Simmer

Definition

To cook liquid just below boiling point with small bubbles gently breaking the surface. The temperature sweet spot between gentle and angry.

Example Usage

Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes to develop flavor.

Origin

From Old English 'sumerian' meaning 'to boil' (but less aggressively)

Fun Fact

A proper simmer is around 180-190°F, which is hot enough to cook things but not violent enough to destroy delicate ingredients.

Source: Fundamental cooking technique

Related Terms

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raw foodist

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oenology

The scientific study of wine and winemaking, which sounds way more professional than 'professional wine nerd'. Oenologists analyze everything from grape chemistry to fermentation processes, turning liquid art into reproducible science. It's the degree that finally makes your parents understand why you spent so much time 'researching' wine in college.

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casserole

Both the dish and the food cooked in it—a one-pot wonder where ingredients mingle in an earthenware vessel and emerge as comfort food, usually topped with something crispy and fattening. The potluck MVP and the reason your grandmother's Pyrex collection is worth more than your car. It's how entire generations learned that cream of mushroom soup goes with literally everything.

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viticulture

The agricultural science and art of growing grape vines, encompassing everything from soil chemistry to harvest timing that wine nerds obsess over. It's distinct from winemaking itself—viticulture happens in the vineyard, enology happens in the cellar. Basically, it's farming, but make it sophisticated enough to justify a PhD program.

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Intermediate

boulanger

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nappe

The consistency where a sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without immediately running off, creating that Instagram-worthy 'finger swipe test.' When your sauce has finally achieved peak cling.

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