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ОглавлениеNotes on Foods and Equipment for the Hay Kitchen
The Importance of Fruit in Food Combining
Dr Hay listed foods in the following order of importance:
Fruits
Raw salad foods and leafy greens
Root vegetables
Grains
Proteins
He maintained that all the elements for top-level health can be supplied by fruits, greens, roots and milk, and that large quantities of protein and cereal foods can overburden the metabolism.
He recommended that as far as possible fruit should be eaten raw, provided it is fully ripe. In this way it is both cleansing and alkaline-forming, yielding its full complement of vitamins and minerals. Cooked fruit is not recommended; heat destroys vitamin C and the sugar with which it is so often prepared makes it very acid-forming.
Some versions of food combining recommend that fruit should be eaten alone and not following a starch or protein meal. Their argument is that the digestion of fruit, which is fast when eaten on its own, is retarded by the slower digesting proteins or starches, resulting in fermentation.
Dr Hay always said that provided the fruit was properly combined with the meal, i.e. acid fruit with proteins and sweet fruit with starches, there would be no such fermentation. Furthermore such a prohibition greatly lessens the enjoyment of a meal for most people and does nothing to encourage a lifelong adherence to this way of eating.
Dr Max Bircher-Benner, of Muesli fame, also advocated eating raw food, including fruit, at the beginning of a meal to improve digestion.
Ideally fruit should be eaten at every meal; to limit fruit to between meals may well reduce the amount eaten overall, especially the amount of citrus fruit eaten and this, in correct combination, does more than any other type of fruit to increase the vital alkaline reserve of the body. (The only fruit that should be eaten alone is melon, which does not digest well with any other food, however on its own it makes a delicious breakfast.) In-between-meal fruit snacks are not always practical for many people and can cause digestive problems if eaten too near to a meal with which they are not compatible. Moreover, they break the fifth Hay rule (that an interval of not less than four hours should be allowed between meals of different character).
In conversation with Doris Grant many years ago, Dr Hay insisted that he had invented no new diet but had adapted one founded on ancient physiological laws long forgotten. All he did was to present these dietary laws in a form that would be practical for a twentieth-century lifestyle. He also felt that unless the diet was as practical as possible, eliminating unnecessary or unimportant rules, people would not stick to it or might become over-preoccupied with their food and health.
Doris herself has now been following Dr Hay’s precepts for over 65 years. During this time she has received countless letters from food-combining enthusiasts confirming the great improvement in health and energy that this system brings about.
Recent UK Government guidelines confirm the protective role of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet. In countries where their consumption is high, e.g. Italy and Greece, the incidence of coronary heart disease and some cancers is markedly lower than those in the UK. Moreover, a recent study of 11,348 adults in the US reported in the journal Epidemiology by Dr James Estrom found that men with an intake of 300–400 mg per day of vitamin C had 45 per cent lower heart disease rates than men with an intake of less than 50 mg. There was also some evidence that vitamin C reduced cancer rates. To consume the high levels of the vitamin shown in the low-risk group would mean eating fresh fruit and vegetables five times a day.
Milk and Milk Products
Milk, a complete protein, should be regarded as a food, not a drink, and used sparingly by adults. In humans (adults especially) it can cause allergies, digestive disorders and persistent catarrh.
Raw, untreated milk is an alkaline food but becomes acid-forming when subjected to heat as in pasteurization or sterilization. It is best combined with fruit or salads and should only be used in small quantities with starches and cereals. It should never be taken with a meal containing meat.
Yoghurt, being easier to digest, is a better alternative for adults, particularly the elderly.
In all recipes where the use of cheese is indicated a vegetarian cheese can be substituted.
Cream, diluted, is an excellent alternative to milk, and because it is a fat it is neutral (see Table of Compatible Foods) and can be used as a milk substitute in starch recipes. Simply water down cream to the desired flavour (it really does taste like milk) and use as you would milk for your day-to-day requirements – over cereals, in starch sauces, rice or macaroni puddings, etc. There is no need to worry about increased fat or cholesterol in the diet – the cream is so watered down by volume that you are taking no more fat content than if you were drinking milk. Even where undiluted cream is used, and it is almost a necessity in the Hay diet, it is less concentrated than other fats and little is needed.
Eggs
Whole fresh eggs are a wonderful protein food, but the whites are very acid-forming. Used occasionally, in the same way as meat or fish for protein meals, they are perfectly acceptable. Egg yolks, however, are high in fat and thus a ‘neutral’ food, and can therefore be combined with all meals.
What about Calcium?
There is a good deal of concern these days about the ever-increasing incidence of osteoporosis – the bone-thinning condition that is appearing in younger and younger Caucasian women, not only those past the menopause. Although milk is a good source of calcium, the mineral essential for building strong bones and teeth, it is not always well absorbed (though this problem should improve when foods are properly combined). Many other foods are also good sources, however:
Cheese and yoghurt
All greens, especially broccoli
Nuts and seeds, particularly almonds and sesame seeds
Sea vegetables
Fresh fish, also canned salmon and sardines
Wholegrains
Vegetables and Salads
These should form the most important part of the Hay diet. All saladings and green and root vegetables are alkali-forming and, with the exception of potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, can be combined with all recipes. Whenever possible buy organically grown vegetables, saladings and fruit. All fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed; in the case of apples and pears, unless organically grown, it is best to peel them. This also applies to mushrooms, unless you are very sure of their origin.
In order to avoid unnecessary repetition in the recipe sections that follow, here is a list of many of these salad ingredients and/or vegetables:
Asparagus
Aubergines (Eggplant)
Avocados
Beetroot (Beet)
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (all types)
Calabrese
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery
Chard
Chicory (Endive)
Chives
Courgettes (Zucchini)
Cucumber
Dandelion leaves
Fresh green peas
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Marrow (Squash)
Mushrooms
Mustard and Cress
Onions
Parsnips
Peppers (green, red and yellow)
Radishes
Runner (or string) Beans
Salsify
Seakale
Shallots
Spinach
Spring greens
Spring onions (Scallions)
Swedes (Rutabaga)
Tomatoes
Turnips
Watercress
Lightly steamed or shredded stir-fried vegetables are compatible with all three food classifications and a further selection of salads and vegetables is included within each section. It is useful to have a basic green salad recipe which will combine happily with any other type of food and which can be added to provided that the extra ingredients are compatible with the meal you are serving. A basic green salad recipe is set out for your guidance below.
Basic Green Salad
The important thing with a green salad is to have a variety of saladings, both in appearance and texture, so that it looks interesting and refreshing and offers a range of different flavours. It goes without saying that all the ingredients must be really fresh. If you are basing your salad on lettuce, use a crisp, firm variety such as Webb’s Wonderful, Iceberg, Little Gem or the large type of Cos Lettuce.
1 clove garlic
a bowl of crisp lettuce, or young spinach or chard leaves
1 bunch watercress
1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 spring onions (scallions) or 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
chopped fresh herbs as available
dressing – compatible with the type of meal being served
1 Rub your salad bowl with the cut garlic clove.
2 Arrange the prepared ingredients in the bowl, tearing large leaves into smaller pieces.
3 Toss with the dressing just before serving.
This basic green salad can be varied with the addition of sprouted seeds such as alfalfa, lamb’s lettuce (mâche) in the spring, chopped celery, chicory (endive), blanched dandelion leaves, rocket or a few young lovage leaves.
If you have a garden we recommend Joy Larkom’s books The Salad Garden and Oriental Vegetables (see Bibliography). If you live near a good supermarket many now sell delicious fresh pre-packed salads which offer colourful, unusual salad leaves and save the trouble of buying larger quantities of, say, six different salad plants.
Seeds of herbs and salad vegetables can be obtained from Suffolk Herbs; their extensive list includes such delights as the spicy salad Rocket, a non-bolting cut-and-come-again lettuce called Green Salad Bowl, and a truly wonderful red arrow head oak-leaf lettuce called Cocarde which seems to go on producing tasty leaves all through summer.
Fats and Oils/Butter and Margarine
The highly promoted margarines high in polyunsaturated fats can be very damaging to health. We certainly do need these polyunsaturated fatty acids in our diet but they occur naturally in fresh food such as seeds and nuts, vegetables and fish. When vegetable oils are used to produce margarine the unsaturated fats are changed chemically to saturated fats by the process of hydrogenation and are far less healthy than the naturally occurring saturated fats in fresh farm butter. A recently published 10-year study by Harvard Medical School concludes that the hydrogenated vegetable oils in margarines actually contribute to the occurrence of coronary heart disease. So, wherever possible it is best to avoid all highly processed margarines and spreads.
It is, however, understood that in the vegan, and often the vegetarian diet, margarine will be the choice of fat in order to avoid the consumption of animal products. In those recipes where butter only is indicated a suitable margarine can be substituted instead. There are now a few margarines available on the market containing a high percentage of non-hydrogenated mono-unsaturated fats. Read all labels carefully and use these margarines in preference to those containing saturated fats.
All fats and oils are neutral and can be combined with all foods. Throughout this book we have used cold pressed olive oil or unrefined sunflower oil and unsalted butter for our recipes. Butter and olive oil, which are monounsaturated fats, are more stable at higher temperatures than other vegetable oils and less liable to rancidity.
The Hay diet is low in fat and eliminates most hidden fats (those found in biscuits, cakes and sweet products) but is rich in those fats that provide vitamin A, and the essential fatty adds that form part of every cell in the body.
Olive Oil
Olive oil, which features so strongly in the Mediterranean diet, appears to have a protective effect on the heart and arteries. Certainly the incidence of coronary heart disease and some cancers is lower in countries where olive oil is widely used.
We use several varieties of olive oil: an ordinary cold-pressed olive oil for stir-frying, a mild flavoured extra virgin oil for everyday use, and a high quality cold-pressed extra virgin oil for salads and other special dishes. There is a wide variety in taste between the oils from different countries and it is fun to shop around to find the ones that you prefer. Always keep the olive oil in a well corked bottle in a dark, cool place to prevent rancidity.
For cooking, unsalted butter is less likely to brown; adding a little olive oil to the butter will also help to prevent this.
Stock (Bouillon)
We very rarely use stock (bouillon), even a vegetable stock (bouillon), in preparing soups, preferring to let the individual flavours of the vegetables speak for themselves. It is interesting that latterly the late Jane Grigson was an advocate of this view. If, however, you do wish to use stock (bouillon), you can make your own or use one of the excellent vegetable stocks (bouillons) available in cube, powder or liquid form from your local health food store or supermarket.
Fruits and Dried Fruits
Where the rind of a lemon or orange is needed, try to use organic fruit or at least fruit that is unwaxed. Similarly, unless you know that the dessert fruit you are eating is organic, it is best to peel it. Whenever possible use unsulphured dried fruits, preferably sun-dried. If you are not sure about the origin of your dried fruit then blanch it by covering it with boiling water for a few minutes; pour this water away, cover the fruit with fresh boiling water and leave until it is ready for use.
Herbs
The use of fresh herbs in salads and cooked dishes can transform them into something really special. If possible grow your own; most culinary herbs need very little space and if you have no garden many can be grown in pots on the window sill. Some herbs dry well but most are best gathered fresh and, happily, more and more fresh herbs are becoming available in the supermarkets. These are some of our favourite herbs used in the recipes in this book.
Basil
Essential for tomato salad and many Italian dishes. It is an annual and does not dry well but it is possible to grow a good crop in pots. To preserve the basil flavour for use in winter, steep a handful of leaves in a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
Bay Leaves
Can be used fresh or dry. If you or a friend have a tree, you can dry or freeze the leaves for winter use. Use in casseroles or with parsley and thyme to make a bouquet garni.
Chervil
Another annual that can be added to salads. It goes well in soups and is especially good in egg dishes.
Chives
These make a good ornamental border in the herb garden. Pick them when young – a little goes a long way. The pretty mauve flowers are edible and can be sprinkled over salads in summer.
Coriander
Fresh coriander leaves are now more readily available in supermarkets and ethnic shops. They have a pungent aroma that lifts a mixed green salad. If you grow your own, choose the variety cilantro. This has more leaves than other varieties, which tend to go rapidly to seed. The seeds are useful but different in flavour from the leaves.
Dill
A must for many fish dishes. The fronds add their special flavour to poached fish and potato salads or sauces based on soured cream. Again, the seeds are useful but different.
Lovage
You need a garden for this as it is a large perennial plant and one is enough! The young leaves are a good addition to a green salad in early spring and it is excellent in soups.
Marjoram and its wild cousin Oregano
These are easy to grow perennials and add tremendously to tomato dishes. Dried oregano is reasonably successful.
Mint
There are many different varieties to choose from but Bowles’ mint is one of the best flavoured for the kitchen. Plant in a large pot or a corner where its growth can be controlled. Good with lamb, in chilled cucumber soup, in salads and many other dishes.
Parsley
We like to grow the flat-leaved continental variety as well as the moss-curled. There really is no substitute for fresh parsley and it is well worth protecting it during the winter so that you are never without it.
Rosemary
One of Jean’s favourite herbs but very powerful. If she starts to weed her rosemary border with a headache, she finds her headache is gone by the time the job is finished – rosemary is marvellously aromatic and can be relied upon to clear the head! A small sprig or two is wonderful with spring lamb.
Salad Burnet
A very useful little plant which remains green all through winter. The leaves are very decorative for use in salads and sauces and have a slight cucumber flavour.
Salad Rocket
A superb salad plant whose leaves have a delicious spicy flavour. Use it to add interest to a mixed green salad. It does very well in a pot.
Sorrel
Much prized in France but neglected in Britain. It is very easy to grow, a hardy perennial and the young leaves in spring are good in salads or with eggs, as in an omelette. A little goes a long way as it has diuretic properties!
Tarragon
If growing your own, make sure you have the French variety. Russian tarragon lacks the wonderful subtle flavour of French tarragon. It seems to have a special affinity with chicken and eggs and is very useful in cream sauces.
Thyme
There are so many kinds to choose from but lemon thyme or the more usual Thymus vulgaris – ordinary culinary thyme – are the most useful in the kitchen.
Winter Savory
A small and perennial cousin of summer savory which goes so well with all bean dishes, especially broad (fava) beans, and is known as the bean herb. You can grow winter savory in a pot or in the garden and it does much the same job as its cousin but you need less of it.
Spices
Dr Hay warned against highly spiced foods that could irritate the digestive tract, but a judicious use of spices adds subtle flavour and helps to reduce the use of salt. Spices must be fresh, so only buy a little of any one at a time. For preference buy the whole seeds and grind just before using.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon sticks can be used in the cooking process and removed. However they are difficult to grind at home and if you need ground (powdered) cinnamon it is best to buy a small quantity and use it up quickly.
Cloves
Buy whole cloves and grind your own in a spice mill, or crush using a pestle and mortar.
Coriander
Coriander is useful in savoury dishes, and a few seeds freshly ground add a new dimension to ratatouille.
Ginger
Use fresh ginger root for preference. Peel and chop finely before adding to stir-fry dishes.
Mace
Mace subtly enhances the flavour of many winter vegetables such as cauliflower. It is best to use blade mace; if you buy ground get only a small quantity as it soon loses its flavour.
Nutmeg
Buy nutmeg whole and grate a little as needed. It transforms spinach and mushroom dishes.
Paprika
Made from dried sweet red peppers, paprika stales very quickly so buy only a little at a time. It goes well in dishes cooked with yoghurt or soured cream.
Pepper
Indispensable in the kitchen; we usually use black peppercorns freshly ground, but white peppercorns can also be used. The black peppercorns are the dried unripe fruit; the white peppercorns have been harvested when almost ripe.
Vanilla Pods
These can be used to scent custards – rinse and dry after use. Each pod can be used several times.
Nuts and Seeds
These are a delicious addition to salads, stir-fries, desserts, etc., and can be dry roasted for extra flavour before sprinkling over dishes. When buying sesame seeds buy the unhulled variety; these are a rich source of calcium, and the sesame seed paste, tahini, is useful for the store cupboard.
Bran and Cereal Germs
Wheat, oat or soya bran for extra fibre – and wheat or oat germ containing valuable vitamin E – can be added to breakfast dishes if desired. They are relatively starch-free and are regarded as neutral. Wheat germ should be bought in small quantities and as fresh as possible; store it in a cool place as it can go rancid very quickly. ‘Stabilized’ wheat germ is sometimes a better buy.
Pulses
Pulses and legumes are not usually recommended for the Hay system because they contain too high a proportion of both protein and starch to be compatible in themselves, and can cause digestive problems in people who are not accustomed to them. Vegetarians can build up a tolerance for them and, combined in the way we suggest in the Recipes section, can find them a useful addition to their diet.
Equipment
Good basic kitchen equipment will make all the difference to the ease and speed with which you can prepare Hay meals. Some of it is expensive but most items will last a lifetime.
If possible buy stainless steel saucepans in preference to aluminium which may be one of the factors implicated in the cause of Alzheimer’s disease
Heavy cast-iron frying pans are best for omelettes. Two such pans, one with a 20-cm/8-in diameter and the other with a 25-cm/10-in diameter, would be ideal. The larger one can be used for stir-frying vegetables if you do not possess a wok, but this, too, would be a useful addition to your kitchen
A good chopping board, a set of good kitchen knives and good kitchen scissors are essential, likewise a salad spinner and a reliable set of weighing scales
In the Hay kitchen, vegetables are cooked as little as possible to preserve the essential vitamins and flavour. For this a steamer, preferably with two or three tiers, gives the best results
For speed, an electric hand whisk, a blender and a food processor will pay dividends in time saved in food preparation
An enamelled cast-iron casserole is useful for many dishes which can be started on the top of the cooker and then transferred to the oven to finish. Another useful piece of equipment is a slow cooker; so many casserole dishes can be prepared in advance and left to cook gently until needed, a bonus when entertaining and the guests are late!
