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!