What to eat when you're alergic to peppers?

Any suggestions? I'm *very* sensative to peppers - not just the spicy kind, but any kind. I often have a hard time explaining this to wait staff at Mexican places. Lat time we went anywhere but our local place I ended up with a piece of fish wrapped in a tortilla (what you get when you ask for a fish taco, no pico de gallo (sp?) or salsa.

I love Mexican, but it don't love me! Help!

Cathy

Cathy, that's like a person who is allergic to tomato's asking what to eat at an Italian restaurant. I feel sorry for your allergy, because I love peppers, from sweet to hot.

Are you so sensitive that you can't eat anything cooked with peppers and pick the peppers out, like the veggies for a fajita? Maybe some of the chicken or seafood dishes some Mexican restaurants offer, or a chicken enchilada with a white sauce instead of the red? Good luck in finding items you can eat.

Thats truly awful. Do you cook much at home? Sounds like your best option would be to take up Mexican cookery at home to cut out the peppers. Trying to order in a restaurant without them sounds like more than a challenge. I highly recommend Robb Walsh's recent Tex Mex cookbook. Solid, basic recipes and techniques.
OMG!! I assume your affliction must include chile powders?!?!

Hello All,
Cathy, I share your problem, not only with peppers, but also with onions.
I am considered the "picky" eater in the family, a title which I hate.
Often on my plate you can see where I have spooned off to a side the
peppers or onions, and you can see how I have had to disembowel the
food I so wanted to just eat. But that is my life.
I have learnt to cook at home, without using those items or to...
1. chop them up in the tiniest pieces or use a blender to them and
add them in small, small portions.
2. sometimes frozen onions and peppers lose some of their poison, but
again, I slice and dice and use small portions.
Eating in a public establishment, well, I do my spooning as much as possible,
or just order a more bland food.
I have found that I am able to tolerate it more if I am less anxious about it,
and have tried to build up a tolerance, slowly, to it.
But fresh peppers and onions are a no-no. Many places use canned items which are
not as bad.
Hope this has helped.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

Carnitas
Carne asada
Mojarra (fresh water fish served fried)
cabrito (goat)
lengua (beef tongue)
sesos (beef brains)
Robalo (sea bass)
Frijoles de la Olla (pot beans)

Man, this ain't easy, as 98% of the Mexican food I eat has some form of pepper in it. The above items are TRADITIONALLY served sans chile, but I'd always check if I were you.

I would not survive without fresh onions & peppers (of all kinds, etc.), et.al.
I incorporate same in almost all that I cook.

Hello All,
Adjudicator, I know the freshness does give the best flavour and experience for any dish you are making.
I envy enjoying that.
I am slowly, now that I am more in charge of what goes into my cooking, (meaning
I am making my own food) I am slowly putting fresh onions in my diet, but still
can't tolerate peppers. It has something to do with the oil or who knows, jucies?
I believe in adding slowly the ingredience until my body can accept them.
Regardless, sometimes I throw my fate to the wind and eat a dish with peppers and
onions because it just tastes good.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

I grew a different variety of basil this summer. Called "Spicy Globe". It's very aromatic with a peppery taste to it. Though not a hot peppery taste, it did have the flavor hint of black pepper to it. Maybe some other herbs out there may help you out also...

Sorry, but it strikes me that the world is full of pepper-free food and you'll find almost none of it at a Mexican restaurant. I'm not entirely unsympathetic because I suffer from a very mild verison of your affliction, but mostly I just ignore it (in my case, I think I actually have less of a problem with hot peppers than with regular bell peppers--anyway, I keep the imodium and kaopectate at the ready). Still, if it's too intense to ignore, why not just choose a cuisine that makes little use of peppers--say French or Cantonese or Japanese or Scandinavian. I doubt you'll find anything offensive in a good fondue or bowl of soba.

Thanks to all that responded to me plea!
Especially enginecapt - that has a few things on it I haven't tried.

BT - But I *like* Mexican food! We are about to visit Loveland Co, I want to go to Costa Rica someday and my book club goes to a Mexican place after we meet!

laststandchili - I do cook at home. I make my own chili and make quesadillas (sp?) with cheese, chicken, onions, mushrooms and zucinni. I can use a little dried pepper flakes. Maybe that's the thing to investigate - dried rather than fresh. I also use cumin and cilantro.

If anyone comes up with any other specific dishes, let me know!

Thanks again
Cathy

Hi everyone,

I think this is a good place to ask this question. I am not allergic to peppers but green ones repeat on me. Not a show stopper but not pleasant either.

Is this worse with green bell peppers than with other peppers? How about red bell peppers? Any personal experience with this?

Thanks,

Cakes