Advanced level chef	The advanced cook knows the kitchen inside and out and can do virtually anything in it, including producing a complete menu. Recipes are easily executed, and he or she is able to add their own flair to a recipe without compromising its heart.
Al dente	An Italian phrase meaning "to the tooth", used to describe food that is cooked only until it offers a slight resistance when bitten into, but which is not soft or overdone.
Baste	To spoon or brush food as it cooks with melted butter or other fat, meat drippings or liquid such as stock.
Butterfly	To split a food (such as shrimp) down the center, cutting almost but not completely through. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly shape.
Chop	Using quick, heavy blows of a knife to cut food into pieces. Chopped food is more coarsely cut than minced food.
Crown Roast	A special occasion roast formed from the rib section of a pork or lamb loin by tying into a circle, ribs up. The roast's hollow center section is usually filled with mixed vegetables or other stuffing.
Crush	To reduce a food to its finest form, such as crumbs, paste or powder. Crushing is often accomplished with a mortar and pestle, or with a rolling pin.
Deglaze	Deglazing is done by adding a small amount of liquid (usually wine or an acid) to a pan that food (usually meat) has been sautéed. The liquid will help loosen any browned bits of food that are stuck to the bottom and the resultant mixture often becomes a base for a sauce to accompany the food cooked in the pan.
Devein	To remove the vein from the back of shrimp or to remove the interior ribs from peppers.
Dice	To cut food into tiny cubes.
Dredge	To lightly coat foods to be fried, as with flour, cornmeal or breadcrumbs.
Drippings	The melted fat and juices that gather in the bottom of a pan in which meat or other food is cooked. Drippings are used as a base for gravies and sauces and in which to cook other foods.
Grate	To reduce a large piece of food to small particles or thin shreds by rubbing it against a course, serrated surface, usually on a kitchen utensil called a grater.
Grilling	To prepare food on a grill over hot coals, or other heat source.
Intermediate level chef	By the time a cook reaches an intermediate level, no supervision will be required in the kitchen. Cooking is understood and can be completed well.
Mince	To cut food into very small pieces. Minced food is in smaller pieces than chopped food.
Novice level chef	Novice cooks are true first-timers in the kitchen, learning as they go. They are still learning basic terms and techniques, as well as the proper, safe, and efficient use of kitchen equipment. Once the water is boiling, though, they're onto the next level!
Puree	Any food (usually a fruit or vegetable) that is finely mashed to a smooth thick consistency. Can be used as a garnish or used to thicken soups and sauces.
Reduce	To boil a liquid (usually stock, wine, or sauce mixture) rapidly until the volume is reduced by evaporation, thereby thickening the consistency and intensifying the flavor, sometimes referred to as a reduction.
Sauté	To cook food in a small amount of oil or other fat in a skillet over direct heat. In French, it literally means to jump.
Sear	To brown meat quickly by subjecting it to very high heat either in a skillet or under the broiler in the oven. The object is to seal in the juices.
Shred	To cut food into narrow strips either by hand or by using a grater or food processor. Cooked meat can be shredded by pulling apart with two forks.
Simmer	To cook food gently in a liquid at a temperature of 185 degrees or until tiny bubbles just begin to break the surface.