Daily English 1279 Baking for People with Dietary Restrictions

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:11
Explanation begins at: 3:14
Normal Speed begins at: 18:20

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,279 – Baking for People with Dietary Restrictions.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,279. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This episode is a dialogue about making food for people who can’t eat certain things, who have what we would call “dietary restrictions.” Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Gemma: I think we should have a bake sale. We’ll raise lots of money for our school.

Sebastian: A bake sale sounds good, but it’s too much trouble.

Gemma: How much trouble can it be to bake a few cookies and cakes?

Sebastian: It’s not as simple as that. We have to be careful selling baked goods to people with dietary restrictions.

Gemma: Like what?

Sebastian: Some people have ethical concerns. Vegans, for example, don’t want any animal products in their food.

Gemma: Like eggs and milk?

Sebastian: That’s right. And other people have medical problems or conditions. Diabetics, for instance, want their baked goods made with sugar substitutes, and people who are lactose intolerant want dairy substitutes.

Gemma: No sugar? No dairy?

Sebastian: And there is a whole slew of allergies to consider, like people who have celiac disease, those who can’t eat gluten, and those who are allergic to wheat or peanuts.

Gemma: Wow, when did life get so complicated? How about a rummage sale instead?

Sebastian: Good idea.

[end of dialogue]

Gemma begins our dialogue by saying to Sebastian, “I think we should have a bake sale.” A “bake (bake) sale (sale)” is when people get together and bake individual cakes and other things that they then bring and sell, well, in order to raise money or get money for an organization such as a school or a church. A lot of schools and churches have bake sales where individual members of that organization each make something at home and then bring it to the school or the church and sell it to people in order to get money for that organization.

Gemma says, “We’ll raise,” meaning we’ll get, “lots of money for our school.” Sebastian says, “A bake sale sounds good, but it’s too much trouble,” meaning it’s too difficult. It will cause too many problems. Gemma says, “How much trouble can it be to bake a few cookies and cakes?” A “cookie” (cookie) is a small, usually round, flat dessert that is typically made with some kind of dough – flour and water combined together and then cooked, with other things of course. Cookies are sometimes hard, sometimes soft, but usually small enough that you can pick it up and eat it with your hand.

A “cake” (cake) is a larger dessert, or thing that you would eat after a meal as something sweet, that is usually cut up into smaller pieces so you can eat it. A cake is usually eight or 10 inches around, or it could be a big square cake like you would have at someone’s birthday party. Cake often has what is called “frosting” (frosting) on top of it. Frosting is a sweet, colored usually, layer of some sort of butter cream or other sweet spread that goes on top of the cake.

Sebastian says, “It’s not as simple as that.” Gemma thinks it won’t be difficult to have this bake sale. Sebastian disagrees. He says, “We have to be careful selling baked goods to people with dietary restrictions.” “Baked (baked) goods (goods)” refers to any kind of sweet food that is baked in an “oven” (oven). An oven is where you put food to cook it, to make it warm. An oven is basically a warm box that is heated.

“Dietary” (dietary) refers to food – the things you eat. A “restriction” is something that you cannot do, a limitation on what you can, in this case, eat. So, “dietary restrictions” would be things that for whatever reason, often a medical reason, you cannot eat. I, for example, cannot eat “shellfish” – things such as shrimp and crab, because I have an allergy. If I eat it, my body reacts in a bad way. That’s a dietary restriction I have, which is too bad because I really love shrimp and crab, but a few years ago I started having a reaction to that food, I’m not sure why, and now that’s one of my dietary restrictions.

Gemma asks what sort of dietary restrictions they would have to worry about for their bake sale. Sebastian then begins by saying, “Some people have ethical concerns.” “Ethical” (ethical) refers to what you think is right or wrong, what you believe is morally correct. Sebastian is talking about dietary restrictions not for someone’s health, but because of what someone might believe, their ethics.

He says, “Vegans,” for example, don’t want any animal product in their food.” A “vegan” (vegan) is a person who does not eat or use any animal products. No meat. No eggs. No milk. In many cases, no honey. That would be things that a vegan would not eat or not want to eat. It might not be for an ethical concern, however, but for some vegans that’s probably true. Gemma then says, “Like eggs and milk?” Sebastian says, “That’s right.” Those are things a vegan would not eat.

He continues, “And other people have medical problems or conditions. Diabetics, for instance, want their baked goods made with sugar substitutes, and people who are lactose intolerant want dairy substitutes.” A “diabetic” (diabetic) is someone who has a disease called “diabetes,” which relates to the blood sugar and insulin in their body – chemicals in their body that have to be regulated because of the disease.

One of the things that diabetics usually avoid is sugar, and therefore, they would want “sugar substitutes.” A “substitute” (substitute) is when you replace one thing with another thing. I used to put sugar in my coffee. Now I don’t. Now I use a “sugar substitute,” something that makes the coffee sweet but isn’t sugar, although that might kill me also. I don’t know, but I’m still going to drink my coffee.

Diabetics want sugar substitutes. People who are “lactose (lactose) intolerant (intolerant)” want “dairy (dairy) substitutes.” “Lactose” is a kind of sugar that is found in milk. “Milk” is an example of a “dairy product.” The word “dairy” means related to or made from milk. In the U.S., that’s usually milk that comes from a cow. A “cow” is an animal that goes “Moo, moo.” You know what I’m talking about, right? So, if you are “lactose intolerant,” you cannot have milk or dairy products because that bothers your stomach and gives you a bad reaction. There are lots of people who are lactose intolerant, who cannot drink a lot of milk or dairy because it makes them sick.

Gemma then says, “No sugar? No dairy?” Sebastian continues, “And there is a whole slew of allergies to consider.” A “slew” (slew) of something is a large number of something. A “slew of allergies” (allergies) would be many different allergies, or kinds of conditions that make someone feel sick after they eat, touch, or smell something. An “allergy” is a condition in which your body reacts negatively to something that it is near or something that you eat. I have an allergy to shellfish to shrimp. When I eat it, I start to look like a shrimp – my skin turns red.

In addition to allergies, there are some people, probably a smaller number than is actually reported in the news, who have what is called “celiac disease.” “Celiac (Celiac) disease” is a medical condition which causes people who eat certain kinds of wheat, barley, rye, or similar grains to experience negative effects such as pain in their stomach. People who have celiac disease usually can’t eat anything that contains “gluten” (gluten). “Gluten” is a certain substance, what’s called a “protein” (protein), that is found in many kinds of grain. It’s very difficult to make a lot of baked goods such as bread and cake without having gluten in it.

Sebastian also mentions people who are “allergic to wheat (wheat) or peanuts (peanuts).” “Wheat” is a kind of plant that is often used in a different form in baking and cooking. “Flour” (flour) is often made from wheat. You take the wheat and you grind it, or you make it into what is essentially a powder, and that powder is mixed with water or some other liquid to make what is called “dough” (dough). You put that dough in the oven and it bakes, and you get wonderful bread and cake and other things.

“Peanuts” is one kind of nut that is quite popular in the United States. I don’t like peanuts, myself, because I didn’t grow up eating peanuts. Why? My older brothers are allergic to peanuts. They have an allergy to peanuts. When they eat peanuts, they have a negative reaction just like when I eat shrimp. I don’t really like peanuts. Many Americans love a product made from peanuts called “peanut butter,” but I have never had peanut butter because I didn’t grow up eating peanuts and I don’t really like the taste. It’s almost un-American not to like peanut butter, but I do not.

Anyway, back to our story. Gemma says, “Wow, when did life get so complicated?” “When did things become so difficult?” is what she’s saying. She then says, “How about a rummage sale, instead?” Instead of having a bake sale, Gemma suggests a “rummage (rummage) sale.” A rummage sale is when people bring not baked goods from their houses, but things they don’t want – chairs, electronics, dishes, books. They bring all of these things to the church or the school and they sell those instead of cakes and cookies. That’s a “rummage sale.”

Sometimes people will call these a “garage sale” even though the sale isn’t done in a garage. In British English, they sometimes refer to a “boot (boot) sale.” The “boot” is the back part of your car. The idea being that you would go somewhere and put things in the back of your car and then open up the back of the car so people could see what you are selling and you could sell it from there. The “boot” in the United States, on a car, is called the “trunk” (trunk).

Now let’s listen to the dialogue this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Gemma: I think we should have a bake sale. We’ll raise lots of money for our school.

Sebastian: A bake sale sounds good, but it’s too much trouble.

Gemma: How much trouble can it be to bake a few cookies and cakes?

Sebastian: It’s not as simple as that. We have to be careful selling baked goods to people with dietary restrictions.

Gemma: Like what?

Sebastian: Some people have ethical concerns. Vegans, for example, don’t want any animal products in their food.

Gemma: Like eggs and milk?

Gemma: No sugar? No dairy?

Sebastian: And there is a whole slew of allergies to consider, like people who have celiac disease, those who can’t eat gluten, and those who are allergic to wheat or peanuts.

Gemma: Wow, when did life get so complicated? How about a rummage sale instead?

Sebastian: Good idea.

[end of dialogue]

All the dialogues on our episodes are gluten-free. Anyone can eat them. Thanks to the wonderful English cook, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

bake sale – a fundraiser in which people prepare desserts and sell them, with the money being donated to a school or nonprofit organization

* The Gupta family made six pies and donated them to bake sale to benefit the library.

cookie – a small, round, flat dessert made from a stiff dough, nuts, dried fruit, pieces of chocolate, or similar ingredients

* Should we make oatmeal raisin cookies or chocolate chip cookies?

cake – a large, round, tall dessert that is cut into triangular pieces, often covered with frosting (a sweet, colored layer) and served at birthday parties and other celebrations

* We sang “Happy Birthday” and Lea blew out the candles on her birthday cake.

baked goods – any sweet foods that are baked in an oven

* We love eating muffins, scones, pastries, and similar baked goods for breakfast.

dietary restriction – a limitation on what one can eat, either due to medical concerns or personal preferences

* Hans’ dietary restrictions don’t allow him to eat shellfish and nuts.

ethical – related to morals; related to what is right or wrong, especially regarding one’s relationship to other people and animals

* Many women have stopped buying that brand of makeup due to ethical concerns about how the products are tested on animals.

vegan – a person who does not eat or use any animal products

* Melissa is a vegan who won’t eat meat, eggs, milk products, or even honey because they are all animal products.

diabetic – a person who has diabetes and whose body cannot process energy in normal ways, resulting in dangerously high levels of sugar in the blood

* Grandma is a diabetic, so she has to check her blood sugar a few hours after each meal.

sugar substitute – a sweetener that has few or no calories; something that makes food sweeter without providing energy

* Some people believe that this sugar substitute causes cancer.

lactose intolerant – unable to process milk and related products without experiencing uncomfortable symptoms

* Rachelle is lactose intolerant, so she always feels sick after cheese or ice cream.

dairy – related to milk; made from milk

* Dairy products need to be refrigerated or else they spoil very quickly.

slew – multitude; a large number of something

* Theodore had a slew of excuses for not completing the project on time.

allergy – a condition that makes someone feel sick after eating, touching, or smelling certain things that are harmless to many other people

* Zoe has an allergy to cats, so she always starts sneezing when she’s around them.

celiac disease – a medical condition in which people experience stomach pain and other symptoms after eating wheat, barley, rye, and similar grains

* Almost everyone in their family has celiac disease, so they never buy bread or flour.

gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and similar grains

* Many gluten-free recipes use quinoa or rice instead of wheat.

wheat – a type of grass or cereal plant that is ground into flour and often used for baking

* Did you make these tortillas with wheat flour or corn flour?

peanut – an oval, pale brown seed, usually one of two found in a hard shell, typically eaten as a snack when roasted and salted, or ground into peanut butter as a spread

* Many people enjoy eating salted peanuts while watching baseball games.

rummage sale – a large garage sale in which many people donate used items and a church, a school, or a similar organization sells them during a large event, used to raise money for a particular purpose

* The homeless shelter is having a rummage sale next weekend. We should donate some of these old books that we no longer need.

Comprehension Questions

1. Which of these are not baked goods?
a) Cookies
b) Cakes
c) Sugar substitutes
2. Which of these would a person with celiac disease not be able to eat?
a) Dairy products
b) Wheat
c) Peanuts

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

baked goods

The phrase “baked goods,” in this podcast, means any sweet foods that are baked in an oven: “Some of the employees like to bring baked goods to the office to share them with their co-workers.” The phrase “to bake up a storm” means to bake a large amount of something: “Each Christmas, they bake up a storm, filling the kitchen with cookies and cakes.” The phrase “baked beans” refers to a dish made by cooking beans in a sweet tomato sauce: “Whenever they go camping, they eat hot dogs with baked beans.” The phrase “sun-baked” describes something that is very hard and has been dried out by the hot sun: “Long ago, this was a lake, but now it is just sun-baked earth.” Finally, the phrase “half-baked” describes an idea that was not fully developed or considered: “Who approved this half-baked proposal? There’s no way it will work.”

peanut

In this podcast, the word “peanut” means an oval, pale brown seed, usually one of two found in a hard shell, typically eaten as a snack when roasted and salted, or ground into peanut butter as a spread: “They snacked on a mixture of salted peanuts and raisins.” The phrase “to work for peanuts” means to receive very little money for one’s work: “These store employees are working for peanuts.” The phrase “to pay peanuts” means to pay someone very little money: “Many of these internships pay peanuts, but they provide good work experience.” Finally, the phrase “peanut gallery” describes a rowdy (loud and energetic) audience or people who criticize loudly: “You have to learn to ignore comments from the peanut gallery.”

Culture Note

The Advent and Popularity of Cake Mixes

A “cake mix” is a boxed item sold at stores that contains mixtures of ingredients that “simplify” (make easier) the process of making a cake. Cake mixes are a kitchen “shortcut” (something that makes something faster and easier) that are found in “supermarkets” (grocery stores; stores that sell food) throughout the United States. Although some people prefer to make cake “from scratch” (from the individual ingredients, without using a cake mix), many people appreciate the time-saving mixes and the “predictable results” (the idea that the cake will turn out properly each time).

The first cake mixes were made in the 1930s, when there was a “surplus” (too much of something) of “molasses” (a thick, dark brown, sweet liquid), so it was dried and put into cake mixes. After World War II, when women began working outside of the home more and had less time for cooking, food companies began “marketing” (promoting; encouraging people to buy and use) cake mixes as a “convenience” (something that makes life easier) for bakers.

Some people say that sales of cake mixes were originally “disappointing” (not as good as people had hoped) and that this was because the mixture contained dried eggs. People only had to add water and “stir” (mix with a spoon), but they felt that this was “cheating” (taking the easy way to do something) and didn’t involve enough work. Once food companies realized this and required that the baker add a fresh egg, “consumers” (people who buy things) began to buy more cake mixes. Other people say that this story isn’t true, but “at any rate” (regardless of which story is true), cake mixes are very popular today.

Comprehension Answers

1 - c

2 - b