TOPIC: FOOD & COOKING

PART 1 - FOOD
1. What types of food do you like to eat?
2. Do you like to cook?
3. Do you prefer dine in or dine out?
4. What was your favourite food when you were a child?
5. What types of food do you think are unhealthy?
6. Do you usually eat the same types of food every day?

PART 1 - COOKING
1. Can you cook?
2. Do you often do any cooking?
3. Do you like cooking? Why/why not?
4. Who taught you how to cook?
5. Is it important for husbands to know how to cook?

PART 2
Describe an unforgettable dinner.
You should say:
ü When the dinner was
ü Where the dinner was
ü Who you dine with
ü And explain why it was unforgettable.

PART 3
1. How can we stay healthier?
2. Do you think cooking is a pleasure or chore for people?
3. What are your predictions for people’s diets in the next 10 years?
4. Some people say that people need to spend a lot of money for food on some special
occasions? Agree or disagree? Why?
5. It’s important to have a family meal? What is your opinion?
6. Food is much better than before. Agree or disagree? Why?
7. Should Vietnamese people have special cakes on special occasions?
8. People should cook meal at home and avoid eating fast food. What do you think?
 SAMPLE ANSWERS
PART 1 - FOOD
1. What types of food do you like to eat?
Actually, I am not a fussy eater so I can eat like a horse all types of food. However, I love biscuits
or ice creams most because I really have a sweet tooth.

2. Do you like to cook?

Honestly, I don’t like to cook much so a ready meal with fired chicken and salad is more
convenient to me. When I don’t enjoy fast food, I love visiting my aunt to enjoy a nutritious meal
with home-cooked food.

3. Do you prefer dine in or dine out?

I think it really depends on occasion. If my parents and I gather together, I prefer to prepare a slap
up meal with many kinds of food and drink then enjoy the meal together at home. However, if I
need to meet my friends, I would like to go to a restaurant to wine and dine them, which is more
convenient than inviting them to my house.

4. What was your favourite food when you were a child?

Well, I would say that my taste in food hasn’t changed much since I was a little child. I was crazy
about sweet food such as ice creams and biscuits, which ruined my teeth so terribly that I needed
to go to dentist very often.

5. What types of food do you think are unhealthy?

I am sure that some kinds of processed food are not healthy because they contain many
preservatives, food colours and too much salt which are harmful to your health if you overeat. The
rich fat also spoils your appetite if you eat them before main meals.

6. Do you usually eat the same types of food every day?

Definitely no. It would be run out of mill to eat the same types of food every day. For that reason,
I try to change the food to provoke my appetite. Sometimes I pamper myself by eating fast food,
however, usually I remind myself of eating fresh and healthy food such as vegetables and fruits.

PART 1 - COOKING
1. Can you cook?
I would say I am just fine at cooking. I’m confident when I cook food for myself or two people
but not for a huge bunch of people. Neither do I know how to cook that great delicacies that my
mother can cook.

2. Do you often do any cooking?

I am a working woman and currently living with friends in Hanoi. I have to cook on a daily basis
and bring it to the workplace because I can’t stand eating out frequently, which is really harmful
to my health.

3. Do you like cooking? Why/why not?

Yes, I’m quite into cooking because I believe that home-cooked meals could be safer to my health
and also I’m a foodie, I’d like to try various recipes and taste all kinds of tasty food. I always do
some cooking in my home with my mother during the weekend to enjoy the family time.
4. Who taught you how to cook?
My mother was a great teacher who gives me step-by-step instructions about how to cook some
traditional Vietnamese dishes like spring rolls, fried eggs … Whenever I have spare time, I
usually give her a hand in preparing meals and I seize these chances to learn a lot of cooking
techniques from her.

5. Is it important for husbands to know how to cook?

I think husbands share responsibilities by helping their wives cook meals. It’s a good way to
strengthen the bond between the husband and wife. A woman when eating the food made by her
husband would definitely love him more because it shows that the man treats her equally and
respects her.

PART 2

Describe an unforgettable dinner.

You should say:
ü When the dinner was
ü Where the dinner was
ü Who you dine with
ü And explain why it was unforgettable.

Last month, I had a get-together with some of my high school friends. That is such a
memorable day that it is still vivid in my mind now. We haven’t been together for ages since we
graduated from high school and pursued tertiary education.
Then, we decided to have dinner at Pizza Hut, which is a highly acclaimed pizza
restaurant in the Hanoi city. Arriving at the restaurant, we were quickly given the menu. What I
love most about this restaurant was that there were various types of pizza and drinks; so it took me
quite a long time to choose the food. After that, we gossiped with each other about our students’
life and work while waiting for the dishes to be served. I was extremely impressed because all my
friends have achieved immense success in studying and working, and this strongly inspires and
motivates me.
Then, the dishes were served. The pizza was so scrumptious that it whetted our appetite
and the drinks were tasty although they costed an arm and a leg. We kept sharing our stories and
enjoyed the meal and drinks for two hours. Actually, meeting up with them reminisced me of the
happy time when we studied at high school and made me realize how mature we are today. I hope
in the future we can manage our time and will meet each other regularly.

PART 3
1. How can we stay healthier?
I think the best approach is to have everything in moderation. Processed food won’t kill you if you
only eat it occasionally but you are encouraged to eat a balanced diet to supply enough vitamins
for your body. Home – cooked food is preferable choice if you want to stay strong.

2. Do you think cooking is a pleasure or chore for people?

To be honest, I believe that cooking is one of the best ways to help people relax after a long
working day. Whether you follow a recipe or cook roughly, cooking is a creative process which is
useful to release your stress and balance your mind and body. Furthermore, cooking a meal for
your beloved family then seeing them tucking into your handmade food will be the most
satisfactory feeling ever.

3. What are your predictions for people’s diets in the next 10 years?
Personally, people tend to eat a balanced diet to stay healthier. They eat more fish and vegetables
than meat. Normal products which are made from chemical ingredients will be replaced by
organic ones which seem to be safer for human body. Furthermore, instant or processed food will
still exist because people are getting busier, but I think they are not really as popular as now.

4. Some people say that people need to spend a lot of money for food on some special
occasions? Agree or disagree? Why?
I believe that it depends on different people. If they want to enjoy delicacies at the luxurious
restaurant, they will certainly have to pay a great deal of money. For example, if they are keen on
eating lobsters, this will cost the earth. However, when they only eat home-made dishes, it would
be more affordable and easier to cook.

5. It’s important to have a family meal? What is your opinion?

Well, of course it is essential for people to have a meal together in a family. First of all, during
family meals, people can share their stories and experience together, which allows them to
strengthen the mutual bonds and draw them as a close-knit family. Additionally, by eating home-
cooked meals, this can maintain the physical health among family members.

6. Food is much better than before. Agree or disagree? Why?

From my point of view, I partly agree with this view. There are numerous foreign cuisines, along
with diverse tastes, imported to Vietnam, such as Kimbab, chicken curry. They not only taste
delicious but also provide people with nutritious ingredients. However, some types of processed
food such as fried chicken and hamburgers will be detrimental to the public health if people over-
consume these kinds of food.

7. Should Vietnamese people have special cakes on special occasions?

I would argue that people in Vietnam should make some special cakes such as Chung cakes on
Tet holiday or moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival. These kinds of cake symbolize for the
connection between humans and their natural and spiritual world. In addition, the cakes remind
youngsters of preserving traditional values that the ancestors sustain for many centuries.

8. People should cook meal at home and avoid eating fast food. What do you think?
I’m in favour of the idea that Vietnamese people should prepare meal at home instead of eating
out. The quintessential reason is that home-cooked dishes contain numerous vitamins and
minerals to boost people’s immune system and make them physically and mentally active. By
contrast, fast food is high in fat and sugar, which leads people to dangerous diseases such as
diabetes, obesity.