Title – Unusual ways of using food

1. Look at the photos, which present different kinds of food. Guess which
foods they are. [This activity can be done with the whole group or in pairs.]

VOCABULARY TIP
When you guess, use the following expressions:

It could be …, It might be ….,

I suppose it is …, In my opinion, it is …

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

[1. bread 2. clementine 3. tea with lemon 4. walnut 5. egg 6. cake]

2. Name as many of the following things as possible in one minute.

• three kinds of meat you can eat for dinner
• three ways to prepare eggs
• three things that contain lactose
• three types of alcohol
• three kinds of food that contain sugar
• three savoury dishes
• three vegetables you can grow on your balcony
• three kinds of food vegans don’t eat
• three things you use to make ice cream
• three things you eat at a barbecue

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Title – Unusual ways of using food

[You can encourage students to do the activity again but this time without a time
limit.]

3. Discuss the questions.

• What can you use food for? Is it only for eating? Give as many examples as
possible. [Suggested answers: medicine, cosmetics, art, dye, jewellery,
weapons (pepper spray), cleaning, sport (eating competitions). You can refer
interested students to this article.]

4. Look at the photo. This is an example of a

foodscape – a landscape created from food.
You will watch a video
[https://youtu.be/2P_AAky578o] about Carl
Warner, who designs similar foodscapes.
Think of three pieces of information you
would like to learn from the video. Watch
the video and check whether you have
learned what you wanted to. Share your
thoughts with your partner. [This can be
done as a whole-class activity. Tell students to
think of questions about things they want to
learn from the film, and write six questions on
the board. Students watch the film and then
work together to check whether their questions have been answered in the video.]

5. Watch the first part of the video again (to 00:30) and write what role these
foods play in Carl Warner’s designs.
• fillet of salmon sea
• mushrooms cart wheel
• bread mountains
• cheese and crackers house

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Title – Unusual ways of using food

6. Watch the rest of the video (from 00:31) and answer the questions.
a) Where does Carl find his inspiration?
London’s farmers' markets [00:37]
b) What inspired him in the first place?
mushrooms and looking at them from a different perspective [00:43]
c) What is his latest project about?
a train in a world of chocolate [01:33]
d) What does the process of designing new projects look like?
First, he has an idea in his head, then he sketches it. [02:18]
e) What commercial projects/advertisements has he taken part in?
ice cream, rice, sights of London [02:50]
f) How much time does it take (altogether) to do one project?
weeks [03:42]
g) What does he call his art?
“visual pleasure with food” [04:05]

7. Discuss the questions.

• What do you think of Warner’s projects? Would you call them art?
• What was your first reaction when you saw the foodscapes?
• Do you agree that those foodscapes are “visual pleasure with food”?
• Would you hang a foodscape like this in your kitchen?
• What might be the downsides of preparing these foodscapes?
• Some people claim that they are a waste of money. Do you agree?

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Title – Unusual ways of using food

8. Match the food idioms to their meanings.

a) be nuts about something 2 1) use your brain
b) a piece of cake 4 2) be passionate about something
c) take something with a pinch of 3) not believe everything that
salt 3 someone says
d) spill the beans 9 4) very easy
e) put all one's eggs in one basket 5) rely on one thing
5 6) earn money
f) use your noodle 1 7) something I don't like
g) egg someone on 8 8) encourage someone to do
h) bring home the bacon 6 something they ought not to do
i) not my cup of tea 7 9) reveal the truth

9. Complete the sentences with the idioms from ex. 8.

a) The task you gave me was a piece of cake and I did it in ten minutes. Can you
give me something more challenging?
b) Alan likes to make up stories, so take what he says with a pinch of salt.
c) I thought I could confide in you and you wouldn’t spill the beans about my
situation.
d) Don't give up so easily; use your noodle and I know you will be able to solve
this task.
e) I was afraid Mary would lose all her money by putting all her eggs in one
basket and relying solely on this investment.
f) Even though running is not my cup of tea, I do it three times a week as the
doctor suggested it would be good for my health.
g) I remember one summer camp when my mates had been egging me on for a
few days to roll down the hill. Finally, I gave in but I regretted doing it for a long
time!
h) My niece is nuts about animals, especially horses. You can see it when you go
into her room as all the walls are covered with posters of them.
i) Every day is the same: Jack goes to the factory to bring home the bacon and
in the evening he looks after the children.

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Title – Unusual ways of using food

10. Work in pairs. Each of you has a set of sentences. Read your sentences one
by one, and your partner has to reply with 1–2 sentences using at least one
idiom from ex. 8. There are nine sentences, so you should use all the
idioms. Then, change roles.

STUDENT A
a) Are you keen on going skiing with us next week?
b) This is such a tricky task. I don’t know how to solve it.
c) My mother decided to invest all her savings in buying a run-down
guesthouse in the mountains.
d) Why did you decide to bungee jump if you’re so scared of heights?
e) I’ve got something to tell you. Can you keep a secret?
f) Rob told me that Dora told him that Ann and Peter were going to get
married soon.
g) What will you do now that you have resigned from such a well-paid job?
h) Did you know that Jake spent almost $100,000 on his new car?
i) It’s amazing how quickly you learnt to speak Spanish fluently.

STUDENT B
a) Have you heard that Uncle John has got engaged at the age of 70?
b) I got sick and tired of my boss and I quit my job.
c) Do you fancy doing a salsa course with me?
d) Look at Jenny! She’s been waiting for two hours just to get an autograph
from that actor.
e) Would you be willing to explain how to install this programme?
f) I didn’t expect that my best friend Mary would give away my secret.
g) I believed what Mike said about his achievements, I really thought he was a
renowned businessman.
h) I’ve put aside a big sum of money. I’m going to set up a catering company.
What do you think of the idea?
i) I’ve got stuck and don’t know how to finish my essay.

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Title – Unusual ways of using food

11. Discuss the questions. [This is an additional activity which you can do at the
end of the lesson or you can use it as a warm-up activity during the next lesson.]

• Are you nuts about anything? How did your passion begin? Do you know
anybody who is nuts about something?
• What kinds of activities are a piece of cake for you?
• Give examples of three activities that are not your cup of tea. Why don't you
like them?
• How do you know when someone is exaggerating and you should take what
they say with a pinch of salt?
• Is it a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket? Why/Why not?
• Have you ever spilled the beans and surprised someone with
something? Describe the situation.
• In what situations do you have to use your noodle? When was the last time
you had to use your noodle?
• Have you ever egged someone on? What do you do when someone eggs
you on?
• What do you do to bring home the bacon? Is there anything else you could
do to earn more?

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