20 cooking verbs you need to know
Cooking is a fun and useful skill that everyone should learn. When you want to cook a meal, you first gather all the ingredients you need. You might pick fresh vegetables, buy meat or fish, and prepare spices. Once everything is ready, you can cut the vegetables into small pieces. Be careful when you slice the onions or dice the carrots.
Next, you might boil water in a pot to cook pasta or rice. As the water heats, you can season the food with salt, pepper, or herbs. When the water boils, you can add the pasta or rice and stir it so it doesn't stick. After a few minutes, you can drain the water and set aside the cooked food.
Sometimes, you need to fry or sauté vegetables in a pan with a little oil. This helps them become soft and flavorful. Other times, you bake dishes in the oven. You should preheat the oven first, then place the food inside to cook evenly.
When the food is nearly ready, you may taste it and adjust the seasoning. Once everything looks good, you can serve the meal on plates. It’s important to clean as you go by washing the dishes and wipe the counters.
Cooking teaches patience and creativity. It’s also a great way to share with family and friends. With a little practice, you will learn how to prepare delicious meals and enjoy the process. Remember, every chef starts as a beginner, so don’t be afraid to try new recipes and experiment with flavors.
English to English
- Gather – To collect or bring together things from different places.
- Pick – To choose or select something, often from among many options.
- Buy – To get something by paying money for it.
- Prepare – To make ready or get things set before starting to cook.
- Cut – To divide or make pieces in food using a knife.
- Slice – To cut food into thin, flat pieces.
- Dice – To cut food into small, cube-shaped pieces.
- Boil – To heat a liquid until bubbles form and it starts to turn into vapor.
- Season – To add spices, salt, or herbs to food to improve its flavor.
- Add – To put something into food or other substances.
- Stir – To move a spoon or utensil around in a liquid or mixture to combine or keep it from sticking.
- Drain – To remove liquid from food, often by pouring it out or using a sieve.
- Set aside – To put something somewhere temporarily for later use.
- Fry – To cook food in hot oil or fat.
- Sauté – To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil or butter over high heat.
- Preheat – To warm up an oven or cooking appliance before using it.
- Place – To put or set something somewhere.
- Taste – To try food to check its flavor.
- Adjust – To change or modify something to improve it or make it right.
- Serve – To present food on plates for eating.
English to Khmer
- Gather – ប្រមូល
- Pick – ជ្រើសរើស
- Buy – ទិញ
- Prepare – រៀបចំ
- Cut –កាត់
- Slice – ហាន់ជាចំណិតៗ
- Dice – កាត់ជាដុំៗបូនជ្រុង
- Boil – ស្ងោរ
- Season – ដាក់គ្រឿង (អំបឹល បីចេង ស្ករ)
- Add – បន្ថែម
- Stir – កូរ
- Drain – ចាក់ចេញ
- Set aside – ដាក់ទៅម្ខាង
- Fry – ចៀន
- Sauté – ឆា
- Preheat – កំដៅចោល
- Place – ដាក់ ឬទុ ក
- Taste – ភ្លក់
- Adjust – កែប្រែ
- Serve – ដួស
Practice
a) To throw away
b) To collect or bring things together
c) To cook food
d) To wash dishes
Answer: b)
a) Buying it
b) Choosing or selecting it
c) Cutting it
d) Cooking it
Answer: b)
3. What does it mean to "buy"?
a) To prepare food
b) To choose something
c) To get something by paying money
d) To wash dishes
Answer: c)
4. When you "prepare" ingredients, you:
a) Eat them
b) Make them ready before cooking
c) Serve them
d) Cool them
Answer: b)
5. To "cut" food usually means:
a) To hold it
b) To clean it
c) To divide it into pieces with a knife
d) To cook it
Answer: c)
6. "Slice" food refers to:
a) Cutting it into small, flat pieces
b) Boiling it
c) Frying it
d) Serving it
Answer: a)
7. To "dice" vegetables means to:
a) Mix them with spices
b) Cut them into small cubes
c) Bake them in the oven
d) Fry them in oil
Answer: b)
8. What does "boil" mean?
a) To fry food in oil
b) To heat a liquid so bubbles form
c) To cut into pieces
d) To season food
Answer: b)
9. To "season" food is to:
a) Wash it
b) Add spices or salt to improve flavor
c) Cut it into pieces
d) Cook it in the oven
Answer: b)
10. When you "add" ingredients, you:
a) Remove them from the dish
b) Mix them with water
c) Put something into the food
d) Taste them
Answer: c)
11. To "stir" food means to:
a) Slice it into pieces
b) Move a spoon around to mix things
c) Bake it in the oven
d) Serve it on a plate
Answer: b)
12. "Drain" food usually means to:
a) Add water
b) Remove liquid from food
c) Cut it into pieces
d) Cook it in oil
Answer: b)
13. "Set aside" means to:
a) Keep something temporarily in a different place
b) Mix it with other ingredients
c) Serve it on a plate
d) Boil it in water
Answer: a)
14. To "fry" food is to:
a) Cook it in boiling water
b) Cook it in hot oil or fat
c) Grill it outdoors
d) Bake it in the oven
Answer: b)
15. "Sauté" refers to:
a) Cooking food quickly in a small amount of oil
b) Boiling water rapidly
c) Cutting food into small pieces
d) Serving food on a plate
Answer: a)
16. To "preheat" an oven means to:
a) Turn it off after cooking
b) Heat it up before you start cooking
c) Clean it thoroughly
d) Turn down its temperature
Answer: b)
17. To "place" something in cooking is to:
a) Wait for it to cook
b) Put or set it somewhere
c) Toss it in the air
d) Mix it with other ingredients
Answer: b)
18. When you "taste" food, you:
a) Look at it carefully
b) Try it to check the flavor
c) Cook it longer
d) Serve it to others
Answer: b)
19. To "adjust" seasoning means to:
a) Change or improve the flavor
b) Serve the food
c) Wash the ingredients
d) Store the food
Answer: a)
20. To "serve" food means to:
a) Prepare it for cooking
b) Put it on plates to eat
c) Store it in the fridge
d) Clean up after cooking
Answer: b)