A yogurt substitute!

When I was finishing up high school, my breakfast of choice was vanilla yogurt topped with mixed berries and some granola.  These days, I haven't done much with yogurt, since I've not been bothered to try and make the stuff myself.  It's not that I don't like the stuff - it's just that I'm of the mind that I should eat primarily things that are naturally gfc-dfsf, rather than trying to find substitutes for the things I can't have.  While that's all fine and good when I'm eating on my own, when I'm with company, it makes us both uncomfortable if I can't have some equivalent.  That said, Turtle Mountain has added coconut milk-based yogurt to it's line of dairy alternatives.  They've got 9 flavors to choose from, and the reviews look good.  I've not yet tried it myself, but I intend to by the time school starts.  It's not a perfect substitute - it has carregeenan (a food additive I try to avoid) - but since I don't do yogurt (or yogurt substitutes) very much, I can compromise a little in the event I need a "yogurt".

Housewarming Party! More recipes coming soon!

My roommate and I had a house-warming party to celebrate the end of the first stage of moving and to have some fun.  We did it potluck style with everyone bringing finger foods or drinks (we got lots of lemonade and a little wine).  I didn't expect anyone to try to cater to my issues - so I made a gfc-dfsf fruit and veggie platter with three dips - bean dip (a hijacked hummus recipe that I accidentally made very garlic-y - but people liked it still), my chocolate goo, and a vanilla coconut goo.  All of it came off really well - especially the vanilla coconut goo.  Unfortunately, I didn't measure out what I made - I was rushing to finish the dips before people started arriving - so I don't have an exact recipe yet.  I promised someone at church though that I would give her the recipe, so I have plenty of reason to re-create it (that and it's quite yummy).

Why I'm picky about soy

Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D write about the dangers of soy - particularly, un-fermented soy.  In a nut-shell, it used to be that soy was only considered safe for eating if it was fermented (i.e. tamari, miso, natto, tempeh) - and even then - it was a condiment, like ketchup.  Now, for various reasons, soy - fermented and otherwise - gets marketed as a "miracle food", when there are dangers associated with isoflavones.  It's a bit of a long read, but it's worth it.

Dining out? Some helpful hints

In a similar vein to my ranting about the CNN article on miserable dining-out company, I thought I would offer up my strategies for navigating the awkward, "I can't have that" conversation regarding restaurants.  These are only my personal strategies; they are not the only way to go about things; and they may not necessarily work in every situation.

1)  Respect the others' needs/preferences, whatever they may be.  Food isn't just about shoveling calories down your throat - it's a social experience.  "Normal" folks (for a lack of a better term, those who don't have special dietary restrictions) should respect the needs/preferences of the food sensitive/intolerant, the vegetarians, the vegans, the raw food-ists, etc. and vice versa.  Quoth the Rabbi Hillel, "What is hateful to thyself, do not do to another.  That is the whole Law, the rest is commentary."  In the words of Jesus, "Love thy neighbor as thyself."

2)  For those with special dietary needs, always have a plan ready.  For example:

• Have a mental (and/or physical) list of "okay" restaurants/dishes ready for those spur-of-the-moment, "Let's grab lunch" conversations.  
• Going to a restaurant with a menu that doesn't readily accommodate your needs?  Call the restaurant ASAP, explain your needs, and, if possible, negotiate a compromise.
• Cannot go to restaurants period?  Offer to cook something you can eat that is agreeable to your company.
• Someone wants to grab a bite and you have your food already?  Offer to meet them in a neutral place (i.e. their desk, their office, a picnic table outside, etc.).     
• Going to a party?  If at all possible, confer with the host/hostess about "okay" options in advance.  Offer to help them plan/prepare the food themselves or to bring an "okay" option to share.  If necessary, have "okay" options ready.  
• Hosting a party?  If possible (and there are situations when this is not possible), bring or cook something that you can't have, but others can.

The bottom line?  Be prepared to be part of the solution.

3)  For those without special dietary needs, be supportive and flexible.  For example:

• Going out?  Let those with special dietary needs lead.
• Cooking for someone with dietary restrictions?  Hosting a party?  Choose recipes that are naturally "okay" when possible.  Some ingredients are more easily substituted than others: i.e. substituting plant-based oils for animal based fats and one sweetener for another are pretty easy; good soy-sauce and cheese substitutes are hard to find, however.

The bottom line?  Don't be afraid to get creative or try something new.

Picky Dinner Pals - by necessity

I've been enjoying CNN's Eatocracy for a while, but I'm a bit perturbed about the comments to an entry about adults who are picky about what they eat when going to restaurants.  Now there are reasons to be perturbed at someone who is just downright rude (I really dislike those too), but in the case of trying to avoid certain foods because of potential food intolerances by asking the waiter to hold the cheese on a burger - it's already trying to be food intolerant (or, in my case, potentially), but folks who don't make an effort to understand or accommodate folks with food intolerances are just as miserable dinner company as picky eaters or rude folks.

Forgive me for ranting, but respecting each others' dietary differences has become a priority for me.  I live with a kosher vegetarian; am happily in a relationship with a guy who loves his meat and cheese; am friends with those who eat versions of the Standard American Diet, as well as vegans, gluten-free, and dairy-free folks, and would never think to impose my dietary restrictions on any of them.  In fact, the struggle is finding places where we can all sit down and break bread so that they can eat freely, and I don't have to compromise (unless I feel like owing a confession).

New Address!

The Acne-Free Foodie has changed its name and moved!  It's now The GFCFSF Acne-Free Foodie, and the new address is http://thegfcfsfacnefreefoodie.blogspot.com.  More updates coming soon!

Happy August! More re-branding thoughts

We're going into the 4th month of The Acne-Free Foodie, and I'm still looking for more ways to make this little neck of the web a bit less academic and a bit more . . . fun? Food and cooking is my anti-work. When I get frustrated with my professors, or my work, or my colleagues, or "the system" (which can and does happen), I go home and cook - even before starting this thing. Cooking is not (and has never been) work and neither should The Acne-Free Foodie be. Pictures and video would help, and I'm working on that, but I'm not much of a picture/video taker - it's not a habit . . . yet.

Furthermore, I wonder if this could be less about sane food advocacy. That's happening a lot on the web and it's important - trust me - but it doesn't help my family or my friends trying to navigate this change with me. I don't know how many times I've had to explain what I can and can't eat; where I can and can't eat; how to adapt recipes so I can eat them; finding good substitutions so I don't stick out like a sore thumb; and how awkward those conversations can be. I wonder if it wouldn't more helpful to help non-gfcfsf, sane-meat-and-poultry-only, no-artificial/processed-sweeteners folk (i.e. most people I know) navigate the gfcfsf, sane-meat-and-poultry-only, no-artificial/processed-sweeteners world from a female 20-something's perspective. It's a little different from the mom's cookbook-with-pictures-of-good-food-and-healthier-kids approach, but I'm an unmarried, 23-year-old grad student with no children. That approach isn't going to work for me.

Any thoughts?