New Dessert: Pan di Spagna

Pan di Spagna

Chiffon cake (flour, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, baking powder), topped with pistachio puree (pistachio, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, gelatin) and candied orange zest (orange zest, sugar.) Huckleberries are cooked with Combier Royal and sugar and flambée. Served with a celery root purée (celery root cooked with milk and sugar and pureed with cream cheese). [Gluten, Dairy, Nuts, Alcohol (cooked out, but be aware for religious reasons), Eggs, Gelatin]

Fun with Allergies

Food Allergies at The Salty Pig

Always alert both the chef, the MOD and mark the ticket with all known allergies.

Allergy/ Food Concern	Follow-up Questions	Notes
Nuts	All nuts? Can you eat pine nuts and other seeds? Can you eat peanuts?	Pine nuts are seeds, and generally safe for nut only allergies. Peanuts are technically legumes but they are also one of the most common allergens. We don’t use peanut oil for frying but we do sometimes have them in our kitchen.
Shellfish	All shellfish?/ what types of shellfish? Can you eat something that was fried in oil that fried calamari?	Types of shellfish: Bivalves: Clams, mussels, scallops Crustaceans: lobsters, langoustines, shrimp, crab, crayfish Cephalopods: Octopus, squid, cuttlefish. Misc: Sea urchin, plankton, snails We often fry squid or other shellfish in the same oil where other ingredients are fried. In cases of severe allergy, this might be a problem.
Gluten	Shared oils?	As we know, there are many guests avoiding gluten for non-life threatening reasons. At the same time, it’s important to remember that some guests have incredibly serious gluten allergies as well as Celiac disease. For these guests, any trace of gluten can lead to very serious consequences either immediately or in the long run. It’s our job to keep them safe! There is gluten in Farro, an ancient grain related to wheat. There is no gluten in buckwheat, which is not a wheat and is instead related to rhubarb and sorrel.
Soy		There is no gluten in soy. These two get confused sometimes because there is gluten in soy sauce. Soy is its own allergen, though, and needs to be taken seriously. Soy is found in soy sauce, miso, tofu, edamame.
Dairy/ Lactose Intolerance	Clarify whether this is a lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy. Is butter ok?	All dairy allergy: mark the ticket as such: this means no butter, no milk, no parmesan, no milk chocolate. Nothing that comes from milk. Lactose intolerance: this is a very common intolerance, for people who are missing the lactase enzyme. They can’t break down lactose, the sugar in milk. Butter and aged cheeses don’t contain much lactose and are generally safe for these guests. Always check with the guest. Guests will also sometimes take lactose pills to help digestion.
Onions/ garlic	Are you allergic to all allium? Are stocks ok? Are cooked allium ok?	If guest says “I’m allergic to onions”, or something like that. Ask 1. Can you have onions that have been cooked in stocks or sauces? 2. Are you allergic to any other allium, like garlic, shallots, leeks, chives or ramps?
Mushrooms	Are truffles ok? Are traces of mushrooms in stocks ok?	We generally don’t use mushrooms in our stocks, but always check with the chefs—there are sometimes mushroom stems in some of our stocks.
Nightshades (tomato, eggplant, bellpeppers)	Cooked ok? Stocks ok? Does it include chilli peppers/ cracked pepper?
Tree fruits (ex: apples)	Raw? Cooked? Are stocks ok?
Pregnant guests	What are you avoiding?	Some guests will have very clear guidelines, while others will need more guidance. “What temperature would you like your proteins cooked to?” “Are you avoiding unpasteurized cheeses?” “Are you avoiding cured meats?”
Vegetarian guests	Do you eat dairy and eggs? Do you avoid gelatin?
Guests avoiding a certain ingredient for reasons other than allergy (religious/ moral/ preference)	Are stocks ok? Is alcohol ok if it has been cooked down? If no Pork/ no Beef: is Gelatin ok?	Gelatin is an animal product. It’s made from bones of animals, and the package doesn’t inform us whether they are from cows or pigs. Some folks who avoid one of those animals will also avoid gelatin.

Note on verbiage:

1. We want to be very sensitive when addressing guests, and aware of any embarrassment the questions might ask cause them. Imagine you are on a first date/ business dinner/ meeting your significant other’s parents. It can be awkward to talk about your diet/ religion/ pregnancy/ digestive problems in front of them. Our job is to get all the information we need as quickly and discreetly as possible.

2. Words to avoid: “Shared oils”/ “Cross contamination.” Instead say something like “If something is fried in oil that was also used for [allergen] is that ok?”

Difference between allergies and intolerances:

-A food allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a specific food protein. When the food protein is ingested, in can trigger an allergic reaction that may include a range of symptoms from mild symptoms (rashes, hives, itching, swelling, etc.) to severe symptoms (trouble breathing, wheezing, loss of consciousness, etc.). A food allergy can be potentially fatal.

- Unlike food allergies, food intolerances do not involve the immune system. For example, people who are lactose intolerant are missing the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. As a result, lactose-intolerant patients are unable to digest these foods, and may experience symptoms such as nausea, cramps, gas, bloating and diarrhea. While lactose intolerance can cause great discomfort, it is not life-threatening.

- Celiac Disease is an extreme gluten intolerance that involves the immune system but doesn’t cause anaphylaxis. The immune system attacks the lining in the small intestine and prevents the person from absorbing other nutrients. Because there is no immediate reaction, the person won’t know that they have been exposed to gluten. All cross contamination must be avoided. Generally guests are very forward about the fact that they have Celiac’s, but we have to be vigilant whenever someone says they have a gluten intolerance. Inquire about shared oils, soy sauce and grains processed in the same facilities as wheat.

New Cheese: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Cabot Creamery in Jasper Hills Farm in Greensboro, VT. Aged for 14 months.

Unpasteurized (raw) Cow’s milk cheese. English style cheddar. This cheddar is coated in lard between layers of cloth so beware for vegetarian or non-pork eating guests.

New Pasta: Potato Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi

Gorgonzola Dolce, Radicchio, Walnuts

Gnocchi (Potatoes, flour, egg yolk) is served with a sauce made of toasted walnuts (salt, pepper), to which is added to a reduction of cream reduced and gorgonzola dolce grilled radicchio (olive oil, salt pepper) and finely cut

New Dessert

Chocolate and Espresso Torta

Ancient grains, stout ice cream

Torta (italian for cake) is gluten free (eggs, butter, sugar, cafe borgetti, freshly brewed coffee) baked in a water bath, served chilled topped with toasted flax seed, chia seed, sprouted quinoa, sorghum, buckwheat (not a wheat). Grains are also gluten free. Finished with Maldon sea salt and stout ice cream (founders breakfast stout, sugar, glucose syrup, egg yolks, cream.) (Alcohol, gluten (in ice cream only), dairy, eggs).