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
Friday, August 24, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
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
Monday, August 13, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, August 03, 2007
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...
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...
Thursday, August 02, 2007
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......
I will post tomorrow on my progress (or lack thereof) at the buffet......
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
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)
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)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
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
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
Thursday, July 19, 2007
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
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
Monday, July 16, 2007
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
Friday, July 13, 2007
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!
Sincerely,
Your allergic diner
Thursday, July 12, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
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
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
Monday, July 09, 2007
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!!!
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!!!
Monday, June 18, 2007
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/
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/
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
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...!?
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...!?
Friday, May 18, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
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
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
Monday, May 07, 2007
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
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
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