A Conversation with Ming Tsai
Credit Emily Sterne
FAAN extends its heartfelt thanks to popular chef and FAAN member, Ming Tsai, for his efforts in support of food allergy awareness and education. Ming is the owner of the well-known Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Mass., and host of TV’s Simply Ming cooking show. Ming serves as a national FAAN spokesman and collaborated with WGBH, Boston’s public television station, on an awareness campaign that incorporated a peanut-allergy storyline into the preschool cartoon Arthur. He was also the honorary chair of FAAN’s 2009 Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure in Boston, one of a series of walks around the country that raises money for food allergy education and research. Ming’s son has multiple food allergies.
Q. What advice can you give about cooking for someone with food allergies? About dining out?
A. Go to FAAN’s Web site, www.foodallergy.org—it’s a great resource. As with all cooking, taste as you go. Food has to taste good. Just because you have to use rice instead of wheat doesn’t mean it can’t taste good. One secret I use when making fried rice or almost anything, really, is to make it kid-friendly. I add really finely minced onions, and sometimes I even puree them in a food processor so the kids can’t see them. The onions provide incredible flavor to so many savory dishes. When dining out, calling ahead is the first step. Let the restaurant know that you have someone with food allergies in your party. In my experience, it’s easier to tell the wait staff not just what you can’t have, but also exactly what you can have. For instance, “I can only have chicken with broccoli.” It’s less confusing. Also, let the staff know that this means clean pans, clean tongs, etc., must be used to prevent cross contact.
Q. How has your son learned to cope with his food allergies? What kinds of foods do you cook for him?
A. Our son has adjusted very well. He knows he cannot eat anything given to him by anyone other than his parents or his teachers. He simply says, “No, thank you, I have food allergies.” We used to feed our son only rice based carbs. He drinks rice milk that’s been fortified. We do rice noodles, stir fry. He can eat all kinds of proteins. Kids love ground meat—beef, pork, lamb—which are all great in a stir-fry. Again, the trick is to use aromatics to create great flavor, either by using finely minced onion or these fantastic garlic and scallion oils made by Stonewall Kitchen. They have wonderful flavor! By the way, my wife and our babysitter do this, too; it’s not haute cuisine.
Q. What have you and your family learned from dealing with your son’s food allergies?
A. It’s incredibly common now, but there are still restaurants and people in the service industry who don’t bend over backward to make a dining experience safe and enjoyable, which is a crying shame. Also, humans make mistakes. Double and triple-check! Ask, “Do you have peanuts in the restaurant?” Don’t feel like you’re being a pain. They are there to serve you. When you get a dish, have them repeat what is in it and what is not in it.
Q. What difficulties or joys have you experienced while dealing with your son’s food allergies?
A. Joys came later in that by going through this, just as with so many things in life, you can help others. Being able to assist others based on our private experience is always nice. Some people may feel overwhelmed by their child’s food allergies—luckily, I’m a chef. So, I’m happy to help others with my knowledge of this problem.
Q. As a chef, what do you have to say about cooking for guests with a food allergy?
A. As most chefs now understand, allergies are a real and serious issue—they need to be dealt with seriously because it can be a life or death situation. These same chefs also understand that cooking well for those with food allergies is a great way to maintain repeat business. One place that does this really well is Walt Disney World. I was just there with my family, and I have never seen a restaurant company handle allergies so well. What they did for our peace of mind was amazing. I cannot say enough about how pleased I was with the level of service and care they provided.
Do you like to cook? Try a recipe of Ming Tsai’s that is free of the top eight allergens. To learn more about Ming Tsai, visit his website: www.ming.com.
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