The amazing generosity that started from Bloggess's generosity online, from a few gift cards changed my mood about the holiday season this year. I am not in a position to do what she has done, but I think we - as gf cooks, eaters and friends of gf peeps - can and do help each other with support and recipes every day.
I normally do not do giveaways. But CSN has offered NGR folks a $30 gift card that I am down with.
Leave a comment that says what is the best and worst part of gluten free cooking/eating. One winner will randomly be selected to win a $30 gift certificate to CSN stores.* The gift code can be used in the modern décor section, or one of the 200 other sections of the online store - including cookware!
All comments must be posted by December 23rd at 10a.m.
The best part is it helps my digestion the worst part is it can be hard to find easy things to prepare that are gluten free.
ReplyDeletehewella1 at gmail dot com
The best part of gluten free eating is the fact that it helps sufferers of celiac disease, and the worst part is that gluten free foods are often low in key nutrients such as folate, fiber and iron.
ReplyDeleteNo dark rye bread. I'm trying to figure out a recipe that I like using almond/coconut/flax flours, but so far it's still not there.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my baking skills, tools, and oven all suck.
Did someone already win this?
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I am 33 and was only diagnosed with Celiac Disease 2 years ago. So that's the first hard part: Dr's who don't know/believe-in/think to test for it. Although I think this is much improving, I was poisoning myself for 31yrs, not knowing it. (I could tell you stories!)
I've adjusted well to the difference in texture, etc and taken them with a grain of [quinoa], considering I'm a whole.new.person. now.
But I'd say the hardest part for me has been the social aspect. I was raised in a Swedish/Jewish/German/French comfort-food household and carried that into my adulthood. To immediately be told you will never again share in your family favorites at holidays or be able to join your friends for a late night slice of pizza (can you tell I'm from NYC?) was almost like the sudden death of a loved one. I definitely went into mourning, but I wasn't even allowed to wallow in the denial or bargaining stages...
Answering this post, though, is making me realize that there have actually been many benefits to the Celiac diagnosis & gf cooking. First of all, it explained why I needed an upper+lower GI when I was only 5 (they just told me to take pepto bismal to school), and it explained a host of other (sometimes literally) crazy symptoms. Now I'm in a special club with other gf'ers and we can trade stories that reaffirm our willpower (which gets easier), and help others just realizing their intolerance.
But there's a tie for the [two] best parts of gf cooking... One is that I had to learn to cook all over again. This may sound negative, but I was stuck in a carb-overloaded rut and only ever baked. I've expanded my horizons, gained extraordinary confidence experimenting in the kitchen in terms of my heightened sensitivity to food pleasures, gotten much fitter as a result (not saying a gf diet is a fatburner, but it helps to switch off a daily bagel/super-burrito/pizza diet!), and can temper my social mourning by having people over for gf yummies from my kitchen.
Sorry for the longggg post, but this is cathartic. :) The other best thing about all of this is that it's made me a food activist. That is, I've become so much more aware of food politics, safety, justice, equity issues... It's like going back to school, in a fun way. I'm even editing my own cookbook. It's communal like yours, but is an artist book and it's "set in the future." I'll be contacting you soon because I'd really love it if you contributed a recipe...
I'm so glad I discovered your work and writing, Kristina!
oops, just saw that you already had a winner. no biggie, i enjoyed thinking about these things (or writing about them, bc i *think* about them 24/7), and i meant what i said about hoping you'll contribute to the cookbook... more soon... :)
ReplyDelete