I was making pie dough the other day and while preparing the dough a common term used in baking jumped out at me. I realized how confusing this term must be to novice cooks and especially to non-native English speakers. It’s actually a phrasal verb and is idiomatic: to cut in or ‘cutting in.’ This […]
Cooking Terms
What is the Difference Between Boiling, Simmering, and Poaching?
Most of us know what it means to boil a food. We do it with dried pasta when we bring water to a rolling boil and put in the pasta. Even if we reduce the heat of the burner to stop the pot from boiling over, we are still boiling the pasta. But, what does […]
What Is A Stir-Fry?
A discussion thread for a recipe on a Disqus channel I followed made me realized that there are some misconceptions about the stir-fry technique we associate with Chinese and other Asian quisines. This recipe was for an Italian Chicken Stir Fry. Could you use traditional Italian ingredients and make a stir fry dish? Sure! But it […]
What Is Spatchcock Chicken?
A spatchcock or spatchcocked chicken is a chicken with the backbone removed and cut so that it will lay flat. This allows the chicken to be spread out or opened up like a book, which makes it cook more quickly and evenly. Spatchcock chickens are perfect for grilling but they can also be broiled or baked quite […]
Origin of Boquet Garni in French Cooking
Although the term ‘bouquet garni’ did not appear in English until the 19th century, it began to appear in French cuisine during 1600’s. A bouquet garni, today, is a bundle or sachet of culinary herbs, usually consisting of parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, with the possible addition of rosemary, sage, and perhaps cloves. A bouquet […]
What Does Infusion Mean In Cooking?
You probably make an infusion every day. Infusing means to steep an ingredient in a liquid until the flavor of the ingredient has been extracted and infused into the liquid. To infuse something in cooking usually involves a solid, aromatic ingredient, and a liquid, such as water, milk, or even oil. Infusing means to steep […]