Month: August 2013

Sweet Treats Complete! Allergen-Free Campfire Chocolate Cake and Strawberry-Vanilla Cake

Campfire CakesI am really excited that these turned out!  I used to do regular baking before I started dealing with my son’s onset of Celiac and dairy allergy (about three years ago). But now I am getting back into baking – with a focus on the fully decorated cakes being free of the 8 common allergens. With these cakes, my client only wanted them to be vegan. But because I cannot work with wheat flour, these are also wheat- and gluten-free. So, in the end, these cakes ended up being without wheat/gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts and peanuts and partially without soy. The marshmallows have soy and the strawberry cake utilizing a gluten-free flour mix that used soy lecithin – I went ahead and used it because  the client was only focused on the cakes being vegan.
I did make myself available by phone, if for any reason, she had anyone with food allergies needing to ask questions. I kept the packaging of ingredients that I used so that they can be readily available for evaluation. I know how I am, and I want to make sure that others are absolutely 100% sure that it is okay.

There is a lot of trust in this business and I will take that trust as seriously as my own death. I will have ways of making sure that my clients know 100% what will be going into their cakes. I will use their requests and their experience as my guidance. My clients are my royalty, they deserve it.

That said, I have a lot of recipe to post here. And I will say that I did use one shortcut: a gluten-free flour mix. Specifically, King Arthur Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix for the chocolate cakes and Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix for the strawberry cakes. Now, the reason I did this is simple: I do not have a kitchen scale. And as I have learned that in gluten-free baking, precise weighing (not volume measuring) is needed, I relied on the companies to do that for me. Secondly, every ingredient in those mixes is exactly what I would have used to prepare my own mix, the only exception being that the King Arthur Flour has some emulsifying agents to help the cakes retain moisture longer.

So, onward with the recipe dispensing!

Campfire Cake

For the Chocolate Cake Layers

2 boxes of King Arthur Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix (note that the box indicates that one mix will make two 8 or 9 inch round cakes. I did not find this to be true – unless I wanted really thin layers).

3 teaspoons of Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 6 Tablespoons of warm water

1/2 cup mashed banana (from a small to medium banana)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (instead of the 2/3 cup that the package calls for since the banana provides moisture and binding)

1 cup of water (instead of the 1 and 1/3 that the package calls for due to the extra liquid from using the egg replacer)

Prepare the cake according to package directions except omit the part about the eggs and add the replacer at the end and increase baking time to about 35 to 45 minutes. Use the toothpick test to make sure it is done.

Repeat for the second cake layer. I do not recommend mixing both batters at once as it could change the chemistry of volumes and ratios and affect the outcome of your cake layers.

I recommend making the cakes a day in advance so that they have time to cool properly. Cakes that are not fully cooled will release more crumbs when you are trying to frost it (and you don’t want that).

Chocolate Mock-Buttercream Frosting

I recommend that you make this when you are ready to frost. Although, you can make it in advance and put it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. But do set out the frosting to bring it to room temperature for about an hour so that it will be soft enough to work with.

1/2 cup organic non-hydrogenated shortening such as Spectrum brand

1/2 cup soy-free earth balance buttery-flavored margarine

1 teaspoon of gluten-free vanilla extract

1/2 cup cocoa

1 32oz bag of powdered sugar (make sure it is fresh and has not been opened as powdered sugar can take on a stale taste very soon after opened. If you have a corn allergy, look for powdered sugar made with tapioca starch instead of corn starch).

*2-4 Tablespoons of hemp milk or rice milk (hemp milk has a creamier texture due to the fat content)

Mix together the fats and vanilla until blended. While the mixer is on, slowly add the cocoa and 1 Tablespoon of hemp milk. Gradually add powdered sugar and hemp milk, alternating so that it does not slow your mixer down.

*BE CAREFUL TO NOT ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID. You want the frosting to be very thick/stiff. If it is too wet, you will have a difficult time frosting your cake.

This should be enough for filling and frosting the outside of it. You may need to make more if you need more frosting for decorating.  Decorating tip: frost the sides first using a 16 inch icing bag and the icer tip. It helps to have a turning cake stand, too. Use a small frosting spatula to even out the sides. Then do the same with the top. Once it is frosted, refrigerate for 10 minutes to set and then use a piece of wax paper to smooth out the surface of the frosting.

Campfire Flames

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

You will need about 4 large bags of dum-dum lollipops. These are the only hard candies that I could find that are made in a dedicated allergen-free facility and are free of the 8 common allergens.

Separate out the colors (strawberry, cherry, orange, peach-mango and cream soda flavors).

Put each color in its own ziplock bag and smash with a hammer (on a surface that is safe and will not cause any damage).

Arrange the crushed lollipops on a parchment paper with the dark colors being on the bottom and the lighter ones to the top.

Melt in the oven for about 10 minute or until all of the candies have melted and blended.

Take out of the oven and use a toothpick to blend (if you want).

Transfer the parchment to a cool table. Candy will quickly set in about 10-15 minutes.

Once cooled, break into triangles as best you can. Be careful not to hurt yourself and don’t let the kids help with this one. Once the flames have been put into the cake for the event, suggest breaking them back down again for kids to eat.

BE CAREFUL THAT NO ONE GETS HURT BY HARD SHARP CANDY FLAMES. 

For the Logs and Rocks

1 Bob’s Red Mill Shortbread Cookie Mix

1 package of Enjoy Life dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free chocolate chips

Prepare a package of Bob’s Red Mill Shortbread Cookie mix, except replace the egg with 1/4 cup of vegetable or allergen-safe oil.

Try not to eat all of this cookie dough at once because it is delicious!

Form the cookie dough into desired shapes and bake for 12-15 minutes. The color of the cookies will not change significantly.

Once cookies are cooled, brush with melted enjoylife chips.*

*Here is something that I learned the hard way:  if you add a tiny bit of liquid to the chocolate chips (like a bit of food color for the rock shaped cookies), the chips will harden back up into a clay mass while you’re trying to melt them. If this happens, add about 2-4 tablespoons of hemp milk to the chocolate and stir and blend. If you do this, you will have to put the cookies in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.

For the Strawberry Cake with Vanilla Frosting 

Strawberry Cake

Note: the pectin in the strawberries makes the chemistry especially tricky in this application. I have failed at several attempts at strawberry cake and finally found this version that was still a little dense but still cake-like in texture (rather than the ones that came out gummy or hard before) and finally had a balanced strawberry flavor that went well with the frosting. I had to use three mixes as these did not want to rise. Once I finally understand what is weighing this cake down, I will ammend this post with a slightly better version. But this recipe is still quite delicious, but do understand that it is about the same density as a pound cake.

3 packages of Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix (use a different kind if you need to avoid soy such as the King Arthur Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix)

For EACH cake layer (which you must prepare separately), you will need to add:

1 cup of sliced fresh strawberries ————- (3 cup total)

2 teaspoons of lemon zest ——————— (6 teaspoons total)

1 teaspoon of gluten-free vanilla extract —————– (3 teaspoons total)

1/2 cup earth balance buttery-flavored margarine (or Spectrum brand shortening if you don’t have EB) ———- (1 and 1/2 cups total)

1/2 cup rice milk ————– (1 and 1/2 cups total)

4 and 1/2 teaspoons of EnerG egg replacer mixed with 8 Tablespoons of warm water ————– (haven’t figured out the total, just have enough to do this three times)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease pan.

In a mixer, combine all of the ingredients except the strawberries. Once everything is combined, add the strawberries and let the mixer run until the strawberries are all smashed up and the batter is pink.

Bake in one 8 or 9 inch pan until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 35-40 minutes).

Vanilla Mock-Buttercream Frosting

SAME AS CHOCOLATE MOCK-BUTTERCREAM ABOVE, JUST OMIT THE COCOA.

A Lot More Ways to Replace Eggs Than The Average Baker Thought (via King Arthur Flour Community)

KAF Community Egg SubsThe title of this article/info-share especially holds true for me. You see, I’m embarking on making some vegan cakes for a cake order this weekend (pictures forthcoming when completed) and the last time I did home baking with real cake orders, I did it with all of the good old fashioned ingredients that most bakers use: wheat, eggs, milk and butter. Not anymore. And as I’ve not completely mastered this as of this writing, I’m nervous. I know it will be decent no matter what. But I want to make sure the cakes are absolutely delicious and not gritty. As a friend has lovingly offered their kitchen scale for my use. I am grateful and appreciative as I await arrival. In the meantime, I am turning to some King Arthur Flour gluten free cake mixes because they are comprised of the flour mixes I make at home, but also with the specific ratios that I know King Arthur would use to ensure consistency in baking (which I haven’t done without the scale as of yet). I also know that the rice flour component is superfine, which should eliminate the gritty texture we all very much hate in our should-be-tender baked goods. And the great thing about gluten-free flours is that they are generally also free of the ridiculous number of additives that are found in conventional wheat flour mixes.

That said. I cannot fail.

Therefore, I will do my damnedest.

So, I turned to the KAF website to research best way to replace the eggs with their cake flour and they are not recommending that eggs be replaced. They have indicated that the results with flax meal, bananas or applesauce has not been good See the discussion here. This concerns me a little bit. But I have no choice and I have to replace the eggs. Since the mix calls for 4 eggs, I can only assume that the eggs are needed for both binding and leavening. So, I have two mixes. The first thing I’m going to do after I write this article, is use a half binding / half leavening approach. Ener-G egg replacer offers the leavening effect while bananas and applesauce provide the binding effect. For the time being, I’m avoiding flax meal. I have made one cake with flax meal and the texture was so firm that it was like eating a cake-flavored English muffin. The texture could have been due to other factors. However, as I have never seen a cake take on that texture before, and I can’t be sure that flax meal wasn’t the cause, I’m staying away from it for now.

This is no small challenge… but we can do this.

With nearly every chemical component being replaced in this baking endeavor, and with food manufacturers providing all sorts of products for which to experiment, the baking community is on the cusp of developing a whole new world of baking science for which the world has yet to see. It will be interesting to see what kings of delicious baked goods we come up with in the next ten years. This article will not have as much research and information as I would like (as I have some baking to do), but I wanted to share this with all of my readers. (And I will hopefully have more answers very soon).

So, when you click on This KAF Community Contribution About Ways to Replace Eggs, you will see some ideas that diversify into ingredients beyond the usual four egg substitutions (flax meal, banana, applesauce and Ener-G egg replacer). There are suggestions for binding and leavening and for particular use in cookies, pancakes, waffles and biscuits.

I am particularly interested in the idea of whipping xanthan gum and water to get it to act like an egg white.

There is nothing definitive for the best egg-replacer for cakes from this King Arthur Flour community contribution. However, the list of ideas gives me plenty of fodder for experimentation, which, as you know, I find rather fun – and sometimes frustrating – as is par for the course.

Enjoy and happy experimenting!

It Can No Longer Be Denied: Allergen-Free Baking MUST Be Precise Kitchen Chemistry

Baking Chemistry BWAfter a solid 13 months of attempting various types of allergen-free baking, I can no longer deny that allergen-free baking must be approached as chemistry. I can no longer hold onto the notion that there can be any flexibility in baking that eliminates the three most essential chemical elements: wheat gluten (reaction base), eggs (leavening/binding) and dairy (liquid and/or fat).

After wasting hours of kitchen time (and precious dollars), I have come to the very disappointing realization that this is – in no way – anything like wheat baking.  I have officially been forced to accept that my 15+ years of experience in wheat/dairy/egg baking has given me a sense of over-confidence with which I have scoffed at allergen-free baking authors that have warned me to either weigh correctly and/or use the exact ingredients listed. I have had a cavalier attitude about my ability to achieve great success with my recipes while saving both time and money by bypassing measurements and substituting ingredients. The results of these baking endeavors have laughed in the face of my over-confidence. That biscuit above does seem to have an under-bitten smug laugh, doesn’t it? Yeah, I’m not as brilliant in my baking as my wheat experience has led me to believe!

The only thing I can endeavor to do at this point is to no longer deny my un-brilliance in baking and that the science of it must be absolutely understood in order for this to work effectively and consistently. I must accept that the comprehensive information on gluten-free baking just does not exist, especially not in the common areas of the Internets or in the popular cooking and baking consortiums, societies and schools.

After reading about gluten-free baking in every resource I have been able to get my eyes or hands on, I STILL do not understand the reasons that there must be potato starch AND tapioca starch in nearly every basic gluten-free flour mix. Why potato starch if tapioca starch can do everything that potato starch can do? I admit that I have not googled this question. Or, if I have, I did not get a satisfactory answer. I do not understand why sweet white rice flour should be added to a mix or not, other than that I noticed that my banana bread came out a little more tender when I added it, but that sadly, it has also made my pancakes a little gummier (an effect I did not desire). Said sweet white rice flour could also be making the elusive tender biscuit too dense or heavy. I don’t know exactly why my biscuits have sometimes come out too dense/heavy or too light and crumbly. I do not know if it is the switch to a superfine brown rice flour (which could be taking up more airspace than the more grittier Bob’s Red Mill version) is to blame, or if the new aluminum-free baking powder is affecting performance.

As of this writing, I have attempted an allergen-free biscuit at least five times with varying results. All attempts have been adapted from the basic Fannie Farmer baking powder biscuit recipe. The first two attempts were a somewhat stunning success using only sorghum flour with the addition of the appropriate amount of xanthan gum. The only problem is, the biscuits were freakishly filling and did some very strange things to our digestive systems (I’ll leave out the details of those effects). Another attempt was made with the standard gluten free flour mix that I made with Bob’s Red Mill products. Then I made the biscuits and didn’t notice that I had forgotten the xanthan gum until the results were extremely crumbly. I made the biscuits again with the same mix and they were nearly perfect, with the exception of the “gritty” texture.

So, after a year of reading in various allergen-free baking books and blogs, and upon the insistence of many gluten-free recipe authors, I finally ordered some superfine brown rice flour with the goal to eliminate as much as possible, the grit texture. I waited this long because I really didn’t want to have to order a flour. All along, I have wanted all of my recipes to be accessible to everyone but I thought, if it’s really worth it to do it, it would justify the insistence from many other gluten-free recipe authors. And really, most people can order online now and it isn’t that cumbersome. It is just a matter of waiting.

A few days later, my order of Authentic Foods superfine brown rice flour came in from Amazon. When I opened the bag, I had every member of the family come into the kitchen to feel the texture. We were almost breathless with awe. It felt powdery the way a wheat flour does. And although, you’ll get down to the smallest possible grit (that is how you know that it is STILL not exactly like wheat), it was not nearly as much gritty as with the Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour. With Bob’s Red Mill (BRM), you can feel the grit between your fingers almost immediately and it is a larger grit.

Superfine Flour
Superfine brown rice flour feels just like wheat flour.

I was so impressed and happy with the texture, and the potential for all of my baked items to have that wheat-like tender crumb without the grit, that I really could not wait to start working with it. I wasted no time in preparing my basic gluten-free flour mix and then went right to work on biscuit recipe, which, up to this point, has been ALMOST PERFECT.

I did another thing, too (mostly because a cake I made the other day came out tasting metallic), I also used aluminum-free baking powder instead of the alum kind because, sheesh, who needs to eat alum and taste any tone of tin to their baked products? So, make I did. Then I baked. Then we ate.

The results were abysmal.

:-/ No rise. Not tender. Dense. Kinda hard.
:-/ No rise. Not tender. Dense. Kinda hard.

It’s was like taking ten steps backward in all of my biscuit making weekends. How frustrating is it to get SO CLOSE with the sorghum and BRM mix and then this, with the flour that is supposed to make every gluten-free endeavor that much more perfect, come out so hard, so dense, and with so little rise? Ugh!

A similar disaster has been going on behind the scenes with a Boston Cream Pie (which is really cake) and I’ve been so anxious to develop really good recipes for that as well.

I’m SO VERY CLOSE to having recipes that are worth posting but I refuse to post recipes that have not been tested, or do not taste good. I tend to hate untested and untasted published recipes and won’t do that to my readers.

In the end, my fiance is right, I can’t just embark on this like the wild wheat baker I once was. I need to get out some books, do some research and know precisely how each ingredient is going to work and how it will affect the others.  The good part about this is that by the end of  THIS year, I will have compiled some comprehensive information on the function and purpose of the various flours that is hopefully more comprehensive than what is currently available. And yes, the Culinary Institute of America has not even divulged the science behind the performance of each gluten-free flour. I’ve gone to the library and searched every single gluten-free baking book for this information. The most I’ve been given is that yeast breads require higher protein flours. But why garfava flour in some recipes and garbanzo flour in others? I don’t know! And neither does anyone else except that it “seems to work.” Oh so vague! Exactly how much higher is the protein content in each of these flours? I will have to do a lot more reading and determine this myself. Unless there is a comprehensive resource out there on the science of gluten-free baking that I don’t know about.

I will say that the one place that I found some somewhat more comprehensive information on baking with gluten-free flour is from a blog called Gluten Free on a Shoestring and she has even authored a few books. While I can’t defer to this site much for totally allergen-free baking (we have to avoid dairy around here), she goes into a great explanation on the reasons for weighing flours and the ratios of flours-starches-gums that work best for her. Click Here for What You Need to Know About Gluten-Free Flour and you will find some good information. I have not tried any of the recipes yet. They look gorgeous. And if you are not allergic to diary and eggs, then these gorgeous recipes are worth a shot. (And let me know what you think of them).

As for allergen-free baking, I still defer to Cybele Pascal’s book. The recipes are great. But, unless you know about the secret of weighing flours instead of measuring them by cup, you will still end up with inconsistent results. And there is still the economy issue. I really don’t want to have to purchase egg replacer, agave nectar, and expensive organic palm oil for every recipe. Is there a way that more of those items can be made with more economical ingredients such as oil instead of shortening? I’m hoping. So far, I’ve had luck with both the banana bread, chocolate cake and pancakes using oil and applesauce instead of shortening and egg replacer.

Still more recipes to play with. Many more – with a mission for the recipes to taste good and be of good texture while be as economical and accessible as possible. With that, I want to include information on how and why each flour-starch-leavener-binder works and how to make it work consistently.  After all, everyone does not have an unlimited food budget. And everyone deserves a consistently successful Sunday biscuit breakfast, or sandwich for lunch or to have an occasional slice of their favorite Boston Cream Pie.

We will get there, young dairy-free and egg-free Glutanawans. Soon.

Now, it’s time to get that kitchen scale I’ve been meaning to pick up and get seriously scientific about this.

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Chicken and Gluten-Free Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Chicken and Gluten-Free Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Sundried Tomatoes

Homemade pesto is as versatile as it is easy to make. This allergen-free recipe uses sunflower seeds in place of the pignola nuts (a.k.a. pine nuts) that is commonly used in pesto. The sunflower seeds add the depth that a bold pesto requires, while garlic, salt and oil bring out the brightness and aromatic flavors of the fresh herbs.

Parsley is often more readily available and is also a great economical choice at about one dollar per bunch. I will say, however, that it is quite peppery when prepared this way, so you’ll need a bit of sweet basil (or dried basil) to offset that peppery bite of the parsley. Or… you could mix in 1-2 of your reconstituted dried tomatoes.

The sundried tomatoes were well worth the extra 10 minutes in the store to find and acquire. They add the acidic tang to round out the flavors of this classic Italian-American dish. My son does not like fresh tomatoes but loves these dried tomatoes.

And while mushrooms are depicted in the image (they *are* pretty aren’t they?), my fiance and I both agreed that a more spring flavored roasted veggie, such as asparagus would go a little better with the parsley pesto. The mushrooms weren’t bad – it’s just that they weren’t the optimal choice. So, instead, roast some asparagus, green beans or broccoli in lieu of the mushrooms. (Once I make this again with asparagus, I’ll update the picture).

Ultimately, this was very flavorful and satisfying. All family members devoured it and leftovers barely made it to the next day.

Chicken and Gluten-Free Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1-2 pounds of chicken tenders or breast, cut into cubes or sliced in strips

1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped medium dice

1 Tablespoon fresh cracked pepper, salt and dried Italian Seasoning or Dried Basil

1 16-ounce package of gluten-free pasta

1 8-ounce package of sun-dried tomatoes (either in dry package or in oil, either will work)

4 cups (32 ounces) of parsley, packed (set aside some for garnish)

2 cups (16 ounces) of fresh basil, packed

3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of sunflower seeds (check for allergens), or 2 Tablespoons of sunflower seed butter

1 peck of mushrooms, roasted at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (optional)

1 bunch of asparagus, roasted at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes (optional)

2 Tablespoons of Earth Balance or your favorite dairy-free margarine (make sure that it is totally free of whey, casein, and all milk proteins)

2 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast

Directions:

1. Wash and chop all of your veggies and herbs.

2. In a large skillet, cook the chicken and onion in some water with and seasoning such as salt, pepper, dried Italian seasoning or dried basil. While the chicken is cooking (put a lid on it to keep warm once finished cooking), reconstitute the dried tomatoes and prepare the pasta according to package directions. Also, roast your mushrooms and/or asparagus if you like.

While all of that is cooking, prepare the parsley pesto:

Add the parsley and basil to the food processor with the oil, garlic and sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter. Add more oil or water if needed. Process until smooth.

Drain the soaked dried tomatoes and chop. (Note: they are large chop in the picture but we liked them better when we diced them smaller and had more bites with dried tomato flavor.)

Drain pasta, chop chicken and add to the pasta. Stir in the parsley pesto, dried tomatoes, earth balance and nutritional yeast. Taste and add salt as needed.

Serves 6-8

 

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Blackened Chicken with Orange-Jalapeno Coleslaw

blackened chkn with slaw A vibrant slaw made of purple and green cabbage with shredded carrots, spring onions and jalapenos  are tossed in a bright teriyaki-orange vinaigrette and topped with blackened chicken to make for a gorgeous late summer dinner that is just as much fun to eat as it is to see. My son loved it and asked to have some for his lunch.

If you are allergic to sesame: replace the 1/2 cup sesame oil with 1/2 cup fragrant olive oil mixed with a Tablespoon of sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter. (Sunflower seed butter often has soy in it, ask if anyone has a soy allergy). And then replace the sesame seed garnish with plain shelled and salted sunflower seeds (make sure you check the ingredients label on this because roasted sunflower seeds are often roasted with allergenic ingredients such as wheat and dairy).

If you are allergic to chicken: Replace with another protein of choice, or omit it entirely as this is very good by itself.

Blackened Chicken with Orange-Jalepeno Coleslaw

For the chicken:

1 2-lb package of skinless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer)

2 Tablespoons of chili powder

1 Tablespoon of powdered garlic

1 teaspoon of ground coriander, cardamom or allspice (one of those will add a touch of sweetness)

1 teaspoon each of ground mustard, ground ginger, onion powder, salt and pepper

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with vegetable oil of choice (make sure the oil is allergen-free) and heat to medium high heat. Then mix the spices on a plate and coat each piece of chicken with the spices. Place the chicken in the hot oil and let cook for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly seared and blackened. Turn the chicken and sear for a minute or two. Add a little water, cover the skillet and let simmer while you are preparing the slaw. A long simmer will thoroughly cook the chicken and if you cook it long enough, it will break down and become “shreddable.” Just make sure you check on it often and add water if needed.

For the coleslaw:

1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced very thin or shredded in a food processor

1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced very thin or shredded in a food processor

~(feel free to try different varieties of cabbage for fun and/or add other greens)~

4 carrots, coarsely grated

4-6 green (aka “spring”) onions, slivered

4 jalepenoes, slivered (Note: Cut around the seeds. The seeds will burn your fingers and will add significant heat to your slaw. I omit the seeds for this reason but you may add a few if you want the heat. Use gloves if you are not adept at avoiding the seeds.)

1/2 cup raisins (or dried cherries, cranberries, mangoes, or apricots) – omit if you don’t like dried fruit in your salads

For the dressing:

1/2 cup (gluten-free) sesame oil or 1/2 cup olive oil mixed with 1 Tablespoon of sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter

1/2 cup gluten-free rice vinegar (both seasoned and unseasoned will work, always check for allergens)

1 Tablespoon of gluten-free tamari (This is important to get gluten-free. Most soy sauces are made from wheat. Gluten-free soy sauces are made from soybeans instead of wheat – always be careful with soy sauce and ask if the people you are serving have a soy or gluten/wheat allergy. If you there are allergies to both soy and wheat, omit the soy sauce and substitute with 1 teaspoon of salt mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard)

1 Tablespoon of orange zest

1/4 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger

2 Tablespoons of sugar

2-3 dashes of Sriracha sauce (optional)

For garnish: 1/2 cup of toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (check label for allergens)

Chop and wash your veggies and combine in a large bowl.

Using a jar with a lid, shake the teriyaki-orange vinaigrette until well blended and pour over the coleslaw. Toss the coleslaw in the vinaigrette and serve on plates topped with the warm blackened chicken and garnish with the sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Serves 6-8

(Make extra chicken if serving more than 6)

I Never Thought We’d Have to Think About Needing Epinephrine

AuviQI’ve been putting off talking about this all week. I have blogged and blogged about all of us needing to develop compassion for kids with life threatening food allergies. I even wrote an article last week about how my son wants to protect his friend with the life threatening peanut allergy. And just this week, we found out that his dairy allergy has the potential to get worse. This is scary. Like going from being the person holding the rope to help others to being the one on the edge of the cliff that needs the rope.

I took my son to the doctor last week because he had developed a new symptom: taking a lot of deep breaths, a lot of yawning, and some unusually bad circles under his eyes (they call them “shiners”) with some fatigue.  A bit of Zyrtec at night seemed to have made him feel better the next day. Maybe it was all due to seasonal allergies. We have a nebulizer at home with a steroid medication that helps him when he has the stridor barking cough that happens with the change of seasons. He never outgrew the stridor/croup, and I got tired of going to the ER every three months, so the pediatrician gave us the nebulizer and it has come in handy when he has had a breathing panic in the middle of the night.

So, wondering if he was developing the beginnings of seasonal asthma, I made an appointment with a well-known allergist here (recommended by other parents of allergic kids). We were able to get in the next day due to a cancellation. I figured we would walk out of there with a prescription with an inhaler. Plus, I did want to talk about ongoing monitoring of his food allergies.  It’s been a year since we moved here. And slightly over a year since he saw the allergist in New Jersey. And I know it’s important to keep going periodically to see if new allergies have developed.

So there we were, talking to the wonderfully understanding and patient allergist who went over seasonal and food allergies with us. Sometimes, when respiratory symptoms arise, it is hard to tell which one is happening: food or environmental. But my son was fine and the deep breathing was not the labored breathing that one sees in the throat area with asthma. So no need for an inhaler but to continue to use the nebulizer should he feel out of breath again.

I let the allergist know, too, that a few days earlier, my son had been food bullied (yes, food bullying is a thing). A kid at his lunch table rubbed an M&M cookie all over his face to see what would happen. My son felt like he’d get in trouble with the teachers if he got up from the table, so he didn’t.

This is disturbing because he is allergic to dairy and does not tolerate wheat without getting sick.

The dairy is a confirmed allergy, which means that it is an immune response, not a digestive one. Though, up to this point, the symptoms have been digestive (vomiting and stomach pains that last for hours). But after the food bullying and then the breathing issues, I was told that symptoms can also turn respiratory.

I wasn’t expecting anything more than digestive.

The doctor was concerned about the food bullying and instructed my son to leave the table should he be threatened again. We also encouraged him to tell the teacher to call me if he/she has a problem with him getting up from the table. The doctor was also concerned to hear that last year, my son’s then-teacher didn’t take his food allergy seriously when, on the one day that I forgot his lunch, she had put cheese and croutons on his salad and said “I bet you’ll be okay with a little bit.” I saw the salad because the school called me and I quick packed his lunch and got it to him. I sat and had lunch with him and ate the salad that he couldn’t eat. I was proud of him for not eating it, but thoroughly disappointed the the teacher did not take him seriously.

I had not reported the teacher last year because I was working so hard and was so exhausted that just managing daily life was enough of a chore.  And I just vowed to never forget my son’s lunch again. It gets tiresome to constantly have to work on this issue. I could have (and should have) made a big deal out of it, but I didn’t.

The doctor provided a document – a food allergy plan  (also called a 504 plan) – that I could use to work with the school principal. This year, I’ve had time to make the phone calls that I’ve needed to make. The principal has been an absolute gem in working with me. Tennessee also just passed a law that allows schools (if they want to take advantage of the new voluntary law) to stock epi-meds that can be used for any student without a prescription, and without liability on the part of the school. This is great because most first time anaphylaxis episodes happen at school where parents can’t control the environment as much as they can at home. Example: I don’t have nacho cheese chips with milk dust all over them here at home, but plenty of kids have them at school and you know how messy kids are. One food bullying incident, perhaps another kid rubbing his nacho cheese dusty hands all over my son’s face, and he has officially ingested milk through his nose. It is completely out of my control.

The good news is that the doctor said that about 50% of kids that have milk allergies will outgrow them.

The bad news is that it could also get worse. And anaphylaxis can and does happen with milk allergy.

The doctor offered to write a prescription for epi-meds for him should it ever actually get worse.  I decided to opt for it. I don’t know any parent that wouldn’t want to have a lifesaving medicine on hand should it ever be needed.

The more I think about it, and imagine the episodes where other parents have had to use epi-meds, I feel immensely lucky that his allergies have never caused him to stop breathing. I feel immensely lucky that I have never had to fear for his life.

Until now.

The fact that my son has an allergy that *could* get worse and that has even the remote potential of causing him to stop breathing scares the living daylights out of me.

I thought his reaction would always be digestive. Not that 8 hours of vomiting is fun. It’s horrible suffering that I do everything I can to prevent, but it’s not at the level of which I need to call 9-1-1 and administer CPR.

And after being so actively involved in the food allergy community as of late, I’ve learned that first time anaphylaxis reactions happen at school and are more likely the older the child gets. The demographic at highest risk for anaphylactic deaths are teens. So, I’m really nervous about my son’s future. And being prepared is going to be no picnic. This means that he is going to have to be visibly different than his friends and wear a medic bracelet and carry his epi-meds on him at all times. It’s going to cost me $30 plus shipping just for the really cool camouflage pouch alone. I don’t really have the funds for it with both me and my fiance being out of job at the moment , but I’m going to try. If that’s what he wants to carry his lifesaving meds, then that’s what he shall get.

As for the meds, I went with the Auvi-Q version rather than the Epi-Pen. It is a speaking device that will walk your child, or you, or your child’s teacher though the delivery of the meds. This is good because the sheer panic and fear and adrenaline that happens in the midst of dealing with a reaction could prevent a person from properly giving the meds. It does a countdown and sounds a beep when finished. No guesswork. It comes with a Trainer that can be used to train the child and any other person that would have to administer it.

Now I have to think about whether or not I should drive my kid to school and pick him up since the bus driver may not be trained in handling anaphylaxis emergencies. What else am I missing?

Now I’m one of those parents that has to think about my child’s life being in danger every day… during the 480 meals (lunches and snacks) where I will not be in his presence to control the environment and watch the children around him like a hawk.

It’s a strange day to be on the Epi-pen side of this scenario. I’ve talked about other kids needing compassion and support. And for us, reality has set in more deeply. A lot of contemplating this week. And a new level of fear to live with. This is kind of scary.

For friends and family that are reading this, it is important that you know about this in case his milk allergy gets worse. If you are a family or friend that has my son in your care, feel free to utilize the Trainer and learn how to give the medicine to him.

And thank you for reading this, for your compassion, and for your support.

The Best Allergen-Free Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate PuddingWhen your guy says “oh my” and gets lost in the first bite,  you know you’ve got a winning recipe. My two neighbors also gave this a big thumbs up… with jokes about licking the bowl.

*Ahem* One of us (who shall remain nameless) might have done such a thing.

Tapioca starch is recommended for this recipe. We tried making this with arrowroot starch but it didn’t turn out so well. Tapioca starch is perfect for this and as an aside, is also a versatile substitute for cornstarch in gravies, and a substitute for eggs in custard-style pies (see the pumpkin pie recipe for an example).

This chocolate pudding is quick and easy to  make and it’s also good enough to eat when it’s still warm. It tastes a lot like that delicious gooey chocolate filling of a chocolate lava cake. YUM!

If you’d like to add an allergen-free whipped cream, I recommend Cybele Pascale’s Whipped Topping from her book The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook. If you are not allergic to eggs, you could use marshmallow fluff whipped to a softer consistency with a little water to make a whipped topping. In the meantime, enjoy this delicious chocolate pudding!

P.S. Hint: Freezer Molds! Make chocolate pudding pops out of this, too! 🙂

The Best Allergen-Free Chocolate Pudding

4 cups water (Note: You can replace water with a safe milk-substitute for a slightly creamier consistency. If you do this, please ask whoever you serve it to if the milk-substitute is safe for them. Many people are allergic to rice, almond, and soy milk. We are pretty happy using water, and it’s less expensive that way).

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life brand (check for other allergens if needed). Add less or omit chocolate chips if you want a more mild chocolate flavor. If you do omit the chocolate chips, add 1/2 cup of palm oil shortening or else the mixture will be very gel-like.

1 teaspoon of vanilla

In a large saucepan, stir 1 cup of the water tapioca flour and cocoa until blended and smooth. This step helps get rid of lumps before you begin cooking.

Set the heat to medium and stir in the remaining 3 cups of water. Then add sugar and salt. Cook and stir constantly until mixture thickens to pudding consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla. Keep stirring until chocolate melts.

Chill in refrigerator or pour into popsicle molds for pudding pops later.

Neato: Stylish Cases from Epi-Essentials

 

 

epi essentialsWhat a neat product. I had to share. Here is their website: http://www.epi-essentials.com/The-Collection/The-Accessory-Case/

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Italian Sausage, Peppers and Rice

Sausage and RiceShort and simple. Filling. Tastes good. This recipe utilizes a product that I know is safe for us to eat. A Simply Nature Mild Italian Chicken Sausage from ALDI that is labeled Gluten-Free and Lactose-Free. Lactose-free does not mean Dairy-Free, so I have to be careful with that indication. After careful examination of the ingredients, it appeared totally dairy-free, so I decided to go ahead and prepare this easy one-skillet dish.

The good news: we’ve enjoyed this sausage in several meals now with no problems.

While we did very well with this sausage, always be careful of your food, always check the ingredients label and check with your dietitian or doctor if needed. Here’s what’s in this:

 

Italian Sausage, Peppers and Rice

1 package of allergen-free mild italian sausage

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 14-0z can of diced tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

2-3 dashes of your favorite allergen-free hot sauce (or a dash of cayenne pepper), optional

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare rice according to package directions. (Preferably cooked in broth for extra flavor).

While rice is cooking, add the sausage, onion, and green bell pepper to large skillet set to med-high heat with a little allergen-safe oil. Saute until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender.

Add the spices, tomatoes (with juice) and minced garlic to the pan and let simmer until flavors have melded and liquid has thickened.

That’s it. Dinner is finished. Here is a picture of the sausage and the ingredients label:

Simply Nature Chicken Sausage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simply Nature Chicken Sausage Ingredients

Vegan Peanut-Free Oat-Free No Bake Cookies (Super Quick and Easy!)

No Bakes 2By virtue of the powers that be: Earth Balance, Sunbutter, and Gluten Free Rice Krispies,  I bring you this classic no-bake cookie recipe. Now you can have your childhood back and enjoy this fun and easy-to-make classic treat. It’s so easy and so quick. Just melt, stir and drop onto waxed paper. It truly tastes like those old fashioned peanut butter, oat and butter laced no bakes you used to have.

The reason I substituted the oats with the  gluten-free rice krispie cereal is due to the fact that many people who cannot tolerate gluten, also cannot tolerate oats. As for flavor, I recommend that you go to the trouble of getting the plain gluten-free rice krispie cereal instead of using a sweetened Mom’s Best cocoa krispie cereal (I tried that and it came out too sweet).

If you have a Soy allergy, you will need to use the Soy-Free Earth Balance and find a different seed butter product (like pumpkin seed butter) as Sunbutter is processed in a facility that also processes soy.  Remember that avoiding peanuts and nuts saves lives, so if you can make a switch to a seed butter, you’ll be making the world a better place.

~As with any recipe, always double check your ingredients to make sure everything is safe and nothing has changed. ~

Vegan Peanut-Free Oat-Free No Bakes

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup of cocoa such as Hershey’s Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup of Earth Balance non-dairy margarine

1/2 cup of rice milk

1/2 cup of sunflower seed butter (or soy-free pumpkin seed butter)

1 teaspoon of gluten-free vanilla extract

3 cups of GLUTEN-FREE rice krispie treat cereal

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, earth balance margarine and rice milk . On medium high heat, bring to a boil and boil for one full minute.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sunflower seed butter and vanilla extract. Make sure the seed butter is fully melted and incorporated into the mixture.

Stir in the rice krispies and coat all of the cereal. As you stir, the mixture will cool down. You may want to wait about 5 minute for additional cooling and thickening.

Then, drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cookies will set in about 10-15 minutes. Let the cookies fully cool down before transferring to an airtight container. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes about 20 small cookies.

Parent upset about school nut ban loses lawsuit.

peanut butter jar

The fact that this story exists demonstrates such a lack of caring.  It’s but one of many examples of what parents of food allergic children have to deal with. It is so sorely disappointing that it takes a court to mandate protection of a child’s life.  Even worse, that adults are capable of this behavior:

“…some parents sent their kids to school with peanut products and appeared in the cafeteria to prevent enforcement [of the nut ban that was put into place to protect students with life-threatening allergies to peanuts and nuts].”

http://www.wsbt.com/health/wsbt-parent-upset-over-school-nut-ban-loses-lawsuit-20130807,0,1672724.story

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Chili Lime Tortilla Soup with Red and Black Beans

Multi-Bean Chili Lime Tortilla Soup with Harissa Olive Oil

One of my favorite things to eat when I was younger was white chicken chili from a pub around the corner from my college. It was loaded with lots of butter, milk and cheese (of course). But I haven’t stopped craving those flavors. With this version, the green chili and lime flavors, along with a bit of the meal from the crumbled tortilla chips or taco shells, add the body and flavor that I’ve been wanting. If I don’t post this now, I’ll forget how I made it. 

The lime juice makes it, so if you can, try to get a lime. If you don’t have a lime, use your favorite vinegar based hot sauce to add the acidic component that this needs to be just right.

 

Chili Lime Tortilla Soup with Red and Black Beans

Serves 2 – Double or triple the recipe for a family

In a medium saucepot, add the following ingredients:

1.5 cups of broth (CHECK FOR ALLERGENS BEFORE USING)

1 (14 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 oz) can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8 oz) can of green chilis

2 taco shells or a handful of tortilla chips or fritos style chips crumbled into the soup (CHECK FOR ALLERGENS BEFORE USING) – this will thicken the soup as it cooks.

1 Tablespoon each of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

Bring to boil, then turn down heat to simmer for about 15 minutes to develop the flavors.

Take soup off of heat . Add 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk and the juice of one lime.  Taste and add salt if needed.

Serve in bowls and give your family more taco shells or tortilla chips for crushing. Enjoy!

I Wasn’t Expecting to Cry Today. Then, This Touching Letter To Allergy Parents…

letter to allergy parents

To Allergy Parents by Rebecca x’s blog: (And Rebecca, thank YOU.)

http://www.peanutfreegourmet.com/2013/08/to-allergy-parents.html

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Savory Beef n’ Quinoa

Savory Beef QuinoaThis warm, filling, savory dish of beef, onions, and fresh string beans is simple, quick and takes advantage of standard pantry items. And so begins this series of easy allergen-free weeknight dinners to help those needing some ideas of what to whip together in a hurry.

Quinoa (pronounced: Keen-wah), is really quite an easy side dish to prepare. The ratio is the same as rice, and so is the cooking technique: 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of liquid. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until grains have absorbed the liquid.  Drain any excess liquid (do not overcook or it will be mushy). And there you have it.

The most essential tool needed for quinoa is a fine mesh strainer as you will need to rinse before cooking. The purpose for this is that there is a coating on the quinoa seeds that will taste bitter if not rinsed off.

Savory Beef n’ Quinoa

Prepare quinoa according to package directions using beef, chicken or vegetable broth. Add a little salt if desired. While the quinoa is cooking, in a large deep skillet:

1. Brown 1 pound of ground beef.

2. Add 1 yellow or white onion, diced

3. Add 3 cloves of garlic, minced

4. Add a little water and season with fresh cracked pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder.

5. Add a generous amount of string beans (fresh or frozen) and stir fry with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar until beans are crisp tender.

Plate with sliced fresh cherry or grape tomatoes.

That’s it! You may also want to consider adding mushrooms, leeks, green onions or other favorite vegetables that pair well with beef.  I recommend adding a dash or two of gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if you have it. If not, this dish is good on its own.

The Little Lifesaver

2Have you ever seen, before your very eyes, a real life little boy, become a real life little hero? Last night, what I witnessed was something truly amazing. My son looking up at me with those sparkling and inquisitive hazel eyes. His eyebrows raised real high like kids do when they are excited about learning.  He was coloring at the counter while I was washing dishes and he asked if I had remembered to go get a product called Sunbutter, a peanut-butter substitute that is made from sunflower seeds and is safe for those with a peanut and nut allergies. I almost forgot that I bought it. I said “Oh!”, and ran to the grocery bag on the dining room table and retrieved it like I pulled a bunny out of a hat, “I did get it!” He smiled really big and said, “That’s awesome, Mom! Can we try it?” To which I happily replied, “Absolutely!”

You see, my son is really interested in what I’m doing on this blog. He knows that I’m constantly writing, researching and talking about food allergies. He has been wanting to participate and help me come up with recipes.  He has been particularly interested in the Natalie Giorgi story. I didn’t let him watch the news story, but I did tell him, in terms that were honest, what happened to her. It sparked a conversation about his own diligence in food inspection.

He has been a bit scared about it. He has asked if he will die from his food allergies (gluten and dairy). We told him that it is unlikely from the gluten and dairy, but that he really has to be careful about exposure anyway, because – and I had to be honest – the body will react stronger each time. That is how an allergy works. The body sees it as an invasion and it sends in more of its “troops” to fight it with each exposure.

It is fact and important for him to know. It is a conversation that was not fun to have with him but I believe that gentle honesty and a very thorough explanation of strategies that he can use to protect himself eased his anxiety about it.

After answering a lot of questions about Natalie and other food allergies, he mentioned that he has a girl in class that has a peanut allergy and that he really wants to protect her. My darling talkative seven-year old even began lecturing me to make sure I don’t ever put anything in his lunch with peanuts or peanut butter so that she doesn’t get hurt, All I could say was, “Baby, you know who you are talking to, right?” He said, “I know Mom, I just want to make sure.” I smiled at him in pride. He was right. After all, I taught him to double check on adults -even me – and applauded him for doing so.

All of that said,  he was anxious and excited to try the Sunbutter.  As I toasted the gluten-free bread, and carefully swiped a very thin layer (with a generous helping of grape jelly to help mask any weird flavor there might be), I was worried that he was going to hate it. I really wanted this to work out.

Lo and behold, we were pleasantly surprised and impressed that there was virtually no difference in flavor from real peanut butter. My son wasn’t just excited about the flavor, he was excited that he found something that protects his friend. I am inspired by my son’s curiosity and compassion. I’m also wondering how scary it must be for him, and other kids, to hear the story of Natalie Giorgi. She was a girl, diligent in her own care, trying to live her life like any other kid. One bite of of a rice krispie treat in the dark at a camp potluck event (not knowing the cook had put peanut butter on the bottom of these treats), three EpiPen treatments,  and less than an hour later, she was dead.

This story has struck a nerve in our household as much as the Sandy Hook Elementary event did. For Natalie and her parents, there was no room for error. None. And the world has done nothing to help them avoid that error. Peanuts have not been banned. Schools still allow peanuts on the property. If you think about it, peanuts are everywhere and in thousands of things. And despite these news stories, people will still do what that cook did.

They say  that charity begins at home. Do we really have to have peanuts and peanut butter in our life? What if something I make kills somebody’s kid? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to carry the knowledge that my cooking/baking killed someone. What if we could all honor Natalie and remove peanuts and peanut butter? This is America. We can be a country of people that can make progress. We can also be a country of people who live in blissful ignorance and throw tantrums when we have to be inconvenienced by others’ needs.  What kind of reputation do we want? How inconvenient would it be to use Sunbutter instead of peanut butter? Or just forgo the culinary need for the peanut? To the parents of the peanut and treenut allergic children, this small inconvenience would hold the same value as jumping into a whitewater river to save their child. Alternatively, serving the allergen would be the equivalent of pushing them into it, just to see what happens. Which would you rather do?

My son’s request for me to make a safe sandwich to protect his friend’s life demonstrates so much compassion and thoughtfulness to the value of life of others. It means he would rather save her life than harm her. And that makes me proud.

Would You Like Green Eggs and Ham? Or Eggless Please, and Thank You, Ma’am?

green eggs and ham 2“Oh no, I won’t have those!” said the little boy at last night’s table.

And I replied, “Resist these eggs? You won’t be able!”

Okay, I didn’t really say that. And so the story of last night’s dinner really went like this:

My son thought it was really nifty and different to have green eggs and ham for dinner, just like in the famous Dr. Seuss story – except these are not fried eggs and the ham isn’t green. But the idea was a brilliant froggy green dish. I suppose you could do all kinds of themes with this. Forest grass with broccoli trees and the like. I’m sure I’m not the first person to come up with this but, regardless, it’s still quite unusual and fun. The eggs, greened up with a puree of spinach, herbs, onion and garlic, was perfect for a natural effect – and flavor. All in all: a big hit!

Follow it up with a read of the story using your best silly voices. Aren’t food and stories fun?

Green Eggs and Ham….. and Cheesy Rice

Note: This CAN be made for the egg allergenic. If there are no soy allergies, use silken tofu in place of the eggs. If you need to avoid soy and eggs, follow the recipe for quiche on the Ener-G egg replacer product website http://www.ener-g.com/recipes/node/435 and mix in the spinach/herb mixture to make it green.

Start cooking your rice:

In a large saucepot, add 4 cups of allergen-free chicken or vegan broth

When it boils, add 2 cups of dry white long grain rice, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.

When finished, stir in 1/2 cup of Earth Balance non-dairy margarine and 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast and a little salt for flavor.

During the cooking of rice, cook your slices of ham until they are browned the way you like.

In a small food processor, puree 2 cups of baby spinach and 1/4 cup of basil (or mixture of your favorite fresh herbs).

Add 1/4 of a yellow or white onion and 2 cloves of garlic.

Add 1 Tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning.

Process all of it together with a little olive oil and mix into your eggs or egg substitute mixture. Make your eggs as you please (making sure you use an oil that is free of allergens).

Serve all together and Enjoy!

Fresh Basil-Mint-Rosemary Bruschetta

Fresh Basil-Mint BruschettaThis collection of ripe sweet tomatoes and fresh herbs were lovingly shared with us by one of the dearest couples we know. I wanted to honor their friendship by creating a recipe that incorporates everything that they are always giving us from their garden, as well as their constant love and care.

Bruschetta is a dish I love to make with gifts from the garden as it always reminds me of bonding with those close to me. A very close Italian friend taught me that bruschetta is not just a nosh, but an experience. A few years ago, my son and I visited her in her hometown in Pennsylvania and she showed me how to make it the way she does and to have it anytime you want it (not just when presented with it at a restaurant).

She taught me bang it up a little, to use the wooden spoon to press the tomatoes while adding salt and herbs to draw out their juices.  When the bruschetta was finished, she told me that it’s best when it’s in a big bowl to share, accompanied by a large loaf to of bread. She clearly loved it and ate it at least once a week or more. She had such a big smile and couldn’t wait to share it with me. We sat down on the couch and we broke bread together, hovering our faces over our napkins on the coffee table. We laughed, scooped up luscious tomatoes, and dunking our uneven portions of bread into the big bowl of salty, herby tomato juice. We ate and bonded like sisters. That’s how I remember bruschetta and that’s how I also feel about our friends that just gave us these beautiful tomatoes and herbs from their garden.

Last night, to take the bonding of bruschetta even further, my son and I worked on it together. He had so  much fun stirring and cracking sea salt and adding olive oil. He would smell the fresh herbs and we would relish in their aroma. We really had a great time together. After I tucked him in bed, my fiance and I shared the rest of it while watching our favorite show. So fun!

Every time I make this simple dish, it ends up being an experience in friendship, love and bonding. And the list of moments over bruschetta keep growing.

So, a heartfelt thanks to “K2”. Here is a recipe dedicated to you, my dears! 🙂

Fresh Basil-Mint-Rosemary Bruschetta

To be made free-form, with no exact measurements, adjust exactly to your liking.

In a bowl full of tomatoes of any sort, (which have been cut up into bite-sized pieces) add:

1. A generous amount of fresh basil, cut into small ribbons

2. Some fresh mint (about half of the amount of basil you added), cut into small ribbons

3. And just a little bit of fresh rosemary, minced (taste and add more if you like. Careful, rosemary is strong)

4. Then add olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice (about 1-2 Tablespoons)

5. Stir and crush. Add little water if you want more juices for dunking.

Serve with your favorite gluten-free bread. Toasted or not toasted. Enjoy!

Vegan Soy-Free Marshmallow Recipe

Credit for this goes to inhabitots.com So glad to have found this recipe and wanted to share it with you.

I needed to find this because I’ve got my first Nashville cake request (very exciting :-D) and my client wants the cakes to be vegan. Sticking with my mission as a baker that avoids all of the 8-common allergens – while making sure it is also vegan –  is a challenge I’m a bit excited about. The design I suggested calls for marshmallows and she loves it. Marshmallows are generally allergen-free but the gelatin in them makes them not vegan, as gelatin is sourced from animals.

The first thing I did was look at  the available manufactured vegan marshmallows. Unfortunately, the vegan marshmallows I can buy where available have soy protein isolate, which is of the 8-common allergens I want to avoid in all of my baking. Further cyber search led me to vegan marshmallow recipes that also call for soy. Finally, after some more specific search requests, I found this. I am going to try it. Let me know if you also try it, and what are your results. Enjoy!

Vegan Soy-Free Marshmallow Recipe

What If The Next Great Pandemic Comes From Within?

Milk or Bleach? To his body, there isn't a difference.
Milk or Bleach? To his body, there isn’t a difference.

Milk or Bleach? To his body, there isn’t a difference. We need a fundamental shift in public attitude to protect our kids and find a cure for food allergies.

As of this writing, August 2013, the consensus is that an average of 2 kids per each classroom in the nation suffers one or multiple food allergies (See: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db10.htm) It is also considered to be a genetic inheritance. Also consider that when something is “on the rise,” it is because we have become better at diagnosing it. Years ago, someone might have said “milk doesn’t sit well with me” and they’d just avoid it. Today, people say “I have a confirmed milk allergy and must avoid it.” So, part of the increasing numbers is due to a more frequent diagnosis.

HOWEVER, what is new, and increasing, is the severity and toxicity of food allergy reactions. Not long ago, it was unheard of to hear of someone dying from ingesting commonly safe food. In the case of my own family history, my Dad had a hard time digesting something, although he doesn’t really know what it was. He said he felt nauseated every day from about age 5 to age 9 and then outgrew it. We will never know what caused his nausea and occasional vomiting, though I’m told he drank milk in abundance. It was also unpasteurized raw milk from the family farm. My maternal Aunt is also mildly lactose intolerant. I ended up with a similar bout of nausea as a kid as my Dad did, but it was off and on. At age 21, my morning cereal was causing me to have heartburn so bad that I could not function. As I told my doctor, “if there were such a thing as digesting razor blades, this would be what it feels like.” So, I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance but still can digest yogurt and cheese. My child had formula and I put him on regular milk as a toddler and he was fine with the exception of severe eczema that I just could not control. His pediatrician told me he would outgrow it, and he did, about the time he started complaining of belly aches at about age 5. It took a while to figure out that he had become allergic to dairy, as well as developing a severe gluten intolerance. He absolutely cannot have a drop of anything dairy or gluten without projectile vomiting for 8 hours straight and suffering severe intestinal damage that takes months to repair.

How did this get to be so severe? I let him play in dirt. I wasn’t super-sanitary. How did this happen?

I am not a scientist, and I only know what the average person knows about genetics, but now I want to learn everything there is to know about it. So much so, that I want to become a dietitian and then go to medical school with a focus on food allergy research. I need to know so much more. I wonder if the food allergy gene is going to be dominant like the brown eyes gene. I wonder if there is a gene therapy that could cure this. I wonder if it is true that food allergies are more prevalent in colder metro areas, and if so, why?

What is clear to me is the fact that we evolve and that we pass things down. So, right now, 1 in 13 children have a food allergy. What does that mean for the next generation? We can only speculate as to what will happen.

What if the children now end up having children with allergies that increase the list from “the 8 common allergens” to “20 common allergens” that cause a severe reaction? And of the 8 common allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish)  that are harsh/severe in this generation, what of those will become the next life-threateningly sensitive allergen like the peanut allergen is today? Will my grandchildren die if they accidentally ingest milk powder in something that an adult thought “a little will be okay”?

Did you know that there is such a thing as being allergic to water? It’s true. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquagenic_pruritus

Will we die off way before the supernova because humans become increasingly allergic to the very substance that their body is composed of? Does it sound far-fetched? Maybe, but I’m sure that dying from ingesting peanuts also sounded far-fetched to our great-grandparents.

We can’t deny that it is getting worse. We need a cure now like we needed one for polio.

As for the medical research, there is still a long way to go. So far, they have only been partially successful with exposure therapy and it doesn’t always work. And the children right now are the guinea pigs. As I write this, there are children sitting on doctors’ office beds getting drops of their allergen and waiting to react so that scientists can learn from them. Those children are BRAVE! They really ARE a legacy for the future and don’t even know it.

Tell an adult to sit on a doctors’ office bed and take a few drops of Ipecac each day to try to build a tolerance or immunity to it. I know that, personally, I’d be seriously loathe to do it. I don’t like feeling bad on purpose so that someone can use me as research.

Any advances we make in food allergies now are because of these kids. I like to call them little soldiers, courageously being walked into a medical research office by the hand of their parent, taking proverbial food bullets to help save the next generation. Amazing.

In my opinion, using a child as a test subject is already a serious ethical and moral issue. And if food allergies continue to become more and more severe in the generations to come, it will be criminal to test children.  Give the child a drop of milk and have an epi-pen ready? What if the epi-pen doesn’t work and he/she dies? Just last week, if you haven’t already seen the news article, died last week after three epi-pen doses. See: http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/31/health/california-peanut-allergy-death/index.html?iref=allsearch I am so sad for her parents and cannot imagine the grief they are suffering. My heart goes out to them. I can only hope her life can be honored with a public attitude that aims to take the issue of food allergies more seriously than they do now.

Everyone on this planet needs to start taking this more seriously, not just the ones who suffer. This is why we get upset when previous generations dismiss a food allergy as paranoia culture of my generation. We need to help them understand that we are not trying to be a pain, we are protecting lives. Yes, previous generations outgrew their food intolerances, and yes, those of us in the X Generation outgrew some of it too, but not easily. But now our children are dealing with a level of it for which the world isn’t prepared.

The super bug is something we all worry about, and rightly so, but the food allergy pandemic – the kind that kills, the kind that no epi-pen treatment will cure – could become a reality.

The best way to address this issue right now has to start with a change in public attitude. Everyone needs to know about the new severity and toxicity of food allergies, not just the people who are dealing with it. Teachers, care providers, family and friends all need to know how and why this can’t be taken lightly anymore. Our culture needs to stop dismissing people with food allergies. Even doctors need to start suspecting food allergies more in their diagnostic process when a patient isn’t responding to standard therapies. There has to be an overall acceptance that this is a real problem.

Beyond a fundamental change in public attitude, friends and family can read more information so that they can enter into conversations about food allergies with intelligence instead of an arsenal of myths about it. A great place to go for this information an organization called FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) at http://www.foodallergy.org. They have articles and webinars that even address the issues of food allergy bullying, a thing that kids do when they sneak an allergen into their allergic classmate’s meal to see what will happen.

I am looking forward to a time when understanding and compassion become more common than skepticism and dismissive attitudes. It is among the most important steps right now to keeping our kids safe.

The good news is that it’s finally being taken seriously by our lawmakers. Yesterday, the FDA mandated that products will have to be tested as being no more than 20 ppm to be claimed as gluten-free. This means that an establishment won’t be able to say a product is gluten-free without being diligent about cross-contamination. More work needs to be done, but it’s good to see that a more helpful and compassionate attitude is going to be required.  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/02/fda-gluten-free-labeling-rules/2610841/