24 November 2007

cooking

After 3 days of a gluten-free diet, I have decided that I desperately need to learn how to cook. Or, rather, I need to find the time to learn how to cook and cook decently.

I've been pouring over recipes, there are so many it's overwhelming to narrow down which ones to try. I've been buying various flours but not knowing what to do with them. The ingredients are all so unfamiliar and besides, the only cooking I usually do is baking. It's so foreign to think of actually cooking myself a real meal that does not come from a box.

Because, I can do this, but it's going to get real old eating plain rice with pepper and salt sprinkled on top. Not to mention it's not very nutritious. I wonder if I should consult a nutritionist...

But the bottom line is I need to learn how to cook. Keep vegetables and things like chicken stock on hand. Actually cook fresh meat instead of pulling it out of a bag and heating it up. Get me some pots and pans and actually use that stovetop for more than heating up water.

My mom's been a great help, especially with Thanksgiving, doing her own research and trying to make gluten-free dishes. She made pumpkin pie, but put a little filling in a ramekin to make a pumpkin custard for me. She set aside some sweet potatoes before adding the marshmallows and made a separate little dish so I could eat them.
I think she feels guilty because it's very likely that this came from her side of the family, and she's also been trying to feed me whole grain wheats to lower my cholesterol all summer. It's NOT her fault and it would be absurd to blame her.

I am craving garlic bread.

1 comment:

  1. I thought I had celiac disease for a month or two. The lab test came back positive and the doctor told me to start on a gluten free diet. It isn’t easy, but it’s definitely doable. I just couldn’t believe how many things actually have gluten in them. My mom was really good about it- she bought all those rice and nut flours to bake things with when I was home.

    Then my gastroenterologist performed another test where they actually look inside your large intestine, and as it turned out… no celiac disease. I have Crohn’s disease instead. It is under control right now because of the medication I’m on.

    Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with your new diet and your cooking aspirations. Be creative and try to have fun with it.

    Best wishes,
    Mike

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