I don’t cook. Oh, I’ve tried! But I am just not good at it (1) so I spend my evenings eating toasts with guacamole and pretending real food is overrated. There were times when I used to think I was going to eat out at fancy restaurants each and every night. Wow! I’m starting to realize I probably wasn’t the brightest bulb on the porch (2) back then. Then came my teenage years and the pressure from my good-willing mother to learn how to cook. And I said I didn’t need that stuff ‘cause I was gonna marry a cook”. Yeah! As if! (3)
But the years kept rolling and I kept making excuses (4). I was in denial and boy! do I suffer now from my past stupidity.
I’ve been feeling sick for the last few days, lying (5) in bed and reading novels. I no longer live with my parents so no hot chicken soup for me this time. I’m not usually a huge fan of soups but today I’d strongly appreciate having some. And then it hit me (6). Surely, I was able to make me a soup? Was I not? Huh? What!?
My boyfriend was kind enough to run to the supermarket for the much-needed chicken piece (I had the rest of the ingredients in store, be proud, Mom!) and wise enough not to get involved in the whole chicken soup preparation battle. (I chose well!) And then all hell broke loose.
The aftermath? Three and a half hours later I had a kitchen full of dirty dishes, a stomach full of carrots (I eat when I cook, so what?), the realization I might have some anxiety issues while in close proximity to the kitchen stove, a huge lack of self-confidence in relation to my culinary skills and finally, The Soup!
I had to call my Mom twice today to get the recipe straight. Then I remembered the internet is full of recipes. And since I’ve been bragging a lot about getting your passion and using it to learn English lately, I’ve decided to watch a YouTube video called How To Make The Best Homemade Chicken Soup from Scratch … Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe posted by Revealed At Last (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKNqyE3OvZU) and go through the possibly unknown vocabulary to show you that we can really learn from everything and that, again, every little counts. If cooking is your thing then I suggest that you learn the basic (and not so basic) vocabulary and dive into the infinite number of culinary videos people post online every day.
Now pay attention:
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP FROM SCRATCH … HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE:
· Pot = olla
· Flavor = sabor
· Tap water = agua del grifo
· Stove = cocina, fogón; también estufa
· Chicken breast = pechuga de pollo
· Garlic clove = diente de ajo
· Bouillon cube = cubo de caldo
· Split (split up) = divider, partir; separarse (de pareja)
· Slice (slice up) = cortar en rodajas
· Dice (dice up) = cortar en dados
· Chop off = cortar, romper algo
· Add = put in = throw in = añadir, poner
· Soften up = ablandar, enternecer
· Peel = pelar; peeled carrots = zanahorias peladas
· Fill up the pot = llenar la olla
· Overfill = llenar demasiado
· Three quarters = tres cuartos
· Put on the stove = poner en el fogón
· Put the burner on high = encender el fogón
· The soup is starting to heat up = la sopa está empezando a calentarse
· Cut in half = cortar en dos
· Flat parts down = colocar algo con las partes planas hacia abajo
· The water has been boiling away = el agua ha hervido y se ha consumido (se ha evaporado)
· Take the chicken out = sacar el pollo
· Take the skin off = quitar la piel
· Separate the meaty parts from the bone = separar las partes carnosas del hueso
· Get rid of something = deshacerse de algo
· Smaller than bitesize = más pequeño que el tamaño de un bocado
· Let it boil for 10-15 minutes = Dejar hervir durante 10-15 minutos
· Make sure the meat is well done =Asegurarse de que la carne esté bien hecha
I’m sure you already knew most of the above but it’s always good to repeat the words and sentences that we know. Plus, by watching videos we learn not only vocabulary but also how to say certain things like natives do. If you’re not convinced, then try to write down a recipe in English. If you can do it without any difficulties, then you don’t need to read my blog. However, if you do struggle with the recipe or find it impossible to write altogether then go ahead and take my advice. Watch as many recipes as you can (or TV shows, documentaries, films, etc., again, whatever your passion, follow it) and try to repeat and learn how to use not only words but expressions and whole sentences. Then, after maybe 30 recipes, try again to write down that one recipe which you struggled with in the first place and maybe send it to me. I hope it’s an easy one! ;)
A little extra help here:
(1) Good at something = ser bueno en algo
I’m good at table tennis.
(2) The brightest bulb on the porch = no ser ela persona más inteligente
(3) As if! = ¡Como si …! ¡Ni que … ! ¡Y un huevo! Significa que el hablante no está de acuerdo con algo:
Ben: The concert was amazing.
Jerry: As if!
(4) Make excuses = inventarse excusas.
¡OJO! We never do excuses, only make excuses.
(5) Lying = Para una major comprensión de las diferencias y similitudes entre LYING y LAYING, consulta el siguiente enlace de la página GRAMMARLY: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/lay-lie/
(6) It hits me = me doy cuenta, se me ocurre
