Achilles Heel - Sauces -

My food 'achilles heel' is sauces.  They are killer.  Did you know there is gluten in soy sauce!?!?  SOY Sauce.  You can't be serious!  (Note: you can get GF soy sauce.)  ALSO - there is gluten in ketchup, some spaghetti sauces, most chinese sauces, most pasta sauces, seriously the list goes on and on.  So, here's the skinny on that - MAKE YOUR OWN!  Life is so much easier when you can control the ingredients going into your food.  However, I am a realist and know that you will eventually have to leave your house to eat every once and a while, my suggestions are this:  


1.  When in doubt- leave it out or
2.  Ask.  

However, don't ask 45 questions- ask if they have a gluten free menu or if the item you're looking at is gluten free.  Don't ask about every single item on the menu.  Food industry people hate this- we make fun of you behind your back for making us late to every other single table we have to get to.  Just get a grilled chicken sandwich with green beans, heck get a steak (go big or go home, right?), but don't take up 20 minutes of our time.  We get it.  You have a food allergy.  Who doesn't?  It is YOUR responsibility to know you're disease.  


As someone on both ends - ordering and taking the order - I get it.  Food allergies suck- you definitely don't want to make yourself sick.  Taking a food order that seems totally wacked out from someone with food allergies isn't a picnic either when the chefs look at you like you just ran over their dog.


Now that I got that out - sauces.  Sauces are yummy and they serve a purpose in food.  You just need to be creative with them.  For example, Alfredo sauce... dairy and gluten there's no way right?  So, try the roux with oat flour and a little xanthan gum.  Instead of milk, use soy milk (unflavored).  Then for flavoring I used vegan mozzarella cheese.  Let me tell you - it was disgusting!  But, hey at least I tried, right?  You have to keep trying until you figure out what works for you.   


Good luck and happy creating!

What do I tell the nice people who made me dinner?

After a good year of struggling not eating anything with lactose or gluten in it, I feel fairly confident in the brands I choose, the meals I make and the amazing flourless dark chocolate cake I bake.  Then, you throw me into someone else's world of cooking and it's like - "Sorry, I can't eat that, even though you've just spent a fortune on it" or "Sorry, I can't eat that even though I know it took you two hours to make."  Then, I feel really bad, because they don't know - it's not like I wear a sign that says "please don't add butter or flour to that."  Maybe I should bedazzle a shirt that says that to avoid these awkward conversations.  How do you avoid this?  Well, today, I don't have the answer.  I'm still working through this.

"I'm allergic to wheat and lactose." Oh, yes, this will totally explain to the nice family making dinner for you that you cannot eat scalloped potatoes and ham.  NOT!  They're going to look at you like you're one of those people who should live in a bubble because you're allergic to everything.  So, what next - try to get around it without telling anyone or asking any questions - so when you're in the bathroom later crying in pain... you're right, that's a great solution.  Next!?!?!