davis doe

Throughout life, although you may not realize it, you will often get asked the question Do you have any allergies? Most people would brush off this question because only about 1-5% of people on this planet are allergic to something, let alone multiple things. So, you can imagine people's shock when I responded with "Yes, I am allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, seafood, soy, and beef." After reading that, you might think that my relationship with food would be a negative one, always trying to find out which bit might be my last. However, this outcome was never the case, and I would argue that my food allergies have allowed me to explore both what I eat and how to make it. Let's start by looking back at my first sleep-away summer camp. This was the first time I would be solely responsible for my meals, and due to my restrictive dietary needs, the dining hall at camp was apresensive about having me eat there and suggested that I come up with another way to eat during my stay. So off I went to camp with two boxes of food, a camp stove, and a refrigerator. Now, the meals I made at camp were not the most impressive thing anybody has ever seen, but they laid the foundation for the things to come. Over the next few years, my skills would continue to develop as I continued to excel in camp cooking and began to explore baking. This is not to say I have found having food allergies easy. There have been many times when I have wanted to make something, but was stymied by a missing ingredient that I'm allergic to. However, there have been several instances where I've managed to find a suitable alternative. Those moments only served to propel me further down the culnary road I walk,
And while advancements in the world of science have allowed me to desensitize to many of my allergies, I still maintain a love for cooking and trying new things.