0 Recipe: Sandwich Cookies, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free

Finished sandwich cookie of goodness

So I got it into my head that I wanted to make an Allergic Girl friendly Whoopie Pie for my birthday. I don’t think I’ve ever had a whoopie pie growing up (my mom’s confirms, we didn’t have them in the house); moon pies at camp yes, with marshmallow filling and graham cracker, enrobed in chocolate, but whoopie pie, nope. 

The last few years I (or Brooklyn Allergy Mom) made safe for me birthday cake that was chocolate cake with white icing, which is my favorite flavor combo. I use King Arthur Gluten-free Chocolate Cake Mix and this dairy-free buttercream recipe.

This year I thought, let me try a whoopie pie. I looked up on Google who was making them gluten-free and nut-free and I also wanted to use a mix that was safe for me like  King Arthur Gluten-free Chocolate Cake Mix or Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Devil's Food Cake Mix.

I found this GF Whoopie Pie recipe online. It’s based on Cake Mix Doctor Bake Gluten-Free's recipe, whose book I really liked and I reviewed here. When I looked at the original recipe  in Anne Byrn’s book, it had way more ingredients and steps. As this GF Whoopie Pie recipe looked simpler, I thought I’d try.

The upshot: the finished product was delicious. Several fellow musical improvisers, none with food allergies or dietary needs, all loved and were licking their fingers looking for more.

The cookie is fudgey and cakey, with a dark cocoa taste. It's not overly sickly sweet, which I like, a lot. Even with the filling, it's a great balance of texture and sweetness.

Cooling cookies

The inside the cakey part and the edges have a little crusty texture. A nice mix of textures overall.

Inside view of the cookie

The filling is very soft when made, which is why the top cookie looks like it's sliding off; because it is.

I don't know that cooling the filling once made would help but the filling sets-up and gets firmer once chilled. So there's that.

And I don’t know that I would call it a whoopie pie. Having said this, one of my testers, upon having a bite, said, “What a great whoopie pie!” 

I prefer to think of it a super yummy sandwich cookie. I would make them again. But for my birthday, I'm sticking with cake.

The recipe as written bellow is gluten-free, tree nut free, peanut-free and can easily be made dairy-free. Here is the recipe with my substitutions. 

Enjoy!

***

Recipe, Sandwich Cookies, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free
By Lori Karavolis and Anne Byrn, further adapted by me


Cookies:
1 -15 ounce box GF Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix
2 medium size organic eggs 
5 T melted organic butter (or diary-free substitute)

Filling:
1 C confectioners’ sugar
1/2 C vegetable shortening (I used palm shortening)
1 C marshmallow fluff
1 t vanilla extract
2 T hot water
Pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all cookie ingredients in heavy duty mixing bowl; mix well. It will be dry looking. That's correct, don’t worry. Using a scoop or a teaspoon, shape batter into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

As cookies are cooling, make the filling. Place the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. 

To make sandwich cookies, spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie. Top with a second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Chill to set as they will be sloopy.

Yield: 15 Sandwich Cookies

Detail: Recipe: Sandwich Cookies, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free

0 Food Allergy Counseling: Thanksgiving & Your Host

This year, dear friend Heidi, Brooklyn Allergy Mom, kindly invited my mom and I to Thanksgiving at her house. Her daughter has severe food allergies, some that intersect with mine, some that don’t. Add to that Heidi and her husband have food intolerances to different ingredients from their child’s food allergies and each other. And add my mom, who also has food allergies. Oy. That’s a lot of special requests to handle.

Heidi, a food allergy mom through and through, was equal to the task, checking in with me about her ingredients, double checking labels (good thing too, as she found changes) and triple checking with me about my needs.

Independently, I made a “Shadow Thanksgiving” (think Britain's Shadow Cabinet but way less contentious), which included a few things for “leftovers” at my house. These are essential dishes that I love, the way I love them like cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, spice cake, roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Who doesn’t like to have those Thanksgiving goodies around the house for the week?

This turned out to be prescient as Heidi decided to go off book on a recipe, adding an ingredient about which I was unsure. She also wanted to use some gluten-free flour mixes that don't work for me but work for her allergic child.So, having a back-up, or three, allowed Heidi to make the dishes for her allergic child the way she wanted to (easier for Heidi), it allowed me to bring my safe food from home (easier for me) and everyone had what they wanted – win for all.

Heidi wrote it up on her blog this way. So sweet.

For me, the bottom line of my blog post is that:

-The point of getting together is getting together. 

-Food is merely a vehicle for that togetherness. 

-Don’t let food stand in your way. 

If there’s something you can’t eat at the party (or the whole party is off limits): 

-Eat beforehand.

-Bring your own food.

-Talk to the hostess. 

-Or do all three. 

Bottom line: Do whatever you need to do to stay safe and stay social with the least amount of anxiety.

Even the New York Times agrees with me on this point in a recent article called: In theEnd, It’s Not About the Food: "I hope my approach to hosting doesn’t come across as didactic or officious. It’s all intended toward a singular goal: making sure that other people have a good time. I don’t care if you put your elbows on the table. I care only that you are happy."

And this was Heidi’s goal, to ensure that I had the information I needed to make an informed decision about my food allergy needs and what she was cooking and to give me the space, as a gracious hostess, and without judgment, to bring my own food to her spectacular table, if that was my need.

For me, this Thanksgiving was cooking, baking, bringing and eating. And it was lovely. 

PS Heidi, Brooklyn Allergy Mom's turkey was de-lish!

Detail: Food Allergy Counseling: Thanksgiving & Your Host

0 Dairy-Free Buttercream: Video with Rebecca Vigil

If you’ve been reading this blog since last year, you’ll have noticed that I started doing improvisational comedy these last twelve months at The People’s Improv Theater in New York City. It’s expanded my mind and my self in ways I didn’t even know I needed or wanted. I wrote about it here in this post, "Yes And".

Part of my training has been to do musical improv, where you make up an entire musical based on audience suggestion. Thrilling and terrifying all at once and a lot of fun. One night, at The People’s Improv Theater, I saw Rebecca Vigil perform with her improv rock band (yes, totally) and was hooked on what Rebecca Vigil and The Vigilante does. NB some of what she sings about is NSFW nor G-rated but it’s all fun. If you have a chance to catch her group The Vigilante or her part in Broadway’s Next Hit Musical – go go go!

Now, musical improvisational comedy genius Rebecca Vigil has started doing a cooking show on YouTube, with writing by Josh Hurley.

A Cooking Show with Rebecca Vigil

 
I was honored to join her on her show. We made dairy-free buttercream (the recipe is here). But we needed to frost something, so I made cupcakes using King Arthur Gluten-Free chocolate cake mix pictured below.

Offset knife icing the cupcakes

You can see all four of the dairy-free buttercream ingredients to my left, in the picture below. That huge bottle of Tahitian vanilla was sent to me by Nielsen-Massey - thank you for the vanilla love Nielsen-Massey! 

The recipe is so easy, we had to laugh!

 Here we are in-between shots.

Rebecca's hair is like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, no really.

Here’s the finished comedy video, YouTube fun for the whole family. All of the music is by Rebecca Vigil and remember: the recipe is real, the comedy bits are just for fun:


Buttercream + Rebecca + me = allergen-friendly fun!

Detail: Dairy-Free Buttercream: Video with Rebecca Vigil

0 7 Essential Ingredients for French Toast

I don’t make French Toast often but when I do I make sure I have the best essential ingredients I can get. Due to my food allergy and food intolerant needs, everything on the plate is naturally tree-nut free (food allergy), gluten-free (food intolerant) and lactose-free (food intolerant).* Also, six out of the eleven ingredients are organic.

Eggs – I used extra large organic eggs that have eaten vegetarian feed. Yum.

Milk – I use lactose-free organic skim milk when I can, today was two-percent  Lactaid milk (non-organic).

Vanilla – I use Tahitian vanilla from Nielsen-Massey. It doesn’t get better than Nielsen-Massey.

Cinnamon – I also have been know to grate from cinnamon sticks myself, you wouldn’t believe how more fragrant fresh grated cinnamon tastes and smells. This week I used organic cinnamon from Fairway Market.

Maple syrup – I use the darker, richer tasting Grade B maple syrup.

Bread- If I could I’d use day old egg Challah bread (oy, so good). As I’m wheat intolerant, I maintain a wheat-free diet and I use Udi’s Gluten-free white bread.

Ten-inch Frying pan – You need a great pan, the right size and able to take and distribute heat evenly to brown these slices perfectly. I use an Anolon 10-inch Nouvelle Copper skillet, sent to me by the company and I love it. It fits three slices of bread, just the right portion for a Sunday morning lie-in.

Use your favorite French Toast recipe - and happy eating!

*Here's an explanation of the difference between food allergy and food intolerance from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the National Institutes of Health, and WebMD.*

Detail: 7 Essential Ingredients for French Toast

0 Food Bloggers Against Hunger, 2013

Whether it’s dining out in New York City on a weekly basis; buying, making and creating recipes from fresh food staples; or buying allergen-free-for-you processed foods, products many of the food-restricted community rely upon, we as a community typically spend our money where our mouth is, that is, on safe-for-us food.

But what if you, or I, were one of the millions of American families with a medical dietary restriction and living on a government subsidy program like SNAP or WIC, essentially on budget of $4 per day to feed yourself or food allergic child? Could you do it – could I? Could I even get to less than $4.00 per meal? As a social worker, food allergy coach and advocate, I joined Food Bloggers Against Hunger today, April 8, 2013, to blog about hunger in America and food allergies.

Some facts about hunger in America from NoKidHungry.org: "48.8 million Americans—including 16.2 million children— live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis.  Millions of Americans who participate in the nation’s food stamp program are limited to an average of $3 or $4 per person each day to supplement their food budget. Additionally, the government subsidizes products like soy beans, wheat, and corn..." – which for those with food intolerances or food allergies means big trouble.

**

So, I looked at what I eat on a typical day and priced it out using costs found through my most recent bill from Fairway Market (NB: all prices are estimates and my math may be off):

Breakfast total: $1.62
2 organic eggs - $0.66 for two eggs
Organic extra virgin olive oil - $0.05 per teaspoon
2 slices gluten-free bread - $0.91 for two slices

Mid-morning snack total: $2.32
1 cup strawberries - $0.83
3 ounces - blackberries - $1.49

MID-MORNING TOTAL: $3.94

Lunch total: $7.60
½ cup organic cottage cheese - $1.53 per ½ cup serving
½ cup Dole pineapple chunks - $0.63 per ½ cup
12 rice crackers - $0.87 per 12 crackers
Salad:
2 medium carrots  - $0.64
2 bell peppers – $1.25
1 Persian cucumber - $0.69
1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes – $1.99

Teatime total: $0.74
1 T Enjoy Life Foods Mega Chunks - $0.31
1 serving K-Kritters cookies - $0.43

Dinner total: $16.12
6 ounce lamb chops - $9.99
2 T EVOO - $0.32
3 ounces organic fingerling potatoes - $4.32
3 ounces Brussels sprouts  $1.49

DAY TOTAL:  $28.40

I learned, I could not feed myself eating how I currently eat on $4.00 a day; I couldn’t even get past 11:00am.

Here are some posts from Food Allergy Buzz, Food Allergies on a Budget, 5 Dollar Dinners and Food Allergies on About.com about eating food-allergen free on a budget. And here are some ways you can get involved or help:

1. Tell congress Federal nutrition programs are crucial for hungry children

2. Think about becoming a food philanthropist – we need more advocates in the area of specialty dietary needs.

3. For food allergy support group leaders:
- Round up specialty items from your groups to donate to locate food banks (make sure they are marked as allergen-friendly foods)
- Do fund raisers with your food allergy support group for your local food bank
- Ask for donations from your favorite companies to support your local food bank

5. Living Without magazine talked about gluten-free and food banks, they had some great suggestions on how to help: "For additional ways to offer meal assistance to those with special dietary needs, check around your community. Many organizations have food banks. Contact neighborhood churches, your area’s “board for aging” and the WIC program (Women, Infants, Children) in your region. See if your local Meals on Wheels program has options for those on special diets."

Helpful links to learn more:
Feeding America - http://feedingamerica.org/
WIC programs - http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic
SNAP programs - http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap
Food pantries: http://www.foodpantries.org/
Meals on Wheels for the elderly - http://www.mowaa.org/

Detail: Food Bloggers Against Hunger, 2013

0 Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking

 
 
Betty Crocker created a gluten-free line of some of their classics last year including cake, brownies, cookie mixes and even  Bisquick. They have now combined those mixes with a book on how to use them and incorporate them into a gluten-free lifestyle. Published by Wiley (also, my book publisher), Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking has 150 recipes, all gluten-free. They sent me a review copy to check out. (On their website they also have a listing of allergen-friendly cookbooks, not just their own, including my faves like Cybele Pascal’s Cookbooks: BettyCrockerStore.com  )
 
What I didn't love about Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking:Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking: uses every allergen but wheat, barely and the major culprits of gluten. There are diary, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanut, fish and shellfish ingredients all throughout Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking. So, if you have a celiac plus multi-allergy or multi-sensitivity household, Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking may not for you. Or if you want to be gluten-free but have severe allergies to any of those ingredients you will be making many substitutions and there is no way to know how the recipes may turn out as they don’t provide for substitutions.
 
The recipes in Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking call for gluten-free items to be added (like yogurt or deli meats) but have no listing of where to get those items or what substitutions are safe (many specialty cookbooks provide lists of safe flours and purveyor, for example). For new gluten-free cooks, this will pose an issue and may cause some unintentional gluten-free mistakes.

What I have mixed feelings about in Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking i.e. I see this as a con and a pro:
The Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking recipes use a lot of American processed foods and convenience foods. Those foods are usually high in sugar, salt and fats.  However, Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking also gives the nutritional information so you can make an educated choice for you and your family about each meal plan and how much sugar, fat and salt intake you are consuming
 
The recipes in Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking remind me of a baking or cookbook from the 1950s e.g. sloppy joe pie.  As I've never had tuna casserole or sloppy joe I don't know how these recipes stack up but I can say it seems the trend has turned to healthier choices. So, if you're a eating a classic bake, Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking has updated these classics adding the nutritional information per serving added as well as making them gluten-free.
 
The good news about Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking:
The information about celiac disease is correct which is not always the case with GF baking or cooking books.
 
The recipes use both homemade flour mixes (the recipes for which they give but again no hint of which flour purveyor is safe) and Betty Crocker brand prepared mixes which gives the reader more flexibility.
 
The recipes that use the pre-made Betty Crocker brand mixes look easy (NB: I haven’t yet tried them).
 
For a newly diagnosed celiac or gluten intolerant person, Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking has lots of easy dishes both sweet and savory, appetizers and entrees that you can whip up in no time using both processed foods and fresh produce.
 
Upshot on Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking: 
There is no one book that is perfect for everyone. But the more books out there, the better for anyone who has celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten intolerance. Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking will be helpful to many in the GF community who are newly diagnosed, teens just learning to bake, cook and experiment or extended family members just learning how to bake yummy GF treats for loved one.
 
As for me, I've flagged three new recipes to make for my next dinner party: snickerdoodles, coffee cake and whoopie pie cake. And I'm betting, given the quality of the Betty Crocker mixes, they won't know the difference.

Detail: Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking

0 Kumquat Marmalade

I was in my favorite market, Fairway, and there were stacked containers of kumquats by the entryway. Without thinking I picked one up and announced to myself: I’m going to make kumquat marmalade. Have I ever made marmalade before? Nope. But the kumquats were just too pretty to pass up. And I love marmalade.

So this Sunday, I did a quick Google search for how to make marmalade knowing that I didn’t want to officially can it, I wanted something easy and straightforward with few ingredients and I had a hunch I wouldn’t need pectin. I found a  simple recipe that I adapted from Recipe Girl.

***
Here's Recipe Girl's recipe for kumquat marmalade
Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 40 min Cook Time: 16 min
An easy, microwave recipe for Kumquat Marmalade. This recipe will keep for two months in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
1 pound kumquats (more or less)
1 medium orange, peeled- white pith removed, and chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar (more or less)
1/2 medium (2 Tablespoons) lemon, squeezed

directions:
1. Rinse kumquats and remove any stems. Slice the ends off of each kumquat & discard.

2. Cut each kumquat in half and carefully cut out white pith and seeds; discard.

3. Chop halved kumquats & pulp coarsely; place into a food processor along with the chopped orange. Pulse until kumquats are chopped more finely and somewhat liquefied.

4. Measure the mixture at this point and pour it into a bowl. Add equal amounts of sugar to the kumquat mixture (ie. 2 cups of kumquat mixture will need 2 cups of sugar). Mix in sugar and add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.

5. Microwave on high (uncovered) for 6 minutes, giving the mixture a chance to boil.

6. Stir, and continue to microwave in 2 minute bursts (stirring after each burst) for a total of 10 minutes.

7. Remove from microwave, stir and let cool at room temperature. The marmalade will thicken as it cools.

8. Keep marmalade in an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 2 months. Freeze for up to 6 months.



***

Here are my Allergic Girl adaptations.
I topped and tailed the kumquats, de-pithed them and then chopped into segments. (I didn’t use a food processor). I put those segments into a container, eyeballed how much they filled the container and then placed them in a large bowl. I then measured sugar in the raw in the same container to the same level, again eyeballing how much. I peeled one navel orange, chopped that into small pieces and add that to the large bowl with the kumquats. I quartered a lemon, ready for squeezing into the mix. Then I added all ingredients to a pot, brought the mixture to a boil and then cooked the slurry on medium heat, stirring often for approximately 30 minutes. It perfectly jelled into a delicious kumquat marmalade!

My Kumquat Lady Marmalade

Detail: Kumquat Marmalade

0 Gluten-Free Cake, Manischewitz

Ingredients for gluten-free Passover cake mix

Gluten-free vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

Gluten-free chocolate cake with chocolate frosting

About a month ago, supermarkets starting putting out their special Passover food section. I happened upon a box of Manischewitz gluten-free yellow cake mix which I quickly snapped up to try. That same week I attended a press event for Manischewitz where I had an opportunity to talk directly with Paul Bensabat, the new owner as of 2004. We discussed the company’s new focus on comfort food, healthy foods and a Moroccan line (he is of Sephardic Jewish ancestry). We also discussed their new gluten-free line. They rolled out a gluten-free chocolate cake as well as vanilla cake for passover. Additionally, they have plans for a honey cake and coffee cake that is GF for Rosh Hashana, which I'm excited about.

Manischewitz is making the gluten-free product line in their facility which is not wheat-free nor gluten-free. According to Paul, they have created strict gluten-free protocols regarding cleaning and manufacturing; in addition, Paul said they are “gluten-free certified” by a third party certifier. However, this certification is not on their packaging yet nor on their website, which is vital for those who need further information. Additionally, their only allergen statement from their Manischewitz health corner website is about nuts and not about wheat nor gluten: "The above products are peanut & nut free and made on a peanut and nut free production line. - Passover cereals are made in a plant that is cleaned for Passover when nuts are not used, but nuts are used in the plant the rest of the year. - Nuts are used in our Passover Macaroons And Cookies." (NB: I called and spoke with Manischewitz's representative directly about these gluten-free issues and getting the necessary information for you. They said the certification would be on the box "next year" but still haven't told me who the certifier was.)



The GF upshot as of now: their GF products may or may not be suitable for your needs depending upon the severity of your allergy or intolerance. If you are wheat sensitive, wheat allergic or celiac, follow up with Manischewitz directly about your gluten-free needs and make a determination at that point.

As for me, Manischewitz  is a brand I’ve used my entire life without tree nut allergy issues, although they routinely manufacture products with nuts (not ones I have eaten though). In terms of the new GF line, as I’m wheat intolerant, it is neither an allergy nor do I have celiac disease, I tried these products and had no issue. But my needs may be very different from yours. So, please follow up with them about your needs.

Product review: I made both of the cakes and they taste like regular Passover cakes, that is non-wheat based cakes. The mix is primarily potato starch based and require the addition of eggs and oil. The cakes as you can see above were light and fluffy with a lovely crumb. The icing goes on in a thin layer which is good because it's pure cocoa and sugar tasting i.e. super sweet. I loved these cakes as did my Passover dinner guests most of whom were not gluten-free; I would buy and serve them again.

Thank you Manischewitz for creating these beauties. Can’t wait to see what rolls out in the fall.

Detail: Gluten-Free Cake, Manischewitz

0 Holiday Planning, Food Allergy

It’s that time of year and I’m hosting Passover. I bought the New American Haggadah by Jonathan Safran Foer and Nathan Englander to use, I'll be leading the seder,  I’ve devised the menu and am cooking fifty percent of the below.

Right now, the menu consists of the below.

Apps:

Gefilte fish

Chicken liver

Entrees:

Brisket

Chicken

Sides:

Tzimmes 

Roasted broccoli
Roasted cauliflower

Matzoh farfel

Dessert:

Gluten-free chocolate and vanilla cakes by Manischewitz

Drinks:

Wine

Juice

Water

There will be allergic girls and boys at the table as well as omnivores. I will make an announcement at the start of dinner, no double dipping, nor taking food with your own fork. I will keep all labels of anything pre-made as well as recipes of everything I make.

For you all, there will be recipes and pictures very soon.

**

Meanwhile, are you hosting this Passover and Easter weekend? Who are your guests? What are you making?

Detail: Holiday Planning, Food Allergy

0 Trying New Foods Safely

I try new foods and new processed foods often, both for myself (my new thing a week plan) and for this blog. Below is a quick thumbnail of my most crucial steps when trying a new food product. Do you have more steps? Please add them in your comments.

First and foremost, know that any processed food product is an eat at your own risk proposition. Even after doing due diligence, accidents can happen, unknown cross contact or even a labeling error. It is always: buyer beware.

The best way to stay safe when trying a new food product is to make sure you understand your food allergy diagnosis, know what you can and cannot eat, know the symptoms of a mild food allergic reaction versus a moderate to severe one, know what to do in case of accidental exposure, have your emergency medication handy and know your allergy action plan.

If you are unsure about what you can or cannot consume, consult with your board certified allergist and/or a registered dietitian who is familiar with your dietary diagnosis so you know exactly how to move forward.

If you have you gotten the go-ahead but still feel unsure, try a new product in the waiting room of your doctor’s office. Call ahead and ask them if this would be okay. Or alternatively, try a new product with a safe friend, one that knows about your needs and knows how to help you in case of an emergency.

Don’t try a new food on a Saturday night at 10pm. That is high traffic time in your local hospital emergency room.

Don’t try a product that you feel unsure about. Whether the label is unclear or there is isn’t a label, never risk it.

Remember: the world of food is large and the allergen-friendly category of treats, baking products and cookbooks is ever expanding. If one thing doesn’t work with your needs, keep looking or searching as there are others like you and there are other products for you to try.

Detail: Trying New Foods Safely

0 Hosting an Allergic Guest, Tips

*UPDATED March 15, 2012*

Another nice idea, ask your allergic guest if they have favorite brands that they like that you can easily purchase to use in your meal like safe pasta, safe bread, safe cookies.

***

Tonight, I’m having a secular Shabbat dinner for 12 and there will be an allergic boy in the house. It’s always interesting to host someone with different allergies. J’s allergic to allergic to yeast, dairy, mushrooms and peanuts. And I will have two Kosher guests as well. Think it’s tricky? No problem for this allergic girl.

Above is my shopping cart (yes, those are Peeps you see on top).

Here’s what I’m making, which is top 8 allergen-free:

Main:
Corned beef – Mosey’s
Cabbage
Potatoes
Carrots

Vegan main plate:
Baked sweet potato
Steamed kale & collard greens
Sauteed lentils

Dessert:
Sloane-made peppermint patties
Strawberries & oranges

And here are my best tips in a quick list for hosting an allergic guest:
·      I asked for his full list of allergies, ahead of time
·      I sent him my menu, ahead of time
·      I made slight adjustments to my menu (I scratched using mustard/wine/vinegar, not needed)
·      Anything that had a label or package, I kept
·      All pots, pans & utensils were given a second wash pre-use
·      All highly touched surfaces will get an antibacterial wipe down (I have dairy in my home)          
·      My allergic guest will get a tour of the kitchen, the ingredients & the meal upon arrival if he likes
·      My allergic guest will be the first served if he likes

***

Do you host allergic girl or boys other than your own? How do you make adjustments?

Detail: Hosting an Allergic Guest, Tips

0 Resources, Allergen-Free Baking Class

What a fun afternoon we had on Saturday, talking, laughing and baking in Brooklyn with me, Heidi, Brooklyn Allergy Mom and new friends!

This event was another example of my motto: Just because you have a restricted diet does not mean you have a restricted life. Including cake!  Here are some of the baking resources we discussed.

Do you have more ingredients sources, books or blogs names to add? Please do!

**

Ingredients suggestions/resources:

Chocolate: Hershey’s cocoa powder, Enjoy Life Chocolate chips
Flours: Maseca, Argo Corn Starch, Sweet Rice Flour, Glutinous Rice Flour, Arrowhead Mills Brown Rice Flour, Authentic Foods flours
Baking Soda: Arm & Hammer
Baking Powder: Davis Baking Powder (Double Acting) gluten-free and peanut-free
Shortening: Spectrum Organic Shortening (Palm)
Non-dairy “milk”: Rice Dream Rice Milk
Red coloring: McCormick Red Food Dye
Vanilla: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract (gluten-free)
Sugar: Domino Sugars (Brown Sugar, White Sugar + Confectioners Sugar)
Gums: Bob's Red Mill Xanthan Gum

Cookbooks:
Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook - Quite simply the source for top eight free baking for home cooks/bakers.
Food52.com - Crowd sources cookbook by expert home cooks. Lovely tome.
Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free - If you want to play with pre-made mixes this is an easy fun book with some allergen substitutions.
Gluten-Free Baking - Chef Coppedge uses almond flour but well constructed recipes for chef students.

Restaurant lists for NYC:
Food allergy friend list by Allergic Girl
Gluten-free friendly list by GFbird

 I frosted these red velvet cupcakes. Can you tell how much I love frosting?

Thanks everyone for participating in this frosted fun!

Detail: Resources, Allergen-Free Baking Class

0 Katz Gluten Free, Powdered Doughtnuts

Courtesy of Katz Gluten Free

Katz Gluten Free is now making doughnuts, powdered ones. They started the roll out during Chanukah as fried foods are traditional to celebrate the miracle of lights and sufganiyot in particular. (Here is a GF sufganiyot recipe from Gluten-Free by The Bay from 2006.)

 

Post-holiday season, Katz Gluten Free is rolling out these beauties as a permanent fixture on their GF canon of goodies. They sent me a sample pack.  I had a sliver just to test, which turned into a Cookie Monster moment. Cake-y, not fried tasting and light (as light as a cake-y based doughnut will be which is not much), it was a delight. Here are the ingredients of the powdered doughnuts from the website: "gluten free flour (white rice, corn starch, tapioca),  water, sugar, eggs, canola oil,  baking powder, xanthan gum,  salt,  confection sugar."

*Nota Bene: Katz Gluten Free also sent me their two other doughnut offerings, custard filled and jelly filled to try. These products didn't have a complete ingredient label on the package nor a complete listing on the website: "custard filling" and "jelly filling" is not enough information. So, I did not test nor can I review those products yet. As per my sampling policy (listed here), I did mention my label concerns to Katz Gluten Free as a problem both for me, individually, and as a blogger, and for the food allergic, food intolerant communities; we cannot eat anything without proper and clear labels. Katz Gluten Free assured me that said they were working to correct the oversight. When that happens, I will happily review.*

All Katz Gluten Free  products are gluten-free, nut free, dairy-free and made in afacility that is free of those items (NOT egg free though). They keep turning out treats that are Kosher and too good! I’d ask the to stop for my waistline’s sake but no, Katz Gluten Free keeps going.  

Thank you, Katz Gluten Free!

Detail: Katz Gluten Free, Powdered Doughtnuts