The molasses cookies were delicious, soft and chewy. But afterward, my lips started to feel strange, tight and stinging. They were swollen, I realized, my mouth itchy and burning. I was allergic to one of the ingredients.
It's cookie baking time, time for big holiday gatherings, usually focused on the food — gatherings I sometimes dread. Don't I like food? Yes, I adore it, especially consuming it and not having to cook it. Unfortunately, I also have developed allergies and sensitivities to multiple foods, including wheat, rhubarb and some common wheat substitutes like rice and buckwheat. I fear this makes me a downer, the one sitting awkwardly and hungrily at the table while everyone else enjoys dishes I can only stare at longingly.
