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Common Cooking Terms
Benefits of Eating Together
Safe Cooking Temperatures
Estimated Daily Calorie Intake Requirements

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Here's a list of common cooking terms & their meanings:

Al dente	An Italian phrase literally translated "to the tooth." It describes food that is cooked until tender but firm, just to the point of doneness
Baste	To add flavor by spooning or brushing liquid over food with pan drippings, water, or sauce.
Beat	To make a mixture smooth and light, stirring in a circular motion, using a spoon or electric mixer.
Blanch	To briefly immerse in boiling water to loosen skin, remove color, or whiten, and then cool immediately in cold/ice water to stop the cooking process.
Blend	To mix together two or more ingredients until smooth well combined.
Boil	To heat a liquid until bubbles constantly come to the surface. A slow boil means the bubbles lazily come to the surface. In a hard boil, the bubbles are large and rapidly break the surface.
Bread	To coat with seasoned or unseasoned bread crumbs.
Broil	Broiling is a cooking method using intense heat on one side. Broiling can be done in the stove, or on a grill. It is usually a quick cooking method that needs to be watched carefully to prevent burning.
Brown	The purpose of browning is to quickly sear the meat, sealing in juices and giving color to the food. Medium to high heat is usually used. Sometimes the heat is lowered to complete the cooking. Browning is usually done on the stovetop but a broiler can also deliver the same results.
Broth	This is a liquid containing the flavors and aroma of chicken, beef, fish, or vegetables. The meat or vegetables are simmered in water, and then the solids are strained out, leaving broth. Broth may be made from granules or cubes that have been dissolved in water. Condensed broth is also available.
Chop	To cut solids into smaller pieces.
Cream	To mix together until soft and smooth.
Cube	To cut solids into 1/2 inch pieces or larger
Cut In	Work butter, shortening, margarine, or lard into a dry ingredient until it looks like coarse crumbs. The key to achieving the correct crumb consistency is to ensure whichever fat you are using is cold.
Debone	To remove bones from meat, poultry, or fish.
De-grease	Removing grease or fat from a broth, soup, or sauce. You can skim the fat off the top with a spoon or skimmer, or chill the liquid until the fat rises to the surface and hardens. The hard fat can be removed with a slotted spatula and discarded.
Dice	To cut into small, uniform cubes of less than 1/2 inch
Dredge	This usually means to drag a solid food like meat, fruit, or vegetables through other dry ingredients like sugar or flour. This presses the dry ingredients into the food.
Drippings	Melted fat and juices and bits of cooked food that collect at the bottom of the pan in which the meat was cooked.
Flash freeze or open freeze	To firm up foods before fully freezing by putting them on a pan in the freezer until just firm and then packaging them for long term storage. Usually done with fragile foods.
Fold	Folding is done when a substance that has a lot of air in it, like whipped cream or beaten egg whites, is gently mixed into a heavier ingredient, like a batter. A rubber spatula or large spoon can be used to carefully lift and mix.
Grate	This usually means to rub a solid food, like vegetables or cheese against a grater. A grater has a coarse, serrated surface that cuts the solid food into smaller pieces.
Grill	To cook on a grill or barbeque over intense heat.
Julienne	To cut into thin, matchstick-sized strips.
Marinate	To cover food in a liquid, paste, or dry seasonings to tenderize or add flavor.
Mince	To chop solids into very small pieces.
Mix	To stir together until blended.
Parbake	To briefly cook food in oven until partially done.To briefly cook food in oven until partially done.
Parboil	To briefly cook food in boiling water until partially done.
Pinch	As a measurement, it is a very small amount. What you can hold between your thumb and index finger.
Poach	To cook food in water or hot liquid just below the boiling point.
Puree	This means to mash something until it is a uniformly smooth product. This is done with a blender, food processor, or food mill.
Reduce	Boil or simmer liquid to reduce its volume and intensify its flavor.
Sauté	To cook in a small amount of fat, butter, or water, stirring gently.
Skim	To remove the layer of fat or foam that rises to the surface of soup, stock, or pan drippings.
Skin	To remove the skin of a food item either before or after cooking.
Simmer	To cook slowly over low heat in water or liquid until bubbles form at the edges.
Steam	To cook over boiling water without touching the water, allowing steam to circulate.
Stir fry	To cook small, uniform pieces of food quickly in a hot pan or wok, stirring constantly.
Stock	This is an intensely flavored broth. The liquid is simmered until much of it evaporates, leaving a stronger flavored product.
Toss	To mix ingredients together until evenly coated.
Whip	This means to beat with a whisk or whip to incorporate air into item thereby increasing its volume until it is light.

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Here's a Safe Cooking Temperature Chart:

You can't tell by looking, use a food thermometer to be sure you've reached the following safe minimum internal cooking temperatures:

Beef/veal steaks & roasts	63°C (145° F) medium rare 71°C (160° F) medium 77°C (170° F) well done
Ground beef/pork/veal; Food made with ground beef/pork/veal, e.g. sausages, meatballs; Pork chops, ribs, roasts	71°C (160°F)
Ground chicken/turkey; Food made with ground chicken/turkey, e.g. Sausages, meatballs; Chicken/turkey breasts, legs, thighs & wings; Stuffing, casseroles, hot dogs, leftovers, egg dishes	74°C (165°F)
Chicken/turkey whole, unstuffed	85°C (185°F)
Source: Government of Canada, July 2007

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Here's how people can benefit from having time to eat together:

The Family Who Eats Together Stays Together -- By Becky Hand

"Come and get it!" It may be dinnertime, but when was the last time your family sat down and enjoyed dinner together? With music lessons, ball practice, play rehearsal, and work schedules, it can be tough. Rounding up the troops for an evening meal can be almost impossible! However, research is beginning to show that eating as a family has great benefits for your children and teenagers. Here are 8 more reasons why you should try to sit down together 5-6 times a week, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Reason #1: Improve Communication and Well-Being

Conversations during the meal provide opportunities for the family to bond, plan, connect, and learn from one another. It's a chance to share information and news of the day, as well as give extra attention to your children and teens. Family meals foster warmth, security and love, as well as feelings of belonging. Mealtime can be a unifying experience for all.

Reason #2: Promote Good Manners & Good Fun

Family mealtime is the perfect opportunity to display appropriate table manners, meal etiquette, and social skills. Keep the mood light, relaxed, and loving.

Reason # 3: Expand Worlds ...One Food at a Time

Encourage your children to try new foods, without forcing, coercing, or bribing. Introduce a new food along with some of the stand-by favorites. Remember that it can take 8-10 exposures to a new food before it is accepted, so be patient. Trying a new food is like starting a new hobby. It expands your child's knowledge, experience, and skill. Include foods from other cultures and countries.

Reason #4: Nourish

Meals prepared and eaten for at home are usually more nutritious and healthy. They contain more fruits, vegetables, and dairy products along with additional nutrients such as fiber, calcium, vitamins A and C, and foliate. Home cooked meals are usually not fried or highly salted, plus soda and sweetened beverage consumption is usually lower at the dinner table.

Reason #5: Encourage Self-Sufficiency

Children today are missing out on the importance of knowing how to plan and prepare meals. Basic cooking, baking, and food preparation are necessities for being self-sufficient. Involve your family in menu planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation. Working as a team puts the meal on the table faster, as well as makes everyone more responsible and accepting of the outcome. Improved eating habits come with "ownership" of a meal.

Reason #6: Prevent Self-Destructive Behaviors

Research shows that frequent family dinners (five or more a week), are associated with lower rates of smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use in pre-teens and teenagers when compared to families that eat together two or fewer times per week. As older childrens' schedules get more complicated, it is even more important to make an effort to eat meals together.

Reason #7: Improve Grades

Children do better in school when they eat more meals with their parents and family. Teenagers who eat dinner four or more times per week with their families have higher academic performance compared with teenagers who eat with their families two or fewer times per week.

Reason # 8: Save Money

Due to scheduling, commitments, and activities, families eat out several times each week. Meals purchased away from home cost two to four times more than meals prepared for at home. (At the present time, the restaurant industry's share of the total food dollars spent is more than 46%).

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Estimated Energy Requirements (Calories per day)

	Males			Females
Age	Sedentary Level	Low Active Level	Active Level	Sedentary Level	Low Active Level	Active Level
2-3	1100	1350	1500	1100	1250	1400
4-5	1250	1450	1650	1200	1350	1500
6-7	1400	1600	1800	1300	1500	1700
8-9	1500	1750	2000	1400	1600	1850
10-11	1700	2000	2300	1500	1800	2050
12-13	1900	2250	2600	1700	2000	2250
14-16	2300	2700	3100	1750	2100	2350
17-18	2450	2900	3300	1750	2100	2400
19-30	2500	2700	3000	1900	2100	2350
31-50	2350	2600	2900	1800	2000	2250
51-70	2150	2350	2650	1650	1850	2100
71 +	2000	2200	2500	1550	1750	2000

These values are approximations calculated using Canadian median heights and weights that were derived from the median normal Body Mass Index for different levels of physical activity.

Source: www.hc-sc.gc.ca