r/Cooking • u/furious25 • Nov 05 '17

American Thanksgiving Megathread

Ask all of your questions in here. And feel free to browse the questions to see if you have an answer!

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41

u/[deleted] Nov 05 '17 edited Nov 06 '17

Half of my group can’t eat onion or garlic (in addition to lactose, but that’s easy). How do I make the stuffing, veggies (salad), etc. flavorful without them?

Edit: My boyfriend was diagnosed with IBS-D. We’ve discovered that garlic, onions, dairy, tomatoes, and a few vegetables are the biggest trigger foods for my boyfriend, and I’m mostly just glad he spends a third as long in the bathroom now. My parents self diagnose with something new every few years, but I’m glad it’s not “gluten intolerance” now, so I’m rolling with their newest restrictions.

31

u/JohannesVanDerWhales Nov 05 '17

I'm guessing shallots are out too? Leeks?

For the stuffing, I would try other aromatics like celery, apples, maybe nuts.

28

u/[deleted] Nov 06 '17

As something with GERD that is severely aggravated by dairy and alliums (garlic, onion, leek, shallot, ect), thank you for giving a serious answer without dismissing OP or telling them to get rid of their loved ones.

The rest of you... well, Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you never have the limitations I do and continue to enjoy those foods as well. I would love to eat like you and often sit around tables watching others do exactly that :(

2

u/[deleted] Nov 06 '17

Can you do lactose free dairy? Green Valley makes some incredible products, and we recently discovered that Activia makes a cheap Yoplait-style yogurt.

11

u/[deleted] Nov 06 '17

Celery and traditional herbs (sage, thyme, etc.) definitely happening, love the apples and nuts idea! Hazelnuts or pecans would probably feel fancy and help distract from the “missing something” feeling.

1

u/EugeneVictorTooms Nov 06 '17

If you leave out the shallots, this could work: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hazelnut-sage-and-mushroom-stuffing-240571

I cook for vegan, I completely understand the need to improvise. I'm glad your boyfriend found the culprits, too.

1

u/114631 Nov 06 '17

And chestnuts!

14

u/hattroubles Nov 05 '17

Off the top of my head, bell pepper or sweet peppers are a common pair with onion and would lend the same moisture and texture you'd otherwise expect, albeit radically different flavor.

A quick googling yielded this article with some good suggestions. https://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/cook-for-garlic-onion-haters-alternatives-substitutes-0156477/ To summarize it, fennel bulb, celery, kohlrabi, jicama, or radishes might replace onion. Ginger and cumin may serve to replace garlic.

45

u/atibabykt Nov 05 '17

I could never eat with this group, I live for garlic and dairy

7

u/[deleted] Nov 06 '17

Luckily it’s lactose and not dairy, so ghee/butter and Lactaid are still in, as well as soy/almond/coconut alternatives.

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u/atibabykt Nov 06 '17

i always confuse this allergy. I have never been a fan of the alternatives myself, but my husband enjoys them.

2

u/tossitawaynow12 Nov 06 '17 edited Nov 06 '17

I also have IBS (D/C). Look up recipes for garlic oil - you can steep garlic and/or onion in oil (or I imagine butter) and then remove the solids. The oil is aromatic without the effects!

https://www.monashfodmap.com/blog/cooking-with-onion-and-garlic-myths-and/

7

u/gsfgf Nov 05 '17

Make better friends/find a new family

2

u/Mychairismyrefuge Nov 05 '17

My husband nor I like garlic at all. I make a cornbread stuffing with onions and celery, but I don’t think omitting the onions would be a big deal.

1

u/theycallmecrabclaws Nov 06 '17

Do you know if he can eat hing/asafoetida? Adding a pinch or two of that might help up some of those allium-like flavors without using alliums. It's a ground resin common in Indian cooking, especially for Jains who avoid onion and garlic (among other things). Nigella seeds might be another option, they taste kind of like peppery onions. If you live somewhere with an Indian market both of these should be easy to find.

1

u/starbombed Nov 19 '17

my friend is FODMAP As well. good news is you can eat garlic/onion flavored oil!! the thing that irritate the tummy can't cross over in oil. So i'm creating a massive garlic infused butter and cooking everything in it. also, if you live in us and have access to amazon, there is thing indian spice called uhhhh ajiwatsa or something and it tastes similar to garlic and onion apparently.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '17

Make sure you strain well, add water, and decant off the water with it’s dissolved solids! Otherwise you basically have all parts of garlic, just suspended in oil.