Those who know me understand my passion for food, wine, and healthy living. Having worked in the restaurant industry for over 14 years, I have come to know the best parts about it, but also some of the worst. It is not an equal playing field.

I developed a dairy allergy as an adult. And once I started to research what foods contained dairy, the overwhelming thought that I might never eat out again bore a permanent place in my brain. I tend to like control. Not having control of what might be brought to me from the kitchen became an anxiety factor in my life.  There have been many moments of true pleasure at restaurants that pay attention and do it right as well as a few frightening moments when it wasn’t.

My allergy makes me very sick, for days. If I ingest dairy I immediately start to cough, break out in hives, get agitated, and have a hard time breathing. My joints hurt in day two. I don’t sleep well.

The worst part is I know what I’m missing. I love cheese. I love butter. I can’t have either. This started the idea that my food is constantly being interrupted. It simply stalls if dairy is involved.

About a year ago I started to test recipes for classic dishes to find the closest possible version sans dairy. I’ve had a few successes that I will share on this blog site. As I kept working on recipe variations, I also started to experiment with other common food allergies and substitutions. Not everything worked. I would like to share those failures as well.

On occasion I’ll post about dining out and the restaurants that offer great service and food choices for people with allergies. It’s a combined experience.

I hope you will read along and share your food moments. I love a good story and I especially love a great new recipe.