drink, similar to cider, made from pears.
Pesto
From the Italian pestare, a verb that means to pound or crush. Pesto is traditionally made of crushed fresh basil leaves pounded with garlic, Pecorino, either pine nuts for walnuts, and olive oil.
Petite
French word for Small.
Petits fours
Small cakes iced with fondant and decorated.
Phyllo dough
Pastry made with very thin sheets of a flour-and-water dough layered with butter and / or crumbs; similar to strudel. Also called filo dough.
Pilaf
A technique for cooking rice in which the rice is sautéed briefly in butter, then simmered in stock or water with various seasonings.
Pinch Same as "dash."
Pimiento
Sweet red peppers, canned.
Pint
A unit of volume measurement equal to 16 fl. oz. in the U.S. system.
Pinto Bean
A medium-sized pale pink bean with reddish-brown streaks; available dried; also known as a red Mexican bean.
Piquant
A sauce that is sharp and tart to the taste.
Pipe To force a semi-soft food through a bag (either a pastry bag or a plastic bag with one corner cut off) to decorate food.
Piquant
A sauce that is sharp and tart to the taste.
Pissaladière
French. a tart, or pizza-type dish, made of baked dough with onions, tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, black olives and / or other garnishes.
Pistachio
A flavourful nut used for snacking when roasted, and for flavouring sweets and ice cream. It has a high iron content and a characteristic greenish tinge.
Pit Using a sharp knife to take out the centre stone or seed of a fruit, such as a peach or a mango.
Pita
Envelope of unleavened bread.
Pizza
A yeast dough, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, baked with such toppings as pureed tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, sausages, olives, anchovies, etc. Versions of this dish, which originated in Naples, Italy, vary throughout the world.
Pizzelles
Thin decoratively patterned Italian wafer cookies that are made in an iron similar to a waffle iron. They may be flat or rolled into cones and filled.
Planked
Meat or fish served on a board usually garnished with duchess potatoes and vegetables. -OR-
A method of grilling where the food is cooked on a wood plank over indirect heat. Usually cedar.
Plum
A small to medium-sized ovoid or spherical stone fruit (Prunus domestica) that grows in clusters; has a smooth skin that can be yellow, green, red, purple or indigo blue, a juicy flesh, large pit and sweet flavour.
Poach
To cook completely submerged in barely simmering liquid.
Poi
Hawaiian dish of cooked and pounded taro root.
Poisson
French word meaning Fish
Polenta
Italian cornmeal pudding or mush, eaten hot or cold, usually with sauce and / or meats. It may be cooled and fried after cooking.
Polonaise
A garnish consisting of bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and hard-boiled eggs.
Popovers
Quick, puffed-up hot bread made of milk, sugar, eggs, and flour generally containing a fruit mixture.
Popovers ‘2’
“Yorkshire Pudding” served with Roast beef. Made from flour, eggs, and milk, baked in muffin tins.
Porcini mushrooms
Mushrooms with a meaty texture and a woody, earthy taste. Available fresh and dried. Dried porcini should be soaked in hot water before using.
Port
A grape wine fortified with brandy, which often is used to flavour casseroles and desserts. It may also be drunk after dinner as a digestif.
Portabella
A very large crimini; the mushroom has a dense texture and a rich, meaty flavour.
Porterhouse Steak
A thick steak of high quality cut from the wide end of the sirloin.
Portmanteau
A French steak that has a pocket cut into the side into which oysters are placed. The pocket is sewn shut before the steak is cooked.
Pot pie
Meat and vegetables in a rich creamy sauce, covered with a pie crust.
Potato
The starchy tuber of a succulent, non-woody annual plant (Solanum turberosum) native to the Andes Mountains.
Potage
A thick soup.
Pot-Au-Feu
Literally, “pot on the fire,” this is one of the oldest ways with food in France - a thick soup, or thin stew. Often the cooked meat and vegetables are served with rock salt, after the soup has been drunk.
Poulet
French word meaning Chicken.
Poultry
Any domesticated bird used for food.
Pozole
A thick, hearty soup usually consisting of pork (sometimes chicken) meat and broth, hominy, onion, garlic, dried chillies and cilantro. It's usually served with chopped lettuce, radishes, onions, cheese and cilantro, which diners can add to the soup as they please. Posole originated in Jalisco, in the middle of Mexico's Pacific Coast region, and is traditionally served at Christmastime.
Praline
a hard candy made of sugar cooked to 310 degrees on the candy thermometer, to which almonds or pecans are added. The candy is cooled in butter, then cracked and the confection is used as topping.
Prawns
Crustaceans like shrimp. In some areas of the United States, the term is applied to any large shrimp.
Pressure cooking A cooking method that uses steam trapped under a locked lid to produce high temperatures and achieve fast cooking time.
Printaniere
Served with several different small cut spring vegetables.
Proof To let yeast dough rise.
Profiteroles
A miniature Cream Puff filled with either a sweet or savoury mixture.
Proof
To allow a yeast mixture to rise in a warm, dry place. Also, to test yeast for potency.
Prosciutto
A salt-cured, air-dried Italian ham that originated in the area around the city of Parma. prosciutto crudo is raw and prosciutto cotto is cooked.
Provencale, a la
A dish including garlic, olive oil, tomatoes and often black olives
Prune
A dried red or purple plum.
Pudding
A general name for many thick, rich dishes, both sweet and savoury. Puddings are generally made of an ingredient that thickens, like cornmeal, or include a thickener, such as cornstarch.
Puff Pastry
Pastry that puffs when baked.
Pulses
The dried form of peas, beans, soybean, peanuts and other legumes.
Pumpkin
A spherical winter squash with a flattened top and base, size ranging from small to very large, fluted orange shell (yellow and green varieties are also available), yellow to orange flesh with a mild sweet flavour and numerous flat, edible seeds.
Puree
To work or strain foods until they are completely smooth.
From the Italian pestare, a verb that means to pound or crush. Pesto is traditionally made of crushed fresh basil leaves pounded with garlic, Pecorino, either pine nuts for walnuts, and olive oil.
Petite
French word for Small.
Petits fours
Small cakes iced with fondant and decorated.
Phyllo dough
Pastry made with very thin sheets of a flour-and-water dough layered with butter and / or crumbs; similar to strudel. Also called filo dough.
Pilaf
A technique for cooking rice in which the rice is sautéed briefly in butter, then simmered in stock or water with various seasonings.
Pinch Same as "dash."
Pimiento
Sweet red peppers, canned.
Pint
A unit of volume measurement equal to 16 fl. oz. in the U.S. system.
Pinto Bean
A medium-sized pale pink bean with reddish-brown streaks; available dried; also known as a red Mexican bean.
Piquant
A sauce that is sharp and tart to the taste.
Pipe To force a semi-soft food through a bag (either a pastry bag or a plastic bag with one corner cut off) to decorate food.
Piquant
A sauce that is sharp and tart to the taste.
Pissaladière
French. a tart, or pizza-type dish, made of baked dough with onions, tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, black olives and / or other garnishes.
Pistachio
A flavourful nut used for snacking when roasted, and for flavouring sweets and ice cream. It has a high iron content and a characteristic greenish tinge.
Pit Using a sharp knife to take out the centre stone or seed of a fruit, such as a peach or a mango.
Pita
Envelope of unleavened bread.
Pizza
A yeast dough, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, baked with such toppings as pureed tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, sausages, olives, anchovies, etc. Versions of this dish, which originated in Naples, Italy, vary throughout the world.
Pizzelles
Thin decoratively patterned Italian wafer cookies that are made in an iron similar to a waffle iron. They may be flat or rolled into cones and filled.
Planked
Meat or fish served on a board usually garnished with duchess potatoes and vegetables. -OR-
A method of grilling where the food is cooked on a wood plank over indirect heat. Usually cedar.
Plum
A small to medium-sized ovoid or spherical stone fruit (Prunus domestica) that grows in clusters; has a smooth skin that can be yellow, green, red, purple or indigo blue, a juicy flesh, large pit and sweet flavour.
Poach
To cook completely submerged in barely simmering liquid.
Poi
Hawaiian dish of cooked and pounded taro root.
Poisson
French word meaning Fish
Polenta
Italian cornmeal pudding or mush, eaten hot or cold, usually with sauce and / or meats. It may be cooled and fried after cooking.
Polonaise
A garnish consisting of bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and hard-boiled eggs.
Popovers
Quick, puffed-up hot bread made of milk, sugar, eggs, and flour generally containing a fruit mixture.
Popovers ‘2’
“Yorkshire Pudding” served with Roast beef. Made from flour, eggs, and milk, baked in muffin tins.
Porcini mushrooms
Mushrooms with a meaty texture and a woody, earthy taste. Available fresh and dried. Dried porcini should be soaked in hot water before using.
Port
A grape wine fortified with brandy, which often is used to flavour casseroles and desserts. It may also be drunk after dinner as a digestif.
Portabella
A very large crimini; the mushroom has a dense texture and a rich, meaty flavour.
Porterhouse Steak
A thick steak of high quality cut from the wide end of the sirloin.
Portmanteau
A French steak that has a pocket cut into the side into which oysters are placed. The pocket is sewn shut before the steak is cooked.
Pot pie
Meat and vegetables in a rich creamy sauce, covered with a pie crust.
Potato
The starchy tuber of a succulent, non-woody annual plant (Solanum turberosum) native to the Andes Mountains.
Potage
A thick soup.
Pot-Au-Feu
Literally, “pot on the fire,” this is one of the oldest ways with food in France - a thick soup, or thin stew. Often the cooked meat and vegetables are served with rock salt, after the soup has been drunk.
Poulet
French word meaning Chicken.
Poultry
Any domesticated bird used for food.
Pozole
A thick, hearty soup usually consisting of pork (sometimes chicken) meat and broth, hominy, onion, garlic, dried chillies and cilantro. It's usually served with chopped lettuce, radishes, onions, cheese and cilantro, which diners can add to the soup as they please. Posole originated in Jalisco, in the middle of Mexico's Pacific Coast region, and is traditionally served at Christmastime.
Praline
a hard candy made of sugar cooked to 310 degrees on the candy thermometer, to which almonds or pecans are added. The candy is cooled in butter, then cracked and the confection is used as topping.
Prawns
Crustaceans like shrimp. In some areas of the United States, the term is applied to any large shrimp.
Pressure cooking A cooking method that uses steam trapped under a locked lid to produce high temperatures and achieve fast cooking time.
Printaniere
Served with several different small cut spring vegetables.
Proof To let yeast dough rise.
Profiteroles
A miniature Cream Puff filled with either a sweet or savoury mixture.
Proof
To allow a yeast mixture to rise in a warm, dry place. Also, to test yeast for potency.
Prosciutto
A salt-cured, air-dried Italian ham that originated in the area around the city of Parma. prosciutto crudo is raw and prosciutto cotto is cooked.
Provencale, a la
A dish including garlic, olive oil, tomatoes and often black olives
Prune
A dried red or purple plum.
Pudding
A general name for many thick, rich dishes, both sweet and savoury. Puddings are generally made of an ingredient that thickens, like cornmeal, or include a thickener, such as cornstarch.
Puff Pastry
Pastry that puffs when baked.
Pulses
The dried form of peas, beans, soybean, peanuts and other legumes.
Pumpkin
A spherical winter squash with a flattened top and base, size ranging from small to very large, fluted orange shell (yellow and green varieties are also available), yellow to orange flesh with a mild sweet flavour and numerous flat, edible seeds.
Puree
To work or strain foods until they are completely smooth.
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