- pickle - to preserve or flavor food in brine
- pinch - a measurement of less than 1/16th of a teaspoon (same as "dash")
- pipe - to squeeze a soft food item from a pastry bag to another food item, usually in a
decorative manner - pit - to remove the center seed from fruits
- poach - to cook very gently (slowly) in a liquid that is hot but not boiling or bubbling
- precook - to partially cook food before final cooking process
- preheat - to heat an oven (or sometimes a pan) to a recommended temperature before
cooking in it - pressure cooking - using steam under a locked lid to produce high temperatures to
accomplish a fast cooking time - proof - a cooking term used for the growth of yeast dough's rise
- puree' - the action of mashing a food until it has a thick, smooth consistency; usually
done by a blender or food processor or pushed through a colander
Cooking Terms Starting With "Q"
- No cooking terms for "q"
Cooking Terms Starting With "R"
- ramekin - a very small dish used for individual portions
- reconstitute - a dried food product is returned to its original form by adding a liquid, hot
or cold - reduce - to cook by simmering or boiling until its volume is decreased in order to
concentrate flavors - refresh - to stop the cooking process by submerging in or spraying with cold water;
common with vegetables and pasta - roast - to cook foods by surrounding them with hot, dry air in an oven (uncovered) or on
a spit over an open fire - rolling boil - boiling water at very high heat so that even if stirred the water continues to
boil (bubble) - roux - a cooked mixture of flour and oil, fat or butter that is used to thicken liquids
Cooking Terms Starting With "S"
- sachet - a small bag usually made of cheesecloth containing herbs and spices and is
placed into soups, stews, stocks and sauces while cooking for added flavor and is removed
when the item is finished cooking - saffron - a yellow-orange spice made from the stigmas of purple crocus
- sauce - a liquid that adds flavor and moisture to foods
- sauté' - to cook foods quickly in a small amount of fat
- scald - to heat a liquid just below boiling with bubbles around the edges
- scallion - very young onions picked when beds of onions need to be thinned. Both the
shallot and the green onion, which have small bulbs, are also known as scallions - scallop - to bake food with a sauce or other liquid in a casserole
- score - tenderizing meats or seafood by slicing with a knife
- sear - to seal in the juices of meat by quickly browning it on all sides in a very hot pan
- season - enhancing the flavor of food by adding ingredients such as herbs and spices;
cooking term also means to oil a pan and slowly warm it and then wipe it - set - to allow food to solidify
- shred - to tear or cut food into narrow strips
- shuck - to remove the shells from clams and oysters; also to remove the husks from
corn - sieve - to press a food through a strainer to break it up
- sift - to remove lumps from certain foods while aerating it
- simmer - to gently cook food in a liquid over low heat so only tiny bubbles can be
observed breaking the surface of the liquid
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