Its been a while since I have sat down to write a post but its been a busy and fun-filled few weeks – the upcoming blog posts will feature a lot of that excitement. But, for now a fresh summery allergy friendly pancake…’watermelon pancakes!
Gluten-free, Wheat-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Peanut-free, Tree nuts-free, Fish and Shellfish-free and also free of a few other major allergens like mustard seeds, sesame seeds, chickpeas etc. So what does it contain?!? 
This weekend, I embarked on writing on the topic of cross-contamination. As a parent with children with food allergies…it is one of my greatest fears.
The more I wrote, the more I realized how much a factor it plays in my daily life. Cross-contamination touches so many parts of my life the story seemed to take on a life of its own.
Posted in Recipes
My growing up years are replete with memories of mom (or, ‘amma’ as I call her) whipping up batches of these adorable hand-cut crackers every so often. She would even let my brother and me help make the dainty little squares or diamonds – cooking is a great time to bond with family! Traditionally, these crackers are made with all-purpose flour but I will be using a gluten-free flour blend.
The gluten-free blend is the recipe for self-rising flour mixture from Living Without magazine and contains the following:
Mix it well and store it in an airtight container till you need it. The recipe is inspired by one of the most popular Indian chefs, Sanjeev Kapoor – whose recipes are simple and easy to follow. The best part is that the same dough can be used to make diamond crackers that are baked or fried. The baked one is obviously healthier but both are equally delicious in slightly different ways.
Baked diamond crackers
Fried Crackers
The days are getting warmer and mint flavored lemonade and mojito is on my mind Or, more to the point…the crisp, fresh flavors of mint leaves! These leaves are extremely aromatic with a cool aftertaste and are used to flavor teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, ice creams, lentil fritters, entrees etc. A word of caution people – it has a strong flavor so, a little goes a very long way. The good news is – it is also healthy and has many healing properties. I found this post on wikipedia very interesting - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha
So, here is a dish to celebrate Spring – light, flavorful and elegant ‘Mint Rice’! It does not contain any of the top 8 food allergens and is also free of mustard, sesame and corn. Yes – it still tastes delish!
Posted in Recipes
As Merriam-Webster very succinctly puts it, a jelly bean is quite simply, ‘a sugar-glazed bean-shaped candy.’ Yet, food allergic kids and their caretakers have to be uber careful of this simple candy especially this weekend – what with the jelly bean being the candy of choice in many a traditional Easter egg-hunt. There are a couple of points, those with food allergies should be aware of before popping in a jelly bean:
So, I looked around to see if there are any safe jelly beans and one company I came across was the San Francisco based company Gimbal’s!
They are not only free of the top 8 food allergens, they also avoid high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, gluten and gelatin and use real fruit juice – go figure!!!
Pheww – I have been exercising my grey cells overtime the past few weeks to come up with a momentous 100th post for Allergy Foodie! My mind raced over the past few years since Arjun was born and I was unceremoniously thrown into the world of multiple food allergies – it is a kaleidoscope of people who have helped make this journey a joyous one despite the travails.
That’s when it suddenly dawned on me…a parent/caretaker alone cannot keep a child safe! A lot of people contribute through big and small actions to make the life of a food allergic child joyous – family, friends, teachers and more. In fact, I would go a step further and say that it is impossible to raise a healthy and confident food allergic child without society’s help.
In my mind, the one person who stands ‘tall’ amidst them is my niece who was but a child herself when Arjun was born. The 9 year old would get up at 6 am despite her summer vacations just to see a 4 month old Arjun cackling with laughter. Since then a life-long bond of love, laughter, empathy and friendship was forged between these two cousins. So, this special post is dedicated to Soumya on her 16th birthday.
When they first met...
Posted in Parents' nuggets of wisdom, Recipes
A few weeks back, my son asked me why there were no allergy-friendly Indian (South Asian) desserts. Most Indian desserts are dairy-based and are loaded with nuts so, he was right 
At that moment, my quest began - an attempt to create an Indian-inspired Allergy-Friendly dessert…
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines ‘fudge’ as ‘a soft creamy candy made typically of sugar, milk, butter, and flavoring’. That is exactly what the Carrot Fudge is – though we will substitute milk, butter and flavorings with allergy-friendly alternatives…
I absolutely love Mung Bean flour. It is versatile, nutritious, mildly flavorful and most importantly allergy-friendly. Do refer to my post entitled ‘Beyond Lentils – allergy friendly vegetarian proteins’ if you want to know more about the nutritious punch this little bean packs! Little wonder I use it extensively in my allergy-friendly kitchen – in gluten-free baking, crepes, pancakes, dumplings, tortillas, tempura batter and more! If you have a South Asian store around the corner – stop in there and pick up a pound of mung bean flour and start experimenting. If there is no store in your vicinity or like me you love making things from scratch – making mung flour or moong flour at home is soooooo easy and quick that it is definitely worth a try. Once made, store it in an airtight container and it will last for months.
Posted in Recipes
I just love, love, love the flavor of cilantro/ coriander leaves because the vibrant green color and fresh smell instantly transports me to a warmer, tropical clime - utter bliss! Little wonder that when I spotted a container of basil and cilantro pesto at Whole Foods recently – I pounced on it It was sooooo bursting with flavor and taste that I wanted to churn out my own ‘allergy-friendly’ version with only the cilantro/coriander being the belle of the ball
A quick note – cilantro and coriander leaves are just different words for the same herb,Coriandrum sativum. Cilantro is a Spanish word and is widely used in the US but it is referred to as coriander in UK and India. A nutritional side-note – coriander or cilantro contains antooxidants and has medicinal uses too.
If you want to know more about this fragrant herb - I found this short write-up on cilantro/coriander very informative. Growing up in India, one of my fav home projects with mom was gardening and a coriander patch was a must, given the ubiquitous usage of coriander leaves and seeds in Indian cooking. I try to do the same with my little one and if growing your own herbs is something you enjoy, this article on ‘How to grow Coriander (Cilantro)’ is pretty good. So easy and so much cheaper than buying it though coriander leaf bunches are very reasonably priced in South Asian stores ( $1 for 2 bunches of leaves during summer months)
Presenting Allergy Friendly Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto… 
Posted in Recipes
Love is in the air 
In classrooms all over the world, little kids will be exchanging Valentines and the goody bags will be replete with foods possibly containing nuts, dairy, eggs and other allergens. The very thought sends me into shock So, love this article by FAAN to keep our kids safe at the Valentine’s Day classroom party. Thankfully, my son is in a school district which has strictly forbidden chocolates et al in the goody bags but I will still be volunteering for their party to ensure my little one is safe in the humungous public school system. If circumstances permit – I would strongly suggest caretakers of food-allergic young children try to do the same.
With that, the countdown to a beautiful allergy friendly Valentine’s day begins…
