Should I be allowed to cook?
When I was a kid, my dad, God bless his willing heart, would take me to McDonald’s for a little outing.
This was in the days before McNuggets, so my standard fare was a cheeseburger Happy Meal. Every time, I would get about halfway through it and get “too full,” even a little sick to my stomach. This annoyed my sweet daddy to no end, as he had bought yet another perfectly good burger, and I ought to eat it.
Turns out I had a sensitivity (then called an “allergy,” although we now know that to be a misnomer) to onions, one that caused instant stomach swelling, nausea and great discomfort. After extensive testing, we discovered this along with a long list, about 20 different items, that caused some sort of reaction or another in my body.
In recent years, I’d gotten to where I can eat just about anything without a major reaction, even onions if they’re cooked really well. I got really good at cooking and decided to chase a passion at culinary school.
Then, halfway through school, I start to get sick again. Turns out that this time, it’s gluten intolerance.
I’m not going to use this post to defend gluten intolerance as a valid problem, so if you have an issue with it, read this article recently published in the Huffington Post for some insight.
Why am I dumping all this on you, after promising not to talk so much about my own health? Because some yahoos on Twitter went and got my goat last night.
A cook (who will remain nameless, because I’m charitable like that) tweeted his great displeasure that a guest in his restaurant said she was allergic to seafood, and she had a “mise en place” tattoo on her arm. (For the unwashed, that’s a term for prepping food for production. It’s a sure sign she’s a culinary student or professional.)
I replied, quite sweetly, I thought, that there were several students in our program with allergies and sensitivities, and why was that a big deal?
Here are some excerpts he rallied from his followers:
“ya I’m allergic to stupid. How can you be passionate about stuff your (sic) ‘allergic’ too (sic).”
“if you can’t/don’t taste the food your (sic) cooking, then stop wasting your time and go do something you want to do.”
And my favorite, after I asked why it’s such an offensive idea that people with food allergies/sensitivities might attend culinary school:
“poisoning them would f*** up the curve?”
I realize that these are all neanderthal folk who just like to troll up my Twitter feed, but they unearth some issues worth discussing.
It’s a fact that, for whatever reason, food sensitivities and allergies are growing at an alarming rate. Some of these people will end up at culinary school because they’re good cooks, and they want to cook for other people.
So, some questions:
- What good is a cook who has an allergy or sensitivity?
- Should they be allowed to attend culinary school?
- What accommodations are acceptable for students and cooks/chefs with allergies/sensitivities?
- And on a slightly different tangent, but the one that started the whole conversation: Does a diner have the right to ask for an allergen-free dish, and does the restaurant have the right to refuse them? (I say yes to both, although the situation provides a great customer service opportunity.)
At school, I have never refused to cook anything. Even if I’m having a mild reaction to something, I always power through and finish, just for the sake of doing it. If I don’t feel like I should eat something that day, I get a couple tastes just for verification and move on.
Since my gluten sensitivity came on when I was halfway through school, I had already established a reputation as a hard worker and good student. I think this has allowed me some flexibility to occasionally make a gluten-free version of whatever we’re making in class, although I don’t always push the issue.
The situation may be different for those with full-blown celiac disease or what we now recognize as true allergies, which can be life threatening. The tweeting cook said I should “do my homework” to understand the difference, because sensitivities were, apparently, not worth changing one’s diet over.
I suppose if someone was so food allergic/sensitive they couldn’t eat anything but rice, then maybe they shouldn’t be in culinary school. But otherwise, I think it’s helpful to the world out there, teeming with people who are getting sick from food, to have a trained cook who gets it.
I know I’ll regret this, but let me know your comments below. I’ll probably go ahead and approve everything, stupid trolls included. Bring it on.
Meanwhile, I’m going to just keep on kicking butt in the kitchen, putting out good food. Sorry if that makes you mad.
Over the Top Gluten-Free Awesome
For real, though.
Yes, it’s as fancy, complicated, and mind-bogglingly time-consuming as it looks.
But it was worth it.
Later, I’ll tell you how I did it.
For now, I just want you to drool. Even if you don’t have to eat gluten-free.
Making Indian Food at the Rockefeller Institute (And a gluten-free naan recipe)
Lisa Fischer being adorable.
For the record: Lisa Gibson Fischer is adorable.
Though she is mostly known in central Arkansas as the effervescent co-host of B98.5′s morning radio show, Fischer is also an excellent cook, hosting the “Made from Scratch” series entry focusing on Indian cuisine at the Rockefeller Institute in Morrilton earlier this month.
I felt a little strange cheating on my homies over at Pulaski Tech, but this was subject matter I hadn’t learned yet. I had wanted to take International Cuisine this semester, but it didn’t fit into my mommy-schedule. I also wanted to check out the new Rockefeller Institute, a stunning educational and meeting facility seated atop Petit Jean Mountain. With culinary education all the rage these days, they built a lovely teaching kitchen, with a stadium-seating lecture hall alongside a small hands-on lab area.
In the class, we started off with naan bread (a puffy, yeasted flatbread), a chicken coconut curry soup, and a mango lassi (mango puree with yogurt).
Shall I interject: I have been SO good lately with the gluten-free thing. But this day…there was just something about making bread. I hadn’t made yeast bread of any sort since going GF. I. Couldn’t. Resist.
Another participant's lovely naan and coconut soup.
I ate at least one whole naan, maybe more. It was in pieces, to feed my self-deception that I would only eat a bite. So, by the time we’re working on the next dishes, my eyes are puffy, I’m exhausted, and my muscles, which have avoided significant pain for several months now, started to cramp and seize.
Sheesh.
Anywho, it was probably worth it. The naan is DELISH. (See below for my gluten-free version.)
While I sank into glutenized stupor, we made Saag Paneer and Coconut Shrimp Curry, both surprisingly mild and delicious.
Surprise bonus: My seating neighbor and lab partner just so happened to be Dr. Meenakshi Budhraja, a gastroenterologist who is on the cutting edge of all things relating to food and/as medicine. She and I have tried for months to get together to finish a journal article we’re co-writing on the topic, and our schedules haven’t jelled. More on that another day.
I could go on about all the details of the event, but I’ll just say you should sign up for (1) Lisa’s “repeat” coming up at KitchenCo with the same recipes, and (2) anything at the Rockefeller Institute. It’s a stellar facility with a fantastic staff, culinary and otherwise.
Back to the naan. After driving 45 minutes or so home in a glutened haze, I knew I had to come up with a gluten-free version. As of yet, I had only stockpiled GF flours, hoping to one day have the time to play. I made the time when I got home.
Enjoy!
——————————————————
Gluten Free Naan Bread
(Inspired by Bread in Five)
- 160g brown rice flour
- 110g sorghum flour
- 255g potato starch
- 1 T. yeast
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 T. xanthan gum
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 c. lukewarm water
- 2 T. + 2 tsp veg or olive oil
- 1 T. honey
Mix the flours, starch, yeast, salt, and xanthan gum REALLY (no, really) well in the bowl of your stand mixer. I am generally against sifting, so I used a whisk to mix things up thoroughly. You could also use the whisk attachment of your mixer. Now place the dough hook on your mixer and proceed.
In a separate, small bowl, break up the eggs a bit with a whisk or fork.
In yet another bowl or largish measuring cup, combine the warm water, oil, and honey.
Pour the eggs into the flour mixture and mix a few seconds. With the mixer on low, slowly add the water/oil mixture until completely emptied.
What’s left in your mixer will slosh around for a few minutes and generally look like a big, sloppy mess. Keep it up.
Depending on your local humidity and altitude, and the questionable accuracy of this, my first gluten-free baking recipe, your dough (like mine) might be a bit soft. This is to be expected, really, as GF doughs tend to come out more like batters. Don’t freak.
The sticky dough of my gluten-free naan.
Cover your dough and let it rise in a warm place for an hour or two. I have a warming drawer now, but I used to just run my dryer for a few minutes and then place the bowl inside. Instant proof box!
Now, to form our naan: If you have a Silpat, now is the time to bust it out. This stuff is sticky. Sprinkle on a fair amount of rice flour, a little more if your dough is intolerably wet and sticky. Pinch off a golf-ball sized piece of dough and place it on top of your heavy dusting of flour. Sprinkle another heavy dusting of rice flour on the top, all over, so it won’t stick to your method of flattening.
Rolling out the GF naan.
This flattening method is variable, depending on what you’ve got to work with. My awesome hubs got me a Silpat rolling pin for Christmas, which was perfect for this. If your hubs isn’t as awesome as mine, you can pat down your naan using a sheet of plastic wrap or a cut storage bag. Either way, get it down to about a 1/8″ thickness.
Use a large spatula to loosen the dough and get it off the mat, then use the mat itself (or the spatula, if it’s holding together well) to transfer your naan to a waiting, hot skillet with some oil or butter inside. Oh, yeah. Get that ready first, will ya?
GF naan all cooked up on one side, and about to flip.
I browned the naan on one side, flipped, and browned on the other, and that was enough to cook it through. If yours is thick in spots or otherwise doesn’t seem to be cooking all the way, you can cover it and let it steam a bit.
The dough is quite forgiving if you tear it on the way to the skillet. I’m certainly not advocating that you actually reach your hands down in a hot skillet to press the dough back together, but I’m just saying, I may have done so, and it may have worked.
I scarfed this stuff down with some homemade rice-noodle soup that night, and it was glorious. Hope it works out for at least one or two of you, too.
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Veggie Sushi at Home
If your new years’ resolutions include saving money on meals and cutting down on meat products, some veggie sushi might be just what you need. If you also want to teach your kids how to cook and appreciate healthy meals, then, booyah.
My 9-year-old has gained an appreciation for sushi, so I added it to this week’s semi-vegetarian menu. I decided it was time for her to try making something entirely on her own, so once I had made two rolls, she got to do some all by herself. She did great.
Big Kid sushi, coming to a plate near you! Or, at least, near me.
This recipe is particularly useful as a last-minute choice, given you’ve stockpiled some sticky rice and nori, because you can use just about anything in your veggie drawer. I planned ahead and bought cream cheese, but you could use tofu (as a vegan option, thx Jeff Hicks) or leave it out altogether.
Veggie Sushi
- Sushi Rice (see recipe below)
- 3-4 sheets nori (sushi-making seaweed paper)
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin sticks, about 1/8″ square and 4″ long
- 1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (Buy jarred or do it yourself)
- 1/4 cucumber, cut into thin strips
- 2 oz. cream cheese or extra firm tofu, cut similarly to above
- Sesame seeds, toasted or not, optional
You could spend all day freaking out about technique on this one. Or, you can do like we did and just wing it based on what you think you may or may not have seen before. Either way, it will taste pretty good, even if it’s not as pretty as what you bought at the sushi joint in town.
I’ve found that breaking the full-size nori sheets in half makes a prettier roll, at least for beginners like me. Wrap your bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap and place the half-sheet on top, near the edge closest to you.
Oh, yeah, the water. Keep a small bowl of water near your work area, or you will be, as they say in Japan, sorry.
Wet your hands and get some of your finished sushi rice, then carefully spread it in a thin layer across your nori. I say carefully because it will generally STAY where you put it. If you want your rolls to be nori-side out, leave about a half-inch uncovered across the top for a seal. (If you prefer rice-side out, this isn’t necessary. Now’s the time to flip the whole thing over on your mat. Not you, nori-side-out people.)
This was our first roll of the night, with a sprinkle of bonito (dried fish) flakes. Meh. Also found it easier to place the cream cheese first.
About halfway down, lay down a solid line of your cream cheese or tofu. On top of this, start laying down your slices of veggies. Less is more, as too much will make the roll impossible to, well, roll. I use about four pieces of each item, slightly overlapped.
And now, the rolling. Don’t freak.
Okay, so Big Kid rolled hers from the top. No big deal.
Wet your fingertips and dampen the upper edge of the nori to act as a seal. Using the bamboo mat underneath, roll up your, er, roll, snugly but not with too much force. When the mat reaches all the way around, be sure to move it outward and not roll it up with your sushi! Oh, heck, just watch a video somewhere and see.
Once you’ve rolled it all the way, use the mat to give the roll a firm hug. It’s about to be your best friend! Unroll and move it to a cutting board.
With a VERY sharp, dampened knife, cut the roll exactly in half. Put the two halves against each other and do it again, so you have four equal pieces. Dampen and cut again with sets of two until you have eight equal pieces.
Serve proudly with soy sauce (use tamari if you’re gluten free) and chopsticks.
Sushi Rice
- 2 cups sticky rice (also called sushi rice)
- 2 cups cold water
- 2-3 T. rice wine vinegar (I like mine more tart)
- 1 T. rice wine (mirin), optional
- 1 T. sugar
- 1 T. kosher salt
You can find sushi rice in larger grocery stores in the Asian foods area, or at Asian specialty stores. In the Little Rock area, you can’t go wrong with Sam’s Oriental on University. Just don’t use regular rice, or you will be sorely disappointed!
Check the bag of rice to see if your variety requires rinsing, as many newer ones don’t. Unless it says not to, you’ll need to rinse it in a wire colander under cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice and the 2 cups water in a rice cooker, or in a medium saucepan brought to a boil, then a low simmer and covered until done (check your bag for cooking times, but should be about 15 minutes).
While the rice cooks, place the vinegar, rice wine (if using), sugar and kosher salt in a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. If you’re using the rice wine, cook until it simmers just a bit to cook off most of the alcohol. Otherwise, all you need is enough heat to melt the salt and sugar into the vinegar.
When the rice is fully cooked, spread it out on a sheet pan. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice, occasionally “cutting” the rice with a butter knife or spatula to mix it in without damaging the grains. Allow the rice to cool completely on the pan. (If you want go all traditional or if you’re in a hurry, you can use a folding fan to help the cooling process along, a fun task for the kids.)
Bonus Recipe for Ghetto-Fab Fried Rice: Scramble and fry an egg, remove from pan and chop it into tiny bits. (Or finely dice some tofu, season with tamari and sauté.) Cut your leftover veggie strips into tiny cubes and sauté in a tiny bit of sesame oil or broth. Add your leftover sushi rice, the egg, and some soy sauce or tamari. Stir. If you can be bothered, add some sliced green onion. Delish.
New Year’s Resolutions for 2012
I somehow feel morally obligated, as a blogger type, to write a new year’s post. Most likely, it’s just a way to force myself into completing a post in one sitting, as I’ve got about a dozen half-finished ones waiting in my drafts folder.
But, there is indeed some usefulness in the exercise. I’m about to finish my degree in culinary arts from Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School, and the time is right to lay out some plans, or at least some intentions.
So here goes.
Resolution #1: Get friggin’ healthy, once and for all. Even after cutting out gluten and reaping the benefits in reduced muscle pain and fatigue, other stuff has cropped up. Last doctor visit, my thyroid and liver were out of whack, and I feel like total crap. New meds just have me feeling worse.
This week, I’m taking my bod hostage and it’s gonna listen. Healthy meal plans (including shopping lists and scheduled time to cook) and a little bit of exercise — I seriously have no capacity for more — start now. I’m going to study Chinese and Indian medicine, especially their use of food. And tomorrow, I’m calling the fabulous acupuncturist I used to see years ago, who can cut through all the rigamarole of Western medicine that has left me hanging.
All that being said:
Resolution #2: Talk less about my health. If I haven’t lost you already: Talking about one’s own health is boring, and it’s rude to those who have it worse. I think the reason I do it is just to let people know why I missed school/church/that lunch date/big event/whatever, or why I don’t commit myself to much these days. But I do plan to share stories with you about food and how it relates to health.
Resolution #3: Teach. I adore helping other people learn how to cook for themselves, whether that is here on the blog or in person. Over the past year or two, I’ve had the opportunity to teach groups of children, moms on a weekend retreat, and many individuals. I hope to add group lessons in my own home, and maybe eventually in my own facility.
I also want to get involved teaching in programs like Cooking Matters, which is just getting started in Arkansas. Turns out that two of my chef instructors at school are involved already. I don’t have the cred that they do, but I would love to get there.
Resolution #4: Learn. I still have two more classes at Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School (American Regional Cuisine and, for fun, Cake Decorating), so obviously I’ll learn plenty there this year. But I plan to do my own schooling, too.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve never worked in the foodservice industry, other than on my own. I still have stuff to learn from others. But rather than get a long-term job somewhere, I plan to “stage” (pronounced stahzj) several different places. I might even just take you along. Stay tuned for all that.
Resolution #5: Be open to opportunity, and be wise in choosing. As I’ve come closer to my graduation, I’ve had all kinds of plans in mind, mostly pretty elaborate, expensive ones. A few months back, though, I decided to hang back and see what comes up, mainly to commit to a great year with my son before he starts kindergarten.
This has been a good policy, because several things have come up. Now, I’ll just have to choose and balance them wisely, keeping both my family and you, dear foodie reader, in mind.
Asparagus They’ll Actually Eat
Pre-roasted beauties. See how pretty and green they are if you blanch them?
As you might have noticed, I’m totally blowing it lately on keeping you updated on, well, anything.
That’s pretty much because I’m totally NOT blowing it at school. In fact, considering a semester of sick kids and sick me, I’m kicking butt. Or at least I feel like I am this week.
On top of all my busy school schedule this week, I needed something snazzy to take to a women’s pre-holiday get-together tonight. I made an asparagus appetizer from my Banquets & Catering class, with my own little twists.
Oh, I know, you don’t think you like asparagus, or you know that your family will turn up their noses if you bring it out for Thanksgiving. (Wait, what? Thanksgiving is coming? I’m so not ready.) But I’m pretty sure these will change your mind.
Post-roast aspies.
The problem with most asparagus is that it’s overcooked. This method ensures green, crisp yumminess, plus some roasty goodness to boot. And you get some yummy fat, too.
The recipe:
Soppressata-Wrapped Roasted Asparagus
- 100 stems asparagus (or whatever it is you call an individual asparagus)
- 50 very thin slices of soppressata (I used Applegate Farms from Whole Foods; salami or prosciutto works, too.)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 lemon
Gently bend each asparagus until it naturally breaks the woody stems away. If you’re in a hurry, you could go ahead and cut the whole lot in about the same place the first handful broke, but you’ll probably have some woody stuff left here and there. Meanwhile, get a large pot of salted water boiling. Near the stove, have a large bowl of ice water ready, along with some paper towels laid out on the countertop or on trays.
Leave the asparagus in the boiling water for just a minute or two, or until it just gets bright green. You might push them around a bit to make sure they all get cooked evenly. Immediately pull them out with a spider (I used a combination of tongs and the large slotted thingy that comes with a Fry Daddy), drain as best you can, and dump them in the ice water.
Somewhere in the middle of this, answer the door to find a punk kid claiming to put himself through UCA and help Arizona-I-mean-Arkansas Children’s Hospital selling $55 magazine subscriptions. Oh, that was just me? Huh.
Pull the cooled asparagus out of the ice water (more quickly than I did, lest the vitamins leech out) and dry them as best you can on the paper towels. Word to your mother, you just learned to blanch and shock! Don’t you feel like an Iron Chef?
Set up two sheet pans lined with parchment paper or Silpats. Wrap two stems (pieces? stalks?) of asparagus with one piece of soppressata. Lay this on the pan seam-down, repeat until all are done. Season lightly (the meat is plenty salty) with kosher salt and pepper. Zest the lemon and sprinkle over the whole deal.
Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the soppressata is just crisp.
Delish! Even if you don’t think you like asparagus.
Gluten-Free Dempsey Bakery Opens With a Bang
While I was having a busy time last week, I figured something must be going on with the previously-previewed gluten-free Dempsey Bakery. My blog stats for that page ballooned with people searching for the latest info.
Turns out, they opened to the public on Thursday and darn near got the place wiped out. By the time I got there today (Saturday) with my husband and son, many of the cookies were in good number, but just about everything else was sold out. I managed to get half of the remaining loaf of their white bread, as well as three cookies for our afternoon snack: sugar for the boy, snickerdoodle for the hubs, and chocolate chip for me.
The bakery still had samples available for many of their products, and I helped myself to every.single.one. All in the name of research for you, dear reader. Let me just say that you can’t go wrong.
Most notable was the Everyone’s Bread, made for those with food sensitivities beyond wheat. Although this bread contained no gluten, dairy, soy, egg, corn, rice, refined sugar or tapioca, I found myself liking it even more than the white bread. It had a rich, whole-grain style taste and was much sweeter than the regular white. Both were delicious and much lighter than other commercially available gluten-free breads.
The cookies were amazing, lacking nothing for my gluten-tolerant hubs and son. The sugar was pleasantly crisp and buttery; the other flavors had a great chewy texture. The pumpkin muffins and the snickerdoodle cookies had just the right amount of spice, maybe a little more than usual.
Yes, I realize I’m sounding like a fangirl. I’m excited. This stuff is really awesome.
Having been gluten-free for a little over a month now, I realize just how important this is. The biggest downfall for those of us with this restriction tends to lie somewhere between a yummy loaf of bread and a bag of cookies. Or a cupcake. Either way, this place has you covered.
The prices may seem high at first glance, but when compared to other gluten-free foods, they’re not too bad. A full loaf of their white bread (about 20 pieces) is $16, and you can get a half-loaf for half that price. Each (large) cookie was one dollar. Given that we’re all supposed to be cutting back on treats anyway, this is a reasonable expense in my book.
Owner Paula Dempsey gave us a tour of the facility, including their dry storage. This was notable because of the large bags of specialty flours she has shipped in, which are hard to find in quantity otherwise. I asked if there was anything there she didn’t want published, and she said no; in fact, she’s considering holding some classes to help others bake gluten-free items for themselves.
Paula said that the bakery will hold a grand opening celebration next month, and they hope to have lunch service available by that time, including soups and sandwiches.
We’ll be back, for sure. Meanwhile, you can follow Dempsey Bakery’s progress on Facebook.
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Taste of New Orleans at 2011 International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC)
My friend Paula and I are finally in New Orleans for the International Food Bloggers Conference!
I’ll tell you more about the sessions later — I’ve only caught one so far about food styling and photography — but for now, I leave you with (forgive the term) food porn from our Taste of New Orleans small-plate sampling dinner tonight.
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A Pie for Mikey (and Joe)
If you’ve been online at all today, you’re probably wondering what all the hubbub is about peanut butter pie. The reason is unfortunate and heartbreaking, but it’s also one of the greatest demonstrations of love and support I’ve ever seen online.
Last Sunday, fellow food blogger Jennifer Perillo lost her husband, Mikey, suddenly and unexpectedly. He was young, as are his lovely wife and two kids. I’ve never met any of them. Before Sunday, I couldn’t swear that I had ever read her blog, although we had crossed paths a few times on Twitter.
She asked that anyone wanting to “do something” do this: make a pie. A pie for Mikey, and for those we love. Mikey’s favorite, a peanut butter pie. Today, on the day of his memorial service, hundreds of pies have been made and posted. CNN, Food Network, TasteSpotting and others are featuring them.
Here’s mine.
A peanut butter pie for Mikey (and Joe)
Having now gone gluten-free, I did have to make a few adaptations to Jennifer’s recipe. The cool thing is, so did just about everyone who did the pie. Take a look around online and see.
I used Pamela’s Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies, which are gluten- and dairy-free. I didn’t have quite enough to make a crust, so I added a few Mi-Del Ginger Snaps.
While I’m making the pie, my hubby Joe is sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, hogging the laptop which is displaying the recipe. I have to keep asking him to read me the next step.
Ground cookies and butter, pressed into a pie pan.
I love him for the snarky way he gave me grief about needing the computer. (I knew he really didn’t care. Would he have repeatedly read the recipe for me if he minded?)
Layer of melted chocolate spread over the crust.
I love him for how hard he worked today, just like every day, taking care of his work and taking care of us. I love him for letting me stay home with our kids and for letting me go to culinary school. I love him for being supportive of my wanting to turn this food thing into a business, while still being home with our babies. (Well, kids. They’re almost-4 and 9.)
Chopped peanuts pressed into the melted chocolate.
I love him for being different than me. I told him this yesterday. I love that he’s passionate and occasionally obsessive. We make a good mix.
Folding the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture
I love him for the things we agree on, the things that matter. Our faith, our family, our dedication to each other. I love him for not getting too bent out of shape about the things that don’t matter. I love him for knowing the difference.
Peanut butter filling going in; photo by the big kid.
I love him for being gentle and patient with me, even when I know I don’t deserve it. And I especially love him for his amazing sense of humor, which constantly has me rolling. (Thank God I didn’t marry a boring man!)
I love him for sitting at the breakfast bar, just to be near me, while I made this pie.
After I had poured the filling, he tasted a bit that was left in the bowl.
“Mikey had good taste,” he said.
So did I.
That’s It, I’m Going (Mostly) Gluten-Free.
Bleh.
That’s how I’ve felt the past month or so. If you know me and you haven’t seen me, well, I’ve been piled in a lump at home.
With a history of chronic fatigue and muscle issues, I know good and well what the fix is. I’ve done it before.
D-I-E-T.
And I don’t mean the typical, weight-loss kind, although I could use that about now, too. I mean no wheat, sugar, corn or dairy. I completely cured myself about 10 years ago eating this way for a solid month, then eating reasonably close to it after that. At least, until I fell off the wagon in a decade-long slippery slope.
Such draconian measures sounded like a bit too much to attempt right this minute, so I started with gluten. One day this week, I just decided. Now. Okay, nnnnnnow.
The second night, I replaced gluten cravings with sugar and processed nonsense. I put everyone to bed and ran to Kroger that night, hungry for cheaty goodies I could have. The results:
This is what late-night, gluten-free binge shopping looks like.
For someone who generally tries to shun processed foods, this is friggin’ ridiculous.
But, those Betty Crocker gluten-free cupcakes were awfully good. Yes, they have a mix.
I’m embarrassed now that I bought all that stuff (minus the scratch-cooking necessities), but some of it was useful. I do plan to develop similar recipes from scratch, and now I know what standard to hold them against. And I do need some emergency goodies for when I’m desperate.
Why does your post title say “mostly,” you ask?
I don’t have Celiac disease, I’m just sensitive to gluten. So, I’ve not done as well about sticking to the program as I should. Within a week, I’ve already had a grilled cheese sandwich from McAlister’s and some pizza from the local dive. Both were due to poor planning when going out to eat with the family. Sounds like I need to make a list.
When I did this 10 years ago, I was really, really sick. I was so weak, I didn’t have the strength to cook like I do now, although I often get too tired to get completely cleaned up afterwards. Mostly, I ate short-grain brown rice, veggies, Braggs Aminos, and the occasional small portion of meat. Sometimes I made casseroles with legumes, veggies and whole grains. It worked.
I think this time around, Asian flavors will prevail. They generally work well with my planned diet (although I’m craving potstickers…wonder if I can make those wrappers gluten free?). I bought the goods to make sushi and I’ve almost got it down. (That’s for another post.)
The real test will be at the end of this month, when I travel to the International Food Blogger Conference in New Orleans. (Did I mention I won the contest from the previous post? Eeeek!) It will be food mecca, with lots of temptation, I’m sure. But they’re also going far out of their way to feed, teach, and inspire gluten-free folk, of which there are many in the food blogger world.
I know there’s more of you out there. Let’s help each other out. One of these days, I hope to cook for you. As I learn more, here’s to better health.
