"Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or safe."
Various techniques used to prepare food, such as baking, boiling, frying, and grilling, which have different nutritional implications and effects on food quality.
Heat Transfer and Conduction: The transfer of heat energy from one object to another through direct contact.
Heat Transfer and Induction: The transfer of heat from one object to another by electromagnetic induction.
Dry Heat Cooking: Cooking without the presence of moisture, such as baking, grilling, broiling or roasting.
Moist Heat Cooking: Cooking in the presence of moisture, such as boiling, poaching, simmering or steaming.
Cooking with Water: Boiling or simmering foods in liquid.
Cooking with Steam: Steaming foods with steam to cook them.
Cooking with Fat: Frying or sautéing foods with oils or fats.
Grilling and Broiling: Cooking foods using high heat directly under or above the food source.
Baking and Roasting: Cooking foods in an oven using dry heat.
Sous Vide Cooking: Cooking foods in a vacuum-sealed bag in a water bath at a precise temperature.
Smoking: Cooking and flavoring foods with smoke from burning wood.
Braising and Stewing: Cooking foods slowly in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid.
Cooking with Microwaves: Heating foods using microwave radiation.
Cooking with a Slow Cooker: Cooking foods over an extended period at low temperatures.
Blanching: Cooking foods briefly in boiling water and then transferring them to ice water.
Seasoning and Flavoring: Using spices and herbs to add flavor to foods.
Marinades and Rubs: Preparing meats by soaking them in a mixture of spices or coating them in a seasoning mixture.
Tasting and Testing Food: Checking for doneness, evaluating flavor, and adjusting seasoning as needed.
Food Safety: Techniques for handling food safely to prevent foodborne illness.
Food Pairings and Complementary Flavors: Identifying complementary or contrasting flavors between different foods.
Meal Planning: Planning and prepping meals, including choosing recipes, shopping for ingredients, and preparing meals ahead of time.
Food Presentation: Arranging and serving food for attractive presentation.
Kitchen Organization and Management: Managing kitchen space and equipment.
Recipe Adaption and Substitutions: Adapting recipes to suit dietary needs or ingredient availability.
Food Waste Reduction: Reducing food waste by reusing leftovers or repurposing ingredients.
Boiling: Cooking food in boiling liquid at or above 100°C, such as water or broth.
Poaching: A similar method to boiling, where the food is gently cooked in liquid at a lower temperature.
Steaming: Cooking food over boiling water, allowing the food to cook through the steam.
Simmering: Cooking food slowly in a liquid that has been brought to a boil and then reduced to a low heat for a longer period of time.
Blanching: Briefly cooking food in boiling water and then immediately removing it and plunging it into cold water.
Frying: Cooking food in hot oil or fat, usually in a shallow pan.
Sautéing: Cooking food quickly in a small amount of oil or fat over high heat.
Stir-frying: Similar to sautéing, where food is cooked quickly in a small amount of oil, but the food is constantly moved around the pan with a spatula.
Grilling: Cooking food over an open flame, typically with charcoal or gas.
Broiling: Cooking food under a direct heat source, usually in an oven.
Roasting: Cooking food in an oven with dry heat, often with added oil or butter.
Baking: Cooking food in an oven with a combination of dry heat and moisture, such as with bread or cakes.
Braising: Simmering food slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot, typically with tougher cuts of meat.
Stewing: Similar to braising, but with more liquid and larger pieces of meat and vegetables.
Smoking: Cooking food by exposing it to smoke from burning wood chips, often used with meats.
Sous vide: Cooking food in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag, submerged in a water bath at a precise temperature for a long period of time.
Canning: Preserving food by packing it in jars and sterilizing it with heat.
Dehydrating: Removing moisture from food to preserve it, often by using a dehydrator or an oven on a low temperature.
Fermenting: Preserving food using bacteria or yeast to create a tangy or sour flavor, such as with pickles or yogurt.
Infusing: Flavouring oils or liquids by steeping herbs or spices in them.
Marinating: Soaking food in a liquid mixture of spices, acids, and oils to add flavour and tenderize the meat.
"Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in various types of ovens, reflecting local conditions."
"Cooking is done both by people in their own dwellings and by professional cooks and chefs in restaurants and other food establishments."
"Archeological evidence of cooking fires from at least 300,000 years ago exists, but some estimate that humans started cooking up to 2 million years ago."
"The expansion of agriculture, commerce, trade, and transportation between civilizations in different regions offered cooks many new ingredients."
"The invention of pottery for holding and boiling of water expanded cooking techniques."
"Some modern cooks apply advanced scientific techniques to food preparation to further enhance the flavor of the dish served."
"The art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or safe."
"Grilling food over an open fire."
"In people's own dwellings and by professional cooks and chefs in restaurants and other food establishments."
"Archeological evidence of cooking fires."
"The expansion of agriculture, commerce, trade, and transportation between civilizations in different regions offered cooks many new ingredients."
"The invention of pottery for holding and boiling of water expanded cooking techniques."
"Some modern cooks."
"More palatable, digestible, nutritious, or safe."
"Grilling food over an open fire," "using electric stoves," "baking in various types of ovens."
"In restaurants and other food establishments."
"At least 300,000 years ago."
"Many new ingredients."
"Holding and boiling water."