about
hi, i’m molly. i want to be a better cook. why? because i suffer (like so many of us) from a unique combination of food allergies and intolerances. to be more specific, i am unable to properly digest eggs, soy(a), and cow’s milk, and tend to limit my intake of gluten.
all of this was discovered by a wonderful woman, jutta kuhn, an acupuncturist in san diego, where i used to live.
(i’m in london now)
at first, life was pretty tough. after all, my diet at the time mainly consisted of bread and cheese (no wonder i was sick all the time).
but i quickly learned what to watch out for. luckily, my allergies and intolerances aren’t life-threatening or severe. just very painful and, frankly, inconvenient. nobody likes being the girl at the restaurant asking for substitutions and changes to her meal.
restricted diets can get boring after a while though. especially when you’re not a great cook.
i moved to london in august 2008 with my (english) boyfriend fiance and he taught me a bit about cooking. he’s pescetarian and loves to bake. over the past couple of years, i’ve been collecting recipes and cookbooks and we’ve been experimenting in the kitchen, finding out what we like and don’t like, what works and what doesn’t. baking is always the hardest part — those pesky eggs! but it’s getting better, easier, more natural as time goes by…
while there are plenty of cookbooks out there for (and restaurants who cater to) those with gluten and dairy allergies, there aren’t too many soy-free and egg-free ones. there’s a gap in the market, as far as i’m concerned, and i’d like to fill it.
so…. i started the particular kitchen. it serves as a journal / recipe book / collection of notes as i navigate my way through the kitchen and put together a useful resource for people with the egg / cow’s milk / soy combination of allergies. in addition to this niche, i’ll also be focusing on healthful, whole foods, and a mostly pescetarian diet. now do you see why it’s so particular?
i took a beginner’s course at leiths in december 2009 to learn the culinary basics and essentials. i’m trying to apply the techniques i learned in the course to recipes i’ve been practicing and creating at home.
at the moment, i’m attending leiths again for a food writing course with lulu grimes, which is fantastic. i’m also cooking a lot, taking one-off courses here and there, traveling, eating, drinking, finding inspiration in unlikely places… and planning my spring 2011 wedding!
Comments»
Dear Molly,
Congratulations! I love your website! It is informative and realistic, and I like the photos as well as the recipes. I am thinking that many people will welcome such help in making substitutes for those pesky foods. Best of luck in your endeavors!
B
Hi Molly! Just wanted to stop by and say hi
I know we’ve emailed but I have never visited your blog! Looks like we have much in common as SoCal expats 
You are so lucky to live in London!
hey lara! good to hear from you! looks like you’ll be heading back to sunny california soon though — and for that you are VERY lucky
Hiya my friend recommended this site to me because recently I was told that I am allergic to the following: lentals, eggs, dairy, soya and some nuts. I look forward to reading and hopefully successfully cooking some of your recipies
hey ian! good to meet you – hope you find it useful
Hi, Molly
I took a workshop from your mom yesterday, and she told me about your website. I don’t have — lucky for me — any of the allergies and intolerances that you have, but I am trying to learn as much as I can about it because I have a dear cousin to seems to have them all and she is at a loss as to where to start to address it all. So here I am. Your mum is so looking forward to your visit!
Hiya Molly,
Kathy here for the Food writing course. I just read your piece on the hate words and giggled….
I’ve placed the link to my blog for you to see, and have discovered that I myself have used most of the hate words… This made me laugh out loud! Anyway, we learn as we go along… In my case it’s bumble along.
Your blog is great and I look forward to cooking some of the recipes that you have posted.
See you next Thursday..
KK