Thursday, March 7, 2013

Gluten free, Soy Free, Corn Free, Chocolate Free, Psyllium Free, Peanut Free, Egg Free, Bleu Cheese Free

Gluten free, Soy Free, Corn Free, Chocolate Free, Psyllium Free, Peanut Free, Egg Free, Bleu Cheese Free

This is where we are as a family.  All family meals need these basic parameters to meet the allergy requirements of all members.  I'm the bleu cheese contingent, myself.  Some are more serious, like peanuts, for the respective members.  We do have two epi-pen prescriptions, so I'm not just being a nuisance of a mother.

I don't know if I'll be directing my posts to meeting these specific needs.  My kitchen is going this way in general.  It may be more of a vague sense that we are a special diet family, and not a family on a mission to create an allergy free tamale or pad thai recipe.  There are other blogs out there.  I use them and appreciate them.  However, we remain a traditional kitchen.  We're still an old-fashioned family.  I'm still making chicken and dumplings - from scratch - all the time.  I don't need to adjust those gluten free, since the Vintner doesn't care for his chicken that way.  I'm adhering to traditional recipes that meet all of our needs - allergy, nutrition, emotional and social.  There wont be too much variation from what I've done in the past, but I thought it valuable to put this official in a post.  If someone is looking for a blog like mine to follow, then it might be nice to know this is it!

Lenten Delights

I am no vegetarian.  During Lent, one could be excused from assuming otherwise.  I'm feasting on veggies, including veggie juice.  I'm enjoying the delicacy of an early spring palate.  With that, I've reminded myself how pleasurable it is to through a few veggies in the cast iron skillet, toss over a sauce at the end and fork away.

Last night, I took out a parsnip, a green onion and 4 ounces of mushrooms.  I stir fried them in butter, until they had a delightful brown color.  Then, I tossed in some left over peas and carrots.  At the end, I turned in a small glove of garlic and tumeric, cumino seeds and thyme.  Off the heat, I poured over a couple of tablespoons of whipping cream.  I sprinkled over some of the remaining bits of green onion tops for color.  Wonderful!  A sort of a quick and easy creamy curry to remind me how nice a veggie meal can be.

No wine pairing tonight - it is Lent - but I'd love it with a buttery chardonnay.  Not that I even like chardonnay!