Food Preparation and Cooking Terms (Part 1)

Al Dente - foods, especially pasta, cooked only until soft enough to eat but not overdone. The Italian translation is "to the teeth."

Adjust Seasonings - To taste the dish before serving to determine the need for salt, herbs or other seasonings.

Blackened - A method of cooking in which meat or fish is seasoned with a spicy mixture then fried in a hot skillet until blackened on both sides.

Blanch - Blanching is a process in which food is briefly plunged into boiling water for a moment, then i...