Cooking Techniques Glossary

verb to speckle or dot with small marks or spots

• The artist carefully bespeckled the canvas with tiny dots of color.
• I accidentally bespeckled my shirt with paint while working on my art project.
• I love how the new graffiti artist bespeckled the wall with vibrant colors.
• Her speech was bespeckled with witty remarks and clever metaphors.

verb to become incorporated into a liquid so as to form a solution

• The scientist discovered a new method to dissolve the compound in the solution.
• I can't believe how quickly sugar can dissolve in hot water!
• Just add some hot water and watch the sugar dissolve like magic.
• Their friendship began to dissolve after the argument.

noun a state of extreme cold in which a liquid turns into a solid

verb to change from a liquid to a solid state as a result of extreme cold

preposition used to indicate the destination of a movement or action

• The water in the pipes can freeze to ice if the temperature drops too low.
• If you leave your drink outside in the winter, it might freeze to ice.
• I told him not to wear shorts in this weather, he's gonna freeze to death!
• Her heart seemed to freeze to ice when she heard the terrible news.

verb to wrap or cover for warmth; to deaden or muffle the sound of

• He used a thick blanket to muffle the sound coming from the noisy construction site.
• I stuffed my ears with cotton balls to muffle the loud music at the party.
• She put on her headphones to muffle out the drama happening around her.
• The heavy fog seemed to muffle the entire city, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

noun the hard stone in a fruit such as a cherry or olive that contains the seed

• The miners descended into the deep pit to extract coal.
• Let's go check out the pit where they're roasting marshmallows.
• I almost fell into the pit while walking in the dark.
• She felt like she was in a pit of despair after losing her job.

noun the action or process of making or becoming soft

verb present participle form of the verb 'soften', indicating ongoing action or state of softening

• The softening of the butter is essential for making the perfect pastry dough.
• I left the ice cream out for a while to help with the softening process.
• I always add a little bit of milk to the mixture to speed up the softening.
• The softening of her heart towards him was evident in the way she smiled at his jokes.

adjective showing caution or restraint; not using or giving freely

adverb in a way that shows caution or restraint; without wastefulness

• The government is sparing no effort in ensuring the safety of its citizens.
• She is known for sparing no expense when it comes to her wardrobe.
• I'm sparing no time in getting this project done.
• His sparing use of words made his speech all the more impactful.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

adverb a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• The tailor will carefully turn the fabric inside out to inspect the stitching.
• I accidentally turned my shirt inside out before putting it on.
• I had to turn my backpack inside out to find my lost keys.
• The shocking news turned her whole world inside out.

adjective a word that describes or gives more information about a noun or pronoun, in this case 'unsoftened' describes something that has not been made soft or less severe

• The unsoftened butter was difficult to spread on the toast.
• I couldn't believe how hard the unsoftened bread was.
• The unsoftened cheese was as hard as a rock.
• Her unsoftened attitude towards the situation made it difficult to find a resolution.

noun A type of non-enzymatic browning reaction that typically occurs when foods are cooked at high temperatures

• The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods their desirable flavor.
• When you sear a steak on high heat, you're actually causing the Maillard reaction to occur, which makes it taste so good.
• Cooking the meat until it gets that nice crust is all thanks to the Maillard reaction.
• Just like how a good friendship develops over time, the Maillard reaction slowly transforms food into something delicious.

noun a type of Japanese breadcrumb used as a coating for deep-fried foods

• The chef coated the fish with panko breadcrumbs before frying it.
• I love the crispy texture that panko breadcrumbs give to fried foods.
• Panko breadcrumbs are the bomb for making crunchy chicken tenders.
• Adding panko breadcrumbs to the recipe is like adding a touch of magic to the dish.

adjective describing something that has been made acidic or sour by the addition of an acid

• The acidulated solution was used to test the pH levels of the soil sample.
• I added some acidulated water to the plant to see if it helps with growth.
• I accidentally spilled the acidulated mix on the floor and now it's all sticky.
• Her acidulated remarks left a sour taste in everyone's mouth.

adjective Covered with foam or froth

adverb In a foamy or frothy manner

• The waves crashed against the rocks, leaving them afoam with white froth.
• After shaking the soda can, it sprayed everywhere and left the floor afoam.
• The barista made my latte extra fancy with afoam on top.
• Her mind was afoam with ideas and inspiration after attending the creativity workshop.