A Chef's Life
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Rebecca
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Todd
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Todd: So, Rebecca, now you were saying that were a chef, or you worked in a kitchen in your previous job. Can you talk about that? Like where did you work and what was it like?
Rebecca: OK, I worked in a few different restaurants over several years, sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time. Sometimes I worked in busy city restaurants, and other times just small cafes doing breakfast, that kind of thing.
Todd: OK, so, you must have had a very busy routine. Can you describe what's the typical workday when you are a chef?
Rebecca: Well, usually you start preparing in the afternoon and that's the quiet part of the day. You don't have any customers. You just come in and you chop up all the vegetables and the things you need to do like that. You cook any food that can be cooked before and organize all the ingredients for the dishes. Then service starts at about six o'clock and that's when it gets really crazy. It's really busy from then on and you have to be very organized and cook everything as fast as possible.
Todd: OK, sounds like a pretty busy schedule. When you're working, what do you enjoy about the job? What makes the job fun and interesting?
Rebecca: Actually, I like the pressure of cooking. It's stressful but it's also exciting. It's like a game. You have to organize everything, and you have to think of sixty things at once. It's a really good atmosphere. Everybody's excited. Everyone has to work together. It's a team job, so you can make really close friends in the kitchen. It's fun to work with them.
Todd: Is there anything you didn't like? Like maybe the smell of the food or getting dirty or things like that?
Rebecca: No, that didn't bother me, but I used to travel home after work on the bus sometimes and interestingly even when it was full I would have a seat to myself because the smell of the food gets into your clothes, your hair, your skin, everything. You smell like fifty different kinds of food. That's not a good thing.
Todd: Wow. So did you have dogs or anything when you got home that they would be like craving for you to walk through the door?
Rebecca: No, I didn't have dogs because I was scared they might eat me you know. They might think I was a piece of steak or something.
Todd: Alright thanks, Rebecca.
ingredients
You cook any food that can be cooked before and organise all the ingredients for the dishes.
'Ingredients' are the different food items that you use to make a meal or a particular type of food.
Notice the following:
- I only cook recipes that have very few ingredients.
- Can you write down the list of ingredients that you need for your recipe, please?
pressure
I like the pressure of cooking.
Here, 'pressure' refers to the stress that goes along with
cooking. Someone might feel pressure when he is cooking because
he wants the food to turn out well or because everything needs
to be ready at the same time.
Notice the following:
- There is a lot pf pressure in the job that I do.
- She said she was not looking forward to her exams, as she was under a lot of pressure to get good grades.
stressful
It's stressful but it's also exciting.
When something is 'stressful,' it means that you feel under pressure and that it makes you feel uncomfortable or concerned about your ability to do something well.
Notice the following:
- I think that being a doctor is a very stressful job.
- When you have children, your life can be quite stressful.
atmosphere
It's a really good atmosphere.
'Atmosphere' is the feeling or vibe that a place has. It is the
combinations of all the sights, smells, sounds and feelings that
a place offers.
Notice the following:
- The party had a great atmosphere.
- Music and dancing always help to improve the atmosphere.
interestingly
I used to travel home after work on the bus sometimes, and interestingly, even when it was full, I would have a seat to myself, because the smell of the food gets into your clothes.
You can use the word 'interestingly' to introduce information
that is unusual or not expected.
Notice the following:
- Interestingly, we never went to visit her parents, even though they were only down the road.
- Interestingly, she does not like fish, even though she sells it in her shop.
Vocabulary Quiz
atmosphere • interestingly
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