Have you discovered soy curls yet? If not, you need to—whether you are a vegetarian or not. These soy curls are not your mama's textured vegetable protein, that's for sure. They are hip and tasty and just waiting for your next lunch salad or BBQ sandwich craving. More

Q: I love spring rolls and other Asian dishes, but I'm allergic to peanuts, which a lot of these dishes contain. I considered making an almond butter dipping sauce for spring rolls, etc., but I don't know if it'd work well. What are some good substitutes for peanuts in these dishes?

Sent by Caitlin More

We've all faced ingredient conundrums and last-minute shortages in the kitchen. Oh no! Out of eggs! No crème fraîche! Need a buttermilk substitute! Thankfully, there are a few tried-and-true substitutions you can turn to in a pinch. These can also be helpful if you're trying to modify a recipe out of dietary necessity (shifting it to be dairy or gluten-free, for example). This guide will help get you started. More

Q: Next week is the end of my summer internship. As a thank you, I wanted to bring something to share. There are only five of us, so I don't need a lot of food. However, one person is allergic to gluten and dairy-intolerant while another person doesn't like sweets. Anyone have ideas?

Sent by Julieanne More

Once upon a time, it was unusual to even ask dinner guests about food allergies, let alone their preferences. Today, it can seem strange to have a dinner party without some sort of food restriction. Paleo, vegan, no carb, no gluten: sometimes planning a menu can require research into what these diets mean exactly. Fortunately, specialty food like gluten-free flours and vegan meat substitutions are much easier to find. But where to draw the line before you're practically making individual meals for each guest? The New York Times asked this question this past week — see what they had to say. More

Q: I'm attending a dinner party this weekend and was asked to bring a gluten- and dairy-free appetizer. The hostess plays a bit with the Paleo diet, so sugar is probably best avoided as well. A bonus would be incorporating some veggies since I know dinner will be meat-heavy. Any ideas?

Sent by Julie More

Q: My daughter has a dairy intolerance, so cheese, milk, yogurt, and ice cream are out. I'm looking for cookbooks and resources for dairy-free recipes, but everything is "vegan" or "dairy free AND gluten free" — which goes beyond what I'm looking for. We still eat meat and gluten. Any suggestions?

Sent by Heather More

Growing up, I would always laugh at my dad after he drank a beer or a glass of wine. He is Thai-Chinese and even one drink makes his face turn bright red. "You're red!" I'd say, pointing and laughing. It never stopped being funny.

Until the first time I drank alcohol. My face turned beet-red and felt feverishly hot. It wasn't funny at all. More

We've all been there. The Most Difficult Dinner Guest Ever is coming to dinner. The vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, how-in-the-world-do-I-feed-them friend. Rise to the occasion — we have five delicious meals that will not only work but satisfy and delight in even the most ingredient-constrained circumstances! More

Jessica Goldman Foung of Sodium Girl has an unusual dilemma, for a young and otherwise healthy woman: She can eat almost no sodium. She is on a mission to make low-sodium eating delicious — and today she offers her best tips on dressing a salad without salt, gluten, or other allergens.

Let me ask you this question: What are three things you're carrying in your bag this instant? Now let me make this guess: You didn't answer salad dressing. Right? For most people, carrying a bottle of vinaigrette seems like a strange idea.But for those of us with food allergies and dietary restrictions, smuggling sauces in one's purse (or murse) isn't so far fetched. How do you dress a salad at home, or at a restaurant, when you can't eat much salt, not to mention gluten and other allergens? More