One of our members, Ant, has been kind enough to supply us with an example of a card that he frequently uses when dining in an unfamiliar restaurant. Typically, a copy of this card can be handed to the wait person, with instructions to give the card to the chef, at the time when a meal is ordered. The card seems to work very well, and when there are a lot of foods that must be avoided, most chefs appreciate the examples of foods and ingredients that can be safely used to prepare the meal.
Restaurant cards that specify foods that must be avoided, are a dime a dozen, but this one rises head and shoulders above the rest, because it provides a lot of help to the chef for selecting safe ingredients and seasonings. Each of us will have to modify the card, of course, to replace the foods that ant has to avoid, and the ones that he can safely eat, with your own personal requirements.
When traveling in a foreign country, (where English is not the spoken language), the card should be translated into an appropriate language, of course, (with the help of a bilingual friend). By setting this up on a computer, the foods and ingredients can be easily changed, whenever the need should arise, and as many copies as needed, can be easily printed. If the lists are brief and simple, business card stock might be used for the cards, but other sizes of card stock are available, to allow the use of more text and/or larger print. And, of course, these could also be printed on plain paper, or thicker paper or card stock, and manually trimmed to the desired size. And you can print on both sides, in order to use a smaller size card.To The Chef…. I suffer from Celiac & Microscopic Colitis, which causes multiple food intolerances.
CAN EAT:
• (Unprocessed) meat, fish, shellfish - grilled, roasted, fried or baked.
• Rice – boiled, steamed or fried in olive oil, rice noodles. Rice or water chestnut flour.
• Salt, pepper, herbs, garlic, onion, dried coconut.
• Vinegar (EXCEPT NO malt vinegar).
• Olive oil (not other vegetable oils), pure coconut oil, pure balsamic oil (not artificially coloured since that contains gluten).
• Well-cooked peeled vegetables (EXCEPT NO: bean, pea, tomato, potato, bell pepper and corn).
• Mushroom, banana, olive, avocado, nuts (EXCEPT NO peanuts and cashew nuts), cooked fruit.
• Wine, spirits, coconut milk (no guar gum added), green tea, pure coco, black coffee, tea.
CAN EAT IN SMALL AMOUNTS:
• Cane Sugar, glucose, fructose, pure maple syrup, honey, raw fruit.
CANNOT EAT
• Gluten (and similar) – wheat, rye, oat, corn, semolina/tapioca – that is in flour, bread, cake, biscuit, wheat pasta, cuscus, tapioca, beer, malt vinegar.
• Soy, Soya/Tofu, Soy lechtin, Worcester source or MSG.
• Dairy – milk, cream, butter, cheese.
• Bean, pea, guar gum, peanut or cashew nut
• Egg
• Potato, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper
• Raw vegetables (e.g. salad)
• Cashew nut and peanut.
• High fructose corn syrup, aspartame.
• Vegetable oils – except Olive Oil, which is fine.
Thanks Ant, for sharing this great idea with us.
Tex
