B - Cooking Dictionary - Glossary of Terms

Bake To cook by dry heat in an oven or oven-type appliance in a
covered or uncovered container.

Bain-marie French cooking utensil similar to a double boiler.
Consists of one utensil for heated water, in which other utensils are set
to keep food warm.

Bar-Le-Duc A special type of fruit preserve made from currants.

Barbecue To roast slowly on a spit or grid over slow-burning coals or
under a broiler, usually basting with a highly seasoned sauce.

Bard To cover meat or game with sliced bacon or salt pork.

Basil Leaf of herb plant of mint family. Also know as sweet basil.
Sold fresh or dried. Flavor is slightly sweet with pungent undertone.
Used in soups, salads, many vegetable and meat combinations.

Baste To moisten (meat or other foods) while cooking to prevent
drying and to add flavor. The liquid may be pan drippings, melted fat,
butter, oil, fruit juice, sauce, or salt water.

Batter Flour or meal mixture containing sufficient liquid so that it can
be poured or dropped from a spoon before baking.

Bay Leaf Aromatic leaf of evergreen sweet-bay or laurel tree. Also
known as laurel leaf. Sold dried, whole, or broken. Used to flavor
soups and many sauces, fish, poultry, meat dishes. One of the oldest
and most familiar herbs.

Beat To agitate with rapid, regular strokes that lift and turn the mixture,
incorporating air and making it smooth. The tool may be a spoon or
wire whisk, a hand-operated rotary beater, or an electric beater.

Beignets French for deep-fried sweet fritters and other foods.

Bel Paese Cheese, origin is Italy. Gray-brown surface. Light yellow
inside. Soft texture, delicate flavor. Use is eating.

Beurre manie French term. Flour and butter worked together formed
into small balls to add to stews, etc., for thickening.

Beurre noir French for "black butter", butter heated until dark brown,
to be added to sauce, etc.

Bind To mke a mixtur hold together by adding liquid, beaten eggs,
cream, etc.

Bisque Thick cream soup. Also frozen cream desert

Blanch To preheat in boiling water or steam 1 to 5 minutes, followed
by draining and rinsing in cold water. Uses: (1) To remove skins from
some fruits, vegetables, and nuts. (2) To inactivate enzymes and shrink
food for canning, freezing, and drying.

Blaze To pour warmed brandy or liqueur over food and ignite.

Blend To combine thoroughly two or more ingredients.

Blue or Bleu Cheese Usually foil-wrapped. White interior with blue
veins. Semi-hard. Piquant flavor that gets stronger with age. Use is
eating and cooking.

Boil To cook food in boiling liquid, usually water. A liquid is boiling
when bubbles of its vapor continuously rise to the surface and break.
The boiling temperature of water at sea level is 212 degrees
Fahrenheit, 100 degrees Celsius.

Bombe Ice cream combined with fruit, custard or other centers in
mould (mold), bombe, or melon shape, held at freezing temperature
until serving time.

Bone To remove bones from fish, meat, or poultry. This is best done
by fish or meat dealer. A special, sharp-pointed boning knife is used.

Borage Very good with string beans, with green or cucumber salad.
Has cucumber flavor.

Bouillon A clear soup made from a brown beef stock, delicately
seasoned.

Bouillon Cube Concentrated, dehydrated form of bouillon. With
boiling water added, cubes make bouillon for sauces, etc.

Braise To brown (meat or vegetable) in a small amount of hot fat and
then to cover and cook slowly in the food's own juices, with or without
the addition of a small amount of other liquid.

Brie Cheese, origin is France. Russet-brown surface, creamy yellow
inside. Soft, creamy. Resembles Camembert. Mild to pronounced
flavor. Crust is eaten. Use is eating.

Borochette Cut-up pieces (meat, tomatoes, onions, etc.) threaded
on skewers and cooked over and open fire.

Bread To roll cutlet, croquettes, or other foods in crumbs.

Bread Crumbs Soft bread crumbs, made by crumbling fresh bread,
are used for stuffings and to increase bulk of mixtures. Dry crumbs are
used for breading, to coat foods for frying, etc.

Brine Strong salt-and-water solution used for pickling vegetables and
other foods.

Brioche Sweet-dough French roll, very light in texture.

Brochette The skewer and the method of cooking. To cook small
pieces of meat, vegetables, fish, chicken, etc., on long metal skewer,
under broiler heat or over barbecue grill.

Broil To cook directly under the heating unit or over an open fire.

Brown To cook in a little fat at high heat until brown, sealing juices in;
to place under broiler heat, or in oven, to brown top, as casserole or au
gratin dishes.

Brule, Brulee French word meaning burnt: as for caramelized sugar,
cream dessert, New Orleans coffee, Cafe Brule.

Brush To coat the surface with melted butter, oil, milk, cream, or
beaten egg white, using a pastry brush.