Basic Cooking Terms & Tips for the Cooking Inept
BASIC COOKING TERMS & TIPS
Al Dente
This cooking term actually means “to the tooth” and usually refers to pasta. When cooking something al dente, the finished product should have a little resistance to it instead of a soft consistency when you bite into it. It doesn’t mean to undercook though, so if you test it and there’s still a hard center, keep cooking and check again in a few minutes.
Boiling
When you cook something in a liquid, a recipe might call for you to boil it. To make sure it’s boiling, look for large bubbles that rise to the top and make the surface quiver. Pressed for time? Cooking Tip: Add some salt to the water and it will boil faster.
Blanch
This cooking term refers to dropping food like fruits and vegetables into boiling water for a short period of time, from a few seconds to a few minutes. The food is then immediately placed into a bowl of ice to stop the cooking process.
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| Alliekat03 -- los angeles | |
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You could buy a meat thermometer. They aren't too expensive, and all you have to do is poke it into the meat, which is much easier and makes for better presentation.
| NYNatalie | |
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Does anyone know a good way to tell if meat is done cooking, beyond just cutting it in a million pieces to make sure nothing's raw (which is what I do now... makes for terrible presentation when I have dinner parties.) :)
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