October 2011 – Allergy Foodie

This snack brings back memories of a time when my little one could not have wheat. So, I would shape the dough used for this snack in the form of little pretzels and deep fry them. A labor of love – just so that he had a snack that looked like the snack other kids in the class were having 🙂

This is a slight twist on yet another festival favorite from my mom’s kitchen. So here is to spreading the light of good will and the aroma of Allergy Friendly festivities from our kitchen to yours…

Continue reading “Diwali Special: AF Crunchy Rice Sticks – a pictoblog!” →

Recipes

Diwali Special: AF(Allergy Friendly) Coconut Cake!

24 Oct 201125 Oct 2011 Anu Rao

I have grown up in India and this time of the year the Indian community comes alive all over the world as we celebrate ‘the good and happy light’ within each one of us in the form of a vibrant festival called Diwali – ‘the festival of lights’. This post is dedicated to my mom and dad who made Diwali so special for my bro and me in our growing-up years – complete with new clothes, fireworks and loads of homemade goodies.

Homes are beautifully decorated with lamps and traditional artwork. Children and adults alike dress up in their best and brightest and the atmosphere lights up to a million fireworks. Moms slog it out for days in the kitchen to whip up an amazing variety of sweet and savory items alongside a sumptuous festive lunch.

However, little surprise – almost none of the dishes are allergy friendly. But, my little one loves this fun-filled festival so much that over the years, I have slowly tweaked mom’s recipes to make Diwali a joyous and AF (Allergy Friendly) one. Over the next 2 days, leading up to the big day on Oct 26th – I will spread the light of joy and the aroma of yummy dishes from my home to yours…

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Ingredient

Is ‘chestnut’ a ‘nut’?

22 Oct 201123 Oct 2011 Anu Rao

One of the most interesting things I have learnt in my food allergy journey is that a‘food allergist is a doctor and not a nutritionist/food scientist/chef’! If we have questions related to specific foods (apart from common foods) and their potential to cause an allergic reaction our best bet is to:

If you have access to FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network), call them at (800) 929-4040. They have information on an amazing variety of foods.
Talk to a nutritionist/ dietician.
Research on your own – books, online sources, libraries etc.

However, there are quite a few items on which one hits a road block. My son’s allergist is aware that I blog about food allergies and we often exchange notes on lesser known foods. Recently he asked me an interesting question to which neither of us had an immediate answer – ‘Is chestnut a nut?’; a question raised by one of his other patients. An sensible question from someone who is allergic to nuts and therein began my quest.

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Parents' nuggets of wisdom

Trick-or-Treat…’the Allergy Friendly way’!

18 Oct 201120 Oct 2011 Anu Rao

Boo…howl… 🙂

I love Fall…the vibrant reds, yellows, browns and oranges. The light nip in the air, brilliant orange pumpkins, ghouls, witches, skeletons, smoking skulls, bloodied hands, vampires, shreiks and more in all its glory. Most of all – I love the one day of the year when kids throng the streets of every neighborhood. The world comes alive amidst the joyful screams and chattering of children.

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Useful Links & Articles

Annual FAAN walk – walk to save a life!

16 Oct 201116 Oct 2011 Anu Rao

FAAN – Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network is ‘the world leader in information, resources, and programs for food allergy, a potentially life-threatening medical condition that afflicts as many as 15 million Americans, including approximately 6 million children. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials.’ Their mission is ‘to raise public awareness, to provide advocacy and education, and to advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis.’ – www.FoodAllergy.org

Every year they hold the annual FAAN walk in different cities across the United States starting in May and going on till the end of year – http://www.foodallergywalk.org. The funds they raise is used to fund food allergy awareness, advocacy, education, and research programs. As they aptly put it, ‘We walk to save a life!’

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Dining Out

Cocoa V, decadence & bonhomie!

12 Oct 201115 Oct 2011 Anu Rao

Happy Pumpkin Pie Day! 🙂

‘I want to be a part of it; New York, New York…

My little town blues; they are melting away…’

Aah, as Elvis prances around singing New York, New York, my heart races with anticipation! Psst – if you haven’s already guessed, I am a total city girl at heart 🙂 And, New York City is undoubtedly my favorite city in the world – museums, skyscrapers, eclectic stores, jazz bars, theater and for a foodie like me – the incredible smorgasbord of restaurants! Dining out in New York City with one of my favorite people in the world, my dearest friend, Bindu…’a perfect evening’ !

Happy Birthday girl! To many more gastronomic adventures...

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Recipes

AF Oat Pancakes – yummy!

11 Oct 201115 Oct 2011 Anu Rao

This post is dedicated to a friend who embraces a healthy lifestyle with a gusto. Naturally, nutritious food is a key element of a healthy lifestyle! Since my dear pal specially loves oats in its pure glory and all its popular forms – granola, meuseli, oat bread and more – the main ingredient of this recipe is ‘oats’ 🙂

This recipe is completely ‘Anu-grown’ – it popped into my head today, amidst my random musings of a happier, healthier world. And since then, I have been walking around with a goofy, pleased smile all day which became goofier once it passed the ultimate taste test – the taste buds of a 6-year old 😉

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