Writing with Food Allergies

Celiac Disease and other food allergies limit what you can eat, but don’t limit your imagination. In my novels my characters are treated to sumptuous cuisine, whipped up by the most villainous of villains, or devious of mothers. As a thriller writer who can’t eat gluten or dairy, I derive vicarious enjoyment, salivating as my killers, stalkers, and victims scarf down forbidden food.

Baguette and Cheese

Here’s a scene from A Reluctant Spy, in which the villain makes breakfast for my protagonist, Madeline, whom he has held in his house against her will.

He melts an obscene gob of butter in a large skillet, dips the toast in egg mixture, and throws it onto the foaming butter. While it sizzles, he pours the remaining egg evenly over the slices, turns them, adds more butter as topping, and sprinkles all with cinnamon.

Everything he does is over the top.

He serves us each two slices, with fresh-squeezed orange juice.

It’s to die for.

And here is Madeline’s mother in action.

There’s a divine fragrance in the house. My mother has baked my favorite dessert, an apple cake, which sits on the counter, glossy and glistening with glazed apples. We stop to admire it, and a lump the size of Ithaca sticks in my throat. I’m an imperfect daughter, for sure.

…

“Mom! We can’t live together if there has to be a debate every time I want to go out on my own. I’m a grown-up, I’m okay being outside in the dark.”

She’s stunned. Until today I’ve been docile, accepting her ministrations with grateful silence. Things have been more or less harmonious between us. She stares at me, hurt bafflement on her face. My mother and the apple cake, accusing me.

Glazed Apple Cake

Cakes with real flour, bread with gluten, desserts with real whipped cream. Sigh. My characters enjoy them all.