from saint hildegard’s kitchen

7/31/2019 From Saint Hildegards Kitchen

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JA N Y FO U R N I E R -RO S S E TTranslated by Victoria Hbert and Denis Sabourin

F o o d s O FH e a l t hF o o d s O FJ o y

KITCHEN

SaiNTHiLDeGaRDS

F ROM

Liguori, Missouri


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Published by Liguori PublicationsLiguori, Missouri 63057-9999To order, call 800-325-9521www.liguori.org

Important Notice: This book is intended as an informational reference, not as amedical guide. Any plant, whether used as food or medicine, can cause an allergicreaction in some people. Do not take any unknown substances during pregnancywithout consulting a physician. This guide is not intended as a substitute for medi-cal treatment. The author and the publisher expressly disclaim any responsibilityor liability in connection with the use of this book.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fournier-Rosset, Jany.[Recettes de la joie avec Sainte Hildegard. English]From Saint Hildegards kitchen : foods of health, foods of joy / Jany Fournier-

Rosset ; translated by Victoria Hbert and Denis Sabourin. 1st U.S. ed.p. cm.

Includes index.ISBN 978-0-7648-1951-3

1. Nutrition. 2. Natural foods. 3. Health. 4. Hildegard, Saint, 10981179.I. Title.RA784.F65213 1999641.5.63dc21 9923315

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic,mechanical, photocopy, recording or any otherexcept for brief quotations inprinted reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

English translation copyright 1999, 2010 by Liguori PublicationsPrinted in the United States of America

First published in France as Les recettes de la joie avec sainte Hildegarde byditions Tqui, Paris, France.

13 12 11 10 4 3 2 1Second U.S. Edition


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C O N T E N T S

Introduction * 7

Basic Ingredients * 15Foods That Bring Joy 17

Herbs, Spices, and Condiments * 25

Herbs That Bring Joy 27

Spices That Bring Joy 34

Other Foods, Herbs, and Spices in Hildegards Kitchen and Apothecary 37

Beverages * 47

Elixirs and Tonics 49

Wines 56

Coffee and Herbal Teas 62

Saint Hildegards Own Special Recipes * 63

Breakfast * 69

Salads * 75

Soups * 83

Cereals and Cereal Grains * 97

Bread-Making With Spelt 101


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Pasta * 105

Meat and Poultry * 109

Fish * 123

Eggs and Egg Dishes * 131

Vegetables * 135

Sauces, Dips, Vinaigrettes, and Roux * 155

Spice Mixtures * 161

Desserts * 165

Syrups and Liqueurs * 191

Jams and Jellies * 199

Table Graces From Saint Benedict and Others * 207

Glossary and Measurements * 211Tips 211

Cooking Terms Used 211

Conversions and Equivalents 214

Sources for Ingredients * 217

Index * 219


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7

Introduction

I N T R O D U C T I O N

How wonderful it is to discover the secret of joy in the en-lightened revelations of a twelfth-century Benedictine

Abbess! Nine hundred years ago, in the Middle Ages, Hildegard

of Bingen was granted, by means of heavenly visions, precious

knowledge about human nutrition: while the foods of sadness

sap our health and vitality, the foods of joy revitalize us and

help preserve good health in every sphere: physical, spiritual, and

psychological.

How can a simple dietary regimen succeed in preventing illness

and producing radiant health? It does so by eliminating the foods

that result in the black bile of sadness, as Saint Hildegard calls

it, and eating those that prevent its accumulation. On the other

hand, foods of joy chase sadness away and bring happiness and

balm to our hearts.

The author, Jany Fournier-Rosset, is a lay oblate of Saint

Benedict, married, a mother, and well known for her talents as an

accomplished chef. She offers us an original selection of healthy

and flavorful recipes, based upon the writings and teachings of

Saint Hildegard.

SAINT HILDEGARD: A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1098 in Bockelheim, Germany, of noble parents, Hildegard

was the youngest of ten children. As custom dictated, she was

dedicated to God at the age of eight. Her training and education


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St. Hildegard of Bingenbelievedthat all should drink with health in mind.

She considered beer, spelt, coffee,

fruit juice thinned with mountain spring water,

fennel, rose hip or sage teas, wine, and

goat milk, all acceptable drinks.


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49

Beverages

Elixirs and Tonics

LAVENDER ELIXIR

2/3 cup fresh lavender flowers

3 quarts white or red wine

1 2/3 cups honey

When the lavender is freshly harvested, crush the flowers and

pass through a sieve. Cook the wine with the honey at mediumtemperature; add to this the crushed lavender until the taste of thelavender permeates the mixture. Strain the mixture. Then, everythree days (not daily), drink this lukewarm liquid. It may help al-leviate pain in the liver and in the lungs. According to Hildegard,lavender wine will provide a person with pure knowledge and aclear understanding.

Elixirs are healing remedies; they address situations

of imbalance and symptoms of illness.

ELIXIR FOR THE STOMACH

1 part fresh or powdered ginger

1/2 part thyme leaf

2 parts fresh or powdered galingale

wine

Make a mixture using the proportions given above. Take 2 to 4pinches of this mixture and add it to 1/2 glass of wine, sweetenedor unsweetened. Take this elixir before going to bed for a periodof 2 to 4 months.


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SouPS

Without a doubt, soups or potages were a dietary

mainstay during Saint Hildegards time. Here are

soups featuring the traditional vegetables and season-

ings. A special feature of this section is the addition of

cereal grains, such as pearl barley or rice, to soups.

They cook quickly and give the soup a rich consistencyand better presentation. By adding cereal grains, you

will also have a more nourishing dish which is easily

digested. It is also possible to incorporate either spelt

or oat flakes, depending upon your personal taste or

preference. Cereal flakes are the product of grain

preparation by which the grain is passed through metal

rollers to flatten it after which it is cut into smallerflakes. Flaked cereal grains are also sometimes called

rolled.


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The soul is a breath of living spirit,

that with excellent sensitivity,

permeates the entire body to give it life.

Just so, the breath of the air makes the earth fruitful.

Thus the air is the soul of the earth,

moistening it, greening it.

St. Hildegard of Bingen


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85

Soups

HERBED CROUTONS

8 slices French or hearty whole-grain bread

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 tbsp garlic salt, or more to taste

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

pinch ground thyme

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Brush each side of the bread with vegetable oil, and cut the slices

into cubes. Spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheetlightly coated with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and

pepper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 350 F oven until toasted.

In the meantime, combine basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, paprika,and Parmesan in a small bowl. Sprinkle on the toasted croutonsand return to oven for 2 or 3 minutes. Cool on a rack or on papertowels.

CREAMY ZUCCHINI SOUP

2 lbs zucchini, unpeeled and thickly sliced

3 tbsps oil

4 cups water

1 tbsp heavy cream

mint leaves for garnish

galingale, salt, pepper to taste

Saut the zucchini slices in the oil. Season with the galingale,salt, and pepper. Add the water and cook for about 15 minutes.Pure the mixture in a blender or food processor. Return to potand heat gently. When ready to serve, add the cream and garnishwith the mint leaves.


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chicken breast stripswith rosemary 113

chicken brochettes 112chicken in wine 113coconut chicken

soup 103

crpes stuffed withchicken 114

rosemary chicken 120salad 78scallops of chicken 115stewed chicken 121

chickpeasabout 39recipes with 100, 149

cinnamon 34clary sage

about 33

elixer 50cloves 35cooking vessels, metal,

use of 14coffee, substitute 62coffee cake

spelt cinnamon 73cookies

almond cookies 172almond crunchies 172anti-nausea 67cookies that bring joy 65

ginger 66laxative 66lavender-almond

sweetmeats 173no-bake chocolate

chestnut balls 173three-ginger 171

court-bouillonabout 212recipe for 125

Cornish game hens,roasted 117

cream cheese,homemade 175

crme ptissire 169crpes

batter 187crpes stuffed with

chicken 114

crpes stuffed withswiss chard 151

croutons, herbed 85cumin

about 34recipes with 67, 78, 89,

90-92, 100, 107, 114, 116,127, 133, 137, 140-142, 145,146, 149, 151, 154curry seasoning

recipes for 145, 163164recipes with 95, 105, 154

Dandelionsabout 39recipes with 77, 206

decoction 212

desserts 165190almond crunchies 172almond cookies 172almond meringues 187angelica ice cream 181apple cake 178179baked apples 189caramel semolina 182chestnut crpes 167chestnut ice cream 181chestnut flan 175chestnut pudding,

chilled 174chestnut pure 167chestnut souffl 183cream cheese,

homemade 175crme ptissire 169crpes 187eggs in a cloud with

caramel sauce 185English cream 182fig pie 168jelly roll 180

lavender-almondsweetmeats 173

maursois nut cake 176no-bake chocolate

chestnut balls 173nut cake 176pear cake 177pears stewed in wine 188

plum pudding 187pumpkin marmalade 184quince pie 189raisin rum cake 169spice loaf 168stewed medlar fruit 169

stewed figs in wine 174three-ginger cookies 171zucchini cake 178

dill 27dips 157dittany 39

Eating with wisdomof the body 2324

egg dishes 131134eggs in a cloud with

caramel sauce 185English cream 82French piperade 148herb cake 144nettle cake 144nettle omelette 134poached eggs 133spelt cake with

coriander 133electuary, galingale 68elixirs 49

clary 50

harts-tongue 51lavender 58revitalizing 53stomach 56-58, 60

elixirs, tonics 5965English cream 182etouffe 212

Fats and oils,use of 19

fennel

about 18recipes with

Arnauds fennelau gratin 145

fennel in coconutmilk 141

fennel in whitewine 142

220 Index


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fennel souffl 153fennel soup 90fennel terrine 81thousand vegetable

cake 147ferns

fiddleheads 79harts-tongue 33, 62

figsin jam 203in pie 168stewed in wine 174

fines herbes 212fish

about 21recipes with 127139

filet of perch withblue cheese 127

monkfish,American style 128

perch withbay leaves 126

trout amandine 129trout in papillote 130trout in white wine 129

flanchestnut 175nettle 143

flaxseed syrup 198flowers 38-46

recipes withdandelions 77hellebore

(Christmas rose) 56herb and flower

salad 77lavender 49, 173violets 52

food choices and diet 10, 12,13, 22foods that bring joy 17fruits

about 14apples 38peaches 44pears 45

recipes with 56, 59, 71,72, 78, 168, 178, 189,203205

Galingaleabout 35recipes with 49, 5253,

57, 68, 79, 82, 85, 86,89, 92, 93, 94, 157-159, 188garlic 41

gentian 41recipe with 57

gilding 212glaze 212gnocchi, Italian 108granola 72

Harts-tongue ferns 51hazel 41hellebore 42herbs

dried, use of 211about

anise 39bay leaves (laurel) 58chamomile,

German 27dill 27dittany 39gentian 41hyssop 28, 42lavender 43lungwort 43

mint 2930mouse-ear 44,, 63parsley 30plaintain 45psyllium 31sage 32savory 45

Hildegardideas on health and

healing 7-141747, 69, 75, 156

life and spirituality 714

Hippocrates 10, 28humors, four 1011hypocras 194hyssop

about 28, 42recipes with 114, 118,120, 138, 149

Ice cream 181

Jams and jellies 200-206about 199recipes for

blackberry jelly 202chestnut jam 201dandelion jelly 206elderberry jelly 206fig jam 203gooseberry jelly 203milk jam 201onion jam 204quince jelly 205rose hip jam 202walnut jam 204

juniper 42

Lamb loin of 112

spring stew with 118laurel


lavenderabout 43recipes with 49, 54, 58

lemon balm soother 53

lemons 56licorice

about 32recipes with 52, 66,

167, 174, 175,177-178, 188-189

liqueurs 191197liqueur of love 193nut liqueur 196peach-leaf liqueur 197quince liqueur 195sage liqueur 197

Saint Clementscordial 193

lungwort (pulmonaria)about 43recipes with 60

Index 221


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Marinade, marinate 213Mary, Blessed Virgin 12mayonnaise 158measurements and

equivalents 214-216meats

about 21recipes with 111122,126, 128, 132

mintsabout 2930recipes with

50, 54-55, 58-59types of

field mint 29pouliot mint 30water mint 30

mouse-ear 53

muesli, oat or spelt 71muffins, spelt 104mugwort 54

Nettle, stingingabout 19recipes with 134, 143, 144

noodles with vegetables 107nuts

about 20almonds 20

chestnuts 21hazelnuts 41recipes with 71-72, 100,

196

Oats 17omelette

French piperade 148nettle 134

onionsrecipes with

onion jam 204onion soup, creamy 100

oregano 53, 44, 68, 85orgeat syrup 186

Parsleyabout 30recipes with 60

pasta 117118pastry cream 170peach leaves 59

peaches 44pearsabout 45recipes with

pear cake 177pears stewed

in wine 188pepper 36Physica, Hildegards 13pie

fig 168quince 189

plantainabout 45recipes with 93

poultice 18poultry

recipes with 122125,127, 129131

puddings 174, 187pumpkin

recipes with 95, 151, 184

Quichepumpkin 151spinach 150

Ratatouille 152roux

about 213recipe for 159

Sage 32recipes with 61

salads 7580cauliflower terrine 79dandelion salad 77dandelions in vinegar 77fiddlehead fern salad 79

herb and flower salad 77salad nioise with spelt 80spelt salad with chickpeasand green beans 100

sauces 159-160bchamel 160

for cucumbers 159green sauces for fish 161mayonnaise 158roux 159sour cream 158vinaigrette 159

savory 45scallops

chicken 115veal 116

Scivias, Hildegards 8seeds

aniseeds 38fenugreek 40psyllium 31

sootherslemon balm 53

soufflschestnut 183Chinese squash 154fennel 153

soupsbean soup 91chestnut soup 88

cream of celeriac 87cream of tomato 86creamy harvest soup 94herb soup, simple 95Hildegards cousinat

soup 86peasant soup,

country-style 92pumpkin 95spelt soup with

carrots, turnips,& Swiss chard 89

zucchini 85sour cream 158sources for

ingredients 217218spaghetti with basil 110

222 Index


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speltabout 98-99cooking of spelt

grains 99recipes with 62, 65, 66, 67,

71-73, 80, 89-92, 94, 97, 99,

100-103, 113, 118, 121-122,128-129, 133, 137, 140-142,144, 146spices

cinnamon 34cloves 35cumin 34fenugreek 40galingale 35juniper 42licorice 32nutmeg 36

pepper 36spinach quiche 150squash souffl 154Swiss chard

crpes with 141loaf 147

syrup, flaxseed 198

Table graces 207-209teas

herbal 62

mint tisane 55sedative 55

temperature conversions214-216terrines

carrot 152cauliflower 79fennel 81poultry liver 82

tisane 55tonics

booster 54

warming 54

tortillas 104turnips

about 56with mixed vegetables

138

Vealrecipes with 116, 119

vegetables 135154about

chestnuts 2, 20, 88fennel 18nettles 19

recipes with 135154artichoke cups with

green peas 143carrot terrine 152

cauliflower terrine 79celeriac soup 87chestnut soup 88Chinese squash

souffl 154chickpeas with

vegetables 149crpes stuffed with

Swiss chard 141fennel in coconut

milk 141fennel in white

wine 142fennel souffl 153fennel soup 90fennel terrine 81French piperade 148green peas and

beans 147herb cake 144nettle cake 144onion soup 90pumpkin quiche 151ratatouille,

Tunisian 152

sauted vegetables 150spelt soup 89spinach quiche 150spring beans 142Swiss chard loaf 147thousand vegetable

cake 146tomato soup 86zucchini soup 85

venison, sauted 122vinaigrettes, for salad 159violets


viriditas 1112Von Spannheim,

Mother Jutta 89

Watercress 46wine, in beverages

49-53, 56-61,194-195, 197

winter restorative 54

Yeast, homemade 101

Zest, of citrus fruit 21zucchini

cake 178grilled 139soup 85, 94with spelt 140

Index 223

from saint hildegard’s kitchen

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