8 random facts...

Ages ago Allergic Girl tagged me for something called a meme. Without explaining too much (and thereby exposing the vast gaping hole of my blogging knowledge), I am supposed to reveal 8 random facts about myself and then tag 8 other bloggers. Here goes...

1 - I am a sports fanatic. I love college football and college basketball. Non-allergic husband (NAH) and I actually split the television during football season so there aren't any arguments. I get it Saturday to watch the college games, he has it Sunday for the pros. Don't call me during March Madness, my phone is off the hook!

2 - I want to be a part of "the mob" on the television show 1 vs. 100. I think that would be great fun.

3 - On a quest to see all 50 states. 20 down, 30 to go. And yes, I've seen Alaska!

4 - My first day of college, I saw this good-looking guy wearing a t-shirt advertising my hometown newspaper. I called my mom, very excited (I went to school out of state) , and told her I would introduce myself. Non-allergic husband still has that t-shirt, I won't let him throw it out! He was from a few towns over....

5 - I think that words and language are utterly fascinating (hence the career as an editor and writer). I love word idiosyncracies, and enjoy finding typos in the newspaper. I also think that anyone who uses the term "close proximity" ought to be beaten over the head with a frying pan. I'm just saying...

6 - Peanut butter is food of the gods. The best late night snack ever, straight from the jar, eaten with a spoon. There is always peanut butter in my house.

7 - I love board games (Scrabble, chess), card games, sudoku and crossword puzzles. I can do the jumble in under 2 minutes.

8 - Mountain Dew upsets me. That color doesn't occur in nature.

Hope you've learned a little something about me. Those are some fairly random facts. I tag:

Uh Oh, Peter's thinking again
Food Allergy Queen
My Kids' Allergies

In fact, check out their blogs in my sidebar. They're all quite good.

That's all for now. Tomorrow (or later today if boredom sets in) I shall return to food blogging with the story of a very allergy-friendly dinner I had recently.

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

Ok, this is part of my vacation, though it is most certainly NOT allergy related. However, I'm going to blog about it anyway, as I was so incensed that I need a forum in which to vent. I hope you understand...
Non-allergic husband (NAH) and I were watching TV one of the nights of our vacation when we stumbled across "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" the FOX show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. I tend to enjoy the show because as a former teacher, I have a trove of useless knowledge I can use to upstage NAH (did I just say that? oops...He's just so darn smart that every once in a while it's nice to know that I know something he doesn't!)
We were watching a cum laude graduate compete with/against the children on the show, and early on she was asked the following question in the 'Grammar' section...How many proper nouns are in the following sentence? "While in Oklahoma, Oprah met our ostrich Ozzy." Please keep in mind that the question in its entirety is viewed on a large screen. I hope that you all know the answer, but just in case, it's three. By looking at the screen, there are three words with capital letters. BIG CLUE.
However, this supposedly intelligent woman answered "well, I don't know, I think the answer's one, but if I remember my pronouns "I, he, she, it, they..." and at this point I started screaming at the television something along the lines of "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" At what point in school, dear readers, do you remember the pronouns of "I, he, she, it, they, Oprah?" I mean REALLY!!! And she persisted in this explanation while every one of the kids on the show was trying to keep from laughing. She finally decided (and was partially convinced by the host because it was so damn early in the game) to use one of her helps, only to find out that all the 5th graders had written "three" as their answer. You think? And she was shocked, but quickly recovered with, "well, that's what I was thinking..."
I was offended on several levels. I was offended as an editor, writer, and a sometimes proofreader, that no one in this country seems to be able to string sentences together properly anymore. I was offended as a teacher, because obviously this woman didn't understand a lick of grammar, and I was offended on behalf of the 5th graders who were given someone so obviously dense to compete against......

Angrily,
Your Allergic Diner

Come to PA! Eat food! Do nothing!

Alright, so admittedly, being back at work and trying to plan a whole bunch of events in my personal life (yes, I have one) has usurped some of my blogging time. Where did we leave off?
Ah, the B&B in Pennsylvania.
Non allergic husband (NAH) and I stayed at the Swiss Woods Inn, http://www.swisswoods.com/ in PA. When we made the reservation, via the internet of course, there was a comment/special requests section. I wrote about my allergies, and said that I would probably not be able to indulge in what was sure would be an excellent breakfast, could they please keep some toast and jam on hand for me to make my life easier?
Fast forward to the first day, and we were told breakfast was served from 8:30-9:00. We went downstairs at 8:45 to find, to my horror, that we were the last ones there and obviously everyone had understood that meant we were to be behind-in-seat at 8:30. However, the innkeeper was very gracious and she and our server went to the kitchen to find more food for myself and NAH. He got homemade potato pancakes (freshly grated potatoes mixed with spinach and pepper), freshly cooked sausage, and upside-down cinnamon raisin french toast with a carmelized glaze! He was in food heaven. I requested my toast and was told "OH! You're the one with the allergies to everything!" and then received my toast with homemade preserves (which were excellent!).
Second day - we are downstairs at 8:30 and the first ones to arrive. Fresh waffles and homemade blueberry syrup, bacon, and baked eggs are waiting for NAH. For me? Toast and Jam!
The third day was probably the most interesting. The food looked so unbelievable that I broke one of my cardinal rules. As lactose intolerant, I use the Lactaid brand enzyme pills to help me digest SOME dairy (there are things that the pills wont work for). I only take a certain amount of those pills daily, though, so I try very hard to eat things that are low in dairy. Sitting on the table was a basket of fresh baked muffins (6 different kinds- you name it, she had it), croissants, and toast, with of course, the obligatory delicious homemade preserves. Next to that was an egg strata with tomatoes and mushrooms and spinach that looked wonderful, and next to that was a homemade peach/blueberry cobbler. This cobbler was homemade in every sense of the word - the fruit was from their garden! I broke my cardinal rule that morning and used my lactaid pills, several of them, for the one bite of that cobbler my stomach would allow (cobblers tend to be VERY heavy in butter and often milk). It was the most delicious thing I'd ever eaten. I then helped myself to some toast and jam, and even treated myself to half a blueberry muffin. I finally understand why people like food so much!! Then of course, having eaten way more than my body was used to, I took a post-breakfast nap!
The B&B was beautiful, tasteful, elegant, quiet, serene, and delicious! Hopefully we can go back at some point.....
Come to PA! Do Nothing!
Thanks Swiss Woods!
Your allergic diner

Come to Pennsylvania,do nothing!

Well, allergic readers, I am back from the best vacation ever! It was several days of nothing at a bed and breakfast in Pennsylvania that I will write about tomorrow. Several days of nothing! When in my life do I get to do several days of nothing? I'd like to make that Pennsylvania's slogan "Come to PA. Do Nothing!" It'd be a good PR campaign with the exception of the fact that people tend to think doing nothing is a negative. As one of those people who is always "on," I make great strides towards relaxing and doing nothing, and occassionally zone out in front of the television. More often than not, I'm working, cooking, cleaning, visiting family and friends or helping someone with a project...well, actually, let's just leave it at more often than not I'm working....
So "doing nothing" by me is fantastic. And it has taken YEARS, dear readers, for me to learn to do nothing. To sit for hours reading a book, or even, dare I say, take a nap? We had 4 glorious days of nothing but relaxation and quiet.

On to the food! That beautiful make-or-break crux of every vacation. On our first night there, we learned there were not very many restaurants in the area, so we went towards Lancaster in search of dinner. We attempted to get into one of the famous smorgasbords (to no avail - who waits 2 hours for food?), and ended up at Perkins. That's right, our first dinner together on vacation, up in the mountains, and there we were smack in the middle of a family-friendly restaurant. I figured, why not? No wait, simple food, and definitely fodder for my blog. I figured I had my first article, easy....except, to my shock, this will be one glowing review.
Much to my non-allergic husband's dismay, I ordered a steak at Perkins. That's right, a steak. At Perkins. Apparently that is some sort of faux pax for which I should be shot. However, the steak came cooked perfectly, to my request of "no seasoning/oil," and it was delicious! The baked potato followed my request of "plain, which means, no butter, no sour cream, no chives, and none of those god-awful preservative-filled things people call Baco's!" (Actually, for the sake of accuracy and reporting, I simply asked for the baked potato plain). The salad? No tomatoes, no evil green stalk, and the dressing was on the side. It was a perfect meal.
The kicker? The waitress gave us better directions to get us back to our B&B then we'd had on the way out and shaved 10 minutes off our drive!
Perkins was a fantastic allergy-friendly dining experience, and I highly recommend it to all!
More about the B&B and allergy stuff tomorrow,
Best,
Allergic Diner

http://www.perkinsrestaurants.com/menu.html

A birthday celebration....

Ah, the barbecue. Infinitely more of a success, and a lovely way to celebrate a birthday.
As you could tell from my earlier postings, I love a good barbecue and had a pretty miserable experience at NAH's coworkers a few weeks ago (food-wise, only).
Last night your allergic diner had hot-dogs (all beef) and non-allergic macaroni salad (no evil green stalk, no evil green spice derivative). The meal was complete with a cookie cake, which I love! It was a great evening with my non-allergic in laws. (and again, it's always comical to me that hot dogs, macaroni salad, and cookie cake are all foods I can eat but a banana will kill me. Have I mentioned that one yet? Bananas are as evil as the tomato. Thank goodness for multivitamins, no?)

Well readers, at this point I have some allergy-free news for you, both good and bad....good for me, bad for you!
The Allergic Diner and NAH are going on an honest-to-goodness vacation! No work, no phones, no work, no email, no work (getting the picture?), just peace and quiet and perhaps some hiking and biking. We leave tomorrow, TAD readers, and I won't be back to blog with you again until after labor day. I will be incommunicado until then.....I might even throw caution to the wind and not pack snacks (thereby guaranteeing infinite blog material upon my return)!
Wishing you the happiest end to your summer,
Your Allergic Diner

A credo for my fellow allergy sufferers...

Well, allergic readers, there are all sorts of things to blog about today.
First a shout-out (my old students would be so proud of my terminology!) to Allergic Girl http://allergicgirl.blogspot.com/ who is going on what will be a successful, allergy-free vacation.

Allergies are an interesting thing. People who don't have them feel badly for you, sometimes treat you differently (and at last check my allergies were NOT a personality problem), and even sometimes have the gall to act as if your allergies inconvenience THEM! I still hold that if I'm the one who's going to die from eating the tomato, YOU can easily not place one in my food. What people who don't suffer from severe allergies can't understand (unless you're the parent or spouse of someone with severe allergies) is the anxiety that comes EVERY DAY. My friends will often tease me, because non-allergic husband (NAH) and I don't eat out a whole lot. One of the big reasons is because if I can cook it, then I don't have to worry about eating it. And luck for NAH, I'm a damn good cook!

There is a near paralyzing fear with trying a new restaurant or travelling to a new place that can never go away, but can be worked on. The fear that an allergic person feels when describing an allergy to a waiter and having to TRUST that they will take it seriously (i often show my med-alert bracelet) is difficult to describe. Travelling is the hardest because every meal you eat will be in someone else's hands. You learn over time not to be consumed by fear 24/7, but every now and then you have a scare (a la the sushi posting of several weeks ago) that sets you back a little.

Thankfully, (or not thankfully, depending on how you look at it) people who suffer from severe allergies aren't a rarity anymore, and the Internet has become a godsend to those of us who are anaphalactically allergic to things and still would like a life. The NAH and I are taking a vacation this weekend to a place neither of us have ever been. Thanks to the Internet, I've been able to find out what kind of restaurants are in the area we're staying. I've even seen some of their menus. And on the off chance we want to eat a fancy meal, I called a local bistro or two to see if they're willing to substitute ingredients (most restaurants are more than willing if you say something ahead of time).

Allergy sufferers live on the edge in a way that is very different from extreme sports. We take risks that most people will never be aware of (think I'm being melodramatic? Possibly, but you try looking like a blowfish in front of your closest friends). But what we do, what we can do, and what we must do, is always push through. Don't let the fear of a tomato or a piece of celery run or even ruin your life. And be proud of yourself each and every time you step outside of your comfort zone.

All that being said, dear readers, tonight we head to the non-allergic in laws for a fantastic allergy-free birthday barbecue! What could be better than that?
As always, thanks for letting me rant,
Your Allergic Diner

Atlantic City here I come....

I went to visit the allergic parents in Atlantic City to play for a fun weekend. Atlantic City is always an interesting place. Fantastic food, fantastic restaurants and a ton of people who'd push you out of the way to get to the slot machine they want.
I was amazed to see that "The Walk," the Atlantic City outlet shops at the entrance to the city were doing a brisk business at EVERY time of day. I haven't seen shopping and stores like this since I was out in Las Vegas over 2 years ago. Everything from NikeTown to Coach to BrooksBrothers and more. But I'm digressing, because we didn't shop.
We gambled a little, but to be honest, we ate. And ate. And ate...you get the picture.
Your allergic diner LOVES delis. I love everything about cold cuts and thick rye bread and spicy mustard. I love soup that has been brewing all day, and the fact that I can have breakfast food at 9 p.m. I most certainly love that a deli is as allergy friendly as a supermarket, and the menu (at a good deli) is usually just as diverse.
So we went to Trump Taj Mahal (which looks as if you are driving into a pinball machine...there's tacky and outlandish, and then there's this monstrosity), and had dinner at the Stage Deli. It's a famous deli that's in N.Y. and has branched out to a couple of other places. The food was fantastic, though I'm not sure the allergic parents have forgiven me for placing my order....for a hot dog! They have the best hot dogs there, and I felt deprived after not being able to eat them at that barbecue a few weeks back....though the restaurant itself was starting to show it's age, the food was phenomenal!
We also tried out the new 24 central cafe in another one of Trump's properties (this one not tacky and nauseating), the trump plaza. I had a delicious corned beef sandwich (amazing, isn't it, that with all the things I'm allergic to, corned beef and hot dogs I'm fine with?)
I must confess that in addition to visiting my wonderful parents, my other express purpose for this trip was to get to a candy store...I haven't been to one in close to a year, and I have a sweet tooth that would rival...well, let's just say it's a good sweet tooth. We went to the new IT'SUGAR at the pier at caesars, which is a candy lover's paradise. They have sculptures created out of jellybeans! You can make your own candy bars.....
I'd better quit soon because this will take up the whole blog page. In summary, fantastic time with the allergic parents, and a VERY allergy-friendly city (I think the restaurants are so used to all the dietary requirements from the elderly people who frequent the city that they don't bat an eye any more...). Thanks mom and dad!
Your allergic diner

Adventures in barbecuing...

So here's an interesting twist. Non-allergic husband's coworker had a big BBQ this past Saturday, which always poses all sorts of food issues and anxiety for me. Will the hot dogs have too many fillers? Will the evil green stalk show up in the potato salad or macaroni salad? Will someone accidentally grab for a piece of barbecued chicken with the tongs that are being used to serve the hot dogs, thus rendering both foods unfriendly to yours truly?
Now, to a point, I've solved this problem. When it's family or friends, either they have something I can eat (years of dealing with my allergies has rendered them all experts in allergy-friendly foods), or I'm told ahead of time that the host isn't sure what I can eat, so I bring a sandwich and hope for the best. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that, because I don't know these people and I figured they would feel it was rude.
So, I went with Plan B. I had a very late lunch at about 3:30, before we left for the barbecue, figuring that if I couldn't eat, at least I wouldn't be starving when we got home.
I'm a smart cookie, as my allergic mother always says. The hot dogs were your garden variety, loaded with spices. The sausage and peppers was off-limits for reasons that the title alone explains, and the potato salad, my usual favorite, not only had the offending green stalk but BACON and CHEDDAR CHEESE. Antipasto with cherry tomatoes and a salad with cherry tomatoes. Yikes. So much for eating. So I had a roll and some butter and a glass of soda and waited for dessert....and waited...and waited....dessert wasn't served until after 8:00! (we'd been there since 4:30).
On the plus side, dessert was very allergy-friendly, and I had a nice, healthy, salad when we got home to balance out the junk food. Adventures in barbecuing, indeed.

Ack. Ick. A close call....

Well, last night was interesting.
The company was fantastic. It was nice to meet non-allergic husband's coworkers and get to talk to them for an actual length of time.
The buffet was an adventure of sorts. I stuck to the foods that I knew were safe, such as sushi, because I could see it prepared, and then I admit to tailing the waitress as she left the kitchen with refills for the buffet. This way, I was able to eat a tofu & mushrooms dish I like without fear that the spoon was dipped in the shrimp sauce, etc. I figured my plan for foolproof.....
The tofu & mushrooms in brown sauce was fantastic! The sushi however, proved to be a problem. I had chosen raw salmon, raw tuna, and then what appeared to be a crab roll.
As I bit into the crab roll, I thought my throat had caught on fire, and this was before I even swallowed (stupidly). I quickly spit the rest of the mouthful out and went digging for my always-handy benadryl, scared senseless. There was some sort of hot pepper or chili spice in the mayo in the crab roll!!! Mouth on fire, I swallowed two Benadryl and sat silently praying that I hadn't eaten enough for a full-blown reaction to the ingredient I couldn't completely recognize (if it's hot pepper, it would simply upset my system a little bit, if there was chili spice in there (a tomato derivative for those of you not in the know) I was about to treat his coworkers to quite a show.....thankfully, the benadryl kicked in, I downed another 3 glasses of water, and soon it was time to go home. Apparently, whatever it was, it was a small enough amount, and my reaction quick enough, that I was able to be ok.
A close call. We're eating in tonight.
As always,
your (frightened) allergic diner...

Cross-contamination anxiety....

Well, your allergic diner needs some advice...the non-allergic husband and I are going out with some non-allergic coworkers of his to one of those international buffets this evening. What do I eat and how do I ensure that it didn't touch other stuff I shouldn't eat....?
I will post tomorrow on my progress (or lack thereof) at the buffet......

My 60th post.....a dairy-free, wheat-free allergy-friendly recipe!

To mark this occassion, I thought I'd post a new, absurdly-easy and quick recipe I've found. I occassionally shop at Whole Foods, and I've become a big fan of the frozen fish section. One package of frozen (boneless, skinless) tuna steaks contains two perfect portions for myself and the non-allergic husband. I have a dairy-free, wheat-free recipe that takes a whole 10 minutes!

Here's how:
Please make sure you've defrosted the fish before doing this!
1 - Melt approx 2 large tablespoons of soy butter in a non-stick skillet
2 - Place the tuna steaks in the skillet on medium-high heat for 4 minutes
3 - Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper to the top of the cooking tuna steak
4 - Flip the tuna steak and cook an additional 4-5 minutes on the other side

It's that simple, and it sears in the flavor, cooks it completely while leaving a mildly pink center so your fish doesn't taste dried out. Enjoy! (you want your tuna steak to be white in color, flake easily with a fork, and be semi-opaque or mildly pink when cut into)

Egg salad for allergy sufferers...

I have a few weird allergies. Alright, since people who know and love me read this, I will admit to having many weird allergies. One of them is an allergy to celery (an evil green stalk) and celery seed (the concentrated evil spice form of the evil green stalk). It is hard to order any kind of prepared salad (tuna, coleslaw, etc)while I'm out because of my FOC condition (Fear Of Celery). The allergy has evolved so badly that I have actually gotten sick when the sandwich prepared before mine was cut with the same knife that touched celery...
Anyhow, I'm digressing. I do that often. I was out with an old friend last night in central New Jersey at a restaurant called Mastori's. I'm writing about this because this restaurant is an icon of sorts in my humble state. People travel from the tri-state area to come to this fancy diner-of-sorts. In all my years travelling to eat there, last night was no exception.
I love egg salad. I don't know why. I don't have any particular feelings towards eggs or mayonnaise, respectively. Mix them together, however, and I'll come running much the way my non-allergic husband does for ice-cream cake.
Mastori's, as I discovered yesterday, makes their egg salad FRESH TO ORDER. As in, no evil green stalk? No spice? A clean knife? No problem!
I had a delicious sandwich last night and will certainly head back there again in the future. Worth the trip.
Thank you Mastori's!
As always,
Your allergic diner

Beef, medium-rare

Well, allergic readers, I mentioned on Monday that I picked up that fantastic cake from Coldstone Creamery for the non-allergic husband's celebration. It occurs to me that I did not mention how our dinner went.
The allergic parents, your allergic diner, the evening's honoree, non-allergic husband, and the non-allergic in-laws all met at a steakhouse in central NJ that I believe I had written about in a January posting, KC Prime.
In my last posting I had written about how accomodating the staff at the restaurant was, and this visit was no exception. Interestingly, our waiter appeared to have a hearing problem (this is not a sarcastic comment), and we were all slightly concerned that our dinners would not arrive as ordered because of the difficulty we had communicating with each other.
For example: "I'd like that medium-rare please"
Our waiter: "O.K., one prime rib, rare. Got it"
Our table: "No, medium-rare, please."
Our waiter: "O.K. Medium. Got it"
I'd continue, but I'm sure that you catch the direction I'm heading in.
However, we had no reason to fear, as our prime ribs, strip steaks, and filets arrived cooked to perfection (or in the case of the non-allergic husband, practically mooing on the plate, just the way he likes it).
It was a wonderful dinner that yet again, far surpassed the allergic diner's standards. Thank you to KC Prime for being comfortable enough in the quality of your food to abstain from unneccessary and potentially allergic garnish on the plate!Thank you to the non-allergic inlaws for a wonderful meal! To my non-allergic husband, we are all VERY proud of you!!
Your allergic diner

Coldstone Creamery

Well, I must leave my Chicago train of thought for the time being, but at least it is for a good reason! The non-allergic husband has been given a VERY impressive promotion at his place of work and I could not be any prouder! How, you might ask, am I going to relate this to food allergies, or am I just devoting blog space to tell my husband how proud I am of him?
I'm doing both. As part of our celebration, my non-allergic inlaws, my allergic parents, my non-allergic husband, and your allergic diner are all going out to dinner to celebrate his promotion. But really, what kind of celebration would it be without cake?
The non-allergic husband loves ice cream cake. I mean loves it. The way I feel about my stuffing, he feels about the Carvel creation shaped like a whale, or a football, or any other kind of ice cream cake that might cross his plate. Most recently, a Coldstone Creamery opened near us. I went on their website to find a FULL LISTING of ingredients in every one of their ice creams and sorbets (I am not one of the allergic consumers that will believe dairy-free because the 16-year-old kid behind the counter says "really, no dairy, read the sign"). Their sorbets really are dairy-free (and quite good, as I discovered yesterday, the tangerine is a treat!)
I went to Coldstone and ordered the non-allergic husband an ice cream cake for tonight's celebration, and I would like to supply you, my readers, with their ingredient list for their ice cream and toppings. Who would've thought a lactose intolerant (I will tolerate NO lactose) allergic writer would espouse the good of an ice cream store?
http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/assets/pdf/nutrition/Ingredients_Ice_Cream_Sorbet_08_04_06.pdf
Keeping cool in the heat,
Your allergic diner

From a lil' charcoal grill....

I mentioned a few days ago that I would be speaking about this neat restaurant my non-allergic chicagoans took me to, Weber Grill. We stopped in for after dinner drinks and snacks after the Taste of Chicago, and quite frankly, to rest our very tired feet. Weber Grill is a fantastic place with great drinks and allergy-friendly food. I say this because after doing some research and talking to my friends, I learned that all of Weber's food is cooked over...well, Weber Grills! Their kitchen is filled with open charcoal grills, on which they truly provide you with a backyard-BBQesque experience, only a lot nicer. There prices were reasonable and the waitstaff knowledgeable.

But, as you know from my Potbelly's problem, I was a little apprehensive to see their website. Surprise! They offer a gluten-free menu right on their menu lists. That is the sign of a restaurant that is truly allergy-friendly. Please click here for locations, and happy eating, the Weber's way!

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

Sincerely,

Your allergic diner

Another day, another Chicago daydream...

It's comical to me that when I sat down and looked at my calendar, I've been in a different city every 2 months for the last year or so. I find it funny because I want to keep writing about Chicago. I will soon pepper you with stories of Baltimore, Philadelphia, and several other cities. To be fair, I did post about my time in Orlando (hail to the mouse!)
Today's Chicago posting is about a place not native to Chicago. I was discussing with my non-allergic friend my recipe for homemade trail mix. I don't care for the pre-packaged mixes because I find them to be oversalted and over crunchy. I tend to make my own with dried fruit, unsalted peanuts, pretzels, and the occassional m&m. My friend inquired as to whether I had ever seen Trader Joe's, and suggested that for someone with my allergies, this was THE place to go food shopping. I'd heard of it, but never been there, so off we went to a grocery store on my vacation.
Trader Joe's was unbelievable. They tout themselves as a neighborhood grocery store (with a focus on healthy food), and it certainly does fit the bill. Once we had gotten past all the plants and fresh produce, she showed me the "dried fruit aisle." That's right, an entire aisle devoted to one of my personal food groups. It was fantastic. In fact, my only purchases in Chicago were made in Trader Joe's. They had all sorts of vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free options. Aisles and aisles of them.
This allergic diner gives trader joe's two thumbs up, and here's the link so you can search for a store nearest you!!
Thanks Trader Joe's,
Your Allergic Diner
http://www.traderjoes.com/locations.asp

Potbelly's....yum (?)

When your allergic diner was in, yes, Chicago (I'm not tired of thinking about it, are you tired of reading about it yet?) I was introduced to Potbelly's Sandwich Works. I had a delicious sandwich (hoagie?) there of roasted turkey, lettuce, onions, mustard & mayo, with some potato chips on the side. I found Potbelly's through their booth at the "Taste of Chicago," and decided (with the help of my non-allergic Chicagoans) that I wanted to try their restaurant. The meal and the service were perfect. To describe it to those east-coasters who have never been able to indulge, Potbelly's Sandwich Works is a sort of upscale Quizno's.
Unfortunately, as I sat down to write this glowing review, I checked their website to find no allergen info, no ingredient info, and appalling nutritional data (simply fat grams and calories).
How to review this? I shall end this way....Potbelly's FOOD gets 2 thumbs up. Potbelly's website, well, it gets the finger.
Your allergic diner

Ah, Chicago. I want to go back so badly that I've made it the wallpaper on my computer at work.
I described the city as allergy-friendly because of something that occurred in a restaurant that I've never experienced.
My nonallergic friend met me downtown at Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Magnificent doesn't begin to do it justice, but as this is a food review blog and not a shopping review blog, I will hold my comments for another time. The nonallergic friend and I were both famished, so she suggested a restaurant she and her nonallergic husband thoroughly enjoy, The Grand Lux Cafe.
I had been on a plane for 2 hours and the only thing I'd had to eat was some non-peanut snack mix (United Airlines, very allergy-friendly!), so we settled in to our booth with our menus. The restaurant was reminiscent of the Cheesecake factory, so it took awhile to figure out what to order. But here was the impressive thing: the ingredients were all ON THE MENU. It would list for example, greek salad, and then proceed to list every ingredient in the salad (with the exception of the dressing). The Grand Lux Cafe was one of the few times in my life I've ever been able to order a meal without asking the waiter ANY food-allergy related questions! No special requests either. We had a lovely brunch that morning!
Here's the link to their website, they have locations in a few places across the country.
http://www.grandluxcafe.com/

Happy eating,
Your Allergic Diner

How time flies when you're having...work? I hesitate to call work fun but I realize that I wrote I'd continue to post and then got caught up in the next crisis at my job. Isn't a wonderful thing when your supervisors know you can handle other people's jobs as well? My apologies folks, your allergic diner is back.
Most recently so, from the extremely allergy-friendly city of Chicago, and I'd like to spend my next few posts talking about it!
I was lucky enough to be taken by my allergy-friendly hosts to the "Taste of Chicago," which, according to Wikipedia (**warning, anything posted from wikipedia should be taken extremely lightly) is the world's largest food festival. Let me tell you, your allergic diner has never seen anything like this, and I've attended the "Taste of Philadelphia" (puny by comparison), and the "Taste of Washington, D.C." (overhyped and overpriced).
Chicago's "Taste" was a whole other world. Every restaurant who is somebody was there. And, OH THE FOOD! Finally, an allergy-friendly festival. Every booth (and there were close to 2 miles of them) was willing and able to talk about their ingredients. They didn't necessarily understand why I was asking (as in the case of the nice gentleman making samosas who told me that the spices "wouldn't make me gain weight, not that I couldn't stand to gain a little"), but they were helpful. These booths had full-out kitchens. I kid you not. Corn-roasting machines (?), oven roasting sandwiches, etc. I had the gumption to ask the water ice booth, Chicago's finest, if there was dairy in the water ice. And while the woman manning the counter went to get the owner to talk to me, the lady at my left snapped "in water ice? What is wrong with you? Just eat it!" (it was like having one of my relatives right there with me - thanks grandma!)
Most of the booths had, if not ingredient lists, then an owner or manager who was there to talk to me about the ingredients and cooking process. One was smart enough to tell me that there was seasoning in the oil!!
On the whole, Chicago impressed me far more than any city I've visited yet. My next post will tell you about a nifty little restaurant bar & grill named Weber's.....
Thanks for being patient with me, my readers. The paycheck has to come first, to finance the blog!!!

OOPS!

Wow.....I want to apologize to everyone who has been reading this blog on a regular basis because it appears that I, your allergic diner, have not. As usual, plans are made, and life intervenes. I promise to start posting more regularly again.
Most recently I received this link via an email from a highly-allergic friend. Apparently Wegman's has many allergy lists that they update weekly.
I checked out the lactose intolerance/lactose allergy list, and it is a FULL listing of Wegman's brand products that one can choose from without worrying about milk.
Thanks Wegman's!
As always,
Your (busy!) allergic diner

http://www.wegmans.com/eatWellLiveWell/foodAllergies/

Statistics & Stories

One of my favorite allergen goofs that restaurants make when dealing with me and my "no tomato" request is to simply remove the offending tomato AFTER THEY PLACED IT IN MY FOOD. I once had a waitress tell me, "well, there was a tomato on your turkey sandwich, so I remembered what you said and picked it off." (apparently I had said, please, rub something that I carry an epi-pen for all over my food, then remove it, and then believe that the potential for allergic reaction has been taken care of by you, my hero??) That was three years ago, and subsequently I have changed my request to "Please, no tomato in my sandwich, no tomato touching any other parts of my sandwich, no knife cutting my sandwich that has been used to cut another sandwich with a tomato, " etc...
Now, they look at me like I'm crazy, but yet again, my paranoia has been vindicated. Read the following statistics I found that were published in an article in the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI)

Ryan Ahuja and Scott H. Sicherer, M.D., of The Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, N.Y., found that food-allergy training was reportedly conducted in only 42 percent of personnel at 100 restaurants and food establishments.
While approximately 90 percent of managers, servers and chefs reported varying degrees of "comfort" with providing a safe meal, numerous misconceptions were disclosed. For example, restaurant personnel reported that consuming a small amount of allergen is safe (24 percent); fryer heat destroys allergens (35 percent); and, removal of an allergen from a finished meal was safe (25 percent).
Food allergy registries indicate that reactions in restaurants accounted for up to 25 percent of accidental exposures in persons with peanut and tree nut allergies, and 15 of 32 percent of fatal reactions to foods began from food obtained in a restaurant or food establishment.

Here is the link to the rest of the article:
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=23978

Please make sure you read the above carefully...your food is being prepared by people who truly believe "fryer heat destroys allergens," and, my personal favorite, "removal of an allergen from a finished meal was safe." As I get older, I'm learning not to feel badly about asking a waitress for what I truly need and to stress the whole "tomato, removal of tomato, knife that touched tomato" scenario. Sometimes I even show them my med-alert bracelet, just so they know I'm not pulling their chain. The more articles I read like the above, the more zealous I will become in standing up for my "allergic rights," if you will. Fryer heat...Unbelievable...!?

I have never been this appalled....

As you are well aware, I scour the websites of chain restaurants in an attempt to bring you, my allergic readers, the most up-to-date allergen information. It is a part of my quest to make eating in a restaurant easier and less anxiety-provoking for myself, and it is my hope that others can benefit.
That being said, I came across the following today on the website of Old Country Buffet/Home Town Buffet/Country Buffet (they are all owned by the same company).
PLEASE READ THIS:
Food Allergies
We understand how important it is to know what you are eating when dealing with a food allergy. Given our many made-from-scratch foods, various ingredient suppliers, regional recipes and special promotion menus, the challenge of providing detailed information regarding allergies is extremely difficult. Our chefs are responsible for preparing a delicious array of food offerings. It is not practical to attempt to separate allergens from non-allergenic items. For example, our kitchen regularly utilizes ingredients that can contain some of the more common allergens such as peanuts, shellfish and gluten-containing items. Consequently, we regret that it is not practical to provide specific allergen information. We recommend checking with your health care provider or the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (www.foodallergy.org) for information regarding your individual needs.
Are they joking???? "Consequently we regret that it is not practical to provide specific allergen information?" Not practical?!! Sounds to me like a giant case of the lazies and a "we aren't liable, we warned our consumers" in the event of a possible problem. I urge ALL of my readers to join me in boycotting this malarky. Better not to eat there than risk the cross-contamination that THEY tell you is pretty much inevitable. DISGUSTING.
In case you need to see for yourself, click on this link and then scroll down.... http://www.buffet.com/specificdietchoices.htm

Happy Eating (anywhere but here)
Your allergic diner

And I think to myself....

What a wonderful world, this world wide web. Look what your allergic diner stumbled across this weekend while doing some research on food allergies...
http://www.foodallergy.org/ingredients.html
This website is updated by the kind folks at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, which has an overwhelming amount of resources for every facet of allergic life. I found this one interesting solely because they offer allergy updates on ingredients in supermarket-found products, and that these updates are provided BY THE COMPANIES THEMSELVES!
Little by little, the allergic consumers are going to take the world by storm...
In the meantime, enjoy this website. I hope you find it as helpful as I do.
Sincerely,
Your Allergic Diner

The Allergic Diner goes to McDonalds!

Well, I am about to advocate something I never thought I would. Your allergic diner had a most delicious meal this weekend, at McDonalds, of all places! I have not eaten there in close to 7 years because I was afraid of triggering several allergies, and I could never get a straight answer as to what spices/oils etc. were used in their cooking.
But now: http://app.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal?process=menuitems
Select any menu item, click "go," and you have a complete list of nutritional information, ingredient information, and allergen info.
Obviously, this should be eaten in moderation, but it was nice to get to take part in what every one else does!
Sincerely,
Your Allergic Diner

America Runs On Dunkin....

Or so I'm led to believe by the commercials with John Goodman's voice-over.
Is that really the case? The non-allergic husband LOVES Dunkin' Donuts. Every weekend he has a bagel and two donuts from them. The allergic diner likes their munchkins (a lot) but I do not have a weekly requirement. I am somewhat troubled by the fact that their bagels taste far better than those fresh-baked at the local deli (though not troubled enough not to partake of them) but recently I have become a complete Dunkin' Donuts supporter. Look what they provide....
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/nutrition/Product.aspx?Category=Bagels&id=DD-786
Click on ANY product for their full information.
Happy eating!
Your Allergic Diner

Au Bon Pain

Au Bon Pain, a national chain bakery/cafe, has a fantastic website that I encourage all of my readers to check out. Not only do they give you a full ingredient listing by clicking on something through this link http://www.aubonpain.com/nutrition.html
(Select a group, then select the specific menu item, and underneath the allergy alert info is the button to click on for a full ingredient listing),
they also give you nutritional info on everything they sell. The FDA never made restaurants label their food, but Au Bon Pain kindly provides the same content that you would find on a can of soda or package of chicken in your local supermarket. In addition to allergen/ingredient information, they offer a weblist of which of their items are lower in carbohydrates, higher in protein, etc.
A fantastic website!
Sincerely,
The Allergic Diner

One of the best meals I've ever had...

Most recently, the allergic diner and the allergic mother traveled to Minnesota. I had researched most of the restaurants in the area on the web beforehand, and knew approximately where I could eat and what I wanted (type A, much?).
One of the best meals I've ever had was in Minnesota at Tony Roma's. I was hesitant to eat there b/c there was no allergy information on their website, but the allergic mother encouraged me to trust the waitstaff and try the restaurant (they are all so darn friendly out there!). I had one of the best steaks, without seasoning, cooked completely plain, and a plain baked potato (no butter, no sour cream, no butter spray, etc). The plate came dry (most chefs throw something on there b/c they believe that the food looks too plain) and perfectly prepared. An anxiety-free dinner that was quite delicious! I highly recommend Tony Roma's to any allergic consumer, they will work with you to prepare something perfectly. Take a peek at their menu http://www.tonyromas.com/files/menu.asp.
Supposedly they are famous for their ribs...but that's not something I"ll ever be able to review! Thanks for a great meal!
TAD

Johnny Rockets

Ever miss the taste of a good ol' cheeseburger and milkshake? I'm sure some of us do more than others. I, like most people with allergies have had to pass up things that taste very good, because the ensuing illness and potential hospital stay is never worth it. The one place that used to be at the top of my list to eat, before I found out about my allergies, was Johnny Rockets. I have refrained from eating there for a long time, but no longer. Johnny Rockets has joined my list of approved website reviews.
Please click this link to view their allergy information, and through this you can link to a page that gives you EVERY INGREDIENT that they use (I kid you not, they actually break down what is in the american cheese slice on a hamburger). Thanks to this information, I now know I can eat several things on their menu (unfortunately, that milkshake still does contain milk and ice cream...)
Help yourselves!
http://www.johnnyrockets.com/themenu/allergen.php

Pizzeria Uno's sets an example!

A non-allergic friend most recently started working at Pizzeria Uno's. I was happy to discover that I now had a buddy in the restaurant industry and asked this friend to seek out their policy on allergic diners such as yours truly. This is what I received via email:

Uno's is very allergy friendly. The rule is that if someone says they have allergies to something, then we always get a manager and they will make the meal for the person specially. They want to make sure that the cooks don't mess up and put something on it that shouldn't be there. Plus, we even have a seperate gluten free menu and a book at the front that includes every ingredient in all the meals.

I have always been an Uno's fan, now I am even more so! Allergic consumers take heart, and find a location nearest you!

www.unos.com

Virginia Tech

For some reason I am unable to link this on blogger today, but I wanted to let you all know I found a memorial fund established by Virginia Tech in the wake of the tragedy. Copy and paste the below into your browser, and please pass this on.

http://www.vt.edu/tragedy/memorial_fund.php



Sincerely,
TAD

I'm going to take a temporary hiatus from my typical allergic comments and reviews.

The tragedy at Virginia Tech that occurred on Monday is foremost in our thoughts, and I encourage everyone to donate to a victim's fund as soon as one is established. Though we cannot begin to repair the damage done in the worst shooting incident in U.S. history, we certainly can let the grieving students and families know that they are in our hearts and prayers. My condolences and sympathies to everyone touched by this horrible act.

If anyone knows of a fund already established, please let me know.

Friendly's does a disservice...

Most recently, in an effort to review websites, I have been combing the websites of chain restaurants to search out all info available to the allergic consumer. I was appalled to learn that Friendly's, a nationwide ice-cream/restaurant chain, and a staple in most childhoods, had NO ALLERGEN INFO available.
Figuring that perhaps it was on its way, I emailed Friendly's asking if they'd be kind enough to share the ingredients in a few of their salad dressings (a simple request) so that someone with allergy problems would know what is "allergy-proof" on their menu, beyond the general description. That was over a month ago. Have you heard from them, dear readers? I certainly haven't! As is such, your allergic diner will not set foot in a Friendly's until they decide to be "friendly" to the allergic customer. Has anyone had a good experience with their customer service/customer relations? A bad one? I invite you to share your thoughts. My one-man (or in this case, one allergic-woman) boycott will not make a lick of difference to the company, but it will certainly make me feel better.
Friendly's, wake up!
TAD

P.F. Chang's, allergy-friendly

Most recently, your allergic diner was having a discussion with friends about the relative merits of chinese food. I consider chinese cuisine a must for anyone who has problems with dairy, as there are multitudes of chinese dishes that do not contain any milk, butter, etc.
When I was discussing my recent task of reviewing websites for allergy content, a friend alerted me to the gluten-free list at P.F. Chang's.
So, dear readers, I hope this helps as well,
http://www.pfchangs.com/cuisine/menu/GlutenIntolerantMenu.pdf

While it is sad that allergies and the number of allergic consumers is on the rise, it is heartening that so many restaurants are taking steps to help us!
Thank you, P.F. Chang's,
The Allergic Diner

On The Border!

Your allergic diner has recently learned that another chain, On The Border, features a wonderful website with specific allergen information, similair to the website I posted about last week, Chili's. On The Border's Mexican food gets raves reviews from my non-allergic friends, but I have never tried it. Not so easy to eat mexican food with a dairy problem, tomato problem, and avocado problem! I always imagined the conversation to go something like this..."I'd like the burrito, please hold the sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, and salsa. As a matter of fact, please just bring me the beef and flour tortilla, I can put it together myself!"
Thanks to the tips on their website, I will soon be joining my non-allergic girlfriends for their next mexican and margaritas night out!
Try their website and search by the specific allergy
http://www.brinker.com/gr/allergens/otb%20allergen.pdf

Thank you On The Border!
Best regards,
TAD

You're a good man, Charlie Brown........

A chain of steakhouses in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that has wonderful food also has a wonderful website. Charlie Brown's (they of the fabulous salad bar) offers gluten-free info and lactose intolerant info on their website. While it is not as comprehensive as those offered by national chains, the allergic diner applauds their efforts to help the allergic consumer.
View their helpful info here:
http://www.charliebrowns.com/menusindex.htm (click on nutritional facts and the allergen info pops right up)

As always,
Your allergic diner

Wendy's

Wendy's also offers an allergen chart and ingredient info. To view their allergen chart, click here...
http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/allergen_list.pdf
If you'd prefer a list of ingredients, Wendy's offers a drop-down menu on each page that allows you to select one of their menu items and view nutritional information and a complete list of ingredients.
The allergic diner says: Very user-friendly!

Thanks Wendy's,
TAD

More than just rootbeer...

In the spirit of spring, I have found ingredient/menu info for another restaurant chain, A&W. More than just rootbeer, they offer hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and other indulgent foods perfect for the warm weather.
Here is their ingredient listing, I hope this helps!
http://www.awrestaurants.com/nutrition/res/ingrediantstatement.doc

(and yes, you might notice that they spelled ingredient wrong....oops!)
Best regards,
Your allergic diner

Burger King information....

Burger King is no slouch either when it comes to allergen info, not only do they have a chart of which foods contain which major allergens (click on nutrition - allergens) but they also have a comprehensive ingredient list for the consumer as well.
Enjoy!
http://www.bk.com/#menu=3,3,-1

Best regards for happy eating,
Your allergic diner

McDonalds

The allergic diner has another restaurant chain that gives you their allergen info, McDonald's. In response to the latest health craze, McDonalds has updated their website. Check it out for yourself and learn the ingredients of what you're eating (I recently learned that their grilled chicken classic sandwich is allergy-proof for me!)
http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.categories.ingredients.index.html
As always, thanks for reading. I'll be back with another ingredient info posting soon.

Chili's

Well, TAD readers, I was just tipped off to the fact that many restaurants are now making their allergy information available online, so you can research before you go. I'll try to post as many as I can find, but let's use chili's restaurant as a starting point.
http://www.chilis.com
Click on "menu" on the top, and in the green circle on the right hand side click on "allergen information." This will tell you what entrees they have that are safe for specific allergy types, and included are directions on how to change their menu items to make them allergy-proof for you to eat as well.
Way to go Chili's! Thank you on behalf of allergic consumers everywhere!

Flying as an allergic consumer. The review does exist!

The Allergic Diner and her Allergic Mother recently booked a vacation together. Though it was quite easy, thanks to the internet, to find out about restaurants in the area we were going to visit, I got to thinking about flight travel for allergic consumers. We've all read the articles about passengers with peanut allergies so severe that the whole plane cannot have peanuts. I got to wondering if somewhere there would be a review of allergy-friendly airlines.
The good people at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network have our best interests at heart. The following was taken from their webpage at http://foodallergy.org . Enjoy!

Airlines

Flying With a Peanut Allergy
Individuals with peanut allergy often worry about reactions occurring on board commercial flights. A published study showed that severe, or anaphylactic, reactions caused by peanuts occurred on such flights from ingestion of peanut-containing food. Other reactions from exposure via skin contact or inhalation were generally less severe.

Many peanut-allergic individuals have safely flown without incident. It is always important, however, to exercise caution while flying and to have emergency medication available. Airlines are required to have epinephrine as part of their emergency medical kits, but flight attendants may not be properly trained to administer the medicine to a passenger. Generally, the flight crew will ask if there is a doctor or other type of medical professional on board the flight who would be willing to respond to the passenger’s needs.

FAAN recommends that you talk with your physician, and assess the risks involved in your specific case. Below are current policies, tips, and strategies to help you take reasonable precautions, and enjoy your trip.


Current Airline Policies Regarding Peanut Snacks

To avoid possible inhalation or skin contact reactions due to large numbers of people opening their peanut snacks, most peanut-allergic passengers are well-advised to fly on one of the following airlines that don’t serve peanut snacks: American, United, Northwest, Jet Blue, Spirit, AirTrans , US Airways, America West and ATA.

Continental continues to serve peanuts and makes no accommodations for peanut-allergic passengers. Delta and its related carrier, Delta Shuttle, now serve a choice of five snacks, including a peanut snack on many of their flights. Delta Connection serves some of those choices, but passengers cannot find out in advance which ones will be served. Delta also provides a peanut-free buffer zone. Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air serves peanuts but, according to its Web site, will also provide peanut-free buffer zones.

Southwest, long noted for its peanut-related advertising, “will make every attempt not to serve packaged peanuts” upon request. The longer the lead time you give an airline, the more likely that it will be able to honor any special requests.

The international carriers that do not serve peanut snacks include Aer Lingus, Al Italia, and British Air.

Flying With a Tree Nut Allergy

FAAN receives many questions from those allergic to tree nuts. The most common question is which airlines don’t serve tree nuts? AirTran is the only airline that doesn’t serve tree nuts at any time. Some airlines only serve them in first class (United), others in snacks sold on board (Northwest), and still others only at certain times of the year (Jet Blue). To find out for sure, ask the customer service representative who books your ticket.

Gas & a fertility lecture to boot....

I will start this off as a traditional TAD posting, by recommending to you a type of bread found at WholeFoods (the place where all allergic consumers can find SOMETHING). WholeFoods carries a line of breads from the Vermont Bread Company. Their oat bread is phenomenal! It is dairy-free, fat-free and 70 calories per slice. I can stick to my healthy eating quest and advise my allergic consumers all at the same time. It has a slightly sweet taste and the consistency of wheat bread. I highly recommend it for all those suffering from a dairy allergy.
But today I am going to part from my usual ways. I have already reviewed something for the allergic consumer, but I have another review, that of a gas company. This whole story is true.
Valero is one of the gas stations that is close to where I work. This morning, on my break, I went to have the car filled up with gas. Simple errand. What could possibly go wrong?
The gentleman who fills my tank noticed my rings and said "a married woman, are you on a break?" (i assumed he met from work and not in the Ross and Rachel sense). So I replied, "yes, I have a few minutes before I have to be back." His response was "How many children do you have?"
Ok, so now I am weighing my odds as to what happens here. Does he mean that I am on break from watching my children as they are quite obviously not in the car? Does he simply want an opportunity to tell me that I should have children? What do I say?
"2." Two, apparently, is what I say. I will defend my lie here by saying that I figured it would end the conversation, because he has already commented on my ring, and who would continue to pester a married woman with children? (hahaha. Joke's on me).
Only two? He asks. Yes, I say.Then - "Why only two?"
I'm sorry, is this a joke? Is the man pumping my gas really going to ask me about the innerworkings of my marriage? Should my lie have been a larger number?
So I said very simply, "i'm sorry?" (as in, why are you asking that, perhaps i misheard) and he says, "You are not too old (gee, thanks?). You are granted reproductive organs for a reason. Women are quite powerful and it is your duty to have more children. One day you will not be able to, you know (apparently he thinks I missed that day in 7th grade Health). There is no more beautiful thing than a woman with child. Your children must be young. You need to have more."
At this point an individual with half a brain would reply "i'm not sure that's any of your business." I don't like being rude for the sake of being rude (regardless of how much this person deserved it). My response was a simple, "thank you." As I go to pull away he came back to my window and said "you really should think about it, i'm sure your children are beautiful, you should have more beautiful children. Is there anything holding you back? Do you have someone who can help you watch them all?"
All i can think at this point is, "Is he offering to watch the fake children?" and "What just happened here??"....and I politely replied that I have to go now, and thank you.
Just out of curiousity, since when does a total stranger comment on a woman's reproductive system?? Unbelievable! Valero should advertise gas and fertility lectures and see what happens. Next time, I'm taking my business to B.P.

Reviews and a tip on fruit

To sum up: Saladworks, bad.
That's about it folks. After another discomforting run-in with a sighing employee (how dare i ask her to remove the tomato she accidentally mixed in my salad?) I have decided to leave salad dressing at work and simply bring my own salad. Not only is it cheaper, it's far less worrisome.
On a lighter note, applause yet again to both Saladworks and Quizno's for preparing hoagies to consumer specifications. They are also more than happy to change their gloves if you ask.
And yes, while I realize your allergic diner doesn't usually post on Saturdays, I learned something while at the supermarket this morning that I wanted to share. Fresh fruit and vegetables are often coated in beeswax to preserve them in the supermarket aisle for days until they are purchased. While supermarkets are supposed to disclose this, not all do, but they are more than happy to answer truthfully if you ask. Anyhow, when in doubt, please wash your fruit and veggies before eating!

Vegas-safe eating

The allergic diner was sent the following by a non-allergic friend in Las Vegas. This article appeared on a "Vegas Question of the Day" Website. Thought it might be helpful to allergic families/consumers considering travel out there...

Q:
I have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, which means that I
must follow a gluten-free diet (no wheat). My husband and I will be
vacationing in Las Vegas this year and I was wondering if there are any
restaurants in the area that offer gluten-free items.

A:

We confess that we weren't entirely sure what celiac disease was or
what its full implications were dietary-wise, so we did some research and
here's what we found.
Turns out celiac disease is one of the most under-diagnosed common
diseases in the U.S., affecting at least one in every 133 people. It's a
congenital and chronic disease that basically consists of a permanent
intolerance to a component of wheat protein and related alcohol-soluble
proteins (called prolamines) found in rye and barley. In genetically
susceptible individuals who eat these proteins, the condition leads to an
autoimmune disease, whereby the body's immune system starts attacking
normal tissue and continues as long as these foods remain in the diet.
Symptoms of the disease typically can include anemia, diarrhea, lactose
intolerance, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and osteoporosis.

Having either a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance doesn't necessarily
mean you have celiac disease, but both still require a gluten-free diet
to avoid nasty side-effects, such as rashes, gassiness, wheezing,
abdominal pains, and worse.

The under-diagnosis and lack of common knowledge about all these
conditions have made dining out a difficult and often hazardous activity for
those with an intolerance to gluten. While researching this answer, we
came across a horror story from a sufferer whose honeymoon was ruined
by eating a (gourmet) Las Vegas restaurant meal that he was assured was
gluten-free, but wasn't at all and rendered him sick for days. He
recounted all kinds of other tales of fish absent-mindedly coated in flour,
barley lurking in the bottom of bowls of soup, and non-gluten-free
seasoning on steak.

Having experienced such trouble communicating the seriousness of his
dietary requirements to various kitchens, this sufferer has produced a
series of information cards, in numerous languages, that you can give to
your server to pass to the chef, explaining exactly what you can't eat.
The cards are free to anyone to print, but if possible, he asks that
you make a small donation ($5), just to cover the costs of running his
site. If you'd like to print yourself off some of these cards, visit
www.celiactravel.com/restaurant-cards.html.

As covered in a previous QoD (09/13/2006), Las Vegas is not especially
vegetarian-friendly, so we weren't too hopeful of finding gluten-free
dining spots. However, it's getting better, and we were pleasantly
surprised with what we found -- with the help of the Las Vegas Celiac
Support Group. The following is what we hope is a useful list.


Fleming's Steakhouse (8721 W. Charleston Blvd., 702/838-4774): This
national chain of steakhouses offers a full (two-page) gluten-free menu
prepared by registered dieticians, with advice on how to amend regular
menu dishes to make them gluten-free. For example, appetizers include
tenderloin carpaccio (order without croutons), shrimp and lobster (order
as is), and seared ahi tuna (order without spicy mustard -- substitute
with caper Creole mustard). All salad dressings are gluten-free; just
make sure you ask to have yours mixed in a clean bowl. All the meat and
seafood entrées are safe to order, with the exception of the beef
Flemington and the almond-cilantro-crusted shrimp, plus there are loads of
sides to choose from and several deserts. (Note: The kitchen is not
gluten-free, so be sure to inform your server that you're ordering
gluten-free, so they can do their utmost to avoid cross-contamination.)

Celebrity-chef Wolfgang Puck's Las Vegas restaurants are a good bet for
celiacs. Chinois (Forum Shops at Caesars) has a gluten-free menu and a
knowledgeable staff and Spago (also in the Forum Shops) can also
accommodate celiacs -- just inform your hostess and your server when you
arrive. Postrio in the Canal Shoppes at the Venetian will happily cater to
your diet, provided you give them 24-hours notice, and Trattoria del
Lupo at Mandalay Bay assured us that they could customize their menu to
accommodate you. Similarly, the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand
checked with the chef and confirmed that they can also cater to celiacs,
provided you identify yourself as such to your server upon arrival.

PF Chang's China Bistro: With four locations in Las Vegas/Henderson,
including one in the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood and another by the Hard
Rock on Paradise, this is another good option for those on a gluten-free
diet. Chang's offers a customized menu of suitable dishes, including
chicken in lettuce wraps, shrimp with lobster sauce, Chang's lemon
scallops, wild Alaskan sockeye salmon steamed with ginger, moo goo gai pan,
stir-fried spinach with garlic, Buddha's Feast (mixed steamed
vegetables), and Singapore street noodles (shrimp, chicken and rice noodles
stir-fried in a special gluten-free sauce), plus a flourless chocolate dome
for dessert.

Owned by the same company as PF Chang's, Pei Wei Asian Diner is another
good choice for anyone suffering from gluten intolerance. They have a
specialized menu, available for lunch, dinner, and take-out, including
dishes such as Vietnamese chicken salad rolls (order without the Thai
peanut sauce) and Pei Wei sweet and sour (choice of non-battered chicken,
shrimp, or scallops). There are currently two locations in Las Vegas
and two in Henderson. Visit their Web site here for details of addresses
and phone numbers.

Outback Steakhouse is another big chain with branches across town that
offers a full and extensive gluten-free menu. Choose from appetizers
including coral-reef crab dip, grilled shrimp, and seared ahi tuna, with
a wealth of entrées including numerous steaks, grilled and/or barbecued
lamb, chicken, pork, fish, and seafood dishes, burgers and sandwiches
(either ask for no bread, or call in advance and ask if they'll permit
you to bring your own gluten-free bread and build your own at the
table.) Click here for a full list of locations and phone numbers.

Chili's offers a suggested menu for those with gluten/wheat allergies.
Their menu carries a disclaimer, explaining that their normal kitchen
operations involve shared cooking/prep areas and common fryer oil, so
they can't guarantee that your order won't come into contact with wheat
or gluten products and recommend that you avoid all of their fried
foods. Items on their special menu include bunless burgers, steaks, baked
potato soup, baby back ribs, Guiltless salmon, grilled margarita chicken
(hold the tortilla chips), salads, sides, and chocolate shake dessert
(ask the manager if it's prepared in a dedicated mixer). Click here for
a list of all their Las Vegas locations.

Maggiano's Little Italy in the Fashion Show Mall (featured in a past
LVA for its great happy-hour appetizer play) will happily accommodate
those with wheat/gluten allergies/intolerance with their gluten-free
pasta. You must speak to the chef in person prior ordering so you can make
him aware of all your dietary needs -- it probably wouldn't hurt to call
in advance and give them a heads-up. 702/732-2550.

Another Italian option is Carraba's Italian Grill, which, in
cooperation with the Gluten Intolerance Group, is now providing a gluten-free
menu, including antipasti, soups, salads, chicken and beef dishes, and
dessert. Locations are in Summerlin at 8771 W. Charleston Blvd.,
(702/304-2345) and Henderson at 10160 South Eastern Ave. (702/990-0650).
We're sure this is far from an exhaustive list and we'd love to hear
from anyone who's discovered other gluten-free-friendly restaurants in
town, but we hope this will at least prevent any celiacs from starving
during their Vegas vacation.

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

I know, I know...it's been awhile. I apologize. Work is keeping me very busy these days!

Here's a recipe from one of my favorite cooking magazines, Cooking Light. It's dairy-free and it tastes like it was made in an italian restaurant. I will note my specifications at the bottom.

4 ounces uncooked medium egg noodles
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 Tblsp. olive oil, divided
1 Tblsp. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 package presliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 - Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.
2 - Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Combine 1 Tblsp. flour, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.
3 - Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; saute 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 Tblsp. oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; saute for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 Tblsp. of flour; cook 1 min stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining salt, remaining pepper, cook 1 min or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.
4 - Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 min or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates and top each serving with 1 Tblsp. cheese
Yield -- 4 servings

TAD recommends: Swap the egg noodles for 6-8 ounces of angel hair pasta. Omit the tarragon. Omit the oil and use extra broth to saute the chicken (so much healthier for you!) Add 1 tablespoon of garlic to the recommended 1 tablespoon in the recipe(we like garlic). Enjoy!!

We would willingly wait 40 minutes again...

What a fantastic evening the non-allergic husband and I had on Saturday night. We traveled to Red Lobster, a restaurant we both like, to have dinner and then see a movie (an actual date!). Though we waited close to 40 minutes to be seated, the meal far exceeded our expectations.
Our waiter was a young man with plenty of pluck and personality. He responded politely to my requests of no butter and no seasoning on anything, and even agreed to rustle me up a plain roll somewhere in the back (your allergic diner cannot eat the cheddar bay biscuits, delicious as they may be). Everything came out quickly (we had our entrees within 15 minutes of ordering!)and correctly. There was no butter anywhere on my plate, nor did the plate look as if it had been hosed down because butter had accidentally been placed on it (don't laugh, this has happened many times at many different restaurants). We even enjoyed one of their specials, a lobsterita (a margarita in a glass big enough for two). We had so much fun, we missed our movie! Thank you Red Lobster, for a wonderful Saturday night. We'll be back.

Whole Foods is an allergic cook's dream...

Yesterday evening both the non-allergic husband and I worked very late. As such, I stopped to pick us up something to eat on the way home, and decided to try the WholeFoods supermarket. That place is to a cook what a candy store is to a child. Simply put, I went in for 2 items, and walked out with *ahem* a few more (including a beautiful piece of salmon to make for dinner tonight). I was able to pick up a work-friendly dessert in their bakery for today's work party, purchase dinner for myself (made-to-order sushi and a prepared-by-the-allergic-diner-salad, which by the way, when combined, cost less than the cost of a single saladworks salad).
More importantly, I was able to look around at what I would consider a haven for the allergic consumer. Dairy-free fudge cake? Gluten-free waffles? More than 10 varieties of dairy-free ice cream? Vegan meals for those who would like, or meat meals for those who'd prefer?In addition, everything prepared by their kitchen comes with FULL ingredient listings (as does everything on their salad bar, soup bar, and hot foods bar). I was more than impressed by the listing of the specific type of oil used in a pasta dish (as opposed to some places who simply list "oil).
The Allergic Diner happily recommends Whole Foods to all of my readers!

Recipe for a quick dinner...

As we continue on with this ever-so-stressful week (having Monday off seems to make people unable to budget their time and complete their work, enter yours truly), I am going to make an allergy-friendly, quick & easy meal this evening. I thought the readers of TAD might like the recipe. It's quite good!

Sesame Ginger Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, rinsed off
8 oz. fresh mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion, chopped into wedges
1 red pepper, cored and sliced
1 broccoli crown, stems cut off, cut into small sections
1 bottle of sesame-ginger marinade (I used to make my own, but this tastes just as good, still has no dairy, no tomato, and no bad oils/spices--Lawry's is delicious)!

Here's how it works: In a 9x13 pan, place the chicken breasts, then surround with cut & washed vegetables. Only place the onion on top of the chicken (not the other vegetables, they aren't thin enough to cook properly). Then, pour the bottle of marinade on top of the chicken and vegetables. Fill the marinade bottle at least 3/4 of the way with water and pour that over the already-poured marinade. Use a spoon to mildly mix the two and ensure that the sauce is spread evenly. Cover with tinfoil. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is not pink when cut into. Enjoy!

Mmmm...Toasty

Quizno's: The final frontier.
I would like to happily report that I dropped in on my local Quizno's last night to pick myself up some supper and the woman working was more than happy to change her (non-latex!) gloves to help me. I was able to get a tomato-free, spice-free, oil free hoagie, just the way I like.
The added bonus to a place such as Quizno's is that you can watch them prepare the hoagie (hoagie folks, not sub, not grinder, not hero!). Thank you Quizno's, as always you are allergic-consumer friendly!

It's a Disney World and I'm loving it, Hail to the mouse

To all readers of the Allergic Diner, to make up for 19 days of not posting I will be posting at least once a day for the next several days. Thank you for your patience!~RL

There is nothing like the comfort of going on vacation. There is nothing like the stress of going on vacation, either. On a good vacation, the stress stops the moment you step foot on the plane and does not return until you return to normal life. This, dear readers, was a good vacation.
I say a vacation is stressful because if you share my personality type you worry about packing, about making the flight, about remembering your tickets, etc., up until the very moment you step foot on the plane. For some reason then I quit worrying about whether or not I packed my toothbrush, or remembered the book I've been reading, and just try and relax.
The non-allergic husband and I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Disney World. And no, though this seems to shock my co-workers, we do not have children. What we do have is a desire to enjoy warm weather, gourmet food, exercise, culture (EPCOT, for those of you scoffing, is filled with culture) and fun all in one place. The fact that we manage to do so for an affordable price is even better.
But Disney holds something specific that most other vacation destinations do not for the allergic consumer, a respite from being on allergy-alert. Allergy alert is a little something I've named for the following: "Did I pack my spare epi-pen? Remember the emergency benadryl? Prepare my list of food allergies? Pack allergy-friendly snacks?" These questions tend to start at the beginning of the vacation and continue in the form of: "Did he take me seriously when I explained the tomato allergy? This is a pizza place, what happens if he doesn't listen and touches something with a tomato before touching my food? What if they're all in the kitchen dreaming of ways to put a tomato in the food somewhere that I can't see it? Did I pack my insurance card? I wonder where the closest hospital is...." etc.
Unfortunately, while this sounds like the rant of a paranoid and semi-delusional woman, most severe allergy sufferers have been there. We have been scoffed at or laughed at by wait staff who don't believe or deem it important to care about. We have been told "Oh, I just didn't think it was that big of a deal (??)" by a server who's neck we'd like to ring.
But Disney is a fairy tale land, and not just for the young. Disney provides allergy sufferers with a respite from food worries. Every restaurant, counter-service, sit down, grab-n-go or otherwise has a list of the ingredients of the prepared foods. I kid you not, I once asked the lady at the "all-beef hot dog" stand to prove the hot dogs were all beef. Out came the book. They were obviously telling the truth, but polite about my pain-in-the-behind tendencies all the same. At ANY place in Disney (even the buffets) you can have something made fresh and allergy-free. Every sit down restaurant asked us about my allergies, and every time the meal was perfect. I did not worry about food the entire time we were there (and you can't get much more relaxed as an allergy sufferer). The Disney resort we stayed in had the same Disney policy, and as such, the non-allergic husband and I did a lot of walking to burn off all the eating we did there. It is comical to think that a theme park can be relaxing, but a lake-front resort, countless activities, delicious food, fun rides, and a lack of contact with the outside world was phenomenal :)
Thank you Disney, on behalf of Allergy-sufferers everywhere :)

Warning: this post is potentially hazardous to anyone with an allergy...

I know, I know. This was supposed to be a blog for the allergic consumer. I am supposed to advocate things that everyone can eat (lactose free, gluten free, etc). I am failing miserably today. Ah, well...
Last night, after watching the non-allergic husband eat his THIRD bowl of another one of my quick & easy meal creations (long week), I decided that although it is not something I can eat, I would post this recipe in the hopes that some non-allergic person reading this blog would enjoy it.

Quick & Easy Mexican Pasta Salad (compliments of Campbells cookbook)

1 lb ground beef
1 can beef broth
1 can Campbells condensed cheddar cheese soup
3/4 small jar salsa
2-2 and 1/2 cups of macaroni (your choice)
shredded cheddar cheese

Prep time: none
Start to finish: 20 minutes

Brown the ground beef in a large non-stick skillet. Add beef broth and macaroni, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove lid. Add salsa and cheddar cheese soup, mix and heat through. Serve immediately, sprinkling with cheddar cheese.

As for me? Well, I just enjoy the smell!

The best salmon ever (orange-ginger salmon)

Well, the title pretty much says it all. This is perhaps one of the healthiest things I've ever made. The non-allergic husband rated it a 10 (poor guy, I pester him to rate new recipes...though he offered willingly this time). To my credit, I can't remember the last time I've had anything rated under a 7, but enough about my culinary prowess. Try this, and you won't be sorry. Guaranteed. (heck, this is a blog, it's not like I'll have to put my money where my mouth is!)

1-1/2 lbs. of salmon, boneless and skinless, cut into 1/4 lb. pieces and rinsed clean
marinade: About 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbsps. of dijon mustard, splash of orange juice, 1/8 cup of cooking white wine, and ginger to taste (i used about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons)

This was served over brown rice (mea culpa - the SUCCESS boil-in-bag kind) and steamed fresh broccoli. For added flavor, pour a little of the leftover marinade over the rice before serving.

Start by mixing marinade ingredients together until mustard is not lumpy.

Pour marinade into large skillet and place salmon on top of it. Heat on medium setting. After about 6 minutes or when you see the edges of the bottom begin to turn whitish-brown, flip the salmon and cook an additional 6-7 minutes on the other side. Should be done in 15 minutes total. Salmon will be brown with a slightly crispy outside, but still moist inside. Enjoy!
The next time I make this I will not be so hungry and rushed, so I will photograph and post what a colorful plate this makes.

Not just for Thanksgiving

I told my non-allergic husband last night that if I were to ever leave him, it would be for stuffing. Now, stuffing cannot kiss me goodnight, or scrape the ice off my car in the morning, but it is just SO darn good. Especially on these damp, chilly days.

Homemade stuffing is by far the best, but on those nights where everyone at work has made you crazy all day, and you have to figure out something for dinner but have no mental capacity left to do so, enter the Stove Top. The nice, kind people at Kraft also go so far as to give you quick & easy recipes on their websites, which contrary to lots of popular cookbooks with the same title, ARE ACTUALLY QUICK & EASY!
Case in point: I did not get home from the supermarket until close to 6:30 last night, but I had a healthy, balanced, non-allergic meal on the table at 7:00 (and yes, the groceries were unpacked and put away by then as well).

My new, fabulous find for the quickest, yummiest recipe around... from the Kraft&Stove Top website, tweaked a bit for the allergic consumer....

1 package thin-sliced boneless/skinless chicken breast
1 cup. frozen peas/corn or other veggies as you like
1 box stove top chicken stuffing or stove top low sodium stuffing
1 can low sodium chicken broth
4 tbsp. margarine (substitute soy butter for lactose-free meal!)

In large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of margarine over medium heat and place chicken in pan. Saute in hot margarine for 2 minutes, then turn over and saute 2-3 min. on the other side. When chicken is sufficiently cooked (Note: it will NOT be cooked all the way) add 3/4 of the can of chicken broth and other 2 tbsp. of margarine, and frozen veggies and bring to a boil. Pour in stove top, stir well and cover, cooking over reduced heat for another 5 minutes.

It's that simple....you take the lid off the pan, and presto, a LOWFAT meal with starch, vegetable and protein is completely cooked AND all in one pan. On a busy night, it doesn't get much better than that! Thank you Stove Top for a wonderful non-allergic meal. Ahh, stuffing.

The allergic diner HIGHLY recommends...

Last evening, your allergic diner and the non-allergic husband treated the non-allergic in-laws to a special anniversary dinner in celebration of their 35 years of marriage. We took them to KC Prime, a steakhouse in central New Jersey that was well worth the drive. We made reservations and were taken promptly to our table. When it came time to order, our waiter was affable, knowledgeable, and did not faint, nor even utter a sigh, when it came time for my infamous allergic diner requests. "Can you make this steak without seasoning, butter or oil?" "Can you please tell the chef to reserve, at all costs, his urge to make it look pretty and send it out with additional garnish?" "Can I substitute the bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes for a good old-fashioned boring baked potato?" "Can you make that as plain and boring as possible as well?"
Well, dear readers, not only did he accommodate all these requests, but the steak was the best the allergic diner had eaten in months. The non-allergic husband and mother-in-law very much enjoyed their prime rib orders, and the non-allergic father-in-law spoke glowingly of his NY strip steak order. All in all, KC Prime is highly recommended to diners of all allergies (and non-allergies!). It was a lovely evening with no cause for discomfort. Thanks KC Prime!

The best beef stew ever (a crock pot recipe)

This recipe is dairy free!

one 2 lb. roast (bottom round works wonderfully and is less expensive)
one can low-sodium beef broth
3 stalks celery, washed and thickly chopped
3/4 bag of baby carrots, washed
4 medium white or russet baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick pieces
1 large yellow onion, sliced (do NOT dice/chop)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, washed
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (choose based on taste preference)
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of cornstarch

Place the thick potato slices in bottom of slow cooker and cover bottom with potatoes. Then rinse the roast and place the meat directly on top of the potato slices. Around the sides place the carrots, and then the celery on top of the carrots. Then, pour ONLY HALF (equal to one cup) of the beef broth into the slow cooker. Dispose of the other half. Rub garlic into top and exposed sides of beef and top beef with onion slices (should cover the meat).Top with mushrooms and place lid on slow cooker. Cook for approximately 8 hours (may be faster or slower depending on your slow cooker) on LOW.
At the end of cooking time, remove the roast and carve, then carve the slices you have in half. Put the cornstarch into the slow cooker WHILE THE MEAT IS OUT AND BEING CARVED (this will thicken the broth for stew-like consistency). Replace the meat and let sit for approximately 5 minutes (NO MORE OR MEAT WILL TOUGHEN). Serve immediately after. Enjoy!

Easy Risotto

A recipe for an easy risotto, great on a night you want a home cooked meal but don't have a lot of time!...makes 3-4 portions for a side dish; 1-2 for a main dish

2/3 chopped onion (from a medium onion)
1 small can mushrooms (cooks faster than fresh for this recipe)
2 tablespoons margarine (you can use soy butter to make this dairy-free)
2/3 cup uncooked arborio rice
2 cups of chicken broth (usually equivalent to 1 can - reduced sodium works just as well as regular)
salt/pepper to taste


In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine. When melted, add chopped onion and stir occasionally until tender. Add the rice and stir approximately 2 minutes with hot margarine and onion, or until rice begins to turn toasty color. Add the chicken broth and bring to boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for approximately 20 minutes. 5 minutes before the rice is done, stir in mushrooms and then replace cover. You know its ready when the rice has a creamy consistency and has absorbed most of the liquid.
Let stand for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!
(you can add many different kinds of vegetables to this recipe - if they're fresh, add them in the beginning. If frozen, add them about 10-12 minutes into cooking the rice. If canned, add them 5 minutes before the end)

The recipes are coming!

To those of you who have been faithfully checking this blog, I apologize for the lag of late. The problem is, the allergic diner and her non-allergic husband have just booked a vacation, so we are dining out less in an effort to save extra spending money. However, I have found a solution. Beginning this evening, I will post several of my allergy-proof recipes and include several easy substitutions so the finished product can be eaten by most anyone with an allergy. I'll be back soon!

Cross-contamination

And no, though it sounds like a haz-mat warning, it is something an allergic consumer is all too aware of. Those of us with severe allergies need to take precautions that our food does not so much even TOUCH a food we are allergic to before we eat it, otherwise we put ourselves at risk.
Yesterday I visited my local Saladworks. This has always been an allergy-friendly place because each ingredient is kept in a separate container, and each salad is made to order right in front of your eyes. I have never had a problem and willingly fork over too much money (seriously, $8 or $9 for lettuce and a few veggies....maybe it's that fresh-baked roll, but i digress).
I ordered my salad and didn't have hard-boiled egg added like I usually do because I could see that the eggs were littered with those evil red intruders, the tomatoes. Several other bins of ingredients had been accidentally mixed as well (cheese in the mushrooms, etc). I understand the lunch rush and that these things happen, but rest assured they aren't throwing out the ingredients that mix, simply separating them and putting them back in the proper location.
ANYWAY, as my non-allergic husband is away on business, i picked myself up an expensive salad, put on garbage TV, my fuzzy slippers, and ate dinner college-style (on the couch). I was halfway through a delicious salad when I discovered that somehow, there were several pieces of pepperoni in my salad! I removed the pepperoni, and all of the salad touching the unwelcome guest, and then finished my salad, fearful of accidentally having eaten the pepperoni. He and I do not get along, to put it mildly.
I was fine, thankfully..but it leads me to ask this question. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO MAKE A SALAD? I've learned my lesson, Saladworks, next time, the Allergic Diner is making her own.

A neighborhood italian joint called "Domino's"

First off, let me start by wishing all of my allergic friends a very happy 2007!
For my first review of the new year, I would like to tell you the story of a little neighborhood italian joint named "domino's" (mea culpa: i ripped that line off from the King of Queens).
My non-allergic husband and I have been travelling every weekend for the better part of the month. We decided, quite simply, to spend the weekend of New Year's Eve at home. No driving, no shopping, no family, no restaurants. But who wants to cook dinner on New Years? So we attempted to order in pizza (always anxiety-inducing, understandable if you have read my earlier posts about the pizza cutter). I called Domino's and asked for a white pizza "please hold the oil and the seasoning." I genuinely confused the poor guy on the other end of the phone. He was polite enough to reply "ma'am, we do not season your pizza." He told me that Domino's does not use oil under the cheese or any oregano! When I asked him not to cut the pizza, just in case I told him about my allergy to tomatoes. He responded with "I personally promise you that your pizza will not be cut by us. I'll make sure of that. We don't want you getting sick."
Lo and behold, when the pizza arrived, it was piping hot and uncut, with no additional anything on it - just the way I like it!
Thank you Domino's, the allergic diner HIGHLY recommends your chain to anyone with a food allergy. I have pizza back!