Are you an expert in the kitchen? In this free English listening lesson from Oxford Online English, you can hear a dialogue from a cooking class, and learn useful English vocabulary to talk about food and cooking.
Woman: First of all, break two eggs into the bowl.
Man: Okay, do we need the yolks1 and the whites2?
Woman: Yes, we don’t waste anything in here! Add some seasoning3.
Man: Salt, pepper, anything else?
Woman: You can add some herbs4 as well, just for flavour.
Man: Right, and then add in the mince5?
Woman: That’s right. Add in the mince, a little bit of flour6, and mix it all up with your hands.
Man: Like this?
Woman: That’s right. It needs to get nice and7 sticky.
Man: Is this okay?
Woman: Yeah, that’s perfect. Now, start rolling the meat into little balls.
Man: This big?
Woman: That’s a bit too big. Make them about the size of a ping-pong ball.
Man: Okay, what next?
Woman: We’ll fry them in a little oil. Turn them every few minutes so they don’t burn.
Man: Shall I start on the sauce?
Woman: Sure. Just fry some onion and garlic, add the tomatoes, and then blend8 it all together. It’s really simple.
Man: Do I need to chop the onion up finely9, or what?
Woman: You’re going to blend it, so it doesn’t make any difference. Just chop it roughly.
Man: Mmm, I’m getting quite hungry! It smells good.
Woman: Well, it’ll be ready in ten minutes, then we can eat!
- The yolk = the yellow part of the egg
- The white = the white part of the egg
- Seasoning = spices and other things which add flavour to a dish
- Herbs = plants which have a strong flavour, used as seasoning
- Mince = meat which has been cut into very small pieces, usually using a machine
- Flour = a white powder, made from wheat, which is used to make bread
- Nice and + adjective is a conversational phrase. The meaning is similar to quite = more than a little bit
- Blend = use a special machine to mix all the food together using a sharp blade which spins around
- Chop something finely = chop into very small pieces
Can you guess the words?
- It’s a white powder which adds flavour to food.
- It’s a verb which means use your hands to make something into a round shape.
- It’s a verb which means to cook in oil.
- It’s a kind of food which is a liquid, which you add to a dish.
- It’s a verb which means to cut something into pieces.
Complete the sentences with one word
- Mix everything _____ really well in a big bowl.
- Add _____ the vegetables and a little salt and pepper.
- It won’t make any _____ if some are a little bit bigger.
- Use some herbs to give it more _____
- You need to stir the sauce every minute, otherwise it might _____
- Salt
- Roll sth up
- To fry
- Sauce
- Chop
- Up (together could also be used)
- In
- Difference
- Flavour
- Burn