Food Biadh

[Màiri] A Shìne, seo am pìos den dìnnear as fheàrr leamsa. Siuthadaibh ma-thà, tha sibh a’ dol a dhèanamh mìlsean.

[Sìne Anna] Tha. Tha sinn a’ dol a thòiseachadh air steam pudding. Tha sinn ... Cuiridh sinn am flùr ann an toiseach agus cuiridh sinn rud beag siùcair ann. Tha còir agam ... sia unnsaichean deself-raising flour ann ’s tha dà unnsa de caster sugar ann.

[Màiri] Siùcar ruadh, nach e?

[Sìne Anna] ’S e, golden sugar a chanas iad ris, ’s e. Agus tha mi a’ cur ann teaspoon de baking powder. ’S tha mi a-nis a’ dol a sieveadh seo.

[Màiri] Nis tha sibhse a’ dèanamh tòrr bidhe nur n-obair làitheil.

[Sìne Anna] Tha.

[Màiri] Innsibh dhuinn beagan mun sin.

[Sìne Anna] Och uill tha e glè mhath. Tha mi ann airson a’ bhreakfast agus an lunch agus an uair sin a’ dol a chur a-mach an teatha dhaibh, dha na seann daoine dha bheil mi ag obair. Tha e glè mhath.

[Màiri] ’S tha suas ri dusan seann duine ...

[Sìne Anna] Tha, mun sin, tha. Cuiridh mi a-nis an t-ìm ann. Seo ceithir unnsaichean de ... ’s e th’ ann ach butter spread. Chan e ìm idir a th’ ann ach tha e nas softa. Tha mi a’ cur ann aon ugh.

[Màiri] Nist an e ... dè as àbhaist dhuibh a bhith a’ dèanamh? Fiù ’s a-staigh no aig ur n-obair, an fheàrr leibh a bhith a’ dèanamh biadh traidiseanta no an e rudan nas ùire, rudan annasach, as fheàrr leibh a bhith a’ dèanamh?

[Sìne Anna] Uill ’s toigh leam a bhith a’ faicinn rudan ùra. Tha na seann daoine, tha iad airson nan rudan a chleachd iad fhèin nuair a bha iad nas òige ’s mar sin bidh mi a’ feuchainn an toileachadh oir seo an obair a th’ agamsa.

[Màiri] ’S e rud gu math traidiseanta a tha seo ge-tà agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e rud a th’ ann nach eil sinn a’faicinn ro thric. Can ma thèid thu a-mach airson biadh.

[Sìne Anna] Ò tha mi a’ creidsinn nach fhaic. Tha mi a’ cur grated lemon rind ann cuideachd agus tha mi a’ cur ann, tha, bainne.

[Màiri] Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil sibhse air a bhith a’ dèanamh biadh ’s bèicearachd, còcaireachd o bha sibh òg, a bheil?

[Sìne Anna] Bu toigh leam còcaireachd riamh. Bha mi a’ faicinn mo mhamaidh a’ còcaireachd. Bhiodh i a’ dèanamh, uill, ’s e sgonaichean ’s pancakes agus aran-coirce a bha i a’ dèanamh agus dhèanadh i pastraidh ’s dòcha ’s chuireadh i jam air ’s ...

[Màiri] ’S innsibh dhuinn beagan mu dheidhinn nuair a dh’fhalbh sibh gu tìr-mòr. Dh’fhalbh sibh a dh’Inbhir Nis ’s dè rinn sibh ann an sin?

[Sìne Anna] Bha sinn an sin, bha mise ann trì bliadhna an diofar àiteachan ag ionnsachadh còcaireachd. Bha nigheanan às na Hearadh agus às Uibhist ann cuideachd aig an aon àm. Faigh sinn an cupa. Ghrease mi e ’s chuir mi spàin jam ann.

[Màiri] Tha seo a’ coimhead furasta gu leòr co-dhiù.

[Sìne Anna] Tha. Tha e furasta gu leòr. Cha toir e fada nas motha. Gheibh mi, tha mi a’ creidsinn, còig cupannan às air fad.

[Màiri] Am bi sibh a’ dèanamh an reasabaidh seo aig ur n-obair?

[Sìne Anna] Bithidh ach bidh mi ga chur dhan àmhainn mar as trice. Bidh an àmhainn air co-dhiù. Bidh sinn ga ùisigeadh.

[Màiri] Am faod sibh a chur dhan àmhainn no …

[Sìne Anna] Faodaidh.

[Màiri] … am faod sibh a chur ann am pana uisge goileach?

[Sìne Anna] Greaseproof paper a th’ agam. Pìos foil.

[Màiri] Dè tha seo a-nist? Pàipear?

[Sìne Anna] Pàipear, greaseproof paper a tha seo agus pàipear foil ’s bidh mi ga chur air. Faodaidh sibh sreang ùisigeadh airson a chumail air a’ chupa ach tha elasticband, tha e dìreach, tha e cus nas fheàrr na càil.

[Màiri] Tha Sìne-Anna a’ bruich nam mìlseanan ann an uisge a’ goil air a shocair airson dà fhichead mionaid.

[Màiri] Brèagha.

[Sìne Anna] A bheil sibh airson pìos fheuchainn dheth, a Mhàiri?

[Màiri] A bheil sinn a’ dol a dh’fheuchainn grèim beag?

[Màiri] An cuir sinn rud beag custard air no uachdar?

[Sìne Anna] Uill faodaidh sinn sin gun teagamh a dhèanamh.

[Sìne Anna] Feuch a-nis e, tha e teth.

[Sìne Anna] Tha e alright.

[Màiri] A bheil sibh toilichte leis?

[Sìne Anna] Tha.

[Màiri] Tha e a’ còrdadh riumsa co-dhiù.

Chaidh am prògram seo, Fuine, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2013. Le taing do Caledonia TV.

[Mairi] Jean, this is my favourite part of dinner. Go on then, you are going to make a pudding.

[Jean Ann] Yes. We are going to start on a steam pudding. We are ... We will put the flour in first and we will put a little bit of sugar in. I ought to ... there are six ounces of self-raising flour and two ounces of caster sugar.

[Mairi] Brown sugar, isn’t it?

[Jean Ann] Yes, they call it golden sugar, yes. And I am putting in a teaspoon of baking powder. And I am now going to sieve this.

[Mairi] Now you make lots of food in your day job.

[Jean Ann] Yes.

[Mairi] Tell us a little about that.

[Jean Ann] Och well it is very good. I am there for the breakfast and the lunch and then go to give them their tea, to the elderly that I work for. It is very good.

[Mairi] And there is up to a dozen elderly...

[Jean Ann] Yes, around that, yes. I will now put the butter in. This is four ounces of ... it is just butter spread. It isn’t butter at all but it is softer. I am putting in one egg.

[Mairi] Now is it ... what do you usually make? Even at home or at your work, do you prefer to make traditional food or is it newer things, unusual things, that you prefer to make?

[Jean Ann] Well I like to see new things. The elderly are, they want the things that they themselves were used to when they were younger and so I try to please them since this is my job.

[Mairi] This is very traditional though and I think that it is something that we don’t see too often. Say if you go out for food.

[Jean Ann] Oh I believe that you don’t. I am putting in grated lemon rind too and I am putting in milk.

[Mairi] I am sure that you have been making food and baking, cooking since you were young, have you?

[Jean Ann] I always liked cooking. I saw my mammy cooking. She would make, well, it is scones and pancakes and oatcakes that she made and she would make pastry and perhaps she would put jam on it and ...

[Mairi] And tell us a little bit about when you went to the mainland. We went to Inverness and what did you do there?

[Jean Ann] We were there, I was there three years in different places learning to cook. There were girls from Harris and from Uist there too at the same time. We’ll get the cup. I greased it and I put a spoon of jam in.

[Mairi] This looks easy enough anyway.

[Jean Ann] Yes. It is easy enough. It doesn’t take long either. I will get, I believe, five cups from it all.

[Mairi] Do you make this recipe at your work?

[Jean Ann] Yes but I put it in the oven usually. The oven is on anyway. We use it.

[Mairi] May you put it in the oven or ...

[Jean Ann] Yes.

[Mairi] … may you put it in a pan of boiling water?

[Jean Ann] Greaseproof paper. A piece of foil.

[Mairi] What is this now? Paper?

[Jean Ann] Paper, this is greaseproof paper and foil paper and I put it on it. You may use string to keep it on the cup but an elastic band is, it is just, it is much better than anything.

[Mairi] Jean Ann cooks the puddings in gently boiling water for forty minutes.

[Mairi] Lovely.

[Jean Ann] Do you want to try a piece of it, Mairi?

[Mairi] Are we going to try a little bite?

[Mairi] Will we put a little bit of custard on it or cream?

[Jean Ann] Well certainly may do that.

[Jean Ann] Try it now. It is hot.

[Jean Ann] It is alright.

[Mairi] Are you happy with it?

[Jean Ann] Yes.

[Mairi] I am enjoying it anyway.

This programme, Fuine, was first broadcast in 2013. Courtesy of Caledonia TV