Episode 0249

My name's Catherine and today we've got a monologue, we've got one person talking telling you how to make the perfect sandwich.

Let's start with the basics, bread. Bread is an important ingredient here. You need to remember one thing: Choose the bread according to the following criteria: freshness, crumb, and color. If you want a closed sandwich, I recommend you first toast your bread in a toaster or oven or grill it slightly until it gets a light brown color.

Now that our bread is ready, let's talk about the ingredients. Of course, each person's palate is different, but I'm going to give you a few tips that you'll be able to use when turning any sandwich into the perfect sandwich. I would strongly recommend you put fresh vegetables in your sandwich. Do not undervalue them as they play a big role in forming the taste and will make the sandwich more refreshing and light. The best choices here are evident: cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, sweet pepper or chili, lettuce, and of course, herbs. You can't go wrong with them.

As for aubergines, mushrooms, and asparagus, I would recommend you first grill them slightly with a little touch of olive oil. Last but not least, we have a wide variety of condiments that we can add to our perfect sandwich. We can be subtle and add just a touch of salt and pepper, or we can combine mustard sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, or even caviar to achieve a stronger flavor. It's always a good idea to cut your sandwich in triangles or manageable pieces to avoid all your ingredients falling out and staining your shirt. That's all the time we have for today, but join us next time where we'll be going over how to make the perfect lasagna. Till next time.

Mhm.

All right, so she mentioned a lot of ingredients, a couple of different words that we might not understand. So let's take a look at them now in language takeaway.

Okay, at the beginning of this monologue, as I said, the chef is talking about things that you need to look for in a bread because bread is the base of a sandwich, and she mentioned the word crumb.

Okay, yeah, she said freshness, crumb and color. So what does she mean by crumb of the bread?

Okay, so crumb, a crumb is a very, very, very, very small piece of bread like um when you put bread in a toaster, maybe it's what falls down actually. Um we call them bread crumbs sometimes. Uh you can cook with them, but they're they're basically little pieces of bread that fall off, um little grains.

Okay. Yeah, so yeah, usually it happens all the time. You're having cookies or you're having some bread, you bite into it and little pieces of bread or cookie fall down, those are called crumbs.

That's right. And a very this is a very and I want to remind everyone that the word crumb has a B on the end, C R U M B, but we don't pronounce the B. We just say crumb.

Yeah, you don't say crumb.

No.

Okay, so just crumb.

Yeah, be careful with that one.

All right. So we have to keep a look out for the crumb of the bread, I guess how fresh and how sometimes when you squeeze bread, it makes a nice little sound.

Crunch, crunch.

Exactly. So, uh, but she's also recommending a couple of different ingredients and she said, well, it depends on each person's palette.

So, after we've chosen our bread, she talks about a closed sandwich and maybe toasting it.

Okay, so there are two options for sandwiches, you might see these on menus as well as when you're cooking yourself. Uh a closed sandwich means you have two pieces of bread, one on the bottom and one on top. It's closed.

Uh but the opposite is an open sandwich. That means you only have one piece of bread and then maybe you have some meat on top.

Oh, okay. Actually, I always thought that for it to be a sandwich, you had to have two pieces of bread.

So that's a closed sandwich though when you have two pieces of bread and the meat in the middle. And um after that, she talks a little bit about people's tastes and what people want, but she used a very special word.

That's right. She said each person's palette is different.

Okay, a palette in the context of food and taste means um the way that food flavors affect a person individually.

That's right. So sometimes you say that uh some people have a very good palette, so they can maybe tell the difference between a wine from 1978 and a wine from 1980 or something like that.

That's right. So you can have a palette, um a good palette for wine, but also in the in in this case, we're talking about food, um I could say, I have a very sensitive palette, so I don't like to use very, very strong flavors.

Okay. So the palette is basically your taste. It's actually a physical part of your mouth. It's the top of your mouth.

Mhm.

The roof of your mouth, exactly. And it's not just your ability to taste sweet. It's sweet and salty and sour and uh all these different flavors.

Okay, so a person's palette. Now herbs, right?

Mhm.

Now moving on to the main ingredients, she mentioned a lot of easy ones like tomatoes, onions, lettuce, but then we got into a little bit more specific things like for example, this word that's always mispronounced, herbs.

Actually, you can say herbs, that's a very British thing to do though. Americans and Canadians say herbs. It has an H in the front, that's why it's confusing.

Okay, so we can accept basically if somebody says herbs, but I guess in American English, it's more commonly the it's more commonly pronounced as an a silent H.

That's right. Herbs.

Herbs.

Uh and what are herbs, you might be asking? Well, herbs can come in many different shapes and sizes. They're usually green. Uh they're usually grown. They're they're ways of um making giving food different flavors. And so basil, for example, is an herb. It's a big green leaf, something that we use in pesto, for example.

Okay.

Um you can also have rosemary or mint. These are all kinds of herbs.

Okay. Some people even have an herb garden.

That's right. They grow their own herbs.

Okay. So now moving on to these weird uh looking uh vegetables, for example, aubergines.

Okay, aubergines are the same as eggplant. So you might hear this word sometimes. It's basically a big purple vegetable.

Okay, so for those of you who haven't seen an aubergine or an eggplant, yeah, it's a big purple vegetable. They kind of looks like a cucumber, but a little bit fatter.

Very fat and um they're if you hold them, they're not very hard. They're kind of soft. And uh a lot of people like to grill these or to cook with them in um in for example, Chinese food, there's a lot of eggplant or aubergines.

All right. So we've had those, we have mushrooms, and what about asparagus?

Asparagus is actually one of my favorite foods, but it's very strange looking.

It's kind of green and it kind of has this little head, right?

That's right. It's long. It's it's it's green. It's kind of like a pencil. But at the very top, it's it's kind of it's like a plant almost.

Yeah. They have a very strong taste and uh many people don't like asparagus.

That's right. And the Germans I think actually, Germans and the Dutch have special asparagus that's white.

Oh, really?

Called Spargel.

Oh, wow.

But uh if any of you know what that is, it's uh it's basically a white asparagus. But asparagus is very popular in a lot of parts of the world.

Okay, so now we have our vegetables, we have our bread. But now we need to add a little bit of uh extra flavor to the sandwich, so this is where we add some condiments.

Okay, so condiments are a category. Uh you can have many different kinds of condiments. The most common are salt and pepper.

Okay. So a condiment is a a category of the things that you would add flavor to. As you said, salt, pepper, but here they mention, for example, mayonnaise or ketchup.

Ooh, and mustard as well. These are all condiments.

So, in different parts of the world, they have different kinds of condiments. I've seen, for example, a lot of vinegar in uh in Asia. You can also have hot pepper flakes like in Europe.

Uh-huh, yeah. The condiments that you add to your sandwich are varied. I've seen people put all types of condiments in their sandwich. And for example, uh one that may be a little bit strange or maybe a little bit more expensive condiment is caviar.

Okay, so caviar is not always considered a condiment. It can be, but it can also be eaten alone. But it's basically just fish eggs.

It's they're little fish eggs.

Very small.

It always usually in people's mind, it's kind of like a fancy food, very luxurious, very expensive.

Well, it can be very expensive if you get like beluga caviar. Um a lot of caviar comes from uh the Caucasus and Russia and Ukraine, these places. And it's very, very salty in flavor.

That's right. So that is also considered a condiment in our case because we're using it for a sandwich, right?

Mhm.

Okay, so a lot of words there, a lot of interesting things going on in our sandwich. Uh why don't we move on now to fluency builder where we're going to take a look at some phrases.

All right, so let's go back to the very beginning of the dialogue, when she said, all right, let's start with the basics.

Okay, the basics is a set phrase in this in this context. Um we can say this about many different things, but the basics basically refers to the most simple ingredients or the most simple elements. Um in this case, bread. Bread or meat. Um but you can also talk about the basics in other contexts, like clothes shopping. Like, you know, when school started when I was a kid, my mom always used to buy me the basics, so T-shirts and socks.

Exactly. So, I guess the basics are the absolute necessary things, right? That that are and also very simple. So for example, uh if you talk about dancing, the basics would be maybe a certain sequence of steps that important, essential, right?

That's right. And would caviar be a part of the basics, for example?

No, no, no. No, that's a that's an extra.

Okay. So this is what we refer to when we say the basics. Now our chef when she continued talking about her sandwich, she said, I would strongly recommend you use fresh vegetables in your sandwich.

Okay, so you can say I would recommend this, but to strongly recommend is to have a very, very strong feeling about something.

That's right. You're saying to the person basically do it.

You must.

Yeah. So if maybe your friend is sick, you would you you can say something like, I would strongly recommend you go to the doctor today.

That means you really, really should go to the doctor. Um I would be upset if you didn't.

Uh-huh. It's kind of formal though. I don't it it seems like you would maybe use it with a boss, with your boss or maybe with a person you don't really know that well, but with your friend you would say, I really think you should go to the doctor.

Yeah. Mhm. But you can you can say it in both contexts, but yeah, definitely more of a formal thing.

Okay. So we strongly recommend that you.

All right, now moving on to our next phrase, she when she started talking about the condiment, she said, last but not least, we have a wide variety of condiments.

Okay, this is a very, very common phrase. It's a set phrase. You will hear these words together, uh very often. Last but not least. What could this possibly mean? So obviously, last means the last step here.

The last point.

But why not least?

Well, it's not least important. Just because it's last, it doesn't mean that it's not important.

Okay, so um maybe there are many people who have to give presentations in school and I'm the very, very last person to go. The teacher will say, last but not least, Catherine.

That's right.

Exactly. So when you want to make sure that the last point of your presentation or what you're talking about is not ignored or you just you want to make sure that it everyone knows that it's also very important, you say, last but not least.

All right, and now last but not least, the end of fluency builder, we're going to close off with this little phrase, when she was talking about salt and pepper, she said, a touch of salt and pepper.

Okay, a touch of salt and pepper is basically a measure. Uh it's not a lot, it's a very little amount of salt and pepper. So we can say a touch.

So it's not really a specific quantity though, right? We're not saying like a a spoon of salt and pepper.

Not at all. It basically means a little bit.

A little bit. So it's so you're just saying, uh maybe you'll hear this in uh maybe a cooking show or you'll read it in books when they'll say a pinch of salt or uh a touch of salt or a dash of salt.

That's right. You could even say it about other things. For example, if my friend just wrote this article and um he wanted me to read it, I say, it's a really good article, but it could use a touch of humor.

I think maybe if you made it a little bit funny, it would be better.

Mhm. Or maybe if you're painting your house, you you can say, oh, I think a touch of red paint would look really nice on this wall.

That's right. A little bit of red paint would be good.

Mhm.

Okay, so that's all the time we have for today, but before we go, let's listen to the dialogue again.

Let's start with the basics, bread. Bread is an important ingredient here. You need to remember one thing: Choose the bread according to the following criteria: freshness, crumb, and color. If you want a closed sandwich, I recommend you first toast your bread in a toaster or oven or grill it slightly until it gets a light brown color.

Now that our bread is ready, let's talk about the ingredients. Of course, each person's palate is different, but I'm going to give you a few tips that you'll be able to use when turning any sandwich into the perfect sandwich. I would strongly recommend you put fresh vegetables in your sandwich. Do not undervalue them as they play a big role in forming the taste and will make the sandwich more refreshing and light. The best choices here are evident: cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, sweet pepper or chili, lettuce, and of course, herbs. You can't go wrong with them.

As for aubergines, mushrooms, and asparagus, I would recommend you first grill them slightly with a little touch of olive oil. Last but not least, we have a wide variety of condiments that we can add to our perfect sandwich. We can be subtle and add just a touch of salt and pepper, or we can combine mustard sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, or even caviar to achieve a stronger flavor. It's always a good idea to cut your sandwich in triangles or manageable pieces to avoid all your ingredients falling out and staining your shirt. That's all the time we have for today, but join us next time where we'll be going over how to make the perfect lasagna. Till next time.

The grilled cheese sandwich.

Very easy to make, just two pieces of bread and cheese inside.

Do you use butter though?

Yes.

Yeah, so you have to butter the bread and so when you grill it, it gets really nice and brown.

Yeah. Actually, uh I'm not a very big sandwich fan um when I'm having, for example, a meal like lunch. I don't really uh I don't know. I I think I need something more solid than just a sandwich at times.

Interesting. I had a sandwich for dinner last night. Now we speak about it. Yeah.

Um I had an egg salad sandwich.

Egg so you had egg salad inside uh two pieces of bread.

That's right. But the bread I had was French bread, so that long, thin bread. Uh it was very crunchy, very delicious. But uh actually, I like sandwiches for dinner.

There are a little bit lighter. Yeah, I when you're having a big meal, it just seems like, although, maybe sometimes places give you very big, heavy sandwiches that have, you know, like ham and salami and just a lot of things in there, so they're very, very filling.

Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.

To put too low a value on.

To undervalue.

To provide new vigor and energy by rest, food, etc.

Refreshing.

A slight quantity or degree.

A touch.

So slight as to be difficult to detect or describe.

Subtle.

That can be managed or controlled.

Manageable.

Let's try that faster.

To provide new vigor and energy by rest, food, etc.

Refreshing.

A slight quantity or degree.

A touch.

So slight as to be difficult to detect or describe.

Subtle.

To put too low a value on.

To undervalue.

That can be managed or controlled.

Manageable.

Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.

To undervalue.

I undervalued the importance of giving compliments to my girlfriend.

To undervalue.

Do not undervalue the proper way to slice beef and the size of your pieces when cooking.

To undervalue.

When I took my grandparents' antiques to the appraiser, I realized that I had greatly undervalued their worth.

Refreshing.

This milk is so refreshing.

Refreshing.

Taking a dip in the pool was very refreshing after lying in the heat of the sun for several hours.

Refreshing.

Going on holiday to some place with nothing to do but relax will be much more refreshing than traveling non-stop for four days.

A touch.

Next, we will add a pinch of salt and a touch of garlic to the mixture.

A touch.

I think this soup needs a touch more pepper and then it will be perfect.

A touch.

This painting would be much more pleasing to the eye had the artist added just a touch of red over here.

Subtle.

Her makeup was subtle, but it accentuated her beauty.

Subtle.

There is a subtle taste of parsley in this dish.

Subtle.

You need to let him know that he's being a disturbance, but please be subtle about it or he'll make more of a scene.

Manageable.

We get a lot of homework, but it's manageable.

Manageable.

The noise level in my neighborhood is manageable, but I can't stand it when my neighbor's parties last until the wee hours of the morning.

Manageable.

Usually the kids that I babysit are quite manageable, but last night they were completely out of control.