Just when you thought you heard of everything related to food, comes a local cookbook author spreading the word about an oddity of allergies. Kathleen Cahoj, a teacher at Junction Hill school wrote her first cookbook on an allergy she got from a tick bite, the Alpha Gal Mammal Meat allergy. AG is a tick transmitted allergy that causes one to have a delayed allergic reaction to mammal meat, and in some cases dairy products as well. Katie comes from a long line of great cooks, a native to Howell County, and along with her husband and dogs, lives on a farm in Pomona. Her passion for cooking and the lack of information on AG led her to create recipes for her condition and self published a cookbook so others with AG can still eat the foods they love. Since it's an early tick season, ( already found one on the dog) I wanted to feature Katie for those who may be going through the same issues or what to look for in this allergy. Just 2 years ago, Katie was having panic attacks, she was also having a hard time regulating her heart beat. A week later she was in the emergency room thinking she was having a stroke. If it weren't for the doctor wanting to run a tick panel that proved positive for Alpha Gal, her fate would be so different. Today, Katie is healthy with lowered cholesterol, lower blood pressure and more energy to tackle a new garden and landscaping. Her friends teased her that she only wrote the book "out of spite" but thank goodness she did! You can find Katie's cookbook, An Alpha Gal Cooks on Amazon along with a couple of children's books she wrote several years ago. Thank you Katie for sharing your story and educating many on an allergy from a tick bite. The cookbook is lovely and I'll be looking forward to the next book! Katie was so kind to share a recipe from the book and like all her recipes, they aren't just for AG eaters but are adaptable for vegetarians, vegan, gluten free and regular diets too.
Easy Weeknight Ranch Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. ranch
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 t. garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 425.
Dry off chicken breasts as much as possible. On a non-stick sheet pan, place the chicken. In a bowl, combine the mayo, ranch and seasonings. Generously coat the tops of the chicken breasts with the mayo ranch mixture. Bake chicken for 30 mins. or until done. Serve with a quick salad or side of veggies. Serves 4.
