English for students of applied biotechnologies and engineering. Учебное пособие

horseradish – хрен hospitable – гостеприимный generous – щедрый

sign – знак, признак

2.1.2 Read the text and ask 5 questions about the peculiarities of Russian cuisine

Russian cuisine

Russian cuisine indeed has a wide variety of appetizers, soups, hot and dessert dishes. An important part of a Russian meal is soup. The traditional Russian soups are shchee (fresh cabbage meat shchee, sauerkraut shchee, shchee Petrovsskie cooked from pike-perch and fresh cabbage), borshch, rassolnik (kidney and salted cucumber soup), meat and fish solyanka, ukha, mushroom soup and soup in season

– okroshka and cold beetroot soup. There are two different recipes for borshch and shchee. Each of these soups has its own unique flavors and ingredients, making them a vital part of the Russian meal experience.

The influence of French cooking techniques on Russian cuisine, as seen in terms like antrekot, eskalop, filé shows how culinary traditions can evolve and incorporate elements from other cultures. Roast suckling pig is considered to be a classic festive dish on the Russian table. The traditional method was to roast the pig with the head left on, basted frequently with oil or butter and served with buckwheat and sometimes with a hot sauce

Pelmeni is another specialty of Russian cookery with its history. Under the Mongol yoke pelmeni became established in Siberia and the Urals and gradually spread on all the territory of Russia. Nowadays there is a variety of shapes and fillings of them. Traditional mixture of beef, pork and elk was used to make minced meat. It is interesting that there is a whole ceremony of making pelmeni in the villages of Siberia. The families gather at the table once or twice a month in winter and spend the whole afternoon to make a vast batch of pelmeni. The women make the dough and chop the meat, the men do the folding. They come in all shapes from

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square to triangles but the traditional form is ear-shaped. Then the pelmeni are usually deep frozen and kept in sacks, bags or buckets in cold pantries.

The use of mushrooms is more popular in Russian cooking than in any other cuisine in the world. They can be eaten raw, dressed with herbs, cooked into soups and pies, baked with cream. A popular winter delicacy is pickled or salted mushrooms.

You can not translate the word kasha as the English word “porridge”. Kasha covers almost all ways of cooking all grains in water, milk, stock and cream. There is a large variety of consistencies from dry (like rice) to a thick puree. It is usually served with plenty of good butter. As the saying goes: “You can’t spoil kasha with butter”.

Russian cuisine is famous for its pies assortment. They were baked in Russia in good old times and are very popular nowadays: rasstegai (open-topped pirozhki with meat or fish stuffing), kulebiaka (a pie with meat, cabbage or fish filling), vatrushki (yeast dough rolls with hollows filled with curds or jam), krendeli (knotshaped bread), boubliki (thick ring-shaped rolls), baranki (ring-shaped rolls), sooshki (small ring-shaped crackers), koolich (Russian Easter cake).

Traditional Russian beverages are kvas, zbiten and a lot of different fruit and berry beverages. Kvas is made from rye bread and water fermented by yeast. You can meet different sorts of kvas: mushroom kvas, kvas with mint, beetroot kvas, kvas with horseradish and a lot of others. Zbiten, as an old Russian beverage, is made from kvas, cognac or vodka, honey, tea and spices.

Russian people are very hospitable and generous at the table. They invite everyone who enters their house to eat with them. Bread and salt are the symbolic offering at welcome and also a sign of respect from host to guest. The guest is welcome to share the food even if the house has no more to offer than bread and salt. Hospitality is a typical trait of character of a Russian.

2.1.3 Answer the following questions

1 Name the popular Russian dish made of meat cut into strips and cooked in

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sour-cream sauce?

2 What is the name of the soup made of beetroot and cabbage and served with sour cream?

3 What is the name of the Russian fermented beverage made of rye?

4 What is the name of the classic chicken dish that was invented in Soviet Russia?

5 What is the name of the Russian Easter cake?

6 What is the Russian counterpart (двойник) of Italian ravioli? 7 What are the Russian terms for meat dishes?

8 What is the name of open-topped pies with meat or fish stuffing?

9 How can you characterize the most typical trait of the Russian character?

2.1.4 Choose the correct option (a, b, c) to complete the sentences

9…salmon dishes are very delicious.

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a) Grated; b) Cut; c) Fried.

10 Then the semolina is … .

a) tossed; b) sliced; c) whisked.

2.1.5 Look at the figure 1. Try to pronounce the names of fruit and vegetables correctly. Write a recipe of your favourite dish using these words

Figure 1 – Fruit and vegetables

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2.1.6Give a detailed description of Russian dishes that are popular

nowadays

2.1.7Discuss the pros and cons of Russian cuisine

2.2 Lesson 2 Meals in Great Britain

2.2.1 Listen and repeat after the teacher the words and word combinations hell – ад

exaggeration – преувеличение renowned – известный

adopt – перенимать, заимствовать creation – создание

elite – элитный troop – войско

Beefeaters – бифитеры, «мясоеды» (прозвище дворцовой стражи или стражников лондонского Тауэра)

porterhouse – стейк из говядины высокого качества cut – вырезка, филе

pub – пивная, трактир, таверна brand – сорт

porter – крепкое темное горькое пиво trait – черта (характера)

conquered – завоеванный, захваченный habit – привычка

curry – карри (острая индийская приправа из куркумы и др. пряностей);

блюдо, приправленное карри

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2.2.2 Read the text about British cuisine British cuisine

British cuisine has indeed been the subject of many jokes and stereotypes over the years, but it has also made significant contributions to the culinary world. One French comic said about British cuisine, “Hell is a place where the cooks are British”. Or according to French food critics, the British serve mint sauce with lamb because mint must be the only plant not eaten by sheep.

But the British bear these jokes with their superior sense of humour.

British cuisine has made significant contributions to the culinary world. From inventing the sandwich to popularizing steak culture, British food traditions have influenced cuisines around the globe.

As for steaks, that has in the past been so British that British elite troops were called Beefeaters. And the term porterhouse for a special large kind of steak cuts has nothing to do with porters or luggage carriers but originates from British pubs where a special brand of dark beer, Porterbeer, was served, and where a snack consisted of a steak some 900 rams by weight – a single portion for a single man. It's a character trait of the British not to be proud of their cuisine too much. In case of their foods and drinks, the British learnt a lot from the colonies conquered by the Beefeaters all around the world. From East Asia (China) they adopted tea (and reexported the habit to India), and from India they adopted curry-style spicing.

It's interesting to see how British cuisine has evolved by integrating flavors and ingredients from its colonies, such as tea with milk and curry with pastry. This blending of influences has created unique and flavorful dishes that are now enjoyed by people worldwide.

While British cuisine may not have the same global recognition as French cuisine, it has its own charm and distinctiveness that continues to be appreciated by food enthusiasts. It's important to appreciate and celebrate the diversity and creativity that different culinary traditions bring to the table.

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2.2.3 Give the corresponding English equivalents of

Шутить, единственное растение, превосходное чувство юмора, блюда,

признанные во всем мире, изобретение, элитные войска, весом 900 граммов,

характерная черта, они заимствовали чай, не только переняли эти привычки.

2.2.4 Answer the following questions

1 Why do you think the British serve mint sauce with lamb? 2 What jokes about British cuisine do you know?

3 What British dishes do you know?

4 British cuisine has contributed a lot to the world steak culture, hasn't it? 5 Can you explain in English the meaning of the word Beefeater?

6 Are the British proud of their cuisine?

7 What did the British adopt from East Asia (China)? 8 Where did the British adopt curry-style spicing from?

2.2.5 Choose the correct option (a, b, c, d) to complete the sentences 1 Overweight people have … to avoid exercises.

a)an affectation

b)a disposition

c)an inclination

d)a tendency

2 She should take more exercises if she wants to keep … .

a)fat

b)fine

c)fit

d)fresh

3 The nutritionist told him that he would be well-advised to … some weight.

a)leave

b)light

c)lose

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d) sell

4 After her diet, she looked very … and healthy.

a)hungry

b)skinny

c)slim

d)thin

5 Very fat men sometimes have a … at the back of the neck.

a)double chin

b)roll of fat

c)spare type

d)ton of flesh

6 The nutritionist advised me to keep a … watch on my weight.

a)near

b)severe

c)strict

d)tight

7 It’s important to keep our body in good … .

a)contour

b)figure

c)form

d)shape

8 We shouldn’t eat so many sweets … meals.

a)between

b)else

c)except

d)through

9 He has put … a lot of weight since last year.

a)down

b)in

c)off

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d) on

10 My brother remained depressingly fat … all his efforts to slim.

a)against

b)although

c)contrary

d)despite

Check your answers:

1d; 2c; 3c; 4c; 5b; 6c; 7d; 8a; 9d; 10d.

2.2.6 Give a free translation of the text

What is tea for the British?

Tea is the national drink of the British.

Britain imports about 20 % of all the world's tea. It was introduced to Britain in 1657 by Catherine of Braganza, King Charles II’s wife and became so popular that special ships (“clippers”) were designed to bring it quickly from China.

The English custom of afternoon tea goes back to the late 18th century, when Anne, wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford, decided that she needed tea and cakes to bring back her strength around 5 p. m.

The British drink more tea than any other nation — about 4 kilos a head, or 1,650 cups of tea a year.

Most people in Britain drink tea with black leaves, but now herbal teas, which do not contain caffeine, are becoming more popular.

The British way of making tea is special. There are some strict rules how their tea is made:

The teapot must be warmed before the tea is put in.

The water must be boiling properly.

The right quantity of tea – “one spoon for each person and one for the

pot” – must be used.

Tea must be brewed for three minutes.

The drinking of tea is the opportunity for the British to rest for a few minutes.

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“If you are cold, tea will warm you, if you are heated, it will cool you,

if you are depressed, it will cheer you, if you are excited, it will calm you”.

2.2.7 Add some more questions to speak about British cuisine. Compare Russian cuisine with the British one

1 How many times do the English have meals?

2 Do the English eat out a lot? Who can afford it? 3 What do you think about English food?

4 Can you compare a typical English and Russian breakfast? 5 What the most famous Englishs dishes do you know?

6 What would you like to try from British cuisine?

7 Can you describe English dishes that are well-known in our country?

2.3 Lesson 3 Meals in the USA

2.3.1 Listen and repeat after the teacher the words and word combinations French fries Am. – картофель, жаренный во фритюре

diet – питание, пища, рацион, диета cornflakes – кукурузные хлопья

cream of wheat – каша из мелкодробленых зерен пшеницы gas water – газированная вода

to grab – поесть наспех, «перехватить» bite – легкая закуска

crouton – гренок

ribs Am. – телятина (спинная часть) puree soup / cream soup – суп-пюре lettuce – салат, латук

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