Sep 29 2008

Lucy and the Blog

Category: Good Eats, Hyperallergy Girl, Ottawa — Clevergirl @ 3:16 pm

Apparently, Lucy Waverman’s people read my blog (check out the comment!). And apparently! she concurs. Except that, yes, shrimp is a shellfish. She got me there. I am part of the teeny weeny percentage who is hyperallergic to both fish and shellfish and having learned the hard way that many average joes don’t bother to distinguish, I tend to just lump them all together with a simple, “If it lives in water, I can’t touch it.”. Clearly, I’m no professional food expert. ;-)

Oh and just a quick follow-up on the whole Sambal Oelek issue. Most Sambal Oelek is made in countries where little notes like “Made in a facility that also process shrimp…” is not part of the law or habit, so, as Lucy says,… if you’re unsure leave it out.

I can attest to how important that is. Back in KL, I used to buy this Vegetarian Tom Yum soup paste (made in Thailand). The same co. also made a non-veg version. I knew because their similar bottles shared a shelf at my supermarket. One day, I bought a jar of the Veg version and, yeah, reacted. Since then, I’ve pretty much struck Thai food off my list, unless it comes from The Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok. ;-) Or the Khao Thai in Ottawa (though the latter isn’t pure-veg, which can also lead to problems but so far, so good!)

OK… enough stories & enough excitement about Lucy and the Blog… Click Here for the Ottawa Citizen’s 5 Great Places to Eat Vegetarian Food [in Ottawa]. Yeah, I know, I bet you didn’t think that there would be five.

Sep 28 2008

I see it here; I see it there; I see it everywhere

Category: Hyperallergy Girl — Clevergirl @ 1:13 pm

This is actually a post about the latest food additive craze. Are you thinking that I’m writing about a chemical? A cancer-causing fake sugary substance? A colour dye? No, no, and no.

I’m on about DHA. It’s in the yoghurt, the omega-3 eggs, the milk, and the margarine… and you can get it in your vitamins, too.

The scary thing about this is that DHA can be made from fish oil and many many of the above products fail to state whether the source of their DHA is fish or vegetarian. And that’s the scary part right there for people like me who are hyperallergenic to fish.

And if this isn’t enough, Canadian foodie, food writer, and occassional champion of the peanut allergy (because her hubby is allergic), Lucy Waverman, has graced us yesterday with some lovely allergy friendly recipes in her weekly coloumn the Globe and Mail. And while I absolutely can’t wait to try that vegan & lactose-free chocolate cake out (esp on my lactose intolerant 11 year-old), I am askance at her statement that, “If you are allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy or seafood, you can feast on these. “ because the Peanut-free Pad Thai has both *fish sauce* and *sambal oelek* (which can have dried shrimp in it depending on who made it) and so thank you very much for your efforts Lucy but that is clearly NOT seafood-free!!!!!!!

Fish and shellfish allergies are usually listed as being among the top ten hyperfood allergies in the world and yet we get so little respect compared to the other items on the top 10. Everything I send to school *has to be* peanut and nut free, but no one stops to take a second glance for DHA, fish sauce, or sambal oelek in their kids’ lunches or on a shorthaul Air Canada flight, for that matter.

At least I have an epipen or two and my parents brought me up to *ask*, “Excuse me, but what is in that?” before trying anything… cold comfort, I know.

P.S. Coincidentally, My e-allergic friend Allergic Girl has just written about this NYT Article on Fish Oil in your orange juice and while they don’t specify, I assume it is about DHA?

Sep 27 2008

Burn After Reading

Category: Movies — Clevergirl @ 11:59 am

I saw the movie Burn After Reading last night. You should see it if you get the chance. I was quite highly amused (though not as amused as these two women at the back of the theatre who couldn’t stop laughing). As tends to be the case with a film starring Clooney, there is a political and socio-political message to it. But I’m not going to give it away!

It also starred John Malkovich (a favourite of mine) and Brad Pitt (you, know…) who did a good job at reminding the world, yet again, that he’s a versitile actor and shouldn’t be taken as just another pretty face.

The film begins with Malkovich getting fired from his job at the CIA… and really I don’t want to give much more away. See it.

Ironically my Movie-going buddy mused later that Clooney is the Paul Newman of our time and then whammo, this morning we read that Newman has passed away. crazy coincidence!