October 18, 2011

Oyster substitutes

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Q: Suppose I am hideously allergic to oysters. Could I substitute clams or mussels in oyster recipes and be OK? I know they wouldn't taste the same but figured those textures would be closer than squid or scallops. —Claudia Perry, Evanston A: I posed your question to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The response back from Dr. James Li, an allergy expert who chairs the clinic's allergic diseases division, was immediate and short: No. "There is cross reactivity among bivalve mollusks," he explained in an email forwarded by clinic officials.

Chicago Tribune, Bill Daley, 10/18/11

Tags: Allergy

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