You’re correct, peanuts are legumes vs. true nuts, but we’ve been told that many people who are allergic to peanuts are allergic to tree nuts as well.
He was actually tested for tree nuts at the same time as the peanut testing (originally skin testing, more recently blood tests) and they all came back somewhat positive. No huge alarm bells, but we’re advised to avoid them in general. At some point we’ll retest and consider a challenge with some of the questionable foods.
The testing isn’t perfect, even with recent improvements - e.g. he came back somewhat positive for soy (legumes!), corn, chicken, and a host of other foods he eats with no issue whatsoever. He definitely is allergic to peanuts - known and documented reactions - so we simply don’t cook with those; we’re less worried about true nuts but as noted, don’t especially want to experiment with them right now.
We don’t feed 'em cashews either, for what that’s worth :). I was very surprised to find out that they are neither nuts NOR legumes. In the case of cashews, I’d be very worried about cross-contamination in a factor as many places that package cashews also package peanuts.
Sigh. Sorry to bring the bad news to this thread, but here goes.
Is she gluten intolerant, gluten sensitive, or has she been diagnosed with Celiacs? The reason I ask is because there may be an itty-bitty level of gluten she can tolerate if she’s sensitive or intolerant. See, there’s a theory that every single thing that’s every been touched by gluten is contaminated because gluten never actually leaves anything–like bowls, pots, silverware, etc. (That’s simplifying it somewhat, but that’s the general idea.) Someone with Celiacs can get sick just be eating from a plate that’s been “contaminated” (used for gluten food in the past). I’ve known folks where were diagnosed with Celiacs who tossed all their old stuff and bought new, just because the old stuff was contaminated.
Don’t assume that ANYTHING is gluten-free, unless it specifically says so. Gluten can be in things like the turkey (commercial brands contain additives which may contain wheat under the guise of “seasonings”), bullion, salad dressings, etc. Pay close attention to all of the ingredients–one year I was almost tripped up with the French’s Fried Onions on top of the green bean casserole and the cream of mushroom soup (both of which contain gluten). (I was told, “This is gluten free–it just has greenbeans and cream of mushroom soup in it.”)
Watch your spoons when cooking–don’t stir one thing, then cross contaminate something else by using the same spoon to stir.
Since having to give up gluten for health reasons, I’ve grown to hate eating at other people’s houses, especially those who aren’t used to cooking for a food allergy. (And I’ve even turned down an invitation to Thanksgiving.) People just aren’t that aware of ingredients, or how easy it is to cross contaminate, or don’t understand what happens is someone ingests a food that causes health issues. (I actually had someone ask me why I couldn’t just pick all the stuff off the sandwich and eat the filling and not the bread. I explained it was similar to picking the mayo out of potato salad.)
Let her know which items are safe for her to eat, but do so quietly. I hate it when it’s announced, “Phall–you can eat THIS dish because it’s GLUTEN FREE and safe for you!” and everyone turns to look.
For pot-lucks at work and when I’m a (rare) guest at someone’s house, I always bring a food that (1) I know will be safe for me to eat and (2) is filling enough so that if that’s the only thing I know I can eat, it will tide me over until I can get a safe meal.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen it recommended that people get new dishes in order to get rid of gluten. Plastics, or a toaster, yes. But I’d have to see some science to show that ceramic or porcelain or glass is contaminated past the point of washing.
Thanks - and yes, good point on watching the ingredients. My husband once took a bean casserole to a potluck because he knew one of the attendees was gluten intolerant, and pointed it out to her. Unfortunately, it contained tomato paste, which she said was not gluten free.
Wheat products are as you noted frequently hidden - hydrolized veg protein, modified food starch among others. And the turkey additives are a real concern (because of the flavorings etc.).
The one ingredient I’m worried about with one of my recipes is chicken broth - and I did some research and apparently some varieties of Swanson’s are fine (so I won’t be getting generic this year).
I had to do a gluten free Thanksgiving this past October (Canadian) and I came up with a great stuffing. I made it on the fly, so no exact measurements, but it’s not hard to figure out.
Cut up a head of cauliflower into bite sized chunks, add diced onions and celery. Coat with a mixture if chickpea flour and poultry seasoning.
Add just enough chicken broth so that when you grab a handful it sticks together.
Spread on a baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes or so doted with some butter (can be done ahead of time)
Finally pan fry with butter.
Very yummy and even my non gluten free guests had seconds.
I used a pakora recipe as a base, changed the seasonings, and baked/pan fry rather than deep fried. But I admit, I kinda wanted to make stuffing pakoras because that would be awesome.
That’s pretty much the way we do it for my wife - a pan of gluten-free dressing alongside the regular dressing, gluten-free gravy, and some pie filling baked without a crust.
I was just reminded of one dish we must make: Latkes (what with it being Thanksgivikkuh)… a standard recipe calls for flour but I can use potato starch instead, I gather.
The timing is tricky though - you need to cook 'em fairly fast after shredding them, or the raw potato goes brown.
I think you’ll find that the potato goes to brown when you cook them, anyhow. But if it bothers you to see them turning in the mixing bowl (and I agree it can look nasty) you can crush a vitamin c tablet and toss it with the shredded potatoes. Same function as lemon juice to prevent premature browning, but it won’t affect the taste as much.
My mother specifically cleared oatmeal for the meal. But it’s a good warning anyway - I take a lot of special requests for meals, and it’s important to know what to look for.
Cooks Illustrated recommends partially cooking them in the microwave after shredding and squeezing, and that would probably take care of your color change issues.
I’ve done a gf Thanksgiving for over 4 years now.
Use either gf cornbread (Pamela’s or Bob’s Red Mill works best.) OR gf bread- Rudi’s, Udi’s, or Canyon Bakehouse. They do work. Toast them first.
Green bean casserole can be done. Tasty is a brand of cream of mushroom soup that is gf. There’s tons of gf soy sauce. And the crispy onions- Soak in buttermilk, 2/3 rice flour 1/3 cornstarch. Fry. Dehydrating makes them awesome but not necessary.
I wasn’t aware that tomato paste wasn’t gf but you do need to check the ingredients.
My favorite gf all purpose flour is Better Batter, available online. Pamela’s has a new one that works well. The Bisquick gf mix is pretty awesome. I use it for chicken fried steak all the time.
I do mostly gluten-free Christmas because of one of my sisters.
I try to do my GF baking first, so there isn’t already any wheat flour around and my apron is clean. She got sick once from eating a GF pizza made by someone who was still wearing a flour-covered apron from a regular pizza. I also use a new bag of sugar in case I have previously dipped a measuring cup in the flour canister before dipping it in the sugar canister.
There is GF Bisquick. Betty Crocker makes good GF brownie and cake mixes, too.
You know, treating gluten contamination the same way you treat, say, possible salmonella contamination is just so second nature to me now that I forget to tell people that.
Though it wouldn’t surprise me if the pizza thing had more to do with the oven or pan–especially if they cook on cast iron. Cast iron holds on to everything, and isn’t safe after cooking gluten-containing foods unless you put it in the oven during an oven cleaning cycle, completely removing the cure and burning off gluten. Cracked non-stick is even worse, since you can’t put that in the oven. And, with plastic, you might as well throw it away.
I hate how this contamination stuff plays with my OCD. I’ve worked so hard to train myself that this level of contamination isn’t a real thing. Then I had to go and get Celiac’s.
