Published in 2011 by Grub Street 4 Rainham Close London SW11 6SS Email: [email protected] Web: www.grubstreet.co.uk Text copyright © Michelle Berriedale-Johnson 2011 Copyright this edition © Grub Street 2011 Design by Sarah Driver Jacket design by Lizzie Ballantyne Photography by Michelle Garrett Food styling by Jayne Cross A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-906502-92-8 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed and bound in Slovenia Important note: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is complete and accurate. However neither the publisher nor the author are engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the reader. Professional medical advice should be obtained on personal health matters. This book is not intended to replace treatment by a qualified practitioner. Neither the publisher nor the author accepts any legal responsibility for any personal injury or other damage or loss arising from the use or misuse of the information or advice in this book. CONTENTS Introduction Soups, Starters and Light Lunches Pasta and Pizzas Egg Dishes Fish Chicken and Game Meat Beef Lamb Pork Salads, Vegetables and Vegetarian Dishes Desserts Baking Bread Biscuits Cakes Resources Directory Index INTRODUCTION To the non-medical reader, problems with dairy, gluten or wheat would seem relatively straight forward – but, in fact, we are dealing with at least five different medical conditions – and which one you have could be relevant to what you can eat. So, let’s look at each in a bit more detail. DAIRY ALLERGY A dairy or milk protein allergy is an immune response to one or more of the proteins in cow’s milk. What this means is that your immune system mistakenly identifies the protein as dangerous and mobilises your body’s defences to protect you against it. A response may be triggered by a very tiny amount of the milk protein – what would be contained in just one drop of milk – and it will usually be immediate, within minutes. Normal cooking does not affect the protein which will be just as allergenic cooked as raw. You may get a gastric reaction (vomiting or diarrhoea/constipation), a skin reaction (urticaria, hives etc), a release of histamine which will cause swelling, or a respiratory reaction (narrowing of the airways and an asthma attack). The reaction can be anything from relatively mild to life threatening. For those who are seriously allergic, contact with their allergen can cause an anaphylactic shock in which massive swelling (usually around the mouth and throat) narrows the airways and causes a dramatic drop in blood pressure which, if not treated within minutes with adrenaline, can be fatal. In someone with asthma this kind of shock can also precipitate a fatal asthma attack. Fortunately this is very rare, but the risk cannot be discounted. Those who react to cow’s milk, often but not always, react to the proteins in other animal milks which are largely similar. But if the thought of giving up all animal milks appals, it is worth trying goat, sheep or buffalo milk as you may be one of those who reacts only to the proteins in cow’s milk. Although it may not seem logical, ‘dairy’ products refers specifically to cow’s milk products not the milk or other products of other animals – so if a product is labelled ‘dairy free’ it means that it is free of cow’s milk only, not all animal milks. what dairy allergics should not eat: • Any cow’s milk products – milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, ice cream. • Probably any other animal milk products but may be worth checking before crossing them off the shopping list. DAIRY INTOLERANCE One can have problems with dairy products without necessarily having a true allergy. Given that cow’s milk was designed for baby cows and not for baby, or adult, humans, and that a cow’s digestive system is hugely different from a human one, it is not very surprising that some humans have difficulty in digesting cow’s milk. Symptoms of dairy intolerance can include digestive problems, skin problems, breathing problems, behavioural problems (especially in children), headache, glue ear, joint pain, mood swings and almost anything else you can think of. Those with dairy intolerance are rarely as sensitive as dairy allergics and may be able to eat small amounts of dairy products, especially if they have been further processed either by the natural enzymatic activity that occurs when you make yogurt or cheese, or if they have been cooked. Those with cow’s milk intolerance are quite often able to tolerate the milk and products of other animals. what dairy intolerants should not eat: