so this happened....

A school board member in a school district near my house recently said, in a videotaped meeting, that the more than 20 kids with food allergies in her school should be shot.  She meant it as a joke, because obviously, kids who can die from eating a food they are allergic to is funny.  So is shooting a bunch of disabled kids, I guess.  The whole thing is mind blowing.  I honestly have no words.

Fortunately for us, Caroline over at gratefulfoodie.com is way more eloquent.  Please give this a read.  

Child dies after trick or treating

This is just devastating.  When I read this article this morning, I burst into tears and cried so hard I couldn't stop shaking.  This is our nightmare, all of us living with food allergies, every single day.  The more I read about this boy, the more grief stricken I become, not only for the loss of this little boy and the absolute horror his family is going through, but grief stricken because it so easily could have been mine.  

This is yet another tragic reminder that no matter how vigilant we are, we can't control everything.  And that is terrifying.

Open Sesame!

The top 8 list of allergens is outdated. Sesame is internationally increasing, reaching #3 in Israel, and being recognized on labeling lists throughout Europe, Canada, and Australia. The US needs to follow suit. Sesame is one of the trickiest and most dangerous allergens because it only takes one seed to trigger a life threatening reaction. Because sesame is not labeled in the US, errant seeds can accidentally make their way into hamburger buns, crackers, and bagels that do not normally have seeds. The quality of life for the sesame allergic would increase DRAMATICALLY if sesame was included on the allergen list. Please take a moment to sign. 

THANK YOU!! 

https://www.change.org/p/fda-add-sesame-seeds-as-an-allergen-to-us-product-labeling-laws?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive

Social Studies 101

Thank you, Chairman and members of the committee.  It is such an overwhelming honor to be able to sit here, as a private citizen, in front of you to present this bill.  Senate Bill 730 is an education bill that would simply educate restaurant staff about food allergies and how to accommodate a very loyal customer base.  In my experience with eating out, the servers and chefs want to know what to do and how to serve us correctly and safely, but without the training, they just don’t know how.  The education this bill would bring would help tremendously.  A little educaion really does go a long way. 

There is a website called allergyeats that I consult every time we have to eat out.  It is a national list of restaurants that are reviewed by families and individuals with food allergies.   My family has been traveling up north quite a bit over these last several months and because of this list, we only eat at restaurants with high reviews.  But, we have eaten at the same two restaurants every time we go up.  Individuals and families with food allergies are extraordinarily loyal.  We have to be.  For us, eating out is a matter of life and death.  There is a real need for us to eat in a restaurant where there is training so that we can feel safe.  And if we feel safe, we will frequent that restaurant over and over.   And there are a lot of us out there.

It sounds kind of strange to say “every time we HAVE to eat out.”   I would love to be able to say, “every time we WANT to eat out.”  This bill would make that possible.

This was the little mini speech I gave yesterday afternoon in front of the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee in the state capitol.   In March I had given a longer speech, MUCH longer actually, about how helpful this bill would be for everyone living with food allergies.  The bill requires training for restaurant staff, a poster in the kitchen, and a notice asking customers to notify their server if they have food allergies.  

The first step in this process of making the bill into a law is getting it out of committee, where so many other bills are lost.  Once it passes through the committee, it moves onto the Senate floor.  If it passes off the floor, then it goes to the House of Representatives.  I know that there is still a journey ahead of us, but this first hurdle, I think, may be the most difficult.

And it passed.  Unanimously.

I did not expect that.  At all.  I knew there were at least two members of the committee who objected to the bill.  

Unanimous.  Unbelievable.

I cried.  

And then I snorted.

Really loud.

But it passed!

chicken n biscuits

Wow have I been a bad blogger.  I have just been completely blog lazy.

I've been blazy.

It's a real word.  Look it up.

Well it should be a real word....

I have had several people ask if I had a good recipe for leftover chicken.  This is my absolute favorite recipe for leftover chicken.  And now I will share it with you.  How lucky you are.

I usually will make a chicken soup and reserve half of the cooked chicken, tear it to bits with my hands which is really very therapeutic, and make this.  I love it because you can use whatever veg you have on hand.  If you have leftover chicken, the whole thing comes together so quickly it always surprises me.  But even if you don't have leftover chicken, it doesn't change the timing. You can sauté the chicken while the gravy thickens.  Sauté the chicken while the gravy thickens.  Say that ten times fast and you've got yourself a song!  Or does that only happen in my head?

Chicken and biscuits

4 tbs butter

1/4 c. flour

4 c. chicken stock, plus more if it looks too thick

3 c. chopped, cubed, or torn to bits chicken 

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

peas, corn, and parsnip also are wonderful in here

1 leek (white part only) or onion or 2 shallots or a few green onions...  chopped

biscuits:

2 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs herbs- flat leaf parsley, chives, dill chopped

6 tbs chilled, cubed earth balance butter

3/4 c. soy milk, almond milk....  whatever milk you like

The first thing I do when I make this is cube the butter for the biscuits and pop them into the freezer.  You want them to be cold cold cold.

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

If you do not have leftover chicken, just use about a pound of chicken, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks, and sauté with some olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.

In a dutch oven or other large saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the flour, and whisk until smooth.  Pour in the stock, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.  Cook, whisking every couple of minutes, until the mixture smooths out and thickens a bit, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken and vegetables.  Reduce heat to medium, and keep at an active simmer.

In a medium bowl, add the first biscuit ingredients: the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well, and then add the herbs if using and then the butter.  Using a pastry blender or your hands, mix to combine, leaving it crumbly.  If you use your hands, don't handle it too much- you don't want the butter to soften.   Pour the milk in all at once and stir it together with a fork.  

Knead the dough against the bowl several times until the bowl is clean.  On a floured surface, dump the dough out, pat it down to about 1/2" thick, and using a biscuit cutter (if you're well stocked or organized or fancy or all of the above) or a plain ol' drinking glass (if you're not well stocked or organized or fancy or all of the above, i.e. me), cut out circles and gently place them on top of the stew.  Pop the whole thing into the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the biscuits are all puffed up and nicely browned on top.  I will sometimes put it on broil to get the tops really toasty.  

Voila!  C'est tout!  Bon appétit!