Spanish · BeginnerCocinar la cena juntosCooking Dinner

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00:00Intro
Hello Camila! Look at me. I bring two huge bags from the central market.
Hello Diego! Great to see you. What did you buy for today?
I bought red tomatoes, fresh onions, garlic, pasta, and grated cheese.
How delicious! It shows that you are very hungry this afternoon.
I am very hungry. That is why today we are going to cook dinner together.
I love the idea! Cooking as a team is always a great adventure.
Do you remember last time? I burned two slices of bread in the toaster.
Hahaha! Yes, the whole kitchen filled with gray smoke.
Today I promise to be more careful with the fire and pans.
You also brought fresh basil to give it a green touch.
Yes, I brought fresh basil and warm bread to accompany.
Very well. Today we talk about food, home recipes, and good times.
We have six excellent phrases to learn real and everyday Spanish.
They are phrases that we use every day in our homes.
Our main phrase for today is: cocinar la cena (to cook dinner).
It is a very important phrase to propose plans among friends.
The second phrase for today is: cortar las verduras (to cut the vegetables).
The third useful phrase of the day is: poner la mesa (to set the table).
The fourth phrase to learn is: probar la salsa (to taste the sauce).
The fifth phrase for today is: lavar los platos (to wash the dishes).
And the sixth important phrase is: cenar en familia (to dine with family).
What a complete list! With them we talk about food easily.
That is right. Also, today we have a very nice cultural fact.
True! In Latin America, the kitchen has a lot of social life.
People cook with cheerful music, laughter, and good conversation.
Nobody stays alone in a corner when there is delicious food.
Totally true. I will tell you my comical experience from last Saturday.
Hahaha! Tell us everything with all the details, Diego.
Get ready to laugh with our kitchen story for today.
Perfect! I listen to your story with great attention.
Last Saturday I invited my friends Mateo and Sofia home.
What a nice plan! Inviting friends always cheers up the home.
They arrived early very eager to eat hot pasta.
And you decided to show your great talents in the kitchen.
Of course yes! I told everyone: let us cook dinner together!
A great welcome phrase to start a special night.
First, Mateo took a big onion on the wooden board.
Fresh onion always makes cooks cry.
Mateo cried like a small child with the first onion.
Poor Mateo with tears in his eyes in the kitchen!
Mateo put on swimming goggles to avoid crying.
Hahaha! Swimming goggles to chop onions in the kitchen!
We all laughed out loud upon seeing his funny face.
What a great moment of fun among good friends!
At that moment, Sofia looked for a big metal pot.
And did she find the correct pot to boil the pasta?
Yes, but she dropped the heavy lid to the floor.
What a big surprise with that loud metallic bang!
The sound was very loud and we all shouted in shock.
Hahaha! A real action movie in your small kitchen.
Then came my turn to prepare the red tomato sauce.
Did you use chopped natural tomatoes and olive oil?
I put fresh tomatoes, chopped garlic, and oregano in the pan.
That sounds very tasty and smells delicious.
But I took the wrong jar and put sugar in the sauce.
It cannot be! Did you put two spoonfuls of white sugar?
I put two big spoonfuls. The sauce seemed like a sweet dessert.
What a funny confusion! And who tasted the sauce first?
Sofia took a piece of bread, tasted it, and opened her eyes.
And what did Sofia say upon feeling that sweet flavor?
Sofia said: Diego, this seems like fruit jam for breakfast.
Hahaha! Tomato jam on Italian pasta!
We all laughed for five minutes without stopping.
And how did you manage to fix the sauce after so much laughter?
I cut four more fresh tomatoes and added sea salt.
You fixed the flavor with great calm and good technique.
In the end we managed to cook dinner with success and happiness.
You ate a very delicious hot pasta full of laughter.
We all repeated plates twice at the dining table.
That proves that cooking dinner among friends is fantastic.
Totally. And this connects very well with our cultural fact.
Tell us about that pretty custom of the Latin sobremesa!
In Latin countries, people talk for hours after the meal.
That pleasant chat around the table is called sobremesa.
Nobody runs away from the table upon finishing eating.
They drink hot coffee, tell funny stories, and laugh together.
For me, cooking dinner is the beginning of a party.
It is a beautiful way to share time with dear people.
I learned that kitchen mistakes bring friends closer together.
Exact. The important thing is to have a good time and eat tasty.
Now we are going to study our six phrases with clear examples.
Excellent. We review phrase number one: cocinar la cena.
It means preparing hot evening food at home.
For example: on Fridays I like to cook dinner calmly.
It is a very common phrase to invite someone to eat.
The second important phrase is: cortar las verduras.
It means chopping ingredients like carrots, tomatoes, and onions.
That is, you take a sharp knife to cut the vegetables.
We must always watch our fingers when cutting on the board.
A smart cook cuts slowly and with great attention.
The third phrase on the list is: poner la mesa.
Poner la mesa means placing the plates, glasses, and cutlery.
In other words, you organize the dining room before serving hot food.
For example: my younger brother helps set the table.
A neat table with clean napkins looks very elegant.
Placing small flowers in the center also cheers up the dining room.
What a nice detail! Small touches make the difference.
The fourth phrase we must learn is: probar la salsa.
Probar la salsa means taking a little to feel the flavor.
That way you know if it lacks salt, pepper, or cheese.
It is the main secret of the best cooking grandmothers.
I always taste the food before serving it to my guests.
The fifth phrase of our vocabulary is: lavar los platos (to wash the dishes).
Lavar los platos means cleaning everything with water and soap.
Few people like cleaning after a big meal.
But leaving the kitchen shiny gives great joy.
A good trick is washing pots when food rests.
Exact! That way you do not accumulate dirty work at the end of the night.
And the sixth phrase of the day is: cenar en familia.
Cenar en familia means sharing the table with your relatives.
It is a perfect moment to talk about our day.
Turning off cell phones helps to truly connect.
Good conversation is worth more than any digital screen.
Now let us talk about our ways of cooking at home.
Very well! I am part of Team Diego without a doubt.
And how is the famous Team Diego?
Team Diego cooks by intuition and does not follow books.
I put varied spices and listen to music with good rhythm.
I dance with the wooden spoon in front of the hot stove.
How fun! But I belong to Team Camila.
Does Team Camila weigh each ingredient with great care?
Team Camila reads recipes with order and discipline.
I clean every corner of the kitchen during preparation.
At the end of the night, everything looks spotless and neat.
I admire your great discipline, Camila. Your food is always perfect.
Thanks, Diego. But your free style also creates delicious dishes.
Each person has their special magic in the kitchen.
Diego, I read a fun fact about cooking habits.
Tell me! I love interesting stories of everyday life.
Guess how many people put on music at home when cooking.
I think that maybe forty or fifty percent.
I heard that almost seven out of ten people cook with music.
Seven out of ten! That demonstrates the power of songs.
Cooking with joy makes the dishes turn out tastier.
And I have another question for you about food at home.
Tell me your question! I like guessing interesting facts.
Guess how many people prefer home food over ordering out.
I believe maybe six out of ten people.
Exact! Six out of ten prefer dining at home during the week.
It is healthier, cheaper, and brings people together.
The time for our practical conversation test has arrived.
I am ready! I will answer your six questions.
Situation one. You arrive home at seven with hungry friends. What do you say?
With a big smile I tell them: let us cook dinner together!
Excellent answer! You have your first point earned today.
Situation two. You have onions and tomatoes on the board with a knife. What do you do?
I take the knife very carefully and start to cut the vegetables.
Very well Diego! Two consecutive correct answers.
Situation three. The food is almost ready and you carry plates to the dining room. What is the phrase?
I walk cheerfully toward the dining room to set the table.
Perfect! You answered in a very clear and precise way.
Situation four. The pot is hot and you take a small spoon. What action do you do?
I blow a bit on the hot steam to taste the sauce.
Fantastic! The fourth answer is totally accurate.
Situation five. Everyone finished eating and the kitchen is dirty. What is there to do?
I take the sponge and the soap to wash the dishes.
Very well! That task keeps the house clean and pleasant.
Situation six. It is Sunday evening and everyone sits down together to eat. What moment do you experience?
I look at everyone with affection, and say that it is beautiful to dine with family.
Incredible Diego! You achieved six correct answers out of six.
What joy! I learned all today's phrases very well.
You showed great knowledge of home vocabulary.
Now we have a special mission for our listeners at home.
It is a practical exercise to speak Spanish out loud.
Step one. Tomorrow afternoon you are going to stand in front of the mirror.
Step two. Look at your reflection and imagine a kitchen full of food.
Step three. You are going to say out loud three times: cocinar la cena.
Repeating the phrase with energy gives you great confidence when speaking.
Remember not to put sugar in the sauce like Diego did.
Hahaha! Now I always check the jars before cooking.
Cooking at home unites people and cheers up the heart.
And leaves wonderful memories with the people we love.
See you very soon in our next conversation episode.
Good day to everyone and enjoy your rich meals!
See you later to all the friends of Español Lento!
Bye! Take care of your food and have a great time!

Key phrases

6 to keep
cocinar la cenacocinar la cena
cook dinner
Hoy nos toca cocinar la cena juntos.Today it's our turn to cook dinner together.
cortar las verdurascortar las verduras
chop the vegetables
Yo me encargo de cortar las verduras.I'll take care of chopping the vegetables.
poner la mesaponer la mesa
set the table
Mientras hierve el arroz, voy a poner la mesa.While the rice is boiling, I'm going to set the table.
probar la salsaprobar la salsa
taste the sauce
Ven a probar la salsa y dime si falta sal.Come taste the sauce and tell me if it needs salt.
lavar los platoslavar los platos
wash the dishes
Después de comer me toca lavar los platos.After eating it's my turn to wash the dishes.
cenar en familiacenar en familia
have dinner as a family
Los domingos nos gusta cenar en familia.On Sundays we like to have dinner as a family.

Te toca

Your turn
decirlo en voz alta
Today's small task

Step one. Tomorrow afternoon you are going to stand in front of the mirror.Step one. Tomorrow afternoon you are going to stand in front of the mirror.

cocoaCocinar la cena juntos
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