Vocabulary for Food and Cooking—Confident English Conversations
Food – and talking about food – is a natural part of our daily life. And in today’s Confident English lesson, I want to share vocabulary for food and cooking in English. Here’s why…
Food and cooking are part of our daily lives and conversations. We take pleasure in food. We enjoy dinners and BBQs and picnics with our friends. We celebrate holiday meals with our family.
Food can make us happy. It can make us think of home or remember our grandmother’s cooking with love. Food can be an adventure when we explore new tastes and cultures.
When you first started learning English, you probably learned the fruits and vegetables. Maybe you learned a few vocabulary words for cooking. And you might know a couple food-related idioms.
But how do native English speakers talk about food? How can you talk about your cuisine, your recipes, how you cook, and how you celebrate holidays with English speakers?
That’s exactly what you’re going to learn today! Take a moment to read three stories that answer the question, “What do you think about when I say food?“
After you read the stories, be sure to practice the new vocabulary by sharing your own story in the comments section!
Vocabulary for food and cooking in English.
Lesson by Annemarie
Vocabulary for Food and Cooking—Story 1
Joanne: All I think about is food!
That’s all I think about! Can someone start paying me to think about food, look at recipes, and just cook all day so I can quit my job?
Okay, I’m joking. But I really do love food. Cooking is my hobby and I think I’m pretty good at it. My friends and I have a Saturday Supper Clubtwice a month. They all come over for a 3- or 4-course dinner. Yep, that’s right… appetizers, salads, the main course, side dishes, and desserts. I do it all. My job is the menu, the food, and the cooking, of course. Their job is to bring drinks and do all the clean-up. Not a bad trade!
The two best things you could ever say to me are: “My mouth is watering! When can we eat?!” or “Can I have seconds?” Those are the best compliments for any cook I think.
What do I like to cook? Everything really. I have a massive collection of cookbooks, so I make something different all the time. One week it’s typical American or Californian food, the next it’s Moroccan or Georgian cuisine, and the next it’s Afghan or Mexican. Over the summer, I made a lot of Italian dishes because of all the fresh, summer veggies like tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini. And it was so hot! So it was perfect for grilling or something light like fish. But now it’s fall, so I’m craving stews and warm, comfort foods.
My Supper Club Saturdays are really perfect. I get the mornings to myself to shop at the market and pick up whatever produce is seasonal. Then I cook all day while listening to my favorite podcast or music. And then my friends arrive ready to talk, laugh, and EAT!
Supper Club
A supper club can be a restaurant or an informal, home group that meets regularly to enjoy a well-prepared meal or dinner together.
Twice a month
Twice = two. So twice a month = two times per month.
3-Course Dinner
In this context, a course is a dish such as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre, main course, or a dessert.
Menu
In this context, the menu is the dinner plan or the courses for the dinner.
Do the Clean-Up
To do the clean-up means to do the dishes (clean the dishes) after the meal. It also includes additional duties such as to clean the table, sweep the floor, clean the kitchen, etc.
My Mouth is Watering
This idiom is used to express pleasure and/or hunger at the smell, sight, or thought of a particular food. It can also be used in the passive, “That salad is making my mouth water! I can’t wait to eat.“
Seconds
In this context, to have seconds means to have a second serving of food. If something is particularly delicious or if someone is still hungry, they might have a second serving of a particular dish or course.
Cuisine
Cuisine is the particular style or preparation of a food, for example, Italian Cuisine, French Cuisine, Thai Cuisine, Indian Cuisine.
Veggie(s)
An informal, shortened form of the word vegetable.
Crave
The verb to crave means to have an intense desire for something. Another example, “After dinner, I always crave something sweet.”
Comfort Food(s)
This collocation typically describes food that is very simple to prepare but delicious. It might be a dish that makes you think about home or feeling content. We often use this to talk about food that is also warming, such as soups or stews, which are common during colder seasons.
Get/Have Time to Yourself
This expression is used to talk about time when you can do what you want; there are no expectations or responsibilities.
Vocabulary for Food and Cooking—Story 2
Sara: I’ve got 4 kids. Let’s be realistic.
Let’s be honest. I work part-time, I have 4 kids. I just can’t cook huge, wonderful, creative meals every night. I mean, I still cook. And it’s still healthy but there isn’t a lot of variety. I tend to make the same things every week because I know what the kids like and it’s easy. And I do a lot of one-pot meals!
Every Sunday I create a menu for the week. I even print it and put it on the fridge so everyone knows what the dinner plan is for the week. Then I go grocery shopping one time to get everything I need for the week. You should see how long my grocery list is! I have to get all the fruits and veggies; plus poultry, beef; the dry goods; spices, after-school snacks for the kids, and whatever else we need… laundry detergent, soap, glue. The list never ends!
I try to make one special meal for each of my kids. They all have such different tastes! My oldest son LOVES veggies, even Brussels sprouts. He would be happy with salads every night. I think he may become a vegetarian. But my daughter is a bit of a fussy eater. The one thing she loves are tacos, so I make those every week. We do have one rule at dinner: you have to try at least one bite of everything. I’m hoping she’ll learn to learn some new foods.
My favorite meal of the week? Whatever we have on Fridays. Those are our take-out nights… pizza, Chinese food, whatever the kids want. Fridays mean no cooking, no dishes, no stress.
Part-Time
Part-time work, in the United States, usually means a job that is not full-time (40 hours) and is usually less than 30 hours per week.
Meal
The regular time of day that when a sizeable portion of food is eaten such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
One-Pot Meal(s)
A recipe or meal in which everything can be cooked in one pot or pan, such as a soup or stew.
Fridge
Informal, short form of the word refrigerator.
Grocery List
A list created for food shopping.
Poultry
Poultry is a general word that means meat from a bird such as a chicken or a turkey.
Dry Goods
In the context of food, dry goods are items without liquid such as coffee, sugar, flour, etc.
Snacks
Snacks are food items or small meals eaten between the larger meals of the day. Snacks might include eating a piece of fruit, popcorn, chips, etc.
Different Tastes
Different preferences for foods.
Vegetarian
A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat any meat.
Fussy Eater
A fussy eater is often used to describe children who don’t eat many things or don’t like most foods. For adults, we might often say, “a picky eater” for someone who had very high standards or a lot of dislikes for food.
Take-Out
Buying and bringing home food that is pre-prepared by someone else.
Vocabulary for Food and Cooking—Story 3
Amy: Umm, I don’t know. I think about the holidays.
I don’t really think about food that much. I’m not one of those people who loves to cook or take photos of food. I spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Maybe some people think I’m not healthy because I don’t cook, but I do try to eat a balanced diet, not just processed food.
When I think of food, I really think of the holidays. Like Thanksgiving and Christmas. For my family, the holidays are the only time of year when we all get together… my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, everyone. And of course, there’s so much food! We have feasts!
My dad’s side of the family is Italian, so there is always some Italian influence on the dishes we eat, which is a little weird at Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is supposed to be about foods that are American like roast turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, cranberries, but we just eat everything. And because there are so many of us, our holiday meals are potlucks. Everyone brings something. It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
It’s a dangerous time of year for me because I have a serious sweet tooth. All the cakes and cookies and desserts! It’s too much. I feel like I can just LOOK at a dessert and gain 5 pounds. After the holidays, I always have to watch what I eat and spend more time at the gym.
And I guess the holidays are the only time of year I really cook. I have one specialty and I have to cook it every year for Thanksgiving – the stuffing! It takes all day to prepare because I do it from scratch. I dice the onions, chop the celery and carrots, cut up the bread into small pieces, get everything together… and then I cook it slowly in the oven. Oh, and I add fennel and all kinds of different things to my recipe. Maybe that’s why everyone likes it.
Eat a Balanced Diet
This means to eat the right foods – such as proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats – in the right quantities.
Processed Food
Commercially prepared food that is often in a box or can. These foods are often high in unhealthy fats and calories.
Feast
A large meal, often eaten in celebration of something such as a holiday or wedding.
Potluck
A meal or party to which every guest brings a dish to share.
All-You-Can-Eat
Of used to describe a buffet or restaurant where all the food is prepared and available; a guest can eat as much as he/she wants for one payment.
Have a Sweet Tooth
This idiom describes someone who loves sweets such as desserts, cakes, chocolate, and cookies.
Gain 5 Pounds
To gain pounds means to gain (or put on) extra weight. 5 pounds is equal to about 2.3 kg.
Watch What You Eat
This idiomatic expression means to be careful about or to pay attention to what you eat and how much you eat. This is usually used when someone is trying to lose weight.
Stuffing
Stuffing (sometimes known as dressing) is a common dish at an American Thanksgiving meal. It is a combination of dried bread, meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices cooked together. It is a side dish with the traditional roast turkey.
From Scratch
To cook from scratch means to make something from the very beginning, nothing is pre-prepared or bought prepared.
Dice
In the context of food, to dice something means to cut it up into very small cubes or pieces. It is commonly used to with onions and garlic in recipes.
Chop
In the context of food, to chop something means to cut it into small cubes or pieces. Chopped vegetables are larger in size than diced vegetables.
Now it’s your turn to talk to me about food! Let’s boost your vocabulary with practice.
Tell me:
- When you think of food, what do you think of?
- Do you have a favorite meal or do you cook often?
- Do you have a favorite cuisine?
Choose 5-8 new words from the vocabulary in this lesson and share your story in the comments section below.
Have a wonderful week and a great Confident English Wednesday!
~ Annemarie
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Hey. Annemarie.
I am really love to cook almost everyday I change my meal but most of the days I would. rather
cook vegetables than meat this is my favourite meal even my husband and my sons they I’d rather
eat vegetables than red meat, any way we are all vegiterian ,either sometimes I would like to cook traditional food ones a week..also I love seafood and tomato soup mmm!! it’s yummy😋 ,it makes me hungry right now.
Thank you Annamarie
I am really appreciate for this wonderful lesson.
Hi Munira,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this lesson. Like you, I much prefer vegetables and love to cook vegetarian. 🙂
Hi there Annemarie,
I am a newbie in teaching, and I was struggling with what to do next with my students. Your page is like a gold mine for me. What an effort to make a page like this. This page is awesome, you are awesome.
Greetings from Vietnam.
Hello Chris,
Thank you so much for your comment. I’m thrilled my lessons are useful to you and your students! Best wishes as you continue your English teaching path.
Annemarie
Hi Annemarie!
I’ve just discovered your site and I have to say, you’ve got a treasure chest full of beautiful pearls here. I’m already sharing it on different social networks because English learners need resources like these and you definitely deserve to be read!! Thank you for taking the time to write these articles and sharing them with the world.
Greetings from Argentina!
Emmanuel
Hello Emmanuel,
Thank you for your kind comments and for sharing my site. How generous of you! I sincerely appreciate it.
Warmest wishes, Annemarie
Hi Annemarie , For me baking is my favorite. I love to design a cake and cupcake and bake many pastries,I hope someday I will have a business a Cake Store. but I also want to cook because my family always love to eat.You know my husband and my brothers are working in a International Restaurant in Kuwait as a cook. In my country here in Philippines.We have so many delicious food.My family’s favorite food are Pork Sinigang ,the ingredient are Pork liempo,water spinach,radish,legumes,tomato,onion and tamarind to make it sour. Chicken adobo and many more. But we have many favorite… Read more »
Hi Maribeth and thank you for your comment!
It sounds like you are quite the baker and you enjoy cooking as much as I do. I’ve never tried Pork Sinigang, but I have had Chicken Adobo. It’s delicious!
Best, Annemarie
Comment
Hi Annemarie,
If I talking about food,I like
cooking myself. I have six
simblings, all are femail,
my mother train well us. So, I am expert for my
traditional food.Mostly,
main food is cooked rice and curry for example, beef,fish, but, my favourate
is vegetable more than meat such as,lettuce,broccoli,carrot.
Sometimes,vegetable soup
is very delicious. I make myself for dinner everyday.
San Dar
Hello San Dar,
Thank you for your comment. Sounds like you have a great skill for delicious cuisine!
– Annemarie
When I think of food, I think of my mom. She’s a wonderful cook. My grandma says she’s learned all that all by herself. I absolutely love the way she does the national Czech meal – pork, cabbage and dumplings! But she also makes the best soups or desserts. I think her trick is that she always uses groceries of high quality and precisely follows the recipes. However, her secret ingredient is no longer secret for we all know that is LOVE. She always enjoys cooking for her family. I, on the other hand, am a cook in the making.… Read more »
Milana, What a beautifully written comment! I enjoyed reading this so much! Thank you for sharing. Yum, Czech food! I think of Czech food very fondly. I lived in Prague for 2 years and loved it. For me, pork, cabbage, and dumplings are the perfect comfort food! 🙂 You’re fortunate to have your mom be such a good cook. Wonderful use of the expression: in the making. I hope others will read your comment and learn a great new expression to use. Like you, I can’t decide on one favorite cuisine so I try to enjoy them all. Thanks again… Read more »
Hello Annemarie, Food is one of my main interests. I am involved in science, as you know, and I am sure that we are what we eat! It means usually I prefer eat a balance diet and comfort food: veggies, fish, cheese, and beef. I like to cook and I think it is a great way for creativity. Also, I like to travel and in any place I try to find new interesting local food. My last trip was on last week in Helsinki and my friend showed me amazing place with cinnamon buns. It is absolutely not useful or… Read more »
Hello, Yulia! I’m always so happy to hear from you! Thanks for sharing your story.
Great use of the idiom, “You are what you eat.” And I absolutely agree with you.
The cinnamon bun sounds like a dream. Do you know the idea of the 80/20 rule or the Pareto Principle? Many people apply this to food or diet by saying if 80% of what you eat is healthy and balanced, then 20% of what you eat can be cheating. 🙂 I think I like that rule.
Thanks again, Yulia. ~ Annemarie
Yes, it is a good principle because it give you some freedom . I think that eat something unuseful time to time a bit better, then stay hungry or have some guilt for extra bun or croissant (I miss Paris croissants so much!!!).
I think Paris croissants miss you. 🙂