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Joy English · Level B1 · Food and cookingjoy-english.com

A podcast about learning to cook

Name:Date:

A podcast guest talks about his first steps in the kitchen and the advice that helped him most.

Audio and answer checking: https://joy-english.com/listening/learning-to-cook

Understand the conversation

Listen to the podcast. Choose the best answer.

  1. Why has Lena invited Tomás onto the podcast?
    • a) He has just finished a professional cooking course
    • b) He learned to cook from almost nothing in about two years
    • c) He grew up cooking with his father
    • d) He has started a cooking channel for beginners
  2. Why did Tomás decide to start cooking?
    • a) His father asked him to learn
    • b) His friends asked him to cook for them
    • c) He was bored, and buying all his meals cost too much
    • d) His grandmother told him he had to learn
  3. How did his grandmother teach him?
    • a) On video calls, one evening a week
    • b) By sending him written recipes
    • c) By cooking with him in his flat
    • d) By recording short cooking videos for him
  4. Why did the first dish go wrong?
    • a) His grandmother gave him the wrong instructions
    • b) He used the wrong ingredients
    • c) The video call stopped working
    • d) He went out of the kitchen to answer a message
  5. According to his grandmother, what happens the second time you cook a dish?
    • a) You understand it
    • b) You can change it a little
    • c) You follow the recipe carefully
    • d) You can cook it for friends
  6. What did Tomás do when his soup was too salty?
    • a) He threw it away and started again
    • b) He asked his grandmother for help
    • c) He added potatoes and more water
  7. How does Tomás feel about cooking now?
    • a) He finds it useful but stressful
    • b) He only enjoys it when he cooks for other people
    • c) He still feels nervous in the kitchen
    • d) It is the part of his day that relaxes him most

Listen for details

Listen again and type the missing word or number. You can write numbers as words or digits.

  1. Tomás lived with his parents until he was ___.
  2. After he moved into his flat, he ate ___ for about a month.
  3. His grandmother gave him a lesson every ___ evening.
  4. The first dish they made together was rice with ___.
  5. His grandmother's advice is to cook the same dish ___ times in one week.
  6. Tomás tells nervous beginners to start ___ and not try to impress anyone.

Answer key

Understand the conversation

  1. b) He learned to cook from almost nothing in about two yearsLena says that two years ago Tomás couldn't even boil an egg. The whole conversation is about how he learned.
  2. c) He was bored, and buying all his meals cost too muchHe says he got bored, and buying lunch and dinner every day was expensive.
  3. a) On video calls, one evening a weekShe agreed to teach him on video calls one evening every week, watching him through the phone.
  4. d) He went out of the kitchen to answer a messageHe burned the rice because he left the kitchen to answer a message.
  5. a) You understand itFirst you follow the recipe, the second time you understand it, and after that you can change it a little.
  6. c) He added potatoes and more waterHe added some potatoes and more water. It wasn't perfect, but his friends ate it.
  7. d) It is the part of his day that relaxes him mostHe says cooking has become the most relaxing part of his day.

Listen for details

  1. twenty-six / twenty six / 26He says he lived with his parents until he was twenty-six.
  2. sandwichesHe ate sandwiches for about a month before he got bored.
  3. Wednesday / WednesdaysShe taught him on video calls every Wednesday evening.
  4. vegetables / vegTheir first dish was rice with vegetables, and he burned it.
  5. three / 3Her advice is to cook the same dish three times in one week.
  6. smallHis advice is: start small, and don't try to impress anyone.

Transcript

Lena: Welcome back to The Everyday Table, the podcast for people who are new to the kitchen. My guest today is Tomás, who says that two years ago he couldn't even boil an egg. Tomás, is that really true?

Tomás: Honestly, it is. I lived with my parents until I was twenty-six, and my dad did all the cooking. When I moved into my own flat, I ate sandwiches for about a month.

Lena: So what changed?

Tomás: I got bored, and buying lunch and dinner every day was expensive. So I called my grandmother, and she agreed to teach me on video calls every Wednesday evening. She'd watch me through the phone and tell me what to do.

Lena: That's lovely. What was the first thing you made together?

Tomás: Rice with vegetables. And I burned it, because I left the kitchen to answer a message. She still laughs about that.

Lena: What's the most useful advice she's given you?

Tomás: Cook the same dish three times in one week. The first time, you follow the recipe. The second time, you understand it. And the third time, you can change it a little.

Lena: I like that. Do you still make mistakes?

Tomás: All the time. Last month I put far too much salt in a soup, so I added some potatoes and more water. It wasn't perfect, but my friends ate it.

Lena: And what would you say to listeners who feel nervous about cooking?

Tomás: Start small, and don't try to impress anyone. For me, cooking has become the most relaxing part of my day.

Joy English · free English practice · https://joy-english.com/listening/learning-to-cook