Amanda Orlando - Everyones Welcome: The Art of Living and Eating Allergen Free

Copyright 2019 by Amanda Orlando All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For more information, contact the publisher at TouchWoodEditions.com. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of the authors knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or the publisher. It is up to the reader to read labels and determine whether ingredients are safe for them to consume.

Neither the author nor the publisher are responsible for adverse food reactions experienced by following any of the recipes within this book. Edited by Meg Yamamoto Designed and illustrated by Tree Abraham All photos by Amanda Orlando except for photos on by Karrie Kwong. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION Orlando, Amanda, author Everyones welcome: the art of living and eating allergen-free / Amanda Orlando. Issued in print and electronic formats. ISBN 9781771512732 (hardcover) 1. 2. Allergy. 3. 3.

AllergyPrevention. 4. Cookbooks. I. Title. II.

Title: Everyones welcome. RC588.D53O75 2019 641.5 6318 C 20189063068 C20189063076 We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Province of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit. 23 22 21 20 19 1 2 3 4 5 Contents INTRODUCTIONMY MISSION IS TO INSPIRE CONFIDENCE in people living with food allergies. I do this by raising awareness, and by sharing safe recipes, kitchen hacks, travel tips, and my own life experiences (even the embarrassing or awkward ones); I also strive to unite people in the food-allergy community. My blog, Everyday Allergen-Free, is a site for teens and adults living with food allergies. There are so many resources for parents of kids with food allergies, but I didnt feel there was much for me as a young adult.

With my blog, I endeavour to have no filter and share it all, even the stuff no one wants to talk about, like dating, kissing, and the awkwardness of high school. I was born with allergies to peanuts, nuts, dairy, legumes, soy, chicken, egg, and certain fruits. I grew out of the chicken, egg, and fruit allergies, but the rest remained. My brother is allergic to peanuts, nuts, and some shellfish, and my mom developed a peanut and nut allergy later in life. So, you could say we are a food allergy family. Our home was never completely allergen-free, but we did work to prevent cross-contact in the kitchen and shared spaces, and we always considered each other when eating something one of the others was allergic to.

We all ate vegan butter, but I drank rice milk while my brother drank dairy; my dad enjoyed roasted chestnuts but always ate them after we had gone to bed. My brother and I were taught from an early age that intentionality is important, and that you can eat freely so long as you consider the safety of the other person and dont put them at risk of coming into contact. We put different milks on our cereal and took different lunches to school but always ate the same meal at dinnertime. I suffered six anaphylactic reactions requiring an EpiPen as a child, so I came to understand the need to protect myself and keep a watchful eye on my own actions and the actions of others around me. If someone in class was eating a PB&J sandwich and touched my desk, I would wipe it down. I might mention it to the person or choose to do it discreetly, but either way I would make sure it was done.

My teachers also kept a watchful eyemy mom gave them all the Theresa Orlando training session before I started in their classesand of course my friends and other allergic kids in the class were already educated. Once I moved on to high school things changed. My cozy elementary school atmosphere was a dramatic contrast to the independence of this new phase of life. I still brought my lunch every day, but most kids bought pizza and fries from the cafeteria or went to the local pizza place. I often went too but always brought my own food. I suddenly felt like the strangeness of my allergies was amplified.

People noticed the eczema on my hands, which I desperately tried to hide, and often pointed it out. There were so many teachers, and with four different classes per day, there was no way I could rely on them to help me manage. I had to navigate new social situations, and I had new friends to educate, which felt unusual since they hadnt all grown up with me. Dating was a new cause of anxiety, though I was so quiet in Grades 9 and 10 that the issue didnt come up. Making close friends made me feel normal and supported, but when I came out of my shell and finally started dating, I had no idea how to communicate my allergies to the other person. It took a lot of trial and error to get the wording right and to hold myself with confidence while doing so.

Id habitually sweep the allergy issue under the rug, hoping no one would notice, while also hoping theyd take it seriously. As you can imagine, that didnt go smoothly. Moving away to university was my plan from the age of 13. I stayed in an apartment-style residence at the University of Toronto and had three roommates. Again, this was a whole new learning experience for mea new group of people, new classes, a new location, new types of parties, bars, and all kinds of things I couldnt have imagined. Staying in a dorm wasnt an option since the cafeteria would have posed too much of a challenge, and I needed to be able to eat more freely and without worry.

But I didnt let that hold me back from having my university experience! Now, as an adult, Im constantly faced with new sets of challenges: starting a career and moving through different jobs at different companies, partaking in business travel, vendor dinners, etc. Ive learned that our personal food allergy experience and education are never finished; each phase of life presents unique obstacles, challenges, and successes. It doesnt get easier as you get olderit just gets different. But as you mature and become more confident in your ability to care for yourself, you will experience personal growth too, so take comfort in that. MY FOOD ALLERGY FAMILY My family truly is obsessed with food. Weve always made our own sauces, pickles, and preserves every summer.

We enjoy slow food, things that have to simmer, fresh ingredients, herbs from the backyard, and talking about food constantly. My brother and I like to say that we arent picky eaters; we care only whether the food is safe. I think its important to be open to trying new ingredients, cuisines, and dishes. If youre already limited by means beyond your control, why self-impose more limitations? This is of course totally up to the individual. You may be trying a new diet, or perhaps youre not eating meat for ethical reasons. There will always be some things you arent comfortable experiencing, depending also on outside factors like the setting and environment.