This will be my first Thanksgiving with food allergies. I'm sure that those of you who have been through this already remember the uncertainty. The funny thing is, I don't feel very worried about dinner this year, myself. I've been cooking gluten-free ever since I've been back from study abroad, and for the last 2 months I've been skipping the eggs, soy, and dairy as well. And I know that I can make tasty food - cookies and pies that non-allergic people swoon over. It's my family thats having a little trouble.
My brother, who is a freshman at the same college I attend, went home a few weekends ago. My mum was talking to him about the upcoming holiday and the accommodations that may be necessary for my allergies, and apparently by the end of the discussion, both my brother and step-dad were staring her with their noses wrinkled, asking "But how is it going to taste?" Apparently alternatives grains and soy-free margarine just don't get their juices flowing. My mum is a lot less picky and a lot more open-minded, but I can tell she's a little intimidated by the seeming enormity of the task.
I ended up sending a long email to my mum, step-dad, and dad (who will be joining us for dinner, with his mom. Yes, I have an unusual divorced family) explaining some options for producing the familiar dishes of Thanksgiving in a form that won't make me sick for three days. And I added a little plaintiveness, meekly saying that I like food and I like sharing food with people I love, and I hope it isn't too much trouble to make things safe for me, and I firmly believe that everything will be just as delicious as what they're used to.
But now I have to prove it. Pretty words will only go so far if the pie ain't good. And so, the 2009 Pumpkin Pie Project. I looked at
...blended...
...and strained...
... all through the night. The result wasn't quite what I was looking for, but hopefully, by the time big Turkey Day rolls around, it will be.
And you know what? It really wasn't half bad.
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