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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

DESCRIBING
A RECIPE

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1 Warm up

These pictures show eight different kitchen items. Match the words and pictures and say what sort
of food/dish you might use each item to prepare. Then answer the following questions.

food processor with blender casserole (dish) colander grater

masher mixer whisk wok

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

1. Do you have any of these items at home? What other items do you often use for cooking?
2. Which do you think is the most useful for the kind of cooking you usually do?

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

DESCRIBING A RECIPE

2 Reading and listening

Look at the list of ingredients and say how you think this dish will be made. Read the recipe to check
your ideas.

Listen to your teacher reading the instructions. Act them out at the same time.

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

DESCRIBING A RECIPE

Listen to a spoken description of the same recipe. Write three words from the recording in each gap.

This is something I like to make as a side dish when people come round for supper. It has a lovely
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savoury with almost any meal, and you can prepare it in advance or even
the day before if you want. You’re going to need four hundred and fifty grams of fresh runner beans
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(that’s a pound if imperial you prefer). Just to be clear, you need runner
or string beans that are still inside their pods, or basically any of those large tougher types of beans.
You also need two red onions, three tablespoons of best quality olive oil, about four big tomatoes,
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basil leaves and some salt and pepper. You should also get out a big
pan and a frying pan, but if you have a stainless-steel wok with a lid, that’s even better.
First, you fill the big pan with water and add a little bit of salt. Now, I’m not a big fan of washing up
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lots of extra stuff so hack – do this first stage in your wok! You’re going
to use it later anyway.
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So, you’ve got your water coming on the hob, and in the meantime, just
wash your green beans quickly and remove the tops and tails. As soon as the water comes to a boil,
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pop and cook them for two minutes. drain
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all the contents of the wok into and let them cool down a bit.
Either get out your frying pan or dry your wok by putting it back on the hob on a low heat while
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you do the next step, which is your red onions if you haven’t done
so already. If you’re short on time, just chop them roughly. Then you fry the onions until they go
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.
While that’s going on, you should have time to roughly chop the tomatoes and add them in to the
veggies in the wok. Alternatively, just use a tin of tomatoes. Add the beans and basil leaves, and
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finally, season with . Let it all simmer on
for something like thirty minutes. And that’s it – you’re done! You can serve the dish warm or cold. It
makes enough for four people.

Match each meaning with one of the words in bold in the text.

1. : an easier way to do something

2. : an informal way of saying "put" which makes the action seem quick and easy

3. : cook at a medium heat, just below boiling

4. : improve the taste by adding something

5. : let the extra water come out

6. : stovetop

7. : the opposite of sweet

8. : this system of measurements is still used in the US, and to some extent in
the UK

In what ways is the spoken recipe different from the written recipe?

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

DESCRIBING A RECIPE

3 Language point
Written and spoken recipes are different in several ways. Read the information and where you see an
asterisk (*) find examples of this language from the written and spoken recipes in the previous stage.

1. Formality

1. Written recipes are easier to use if they are short and clear. They are usually more formal and
impersonal, using imperative verb forms. *

2. Spoken recipes are more personal and address the listener as "you" (even when the listener is
someone unknown to the speaker, like in a video posted on social media). *

3. Spoken recipes include more informal vocabulary. *

2. Following the method

1. Written recipes use numbering to make the sequence of actions clear. Spoken recipes use linking
words to do this. *

2. Because they contain only essential information, written recipes may not offer options or
alternatives, while spoken recipes include these, based on the speaker’s experiences.

3. Spoken recipes give choices about what to do next. *

4. Spoken recipes may also refer to two things happening at the same time (or not). *

3. Advice and extra information

Spoken recipes also give extra information about these points:

1. when to make the dish or who to make it for *

2. a description or review *

3. ways of measuring *

4. shortcuts *

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

DESCRIBING A RECIPE

4 Practice
Imagine that you are going to present a recipe for pumpkin soup on social media or describe it to a
friend. Your script is missing some sentences. Write letters in gaps 1-8 to show where each missing
sentence (A-H) should go.

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You know when you’ve got friends coming for lunch, but one of them is vegan? So,
this is my vegan pumpkin soup recipe.
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You’re going to need a lot of pumpkin. Now, I just don’t have the time or the
energy to break down an enormous raw pumpkin with a big knife, so I recommend this hack
– get tinned pumpkin! You need the pumpkin to be peeled and in small cubes but uncooked.
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If you follow my tip this recipe takes 30 minutes.
You also need some vegetable oil, one medium onion, a standard 400 ml can of coconut
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cream and 360 ml of vegetable stock. For seasonings, you’re going to use 2 cloves
of garlic and half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, but to be honest, you can use thyme and
ginger as well – in fact, just add whatever you think will be good and play around with the
flavours. Get out a big heavy soup pot and your blender.
You start by heating a tablespoon of oil in your big pan - I used coconut oil to boost the
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flavour. Fry them all together until the onions are soft.
Then you pop in the coconut cream, vegetable stock and pumpkin and bring it all to the
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boil. After that, turn the heat down and simmer for around 10 minutes until the
pumpkin is cooked.
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The soup will still be a bit lumpy, so you need to get it into a smooth texture.
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Finally, you should check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to your own taste.
If you use a real pumpkin rather than tinned, this is a great way to use the seeds, which are
super good for you.
The recipe serves four. If you make it in advance, it keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days and it
also freezes well.

A. Alternatively, just use a stock cube.

B. A whole kilo of pumpkin to be precise, which works out at just over two pounds if
you’re using imperial measurements.

C. By the way, if you don’t have coconut cream, coconut milk will work.

D. Either use a stick blender that goes right into the pot or transfer the mixture to a
blender jug in stages.

E. I like to serve it with rolls, but you could also serve it with some roasted pumpkin
seeds.

F. In the meantime, quickly chop your onion and prepare your seasonings.

G. Otherwise, who knows?

H. You want to make something yummy and filling that everyone can enjoy.

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

DESCRIBING A RECIPE

Practise reading the script out loud. For an extra challenge don’t look at sentences A-H when you
read but use your memory to add the missing information.

5 Speaking and writing

Work in pairs. Prepare notes for a spoken description of a recipe for your partner, using language from
today’s lesson. Use a recipe you know well and don’t worry too much about the exact quantities.

Then take turns to present the recipe to your partner. Listen and write down the basic instructions.
Have your partner check what you wrote.

6 Optional extension

A gadget is a device or machine which helps you perform a very specific task. Can you guess what
these gadgets are for? Use the language from the box.

Useful language

• Modals: It could / may / might / must can’t be ...

• Infinitives and gerunds: You use it to clean / for cleaning vegetables.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Answer these questions.

1. Do you have or need any of these gadgets?

2. What’s the silliest kitchen gadget you’ve ever seen?

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