to be taken aback; to be astonished; to be dumbfounded
infiltration; sneaking in; going undercover
feast; treating (someone); to treat (someone, e.g. to a meal)
even if; even though; even; too; whether ... or ...; no matter (what, where, who, etc.)
tension; mental strain; nervousness
culmination; acme; height; peak; ultimate; perfection
to make merry; to frolic; to be in high spirits
awkward; clumsy; stiff; crude; unrefined; constrained
such ... as; or some such
rather; better; instead; if anything
upper class; upper echelons of society; the rich and powerful; the elite
neat and clean; tidy; trim
conduct; behaviour; movements; gesture; performance (on stage, etc.); dance
by nature; naturally; by birth; innately; congenitally
elegance; refinement; grace; aroma
work; labor; achievement; performance; salary; income
worry; fear; anxiety; concern
to memorize; to memorise; to learn; to pick up; to feel; to think
cooking; cookery; cuisine; dealing with something; handling; administration
time (three times, each time, etc.); times
raw materials; ingredients
art of cooking; cookery; cuisine
as much as possible; as far as possible; whenever possible; if (at all) possible
presence; sitting with; being with
settlement; solution; resolution
flavor; flavour; charm; appeal; experience; taste (e.g. of victory)
to pick up; to find; to gather
to put into the mouth; to eat
seasoning; flavoring; flavouring; condiment
outline; main points; generally; on the whole; general; rough
subtle seasoning that brings out the flavor; secret ingredient
cannot (due to external circumstances); cannot afford to; must not; impossible to; no way one can (do)
illness; disease; bad habit; weakness; fault
a kind; a sort; of sorts; something of a; sort of; somewhat
by myself; in person; by oneself
to eat; to live on (e.g. a salary); to live off; to subsist on
it cannot be helped; there's nothing for it; it's no use fighting back; it's hopeless; there is no way out of it
interval; period of time; among; between; good opportunity; chance
variety; kind; type; counter for kinds, species, etc.