Being a personal chef can be a rewarding career, especially around the holidays when you can use your creativity to cook masterpieces for elaborate dinner parties. The holidays are synonymous with sweets, evident by the tradition of leaving cookies out for Santa. Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy these tasty treats due to dietary restrictions and food allergies. In fact, according to the Food Allergy Research and Education group, up to 15 million Americans have food allergies. Since one in every thirteen children is affected by this condition, if you're a personal chef there's a good chance you'll be cooking for someone with these strict dietary needs.
"My son has a severe peanut allergy, but even more challenging, my mom and aunt have gluten-free diets. For them we make a variety of meringues and macaroons, but how many of those can a person eat, especially when everyone else has such a wide selection?" questions Jodi Mitori of the St. Louis Post. Mitori recently spelled out some tips to adhere to when baking for someone with food allergies.
One important tip is to consider which ingredients you can swap out of the recipe without the cookie losing its taste. For instance, Mitori learned that in certain recipes that call for peanut butter, she can substitute the nut spread for sunflower seed butter when she's baking for those who are allergic to nuts.
Furthermore, it is also important to make sure that each and every one of your ingredients cannot be traced back to specific allergens. Check the labels to ensure that your foods were not processed in a factory with peanuts, wheat or any additional allergens that you need to avoid.
As always, if you're looking to showcase your culinary skills during this time of year, be sure to register with Colonial Domestic Agency.