Simmer: Simmering means that you are heating a lqiuid to a temperature that is close to a boil, but not hot enough to create bubbles. I simmer food on a 3 or 4 temperature setting on an electric stove. You still need to stir occassionally on simmer; food may still stick to the bottom.
Saute: To saute is to cook in oil over heat. An example of sauteing would be to saute an onion in olive oil.
Marinate: Marinating is taking food and soaking it in a mixture of spices, oil, and possible vinegar to make it more tender and flavorful. You can generally marinate food for a half hour to days depending on the dish.
Mince: You may hear the word mince a lot with garlic. Mincing is chopping something into very tiny pieces. Think onions on McDonals's hamburgers.
Julienne: Julienne is such a fancy word for a simple cut. Julienne means to cut something into long strips. This can be done with many vegetables like carrots. Make it easy on yourself and buy a julienne peeler, a little gadget that makes perfect julienne strips.
Chop: This is a very basic cooking technique. To chop is to cut into small pieces. The don't have to be uniform or exactly the same.
Dice: Dice is like chopping, but the pieces are smaller.
Slice: Slicing is when you cut completely through an object. Think of slicing cheese, or bread. Same principle goes for veggies, meat and fruit.
Brown: To brown a meat means to cooking until brown. You may brown the sides of a roast on the stovetop before cooking in a crockpot or oven.
So, you have learned how to boil water and make rice...: These very basic cooking terms will take you to the next level of cooking. Knowing the basics can really make a difference in your kitchen creations.
