Groceries & Cooking at Home — Easy English Conversation

Transcript

Introduction

A: Today we’re doing groceries and cooking at home.

B: The English you need to write a list, find things in the store, and make something simple when you get back.

A: Listen for these: a shopping list, to be out of stock, use by, leftovers, to heat something up, and to cook something simple — and a few more along the way.

B: We’ll review them all at the end.

A: Practice today’s phrases in Recursio — link in the description.

B: Let’s start before you leave the house.

Planning and calling ahead

A: So it’s Saturday morning, the fridge is nearly empty, and I need food. What’s the first step?

B: A shopping list. That’s the short list you write before you go, so you don’t forget half of it.

A: “A shopping list.” And the verb?

B: You make a list, or you write a list. Both are fine. “Let me make a shopping list.”

A: And what’s the phrase for the whole trip?

B: To do the grocery shopping. That’s food shopping — not clothes, not shoes.

A: “I do the grocery shopping on Saturdays.” “Whose turn is it to do the grocery shopping?”

B: In American English you’ll also hear just “groceries.” “I’m going to get groceries.”

A: Good. Now, how do I know what to put on the list?

B: Open the fridge and see what you’ve run out of. To run out of something means you had it, and now there’s none left.

A: “We’ve run out of milk.” “I’ve run out of coffee, which is an emergency.”

B: Exactly. And check the cabinet too — the pantry, if you have one — not just the fridge. Rice, oil, salt: those disappear quietly.

A: They do. And should I write the list on paper or on my phone?

B: Whatever you’ll actually look at. The list only works if you take it out of your pocket.

A: Before I walk twenty minutes, can I check whether they even have what I need?

B: You can call. Let’s try a short conversation. You be the store employee.

A: Green Street Market, good morning.

B: Hi, I’m calling to check something. Do you have the big bottles of olive oil in stock?

A: Let me look. One moment.

B: Thank you.

A: Sorry, we’re out of stock on the big ones. We have the small size.

B: When will you have the big ones again?

A: The delivery comes Tuesday morning.

B: Could you hold a small one for me?

A: Of course. What’s the name?

B: Anna Petrova. And what time do you close today?

A: Eight o’clock.

B: Perfect. I’ll come by this afternoon. Thank you.

A: Four questions, and now I know what the store has before I go.

B: And every one of them was short. “Do you have…?” “When will you have it again?” “Could you hold one for me?” “What time do you close?”

In the store

A: Okay, I’m in the supermarket. It’s big, and I can’t find anything.

B: Then you ask. “Excuse me, where can I find the rice?”

A: “Where can I find…?” That’s simple and polite.

B: Very useful. And the answer usually has a number in it: “Aisle four.” “It’s in aisle seven, on the left.”

A: An aisle is the long walkway between two rows of shelves.

B: Right. And if you don’t catch the number, ask again. “Sorry, which aisle?”

A: Good. And what if they don’t have it at all?

B: Then they’ll say, “Sorry, we’re out of stock.” It means the store sells it normally, but today there isn’t any.

A: “To be out of stock.” “That size is out of stock.” “It’s out of stock online too.”

B: And you already know the follow-up: “When will you have it again?”

A: What about the dates on food packages? I often see different words.

B: Two common labels are “use by” and “best before,” but their exact meaning depends on the country.

A: Two kinds?

B: In the UK, “use by” is used for food-safety dates. You shouldn’t eat the food after that date.

A: And the other one?

B: “Best before” is about quality. The food may not taste its best after that date.

A: Is it the same in the United States?

B: Not exactly. Date labels aren’t used in one uniform way there, and “use by” often refers to quality. Follow the package instructions and the official advice where you live.

A: And “expiration date” is a general phrase people may use when talking about a date on a product.

B: If you’re unsure, check official local guidance instead of guessing from the words alone.

A: Good. And what about the prices?

B: Look for “on sale” — in American English that means cheaper than the normal price.

A: And in British English, you’ll often hear “on offer” for a discount.

B: Right. And the small print on the shelf may show the unit price — for example, the price per kilo or per pound.

A: That helps you compare two different package sizes.

B: Right. Okay — cart’s full. Let’s get out of here.

A: I’ve got everything. Now the checkout.

B: The checkout is where you pay. The cashier will ask you two or three standard questions.

A: Which ones?

B: “Do you need a bag?” “Are you paying by card?” And sometimes, “Do you have a rewards card?”

A: “Do you need a bag?” And I answer?

B: “Yes, please, one bag.” Or, “No thanks, I’ve got my own.”

A: And “rewards card” — is that the same as “loyalty card”?

B: Same thing. “Rewards card” in the US, “loyalty card” in Britain.

A: What about self-checkout? The machine that talks to you?

B: Then you’ll hear the same three sentences forever: “Scan your item.” “Please place your item in the bag.” “Please wait for assistance.”

A: I’ve stood there waiting for assistance many times.

B: I know that feeling. And “assistance” just means help — a person is coming.

A: Okay, I’m home. Everything is on the counter.

B: Then one small habit that saves money: put the new things behind the old things in the fridge.

A: Why?

B: Because you’re more likely to notice and use the older things first. Otherwise, the old milk may go bad at the back.

A: To go bad — that’s food that’s been in the fridge too long, and now you can’t eat it.

B: “The milk has gone bad.” “Eat it before it goes bad.” Very common, very useful.

Cooking at home

A: Now the part I’m bad at. Cooking.

B: You don’t have to be good at it. You have to be able to cook something simple.

A: “To cook something simple.” Few ingredients, no complicated steps.

B: Exactly. Pasta with tomatoes. Eggs and bread. Rice with whatever’s in the fridge.

A: And if I want to follow instructions?

B: Then you use a recipe. A recipe is the set of instructions — the ingredients, and what to do with them.

A: “A recipe.” And there’s a word that looks like it — receipt.

B: Right. Recipe: R-E-C-I-P-E. Receipt: R-E-C-E-I-P-T, and you don’t say that P at all.

A: On paper they look like cousins. Out loud they’re nothing alike. Recipe. Receipt.

B: One is for cooking. The other is the little paper you get after you pay.

A: What are the basic cooking verbs I actually need?

B: Five, to start with. To boil — water, pasta, eggs. To fry — in a pan, with oil or butter.

A: To bake?

B: In the oven — bread, a cake, vegetables. Then to chop, which means to cut into small pieces.

A: And the fifth?

B: To stir. To move the food around with a spoon so it doesn’t burn.

A: Boil, fry, bake, chop, stir. That’s a whole kitchen.

B: That’s a whole kitchen. And two more words you’ll see in every recipe: “ingredients” and “a pinch of salt.”

A: A pinch is the small amount you take between your finger and thumb.

B: Exactly. And when the food is finished, you say the best sentence in the house.

A: Which is?

B: “It’s ready.”

A: “Dinner’s ready!” I heard that every evening as a child.

B: That’s a familiar sentence in many homes.

A: Now, I cooked too much. That happens every time.

B: Then you have leftovers. Leftovers are the food you didn’t eat, saved for later.

A: “Leftovers.” “There are leftovers in the fridge.” “I had leftovers for lunch.”

B: And you’ll hear it in front of other words too — leftover pizza, leftover rice.

A: Good. And the next day I put it in the microwave.

B: Then you heat it up. To heat something up means to make cold food hot again.

A: “I’ll heat up the soup.” “Can you heat this up for me?”

B: And when you reheat leftovers, follow the storage and reheating instructions for that food.

A: So this is language practice, not one rule for every dish.

B: Exactly. Food-safety guidance can vary by food and by country.

A: What if I don’t want it tomorrow?

B: Then you can freeze it, if that food is suitable for freezing. Don’t leave perishable food sitting out for hours.

A: And then you eat it in three weeks when there’s nothing else.

B: That’s my whole cooking strategy, honestly.

A: It’s a good strategy. And if you want to remember these phrases, save them in Recursio, and it’ll remind you before you forget them.

B: And if the food is too old?

A: Then you throw it away. To throw something away means to put it in the trash.

B: “Don’t throw that away — I’m still eating it.”

A: A very useful sentence in a shared kitchen.

Practice

B: Let’s put it together. You be the store employee, I’ll be the customer.

A: Good morning. Can I help you find anything?

B: Yes, please. Where can I find the rice?

A: Aisle two, on the right, next to the pasta.

B: Thank you. And do you have any olive oil? The big bottle.

A: I’m sorry, the big one is out of stock. The delivery comes tomorrow.

B: Okay, I’ll take a small one. One more thing — does this have a use-by date or a best-before date?

A: Best before, on the bottom near the barcode. That one says next March.

B: Perfect. Thank you very much.

A: Clear, polite, and four useful phrases in under a minute.

B: Now the kitchen. You’re the one who can cook, I’m the one standing there holding a pan.

A: What are we making?

B: Nothing yet. I was waiting for you to tell me what to do.

A: Classic. Okay — do we have eggs?

B: Four eggs, some cheese, and half an onion.

A: Then chop the onion, fry it in a little butter, and I’ll beat the eggs.

B: Beat?

A: Mix them fast with a fork, until it’s all one color.

B: Got it. How long do I fry the onion?

A: Until it’s soft. Two or three minutes. Stir it so it doesn’t burn.

B: And then?

A: Then the eggs go in. Stir them gently and cook them until they’re set. Then it’s ready.

B: That’s a quick dinner.

A: And tomorrow?

B: Tomorrow we boil pasta and bake something. Slowly, we use all five verbs.

A: One more, at an outdoor market on Sunday morning.

B: Here you can ask about price, freshness, and how to use the food. I’ll be behind the table.

A: Good morning. How much are the tomatoes?

B: Four euros a kilo. They’re from my garden — picked yesterday.

A: I’ll take a kilo. Are they good for cooking, or better fresh?

B: Both, honestly. But for a sauce, take these ones at the back. They’re softer.

A: Then those. And what’s this?

B: Try it.

A: It’s a peach.

B: It’s a peach. Two euros for six, because they have to be eaten today.

A: I’ll take six. Do you have a bag?

B: Here. And put the peaches on top, not underneath.

A: Good advice. Thank you.

B: One phrase worth stealing there: “Are they good for cooking, or better fresh?”

A: That question works in any market.

Quick review

B: Let’s do a quick review. I’ll ask a question, you answer in your head, and then you’ll hear the answer.

A: Let’s go.

B: The short list you write before you go to the store. What is it?

A: A shopping list.

B: You can’t find the rice. How do you ask?

A: Where can I find the rice?

B: The store sells it normally, but today there isn’t any. How do they say it?

A: It’s out of stock.

B: In the UK, the date about food safety. What is it called?

A: Use by.

B: You cooked too much, and there’s some left for tomorrow. What is it?

A: Leftovers.

B: And you want to make that cold soup hot again. What do you do?

A: You heat it up.

B: Perfect. You’ve got them all.

Outro

A: So today we learned the English for food shopping and cooking at home.

B: A shopping list. To do the grocery shopping. To run out of. Where can I find…?

A: To be out of stock. Use by. Best before. To go bad.

B: To cook something simple. A recipe. It’s ready. Leftovers. To heat something up. And to throw something away.

A: If you want to review these phrases and remember them, open the link below and practice them in Recursio — you’ll also find Saturday’s story, “The Empty Fridge,” where most of these come back.

B: Thank you so much for listening, and see you in the next episode.