Three San Antonio Chefs Competed to Create Food Allergy Friendly Desserts

for First Annual Alamo ACE Challenge

Event also incorporated medical professionals that educated the community on food allergy triggers and how to treat anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction)

San Antonio, TX [May 13, 2012] — In honor of National Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 13 to May 19), three local chefs attempted to dazzle a judges panel and present a delicious and refreshing summer dessert without the use of ingredients that may cause severe allergic reactions such as milk, peanut and eggs.

The food allergy awareness event, held on Saturday, May 12 as part of a Market Square Mother’s Day celebration, was created on behalf of the Anaphylaxis Community Experts Team in San Antonio, Texas (ACE), a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, through education, advocacy and outreach in the community.

Nationally recognized ACE San Antonio  team leader Dr. Erika Gonzalez-Reyes, and Dr. Joseph Diaz, both of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of South Texas, sponsored the event and provided medical professionals from their clinic who taught the public how to avoid severe allergic reactions and treat the symptoms with the use of an epinephrine auto injector.

The judges’ panel consisted of Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna of District 3 in San Antonio, TX, TV reporter Natalie Tejeda, and Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Sergeant Daniel Rios. Additionally, local production company Machina Cinema, freelance photographer Joshua Cervantes, and Susan Tharp of San Antonio’s Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network also donated their time and services for the event.

“The mission of this food allergy awareness initiative was to increase understanding in the San Antonio community on ways to prevent anaphylaxis and to demonstrate preparedness in the event of an anaphylactic emergency,” said Dr. Gonzalez-Reyes.

“Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening and potentially fatal severe allergic reaction that comes on suddenly and may cause hives, wheezing, and swelling of the tongue, nose and throat after consuming a food with an allergen, and could also result in death. Anaphylaxis also most commonly occurs in the community setting in the absence of a health care professional,” said Dr. Gonzalez-Reyes.

Alamo ACE Challenge Recipes

Piña Colada Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

Panna Cotta:

o 2 cans (13.66 fl oz each) coconut milk

o ¼ cup water

o ½ pack (3.5 g) Gelatin

o 5 T sugar

Lime Rickey:

o Lime juice (1)    

o Rum (2)

o Sugar (3)

Directions:

1. Bring milk to simmer, dissolve sugar, add bloomed gelatin, chill.

2. Trim coconut, slice into ¼ inch – ½ inch rounds and core

3. Submerge trimmed coconut rounds (3) in Malibu rum. Macerate until time to plate.

4. Make Lime Rickey Sauce:

a) Juice 2 limes (2-3 T)

b) Add 4 T sugar

c) Add 6 T rum

5. Reduce until proper consistency, about ½ - don’t caramelize!

6. Let cool to room temperature and reserve for plating.

7. Remove pineapple slices and let drain.

8. Coat top of pineapple with sugar and brullé with torch.

9. Whip gelatinized coconut milk – keep cool.

10. Remove panna cotta and top with brullé pineapple.

11. Pour in Lime Rickey sauce

12. Top center of pineapple with whipped coconut topping.

13. Garnish with small star fruit slice on rim and grated lime zest.

Tropical Ambrosia Salad

Ingredients:

o Papaya: 1/2 cup; medium diced

o Mango: 1/2 cup

o Honeydew: 1/2 cup

o Strawberries: 1/2 cup

o Mandarin orange segments: 1/2 cup

o 1 cup dairy free Smackin Good Whipped Topping  found at www.cbfoods.com

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl.

2. Chill for two hours.

Garnish star fruit slices, sliced strawberries, and bananas.

Fruit Salsa:

o Papaya: 1/2 cup

o Mango: 1/2 cup

o Honeydew: 1/2 cup

o Strawberries: 1/2 cup

o Mint: 1T

o Orange Juice: 1/4c (fresh squeezed)

o Sugar: 1T

Rice Pudding: o 2 cups cooled Basmati

o Soymilk 2 1/3 cup  

o Sugar 12 T

o ½ T vanilla extract

o 4 T cornstarch

(combine with 4T water to form slurry)

Sauce: Hawaiian Ginger Sauce

o Coconut milk: 12 oz

o Papaya:  ½ medium sized (peeled and cut into small dice)

o Ginger: 1 oz. (peeled and thinly sliced)

o Malibu Rum: 1 oz.

o Sugar: 2-3 T

o Lemon juice: 1 T

o Lemon grass: 1 stalk (finely chopped)

Directions:

1. Make rice pudding:

a) Combine basmati, soymilk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan bring to simmer.

b) Add cornstarch slurry cook till thick for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

c) Add cooked basmati rice, mix well pour into 10 inch pie tin and refrigerate overnight.

2. Make Coconut Ginger:

a) Cook papaya in coconut milk for 10 minutes

b) Small dice all fruit, add orange juice, sugar, mint, reserve.

c) Process mixture, strain, return to saucepan.

d) Add ginger, rum, and lemongrass, bring to simmer. Remove from heat and steep till service.

e) Strain, add sugar and lemon juice, and whisk vigorously, reserve.

3. Invert rice pudding on worktable and top with fruit salsa.

Cut desired shape, plate and drizzle with sauce.

Garnish with mint leaves.

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For more information on this event or to schedule an interview with Drs. Gonzalez-Reyes and/or Joseph Diaz about Alamo ACE Challenge, please contact Ivonne Vega at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (210) 616-5392.

About ACEs

Anaphylaxis Community Experts (ACEs) is an award-winning national program to raise awareness, reduce anxiety and eliminate deaths due to anaphylaxis through education, advocacy and outreach. This program is sponsored by Dey Pharma, LP.

About Dr. Erika Gonzalez-Reyes

Dr. Erika Gonzalez-Reyes is board certified with the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and the American Board of Pediatrics. After serving in the USAF for ten years, she joined Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of South Texas and specializes in the treatment and management of food allergies and anaphylaxis. She is also an ACE leader for the San Antonio area and is dedicated to increasing community awareness of food allergies to help prevent death from anaphylaxis.

About Dr. Joseph Diaz

Dr. Joseph Diaz is board certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. He has specialized in the treatment of allergies, asthma and immunology for almost 25 years having founded Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Associates of South Texas in 1989. Dr. Diaz also serves as Medical Director of Allergy and Asthma Research Center, which prides itself in conducting cutting edge research in asthma and allergic medicinal innovations. With four locations in San Antonio, he is committed to providing the best allergy care to the San Antonio community.