ESL Podcast 578 - Eating a Home-Cooked Meal
to live abroad - to live overseas; to live in another country, often as a student for a certain period of time
Living abroad was the best part of my college experience.
home-cooked meal - food prepared and eaten at home, not made in a restaurant or from already prepared foods
Jerome's favorite home-cooked meal is his mother's spaghetti and meatballs with a green salad and garlic bread.
to not have the heart (to do something) - to not want to do or say something because it will hurt another person's feelings or make another person feel disappointed or sad
Vick is so excited about going to the beach this weekend that I don't have the heart to tell him it's supposed to rain.
to slave over a hot stove - to work very hard in the kitchen to cook something
After slaving over a hot stove all day, Janet was very disappointed when her husband called to say that he wouldn't be home for dinner.
lavish - very generous or fancy, with a lot of something
Do your parents always give each other such lavish Christmas gifts? That necklace must be worth at least $1,000.
labor of love - something difficult or taking a lot of time that one does because one loves another person and/or to show that person how much one loves him or her
It took a long time to paint the baby's nursery, but it was a labor of love.
to cut corners - to take shortcuts; to do something the easy way, especially if the final result isn't as good as it would have been if one had done everything properly.
If we hadn't cut corners the first time, we wouldn't have to redo our work now.
from scratch - using only basic ingredients, without using any already prepared foods
This cake is so good! Did you make this cake from scratch, or did you make it from a boxed mix?
recipe - written instructions on how to make a particular type of food, including all the ingredients that will be needed
According to this recipe, we're supposed to use two cups of sugar, but I'm going to make it healthier by using only one cup.
to pass down - to give something to a member of the next generation, especially to one's child or grandchild
This vase has been passed down in our family for more than 200 years.
intricate - very complicated and complex, with many details or many ingredients
Her wedding dress was beautiful, with many intricate details.
to crave - to have very strong feelings of wanting to eat a particular food
Why do so many pregnant women crave pickles and ice cream?
comfort food - a food that is very familiar, usually because one ate it as a child, and that one eats because it helps one feel better
Chicken noodle soup and homemade carrot cake are Ashley's favorite comfort foods.
to make (one's) mouth water - for the thought or mention of a particular food to make one feel very hungry so that one's mouth begins to salivate (fill with liquid)
The smell of fresh-baked cookies always makes my mouth water.
instant - immediate; referring to foods that can be prepared in a very short period of time, usually by adding hot water or heating them in the microwave
Instant oatmeal isn't nearly as good as old-fashioned oatmeal, but it is very easy to make.
take-out - food that is bought from a restaurant but not eaten there, and instead taken to one's home or another place to eat
Each Friday night, they order Chinese take-out and eat it while watching a movie at home.
I tell you what - a phrase used when one is proposing an idea or making a suggestion to another person
I tell you what. If you agree to let me pick the movie tonight, I'll let you pick the movie next week.
Thanks, but no thanks - an informal and slightly funny phrase used to show another person that one appreciates his or her offer, but isn't interested in accepting it
Do you want me to go to the dentist with you?
Thanks, but no thanks. This is something I need to do on my own.