English Language Listening Library Online
Mixer #58 | Intermediate B1

Cooking

Six people share what dishes they can cook.

Skip, The United Sates
speakerWhat is something I can cook well? I have two main dishes when I cook for myself or even for friends. One is some version of fried rice - Chahan in Japanese. I have several versions that I can do pretty well, and the other is spaghetti. So, if I can't think of anything special or I don't want to take too much time, and usually I don't, spaghetti and chahan are something that are really delicious and they both don't take much time, so that's two important things about them.

Adrienne, The United Sates
speakerWhat is something I can cook really well? I can cook Thai green curry very well. This is one of my favorite dishes so when I went to Thailand I learned how to cook it at cooking class and so now I make it all the time because I really enjoy it.

Matt, The United Sates
speakerI like a home cooked lasagna. I'm a big Italian guy. Yeah, just anything basically with pasta but the lasagna's got to be with the noodles, the big noodles, the cheese melted and plenty of meat in the middle, succulent.

Peter, Sweden
speakerWhat I can cook well is chili con carne. It's my absolute favorite dish and not only because it's tasty and delicious, it's also because it requires patience which I don't usually have and you also have to be really picky with the ingredients in order to make it taste well.

Phil, England
speakerWhat can I cook well? That's a very difficult question because my cooking is awful. At home I normally cook boil-in-the-bag curry and microwave rice because it's very, very easy and very quick and I'm a very lazy person so it appeals to me but in England, my home in England, I used to cook - in the oven for my parents - sometimes but just frozen fish and maybe very simple rice or pasta but I cooked it OK but 'well' is maybe not the right word.

Lisa, Canada
speakerWhat is something I can cook really well? I am an excellent dip maker. I can make great mexican dips, such as quacamole with avocados and lemons and spices or tzatziki, which is a greek cucumber yogurt dip with yogurt cucumber, dill and lots of garlic.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson!

versions

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I have several versions.

A version is a particular model of a product that has changed since the original.  Notice the following:

  1. I'm using the latest version of Windows XP.
  2. The older version was easier to use.

I'm a big Italian guy.

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I'm a big Italian guy who likes pasta.

Here, a big guy is someone who really likes to eat.  Notice the following:

  1. My friend Luigi is a big Italian guy.
  2. The pizzeria is owned by a big Italian guy.

succulent

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The meat is succulent.

Succulent food is juicy and delicious.  Notice the following:

  1. The seafood was succulent.
  2. Junk food isn't exactly succulent, but I love it!

picky

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You have to be really picky.

When we are picky, that means we only like things a certain way.  Notice the following:

  1. He's really picky about his clothes.
  2. I'm not picky about restaurants. I'll eat anything!

it appeals to me

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I'm lazy so it appeals to me.

When something appeals to us, that means it is interesting. Notice the following:

  1. Taking a cooking class really appeals to me.
  2. Golf just doesn't appeal to me.

Vocabulary Quiz

version • big guy • succulent
picky • appeals
  1. Her children are very eaters. They don't like most food.
  2. There is a new of this product available. Would you like to install it?
  3. I really don't understand why this music to you.
  4. He's a very , so he eats a lot.
  5. These peaches are very . I'm getting juice all over my face.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

One Minute English Video

Speakers
Mixer Video #58
What can you cook?

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