It’s almost the end of week 1 of 2017. A week which I have mostly spent coughing and spluttering on the sofa, covered in doggies, watching the TV. This is highly unusual for me as someone who regularly has difficulty sitting still to watch a whole movie, much to the annoyance of my husband. Hence I think it is a measure of just how ill I have been that I watched both Kung-Fu Panda 1 & 2 only yesterday – like I said, I don’t normally sit still long enough so I get a bit behind! The other thing that has delighted me during this week of enforced inactivity has been receiving notifications that my first ever blog post had been liked! So thanks to those dear readers I have been inspired to enter the blogosphere once again…
One of the things I have found very frustrating when surfing the interweb for culinary inspiration is a scarcity of information for those of us who have dietary difficulties, mine being lactose intolerance. Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places but I like to think that if I can’t find it, there will be many others in the same boat. And it’s not just those of us who are living with the issue, what about the family and friends who find themselves facing the challenge of having “him/her with the funny diet” round for dinner? Well, don’t fret friends – I am here to help.
I wasn’t always lactose intolerant. I also wasn’t always that interested in cooking either. My Mum tried to get me interested in cooking at an early age, encouraging me by giving me a lump of pastry with which to make my Dad a jam tart. I always set about this with enthusiasm if not much in the way of artistry, and I must apologise to my father for all the pastry with baked-in unidentified foreign objects which he had to cheerfully force down! I only really became interested in taking responsibility for my own nourishment when I was faced with going away to university and not having meals appear by magic on a regular basis. Mum got out the typewriter and made a few basic cookery cards to help me along, and armed with these and the copy of Delia’s “One Is Fun” which I won as a prize for Drama at school, my culinary adventures began. As you can see, the cards were well used and bear authentic cooking splats!
These small steps led to something that soon grew into an obsession and I found myself attempting all sorts of things which roamed well beyond the realms of the “one-pot”. Then when I was in my mid to late twenties I went on a holiday in Tunisia and got sick. Very sick. This was much more than the simple if dreaded “Delhi belly” (other euphemisms for extreme digestive discomfort are available – feel free to insert your favourite). Several weeks after returning home, I was enduring all sorts of medical investigation normally reserved for ruling out the big C. Luckily everything came back clear, but after a great deal of dietary experimentation, including a near catastrophe on a train after a rather ill-advised cheese sandwich (that’s enough information, believe me!), it became apparent that my dairy-loving days were over.
Back in the late 1990s, the alternatives to dairy items available in the U.K. were limited to products usually only found in health food shops and aimed at the vegan market. They were normally soy based, rather expensive by comparison to their cow juice counterparts, and frankly I found them utterly uninspiring. I was not ready to give up on good food and so ever since I have been keen to find good lower-lactose or lactose-free alternatives which allow me to cook and eat like a normal person. I am happy to report that this is entirely possible and getting easier all the time so whether you are lactose-intolerant, or just trying to cook for someone who is, there really is no need to worry. Most recipes – apart from those requiring ingredients such as condensed milk for which I haven’t yet found a suitable alternative – can be easily converted by careful substitution of ingredients which are now widely available in most supermarkets. That said, I am still often asked to assist in the dessert department of any shared culinary endeavour as this is still the most daunting aspect for many.
Let me share a few of my tips. Goat or sheep based products (milk, cheese, yogurt and cream) are generally lower in lactose than cow’s milk products. Depending on the severity of your reaction, you can enjoy some lower lactose alternatives without having to cut lactose out completely. In fact I was advised not to cut it out completely to avoid the reaction becoming more severe. I find goat milk and yogurt a little strong tasting, but goat cream is very good and behaves well in most recipes. There are many great classic goat and sheep’s cheeses – Manchego, Feta, Pecorino and Roquefort to name a few – which can satisfy your cheesy cravings without digestive discomfort providing you don’t overdo it. Also the harder a cheese, the less lactose it contains, and you can make a little seem a lot more by grating it. Finally just to dispel a common misconception; eggs are fine! I’m not trying to teach you to suck them, but you wouldn’t believe the number of people who ask me whether I can eat eggs.
My favourite range at the moment is the Arla Lactofree range which contains milk, butter, cheese, cream and more recently yogurt. This range is cow’s milk based but has lactase enzyme added to break down the naturally occurring lactose in the milk. It’s great for people who have problems with lactose but isn’t suitable for sufferers of other milk allergies. Here’s a picture in case you want to know what to look for. Also included is a product called Pure which is both dairy and gluten free and is also a great alternative for both spreading and baking. Although I can see I need to get on and use mine as I am past the “best before” date!
A quick word on chocolate. Mmmmm….chocolate! Your tastes may have to change a little, but chocolate is still something you can have on a low-lactose/lactose-free diet. There is a lot of great dark, decadent chocolate available, much of it labelled as suitable for vegetarians and vegans. You can also find dairy free “milk” and white chocolate buttons in the supermarket “free-from” aisles which are perfectly suitable for cooking or just enjoying as a treat.
All this dirty dairy product talk has left me with my own cheesy craving (lactose-free of course) which needs to be satisfied. So at risk of displaying my lunch for two posts in a row, I give you Lactofree cheese on toast with a little cayenne and black pepper…
Looks just like the real thing doesn’t it…?
Until next time…
MC
Flying Spatula 