| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next >>

Baby Back Ribs - a fabricated cut of the pork primal loin; a slab of ribs weighing 1.75 pounds or less.

Backribs - a fabricated cut of the pork primal loin; consists of the ribs cut from the anterior end; also known as country-style spareribs.

Bacon - a fabricated cut of the pork carcass, cut from the sides and belly; consists of fat interspersed with strands of meat; it is salted and/or smoked, available sliced or in a slab.

Bagel - a dense, doughnut-shaped Jewish yeast roll; cooked in boiling water, then baked, which gives the rolls a shiny glaze and chewy texture.

Baguette - a long, thin, crisp loaf of French bread.

Bain-marie - The French term for the cooking technique we call a water bath . It consists of placing a container (baking pan, bowl, soufflé dish, etc.) of food in a large, shallow pan of warm water, which surrounds the food with gentle heat. The food may be cooked in this manner either in an oven or on top of a range. This technique is designed to cook delicate dishes such as custards, sauces and mousses without breaking or curdling them. It can also be used to keep cooked foods warm.

Bake - to cook in an oven, surrounding the food with dry heat of a specific temperature.

Bake Blind (also called blind baking) - A term for baking a pastry shell (pie crust) before it is filled. There are two methods used. 1. The unbaked shell is first pricked all over with a fork to prevent it from blistering and rising and then baked. 2. The unbaked shell is lined with foil or parchment paper, then filled with dried beans or rice, clean pebbles (a French practice) or specialty pie weights made of metal or ceramic. The weights and foil or parchment paper should be removed a few minutes before the baking time is over to allow the crust to brown evenly.

Bake Cups - paper or foil shaped, pleated cups used to line cupcake or muffin tins to prevent batter from sticking to the pan during the cooking process.

Baking Powder - a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and one or more acids, generally cream of tartar and/or sodium aluminum sulfate, used to leaven baked goods; releases carbon dioxide gas if moisture is present in a formula.

Baking Soda - sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline compound that releases carbon dioxide gas when combined with an acid and moisture; used to leaven baked goods.

Baklava - a Middle Easter sweet rich with honey and nuts and made from filo, a paper-thin pastry in many flaky layers.

Bamboo Shoot - the crunch tip of a young bamboo tree. It is served in Oriental dishes.

Banana - the berry of a large tropical herb; the fruit grows in clusters (hands) and is long and curving with a brown-stained yellow skin (it is harvested while still green), a slightly sticky, floury, off-white pulp and a distinctive sweet flavor and aroma.

Bannock - a Scottish round cake.

Barbecue (1) - to roast or broil whole, as a hog, fowl, etc. Usually done on a revolving frame over coals or upright in front of coals. To cook thin slices of meat in a highly seasoned vinegar sauce.

Barbecue (2) - to roast meat slowly over coals on a spit or framework, or to roast in an oven, basting intermittently with a special kind of sauce

Barding - a thin piece of fatty bacon or lard used to cover too-lean meat while it roasts.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next >>

Search Cooking Dictionary alphabetically:

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L |

| M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |