Describe a practical skill you learned

I LEARNED TO COOK

I used to hate cooking, and while I could make a few basic things, I wasn’t really any good. I’d had a stab at making some more complex recipes, but they never really worked out.

I think I was so bad because I’d never really been taught. In school we did have a few cooking classes, but nothing that really taught the skills I’d need to make anything other than a basic dessert or a simple lunch.

As a consequence, I was horribly unprepared when I moved out on my own and had to fend for myself. I tried all kinds of things instead of cooking, such as eating out at fast-food restaurants, ordering pizza, or seeing which microwave meal from the supermarket was the tastiest. I was never really satisfied, and after a while pizzas and burgers were just getting old.

I’ve always been a fan of taking classes online. I find I’m able to learn and practice something at my own pace. Sometimes classes at a local college can go too fast or can be at inconvenient times. So I did some research, got out my credit card, and paid for a class I thought was going to be worth it. Former students had written rave reviews about it and so I was excited to begin the class.

The teacher went through all the basics, from the essential equipment that all home chefs need, to basic knife skills. Every class left me more and more confident.

Over time I started to experiment and try making increasingly complex dishes. I can’t say everything has been a success, and I’ve certainly had my fair share of disasters in the kitchen, but that one online course has saved me from a lifetime of mediocre takeout and frozen meals.

Vocabulary and idioms for this reading:

Had a stab at (idiom)

If you attempt to do something, even though you’re not likely to be successful, you’re said to have a stab at it.

Example: I’d never tried skiing before, but I had a stab at it while I was in France.

Work out (phrasal verb)

This phrasal verb can mean a few things. Most commonly it means to exercise, and people work out at the gym. It also is commonly used if you’re successful. It can also mean to figure out how to do something.

Example A: He works out at the gym every day.

Example B: If it doesn’t work out, you can always come back here.

Example C: I haven’t worked out how to do that yet.

As a consequence (phrase)

It’s used for saying that one thing is a result of something else.

Example: I’ve lived in France for a very long time, and as a consequence I can speak French fluently.

Move out (phrasal verb)

If you move out of somewhere, it means you stop living in a particular home.

Example: I moved out three years ago, but sometimes I miss that apartment.

Fend for yourself (phrasal verb)

If you fend for yourself you take care of and provide for yourself without depending on anyone else.

Example: When I moved to Boston I had to fend for myself for the first time in my life.

Eat out (phrasal verb)

Simply means to eat at a restaurant instead of at home.

Example: When I lived in Spain, I used to eat out all the time.

Get old (verb)

If something gets old it becomes annoying, boring, or undesirable because you’ve done it too many times.

Example: Eating mac and cheese every day gets old really fast.

Worth it (adjective)

If something is worth it, it’s worth the cost or work involved to attain it. The benefits will outweigh the costs.

Example: Getting up early to jog is tough but worth it.

Rave review (noun)

A rave review is when someone writes or talks about something really positively, such as a product, service, book, TV show, movie, etc. They're really happy with whatever they're reviewing.

Example: The movie received rave reviews.

Your fair share (idiom)

This phrase is used to indicate an amount of something that you deserve, whether it’s a good or bad thing.

Example: Leave the rest of the pizza for other people. You’ve had your fair share.

Mediocre (adjective)

Something that’s not very good.

Example: Parents don’t want their kids going to mediocre schools.