FOCUS ON LANGUAGE

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

The following verbs frequently appear when reading the cooking instructions in recipes.

add: to put ingredients together; to put one ingredient with the others bake: to cook in an oven by using heat

barbecue: to cook foods (primarily meat) on a grill by using fire or hot coals baste: to moisten (with pan drippings) meat or other foods to prevent it drying out

while cooking and to add flavour

beat: to mix quickly and continually, commonly used with eggs blend: to combine two or more ingredients together thoroughly boil: to heat water until little bubbles form

bread: to coat with flour, then dip into beaten egg or milk, then coat with crumbs from crushed stale bread, cereal or crackers

break: to separate into smaller parts by force

broil: to cook meat or vegetables on a rack with an extremely high temperature brown: to cook over medium or high heat until surface of food browns or darkens carve: to cut meat into slices

chop: to cut into small pieces, generally used with vegetables combine: to put two or more things together

cook: to prepare food by heating it, so the food is not raw

cream: to make butter or margarine, soft and smooth by beating it with a spoon or mixing with a mixer or combining it with sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy

crush: to cause to separate or flatten by extreme force, often used with garlic cube: to cut a solid food into squares of about 1 cm in size or larger

cut: to separate or divide by using a knife dice: to cut into small squares

drain: to remove all the liquid using a colander, strainer, or by pressing a plate against the food while tilting the container

fillet: to remove the bones

fry: to cook by putting the food into extremely hot oil

grate: to divide into small parts by rubbing on a serrated surface, usually used with cheese

grease: to coat with oil or butter

grill: to cook by putting the food on a grill; similar to barbecue

grind: to reduce a food to fine particles using a blender or food processor knead: to press and stretch dough, usually used with making bread marinate: to soak food in a liquid to tenderize or add flavour to it

mash: to squash food with a fork, spoon or masher measure: to obtain an exact quantity

melt: to make something become liquid through heating microwave: to heat up food in a microwave oven

mince: to grind food, normally meat, into small pieces. A machine is often used to do this

mix: to combine two or more things using a spoon, spatula, or electric mixer open: to remove the top from a can or jar

peel: to take the skin off fruits or vegetables

pour: to transfer liquid from one container to another

preheat: to turn oven on ahead of time so that it is at the desired temperature when needed

roast: to cook in the oven or over a fire

sauté: to quickly fry food by placing it in hot oil in a frying pan

scramble: to mix the white and yellow parts of eggs together while cooking them in a pan

simmer: to cook in liquid that is just below the boiling point slice: to cut into thin, wide portions

steam: to cook by placing the food above boiling water. Steam is the vapor that comes from hot water

stew: to simmer slowly in enough liquid to cover

stir: to mix liquid ingredients by moving a spoon around in a circular motion toast: to brown with dry heat in an oven or toaster

wash: to immerse food in water and make sure it becomes clean weigh: to measure the weight (grams or pounds) of something

whip: to beat rapidly with a wire whisk or mixer to lighten and increase volume

Submitted by Tatyana Makhrina

Source: http://www.vocabulary.cl

FRUIT IDIOMS

I’ll give you a hand if you’re interested in idioms.

Sour grapes – to despise what you cannot have.

A (real) lemon (something) – defective and unsatisfactory.

Another bite of the cherry – to get a second chance.

Someone or something is a real peach – someone or something is wonderful.

A tree is known by its fruit – a) what you do (your deeds) show who you are more than anything else, b) to identify an apple tree by its own apples.

To bear fruit – to produce results for your efforts.

To drive somebody bananas – to cause them to go mad, crazy, insane.

To be the apple of someone’s eye – a thing or person most cherished above others.

To upset the apple cart – to ruin something.

Forbidden fruit – something desirable one is not allowed to have.

To be a rotten apple – the one bad person who can spoil things for everyone else.

A bowl of cherries – when everything is going well and life is carefree.

Get as brown as a berry – to darken (by the sun) like a blackberry.

Adam’s apple – the bone sticking out at the front of men’s throats.

Fruit of one’s labours – results of one’s work.

Compiled by Svetlana Myakisheva, School No. 1862, Moscow Source: www.linguaspectrum.com

See audio file on CD.