Why?

I love to cook. Correction, I love to feed people. I've been managing friends' and family's dietary restrictions for over a decade now. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people who can't eat the things they love anymore due to food allergies (for example) light up when I am able to modify or create a dish that they can really enjoy. In the past I mostly managed my immediate family's issues with lactose intolerance. Then I began to get creative with vegetarian and vegan dishes for friends who made dietary choices.

And then I met my partner Mike. Mike's system can't handle gluten, garlic, or dairy; he has also made the choice to not eat land animals (or as he puts it "anything with feet"). Getting creative being "4 Free" [no gluten, no dairy, no garlic, no meat] has been an adventure. The most intense exploration has been with gluten-free flours and baking. All I can say is that we are very lucky to live in the land of Bob's Red Mill. We are truly grateful for all the products and the good work the people at Bob's have done to support gluten-free.

So what's this blog about? It's about really exploring alternative ways to make things you love and thought you couldn't eat anymore. It's about not feeling deprived of the sensuous act of eating delicious food because of a food allergy. It's also about respect. Respect for all the cooks out there who are searching for creative ways to cook for themselves, and their friends, and their family without making them sick (emphasis on the creative). You won't find the "recipe" for sauteing mushrooms here. Personally, when I purchase a cookbook that claims to be "gluten free vegan" I don't want to be insulted by "Oh, look...you can eat sauteed mushrooms!" Yeah. We know that. How about apple pie with a delicious pastry crust? Or how about bread that doesn't taste like sawdust? Or how about some lasagna? Or how about anything other than vegetables sauteed in olive oil? There are indeed some great cookbooks out there that address choices as well as food allergies, but there seem to be a fair number that I find uninspired and also a bit insulting.

Some basic assumptions are going to be made when we post recipes. We are going to assume you have basic cooking skills. I personally am not vegan, and Mike is Pescatarian with a whole bunch of food allergies thrown in to make it interesting. Here you'll see pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan fare. We plan to also add some notes about additions that could be made to these recipes should you wish to. This might entail things like adding cheese, something non-vegan, or something non-pescatarian. The core recipes though will always be, first and foremost, "4 Free."

Sara