materials
preparing food

Unit 26 :
Preparing Food for Cooking

 Intermediate

Objective

To be able to share food specialties and recipes.

preparing food

Do you cook your own meals? If so, what’s your favourite meal of the day?

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Vocabulary

Read the following words or phrases with your tutor and use it in a sentence.

  • tablecloth(n)
  • sauté(v)
  • steam(v)
  • gourmet dishes( n phr)
  • whip up(v)
  • food critic(n phr)
  • cuisine(n)
  • delicacies(n)
  • taste buds(n phr)
  • mediocre(adj)
  • mouthwatering(adj)
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Dialogue 1

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Marissa

Juan Carlos

How can I help?

Um…why don’t you iron the tablecloth and set the table?

 I already did that. I want to help with the cooking.

Okay, you can scrub these potatoes, peel the carrots, and rinse these grapes.

All right, I’ll do that, but I think you’re just giving me the scut work. I want to do some real cooking.

 Well okay, I guess you could cut up this chicken and then chop these vegetables. After that, you can sauté the vegetables in this pan.

Great! Now, how do you sauté? I’ve never done it before.

What?! Forget it. You can steam the vegetables instead.

Okay, just show me how.

Never mind. Here, just beat these eggs and slice these onions. When you’re done, you can toss that salad.

But I want to whip up some gourmet dishes. When can I cook?

That’s a good question. Ask me again when you’ve learned how!

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Let’s Practice

Answer the following questions.

1. Who is good at cooking?

2. What does Marissa want to do?

3. Did Juan Carlos allowed her to help in cooking? Can you give some  examples that she did.

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Dialogue 2

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Hung

Padma

I can’t believe that the famous food critic, Julia Schilds, will be eating in my restaurant tomorrow night.

 I need to prepare a gourmet menu that’s going to be mind-blowing.

She wouldn’t be coming here if she didn’t already know that your cuisine is considered some of the best food in the city.

That may be so, but you’re only as good as your last meal. I need to think of some delicacies that will really impress her.

 Let’s see, I think we should offer two new hors d’oeuvres, in addition to the ones already on the menu.

Are you sure the chefs in the kitchen will be able to handle making six different hors d’oeuvres?

Hmm, maybe not.

Why don’t you concentrate on the entrees? I’m sure you could come up with one or two new dishes that will really impress her.

Okay, but I don’t want to put all of my eggs in one basket. I need to have dishes in every course that are out of this world.

Come on. You’re a great chef. What’s the worst she could say?

Lots of things. She could say that this is a run-of-the-mill restaurant with mediocre food that she wouldn’t even feed to her cat!

Okay, yes, she could say those things but she won’t. Your food will be mouthwatering and delectable, and her taste buds will thank you for it!

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Discussion:

Share your ideas with your teacher.

1. How often do you make food and eat it?

2. Do you consider toasting bread, preparing instant noodles, or boiling an egg to be cooking?

3. Between cooking and baking, which do you think is more fun?

4. Who did most of the cooking in your house when you were growing up?

5. In many cultures, women cook more often than men. Is this the same in your country?