Lesson 35
Foods and Taste
1. a la carte: by the card or by the bill of fara. It is used to describe a meal that is ordered dish by dish, with each dish having a separate price. The opposite table d'hote, a complete meal of several courses offered at a fixed price.
2. assuage: to satisfy and slake; to lesson (pain or distress; alley; calm (passion); relieve. The Latin root suavis (“sweet”) suggests that sweets play an important role in our eating habits
3. comestible: suitable to be eaten. The plural, comestibles, is used as a noun and means “food”
4. condiment: seasoning or relish for food, such as pepper, mustard, or sauce. The latin root means “to pickle”
5. cuisine: style of cooking or preparing food; the food prepared, as at a restaurant. In French it means “kitchen”
6. culinary: of the kitchen or cooking; suitable for use in cooking. Culinary comes from the Latin word for “kitchen” or “klin,” culina.
7. gastronomic: pertaining to the art and science of good eating; epicurean; pertaining to the enjoyment of food with a discriminating taste. Faster is the Greek word for “stomach” Gastronome is the Russian name for a delicatessen.
8. gourmand: a glutton; a person with a hearty liking for good food and drink and a tendency to indulge in them to excess; a luxurious eater or epicure. Gourmet has only the second meaning, that is, a connoisseur in eating an drinking.
9. manna: food miraculously provided for the Israelites in the wilderness; divine and spiritual sustenance; anything badly needed that comes unexpectedly.
10. palatable: pleasing or acceptable to the taste; acceptable to the mind.
11. piquant: agreeably pungent or stimulating to the taste, pleasantly sharp or bitter; exciting agreeable interest or curiosity; stimulating.
12. refection: refreshment, especially with food or drink. Refection comes form a Latin word meaning “to restore” and refers to alight meal taken after a point of hunger or fatigue.
13. repast: a meal; mealtime. Like other words in this list, repast has nonmaterialistic association as well. Pastor for example is derived from the same Latin word pascere meaning “to feed”
14. subsistence: existence; means of support or livelihood, often the barest.
15. viands: foods of various kinds, especially choice dishes, ultimate root is the Latin vivere, “to live”
Exercises:
I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind
1. Catsup, curry, vinegar
(a la carte, refectory, condiment)
2. Pennies from heaven
(cuisine, manna, gourmand)
3. Living on the edge of poverty
(subsistence, assuage, gastronomic)
4. Wake-up flavor
(repast, comestibles, piquant)
5. “Something's cooking”
(culinary, palatable, viands)
6. Oranges and fruit cakes
(condiments, comestible, manna)
7. Italian, French, and Chinese
(a la carte, subsistence, cuisine)
8. He eats as if food is going out of style
(gastronomic, gourmand, viands)
9. The minister speaking to the grieving widow
(assuage, a la carte, refection)
10. Refers to ways of serving
(condiment, a la carte, palatable)
II. True or False ?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false ?
____ 1. A la carte refers to food brought to the table in a wagon.
____ 2. Assuage refers to both hunger and thirst
____ 3. Gourmand can be used with a complimentary or derogatory connotation
____ 4. Palatable applies to foods that can be served on a plate
____ 5. Gastronomic describes a condition caused by excessive indulgence in foods that are rich in fats and carbohydrates
____ 6. Viands refer to choice dishes
____ 7. A la carte refers to payment for food rather than to types of food
____ 8. Both gourmet and gourmand describe good connoisseurs
____ 9. A repast is a snack; reflection is a full meal.
____ 10. The expression “Men does not live by bread alone” suggests that things other than food are palatable.
III. Find the Imposter
Find and circle the one word on each line that is not related to the other three
1. comestible edifying esculent estable
2. slake assuage determine sate
3. sustenance substinance essential aliment
4. palatable pungent toothsome agreeable
5. banquet refection repeat relish