My dream is to offer instruction in alternative cooking -- to teach people how to cook without gluten, dairy products or cholesterol. I am dairy and gluten intolerant and required to eat a low-cholesterol diet. Virtually no processed food or restaurant selections are available without dairy or gluten. Cooking is a passion for me. I'd like to become the "Alternative Cook" and start a company to help others by producing instructional DVDs to teach people to cook flavorful foods that meet dietary restrictions.

Thirty million Americans have food intolerances, according to the Center for Disease Prevention, and the National Institute of Health estimates 11 million have food allergies. Three million Americans have celiac disease and avoid gluten. Sixty-seven million cannot digest lactose. Cardiovascular disease affects about 102 million Americans.

I have attempted to live my dream by honing my skills at the School for Natural Cookery in Boulder, Colorado. I am certified in their "Main Course" and completed Bread, Pastry and Vegan Gastronomie in their "Professional Course." I take private lessons in gluten-free baking from a chef. My recipes and methods show how to use whole, unrefined, unprocessed foods -- vegetables, beans, nuts, fruits and grains -- in ways that are pleasing to the pallet and fun to prepare. I can bake a chocolate cake (that tastes good!) without eggs, butter or wheat flour. And the things I can do with a nut and a bean!

Doctors prescribe dietary restrictions, but no one shows you how to cook "without." When my father had a heart attack, the doctor said, "No cholesterol." My mother did not know how to cook without animal products. We suffered with meals made of "texturized soy protein." This experience and my own intolerances prompted me to learn to cook "without."

I have developed storyboards for DVDs with themes such as Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Italian, baking, breakfast, road food, chocolate, desserts and egg whites. Each DVD could contain six segments, with demonstrations on how to make each dish. Recipes would be provided on-screen and in an inserted booklet. I hope to promote these DVD's over the Internet, with ads in diet-related magazines and through select retail outlets. My financial goals are to have a self-sufficient, profitable business two years after startup.

I worked for IBM for 14 years, left to earn an MBA and worked for startups for 11 years. The past four years have been devoted to business planning including a consulting practice, teaching at Regis University and conducting monthly SCORE/SBA workshops. The "Alternative Cook" plays into my strengths: teaching and cooking with alternative ingredients. I find the subject endlessly interesting and would like to devote my life to helping others surmount their dietary challenges.

MORE: Kiplinger.com | Your Money

TOOLS:   E-Mail Article  |  Print Article  |  Reprint Article  |  Content Licensing & Partnerships

E-MAIL ALERTS: Keep up-to-date with the latest Kiplinger has to offer

SAVE, SHARE & DISCUSS:    |   |   |   |   |    

ADD HEADLINES: