Glossary of Cooking Terms

A traditional grilled sandwich that consists of ground meat made into a patty, cooked, topped with a slice of cheese, and placed between two halves of a bun to create this favorite international food.

A dessert made with a crust that is filled with a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and other flavorings into a custard-like filling.

A cotton gauze material woven into a fine mesh that is used to strain liquids or sauces, to hold herbs such as bouquet garni, to keep fish contained while poaching, and for draining the liquid from solid and semi-solid ingredients, such as cheese curds and yogurt.

1. Working in the food industry, this title is given to a person who has an occupation that involves the preparation of foods.

chefs knife, knives, cutlery,

chefs pan,

A type of roll or bun that is an early 19th Century creation that gets its name from a London bakery that no longer exists, “The Old Chelsea Bun House.” The yeast dough is prepared with white bread flour (wheat) and is sweetened with sugar, enriched with eggs and butter, and is lightly spiced.

Chemical compounds such as baking powder and baking soda that react with other ingredients to produce carbon dioxide gas.

Compounds, produced from chemicals, that are used as leavens for a wide range of baked goods.

Pronounced Shay-naN-BlaN. A grape varietal, used in the production of white wine, originating in the Loire region of France.

An herb from the Asteraceae family of plants that is commonly used in Mexican cooking as a flavoring for bean dishes.

A tall flowering plant native to Mexico that is commonly served fresh as a vegetable green or dried and used as a seasoning.

A tropical fruit that has a shape similar to an apple with a green outer layered appearing skin and a creamy custard-like inner flesh.

Confused at times with another Moroccan sauce known as Charmoula, the North African sauce referred to as Chermoula is typically prepared as a marinade for use on fish or shellfish, but it can also be used on grilled vegetables.

A small round fruit, containing a single stone or pit, that is grown as one of three types: Sweet, sour or wild cherries.

Small in size and round in shape, this variety of pepper has the appearance of a large cherry or a small cherry tomato.

A kitchen utensil made to remove the stone or pit from small round fruits, such as cherries or olives.

A variety of tomato that is usually an inch or less in diameter, has a bright red or yellow color, and a sweet tomato flavor.

A common herb that is native to Europe and western Asia, but is also grown in many other parts of the world.

An English cheese dating back to the 12th century making it one of the oldest English cheeses produced.

A nut harvested from the branches of the Chestnut tree, a member of the beech family of plants.

Created to score and cut the hard shells of chestnuts to release pressure during the roasting of chestnuts.

A kitchen utensil that is used to score the chestnut prior to roasting. By carving a line, a cross or an "X" into the shell of the unroasted nut, it allows it to breathe during roasting and to resist exploding as the steam builds up.

Made in the shape of a wide-walled pan or a skillet, this roasting utensil is designed specifically for heating the large, brown shell variety of chestnuts over a stove or heat source such as fire, gas or hot coals.

A snack food or a food topping similar to breading that is common in India. Most often Chevdo will consist of prepared bits of rice, beans and nuts however, other recipes for this food may include other ingredients such as corn, crushed ginger or ginger powder, bits of a chile pepper(Jalapeno)or chili powder, Rice Crispies, Cornflakes, mustard seeds, and salt.

Descriptor for full-bodied, unusually thick and heavy, highly tannic wine.

A very tiny seed that is edible as a seed or is used for planting to produce sprouts.

Grown from a very tiny chia seed, this sprout is a nutritious ingredient for salads and sandwiches, providing a flavor similar to watercress.

An Italian red wine that has a sharp, full-bodied taste and is a popular wine served with many types of Italian meals.

Pronounced K'yahn-tee. A regional red wine produced in the appelation of Chianti in the Tuscany region of Italy.

A type of domestic fowl raised for its flesh, eggs, and feathers. Chickens are slaughtered at different ages to be processed for different purposes and classified according to their use such as broilers, fryers, roasters, and stewers.

A soup made to be similar to the popular Italian food dish known as Chicken Alfredo or fettuccine Alfredo.

Prepared like a hearty chicken chowder, this soup is made with ingredients common in many southwestern U.S.

A type of soup with a rich chicken and vegetable flavor created from a variety of ingredients.

A boned chicken breast, typically with the wing bone attached and cut off at the second joint, that has been stuffed with a large spoonful of chilled garlic and herb butter, and tied closed for cooking.

One of the most popular varieties of soup, Chicken Noodle Soup is simply made with egg noodles and bits of chicken cooked in a chicken stock.

Much like the filling in a traditional Pot Pie, this soup provides all of the ingredients except the crust, making it taste much like the original Pot Pie.

Made in a manner of soups from Mexico, Chicken Tortilla Soup is filled with many ethnic ingredients to create a filling and savory side dish or a soup that could be served as the main meal.

A water-based soup made with egg noodles, vegetables such as celery and carrots, small bits of chicken, chicken stock, and seasonings.

Typically made with a wider variety of vegetables than traditional Chicken Vegetable Soup, this type of soup has a similar flavor but more vegetable flavored.

Mildly seasoned and filled with a variety of beans and vegetables, this type of soup is a combination of many ingredients often found in Mexican or southwestern U.S.

Made as a water-based soup, this soup combines meat and pasta in a soothing chicken broth.

A savory mixture of chicken, dumplings and vegetables combined into a sauce-like soup.

Somewhat similar to chicken noodle soup, this type of soup offers rice instead of egg noodles combined with chicken.

Similar to a popular Gumbo Soup containing only chicken, this soup has sausage as an added ingredient providing a spicy overtone and intensity to this soup.

(Scientific Name: Laetiporus sulphureus) Not to be confused with Hen of the Woods, this mushroom variety also is leafy in shape like the Hen of the Woods, both of which grow in a semi-circular form around tree trunks or stumps.

A combination of ingredients that go together well make this type of soup similar but a more savory version of a traditional potato soup.

Also known as a garbanzo bean or chick-pea, this legume is a round, tan-colored bean with a slightly nutty flavor, that is a member of the pea family.

Generally considered to be a salad green, chicory is a relative of the endive family of greens, known as Cichorium.

Short, chunky tube pasta in a semicircle shape. It is often used in soups such as minestrone.