Commercial flour mix with no potato starch!

Just a quick note -- I was at the supermarket this morning and checked out some commercially available gluten-free multipurpose flour mixes that I hadn't seen before...My post of a few days ago about nothing being available without potato starch in it now needs to be updated, as I did in fact find two mixes that were potato-free (see below)!

Unfortunately for my mom, even without the allergenic potato starch in it, these two are still not safe for her, as one contains both sorghum and millet (to which she is very allergic) and the other contains tapioca and gelatin -- she's not necessarily allergic to those, but it all depends on their source...Tapioca may also refer to manioc, yuca, cassava, or even arrowroot, and the commercially available forms can come from several different plants from several different parts of the world.  For my mother, the only tapioca she's found she can tolerate is Reese brand; she had bad experiences with several other brands.  Not knowing which plant/geographical area the tapioca in the flour mix is from, she can't risk using that flour.

Likewise with the gelatin, as there is no indication whether it is animal-based or vegetable-based, so she could be allergic to it if she's allergic to its source; not knowing the source means not buying the product because the risk isn't worthwhile.  A side note on that: my daughter, Abby, has a Hindu friend who often asks what things are made of when she comes to our house, including jello and marshmallows, as gelatin that is beef-based would be off-limits to her.  Obviously not a food allergy there, but emphasizes the point that accurate and sufficient labeling is important to more than one group of consumers.

The two multipurpose gluten-free mixes not containing potato starch were Hodgson Mills and Tom Sawyer.  My question, of course, is that if these two can do without the potato starch, why can't other commercially available brands do it too?

Is there always an alternative?

I just finished the rough draft of my list of substitutions for my upcoming cookbook -- 14 pages of substitutions!  I don't know if there is always a substitution for every allergenic ingredient, but I have certainly found a lot so far (check out the Substitutions tab to see my newest update).

As our family has such a large number of food allergies, many of which are not currently considered "common" food allergies, I've looked pretty far afield to come up with safe alternative ingredients.  Some of the ingredients for which I've had to find substitutes are cane sugar, vinegar, turmeric and gelatin. 

Do you have an allergenic ingredient for which you are trying to find a substitute?  Please let me know -- it just might be on my list (if not, I'll keep looking, but also maybe someone else in the group will have an alternative).

Food substitutions unlimited

OK, the bagels didn’t turn out so well.  Maybe because I didn’t stick to my plan to use only water and one other ingredient…

I made rice flour bagels, but the recipe I tweaked said I needed yeast, which I didn’t want to use; it also included xanthan gum and I know you can substitute xanthan gum for yeast in some baked goods, so I tried just adding extra xanthan gum.  I also started to wonder how flat or crumbly the bagels would come out if I didn’t use the egg in the recipe, or the oil, so in the end I used both.  The resulting bagels weren’t terrible, in fact they looked nice and golden and were the right shape, but their puffiness in the oven quickly fled (like a deflated soufflé!) once they cooled, and the consistency was more chewy than desired.

A learning experience, definitely, but a setback, no – I’m going to try again but sticking to just water and one flour (I’m thinking water chestnut, corn, or chestnut).  Oh, and despite my concerns about boiling bagels, what I’ve read and then found in practice is that boiling them ever so briefly (30 seconds per side) seems to help them set right when baking.  A little compromise will be well worth it if the bagels come out well – and I’m glad to say, for the first time in a long time my daughter did get excited about eating breakfast, when she knew there were new (gluten-free) bagels to try.

It so happens that this experiment coincided with the work I’ve been doing on my “substitutions mini-cookbook” (which is where the idea to add xanthan gum came from), and I wanted to share with you a few surprising but very helpful substitutions that I’ve come across – please also check my “Substitutions” page on this blog, where I will be adding to the list regularly.

Among the helpful substitutions that I have found for allergenic foods:

Baking powder            1 tsp. = ½ tsp.  tsp. cream of tartar + ½ tsp. arrowroot

Butter                           ½ c. = ½ c. coconut oil (always keep at room temperature)

                                    OR

                                            = ⅓ c. rice bran oil or canola oil

                                    (Interesting fact: lard, though less commonly used in cooking these days, is actually healthier than many butters or oils, as it contains no hydrogenated fat)

Cornstarch                   1 Tbsp. = 1 Tbsp. arrowroot or 2 Tbsp. wheat flour

Egg white                    1 egg white = 1 Tbsp. agar powder dissolved into 1 Tbsp. water, beaten, chilled for 15 minutes, then beaten again

Maple syrup                 1 c. = 1 c. fruit syrup (made by boiling pure, unsweetened fruit juice such as pear or apple until about ⅓ to ¼ original volume)

Nut topping                  Substitute toasted rolled oats or toasted rice cereal, toasted shredded coconut, toasted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame), or grated dried mochi (rice cake)

Sour cream                  1 c. = 1 c. yogurt (and I’ve discovered that there are a variety of yogurts available made from things other than cow’s milk, including: sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, buffalo milk, coconut milk, soy, arrowroot, potato, rice, hemp, and various nut milks!)

There really is an unlimited number of options for safe substitutes to allergenic foods, and I'm discovering more each day.  If there is a food substitute that you have been looking for, let me know – I might have what you need.  And if you have any to offer, that would be great too!!

Truly friendly bagels?

I’m about to go try to make some bagels.  This is actually a big deal in my family. 

Because of the severe food allergy limitations that my mother, my daughter and I have, breakfast can often be a very frustrating time, especially for my daughter who is not a “breakfast person” (neither am I), hates cereal, AND is a very slow eater.  A quickly toasted bagel with her favorite topping would pique her interest and might even get her to the bus stop on time.

However, we’ve found very few commercially available bagels that can measure up to the taste and texture of the “real” (i.e. WHEAT!) bagels we used to love.  My daughter and I do like Glutino’s sesame bagels (Premium Sesame Bagels | Gluten-Free Bakery Products | Glutino & Gluten-Free Pantry).  Another brand, Udi’s, was praised in a posting last year by “GlutenFreeSteve” (glutenfreesteve.wordpress.com/.../a-gluten-free-bagel-that-tastes-like-well-a-bagel/) but we haven’t tried it yet.

None of the brands currently out there are safe for my mother, who after all has a total of only 30 foods (ingredients) on her “safe-to-eat” list.  The main reason that commercial brands are not safe for her is that even when gluten-free, they contain one or more ingredients that are allergens for her, e.g. soy, potato starch, and/or cow’s milk.  Ideally what she needs is bagels that only contain one ingredient, which seems to be a tall order for manufacturers.

Up until about a year ago Mom was fortunate to have found a company in Dallas, TX (near the allergy clinic she sometimes attends) which actually made satisfactory bagels with just pure water and one other ingredient – such as chestnut, arrowroot, yam, rice, and water chestnut.  She relied on those bagels for sandwiches and snacks as well as breakfast.  Unfortunately that company went out of business and now her frozen cache of bulk-ordered bagels is depleted.  This is a travesty not only for her but also for many people we know who now cannot obtain what had been a significant food item in their limited diet.

Since we haven’t been able to find ANY one-ingredient bagels sold commercially, my plan this morning is to try to make them myself, using just water and one “safe” ingredient.  I’m eying a few recipes gleaned from various sources but am figuring I’ll still have to tweak and experiment (“Adapt-a-Recipe Queen” in action) because none call for just water and one other ingredient.  I’m also aiming to bake the bagels because frying will add an extra and unhealthy ingredient and boiling will leach nutrients.

I don’t know how this is going to turn out (prayers welcome!), but I know that the company in Dallas did it, so it’s not impossible!  I’ll keep you updated, and meanwhile if you know of any “friendly bagel” recipes or brands that fit the bill for very limited food allergens, please share!

GLUTEN FREE ISN'T ALWAYS SAFE

I’m thrilled and very appreciative of the positive responses I’ve received so far about this blog.  Thank you and please keep the comments, questions, and ideas coming!

Because the blog, like the cookbook I’m developing, focuses on dealing with multiple food allergies that go BEYOND the “Top 8”, I thought I’d address one of the most frustrating issues encountered all too regularly by those of us who may have a gluten or other common food allergy but also have allergies to less commonly suspected foods:

In my family, 3 out of 4 can’t eat wheat, though we are lucky that oats and spelt don’t seem to bother us (most people allergic to wheat or gluten are advised to avoid those, as well as kamut, because they are either related to wheat or may have been grown in conjunction with wheat).  It would seem that with the burgeoning availability of gluten-free baking mixes in supermarkets and online, we would still have plenty of options for quickly making baked goods using a store-bought mix.

However, I have yet to find a single pre-packaged flour or baking mix that doesn’t include potato starch, and it so happens that one member of my family is so allergic to white potatoes that if she even peels one or smells one cooking, she has an anaphylactic reaction.  Like the mixes, almost all of the packaged products touted as “gluten-free” that I’ve seen, whether they’re cookies, cakes, brownies, filled pasta, pizza or pie crust, also contain the villain potato starch, which means that although I don’t stop searching, I generally make my own version of those items at home from scratch.  A notable exception is the pie/quiche crust made by Gillian’s Foods, which not only contains no potato starch but also is quite tasty and a snap to use for both sweet and savory pies.

I understand why manufacturers use potato starch in so many gluten-free products – it behaves a lot like wheat flour when cooked in baked goods though it isn’t related to wheat, and it doesn’t have a strong flavor on its own.  Yet I can’t help but wonder how many other people with food allergies run into this same frustration of not being able to eat what should be a safe food because just one ingredient in the product is an allergen for them.  Based on my research, numerous interviews, and personal experience, I can confidently say that many people who have a gluten allergy are also allergic or intolerant to other, less common foods – even if it’s just preservatives or cane sugar – and therefore are basically an un-served portion of the gluten-free market.  What a big miss for manufacturers, especially since this portion of the market is a growing one!

I guess that some of the reasons come down to awareness and focus, because the media and medical research tend to focus on what’s “hot” at the time, and celiac disease/gluten allergy is definitely enjoying a high profile right now.  Even allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, and egg don’t seem to garner quite the number of new products or the amount of media coverage that gluten-free currently has – take a look at the most recent issue of Living Without magazine which, while a wonderful magazine in its own right, has what seems to me an inordinately large number of gluten-free articles, recipes, and advertisements versus those that cover other, less common food allergies.

A case in point, especially with regard to manufacturers but also to food allergy support organizations, is the experience that my family had at the recent FAAN Walk for Food Allergy Cure here in our hometown.  The FAAN Walks have been happening all over the country and are a fantastic way to show support for food allergy research and understanding.  But at our local Walk there were probably 12 or so tables and booths set up by various manufacturers and groups that were in some way related to food allergies; many kindly provided samples of their products, but of those, only ONE had a product that was safe for my family.  I would expect this at the supermarket or a restaurant, but not at what was basically a food allergy rally!

The one food that was safe for my daughter was a bag of loose granola which, surprisingly, didn’t contain sunflower seeds or oil like many granola products do.  Of the remaining products, all had either sunflower oil, potato starch, cane sugar, or sometimes several of those and other ingredients not safe for my family – and there was even one booth selling cookies that had wheat flour in them, which I couldn’t believe was allowed by the FAAN Walk organizers!

I suspect that it’s all part of the learning curve in our society, as more understanding and knowledge slowly come to the forefront and are demonstrated by increased action, vigilance, and success in overcoming food allergies.  FAAN, and other organizations, do a good job of advancing that cause.  My concern, nonetheless, is how long will those of us who have what are currently considered “less common” food allergies have to wait until the media, manufacturers, medical establishment, and support organizations recognize that for many people, it’s still a dangerous food world out there – and potato starch is just the tip of the iceberg.

Just like living with Multiple Food Allergies!

This is my first post on my first personal blog, and I'm finding that writing about Multiple Food Allergies is a lot like living with them -- so many different things to think about and directions to go in, it's sometimes hard to decide which to do first.

Obviously today I am choosing the task of setting up my blog, so I'm putting on the back burner the many articles I have either written or plan to write and submit to various magazines, and the allergy-free cookbook I'm developing is also in a holding pattern.  Ditto the food allergy substitutions book I've got started.  The many recipes I have in various piles in my kitchen, family room, and even my bedroom are unendingly waiting for me to find time to either make them for the first time, tweak them, or send them out as part of an article or to friends who have volunteered to test them.

Then there's the friend of my mom's who asked me to recommend some bread and pizza dough recipes for her daughter who's allergic to gluten, yeast, egg whites, green peppers, salmon, vanilla, and a few other foods.  I'm glad to do it, but with all the recipes and information I've been collecting in the past seven years because of my own family's multiple food allergies, I know it's going to take a bit of time to sort through and find the most appropriate recipes for her.

Oh, and by the way, I have to finish this blog set-up and first posting (and maybe get on to other tasks LOL) before my kids get home from school at 3:30 pm today and then my son's Youth Group shows up at 4:30 pm for a 2-hour meeting.  I suppose I'd also better think about what to make for dinner and plan the preparation time in, too.  Whoever invented the phrase TGIF was probably a working single mom.

But writing about Multiple Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis (MFAA), specifically on this blog, is my main focus today, and even there I'm torn because there are so many important topics to cover.  I think my first choice should be the reason that I'm adding my blog to the many food allergy-related blogs already in existence, which is really because, despite all the great information and support out there, my exhaustive and ongoing search is still finding very little in the media and markets about dealing with MFAA when the allergies go BEYOND the "Top 8" most common food allergies currently recognized in the USA (wheat/gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, fish and shellfish).  Canada adds a ninth, sesame, and is considering adding mustard as well, and other countries include a few others, notably corn, potato and rice.

In my family it's more a matter of which foods are NOT allergens for one or more of us, rather than which foods to avoid.  That's because my daughter is allergic to wheat and sunflower oil, I'm allergic to wheat, cocoa, cane sugar, citrus, and several other foods, and my mother, who lives with us, had a "safe to eat" list of only 26 foods up until a few weeks ago when, after testing at a specialized clinic in Dallas, she was able to add 4 more.  With so many foods off-limits for one or more of my family members, I've become very adept in creating or adapting recipes to accommodate food allergies.  And in Grandma's case, it doesn't stop with just not eating food allergens -- she is anaphylactic to nightshades (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, etc.) and most spices, so she has to be very careful not to be anywhere near those, even just near the smell of them.  The majority of those foods are simply banned from our house altogether.

Rather than feeling constricted by these limitations, however, I take it as an exciting challenge, not only to find new ways to prepare meals with limited ingredients, but also to find new forms of ingredients and to learn as much as possible about alternative ingredients.  A perfect example is last Sunday when my kids and I went to the oriental markets in Pittsburgh's "Strip District" and I found -- among other amazing items not generally seen in local supermarkets -- green bean flour, something I didn't know existed.  Not only are green beans one of the few vegetables that my mom can eat, but the possibilities leaping to my mind about how to use this new flour have me practically jumping out of my seat to go start experimenting!  I'm thinking noodles, but would it work in bread?  Quiche crust?

I welcome your thoughts/comments/questions about that and anything else on this site or on your mind -- I named this blog "Multiple Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis (MFAA) Interchange" because it seems to me that the most important thing we can do to make living with MFAA easier is to foster interaction between people and exchange of information and encouragement.  I've found many like-minded people and am hoping more will join us through this online connection.

Looking forward to hearing from you!