Episode 19: Mediterranean Dinner Party for Eight — 5,000 Core English Words

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Chapter nineteen. A dinner party.

Winter is over. It is the first warm Saturday of spring, the daylight lasts until eight, and Ryan and Emma are having their first real party in the new house. Eight people will sit at the table. Emma's friend Anne, who cooks for a living, has promised to cater.

Listen to how a host plans a meal, welcomes guests, introduces people, and keeps the conversation going.

Emma: Anne, hi. It's Emma. Thanks for doing this.

Anne: It's my pleasure. I never say no to you. So, eight people. Is anyone a vegetarian?

Emma: One. Simon's wife doesn't eat meat. And my brother-in-law Jack can't have nuts.

Anne: Okay. Then here's what I suggest. A Mediterranean table. We start with warm bread, olive oil, and three dips. One is chickpeas, crushed with lemon and garlic. One is yogurt with fresh herbs. One is red peppers, with a little heat.

Emma: That sounds divine.

Anne: Then a big salad with raw vegetables, whole wheat, and chunks of cheese. For the main dish, lamb, cooked slowly for six hours until it's tender. And for the vegetarian, a whole baked eggplant. The flesh melts like butter.

Emma: And dessert?

Anne: Oranges in honey, with whipped cream. Light, a little acid, and it looks beautiful.

Emma: You're a genius. What do I have to do?

Anne: Very little. I'll bring everything within an hour of the party. In the meantime, put out glasses and plates, buy flowers, and keep Ryan away from the oven.

Emma: I'll instruct him. Is this still your profession, or have you pursued something else?

Anne: Same occupation, unchanged. But I work differently now. I blend my grandmother's recipes with new ones. The core is the same. The formula is: good ingredients, and don't touch them too much.

Ryan: Hi! Come on in. You found us.

Simon: We did. Nice house! This is my wife, Laura. I don't think you've met.

Ryan: Laura, at last. It's great to meet you. Can I take your coats?

Emma: Welcome! Just put your things on the bed, first door on the right. What can I get you to drink?

Simon: Whatever you're having. Something cold.

Emma: We have wine, beer, juice, or herbal tea.

The bell rings again and again. Jack arrives with his wife. Then Rosa and Carlos, from next door. And last, Anne herself, with a towel over her arm and a large pot.

Ryan: Everybody, this is my brother Jack. He's a policeman, so behave. Jack, this is Simon, from my office. He works in marketing now.

Simon: Nice to meet you, Jack. What kind of police work do you do?

Jack: Mostly robbery. I'm at the headquarters downtown. It's less exciting than it sounds. And you, what does marketing mean, exactly?

Simon: I help buyers believe they need things. I'm not proud of it.

Emma: And this is Carlos. He was a sailor for twenty years, and then a banker.

Carlos: First a soldier, then a sailor, then a banker. I had a long life before I was born again as a gardener.

Ryan: Please, help yourselves. There's bread on the table.

Emma: Dinner is served! Sit anywhere you like. Jack, you're opposite me.

Laura: This looks amazing. Anne, did you make all of this?

Anne: I did. Start with the dips. Don't be polite.

Jack: Could you pass the bread, please?

Simon: Here you go. Oh, this is delicious. What's the texture in this one? It's so smooth.

Anne: I whip it for ten minutes. No lumps. The only secret is a handful of ice at the end.

Rosa: And the yogurt? It tastes alive.

Anne: It is alive. I make it myself. It's full of good bacteria. Bacterial cultures enrich everything. They're invisible, but you can taste the difference.

Carlos: And fibre. My doctor says fibre.

Rosa: Carlos, the doctor says many things. Eat your lamb.

Ryan: Would anyone like some more salad? Jack?

Jack: Yes, please. Just a little.

Emma: Laura, is the eggplant all right? Can I get you anything else?

Laura: It's perfect. Honestly. I've never had it like this.

Ryan: Is everyone okay for drinks? Simon, your glass is empty.

Simon: I'm fine, thanks. I'm driving.

Laura: So, Jack. Simon and I are watching that crime series. The one about the princess and the stolen painting. Is real police work like that?

Jack: Never. On TV, a thief commits a crime at nine, and the trial is over by ten. In real life, an inquiry takes months. Sometimes we never solve it.

Simon: But the judge in that show is great.

Jack: A real judge would send half of those policemen home. They break the law in every scene.

Rosa: I prefer reading. I'm in the middle of a book by a philosopher. He says a nation is a story that people agree to tell. I've read the same sentence four times.

Carlos: She reads me a sentence every night. It's a kind of religion in our house.

Emma: What's the publication? I'd like to borrow it.

Rosa: I'll bring it over. It's from a small press. Otherwise you can't find it anywhere.

Anne: I only watch cooking shows. And the news, once a week. This week it was all about a minister and a commission on terrorism. I closed my laptop and made soup.

Ryan: That's a healthy response. Can I ask everyone a question? If you could live elsewhere, in any kingdom, at any age, would you go?

Laura: Italy. Right now.

Carlos: I've been everywhere. I'd stay here, on this street. It's evident to me now.

Jack: I'd stay too. But I'd like more protection from my little brother's questions.

Emma: I recognize that look, Jack. He asked me that on our second date.

Anne: Does anyone want seconds on dessert? There's a substantial amount left.

Simon: I can't. I couldn't eat another thing. I need to stretch my legs.

Laura: We should go. The babysitter leaves at eleven. Emma, Ryan, thank you so much. This was wonderful.

Emma: Thanks for coming. We loved having you.

Rosa: The origin of a good street is a good table. I said it once, and I'll say it again.

Ryan: Come back soon. And Jack, drive safely.

Jack: I will. Good party, little brother. On a scale of one to ten, a nine.

Ryan: Why not ten?

Jack: You did the singing at the end. If it wasn't for that, ten.

Emma: I watched the whole evening unfold, and I didn't worry once. That's the growth of a conventional host. Previous parties, I hid in the kitchen.

Ryan: You were perfect. And we never have to cook again. We just call Anne.

Anne: I heard that. My previous invoice is on the fridge.

That is the end of chapter nineteen. Eight people, one long table, and a very good lamb.

Keep these with you: "Come on in." "Can I take your coat?" "What can I get you to drink?" "Help yourself." "Could you pass the bread?" "Thanks for coming."

In the next chapter, Emma looks at the empty basement, and sees something that nobody else can see.

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