Cooking Spaghetti Together

This lesson teaches a conversation between a mom and child while cooking spaghetti. Learners will practice vocabulary and phrases related to food, cooking, and kitchen tasks, helping them feel more confident discussing meals in English.

Mom: “What do you want for dinner tonight?”
Kid: “Hmm, can we have spaghetti? I love spaghetti!”
Mom: “Spaghetti it is! Do you want to help me cook?”
Kid: “Yes! What do we need?”
Mom: “First, let’s get all the ingredients. We need spaghetti, tomato sauce, garlic, onions, and ground beef. Can you help me find them?”
Kid: “Got it! Here’s the spaghetti. Do we need cheese too?”
Mom: “Of course! Parmesan cheese will be perfect on top. Now, let’s start by boiling some water for the spaghetti. Can you measure four cups of water and pour it into the pot?”
Kid: “Four cups, coming right up! What’s next?”
Mom: “While the water is boiling, we’ll chop the onions and garlic for the sauce. Be careful with the knife. I’ll chop, and you can peel the garlic.”
Kid: “Okay, Mom. Garlic smells so strong!”
Mom: “It does, but it makes the sauce taste delicious. Now, let’s heat some oil in the pan and cook the onions and garlic. Can you stir while I add the ground beef?”
Kid: “Sure! It smells so good already!”
Mom: “Doesn’t it? Once the beef is brown, we’ll pour in the tomato sauce and let it simmer. Oh, and don’t forget to add a pinch of salt and some oregano. Want to sprinkle it in?”
Kid: “Yes! I love adding spices. Is the water boiling yet?”
Mom: “Let’s check. Yes, it’s ready. Time to add the spaghetti. Make sure it’s all under the water. We’ll let it cook for about 10 minutes.”
Kid: “Can I set the table while it cooks?”
Mom: “That’s a great idea! Plates, forks, and glasses. Don’t forget the napkins.”
Kid: “Done! Is it time to eat yet?”
Mom: “Almost. Let’s drain the spaghetti and mix it with the sauce. Look at that—it’s perfect!”
Kid: “Yay! Can we add cheese now?”
Mom: “Absolutely. Sprinkle as much as you like. And for dessert, how about some ice cream?”
Kid: “Yes! Spaghetti and ice cream—this is the best dinner ever!”
Mom: “I’m glad you enjoyed cooking with me. Let’s dig in!”

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VOCABULARY LIST

Boil [bɔɪl] (verb) – To heat a liquid until it bubbles and turns to vapor.

Example: “We need to boil the water before adding the noodles.”

Chop [tʃɒp] (verb) – To cut something into small pieces.

Example: “Mom is chopping the onions for the sauce.”

Simmer [ˈsɪmər] (verb) – To cook something gently just below boiling point.

Example: “Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.”

Ingredients [ɪnˈɡriːdiənts] (noun) – The items used to make a dish or meal.

Example: “We need all the ingredients before we start cooking.”

Measure [ˈmɛʒər] (verb) – To determine the amount or size of something.

Example: “Let’s measure four cups of water for the spaghetti.”

Dessert [dɪˈzɜːrt] (noun) – A sweet dish served at the end of a meal.

Example: “Can we have ice cream for dessert?”

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Fill in the Blanks
Story with Missing Words

Mom: "What do you want for dinner tonight?"
Kid: "Hmm, can we have ? I love !"
Mom: " it is! Do you want to help me cook?"
Kid: "Yes! What do we need?"
Mom: "First, let’s get all the ingredients. We need , tomato sauce, garlic, onions, and ground . Can you help me find them?"
Kid: "Got it! Here’s the . Do we need too?"
Mom: "Of course! Parmesan cheese will be perfect on top. Now, let’s start by boiling some for the spaghetti. Can you measure four cups of and pour it into the pot?"
Kid: "Four cups, coming right up! What’s next?"
Mom: "While the water is boiling, we’ll chop the and garlic for the sauce. Be careful with the knife. I’ll chop, and you can peel the garlic."
Kid: "Okay, Mom. Garlic smells so !"
Mom: "It does, but it makes the sauce taste delicious. Now, let’s heat some in the pan and cook the onions and garlic. Can you stir while I add the ground beef?"
Kid: "Sure! It smells so good already!"
Mom: "Doesn’t it? Once the beef is brown, we’ll pour in the tomato sauce and let it . Oh, and don’t forget to add a pinch of and some oregano. Want to sprinkle it in?"
Kid: "Yes! I love adding spices. Is the water boiling yet?"
Mom: "Let’s check. Yes, it’s ready. Time to add the . Make sure it’s all under the water. We’ll let it cook for about 10 minutes."
Kid: "Can I set the table while it cooks?"
Mom: "That’s a great idea! Plates, forks, and glasses. Don’t forget the ."
Kid: "Done! Is it time to eat yet?"
Mom: "Almost. Let’s drain the spaghetti and mix it with the . Look at that—it’s perfect!"
Kid: "Yay! Can we add cheese now?"
Mom: "Absolutely. Sprinkle as much as you like. And for dessert, how about some ?"
Kid: "Yes! and ice cream—this is the best dinner ever!"
Mom: "I’m glad you enjoyed cooking with me. Let’s dig in!"