FAI's Campaign for a Cure

Recently, I attended the Food Allergy Initiative’s 2nd annual Chicago benefit with Betsy Thompson of Gluten Free Betsy. The event raised more than $1 million that will help support research for a food allergy cure.

The Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) is a non-profit organization that is now the largest source of funding for food allergy research in the United States.


FAI's patronage is facilitating a number of groundbreaking, research projects. Northwestern University's Paul Bryce, for instance, is spearheading an experimental therapy study that will help determine the success of a vaccine in preventing food allergies as well as minimizing symptoms for those who have already been diagnosed.

At New York's Mount Sinai's School of Medicine, Drs. Xiu-Min Li and Hugh Sampson are developing a therapy that's been designed to prevent life-threatening reactions to half the "Big 8" food allergens: peanut, treenut, shellfish and fish.

These are just a handful of the extraordinary research projects that the FAI has sponsored since it was founded in 1998. To learn more details about the organization's research and partnerships that are helping forge a path to an allergen-free future, please click here .

One of the more heartwarming moments of the night was a sequence of videos that helped illuminate how parents are coping with their children's severe reactions to food allergens. FAI has uploaded several inspiring videos on its YouTube channel. I have included the video from the event, I encourage you to show it to people so they can understand what food allergies mean on an everyday basis.



I've had the good fortune to collaborate with FAI on a number of occasions over the last two years.

After the inaugural Safe & Sound Dinner in March , I donated $750 from the event's proceeds to help further FAI's efforts.

And for this year's benefit, I contributed an allergen-free dinner for six to the event's silent auction. As part of the package, I will cook the dinner in the privacy of the winning bidder's home.

I can't say enough good things about the extraordinary work FAI is doing on behalf of the estimated 12 million Americans with food allergies--and their friends and family members who are also affected by the condition.

FAI's headquarters are in New York and it has recently established outlets in Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. Please consider volunteering or making a donation. But most importantly, spread the word!

BOKA: A Commitment to Allergen-Free Excellence

Chicago's allergenistas were treated to a remarkable feast last night at the season finale of the Safe & Sound Dinner series. BOKA's red-hot chef--Giuseppe Tentori--was on top of his game, offering an ambitious, allergen-free creation that left the group's members dazzled and inspired.

How does he do it? Over the summer, I had the good fortune to work with Chef Tentori at the Museum of Science and Industry and later spent an evening in his kitchen--listening, watching and learning.

Chef Tentori's protocol to reduce the risk of cross-contamination goes above and beyond those of other restaurant kitchens I've observed. Indeed, his staff's attention to detail is what makes BOKA so exceptional.

When an allergen-free meal is ordered, a booming announcement is made to the kitchen to prepare for a customized dish. Almost immediately, one chef assumes full responsibility for that particular plate and oversees its evolution from start to finish.

Unlike other chefs dedicated to the highest standards in allergen-free cuisine, Chef Tentori wasn't personally impacted by food allergies. Instead, his philosophy is to ensure that each and every customer is afforded the opportunity to experience the pleasure of fine dining.

“When you go out to eat, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed that you have a special diet request," Chef Tentori told me. "It's our job to make you happy.”

The food. The menu was free of the "big eight" allergens, gluten, and 23 additional allergens:
· Crispy White Polenta with grilled eggplant petals, ceci, pickled celery and dehydrated picholine olives
· Fennel-dusted chicken thigh served with a quinoa cream and watermelon radish fennel salad with tomatillo sauce
· Angus tenderloin with braised short ribs, napa cabbage and bacon roll with smoked white runner beans.

Then for dessert, Swirlz cupcakes--drizzled with Pam Rose's signature frosting.

Can it get any better?

This was our last Safe & Sound dinner series in 2009. It’s time to roll up my sleeves and prepare for 2010. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear from you. Together, we can make the city Safe & Sound one bite at a time!

Next up: Holiday dining, recipes to wow your friends and family!

Debunking Food Allergy Myths and Braised Short Ribs

A few questions I keep getting asked and would love to share them with you.

Myth: You can’t eat nutmeg when you have a tree nut allergy.
False - According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) website, “Nutmeg is obtained from the seeds of the tropical tree species Myristica fragrans. It is safe for an individual with a tree nut allergy.”

Myth: You can’t eat allspice when you have a tree nut allergy.
False – According to the Encyclopedia of Spice, allspice is a berry that smells like a combination of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Allspice belongs to the Myrtle family which also includes Cloves, Eucalyptus, Guava, Paprika and Pimento.

Time to cook!

Braised Short Ribs



6 bone in short ribs
kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, medium dice
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley, minced
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup celery, medium dice (about 2 stalks)
1 cup carrot, medium dice
3 cloves garlic, creamed
1 small can tomato paste
3 cups red wine
2 cups water
1 bunch fresh thyme
3 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Heat a large stock pot over a medium high heat, add olive oil and heat another minute.
Season short ribs on all sides with kosher salt.
Brown short ribs on all sides in stock pot, remove from pan and set aside.
Mix together thyme, parsley and pepper, set aside.
Add additional oil if necessary and add onion to pot and cook until soft and translucent. Add ½ of spice mix.
Add garlic, cook an additional minute.
Add carrot and celery with 2nd ½ of spice mix.
Once vegetables are soft, push to side and add tomato paste to pan. Make sure not to burn.
Add wine to deglaze pan and reduce by ½.

BOKA Menu Finally Revealed & SWIRLZ Cupcakes bringing dessert!

Take a look at this amazing, flavorfully inventive menu Chef Giuseppe Tentori has created especially for next week’s Safe & Sound Dinner – our last dinner for 2009 -- next Monday, November 2nd at Chicago hot-spot BOKA.

Our Safe & Sound Dinners challenge top local chefs to create a special, one-night-only menu just for us, free of gluten and as many of “The Big 8” allergens as possible. It’s a fun and lively group dining experience, a great way to meet and share tips with allergenistas, and includes a fabulous gift bag filled with allergen-free swag….all for $50!

Space is limited and requires advance reservations.
Click here to get your tickets today.

First Course
Crispy white polenta, grilled eggplant petals, ceci,
pickled celery, dehydrated picholine olives

Second Course
Fennel dusted chicken thighs, Quinoa cream,
watermelon radish, fennel salad, tomatillo sauce

Third Course
Angus tenderloin, short rib, napa cabbage &
bacon roll, smoked white runner beans

Dessert
Cupcakes from

Guide to menu:
Ceci - chickpeas
Picholine olives - The Picholine is best known as a cocktail olive, though it is also used to make olive oil.
Cream - a mixture of pureed onions to give quinoa a creamy consistency.
Tomatillo sauce – Tomatillos are green tomatoes most commonly found in Mexican dishes
White runner beans - Larger than limas, slightly irregular in shape, these beans are creamy and sweet for soups, salads or as a side dish.

To top it all off, our friends from SWIRLZ are providing their deliciously decadent, allergen-free signature cupcakes. What a great way to wrap-our 2009 Safe & Sound Dinner series!

Giftbag contributors:

Lisa’s October Hot Picks

Ok, these hot picks go together…

I have had the flu for the past week and found myself watching way more than my share of TV with little appetite to speak of. As I started to feel better, I began craving something sweet. So I took a look at some of the product I had left over from our last Safe & Sound Dinner and happily found a sample of Fast & Fresh’s Minute Cinnamon Coffee Cake Mix, I hadn’t tried this flavor yet. It’s a really neat product, your kids could even make it on their own, it only requires water, mixing and a microwave, I also had some Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Vanilla Frosting.

Now both products are good, especially when you have dietary restrictions, but the two together were just wonderful, I felt like I was eating a freshly baked cinnamon roll! Give it a try next time your sweet tooth kicks in, but beware allergenistas with egg allergies, this cake mix has egg in it!

You can buy Fast &Fresh products online or at American Health Foods, in Oak Lawn. Cherrybrook Kitchen products are available online and at Whole Foods, some Jewels and local health food and allergen friendly stores.