Use Ground Chia Seed Powder as an Egg Replacer!

Whole Chia Seeds - Grind before using as egg replacer

Just Like Flax Seed Only Better

Ground flax seeds are becoming a common and very successful replacement for eggs, but did you know that you can also use chia seed powder?

I've been experimenting with this for the last several months (recipes coming soon) and the ratio of chia powder to liquid is 1 to 1, just like ground flax seed. In other words, 1 tablespoon (TBS) of ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon (TBS) of water = 1 egg.

You can also use coffee or clear apple juice instead of water to add a little recipe appropriate flavor if making muffins or sweet breads.

Can you use whole chia?  You can, but chia seeds soak up a ton of water, so your bread or muffins will be more like pudding - very, very moist. So if you want your muffins to turn out like muffins, grind your chia seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor first, then measure.

Higher in Omega 3's

Using chia seeds rather than flax also helps increase the ratio of non-fish-derived Omega 3's in your diet, since chia is heavier in Omega 3's than is flax seed.

Gluten-free & Allergen-Free Chia Seeds

UPDATE 5/13/16

Navitas started producing tapioca in their factories some time ago, so I am no longer able to use their products because I have an anaphylactic response to tapioca. however, I picked up a package this week to show a friend, and the allegen statement has changed. It states that it processes  in a factory that also produces wheat, dairy, peanuts and more. Please check with the company and the label to be sure that this product is safe for you to consume if you are sensitie or allergic to the top 8 allergnes.

Finding a gluten-free chia seed manufacturer can be tough.  I've had good luck with Navitas Naturals Chia Powder.  Here is the information that I have received from Navitas Naturals, organized by allergen:

• No Gluten: not sourced or processed with gluten, and there is no gluten in the factory, but also not tested. In the process of getting gluten-free certification and performing a ppm test for gluten-free certification. Navitas Power Snack line is gluten-free certified.
• No Dairy: no dairy is present in the facility, but not tested for dairy at this time.
• Tree Nuts:  facility processes tree nuts, but handles cashews only.
• Soy: We do not test for parts per million for soy or peanuts. Our superfoods come from around the world and are grown in natural, native habitats. The risk for cross contamination with gluten, soy, or other legumes is extremely low and/or unlikely.
• Peanuts: We do not test for parts per million for soy or peanuts. Our superfoods come from around the world and are grown in natural, native habitats. The risk for cross contamination with gluten, soy, or other legumes is extremely low and/or unlikely.
• Sulfite Free: None of Navitas Naturals products contain sulfites
  
• Organic: All products are certified organic and use minimal processing methods such as freeze-drying. The facility is certified organic.
• GMO Status?  Navitas Naturals products are Non-GMO Project Verified! That means they’ve met the rigorous standards of the Non-GMO Project- an independent non-profit reviewer that ensures products are made according to best practices for GMO avoidance. Organic Facility. Under current FDA regulations, no GMOs are allowed in organic foods.
• Certified Kosher: "Most of our products are certified kosher through Earth Kosher. You can find more information at www.earthkosher.com."

Read the labels for your particular allergens at:  http://navitasnaturals.com

UPDATE 5/13/16

Navitas started producing tapioca in their factories some time ago, so I am no longer able to use their products because I have an anaphylactic response to tapioca. however, I picked up a package this week to show a friend, and the allegen statement has changed. It states that it processes  in a factory that also produces wheat, dairy, peanuts and more. Please check with the company and the label to be sure that this product is safe for you to consume if you are sensitie or allergic to the top 8 allergnes.

Merry Christmas to All!

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ”
 

~ Norman Vincent Peale

Released Today: The CDC Guide to Managing Food Allergies in Schools

Today,October 30, 2013, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) published “Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Programs." It is the first national comprehensive guidelines to help schools manage food allergies in their facilities and with their students.

This guide was created for schools, but I think every parent should download it and read it. It will help parents with food allergic kids understand what you can expect from schools, and also help parents of kids who have no food allergies understand why these regulations are in place. It might even help a parent save a kids life.

A Quick Snapshot of the Guide

The guide was created with the help of a team of experts, including federal agencies with the expertise in food allergies, consumer organizations who give advice on the clinical management of food allergies (like FARE and The American Academy of Pediatrics), organizations who represnt professional groups who work in schools, like school nurses.  They also worked with one school district, one state education agency, and two parents of food allergic kids.

The guide also takes into account the emotional needs & symptoms of food allergic kids, as well as guidelines on how to deal with bullying. Emotional needs are important, as well, since "the peanut table" can be a very lonely experience, as can be being forced to eat in the nurse's or principle's office.

The guide describes the symptoms of a classic allergic reaction, and how to recognize it as such from a clinical perspective, including mental and emotional symptoms. A child, for instance might have a sudden mood change or have a "sense of impending doom." I've certainly experienced this as part of a food allergy reaction, and I'm super glad that they included emotional symptoms in the guide.

The guide also gives examples of how a kid might describe a classic allergic reaction (one that might result in anaphylaxis). Here are a few examples:

• It feels like something is poking my tongue.
• There’s a frog in my throat; there’s something
• stuck in my throat.
• My tongue feels full (or heavy).
• My lips feel tight.
• It feels like there are bugs in there
• (to describe itchy ears).

A very important component of the guide is the strategic planning and framework section. It helps the schools set up a system for the school so they can properly and quickly respond to an emergency, and document any emergency, so they can learn from any incident that might occur. This includes guidelines on professional development and training for any staff who has frequent contact with food allergic kids.

It also sets up a system for each child to help prevent and reduce the risk of any emergency, including child/parent education. How many times have we heard that a parent didn't realize that their food allergy posed such a risk for their child? The parent didn't learn from the doctor who diagnosed the child, but learned from an emergency room visit?

There are several sections that describe how to put these guidelines into practice, including checklists and recommended practices from the cafeteria to the bus, to field trips, to outside groups who use the school. 

Finally, the guide gives a clear description on the Laws that govern food allergies:

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504)
• the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)h
• Governing Statutes and Regulation for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs)
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974

...and a very comprehensive list of federal resourses to help schools and individuals find and understand the laws.  These are listed at the end.

This is an incredible resource with a great deal of information, that is very well organized. 

Download it here:  Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Programs.

You can also read more about this, and find other resources on the FARE website.

More Than Just a Pretty Plate. Food Stylist, Laura Goble.

Food Stylist, Laura Goble; Photograph, Jeff Hage, Green Frog PhotoEvery once in a while, I get the opportunity to step away from food allergies, and simply talk to beautiful and interesting people in the world of food. My conversation with Laura Goble is one of those inspirational moments that I'm honored to share with you.  ~Elisabeth

What is a Food Stylist?

“I’m lucky. I love my job.”

When you hear this at the beginning of an interview, you know the conversation will be fun. Food stylist Laura Goble loves food, knows how to cook, and has a creative streak and gobs of energy. Her job isn’t just to make food look pretty for the camera; it’s about balancing editorial and creative, and then integrating a strategy around that pretty food.  

Laura has worked with the United Dairy Farmers, Michigan Apples and the Horseradish Information Council as well as cookbook authors, film producers, and major brands and advertisers. She puts together budgets, creates recipes, and often art directs the shoot as well as styles the chow.  

The task board for this photo shoot. Photo, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo.

But what exactly does a food stylist do?

Laura explains, “People have this perception that it’s magic. There are many tricks of the trade, like using Pine Sol to make melted cheese, or motor oil for pancake syrup. Glycerin is popular to make food look fresh, but it gets onto everything. I use very few additives like that.  I think that food is beautiful on its own. You just need the ability to see it, and then help the photographer catch it.”

Laura & Photographer, Brad Bruce on Set

Laura has always loved to cook, but food wasn’t always her gig. After a divorce seven years ago she was forced to drastically rethink her life. As she hung out at photo shoots with another mom who just happened to be a food stylist, she became hooked. Since food styling degrees don’t exist, this was a rare opportunity to apprentice with a veteran. After attending culinary school, including Boston College and the Culinary Institute of America, this mother of four stepped into the work of creating appetites.

Last January, photographer Jeff Hage and I had the chance to catch Laura in action at a photo shoot for author Stephanie Howard and “Kidlicious”, a cookbook full of plant-based foods for kids. The goal was to get twelve shots a day with a staff of four, which is ambitious, especially when working with natural light in a Michigan winter. But very cool to watch.

Food Stylist Toolbag, Photo, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

The two most iconic images of the day were Laura’s stylist bag and back pocket. A set of dentist tweezers that screamed, “It’s about the details, folks!” was the most talked about item. As Laura dunked cilantro into Dawn dishwashing liquid to perk it up, she uncloaked a little more of the stylist mystery. Dawn also clears grease spots from soup. Trident gum is always on the job because, “you can chew it, pop it, and it’s the right thickness to make things stick.” Sometimes she magically mixes canned frosting and powdered sugar to use in place of real ice cream because it sits pretty for long periods of time and doesn’t break a sweat.

Laura w/ the iconic tweeze. Photograph, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

“Food styling uses a lot of intuition.  When you look at a bottle, it’s not a bottle. You see its shape, the light, the composition of the shot.”  

Thus, from her intuition and a pile of dishes, glasses, fabrics and colors emerged the perfect setting for smoothies, the right patterns for nachos, and some added color for a flawlessly placed noodle.

Laura is now highly successful, but she doesn’t forget that someone opened that door for her. She has a passion for developing new talent, and recently moved into a live / work space on Fulton Street called “Acorn Studios”.  She’s fully equipped to host shoots and fulfill her greater creative vision.  

And her pretty plate is chock full of vision.

The kitchen in Acorn Studios. Photo Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

Advice on Life, Work, & Becoming a Stylist

FOOD PHILOSOPHY

“Real food.  Everything about it intrigues me. I’m curious to see what and how people eat in different places. My favorite Asian market is in Cleveland – it is just fascinating to see what’s in that market, and what other cultures use for food.”

FAVE G-RAP EATS

“Brewery Vivant has really, really good food.  I’m obsessed with the kale salad at Trillium Haven, and I love Grove.”

Prepping a vegan cake on set. Photo: Jeff Hage, Green Frog PhotoFOOD TRENDS ON SET

• Clients incorporate more whole grains into recipes
• Farm to Table is hot
• Less ingredients, and those that are easy-to-find
• The use of fresh herbs, especially in compound butters
• Kale
• Cost Friendly
• People are starting to care about what they eat
• Clients aren’t as concerned with the perfect photograph, they now look for the “perfectly imperfect”

ADVICE TO BUDDING FOOD STYLISTS

“Don't be a baby.  You need stamina because you are on the go, hauling stuff, and standing a lot.  Love food. Know how to cook. Be resourceful, creative, and willing to go to many places to find just the right thing or the freshest ingredients. Clients might drive you crazy, but you can’t take it personally. It’s all about making their product look great.”

ADVICE ON FINDING A NEW PATH

“You can’t force what you aren’t ready for, and that's OK. I recommend the book by Julia Cameron called, “The Artist’s Way”.  I wrote line after line, stream of consciousness style, and got the junk out of the way. I’ve learned to always say, “yes.” It opens you up to possibilities and makes you figure out how to do it – whatever ‘it’ is. If you can’t, you can always say, ‘no’ later. But I’ve got the balls to do some crazy stuff.  Change affects me, like my kids growing up, but I don’t mind change.  It’s fun.”

 

About the Author

 Elisabeth VeltmanWriter, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is a Tender Foodie. She started The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies & The Tender Foodie, its blog, where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table.

Interview w/ Isabel Hoffmann: Her TellSpec device can tell us what allergens & pesticides are in our food.

ARTICLE UPDATE: I regret to report that I have decided to temporarily suspend access to this article. A few credible doubts about the technology have come to The Tender Foodie’s attention, and an interesting discussion has developed in James Randi Educational Foundation Forum, where Dr. Stephen Watson, TellSpec's CTO ("drswatson") is responding with the participants. You can follow that discussion here.

I'm suspending access to the article, not because of the technical doubts/questions, this is a natural discussion and I"m excited to hear how things progress, but because in my excitement about this potentially ground-breaking product, we missed an important detail that came to light in the forum - that the device might not be ready to properly detect allergens at the time of its release, and during its initial testing in the public arena. I feel that there is a misunderstanding here that needs to be completely clarified before we re-post the article.  I've begun corresponding with TellSpec to clarify this, and suspect that this will take some time, but my plan is to re-post the article with the proper clarifications that mitigate the risk of further misunderstanding. I certainly enjoyed speaking to Isabel Hoffmann, TellSpec's CEO during the interview, and should it prove appropriate, look forward to re-posting that interview at the proper time.

The Tender Foodie certainly hopes that this device could be created with great success for the food allergic community, and looks forward to any technical developments and information/proof regarding those developments.  Thank you for your patience.

 Visit the TellSpec Website here.

Other articles about this device:

Fast Company:http://www.fastcoexist.com/3020813/fund-this/point-this-magical-scanner-at-your-food-and-it-will-count-the-calories

Financial Post:http://business.financialpost.com/2013/10/21/how-one-entrepreneur-is-revolutionizing-the-food-industry/

Engadget: TellSpec identifies food ingredients and calories using science

Betakit: http://www.betakit.com/is-tellspec-the-star-trek-tricorder-we-have-been-waiting-for/

CanadianBusiness: Coming soon to your phone: handheld food safety 

Metro News:http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/830736/scanner-analyzes-chemical-makeup-of-your-food/

Health habits:TellSpec answers the question…what is in that food?

Daily News (UK): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2452714/Tellspec-Future-dieting-Gadget-tells-calories-dinner-scanning.html

Silicon Angel:http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/10/17/crowdfund-these-smart-gadgets-earring-bluetooth-audio-wrist-allergen-detectors/