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Thematic Collection

Home Cooking in English: Ingredients, Cooking Methods and Kitchen Vocabulary

Describing how you cook, explaining a recipe or talking in the kitchen with a native speaker all require culinary vocabulary that goes beyond basic words like "food" and "cook".

Word list to learn

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boil
/bɔɪl/
fry
/fraɪ/
bake
/beɪk/
roast
/rəʊst/
steam
/stiːm/
grill
/ɡrɪl/
simmer
/ˈsɪmə/
sauté
/ˈsɔːteɪ/
poach
/pəʊtʃ/
stir-fry
/ˈstɜːfraɪ/
marinate
/ˈmærɪneɪt/
season
/ˈsiːzən/
chop
/tʃɒp/
dice
/daɪs/
slice
/slaɪs/
mince
/mɪns/
peel
/piːl/
grate
/ɡreɪt/
whisk
/wɪsk/
knead
/niːd/
drain
/dreɪn/
blend
/blɛnd/
fold
/fəʊld/
recipe
/ˈrɛsɪpi/
ingredient
/ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/
flour
/flaʊə/
sugar
/ˈʃʊɡə/
butter
/ˈbʌtə/
oil
/ɔɪl/
egg
/ɛɡ/
cream
/kriːm/
garlic
/ˈɡɑːlɪk/
onion
/ˈʌnjən/
herb
/hɜːb/
spice
/spaɪs/
yeast
/jiːst/
dough
/dəʊ/
batter
/ˈbætə/
pan
/pæn/
pot
/pɒt/
oven
/ˈʌvən/
frying pan
/ˈfraɪɪŋ pæn/
chopping board
/ˈtʃɒpɪŋ bɔːd/
spatula
/ˈspætjʊlə/
colander
/ˈkɒləndə/
grater
/ˈɡreɪtə/
rolling pin
/ˈrəʊlɪŋ pɪn/
ladle
/ˈleɪdl/
peeler
/ˈpiːlə/
saucepan
/ˈsɔːspən/
wok
/wɒk/
tender
/ˈtɛndə/
crispy
/ˈkrɪspi/
raw
/rɔː/
overcooked
/ˌəʊvəˈkʊkt/
flavour
/ˈfleɪvə/
texture
/ˈtɛkstʃə/
portion
/ˈpɔːʃən/

Useful phrases

Click the icon to hear the pronunciation

preheat the oven to 180°C
bring the water to the boil
add a pinch of salt
stir occasionally
season to taste
let it simmer for ten minutes
cook over medium heat
leave it to rest
drain the pasta
follow the recipe
it tastes a bit bland
the meat is cooked through
whisk the eggs until fluffy
set the timer
do the washing-up

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Cooking pasta together

Click the speaker icon to hear the full dialogue

💬
Sam
Right, I'll teach you my creamy garlic pasta. First, put a big pot of water on to boil.
Lee
How much salt should I add to the water?
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💬
Sam
A generous pinch — the water should taste like the sea. Meanwhile, can you peel and finely chop the garlic?
Lee
Done. The cloves are minced. What's next?
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💬
Sam
Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then sauté the garlic until it's golden — don't let it burn.
Lee
It smells amazing already! Should I add the cream now?
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💬
Sam
Yes, pour in the cream and let it simmer gently for a couple of minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick.
Lee
The water's boiling. I'll drop the pasta in now.
💬
💬
Sam
Cook it for about nine minutes, until it's just tender but still has a bite. Then drain it, but keep a cup of the pasta water.
Lee
Why do we keep the water?
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💬
Sam
The starch helps the sauce cling to the pasta. Add a splash if the sauce gets too thick, then season it to taste.
Lee
I've mixed everything together and grated some parmesan on top. It tastes incredible!
💬
💬
Sam
See? A proper homemade meal in fifteen minutes. Now the only thing left is to do the washing-up!

Common mistakes

Avoid these common mistakes

Wrong I followed the receipt to make the soup.
Correct I followed the recipe to make the soup.

A very common confusion: a recipe /ˈrɛsɪpi/ is a set of cooking instructions, while a receipt /rɪˈsiːt/ is the proof of payment you get in a shop. They look similar but are unrelated and pronounced differently (note the silent 'p' in receipt). Always cook from a recipe, and keep the receipt for your shopping.

Wrong I cooked a chocolate cake for the party.
Correct I baked a chocolate cake for the party.

Cook is the general word for preparing food with heat, but for cakes, bread, biscuits and anything made in the oven with dry heat, English uses bake. Use cook as the umbrella term, but be specific: you bake a cake, roast a chicken, fry an egg, boil potatoes and grill a steak. Saying 'cook a cake' is understood but sounds unnatural.

Wrong Open the gas and put the pan.
Correct Turn on the heat (the hob/stove) and put the pan on.

Many learners translate 'open/close' for switching appliances on and off, but in English you turn on and turn off the heat, the oven, the hob (British) or the stove (American). You can also 'turn the heat up/down' to adjust it. 'Open the gas' sounds dangerous and incorrect — use turn on the gas / the heat.

Wrong Cut the onion in small pieces.
Correct Cut the onion into small pieces.

When you change something into a new shape or smaller parts, English uses the preposition into, not 'in': cut into pieces, chop into cubes, slice into rings, break into chunks. The word into expresses the transformation. 'Cut in pieces' is a frequent error — always use cut into when describing the result of cutting.

Wrong Can you buy a bread and a pasta for dinner?
Correct Can you buy some bread and some pasta for dinner?

Many food words are uncountable in English and take no 'a/an' and no plural: bread, pasta, rice, flour, butter, cheese, meat. Use some or a unit: 'some bread', 'a loaf of bread', 'a bag of pasta', 'a slice of cheese'. Saying 'a bread' or 'a pasta' is a classic mistake — reach for some or a container/portion word instead.

About This List

Home Cooking in English: A Complete Reference

Cooking methods: 'cook' is not enough

In many languages one verb covers all cooking, but in English cook is only an umbrella term. For precision there are specific verbs: boil (in water), fry (in oil), bake (in the oven — cakes, bread), roast (meat, vegetables), grill, steam, simmer (gently), poach, and sauté / stir-fry (quickly). You bake a cake, you do not 'cook a cake'.

Preparing ingredients: cutting and more

There are many ways to cut: chop (roughly), dice (into cubes), slice (into thin pieces), and mince (very finely). Other actions: peel, grate, whisk, knead (dough), and drain (water). Note: you cut something into pieces, with the preposition into, not 'in pieces'.

Recipe or receipt?

A classic confusion. A recipe /ˈrɛsɪpi/ is a set of cooking instructions. A receipt /rɪˈsiːt/ is the proof of payment from a shop (the 'p' is silent). The words look alike but are unrelated: you cook from a recipe and keep the receipt.

Uncountable foods: 'a bread' is wrong

Many foods are uncountable in English and take no 'a' and no plural: bread, pasta, rice, flour, butter, cheese, meat. Use some or a unit: 'some bread', 'a loaf of bread', 'a slice of cheese'. 'A bread' or 'two breads' is a common mistake.

Controlling the hob and containers

You turn on / turn off the oven and the hob, not 'open/close' them, and you turn the heat up / down. Containers: pan (frying pan), pot / saucepan, oven, and wok. Utensils: spatula, colander, grater, rolling pin, and ladle.

Describing a finished dish

Useful adjectives: tender, crispy, raw, overcooked, and bland (lacking flavour). You can describe the flavour and texture of a dish, and you season to taste before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cook is the general word. The specific methods are: boil (in water), fry (in oil), bake (in the oven — cakes, bread), roast (meat, vegetables), grill, steam, and simmer (gently). You bake a cake, roast a chicken and fry an egg. 'Cook a cake' is understood but sounds unnatural — always choose the specific verb.

A recipe /ˈrɛsɪpi/ is a set of cooking instructions. A receipt /rɪˈsiːt/ is the proof of payment from a shop; the 'p' is silent. The words look similar but are unrelated: you cook from a recipe and keep the receipt. Note the different pronunciation.

The correct form is cut into pieces, with the preposition into. When something changes into a new shape or smaller parts, English uses into: cut into cubes, slice into rings, chop into chunks. 'Cut in pieces' is a frequent error — into expresses the transformation.

Many foods are uncountable: bread, pasta, rice, flour, butter, cheese, meat. They take no 'a' and no plural. Use some or a unit: 'some bread', 'a loaf of bread', 'a slice of bread', 'a bag of pasta'. 'A bread' is a classic mistake.

You turn on / turn off the oven and the hob, not 'open/close' them. To adjust the flame: turn the heat up (increase), turn the heat down (decrease), and cook over medium heat. The cooking surface is the hob (UK) or stove (US).

Useful words: tender, crispy, raw, overcooked, and bland (lacking flavour). For meat: cooked through (fully cooked), medium / well done. You season to taste before serving; the taste is the flavour and the feel is the texture.

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