Vocabulary

culinary adj. (slightly formal): My culinary skills are rather limited, I’m afraid (I’m not very good at cooking).

sip v.: This tea is very hot, so sip it carefully. / She slowly sipped (at) her wine.

infusion n.: She drinks an infusion of herbs (=a drink made by leaving herbs in hot water).

infuse v.: Allow the tea to infuse for five minutes.

ingredient n.: The list of ingredients included 250g of almonds.

utensil n.: In the drawer was a selection of kitchen utensils – spoons, spatulas, knives and whisks.

meal n.: I have my main meal at midday. / How many meals a day do you have?

mealtime n.: The only time our family gets together is at mealtimes.

edible adj.: Only the leaves of the plant are edible, but you can’t eat the roots.

Note: the opposite is inedible adj.

Compare: eatable adj.: Is the soup eatable? – Yes, it’s good enough and fresh.

tablecloth n.

diner n.: This café attracts a lot of diners every day.

fetch v. (=go, get from another place and bring back): Could you fetch my glasses for me from the other room, please? / I have to fetch my mother from the station.

Compare: bring v.: “Shall I bring anything to the party?” – “Oh, just a bottle.”

cookbook n. =cookery book

Involve V.

to involve smth.: The job involves traveling abroad for three months each year.

to involve smb. in smth.: I prefer teaching methods that involve students in learning.

to be involved with: She’s been involved with animal rights for many years.

domestic adj.

domestic chores / duties / arrangements

domestic animals

recipe n.: Do you know a good recipe for wholemeal bread?

speciality n.: I can recommend the vegetable pie – it’s the speciality of the restaurant.

stuffed adj.: Do you like tomatoes stuffed with cheese and garlic?

Vine n.

vine leaves

oven n.: Place the cake in the oven at 200°C.

conventional / gas oven

cool / medium / hot oven

treat n.: It’s a special treat, I’ll take you to my favourite tea-shop. / We’re going to Italy for the weekend – it’s my birthday treat.

treat v.

to treat smb. to smth.: The hostess treated us to a good diner.

vegetarianism n.: Vegetarianism is very popular among young people in Britain, especially among teenage girls.

vegetarian n.: Of the four million people who have become vegetarians in Britain, nearly two-thirds are women.

Vegetarian adj.

vegetarian cooking / food

a vegetarian restaurant

a vegetarian dish / meal

seat v. (=to have enough seats for): The new concert hall seats 1500 people.

etiquette n.: Social etiquette dictates that men cannot sit while women are standing.

Word combinations

green tea

to transform smth. into smth.

to take smth. seriously

to be covered in pencil marks

to hold (smth.) together

to occur to smb.

to put aside

to consist of smth.

to swap jokes (stories, songs)

to have much in common

to have (no) trouble with

to stone smb. to death

Exercises