Size matters: chopped vs diced vs minced vs sliced
These distinctions matter because the will affect the cooking times of your ingredient.
Chopped – Cut your ingredient into large squares ½ - ¾ inch.
Diced– Cut your ingredient into small squares ¼ inch or smaller.
Minced – Cut your ingredient as small as you can go with a knife.
Sliced – The recipe with often clarify thick or thin slices, and if not choose your preference.
Once burned twice shy: broiling vs baking
These two techniques can be used together or separately.
Baking- You surround your food with a consistent temperature and cook it from all sides.
Broiling – You expose your food to direct hot heat from the top of your oven. It cooks or browns quickly.
The long and the short of it: shredded vs grated
This will determine desired texture of the ingredient.
Shredded – A term meaning long pieces of (usually) a vegetable and sometimes cheese. You go in one direction on the grater to create long pieces.
Grated– A term meaning small irregular pieces and is a term used often with cheese, but can also refer to vegetables. You can go back and forth on the grater to create the grate!
Potato pohtahdo: dash vs pinch
One is for dry ingredients and one is for wet.
Pinch – This is the measurement when you physically pinch the dry ingredient between your fingers. It is approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon.
Dash – This is a small drip of a wet ingredient. It is also approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon.