Baster

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen your mom or dad use a tool to squirt or pour liquid onto food while cooking? That's called a baster.

A baster is a long tubular tool with a rubber bulb at one end and a thin tube at the other end. It's used for transferring liquids like marinades, sauces, or melted butter onto meat, poultry, or vegetables while they're being cooked in the oven, on a stove or even on a grill.

You see, sometimes when we cook food, we want to add moisture or flavor to it. To do that, we can use a baster to suck up some liquid from a bowl or dish and then squirt it onto the food. It's like giving the food a little bath in yummy juices!

The bulb is like a big squeeze toy. When you squeeze it, air goes out of the bulb and creates suction that pulls the liquid up the tube. Then you can squirt it out onto the food.

Basters are really helpful because they allow us to keep pouring liquids on the food while it's cooking, without having to take the food out of the oven or off the grill. That way we can keep the food nice and moist and prevent it from getting too dry.

So next time you're helping in the kitchen, see if you can spot the baster and watch how it's used. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be cooking up a storm with a baster of your own!