A Reading Comprehension Exercise

The Cooking Challenge

I am not a great cook - well, not even a `passable' cook actually - but recently, I have been showing some interest in trying my hand at transforming bland ingredients into palatable dishes.  Reality shows have a way of inducing viewers into thinking they can become as good as the competitors on the countless shows where aspiring chefs cross kitchen knives and ladles!

I have had a few yuck moments, for sure, before I had the revelation that cooking is a science!  I have, for instance, realised that one simply does not concoct a drink from grapefruit and bitter gourd, no matter how good, Google tells you, they are for your body.  I must admit that I tried unsuccessfully to redeem the drink through scooping spoonfuls of honey.  But, ah, those are moments that belong to history.  With a bit of help from my sister, friends and the Net, I found to my surprise that I was getting better.  That is, I was getting better, with creating rather simple dishes until the fateful day when I decided to cook egg curry with the help of the `egg roast curry powder'.

Honestly, with the base curry powder at your side, how difficult can it be?  Well, unfortunately, I found out to my chagrin that what comes after including the `base' is also important!

First, I placed a saucepan, half-filled with water, on the stove and lighted it.  Then, I went about chopping the onions, garlic and ginger.  I decided that from a one-dish person, it would be better to include some carrots and tomatoes in it to make it a more complete and nutritious meal.  So, after a good rinse under the running tap, my dear staple vegetables landed on my chopping board.

Meanwhile, I glanced at the saucepan and thought the water was about to boil.  Now, I thought, would be a good time to gently lower the eggs into the pan using a ladle.  (Yes, I do get nightmares about boiling water splashing on me!)  I remembered hearing that eggs don't take long to become hard-boiled.  I glanced uncertainly at my eggs dancing in the boiling water.  When I noticed the tell-tale white substance protruding from within a thin crack lining the side of the one of the eggs, I decided that it was time for my eggs to bid adieu to the pan.

I scooped up the eggs and left it in a pot of tap water to let them cool off.  Not too long after, I decided to peel the shells off of the eggs.  It was not easy to peel because the insides were not hard but still soft.  Is this what they call `soft-boiled'? I saw the gooey yellow and mushy white wobbling within the cracked shells.

No, I did not have my perfect egg curry, but my scrambled egg curry was not too bad.  I suppose, the base is important after all!

Below are some questions based on the above account.  Go over them and try to use contextual clues and prior knowledge to answer them. Suggested answers will be offered in a few days.

1. Give an example of a `palatable dish' that originated from `bland ingredients'.
2. Which original phrase inspired the phrase `cross kitchen knives and ladles'?
3. What do you think happened when the writer had those `yuck moments'? 
4. What does the writer mean by saying that `cooking is a science'?
5. What would be the taste of the drink before honey was added to it?  Was the addition of the honey successful in making it taste better? Give a reason for your answer.
6. What is the meaning of chagrin?
7. Name the `staple vegetables'. Why do you think the writer refers to the vegetables as `staple'?
8. What does `bid adieu' mean?
9. Why would the writer think that the eggs are ready to be removed?
10. In what way or ways is the `base' important?