Cooking Allergen free Part II: Enjoying the Holidays!

Our expert, Sloane Miller, continues her interview with Alice Sherwood, author of Allergy-Free Cookbook in this post sharing tips and recipes for the holidays. Click to read the first part of the interview here.

 

 

Q: How do you suggest parents, families, and kids handle allergies over the holidays?

 

The key to eating during holiday time is to call and discuss your host's menu plans well ahead of time. Your host may be amenable to making a few small changes such as keeping a problematic stuffing separate from an otherwise harmless roasted turkey. For severe allergies, you will need to discuss every ingredient in detail not to be caught by surprise. Be prepared to offer to bring an allergen-free dish or two.

 

Q: What suggestions do you have for hosting an allergic diner in your home?

 

Don't be "separatist." Cook something everyone can eat rather than making a different dish for the allergic guest. That said, how much effort you make is up to you. It's important to find out exactly what are the problem substances and what reaction do they cause in the allergic person. There's huge difference between agreeing to cook for someone who might suffer a mild rash and cooking for a person who risks anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction) if they ingest so much as a crumb of the offending food. I make a chestnut stuffing as even my nut-allergic son can tolerate chestnuts, but if I have a visitor who can't, then it is prune and apricot stuffing instead.

 

Try this cornbread stuffing for a celiac or other gluten-free visitor

Southern skillet cornbread

Gluten and nut free

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Serves 6

 

1 tbsp bacon fat or dripping

Generous 2 cups stone-ground cornmeal (white cornmeal if preferred)

2 tbsp superfine sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/4 cups buttermilk

 

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

2. Put the bacon fat in a large cast-iron skillet or a 9 inch baking pan and heat in the oven.

3. Mix together the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

4. Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk and add to the cornmeal mixture. Beat until smooth.

5. Pour the batter into the hot bacon fat. Bake toward the top of the oven until the top is browned and the center springs back when gently pressed, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately cut into wedges.

Courtesy of DK Publishing "Allergy-Free Cookbook"

 

I find desserts are the trickiest. Guests should consider bringing their own. I have two chocolate cake recipes in the book (chocolate is that important).

 

Here is one:

Chocolate layer cake

Dairy, egg and nut free

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 10 - 12

 

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups superfine sugar

1 3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup nut-free unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups unsweetened soy milk or water