My life, in food

I grew up in Blaine, Minnesota, a suburb outside of the Twin Cities. (Bill frequently reminds me that many people do not actually know what the Twin Cities are... Minneapolis and St. Paul is the correct answer, not New York City and Chicago or L.A., although within 5 minutes of meeting me you could probably figure it out from the "o's" and the "you bet's!") Food has always been an important part of my life, in one form or the other. While my mother was never a fantastic cook (sorry, mom!) she always made an attempt to involve children in the kitchen. Whether it was peeling and slicing apples for one of her famous apple pies, or giving us baby food jars filled with cream and salt to shake and keep our hands busy during movies (to make, you guessed it, butter! This is Minnesota, after all!), I always had a hand in the kitchen.

After I graduated from high school I left "ketchup-is-too-spicy" Minnesota and moved to New York City, where one could order a hot sauce so powerful it had to be carried to the table in an eye dropper. At first it was a rude awakening... I didn't realize it wasn't normal to eat salads without any dressing, or to not put any toppings on baked potatoes... and wait, you mean there's more than three ways to prepare potatoes? My new friends thought I was absolutely nuts for eating the way that I did, but I was staunch in my eating habits. I liked things the way I liked them, and that was that. How Sally Albright of me.

If there is one thing that was more ingrained than my eating habits, it was the "Minnesota-nice" way of life. I was not raised to offend others or to be ungracious, even when offered food that I thought would be absolutely dreadful! As I spent more time in the city and expanded my group of friends, I slowly put myself in an increasing number of situations where I had no choice but to suck it up (literally at times!) and take a bite!

Some things I liked immediately, like asparagus and black beans, and am sad to have lived for so long without having tried them. Other things are still a work in progress... the only fish I've ever had was a tuna steak, which was tasty, however I can't bring myself to order it in a restaurant. My diet began to grow with variety, and my overall health improved. (Not hard to do when you replace meat and potatoes with chicken and beans, and ranch dressing for oil and balsamic vinegar...YUM!)

Over the years I spent in the city I met and married the love of my life, my dear Bill. We shared a love for similar types of food and wine, and began cooking and eating together as a way to bond. Bill is a fantastic cook, particularly with BBQ, and I knew how to make a baked good or two. (I even uncharacteristically told him he would fall in love with me after eating one of my cupcakes)

About six months into our relationship Bill was having terrible stomach pains after eating just about everything. Through knowledge of family medical history and speaking with doctors it was concluded that Bill suffers from Celiac's disease, a digestive condition triggered by gluten. We learned very quickly that everything in our "food-lives" was about to change. Bill could no longer eat wheat, barley, rye, oats, etc. or anything that might contain them as ingredients. We searched high and low for breads, pastas, cereals, etc. that did not taste like cardboard, and on more than one occasion felt like a cruel and unusual joke had been played on us. What an odd twist of fate for someone to go thirty five years without experiencing any pain or difficulty, and within months for their entire life to be altered!

Having been a bit of an experienced baker and knowing how important it was for my dearest to still enjoy food, I began to make anything and everything I could from scratch in hopes it would taste better than a lot of the prepackaged garbage we found and give more variety to his food choices. Since then I have made cakes, pastries, pastas, sauces, etc. completely gluten free for his enjoyment. I always joke with him that I really wasn't serious about food, or more importantly I didn't find joy in it, until I had a reason and a cause for it. While Celiac's may seem like a curse at times, I know it's brought the two of us closer together.

Cooking and baking (and candlestick making...) have changed the way I view food and interactions with friends and family. Knowing that I can do something that I love to bring others joy and happiness is truly satisfying to me. Because of this, I have been challenged by Bill to pursue this whole gluten free and allergy sensitive world of food more seriously. At the start of a new year (and goodness, a new decade!) it's only appropriate to set a goal for the year ahead... in my baking adventures I will chronicle my experience in hopes that it will inspire you to spend more time with your friends and family over food, and who knows, maybe you too will go from being a picky eater to a baking entrepreneur!

-B