Bake: to cook food with the indirect dry heat of an oven. Covering food while baking it preserves moistness; leaving food uncovered results in a drier or crisp surface.

Barbecue: to cook with barbecue sauce or spices, or to cook slowly on a grill or spit, usually outdoors.

Blanch: to cook fruits, vegetables, or nuts very briefly in boiling water or steam, usually to preserve the color or nutritional value or to remove the skin. Also called parboiling.

Boil: to cook a liquid at a temperature at which bubbles rise and break on the surface. To bring to a boil means to heat just until bubbling begins. In a full or rolling boil, the bubbles are larger and form quickly and continuously.

Braise: to cook food slowly in a tightly covered pan in a small amount of liquid. Usually, food is first browned in a small amount of fat. Braising tenderizes food and can be done either on the stovetop or in the oven.

Broil: to cook food directly under a direct source of intense heat or flame, producing a browned or crisp exterior and a less well-done interior.

Deep-Fry: to cook food in hot, liquefied fat (usually kept at 350° to 375°F) that is deep enough to cover and surround the food completely.

Fry: to cook in hot fat or oil, producing a crisp exterior.

Grill: to cook foods directly above a source of intense heat or flame. Foods can be pan-grilled on a stovetop by using a specially designed pan with raised grill ridges.

Oven-Fry: to cook food, usually breaded, in a hot oven with a small amount of fat, usually dotted or drizzled on top of the food.

Pan-Fry: to fry with little or no added fat, using only the fat that accumulates during cooking.

Parboil: see Blanch.

Poach: to cook in a simmering (not boiling) liquid.

Roast: to cook meat or poultry in the indirect heat of the oven, uncovered. Roasted foods are not cooked in added liquid (compare braise), but are often basted with liquids for flavor and moistness.

Sauté: to cook in a small amount of fat over high heat.

Scald: to heat a liquid to just below the boiling point, when small bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan. When milk is scalded, a film will form on the surface.

Sear: to brown on all sides over high heat to preserve juiciness.

Simmer: to keep a liquid just below the boiling point; a few bubbles will rise and break on the surface.

Steam: to cook food above (not in) boiling or simmering water.

Stew: to cook food, covered, very slowly in liquid.

Stir-Fry: to cook small pieces of food in a hot wok or skillet, using a small amount of fat and a constant stirring motion.