To heat a solid food like butter or chocolate until it becomes a liquid.
What is to melt?
100
To rub food, such as cheese, across a surface with many holes in it to make very very tiny pieces.
What is to grate?
100
When your liquid is doing this, you will see bubbles constantly rising and breaking at the surface; a "rolling" one means the liquid continues bubbling even when you stir it.
What is to boil?
100
If a recipe says to do this to some ingredients, you should put them in the same container and stir them together.
What is to combine?
100
You might add this small amount of a spice or salt to your food at the end of cooking -- just the amount you can hold between your finger and thumb.
What is a pinch?
200
This cooking method uses the dry, direct heat of an oven to cook food such as cakes and breads.
What is to bake?
200
When you do this to food, you want to end up with small (but not tiny) cubes of equal size and shape.
What is to dice?
200
You might do this to meat or fish to add flavor and moisture, leaving it to soak in a flavored liquid.
What is to marinate?
200
When you do this to food, you mix it quickly and thoroughly until its consistency is smooth and light.
What is to beat?
200
Before you start cooking, you should usually do this to your pan or skillet, covering it with a thin layer of oil or fat to keep your food from sticking.
What is to grease?
300
In this technique, you cook food in a deep or shallow layer of hot oil or fat until a crisp brown crust forms.
What is to fry?
300
This term refers both to the act of processing or mashing a food until it is smooth, and to the mashed food that results.
What is puree?
300
When you a liquid is doing this, you will see a few bubbles form and rise, but burst below the surface.
What is to simmer?
300
This is done to yeast bread dough to develop gluten and stretch in them; you can do it with your hands or with a mixer.
What is to knead?
300
This technique involves coating or dusting an ingredient, utensil, or cooking surface with a fine powder to add texture or prevent sticking.
What is to flour?
400
Before you use an oven or utensil, you may need to do this to bring it to the correct temperature.
What is to preheat?
400
When you do this to food, you use a knife to cut it into very tiny pieces.
What is to mince?
400
These kinds of ingredients help batter or dough expand or rise by creating bubbles of gas inside them.
What is leavening?
400
Use this technique when you want to carefully combine delicate ingredients without releasing any air bubbles.
What is to fold?
400
After your food is done and on the plate, you might want to do this to it to make it look prettier.
What is to garnish?
500
This term comes from the French word for "to jump," and involves cooking small pieces of food in a shallow pan with butter or oil.