The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook

2010-01-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

THIS BLOG IS NO LONGER ACTIVE! FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT MY NEW WEBSITE AT

www.cybelepascal.com

Thanks, and see you there!

Cybele

2008-12-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

Would anyone with a gluten or casein sensitivity like to participate in the following survey? It's from a grad student at UNH. They are working on developing a product that tests for the presence of gluten or casein in foods. You must be allergic or sensitive to at least one of these proteins to participate in the survey. Here is the email from the student, Mark Moccia. Link below.

"We have moved into the concept phase and have come up with 2 possible product concepts. Please note we have not developed these products, these are just screenshots and associated information. To that end, we would like to gather feedback on the feasbility of the products in question. Would you be willing to assist us again with a survey on the concepts? This survey can be accessed at the following link:

www.mbaclass.net
Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Mark"

2008-10-09T09:56:00.001-07:00

Hi.

I was asked by an anonymous to come up with a recipe for frosting one cupcake. Here is a simple Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe for 1 cupcake.

Allergen-free Frosting for One

1 Tablespoon dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon rice milk
1/8th teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat until fluffy. Frost one cupcake. Voila!

Alternately, you can buy frosting from Cherrybrook Kitchen to have on hand at all times. I haven't tried these, but they sure look cute.

http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/products/frosting.php

2008-09-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall Everyone!

Today, my kids started school. And along with KFA, I'd like to remind everyone to make sure that their kids' EpiPens are up to date.

I also just came across a really cool site that sells what are called "allernotes",

which are notes that you can stick to your kids' lunch box, or give to a waiter announcing your food allergy, which they can then stick on the menu ticket for the chef. Here's the link.

http://www.allernotes.com/index.html

And I want to tell you about a new line of Teriyaki Sauces that I am pretty excited about. SEAL SAMA. They are all natural, and they even have a Gluten-free sauce, which is hard to find. (Please note, however, that these sauces contain soy). They are not too salty, and use pineapple juice to enhance the sweet tart flavor. In addition to the "Gluten-free" sauce and the "Chef's Blend", there is also a "Less Sodium" sauce and a "Sugar-free" sauce made with splenda. I like these sauces for there simplicity. They are light, fresh, and
easy to use. Either marinate, or use them for dipping. Hope you enjoy!

Next up:

I have a holiday cookie spread coming out in the December issue of Living Without, and I can finally tell you all that my next book will be available in December 2009. It is an allergen-free baking cookbook, and will be published by 10 Speed Press/Celestial Arts. Regretfully, the follow up to the Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook will have to wait a little while longer. But that's coming too!

kind regards,

Cybele

2008-07-10T12:22:00.001-07:00

ALLERGY FREE BANANA BREAD

Wheat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Peanut-free, Tree Nut-free, Sesame-free, and of course, Shellfish-free and Fish-free... It's also VEGAN and free of refined sugar. Please note that this recipe is NOT Gluten-free. For gluten-free baked goods, you must wait for my next cookbook (which I am busily baking up delicious new recipes for).

So I'm back. Back with a few updates. Most importantly, I'm back to right a wrong.

It has been brought to my attention that the oat flour/barley flour version of my Banana Bread recipe on p.22 in The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook doesn't work. So I tried it, and lo and behold, I am mortified to report that it's true. It doesn't work without the spelt flour. It's a big ol' mess. I don't know how this happened, I think there may have been a misprint, or maybe I just didn't test it enough... However, now that it's been brought to my attention, I've rectified the error. Below is the new and improved recipe. It works. It's delectable. Phew, I can sleep again at night!

REVISED RECIPE FOR BANANA BREAD FROM THE WHOLE FOODS ALLERGY COOKBOOK

ALLERGY-FREE VEGAN BANANA BREAD
Makes about 8 servings

1 cup oat flour
1 cup barley flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup honey
3 ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/2 cups)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (nutmeg is not a nut)
3/4 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine oat flour, barley flour, amaranth flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer set on medium, combine canola oil, and honey. Add bananas, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Once thoroughly mixed, add flax seed meal, then raisins.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, and mix until just combined.
5. Grease a loaf pan, sprinkle with a little flour, tapping out the extra. Transfer batter to loaf pan.
6. Bake in center of oven 45 minutes, rotating once halfway through until golden brown on top.
7. Let cool in pan about 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack. Let rest at least half an hour before slicing.

YUM!

And on other fronts, several people have asked me about allergy-free and gluten-free restaurants and dining. For those of you who don't already know of it, I recently reviewed a GF dining guide published by Triumph that was quite good. http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Gluten-Free-Restaurant-Guide-3rd/dp/0977611124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215719977&sr=1-1And then there's always Let's Eat Out http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Eat-Out-Passport-Allergy/dp/0976484501/ref=pd_ts_b_25?ie=UTF8&s=bookshttp://www.amazon.com/Essential-Gluten-Free-Restaurant-Guide-3rd/dp/0977611124/ref=pd_cp_b_3?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0976484501&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1DJ229Q61D85HKBWWZJG

Come back soon for the long awaited review of The Allergy Grocer's NEW SOFT BAKED PRETZELS!!! And forgive me for the long delay in posting... I've been out of the country, and then I moved. Packing, unpacking, you all know the drill.

Happy summmer!

Be well,

Cybele

2008-02-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

FOOD ALLERGY DRAMA

No, I'm not dead. Just busy. I have considered leaving a message saying there will be no more posts until I publish my next book, but I can't quite commit to that yet. First, Miss Roben's is sending me some fabulous new allergen-free, gluten-free product samples to review, so look back for that soon. Second, I'll be attending Expo West next month, so expect some breaking news on upcoming allergen-free products to be expected on store shelves in the coming year. Speaking of which, does ANYBODY like the GF mixes from Whole Foods? I think they are awful!!!!! They ought to be ashamed of their supposed "Whole Foods" selves. Made with WHITE RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, and POTATO STARCH (ummm, hello, WHITE, NON-WHOLE FOOD STARCH!!) these mixes are closer to a twinkie than a whole food (and nowhere near as good, I might add).

But on to the drama....

There has been A LOT OF DRAMA in the world of Food Allergies in the past few months. First, FAAN founders are stepping down, which is kind of a huge deal. Kind of like a whole new administration is coming in to rule our allergy country. Second, The NY TIMES ran an inflammatory article about Robyn O'Brien (founder of AllergyKids)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/dining/09alle.html?emc=eta1

and the community has responded with furor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/dining/16lett-WARONALLERGI_LETTERS.html?ref=dining

Additionally, Meredith Broussard wrote a flippant article, which has stirred up a commotion. The best response I've seen so far is posted below.

Published January 19, 2008 09:37 pm

GUERILLA MOTHERING: I'm allergic to semi-humorist attacking serious subject

By LESLEA HARMON
Local Columnist

Someone is attacking my kid, saying his food allergies are exaggerated. My first response is to fire back, and I do, in my own way — I write about it on my blog. I write about it also in a letter — the most scathing, insightful, soul-piercing prose ever composed by a sentient being on the topic of food allergies. I don’t finish the letter, though. I know there’s something more important I have to do first: take stock.

1.) There’s my son. I look at my boy, one of three children I would give my very life to defend. At age 6, he’s impudent, spunky, serious, and goofy in equal parts-but he’s a kid, so get off his back, already and let him be, right? Don’t go after his medical frailties, or any other weaknesses. He’s not ready.

2.) There’s the trouble-maker. I recently read an article implying that food allergies don’t exist. That the “few people” who do have them will easily outgrow them, and that all the hysteria surrounding food allergies is a marketing ploy put together by the corporate cronies who make drugs and fund research.

3.) There’s my quandary. Now I’m at odds. I fear the sinister manipulation of The Man, but I love my peanut-allergic kidlet with all my heart and don’t want to play Russian Roulette with his health.

4.) There’s no easy answer. Do I fight for my kids health, sanity, and safety by rejecting the corporate brainwashing some magazine article is telling me that I’ve been eating all these years? Or do I stick by what I know is true: I have seen my son — with my own eyes — swell up, develop hives, rashes, experience intestinal problems, and a lot of other disturbing symptoms that together are known as anaphylaxis.

Some writers enjoy just shooting from the hip, blathering out their opinions and being humbly corrected later by the powers that be — if anyone cares enough to respond. It allows them to go way out onto the fringe, to elicit powerful responses from sensational verbal imagery. It’s powerful, I know. I used to be that kind of writer. It’s thrilling.

Nowadays, I prefer to research my arguments before I make them. I like the power and weight of a solid argument before I slam it down on the table for discussion. I’m not afraid of being a drama mama when the need arises, but more than that, I just like to be right. So I started my research by looking up the author of this inciting bit of news. Was this article even written by a credible authority?

What I found was telling. The author of the article, Meredith Broussard, is a semi-humorist with a history of failed relationships. I’m not saying that to be mean — she has actually built a writing career on the topic of failed relationships, even publishing a presumably witty book on their unique lexicon. I’m sure it’s hilarious, just the kind of thing I would have loved back when I was a single chick who valued a snark above all else. Since I’ve become a mom, I feel differently about that kind of thing, but that’s just me going soft, I’m sure.

On her blog (entitled “The Blog of Failed Relationships,” naturally), Broussard mentions the torture of growing up with food allergies, and the diet of strict avoidance her mother put her on. In her own words “no sugar, no white flour, no peanut butter, no artificial coloring of any kind, no chocolate, no fish, no shellfish, no dairy.” Ouch. Strict avoidance. The diet evidently worked — Broussard outgrew her food allergies — but she still sounds so angry about it.

I hate it, but it’s the same kind of diet we have our kid on, though admittedly Broussard had it worse. Sam doesn’t have to avoid such a long list of things, but he really has trouble with what he has to manage. And now I feel sorry for her. I can’t help but see her as having so much in common with our own witty, impudent, wacky kid. How hard her life must have been, and at the same tender age our child is now.

I wonder if I can do any better than this woman’s mother did — not just in making my child avoid his allergic foods, but in communicating that I am doing so in hopes that he will outgrow his food allergies. Can I somehow impart kindness and caring to my son, who is denied so many treats and experiences that his friends and classmates get to have? Is it part of life for allergic children to be resentful of their parents? Must this baseline frustration hinder him for life?

I wonder if, in the history of another woman’s failed relationships, I can find inspiration to make my own family a success.

Ultimately, as I have advised the participants in my journaling classes so many times, I decide to keep my scathing letter unsent. I do not wish to add more hurt and trouble to the world. I use it to release, to voice important emotions, and now I choose to roll forward in an attitude of acceptance, focusing on the long-term solutions to food allergies instead of wasting time in the present arguing with a woman who’s already been deluged by angry letters from allergy parents and doctors all over the nation.

With my own eyes, I have seen the truth of food allergies. I know that there is a food allergy epidemic, and the fact that 10 percent of my son’s class has peanut allergy, alone, is illustrative of what is going on with one particular food. There are similar widespread cases of milk allergy, tree nuts, wheat, and many other foods. That’s just how it is. I have seen my son react and I have seen photos and videos of other people reacting, mostly children. No magazine article can change that.

With my choices, today and everyday, the people in my life, and in my son’s life — including my boy — I speak volumes about what I believe. My actions must stand up to the end result I wish to see. I must be the change I wish to see in the world — and my wish is for a world that works together to protect all its children, regardless of whether they have allergies or not.

AND THE ARTICLE TO WHICH MS. HARMON SO ELOQUENTLY RESPONDED

Everyone's gone nuts: The exaggerated threat of food allergies

by Meredith Broussard

from the January 2008
Harper's Magazine

(sorry, you'll have to cut and paste this into your browser, the link is being as uncooperative as Ms. Broussard)

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/01/0081878

THOUGHTS?

Check back soon for a review of GF Allergen-free Soft Pretzels from The Allergy Grocer/Miss Roben's and Allergen-free Marshmallow Peeps (just in time for EASTER!!!)

Cheers!

Cybele

2007-12-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

AMY'S KITCHEN
NEW GF/CF PRODUCTS

CREAM OF RICE

As the weather turns wintery, even here in Southern California, where I'm wearing slipper socks and curling up in front of the fireplace, what better way to start the day than with a warm bowl of hot cereal? I have always loved cream of rice, it's kind of the ultimate comfort food. And now Amy's has introduced an improved new spin on this age old staple, it's made from ORGANIC BROWN RICE, and is sweetened with AGAVE NECTAR. At only 170 calories, this is truly a guilt-free treat that is sure to be loved by every member of your household, from baby to grandparents. A wholly modern innovation. It's so simple, yet so delicious. So on those days when I am literally racing to get the kids breakfast before school, or when I want a quick pick-me-up snack (while sitting in front of the computer, where I practically live), I will now turn to Amy's. This product is made from: Water, Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice, Organic Agave Nectar, and Sea Salt. Nothing less, nothing more. Just pop it in the microwave, stir, and you've got breakfast made in 4 minutes. It's allergen-free, GF/CF, Vegan, and Cholesterol-free. But wait, the best part, it tastes creamy, smooth, and sweet!

NON-DAIRY CHEEZE RICE CRUST PIZZA

I've long been a fan of Amy's Rice Crust Spinach Pizza, it's Dairy-free, and Gluten-free, so when I heard they were coming out with a single serving Rice Crust Non-dairy pizza, I jumped for joy. First of all, my kids love anything "mini", and the single serving pizza is the perfect size for two little kids to split. It's also the perfect size for any adult wishing to manage their portion sizes. And as much as my family loved the Rice Crust Spinach Pizza, I must admit, my kids most adore plain old regular pizza... nothing fancy, just crust, tomato sauce, and cheese. Somehow, Amy's has managed to make a wheat-free crust that is better than any frozen wheat crust I've ever tasted. It is reminiscent of a deep dish crust (but obviously thinner). It has fantastic texture and flavor. And the cheese has none of the rubbery weird non-cheesiness you often encounter with soy cheese, it tastes like cheese and it melts like cheese.

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 6 oz
Serving Per Container: 1
Calories: 460
Calories from Fat:250
% Daily Value
Total Fat: 28g 43%
Saturated Fat: 3g 15%
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg 0%
Sodium: 680mg 28%
Carbohydrates: 46g 15%
Fiber: 4g 16%
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 10g

Organic: 76%

Vitamin A: 4% • Vitamin C: 10%
Calcium: 4% • Iron: 10%

Single Serve Non-Dairy Rice Crust Cheeze Pizza
INGREDIENTS : NO TRANS FAT • NO ADDED MSG • NO PRESERVATIVES (VEGAN) ORGANIC RICE FLOUR, SOY CHEEZE - MOZZARELLA TYPE (FILTERED WATER, HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL, TOFU [SOYBEANS, CALCIUM SULFATE], SOY PROTEIN, INULIN [A NATURAL EXTRACT OF CHICORY], CARRAGEENAN [FROM SEAWEED], AGAR AGAR, SEA SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, LACTIC ACID [VEGAN]), ORGANIC TOMATO PUREE, FILTERED WATER, ORGANIC SUNFLOWER SEED MEAL, ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, ORGANIC POTATOES, ORGANIC TAPIOCA FLOUR, ORGANIC AGAVE NECTAR, ORGANIC RED ONIONS, SEA SALT, EXPELLER PRESSED HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, YEAST, SOY LECITHIN, SPICES*, ORGANIC GARLIC, BLACK PEPPER. CONTAINS SOY AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS. *100% PURE HERBS & SPICES (NO HIDDEN INGREDIENTS)

No Gluten Ingredients Dairy free Lactose free Vegan Kosher Corn free

2007-12-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Mayhem in LA
and THE SENSITIVE BAKER

Dear Readers:

It's been awhile, so definitely time for a new post. Since I last blogged about pumpkin seeds, a lot has happened. First, I went trick or treating.

Trick or treating in LA is so much fun, because these HOLLYWOOD types take their decorating seriously. I've never seen anything like it. Everyone, seriously, goes all out. And guess what? People don't just give out treats for the kids, they give out wine and vodka to the grown ups. (I was on antibiotics for Bronchitis, so got left out of that fun). But if any of you are considering a trip to Los Angeles, might I recommend late October? Halloween is actually a bigger holiday in LA than Christmas. Suffice it to say, we had a blast!

Next, on to the Writer's Strike. As some of you may know, I have two careers. The other one is TV writing. Which I can't do now. Because we're all on strike. So I've been walking the picket lines with my other writer friends. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is my favorite strike anthem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I_tWfKM8ik

And now, on to food. I've been sampling some really great GF products recently, and I want to share the wealth.

Earlier this week, I went with my very pregnant friend Rachel to The Sensitive Baker for a little TLC. Her husband is also on strike, he wrote the movie Norbit, but now he's twiddling his thumbs, waiting for the baby and hoping to have a job sometime in the foreseeable future. So we bought him half a dozen gluten-free lemon poppy seed muffins to cheer him up, and it did the trick. The Sensitive Baker is a dedicated GF Bakery that sells locally, but also ships, so you too may order some of their delicious products. Beware that they use eggs, tree nuts, and soy. Check out their site here

http://www.sensitivebaker.com

I also sampled their light, moist, and fantastic Chocolate Zucchini Muffin, which no-one would ever guess was GF. And then, my most favorite find, their BAGELS!!!

This is a REAL bagel, an old-fashioned bagel, with no GF grittiness or bitterness. Its texture was all bagel, as was its flavor. Seriously, one of the best bagels I've had since I left NY, home of the bagel. Kudos to the Sensitive Baker for her gift to breakfast. (Please read the ingredient lists on her products before ordering to make sure they are safe for you). Most of all, the woman who started this bakery, Sandee Hier, was so nice and friendly and forthcoming with info about her products, it made me want to go back over and over again. Her staff was competent, and there was none of the attitude I had previously experienced at Babycakes in NY. This is a bakery making outstanding products, with a mission to help those on special diets, SENSITIVELY.

Stay tuned, Amy's Kitchen just sent me some new GF/CF products to review, so I'll be back with that soon.

Peace and Happy Hanukkah!

Cybele

2007-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

GF/CF, Allergen-Free, Vegan

This year, when you carve your jack-o-lanterns, why not roast up those pumpkin seeds? The following is a basic template that may be adapted any way you like. If you prefer them spicy, add some chili pepper. Or add curry powder. Or use cinnamon and sugar instead of salt. Or replace kosher salt with garlic salt. Follow your imagination! Getting started is as easy as can be. First, scoop out pumpkin's filling into a large bowl. Put seeds into a large colander and place in sink. Place under tap, and with water running, toss seeds. The stringy pumpkin fibers will come to the surface, separating from the seeds. This is the easiest way I've found to clean the seeds. Once you've gotten off all the pumpkin bits, drain seeds and spread them on a cookie sheet. Let dry overnight. From two medium pumpkins, you'll get about 1 1/2 cups of seeds.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons sunflower oil or canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Toss seeds in a bowl with the oil and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for about 1 hour, or until golden brown, tossing every 15 minutes. Lay out two sheets of paper towel, pour seeds onto paper towels, let cool slightly.

Eat as is, sprinkled into salads, over soups, or make your own trail mix. Yum!

2007-10-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

HARVEST RECIPES ACROSS THE USA

Dear Readers:

My new column is up at Lime.com.

http://www.lime.com/food/story/15986/harvest_recipes_across_the_usa

Thanks for all your feedback on Edible Enemies. (I know I still have a few comments to get back to!)

Hope you enjoy these recipes. Some are dairy-free, some gluten-free, some completely allergen-free, hopefully there's something for everyone.

Happy Fall!

Cybele

2007-10-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

EDIBLE ENEMIES on THE FOOD NETWORK

Hi Readers:

Maybe your email blast to the Food Network helped do the trick! Because they're finally airing that show I taped over a year and a half ago!! I don't know how much I'm in it, I've never seen the edit. But I believe it should be interesting and informative. I know they interviewed the people at Cherrybrook, and I believe also Divvies. Anyway, thanks to all of you who emailed them asking them to air the show.

Here's the link from Food Network:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_sp/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9994_53368,00.html

October 13, 2007 4:00 PM ET/PT

October 19, 2007 10:00 AM ET/PT

Edible Enemies
Edible Enemies is a one-hour special report that looks at the mysterious increase in both the number and the severity of food allergies in the United States. 12 million Americans now have food allergies. There is no cure. There is no treatment, other than a shot of epinephrine in an emergency. We will hear from the parents of small children, and from teenagers and adults living with life-threatening food allergies.

Cheers,

Cybele

ps, ignore this weird link at the bottom here, I don't know why it's there or how to get rid of it :)

2007-09-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

GF/CF SPONGE CAKE RECIPE

TAKE TWO :)

GLUTEN FREE, CASEIN FREE

Also, DAIRY FREE, SOY FREE, NUT FREE, WHEAT FREE (obviously!), and LOW FAT!!!!! Seriously? Seriously!

My Mom makes a mean sponge cake. It was always the "go to" dessert for impromptu dinner parties. It's fast, easy to make, and pretty much fool proof. This past summer, I started using my mom's secret recipe for dinner parties, drinks night with my mommy group (we gather once a month for desserts and wine), rotary club luncheons (just kidding on that one, I don't actually know what a rotary club is). I served it with sliced strawberries, compote, Good Karma Vanilla Rice Divine, etc. and it was always a huge hit. Best of all, I realized I could adapt this recipe for people with food allergies. Sorry to all of you out there avoiding eggs. You can't make this with egg replacer, it requires real eggs. But for those of you avoiding the other top 7 food allergens, or on GF diets, this is the cake for you!!!

GF/CF SPONGECAKE

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Tapioca Flour (available from Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Amaranth Flour (available from Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Superfine Brown Rice Flour (Bob's Red Mill BR Flour is superfine)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Millet Flour (available from Arrowhead Mills)
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. gluten free vanilla or almond extract (almond is the traditional ingredient, so use it if you have no nut allergies)
6 egg whites
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flours with the xanthan gum, and set aside. Using an electric mixer set on medium, beat the egg yolks until lemon colored. Add the water, beat. Add the sugar and vanilla or almond extract, and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture a little at a time. In a separate bowl (be sure it's dry and cool) beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter, gently. Be sure the whites are fully incorporated, but don't over-beat. Pour batter into a greased nonstick 10-inch bundt pan. Bake 30 minutes. Turn pan, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake 30 minutes more. Remove from oven, let cool in pan about 10 minutes, then turn cake out onto cooling rack and let come to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar. Serves 10.

2007-09-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Pamela's Products -- The Gift That Kept on Giving
Wheat-free, Gluten-free, and Allergen-free Baking Mixes

Several months ago, I agreed to test out some of Pamela's baking mixes and new packaged goods. When I took on the challenge, little did I know I'd be asked to do a holiday cookie article for Living Without (5 new GF Allergen-Free cookie recipes coming your way this November!!) and a huge Harvest package for Lime (9 new Harvest recipes from across the country, scheduled for October). Suffice it to say that July and August got eaten up by my own recipe creations (baking holiday cookies in LA in July is crazy). So I'm finally back on track.

What's so great about Pamela's Products? Like Sandra Lee's, they're semi-homemade. So even if you're not a wiz in the kitchen, you can bake your child a home-made birthday cake, or a loaf of sweet-smellin' bread. Additionally, Pamela's products gives various options for preparing their mixes. You can make them completely allergen-free, or tailor them to your diet, using butter or eggs as appropriate. I prepared all of the mixes using the completely allergen-free instructions; egg replacer for eggs, canola oil, dairy-free soy-free vegetable shortening, and water.

Let me start with their star product.

CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX

Described on the package as "Rich, Dark, Moist, Decadent Cake", it lived up to its reputation. Unlike so many GF cake mixes, this cake had no bitter after-taste, no grittiness, wasn't too sweet, and stayed moist and delicious for literally A WEEK!!! I added chocolate chips, make it into little cupcakes, and also baked it into cakes. In every form, it stayed fresh well beyond my expectations. It was truly THE GIFT THAT KEPT ON GIVING. I liked it so much better than Cherrybrook Kitchen's Cake mix. I will buy this often.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIE MIX

Loved the chocolate chunks. Loved the simplicity. Great for kids to help with. Not sold on the texture. I found them a little too gritty/grainy, and they were too sweet for my taste. But my kids were happy, and ultimately, that's who they're for anyway.

WHEAT-FREE BREAD MIX

Yummm, who doesn't love the aroma of fresh baked bread? This bread was yeasty and old-fashioned. I don't have a bread machine, so I used my trusty Kitchen Aid mixer with the bread hook. Baking it made my kitchen smell great, and I couldn't wait to pull it out of the oven, slice it up and eat it warm with some Earth Balance Soy Garden natural "buttery" spread. So delicious. This bread is very close to a loaf of "normal" white bread. Perhaps a little yeastier than most (which I happen to like). To keep it moist, it's pretty dense. But I prefer that to the light and crumbly GF breads you get prepackaged. This bread also stayed fresh and toasted well for several days.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE MIX

Though Pamela's didn't send me their brownie mix to test, I decided to try it anyway. I baked it in my mother's oven on Cape Cod, which keeps a dubious temperature, but even so, it took twice the allotted time to bake. After 40 minutes, it still hadn't set in the center. Maybe it really needs the eggs after all. And like the cookies, I found the brownies a little gritty, and too sweet. And like the cookies, I loved the chocolate chunks. However, put chocolate chunks in a sponge, and I might eat it.

Overall? These products are simple to prepare, affordable, easily tailored to the individual bakers' dietary needs, and generally pretty tasty. I still like Pamela's prepackaged cookies better than the cookie mix, but for the sake of novelty, it's great to have the semi-homemade option, so children can help bake.

Last but not least, Pamela's sent me their Biscotti. These biscotti are GF, but not Allergen-free. Please NOTE THAT THEY CONTAIN MILK, EGGS, and TREE NUTS.

CHOCOLATE WALNUT BISCOTTI

I couldn't sample these because I'm allergic to walnuts, but my friend Michelle and her son Enzo tried them for me, and were very happy, and they're Italian (so should know their biscotti!)

ALMOND ANISE BISCOTTI

Delicious! Dunked it in my coffee, kept them in the car for snack attacks, LOVED them. These biscotti are indistinguishable from traditional biscotti made with gluten. Not too sweet, great texture, a real keeper. The only downside is that they haven't come up with one that's tree-nut free yet. Pamela's? How about it?

2007-07-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

ALLERGY TESTING, and VEGAN ALLERGEN-FREE PROTEIN TIPS

Dear Readers:

I was going to post the following under my Babycakes comments, but it's so darn long, I decided to post it here instead. I know I promised a PAMELA'S PRODUCTS review, and it's coming (in fact, I'm baking bread from their bread mix right this very minute!). But first my response to an insightful and helpful comment from Anonymous. Also, below, I've included a couple of posts from a Vegan who is on an allergen-free diet and had some great tips for getting protein from sources other than meat! Hope this is useful info.

Dear Anonymous:

Re: Lennon's extensive allergy testing

Thanks so much for writing in, and for your concern. You share some really useful info! And your comment makes me realize it's time for an update on his allergies, and mine.

But first, thanks for that info on hives. This is very important readers!! In Anonymous's comment, he/she says that "According to FAAN, about 90% of IgE reactions include the person having some hives so reactions that don't begin within two hours of ingestion and reactions that do not involve any hives are not as likely to be IgE reactions." I'll go one step further and point out that according to The Parent's Guide to Food Allergies, "It's common for food allergies to make themselves known within TWENTY MINUTES or so of eating..." I concur that most IgE reactions occur within several hours, and if I said that allergic reactions can occur up to 24 hours after ingestion, I was not referring to IgE reactions, but rather DTH reactions. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersensitivity
for more info. And cross reference with FAAN, please, because Wikipedia is not ALWAYS accurate.

However, IgE allergic reactions can certainly occur for 24 hours or more, which leads me to answering your question about why Lennon was tested for so many allergens. I had a severe allergic reaction to Walnuts last Thanksgiving. I broke out in total body hives about 30 minutes after eating walnuts, and continued having horrible total body hives for an entire week. My eyes swelled shut, I had shortness of breath, my lips swelled, it was terrifying. So I knew I needed to go in for allergy testing. Additionally, I get hives from many types of fish, and several types of shellfish. I also get rashes from wheat within a couple hours of eating it. I had a lot of symptoms, and just wanted to cover all my bases and get tested. Which brings me to Lennon. Lennon also gets hives, and rashes, and has horrible environmental allergies (he has such bad eye allergies it impairs his vision), so I wanted to see if I could pinpoint where the hives were coming from. As many know, he had been severely allergic to Dairy and Soy as an infant. He outgrew his soy allergy at about 2 years old, and was still moderately allergic to dairy, but nothing like he'd been as a baby (very very very sick baby). Anyway, it had been a couple of years since he'd had allergy testing. So I took him and myself to Dr. Eitches and Dr. Baum at Cedars-Sinai, whom many consider to be the best Allergists in LA, and we got tested, across the board. My testing just confirmed all my suspicions, that were already based on symptoms. But none of the foods I'm allergic to are foods I can't live without. And the ones to which I have a mild allergy, and I have no fear about, like pineapple, I still eat on occasion. I strictly avoid the fish, shellfish, walnuts and hazelnuts.

Lennon tested positive to shellfish, walnuts, soy, wheat, and egg whites. (And a zillion pollens, epidermals, and molds, but these are all backed up by symptoms). Shellfish and Walnuts were a no-brainer. His allergist told me to keep him away from these foods (which I always have anyway). And he has tested positive to these allergens a second time around (I had him re-tested 4 months after the first test), so I think it's safe to assume he really is allergic to them. However, he didn't seem to be allergic to soy, wheat or the egg whites despite the positive skin test. I hadn't been noticing immediate reactions. There were the hives, but I wasn't sure where they were coming from. And I agree to take a child off all these nutritive foods just based on a positive skin test alone, without any symptoms, makes no sense (Unless we're talking about a food allergic infant or toddler, which is a whole other ballgame, and avoidance is thought to be preventative)

But in order to make an informed decision, I took Lennon off these foods, to see if it would make a difference, and then slowly reintroduced them one at a time to see if there was a reaction. PLEASE NOTE, DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF YOUR ALLERGIST. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME FOLKS! Long story short, I have noticed no reaction to wheat, so he's back on it, in moderation. No reaction to eggs, so he's back on them. And no reaction to soy, so he's back on that too. So these days, all we have to avoid in our food allergic household is:

DAIRY (my husband is allergic, and Monte has been advised to avoid it due to asthmatic reactions)
FISH (I'm allergic)
SHELLFISH (Lennon is allergic and I'm allergic)
WALNUTS (Lennon is allergic and I'm allergic)
HAZELNUTS (I'm allergic)
WHEAT (I'm allergic, but I still eat it sometimes, and ignore the rash!)

So we still avoid 5 out of the big 8 food allergens. And I still make recipes that avoid all big 8, (actually now big 9, because I find so many people want sesame-free recipes too). And I also do a lot of gluten-free, even though it's not an IgE "allergy", because so many people request gluten-free as well as allergen-free. And the new book will be free of all, so that it's helpful to as many people as possible.

Now here's that Vegan Post! (Actually, she's 99.9% Vegan)

"I am not the vegan commenter but I'm 99.9 vegan. I turned veggie at age 7 and vegan in my 20s on and off until my son got diagnosed with food allergies. Now I'm totally vegan because of him *except* for a recent addition of fish oil. So, I can no longer claim vegan-status I guess. I am currently also soy-free because I find it gives me very bad GI problems, although I'm not allergic to it. I wanted to tell you how I get my protein. I do a protein shake each morning with both rice protein and either pea or hemp protein powder. Both pea and hemp protein powder are complete protein. I do eat a fair amount of quinoa. I use a *LOT* of nutritional yeast, which has about 8 grams of protein for one tbsp and is complete when combined with legumes or whole grains. I also eat a lot of legumes and hemp seeds. I have calculated how much protein I get to make sure it is enough since I am so used to relying on soy and I find that I easily get more than enough this way. The protein shake really helps as it has almost 30 grams in it alone. But I also think that many recommendations on how much protein we need are way too much. I don't know how much you are aiming to consume in a day.

Also, my son's allergies include sesame and we were not advised to avoid any other seeds. I did go very, very slowly in introducing other seeds but DS is only allergic to sesame and not other seeds. I do think it is a good idea to be careful with sesame as it is now about the 4th most common food allergen according to Dr. Wood who spoke at the recent Baltimore FAAN conference.

My DH must have meat or he gets ill. I support however you or anyone chooses to eat. I even cook the meat-type recipes from your cookbook for my DH and he loves them. You shouldn't have to explain why you eat meat now. I admit that I was curious, though, esp because your book contains some really hard-core meat recipes!

Also I want to thank you for your wonderful cookbook. It is so great! I often read it while I eat. :)

Hi Cybele,

99.9% vegan here. Glad the reply was helpful.

Please feel free to use my post on your main page.

I get my hemp protein powder from Manitoba Harvest because it is supposed to be free of cross-contamination with my son's food allergens. Some health food stores carry other brands, though. I recently saw some at Whole Foods. I also got hemp seeds (which I *love*) from them and hemp butter (to me just OK) from them. I get pea protein powder from Kirkman. They also make a great calcium powder that is easy to add to things and other products helpful for those with food allergies.

I don't know about baking with protein powders. I think it would vary product to product. If you post at kidswithfoodallergies.org that would be a good question to ask. I'm sure you would get good info in response.

I also forgot to mention that many people have luck with pumpkin seeds combined with whole grains. I love sunflower seeds and found that Dakota Style are supposed to be free from cross contamination with my son's allergens. I also use SunButter for protein.

I know you have to combine the rice in your rice protein with seeds or legumes to make a complete protein and that by itself it isn't one.

That's really too bad you can't eat nutritional yeast. I find it really yummy.

I wonder if you can do seitan? Even if you can only eat spelt you could make your own. That is really high in protein.

Oh, and I forgot--Nu-World Amaranth makes *wonderful* (IMO) Amaranth Snackers. I love the BarB-Q ones. They are really high in protein. I also like their Amaranth side dishes. They are super fast and easy to make. http://www.nuworldamaranth.com

Truthfully, I find it somewhat challenging to be a soy-free vegan and have thought that if I weren't so emotionally opposed to eating meats it would be a good idea for me now. It is just that having been a veggie since age 7 it would be very difficult for me to start now. I can understand why you need to include it in your diet.

Lisa

2007-06-25T17:54:00.001-07:00

BABYCAKES

Hi Folks:

I was in New York a couple of weeks ago and finally got to go to Babycakes on the lower east side. This was a much anticipated visit, as I had seen Erin McKenna on MARTHA, and was really excited about trying her brownies. I had tried visiting the bakery in the past, only to find it closed. So I was PSYCHED!

First, the PROS: The GF Cinnamon rolls were to die for! And the fact that they've figured out how to make brownies without eggs is a real accomplishment, which even companies like Ener-G have failed to do. The cupcakes were very good, particularly the vanilla, and I love that they sweeten most of their baked goods with Agave nectar, which is something I also do in most of my baking these days. I remember Erin saying she uses roasted apple sauce as a sweetener, but when I asked about that at the bakery, the girl behind the counter said "Nah".

I was surprised to discover that they call the bakery "Wheat-free" when half the products are made with Spelt. Spelt was declared wheat in 2006. Personally, I don't take issue with their use of spelt, because although the FDA has declared it to be "Wheat", I still think it's easier for people with wheat allergies to digest than modern wheat. In fact, I've been told by many a person with a wheat allergy (I'm not talking about Celiac here) that they can still eat spelt... and I too included it in my first book (I won't in my new book, because it created so much controversy). They also use coconut oil in all their baked goods, and coconuts were declared a tree nut this year by the FDA. I'm curious what others think about the fact that Babycakes uses spelt (wheat) and coconuts (tree nuts) but still call themselves a wheat-free, nut-free bakery? I used both ingredients in The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook, but that book came out before either of these foods were declared allergens by the FDA. Only a few years ago, spelt was just a distant ancient cousin of wheat, and coconut was a part of the date family. Thoughts?

But enough of my musing about the FDA and its labeling (note: they are open to un-declaring coconut a tree nut, because there seems to be no evidence that anyone has ever suffered an allergic reaction to a coconut -- to which i say, YEAH, let it go back to being part of the date family, after all they both come from PALM TREES).

And, on to the cons, and I really hate that I have any cons to mention -- after all, this bakery is so closely aligned with my own heart that I feel like it's treason to criticize. But I too am a customer, and this is what I learned. First of all, when I asked questions about the ingredients (such as nuts, due to my walnut allergy), they were extremely rude and acted put out. This is not what I'd expect from a bakery catering to people with food allergies. They of all people should know that it's important to ask questions. When I asked for a recommendation on what to order, the girl behind the counter just shrugged, and said "Whatever, different people like different things". Um, how about coming back with something more along the lines of "Well for starters we have Gluten-free products and then those that are made with Spelt. Are you Gluten Intolerant, because of so, you should try ____"? To borrow from medicine, these girls had no bedside manner, or should I say pan-side manner.

And though I liked the cupcakes, the icing had a slightly bitter flavor, and turned to a runny goo shortly after I purchased it, finally sliding off the cupcake altogether, so I ate it naked.... But all this is really beside the point. The point being that this bakery is raping people with food allergies by charging obscene prices for their products. $39 for dozen cupcakes? $29 for a loaf of banana bread? A loaf of banana bread usually costs $14 tops! This is truly highway robbery, and I consider it unacceptable to charge so much just because you know people who are desperate will pay any price for fresh baked allergen-free goodies for their food allergic child's birthday party, or school party, or afternoon with grandma. I know that the cost of ingredients doesn't justify these prices, because I bake with these ingredients too. The only excuse I can come up with is that their rent is so high and business isn't huge, so they have to make up the difference somewhere. Incidentally, they are opening a Babycakes in LA next year. Perhaps I'll have a completely different review of that one. After all, NY attitude should stay in New York. No joke, the service industry in LA is a much kinder, gentler breed.

But here's looking up.... Next post will be reviews of PAMELA'S PRODUCTS, which are very affordable allergen-free, gluten-free mixes and baked goods. These are what you should be stocking your pantry with for that next birthday party.... affordable, and semi-homemade!

Somebody left a comment about allergen-free whipped cream... Anonymous, can you eat soy? If so, try Soyatoo, it's an organic soy whipped cream. I don't think I'm capable of the chemistry it would take to come up with another. Also, please note, for those thinking "Cool Whip", it has dairy protein. Another one of those tricky "non-dairy" products that actually contains dairy.

best,

Cybele

2007-06-01T09:34:00.001-07:00

Dear Readers:

Here is a link to post comments at Food Network (see my post below). Ask them about that special on Food Allergies! Make your requests! Spread it around!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/about_us/text/0,1904,FOOD_9777_8657,00.html

Also, my new column is up on Lime at

http://www.lime.com/features/growing_greener_kids/story/12380/8_ways_to_get_your_kids_to_eat_healthy

8 snack recipes, most allergen-free and/or gluten-free.

Enjoy!

Cybele

2007-05-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers:

Thanks for the new requests! I will try to come up with some great new recipes for you all. Lauren, I can't promise on the Irish Soda Bread, but I will try!!! Have you tried putting vinegar or lemon juice in rice milk to sour it? That would work like buttermilk.

Re: FOOD NETWORK, I encourage you to email them with your request. Tell them how much you'd love a show hosted by me. I went in and pitched a show to them last fall (backed by a great production company called "True Entertainment") and was told that Food Network's viewers don't care about health issues, and therefore they weren't interested in anything having to do with food allergies or health in general. What they care about is BUTTER, CREAM, SOUR CREAM, MAYO, CHEESY PASTA, and all the other indulgences they can turn into food porn. Additionally, I taped a special for them a year ago, produced by Al Roker Productions, called "Edible Enemies". It was an hour long special about food allergies. But Food Network has NEVER AIRED IT!!! So please, request programming about food allergies. I'm raring to go with a TV Show. I would love to do that.

I've been a little behind on answering comments, so briefly -- I'm working on that nut-free carrot cake recipe. It will be in the new book. Anyone who wants to email me should feel free, my email address should be next to my profile, but just in case it's not working, my email is allergycookbook@gmail.com.

I'm sorry, I don't have any recipes for irritable bowel syndrome, but I'd suggest cutting down on gluten.

For anyone not on the Allergymoms.com mailing list, the following is a great resource from their e-letter.

By Kim Koeller and Robert La France

Allergen-free foods are starting to reach the mainstream and the food industry is beginning to hear our needs! We hope that you are as excited about being able to open pre-packaged individual-serving size allergen-free snacks while on-the-go as we are. Finally, no more putting allergen-free foods in zip lock bags to carry with you!

Some delicious travel-size allergen-free snacks that are manufactured in peanut and tree nut-free facilities include:

Cookies & bars from Enjoy Life Foods (www.enjoylifefoods.com) - free of corn, dairy, egg, fish, gluten, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, & wheat

Cookies from Gak's Snacks (www.gakssnacks.com) - free of dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat

Cookies from Moonpie (www.moonpie.com) - free of eggs, milk, peanuts and tree nuts

Cookies and popcorn from Divvies (www.divvies.com) - free of dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts

Snack bars from No Nuttin (www.nonuttin.com) - free of dairy, egg, gluten, peanuts and tree nuts

Snacks including those baked, fried and air- popped from Robert's American Gourmet (www.robscape.com) - free of gluten, peanuts and tree nuts

Soy nut butter snack from I.M. Healthy (www.soynutbutter.com) - free of dairy, egg, peanuts, sesame and tree nuts

A sampling of allergen-free candy and chocolates that are manufactured in peanut and tree nut-free facilities include:

Amandas Own Confections (www.amandasown.com) - free of dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts

Candy Creations (www.nonutscandy.com) - free of peanuts and tree nuts

Gimbal's Candy (www.gimbalscandy.com) - free of dairy, gluten, peanuts and tree nuts

Kellie's Candies (www.nutfreecandy.com) - free of peanuts and tree nuts

Nothin Nutty (www.nothinnutty.com) - free of peanuts and tree nuts

Twin Cove Confections (www.twincoveconfections.com) - free of peanuts and tree nuts

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates (www.vermontnutfree.com) - free of peanuts and tree nuts

Some allergen-free snacks are manufactured in shared facilities, which is an indication that your allergen may be present in the factory and processed on the same production lines. Many companies will sanitize machines in between products, so you will want to check with the company if the allergy is more severe.

A sampling of these snacks include:

Apple pie from Fabe's All Natural (www.fabesnatural.com) - dairy, egg & gluten- free

Applesauce from Mott's (www.motts.com)

Brownies from Foods by George (www.foodsbygeorge.com) - dairy, gluten & soy- free

Cakes and breads from I Can Eat It (www.icaneatit.com) - diary & gluten-free

Canned fruits from Del Monte (www.delmonte.com) or Dole (www.dole.com) - dairy, egg & gluten-free

Cereals and bars from Nature's Path (www.naturespath.com) - dairy, egg and gluten- free

Crackers from Nabisco (www.nabisco.com) - dairy and egg-free

Chips from Frito Lay (www.fritolay.com) - dairy & gluten-free (some)

Crackers from Mary's Gone Crackers (www.marysgonecrackers.com) - dairy, egg & gluten- free

Fruit snacks from Stretch Island (www.stretch- island.com) - diary & gluten free

Pretzels from Ener-G (www.ener- g.com) - dairy, egg and gluten-free with a sesame warning

A short-list of delicious individually packaged allergen- free cookies that are also manufactured in shared facilities include:

Andean Dream (www.andeandream.com) - dairy, egg, gluten & soy- free

Arico Natural Foods Co. (www.aricofoods.com) - dairy and gluten-free

Glutino (www.glutino.com) - dairy, egg and gluten- free

Kookie Karma (www.kookiekarma.com) - dairy, egg, gluten & soy- free

Nana's Cookie Co. (www.healthycrowd.com) - corn, dairy, egg, gluten & soy- free

Pamela's Cookies (www.pamelasproducts.com) - gluten-free

We hope that you take the opportunity to enjoy these goodies, depending upon your specific allergen concerns, while at home, on-the-road or anywhere your life may take you!

Remember that as of January 1 2006, the US Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) went into effect. The presence of eight allergens including: dairy, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat are now declared on ingredient lists. However, those following a gluten-free diet have not had their concerns sufficiently addressed since wheat, and not gluten, is included in the current allergen labeling. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently developing a definition for the term "gluten-free," as there is currently no approved legislature for U.S. food manufacturers or consumers.

In addition, companies are not required to label for potential cross contamination or "traces" of an allergen. If you are unsure about the ingredients of any product, it is always best to contact the manufacturer.

Therefore, always be sure to read product labels diligently wherever you might be, around the corner from your home or around the world, to ensure safe allergen-free eating anywhere!

Cheers!!

Cybele

2007-05-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All:

Thanks for all the feedback and requests on recipes for the new book. It's really helpful. And to the vegan who thinks I'm a sellout for eating meat, you too will be accounted for, even though you're a little HARSH!

Here are my feelings about meat: I haven't eaten meat in 5 weeks. I don't always love it either, and believe me, if you read my column on Lime.com, you'll know I have major issues with meat farmings impact on the environment and our health. I go through phases. But for somebody on a completely hypoallergenic diet, it is very hard to get enough protein if you don't eat meat (especially for a breast-feeding mother!!) If you already can't eat dairy, eggs, soy (which means no tofu, tempeh, or texturized veg protein), wheat (that means no seitan!), tree nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish, where do you turn? Many people on avoidance diets are also told to eliminate or limit seeds and legumes as well. So what is left? I've racked my brain for alternatives, but came up empty. You just can't eat enough quinoa and broccoli to make up the difference. Truly, give me a high protein source other than meat, and these above mentioned allergenic foods and I will be in your debt forever.

Anyway, speaking of Vegan, for those who CAN eat SOY, try the following yummy recipe, by "Veggie Annie" from Lime. Most tasty tofu recipes are deep fried, so it was wonderful to find a low-fat one like the following. It's dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free. For some strange reason, they don't give proportions, so I adapted it. See my suggestions/ instructions below.

Cut and paste this into your browser to link to this short informative video.

http://www.lime.com/food/video/5477/get_it_while_its_hot_savory_baked_tofu

Serves 2
I used 1 package of extra firm tofu, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium tamari (tamari is wheat-free, try San-J), 1 medium yellow onion, 5 cloves garlic. I baked it at 375 degrees for 2 hours (instead of the recommended 1 1/2). I also tossed it gently with a spoon every 1/2 hour, to brown on all sides. I served it over quinoa instead of couscous, because quinoa is gluten-free and higher in protein. To make quinoa, combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 10 minutes until water is absorbed and outer ring of grain is visible (you'll know what I mean when you make it). Divide quinoa between 2 plates, top with baked tofu, and then with halved cherry tomatoes (about 1 cup). Sprinkle with fresh herbs of choice. Serve with a green salad. YUM.

2007-04-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

Dear readers:

I know, I've been MIA, but I have not forsaken my blog forever. Things have just been a little crazy....

First, we had school break. We took our boys to Disneyland, which to our dismay, they hated.
The above pic was taken halfway through the FIRST line. Suffice it to say, we didn't last long. 3 Rides. Yup, that's it. We bolted after Peter Pan, holing up in a diner in Anaheim.
So sad, since my husband and I had such rosy memories of Disney as kids. Maybe when they're older....

I'll come back next week and write a proper post, but in a nutshell, I'm single parenting again for 5 weeks while my husband is working out of town. I've been absentee due to Lime.com deadlines, working on a new cookbook, a little dedication to my other career as a drama writer, and familial illness. My 3 year old has the dreaded hand foot and mouth disease. Don't ask.... it sounds worse than it is, but it still requires A LOT of attention for a couple of weeks.

But to backtrack a second.... I am writing another cookbook. So if any readers here have special requests, please make them. Are there certain foods that you say, "darn, I just wish I could find an allergen-free version of blankity-blank!" ? And how important is gluten-free to those of you with food allergies? Do you wish you could find more comfort foods? What would be helpful, useful, necessary... awesome???

Personally, I wish I could replicate all the horrific kid-food that is soooo seductive to kids with something healthy and wholesome, but equally seductive. These lolly's were confiscated. And you know what? My boys were actually cool with that. They said, "Oh, I know, they have artificial color!" Ah, I've trained them well!

2007-03-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks:

First, a little PR update. Living Without's spring issue is now on the stands. Look for my article on "Tasty Traditions", which features some great new allergen-free recipes for Easter and Passover.

Next, my column is up on Lime.com at:
http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/8339/
change-an-ingredient-change-your-life

with recipes for
Whole Grain Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble (vegan and completely allergen-free EXCEPT for the spelt),
Tempeh Stir-fry with Broccoli (vegan and completely allergen-free EXCEPT for soy), and
Light Eggplant Parmesan (not allergen-free, but low fat and very tasty for those who can eat anything)

But enough about my foods....
I just came back from EXPO WEST where I'm happy to report I tasted some great new allergen-free and gf/cf products. Highlights include:

AMY'S KIDS MEALS -- GF/CF BAKED ZITI
Which includes baked ziti, broccoli and sauce, rice focaccia bread, and apple crisp. You can bet it'll be on my table come this spring when it hits shelves!

KINNIKINNICK Foods
GF products that totally rock! Their sandwich bread actually holds together, looks normal, and tastes good. Same holds true of their cookies. Look for this Canadian co's products at your local grocery store or health food store and check out www.kinnikinnick.com.

WOW Baking Company
GF brownies and cookies that taste better than the kind with wheat. Really really good. Not free of eggs or dairy tho....

ENJOY LIFE Natural Brands
Now has awesome lunch box-sized cookie packs. So now you can throw a couple of Snickerdoodles in for dessert. Also try yummy new cookie flavors from them, like their new
Soft Baked Happy Apple
and
Soft Baked Lively Lemon

Enjoy!

Cybele

2007-02-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends:

My February column "Recipes for Love" is up on Lime at

http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/7585/spice_up_your_v-day

It includes:

Banana Chocolate Swirl Bread
Bourbon Peach Bread Pudding
Egg Baked in a Tomato Basket (Skip this one if you have food allergies, but it's great for those on a GF diet)
Red-Hot Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Aphrodite Pot Pie

Enjoy!

Happy V-Day!

Cybele Pascal

2007-02-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

FASCINATING LETTER FROM ALLERGY KIDS RE: FOOD ALLERGIES AND GMO FOODS

Dear AllergyKids’ Friends,

DNA from Fish Protein Found in Ice Cream

According to ABC news and University of Cincinnati researchers, one of the nation’s leading ice cream brands and some of their popsicles contain the DNA (genetic material) from fish protein. Scientists added a cloned protein from a fish in order to make the ice cream smoother.

Fish is one of the top eight food allergens. So please take a moment to read and to forward this important email.

What other foods containing DNA and genetic material should I be aware of?
Foods that contain the DNA and genetic material of other animals and plants are called "genetically modified" foods.

The first genetically modified food was a tomato – introduced in 1994. The tomato had the DNA (genetic material) of a fish injected into it to make the tomato last longer on grocery store shelves.

A poll conducted in December 2006 revealed that most Americans don’t realize that they’re eating genetically modified food, and that 60 per cent have no idea that it’s in their diet. Genetically modified foods can include soy, corn, dairy, eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, and fish.

What does “genetically modified” mean?

Scientists take the DNA (genetic material) of one organism (like the fish) and inject it into the DNA of another organism (like the tomato). By injecting one organism with another, the structure of the food protein is changed. Children with food allergies are allergic to foods’ proteins (egg protein, milk protein, peanut protein, etc.).

When were genetically modified foods introduced?

Widespread introduction of genetically modified foods (“GMOs”) began ten years ago. Beginning in the 1990s, corn was genetically modified so that it could produce its own insecticidal toxin that the corn plant releases as it grows. Today, 70% of "corn" as we know it is genetically modified.

In 1998, the genetically modified soybean was introduced and a 50% increase in the number of people with soy allergy was seen in that year alone. Today, 90% of "soy" as we know it is genetically modified. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, when the soybean was genetically modified with a nut, it induced an allergic reaction in 7 out of 9 cases.

Does the sudden increase in the number of children with food allergies correspond with the introduction of genetically modified foods?

AllergyKids finds it interesting that genetically modified foods were only introduced ten years ago and that research shows that within the first five years of the introduction of the genetically modified soybean, the number of children with the peanut allergy doubled.

Parts of the genetically modified soybean are identical to known allergens.

Corn is the fastest growing genetically modified crop and one of the fastest growing food allergies in children.

What else should I know about genetically modified foods?

Genetically modified foods ("GMOs") have altered food proteins. Children with food allergies are allergic to food proteins. GMOs can be found in 70% of all processed foods as well as in infant formula, baby food, frozen pizzas and fruit juices.

Currently, the list of genetically modified foods intersects with the list of the top 8 allergens (including wheat, soy, dairy, egg, fish, nuts) as well as lesser known allergens (corn, tomatoes, pork and chicken).

Labeling of genetically modified foods is required in Europe, Asia, Australia and most developed countries because of the unknown health risks of genetically modified foods (“GMOs”). Just this week, Europeans requested additional labeling for milk, meat and egg products derived from animals fed genetically engineered crops.

No human trials have been conducted to test the safety of GMOs.

Please forward this email to others and encourage them to sign up for our free newsletter. As we learn more about GMOs, you can help protect the health of your family and friends, as we learn more about genetically modified foods and the unknown role that they play in the health of our children.

AllergyKids needs your support to continue this important research.
Every time that you purchase AllergyKids’ stickers for your child’s preschool or an AllergyKids’ med case to carry your child’s epinephrine; you are supporting our independent research on behalf of all of these children.

We understand that you will have questions since 60% of Americans have never heard of a “GMO", so please do not hesitate to contact us.

More information is also available on our Resources page at www.allergykids.com or by conducting a keyword search: “GMOs and food allergies”.

With hope for the cure,

Robyn O’Brien
Founder, AllergyKids

Mother of Four
1.800.671.1525

2007-01-31T10:05:00.000-08:00

Dairy free, Gluten free, Egg free, Allergen free Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Hi:

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I thought this recipe might come in handy.
For anyone who missed the issue of Living Without that ran my chocolate article, here is my newest chocolate frosting recipe. It's much simpler than the one in my book. It's great on cupcakes, cake, cookies, brownies... you name it. Enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Frosting
1 (10-ounce) package Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening*
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

1. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Heat in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time until completely melted.
3. Stir in salt and vanilla extract.
4. Thoroughly whip frosting with electric mixer until it is thick and fluffy. To speed this process, place mixing bowl in a larger bowl of ice water; cooling helps set the frosting. You can also put the frosting in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, remove and then beat.
5. Frost cupcakes or cake and enjoy.

* Tip: Try Spectrum Naturals Organic Vegetable Shortening. It is dairy free and soy free and is manufactured in a peanut-free, tree nut-free facility. As always, check with the manufacturer if you have questions or concerns.

2007-01-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free, Egg Free, Allergy Free French Toast

Who would ever have thought it possible? French toast without eggs? And on top of that, with gluten free bread? One of the things I've learned in the past few weeks, however, is that gluten free bread's sponginess lends itself to lots of types of cooking. It may not always make the best sandwiches in the world, but it cooks up great!

Three day weekends inspire large breakfasts in my house. Since today was a stay-at-home day, I decided to try something new on my boys. This recipe is not for everyday (or maybe it is!), but it certainly is good. Instead of soaking the bread in an egg batter, you soak it in maple syrup, cook it in canola oil, and it makes a carmelized crusty French toast.

What you will need... I tried this with Ener G Light Tapioca Loaf. It was a great choice since it's softer and lighter than some other GF breads. However, I also tried the recipe with a regular multi-grain bread, and that worked great as well.

Ingredients:

Gluten Free Bread, crusts cut off
Maple Syrup, 2 Tbsp. per slice of bread
2 Tbsp. Canola Oil and more as needed

Using a pastry brush, brush each side of the bread with 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup (for a total of 2 Tbsp per slice). Stack slices on top of one another, making a tower. Cover with wax paper for five minutes, pressing down on it every so often to get the bread to absorb the syrup. Heat 2 Tbsp. canola oil in a pan over medium heat (preferably a non-stick or cast iron skillet). Cook until golden and crispy on both sides. Add more canola oil as necessary, don't cheat yourself.

Delicious served as is, or if you can eat soy, try with Earth Balance, Soy Garden, Natural Buttery Spread (not butter, just super buttery, and no, they don't sponsor me!)

Enjoy!

And thanks for all the great comments on my last post!

Cybele

2006-12-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Dear readers:

Merry Christmas! I hope this holiday season has been good to you all.

My column on Lime went up last week and has several allergen-free recipes, as well as a couple that are just "healthy", so read carefully. The focus was "healthy holiday swap-outs". Allergen-free will return next month. For those interested in the new recipes, see
http://www.lime.com/features/holidays_for_the_health_glutton/story/6637/eat_well_and_be_merry

I took my sons and myself to a new allergist last week for testing, with some alarming results. The good news: Lennon tested NEGATIVE to dairy (YEAH, FINALLY!!!!), but tested positive to 16 out of the 24 allergens he was tested for. Apparently he is now allergic to shellfish, wheat (and other glutenous grains), and egg whites, amongst many other severe environmental allergies.

After my total-body hives incident right before thanksgiving, I suspected I was allergic to walnuts. Indeed, I am, as well as hazelnuts, wheat, oats, yeast, halibut, trout, salmon, flounder, shrimp (which I already knew), stone fruits like peaches and apricots, pineapple, and oranges.

Do any others of you out there have such long lists of allergies? Is this increasingly becoming the norm? Will my son continue developing new allergies or will he reach a point where this levels off? I now realize that some of his problems with paying attention at school must be due to the fact that he is literally ALLERGIC to the classroom. Everytime he sits on the rug for story time, he has an allergy attack, to dustmites, molds, etc. He is also allergic to our family dog. The poor child walks around having an allergic response just about everywhere he goes.

And I find myself wondering if I've always been allergic to these foods I test positive for, and have spent years feeling "under" because of them. Clearly my allergies are getting worse, as evidenced by the 4 days of total body hives from the walnuts. Anyone tried probiotics with success? I started taking them, but got sidelined. Think I'll start giving them to the whole family.

Speaking of the whole family, Monte was the least allergic, with very mild reactions to a few environmentals, but we're still going to keep him off dairy due to his occasional bouts of asthma. And next, my husband gets tested....

Expect lots more gluten-free recipes in the months to come.

Cassie:

Jane is right, the list in LIVING WITHOUT is too long to post all the restaurants, but I'm happy to post the NY ones, since that's where you live (and eat!)

Bloom's Delicatessen Cafe
NYC

Candle 79
NYC

Ciao!
Eastchester (in Westchester)

City Crab & Seafood Co
NYC

Curly's Bar & Grill
Lackawanna, NY

Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant & Ringside Lounge
Blasdell, NY

Irises Cafe & Wine Bar
Plattsburg, NY

Josef's Gluten-free Bakery
Brooklyn

Mama's Italian Restaurant
Oakdale, NY

Pizza Plant
Williamsville, NY

Resaurant Luna
Mt. Kisco, NY

Rice to Riches
NYC

Risotteria
NYC

Sacred Chow
NYC

Soul Dog
Poughkeepsie, NY

2006-12-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Dear bloggers:

In response to a question about locating allergy-friendly restaurants, I want to let everyone know that the WINTER 2007 issue of LIVING WITHOUT has a fantastic article on 200+ "Allergy-friendly Restaurants", listed state by state. This is a great resource. The magazine is on the stands now, so go and grab one!

Also, somebody asked for soup recipes. My book has a lot of soup recipes, or you can visit the following links to Care2 where they posted a couple of my soup recipes last year.

http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/2661

http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/2659

Enjoy Life just sent me the following recipe. This is a great idea for an allergen-free Holiday Gift. Make up a batch, and package in pretty cookie tins. Great for teachers, friends, and family!

Enjoy Life™ Chocolate Bark
(perfect for the holidays!)

Ingredients
1 10 oz. package Enjoy Life™ semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy, soy and gluten free)
1 6 oz. package Enjoy Life™ Not Nuts! nut-free trail mix
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil (safflower or canola work well)

Directions
Grease or spray a 5"x11" or 8"x8" pan

Mix together Enjoy Life™ chocolate chips and oil in a microwave safe container. Microwave mixture on high for 30 second and stir. Continue microwaving mixture until melted while making sure to stir occasionally, about every 20 seconds. Total time may be about 1 minute, depending on the microwave oven.

Stir Enjoy Life™ Not Nuts! nut-free trail mix into the melted mixture and spread to about 1/4 - 1/2 inches thick, onto greased pan. Chill for 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, break into pieces and munch away! Store this scrumptious candy in an airtight container at room temperature and share with family and friends.

2006-11-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Fall!

Well, first, my Thanksgiving column is up on Lime.com.

This month, I offer tips from buying turkeys (did you know that most conventional turkeys contain hidden allergens?) to sides, gravy and cranberry sauce. I also have recipes for allergen-free, gluten-free, (and vegan if you want it that way) skillet cornbread and cornbread wild mushroom stuffing. Enjoy. And as always please comment, and add other ideas if you have them, it's great to share your tips!

http://www.lime.com/food/story/5621/food_allergies_and_turkey_day

http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/5623/allergen-free
_cornbread_and_wild_mushroom_stuffing_recipes

But onto some product reviews. I've been trying a lot of premade foods recently, since my husband has been away the better part of the last two months and I'm single parenting my two boys and working full-time. So time-savers are a must.

First, for those with a DAIRY ALLERGY or an EGG ALLERGY -- have you tried SILK NOG? If you can eat soy, this is a must-have for the holiday season. It's a lowfat (0 saturated fat), dairy-free, egg-free version of Egg Nog. It's delicious and guilt free. In fact, I might just be serving it to my boys every day, all holiday season. It's just like egg nog, but healthy. My son Lennon tried it this morning and said, "Yum, it tastes just like donuts!" Well, he's five, and it doesn't really taste like donuts, but I know just what he means. I serve him pumpkin donuts, that have nutmeg in them, so that's what he's tasting, the same nutmeggy flavor. So now I'll move on to the donuts.

For those with a DAIRY ALLERGY, EGG ALLERGY, or GLUTEN INTOLERANCE, have you tried NUTRILICIOUS DONUTS? Holy Moley they're good. The Donut Holes are vegan, Dairy-free, and Egg-free and come in such tasty flavors as chocolate, pumpkin, glazed, etc. They are such a treat. And they also make gluten-free regular donuts that pass the taste test with flying colors. Tender, moist, just like an old-fashioned donut. If you or your child have severe food allergies, please be forewarned that these products are processed in a facility with WHEAT, SOY, AND TREE NUTS (but NOT PEANUTS!)

Last night I gave my guys Amy's Light In Sodium Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas. These are a great no-hassle microwaveable dinner for those with a DAIRY ALLERGY, an EGG ALLERGY, or a WHEAT ALLERGY or GLUTEN INTOLERANCE. They are also vegan. I improve the taste slightly by adding melted "VEGAN GOURMET" soy cheese in Chedder Flavor.

A new find from Whole Foods last week was Bruce's Yams. These are just vacuum packed whole sweet potatoes. They save you at least a whole hour of time (cuts out peeling, boiling, etc) I don't know if I'll use them everytime I made something with sweet potatoes, but I'll certainly keep em stocked on my shelves. Here's the yummy concoction I made for my kids. Take a baking pan. Place 4 canned pineapple rings in the bottom. Mash Bruces Yams with the back of a fork. Add a little Earth Balance spread, or Canola Oil (THE COMPLETLY ALLERGEN FREE OPTION), and some cinnamon, mound ontop of the pineapple ring, then top with a Marshmallow. If you have an EGG ALLERGY, use VeganSweets, available at many health food stores, or online at places like the Allergy Grocer. These are egg-free and dairy-free, but they do contain SOY. Bake at 375 till marshmallow is soft and starting to become golden.

For new recipes, check back soon. And next month on Lime.com, I'm doing healthy swap outs for the holidays, all healthy, some allergen-free.

Be well!

Cybele

2006-10-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hi!

"Food Allergy Fright Night" and "Allergen-free Halloween Treats" up on Lime.com
at

http://www.lime.com/food/story/5085/food_allergy_fright_night

http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/5094/allergen-free_halloween_treats

2006-10-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

Amy's Low Sodium

So far... not so good.

Amy's Low-sodium aren't cuttin' the mustard around here. I tried serving the low sodium rice bowls, and was told, "I HATE IT!". I tasted it myself and had to concur, the texture was awful. The rice is not really a granual anymore, more like a mushy gruel. The ingredients are super healthy (But as always with Amy's products, watch out for the SOY!). But super healthy is just not enough. If I'm going to go the pre-made route with my kids on nights that I can't muster the energy to cook, then it at least has to be tasty. Sadly, the enchiladas had the same texture problem. Mush. Now here's the interesting part. Amy doesn't use preservatives. And more power to her for that. But if truth be told, in frozen food, maybe it's hard to maintain the integrity over long periods with straight up home cookin' ingredients? Is it too much to ask that it be simple whole food, and also take 5 minutes to whip up in the microwave? Maybe the two just don't go together. Thus far, I'm sticking with AMY'S GF/CF products, that pizza discussed in earlier posts, and the ziti bowls. For whatever reasons of alchemy, these seem to maintain their yummyness. And for the record -- does anyone else find it annoying that Rachel Ray has changed "yummy" to "yummo"?

My life has taken an interesting turn of late. My little one, Monte had a life threatening asthma attack 2 summers ago that landing him in the hospital in an oxygen tent for 2 days. I took him off dairy and he was fine. This summer, I started him in a new preschool, they were feeding him dairy, his asthma came back. His wonderful Danish Pediatrician said, "STOP THE DAIRY!!!". I told the preschool to stop feeding him dairy and the asthma cleared up, but diarrhea and chronic stomach pains persisted. I soon realized they were still giving him butter on rice, on noodles, in bread, in CHEEZITS!!!! They didn't understand that dairy was anything other than milk. Anyway, I think Monte is also allergic to Dairy. And I wonder, what is it in the milk protein that is so hard for the immune system to accept? Does anyone have any info on raw milk? I know there is a growing movement that supports the benefits and safety of raw milk/grassfed cows movement. Just interested.....

I know I'm full of questions these days, but I continue to wonder why the rates of food allergies are rising so rapidly and also the relationship between what we eat and how it affects behavior.

All the best to all of you. Thanks for checking in now and again. And I've said it before, i'll say it again, if anyone wants to share allergen-free recipes here, I'll post them giving you full credit.

2006-10-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

NEWS FLASH!

AMY'S GLUTEN-FREE, NON-DAIRY BAKED ZITI BOWL GETS 5-YEAR-OLD TO EAT HIS PEAS!

Okay, have you tried Amy's new products? As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I got a chance to sample the gluten-free, dairy-free pizza and it was awesome. Same holds true for this new tasty easy dinner sensation. Lennon LOVED it, and even uttererd,
"you know, I'm actually really enjoying the peas". That's no small thing for a kid who has always hated peas. This dish is a great option for people on allergen-free diets, as it's free of all top allergens, except for SOY. If you can't eat soy, this one is out for you. :( It's also great for vegans. Or anyone for that matter.

Next week I'm going to start trying the new Amy's Low Salt dishes. For those of you who don't know about these products, Amy's makes a lot of frozen vegetarian dinners, which are usually made with the most basic simple ingredients -- very close to homeade, and now that she's introduced the low-sodium line, they're even healthier.

I'd like to know how many of you are on a gluten-free diet, or know somebody on a gluten-free diet. Please leave comments. Do you think this is a fad? Do you think people are going gluten-free when they don't have to? Or are there many many more people with celiac than we realized? And also, your thoughts on the relationship between autism and gluten and casein would be helpful. Any feedback at all on this would be helpful.

And speaking of gluten-free, I made gluten-free banana pancakes this morning, and they were totally yummy. I like to use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-free Baking Flour because it's nutritious and full of fiber. So here's the recipe.

GLUTEN-FREE, ALLERGEN-FREE PANCAKES

1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-free Baking Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. egg replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp. Rice Milk
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Rice Milk
1 tsp. honey or light agave nectar (low on the glycemic index and suitable for diabetics)
1 Tbsp. Safflower oil, or Canola oil, or Rice Bran oil, or Sunflower oil
1/2 cup fruit of choice
cinnamon (optional, depending on fruit you choose)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, Combine egg replacer, rice milk, honey/agave, and oil. Make sure honey has been whisked in thoroughly. Whisk wet ingredients into dry. Add fruit and stir gently to combine. Cook pancakes on a lightly oiled medium-hot griddle or skillet. When bubbles appear around the edges and have popped, flip, and finish cooking till golden on both sides. Two things to note, first don't flip them too early or they'll stick, and second, gluten-free pancakes take a little longer to cook, so if necessary, turn heat down to medium-low to continue cooking pancakes in the center without burning them on the outside. Serve with maple syrup or light agave nectar. Makes about 9 medium pancakes. Double if you want to feed a larger group.

What is light agave nectar, some might ask. Agave nectar is made from cactus (juice). It's like cactus sap, and I believe it has a rich tradition in Native American cuisine. It's really good. I now use it in baking, and put it in oatmeal. As mentioned, the light version is great for diabetics. It's one downside is it has a short shelf life, so products made with agave nectar must be eaten quickly. I discovered this last year at Expo West, the natural products expo. One woman I met had developed a cookie line with agave, only to learn that all her products went rancid on store shelves. But don't let that little story scare you away from cooking with it yourselves. Trust me, you won't be dissapointed. Look for it at health food stores, whole foods markets, and ask for it at your local supermarket -- maybe, just maybe, they'll order it!

2006-09-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends:

Just want to let you know that my September column is up on Lime.com. For this months article "Back to School, Allergen-free", and a great new recipe for "Allergen-free Savory Party Snack Mix" see:

http://www.lime.com/food/story/4425/back_to_school_allergen-free

http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/4427/allergen-free_savory_party_snack_mix

I promise to post something new here next week, can't promise it'll be fascinating, but it will be new!

cybele

2006-09-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Dear readers:

Just want to let you know that my article on chocolate recipes is now available in the fall issue of Living Without (magazine)
For more info check
http://www.livingwithout.com/welcome.htm

Also, I had the great pleasure of testing Amy's new Gluten-free, Casein-free spinach pizza. It's allergen-free accept for the soy cheese, and is truly awesome. I think it's going to become a weekly staple in this house. For more info on that check
http://www.amys.com/products/new_products.php

It will be available in most Whole Foods by October, and should already be in many. If you can eat soy, CHECK IT OUT!!

best,

Cybele

2006-09-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks:

New article and recipe up on Lime on NATURAL ANTIHISTAMINES. Check it out at:

http://www.lime.com/food/story/4014/natural_antihistamines_send_
hay_fever_packing

http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/4016/black-eyed_pea_cake_with_roasted_red_pepper_coulis_and_braised_kale

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

cybele

2006-08-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

QUESAPIZZA

Tonight we were down to the bare bones in my kitchen, but dinner still had to be made, so I came up with an almost completely allergen-free kid-friendly hybrid, the "Quesapizza". This quesapizza is a combination of a quesadilla and a pizza, and it was so good, even my son Lennon who has a peckish appetite ate all of his.

It is allergen-free, except for the soy cheese

(so sorry if you're soy allergic, but if so, you can just omit the cheese part). I use Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative in chedder flavor. It is the only Dairy-Free cheese my kids really like, and since Lennon outgrew his soy allergy, I allow it.

I'm not going to give proportions to the following as it's really a "by feel" kind of recipe, dependant on what you have in the fridge, and how many people you're feeding.

To make a quesapizza, use rice tortilla shells (I used Food for Life, brown rice tortillas). Put tortillas on a baking sheet. Spoon out some jarred marinara sauce, leaving about 1/2 inch uncovered around edges (so little fingers can hold it). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute some thinly sliced onions in a little olive oil over medium heat till softened. Add sliced mushrooms, and suate till softened a bit too. Throw a few baby spinach leaves on top of tortilla, top with onions and mushrooms, and add a few slices of nitrite-free salami (tastes like pepperoni, available at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods). Top with shredded or thinly sliced soy cheese. (these ingredients are just what I had in my house. Feel free to alter as you see fit, but be sure to saute your heartier veggies a bit as this quesapizza only cooks 10 minutes in the oven). And not to be redundant, but... put in oven and cook 10 minutes. Remove and cut into quarters, and eat like a pizza, or fold over and cut in half, to eat like a quesadilla (the less messy way to eat it). Here are my boys, Lennon and Monte after their feeding frenzy. Stupidly, I gave them their bath right before dinner.

Enjoy!

2006-08-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

SPECTRUM ORGANIC SHORTENING, CRISCO CANOLA OIL, and WESSON OIL (AKA, MRS. BRADY)

Dear general readers, Kate and/or Anonymous:

Below is an email from Spectrum, regarding the much debated Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening, that I use and highly recommend. Due to the accusation that I am "Lying" to people about this product, I have procured the following official statement. For anyone who still has questions (or wants to threaten legal action) please contact the manufacturer directly. Additionally, I tracked down further info on Crisco Canola Oil, and Wesson Oil, for which I have also provided contact numbers.

"Spectrum's Organic Shortening is produced and packaged in Columbia. Anyone that is saying that our shortening is packaged in the US alongside our other oils are making erroneous assumptions.

The label does indicate "Product of Colombia" and with good reason. Spectrum has to follow very strict and auditable product and raw material chain of custody guidelines and document them all, has to register as a company with various regulatory authorities, has to verify employment eligibility of personnel, has to comply with intermodal guidelines, consumer product safety guidelines, etc. As a handler (trader) of food, we fall under the jurisdiction of several key regulatory Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) titles which include: FDA (21 CFR), USDA (7 CFR), Bureau of Customs and Border Protection/Homeland Security (6 CFR), Aliens and Nationality (8 CFR), Commerce and Foreign Trade (15 CFR), Commercial Practices (16 CFR), Custom's Duties (19 CFR), and Transportation (49 CFR). Also the Kosher certification "KSA" is yet another independent certification that this product is manufactured for Spectrum in Colombia following strict dietary guidelines.

In addition to this, the process to make shortening is quite involved and requires very specialized temperature controlled equipment not only to process the palm fruit but to get it to the nice creamy non-grainy texture the consumer receives (I can give you a brief summary on this if you need it). Remember shortening is actually a fat (solid at room temperature) and not an oil - completely different equipment not only to produce the shortening but to package it. The equipment is specialized to specific packaging types to gain production efficiencies and minimize product cross contamination. One does not and cannot use the same production line to produce shortening in a plastic tub and oil in a glass bottle.

We comply with all the regulations as well as police ourselves, to ensure the integrity of the product and make it as safe as possible for all consumers - including those with allergies.

To the best of our knowledge there are no peanut or tree nut products manufactured at this plant.

Ellen Markham
Spectrum Organic Products
A Division of the Hain Celestial Group
www.spectrumorganics.com
v. 503-289-1082
f. 503-289-1081

I called consumer relations re: Wesson Oil, which Anonymous had obscurely referenced as "Mrs. Brady", saying it was manufactured and bottled in a peanut-free, tree-nut free facility. I'm sorry Anonymous, but this just isn't true, and you are now guilty of doing exactly what you accuse me of -- spreading around misinformation. Wesson Oil is manufactured and bottled in a facility with Peanut Oil, and Soy Oil. Consumers, please feel free to check this by calling 1 800 582-7809, and following the menu through till you actually reach a person. Their recorded allergy information won't tell you about cross-contamination, you have to speak to a person.

But I've saved the good news till last. I stand corrected about Crisco Canola Oil (Sort of). I am wrong that ALL oil manufacturers also bottle peanut or tree nut oils. There is one that doesn't. Crisco Canola Oil is manufactured and bottled in a Peanut-free, Tree nut-free facility. However, it's NOT a Soy-free facility. So if you have severe soy allergies, please be forewarned. For more info on Crisco products, call 1-800-766-7309.

I am very happy to have discovered this about Crisco Canola Oil for the peanut and tree-nut allergic, and thank you to Anonymous, for this info. Next time, just tell me, without going on a tear. We should all be trying to help each other, we're in this together, let's not be divisive.

Happy baking and cooking to all of you!

Cybele

2006-08-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Pandora's Box

Dear readers:

I understand your concerns over cross contamination. I've done a lot of research on the matter of cooking oils, and here's the bad news: all vegetable oils, except for some brands of olive oil, are bottled in facilities that also bottle nut oils. Yes, that's right, all oils. Call the Allergy Grocer, and they'll tell you the same. If you call around to the various oil manufacturers, they'll reveal this horrible truth. Spectrum just happens to declare it. Most companies don't. Even California Rice Bran Oil, which is often recommended as a risk-free oil bottles along with nut oils. If you follow this to its ultimate conclusion, this means that even allergen-free products made in dedicated allergen-free facilities still often contain oil, and if they do, that oil was bottled in a facility with nut oil. So if you're eating an allergen-free cookie that contains canola oil, or safflower oil, or any other type of oil, that canola oil or safflower oil was bought from another manufacturer where they bottled it along with nut oils. And I'm sure I'll get an angry email about this calling me a spoiler, but I'm telling the truth, no oil (except for olive), and no product made with oil is 100% risk-free. Dedicated allergen-free foods are a wonderful thing, but they don't have to declare anything about the manufacturing practices of their raw ingredients.

I don't mean to be an alarmist here. Truly, you could take this info and it might make you never want to eat again, considering that vegetable oil is used in all restaurants, and most prepackaged products on the market. But there is some good news.

The good news is that some oil and shortening manufacturers practice extremely strict manufacturing practices where they flush the lines. You can make yourself a lot more secure by educating yourself about which brands practice GMP (good manufacturing practices) and HACCP (hazards and critical analysis control points) as well as finding allergen-free dedicated plants and dedicated lines.

Again, though Spectrum (please bare with me to the end of this) does list a disclaimer, if you call them or go to their website, they'll tell you "Spectrum has never had an allergy problem arise from the use of its oils. However, some of our oils do share equipment with that which has been used to process nut oils". Additionally, they will tell you that though they bottle several nut oils, that these oils come to them already pressed, ready to be bottled, meaning that the actual nut or fiber from the nut is not present in their manufacturing plant (meaning the peanut or nut proteins are not present in the plant, just the oil). The oils do share an immediate finishing line and filler with their flaxseed oil. From Spectrum: "To prevent any cross contamination, Spectrum thoroughly flushes the filling lines between the bottling of our different types of oils. In addition, we also flush many pounds of the new oil to be bottled through the lines and filler before actually bottling the new oil".

California Rice Bran Oil has the same flushing practices. I, for one, feel much safer with a company like Spectrum or California Rice Bran Oil that has addressed the issue, and gone to the effort to take huge precautions to avoid cross-contamination than one who hasn't even bothered to mention the disclaimer on their label. Because again, all these oil manufacturers are bottling in facilities with nut oils, and they always have. My hunch is that the manufacturers who list the warning may in fact be a safer bet than the ones that don't. For example, a large company that uses shared lines but has allergen policies, and HACCP procedures in place (which most large companies do) may in fact be safer than a small company using dedicated lines. And FYI, Spectrum is not a small company at all, they are owned by Hain Celestial.

And no, my son does not have a peanut or a tree nut allergy. He has a dairy allergy (and used to have a soy allergy, which he has outgrown). He has never been exposed to either peanuts or tree nuts, and thus has never had the protein introduced, thereby creating the allergy. I have been very careful to keep him away from peanuts and tree-nuts, because as I'm sure you know as other food allergy parents, the child must be exposed at least once to the allergen for the immune system to create the antibodies against the offending allergen. I have purposefully kept my sons away from peanuts and tree-nuts so that they will not develop either allergy. My son Lennon is a hyper-allergic individual, and I avoid peanuts, tree-nuts, and shellfish like the plague.

About Sponsorship:

I was not sponsored by Spectrum when I wrote my cookbook. But I did use Spectrum products. At that time, there was no mention of bottling along with nut and peanut oils on their labels. I used their oils, because I and my publisher thought they had the lowest risk of cross-contamination due to their strict cleansing practices (which i still believe to be true). Again, they go so far as to say on their website:

"Spectrum has never had an allergy problem arise from the use of its oils."

After my book came out, they wished to sponsor me. But labels have changed in the past year. And due to this, I have been hesitant to recommend any of their products but the Organic All Vegetable Shortening. The reason I have continued to use this shortening in my recipes is because it is the only soy-free, dairy-free, tree nut-free, peanut-free shortening on the market (that I have found). I have been told on repeated occasions that it is manufactured and also packaged in Columbia, not in the US in the bottling plant with the Nut Oils. I was last told this in May, 06. However, they can not promise that it is 100% risk free (as nobody really can). When I called Hain Celestial again today, they wouldn't give me any info at all, saying that consumer relations is not privy to information about where a product is packaged, and that they will not guarantee that it's risk free. Smart for them, but extremely frustrating for all of us. I wish I could find just one vegetable oil or shortening product that was 100% risk free of every possible allergen, but I can't make that promise, because nobody can make it to me. So ultimately, it's up to every individual to call manufactures on their own (as I've said many times before), to ask about the GMP, and HACCP....

I am trying to help you, not harm you. Only you know what your own comfort level is, and how severe your or your loved one's allergy is. Not to mention the fact that manufacturing practices change frequently, sometimes on a weekly basis. So even if I know something this week, I won't know if it's true next week.

I think the most important thing to do is to try to be educated. Learn these manufacturing terms. But most importantly, make sure you always have epi-pens, and that whomever is taking care of your child has epi-pens, and truly knows how to use them. Because there is no way to live a completely risk-free life, but we can be prepared, if the risk suddenly presents itself.

2006-07-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

ALLERGEN-FREE PASTA ARTICLE AND RECIPE ON LIME.COM, PLUS NEW RECIPE HERE

Hi People:

Check out my article on Allergen-free Pasta at

www.lime.com/food/story/3630/allergen-free_gluten-free_summer_pasta_dishes

And here's my other new Allergen-free, Gluten-free pasta recipe, because once I got started on this GF pasta kick, I just kept cooking!

After the pesto recipe I devised for the Lime article, I gave myself the challenge of making a substitute for cream sauce, traditionally made with butter, cream, and cheese, and came up with a lovely leek sauce.

Pasta Primavera with Leek Sauce

This recipe is a real showcase for summer vegetables, with a rich medley of color and flavor. The dish tastes indulgent, without being the slightest bit decadent. It is low fat, and has no cholesterol, and yet, is still a cream sauce!

Leek Sauce:
4 leeks, (white and pale green part only), cleaned, and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 cups Vegetable Stock
1 medium potato (1/2 lb.), cubed into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Pasta:
1 lb. corn-quinoa or rice spaghetti, linguine, or fettucine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small zucchini (about 3/4 lb.) cubed into 1/4 inch pieces
2 small yellow squash (about 3/4 lb.) cubed into 1/4 inch pieces
2 carrots, cubed into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Saute leeks in 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add vegetable stock, 2 Tbsp. white wine, and potatoes. Cook at a simmer 25 minutes. Puree in food processor. Add puree back to pan. Add rice milk, remaining 2 Tbsp. white wine, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Simmer 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Put your pasta water on to boil, and cook pasta following instructions on package.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat, add garlic, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add zucchini, squash, and carrot and cook about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add asparagus, cook 3 minutes more, till all vegetables are tender. Combine veggies with leek sauce, and heat through. Put a little olive oil in the bottom of your pasta bowl. When pasta is cooked to Al Dente, drain, and put in pasta bowl. Toss with olive oil, top with leek sauce and veggies, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 8.

ENJOY!

2006-07-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile. Seems like a lot has happened in the world in the past couple of weeks, between the Guantanamo Bay ruling, North Korea setting of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and now Ken Lay's death. But as always, food is still the center of my existance, so I thought it was time for a little update.

First of all, I've been absentee because I had the delightful task of writing an article for Living Without in which I created a whole batch of new allergen-free, gluten-free recipes including Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. It's an homage to chocolate, and will be in their fall issue, so look for it soon. I had to save my Chicken Mole recipe for that, so forgive me for not posting it here right now. My second task has been testing GF pastas for my upcoming column on Lime.com, so look for that towards the end of the month. Essentially, I've reviewed all the gf pastas I can find on the market, and then created a couple of tasty new allergen-free, GF-free pasta recipes. I'll let you all know when that's up.

I hope everyone had a festive 4th of July. I actually cooked a few things from my cookbook for a little BBQ we had yesterday. I made the corn salad, and the american picnic potato salad. They were both delicious, if I do say so myself. But the big news of the week is that GOOD KARMA Organic RiceCream is in stores. I've been waiting for this since March when I first tasted it at Expo West (natural products expo). The Carrot Cake RiceCream is the best thing I've ever tasted (it does NOT contain nuts, like carrot cake does). I LOVE it. In fact, I'm dangerously in love with it. I bought 3 containers yesterday, just in case they run out at Whole Foods. I never do things like that. But Good Karma has got me hooked. Now, for the record, it is allergen-free except for soy lecithin, which most people with soy allergies can still eat, but check with your allergist if you or your child have a soy allergy before going for the gold. It is not maufactured in a dedicated plant, so if you have severe/life threatening food allergies, you may want to call to find out what their procedure is for cleaning the line, etc. FYI, the Vanilla is also wonderful, with a true vanilla bean flavor. This is without a doubt, the best non-dairy ice cream on the market. I'd love to hear what others think after they've tasted it.

All the best, and happy summer!

Cybele

2006-06-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

SOCCA RECIPE

Last month I wrote about a restaurant in Berkeley, CA, called Socca Oven, where all they serve are Soccas. Soccas are Provencal pancakes (savory or sweet) that are traditionally made with chickpea flour (garbanzo flour).

Soccas go back at least to 1860. They are from Southern France, but were most likely an import from Northern Africa, where they eat a lot of chickpeas. In the 19th Century, there were Socca sellers at the markets and at work sites where they provided the favorite morning meal of the workers. The Socca sellers used special wagons with built-in charcoal ovens to keep their wares hot while they announced them with the appropriate cries of Socca! Socca! Socca!

I became interested in Soccas because they are allergen-free, gluten-free, low carb, high protein, and delicious!

I have kept my Socca recipe simple, because I like the rustic flavor. You can top it with olive oil, salt and fresh pepper, or go all out, topping it with things like carmelized onions and grilled rosmary chicken breast. For inspiration go the Socca Oven website at Soccaoven.com and look at their offerings. It will give you an idea of the kind of fun you can have with soccas.

Socca de Nice

1 1/2 cups cold water
3 tablespoons olive oil*
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups chickpea flour

Preheat oven to 575 degrees (f)

In a large bowl, whisk together water, olive oil, and salt. Add chickpea flour, a little at a time, whisking in completely. You want this batter smooth! Once you've added all the flour, and whisked it so it has absolutely no lumps, set aside. Preheat an 11 1/2 inch cast iron skillet in the oven, 4-5 minutes. Remove (with an oven mitt or potholder, this baby is HOT!). Put a little olive oil in the pan. Swirl it around. Then, working quickly, add a heaping 1/2 cup of the batter to the pan, swirling it around to fill the pan in an even layer. Put in oven and cook 5-7 minutes, till browned a bit around the edges. Remove from oven. Flip. It should be golden brown on the bottom. Remove to plate, add a little more olive oil to the pan, another 1/2 cup batter and cook, and so on. This recipe makes 4 socca, ie 4 servings. Eat hot. You can cut it into wedges and dip it into olive oil, or drizzle olive oil on top, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

* to add herbal flavor, you my heat 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs like rosemary or thyme in the olive oil for 2 minutes over medium heat. Let the olive oil cool before making recipe.

You may also make these on the stove top. I like the texture slightly better in the oven, but the stove top is much quicker. To do so, heat your cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a little olive oil. Once hot, add batter. Cook about 1 minute, flip, cook 1 minute more. Remove from pan.

Enjoy!

Cybele

2006-06-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

I was going to put this up in comments in response to a comment this morning, but I decided to post it here instead, to clarify my stance on warnings on food labels.

Dear Anonymous:

Thank you for your comments. First of all, I want to stress that I think these warnings SHOULD be there. And I realize that in listing these statements, it is actually hurting sales for these manufacturers. This is why some of them are choosing to REMOVE the warning. However, all food manufacturers are businesses, and though the health of their consumers may be very important to them, one can not deny that they also employ lawyers who put policy into place to protect them from lawsuits. This does not take away from the fact that these labels help consumers. But in researching this subject, it has become clear to me that there is absolutely no regulation in place, and there needs to be. Every product should list a detailed, regulated disclosure, explaining exactly what type of manufacturing practices are used... Dedicated Plant, Dedicated Line, GMP, HACCP? And I believe we need to educate people in the food allergy community on what these terms mean so they can make informed decisions about what they feel is safe for them, or their children. I think the Perky's label is the best I've seen so far. But as I said, there is no regulation, no common language in place, like we have for the FALCPA. I'M ON YOUR SIDE. Like you, I think it's a great service to people with life-threatening allergies, or parents of those with life-threatening allergies, and would never suggest removing the warning. The health of the people in the food allergy community is extremely important to me, and my book sales mean nothing (and fyi, if you knew how little money I've made off of 4 years of continuous work on this book, you might think I'm insane to keep devoting so much of my time to it!). I keep up this blog because helping people is important to me, and I am saddened to hear you think I am so selfish as to want people's health endangered for the furtherment of my cookbook.

Have you read the new labeling information on the Allergygrocer.com? It's quite fascinating. I highly recommend it.

all the best,

Cybele

2006-06-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Recipe Updates

Dear Readers:

I tried making my Breaded Chicken Cutlets recipe with Perkey's Nutty Rice, which is a gluten-free and nut-free cereal, and it came out just great! In fact, it might be better than the cornflakes. You may substitute Perky's Nutty Rice in any recipe in which I recommend using cereal.

Now, I tried using the Nutty Rice (no nuts, just a nutty texture)because a reader asked about finding cornflakes that weren't at risk for cross-contamination from soy. As some of you may remember, I went on a cereal hunt for any kind of non-wheat flakes that were risk-free for contamination from allergens. I couldn't find a single brand that was processed in a completely "Dedicated" plant. Even Perky's cereals are processed in a "Facility that also manufactures products containing soy and gluten." But they say, "Strict manufacturing and sanitation practices are employed to prevent cross-contamination".(From their box)and "This product is routinely batch-tested for gluten" (also from their box). Are y'all sick of me talking about labeling yet? Better not be, because I'm just getting started! This whole business of "May contain" on labels has absolutely no regulations, and we in the food allergy community need to change that, because it's causing a lot of fear and confusion.

But back to Perky's for a second. Though they list this disclaimer, (which I believe is to deter litigious consumers), rest assured that this brand is owned by Enjoy Life, one of the premiere allergen-free, gluten-free manufacuters. It just goes to show, you can't avoid this very very very small risk of cross-contamination anywhere, not even with the allergen-free brands. And I'll be back with that article I'm writing on labeling very soon....

On to Gluten-free baking. I tried making my Classic Chocolate Layer Cake recipe with Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour, and it came out fine. It tasted great. It's slightly heavier than when you make it with oat flour and barley flour, but surely still tasty. The one thing I would say, is eat it quickly. Gluten-free baked goods don't seem to have as long a shelf life. Next, I tried making my Cherry Pie with this same GF flour. The crust was very hard to roll out, and I found I had to just use my fingers to patch it, and mold it together a bit. It came out tasting good, and was flakey, but personally, I think it's more trouble than it's worth. Again, it had a short shelf life. Something happens to the texture with the GF baked goods after a day or two, they get a little soggy and dense. If anyone has another GF crust recipe they'd like to share, bring it on. And I'll keep experimenting with other GF flours. I have a feeling that crust calls for the potato and tapioca flours/starches, which will have less density.

Here is a new immune boosting, allergen-free salad dressing recipe that's great for summertime. I made it up a couple of weeks ago, and am addicted. Both Pomegranates and Avocados are extremely good for your health. Pomegranates immune boosting properties are said to help guard against premature aging, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer! And avocados are revered for their healthy fats. They are cholesterol free, high in monounsaturated fats, and have 7 fatty acids, including the uber-healthy Omega 3 and 6.

POM/AVO DRESSING:

2 Tbsp. Pomegranate Glaze (or any pomegranate reduction you can find -- readily available at supermarkets since this whole pomegranate craze began)
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Honey
4 Tbsp. Avocado Oil
6 mint leaves, torn or chopped

Combine Pom Glaze, Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard, and Honey. Add Avocado Oil, 1 Tbsp. at a time, whisking thoroughly to really imulsify the dressing. Add mint. Makes about 1/2 cup of dressing (enough for two of the following salads). Feel free to increase the quantity of the dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds if you wish. It's a matter of taste.

1 bag mixed baby spring mix/field greens/baby greens (all the same thing)
1/4 cup green grapes, halved
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. roasted pumpkin seeds *

* to roast your own raw pumpkin seeds, which I think is preferable and delicious, heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the seeds. Cook, shaking the pan every so often, until the seeds start to make a popping sound. Remove from heat and toss directly onto salad. It's great when they're still a little warm, because they pair so well with the cool green grapes.

If you can eat goat cheese, you may add a mild goat cheese to this salad as well.

Enjoy! And check back in the next few days for my new Allergen-free Chicken Mole Recipe (mole usually has peanuts and almonds in it, but I've found a way around that.
Also coming soon... recipes for Soccas, the chickpea flour pizza/tortillas I wrote about last month.

Cheers!

Cybele

2006-05-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

SOME GREAT NEWS, and some NOT SO GREAT NEWS

First the great news, because I like to start out on a positive. I have once again confirmed that SPECTRUM ORGANIC SHORTENING is manufactured in a facility that is peanut-free and tree nut free. Though some angry consumer wrote the opposite in an Amazon review, claiming it's processed in a facility with nuts and peanuts (a bold-faced lie, for no good reason!!) I spoke with their parent company, Hain Celestial this morning and they once again stated that it is produced and packaged in a tree nut-free, peanut-free facility. The reason this is such great news is that this is the only dairy-free/soy-free shortening I've been able to find for baking, and it is also organic, non-hydrogenated, and trans-fat free. So please don't listen to these alarmists who are making untrue claims on Amazon. You can't always believe everything you read, and always check for yourself!!

Now here's the not so great news. I went back to read comments on an earlier post and noticed what Adrienne had written about Arrowhead Mills. Though they don't list a warning about processing in a facility with peanuts and tree nuts, I decided to call them this morning. Unfortunatly, Arrowhead Mills Cereals are not produced on Dedicated Lines (and for anyone who wants to know about what that is, check back soon, I'm writing an article about labling which I will also post here). They do practice GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), however, and feel the risk of cross-contamination is low. But they can't promise you.

I think I will test some of my recipes that use cornflakes with Perky's O's or some of the other cereals. Check back in the next few days for updates on that. Perky's are part of Enjoy Life now and are allergen free, and made in dedicated facilities.

What else.... well somebody asked what my family ate for Memorial Day. I did grilled corn brushed with lime juice/olive oil, salt, and chili pepper flakes (very yummy), and a lentil/quinoa salad (also very yummy), and buffalo burgers. But the special thing I made was my chocolate cake (recipe is in my book, and I make it with the oat flour/barley flour combo). First of all, I used pears instead of applesauce, because I was testing for a person with an apple allergy. Earth's Best Pears (yes, it's baby food) work just great in place of apple sauce for baking, if anyone else needs to substitute. Then, because I'm out of "Better Than Milk Rice Powder", I used the Cherrybrook Kitchen Vanilla Frosting Mix. My family all agreed it tasted just like the inside of an Oreo. Pretty yummy. But then, because I'm a chocoholic, I also made the Enjoy Life chips into a frosting following their recipe on the bag, which just combines the chips with rice milk. It didn't really firm up like frosting, so I dribbled it on top of the vanilla frosting in a pretty spirally pattern. YUMMY!!!! Highly recommended for kids and grown-ups!

p.s. Thanks to Nancy for her really interesting info on GMO Corn Crops!!!!! This requires further study, as I for one believe there is often a relationship between GMO foods and food allergies.

2006-05-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks:

Here are some updates:

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR SUBSTITUTE

1. After receiving requests from people on gluten-free diets for alternate flours, I've done some experimenting. Your best bet is to use BOB'S RED MILL ALL PURPOSE GF BAKING FLOUR. It is free of all top 8 food allergens, and is also gluten free. It is made from Garbanzo Flour, Potato Starch Tapioca Flour, "Sweet" White Sorghum Flour, and Fava Flour. You may substitute it cup for cup in my recipes. For example if a recipe calls for 1 cup barley flour, and 1 cup oat flour, then substitute 2 cups of Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour. It makes for very tasty muffins, etc. Pancakes come out a little thinner, more like crepes, due to the lack of gluten (which helps baked-goods rise), but they're still tasty. I have yet to make a cake with this flour, and will update once I've done so.

CORN FLAKES (and other flakes)
2. In response to an anonymous question in comments, I have used many types of Corn Flakes in making cornflake crumbs for recipes like the Breaded Chicken Cutlets. Health Valley, Arrowhead Mills, Erewon, Nature's Path. But, as with all other labeling as of January 2006, many labels now list the potential of traces of allergens that were never listed before. So brands like "Health Valley" may contain trace elements of allergens.

Arrowhead Mills Organic Corn Flakes do not list any potential allergenic ingredients, and thus seem like the safest bet (I haven't checked Erewon Flakes yet, they may be fine too). Arrowhead Mills Organic Corn Flakes are made from Organic Corn Grits, Organic Fruit Juice Concentrate, Organic Corn Bran Flour, Sea Salt, Ascorbic Acid (vit C) and Natural Vitamin E. Hope that's helpful! And as always, if you have any concerns, contact Arrowhead Mills directly.
p.s. If you wish to use their Organic Amaranth Flakes or Organic Oat Bran Flakes in a recipe that calls for cornflakes, they will work just fine. I use them all interchangebly. For example, I often use Oat Bran Flakes when making the Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs.

HEALTHY TIMES VANILLA TEETHING BISCUITS
3. I received a tip off from a very helpful mom that Healthy Times Vanilla Teething Biscuits have changed their recipe. When I recommended them in my book, they were made with Barley Flour. They've since changed the recipe and now contain Wheat Flour. YET ANOTHER REMINDER TO ALWAYS READ LABELS BECAUSE EVEN THE "SAFE" FOODS SOMETIMES CHANGE THEIR INGREDIENTS!!!!!!!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend! Hope you're all grilling up a storm.

best,

Cybele

2006-05-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, more on labeling craziness. I'm doing my best to help out those who fear the risk of cross-contamination, but this is a can of worms, people!!!

Again, let me stress, my book is FREE OF ALL TOP EIGHT FOOD ALLERGENS!!! It is each individual's responsibility to call manufacturers if you are concerned. I'll try to help you when I can, and if you contact me for help I'll certainly assist, but I can't call every product manufacturer on the market.

Re: the change in food allergy labeling, as of January 2006, according to the Kids With Food Allergies Website:

"The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act that went into effect in 2006 does not require manufacturers to list common allergenic ingredients resulting from shared equipment and cross contamination issues. Therefore, it still remains the responsibility of consumers to read labels carefully and call manufacturers to be sure that each food is safe for their unique allergy issues."

I am trying to help people who have concerns, but ultimately, as always, it's up to you what you choose to feed yourself and your family.

Today I discovered that Ener-G Egg Replacer has changed their label... AGAIN. First, I received an email from a concerned parent of a child with egg and nut allergies, who said the product was processed in a facility with nuts. I looked at the box, and lo and behold, the label had a disclaimer. But today at the grocery store, I looked at the box again, and there's NO MENTION OF NUTS OR PEANUTS!!!!! So I called Ener-G. They've changed the label, so now it doesn't mention tree-nuts or peanuts, because they are so sure that there's no risk of cross-contamination. Same processing, new label. Go figure. If you're really concerned about cross-contamination with this product, I would suggest you buy the ORGRAN "NO EGG". As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is processed in a peanut-free, tree nut-free facility.

I got an anonymous tip on comments today that suggested California Rice Bran Oil as a brand of cooking oil, safe from nut and peanut cross-contamination. I called them. They produce their rice oil in a nut-free, peanut-free facility. The processing facility only has rice oils. However, they bottle in a facility with other oils. They have very strict hygeine practices and flush the lines out with the incoming oils. Thus the lines are purged by the incoming oil, and they feel there is no risk of cross-contamination. I believe them, and trust their product. If you would like to contact them with further questions, call toll free (866) RICEOIL (742-3645)or email RBOPR@yahoo.com. They were very nice and helpful.

And to those who have concerns over Spectrum products, I found the following on the Spectrum Website at spectrumorganics.com FAQ's page:

Are there any nuts in Spectrum Oils? Do any Spectrum products come into contact with nuts?

Spectrum bottles several different nut oils, such as our Peanut, Walnut, Almond, Toasted Hazelnut and Toasted Walnut Oils. These oils come to us already pressed, ready to be bottled–meaning that the actual nut or fiber from the nut is not present in our manufacturing plant.

However, the nut oils, as well as other oils we bottle in our manufacturing plant, do share an immediate finishing filling line and filler with our flaxseed oil. To prevent any cross contamination, Spectrum thoroughly flushes the filling lines and filler between the bottling of our different types of oils. In addition, we also flush many pounds of the new oil to be bottled through the lines and filler before actually bottling the new oil.

Spectrum has never had an allergy problem arise from the use of its oils. However, some of our oils do share equipment with that which has been used to process nut oils.

I'm testing some gluten-free flours today, so check back in the next couple of days, and I should have a substitute for those seeking gluten-free baked goods.

Have a great day!

Cybele

2006-05-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

More on Cherrybrook Kitchen!

This afternoon, my son Lennon and I made the Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. Some of you may be wondering why I'm using mixes when I have my own hypoallergenic recipes. Good question. And here's the answer: When I did the Al Roker special "Edible Enemies" for the Food Network, they had just come from Cherrybrook Kitchen, and the producer was kind enough to give me all her samples, since my kid's got food allergies, and her's didn't. But whether or not they'd been donated to me, I'm sure I would have bought them just to test anyway. So here are my updates. I've used the pancake mix (contain wheat) a couple more times, which I have found stick with a nonstick surface. But if you make the pancakes in a cast iron skillet with a little canola oil or safflower oil, they cook up beautifully. I have added old-fashioned oats and berries, to make them a little more nutritous. Thumbs up!

The chocolate chip cookies (contain wheat and soy) are pretty good. They are impossible to mix, however, and I gave up using a wooden spoon and just kneeded the dough with my fingers to combine it. They also take about 15 minutes to cook instead of the listed 8-10 minutes. But all in all, are a great time-saver in a pinch. They have a slightly bitter after-taste which I wasn't crazy about, but my sons said they were yummy, and they dunked them in chocolate soy milk and were none the wiser. As anyone who reads my blog or book knows, I'm a great believer in unrefined sugar alernatives, like honey and maple sugar, but I must admit, it's fun to have the ease of whipping up a mix once in awhile, and so far, this one is the best one I've found.

But I have a question. These are marketed as being manufactured in a nut free peanut free facility. So clearly they are for people with nut/peanut allergies. But some of the mixes require adding cooking oil. Has anyone found a vegetable oil, that is soy free, and processsed in a nut free facility? That's not olive oil? I'm still on the hunt for a vegetable oil that is completely risk-free for cross contamination from nuts. Please Please email me if you know of one, so I can share the news!

Now, I'm going back to those cookies!

cybele

2006-05-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Readers:

It has come to my attention this weekend that a couple of the products I recommend in my book are now being labled differently, and are produced in the same facility with tree nuts and/or peanuts which poses the potential risk of cross-contamination for people with severe peanut or tree-nut allergies. Since I wrote my cookbookbook, the legislation for labeling has changed. As of January 2006, in fact. My publisher and I truly didn't know at the time I wrote the book and are only finding out ourselves now.

One of these products is Ener-G Egg Replacer. I didn't realize it was produced on the same line as tree nuts. This is a problem with the Spectrum Oils as well, which now list that they are produced in the same facility with nut oils. And apparently some types of Mochi are produced in facilities with nuts, though I don't think this is true across the board.

While the vast majority of the products I recommend in my book are still totally safe, I would like to suggest that in light of this change in labeling that people continue to read labels carefully. While none of the recipes in the book use any of the top 8 food allergens, it is always possible that this change in labeling will reveal a product to be produced in the same facility as an allergen.

I am tracking down safe substitutes for the products I have been alerted to for those who are concerned about peanut and tree-nut cross-contamination. Though I know that companies like Spectrum practice strict hygiene in cleaning between batches (which is why we chose to recommend them, in fact, due to lower incidence of any kind of cross-contamination), and cross-contamination is extremely unlikely, I understand why many are hyper-vigilant about avoiding any possible exposure.

Today I emailed Orgran about their Egg Replacer "No Egg". This is an Australian product and is available at many health food stores in the US. You can subsitute it for Ener-G Egg Replacer in equal quantity. At the bottom of this post is their response that this is a safe substitute, and not processed in a facility with peanuts or tree nuts.

Though the Spectrum Oils are processed in a facility with nuts, I have been told by Spectrum that their Organic Shortening is NOT. I am verifying this once again, and will post about it asap. But I believe it is totally safe!!!

Re: Spectrum Oils, I emailed the Allergy Grocer to find an alternate brand of Safflower Oil or Canola Oil that was processed in a nut-free peanut-free facility, and she didn't know of any. For those concerned about using these oils, please feel free to use a mild flavored olive oil instead. And if anyone knows about a safflower oil, or canola oil, or sunflower oil that is processed in a nut-free peanut-free facility, please let me know.

I would also like to reassure readers, in response to a comment on Amazon that my book should have been reviewed for medical accuracy, that my book was reviewed by many reliable medical sources. It was reviewed by Lynda Schneider, M.D., directer of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Children's Hospital in Boston, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, as well as her staff of nutritionists at Children's Hospital, and by the Review Staff (which includes physicians) at FAAN, by Christine Fusillo, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Allergy at Westchester Medical Center, and by Eric Chivian, M.D., director of the Center for Health and the Globel Environment at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, I have never claimed that my book is a medical guide. It is a cookbook, that I wrote to help other people in their struggles to cook allergen-free meals.

If anyone wants to write a review on Amazon, please do so. It would be great to hear your feedback, and for others to hear it also. I've received a couple of "alarmist" reviews, due to these three products (the Ener-G Egg Replacer, Spectrum Oils, and Mochi) but it would be such a shame for them to discount the hundreds of other ingredients, and most of all, the recipes.

Thank you all for reading this, and please tell others who you think would like to know.

Be well,

Cybele

Dear Cybele,

Thank you for your enquiry and interest in ORGRAN products. We would like to inform that ORGRAN products are what free, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, non-GMO, suitable for vegan and natural.

Orgran No Egg processing is in nut free environment, where we do not stock peanut or tree nuts.

I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

C. Alice Rujiravongs
Quality Assurance Officer
Roma Foods
Email: info@orgran.com
Website: www.orgran.com

Ph: 03 9776 9044
Fax: 03 9776 9055

Int Ph: + 61 3 9776 9044
Int Fax: + 61 3 9776 9055

47-53 Aster Avenue
Carrum Downs
Victoria 3201
AUSTRALIA

Our company is dedicated to providing a high level of product quality and customer service. If you feel there is a way in which we can improve any aspect of our products and/or services, we kindly ask that you provide us with any feedback, comments and/or suggestions. Thank-you for your time.

2006-05-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hi:

Just a brief update.... I'm settling in here in LA, but my 1950's O'Keefe and Merritt oven is broken, so I haven't had a chance to test any new recipes, yet. I promise I will soon, though. I'm very inspired by the Mexican food here. I think I'll be creating some new dishes around the Mexican theme. You can do so much with soft tacos.

My sister-in-law Thanya just sent me a menu from a restuarant in Berkeley, CA. It's called Socca Oven. Soccas are little French pizzas, and the dough is made from chick peas, a great alternative to wheat. Everything at Socca Oven is gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast, and sugar free. Sounds like my kind of place! I'm going to plan a trip to the Bay Area to visit my brother and sister-in-law just so I can go eat at Socca Oven. Their website is www.soccaoven.com if anyone is interested in finding them too.

I tried the Cherrybrook Kitchen Original Pancake Mix this morning. It's diary-free, egg-free, soy-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and of course free of fish and shellfish. It does have wheat, however. It was pretty good. I added some sliced strawberries. My only complaint was that they really stuck to my non-stick skillet, even though I used canola oil too. But the kids liked them, and they're great for when you're short on time (or still unpacking a house full of boxes, like me!). I'm going to try all their mixes, so I'll keep posting as I do so.

For anyone who missed the Martha Stewart segment I did on April 20th, it's on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmDtk6VjKnI

Hope everyone who reads this is well. I keep hearing it's a really bad allergy season, so for those of you out there with seasonal allergies as well as food allergies, I'm thinking of you, and hope you're not too itchy and sneezy.

all the best,

Cybele

2006-04-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hi to everyone who visited this blog after the Martha Stewart show. I was going to respond to the comments one by one, but there are so many of you, I'm going to roll it into one big post. If I leave anything out, feel free to comment, or email me and I'll get back to you.

First of all, thank you so much for all the support and the sweet comments about my boys!!!! They had fun on the show, and I'm glad people enjoyed watching them.

Re: Gluten, yes I use a lot of barley and oat flour. I've found it's the best combo for baking. Barley does contain gluten. Oat is supposedly gluten-free or low gluten, but is usually processed in the same facilities with other gluten products, and thus must be labeled as containing gluten due to cross contamination. I have not excluded gluten from my cookbook, because it is not considered one of the top 8 food allergens, as identified by the FDA. However, since writing the book, I have realized there's a growing need for gluten-free recipes. I have every intention of coming up with a gluten-free flour mix that can be used in my baking recipes. Please check back for that in the near future.

Yes, these recipes are great for vegans! All baked goods are vegan.

To the person at Trader Joe's, the book is available on Amazon, at Borders, Barnes & Noble, many Whole Foods, and many small health food stores, and smaller booksellers. Please, pass along the word to your customers with food allergies! I love Trader Joe's and shop there all the time.

Eczema is almost always from some kind of allergy, but it doesn't have to be a food allergy (tho in my opinion, it usually is). Shellfish gives me eczema, along with a whole lot of other symptoms. I've heard dairy and eggs are big culprits. To the woman whose husband has eczema, i wish you luck! Do you intend to start cooking an allergen-free diet? If I were you, I'd try to cut out the top 8 food allergens for a few weeks, and see if his skin improves. Please keep me posted on how it's going with that. Eczema really is so unpleasant, and I hope he finds his culprit.

And hopefully, I will have some kind of cooking show in the future. It's in the works. And part of the reason I'm so behind in getting back to you all is that I taped a special for the Food Network last week. It's called "Edible Enemies" and is a one-hour special about food allergies. I'll keep people posted about when that will air, though it may not be until 2007.

Again, THANK YOU for watching, and supporting, and your interest!

Check back soon for new recipes and updates. I'm moving to California on tuesday. Perhaps I'll have new recipe inspiration out on the west coast. The produce there is incredible! And if there's one thing i love, it's fresh produce.

be well!

Cybele

2006-04-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Watch me make Rolled Maple Sugar Cookies on Martha Stewart tomorrow, April 20th! Check for local times...

Enjoy!

Cybele

2006-04-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

NEW RECIPE:

ALLERGEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I made this one up using ingredients from my two new sponsors, Spectrum and Enjoy Life. They are sooo yummy!!!!

1 cup Spectrum Naturals Organic Vegetable Shortening
1 3/4 cups date sugar or beet sugar or a mixture (I used 1 1/2 cups date sugar with 1/4 cup beet sugar because date sugar is more nutritious and not too sweet -- All date sugar would be great as well)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tsp. Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 1/4 cup rice milk
2 Tbsp. rice milk
pinch salt
1 cup oat flour
1 cup barley flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup Enjoy Life dairy-free/soy-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. In an electric mixer, or a large bowl, cream sugar with shortening. Add vanilla extract, Egg Replacer, and rice milk. Combine flours, salt and baking soda. Add to bowl. Combine completely. Then fold in chips. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. You may want to flatten them a bit into round cookie shape. Cook 11 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool before eating. Serve with a chilled glass of vanilla rice milk. Makes about 2 dozen. Yummy!

2006-04-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends:

I have been horribly remiss in updating this blog. I've been traveling, promoting the book, and last week, was at EXPO West, a huge natural products expo in Anaheim, CA, where allergen-free, and gluten-free is truly all the rage. Look for some really exciting products at your local health food stores in the next few months: Soy Whipped Cream (for those who can't eat dairy but can eat soy), Good Karma Rice Milk Ice Cream in flavors like Carrot Cake, with chunks of Carrot Cake, that rocked my socks off, and thankfully was nut-free too! Ener-G is coming out with a new bread called Seattle Brown Bread, which is gluten-free, allergen-free, and actually edible, unlike many of their other bread products. I really like this new bread and would eat it on a daily basis. It's made with some highly nutritive ancient native american grain, that they bought the entire crop of this year, so only they will be making bread with it. There are lots of new gluten-free and allergen free cookies on the market as well, some that use agave as a sweetener, which also has the added benefit of being low on the glycemic index, and thus good for diabetics.

Other updates:

Martha Stewart tapes April 13th and airs April 20th. They have switched the dates on me repeatedly, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed I actually make it to the finish line.

New fun recipe idea:

Melt Enjoy Life Dairy-free/Soy-free Chocolate Chips in a heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, dip Ener-G allergen-free gluten free Wylde Pretzels in and swirl, pulling out individually with a fork. Lay out on wax paper on a cookie try. Once finished, refridgerate for a couple of hours. Soooooo yummy. Also, try with Gorilla Munch cereal or raisins. The kids will LOVE this one.

Please come back! I promise not to go so long without writing again.

be well.
cybele

2006-03-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Dang it! I think it was NBC Weekend Today Show in NY. Sorry to all who are National, not Regional. Maybe I can figure out how to stream it on here tho....

But Martha Stewart will be aired all over the country, of that I am sure!

Have a great Sunday!

Cybele

2006-03-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder that I will be appearing on NBC Weekend Today Show tomorrow morning, Sunday March 12th, at around 8:40 AM.

If you're not up that early on a Sunday, I'm sooo jealous!!!

cybele

2006-03-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends:

Additions and changes.

I will be on NBC Weekend Today Show on Sunday March 12th.

MARTHA STEWART has been switched to April 12th at 10AM.

Check back soon.

2006-02-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

To everyone who missed the ABC segment on The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook, which aired Monday, February 20th, I'm sorry not to have posted about it. But mark your calanders, because I'm going to be on MARTHA STEWART, Wednesday, March 22nd! See below for a new list of events.

Again, please note that I am now being sponsored by Spectrum and will be giving out coupons for Spectrum products, as well as free samples of my food.

THURSDAY, MARCH 2nd, 11AM-1PM

Mrs. Greens Natural Market, Larchmont
2460 Boston Post Road
Larchmont, NY 10538

Book signing and samples.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4th, 1PM-3PM

Borders Books & Music, Wilton, CT
14 Danbury Rd
Wilton, CT 06897
(203) 834-0600

Book signing and samples.

MONDAY, MARCH 6th, 9AM-11AM CANCELLED!!!!!!

Equinox Fitness Club, Scarsdale
800 White Plains Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583

Book signing and samples.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7th, at 7PM

HTA of New York
629 Fifth Ave
Pelham, NY 10803
914 738-8370

I will speaking, along with CHRISTINE FUSILLO, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Allergy, Westchester Medical Center. We will be talking about FOOD ALLERGIES and ALLERGEN-FREE COOKING. Also, book signing, and samples.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11th, 12PM-3PM

Natures Temptations, Cross River
890 Route 35
Cross River, NY 10518

Book signing and samples.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22nd

MARTHA STEWART SHOW
check for local times

come back soon for some new recipes. i've just been a little busy:)

2006-02-16T06:17:00.000-08:00

Hi:

Re:

ABC News, turns out i'm being filmed tomorrow, but it airs monday or tuesday. I'll post again tomorrow when i know which day to watch.

thanks!

cybele

2006-02-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

Hi:

First of all, I tried the Kitchen Basics vegetable stock when making black beans and it was very tasty. So in addition to being allergen-free, I recommend it purely for flavor.

NEWS UPDATE:

I will be on ABC NEWS this coming FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, cooking recipes from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook, and discussing Food Allergies. I will update with the time ASAP.

The following is a list of upcoming signings and speaking engagements.

Please note that I am now being sponsored by Spectrum and will be giving out coupons for Spectrum products, as well as free samples of my food.

THURSDAY, MARCH 2nd, 11AM-1PM

Mrs. Greens Natural Market, Larchmont
2460 Boston Post Road
Larchmont, NY 10538

Book signing and samples.

MONDAY, MARCH 6th, 9AM-11AM

Equinox Fitness Club, Scarsdale
800 White Plains Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583

Book signing and samples.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7th, at 7PM

HTA of New York
629 Fifth Ave
Pelham, NY 10803
914 738-8370

I will speaking, along with CHRISTINE FUSILLO, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Allergy, Westchester Medical Center. We will be talking about FOOD ALLERGIES and ALLERGEN-FREE COOKING. Also, book signing, and samples.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11th, 12PM-3PM

Natures Temptations, Cross River
890 Route 35
Cross River, NY 10518

Book signing and samples.

COME BACK FOR MORE UPDATES SOON!!!

And Happy Valentines Day! Remember, dark chocolate, such as "Dark Bitter" is very often Dairy-free. So those of you looking for a valentines treat for your dairy-allergic sweeties, look for the dark chocolate. As always, read the ingredients. But I've found plenty of options for my son Lennon.

Cybele

2006-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hi. Here's a stock tip. Not the money kind (I wish I could give advice on that!!!).
This stock looks great, except for the corn syrup. But if you can stomach using that, give it a try. In answer to my concern that "Natural flavor/protein" had hidden soy protein, see statement below.

http://www.kitchenbasics.net/

1. Do Kitchen Basics contain ingredients which can trigger a reaction in those people with food allergies? While no food can be guaranteed to be safe from causing an allergic reaction in 100% of the population, Kitchen Basics Stocks are all natural and do not contain many of the ingredients which cause food allergies.

Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock is slow cooked from or with:

* Chicken bones
* Carrots, onion, celery
* Natural flavor—protein without artificial additives
* Bay leaf, thyme and peppercorn
* Corn syrup and salt

Kitchen Basics Beef Flavor Stock is slow cooked from or with:

* Beef bones
* Carrots, onion, leek, tomato and garlic
* Natural flavor—protein without artificial additives
* Bay leaf, thyme and peppercorn
* Corn syrup and salt

Kitchen Basics Stocks do not contain:

* MSG (monosodium glutamate)
* HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein)
* Disodium inosinate or guanylate
* Yeast extract
* Yeast
* Soy
* Milk, whey, caseine or caseinates
* Wheat, oats, rye, barley

"Our products do not contain soy... The aspetic (Tetra-Pak) lines that run our products do run soy milk at other times for other customers. They go through a rigorous "CIP" (clean in place) after each run made up of sanitizing solutions so that each batch starts with commercially sterile equipment—hoses, tanks and sterilization equipment."

Paul Hamerly

2006-01-29T13:47:00.000-08:00

NEW RECIPE

ENGLISH BEEF STEW

The following recipe is a loose adaptation of my mother's English Brown Stew. It's a great winter meal. I made it a couple of nights ago, and my two-year-old said, "Vewy good, mommy!" My recipe is free of all top 8 Food Allergens. I have given proportions for 12 servings, because I like to make enough so that I can freeze half for dinner at a later date.

2 1/2 lbs organic beef, cut into 1-inch cubes (Grateful Harvest sells organic grass-fed beef stew cubes)
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced onion
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
big dash allspice
1 tablespoon honey
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup organic ketchup (Trader Joe's or Annie's are both good brands)
5 cups boiling water
1 6.5 oz container D'Artagnan Demi Glace (available in the meat section at most supermarkets -- if you can't find it, omit the Demi Glace and substitute 5 cups low-salt beef broth for the boiling water, but the Demi Glace really is wonderful, so try to find it first)
2 cups pearl onions * (see below for preparation tips)
4 or 5 large carrots, sliced
4 or 5 stalks celery, chopped
2 heaping cups halved baby white potatoes, or regular potatoes, cubed

* To de-skin the pearl onions, cut off their tops and bottoms. Drop them in boiling water and cook about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. The onions will pop out of their skins easily.

Dredge beef in oat flour, shaking off extra. Heat olive oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Once it's all been browned, add all back to pan. Add garlic, onion, spices, honey, lemon juice, ketchup. Stir well. Add boiling water, and Demi-Glace. Mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer, stirring every so often for 1 1/2 hours. Add pearl onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cover, and cook another hour. Adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Serve with a light green salad. Makes 12 servings. Note, it's even better the next day!

2006-01-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

VINEGAR CHICKEN RECIPE

One of the great things about writing this cookbook is how many new people I've met through the process. The Food Allergy community is full of supportive and generous people. One of these great people I've met is Lauren Moynihan. Lauren is allergic to milk, soy, eggs, peanuts, salmon (but most other fish is ok), hot peppers, and corn. She's been sending me some of her favorite allergen free recipes. Two nights ago, I tried making her grandmother's recipe for Vinegar Chicken and it was really delicious. I made it with one 4 lb chicken cut into quarters. I used about 3 Tbsp Olive Oil. I used 4 large cloves garlic, and 1 heaping tsp. oregano. I used about 1 1/2 cups of vinegar total (3/4 cup balsamic, 3/4 cup cider vinegar), and about 3/4 cup water. I also threw in about 1/4 cup assorted olives (which I added in the last 15 minutes). I didn't have any mushrooms, or I would have used them, as I'm sure they are a great addition. Also, I cooked it about 45 minutes instead of the 30, turning the chicken once and basting frequently with the liquid. Anyway, THANKS Lauren! And thanks Lauren's grandmother! This one is a keeper!!!!

The following is excerpted from an email from Lauren Moynihan:

"this is my grandma's vinegar chicken recipe... it's my all time favorite food. most of the measurments, you do by how you like things, like if you like vinegar add more vinegar. also her measurments aren't by cups or anything... she goes by glasses.

clean chicken and dry it in a paper towel. we use thighs but i have heard that any kind of chicken tastes good with it cover the bottom of a wide pan with olive oil
brown the chicken on both sides in a single layer taking out the finished peices before adding more. after your done browning it, add all the chicken back in
chop up 4 or 5 cloves of garlic and throw it in the pan use about a teaspoon of oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, or whatever other herbs you want to use
fill a juice glass with half apple cidar vinegar and half balsamic vinegar and add it to the pan add salt and pepper and mix it with a wooden spoon to cover all the chicken with the vinegar mixture add about a half a glass of water lower heat and cover cook for about a half hour add sliced mushrooms and olives at the end and cook for about 5 more minutes

if you have leftovers and put it in the refrigerater, the sauce becomes almost like a gel but if you heat it up again it turns back into sauce.
i hope you like it :)

2006-01-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

In response to an earlier question about chocolate allergies, MaryKay Hill from The Vermont Food Allergy Organization sent me the following article by Judy Tidwell. I found the article of interest and thought others might as well.

A True Chocolate or Cocoa Allergy Is Rare
A true chocolate or cocoa allergy is rare even though many people claim to be allergic to it.

A study revealed that only one out of every 500 people who thought they were allergic to chocolate actually tested positive. Because people complain of headaches and migraines after eating chocolate, they assume it is an allergic reaction. These reactions may be due to a food intolerance or sensitivity not an actual food allergy.

It is also possible that adverse reactions could be caused by ingredients added to chocolate during processing, such as corn syrup, milk, soy beans, lecithin, gluten, and nuts.

Chemical Makeup
There are approximately 380 known chemicals in chocolate. The pleasurable and unpleasurable effects of consuming chocolate can be attributed to several known chemicals:

* Caffeine
* Theobromine
* Phenyethylamine

Possible Reactions
Scientists have discovered over the last few decades that chocolate may cause headaches, obesity, heartburn, rectal itching, coronary problems, and emotional problems such as feelings of anger, irritability, confusion, and depression.

Caffeine, a stimulate, can cause anxiety, sleep problems, heartburn, restlessness, and difficulty with concentration.
Headaches and fatigue are usual signs of withdrawal from caffeine. Although there is much less caffeine in chocolate than in a cup of coffee, small amounts can add up.

Theobromine occurs naturally in cacao beans and stimulates the nervous system and heart rate. It may affect emotional moods as a natural antidepressant. It is also a mild diuretic.

Phenyethylamine affects mood swings by causing an initial emotional high then a short time later an emotional low. It causes blood pressure and blood-sugar levels to rise, resulting in a feeling of alertness and contentment.

Health Benefits
In moderation, eating chocolate can have health benefits. It may reduce the chance of heart disease and increase longevity.

2006-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

New Recipe!

English Cranberry Pudding

Vegan, Dairy free, Soy free, Egg free, Wheat free, Peanut free, Tree Nut free, Fish free, and Shellfish free RECIPE

One of my favorite food magazines is Saveur. Not only do they have exotic recipes, but the photography is spectacular. I reccommend it to any foodie, and all hungry readers. This month's issue lists their top 100 favorites, and #24 was Cranberry Pudding. I was delighted to find this recipe, because it was easily adaptable to a hypoallergenic version.

The recipe called for two 2 1/2 cup glazed ceramic pudding basins, available from Sur La Table (800 243-0852, or www.surlatable.com). However, i didn't have these on hand, and I'm sure most of you out there don't either. So I made due with two heavy ceramic bean pots that held 2 cups of liquid each. I'm sure you can use little casseroles, or custard cups, or even a solid heavy ceramic bowl. Whatever you use, make sure it can withstand high heat since you'll be boiling it.

This recipes is an old-fashioned English steamed pudding. The Saveur version recommended serving it with whipped cream. I have substituted hard sauce, a sweet sauce often served with steamed puddings, apple pie, mince meat pie, etc.

CRANBERRY PUDDING

5 Tbsp. vegetable shortening (I use spectrum naturals organic shortening which is soy and dairy free)
1 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or cherries, or chopped pitted prunes)
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs* (I used gluten free, wheat free brown rice bread, but use whatever you prefer, spelt, etc.)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. oat flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. barley flour
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup water

*to make bread crumbs, dice bread up very small and put on a cookie sheet in the oven or toaster oven at 375 degrees till lightly golden and no longer soft, shaking the tray occasionally. Let cool before using.

Combine 4 Tbsp. vegetable shortening with cranberries, bread crumbs, flour, orange zest, and baking powder in large bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add orange juice and water and stir until mixtue becomes a thick batter, about 1 minute.

Grease two ceramic pudding basins (about 3" deep and 5" wide) or mini casseroles, or bowls, or bean pots, or whatever ceramic basins you will be using, with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of vegetable shortening. Lightly pack 1/2 the batter into each of the basins. Cover each basin with 2 layers of waxed paper, then 2 layers of foil, and secure tightly with kitchen twine. You want to make sure the waxed paper and foil are on really tightly, because you don't want the water getting into the basin, or you'll wind up with watery mush. You will need a large wide pot. Put a steamer basket or circular rack in the bottom. I didn't have one pot large enough so i used two, one for each basin. Put the basin on the rack or steamer basket, and fill the pot with water until it reaches 2" up the sides of the basins. Cover pots, bring water to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer 3 1/2 hours, replenishing water as necessary (with boiling water). Remove basins from pot and let cool about 10 minutes. Remove wax paper and foil, run a knife gently around the edges of pudding to loosen and turn out onto a small plate. Serve warm with Hard Sauce (recipe follows). Serves 4.

HARD SAUCE

1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup beet sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. rum, or brandy

Mix vegetable shortening with sugar till creamy. Add vanilla extract. Beat in thoroughly. Add rum, 1/2 tsp. at a time, till really creamy. Chill in fridge about 1/2 an hour before eating with pudding. Yum!

2005-12-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

New Recipe

"New Year's Lasagna"
Vegan, Wheat free, Gluten free, and Dairy free Lasagna

Sicilians eat Lasagna on the New Year for good luck. Supposedly, any other baked pasta dish won't do. Manicotti will bring bad luck and so will Canneloni. Not wanting to risk it, I stuck with the traditional here, and tried my hand at Tofu Spinach Lasagna. This lasagna is vegan, gluten free, and free of all major allergens EXCEPT SOY. It is Dairy free, Wheat free, Egg free, Peanut free, Tree nut free, and of course Shellfish free and Fish free. My son Lennon no longer has a soy allergy, so we've added it back into our diet. If you can't eat soy, try the recipe for Lasagna with Eggplant, Portobello Mushrooms, and Fresh Tomatoes in The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook.

2 Tbsp. dairy free vegetable shortening (I like Earth Balance Soy Garden Natural Buttery Spread)
2 Tbsp. brown rice flour
1 cup soy milk
3 cups silken tofu (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 bag pre-washed baby spinach (about 1/2 cup steamed)
9 slices Tofutti "Mozzerella"
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 box De Boles Rice Lasagna (No Boiling - Oven Ready)
2 cups tomato sauce (try with The Lady from Naples Red Sauce in my cookbook, or a good store bought Marinara if pressed for time)

Make a cream sauce by melting the vegetable shorting in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring about 3 minutes. Add the soy milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often until it's thickened up to a nice creamy constistancy. Remove from heat. Steam spinach, drain thoroughly, and chop. You want about a 1/2 cup. Set aside. Take 6 of the Tofutti "Mozzerella" slices and dice them up. Crumble silken tofu into a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the cream sauce, the diced Tofutti "Mozzerella", the chopped spinach, nutmeg, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Blend well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Use a 7 x 11 baking pan. Put a little olive oil in the bottom. Start with one layer of lasagna noodles. Cover with tofu/spinach mixture. Top with a little bit of the cream sauce and top that with tomato sauce. Do another layer of noodles, topped with tofu/spinach, cream sauce, and tomato sauce. Do a final layer of noodles, topped with remaining cream sauce and tomato sauce. Take final 3 slices of Tofutti "Mozzerella" and tear them into small pieces over the top. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for several hours before eating. If you like, serve with a little extra tomato sauce. Serves 4-6.

2005-12-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

CONNECTICUT POST, LIVING SECTION, WOMANWISE

Front Page Article featuring THE WHOLE FOODS ALLERGY COOKBOOK

Article created: 12/30/2005 04:36:33 AM

An alarming rise in food allergies among kids has parents questioning
What's safe to eat?
MEG BARONE, Correspondent

F ood is one of life's greatest pleasures. And, obviously, it's a necessity. But the very food that sustains us can also kill. When the body's immune system mistakenly identifies certain foods as enemies it attacks the invaders, prompting any number of reactions, from annoying skin rashes to stomach discomfort to the life-threatening throat swelling.
Such was the case last month when 15-year-old Christina Deforges, of Canada, died after kissing her boyfriend, who had eaten a peanut butter sandwich hours before.

Deaths from food allergies are rare, only 150 to 200 per year in the United States, according to the nonprofit Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network at www.foodallergy.org.

But allergic reactions to food prompt about 30,000 trips to emergency rooms annually, and food allergies themselves are increasing at an alarming rate. Disturbingly, so is the severity of reactions, said Dr. William Rockwell, chief of allergy and immunology at Bridgeport Hospital.

"Since the 1990s it's been going up, not only the allergies but how big the reactions are and we really don't know why. The medical community is dumbfounded. I don't know whether it's something we're doing to the food, the preservatives or whether the human being is changing," Rockwell said.

Some speculate it's because of genetic engineering of produce and the antibiotics, steroids and hormones injected into livestock, but no scientific evidence exists to support or disprove the claim.

One thing is sure. Certain foods should be avoided by certain people, particularly the common culprits — peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.), shellfish, dairy, soy, wheat, eggs and fish.

However, warns Rockwell, "Any food can be allergic for any individual. There are some people who are allergic to celery. It's very rare but it does happen."

In addition to foods, children and adults can have reactions to food preservatives and artificial food colorings and flavorings, said Dr. Samantha Eagle, a naturopath at the Center for Naturopathic Medicine in Stratford, who also has a master's degree in nutrition.

A change in food labeling laws that takes effect Jan. 1 and a new cookbook due out next month will make life easier for those with food allergies.

In August 2004 President Bush signed into law the food allergen labeling and consumer protection act that will end the use of false or misleading information on labels. Beginning Sunday, food manufacturers are require to list on packages the common or usual names of ingredients in their products.

Currently, they can disguise ingredients by using less recognizable names, for example, whey, casien or casienate to represent dairy. But that could spell trouble for the person allergic to dairy products and who is unfamiliar with alternate names.

"When the new law goes into effect they can no longer say 'may contain one or more of the following — corn oil, peanut oil.' It has to say 'this batch was made with peanut oil,' " Rockwell said.

"It's going to be a help to people, but I'm still telling people they've got to use their brains," Rockwell said.

Cybele Pascal, author of "The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook: Two Hundred Gourmet & Homestyle Recipes for the Food Allergic Family" (Vital Health Publishing, $18.95), said she learned the importance of diligent food label-reading three years ago after her 4-month-old son Lennon was diagnosed with severe dairy and soy allergies.

Pascal, of Westchester County, New York, radically changed her own eating habits to prevent allergens from reaching Lennon through her breast milk. She switched to a non-dairy creamer for her morning coffee, but Lennon continued to suffer from bloody diarrhea.

"I discovered that the non-dairy creamer actually had dairy in it," said Pascal, whose experience prompted her to write the cookbook.

And there is definitely a market for it.

"When I started writing my book three years ago there were seven million Americans with food allergies. When I finished the book only three years later in 2005 there were over 11 million. And the majority of them is children," she said.

Eagle said Pascal's book is great because it prevents the allergic child from feeling deprived and allows families to eat the same meal.

It also addresses people's misconceptions that allergy diets are tasteless.

"It's challenging to make tasty meals for these people but it can be done," said Valerie Sorensen, owner and chef of Kiss the Chef, a catering company in Stratford, whose clients more frequently ask her to accommodate food allergies in her menus.

Sorensen teaches healthy cooking classes with Dr. Susan Rzucidlo, director of the Center for Naturopathic Medicine, and gives cooking tips to Rzucidlo's and Eagle's allergic patients.

Pascal's cookbook eliminates all major allergens from recipes. In the past these type of cookbooks have concentrated on eliminating one item, for example eggs, from their recipes.

Drastically changing family menus and food preparation is imperative though not easy. But what initially is a minor inconvenience becomes habit, Pascal said.

"That learning curve is really steep at the beginning and it can be pretty overwhelming," said Beth McTigue, of Fairfield, mother of Owen, 14, who has allergies. But the vigilance must be ten-fold once a child goes off to school.

"If you have your child at home it's overwhelming anyway [to make changes]. If you're child is going off on a bus to school, that's really scary. Once they're out of your hands and there are birthday parties and there are snacks and there are lunches, that's when you begin to lose control and rely on other people to take up your role as a protector," she said.

McTigue worked for safety initiatives to protect children with allergies in the Fairfield school system — a peanut-free table in the cafeteria, no snacks in the classroom, twice-yearly drills for severe reactions. McTigue warns parents that the teenage years are the most dangerous. "They don't want to call attention to themselves so they won't ask questions about food. Some object to wearing the EpiPen [a device that provides an emergency self-injectable dose of epinephrine for those experiencing an acute reaction to something they ate]. They want to blend in. Those elements are deadly," said McTigue, whose son carries two EpiPens at all times.

"I've heard of kids who keep their EpiPens in their lockers, start having a reaction and never make it to their lockers. They just collapse."

Rockwell also recommends carrying two because "35 percent of people who have anaphylaxis will need a second dose."

The EpiPen comes with a demonstrator so people can practice administering the shot without actually injecting themselves.

"The babysitter's got to know how to use it." Have them practice too, Rockwell said.

McTigue learned of her son's allergy after feeding him peanut butter when he was 10 months old. Today, doctors recommend not exposing children to allergy-inducing foods until at least age 3 when the immune system is stronger.

If there is a family history of allergies, that mother should avoid high allergy foods during pregnancy and while breast feeding, said Rockwell. "And the child should avoid eating those things until they are 3 or 4 or 5 years old. That will prevent or delay the onset of the allergy," he said.

"There is no way to predict who's going to have an allergy until they have a reaction," Rockwell said. "Avoidance is the only treatment for food allergies right now."

Most people think allergies only affect children, some of whom are lucky enough to grow out them. But adults can also develop food sensitivities and allergies later in life.

"Some people have allergies come on after a trauma to the system. If you get the flu or have a death of a loved one, an emotional trauma, something that changes the hormonal balance in your body. Going through menopause for women will sometimes trigger allergies. Any one of those things can cause an adult to get them," Rockwell said.

"Unfortunately there are a lot of hidden exposures. Some restaurants thicken their chili with peanut butter," Rockwell said.

When eating away from home make sure you ask about ingredients and food preparation methods, Pascal warned.

2005-12-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to ALL! Here is a picture of my sons, Lennon (AKA Dash Incredible) and Monte (Spiderman) on Christmas morning, post presents.

Lennon is my food allergic child. He was the inspiration for my cookbook. He's still allergic to Dairy, and can't eat Peanuts, Tree-Nuts and Shellfish. This year has been my first year of really experiencing the challenges of having food allergies in the outside world. Up until this year, everything Lennon ate was made or approved by me. But now Lennon is in pre-K. He has lunch in the school cafeteria. All the other kids eat cheese sandwiches, while Lennon eats a turkey sandwich. Well, this has become a bit of a problem, because Lennon doesn't really like turkey sandwiches. Last week I tried making him a sunflower butter and jam sandwich. This upset his teacher, because Lennon had something "different", and she asked me to feed him at home from now on. This too is a problem, because then Lennon will feel like an outsider as all the other kids sit eating lunch, and he sits there eating nothing. Additionally, the teacher organized a party for the last day at school. I bought allergen free candy for the party, but when I arrived to drop Lennon off, I was informed that there would be cupcakes with dairy, and was asked "did I have one without dairy for Lennon?" Of course I didn't, nobody had forewarned me. In fact, I'd been told they'd be making a dairy-free baked good with oil to substitute for the butter.

I have come to suspect a bit of hostility on the part of his teacher. I believe it is because she resents having to alter any of her choices for the food allergic child. The little girl with the apple allergy in their classroom doesn't really disrupt things, but a dairy allergy... well, dairy is a staple in the American diet, and particularly in processed and packaged goods. So I see a parent/teacher conference looming in my near future....

This may seem obvious to some, but in case it's been overlooked, DARK CHOCOLATE IS OFTEN DAIRY FREE. If you or your child has a dairy allergy, go for the DARK!!!!! I have spent this holiday running around replacing milk chocolates with dark.

And in answer to KATE who asked about whether a person with a chocolate allergy could eat soy chocolate -- NO, tho it's made with soy instead of butter, it still contains cocoa which I'm pretty sure is the ingredient that a person with a chocolate allergy is allergic to. White chocolate, however, is not really chocolate, and you might want to look into that (tho not if you have a dairy allergy!)

Can I take one last moment to sing the praises of WYLDE PRETZELS made by Ener G? These are Wheat Free, Gluten Free pretzels (also, free of all top 8 allergens) which are slowly but surely becoming an addiction in my house. They are so... dare i say it... "BUTTERY". Buy them, eat them, you will not be disappointed!

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!

Cybele

2005-12-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

New Allergen Free Recipe!!!!

Hi everyone:

Here is a new recipe that many people who can't eat peanut butter might find helpful. If you have a peanut allergy, just double check with your allergist first about eating seeds. We LOVE this at my house, and I hope you will too.

Pumpkin Seed Butter

Nutty and sweet, pumpkin seed butter is a wonderful alternative to peanut butter or other nut butter spreads. I love it on toast for breakfast, it makes a great PB&J for the kids, it’s great in cookies, after school snacks, spread on apples, you name it. It’s highly nutritious, packed full of protein, iron, zinc, and potassium, and if you make it with flax seed oil, also omega-3 fatty acids. It’s only drawback is that it’s expensive, often about $15 a jar. But not if you make it yourself! You can save yourself more than $10 a batch by whipping up your own in about 2 minutes. Here’s how. You’ll need a food processor.

1 cup pumpkin seeds
4 Tbsp. mild vegetable oil (safflower, sunflower, canola, or my personal favorite, Spectrum Organic Flax Oil*)
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Put pumpkin seeds in food processor. Blend until a fine powder. Don’t rush it. Add oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending after each. Add salt. Blend until smooth. Decant and keep in the refrigerator. Makes an ample 1//2 cup.

*If you’re going to be cooking with the pumpkin seed butter, don’t use flax oil, use safflower, or sunflower oil, or another such oil that can withstand high temperatures. For more info on cooking oils, see the section “About Cooking Oils” in The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook.

2005-11-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's been awhile since I've posted. Life got crazy, the book was delayed... yes, delayed. It was printed on recycled paper, and ground-shipped from Canada during one of those endless fall rainstorms, you know, one of the 9 day ones, and I think the moisture warped the pages. So it wouldn't lie flat. Anyway, long story short, the book is being reprinted, and will be ready any day now -- just in time for Christmas! So for anyone wanting to give it as a present, no worries.

I'm writing today to talk about Halloween candy. My son came home from his school halloween party (he's in Pre-K) with a bag full of peanut M&M's and Snickers Bars, and mini Hershey's Bars with Almonds. Now, I know his teachers know Lennon can't eat peanuts. It's posted right there on the wall of the classroom -- the "NO" list. Between Lennon and a couple of other food allergic kids, his Pre-K has become Peanut-free, Tree Nut-free, Fish-free, Shellfish-free, Rice-free, and Apple-free. That's right, there's a little girl who is allergic to Apples. But one of the other parents threw a party in school, and I guess nobody told her. Nor did the teachers check the bags. Luckily, I got to the goodie bag before Lennon did and quietly extracted the offending candy before he noticed. But I want to stress just how important it is to double, triple, quadruple check ALL THE TIME. You'd think it would have been fine, but you can never assume. It takes constant hyper-vigilance. And my advice to all of us parents and caregivers of little ones with allergies (and big ones too) is never be ashamed to seem overly cautious. Because 9 times out of 10, you're justified. People still "just don't get it". So lead you're own personal crusade to keep your loved ones allergen-free.

Coming soon, articles about the book in Westchester Parent and Westchester Magazine.

Check back soon for new recipes. I'm getting inspired to whip up some amazing allergen-free holiday treats for Thanksgiving!

And if anyone wants to share any allergen-free cooking techniques here, or with me feel free to post comments, or email me at allergycookbook@gmail.com

talk soon!

Cybele

2005-08-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Dairy-Free, Wheat-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Peanut-Free, Tree Nut-Free, Fish-Free, and Shellfish-Free. The first cookbook to eliminate ALL 8 allergens responsible for 90% of food allergies!

2005-08-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hi.

I'm Cybele Pascal, and I'm the mom of a food allergic child. His name is Lennon. Back in the beginning, when he was first diagnosed, we had a really hard time finding foods he could eat. He and I were both put on strict "avoidance diets" (i was breastfeeding him) and were told to eliminate all top 8 food allergens responsible for 90% of food allergies. We couldn't eat Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Wheat, Fish, Shellfish, Peanuts, or Tree Nuts. Wow, that's a lot of foods to cut out of your diet! I looked for cookbooks and recipes that eliminated all of these 8 foods, and not surprisingly, couldn't find a single one! So, I set about devising them myself. And the result; the first cookbook to eliminate all 8 allergens responsible for 90% of food allergies. So come explore my blog, for stories about food allergies, coping solutions, tips on restaurants, shopping, new recipes, or just gossipy info. You can also link to amazon to buy the book through the links at right.

Welcome! Talk to you soon!

Cybele