Food preparation

S is for Saute

Food preparation

Saute means to cook food in a pan with butter or oil.

Steven Depolo / CC BY-SA

S is for Sear

Food preparation

Sear means to cook or char the surface of food so it becomes dark and crispy. Meat and seafood are often seared to improve flavor and texture.

Cayobo / CC BY-SA

S is for Sift

Verbs, Food preparation

Sifting is a cooking technique that makes an ingredient smooth by putting it through a sieve. Flour is sifted to remove any lumps before baking or cooking.

Chris Waits / CC BY-SA

S is for Slice

Verbs, Food preparation

You slice something up by cutting flat pieces off if with a knife. When you are taking many slices off something, you try and make them all the same thickness.

William Ross / CC BY-SA

S is for Soak

Verbs, Food preparation

Something is soaked if it is completely wet. Many foods require soaking before they can be cooked, or they will be hard in the middle even after they are cooked. Dried pulses like lentils and beans often need to be soaked overnight. The larger the bean the longer it will need soaking for.

Guðmundur Bjarni Ólafsson / CC BY-SA

S is for Stir

Food preparation

You stir something when you mix something around with a spoon. The person in the picture is stirring soup.

Wonderlane / CC BY-SA

Z is for Zest

Herbs & spices, Food preparation

Zest is the outside, coloured layer of citrus fruit like lemons and oranges. It is used to add flavour to many different kinds of food. Zest is removed from citrus fruit using a special tool called a zester, or just with a regular grater.

Hilary Perkins / CC BY-SA