Sometimes the food journeys are interior ones. I’ve been thinking, lately, about being gluten free for the rest of my life. This June 1 is the second anniversary of my change in diet—eliminating wheat, rye, barley and other gluten grains, and foods containing those grains—and, ultimately, my change of lifestyle. If I maintain my health, I can probably live another 30 years or so. With medical advances, there may come a day when we can take a pill and munch on a donut. I’m not holding my breath.
My diabetes (I think of these conditions as companions, as opposed to diseases!) is in pretty good control. Again living with these conditions and becoming healthier is my main goal.
Living with chronic conditions involves planning ahead. Last Tuesday night Ed and I attended an event for his professional association. It was their annual spring social, a wine tasting, with hors d’oeuvres. I asked him to get me the menu beforehand. Then I called the caterer, explained that I was gluten-intolerant and asked what would be possible. I called a bit late, so did not expect much. However, they said “no problem” just give the host my name when I arrived. I was given a lovely plate of gluten free “tastes” that went very well with the wine tastes. I brought some gluten free crackers: this is the brand I favor http://www.ener-g.com/store/detail.aspx?section=6&cat=6&id=70 There was cheese plate for the table so I had my share. I also took a little container of roasted pecans to nibble during the “stand and chat” part of the event. Then I got very caught up in a couple of wonderful conversations and did not even miss the “cracker spoons with brie and pesto”—which were very cute to look at, nonetheless!
What is important, I think is finding a rhythm of change. This is taken from the closing paragraph of an essay I wrote for this class: Change usually happens slowly. .. Change takes thought: what can I do to eliminate unhealthy foods or actions in my life, and how can I still find pleasure in what remains? Change comes in stages: take away one thing, add another, adjust the seasoning, take a break and try again. Change is often painful, and at the very least it is challenging. And I can work through the pain and the challenges because I’ve learned that I am strong and resourceful. And, in the end, change is its own reward. I am healthier today for the changes I have made.
What about you? Do you have companion conditions? This blog is very willing to go beyond diabetes and celiac. Please share your changes with the rest of us…we learn from each other as we walk the road!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sicily in Seattle
In the spring of 2006 we traveled to Sicily—that big island at the “toe” of the Italian “boot”. We landed in Palermo, spent a few days exploring the city on foot and then rented a car to drive around the island. We stayed in a couple of places with kitchens and did quite a few room picnics for dinner. The food was fascinating. Somewhere along the way we saw a travel poster that said, “Invade Sicily—everyone else has!” Phoenicians, Moors, Persians, Greeks, Romans--Ancient and Holy—have all tried to rule this island kingdom; and everyone brought their own idea of cuisine. Add in today’s immigrants from Asia and India and today’s Sicilian cuisine is indeed unique!
The island still has farms, olive groves, vineyards and, of course, a big fishing industry. Everywhere we ate, fish and shellfish were always on the menu. I could quite have quite happily subsisted on fresh sardines (called that because they were originally imported from a nearby island: Sardinia) with salads, pasta or bread and the lovely local olive oils.
Sicily has more ruins of Greek temples than does Greece. Just outside the city of Agrigento there is a large historic site where you walk down broad alleys with temples in a variety of states: from piles of rubble to some almost “whole”. You may have seen pictures of these temples—shining white against a cloudless blue sky. At the height of their use they were not white, but heavily painted and gilded to honor the gods and goddesses they housed.
All of this walking built up an appetite, so we went off to find lunch. Capriccio Di Mare (I think something like “Sea Breeze”) had been recommended and turned out to be excellent. We were seated in a beautifully painted room with a view of the sea and big windows that caught a cool and refreshing breeze. For the first course—the pasta course—Ed chose spaghetti with crayfish and “scrimps”. We found this interesting word on several Italian menus. There are no words with the “sh” sound in Italian, so I think inexperienced translators don’t believe that combination really exists! The sauce on this dish was very simple: olive oil, butter, lemon, garlic and parsley.
When we get home from trips we often search my journals for dishes we can recreate for friends. And this one has become a “standard”. Since crayfish are not a local delicacy, we substituted Dungeness crabmeat and used small Canadian or Oregon shrimp. Meyer lemons, when available, improve the flavor without altering the character of the dish. We use a light hand with the garlic and are careful not to overcook it—pale gold is the color you are looking for. Take it out of the pan before it turns darker as it will then become bitter.
Oh, oh, no more spaghetti-o….for this glutenless cook, anyway. Recently I tried a variation: garlic in the oil/butter and when golden, dash in ½ cup white wine. Reduce to a thickened state, stir in lemon zest, juice of about ½ a Meyer lemon, ¼ cup parsley and the shellfish. And just serve it like that. The guests had fresh bread to sop up the sauce; I had some gluten free toast.
It’s all good!
The island still has farms, olive groves, vineyards and, of course, a big fishing industry. Everywhere we ate, fish and shellfish were always on the menu. I could quite have quite happily subsisted on fresh sardines (called that because they were originally imported from a nearby island: Sardinia) with salads, pasta or bread and the lovely local olive oils.
Sicily has more ruins of Greek temples than does Greece. Just outside the city of Agrigento there is a large historic site where you walk down broad alleys with temples in a variety of states: from piles of rubble to some almost “whole”. You may have seen pictures of these temples—shining white against a cloudless blue sky. At the height of their use they were not white, but heavily painted and gilded to honor the gods and goddesses they housed.
All of this walking built up an appetite, so we went off to find lunch. Capriccio Di Mare (I think something like “Sea Breeze”) had been recommended and turned out to be excellent. We were seated in a beautifully painted room with a view of the sea and big windows that caught a cool and refreshing breeze. For the first course—the pasta course—Ed chose spaghetti with crayfish and “scrimps”. We found this interesting word on several Italian menus. There are no words with the “sh” sound in Italian, so I think inexperienced translators don’t believe that combination really exists! The sauce on this dish was very simple: olive oil, butter, lemon, garlic and parsley.
When we get home from trips we often search my journals for dishes we can recreate for friends. And this one has become a “standard”. Since crayfish are not a local delicacy, we substituted Dungeness crabmeat and used small Canadian or Oregon shrimp. Meyer lemons, when available, improve the flavor without altering the character of the dish. We use a light hand with the garlic and are careful not to overcook it—pale gold is the color you are looking for. Take it out of the pan before it turns darker as it will then become bitter.
Oh, oh, no more spaghetti-o….for this glutenless cook, anyway. Recently I tried a variation: garlic in the oil/butter and when golden, dash in ½ cup white wine. Reduce to a thickened state, stir in lemon zest, juice of about ½ a Meyer lemon, ¼ cup parsley and the shellfish. And just serve it like that. The guests had fresh bread to sop up the sauce; I had some gluten free toast.
It’s all good!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Plane Fare, Part II
My husband and I have a two-out-of –three challenge with metabolic syndrome. This is the condition—characterized by insulin resistance, high blood pressure (hypertension) and a superabundance of abdominal fat--that can, if left unchecked, lead to heart disease, stroke and early death. We would like to avoid that. We have plans…
So, I have the insulin resistance part, but my blood pressure is picture perfect. His blood pressure is in the red zone, but he never shows a blip on the blood glucose tests. We both work religiously on the abdominal fat issue. I get in regular exercise, but have to fight off the cookie monster on a daily basis (though, since becoming gluten intolerant, it is more of a high end chocolate and potato chip monster!) Ed travels frequently for business. He walks as much a possible—sometimes as much as ten miles a day—on these trips (we both wear pedometers and aim for 10K steps a day—about 5 miles).
Eating restaurant meals and pre-selected buffet and banquet food are the most difficult part of Ed’s “travel dance”. It is a given that these foods are high in salt and they are usually higher in fat than is healthy for anyone, let alone anyone trying to manage weight. It is also hard to order salad in a nice restaurant when everyone around you is having big chunks of meat and French fries!
Here are some ideas we have been developing. Ed takes breakfast and lunch with him for his first travel day. Before leaving, he checks out the city he will be in for a “good” market likely to have healthier food alternatives: Whole Foods, Wild Oats or other “natural” food oriented markets, and maps the location in relation to his hotel. Depending on his flight times, he can usually go out “hunting and gathering” shortly upon arrival. When possible we look for residence or extended stay hotels that have working kitchens. The next option is a room with a refrigerator and microwave. And if there is neither, there is at least an ice machine. Ed carries his travel food in an insulated bag, along with two small lidded storage dishes. Pack those with ice and put with sandwich meat and cheese into the bag and, voila, refrigeration.
Head over to the bakery and pick up a loaf of good, whole grain bread and some of those condiment packets from the deli counter and the Earl of Sandwich would be thrilled. But we do not live by sandwiches alone! Veggies from the salad bar fill out the meal. This combination goes for breakfast, lunch, dinner—whenever he does not have “socially mandated” meals to attend.
Since I have the gluten intolerance issue, when I am along on trips where room picnics are on the plan, we often go for a salad from the salad bar and cheese or meat from the deli counter or shrimp or even crab from the fish counter—those “fancier” stores have some pretty elegant options. Ed gets bread; I get potato chips. Add your favorite beverage and maybe a bit of fruit or a little chocolate and voila, a meal to rival at least the mid-range restaurants in taste and at a fraction of the cost and calories.
So, I have the insulin resistance part, but my blood pressure is picture perfect. His blood pressure is in the red zone, but he never shows a blip on the blood glucose tests. We both work religiously on the abdominal fat issue. I get in regular exercise, but have to fight off the cookie monster on a daily basis (though, since becoming gluten intolerant, it is more of a high end chocolate and potato chip monster!) Ed travels frequently for business. He walks as much a possible—sometimes as much as ten miles a day—on these trips (we both wear pedometers and aim for 10K steps a day—about 5 miles).
Eating restaurant meals and pre-selected buffet and banquet food are the most difficult part of Ed’s “travel dance”. It is a given that these foods are high in salt and they are usually higher in fat than is healthy for anyone, let alone anyone trying to manage weight. It is also hard to order salad in a nice restaurant when everyone around you is having big chunks of meat and French fries!
Here are some ideas we have been developing. Ed takes breakfast and lunch with him for his first travel day. Before leaving, he checks out the city he will be in for a “good” market likely to have healthier food alternatives: Whole Foods, Wild Oats or other “natural” food oriented markets, and maps the location in relation to his hotel. Depending on his flight times, he can usually go out “hunting and gathering” shortly upon arrival. When possible we look for residence or extended stay hotels that have working kitchens. The next option is a room with a refrigerator and microwave. And if there is neither, there is at least an ice machine. Ed carries his travel food in an insulated bag, along with two small lidded storage dishes. Pack those with ice and put with sandwich meat and cheese into the bag and, voila, refrigeration.
Head over to the bakery and pick up a loaf of good, whole grain bread and some of those condiment packets from the deli counter and the Earl of Sandwich would be thrilled. But we do not live by sandwiches alone! Veggies from the salad bar fill out the meal. This combination goes for breakfast, lunch, dinner—whenever he does not have “socially mandated” meals to attend.
Since I have the gluten intolerance issue, when I am along on trips where room picnics are on the plan, we often go for a salad from the salad bar and cheese or meat from the deli counter or shrimp or even crab from the fish counter—those “fancier” stores have some pretty elegant options. Ed gets bread; I get potato chips. Add your favorite beverage and maybe a bit of fruit or a little chocolate and voila, a meal to rival at least the mid-range restaurants in taste and at a fraction of the cost and calories.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Plane Fare, Part I
We took our first trip to Europe in 1979. We sat in the very back of the plane and ate whatever was put down before us. In those far off days, you received more-or-less real food on little trays. Not top of the line, but we were headed for Paris and a meal at the Michelin three star rated Lasserre. (They have dropped a star in the ensuing 31 years, but still look pretty good! http://www.restaurant-lasserre.com/uk/index.php ) We dined with a group of food professionals and it was truly a joyful eating experience of a lifetime.
In 1983 we were off to Paris for the second time, celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. By now Ed had accumulated enough frequent flyer miles from business travel that we could upgrade to first class. As we were waiting for the rest of the plane to board, the flight attendants came around offering water, juice and California sparkling wine (never call that “Champagne”—no matter how good it is, true Champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France.) After we leveled off for the night flight, the food service began. A very nice cart was wheeled down the wide aisle. We were offered smoked salmon and caviar and the real Champagne in real Champagne flutes (tall narrow glasses). At this point, I raised my glass to Ed, smiled sweetly and said, “You can fly on business just as much as you like…as long as I get to fly first class every now and then!”
I love to travel. And while I love first class, I can be happy in the “back of the bus”. However, food on airlines has changed (understatement here!) and while international first class is still pretty good, and domestic first class is still more-or-less real food, coach food is now a collection of junk food—some claiming to be “healthy” junk food : are those salty pita chips really any healthier than potato chips?
And you have to pay for it. Almost all of the “packages” have gluten, too much sodium and too many carbohydrates. I tend to avoid eating foods that I could not reproduce at home and/or with ingredients I cannot pronounce.
So I pack a lunch. I do treat myself well: gluten free crackers and a high quality pate or thin slices of homemade meatloaf is one of my favorites. For return trips I find a good grocery store and get good cheese (not too smelly, out of kindness to fellow passengers!) I’ve also packed chunks or slices of chicken; slices of ham and that ancient travel standby: hard boiled eggs. I take lots of veggies or a kind of Greek salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and celery. A little fruit and chocolate is a good simple dessert. Depending on time of day, and whether or not I’m driving after we land, I might have a glass of wine. For early flights I take my favorite teabags and just ask for hot water.
I went here for packaging: http://www.reusablebags.com/
In 1983 we were off to Paris for the second time, celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. By now Ed had accumulated enough frequent flyer miles from business travel that we could upgrade to first class. As we were waiting for the rest of the plane to board, the flight attendants came around offering water, juice and California sparkling wine (never call that “Champagne”—no matter how good it is, true Champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France.) After we leveled off for the night flight, the food service began. A very nice cart was wheeled down the wide aisle. We were offered smoked salmon and caviar and the real Champagne in real Champagne flutes (tall narrow glasses). At this point, I raised my glass to Ed, smiled sweetly and said, “You can fly on business just as much as you like…as long as I get to fly first class every now and then!”
I love to travel. And while I love first class, I can be happy in the “back of the bus”. However, food on airlines has changed (understatement here!) and while international first class is still pretty good, and domestic first class is still more-or-less real food, coach food is now a collection of junk food—some claiming to be “healthy” junk food : are those salty pita chips really any healthier than potato chips?
And you have to pay for it. Almost all of the “packages” have gluten, too much sodium and too many carbohydrates. I tend to avoid eating foods that I could not reproduce at home and/or with ingredients I cannot pronounce.
So I pack a lunch. I do treat myself well: gluten free crackers and a high quality pate or thin slices of homemade meatloaf is one of my favorites. For return trips I find a good grocery store and get good cheese (not too smelly, out of kindness to fellow passengers!) I’ve also packed chunks or slices of chicken; slices of ham and that ancient travel standby: hard boiled eggs. I take lots of veggies or a kind of Greek salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and celery. A little fruit and chocolate is a good simple dessert. Depending on time of day, and whether or not I’m driving after we land, I might have a glass of wine. For early flights I take my favorite teabags and just ask for hot water.
I went here for packaging: http://www.reusablebags.com/
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