There are many things that give me joy in this crazy old world of ours.
Sir and the Kid Squid are not without their benefits, of course, and I get quite a kick out of bashing and breaking great big shiny things in the lab all day. I live in a not completely un-picturesque locale that provides easy access to Newark Airport and the delightful destinations accessible therefrom. I obtain no end of satisfaction from culinary experimentation of all kinds and I can say (sort of, with provisos and qualifications) that these days I've even got my health.
But if there's one thing I've well and truly learned in my time as a gluten freedom-fighter - where pleasure can be a slave to duty and one's time is often not one's own - it's the importance of finding modest indulgences where one can. For a wheatless warrior on a hardship post, this can be a tough challenge.
Fortunately, there are certain consolations. No doughnuts? There's still macarons and brownies made with sweet chestnut flour. Pasta off the menu? Have a lovely swishy plate of risotto instead. Can't eat the battered everything at Red Lobster? Pamper yourself with a dreamy gluten-free lunch at Le Bernardin (I'm being facetious, of course - by which I mean I'm being deadly serious). A good book or the purchase of a cunning new piece of kitchen gear can go a long way towards alleviating the discomfort and inconvenience of a gluten-free commission, as can a soothing cup of tea or the contemplation of a few verses of fine poetry (especially when it has been written by one's self).
So I suppose I would admit, in the final analysis, it's not so bad being a gluten guerrilla ... as long as one occasionally puts time aside for small treats and some well-deserved R and R.
Comestibles To Which I Am Utterly Devoted
brown sushi rice; cocktails; chocolate-covered dates; duck confit; eggs; golden syrup; Hunza raisins; Kind cranberry and almond bars; macarons; praiseworthy gluten-free products; potatoes; risotto; a soothing cup of tea; stone-ground corn flour; sweet chestnut flour
Friendly Institutions
Sir and the Kid Squid are not without their benefits, of course, and I get quite a kick out of bashing and breaking great big shiny things in the lab all day. I live in a not completely un-picturesque locale that provides easy access to Newark Airport and the delightful destinations accessible therefrom. I obtain no end of satisfaction from culinary experimentation of all kinds and I can say (sort of, with provisos and qualifications) that these days I've even got my health.
But if there's one thing I've well and truly learned in my time as a gluten freedom-fighter - where pleasure can be a slave to duty and one's time is often not one's own - it's the importance of finding modest indulgences where one can. For a wheatless warrior on a hardship post, this can be a tough challenge.
Fortunately, there are certain consolations. No doughnuts? There's still macarons and brownies made with sweet chestnut flour. Pasta off the menu? Have a lovely swishy plate of risotto instead. Can't eat the battered everything at Red Lobster? Pamper yourself with a dreamy gluten-free lunch at Le Bernardin (I'm being facetious, of course - by which I mean I'm being deadly serious). A good book or the purchase of a cunning new piece of kitchen gear can go a long way towards alleviating the discomfort and inconvenience of a gluten-free commission, as can a soothing cup of tea or the contemplation of a few verses of fine poetry (especially when it has been written by one's self).
So I suppose I would admit, in the final analysis, it's not so bad being a gluten guerrilla ... as long as one occasionally puts time aside for small treats and some well-deserved R and R.
Comestibles To Which I Am Utterly Devoted
brown sushi rice; cocktails; chocolate-covered dates; duck confit; eggs; golden syrup; Hunza raisins; Kind cranberry and almond bars; macarons; praiseworthy gluten-free products; potatoes; risotto; a soothing cup of tea; stone-ground corn flour; sweet chestnut flour
Friendly Institutions
Culture and Other Elevating Concepts
art; duty free; eloquence; embracing the horror; good books; the high-ratio cake concept; holiday joy; the Muppets; music and lyrics; The New York Times; my orchard and garden; philosophy; poetry; politics; Star Trek
Great Places to Eat
art; duty free; eloquence; embracing the horror; good books; the high-ratio cake concept; holiday joy; the Muppets; music and lyrics; The New York Times; my orchard and garden; philosophy; poetry; politics; Star Trek
Great Places to Eat
Arnold's; le Bernardin; Fyndraai at Solms-Delta; les Halles (downtown NYC location); Kitchin; Kome; our beloved local curry place; A Room in Leith; The Spot; The Caffe Bar at Valvona and Crolla
Objets and Accoutrements
blue ribbons; cooking gear (including cream whippers and Metro shelves); jam jars; my Kindle; my trusty silver Element; Moleskine notebooks; Smartyphones; the Wolf
blue ribbons; cooking gear (including cream whippers and Metro shelves); jam jars; my Kindle; my trusty silver Element; Moleskine notebooks; Smartyphones; the Wolf