We opened KD's Fish Fry on January 14, 2007. Two days after we opened, a customer walked in with his teenage daughter and said "We have Celiac. What can we eat?" I asked them to give me one week and I would fix them up. At this point, I had been diagnosed with Colitis and knew that I needed to go wheat/gluten free.
However, I had no idea that my sales people would come up empty handed for products and a major food manufacturer would inform me that not only did they have no products available, they had no intention of developing any. So, 30 plus years in the biz, being half Irish, half Italian, and Taurus to boot, my kitchen witch reared it's not so ugly head and I created safe breadings for fried foods.
About two weeks later my first dairy free person walked in and I revised the effected recipes. Next was soy and then egg. I just can not say no to people and if I can put ingredients together that will work and taste great then that is what I will do.
I am my own worst critic, I will not put it out unless you can't tell the difference. Feb. of last year I went full blown Celiac.
Up until April of 2008 I had tried to get a manufacturer to get on board with me and make a SOY free butter alternative. Yes I knew about Mother's and Migdal but that is only for passover and they refused to sell any to me as I am not Jewish, ( No, I am not kidding). The manufacturers again blew me off and again my nature took over and I created a wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, soy free butter alternative that I filed a patent on in September 2008. I am waiting on a nutrition label and then how to go about making it available to the general public.
When I have time I read the allergy blogs and it brings tears to my eyes. People need to eat safely. They also need to be able to afford the food they eat. That is why I search high and low to get the best price on certified products, and this tenacity has allowed me to keep the fish fry allergen free menu at the same price as the regular menu.
At our meetings of the Celiac/Food Allergy Support Group, I provide a nice tasting menu that includes wheat/gluten/dairy/egg/soy/nut free items from appetizers to desserts. I know that I can't make everything everything free but I have a knack for getting pretty close.
That is why I am called the Kitchen Witch, it's alchemy! Besides Chef is such a masculine word. Help spread the word about me and what I am trying to do for the foodies who need alternatives. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, and thanks for appreciating what I do. Dawn