Life’s a Picnic...

Holidays can be hard for those with food allergies and food sensitivities. Everyone seems to be having a good time while you obsess over the unknowns of what you can and cannot eat. Does the salad dressing have soybean oil? Are the meatballs made with breadcrumbs or cheese? Did that hamburger touch the salmon when they were on the grill together?

A good strategy for dealing with picnics and parties is to be informed. If you know the host or hostess well, you can directly address your concerns beforehand while offering to make a side dish and/or a dessert. Making something similar to what will be served is a good tactic. This way, you wont feel deprived since you CAN have what others are having.

From a buffet, choose foods that are basic, such as a salad that has dressing on the side, or a plain baked potato. If you have problems with wheat or gluten, wrap a burger in a lettuce leaf. This is a popular strategy for people on a low-carbohydrate diet. Remember to avoid mayonnaise if you are allergic to soy or eggs. And always take the opportunity to read a label before putting something on your plate.

Are you going to a picnic or party as a guest and feel awkward about being vocal regarding your food allergies or food sensitivities? Then consider eating a large meal at home and taking snacks with you. Avoiding alcohol can keep you focused and enable you to refrain from making bad choices.

If you have a severe allergy to any food, you should avoid it no matter how socially uncomfortable it may be to ask the questions that will protect your health and, possibly, your life. The consequences are not worth the risk.

Someone with food sensitivities may be willing to take such a risk. In the event that you opt to indulge, then make notes of any symptoms experienced. This knowledge may help you be more diligent in the future. It’s also a good idea to take some digestive enzymes as they may shorten the duration of any symptoms that may occur.

Here are a few picnic- and party-friendly dishes:

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing (click for recipe)

Hummus (click for recipe)

Italian Potato Salad (click for recipe)

Other suggestions that are not shown are Potato Salad (click for recipe,) Italian Salad Dressing (click for recipe,) and Pomegranate Orange Salad Dressing (click for recipe.)

You never know, you may be providing a nibble for some who didn’t want to speak up about their own food allergies or food sensitivities.

Eat well and be well,

Krista

Taste the Rainbow

Food colorings have been used as early as 1901 to enhance the marketability of oleomargarine, which would otherwise be grayish in color. Before the 1950s, food colorings were generally derived from other foods. Red would come from beets or cabbage, green was from chlorophyl, and yellow may have come from a variety of spices, such as turmeric or saffron.


But in the post-war economy, chemical companies were looking for ways to maintain business. They set about attracting the food industry by promising consistent color, lower prices, and longer shelf life. At this time, there was little government oversight. "Safety was determined primarily on the amount of a chemical that was needed to kill 50% of the…” test subject “…animals. The data was then extrapolated to humans for assessing risk.”(1)


Several of the original colors have been “delisted” or removed from commercial use. For example, FD&C Red No. 1 was delisted in 1961 since it was found to cause liver cancer. In 1959, FD&C Yellow No. 3 and 4 were shown to cause both liver and bladder cancers in animal experimentation. (2) Thankfully these and other toxic food colorings are off of the market. 


In 1965, Dr. Ben F. Feingold, a pioneer in the fields of allergies and immunology made a ground breaking discovery.  By removing certain food preservatives and colorings from the diet of an adult patient, not only were her hives cured, but it also affected a vast improvement in her personality disorder.  Currently, the European Union is planning a ban on Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, and Red 3. They are among the food colors associated with hyperactivity. (3)

Recently, I picked up a bag of Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish Colors and was expecting to read a list of Red this and Yellow that. I was pleasantly surprised to find the colors were derived from natural sources like beet juice and turmeric. A good start to change. There is dye-free ibuprofen in the pain relief aisle of the drug store.  And in the baking aisle of the health food store, you may find vegetable-based food coloring, such as those from India Tree. 

I used only two drops of the red in approximately 2 cups of liquid to achieve the color in this Rose Sorbet.

For the Rose Water Sorbet recipe click here.

Finding a happy medium between prepackaged convenience foods and making everything from scratch is possible. Understanding the source and long-term impact of what goes into your body is important to your health and the health of those around you. This link to a list of food additives found at Wikipedia will help you get started. Just remember the computer programer’s acronym “GIGO” - Garbage In, Garbage Out.

Eat well and be well,

Krista

(1) http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/artificial.htm
(2) Deshpande,S.S. The Handbook of Toxicology. New York, Marcel Dekker, 2002, p231
(3) http://www.divinecaroline.com/22177/94738-seven-food-products-banned-europe/2#ixzz1PLHn1HnI

Where the Oven meets the Freezer

I recently went to visit a dear friend who lives in Western Pennsylvania’s Amish country. She fed me well and graciously met the challenge of catering to my family’s food allergies and sensitivities. We got there about a week after the Maple Harvest. Before our arrival, my friend frittered away some fresh maple syrup and maple sugar for my pantry. A trip to the Amish-run grocer was on the agenda. I picked up a jar of apple butter and my friend says, “Ooooh, I see an Apple Brown Betty in your future!” Psychic as she may be, I was not quick enough to put together a recipe before it got too hot to turn on the oven.

Then, it hit me! Why not make an Apple Brown Betty sorbet? Ah, inspiration! After looking up several recipes for ingredients, I decided upon an oatmeal base because of its thickening property. If you are gluten intolerant, please note that in farming practices, oats are rotated with wheat. Cross contamination occurs, so make sure your oats are labeled gluten-free.

The first attempt was good, but not as flavorful as I would like it. The cold of this frozen treat will somewhat numb the taste buds. I added more spices and apple butter on the second attempt. And YUM!

For the Apple Brown Betty Sorbet recipe, click here..

Eat well and be well,

Krista

Evolution of a Chocolate Cake

The evolution started a few years ago. I wanted to celebrate my birthday with a few close friends and decided to introduce them to how one could enjoy food, even with such constraints as making a cake that was wheat/gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free.

After we shared an flavorful meal, it was happy-birthday-to-me time. Everyone knew this was the moment for my culinary expertise to shine. The cake, even without icing, was a hit and they were all amazed at my success.

About six months later, we were going to visit my in-laws and I offered to bring dessert. Trial and error had revealed, that the best way to steer clear of my allergens, was to bring the food which was the biggest temptation, usually dessert. The slightest bump tends to throw me off track and keep me there for quite some time.

That day, there was a surprise guest: a sweet little cutie of an eight-year-old girl. We were fast friends. She had an intelligent wit and most lyrical little laugh. Now my cake was going to have to pass the kid test. At dessert time, her eyes were fixed on the cake. She took her first bite and with the most pitiful look on her face stated, “This is the worst chocolate cake ever.” Stunned and yet relieved by her honesty, I was interested in what she had to say about her experience. She wouldn’t just encourage me because she wanted me to succeed, she would tell the truth. Unfortunately, the adults quietly shushed her. My next bite was taken critically; as someone who had a choice of eating the real deal.

I noticed that the texture was gritty. The taste was a bit bitter. As far as consistency goes, it was undercooked in the middle and overcooked at the edges. I was slightly discouraged and the next time I needed to bake for a crowd, I used a chocolate cake mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen.

It was convenient. I liked that it only made one 9” round layer. This way there wasn’t going to be so much leftover sitting around the house calling out my name in the middle of the night. It baked easily, I cut it in half, iced, and layered it. But in the end, there was something about it that didn’t agree with me.

I don’t tolerate sugar so well. It doesn’t matter if it’s cane juice, cane sugar, brown sugar, etc. It’s just not for me. And usually when I’m cooking for my family, I need to take my father-in-law’s diabetes into consideration. Agave syrup, maple syrup and honey are my sweeteners of choice. I didn’t know it then, but now I know that xanthan gum, which was in the mix, is usually derived from corn. And I don’t tolerate that well either. But if you don’t have a problem with sugar or corn, then read no further and go out buy yourself a Cherrybrook Kitchen cake mix.

Back to the evolution. For a while, I just did without. Then, like it does, my birthday came around again. Since the previous year, I had learned some tricks for allergen-free baking. The most valuable lesson being that small portions are best. I decided to try again with cupcakes.

I’d like to say this attempt was successful, but that is not true. It took one more try with a few small adjustments and I finally came up with something even the harshest critics can enjoy.

So moist, light, and fluffy.

I hope you enjoy it too!

For the Chocolate Cupcake recipe, click here.

Eat well and be well,

Krista

Screaming for Joy!

Although I couldn’t mix up a quick sorbet in the food processor the same way one can with a Vitamix, I ended up getting great tasting results by refrigerating my concoction over night, then churning it in an ice cream maker.

Out of the refrigerator for a quick stir to break down the gelatinous texture provided by the arrowroot starch. Churn, scoop, garnish,

and savor! You can freeze the left overs. Just thaw slightly before serving.

Click here for the Orange Chocolate Sorbet recipe.

Be well,

Krista

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream Because We Can't Eat Ice Cream!

One of the disappointments of discovering food allergies and sensitivities later in life, for me, has been that I've been introduced to many delicious foods that have had a negative impact on my health. Yet, the desire for them, still remains. Of course, the best thing about discovering food allergies later in life is that I rid myself of life-long health problems and, so, comparitively, I feel as though I'm getting younger.

But I digress. Back to ICE CREAM! What an integral part of life it is as Memorial Day approaches. I grew up with a local dairy bar which had a miniture golf course. Opening was always Memorial Day weekend. It was a family ritual, sometimes with grandparents, to play a round of golf and indulge in a dip of flavors like Teaberry or Butterscotch.

These types of rituals keep the impact of foods allergies and sensitivities closely tied to happy occasions in life thereby associating postive emotions with negative physical responses. Breaking these connections will vastly contribute to better health in mind, body, and spirit.

Yes, yes, back to ice cream. Now we are presented with an opportunity to repattern responses by having new happy memories associated with foods that keep the immune system from going haywire.

I know, I'm digressing again. But this weekend, there was a demo for the VitaMix 5200 in the grocery store. Wanting that to be my next kitchen appliance, but not having the cash on hand to invest in it, I decided to try an adapted ice cream recipe in my Waring professional-grade food processor. It made sense to me since it has the same horsepower motor.

I peeled an orange with a knife, reserving 1/3 of the peel while trying to retain much of the inner white pith. The pith is high in bioflavonoids and helps aid the absorbtion of vitamin C, a crucial combination for recovering health.

In to the food processor went the orange, the peel, cocoa, agave syrup, vanilla powder, arrow root starch, salt...

...and ice, just like the VitaMix recipes.

Unfortunately, regardless of having the same horsepower engines, all the ice melted. I think there has to be some different blade configuration.

But not to worry, I have an ice cream maker bowl in the freezer now and will attempt to churn it into something yummy tomorrow. If it works, I'll post the measurements. If not, I'll keep trying for summer is just around the corner!

Addendum: read Screaming for Joy! for the tale of the success click here for the recipe of Orange Chocolate Sorbet.

Be well,

Krista

Food Stylin'

For a few years, I've bee trying to write a cookbook benefiting people with multiple food allergies and sensitivities. I’ve crafted and recorded many recipes with something new always brewing in the back of my mind.

This past winter, I started doing some research into what it would take to actually publish and publicize a book. Thankfully, I live in an area where I have access to an excellent public library system and was able to borrow 6 different books to read on the subject. Amazingly, unless you are already an established and lucrative writer, you need to finance everything yourself; including promotion. To me, that seemed a bit backwards. I decided to share my recipes and knowledge of health and well-being with everyone on the internet.

Photographing food is very new to me. I have an acquaintance who changed her career many years ago to become a food stylist. She started by going to James Beard School of Cooking every evening after work as well as weekends to learn how to cook and plate food. If it wasn't for a crossing of paths with this very creative woman, I would have no idea about food styling. Fortunately I now know and my library had several good books.

Here are some of my attempts today to capture a thousand words to describe the essence of my allergen-free, avocado-based, delicious chocolate pudding (click for recipe.)

Too lonely :(

Yes, that's right, I'm an avocado disguised as chocolate pudding.

Go ahead, dig in!

mmmm, all gone!

I'm not quite sure which picture I'll go with for the final post on my website. Let me know your opinion. AND, in the end, if I’m not satisfied with any of them, I'll just have to try again. I'm sure I can find some volunteer to enjoy every spoonful!

Be well,

Krista