ESL Podcast 578 – Eating a Home-Cooked Meal

Louise: What’s the matter with you?

Gil: I just got off the phone with my mom and she says they’re planning a welcome-home party for me next week – at a restaurant!

Louise: What’s wrong with that?

Gil: After living abroad for a year, I was really looking forward to a home-cooked meal.

Louise: Why didn’t you just tell your mother that?

Gil: I didn’t have the heart to do that. She was so excited about the party, and who am I to tell her she has to slave over a hot stove to cook me a lavish¹ dinner?

Louise: I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. It’d be a labor² of love.

Gil: You don’t know my mother. She doesn’t cut corners and makes everything from scratch. She uses these recipes that were passed down to her from her mother. She can make the most intricate³ dishes, but what I’m craving⁴ are the comfort foods she always made for us when we were kids. It makes my mouth water just thinking about her cooking.

Louise: After a year of living on instant noodles and take-out food, I’m not surprised you want something home-cooked. I tell you what. After the party, come over to my house and I’ll have a home-cooked meal ready for you.

Gil: You, cook for me? Thanks, but no thanks!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 intricate   

adj.错综复杂的，复杂精细的

参考例句：

• We were able to thread but slowly through the intricate reports.我们能弄懂这些复杂的报告，只是很慢。
• The plot of the novel is intricate and fascinating.这部小说的情节错综复杂，引人入胜。

4 craving   

n.渴望,热望

参考例句：

• a craving for chocolate 非常想吃巧克力
• She skipped normal meals to satisfy her craving for chocolate and crisps. 她不吃正餐，以便满足自己吃巧克力和炸薯片的渴望。