When we saw Eileen Rhude Yoder, Ph.D., was updating and expanding The Allergy-Free Cookbook (Running Press, 2009), we applauded the rerelease of this informative and helpful book. According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, more than 12 million Americans have food allergies, and between 1997 and 2002, peanut allergies alone doubled in children.

Since the book’s original publication in 1987, there have been advances in screening for food allergies and much-needed improvements in food-labeling laws, Yoder notes in the preface. The author writes from personal experience, as she and her daughters suffer from severe allergies — her unwillingness to settle for boring food led her to develop these dishes. There also are tips on shopping, meal planning and food substitutes.

The recipes contained in the book exclude most or all of the eight most common food allergens: milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. Following is one of Yoder’s recipes.

Honey Baked Chicken

2 tablespoons oil

1 (3-pound) chicken, skin removed, cut into serving-size pieces

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon thyme

2 large apples, sliced

2 teaspoons honey

¼ cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle the chicken with seasonings and brown in hot oil on all sides. Transfer to an 11-by-17-inch baking dish. Place apple slices between the chicken pieces, drizzle with honey and pour juice over all. Cover and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Serve hot.

Serves 6

NUTRITION SCORE (per serving)

254 calories (40% from fat)

Fat: 11 g; 2.3 saturated

Carbs: 13 g

Protein: 25 g

Fiber: 1.8 g

Calcium: 21.7 mg

Iron: 1.4 mg

Sodium: 460 mg

Upon reading Yoder’s recipes, we notice they sound tasty first, allergy-free second. We hope allergy sufferers will feel the same way. How do you or your family and friends cope with food allergies?

Tags: Allergen, Allergology, Allergy, Anaphylaxis, author, Biology, Eileen Rhude Yoder, food, food allergens, Food allergies, Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, food substitutes, food-labeling laws, Hospitality/Recreation, Immune system, Immunology, Medicine, Peanut allergy, Pulmonology