add (verb): to put something else in - Add grated

cheese to the white sauce and stir.

bake (verb): to cook in an oven - I can bake

cakes and pies, but I can't bake bread.

beat (verb): to mix eggs, cream, etc. with a fork,

a beater, or a whisk - To make scrambled eggs,
beat the eggs before cooking them.

boil (verb): to cook in boiling water - Will you boil

the vegetables, or steam them?

burn (verb): to spoil food by cooking it for too

long or at a temperature that's too high - Please
don't burn the toast.

carve (verb): to cut slices or small pieces from a

large piece of cooked meat - Who'd like to carve
the roast chicken?

chop or chop up (verb): to cut into small pieces

with a sharp knife - It's easy to cut yourself when
chopping onions, so be careful.

cook (verb): to prepare food for eating - What are

you cooking for dinner?

cookbook or cookery book (noun): a book of

recipes, often with pictures - Can I borrow that
cookbook with all the Asian recipes?
dice (verb): to cut food into small cubes or
squares - Dice the carrots and potatoes and add
them to the soup.

dish (noun): food that's cooked in a certain way

- My favourite Indian dish is vegetable curry.

fry (verb): to cook food in hot oil, butter or fat

- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and then add
the diced tomatoes.

grate (verb): to cut tiny slices from cheese,

vegetables, chocolate, etc. with a grater - Grate
half a cup of cheese and sprinkle it on top.

grease (verb): to rub butter or oil onto a baking

pan or dish to stop food from sticking - Should I
grease the cake tin with butter or oil?

grill (also US "broil") (verb): to cook directly over

or under a very hot gas flame or electric element
- Is the fish grilled under a gas grill or an electric
grill?

herb (noun): a plant used for adding flavour to

food - Good cooks always know which herbs to
use.

ingredient (noun): any food, liquid, herb or spice

that's used to make a particular dish - Chilli and
fish sauce are basic ingredients in many Thai
dishes.

mash (verb): to crush food like cooked potato

until it's a smooth mass - Could you mash the
potatoes, please?

melt (verb): to turn a solid substance into a liquid

by heating - Melt some butter in a saucepan and
then add the flour.

mix (verb): to combine two or more substances

- The flour is mixed with a little oil and warm
water to make a dough.

peel (verb): to take or cut the skin off a vegetable

or fruit - I get juice all over my fingers if I peel an
orange.

pinch (noun): a very small amount of something

like salt or ground spice - Add a pinch of salt to
the water before boiling vegetables.

preheat (verb): to turn on and heat an oven or

grill before cooking - It's important to preheat
your oven before baking scones.

prepare (verb): to make food ready for cooking or

eating - It takes an hour or more to prepare this
dish.
recipe (noun): a list of ingredients and
instructions for cooking a particular dish - My
grandmother gave me this recipe for apple pie.

roast (verb): to cook foods like meat and

vegetables in an oven - Why don't we roast some
vegetables as well?

sauté (verb): to fry quickly in hot oil or fat - To

begin, sauté the onions and garlic in a saucepan.

serve (verb): to give someone food that's been

prepared or a drink - Make sure the food's still
hot when you serve it.

spice (noun): a plant part, often ground into a

powder, that adds flavour to a dish - Which
spices did you add to this sauce?

sprinkle (verb): to add a few drops of liquid or a

substance like salt or pepper by shaking a
container or by using your fingers - Why do you
sprinkle so much salt on everything?

steam (verb): to cook in hot steam from boiling

water - Steaming vegetables destroys fewer
nutrients than boiling them.

stir (verb): to move a spoon or other implement

around to mix something - If you don't stir the
sauce enough, it'll be lumpy.
 stir-fry (verb): to fry quickly over a high heat
while stirring - Lots of people stir-fry all kinds of
meat and vegetables these days.

tablespoon (abbrev: "tbsp") (noun): a large spoon

used for serving, or the amount of an ingredient
that fits in one - Add a tablespoon of flour to the
melted butter and stir.

teaspoon (abbrev: "tsp") (noun): a small spoon or

the amount of an ingredient that fits in one - You
didn't use more than half a teaspoon of chili
powder, did you?

whisk (verb): to mix something very quickly with

a whisk - Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk
until smooth.

melt I need to melt the butter before adding it t

break (irregular verb: broke/broken) Can you break two eggs into the frying pa
spread (irregular verb: spread/spread) I use a knife to spread peanut butter on m
fry I like to use oil to fry eggs.
mix Can you mix the flour, sugar, and butter t
whip If you whip heavy cream you will get whip
sauté Most people saute vegetables like mushr
taste Would you like to taste the sauce?
cut (irregular verb: cut/cut) Do you need help cutting the meat?
chop I need you to chop the spring onions.
slice Can I slice the onions?
grate I will grate the Parmesan cheese.
boil The water needs to boil before you add th

bowl I use a bowl to eat cereal.

cup I drink tea in a cup.
fork I use a fork to eat a piece of cake.
knife I need a knife to cut a steak.
spoon I need a spoon to eat ice cream.
frying pan I make eggs in a frying pan.
glass I drink soda in a glass.
kettle The kettle is used to boil water.
kitchen scale We use the kitchen scale to measure the we
mug I drink coffee in a mug.
plate We use plates to serve food.
bin We throw trash in a bin.
cutting board I use the cutting board to chop vegetables.
pot I use a pot to make rice.
 ladle We use a ladle to serve beans, sauces, and
measuring cup I use the measuring cup to measure liquids.
dish rack

 To chop = to cut into pieces with a knife

 To dice = to make into small cubes
 To slice = to cut into slices

 To fry = to cook with oil in a frying pan

 To shallow fry = to cook with a little oil in a frying pan
 To deep fry = to cook with a lot of oil in a frying pan
 To sauté = to shallow fry
 To steam = to cook with steam
 To boil = to heat to 100℃
 To boil water / beans / soup
 To simmer = to boil gently

 To turn up / down the heat

 To stir (around) = to move the ingredients around
in a pot, pan or dish
 To ladle out = to serve with a ladle To serve out /
up
 To add
 To toss in
 To throw in

ADD: To put ingredients together; to put one ingredient with the others.
  Add more salt to the dish if necessary.

BAKE: To cook in an oven using heat and without extra fat, oil or liquid.

 It smells good in the kitchen because I’m baking a cake.

BARBECUE: To cook food (usually meat) by using fire or hot coals on a grill
outside.

 I’m going to barbecue some sausages for lunch.

BEAT: To stir (usually eggs, cream, butter) quickly and continually to make a
smooth or frothy mixture.

 Beat the cream until it starts to thicken.

BLEND: To mix two or more substances so they combine together. Often done
in an appliance called a blender which has quickly rotating blades.

 You can blend fruit to make your own smoothie.

BOIL: To heat water or another liquid until little bubbles form.

 Boil the potatoes until they are cooked.

BREAK: To separate into smaller parts by force.

 Break the eggs into a glass bowl.

BROIL: To cook meat or vegetables on a rack with an extremely high

temperature.
CARVE: To cut meat into slices.

 Who is going to carve the Thanksgiving turkey?

CHOP: To cut into small pieces, generally used with vegetables.

 Chop the spring onions then add them to the dish.

COMBINE: To put two or more things together.

COOK: To prepare food by heating it so that it is not raw and can be eaten.

 Cook the chicken until there are no pink parts.

CRUSH: To cause to separate or flatten by extreme force, often used with garlic.
CUT: To separate or divide a solid by using a knife.

 He cut the meat into little pieces.

DRAIN: to remove excess liquid from food after washing or cooking it.

 Drain the water from the pot of spaghetti.

FRY: To cook by putting the food into extremely hot oil.

 I fried some bacon and eggs for breakfast.

GRATE: To divide into small parts by rubbing on a serrated surface, usually used
with cheese.

 Grate a large carrot and add it to the salad.

GREASE: To coat with oil or butter.

 Make sure you grease the pan before putting the mix in otherwise the
cake will stick to the sides.

GRILL: To cook by putting the food on a grill; similar to barbecue. Also refers to
heating the food under a grill in a cooker which radiates heat downwards.
KNEAD: To press and stretch dough with your hands. Usually used when
making bread.

 Knead the dough for the pizza base.

MEASURE: To obtain an exact quantity or amount of an ingredient.

 Measure exactly half a teaspoon of curry.

MELT: to make something become liquid through heating.

 Melt the butter before adding it to the mix.

MICROWAVE: To heat up food with a microwave oven.

 Remove the food from the metal container before you microwave it.
MINCE: to grind food, normally meat, into small pieces. A machine is often used
to do this.
MIX: To combine two or more things using a spoon, spatula, or electric mixer.

 Mix the flour, melted butter and sugar together.

OPEN: To remove the top from a can or jar.

PEEL: To remove the skin or outer layer from fruit or vegetables.

 Peel the potatoes before boiling them.

POUR: To transfer liquid from one container to another.

 Pour the chocolate sauce over the pears.

ROAST: To cook (usually meat and vegetables) in the oven or over a fire.

 We are going to roast the chicken and vegetables.

SAUTÉ: To quickly fry food by placing it in hot oil in a frying pan.

SCRAMBLE: To mix the white and yellow parts of eggs together while cooking
them in a pan.

 Scramble the eggs in a frying pan.

SIFT: to put a fine substance through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large

particles.

 Sift the flour into a large bowl.

SLICE: To cut into thin or wide portions that are of similar size.

 Slice the tomatoes and add them to the salad.

SPRINKLE: to cover an object or surface with small drops or particles of a

substance.

 Sprinkle icing sugar over the cake.

SQUEEZE: to extract a liquid or soft substance from something by compressing

it firmly.
  Squeeze the juice from three lemons.

STEAM: To cook by placing the food above boiling water. Steam is the vapor
that comes from hot water.
STIR: To mix liquid ingredients by moving a spoon around in a circular motion.

 Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.

STIR-FRY: To cook small pieces of food by moving it quickly in a wok or pan with
hot oil.

 I’m going to stir-fry these vegetables.

TENDERIZE: to make meat softer and easier to eat by beating it or adding

marinade before cooking it.

 I think we should tenderize the steak before cooking it.

WASH: To immerse food in water to make sure it becomes clean.

 Wash the strawberries before cutting them into pieces.

WEIGH: To measure the weight (grams, ounces or pounds) of something.

 Weigh the mix to make sure you have the right amount.

WHISK: to mix liquids, eggs, etc. into a stiff light mass, using a fork or a special
tool (such as a whisk).

 Whisk all of the eggs together with the milk.

Cooking verbs
Cook / Grill / Broil / Barbecue
Gratin / Stir-Fry / Bake / Roast / Stew
Caramelize / Steam / Saute / Toast / Poach
Microwave / Simmer / Scramble / Glaze

preparing food.

Add/ Slice / Drain/ Dice

Pour/ Mix / Beat/ Break/ Grease

Carve/ Combine/ Knead/ Chop

Measure/ Stir/ Mince/ Peel / Dissolve

Crush / Pour / Whisk / Weight