Interview with Allergy Author, Nicolette Dumke, Part 2

I just receive a copy of Nicolette's latest book, I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat... and I am so excited to try out some of the recipes! Over the next couple of weeks, I will be trying recipes out of this book and posting about them, so stay tuned! To wet your appetite, Nicolette agreed to share 3 of her favorite recipes from the book during part 2 of our interview - please click here to read it.

If you missed Part 1, click here.

Two other things of note:
1. Be sure to check out gluten free recipe ideas at "What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free" over at the Gluten Free Homemaker today.

2. Katrina at Gluten Free Gidget has posted this month's edition of Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free. The theme is Dinner with Disney and it is definitely worth checking out!

Interview with Allergy Author, Nicolette Dumke, Part 1

While doing some research about the rotation diet for a client, I came across the work of Nicolette Dumke and quickly learned that she is an amazing source of information. I simply emailed her a question, and she promptly responded and provide help, which began our ongoing email correspondence.

Through many years of experience coping with her own food allergies, as well as those of her family, Nicolette has produced multiple books on the subject. I hope you enjoy part one of my interview with her (part 2 will be up tomorrow). Also, keep an eye out for my review of her latest book I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat...

Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination Away from Home

This is the second article that Shelley Case, author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, collaborated with me to write. If you missed it, the first one is about Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination at Home.

In this article, we address Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination While Away from Home.

Shelley is a registered dietitian and an absolute wealth of knowledge. Check it out!

Also, today is Monday, so be sure to check out delicious slightly indulgent recipes over at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination at Home

Shelley Case, author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide collaborated with me on this article about Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination at Home for The Examiner. Shelley is a registered dietitian and an absolute wealth of knowledge. Check it out!

Ming Tsai on The Today Show

Ming Tsai was on The Today Show this morning spreading his message that having food allergies doesn't mean that you have to eat plain, bland food. He demonstrated a kid and allergy-friendly recipe for Potstickers and then adapted it for people that are allergic to wheat creating Chicken Patties in Lettuce Cups. He then presented a way to make a healthier Fried Rice that is egg and soy free.

During the segment, Ming said he loves non-dairy Tempt Hemp Seed Ice Cream (which is also soy, and gluten free with 3 flavors that are tree nut free). The hosts tasted it and agreed! With it, he presented his recipe for Lime-Coconut Gluten Free Sugar Cookies.

Ming proudly reported that his son is now only allergic to nuts, and has tried peanut butter with success over the last few weeks.

You can download his recipes here.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

I don't usually make much from Rachel Ray - not sure why b/c I do like the whole quick-and-easy thing. This recipe is hers and it's one that we revisit about twice a month during the cooler weather. It is incredibly flavorful - better than real stuffed cabbage in my opinion! I whipped it up this AM - the first batch of Fall! Brian will be very happy. It makes a ton, so it's good if you've got a crowd coming, or if you want to graze out of it for days and days, which is what we do. Leftovers freeze very well, too.

As a side note, Lisa from Lisa Cooks Allergen Free met Rachel Ray recently and took the opportunity to ask her to feature allergy-friendly recipes. I think she got Rachel thinking - maybe there will be a whole new set of books and shows dedicated to great-tasting meals free from the top 8 common food allergens!

Stuffed Cabbage Soup (from Rachel Ray w/ just a few changes by me)

Ingredients

• 1 C uncooked rice (optional)
  
• 2 T olive oil
• 1.5 lb. of ground meet (we like a combo of turkey or beef with pork)
• 1 T salt
• 2 t pepper
• 1 T coriander
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 2 t allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 large carrots made into ribbons using a peeler
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 large head of cabbage, shredded
• 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 qt of chicken broth
• 1 -15 oz can of tomato sauce
• Fresh parsley for garnish
  

Directions

1. If using the rice, cook it according to package directions. I like to first heat a bit of olive oil in the pan and add the uncooked rice to it to toast it a bit, then add some salt and cook away!
   
2. In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat 2 T olive oil. When it's hot, add the ground meat to brown it.
   
3. Once the meat has a bit of color, season it with the salt, pepper, bay leaf, coriander, allspice, and smoked paprika.
4. After a couple of minutes, add the onions, garlic, and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the cabbage an allow it to wilt a bit.
6. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
   
7. If using the rice, add it to the pot once it's cooked (or you can leave it out of the soup and just put a scoop into a bowl and pour the soup over it).
8. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley.
   

Enjoy!

Better Bread Company Vegetable Pizza

If you are a follower of this blog, you probably know that I love pizza. A couple of weeks ago, I spied a different pizza box in the freezer section at Hannafords from the Better Bread Company. It said "gluten free" and also "hand crafted," which got my interest peeked. It was $7.99, so I decided to give it a try, though I haven't been real satisfied with frozen GF pizzas in the past.

At lunchtime, I baked up the veggie pizza - right on the rack of my oven. It was hard to wait until it cooled! The crust was fairly thin, but no too thin. It crisped really well, which I think is key. When I cut it, it didn't fall apart...you could hold it and eat it like real pizza. The cheese, sauce, and veggie toppings were all very tasty. Absolutely YUMMY!

Then I went to the Better Bread Co's website and discovered that they were founded by a fellow celiac and that they are located right in Windham, Maine, which is not too far from me. The site says that they hand roll each pizza crust, so no two look the same. I like their philosophy and the fact that they are pretty local, so when Hannafords said that I could pick out some of their GF products to distribute as samples at the Going Gluten Free workshop, this is one of the products I chose!

Most stores in the Northeast carry Better Bread Company's products, and they are also available online through amazon.com.



Don't forget to stop by and see Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free today for a round up of delicious "slightly indulgent" recipes!

Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival #52

Welcome to the September 17, 2009 edition of the living with food allergies carnival. Let me begin with an apology - if you submitted an entry and it is not included below, that's because there was some sort of glitch with the blog carnival website. Jennifer B noticed it because her entry - which was submitted before the deadline - did not automatically appear in this edition...and only one of mine showed up at first. If you are not a spammer and would like your article added, I'm happy to do it - just send me an email!

Ok, on the the carnival...

RECIPES!
Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Flourless Pancakes! posted at The Food Allergy Coach saying, "These are wheat, gluten, peanut, and tree nut free, and can easily be made without dairy."


LIFE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES...

Ruth Smith presents Another School Year Begins posted at Best Allergy Sites.

Libby presents The Allergic Kid: Here We Go Again posted at The Allergic Kid.


RESEARCH

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Allergic Reactions to Peanuts and Tree Nuts on Commercial Airlines posted at The Food Allergy Coach.


MISC

Jennifer B presents Food Allergy Buzz Exclusive with New Owner of Allergy Grocer & Miss Roben's posted at Food Allergy Buzz.

Libby presents A Tour of Enjoy Life Foods posted at The Allergic Kid.



That concludes this edition. Please submit your blog article to the next edition of the living with food allergies carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Indian Pudding

This month's edition of Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free is being hosted by Katrina at Gluten Free Gidget. She came up with such a creative theme: Dinner with Disney! Be sure to check out her blog at the end of the month for a recipe round up of gluten free treats inspired by Disney movies. My entry is Indian Pudding, inspired by the movie Pocahontas, the story of the meeting of the English settlers in Jamestown with the local tribe of Powhatan Indians. Pocahontas wasn't always sure which direction her life should take, though she ended up finding her path. She also had a deep appreciation and respect for the world around her. These two themes have been very present in my life lately.

It's also getting to be Fall - small hints, like the cool nights we've been experiencing, are noticeable. I start thinking about Thanksgiving, my second favorite holiday (Christmas is #1 in my book). It's a great time to take the chill out of the house by making something low and slow. The aroma of cinnamon and ginger will fill the air!

Authentic recipes for Indian Pudding are gluten free which I didn't realize until not too long ago. My version does not contain any refined sugar or molasses, resulting in a lighter colored pudding that is still sweet, delicious, and comforting!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups milk
• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or dark molasses)
  
• 1/4 cup honey (or white sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Butter a 1 quart baking dish.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook milk until bubbles form at edges. Slowly stir cornmeal and maple syrup into milk. Continue to cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in honey, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Pour into prepared dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven about 2 hours or until set. Serve hot or cold.

It's Wednesday, so don't forget to check out great GF recipe ideas at The Gluten Free Homemaker. Enjoy!

glutenScan from Zeer is now available!

Today, Zeer announced that their new iPhone application, glutenScan, is now available. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking with Mark Sutton of Zeer - he gave me a virtual tour of the new application, and swore me to secrecy about it's release until today! He let me know that they are working on adding safety status keys for all of the top 8 allergens! Click here to read all about it.

Sausage & Apple Cabbage

Today is Monday, which means that Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free is collecting a round up of Slightly Indulgent recipes and ideas. Definitely worth checking out!

We hit the farmer's market on Saturday mornings religiously each weekend it's open from May to October. We come home with an abundance of local, organic foods...eggplant, sweet peppers, potatoes, onions, corn, carrots, cabbage, eggs, pork, chicken, sausage, apples are starting to appear - this list goes on and on. Here is one of our favorite market inspired easy dinners (this is a picture of the leftovers packed up for Brian's lunch!):

Sausage & Apple Cabbage

Ingredients (serves 4)

• about 1 1/4 lb of sausage (we like hot Italian to balance the sweetness of the apple and honey) cut into 1 inch bites
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 C white wine (you can also use stock or water)
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T honey (or maple syrup or 2 t agave)
  
• 2 carrots, grated *
  
• 1 large head of cabbage, grated *
  
• 1 large apple cut into bite size pieces
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat a deep pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. Put sausage in pot and brown on all sides for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add onions to the pot. Cook until they get some color. Both the sausage and onions may stick to the pot at this point but that's ok - all that browned stuff on the bottom is flavor!
3. When the onions are nicely golden browned, add 1/4 C wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom.
4. Add 1 T olive oil, 1 T honey, the carrots and cabbage. Stir and cook until the veggies begin to wilt.
5. Add the apple, salt and pepper. I like to just heat the apple through, but you might want to cook it longer so that it "melts" into the dish.
   
6. Check to make sure your sausage is cooked thoroughly. If it's not and the cooking liquid has been absorbed, add 2 T of water and keep it over the heat until the sausage is done.

* You can purchase the veggies already grated for you, or use a food processor to make it fast and easy.

Enjoy!

Little Bay Baking Co.'s Doughuts

When Helen Sanders, owner of the dedicated gluten free Little Bay Baking Co. in Dover, NH told me that her Waffle & Donut Hole mix is sugar free, in addition to gluten, wheat, soy, casein, and dairy free, I knew I had to try it. The day finally came...I took out my mix, decided to make the donut hole recipe, and got ready for what I thought was going to be quite a production. Frying always is, in my opinion. But I was wrong! The directions were so easy - I made the doughnuts in less than 15 minutes!

I followed the directions on the back of the mix, save one little change for my sugar issue: "Mix together 1 C of the mix, 1 egg, 2 T oil, 3 T sugar (here's my change - I used honey), 1/4 C milk (whichever you can tolerate), and 1/4 t nutmeg (optional - I used cinnamon) until blended. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 3-4 inches of oil pre-heated to 375 degrees. Cook until golden brown..."

The result? They were AMAZING! So delicious! A bit crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside. It was so fun to eat a munchkin - after all, it has been over 9 years since I've had one! The temptation is to make them bigger than you really need to - I found that they puffed up a bit once in the frying oil. Next time, I will remember to drop them by smaller spoonfuls! Oh right - keep in mind that I did not roll mine in cinnamon & sugar or powdered sugar as suggested - I bet they would look and taste even better with a yummy coating!

Helen's goal is to make treats that "taste like you remember" and she certainly hit the nail on the head with this one! You can use the store locator to find Little Bay products near you, or order from the website.

Restaurant.com Deal

For those of you who like to go out to eat and save some cash while you are doing it, Restaurant.com is running a 90% off sale. Beginning at midnight on 9/9/09, enter the code NINETY at checkout and receive 90% off of your purchase. The sale is going on for 99 hours.

I went on there and ordered some gift certificates to some favorite spots - I got four $10 gift certificates and one $25 gift certificate for $2.60! Just be sure to read the restrictions, as some restaurants will not accept the certificates on weekends, or they might be valid only at dinner time, etc. The certificates are available immediately - you just print them out.

Happy dining out!

Watermelon Gazpacho

I cannot believe that it is September already and the whole summer went by without me making Watermelon Gazpacho! This is a recipe that I cannot take credit for - it is from The Food Network's cutest chef, Tyler Florence. My husband and I are big Food Network fans (we are very excited for Amy from Simply Gluten and Sugar Free to be a part of the Build A Better Burger Contest!). I have my favorite chef eye candy (Tyler) and he has his (Giada - who can blame him?).

I have made Tyler's Gazpacho for company to rave reviews. It is very easy, totally raw if you omit the optional feta cheese, and delicious! It hits all the right notes - slightly spicy, a little sweet, a bit salty, totally refreshing with a slight crunch from all the veggies, but smooth at the same time. I made a double batch today to make up for missing out the whole summer...

Tyler's Watermelon Gazpacho (with just a few changes of my own)

Ingredients

• 1 large tomato, cut into chunks
• 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
  
• 2 cups cubed fresh watermelon
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded and cut into 1 inch slices
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (basil, sage, or dill work well)
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
  

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the tomatoes, jalapeno, and the watermelon.
2. Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse.
3. Add the onion, cucumber and dill and season with salt and pepper. Puree until mostly smooth.
4. Pour into chilled bowls and sprinkle with feta, if desired.

It's Wednesday, so if you are in need of some meal ideas, be sure to check out What Can I Eat That is Gluten Free? over at the Gluten Free Homemaker. Even if you are not gluten free, there are some delicious recipes being shared!

Enjoy!

The Power of Our Questions

Part of the coaching work I do is to help people with the emotional and cognitive obstacles to making positive changes. This usually begins with a focus on adapting to dietary restrictions, but often it morphs into examining other areas of life that might be out of balance.

Often our perception of a situation (be it dealing with a celiac disease diagnosis, anxiety over food allergies, our personal relationships, career goals...) is actually not helping us to reach our goals. One tool that I find helpful in beginning to understand perceptions about a situation is "Question Thinking." This has helped me and several of my clients to more fully understand the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors...and ultimately to make changes in our thoughts leading to more productive behaviors.

If you would like to explore question thinking and how it may be helpful to you, join me on September 22nd & 29th from 6:30 - 8:30PM for a two-part workshop called "The Power of Our Questions" at the Women Supporting Women Center in Exeter. Click on the flyer image for full details.

Allergic Reactions to Peanuts and Tree Nuts on Commercial Airlines

The September issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology just came out. One article in particular caught my eye - a letter to the editor entitled "Self-reported allergic reactions to peanut and tree nuts occurring on commercial airlines" (click to read the full article).

There were many interesting data points, namely that, "in 63.8% of the cases, respondents provided advance notification of allergy to the airline and requested special accommodations, but only 38.6% who made such a request actually received an accommodation. Reported routes of exposure included ingestion, 15.7%; inhalation, 48.6%; skin contact, 27.9%; and unknown, 7.8%."

Rates of use of epinephrine, use of an antihistamine, and percentage of people who alerted the flight crew were all a bit surprising, suggesting to the authors the need for more education in order to protect individuals with food allergy flying commercially.

As with most studies, there are some limitations to the data, which are described at the end of the article.

Click here for tips for traveling with food allergies.

Lentil Salad

In my quest to try to take more of my dietary cues from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I've been using less chic peas, quinoa, millet, and rice (it gives me a headache anyway)...which brought me to discovering the varied uses for lentils. I've been reading up on them to discover that lentils

• are a member of the legume family
• are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.
• provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein-all with virtually no fat.
• have just 230 calories per 1 cup of cooked lentils
• cook quicker than other legumes
• are cheap - I paid $1.39 for a pound
• are versatile and can take the place of rice in many dishes. They are especially yummy when added to soups or as a salad...

Lentil Salad (serves a crowd)

Ingredients

• 1 lb lentils prepared according the the package instructions
• 2 C of chopped veggies (I used sweet onion, red onion, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, and yellow pepper)
• 3/4 - 1 C of your favorite salad dressing (Italian works well) or mix together 1/2 olive oil, 1/4 vinegar (or lemon juice), salt, and pepper to taste
  

Directions

1. Combine lentils and veggies.
2. Pour dressing all over and combine.
3. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Peas & Bacon (and Tidbits Below)

With today being the first day of September, I start "psyching myself up" for Fall. It's not that I don't like Fall, it's just that I LOVE Summer. I'm feeling a bit robbed this year, as our summer in the northeast was cut short by days and days of rain all throughout June and early July. The kind of rain where people everywhere were talking about building arcs...it got depressing!

Thankfully, we've still got some summer fun left to have with a beautiful Labor Day Weekend in the forecast and the famous Seafood Festival happening the following weekend. But, as a mini-step towards being ok with Fall - embracing it even - we made one of our favorites: Spaghetti Squash with Peas & Bacon. Brian first made this for me when we were dating (he was always so good about being creative in the kitchen around my special dietary needs), and I have requested it many times since!
Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 t olive oil
  
• 3-4 strips of bacon (always read the label for potential hidden allergens)
  
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 C frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Drizzle olive oil on the flesh. Place on baking sheet (I like to cover it with foil) with the rind side up. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife easily goes through the flesh. Allow to cool so that you can touch it.
3. In a large skillet, cook the bacon. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
4. Leave some of the bacon fat in the pan and add the onions. Cook until soft.
   
5. Add the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. With a fork, scrape out the squash from the rind. Add it to the skillet.
7. Break the bacon into bits and add it back in. Toss everything around (tongs work well).
8. Salt & pepper to taste.

We eat this as a side dish or sometimes as the main event.

Enjoy!

Couple of other tidbits:
1. A recent small study has shown promising signs that some children with a history of severe milk allergy can safely drink milk and consume other dairy products every day under certain conditions. The research was led by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and published in the Aug. 10 online edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

2. The 2nd edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival will be posted later today by Stephen at Gluten Freeways. Check out the recipes, tips, advice, product reviews, and research.

3. Kids With Food Allergies is reporting a voluntary recall of Chef Pierre® Gourmet Lemon Meringue Pie due to undeclared milk.