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Avalern · by SimmondsA25 min · English

Favourite food and cooking in English: vocabulary, dialogue and conversation questions

Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 14 Oct 2026AI-generated text (learn more – how we use AI on these pages)

Live rounds with a trainer and a small group. To warm up: Theo asks, you answer.

Allow the microphone – Theo asks the first question.

Find a live round with a trainer – Opens the Avalern page: live rounds with a trainer at your level.

AI conversation partner, synthetic voice · your voice is processed live by Google Gemini, we store no audio and no transcript · max. 5 minAbout the AIWith headphones you can interrupt Theo. Without them, the microphone only listens once Theo has finished.

Favourite foodA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about favourite food and cooking (level A2)FamilyA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about family (level A2)HobbiesA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about hobbies (level A2)

Question of the day

Where does Anna buy the things she needs for her curry?

  1. From the supermarket
  2. From the local market
  3. From the Indian restaurant
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day

Correct answer: From the local market

You can find the answer in the English introduction.

Listen to the introduction

Speed

Transcript

Anna loves the weekend because she has time to cook. Her favourite meal – Jump to the vocabulary entry for favourite meal to make is a large vegetable curry. She always buys fresh ingredients – Jump to the vocabulary entry for fresh ingredients from the local market on Saturday morning. Sometimes, she likes to try a new recipe – Jump to the vocabulary entry for try a new recipe from a book, but her curry is always the best. Tonight, she wants to cook for friends – Jump to the vocabulary entry for cook for friends. She hopes the food tastes delicious – Jump to the vocabulary entry for tastes delicious. However, if things go wrong in the kitchen, she has a backup plan. They can always order a takeaway – Jump to the vocabulary entry for order a takeaway from the Indian restaurant down the street.

Vocabulary

favourite meal/ˈfeɪ.vər.ɪt ˈmiːl/
Meaning: A dish or type of food you like more than any other.
Example: Pizza is my favourite meal on a Friday night.
fresh ingredients/freʃ ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənts/
Meaning: Food items used in a recipe that are not frozen or in tins.
Example: You need fresh ingredients to make a good salad.
try a new recipe/traɪ ə njuː ˈres.ɪ.pi/
Meaning: To cook a dish you have never made before.
Example: I want to try a new recipe for chocolate cake.
cook for friends/kʊk fɔː ˈfrendz/
Meaning: To prepare food for people you know and like.
Example: It is fun to cook for friends at the weekend.
tastes delicious/teɪsts dɪˈlɪʃ.əs/
Meaning: Has a very good flavour.
Example: This hot soup tastes delicious in winter.
order a takeaway/ˈɔː.dər ə ˈteɪk.ə.weɪ/
Meaning: To buy a hot meal from a restaurant and eat it at home.
Example: We are too tired to cook, so let's order a takeaway.

Dialogue

  1. SarahAre you hungry? I want to cook for friends tonight.
  2. TomYes, I am very hungry! What are you making?
  3. SarahI want to try a new recipe for tomato pasta.
  4. TomThat sounds great. Do you need any fresh ingredients?
  5. SarahYes, could you buy some tomatoes and basil on your way here?
  6. TomOf course. I hope it tastes delicious!
  7. SarahMe too. If not, we can always order a takeaway.
  8. TomPerfect. See you at seven!

Questions for your conversation

Partner A

Easier: Do you enjoy cooking at home? Why or why not?

What could you cook for friends tonight?

More challenging: How does cooking for a group differ from making a meal just for yourself?

Partner B

Easier: Do you have a favourite meal? Why or why not?

How often do you buy fresh ingredients from a market?

More challenging: What is the most difficult dish you have ever tried to make?

Partner A

Easier: Do you often order a takeaway? Why or why not?

Who usually cooks the meals in your home?

More challenging: Why do you think some people prefer eating in restaurants to cooking at home?

Useful phrases

  • What is your favourite meal?
  • I love cooking for my family.
  • The food tastes delicious.
  • Let's order a takeaway tonight.
  • Can you pass me the salt, please?
  • I prefer sweet food to savoury food.

Topic quiz

Five quick questions check vocabulary and listening comprehension.

All conversations – Back to all conversations of our English conversation classes

Questions

Who is Theo?

Theo is an AI conversation partner for warming up, not a teacher. The voice is synthetic. In the live rounds, a trainer talks with you.

Is my conversation stored?

We store neither audio nor a transcript. During the conversation, your voice is sent to Google (Gemini) for processing. The conversation ends after no more than five minutes.

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