Tortilla or Tortilla?

Tortilla or Tortilla?

        One of my favorite foods is tortilla, but it is not the tortilla you might put meat and cheese in to make tacos! Spanish tortilla, or tortilla española, is a dish that originates from Spain. Tortilla española is staple tapa, or small dish, and is served at almost every restaurant in Spain. The ingredients needed to make tortilla are potatoes, eggs, onion, and a dash of salt and pepper. It is served in slices and usually with alioli, a garlic and olive oil sauce. I ate tortilla española so frequently when I studied in Seville, Spain, I am surprised I never got sick of it! I regretted not eating it more because it is hard to find in the United States. Tortillas from Mexico are round flatbreads made of corn or flour. These tortillas are meant to be eaten with other foods inside of them, for example, chicken or cheese. Unlike tortilla española, you can order something made with tortillas at many places.  Next time you see tortilla española on the menu you must try it!

Vocabulary

dish (noun): food
originate (verb): to begin
staple (noun): basic item of food
dash (noun): a small amount of something
slice(s) (noun): a portion
frequently (adverb): many times
sick of (expression): to be annoyed or bored by something caused by having had too much of it

Vocabulary Exercise
Select the correct vocabulary word for each sentence.

1. His mom was ____________ cleaning up after him, so she told him to clean up after himself!
2. A __________ in Asia is rice, it is served with many meals.
3. My mom put a __________ of salt in the boiling water.
4. Tony would like a ___________ of pizza.
5. A common ___________ eaten for Thanksgiving is turkey and stuffing.
6. Many spices ____________ from the Middle East.
7. In the user guide for the iPhone there is a ____________ asked questions section.

Grammar Point
The spelling of the simple past form

The Rules:
1. Regular verbs ending in a silent e take /-d/ in the simple past
    Example: grade --> graded
2. Regular verbs ending in the vowel y take /ed/ in the simple past
    Example: stay --> stayed
3. Regular verbs ending in the consonant y take /-ied/ in the simple past, an i replaces the y
    Example: study --> studied
4. All other regular verbs take /-ed/ in the past
    Example: wash --> washed

Chart and explanations from: http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-spelling-ed-forms.php

Grammar Exercise
Write down a list of each word verb in the past tense in the paragraph, "Tortilla or Tortilla?" above. Next to each verb listed, write the verb in the present tense.