Greetings,
I feel like before I start devulging all of my recipes and secrets, I should begin by scratching surface of my story.
I'm a 20 something currently living in Alberta learning to live with celiac disease. It's been eight months since my formal diagnosis and everyday is still a challenge, whether it be the food I'm eating or the people around me who are less than accepting with my new restrictions.
I knew there was something amiss for a while before getting slapped with the dreaded ‘celiac’ label. I even knew it had something to do with all of the glorious breads cereals and crackers that I happily indulged in. I never had a clue that a simple blood test meant that those things-- those ‘normal’ things would become a thing of the past. Gone are the days of soft French bread, eating out, and effortlessly opening a box of anything for that matter without a huge price tag (literally and vengefully and if you choose to ignore your diagnosis). Those things are replaced by dodging contamination at every turn.
I’ll admit I often pretend I’m in some sort of espionage political intrigue film where everything including utensils and yes, even toasters are my worst enemy. I’ve been reduced to living in paranoia of a crumb. The paranoia might even be amusing if it were about something endearing or quirky, or even if it was something that I had a conscious decision in-- not an issue that caused all kinds of havoc and destruction on my system, and that most people are still in the dark about. It gets exhausting running through the spiel of what it means and what I can and can’t eat, because let’s be honest, I’m still learning myself. It’s one of those things that the average person never thinks about (and why would they?), and it’s difficult to muster understanding from unsuspecting people in the food industry when I’m desperately seeking food that I label “safe”.
It’s interesting how excluding something like gluten from your diet can flip your world around. When I first took the plunge I felt like I had to know everything (I still don’t by the way and probably won’t ever know). I became a woman obsessed, finding all of these things that ailed me over the years were likely associated with celiac. I had wrote them off to other causes for so long, thought I was maybe being over dramatic about the pains –the pins and needles, the overwhelming fatigue –the sickness. But there it all was under ‘symptoms’, my doctor explaining why I was the way I was at every turn, saying I was one of the worst cases she has ever seen. I also stumbled upon all of these support groups and at first thought, why would you need this? It’s not that bad. But when you start trying to build your life normally again you realize it kind of is. You can’t eat anywhere without calling, and even then still run the risk of getting sick, as many people do not realize how severe the reaction can be for some. Then there’s the feeling as though you’re being “that guy” the one that pre-diagnosis you would have thought ridiculous, the fact that in every other arena of my life I’m low maintenance, but here it is, the elephant in the room that I’d rather not mention. Hell, you can make yourself sick in your own kitchen. Products labeled gluten free sometimes aren’t. Turns out it’s a big scary world out there and being the only celiac you know can be an overwhelming thing.
I was growing tired of the same things for dinner every night, the same schedule of eating because it was the only thing I knew to feel safe. I’m big on control in my life and eating food I don’t prepare myself, and don’t know what’s “in it” triggers some serious anxiety. I’m still terrified of food that I didn’t prepare, even when someone is trying to be thoughtful and thinks a product is gluten free, I worry. I think “Did they do the research?” “Are they sure each individual ingredient used was safe?” A girl could go off the deep end with that kind of thinking, and I’m still seeking that delicate balance.
So there it was: an idea. I decided somewhere between a blob of failed dough that stuck to my hands and transformed me into a swamp- like creature, and the 8$ per loaf of bread price tag at the grocery store that I was going to take it upon myself to make my life delicious again. I’m determined to make recipes that I actually enjoy eating and hopefully share them with people faced with the same problem. Who wants to pay the ridiculous mark-up on gluten free products that forget all about nutrition in order to be celiac safe (and often still taste like gruel unfit for human consumption)? Not I. I’m an only child after all. I don’t compromise. But in this case I will share, for now. I am happy to share recipes, thoughts, ideas and advice as it comes.. And I’m also hoping that some of you more seasoned veterans to the gluten free battlefield will help me on my journey.
Another thing about being an only child that is my downfall as well as my saving grace is I’m stubborn as hell. No matter how many failures I choke down or simply throw into the garbage I’m back in the kitchen, refusing to go out and simply buy the preservative laden products claiming to be healthy. Sorry folks, I need my protein. Celiacs like fiber too, and whole grains, and most importantly things that don’t have the consistency of cardboard. I empathize with those who had no choices back when this was a little known issue, I can only imagine the horror of navigating without the helpful ‘gluten free’ labels, but still it’s a jungle out there. The fact they will cater to almost every other allergy but gluten gets overlooked (maybe because it’s embarrassingly in everything?) is beyond me.
What makes things more complicated is my body decided I benefit most from a vegetarian diet. I get really bad reactions at any attempt at meat so I waved my white flag a year and a half ago. And when I say vegetarian I do mean your traditional vegetarian. I’m not a vegan, however many of my recipes are easily modified or already vegan friendly. I have been told by a doctor I would benefit from being casein free, but I looked at her with my best intense gaze. I had to hold back from lowering my voice and reciting a line such as “Bitch you crazy” or a phrase just as articulate that came from any over indulgent gangster movie I had ever had the misfortune of viewing. I held back on the impulse however, and mustered an “I think I’ve given up enough already”. She looked back at me and shared my intensity, she knew what was up. She actually agreed with me and just said it was something to consider. I considered it alright, and my head echoed a resounding “ No!”.
I do fully understand that some people are not blessed with a choice on this matter though and I am happy to try to work with anyone to modify my recipes to suit your unique allergy needs. You’ll find my recipes to be vegetarian, gluten free and a lot of the time dairy-free because those are the things that I can’t have in my diet. Dairy for me is a ‘sometimes’ thing because I’m only mildly intolerant and often choose to ignore the symptoms because in comparison to what happens to me a la celiac, it’s nothing. I will also gladly add in suggestions on how to “beef” up (haha.) my recipes to suit your omnivorous needs if you prefer to cook with meat. I’ve got no qualms with that, my friend. I cook for my veg-resistant other half on a regular basis and do so happily.
So what happens when you can’t gluten or meat, and often dairy you ask? You get creative.
I will post recipes as they come, try to post things I’ve found helpful, snacks on the go, frequently asked questions and all kinds of goodies. I won’t give away the whole surprise though -- you’ll just have to continue to be a devout visitor to be kept in the loop J.
While I apologize for the low resolution blackberry photo, I figure it was better than leaving the final result to the imagination. I have promises that my camera will be up and in working order very soon! 
