Prep

This is short for "preparation," and it refers to getting your tools and ingredients ready in order to cook.

"Prepping" is also common.

Cutting words

Cooking often involves lots of cutting. However, there are different ways to cut things.

Dice

Dicing something is cutting it into small squares — just like dice from a board game.

Mince

Mincing is cutting something into the smallest pieces you can.

*"Call for" is a common term in cooking that means "requires."

Chop

This is the most standard way to say "cut" in recipes.

Slice

Slicing something is cutting it into flat pieces of a similar size.

Preheat

This is a verb that means to turn an oven to a particular temperature in order to prepare to cook something.

Bake

Baking is using an oven to cook food. Baking is usually associated with breads and sweet food like cakes.

Roast

Roasting is also cooking in an oven or over a fire. Roasting is usually associated with meat and vegetables.

Fry

Frying is cooking something in oil.

You can also "deep fry" something, which means completely covering it in oil.

There is also "stir-frying," which is cooking something in a frying pan with oil while stirring, or mixing it, with other ingredients.

"Stir-fry" is also a noun for a hot dish of mixed vegetables or meat that has been cooked this way.

Stir

This is a verb that means to move food around with a spoon or other kitchen tool. This is done to mix something or to help it cook evenly.

Boil

Boiling something is cooking it in water that is so hot that it produces bubbles and steam.

Broil

This is different than "boil"! 

When you "broil" something, you cook it by exposing it directly to fire.

Simmer

When food or water simmers, its heat is being kept at a level just below the point when it begins to boil.

Grill

As a noun, a grill is a set of metal bars placed over a fire for cooking. When you cook food this way, you are grilling (verb) it.

Sprinkle

Sprinkling is adding small pieces of something to a dish or mixture by lightly dropping them on top. Instead of adding the pieces in only one spot, you cover the entire area.

Season

Did you know "season" can be a verb? It means adding salt, herbs or spices to improve flavor.

The noun version is "seasoning."

Pinch

Pinching is squeezing something small between your finger and thumb. When cooking, this refers to a very small amount of powder, like sugar or pepper.