Having Dinner at Someone’s House
a)
A: Why not come home and eat with us? You’ll have to take pot luck (= eat what we’re eating, noting special).
B: Thank you. Shall I bring a bottle? (= usually means a bottle of wine)
b)
A: Should I wear a suit on Friday?
B: No, no, it isn’t a dinner party (= rather formal dinner with guests), it’s just an informal get-together (= informal group of people meeting for a meal/drinks/etc.).
c)
A: Does anyone want seconds? (= a second helping/serving of a dish)
B: Oh, yes, please. It was delicious.
d)
A: Can I pour you some juice? Say when (= tell me when I have served enough).
B: When! (= That’s enough, thanks.)
A: Help yourself to some nibbles (=things like nuts, crisps, etc., served before a meal).
e)
A: We leave at six. We can grab a bite to eat on the way (=have a quick meal).
B: Or we could get a takeaway when we get there (= ready-cooked meal bought to take home)
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A: Hello, Bob. How nice to see you. Come in, please. How are you?
B: Fine, thanks, Helen. You look very well today.
A: Thanks, Bob.
C: Hello, Bob. Let me take your coat.
B: Hello, Martin. Thanks, here you are. What a lovely house!
A: Thanks, I’m glad you like it. We’ve just redecorated it. Do come into the living-room and meet Mary. Mary, this is Bob Biltmore. Bob, this is Mary Morris.
B: How do you do?
D: How do you do?
C: Bob, what can I get you to drink?
B: I’ll have a Scotch and soda.
C: Here you are.
B: Thanks.
A: Dinner’s ready. Come into the dining-room, all of you. Bob, would you sit here, and Mary, would you sit over there.
E: I'm so sorry I’m late, Helen.
A: Never mind, Kate. I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve started.
E: It’s OK. I’m glad you have.
A: I’ll put the salad in the middle of the table. Shall I serve you?
B: No, it’s all right. We can help ourselves.
A: Martin, could you pour the wine, please. Would you like some pork chop, Mary?
D: Yes, please.
A: More?
D: No, thanks. This is fine.
C: Would you pass the salt, please, Helen?
A: Oh, sorry. Here you are. Bob, help yourself to some vegetables, too.
B: Oh, no, thank you. I'm completely full. The pork was delicious.
A: Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
C: Can I get anyone coffee or a drink?
B: Could I have a regular coffee, please?
C: Sure. Here you are.
B: Thank you.
D: I’m afraid I have to be going. I have to get up very early tomorrow. Thank you very much for a lovely evening.
A: Don’t mention it. I’m so glad you could come.
B: I say, you go my way, don’t you? Would you like a lift?
D: Oh, thank you very much. That’s very kind of you.
B: Thank you for inviting me here. I had a wonderful time. It was nice meeting you, Kate.
E: See you around, Bob and Mary.
C: Here are your coats.
B&D:Thank you.
A: Please give my regards to your family, Bob.
B: Thanks, I will. Come on, Mary. Good-night and thanks again.
D: Good night.
A&C&E:Good-night.
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Waiter: May I take your order, sir!
Mr. Miles: I haven’t seen the menu yet. May I have one, please?
Waiter: I’m sorry. Here it is, sir.
Mr. Miles: There are so many different dishes that it’s hard to decide.
Waiter: The a la carte dishes are on the left. The regular dinners are on the right
hand page.
Mr. Miles: I’ll have the regular dinner. I’m pretty hungry. With the regular dinner
I’ll get appetizer.
Waiter: Yes, sir. The regular dinner includes appetizer, soup, salad, choice of
desserts, tea or coffee.
Mr. Miles: Is there any particular dish you would recommend?
Waiter: The roast beef is very good tonight. We also have several good chicken
dishes, if you like chicken.
Mr. Miles: I’m not very fond of chicken, I’m afraid. I think I’ll try beefsteak. For
vegetable, give me French fries, please.
Waiter: How do you want your steak – rare, medium, or well done?
Mr. Miles: Well done, please. What salad do I get with dinner?
Waiter: We have a choice of lettuce and tomato or cucumber and beets.
Mr. Miles: I think tomato will do nicely. And what appetizer do you have?
Waiter: The appetizers are at the top of the page. You can have prawn cocktails,
fresh fruit cocktail, and tomato juice.
Mr. Miles: All right. That’s settled, then. I’ll have fruit cocktail to begin with and
roast beef with tomato salad to follow.
Waiter: Very good, sir. Anything for dessert?
Mr. Miles: What do you have for dessert?
Waiter: We have pie, chocolate pudding, ice-cream, tea or coffee.
Mr. Miles: Chocolate pudding, please.
Waiter: Here is your bill, sir. You can pay the cashier on your way out.
Questions:
1. Why does Mr. Miles find it hard to make his choice of dishes?
2. What kind of dinner does he finally decide on?
3. What dishes does the regular dinner include?
4. What dishes does the waiter recommend?
5. Does Mr. Miles want his steak rare?
6. What does Mr. Miles order for dinner after all?
7. What’s there for dessert on the menu? What does Mr. Miles order for dessert?
8. Where is Mr. Miles to pay the bill?
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1. - Have you decided on something, sir?
- Yes. Haddock and chips for me, please.
- How about the sweet?
- No sweet. Just coffee.
2. - May I take your order, sir?
- I’ll just take a small salad, please.
- Do you want any sweet?
- Apple pie and custard would be nice.
3. - Another piece of meat pie?
- No, thanks, really. I’m on a diet.
- Please, do. You’ve hardly eaten anything.
- It’s delicious.
4. - How about a nice cup of tea before you go?
- Yes, I’d love one.
- How do you like it?
- A strong one with three spoons for me, please.
5. - Can I take your order, sir?
- Yes, I’d like to try the steak, please.
- And to follow?
- Ice-cream, please.
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Paying the bill
We’ll split the bill, shall we? (= each person will pay for him/herself)
Lunch is on me today. (informal: = I am paying for you)
Will you join us (= come with us) for dinner at the City Plaza hotel? We’d like you to be our guest. (formal: = we will pay)
Let me get this. (informal:= pay the bill this time)
I was wined and dined every night by our New York office (=invited out to restaurants).
Situations:
1. You are having your dinner with a friend and discuss paying the bill.
2. You came to a new country earlier today and you would like to try some local dishes. You’ve dropped in some local restaurant and now are talking to a waiter. Ask him about specialties and what he could recommend you.
3. You are calling a restaurant to book a table for four for this Saturday. Discuss all the details: the location of the table, the dishes – starters, main courses, desserts, alcohol. One of your friends is a vegan and she needs a special menu.
4. You are to arrange meals for the delegates to the conference. Ask them about their food preferences and make up a menu for the week.
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| National fare What’s what on the menu | |
| ACHMA- Georgian noodle and cheese dish BAKLAZHANNAYA IKRA – eggplant ‘caviar’ BARANINA – mutton BITOCHKI – meatballs BLINY – thin, leavened pancakes, crepes CHAI – tea CHICKEN TABAKA – flattened grilled chicken (Chicken Kiev) DOLMA – meat-stuffed grape leaves GOLUBTSY – cabbage leaves stuffed with ground meat GOVYADINA – beef GRIBY – mushrooms HACHAPURI – cheesy Georgian bread KULEBYAKA – fish- or cabbage-stuffed pastry KOTLETY – dish made of ground meat or vegetables | LAVASH – flat Georgian bread LYULYA KEBAB – spiced ground mutton shashlik LOSOSINA – salmon PELMENI – Siberian meat-filled ravioli PIROZHKI – stuffed doughy turnovers PLOV – pilaf SHASHLYK – shish kebab SHCHI – cabbage / beet root soup SMETANA – sour cream SOSISKI – sausages VARENIKI – Ukrainian fruit-filled ravioli ZHARKOE – beef stew JULIENNE – mushrooms baked in sour cream |
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1. My usual menu for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner.
2. The most popular dish in Russia/ The Russian staple food.
3. Food I avoid eating.
4. My favourite food.
5. The most beautiful/ my favourite café /restaurant in my city.
6. The market places in my city.
7. The dishes my family prefer on an ordinary day/ on a holiday/ for a party.
8. Popular diets (based on calorie-counting, blood group, etc.).
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Citations about food and dieting:
1. [Food is] part of the spiritual expression of the French, and I do not believe that they have ever heard of calories. (Beverly Baxter)
2. [Food is] a weapon. (Maxim Litvinov)
3. What is food to one man is bitter poison to others. (Lucretius)
4. [Food is that which explains] half the emotions of life. (Sydney Smith)
5. [Food is] the commonest cause of domestic strife. (Anonymous)
6. [Dieting is an activity which] shows what bad losers we all are. (MichaelCohen)
7. [Dieting is] a change that not even a healthy man can suffer. (Michel de Montaigne)
8. [Dieting is] a system of starving yourself to death so you can live a little longer. (Jan Murray)
9. [A gourmet is] a glutton in a dress suit. (Shannon Carse)
10. [A gourmet is] one who eats himself into the grave. (12th century proverb)
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1. “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”.
2. “You cannot eat your cake and have it”.
3. “Hunger is the best sauce”.
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a) This recipe was seen in a college canteen in Eastbourne, Britain.
b) Here is a recipe that Judie Flanigan received after she and her husband Matt were married. She says that it has worked well for over 30 years.
Tenderizing a Husband
Many husbands are spoilt by mismanagement.
Some women keep them in hot water too long.
Others freeze them.
Some put them in a stew; others keep them in a pickle.
No husband will be good and tender if managed this way, but he can be truly delicious if properly treated.
Don’t keep him in the kettle by force. He will stay there if care is taken. If he should sputter or fizz, don’t become anxious. Some husbands do just this. Just add a little sugar; never add vinegar or pepper.
A little spice improves him, but must be used with good judgment. Do not try him with something sharp to see if he is tender. Stir him gently lest he lies too long in the kettle and becomes flat and tasteless.
If you follow these directions, you will find him very digestible, agreeing nicely with you, and he will keep indefinitely.
WRITING
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A new Italian restaurant called Bella Roma has just opened in the High Street, and we went there the other night to try it. I couldn’t help comparing it to the Casa Italia, where we ate last week. At the Bella Roma the service was impeccable and quick; at the Casa Italia it’s always a bit sluggish. In the new place the waiters are courteous and friendly without beingoverbearing. In the other place they tend to be sullen and the service is rather brusque, which I find very off-putting. But at the Bella Roma they’ll go out of their way to give you what you want.
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Get smart!
More and more cooks are wishing up to the benefits of healthy eating
At cocktail parties, over dinner and at top restaurants, it seems there is a new word. It describes what some good cooks are doing and the word is ‘smart’.
Smart food, it seems, is high in protein, high in fibre; it is light and energy-producing. Smart people want to eat it to be fit and to excel. Smart cooks are trimming excess fat; meat is lightly cooked and served with a fresh tasting sauce. Grains are turning up with many dishes; vegetables are chosen and cooked with great care.
Salad Dorzia
1.5 cups long-grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber
3 chicken breast fillets, poached
Vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 teaspoon French-style mustard
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon each chopped fresh tarragon and chives
1 medium red salad onion, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Wash rice well. Bring 4.5 cups water to the boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and sprinkle in the rice. Allow water to return to the boil, stir once, turn heat as low as possible and cover with lid. Steam gently for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover and fluff up with a fork.
Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, then cut it into thick slices. Place these in a colander, slightly salt and leave for 10-15 minutes to drain. Rinse and remove from the colander, pat dry with a clean tea-towel or kitchen towel and put in a salad bowl. Burpless cucumbers do not require this process; simply peel and slice. Cut the poached chicken into thin strips and add these to the cucumber along with the cooked rice. Make the vinaigrette by whisking all the ingredients together thoroughly. Pour over the salad and mix lightly. Serves 4-6.
To poach chicken breasts:
Put 1 cup water, 0.5 onion, 0.5 bay leaf, a few peppercorns, and a few celery leaves in a saucepan. Bring to the simmer and add the chicken breasts. Bring back to the simmer, cover and poach gently for 6-8 minutes. Cool in liquid. Remove bones and slice the meat.
Brown and Wild Rice
Brown and wild rice mixtures have become popular. This is the mixture I use. It has a delicious, nutty texture.
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup long-grain brown rice
0.5 cup wild rice
1 tablespoon butter, optional
Bring 6 cups water to the boil, add salt and the brown rice, then simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the wild rice and simmer a further 20-25 minutes or until both grains are tender. Drain well, return to pan and heat through. You may toss through a tablespoon of butter.
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Eating a Healthy Diet
Breakfast
Orange, apple or grapefruit juice. Whole grain cereal.
Fruit (apple, raisins)
Nuts (hazels, almonds)
Milk, coffee or tea
A slice of wholemeal toast with butter/margarine and marmalade.
Mid Morning
Coffee or tea
Lunch
Cheese or an egg
Mixed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, celery, dressed with vegetable oil, salt and lemon juice
A slice of whole meal bread with butter/margarine
Fresh fruit
A glass of wine
Mid Afternoon
Tea or coffee
Dinner
Grapefruit or clear vegetable soup
Meat, fish or poultry
Root vegetables e.g. potatoes, carrots, onions, plus leaf vegetables e.g. cabbage, spinach, cauliflower
Dessert made with unrefined flour, cereal, sugar and chocolate
A glass of wine
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1. My Favourite Food.
- Where do /did you buy or eat the food?
- How much does/ did the food cost?
- Do /Did you eat or drink anything with the food?
- Do/ Did you do anything to show that you were enjoying the food? If so, what?
2. My Favourite Place to Eat.
- Where is /was the place?
- When do / did you go there?
- What does /did the place look like?
- How does /did the place smell?
3. My Food Experience. Write about a funny or embarrassing food experience. Consider the following questions.
- What happened? Was it funny or embarrassing?
- How did other people react?
- What did you learn?
4. Eating Customs. Describe one or several eating customs.
5. Table manners. Imagine that you have been asked to write a description of table manners that are considered polite or impolite in Russia. This information will appear in a guid for people travelling in our country. You can start with filling the chart with “Dos” and “Don’ts” of table manners.
| Do | Don’t |
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1) breaking plates in Greek restaurants 9) paella
2) buffet dinners 10) potluck dinners
3) BYOB parties 11) roasting marshmallows
4) cappuccino coffee or coffee latte 12) Sangria
5) setting the North American table 13) smorgasbord
6) Chinese tea ceremony 14) wine tasting
7) hot pots 15) Japanese tea or sake ceremonies
8) mate drinking in Argentina, 16) Oktoberfest
Brazil, and Paraguay
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1) Советы от знаменитого доктора Анатолия Волкова, у которого уже более 20 лет худеет и оздоравливается практически вся светская Москва, представители политической и бизнес-элиты.
Нельзя есть и пить:
1. Консервы. Это изначально еда для выживания, а не на каждый день. Она не имеет вообще никаких преимуществ перед свежей, кроме срока хранения. Это относится не только к шпротам и кукурузе в баночке, но и к сокам - их тоже нужно пить свежеотжатыми.
2. Тушеное мясо и рыбу. Это та же консервированная тушенка, только без банки. За время тушения свежий продукт разрушается как структура. Мясо и рыбу можно готовить на пару, на гриле, в духовке, на открытом огне, а также солить, вялить и, в крайнем случае, варить.
3. Бульон (ни рыбный, ни мясной) - в нем концентрат всего самого ненужного, что содержится в этих продуктах. Единственное исключение - куриный бульон.
4. Жарить на масле: нерафинированное масло холодной выжимки на сковородке горит, а рафинированное - бессмысленный продукт.
5. Копченое (особенно в заводских условиях) - это опять-таки мертвая еда длительного хранения.
6. Молоко. Это еда для детенышей коровы.
7. Пить одновременно с едой ничего, кроме воды и зеленого чая, да и то понемногу. Черный чай, кофе, сок - либо за полчаса до еды, либо через час после. Алкоголь желательно не употреблять вовсе, но если уж очень хочется... Крепкие напитки лучше пить после еды, а вино - отдельно, с фруктами.
8. Газированную воду, пусть даже минеральную. Из нее удален кислород. А вода - это такая структура, которая обязана его набрать. Значит, попав внутрь, она наберет его там, что не есть полезно.
Нужно:
1. Максимально быстро готовить еду, тогда она легче воспринимается организмом.
2. Самостоятельно выбирать режим питания. Между приемами пищи должно проходить не меньше двух часов (после мяса - не меньше трех), чтобы все успело перевариться.
3. Есть как можно более разнообразно.
4. Раз в день обливаться холодной водой. Казалось бы, к питанию это не имеет никакого отношения. Однако обливания стимулируют иммунитет. А значит, и перевариваться все будет лучше.
2) Почему дома есть лучше, чем в фаст-фуде
Современному человеку все чаще приходится есть вне дома. Покидая его утром и возвращаясь поздно вечером, мы вынуждены где-то перекусывать. А традиции неспешной еды уходят в прошлое, уступая место индустрии быстрого питания – фаст-фуду. К сожалению, обед из такого кафе-забегаловки по определению не может быть полноценным. Предлагаемые в таких заведениях бургеры, пирожки и прочие блюда кажутся вкусными, но при частом употреблении очень вредны для здоровья. В такой пище чрезмерное содержание холестерина. Такая пища непозволительно высококалорийна, в ней снижено содержание витаминов, а баланс между белками, жирами и углеводами утрачен. К тому же посетители фаст-фуда едят наспех, толком не пережевывая пищу. В желудок попадают неизмельченные или плохо измельченные продукты, что вызывает проблемы с работой желудочно-кишечного тракта. Еще одним недостатком торопливой еды является замедленное наступление насыщения. А отсюда – переедание. Готовя дома, пусть даже на скорую руку, вы сами имеете возможность сбалансировать свое питание. К тому же даже 5-10 минут, потраченных вами на приготовление пищи, оказывается достаточно, чтобы переждать острую вспышку голода, когда хочется съесть все, что под рукой.