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

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 !!!!