What’s cooking? Some adjectives you may need to know
You may come across these words when you are reading recipes or preparing food.
"What’s cooking?" is informal for "What is happening? or What is being planned?" (or it may mean "What’s for dinner?"!)
1. [Match]
Can you link the words with their definitions?
(grated – food reduced to small shreds usually using a grater – a metal or plastic frame with blades and holes in it
whipped – beaten into a froth often with a fork, whisk or blender
stuffed – filled with a mixture
eg stuffed tomatoes – could mean the insides of the tomatoes are filled with rice, herbs and fish
ground – reduced to a fine powder
battered – of food coated in a mixture and fried
A batter is usually a liquid mixture made with flour, milk / water, and sometimes eggs. If you eat fish and chips from a fish and chip shop in England the fish is usually battered.
toasted – browned on both sides after being exposed to direct heat
roast / roasted – cooked in an oven, usually used of meat, and usually with some fat
baked – cooked in an oven, perhaps in a sauce, but with no noticeable fat added
chilled – cooled
marinated / marinaded – left in a liquid mixture to absorb flavours before being cooked
grilled – cooked fast under direct heat
fried – cooked in hot oil
poached – cooked gently with a little water
smoked – preserved and hung in smoke
steamed – cooked above boiling water
frozen – in a solid, very cold state
)
Answers for Quiz [1].
- 1. food reduced to small shreds (correct)
- 2. beaten into a froth (correct)
- 3. filled with a mixture (correct)
- 4. reduced to a fine powder
(correct) - 5. of food coated in a mixture and deep-fried
(correct) - 6. browned on both sides after being exposed to direct heat (correct)
- 7. cooled (correct)
- 8. cooked in an oven, usually used of meat, and usually with some fat (correct)
- 9. left in a liquid mixture for several hours to absorb flavours before being cooked (correct)
- 10. cooked fast under direct heat (correct)
- 11. very cold and solid (correct)
- 12. cooked in an oven, perhaps in a sauce, but with no noticeable fat (correct)
- 13. cooked gently with a little water (correct)
- 14. preserved and hung in smoke (correct)
- 15. cooked above boiling water (correct)
- 16. cooked in hot oil (correct)