Things you may not know

Meats

• Baked meats are cooked uncovered
• Roasted meats are cooked covered and then uncovered
• meat temperatures are as follows...rare: 120-125, medium rare: 126-135, medium: 136-145, medium well: 146-155, well done: ewww. Poultry.... thigh: 160, breast: 175. Pork: 145.

Cooking Terminology & Basics

• aioli- garlic mayo- garlic is the base but a variety of items can be added as well
• al dente- "to the bite" this refers to the doneness of pasta, rice or vegetables. Firm but not hard, chewy but not crunchy.
• ancho chile- a dried pablano
• aromatic- a vegetable, herb or spice that imparts a strong flavor and aroma
• augratin- when a dish is topped with crumbs or cheese
• basmat rice- a long grain rice that has a nutty flavor. mainly used in asain or thai food.
• baste- to spoon, ladle, or brush butter, sauce or juice over an item
• bechamel sauce- a basic french white sauce consists of flour, fat (butter or oil), milk and seasonings.
• blanch- to cook quickly in hard boiling water then put immediately in ice water to stop cooking. it remains a bright, fresh color.
• blind bake- to prebake a crust
• braise- to brown an item in oil or butter then, finish by adding liquid, cover tightly and cook over a low heat
• cheese cloth- like a gauze, but, will not fall apart in liquids
• chipotle pepper- a dried & smokes jalapeno. sold dried in adobe sauce, very hot in sauce
• chioux- paste used for a puffed pastry
• chutney- a sweet or savory jam
• compote- fruit cooked until it reaches a syrupy consistency 
• compound butter- butter with spices, veggies, garlic, herbs or wine added
• cut in- when you use two fork or a pastry blender to incorporate butter, lard, or shortening into flour and/or cornmeal
• deglaze- after cooking an item there are bits left in the bottom of the pan. you make a sauce with this by adding a liquid and scraping/stirring with a wooden spoon
• emulsion- combining 2 items that do not combine easily like vinegar and oil for a vinaigrette
• fold- a over and under motion to make a light and fluffy mixture
• julienne- to cut an item into uniform strips referred to as match sticks
• leavening agent- an item that allows a dough or batter to rise
• marinade- to import flavor and tenderize (to an extent) meat by soaking in seasoned liquid
• parboil- to partially cook an item
• pastry blender- a 4-5 blade knife used in baking
• pectin- a thickener used in jellies and jams
• poach- to cook an item slowly in liquid
• reduce- to slowly cook down a liquid or sauce
• render- to cook over medium heat to make a product release its fats
• roux- a thickening agent used in gravies, sauces, stews, chowders, and gumbo. There are three types... white roux: made by cooking equal parts of fat and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly. Used in white sauces and gravy. Blonde roux: equal parts fat and flour cooked over medium heat for 5-7 minutes stirring constantly. Used in cheese sauces and cream soup. Brown roux: equal parts of fat and flour, cooked over medium heat until brown, stirring constantly. Used in gravies and gumbo.
• score- to cut a diamond shape in to an item
• sear- to brown meats over a very high heat to seal in juices
• simmer- to cook over hear with small gentle bubbles along the edge
• tomatillo- a green, round, paper skin covered fruit. Used in latin cooking...is not a tomato
• zest- the color of citrus removed by using a microplane or zester. Flavor comes from the oils in the skil. Do not zest the pith (the white part) it is bitter.

Stove top temperatures

• saute and sear items: high heat
• brown items: high heat

Herbs

• 1 teaspoon of dry herb= 1 tablespoon of fresh