Vocabulary Words

Lesson 13Food and Beverages

Acrid

• Adjective • Harsh; bitter

• We were alarmed by the acrid smell coming from the kitchen.

Ambrosia

• Noun• Food of the gods, thought to bring

immortality; a food with an especially delicious flavor or fragrance

• Greek gods were thought to dine only on ambrosia and nectar.

Bland

• Adjective• Uninteresting or lacking in spice or flavor

• English cooking is very bland compared to Italian cooking.

Bouillon

• Noun• A clear, thin broth, usually of chicken or beef

• When I have an upset stomach, I drink a cup of bouillon and eat a few crackers.

Buffet

• Noun• A meal where guests serve themselves from

various dishes

• A sumptuous buffet was served at the New Year’s Eve party.

Concoct

• Verb• To cook up or make up combining ingredients

at hand

• I will concoct a casserole from whatever I have in the refrigerator.

Confection

• Noun• Something sweet, such as candy

• The bakery on the corner sells a delicious confection.

Cuisine

• Noun• The manner or style of cooking

• The French are famous for their cuisine.

Epicure

• Noun• A person with excellent taste in food and wine

• Jack was no epicure; he was strictly a meat and potatoes man.

Froth

• Noun• Foam

• The recipe called for egg whites beaten into a froth.

Knead

• Verb • To fold, press, and stretch dough

• The bread will not rise properly unless you knead it for at least ten minutes.

Meringue

• Noun• A pastry topping made of beaten and baked

egg whites

• The lemon pie was topped with a thick layer of meringue.

Quaff• Verb• To drink heartily

• After his game of tennis in the hot sun, Andre was ready to quaff a cold lemonade.

Refectory

• Noun• A dining hall

• The children filed into the refectory at noon.

Savor

• Verb• To taste or enjoy the flavor of

• When I am in Vienna, I like to savor a strong cup of coffee at an outdoor cafe.

Sherbert

• Noun• A sweet water ice, usually fruit flavored

• On a hot day I enjoy a small dish of sherbert after dinner.

Stein

• Noun• An earthenware mug

• The pub keeps a special stein for each of its regular customers.

Surfeit

• Noun• A glut or overabundance

• Last Thanksgiving there was a surfeit of inexpensive turkeys at the grocery.

Tantalize

• Verb• To tease or tempt

• The clerk tried to tantalize us by bringing in a fresh try of cinnamon buns

Victuals• Noun• Food; meals

• The diner was renowned for inexpensive but tasty victuals.