My Eating Habits

I usually eat three to four times a day – I have breakfast, lunch, a small snack, and dinner. However, sometimes I am very busy and don’t eat regularly. On weekdays, for breakfast, I usually have rolls or two slices of wholemealbread with butter, along with some jam, yogurt, ham, or sausages. Sometimes, when I am in a hurry, I skip breakfast and simply have a few sips of tea.

On weekends, when I have more time, I enjoy scrambled eggs, hard- boiled eggs, sunny-side-up eggs, or fish paste, along with plenty of raw vegetables such as radishes, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, or lettuce. Swiss cheese, blue cheese, and steamed cheese are also among my favorites. I drink various kinds of tea, including fruit tea, black tea, green tea, and herbal tea, often with lemon and honey. I rarely drink coffee because I find it too bitter. However, from time to time, I make Turkish coffee or instant coffee with milk and two sugar cubes.

At school, I usually eat after my second lesson. I often have a light snack, such as a piece of apple, banana, pear, plum, or tangerine, along with some pastry. I usually drink tap water, but sometimes I buy Coke. Occasionally, I go to our school snack bar, where I buy unhealthy but very tasty fast food. My favorite is a hot dog with mustard. I can never resist buying a bar of chocolate or some sweets, candies, biscuits, or a lollipop.

At midday, it’s time for lunch. I usually eat at our school canteen, where the meals are good quality. The main meal consists of soup, a main course, and dessert. Most Slovaks enjoy eating meat, usually pork (meat from a pig), beef (meat from a cow), or poultry (meat from a chicken or turkey). We also like rice and potatoes in various forms, such as mashed, boiled, roasted, or French fries.

My Favorite Meals

• Bryndzové halušky (Slovak traditional meal) – gnocchi with sheep cheese
• Fried cheese with mayonnaise and chips
• Roast pork with cabbage and dumplings
• Pasta with tomato sauce and grated cheese
• Sauerkraut soup with mushrooms, smoked meat, and sausages
• Vienna schnitzel with potato salad
• Roast chicken with rice and fruit compote
• Potato pancakes (placky), elephant ears / funnel cakes (langoše)
•  Sweet pancakes with fresh fruit, cream, and chocolate topping
• Steamed jam-filled dumplings topped with butter and poppy seeds (parené
  buchty)
• Bread pudding (žemľovka), rice pudding (ryžový nákyp)

I also like different kinds of soup, such as lentil soup, chickpea soup, cabbage soup, chicken broth with noodles, tomato soup, mushroom soup, thick bean soup, and others.

In the afternoon, at about 3 o’clock, it’s time for a light snack. I usually have a sandwich or toast with meat paste, or a bowl of raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries.

Dinner is the only time during the weekday when our family eats together. My mum prepares our favorite meals, such as potato pancakes, elephant ears, or chips with ketchup.

QUESTION TIME
PART 1

1. What do most Slovaks have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
2. Name some favorite meals.

Restaurants

Nowadays, eating out in different restaurants is very popular. We go there for various occasions, such as Valentine’s Day, birthdays, name days, weddings, anniversaries, or the end of the school year.

Here are some popular types of restaurants:

• Traditional Slovak restaurants – They offer traditional Slovak specialties from our home cuisine, such as sauerkraut soup, gnocchi with sheep cheese and fried bacon on top, potato pancakes, potato gnocchi with poppy seeds, sugar, and butter, or potato dumplings stuffed with smoked meat. These places are unique for their pleasant folk rural atmosphere.
• Traditional international restaurants – There are many different kinds of international cuisines, such as Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Indian, Chinese, and French. They offer typical iconic dishes and key ingredients. For example:
  • • Italian cuisine offers pizza, pasta with Parmesan, gnocchi, tiramisu, and more.
    • Spanish cuisine offers paella, tortilla, prawns, churros, and more.
    • Hungarian cuisine offers goulash, halászlé (fish soup), and more.
    • Japanese cuisine offers sushi, miso soup, tofu in various ways, and more.
• Casual restaurants – These offer full-service dining, where guests are seated and served by a waiter or waitress. The menu includes comfort foods (dishes associated with home cooking or traditional meals) and large portions that are popular with customers. You won’t find experimental cuisine here. Casual restaurants provide spacious, comfortable seating and a laid-back atmosphere.
• Fast food restaurants – These belong to the quick-service restaurant category and offer mass-produced cuisine. Many ingredients are precooked or frozen and only need to be reheated. The menu is limited to items like burgers, sandwiches, fries, and soft drinks. You can buy your food and eat it there or take it away. Some well-known fast food brands include Burger King, McDonald’s, KFC, and Taco Bell.
• Food trucks – Mobile street restaurants that bring popular food and drinks to events, open markets, streets, and parks. Food trucks are kitchens on wheels. They offer a small, specialized menu that usually focuses on one type of cuisine, such as spit cake (trdelník) or elephant ears/funnel cakes (langoše). For drinks, they may serve new wine (burčiak) or mulled wine (vianočný punč). Guests order and pay at the window.
• Pubs – Places where people gather to enjoy drinks, often serving beer and simple meals.
• Pizza restaurants – are among the favorites.They specialize in different kinds of pizza.
• Drive-in/drive-thru restaurants – are becoming more popular nowadays. You order and buy your meal from your car.

On the table in a restaurant, customers will find:

• Tablecloths
• Plates (soup plate, shallow plate – plytký tanier)
• Glasses
• Salt shaker & pepper shaker
• Cutlery – fork, knife, spoon, teaspoon
• Toothpicks
• Vinegar
• Oil
• Napkins

The waiter always brings a menu, which consists of:

• Starter
• Main course / main dish
• Daily special – You can pay with a meal voucher/luncheon voucher (stravné lístky), which is given to employees as a work benefit.
• Desserts – pudding, fruit salad, apple pie, ice cream, whipped cream with strawberries…
• Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)
• Wine list

After eating, the waiter/waitress brings the bill. We pay and add a tip for good service.

In a restaurant, we can hear the following phrases:

• I would like a table for four, please.
• Are you ready to order? → I would like… / Can I have…? (Dal by som si..)
• What would you like to drink?
• I would like to pay.
• Can I have the bill?
• Could I have another coke?
• Anything else?
• Still or sparkling mineral water?
• Anything to drink?
• This is a tip for good service.

QUESTION TIME
PART 2

1. On what occasions do people eat out?
2. Name some types of restaurants and provide more details about them.
3. Name the table accessories used for serving meals.
4. What does the menu consist of?
5. What questions or phrases might we hear in a restaurant?