English, baby!

Like to Cook?

Date: Jan 20 2004

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Hello!
Everyone knows eating is an essential part of life, but what people eat varies from country to country, city to city, family to family and person to person. No matter where you go in this world, whether it’s to another continent or just across the street, you’ll find a wide diversity of foods and preparation styles.
Cooking is a big part of eating, and it’s also one of the things that differentiates between how people eat. For example, some people love to cook, so they have complicated and elaborate meals at home every day. Others despise cooking, so when they eat at home, they have very simple meals with few ingredients. Still others don’t even have time to cook, so they either eat out at restaurants or have pre-prepared food for every meal.
Miguel and Beth recently discussed their cooking preferences. Listen in to their conversation to learn more about them.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Miguel

Beth

Miguel: Hey Beth, do you like to cook?

Beth: A little bit. How ‘bout you?

Miguel: Well I do, but I don’t have a very big repertoire of dishes. And actually, that’s why I was asking. I wondered if you had like a specialty that you make a lot.

Beth: No – well, I guess there are a few things that I make. Like, I enjoy making lasagna. If I’m gonna spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it’s really fun to make like a veggie lasagna with homemade noodles and, you know, all the different layers of yummy, um, healthy vegetables and cheese and sauce.

Miguel: That sounds like a really big ordeal. What kind of time investment am I looking at for the lasagna?

Beth: Well, probably about four hours and, you know, you have to go to the store and… But it’s such a great thing to make because you can serve a large group of people and it’s usually nice to have like a salad and dessert to go with it.

Miguel: Do the leftovers last well? Like, could I put it in the freezer for a couple weeks?

Beth: Probably not that long, but at least a week.

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Discussion

Miguel and I are very similar when it comes to cooking. We both like to cook, but we’re not cooking fanatics. For example, I love to make something complicated like lasagna, but I only have the patience to do it once in a while. Normally, I don’t have time to spend a whole day putting a meal together.
The great thing about food in the U.S. is that the country is a melting pot of peoples, cultures and styles – so it’s possible to find restaurants that serve just about anything. In fact, within a few blocks of my house I can get authentic French food (made by a French chef), Japanese food, Spanish food, Mexican food, Thai food, Chinese food and American classics like hamburgers, fries and milkshakes.
Happy eating!
Beth