Here’s a new-to-you part of the book I want to start featuring. The last three chapters of Simply Delicious comprise their own section: Cooking School. These chapters detail more of the practical culinary knowledge required to execute recipes well, and teach some skills by going through some basic recipes.
I’m going to start mixing up the regular recipe entries with these Cooking School ones as well, which shouldn’t be too different. If anything, they’ll be a lot shorter–like this one.
Chapter 18 is about Basic Techniques. I thought that 18-17: Cooking Glossary I would be a good place to start. I used this same (complete) glossary when I taught cooking to K-8 kids in an after school program a few years ago, and I inserted a copy of it into the recipe book at the restaurant I used to work at. There’s also one taped inside my spice cabinet at home for reference.
I had a few notes about a few of these terms as my original post here, but after further thought, I put some more time and work into it and linked each term to a recipe I’ve covered that uses that technique. If have a term that doesn’t have a corresponding recipe yet, I’ll update that term when I do.
My intention behind this is to provide a viable option for practicing that particular skill/technique. Give it a try!
Al Dente
- 12-11: Italian Macaroni & Cheese
- Some great tips on making non-stick, well-cooked pasta in there as well as a different take on mac & cheese
- 13-14: Wok-Fried Veggies with Pasta
- A vegetarian stir-fry with colorful veggies and your choice of pasta
- 12-26: Pasta with Creamy Shrimp
- Pasta topped with a a tangy horseradish cream sauce and fresh shrimp
Au Gratin
- 4-13: Fennel au Gratin
- Pretty self-explanatory, but using fennel instead of the more traditional potatoes
- 11-25: Best Ever Sole au Gratin
- A baked fish casserole-type dish with mushroom-stuffed fillets, cheesy mashed potatoes, and a creamy shrimp sauce
- 4-3: French Potato Gratin
- A traditional take on the French potato dish
Bard
- nothing yet!
Baste
- 6-29: Stuffed Turkey
- Basting your holiday turkey is important if you don’t want a dry bird
- 6-4: Easy Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Chicken breasts tend to dry out easily–basting them periodically while baking helps to keep them moist
- 15-20: Apple Compôte
- Even desserts need to be basted sometimes!
Blanch
- 3-8: Gazpacho
- Even though it doesn’t say it specifically, you’re blanching your tomatoes to peel the skins
- 12-27: Chicken Broccoli Lasagna
- A lighter, leaner take on a traditional lasagna which features blanching broccoli for a layer of filling
- 4-27: Mushroom-Parsnip au Gratin
- A creamy, broiled casserole dish involving layers of sautéed mushrooms and blanched/sliced parsnips
Boil
- 9-10: Lean Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
- These relatively healthy meatballs are boiled in broth and then served with a light tomato sauce
- 5-12: Deviled Eggs
- Great method for hard-boiling eggs in there–you’ll never mess up again!
- 12-29: New Orleans Beans and Pasta
- This hearty yet inexpensive meal involves boiling your choice of pasta and combining it with beans and veggies
Bouquet Garni
- 3-3: French Onion Soup
- This classic soup uses a bouquet garni to season it while it simmers–by removing the herbs later you can keep your broth clear
- 19-7: Fresh and Dried Herbs
- Methods to make your own bouquet garni and more!
Braise
- 6-24: Mushroom-Almond Chicken
- Chicken is cooked low and slow on the stove after being browned–I had a tough time with this one, but maybe you’ll do better!
- 9-18: Stuffed Onions
- These were difficult to pull off, but stuffing/braising vegetables in a Dutch oven is a simple, hearty, and often nutritious meal
- 8-5: Beef Stew Provençale
- A French red-wine infused beef stew which can be made in a slow cooker or on the stovetop
Bread
- 13-10: Zucchini Piccata
- A vegetarian version of the popular Italian breaded veal dish
- 11-14: Tempura
- Japanese-style breaded and fried shrimp/veggies just like you get at your local sushi joint
- 4-30: Cheese-Stuffed Potato Croquettes
- Breaded with a mashed potato mixture and similar to fried mozzarella cheese sticks
Broil
- 1-22: Onion-Potato Diamonds
- A broiled omelette-type appetizer
- 16-15: Tarte Tatin
- A take on the traditional French upside-down apple pie dessert, complete with a broiled, toasted top
- 8-20: Juicy Steak with Garlic Topping
- Whether you grill, broil, pan-fry, or sear/bake–a perfectly-cooked steak topped with a bit of garlicky butter is hard to turn down
Caramelize
- 16-52: Apple Nut Saucepan Torte
- A dense, sweet bread-like cake speckled with bits of fruit and nuts–perfect for a cold-weather gift or treat
- 8-17: Pan-Fried Steak with Onions
- A finely-cooked steak topped with sweetly savory caramelized onions–a true pleasure
- 11-4: Calzone with Seafood
- An often-searched recipe, I suggest punching up the originally-bland recipe by caramelizing the included onions
Coat
- 9-30: South American Meatballs
- Paprika- and chili-spiced meatballs coated in flaked coconut and pan-fried/baked–it’s an interesting take on a common dish
- 6-22: Crispy Chicken Drumsticks
- One of the secrets to good fried chicken is the coating
- 6-43: Cheesy Chicken Cutlets
- Here’s a “healthier” way to fry chicken–coat in egg only, and skip the breadcrumbs…you’ll get a puffy, golden breading that just may pass the taste test
Cream
- 17-9: Brownies
- The first step has you cream sugar & eggs–a GREAT brownie recipe to keep on hand
- 15-1: Lemon Mousse
- A light & airy citrusy dessert that starts with the basic creaming of sugar and eggs
- 16-45: Colonial Apple Cake
- A rustic apple & pecan cake that discusses variances in creaming, including when to add eggs
Cut in
- 17-28: Pound Cake
- Many cake/pastry recipes will require you to cut in butter–a good skill to have!
- 16-4: Blueberry Pie
- A flaky, buttery crust is important when your ingredients are so few and simple
- 5-5: Individual Ham Quiches
- A well-made pâte brisée is fundamental to a successful quiche
Dice
- 2-17: Spicy Potato Salad
- Get ready to dice lots of potatoes for this German-style potato salad
- 6-41: Chicken Breasts with Tomato Salsa
- A healthy, light lunch or dinner option that includes grilled chicken breasts topped with a mild fresh tomato salsa
- 12-16: Risotto with Pastrami
- With a mix of colorful diced veggies and topped with an omelette, this is probably different than most risotto recipes you’ve seen before
Dredge
- 7-28: Pork Chops with Rosemary
- Dredging chops before pan-frying makes a big difference in the flavor department
- 6-35: Chicken Diable
- A spicy, crispy chicken breast that’s twice-baked: once to cook the chicken and again after being dredged, coated, and spiced
- 7-1: Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms
- A full meal in one recipe that includes crispy pork medallions and blanched parsnips topped with a savory mushroom stew
Dust
- 16-18: Lemon Basil Tart
- A fresh, herb-scented lemon tart dusted with a hint of powdered sugar that makes a great summer picnic dessert
- 17-48: Buttery Vanilla Rolls
- Rich yet mild coffee rolls with a vanilla creme center and a dusting of powdered sugar on top
- 15-26: Strawberry Pastries
- Here’s a strawberry-shortcake-type dessert using puff pastry and yet another dusting of powdered sugar on top
Flake
- 11-26: Fish Gumbo
- A Cajun-inspired seafood stew that calls for flaked crabmeat to accompany catfish nuggets and a rainbow of vegetables
- 17-42: Luscious Lemon Bars
- Flaked coconut is swirled with lemon and cream cheese and baked on a flaky crust to create a cheesecake-like lemon bar
- 2-3: Salad Niçoise
- A classic salad featuring flaked tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and olives
Flambé
- 1-19: Flambéed Mushrooms
- An extra fiery touch is added to sautéed mushrooms by igniting them in the pan with a bit of Grand Marnier
- 11-3: Indian Scampi
- A curried shrimp stir-fry dish that has a flambé step to add a bit of depth and flavor to the creamy sauce
- 9-15: Peppercorn Beef Burgers
- Ground beef burgers classed up with some whole black peppercorns and a rich creamy sauce set alight thanks to the ever-present Grand Marnier
Flute
- 5-7: Quiche Lorraine
- You can go big or small with a quiche crust–why not get fancy?
- 13-2: Onion Tart
- You can flute the edges yourself, or you can get a springform tart pan and let the pan do the work for you
- 9-22: Meat Pie
- Meat pies have been around for thousands of years…why not add a touch of class to yours?
Glaze
- 17-4: Cinnamon Rolls
- This particular recipe doesn’t include a glaze with it, but I’ve linked to a good one so that you too can make proper cinnamon rolls
- 7-28: Maple-Glazed Pork
- A yummy take on pork chops–make sure to use real maple syrup!
- 6-9: Orange-Glazed Turkey Breast
- Here’s a way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers–cover the cooked breast with a savory orange-infused glaze and bake in the oven
Hull
- 14-22: Strawberry-Peach Cobbler
- Fruit needs to be hulled before it can be used in a summery cobbler
Julienne
- 2-24: Parisian Ham-Mushroom Salad
- Thinly-sliced ham and cheese complements a fresh French salad with mushrooms
- 8-18: Tangy Beef Rolls
- A great recipe to practice all sorts of knife cuts, including julienne
- 5-33: Omelette Stacks with Rice
- Thinly slicing ham and green onions for a stack of omelettes makes for a different kind of breakfast dish
Knead
- 13-5: Onion Focaccia
- Freshly baked focaccia makes for a delicious vegetarian snack, appetizer, or side dish)
- 17-1: Croissants
- If you’re up for a challenge, these French rolls include 3 hours of prep–kneading, rolling, rising…
- 9-20: Meat Roly-Poly
- A roulade-type dish featuring ground meat rolled in a flaky dough crust–consider it for a different kind of dinner party entrée
I hope these will give you some inspiration to practice your cooking skills! Check out 18-18a: Cooking Glossary IIa and 18-18b: Cooking Glossary IIb for even more terms and recipes!
