Cooking Terms C and D

Easy to Understand Cooking Dictionary

This page provides cooking definitions for cooking terms C and D.

Cooking Terms can be a little confusing so these definitions are provided for frequently used terms found in recipes and articles about cooking.

As with all dictionaries, the terms are alphabetized (I think ;-) )

Cooking Terminology: Words starting with "C"

calamari - squid
capers - pickled flower buds from the Mediterranean
caramelize - a process of cooking sugar (usually with oil or butter) until it begins to color; foods containing natural sugars will caramelize in their own sugars
Celsius - a temperature scale in which 0 (zero) is freezing and 100 degrees is boiling or steaming
chicory - sometimes called curly endive; a type of lettuce (chicory root is used as a coffee substitute)
chiffon - a filling made light and fluffy with beaten egg whites or whipped cream
chop - to cut into non-uniformed pieces or rough cut

clarify - a process of making a liquid clear; removing milk solids and impurities from butter resulting in a pure golden liquid butter used for many cooking purposes
coat - to cover food with another product
combine - mixing ingredients together
core - remove the center of fruits
cream - beat butter or shortening until light and fluffy
crush - to reduce food to small particles using a tool (rolling pin or mortar and pestle)
cube - to cut up into regular sizes
cut in - the process of combining solid fat (such as butter or shortening) with a dry ingredient (such as flour) until small pea-size particles are formed; as is done when making pie crust or biscuits

Cooking Terminology: Words starting with "D"

dash - about 1/16th of a teaspoon; a "pinch" or less
deep-fry - to cook submerged in very hot fat (like French fries) until golden brown
deglaze - to swirl a liquid into a pan to dissolve particles of food on the bottom of the saute' or roast pans for flavor
demi-glace - a rich brown sauce made from reduced veal or beef stock; used to make classic sauces
devil - to add hot, spicy ingredients (pepper, Tabasco, cayenne, mustard) to a food
dice - to cut into regular sized cubes; small, medium or large
direct heat - a grilling method of cooking, allowing food to be cooked directly over a flame or heat source

dissolve - to stir a dry substance into a liquid until no solids remain
dollop - a scoop or spoonful of food placed on top of another food
dough - a combination of flour, water or milk and sometimes a leaven (yeast) to make a mixture for baking
drain - to remove and discard the liquid contents from a cooking process (as in draining cooked potatoes or vegetables)
dredge - to lightly coat food to be pan-fried or sauteed (usually with flour, cornmeal or bread crumbs)
drippings - the juices and fat that is collected from the pan of cooked foods
Dutch Oven - a large, deep pot that is covered with a tight fitting lid