A Fantastic Allergy Friendly Indian: Delhi O’Deli

I can’t tell you how excited I am about Delhi O’Deli which truly lives up to it’s slogan of ‘India Beyond Curries...’. I had read a couple of lines about this Vegetarian Indian restaurant (the first in Ireland) serving Vegan options and had been meaning to try it out for a while but I definitely wasn’t prepared for how amazing it was going to be! A few years ago when all the super cheap Chinese restaurants opened up on Moore Street the price savvy diners/students/bohemians flocked to Dublin’s famous market street to get ridiculously affordable, ethnic food. The venues were a bit shabby and some of the dishes such as ‘Triple Delicious’ were a bit more miss than hit but if you knew the menu you could easily get an affordable and tasty meal mixed with the wonderful vibe of the ‘real’ city.

I love Moore Street. It smells like old time city living. Although I like my luxuries and enjoy a slick design I can’t help mourn the loss of the ‘old’ Henry Street and the inner life of a thriving city. I feel like Moore Street is one of the few pockets left which haven’t been glazed over to resemble ‘success’ and ‘modernity’... It’s noisy and smelly and filled to brim with complete characters.

After a little while most of the Chinese restaurants closed down...possibly due to Health & Safety, although I never experienced a problem on the few occasion I ventured in but who knows what lies behind closed doors! There is still some great bargain basement Chinese and Korean cuisine to be found on nearby Parnell Street but the gap left on Moore Street has been more than filled by one of the best finds this year! ‘Delhi O’Deli’ is a Vegetarian restaurant that serves numerous Vegan options which of course translates to Dairy Free and Egg Free! I always think a good sign for an ethnic restaurant is when the nations nationals eat there and Delhi O’Deli is no exception. It’s clean and new and filled with the sound of Bollywood films playing on the television but lets get to the real topic:
I was bringing the food to my sister on her lunch break on the south side of the city so I got a take-away, although Delhi O’Deli is primarily a sit-down venue. Next month new menus will be available clearly labelling which dishes are vegan (aka Dairy Free and Egg Free) but even without the labeling I found the waitress to be thoroughly knowledgable about the ingredients. She asked me what I wanted and then she told me if it was suitable... There is yoghurt and vegetarian cheese used in some dishes but the Vegan options were plentiful and there were even some options which were naturally Tomato Free and Onion Free. In the end I ordered:

Stuffed Bread Pakora (Bread covered with chickpea batter, filled with potatoes, no cheese) €1.45
Pani Puri (Popular street food from Mumbai which is also known as water balls in the western region. Hollow fried crisps filled with potatoes, chickpeas, served with spicy and sour tamarind water) €2.95
Delhi O’Deli Chole Bhature (All day student favourite and popular north Indian meal. Seasoned chickpeas with onion and cilantro, served with fried breads called Bhatura. Pickle and salad served on side) €4.45 [note: this dish is not usually vegan adaptable or dairy free. The Bhatura is not vegan but the Puri can be substituted for bread -Ed.]

The left over fried bread from the Chole Bhature tasted AMAZing dipped in the tamarind water and the Stuffed bread Pakora, although a bit light on the filling, tasted thoroughly delicious. My sister said that the Chole Bhature was ‘very rich in flavour with quite a heavy kick of spice’ (not for the non-spice lovers) and was ‘similar to a hearty stew’... ‘the ultimate comfort food’... ‘really good’... ‘so good’.. ‘yum yum’.. etc, etc.

The only problem is that Delhi O’Deli doesn’t seem very aware of Gluten Free diets or the Coeliac condition. There was a bit of confusion around the similarity of the words ‘wheat’ and ‘sweet’ but I think with a little patience you should be able to find something free from Gluten as many Indian dishes are Gluten Free by nature. They also use Corn flour in some dishes so beware if you happen to be Corn Free.

p.s. try out the Daily Fivers! There is a buffet style set up at the back of the restaurant featuring five daily specials (the website tells you what features for each day of the week) all for only €5 per plate!

Delhi O’Deli
12 Moore Street, Dublin 1
Tel: (01) 872 9129
Web: www.delhiodeli.com
Opening Times: Breakfast 08:00 - 12:00; Lunch/Dinner 12:00 - 20:00

Eating Allergy-Free at the Airport (Terminal 1)

This morning I accompanied my Nut Free, Caffeine Free & Gluten Free cousin, E. to the airport. We woke up at 6:30am, got the new Ballinteer Aircoach line which conveniently passes right outside my front door and glided to the airport in 40minutes tops for €9 (note: If you are new to Dublin, bargain basement airport fare is with Dublin Bus 16A for €2.30 which takes approx. 1.5hours from the South side of the city - or approx. 1hour from the City Centre) only to find the longest check-in line of our lives. Two hours later we reached the desk where they informed us that her flight had been delayed 12 hours! due to a hurricane... UGH! Of course they supplied food vouchers for the day (€7, €8, €15) and we hadn’t had any breakfast before leaving the house so we decided to finally feed the beasts that live in our stomachs but airport prices, choices and service are rarely anything but bad and this morning was no exception.

Terminal 1 (the old terminal) seems to be the forgotten child. I haven’t been in the new terminal yet but I got the distinct feeling that all the good stuff is happening there. We wandered around and checked out the very slim options in Terminal 1's food court which consists of O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar, McDonald’s, 2 canteen style restaurants and a Starbucks. There were very slim pickings for a Vegan at the main canteen outside of sweets or bread, hash-browns and baked beans on the hot tables (and those not even guaranteed Vegan) but their only reference to food allergies was a sign stating:
‘Some of our food items contain nuts and other allergens. There in a small risk that traces of these may be found in other products sold here. NB: Our definition of nuts include sesame seeds. All items subject to availability’

...and nothing that I could find labelled as Gluten free outside of Starbucks which was our beacon in the night. Normally I steer away from the major chains but I have to applaud Starbucks for at least accommodating the Gluten free diet. They have each item clearly marked such as the:
- Granola Bar
- Fairtrade Belgian Chocolate Brownie (note: the ‘Allergies? ask me for wrapped’ notice!)

...and there was also a gluten free labelled sandwich which clearly stated all of the ingredients and any additional allergy warnings.

The sad part was for multi-food allergy sufferers. The Gluten free ‘Roasted Chicken & Green Pesto’ sandwich at Starbucks had a warning stating that it contains Egg, Mustard & Milk. The Irish breakfast options at the largest canteen area were somewhat friendly/workable as long as you’re not Vegetarian but the staff was significantly unhelpful & impatient. The second canteen, ‘The EatingPlace’ was friendlier but are unable to accommodate intricate diets as it is all pre-made & the manager regretted that there was Gluten or Dairy in basically everything on the set menu which never changes (probably not the complete story but it was a bit of a closed-book answer). I did see that they have a yoghurt & fruit option in the early morning with added granola so a dairy tolerant allergy sufferer might be able to work out something there and O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar can definitely be maneuvered to suit a Dairy free diet but as I said earlier: If you are Milk free, Egg free and Gluten free, or something similar, you might be in trouble and should try to plan ahead.

Gluten Free Bread Baking & The Xanthan Gum Trials

The Quest for Gluten Free Bread with, with less and without Xanthan Gum: First things first, What is Xanthan Gum? To many it is simply the god of gluten free baking, helping to pump up, keep moist, and create binding for gluten-less creations. It is in loads of packaged gluten free foods and it is an ingredient in almost every bread recipe I read in cookbooks dedicated to gluten free baking. It certainly aids a good photograph but I tend to think that taste and texture are more important than appearance. In addition, it just doesn’t sit right in my stomach. I hate the rubbery texture, the strange, raw moisture and the digestion process of this ‘binder’. It feels artificial to me and it always leaves me a bit queezy when I use it in my own gluten free baking.
My mom and I have been debating the use of Xanthan Gum lately and have decided that perhaps it is just being over-used (quantity-wise)? Her exact thoughts on the topic are closer to positive hatred towards the rubbery texture and the artificial moisture highlighted with derisive remarks at how it ‘blows up’ the bread. (Unlike me, who only refrains from excessive gluten in consumption, my mom is completely wheat and gluten free). So I decided to put our thoughts to action...

After a few loaves of Gluten Free Bread with varying quantities of Xanthan Gum, I found that:

100% of the recommended quantity of Xanthan Gum blew up the bread so much that I had to raise the oven rack! It made a lovely looking loaf (although a bit honeycombed on top) but on cutting it was so rubbery and moist that it almost seemed under cooked. It also made my stomach queezy after eating.

Above: I sprinkled chopped seeds on top to aid the appearance, as recommended in my recipe (millet or buckwheat flakes were the actual recommendation, but I didn't have any on hand).

Above: the honeycombed top which I didn't really like.

Above: I think that the loaf looked nice enough but it had a very rubbery and moist inside, despite the thick crust.

25% of the recommended quantity of Xanthan Gum held the bread together without having overkill of rubbery moisture. It was a bit crumblier than desired but not to a point of contention and the rubbery-ness was still present but not to a point of derision. The bread was ‘heavy’ to eat and I still felt slightly queezy after eating but not as bad as with the 100% loaf.

In the pictures above the 25% Xanthan Gum is on the left and the 0% Xanthan Gum is on the right. You can see that although both loaves raised, the 25% Xanthan loaf is higher/plumper.

0% of the recommended quantity of Xanthan Gum was a disaster. The bread was too crumbly, having no real binder (as expected) and it was really dense (like a brick!) making it cakey in texture and way too heavy.

Above: you can see the difference of density. The 25% loaf is on the left and the 0% loaf is on the right. (Note: Part of the crust fell off the top of the 0% loaf just after cutting! lol!)

Big Note: For the above Xanthan Gum Trails I used a modified recipe for Gluten Free White Bread from How to Cook for Food Allergies by Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne. Her Gluten Free ‘Genius’ bread is meant to be one of the best so I thought that it would be a good base to start from.
My modification was relating to the corn flour. I substituted the required 4oz Corn flour for 2oz Gram flour and equal parts Rice, Tapioca and Potato flours to make up the remaining 2oz.
I did this because I wanted to make the bread corn-free and then much to my (aghast!) discovery, I read that Xanthan Gum is derived from corn!? ...damn. So finally I started to question exactly what is Xanthan Gum, beyond just our opinions and found...

In the words of Wikipedia:
‘Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, derived from the bacterial coat of Xanthomonas campestris, used as a food additive and rheology modifier,[2] commonly used as a food thickening agent (in salad dressings, for example) and a stabilizer (in cosmetic products, for example, to prevent ingredients from separating). It is produced by the fermentation of glucose, sucrose, or lactose by the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium. After a fermentation period, the polysaccharide is precipitated from a growth medium with isopropyl alcohol, dried, and ground into a fine powder. Later, it is added to a liquid medium to form the gum.’

Elsewhere on the www. I found references stating that:
- although Xanthan Gum is derived from or grown off of corn but that ‘all corn sugars are removed in the processing’ and therefore it is considered corn-free
- Xanthan is usually derived from corn in the States but can sometimes be made from soy or other plants
- either way, supposedly ‘the least amount of corn we can currently test for is 50 parts per million, whereas people seem to react to less than that if they are very sensitive’
- and whether it is corn containing or not, Xanthan Gum is a somewhat common allergen all on it’s own - yay! right?

...ugh...

So is Xanthan Gum Corn free? I think not, but it is probably one that you will have to decide for yourself, according to your own food allergies & digestion.

Then at the very end of my trials I saw on Gluten Free Girl's blog that she too was having trouble with Xanthan Gum and she was recommending ground flax seeds or chia seeds instead of Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum. Soooo, I though why not give it one last go and opted for Psyllium Husks...

3 generous teaspoons of psyllium husks instead of Xanthan Gum later gave me this:
It's still not really suitable for something like a closed sandwich but the consistency was moist and sufficiently elastic without seeming rubbery.The loaf was still a bit too cake-y and the crust was still on the crumbly side when slicing but overall, it is definitely my favourite of the four.

Above: Although the cross-section still looks quite dense, the texture was softer and perfectly moist. But you can also see at the top where the crust is still a bit fragile

Above: you can still see the a bit of the honeycomb exterior but it doesn't seem as 'pulled'

I image that the corn flour would make a notable difference but I would love to try it all again another day with a substitute for the potato flour. I just hate the smell when I go in for a bite... but maybe I’m being too picky on that one... maybe

Health Matters: The City Centre Stop

It came to my attention earlier this week when I was listing places that stock allergy friendly crackerbread that I haven’t written a word about Health Matters! It’s not one of my regular health food stops but I do pop in up and down, mainly for snacks! In fact, one could hardly resist ‘popping in’ with such a central location! Health Matters health store is located smack dab in the middle of the thoroughfare: 8 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. What a location!? And much to my repeated surprise it is not overflowing with hefty price tags in order to meet its rent, for as we locals know, Grafton Street does not usually come cheap.

As a food allergy shopper the main pull of Health Matters, apart from its location is the snack department. The store is not massive and tries it’s best to pack everything in but supplements and beauty products seem to come before health foods... Snacks, however, are a different story with a good range of ‘healthy’ snacks for it’s size with a nice variety of choices for anybody with food allergies it is a great place if you need a little quick and tasty sustenance that meets your tough dietary needs.

Overall I personally have a mixed opinion of Health Matters. Sometimes I have a wonderful experience and sometimes I have a less than average experience. It seems to me that the staff can sometimes come across as cold and even abrupt (with exception to the superior manager/owner (?), who is always SO friendly, helpful and knowledgable but sadly rarely there!) but I don’t think that this is an accurate portrayal. Things can be a bit stand-offish at the counter but it seems that if you ask for advice then the spell is broken and the staff prove to be very helpful, friendly and knowledgable and best of all, honest! Unfortunately I almost always have to ask to receive this service so please don’t be put off and just jump in!

The other illusion is in the size of the shop. Like I said earlier, Health Matters seem to put their focus on food supplements, beauty products and sports nutrition but again, don’t be put off: the shelves are high and there are health foods and food allergy alternatives hidden away. I have found that here again it is hugely beneficial to ask if you can’t find something because your product of choice can often be tucked away behind another product and the staff are totally on-top of what they have in stock... so again, do ask!

But to draw this confusing review to a close I would like to mention that Health Matters have three locations: Grafton Street (Dublin 2), Bray (co. Wicklow) and Crumlin (Dublin 12) and they also run an online shop which ships free to anywhere in Ireland! (regular postage prices apply elsewhere in Europe and beyond). I actually think that the online store is a wonderful resource. You can search generally by product or brand name but the cream comes in the overall set-up which is divided into topics:

- Beauty (sub-headings: natural deodorants, bodycare, oral health, cosmetics, etc)
- Food Supplements (sub-headings: multi vitamins, anti-aging, superfoods, antioxidants, etc)
- Female Health
- Male Health
- Weight Loss
- Sports Nutrition
- Herbal Remedies (sub-headings: full potency herbs, tinctures, herbal complexes)
- Stress
- Mother & Baby
- Homeopathy
- Sun Protection
- Other (sub-headings: digestion, food, aromatherapy, detox, household, flower remedies, etc)

Although you might find Health Matters lacking in the food allergy friendly products that you dream of, their real draw is in supplements... and if you are shy of staring aimlessly at a wall of bottles then do some home research on their website before heading in! (note: they also welcome emails!)

Health Matters
Web: www.healthmatters.ie

Location:
8 Grafton Street
Dublin 2
Tel: 01 671 0166

25 Main Street
Bray
Co. Wicklow
Tel: 01 276 2669

Unit 14
Ashleaf Shopping Centre
Crumlin Cross
Dublin 12
Tel: 01 455 0323

Crackerbread! The Wheat & Gluten Free Alternative to Bread

I have loved crackerbread since I can remember. I’m not sure what it is exactly that makes me so addicted to this strange crispy something that consistently sticks in my teeth but I just can’t stop myself from going back for more. The original crackerbreads are made with wheat and/or corn which treats an alternative to bread as a luxury as opposed to a necessity. Luckily for the Gluten Free Food Allergy market a variety of labels have jumped on the crackerbread bandwagon and have created a whole rake of food allergy friendly alternatives ranging from extra Fibrous, Sugar Free, sugar filled, Organic, Nut Free, Kosher, and plain old Gluten Free, to name but a few... In my opinion, the Buckwheat varieties are a bit similar to cardboard, Le Pain is the silver spoon of crackerbread and Orgran is the most versatile when it comes to being ‘Free From'.
I have listed a few of the most available brands and flavours below with corresponding price range, ingredients and basic attributes... but I think it might be a matter of trial and error to find the crackerbread that suits you and your diet best. My personal all-time favourite is the Le Pain Chestnut. It’s sugar free, as well as being free from everything else, has a wonderful caramel flavour, is a softer crunch, is significantly less like cardboard than some brands and keeps me coming back again and again without even taking the trouble to spread anything on top!

ORGRAN
The most popular brand and easily found in many locations around town. Orgran has the largest range of flavours and the most allergy-free attributes.







Orgran Fibre Cripsibread
Ingredients: Brown Rice flour, Wholegrain Sorghum, Psyllium, Rice Bran, Salt
Available at: Down to Earth, ecodirect.ie
Price: approx. 3.70
- wheat free
- gluten free
- corn free
- nut free
- soy free
- yeast free
- dairy free
- egg free
- kosher parve
- sugar free
- potato free
- vegetarian
- vegan

Orgran Corn Crispibread
Ingreadients: Maize, Rice, Salt, Monoglycerides from Vegetable
Available at: Down to Earth, Health Matters
Price: €2.95 - €3.20
- wheat free
- gluten free
- dairy free
- nut free
- soy free
- egg free
- yeast free
- potato free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- kosher parve

Orgran Quinoa Crispibread
Ingredients: Brown Rice, Wholegrain Sorghum, Wholegrain Quinoa, Rice Bran, Salt
Available at: Down to Earth, Health Matters
Price: €3.45 - €3.80
- wheat free
- gluten free
- soy free
- nut free
- egg free
- yeast free
- potato free
- corn free
- dairy free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- kosher parve

Orgran Buckwheat Crispibread
Ingredients: Buckwheat, Rice, Salt
Available at: Down to Earth, Health Matters
Price: approx 3.15
- wheat free
- gluten free
- soy free
- nut free
- egg free
- yeast free
- potato free
- corn free
- dairy free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- kosher parve

LE PAIN DES FLEURS
The knee of the bee for crackerbreads. Organic. Softer in texture. Sweet to taste (even the very tasty chestnut flavour which has no added sugar). Also has a more appetizing colour of brown!





Le Pain des Fleurs Chestnut Tartines Craquantes (pictured in title shot)
Ingredients: Rice flour, Chestnut flour
Available at: Nourish, Nolan’s Food Fare, Organic Supermarket
Price: approx. €3.99
- organic
- wheat free
- gluten free
- dairy free
- corn free
- sugar free,
- potato free
- soy free
- egg free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- no added yeast

Le Pain des Fleurs Quinoa Tartines Craquantes
Ingredients: Quinoa, Raw Cane Sugar
Available at: Down to Earth, Nourish, Nolan’s Food Fare, Health Matters, Organic Supermarket
Price: €3.30 - €3.60
- organic
- wheat free
- gluten free
- dairy free
- egg free
- soy free
- corn free
- potato free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- no added yeast

Le Pain des Fleurs Buckwheat Tartines Craquantes
Ingredients: Buckwheat flour
Available at: Down to Earth, Nourish, Health Matters, Organic Supermarket
Price: €2.90 - 3.50
- organic
- wheat free
- gluten free
- rice free
- dairy free
- corn free
- sugar free
- potato free
- soy free
- egg free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- no added yeast

AMISA
The buckwheat flavour is similar to cardboard in taste and texture but depending on your personal food allergies and diet it might prove a good option if you are in a bind.





Amisa Buckwheat
Ingredients: Wholemeal Buckwheat flour, Sea Salt Note: May contain traces of nuts, soy and sesame
Available at: Down to Earth, Organic Supermarket
Price: €2.39 - €3.20
- organic
- wheat free
- gluten free
- corn free
- dairy free
- potato free
- soy free (note: may contain warning)
- rice free
- vegetarian
- vegan

Amisa Rice & Corn
Ingredients: Corn flour, Rice flour, Sea Salt
Available at: Down to Earth, ecodirect.ie, Organic Supermarket
Price: €2.39 - €2.80
- organic
- wheat free
- gluten free
- yeast free
- dairy free
- sugar free
- potato free
- soy free (note: may contain warning)
- vegetarian
- vegan

CRISPY CRACKERS
Very white in appearance and possibly a bit 'tangy' or 'vinegary' in taste for the lack of a better word but still slightly addictive all the same. Also a bit 'hard' in texture but I did eat the whole pack!








Rice & Rice Crispy Crackers (pictured below)
Ingredients: Rice flour, Sea Salt Note: May contain traces of soy, sesame, milk
Available at: Dublin Food Co-op
Price: approx €.15
- organic
- wheat free
- corn free
- dairy free (note: may contain warning)
- sugar free
- potato free
- gluten free
- soy free (note: may contain warning)
- vegetarian
- vegan

What Im Reading: Allergy Free Roaming

So it's that time again when the interesting/fun/pretty things I have been reading are piling up and I want to share! This month's list is all about confirming my travel fears (but knowing the evil is better than ignorance, non?), cross-related allergies (dairy and gluten blood brothers), some envy-some and some useful/honest food allergy product reviews, Free-From recipes for the Free-From domestic goddess and of course a little bit of eye candy to keep you going through the day!







Travelling with Food Allergies:
I’m planning a trip to India soon-ish and have been doing some old-school paper-back reading. I fell on a vital passage in Lonely Planet India which goes a little something like this:
“In the parched deserts of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikner [located in the north-western province of Rajasthan], meats are often cooked without water, using milk, curd, buttermilk and plenty of ghee [clarified butter]”
Nice... I had not planned on eating meat but this doesn’t exactly ease my allergen-aware mind regards to the local cooking methods and ingredients of choice!
Total Side-note: I recently had a ghee-free Dosa filled with potato, peas and mild spice in Madina (Mary Street, Dublin 1) which was virtually the only dairy free (aka: ghee free) item on the menu (note: dosas are also usually gluten free by nature). It was nice but not really a very allergy friendly stop spot if you were thinking of following my steps.

Also on the topic of food-allergy travel I read in The Brander that
"the key ingredient of every Balinese dish is a condiment paste called Bumbu that contains shallots, garlic, chilies, prawn paste and a number of other exotic spices"
So beware shellfish-free travellers everywhere!

Food Allergy Talk for all the Gluten-Free-ers Out There:
Some more words of wisdom for people going Gluten free, or already Gluten free and the links to milk allergies and intolerances.
http://www.godairyfree.org/201107255162/News/Nutrition-Headlines/Why-So-Many-People-with-Gluten-Sensitivity-and-Celiac-Disease-Should-be-Dairy-Free.html

Food Allergy Friendly Product Reviews:
If you tried Rice Dream 'Original' rice milk back in the day and didn’t like it here is a little review of the 'Added Calcium & b12' and the 'Organic' varieties. The numerous comments also help with presenting a very honest cross view of the product - you see, I’m totally biased! I LOVE the stuff!! It also helps me stay sugar free with less yearning. Personally I still don’t think it is overly suitable for tea, but if you do venture that way be careful of separation... perhaps put the rice milk in before adding the hot liquid to avoid this phenomenon
http://eatinglikeahorse.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/reviewing-the-situation/

The jury is still out re: how I feel about evaporated Cane Juice for reduced sugar content but that aside, has anybody ever seen this product on our little emerald isle?? 'Hail Mary'?? Sounds AWESOME and I’m slowly getting filled with envy reading reviews on their line of allergy friendly foods!
http://www.godairyfree.org/201108185198/News/Nutrition-Headlines/Grawnola-is-the-New-Granola-Swapping-Sugar-and-Oils-for-Healthy-Whole-Foods.html

In the Kitchen:
Does this look tempting or what!? It looks like a big bad milkshake that just happens to be gluten free, dairy free, free from added sugar, etc, etc, etc
http://www.celiacchicks.com/2011/08/almond-granita.html

My good friend C. was helping her father clean out the attic and procured an un-loved yoghurt maker for me! Very exciting seeing as I’ve been wanting one for ages. Now to source a suitable recipe for dairy free, soya free, everything free vegan yoghurt! If you know of one better than this please share!
http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/Dairy-Free-Homemade-Yogurt-1512-1.html

The pictures in this recipe make me yearn for autumn morning breakfasts! But until then I’ll appreciate the summer while its still here
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2011/08/sticky-banana-bread-quinoa-breakfast.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+KathysBlogHealthyHappyLife+%28Kathy%27s+Blog%3A+Healthy.+Happy.+Life.%29&utm_content=Google+Reader


A Little Bit of Eye-Candy:
Another food photographer to get you salivating (I don’t really care for the shots with people in them but some of the close ups and action images are lovely) - check out the 'Portfolio' section
http://www.john-carey.com/food/

This is outrageously un-related to food allergies but the images are just too beautiful to not share!!
http://rockyschenck.com/rocky/

Dairy Free Mushroom Risotto: The Naturally Gluten Free Italian Classic

As I told you on Monday, myself and my friend C. were on the road to the Aran Islands for a camping exhibition on Inisheer. We had headed out the previous Wednesday and despite the pouring rain we soldiered on. C. had her wise doubts but I was determined! I had carefully planned our allergy free meals for the following days and had measured out all of the ingredients and spices needed into plastic baggies and wrapped up each bundle into meal packs and was dying to cook up a less threatening storm! I was also very pleased with my Virgoan organization and couldn’t wait to show-off to C. who I knew would be thoroughly impressed.

Despite the foreboding weather forecast, the stormy sky, the pelting rain and the strong cross-winds which were only getting worse as we motored closer to the west we persisted... with C. getting more doubtful by the mile and me egging her on with images of cozy tents and fun ponchos!

Needless to say, by the time we got to the most beautiful Ballyvaughan, located in the heart of the Burren, Co. Clare (my home for the first two years of my Irish life) we couldn’t even see the far mountain through the mist and rain. We decided to stop for a very difficult allergy-free lunch in the pretty Tea Rooms and Gardens before heading on to Doolin to catch the ferry. Note: We were dripping after just going from the car to the café!

As we looked out we saw a small boat in the harbor which was being pelted around in circles by the wind... And then to our great surprise, we received the call: All ferries were cancelled due to the weather. Hahahahha! A happier call had never been received!

Relieved that we no longer HAD to spend drenched miserable days in a sinking tent we took a short windy wet walk to a Gleninagh castle against the coast before heading to my Mom in Co. Laois where we spent a beautiful few nights in cozy double beds with a wood burning stove, quality pans and a gas top oven with daytrips to my uncle’s farm, the bog and the Wuthering Heights-esque Slieve Bloom Mountains and Kinnity Castle for some fresh, misty exercise!

Seeing as we had all of that beautiful food measured out in the car we carried on with our elaborate camping plans... The highlight of which was definitely the Mushroom Risotto which was easily split into three!

Mushroom Risotto
This Risotto recipe is partly inspired by some foraging friends of mine in Cork and partly inspired by a wonderful cookbook I have, called the ‘The Cook’s Book’

The best thing about risotto is that its dead handy to make, doesn’t cost the earth and is totally hearty and delicious with loads of allergy-free adaptable qualities! A Dry White Wine is recommended but I used Sauvignon Blanc as recommended to me by a food-allergy tester as I can get overly flushed by some wine varieties. And of course, we wanted a nice wine to drink with the risotto so I brought a full-sized bottle!

C. toasted some wholewheat bread, rubbed them with Garlic cloves and drizzled the slices with olive oil for a rustic camp-friendly garlic bread which tasted the biz!

- dairy free
- wheat free
- gluten free
- onion free (contains leek)
- sugar free
- tomato free
- potato free
- corn free
- soya free (with Pure Sunflower Margarine)
- egg free
- vegetarian
- vegan

Ingredients:
1.5-2 pints vegetable stock
2tbsp olive oil
50-75g vegan margarine
1 small-medium sized leek finely chopped (just the white & light green portion)
275g risotto/arborio rice
50g(or to taste) dried mushrooms rehydrated and chopped (porcini or similar)
75ml white wine (alternative: water mixed with cider vinegar)

For the stock:
If you don’t have any pre-made or pre-bought stock you can
1. Put 2 pints water in a large saucepan and throw in a bay leaf, a lashing of dried mixed herbs, 1-3 cloves of garlic (optional), sea salt and ground black pepper to taste, half a carrot (optional), a stalk of celery (optional) and the discarded dark green portion of your leek (the upper half).
2. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. I also like to strain in the left over water from the re-hydrated mushrooms. Alternatively you could put in 2-3 dried mushrooms into the pot while simmering.
3. When complete, drain the stock through a sieve, and Voilá! Stock ready for your Risotto!

For the Risotto:
1. Heat the stock and keep at a gentle simmer.
2. Melt half the dairy free, vegan margarine in a large, deep pan (a wide pot will do if necessary) and sauté the leek. Be careful to keep the heat low and sauté the leek slowly because leek can easily burn or get tough and papery if cooked too quickly. Continue this until the leek is soft.

3. Add the rice and mix being sure to thoroughly coat each grain in the fat
4. Add the wine and cook until it absorbs, stirring continuously.
5. Add the stock into the pan one ladleful at a time, stirring continuously. Do not add another ladleful until the previous one is completely absorbed.
6. When half of the stock has been absorbed add in the re-hydrated chopped mushrooms and stir well.

7. Resume adding the stock ladle by ladle until all stock is used up. It should take about 25 minutes from step 5-7 and the rice should be soft but with a bit of a bite. Risotto rice becomes very starchy but each grain should remain separate and retain it’s shape.
8. Stir in the rest of the margarine (this step is optional)
9. Let sit for 2 or so minutes, Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste and serve.

A Camping I Am Gone!

Hello Hello!
I tried to get everything done on time but I fell short so today's post is postponed...

Myself and my very very dear friend C are on the beautiful west coast of Ireland, camping on Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands! ...And if the weather is not absolutely horrific, F will meet us in Doolin, in my beloved Co. Clare and we will continue a few days of camping there!

I have packed up all sorts of allergy-friendly treats for us to eat (I'm head chef this week!) and have even measured out my spices and lentils and rice for minimized luggage! We will be dining dairy free, tomato free, vinegar free, onion free (leeks & scallions are allowed) and egg free. Other than that we are having Mushroom Risotto, Dal with Split Red Lentils and a Chickpea-Courgette-and-Carrot something of my own devising.. We have snacks and salads and lunches and C is in charge of breakfasts and the 2 man cooking set!

So, I had hoped to have a post pre-prepared for you on Crispbreads while I'm away but it will just have to wait..

Please hide your rain-sticks and pray to the sun gods for me because the forecast says rain, rain, and more rain.. oh, and some rain but with any luck they'll be wrong, as usual - I hope!!! And I'll tell you all about everything on my return.

Making Your Own Dairy Free Cheese: Vegan Cashew Nut Cheese

F is a big cheese lover. He particularly likes to eat it on bread which tops up his vegetarian protein intake. However, after much convincing aided by a minor scare, he was finally persuaded to reduce his dairy intake (for non-allergy related health reasons, based on The China Study). This created a new problem: What form of protein could he put on his bread? He tried tofu (yuck!) He also isn’t too convinced by Soya cheese so I got to thinking...

Many moons ago when we were still living in Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada, my family came across a naturally dairy free cheese which was made out of Brazil nuts (I think it was in Safeway). If I remember correctly it was my sister who found it and after reading and re-reading the ingredients list in amazement we finally dived in and it truly tasted the business!

We even developed a toasted sandwich recipe around it and thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed each bite. Unfortunately, it was quite expensive so we weren’t allowed to indulge too often and then it completely disappeared off the market. Since then my sister and I have been keen on finding more but never had any luck until we turned our attentions to the possibility of making it ourselves. It became a project that took permanent rooms on the long finger... until F’s recent protein situation. In hopes of making a tasty protein-filled dairy free spread I began my internet crawl for suitable recipes. I knew that I could find good value unroasted and unsalted cashew nuts in the ASIA Market on Drury St, Dublin 2 (1kg for €9). This united with their creamy consistency and their known vegan attributes displayed in products such as Booja Booja’s delicious ice cream, I decided to narrow my search to cashew nut cheese recipes only.

There seemed to be a big split between semi-instant recipes and bake recipes. I decided on two recipes:

Cashew Cheese One - Quite a few ingredients but semi-instant results:
www.chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2008/11/raw_cashew_cheese.php

Cashew Cheese Two - Less ingredients but longer soakage and some bake time:
blog.beliefnet.com/freshliving/2009/05/eat-what-you-want-day-how-to-make-cashew-cheese.html

The Results:
Cashew Cheese One (from Chocolate and Zucchini)

In general, the entire process was easier than anticipated, making cashew cheese a potential regular tasty protein hit in our diets. The first recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini had a lot of ingredients, some optional, some necessary. I used:
- Plain Cashew Nuts (not roasted or salted)
- Water

- Water with a few drops of Ume Plum Seasoning to replicate wine

- Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

- Nutritional Yeast

- Garlic

- Sea Salt

- Freshly Ground Black Pepper

At first I didn’t puree the mixture enough and it ended up feeling, looking and tasting like a cashew based hummous. Edible and somewhat tasty but not really what I was looking for. After trying Cashew Cheese #Two (the baked one) I decided to go back to this one and blend it more and add a 0.25 cup extra lemon juice. This really gave it the kick that it needed and the texture was much more appealing - laziness is never the best route - blend blend and then blend some more!

Although it did taste good both F and I voted for Cashew Cheese number Two. It's also nice to have a quick snack like cheese on toast, etc. without the added garlic breath from the raw garlic in cheese number one.

Cashew Cheese Two (from Beliefnet)

It had less ingredients but more procedures. Beliefnet’s cheese was whiter and ‘cleaner’ tasting. My attempt didn’t work out exactly as planned but it tasted so good I didn’t really mind... I’ll do better next time! I used:
- plain cashews
- sunflower oil oil
- lemon juice
- tahini
- salt

My problems arose with the draining. I couldn’t find ‘cheesecloth’ so I used muslin which has a looser weave. It was suggested to use 3 layers of cheesecloth so I went with four due to the weave. My problem was that nothing drained out... at all. I have since read some more about vegan cheese making and one site, JL goes Vegan, suggests setting something on top to ‘press’ it. Also, I like the idea of adding probiotics to the mix. Next time I will definitely try this method with Beliefnet’s recipe.

Anyway, even after baking when I opened up my little package of goodness, it was just as moist as before so I scraped it off and put it in a container to chill and store - Just because it doesn’t look right doesn’t mean that its doesn’t taste great and serve my purpose to boot! So, I have a protein rich cream cheese which is super yum on anything from toast to a spoon!

I have a lot to learn in the process but either way I definitely recommend making some yourself! It's so tasty and a fraction of the price when you think of how much ‘cheese’ you can get out of the bag of nuts.

Note: If you are in the states, or in Toronto, Canada and feeling a little DIY lazy about making dairy free cheese there is a company which sells nut based cheeses called Dr. Cow with even less ingredients that you could check out.

Gluten Free Girl’s Pickling Party: Pickled Peaches!

Last month Gluten Free Girl hosted a Pie Party where everybody (1500 people at least) across the internet and beyond made pies on the same day. Some were gluten free, some were other-allergy-free, and some were just plain happy pie! It was such a success that Gluten Free Girl decided to have another party this month called the ‘Pickling Party’. Similar rules to the pie party: you have to pickle something on Wednesday August 10th 2011 between 9am-noon and it has to be yes, well, pickled.. thats it really (I love simple rules!)

I am not supposed to be taking any vinegar at the moment but I really wanted to take part in the pickling party so I got out my trusty Darina Allen ‘Forgotten Skills of Cooking’ cookbook because it was sure to have a pickling section and found a super recipe for Pickled Peaches which pickles them in a sugar syrup. The peaches are intended to complement savoury dishes such as:
- Glazed Ham
- Bacon
- Duck
- Goose

... and I’m sure with a bit of creative thinking there could be happy accompaniments for vegetarian and vegan dishes too!

The great thing is that the recipe is naturally 1) Vinegar free and 2) Free from most all the big food allergens. It is also left wide open for alterations, substitutions and creativity.

Note: If you are allergic or intolerant to vinegar you can pickle particularly moist foods with salt/brine. Umeboshi Plums (pictured above) are a traditional Japanese ‘dessert’ which is free from vinegar, using a salt based solution for the pickling (it also alkalizes your system almost immediately). Also in vinegar and pickling news, I recently came across Clearsping Ume Plum Seasoning (in the Asia Market, Drury St, Dublin 2) which is from the Umeboshi Plum pickling process and is an alternative to Vinegar. Ingredients: Ume plums (83%) Sea Salt, Red Shiso (perilla) leaves.

I seriously can’t wait to try some Ume Plum Seasoning on some chips (the french fried kind) because I was/am/always will be a SERIOUS vinegar lover.. I mean, my mouth is literally salivating just writing this! ... so a substitute for vinegar on my chips would be the next best thing to heaven!

The recipe:
1 pint (600ml) cold stock syrup (1lb sugar boiled for 2 minutes in 1pint water)
1 cinnamon stick
1 chilli, halved & seeded (I used 3 tiny ones for extra pizazz!)
1" piece of fresh ginger sliced
6 cloves
2 slices lemon
10 peaches (peeled and sliced)

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Bring all the ingredients to a boil on the stovetop, cover and put into the preheated oven (usr an oven-proff dish!) for 20 minutes.
Remove the chilli, cinnamon stick and lemon slices
Fill into sterilized jars.

To Sterilize jars submerge the jars, and lids in boiling water for 7-10 minutes. When filling the jars be sure to leave some room at the top and seal with the lid. If the lid does not ‘indent’ the jar is not sealed.

It was SO easy! AND it made me feel like a 1950s domestic goddess-in-training! :D

My biggest problem was finding the jars.. I didn’t have any stocked up ones from jams etc because domestic goddess behaviour is still new to me so I searched the city high and low until I finally resolved that the pricier 'Kitchen Complements' (Chatham Street, Dublin 2) was my only hope. I got a 6 pack of really elegant jars for €14+ ... it was sad but pretty and at least now I have them when I try some of Darina’s other pickling recipes!!
My other faux pas was with the peaches themselves. I had been thoroughly enjoying my cheap and really tasty peaches from Lidl for a few weeks now. They were so fresh and ripe and affordable that a girl couldn’t ask for more fruit-wise but when I was in town jar hunting I happened upon an organic fruit and vegetable stand. They had a peach cut for tasting and it was delicious so I decided to take a seemingly not-so chancy chance and splurge on 10 organic peaches to ensure that my pickling project came up trumps - right.
The peaches cost me over €6 and to my disgust, half of them were resident of yuck-ville! Some were lovely like the one I tasted but I had to throw 3 or 4 of them away because of that horrible yuck texture that peaches can so often have. Perhaps it wouldn’t have made a huge impact since pickling was traditionally reserved for the falloff but I was thoroughly disappointed and so ended up with only two jars of pickled peaches in the end.

Anywho, it was still so much fun and I can’t wait to make presents of the results!

The cookbook I used was this one:
Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen