SC - Seeking period recipes & sources...

[Decker, Terry D.]

 Mistress Christianna MacGrain asked:
> Do your bananas sit out in the open air?  Then you have eaten a paritally
> fermented fruit.  At the health food store I work in, we have people all
> the time asking for non-alcoholic tinctures.  One of the companies that
> produces herb tinctures has a hand-out about this topic, and it is called
> "Do bananas make you tipsy?"  The point is that in SMALL doses (such as a
> dropper full of a tincture)  the amount of alcohol is less than that of
> your average banana. 

No, bananas don't make me tipsy, and I leave them out on the counter 
until we eventually eat them (or they turn into banana bread).
 
> 	Doesn't mean that alcohol intolerance is anything to mess with, I
> know that sometimes even one 4 oz. drink is enough for a serious hangover
> for me, and sometimes, I can have several small drinks (over a long
> evening, interspersed with lots of water) and have no reation at all.  I
> had to give up drinking wine for the most part, due I think to the
> aldehydes (sp?) in it and the migraines they caused.  

In my case we are not sure what the actual ingredient (compound?) is 
that I am allergic to.  I spoke to my doctor about it, and while she 
was quite concerned about the reaction (3 days of violent migranes 
and vomiting from a small amount of beef stew cooked with wine), she 
didn't think we needed to do any further testing.  I do not "do" 
alcohol for religious reasons, so if it weren't for the SCA I never 
would have discovered the problem.  My doctor's attitude was, unless 
I have a compelling reason for wanting to be tested (like wanting to 
know if I can safely have some forms of alcohol), it isn't worth the 
time, effort and risk.  Since I have several other (non-food) life 
threatening allergies, I was told that avoidance was the best option.

As I indicated, I take responsibility for ALL of my allergies.  I 
get a hotel room if the only crash space available involves cats or 
smoke.  I tell my new pharmacist about drug allergies.  When I know I 
am going to an event, I try to contact the head cook ahead of time 
(not for special consideration -- just to find out if there 
will be enough food that is safe for me to eat before we pay our 
reservation fee).  If you don't post an ingredient list and I find 
myself at your event at the last minute (planning around a toddler 
can be difficult), well, I'll be looking to speak with the cook -- 
again, not for special consideration (of course not, on the day!), 
just to find out what I shouldn't eat.  I'm not a food wuss, I just 
like breathing the WHOLE way home.

Claricia Nyetgale
allergy sufferer, cook, and adventurous eater
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