VESSELS & UTENSILS

Bowl - a round vessel used for preparing and serving foods, especially those with a liquid or semi-liquid texture.

Bain-marie - The French term for the cooking technique we call a water bath. It consists of placing a container (baking pan, bowl, soufflé dish, etc.) of food in a large, shallow pan of warm water, which surrounds the food with gentle heat. The food may be cooked in this manner either in an oven or on top of a range. This technique is designed to cook delicate dishes such as custards, sauces and mousses without breaking or curdling them. It can also be used to keep cooked foods warm.

Candy Thermometer - a kitchen tool used to determine heat levels in the cooking of candy, jams, and preserves.

Convection oven - an electric oven in which heat is circulated rapidly around the cooking foods by means of a fan, resulting in fast crisping and browning.

Cookie sheet - a flat, firm sheet of metal, usually aluminum, with open sides on which cookies, biscuits and other items are baked.

Cooling rack - a flat grid of closely spaced metal wires resting on small feet; used for cooling baked goods by allowing air to circulate around the food.

Cup - a unit of measure in the U.S. system equal to 8 fl. oz.

Demitasse - a small cup of coffee served after dinner.

Dutch Oven - a cast iron pot with a tightly fitting lid used to braise and sometimes to bake.

Epergne - a serving dish of numerous separate bowls attached to one main stem.

Foil, aluminum foil - a thin pliable sheet of aluminum; easily molded, conducts heat well, can withstand temperature extremes and is impervious to odors, moisture and air; used to cover foods for cooking and storage.

Freezer Paper - a plastic-coated Kraft paper used for wrapping foods for freezing and for general household purposes. The plastic coating provides a barrier to air and moisture to protect the quality, flavor and nutrition of foods during freezing; the paper provides strength and durability as well as an easy-to-write-on surface.

Finger Bowls - bowls half-filled with warm water, which may be scented with roses or a slice of lemon. Served to diners to rinse their hands in after a course in which the fingers were used to eat (lobsters, oyster, or artichokes, or example).

Egg Timer - a small, hourglass-shaped container that holds a fixed amount of sand. When the timer is turned upside down, the sand moves from one half to another in a three-minute period, the time required to cook a medium-sized egg to the soft-boiled stage.

Food Chopper - a knife created for efficiency. It is double-handled and crescent-shaped, used with a rocking motion to rapidly chop and dice. In Italy it is known as a mezzaluna, which is less useful today, since food processors do much of this work.

Food Mill - A kitchen utensil best described as a mechanical sieve. It has a hand-turned paddle that forces food through a strainer plate at the bottom, thereby removing skin, seeds and fiber. Some food mills come equipped with several interchangeable plates with small, medium and large holes.

Food Processor - This kitchen appliance was brought to the United States from France in the 1970s and has since revolutionized a majority of home kitchens. It consists of a sturdy plastic work bowl that sits on a motorized drive shaft. The cover of the bowl has a feed tube through which foods can be added. An expanded feed tube — large enough for some whole items such as a tomato or onion — is available with some machines. The food processor is efficient and speedy and can easily chop, dice, slice, shred, grind and puree most food. The larger machines can also knead dough. Most processors come with a standard set of attachments including an S-shaped chopping blade and several disks for slicing and shredding. There are special attachments including juicers and pasta makers, as well as accessories such as French-fry cutters, julienne disks and beaters. Food processors range from large to small in motor size and bowl capacity.

Grater - a square metal or plastic instrument with perforations stamped in it against which goods can be rubbed to break off particles

Griddle - a flat pan often of cast iron, used for cooking pancakes, omelets or steaks on top of the stove.

Gridiron - a metal frame used to hold meat or fish as it cooks over a flame.

Hot Bag - an extra heavy-duty aluminum foil bag, pre-sealed on three sides to make a large and durable pouch.

Jug - a stew made of game meat, particularly hare - jugged hare. The blood of the animal is used in the stew and it is cooked in a jug or an earthenware pot.

Kettle - pot for boiling liquids. In some regions the word has come to mean a pot with a handle and a spout for pouring, as a teakettle.

Ladle - to move portions of a food using a ladle. A utensil with a cup-like bowl and a long hooked or pierced handle and available in various sizes; used to pour sauces and liquids (ex. soups) and to push sauces and other foods through a sieve.

Larding needle - a long needle with a large eye, used to insert strips of fat into lean meats.

Leek - a member of the lily family (Allium porrum); has a thick, cylindrical white stalk with a slightly bulbous root end and many flat, dull dark green leaves; the tender white stalk has a flavor that is sweeter and stronger than a scallion but milder than an onion and is used in salads and as a flavoring.

Measuring cups, dry - vessels, usually made of plastic or metal, with a handle and a rim that is level with the top measurement specified; used to measure the volume of dry substances and are generally available in a set of 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1-cup capacities; metric measures are also available.

Measuring cups, liquid - vessels, usually made of glass, plastic or metal, with a handle and a spout that is above the top line of measurement; specifically used to measure the volume of a liquid and are generally available in 1, 2, and 4-cup to 1-gallon capacities; metric measures are also available; also know as glass cup measures.

Microwave Cooking - a heating method that uses radiation generated by a special oven to penetrate the food; the raidiation agitates water molecules in the food, creating friction and heat; this energy then spreads throughout the food by conducting (and by convection in liquids).

Microwave Oven - A specially constructed and wired oven that cooks with microwaves, a form of electromagnetic radiation used in radar and telecommunications. Microwave ovens tenderize foods more rapidly than conventional cooking instruments.

Paper Cookery - en papillote is the French term for this process of cooking food in a container made from heavy paper.

Parchment Paper – A heavy grease-resistant paper used to line cake pans or baking sheets, to wrap foods for baking en papillote and to make disposable piping bags.

Plastic Wrap - A thin, sheet of clear polymers such as polyvinyl chloride; clings to surfaces and is used to wrap foods for storage.

Sieve - To strain liquid from food through the fine mesh or perforated holes of a strainer or sieve.

Tablespoon - A measure of volume in the U.S. system; 1 tablespoon (T.) = 3 teaspoons or 0.05 fluid ounces.

Thermometer - A device designed to measure temperatures; can be calibrated in Fahrenheit and/or Celsius and can be a column of mercury with temperatures indicated on a glass tube or a stem-type thermometer in which temperatures are noted by an arrow on a dial or a digital readout.

Whisk - in cooking, a tool made of wire loops used for beating.

Wok - A round bowl-shaped metal cooking utensil of Chinese origin used for stir-frying and steaming (with rack inserted) of various foods.