Notes on Food and Cooking from Oxford Online English Lecture

Introduction

• Welcome by Oli to Oxford Online English.
• Lesson focus: Talking about food, different cuisines, preferences, cooking, and eating habits.
• Additional resources: Free lessons available on the website, options for booking classes with qualified teachers.

Understanding Food Terminology

Key Terms

• Cuisine: Type of food from a specific country or culture (e.g., Chinese, French).
• Dish: A specific item of food prepared or cooked.
• Meal: Food consumed at a particular time (e.g., breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Examples

• British cuisine includes dishes like shepherd's pie and Sunday roast.
• Spanish cuisine has dishes like paella and albondigas (meatballs in tomato sauce).

Discussing Food Preferences

Questions to Answer

• What food do you like?
• Describe why you like or dislike certain foods in detail.
• Use specifics: Instead of saying "Vietnamese food is delicious," elaborate (e.g., "because it uses fresh ingredients and is a little spicy").

Describing Flavors and Textures

• Flavors:
  • Sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, rich, bland.
• Textures:
  • Tough, chewy, tender, crunchy, mushy, crumbly.

Examples of Use

• Bland: Lacks flavor (e.g., overcooked vegetables).
• Mushy: Soft and unpleasant (e.g., overcooked vegetables).
• Tender: Soft and juicy (e.g., well-cooked meat).

Cooking Habits

Personal Cooking Styles

• Discussion of cooking frequency:
  • Example: Cooking twice a week vs. preparing meals on Sunday for the week.
• Importance of fresh ingredients and avoiding unhealthy fast food.

Vocabulary

• Canteen: A cafeteria or dining area for staff/students; usually inexpensive.
• Takeaway: Food ordered from a restaurant to eat elsewhere.
• Packed lunch: Food brought from home to eat at work/school.
• Leftovers: Extra food saved to eat later.

Cooking Instructions

Basic Steps

• Example of making moussaka (Greek dish):
  • Fry aubergine and potato, sauté onion and garlic, brown the meat, make white sauce.
  • Layer ingredients, sprinkle cheese, bake.

Cooking Verbs

• Sauté vs. Fry: High temperature for sautéing; frying is a general term.
• Boil vs. Simmer: Boiling is high heat; simmering is low heat.
• Pour vs. Sprinkle: Pouring is for liquids; sprinkling is for small particles.

Final Activity

• Think of a dish you can prepare.
• Give detailed cooking instructions as if teaching someone else.
• Option to share recipes in comments or practice out loud.

Conclusion

• Summary of lesson objectives and practical applications for discussing food and cooking.