A while ago I had a conversation with someone (let’s call him JD). He complained about his food being boring, tasteless and dry. Unpleasant to eat. He claimed to lack the creativity to solve this problem. He didn’t know where to start!

On top of that he had recently discovered that he suffers from a histamine allergy. He was advised to cut numerous foods from his diet. Things like: tomatoes, peppers, fermented products (ieg soy, yogurt, sauerkraut etc.), spices like cinnamon, cumin, pepper, coriander. The list is not only extensive, the information about what to leave out is often confusing and contradictory. Making things rather complicated!

I decided to offer my help. I suggested to come over to his house and show him how to prepare delicious plantbased food within his restrictions. An appointment was made quickly.

In the meantime I did some research about the do’s and don’ts with regards to this allergy. I have to admit it was a bit daunting. I am so used to cooking with cumin, cinnamon, coriander, tomatoes, peppers etcetera, that being unable to use those ingredients forced me to step out of my comfort zone. A challenge but an opportunity at the same time!

Confident and excited I headed to his home with a crate full of fresh herbs, spices, lentils, different kind of veggies and much more! We spent four to five hours preparing all kinds of dishes, meanwhile explaining how to substitute eggs, meat, cheese, fish etcetera. I taught him the benefits of using fresh herbs and how to incorporate flavour and texture into a dish.

We managed to prepare a long list of dishes, among which: