Celiac Disease Card – Arabic

I really appreciate how direct and concise the card is. Though I wouldn’t rely on it solely, It is a great way to initiate a conversation about food allergens at a restaurant. Has anyone used this app successfully?

A couple of critiques: on the language selection– precisely what constitutes Argentinian & Brazilian? Why not simply Portuguese (which is included in the list)? Language vs. dialect quibbling aside, I reviewed the Arabic and was thoroughly impressed with the translation. Are there languages that are missing?

I highly encourage you to check this app out, and it would be phenomenal to generate and translate these cards for other allergens, including nuts, soy, shellfish etc.

Check out this engaging article on the subject.

Not only does the law require restaurant workers to get educated about food allergies, but it also posts a note in the menus asking patrons to inform their server of any allergies.

“My goal is to serve anyone with food allergies safely in any restaurant in the state,’’ said Tsai, winner of a prestigious James Beard Award and star of an eponymous PBS show. “I don’t buy that a restaurant’s too busy that they can’t figure out whether it’s safe to serve people. If you do not know what’s in your food at all times, you should get out of the restaurant industry.”

Can I just say that I have a ginormous crush on Ming Tsai?

Dexter Morgan, Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst, has a double life. When he’s not helping the Homicide division solve murders, he spends his time hunting and killing bad guys who slip through the justice system.

I’m an avid reader, and one of my favorite genres is ingredient labels. I’ve gotten pretty adept at doing a quick scan and assess. If there’s ever any question in my mind I generally avoid the product, but this particular one, a Sunday breakfast offering from my roommate stopped me fast in my tracks.

Our vendors follow good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients to avoid cross contact with allergens. Made on equipment shared with eggs and peanuts. Facility processes tree nuts and fish.

If I trust their safe practices then this product, in spite of being processed on shared equipment, might be safe. On the other hand I’m very curious as to what their processes are; what equipment is actually shared and how is it cleaned?

This particular product is from Trader Joe’s and my experience with them has been somewhat inconsistent in the packaged goods department. Safe practices, and yet…shared equipment. Thoughts/comments? How would you all respond to this label?

I’m massively perfectionist about my cooking, and baking in particular. I’ll religiously scrape the bowl clean to save every bit of batter. And once those baked goods go in the oven I turn into a helicopter parent. Checking and double checking my timer, resisting the urge to open the door. Inserting and reinserting toothpicks to test for doneness.

It’s not all anxious hand wringing though. I’ve been known to dash across the living room and into the kitchen once I catch that “almost burnt” smell of doneness, the almost imperceptible moment when the air is laden with a rich aroma, mere seconds before it gets too done.

All that more or less comes to a head in vegan cooking where the stakes are especially high. Experimentation carries many risks; the ingredients are pricey, precision is paramount, and steps can be overly simple or thoroughly complex. Resulting in awesome – or catastrophic baked goods.

Take these cookies. I tried to pull off a coup at the grandparents’ house by making quick work of their massive stash of Fiber One Cereal. 40-50% of your daily fiber requirements AND zero sugar? Count me in.

They turned out chewy, albeit a bit dry. My strategy was to simply use egg replacer in place  of the eggs. A seemingly simple enough subsitution but one that that devastated any measure of moist the cookies may have wanted to hold on to.

So today’s entry is less didactic recipe dissemination and more, well – what gives? The Allergenius doesn’t have all the answers, maybe you have better strategies for adapting non allergy friendly/vegan recipes to vegan/allergy friendly? I posted the recipe below, but a word of caution – it needs plenty tweaking.

Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix ingredients with spoon. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container. Freeze up to 2 months if desired.

This particular event was sponsored by Compassion for Animals (CfA), a Washington, DC-area grassroots group that “works to reduce human-caused harm to animals, primarily through educating people on animal-friendly lifestyles and cultivating empathy and respect for the nonhumans with whom we share the earth.”

Did anyone participate in the event? Any interesting venues, meaningful charities fundraised, or delicious treats consumed? Highlights please! And why wasn’t there any visibility in the Middle East? Dubai has a massive organic grocery store!

For lack of time, I was unable to connect with a venue in NY,  though I did embrace the community love fest that baking so oft engenders and offered my colleagues at work some vegan oatmeal raisin cookies.  CfA’s goal, to raise awareness about the treatment of animals, is incredibly noble. However I consider the primary focus-slash-imperative of baking to be community building vis-a-vis sharing. If only so that I might avoid downing a dozen cookies in a sitting.

And yes, I did shamelessly steal back the cookies I offered my boss. Thankfully for both of us  she sent me a cease and desist email last weekend.

Were these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies worthy of a moratorium? Check out the recipe below to find out.

Delish Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (adapted from Babycakes‘ Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe)

1 C  coconut oil (tip, make sure that the coconut oil is melted to make for easier mixing/measuring)
6 TB unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp salt
2 TB pure vanilla extract (I used two vanilla beans instead, which lent it an almost savory flavor)
1 1/4 C evaporated cane juice
1 1/4 C Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
3 C rolled oats
1/4 C flax meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 C raisins ( or vegan chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. I used silicon mats and added 1-2 extra minutes per batch

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla and evaporated cane juice. In another medium bowl whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, xanthan gum and rolled oats. Using a rubber spatula carefully ad the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a grainy dough is formed.

Gently fold in the raisins (or chocolate chips, or both!) just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Using a melon baller, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions 1 inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 12 minutes (15 with silicon sheets), rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 7 minutes. the finished cookies will be crisp on the edges and soft in the center.

Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Magnolia Bakery in Dubai: unheimlich?

Last Friday marked my first foray into Dubai. I was having a bit of trouble reconciling my memory of the Emirate- a frequent family holiday spot- with the fantasy-laden rhetoric I’d been exposed to in the States. Toss in the “reality” (1 kilometer towers, dancing fountains, a shining new Metra) and it made for a not wholly unpleasant and uncanny sensation. A colleague invited me out to eat in the Emirate and I was a bit hesitant to accept the invitation. The last time I’d been to the Middle East I felt that my food allergy needs were met with bemusement or ridicule.

This time around I was armed with a set of tools, I simply had to apply them. We approached the first restaurant and I described my allergy needs; nuts, cross contamination, the whole shebang. They seemed to get it but something was nagging at me. They were a bit too accommodating:

Yes of course if you want something without nuts you can have without
Yes you only have to order what you want and we tell you if there is nuts
Yes-

So many positive affirmations rife with misguided directions. I asked them to break down the kitchen process; exactly how would they ensure that cross contamination did not occur? The look that the host and manager exchanged was telling enough. The moment they started back pedaling I politely thanked them and we left. I felt a bit light headed-I had eaten before hand but I could feel my head spinning. I still find these exchanges anxiety laden and stressful. It takes my entire interpersonal where withal to interpret verbal and non-verbal signs. Also, this mall was huge. Was I really going to drag these kind accommodating souls around until I’d found an adequate spot?

At the next restaurant, Vapiano (a pasta/pizza café) we were greeted by rows and rows of fresh parsley and basil, opposite a line of cooks. The set up was lovely, albeit confusing. Rather than try to navigate the line I went straight to the front and asked to speak to a manager. The executive chef happened to be standing there and I interpreted my allergy to him. He guided me through the ordering process.

You see, Vapiano does everything made to order, fresh pasta, made on site, fresh ingredients. And best of all – a separate wok and spatula for every single customer’s order. Added bonus? You can watch every step of the process. At first I thought that I’d have to accept one of the preset creamy/tomato-y sauces. But my newly found Safe Person informed me that I could create any sauce I wished. I was thrilled to request a basic pasta with peppers, mushrooms and chicken tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. I gave my order and watched as the line cook drizzled a little olive oil on the top of my plastic container of pasta, added a few morsels of pepper, mushroom and chicken.

I was confused, surely that wouldn’t be a single portion. Then it dawned on me. That’s how they indicate which ingredients to throw in. Amazing. Everything was plain and visible. A major down side is that these workers work very fast, so mistakes do happen. I was watching them like a hawk to ensure nothing would slip in I hadn’t approved. We were fine until the very end when he doused my pasta with cheese. I called out to him to stop, but he didn’t hear me in time. Disappointing- but I settled for “good enough” I scraped the cheese off and ate the pasta- delicious. A bit inconsistent, but definitely off to a good start. Everyone was very receptive, but the process of ordering was pretty messy; I didn’t know where to place my order, or where to pick it up. Simple logistics could guarantee a wholly safe experience, but for the time being, good enough.

I’m a compulsive snacker, and this November is packed with travel so I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with healthy snacks that’ll stick to my ribs on the road. As luck would have it, a challenge is underway over at Best Allergy Sites to come up with an affordable, delicious granola bar that is firm, chewy and totally nut free.Suffice it to say that I didn’t need any more prodding than that.

Throughout the duration of my recent Houston visit I racked my brain, munching on mini muffins, and tried to come up with a combination of ingredients that held themselves together, while retaining that chewy texture I love about granola bars. I had attempted  batches of granola bars in the past that utilized peanut butter as a base, but they simply fell apart once they hit room temperature. They  were tough and crunchy, nothing like those vacuum packed bars you get in the store.

In Houston, I packed in one jam-filled mini strawberry muffin after another, taking an occasional respite by popping the odd apricot ginger mini. I continued on this snacking trip for several days before the solution for chewy bars hit me-   instead of laying the bars out on a sheet or baking dish,  plop them in a mini muffin tin! I could draw on a  trusted vegan cookie recipe as a base (AKA straight from Erin McKenna’s BabyCakes cookbook), substitute out some protein rich and GF flours, fold in rolled oats and- voila! Bite sized morsels of healthy goodness.

Do you have other tips for allergy-friendly travel snacks? I’d love to hear them!

Baby Cakes NYC inspired Granola Bites (makes 48)

1 C coconut oil
2 tbsp applesauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 C chopped dried figs
1/2 C Bob’s Red Mill Slivered Almonds* (substitute flax seed, toasted buckwheat groats, hulled hemp seed or a combination
1 1/4 C Bob’s Red Mill Evaporated Cane Juice*
1 1/2 C rolled oats
1/4 C Bob’s Red Mill Hemp Protein Powder*
3/4 C Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour*
1/4 C Bob’s Red Mill Flax Meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum*

Preheat oven to 325 F

In a medium bowl, mix together oil, applesauce, salt, and evaporated cane juice. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, flax meal, baking soda xanthan gum and cardamom

Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a grainy dough is formed. Gently fold in rolled oats as well as almonds/buckwheat groats/flax seeds/pumpkin/sunflower seeds

Using a teaspoon, scoop the dough onto mini muffin tins, filling about half way. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 15 minutes, roating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The finished bites will be moist, chewy and firm

Let the cookies stand in the pans for 10 minutes, then pop them out and transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days

All ready to go!

*I accepted these items from Bob’s Red Mill as free samples

Home-made BabyCakes Scones!

If you’ve been following my blog, then you’re familiar with my devotion to BabyCakes in the LES, so it was not without a certain amount of glee that I tore open the packaging of my review copy of the BabyCakes cookbook.  As a fairly adept baker in my own right, I have a lot of respect for Erin’s process- AKA years of trial, error and drawing on solid feedback from friends.

The cookbook (like all good baking) comes with a sense of danger:

[...] in most cases it is important that you follow my instructions carefully. Ultimately, though, I hope you’ll feel empowered to take control of a fresh list of ingredients- that rather than the pantry’s subjecting you to its will, you dictate your own exciting outcomes.

Even before I ventured into a recipe for Raspberry Scones I was already making substitutions- a bag of cranberries in my freezer and zested orange just felt more Autumn in NY than raspberries. I trusted McKenna’s claim that this  base was as close as it gets to a traditional scone and so I steeled myself to improvise. All the while I prayed that vanilla didn’t serve some secret leavening function I didn’t know about (a quick glance at the ingredient glossary, where McKenna lists the function of familiar and obscure ingredients merely describes it as a flavoring agent).

Some of the techniques, like adding hot water to the batter  (I messed up on the order of this step but they still came out okay!) were certainly new, and rather exciting. The hot water mystery is  cleared up in this friendly and informative video I stumbled upon at Chow.com .

This book is an incredible resource for GF/DF/EF/NF baking. It is concise, well written, and very very silly. Which is not to say that it isn’t serious- my only wish (as a bit of a baking nerd) is that McKenna had outlined more of her process- how did she decide to use xanthan gum vs. flax meal for certain recipes and not other? Perhaps a follow-up publication is in order?

In the mean time get your Fall on with these delicious scones.*

Cranberry-Orange Spelt Scones
adapted from BabyCakes’ recipe for Raspberry Scones.

2 C whole spelt flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
1/3 C coconut oil, plus more for brushing
1/3 C agave nectar, plus more for brushing
1 TB grated orange peel
1/4 C hot water
1 C fresh cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medum bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, and grated orange peel and stir together until a thick, slightly dry batter is formed

Pour the hot water into the batter and mix. Using a rubber spatula gently fold in the cranberries just until they are marbled througout the batter

For each scone, scoop 1/3 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Space the scoops 1 inch apart to allow them to spread. Lightly brush the tops with the oil. Baking the scones on the center rack for 14 minutes, rotating the sheet 180 degrees after 7 minutes. The finished scones will be golden and slightly firm

Remove from the oven and brush with agave nectar

Let the scones stand on the sheet or 15 minutes, then carefully slide a spatula under each and transfer it to a wire rack and cool completely. Store the scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days

Note: I used airbake pans and silicone baking sheets, with these particular tools I felt the scones could have used another minute and a half to finish up in the oven.

*In fact I’m going out and making some more right now.

One of the few things that tempted me out of bed and onto the cold, cold floors of dry desert mornings in Kuwait was the promise of hot grits. My mother made her offerings on those mornings, “salt and slices of cheese” or “honey.” I remember periodically challenging the dichotomy of salty and sweet by requesting that she combine the two. The texture needed some work, but my preadolescent palate recognized that salty-sweet combination as nothing short of revelatory.

Recently I’ve been looking at other grains to introduce to my diet. Though I’m not gluten-free, I’m certainly an ally- and I like to know what’s out there to aid my GF friends and balance out my carb-inclined diet. Teff, a member of the millet family contains a good amount of protein, calcium and iron- all nutrients I crave in my low-lactose diet (click here for more information).  I discovered this tiny black grain in its spongy bread form at Ethiopian restaurants long before I thought of having it as a hot breakfast substitute- and this morning, urged on by the promise of  hot cereal with folded with salty almonds and sweet dates, I leaped out into my cold apartment.

Teff Porridge with Almonds and Dates
This recipe is adapted from Bob’s Red Mill
makes 4 servings

1 C Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Teff*
1 Tbsp. coconut butter
1/4 Tsp. ground cloves
1/4 Tsp. ground cardamom
3/4 Cup pitted  and chopped dates
1/4 Tsp salt
(optional: handul of chopped almonds)

Set  heavy, 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the Teff and toast, stirring frequently until the grains emit a mild, toasty aroma and begin to pop, 3-6 minutes

Turn off the heat and stand back to avoid sputtering, add 3 cups of boiling water, the coconut butter, cloves and cardamom. Stir well

Turn the heat to medium, cover and cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom, mash any lumps against the side of the pan

Stir in dates and salt to taste. Cover and continue cooking until the grains are tender and one color throughout (there should be no whitish ‘dot in the center) and the porridge is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes longer.  Stir in more boiling water if the mixture becomes thick before the grains are thoroughly cooked

When the porridge is done, turn off the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes (stir in almonds if using).

Serve and enjoy!

*I used Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Teff, which I received as a sample from the company upon direct request. The texture of the cooked grain was rich and hearty, though a bit grainy, while the flavor was light, yet and complex. An all around satisfying addition to the breakfast repertoire.