THE END GOAL.. Ramblings of a convoluted mind:

the End GOAL of the Menu:
that the guests have a meal of  Rich, Savory, Sweet, Salty foods of various textures colors and scents that satisfy both the eye and the palate and that NO one feels deprived or excluded because of a food allergy..

well, the OBVIOUS answer is to feed 150 guests/family a reception tea that all enjoy
And no one ends up in er..
(the latter isnt USUALLY on the first sentence but with the extent of food allergies...it is an issue)

And as i have been puttering with the menu, READING LABELS up the yahoozy and STILL not finding an Edible (my opinion here) bread product that has NONE of the allergy triggers, it dawned on me, we really didnt have a stated focused goal for the meal 'Except" just to feed people.

gahhhh.. that just not good enough..
if THAT were the only goal we could just serve clear broth, a salad and water. done finito...

i
dont
think
so..

that would be a cop out and a failure.. (granted it IS cheap on the budget!!lol)
but it is NOT the point

so back to the menu.. the entire tea could EASILY be ONLY salads.. and i suppose thats not a 'bad' thing.. i have recipes for Incredibly interesting salads. & hope to use at least 2. but theres no balance. it feels 'unfinished.

a note on the one thing i have NOT focused on....While there may be a vegetarian or two in the group that is the ONE thing we are not being specific for.. Vegetarians for the most part are very capable of picking & choosing their food preferences so we feel confident we dont have to "Worry" as they will have a good number of choices for them to pick from..

Examples of the kind of choices & what i mean:

Everyone knows jello. & most have had it In SOME flavor or another. plain or with stuff in it.. look at the old standbys that families love at the holidays.. & to be honest many of them are rather boring and trigger a large number of allergies & one would think them unusable..
but.....
well, i am Rediscovering there is a WHOLE world of just gelatin based dishes.. absolute classics. like 1930s jellied beef or chicken consomme: they were all the rage back then.. a hostess wasnt "in" if she couldnt serve a really nice jellied consomme!! check these variations in 1889 https://books.google.com/books?id=cJBCAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA289&lpg=PA289&dq=on+serving+a+jellied+consomme+at+a+party&source=bl&ots=zq1UOjvhti&sig=2_bis5UKfM2wPL5IIcejFHDv--0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiv6raTrcrTAhUH-mMKHXwhD6sQ6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q=on%20serving%20a%20jellied%20consomme%20at%20a%20party&f=false
 but i digress a bit

soooooo......

picture a small bowl of savory vegetable tomato aspic with a side of salty calamari olives..

or of deep bone broth rich gelatin served on spinach leaves with jicama sticks

or rice paper spring rolls with crisp vegetables & pressure cooked turkey slices /with non soy sauce dipping sauces like spicy mustard & sweet & sour..

a small plate of handmade cream mints as well as pieces of home made fudge

and you begin to see where i am trying to go with this.. ALL of these dishes i listed are allergy free.. (from OUR list of allergies)

Reading Labels.. and yes THEY MATTER

well let me give you an example of what i mean....

PANKO BREAD CRUMBS.. Nice product with Excellent reviews:

 Ian's Natural Foods Panko Breadcrumbs Gluten Free Original Description

• NO Wheat or Gluten
• NO Milk or Casein
• NO Eggs
• NO Peanuts or Tree Nuts
• Fat Free • Cholesterol Free

Food-allergy gourmets and celiac chefs - it's time to celebrate. You're holding the country's most allergy friendly Panko Breadcrumbs ever! Prized from their light and airy crumb, Panko Breadcrumbs add a crunch to your favorite foods without weighing them down. Ian's Allergy-Friendly Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs are made with no wheat or gluten, no milk or casein, no eggs and tree nuts - so everyone can enjoy this culinary favorite.

Free Of Artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, wheat, gluten, milk, casein, eggs, nuts.

Disclaimer
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

ISNT THIS AWESOME?.. but the ads, while showing what it does not have.. did Not show what it DID have.. so had to go a hunting..

and finally found it..(why not include it in the ads??)

Other Ingredients: Rice flour, xanthan gum, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, gluconolactone), canola oil, sugar, yeast, ascorbic acid.
Processed in a facility that manufactures products containing soy.

AND FOUND two more allergy items…

LABELS MATTER.

 A recent conversation with the kids went a little bit like this.

Me: so, what do you think about having a tomato/V8 Aspic for the buffet??

Them: Huh??????? Tomato what???

Me: its rather like a veggie jello.

Them: uhhh… eewww????!

Me: it was REALLY popular at parties in the 50s-70s. quick and easy….. allergy free..

Daughter: next time don’t describe it, just have us taste it first THEN explain it..

Sigh..

 ****************************

“Aspic is a dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatin made from a meat stock or consommé. Non-savory dishes, often made with commercial gelatin mixes without stock or consommé, are usually called gelatin salads.

When cooled, stock that is made from meat congeals because of the natural gelatin found in the meat. The stock can be clarified with egg whites, and then filled and flavored just before the aspic sets. Almost any type of food can be set into aspics. Most common are meat pieces, fruits, or vegetables. Aspics are usually served on cold plates so that the gel will not melt before being eaten. A meat jelly that includes cream is called a chaud-froid.

In the early 19th century, Marie-Antoine Carême created chaud froid in France. Chaud froid means "hot cold" in French, referring to foods that were prepared hot and served cold. Aspic was used as a chaud froid sauce in many cold fish and poultry meals. The sauce added moisture and flavor to the food

Historically, meat aspics were made before fruit- and vegetable-flavored aspics or 'jellies' (UK) and 'gelatins/jellos' (North America). By the Middle Ages at the latest, cooks had discovered that a thickened meat broth could be made into a jelly. A detailed recipe for aspic is found in Le Viandier, written in or around 1375 “

Variations of Aspics have been made around the world, even in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal (tho I doubt if I can manage a Buffalo meat jelly!)

photo courtesy of http://www.thesaucysoutherner.com/tomato-aspic/

Here are a couple of sites with some INTERESTING variations on this theme.. (although the Thai Kung Phet Aspic Spicy Prawns in Aspic with gin & vodka is kind of out there lol)

https://lindaraxa.blogspot.com/2010/08/reviving-classictomato-aspic-before-and.html

2nd photo from

http://www.coconutandlime.com/2013/01/tomato-aspic.html

Now, in Spite of the ‘conversation’ the kids DID try the first Aspic I made. 

I used V8 juice, plain gelatin and cucumber pieces.. tasted ‘ok’ but did not have the worchestshire sauce recommended. Turned out bland and a bit sloppy (not set well)

The second try was the same but with lemon jello added.

Conclusions: I LIKED it.. BUT.. am going to re-try – with the following changes. ADD the worchestshire sauce. It NEEDS so pizazz. (some recipes suggest adding hot sauce, but wont do so for a number of concerns). Eliminate the cucumbers.. I think their high water content was part of the problem of being soggy. Daughter & I liked the added lemon flavoring of the jello addition.. 

I think I would like it either without ANYthing in it (not fond of celery or red pepper in jello myself) or ‘something’ else just not sure what yet..

Will give later updates on this 😊

4/20/17 ---UPDATE: made it one more time.. V8 juice lemon jello & worchestshire sauce.. SO good! no things in it. just the aspic.. i expect i will make it for my self on a regular basis.. its NICE.. :)

Dissecting a recipe- or Simple isnt Always so simple..

As I go along I am starting to 'develop' a process of Dissecting and then reassembling recipes. 

Lets start with a SIMPLE & fairly common easy to make lovely little dessert - 

Easy no Bake parfait..  (its quite yummy all on its own!)

https://www.justataste.com/easy-no-bake-cheesecake-parfaits-recipe/

but for our purposes may be bit too complicated 

The required sugar, lemon juice/zest, vanilla (tho i would use best quality)& fruits present no particular  problems.

and the Cream Cheese. now that I know i can make homemade cream cheese i dont see this as a major barrier

we have the choices of Goats Milk Cream Cheese, Coconut Cream cheese & Vegan Cream Cheese (note that this recipe DOES use Cashews) one of our taste testing days will compare the 2 & possibly 3 of them..

http://www.dailyforage-glutenfree.com/2014/09/homemade-dairy-free-coconut-milk-cream-cheese.html

Mind you this is somewhat a more complicated looking recipe.. its unlikely I will want to do this myself.. but its Certainly looking interesting.

https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2012/12/how-to-make-soy-free-vegan-cream-cheese/

·        Now to the GRAHAM CRACKERS:

·         

·        I have found One retail product Enjoy Life Handcrafted Crunchy Cookie, Vanilla Honey Graham, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free & Soy Free, 6.3 Ounce (Pack of 6) that claims to be

·        ALWAYS Free-From: gluten, wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, shellfish

·        Products made without casein, potato, sesame and sulfites

·        Allergy-Friendly, Verified Non-GMO, Certified Gluten-Free

It Sounds pretty good. Until you realize at at least 160 servings & each box costs just under $15 each- this is definitely not the solution to this problem..

https://www.ama zon.com/Enjoy-Life-Handcrafted-Crunchy-Vanilla/dp/B004SEU95U/ref=sr_1_1_a_it/144-4921256-1655457?ie=UTF8&qid=1491701490&sr=8-1&keywords=wheat%2Bfree%2Bgraham%2Bcrackers&th=1

Here is another retail product that sounds promising.. Pamela's Products Gluten-Free Graham Crackers Honey Description

·        Graham Style Crackers

·        Certified Gluten-Free

·        Egg-Free

·        Kosher

·        Made with Real Honey

·        No Artificial Additives

·        No Hydrogenated Oils or Trans Fats

UNTIL you read the “other ingredients:

Other Ingredients: Rice flour base (brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, xanthan gum), organic non-GMO butter, brown sugar, sorghum flour, gluten-free oat bran, molasses, organic non-GMO honey, gluten-free natural flavors, grainless and aluminum-free baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, potato starch, sodium bicarbonate), baking soda, cinnamon, sea salt.

Allergen Information: contains milk. Both are Allergy products for the some of the guests

So what alternatives are there..

1 suggestion included: .

Cold Cereal

Look no further than breakfast for lots of crunchy options for pie crust. Grind up granola, crispy rice cereal, or cornflakes together= the rice cereal looks hopeful.. I will come back to this in another post..

The last item in the recipe is whipped cream..

At this point in my breakdown I am being reminded that we are going to feed a minimum of 150 guests, and until I know otherwise about the venue I MUST assume refrigeration is not an option until told otherwise. The levels of complication & cost factors have taken this standby appetizer and dropped it to the bottom of my 3^rd level list..

Its probably a no-go.. but it HAS been MOST educational..

Soy is Another problem

Soy is in SO many foods that people are NOT even aware of..

and personally I LOVE   stuff like tofu, etc... so I hadn’t really paid much attention to the fact its a problem for many.. both my daughters had issues with cows milk as   kids & since at that time goats milk was too expensive we switched over to soy.. eldest tried using cows milk for a number of years (she’s a cheese lover) but has gone Back to soy

Before I go any further I would like to make a comment on MY OWN feelings on the subject of SOY.

Recently a lot of people have been up in arms about how bad Soy is for you…. Am sorry, but a number of nations including Japan and China have hundreds of YEARS of eating soy products & they are doing quite well. For myself I prefer to NOT get on the semi-hysterical bandwagon..

I can remember not so long ago, when even eggs were supposedly the worst thing one could Ever eat.. so, yea… so I don’t plan on getting in That parade. nor am i interested in arguing about it. its an individuals choice..

In point of fact (as an example) the Earliest known reference to soy ‘sauce’ in English was by the Englishman John Locke in 1679.

I realize tho there those who CANNOT eat it. That is a totally different issue. As many of us LOVE Asian foods this seemed to be a conundrum, UNTIL…. I found this info.

You CAN make your own non soy Soy Sauce Substitute!!!! I definitely plan on experimenting with this idea for my own self as I REALLY need to cut back on salt.. there are even Miso substitutes..

this should be a really interesting ride… 

A reminder!!! Soy Sauce ALSO generally has wheat products (yep, we dealing with wheat allergies too)

this site has a number of substitutes both retail & homemade. be aware some of the products contain Other allergins such as wheat.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/soy-sauce-substitute.html

Soy & Wheat free soy sauce : http://www.food.com/recipe/soy-sauce-substitute-gluten-free-111373

supposedly Vegan friendly https://fitfulfocus.com/soy-free-soy-sauce-also-gluten-free/?utm_content=bufferff36d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Have also found a product called coconut aminos is supposed to be a good soy sauce sub  but   its somewhat Pricey (averaging at least $7 per smallish

bottle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTPgpciAWdE

a Recipe i plan on trying/Tweeking: its soy based ‘buffalo’ cauliflower

i would like to see what i can  use instead of the soy

http://ourlifetastesgood.blogspot.com/2015/10/baked-buffalo-cauliflower-bites.html

Here is what i found on MISO – my fave is miso soup   https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=soy+free+miso+soup+recipe  — a NOTE here. the video seems to have little or no talking and they use a pressure cooker to cook the garbanzo beans.. dont be put off by that. they can just as easily be done on the stove top

Miso is more “complicated’ to make than un-soy sauce but its certainly worth taking a look at

http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/homemade-miso-recipe.html

there is also a barly/garbanzo miso that is for sale on the net.. i havent found a home recipe as yet. this sounds rather good to me but we wont be using it at the wedding.           

We have a barley allergy

Besides, for the Wedding, soups are probably going to be a No Go.. mentally I keep picturing over 150 guests slopping soup from buffet to table and I get the shudders.. lol

1st there is the MILK Problem

For Some its simply a Lactose intolerance… 

for those not familiar with this.

“Lactose intolerance, refers to individuals who are unable to digest lactose (or sugars from dairy products) due to a lactase (an enzyme produced in the small intestine) deficiency…… Although it’s not dangerous, being lactose intolerance can be uncomfortable when dairy products are consumed. The only way to avoid the discomfort is to avoid foods and drinks that contain lactose or by taking lactase digestive supplements.” http://www.activebeat.co/your-health/how-do-i-know-if-im-lactose-intolerant/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=AB_GGL_US_DESK&cus_widget=&utm_content=search_marketing&utm_term=lactose%20intolerance%20symptoms

Many adults have this issue. Most of us simply choose to not intake most milk base products or simply live with the symptoms. (hey, am not giving up ice cream just yet lol!)

BUT there is the next step. A MILK ALLERGY IS NOT THE SAME THING.

Symptoms of a milk ALLERGY reaction can range from mild, such as hives, to severe, such as anaphylaxis. THIS is why we are being so very careful about our Menu.

I personally have NO interest in anyone having to practice their CPR skills at the wedding!!

In researching this problem, I have found that there are ‘other’ milks available. Many of them are surprisingly familiar.. Soy, Rice, Almond, Goat, Sheep & Coconut and there are probably others. While None of them taste precisely the same as cows milk, they do very well for substituting in MOST instances.

We will be experimenting Primarily with Coconut, Rice & Goats milk.. (sheeps milk is more difficult to find/afford)

Why only them you ask?? Because there are those pesky Soy & Nut allergies we have to contend with…

Among the number of Finger food/Appetizers that I am finding, (simple & fresh being the criteria) are a surprisingly large number of them include cream cheese. Recipes from the 50’s-70’s cocktail party genre have oodles of them. 

This week I discovered that I can Actually make Goats Milk Cream Cheese in my own kitchen!! Not only that but one can make home kitchen Mozzerella from Goats milk.. this opens up a number of possibilities. Even pizza!!

I found several articles /blogs here that are seriously helpful on the subject

http://www.everything-goat-milk.com/how-to-make-goat-cheese.html

http://www.cheesemaking.com/Chevre.html

IF I can do this successfully – it opens up a number of recipes for the buffet. Such as the classic cream cheese log or herbed cream cheese stuffed dates. And even Turkey roll ups (tho we still have to solve the wheat allergy on THAT recipe)

http://www.errenskitchen.com/garlic-herb-cream-cheese-log

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdfKSmDItD4

UPDATE: turns out there is a coconut sensitivity as well.. so far tho the Goats milk seems to be a definitely good choice.. 

the RESEARCH

THE RESEARCH BEGINS:

For the first couple of weeks of my general research has been on Pinterest. Is there anyone who has Not gotten lost in That particular black hole??

Way too much fun but HARD to stay focused.. 

I started with Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres & found WONDERFUL RECIPES.. seems so easy… haha.

THEN I READ the INGREDIENTS… ooops. And realized that NOT ONLY was this going to be a tad more complicated than I at first realized, but that I was actually rather excited but the CHALLENGE..

CAN I COME UP WITH AN EDIBLE & ENJOYABLE MENU to feed EVERYONE?

So that’s it in a nutshell.

I have started a notebook of interesting/easy recipes. And as we go on, we will be doing taste testing on original recipes and tweeking those that must be Adapted & re-taste testing. I will be adding notes, not only from myself, but the bride & groom & the guinea pigs… err friends/tasters on their reactions & preferences and thoughts, which I will be Sharing here on the blog..

As we build the wedding reception menu, I plan on sharing links and photos of where I find good recipes that we are using/adapting as will as links & photos of other dietary/allergy information I come across.

I also will share how we tweek the recipes

I realize mine is not the ONLY way to to create this Menu but I hope it will be of interest & help to others

SO COME ALONG FOR THIS CRAZY RIDE and join in on the fun. The wedding is in January so with any luck this will be doable.

DECISIONS DECISIONS

FIRST DECISION:

What kind of food Will be offered. A Plated Lunch or Dinner? A Full Buffet? Casual? Formal? – what time of day? – all the usual thing a Bride & Groom must decide. That and the Number of guests of course.

 Then Add the Who, How Many, and What form of all those Food Allergies. And how on earth to accommodate them.  

COULD they ALL be accommodated?? The decisions here dictated all the next steps ending up with the research/meal planning ideas ball dropped into my lap..

The Next step of this process what pinpointing what the meal is to be theme-wise. They picked an Afternoon TEA with a Served Buffet

Our Reasoning: Simplicity & Presentation – 

while most don’t think of January as a Spring event. Here in our desert valley we frequently have up to 70-80F weather in January. By the time the real spring arrives we can sometimes be in the triple digits. This is a major factor in picking what is probably going to be an outdoor venue.

Usually, according to a top chef I know, to keep costs reasonable one has a Plated menu. In this, the sponsor (the bride & groom) can control food costs by knowing precisely how much of each food is needed for a specific number of people.

In an Open buffet, on the other hand, as he explained it; there are often people who will take larger portions than average & in order for everyone to have access to all foods presented there Must be more food available than for just the head count.. unfortunately this frequently leads to wasted food & $$ at the end of the day

However, if you have a “Served Buffet”, you need Fewer Servers and they don’t have to be professional ones. (believe me a sit down, plated meal, Is HARD WORK for the servers (that’s why there are professional servers for events) & generally family & friends while well meaning generally don’t have the skills to do this quickly & without problems. Serving single items at a buffet table is way easier & less difficult for family/friend helpers.. we want them to have fun too, not stressed out from working the tables!

The thought also is that a “TEA” puts guests in the mindset of not horrifically formal & a lighter FUN meal of mostly finger foods will be without mess. (after all, the guests/family are all “Dressed Up” and a spaghetti dinner might not be very easy to manage….)

The CHALLENGE

HOW  THIS ALL STARTED: & THE CHALLENGE

Who is doing this project

Friends of the bride trying to navigate the Interesting issues with Weddings and Food Allergies and how to make it all work.

In the beginning:

Not too very long ago my daughters friend got engaged. A Truly wonderful thing and she asked my daughter to be IN the wedding. Awesome… but then REALITY started setting in. not only is she (the bride) in college but she also works. So does my daughter. But being the friends we want to be for her, we volunteered to be of help in the planning..

Good grief, WHAT were we thinking, hahaha!

Seriously since my dd is to be Matron of Honor, that does actually go with the territory doesn’t it? And I volunteered as the only person available that’s retired & theoretically have time to research things for the bride.

Which Leads us to WHY I have begun this blog..

Many members of  brides family and a number of friends have some pretty heavy duty FOOD allergies & BOY do they run the gamut. From Milk to Soy, Pineapple to Tapioca. Also, pretty much ALL Nuts and MANY grains (wheat/barley/corn)

As she, (the bride) searches for her Venue, she is discovering that the Majority of venue sites, not only Require that you use “Their” catering, but that they cannot generally accommodate the food allergy issues…

I am CERTAIN that other brides are probably encountering the SAME kind of issues in Their wedding planning.

Sooo, What does this all MEAN?? We, (her helpers) are now Trying to create a menu for her Wedding Reception Buffet that WONT cause a number of guests to end up in ER..

A good plan, right !!!!