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/