allergy food crisis... wah! help!

Jenrose wrote:
I think it's
the galangal root, lime leaves, lemongrass and fish stuff that really
pushed the cost up.

Fish sauce is cheap if you've got an Asian grocery store nearby. I don't
use a lot of galangal or lemongrass, because I can't get them locally (or
any lime leaves, for the same reason), so I try to make it up with ginger
and lime juice. I figure it costs me about $5 plus meat to make a big pot.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread; substitute mailbolt

"Jenrose" wrote:
I have no "default" foods that are easy to prepare.

You *can* eat an egg a day, especially since you have a higher than
normal demand for both protein and calories from fat. Don't worry
about an egg's worth of cholesterol; the rest of your diet is low
in that and you need some dietary cholesterol anyway.

About the dairy: can you eat non-cow milk products? Eg, goat or
sheep cheese?

While pregnant I ate a lot of the following, which might also work
for you:

Lightly salted pumpkin seeds in husk (I ate the husks too; great
source of fiber). Almonds, raw and toasted. Cookies, cakes, and
other rich pastries made with almond flour, all classic European
recipes made from scratch at home. Pine nuts. Walnuts. Pecans.
Brazil nuts. Macadamia nuts. Cashew nuts. Take care to avoid
"honey roasted" or otherwise prepared nuts of any kind; they may
be contaminated with traces of peanut. I buy most of these at
hole-in-the-wall asian grocery stores, where the nuts are usually
better quality and less expensive than at health food stores. I
do not buy nuts at "normal" grocery stores, where prices are high
and the nuts may well be rancid.

Dried fruits, especially prunes, dates, and figs, all without any
preservatives.

Jerky, local brands that consist only of meat, salt, and perhaps
a dusting of pepper.

Smoked little fishs packed in oil. Small fish should have far less
mercury per unit weight, because at capture they are normally much
younger than tuna or salmon. Fresh trout, dredged in cornmeal and
pan fried.

Posole, which is hominy corn, and other forms of corn. Many beans
other than soy or lentils.

Tapioca pudding for breakfast! Bascom's perl tapiocas are highest
quality. Puffed grain breakfast cereals; you can't get much less
adulterated than that.

Toast with virgin olive oil; assorted olives.

Pate (the real stuff).


I hope some of these items sound appealing to you. They are all
high-octane wrt fat and protein (I am not into sugar or carbs in
general), most require no preparation or can be made ahead, and
many store at room temperature.

Pologirl

"Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message
...
Jenrose wrote:
I think it's
the galangal root, lime leaves, lemongrass and fish stuff that really
pushed the cost up.

Fish sauce is cheap if you've got an Asian grocery store nearby. I don't
use a lot of galangal or lemongrass, because I can't get them locally (or
any lime leaves, for the same reason), so I try to make it up with ginger
and lime juice. I figure it costs me about $5 plus meat to make a big
pot.


Ah...see, I *can* get galangal and lemongrass locally... Lime leaves, too.
All fresh. Makes killer, but expensive Tom ka gai... what's your recipe?

Jenrose

"pologirl" wrote in message
om...
"Jenrose" wrote:
I have no "default" foods that are easy to prepare.

You *can* eat an egg a day, especially since you have a higher than
normal demand for both protein and calories from fat. Don't worry
about an egg's worth of cholesterol; the rest of your diet is low
in that and you need some dietary cholesterol anyway.


It's not a cholesterol issue--I could care less about the fat content of
eggs, it's about the protein in the eggwhite. My dd developed egg allergies
primarily because I ate so many of them while pg and nursing.

About the dairy: can you eat non-cow milk products? Eg, goat or
sheep cheese?

No.

While pregnant I ate a lot of the following, which might also work
for you:

Lightly salted pumpkin seeds in husk (I ate the husks too; great
source of fiber). Almonds, raw and toasted. Cookies, cakes, and
other rich pastries made with almond flour, all classic European
recipes made from scratch at home.

Nuts are getting "old" for me right now--but the nut pastries sound yummy.

Pine nuts. Walnuts. Pecans.
Brazil nuts. Macadamia nuts. Cashew nuts. Take care to avoid
"honey roasted" or otherwise prepared nuts of any kind; they may
be contaminated with traces of peanut. I buy most of these at
hole-in-the-wall asian grocery stores, where the nuts are usually
better quality and less expensive than at health food stores. I
do not buy nuts at "normal" grocery stores, where prices are high
and the nuts may well be rancid.

Dried fruits, especially prunes, dates, and figs, all without any
preservatives.


Some are okay--but most are cloyingly sweet and won't hold me long.

Jerky, local brands that consist only of meat, salt, and perhaps
a dusting of pepper.


Could try this--expensive though!

Smoked little fishs packed in oil. Small fish should have far less
mercury per unit weight, because at capture they are normally much
younger than tuna or salmon. Fresh trout, dredged in cornmeal and
pan fried.


Canned salmon is a staple. I can't even face the notion of opening a can of
sardines right now, but smoked oysters and mussels I'm trying to have about
once a week.

Posole, which is hominy corn, and other forms of corn. Many beans
other than soy or lentils.

Corn chips and tamales have been going down very well.

Tapioca pudding for breakfast! Bascom's perl tapiocas are highest
quality. Puffed grain breakfast cereals; you can't get much less
adulterated than that.

Yeah, but they don't seem to actually nourish me.

Toast with virgin olive oil; assorted olives.


I eat olive oil like crazy right now--that and this stuff I get at Trader
Joes--bruschetta...SO yummy.

Pate (the real stuff).

Usually has butter and/or cream and/or wine (sulfites). BUT... when Dad has
his kitchen back I *am* having him make his *wonderful* chicken liver pate.


I hope some of these items sound appealing to you. They are all
high-octane wrt fat and protein (I am not into sugar or carbs in
general), most require no preparation or can be made ahead, and
many store at room temperature.

Some of them do.

Jenrose

Jenrose wrote:
Tom ka gai... what's your recipe?

Off the top of my head (I started with a recipe, but you know how that
is...)
Marinate some chicken in lemon / lime juice and Penzey's Bankok Blend (sweet
peppers, garlic, ginger, black pepper, galangal, hot peppers, lemon grass,
basil, cilantro). Either saute and cut up, or cut up prior to marinating
and cook in the soup. I usually cook in the soup.
In the big giant pot, put:
a can or two of chicken broth
some slices of fresh ginger
(some non-authentic garlic if you're garlic-inclined)
a couple shakes of galangal
a pinch or two of dried lemongrass
some Bankok Blend if you're so inclined
fish sauce to taste (a couple tablespoons maybe)
a pinch of brown sugar
the juice of a lime
sliced mushrooms (fresh if you've got them, canned if you've got them, straw
if you're feeling authentic)
(some non-authentic chopped tomatoes if you're so inclined; canned work
fine, but drain and rinse or the soup will be too sour)
a couple of whole bird chiles
the marinated chicken if you're using the "cook in the soup" method

Simmer for awhile to let the flavors blend, taste and adjust. Add a can of
coconut milk (optional thin with water or more chicken broth if you don't
like it as rich; optional add more coconut milk if you like it richer) and
the cooked chicken if you're using the saute separately method.

I serve mine with enough rice to make a medium-thick gruel, so I make the
soup more spiced than I would if I were eating it straight. The rice makes
the soup go farther, too. I'd describe the results as more workable than
killer, but it's affordable enough that I can have as much as I want
whenever I want.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread; substitute mailbolt

"Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message
...
Jenrose wrote:
Tom ka gai... what's your recipe?

Off the top of my head (I started with a recipe, but you know how that
is...)
Marinate some chicken in lemon / lime juice and Penzey's Bankok Blend
(sweet
peppers, garlic, ginger, black pepper, galangal, hot peppers, lemon grass,
basil, cilantro).

Huh... never heard of that Penzey's...



I serve mine with enough rice to make a medium-thick gruel, so I make the
soup more spiced than I would if I were eating it straight. The rice
makes
the soup go farther, too. I'd describe the results as more workable than
killer, but it's affordable enough that I can have as much as I want
whenever I want.

g That helps! I'll have to see if I can find the spice blend. DH brought
home a quart today...it tasted *so* good!

Jenrose

In ,
Jenrose wrote:

*
*"Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message
...
* Jenrose wrote:
* Tom ka gai... what's your recipe?
*
* Off the top of my head (I started with a recipe, but you know how that
* is...)
* Marinate some chicken in lemon / lime juice and Penzey's Bankok Blend
*(sweet
* peppers, garlic, ginger, black pepper, galangal, hot peppers, lemon grass,
* basil, cilantro).
*
*Huh... never heard of that Penzey's...
*

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penze...ysbangkok.html

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

BTW, i haven't tried Penzey's thai spice blend personally - I usually use
The Spice Hunter Inc.'s blend, which contains sesame seeds, chile pepper,
coriander, onion, red pepper, shrimp, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon
oil. I don't know how authentic those ingredients are, but the taste is
really good and it tastes "thai" to me when I use it in soup or chicken
dishes.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large