Sloane Miller and I were in grad school together though she studied poetry and I prose. Since then, she's used her love of language and writing, food and cooking to transform herself into an effective spokesperson and advocate for people with food allergies. She's the mastermind behind the Worry-Free Dinners that make it possible for families to dine in popular restaurants without fear of breaking out in hives, or worse. I was thrilled when Sloane agreed to contribute to Much Depends . . . Here's what she has to say about cooking and today's recipe:
SLOANE'S FIVE INGREDIENTS OR LESS COLORFUL VEGETARIAN MEDLEY
As someone with food allergies
since birth, I'm acutely aware of what I am eating every moment of every day.
Embracing that awareness/food-fear and transforming it into a love of food
fostered a deep respect and love for the art of cooking. I started getting serious about cooking when I was 16. I had become a vegetarian because of palate
fatigue (I just couldn’t eat another burger) and immersed myself in the then
current literature about being a healthy vegetarian. My first two bibles were Moosewood and Diet for a Small Planet. Moosewood was especially freeing. Every page was
filled with a call to arms: “Here’s the recipe, but change it if you like; go,
play.”
I became the family
cook because no one knew what a food allergic vegetarian could eat. I
read cookbooks for fun and watched PBS shows like The Frugal Gourmet instead of
doing homework. I went to culinary school to learn French
culinary technique. I threw elaborate dinner parties and brunches; I baked my
own bread and made my own preserves. I stayed a healthy vegetarian for 17
years. (NB: I added meat back into my diet recently.)
Even though I have food
allergies (or perhaps because of), I love to talk about, think about,
read about and learn about food. Some of
my happiest childhood memories involve cooking. I loved to watch my
bubby as she deftly poured pancake batter so it would cook in the shape of
a bunny or Mickey Mouse. What a master! When I was a little older I was sous
chef for my father as he made pounds of “Daddy Pasta” in his loft on 18th
street: fusilli pasta, ground veal, peas, sautéed garlic and onions,
sesame oil and cups of Parmesan cheese. For so many of us, cooking and
togetherness go hand in hand.
For my blog, Allergic Girl and my food
allergy coaching and consulting business,
Allergic Girl Resources, Inc, I dine out between five and ten times a week. But
when I dine at home, I want colorful, attractive, nutritious, healthy, low fat,
whole food and inexpensive dishes made with as few ingredients as necessary.
These recipes use little-to-nothing processed industrially, highlight local,
seasonal produce and you can make them within about 30 minutes from walking in
the door.
Like Moosewood, I say, add and
subtract flavors or components as you see fit. No chard? Use purple kale or
spinach. No apples? Pears are fab. No rice? What about quinoa, barley,
amaranth, or buckwheat noodles. No sweet potato? Pumpkin or any winter squash totally
works. Spicy chickpeas not your thing? Here are five other chickpea versions
from the
New York Times. Don’t like spicy? Just warm beans and add more olive oil and
some kosher salt and pepper (even some lemon works). Don’t like beans? Sub
another veg protein like tofu. See how it easy it is?
MISE EN PLACE
First, get your mise en place. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees for the sweet potato fries.
Chop garlic,
set out Kosher salt, pepper, olive oil, raw brown sugar, spices
(cinnamon, cloves, allspice, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes). Wash,
core and slice apples evenly, set aside (it’s okay if they brown as
they will be cooked and turn brownish because of cinnamon). Chop washed chard
stems into half inch pieces and chiffonade leaves in half inch pieces.Wash and dry your sweet potato and cut into 3-4 inch sticks/fries. Rinse and
drain canned chickpeas. Plump raisins either in hot water or cold OJ or don’t
plump them. Set out your knives, cutting board and serving dishes. The dishes
below are listed from longest cooking time to least.
RICE – Make your favorite steamed rice
recipe.
SWEET POTATO FRIES – 25 minutes
in pre-heated oven
Toss potato sticks with olive
oil, a dash of kosher salt. Throw into hot oven, when fries are cooked through
add dashes each of cinnamon, cloves to taste and some raw brown sugar if you
want. Add them back into oven until spices are warmed and fragrant; do not let
burn.
COUNTRY APPLE SAUCE — 25
minutes on stovetop
Apples, liquid (about 2 inches)
and cinnamon go into a pan. Cook on low to moderate heat until apples soften,
cinnamon mellows and liquid is absorbed. For liquid, I use water and cinnamon only
and honestly it’s pretty perfect that way but here’s where you can play. You
could add OJ, cola, black cherry soda, nutmeg or cloves. Once cooked, transfer
to serving dish and set aside. Can be served hot with pouring cream (English
style) or ice cream, so decadent. If lactose intolerant or casein allergic, soy
dream, rice dream or coconut based ice creams would be delicious as well. I’ll
be using this as a side dish, served warm, sans
cream.
RED CHARD — 7 minutes on
stovetop
Warm olive oil in pan, add
stems and cook on medium heat until softened and bright. Add raisins to stems
and stir 1-2 minutes, then add garlic last for a quick warming through (you
never want to overcook garlic). Add leaves last and sauté all for a few minutes
more,1-2 minutes only. The leaves are delicate, the raisins can burn so don’t
walk away. They should be bright. Adjust for seasonings.
SPICY CHICKPEAS — 5 minutes on
stovetop
Warm olive oil. Add dried
spices to olive oil for 30 seconds to release flavors. I use paprika, cumin, garlic
powder and red pepper flakes to taste. Once warmed, added chickpeas until
cooked through.
Assemble plate: rice,
chickpeas, sweet potatoes fries, chard and apple sauce in a pleasant way on
your plate. Invite the photographer to sit and join you after he takes the last
shot.