Keep those questions coming, my friends, to jjgonson@csindie.com. This is fun stuff. From Jenn in Somerville we have a question or two:
What do you wish communities would do for those with allergies, celiac disease or other restrictions, and what can those who have dietary limitations do better?
When my kids were in grammar school in Cambridge, I participated in a parent advisory board that introduced foods that were more “challenging” than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (Bad example, because, peanuts, but you get the idea) One of the dishes I passed out in little tasting cups was a fantastic bean stew that was being added to the hot food menu. As I approached the peanut-allergy table, a more educated parent stopped me and said, “Please do not give those to the peanut table. They are legumes and might cause a similar response to peanuts.” I was hugely grateful that the parent was there and understood the possible consequences, and I learned something I have used since. Community plays a big role in keeping kids safe until they are old enough to do it for themselves.
A huge number of people, something like 1 percent, have celiac disease. My daughter has it, and every eating place I go – often found through an app called Find Me Gluten Free – I think about this. Celiac is tough, because it is a molecule, not a bacteria, so you cannot sanitize it away, and it gets everywhere if you are baking, and is in many ingredients. You’d be surprised. Malt is a no-no for people with celiac disease.
My catering company was not able to accommodate customers at risk for these kinds of dangerous allergies, and we were transparent about it: If nuts or gluten were being used in a dish, we could not guarantee there was no cross contamination. Cross contamination is certainly covered in the certification process, but I didn’t give it enough thought until my own daughter was diagnosed.
In the past 20 years, since I started cooking for clients with celiac disease, I have seen dramatic change in the way allergies are handled in restaurants. It is written into the health certification that managers are required to get in Massachusetts (in other states it is different and, I feel, better; don’t get me started) that servers must ask if there is a diner with an allergy at the table. If there is, they are supposed to call over a manager to understand the allergy completely and relay the information to the kitchen. Restaurants are also required to put a notice on the bottoms of menus asking you to please tell your server if you have an allergy.
It is a thrill for my daughter to be comfortable eating out in many places now.
But to summarize: It takes a whole network of understanding to make this work. Restaurants have to be warned, and they need to ask to gather that information. The kitchen needs to be educated on how to handle food when they get that information. The server needs to be cognizant of where they put food down.
The person with the allergy has to be responsible for asking questions, and for advising other people about their allergy or sensitivities. If that person is not able to reliably convey the information, I do really hope they are not dining alone and that their caregiver is aware of the allergy and can provide guidance.
Finally, I do not recommend that anyone with an allergy or food restriction should eat at salad bars, buffets or potlucks.
Where to start eating the rainbow
Sneaking in another question:
For the people trying to eat only “all the good things,” is there a special food we often forget about?
You go, Jenn! (With gentle encouragement to anyone who is reading to fill out this form and give me something to rant about)
Unfortunately, I don’t have an unknown superfood to recommend. Here’s what I can tell you:
The school cafeteria program in my kids’ school worked to make the food more healthy. A great example of this is the yogurt it served. Resigned to having to offer sweetened yogurt, we still implemented a change from a chemically colored and overly sweetened yogurt to one that was sweetened and colored with beets. We also mandated that chocolate milk had to be in the back of the fridge, to discourage kids from grabbing it first, rather than unsweetened milk.
My point is that before looking at a good food to add, I would start with just being aware of how much sugar you consume – it’s often accompanied by a lot of unsaturated fats and white flour. I believe these are things that are not great for our heart health, so I suggest avoiding a lot of sweets (even as I struggle with that a lot). Keeping a bowl of clementine oranges and bananas around helps me to grab for something sweet that is at least more nutritive than a cupcake.
Coconut is not a good fat. Avocado is.
And I grew up with “eat the rainbow,” but acknowledge some colors are easier to find than others. Representing purple, may I present the humble, widely available cabbage?
It is really good for you. It is loaded with fiber and vitamins C and K. There are studies that show that it reduces inflammation and improves digestion. Maybe it even improves heart health. Cabbage is also a storage vegetable, ready to pick in late summer but able to sit in the fridge for longer than you’d think, even after being cut. If the outer leaves look yucky, just remove them.
My favorite way to eat cabbage is one I take from my mom and our Eastern European heritage, which is to slice the cabbage into fine slivers (called chiffonade, for the kitchen-o-philes) and sauté them hot in olive oil with some garlic and caraway seeds. Make a bunch, eat it for days. Feel accomplished.
I also adore sauerkraut, usually made with green cabbage. It delivers cabbage with the bonus of lactobacillus. That’s double the gut health.
Send cooking questions to JJ Gonson, a personal chef at Cuisine en Locale, at jjgonson@csindie.com.
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