| Term | Definition |
| Dry Cooking Technique | Uses oil, fat, the radiation of hot air, or metal to transfer heat. |
| Evaporate | A liquid escapes from a pan as a vapor. |
| Moist Cooking Technique | Uses liquid instead of oil to create the heat energy that is needed to cook the food. |
| Combination Cooking | Uses both moist and dry cooking techniques. |
| Coagulate | Proteins change from a liquid or semiliquid state to a drier, solid state. |
| Pigment | The matter in cells and tissue that gives them their color. |
| Caramelization | The process of cooking sugar to high temperatures. |
| Bake | To use dry heat in a closed environment, usually in an oven and no fat or liquid is added during the cooking process. |
| Carryover Cooking | The cooking that takes place after you remove something from its heat source. |
| Smoking | A form of cooking that uses low heat, long cooking times, and wood smoke for flavor. |
| Roasting | To use dry heat in a closed environment to cook food. |
| Sear | To quickly brown the outside of food at the start of the cooking process. |
| Basting | Moistening foods with melted fats, pan drippings, or another liquid during the cooking time. |
| Open-Spit Roasting | To roast food over an open fire. |
| Sauteing | A quick, dry cooking technique that uses a small amount or oil in a shallow pan to cook foods. |
| Stir-Frying | A dry cooking technique that is similar to sauteing. |
| Wok | A large pan with sloping sides that is used to saute or stir-fry foods. |
| Frying | A dry-heat cooking technique in which foods are cooked in larger amounts of hot fat or oil. |
| Dredging | To coat foods with flour or finely ground crumbs. |
| Breading | A coating made of eggs and crumbs. |
| Batter | A semiliquid mixture that contains ingredients such as flour, milk, eggs, and seasonings. |
| Heat Lamp | Uses light in the infrared spectrum to keep food warm during holding without becoming soggy. |
| Pan Fry | Add 1/2-3/4 of oil in a pan, it should be hot enough to sizzle when food is added. |
| Deep Frying | To cook foods by completely submerging them in heated fat or oil at temperatures between 350 and 375 Degrees. |
| Recovery Time | The time it takes for the fat or oil to return to the present temperature after the food has been submerged. |
| Grilling | To brush food lightly with oil, and place onto a grill. |
| Griddle | A flat, solid plate of metal with a gas or electric heat source. |
| Broiling | To cook food directly under a primary heat source. The temperature is controlled by how close the food is to the heat source. |
| Boililng | A moist cooking technique in which you bring a liquid, such as water or stock to the boiling point and keep it at that temperature while the food cooks. |
| Boiling Point | When liquid reaches 212 at Sea Level. |
| Convection | The liquid closest to the bottom of the pan is heated and rises to the top. |
| Blanching | Using the boiling method to partially cook foods to change the flavor and keep the color. |
| Shocking | Briefly plunging food that has been blanched into ice water to stop the cooking process. |
| Parboiling | Foods that are put into boiling water and partially cooked. |
| Simmering | To cook foods slowly and steadily in a slightly cooler liquid that is heated from 184-200 Degrees. |
| Reduce | Decrease volume of a liquid. |
| Poach | To cook food in a flavorful liquid between 150-185 Degrees. This is a gentler method of moist cooking than simmering. |
| Steaming | Cooking vegetables or other foods in a closed environment filled with steam, such as in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. |
| Braising | A long, slow cooking process. It can make tough cuts of meat more tender. |
| Deglaze | To add a small amount of liquid such as stock or water to a pan to loosen brown bits of food after searing or sauteing. |
| Stewing | Completely covering food with liquid in this combination cooking technique. |
