THIS BLOG HAS MOVED TO:
http://cookingforkeith.wordpress.com/
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
WELCOME TO MY NEWSLETTER
So, the first time I met Keith, he and my daughter were going out on a date. He was on crutches for his broken ankle. We hadn't built the addition over our garage yet and he hobbled up the steps to the living room and sat down on the couch.
I joined them in the living room and we chatted for a while. During our conversation, I found out that Keith had a double major---computer science and math. I made a face because I couldn't imagine who would willingly major in math.
As I got over my amazement that some people really do major in math on purpose, I found out something even more shocking about Keith. I found out he had NEVER tasted pumpkin pie, couldn't have treats with chocolate in them and in general was not able to have most desserts.
"You have never tasted pumpkin pie???!!!!" I asked. What kind of parents did he have that they never allowed their son to have pumpkin pie? How cruel they must be to not give their son chocolate. There had to be a law or something against that.
Well, it turns out, they actually were not cruel people. They were very good people. They were extremely nice people. They never let him have pumpkin pie and all the other treats because Keith was allergic to eggs and dairy. And since most desserts have eggs and milk in them or some form of dairy, there were very few desserts he could eat. And, chocolate was out because it was milk chocolate.
Well, I just thought that was awful. There had to be a way to substitute eggs and milk so the child could eat dessert.
Through further conversation with Keith, I found out that soy milk can replace milk, so that problem was solved. And, then I found out that he could have Hershey's baking cocoa since there wasn't milk in it. With a little more research, I found out that depending on what the egg's role was in the recipe, depended on what you could use to substitute the eggs. (Keith can't have Eggbeaters because he is actually more allergic to the egg whites than the yolk.) For many cookie recipes I was able to use 1/4 cup of applesauce per egg.
Fast forward a few months to our annual Christmas party. I carefully prepared the main dishes without butter or milk and egg products so Keith could eat those. And, with my new discovery of applesauce for eggs, I happily made a few batches of cookies so that Keith could eat some of the desserts.
With the fresh fruit and veggie trays, I knew Keith would be able to eat a full meal and have some dessert, too.
But, with a couple batches of cookies I wasn't sure how to substitute the milk--condensed milk--and so I had to find a way to mark them so he knew not to eat those items.
Then I got an idea! With a pen and Post-it Notes, I created very simple signs to mark the food Keith couldn't eat.
It was plain and simple and Keith liked it. It confused everyone else. One of my friends saw the sign and said, "Why don't you like Keith?"
"No, no," I said, "I do like Keith."
At the puzzled expressions on their faces, I explained why I marked the cookies like that.
And, so it began. My continuous quest to find foods Keith can eat and to find recipes and substitutes for the eggs and milk in all foods, not just desserts. I was determined that when Keith came to my house, he would be able to eat!
I'm proud to say Keith has been my son-in-law for more than 6 years now. And, cooking for Keith is not
the "pain" or "challenge" that most people think it is. I am thrilled when I discover yet another substitute that I can use in my cooking and baking. And, I am thrilled to find new ways to fix my favorite recipes so that Keith can enjoy them and so that they don't lose any flavor or taste just because they aren't fixed with the original ingredients. There is a bonus for all of us--without the eggs we have less cholesterol in our food! (and we can safely taste cake batter and cookie dough)
And, I'm also happy to say that Keith eventually was able to taste pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies. My daughter discovered a Vegan recipe for the pie and dairy-free chocolate chips. Both are delicious.
Around my house I often mark the foods Keith can eat as "Keith friendly," and they usually include another Post-it Note with a Smiley Face. For several years, I have been trying to think of a way to help others with food allergies. My plan for this blog is to reach out and find other people with food allergies and hopefully, I can help them, too.
I hope you will check back often for recipes and tips on how to fix foods for folks with food allergies
I joined them in the living room and we chatted for a while. During our conversation, I found out that Keith had a double major---computer science and math. I made a face because I couldn't imagine who would willingly major in math.
As I got over my amazement that some people really do major in math on purpose, I found out something even more shocking about Keith. I found out he had NEVER tasted pumpkin pie, couldn't have treats with chocolate in them and in general was not able to have most desserts.
"You have never tasted pumpkin pie???!!!!" I asked. What kind of parents did he have that they never allowed their son to have pumpkin pie? How cruel they must be to not give their son chocolate. There had to be a law or something against that.
Well, it turns out, they actually were not cruel people. They were very good people. They were extremely nice people. They never let him have pumpkin pie and all the other treats because Keith was allergic to eggs and dairy. And since most desserts have eggs and milk in them or some form of dairy, there were very few desserts he could eat. And, chocolate was out because it was milk chocolate.
Well, I just thought that was awful. There had to be a way to substitute eggs and milk so the child could eat dessert.
Through further conversation with Keith, I found out that soy milk can replace milk, so that problem was solved. And, then I found out that he could have Hershey's baking cocoa since there wasn't milk in it. With a little more research, I found out that depending on what the egg's role was in the recipe, depended on what you could use to substitute the eggs. (Keith can't have Eggbeaters because he is actually more allergic to the egg whites than the yolk.) For many cookie recipes I was able to use 1/4 cup of applesauce per egg.
Fast forward a few months to our annual Christmas party. I carefully prepared the main dishes without butter or milk and egg products so Keith could eat those. And, with my new discovery of applesauce for eggs, I happily made a few batches of cookies so that Keith could eat some of the desserts.
With the fresh fruit and veggie trays, I knew Keith would be able to eat a full meal and have some dessert, too.
But, with a couple batches of cookies I wasn't sure how to substitute the milk--condensed milk--and so I had to find a way to mark them so he knew not to eat those items.
Then I got an idea! With a pen and Post-it Notes, I created very simple signs to mark the food Keith couldn't eat.
It was plain and simple and Keith liked it. It confused everyone else. One of my friends saw the sign and said, "Why don't you like Keith?"
"No, no," I said, "I do like Keith."
At the puzzled expressions on their faces, I explained why I marked the cookies like that.
And, so it began. My continuous quest to find foods Keith can eat and to find recipes and substitutes for the eggs and milk in all foods, not just desserts. I was determined that when Keith came to my house, he would be able to eat!
I'm proud to say Keith has been my son-in-law for more than 6 years now. And, cooking for Keith is not
the "pain" or "challenge" that most people think it is. I am thrilled when I discover yet another substitute that I can use in my cooking and baking. And, I am thrilled to find new ways to fix my favorite recipes so that Keith can enjoy them and so that they don't lose any flavor or taste just because they aren't fixed with the original ingredients. There is a bonus for all of us--without the eggs we have less cholesterol in our food! (and we can safely taste cake batter and cookie dough)
And, I'm also happy to say that Keith eventually was able to taste pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies. My daughter discovered a Vegan recipe for the pie and dairy-free chocolate chips. Both are delicious.
Around my house I often mark the foods Keith can eat as "Keith friendly," and they usually include another Post-it Note with a Smiley Face. For several years, I have been trying to think of a way to help others with food allergies. My plan for this blog is to reach out and find other people with food allergies and hopefully, I can help them, too.
I hope you will check back often for recipes and tips on how to fix foods for folks with food allergies
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