My name is Dora and I am the voice, author, recipe developer, and allium-free eater behind From Dora’s Kitchen.
My husband Peter is a photographer, director, IT wizard, and taster of the allium-free meals. Together we are exploring Europe at the moment, cooking delicious allium-free meals, and spending time with our adorable dwarf hamster Malina.
I’m eating allium-free meals because I have an allium allergy. Getting diagnosed with allium allergy made me change my lifestyle, learn how to cook, and open the world of delicious flavors. It is not all that bad when you can’t eat alliums.
I love learning, and I am a very curious person. Probably that is the reason why I finished Midwifery and nursing school, worked in the hospital, and then decided to switch careers. I finished my master’s in education and started working as a teacher. I love teaching a lot, and I always learn something new!
In my free time, you will probably find me most of the time in the kitchen creating new recipes or testing them. And when I’m not in the kitchen cooking, I’m exploring cities with my husband, visiting museums, concerts, theaters, reading books, and drinking coffee.
Why allium-free recipes?
In 2009 I was diagnosed with an allium allergy. I was 15, and my world changed over the night, and I felt completely lost. My family was very supportive and my grandma and mum immediately started thinking about how to cook without alliums. We were learning slowly, making lots of mistakes at the beginning, but in the end, we found ways to have allium-free meals.
Getting diagnosed with an allium allergy can make your life a bit complicated and chaotic. I remember that I had to skip so many delicious-looking meals, and going to the restaurant was a nightmare for me. Well, it changed for me when I met my husband Peter.
From the first day, he is very understanding, and supportive. Whenever we are eating in the restaurant he always tries my meal before me to see if it is safe for me. And if I accidentally ate alliums, he is taking care of me. Also, we banned alliums in our home and kitchen.
Why are some of the recipes gallstone-friendly?
2020 was a challenging year for everyone. At the end of the year, I started to experience strange symptoms, but I ignored them because I thought it was stress, and I continued with my life. But my strategy was wrong, and in 2021 I ended up in the emergency room because of a horrible stomach ache and fever. The doctors find out that I have gallstones.
This diagnosis made me change my lifestyle again. I learned new ways of cooking, and I changed my daily routine. I still have gallstones and am waiting for the surgery to remove them. Luckily with my lifestyle changes and eating habits, I’m keeping them under control most of the time.
Why did we start a food blog?
The idea to start a food blog came to life a little bit after Peter and I got married. We were cooking dinner together, and Peter started taking photos and videos of our cooking. We had so much fun, and our kitchen was echoing from our laughter. While we were eating our delicious dinner, we started talking about how much fun it was, and how we should maybe start a food blog as our couple project. And this is the story of how the idea to start a food blog was born.
In the beginning, we decided to call our food blog Onion Free Food. We liked the name, but along the way, we started thinking that maybe it was time to change the name. During our walk in the sunshine, Peter suggested the name Dora’s Kitchen. But that name was taken, so I came up with what if we put From at the front. And bingo, the name was free, and our food blog got a new name! So, if you come across our website with the name Onion Free Food, you will know that it was the name that we picked first.
What would you find on our food blog?
On our food blog Form Dora’s Kitchen you can find these 4 things:
Delicious allium-free recipes – cooking without alliums is easy, and it opens up a world of flavors. It also allows you to get creative with the taste, and play with the different flavors.
Blog post about allium allergy – you can read about allium allergy from two different sides. I will share with you my personal experience with allium allergy with my tips and tricks. And since one of my degrees is in the medical field, I will explain everything about allium allergy from a medical perspective (from how it happens, mechanics, symptoms, testing…).
Blog articles about GERD and gallstones – besides allium allergy, I have GERD and gallstones. In my blog section, I will also share my experience with GERD and gallstones with tips & tricks, and the medical side of them. And if you are wondering, GERD, gallstone and allium allergy have one huge thing in common. Alliums are triggering gallstone attacks, GERD, and reflux episodes.
Cooking tips & tricks – sometimes I will share my cooking tips & tricks, or a guide to how to season the food without using onions or garlic.
What you won’t find on our food blog?
There are 3 things you will never find on our food blog:
Tasteless and boring allium-free recipes – cooking without onion, garlic, and other alliums doesn’t mean that food is tasteless. We are using lots of herbs, spices, and vegetables to create a delicious taste. Usually, onion and garlic dominate the taste, and when you remove them, other ingredients have a chance to shine and show you their flavor.
Allium-infused oils – sometimes people suggest using allium-infused oils as a substitute for onion, and garlic. Maybe this substitute can work if you have IBS and follow a LOW FODMAP diet, but they are dangerous for us with allium allergy and allium intolerance. In our recipes, we will never use allium-infused oils.
Alliums in powder form – we find in so many places that people are suggesting using alliums in powder form to substitute alliums. Alliums in powder form still contain allergens, and they are causing allergic reactions and intolerance. We never cook with alliums in powder form, and you will not find any recipe on our food blog with alliums in powder form.
We’d love to hear from you!
We love our visitors, readers of our food blog, and the community that we are building. With every message you are cheering up our day, and we love reading your comments, questions, and feedback.
It means a lot to us if we help you bring a flavor to your plate, or make your life eating allium-free a little bit easier!
Say hello, give us feedback on our recipe, and blog posts, or let us know what recipe you want to eat in the allium-free version! Let’s get in touch! You can reach us by sending an email to: hello@fromdoraskitchen.com, leaving a comment on our food blog or FB and Instagram.
In the end, we want to share our 3 favorite recipes.
Peter: Marry Me Chicken, Greek Chicken Wraps, Healthy & Easy Oat Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Dora: Aunt Ida’s Favorite Potato Casserole, Cabbage with Noodles, Dalmatian Style Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Cabbage
What is your favorite recipe? Let us know!