Terms Used In Cooking Kids Should Know

Sometimes the cooking shows on television use fancy cooking terms. Kids might ask what these terms mean and how they relate to their own cooking adventures. Here's a partial list of some terms used in cooking that every kid cook should know.

Sous Chef
The Sous (pronounced soo) Chef is the assistant to the main chef. They are second in command. When the main chef is away, the Sous Chef usually takes over. It comes from a French word meaning "under."

Deglaze
Deglazing the pan is an important part of making a sauce base. Notice after you've cooked bacon or hamburger the dark, stuck-on substance. That's what you lift out when you deglaze. Just add liquid, typically water and stir and scrape up those bits of browned food particles.

Roux
Roux (pronounced roo) is a sauce of flour and fat. Gravy is started by making a roux, and many thick and hearty soups are also made using a roux. It's simple to make. Add the fat, such as butter, oil or grease, to the pan. Once the fat is heated, add in the flour and stir until incorporated. Cook the mixture until it has the consistency needed or color wanted.

Al Dente
It's the term that describes perfectly cooked pasta. It's an Italian phrase meaning "to the tooth." It means the pasta should have a firmness to it.

Blanch
Blanching is when you dip a vegetable in boiling water for a few minutes. It has many purposes, but its main purpose is to preserve the original color and texture of the vegetable. Blanching can also be used to remove skins of peppers and tomatoes and similar vegetables that have an outer skin that is less desirable in the recipe. Many people blanch vegetables before freezing them to preserve color and texture.

Dash
A dash is just a small amount of a substance. It's also called a pinch. Experts say that it's about 1/16 of a teaspoon. It's just enough to add taste.

Soft Ball
Soft ball refers to a stage of candy making. It's called soft ball because when you add the mixture at this stage to cold water, the mixture starts to form a ball that is soft. Fudge mixtures are cooked to this stage to become the final product. The soft ball stage begins about 235 degrees Fahrenheit.

Marinate
Marinating something means to put something into a liquid, usually acidic in nature, to help flavor and tenderize it. Meat is something people commonly marinate. The substance that you marinate in is called a marinade.

Hard and Soft Peaks
These show up when something is beaten in a mixer, usually cream or egg whites. The peak is made when you pull the beaters from the mixture. If the peak falls over, it's a soft peak. If it stays upright, then the peak is stiff or hard. Egg whites are beaten to soft peaks in custards whereas they would be beaten into hard or stiff peaks in a meringue. Whipped cream is made by beating heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.

Knead
When bread is made, the dough is kneaded to help form it and incorporate all the ingredients. Another name for kneading is massaging. You are massaging the bread dough into form.

Simmer
Simmering means allowing something to cook on low heat. Simmering allows ingredients to cook slowly. The result of simmering depends on what is being simmered. For example, simmering a soup can help thicken it if the right ingredients are added. Usually when you simmer something, you bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting.

The Right Term, the Right Time
Kids should learn basic cooking terms when they begin their cooking adventure. Search for a library book or on the Internet for more cooking terms to learn. It helps them read new recipes and it can help them converse with other cooks who use these cooking terms.