I’d wanted to try the French cookie known as a macaron for at least a year. Not to be confused with a macaroon —a gooey coconut confection — macarons are small, light-as-air, layered treats, often created in bright colors. Since a trip to Paris is not in my immediate future (drat), I wondered where I could find one of these delicacies. They certainly are not turned out by supermarket bakeries.
On Father’s Day, my husband and I ate lunch out. I suggested we stop at a nearby bakery to buy something to bring home. I was excited to see the bakery had a selection of macarons. Finally, I would get to try one.
The cookie was all I had hoped it would be. Delicious, and tiny enough that I didn’t have to feel guilty about indulging.
Several hours later, I developed a rash so intensely itchy that I had to take Benadryl. When I woke up — the antihistamine knocks me out — I wondered what had caused it. I’d had a near anaphylactic shock last summer after eating a seemingly innocuous meal of chicken salad and coleslaw at a restaurant. Later, testing showed that I’m allergic to walnuts, almonds and sesame. Come to find out, there was walnut oil in the coleslaw dressing.
Now I have to carry an EpiPen and Benadryl everywhere, and spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what is safe to order in restaurants. I developed an allergy to citrus fruits and tomatoes as a young woman, but my reaction then was hives. That I could handle. Having my throat close up was a scary experience, and not one I ever want to repeat. I am vigilant.
But I make mistakes. As I reviewed all I had eaten on Father’s Day, in hopes of figuring out what had caused the rash, I remembered a sign on the macarons that read “gluten-free.” Uh-oh. I appreciate gluten-free, but the cookies definitely had flour in them. And flour, in the gluten-free universe, is usually made from nuts.
Swiftly, I searched online for macaron recipes. There it was. They are made from almond flour.
I’m surprised I didn’t go into anaphylactic shock right then and there, just on the power of suggestion. Then again, I had already taken two Benadryl.
When I was allergic to acidic foods, it was hard to avoid them because I was young and really liked pizza. But it was, nonetheless, obvious when foods contained tomatoes or oranges. Nuts appear in unsuspected places, and sesame is downright insidious.
My local hospital has an excellent food court that includes an “exhibition” chef. He makes one daily offering, right in front of you. After a medical appointment one day, I treated myself to lunch. Mmmm….orange chicken. Thank goodness I’m not allergic to oranges anymore. But after I’d taken my plate, sat down and eaten a few bites, I panicked. Asian food! Sesame! I ran back to the chef and asked him if it contained any. “Would that be a problem?” he replied.
“I’m allergic.” Thank goodness I was in a hospital.
He checked his sauce ingredients. No sesame. I breathed a sigh of relief, and was not only happy to be breathing, but able to enjoy my orange chicken.
I can avoid Asian restaurants, but sesame seeds are liable to pop up anywhere. Recently, I attended an educational seminar. There were many food choices for breakfast, lunch and snacks, but I found myself paralyzed at every turn. What was on and in the bagels? A peanut butter breakfast bar contained almond butter. Really? I was grateful for the fresh peaches—I knew they were safe.
Lunch featured hummus. Few people realize that hummus contains sesame in the form of tahini, or paste. I love hummus, but now I have to make my own or buy the tahini-free variety at Trader Joe’s. I have checked every kind of hummus in my local Hannaford (at least 25), and they are all off-limits to me.
The cheese on the lunch buffet was fine, but what about the crackers? Luckily, some of them were Saltines. Anything crunchy or nutty looking was too risky. One salad contained almonds. Another, bacon, and I don’t eat meat, only poultry and fish. A third met my specifications. I really hate being so high maintenance. Luckily, there was once again a giant pile of fresh produce, this time in the form of crudités. I loaded my plate with peppers, cucumbers and broccoli.
After I finished eating, I saw small, oval, white items on my plate. Had some sesame seeds snuck in? Then I realized they were sunflower seeds.
Even the afternoon treats were filled with potential land mines. Almond Joy bars? I used to love them, alas. Cookies are filled with many ingredients and can’t be trusted unless I see a list. I settled for a single Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and a glass of water, and I reflected that I might lose a pound or two before the week was out.
I now have the utmost sympathy for anyone who has to deal with any kind of food allergy or intolerance. My previous experience with hives — which could get quite severe — was nothing like this fear of dying because I ate pesto by mistake.
I don’t enjoy eating out so much anymore. Take one of my favorite lunch spots — Panera Bread. I can’t eat the Napa Almond Chicken Salad sandwich, which I used to crave. Obviously, the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is also out. Way, way out.
When we eat there, my husband, Paul, and I always share a cookie. One time I bought the double chocolate, not realizing it contained walnuts. I had to watch him eat the whole thing.
I do thank Panera for listing the potential allergens in its offerings. It helps to know up front how deprived I’m going to feel.
I’ve been a label reader for a long time, as I’ve tried to avoid hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup. Of course, whole, natural foods are best for us, but there are times when convenience is our highest priority. So I’ve become a label reader par excellence. It’s a good thing I now wear graduated lenses, so I can decipher all that tiny print. I ask you, what’s almond butter doing in a peanut butter bar?
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