Food & Cuisine
A complete two-session B1 lesson built around the present simple passive — the grammar of recipes and cooking processes — that launches into a multi-lesson Cooking Video project. Includes audio scripts, answer keys, and a self-grading workbook.
Can-Do Statements
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Describe a dish — its ingredients, flavors, and how it is made.
- Use the present simple passive to describe cooking processes (is/are + past participle).
- Give recipe instructions with cooking verbs and sequencers.
- Use food and cuisine vocabulary — ingredients, cooking methods, and tastes.
- Understand a text about world cuisines and a spoken description of a dish.
- Plan and present a Cooking Video project that shows a dish being made.
Vocabulary & Phrases
Ingredients, Methods & Tastes
- ingredient · recipe · dish · starter · main course · dessert
- chop · slice · fry · bake · grill · boil · stir · mix
- spicy · sweet · sour · salty · bitter · fresh · creamy
- a pinch of · a spoonful of · a slice of
- raw · ripe · tender · crunchy · fragrant
- serve · season · garnish · taste
Describing a Dish
- It's made with… / It's made from…
- First the onions are chopped, then they are fried.
- It is served with… / It is eaten…
- It tastes… / It has a … flavor.
- It's a traditional dish from…
- You should try it because…
The Engine of the Lesson
The present simple passive — exactly how recipes and cooking processes are described.
1. Form — is / are + past participle
The passive is be + the past participle (V3). In the present, that's is (singular) or are (plural).
| singular | The cake is baked in a hot oven. |
| plural | The onions are fried in oil. |
| made with/from | Pizza is made with flour, tomato, and cheese. |
2. Why we use it for recipes
We use the passive when the action matters more than the person doing it. In a recipe, we don't care who chops the onions — only that they are chopped.
3. Two registers for the video
Students can describe a dish in two ways. Teach both — they'll use them in the project.
| imperative | "Chop the onions. Add the rice." (instructions to the viewer) |
| passive | "The onions are chopped. The rice is added." (describing the process) |
Trap: don't drop "be" and use the wrong form — "the rice is cooked" (not "the rice cook" or "is cook").
Materials Needed
How the World Eats
A self-grading article on four kitchens from four continents, written to model the present passive — the natural grammar of recipes. It fits straight into Session 2 — or set it as homework.
What's inside
- An article on Japanese, Mexican, Indian and Italian cooking, and what all four have in common.
- Self-grading comprehension questions with instant feedback and a score.
- An active vs passive sentence sorting task, drawn from the article.
- A vocabulary flashcard deck and a discussion box to extend the topic into speaking.
How to use it: project it for shared reading, or assign it for homework before the discussion. Students read, then tap Show My Score on the comprehension quiz and bring the result to class.
Open the Reading →Timed Lesson Stages
Each stage lists timing, teacher instructions, and the interaction pattern.
1. Warm-Up — Favorite Food
Ask: "What's your favorite dish? What's in it?" Show photos of world dishes; students guess names and origins.
Interaction: Teacher → whole class.
2. Vocabulary — Ingredients & Methods
Present cooking verbs (chop, fry, bake, stir), ingredients, and taste adjectives with images. Drill collocations: a pinch of salt, fried in oil, baked in the oven.
Interaction: Teacher → class.
3. Grammar — Present Simple Passive
Write an active instruction ("You fry the onions") and transform it together into the passive ("The onions are fried"). Build the rule (is/are + V3), then practice with a simple recipe on the board.
- Concept check: "Do we know WHO fries the onions? Does it matter?"
- Controlled practice: students do the workbook's passive grammar and word-order tasks.
Interaction: Guided discovery → individual.
4. Speaking — Describe a Dish + Launch the Project
In pairs, students describe a traditional dish from their culture (ingredients, how it's made, when it's eaten). Then launch the Cooking Video project (full details in the project section below) so students leave knowing which dish they'll film.
Interaction: Pairs → whole class.
5. Wrap-Up
Each student says one sentence about the dish they will make for their video. Note any passive-form errors for Session 2.
1. Review — Active to Passive Race
Call out an active sentence ("You boil the rice"). Teams race to say the passive ("The rice is boiled"). One point per correct transformation.
Interaction: Teams.
2. Reading — "Food Around the World"
Students open the Student Workbook and read the text about pizza, sushi, and tacos. They answer the comprehension and multiple-choice questions, which grade instantly.
- Read for gist, then for detail.
- Pairs underline every passive verb (is/are + V3).
Interaction: Individual → pairs.
3. Listening — How a Dish Is Made
Play Audio 2 (script below) — someone explains how goulash is made. Students complete the fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice listening task. Play twice.
Interaction: Individual → class check.
4. Writing — Write Your Recipe (Project Prep)
Students write a simple recipe for their chosen dish using the passive and sequencers. This is the script foundation for their Cooking Video.
Model: "Tomato soup is made with tomatoes, onions, and garlic. First, the onions are chopped and fried in oil. Then the tomatoes are added and the soup is cooked for twenty minutes. Finally, it is blended until smooth and served with fresh bread."
- Target: 5+ passive verbs, 3+ sequencers, accurate ingredient vocabulary.
- Students self-check against the workbook checklist and review the flashcards.
Interaction: Individual.
5. Share, Score & Reflect
Students read their recipe to a partner, who checks the passive forms. Then they tap Show My Score in the workbook and show you the result.
The Cooking Video
A multi-lesson project where students film themselves making a dish and describe the ingredients and method. It turns this unit's language into a real, sharable product — and students love it.
How to run it
The full student brief — with simple instructions, a sample script, useful language, filming tips, and a checklist — lives on the project page. Here's the teacher-facing schedule:
- Lesson A — Launch & choose: Show one short cooking video. Each student (or pair) chooses a simple dish. Approve choices so they're realistic for 3–5 minutes.
- Lesson B — Script: Students write their script (intro, ingredients, steps in the passive + sequencers, closing). Use the unit's writing task as the first draft. You give feedback on the language.
- Lesson C — Rehearse: Students practice aloud in pairs with the checklist, timing themselves and improving pronunciation and flow. Film at home (or in class) after this.
- Lesson D — Present & celebrate: Watch the videos together. Peers give one strength and one tip; you assess with the rubric on the project page.
Best options to offer: let students work in pairs (less pressure, more talk); allow a real-time demo OR a "here's one I made earlier" style if cooking live is hard; a phone camera is all they need. Keep it 3–5 minutes.
Open the Full Project Brief →Speaking Activities
The centerpiece is Describe a Dish, which doubles as the project launch. Rotate the games below across lessons.
Describe a Dish
Pairs → groups. Goal: describe a dish so well that others want to try it.
- Each student chooses a dish they know how to make (ideally the one for their video).
- They describe it: what it's made with, how it's made (passive + sequencers), how it tastes, and when people eat it.
- Listeners ask two questions each ("How long is it cooked?", "Is it spicy?", "What is it served with?").
- Each group nominates the most "delicious-sounding" dish to share with the class.
More Activities (rotate these)
Guess the Dish
A student describes a dish using only the passive and ingredients ("It's made with rice and raw fish; it's served with soy sauce"). Teammates guess the dish. Drills the target grammar through real description.
Restaurant Role-Play
One student is the waiter, one is the customer. They order a starter, main, and dessert, ask about ingredients, and handle a small problem. Great functional speaking and recycling of food vocabulary.
Food Taboo
Describe a food word (ingredient, grill, recipe, dessert) without saying it or three taboo words. Teammates guess. Fast vocabulary recall through paraphrasing.
Recipe Relay
Each group builds a recipe one passive sentence at a time ("First the onions are chopped…"), each student adding the next step. Collaborative storytelling that rehearses the project language.
Audio & Transcripts
Tap a transcript to open it. Add your recording in the player, and use the same file in the student workbook's Listening task.
Audio 1Describing a Dish (model)+
Speaker: One of my favorite dishes is risotto. It's a creamy rice dish from Italy. It's made with rice, onions, stock, and cheese. First, the onions are fried gently in butter. Then the rice is added and stirred. After that, hot stock is added slowly, a little at a time, and the rice is cooked for about twenty minutes. Finally, cheese is mixed in, and the risotto is served immediately. It's warm, creamy, and absolutely delicious.
How to use: Play once as a model before the speaking activity and project launch. Ask students to count the passive verbs and list the sequencers, then copy the structure when they describe their own dish.
Audio 2How a Dish Is Made (listening task)+
Anna: That smells amazing! What are you making?
Ben: It's goulash — a traditional dish from my country. It's made with beef, onions, and lots of paprika.
Anna: How is it cooked?
Ben: Well, first the onions are fried in oil. Then the meat is added and cooked slowly for two hours. A lot of paprika is mixed in, and some potatoes are added near the end.
Anna: It sounds delicious. How is it served?
Ben: It's usually served with bread or dumplings. In winter, it's eaten almost every week!
Anna: I can't wait to try it.
How to use: This is the source audio for the workbook's Listening task. Two voices work best. Play for gist first ("What dish is it?"), then for detail. Notice the passives: is made, are fried, is added, is mixed, is served, is eaten.
Audio 3Pronunciation — passive linking (optional)+
Listen-and-repeat. In natural speech, "is" and "are" link to the next word and are often weak.
It's made with… · The onions are fried… · It's served with… · They are baked…
How to use: B1 students often stress "is/are" too heavily. Model the weak forms and linking so their video narration sounds fluent and natural.
Workbook Answers
These match the self-grading student workbook. The workbook grades automatically; keys are here for your reference and board correction.
Reading — Comprehension ("Food Around the World")
- What is Italian pizza baked in? — a (very) hot oven
- What is sushi served with? — soy sauce (and wasabi)
- What are tacos folded in? — a (soft or crunchy) shell
Reading — Multiple Choice
- How is pizza usually eaten? — b) with the hands
- What is added to the rice for sushi? — c) a little vinegar
Listening — Fill in the Blank (Audio 2)
- Goulash is made with beef, onions, and lots of paprika.
- First, the onions are fried in oil.
- The meat is cooked slowly for two hours.
Listening — Multiple Choice (Audio 2)
- What is added near the end? — b) some potatoes
- How is goulash usually served? — c) with bread or dumplings
Grammar — Present Simple Passive
- Pizza is baked in a hot oven.
- The onions are fried in oil.
- Sushi is served with soy sauce.
- The vegetables are washed and chopped.
- This dish is eaten all over the world.
Word Order
- The fish is sliced very thinly.
- The soup is served with bread.
Common Student Errors
Watch for these at B1 and correct gently in the moment.
| Typical Error | Correct Form | Why & How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "The rice is cook." | "The rice is cooked." | Passive needs the past participle (V3). Drill is/are + -ed. |
| "The onions are fry." | "The onions are fried." | Same rule with plural: are + past participle. |
| "The cake bakes in the oven." (meaning passive) | "The cake is baked in the oven." | Don't drop "be". Add is/are before the participle. |
| "It is make with eggs." | "It is made with eggs." | make → made. Pre-teach common irregular participles. |
| "It is eat with bread." | "It is eaten with bread." | eat → eaten. Another high-frequency irregular. |
| "The soup is served by you with bread." | "The soup is served with bread." | In recipes we usually omit the agent — the "who" isn't needed. |
Extension & Homework
In-Class Options
- Rewrite a famous recipe entirely in the passive.
- Design a menu for a restaurant from your country, with passive descriptions.
- Use the workbook flashcards to quiz a partner on cooking vocabulary.
At-Home Practice
- Finish your Cooking Video script and practice it aloud (see the project brief).
- Research a traditional dish from another country; write how it is made, in the passive.
- Complete any workbook tasks and review the flashcards.
How to Measure Success
Ready to run the lesson?
Open the student workbook (self-grading, with flashcards) and the Cooking Video project brief. No login.
Open the Student Workbook Open the Project Brief