Food for Dorks is the blog baby of Ari Botsford, a 22-year-old girl residing in Brooklyn, New York. New to the adult-onset epi-pen set, she suffers from a range of food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities. In May 2010, after a rather terrifying incident involving an chocolate-almond croissant, Ari decided to create Food for Dorks. Devoted to those with dietary restrictions, Food for Dorks focuses on providing recipes and reviews of food that everyone can–and wants to eat.
Ari is a graduate of The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She serves on the Young Adult Advisory Board of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, as well as interning for Brooklyn-based 61 Local. Growing up on a farm in the rural Ozarks, she was profoundly influenced by her parents’ dedication to organic and gourmet foods, and her own experience on her family’s ranch.
Allergic to shellfish, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, mustard, nigella seed and soy, Ari proudly describes herself as a “full-on food dork”. She has intolerances to milk, eggplant and eggs, as well as a gluten sensitivity. Her mother’s diagnosis of celiac disease in 2009 spurred her further curiousity into the world of dorky food, and since, she has dedicated herself to reinventing the wheel of hypoallergenic cuisine.
In her spare time, she enjoys green vegetables, volunteering for animal shelters and bicycle-riding. She is obsessed with hip-hop and strawberry kombucha. Her favorite animal is the sphynx cat, her favorite color is pink and favorite actress is Audrey Hepburn. Ari hopes to one day open a sweets shop dedicated to children and adults alike with food allergies. She also wishes to follow in her great-grandfather’s footsteps as a food writer, and create a line of cookbooks for fellow food dorks.
Feel free to send love letters, questions, inquiries and requests for food to food for dorks [at] g mail dot com.