Living with food allergies isn’t fun. In my case, it isn’t me who has the allergies, but my better half, Carlos. He has a sensitivity or allergy to gluten and is lactose intolerant. But while I don’t have allergies, I still had to change what I eat too (somewhat). We use rice noodles instead of traditional wheat-based pasta. Gone are the days of flour tortillas and burritos. Instead we have corn tortillas and tacos.
Luckily, there are quite a few gluten-free and lactose-free options at the store, but they tend to be pricey and often use a lot of ingredients that nobody can pronounce and are told to avoid. These products are also not always great tasting.
So, I started baking not only regular bread (wheat-based and containing gluten) but also gluten-free bread for Carlos, trying to create bread he enjoys. It has been an interesting and fun exploration into new ingredients and techniques, but it also makes my experimentation and recipe development more difficult. When I want to try something new, especially a sweet treat, I always have to decide whether to use a “traditional” recipe, which typically uses wheat flour or look for a gluten-free recipe or modify it myself. Many of the sweet baked goods also use milk or butter, so again, I am adjusting. Some foods and dishes I am making we love (some fermented cheese and yogurt alternatives), some need more adjustments, and others I have given up on. Maybe I’ll try again in the future.
Overall, we adjusted well to gluten-free and dairy-free meals, but I do miss regular pasta (sometimes). Brown rice pasta is OK, I even like some of the bean-based pasta, for variation, especially for lasagna noodles. But a traditional Italian style spaghetti made with semolina takes a pasta dish to the next level and some dishes just don’t work with rice pasta, for example pasta salad. It is summer, the time for pasta salad, which I love. But rice pasta gets a gritty texture when cooling down making pasta salads not taste right. Left-over pasta dishes are another thing of the past. My mom used to make a fried left-over pasta dish with scrambled egg, onion, carrots, bacon bits, and melted cheese on top. So, yummy! But leftover rice pasta tends to stick and/or disintegrate when reheating. Maybe I just need more practice.
You may say, just make your own pasta salad or cook two pots of pasta, one gluten-free and the other regular for your favorite pasta dish. And yes, you are right, I could do that, but part of what I enjoy about cooking is sharing the food. I don’t think I would enjoy my favorite pasta salad half as much if I was eating it alone. Having someone else, in my case Carlos, eat with me and enjoy it as much or more than I, makes the meal special. Eating and enjoying together is what gives me the most pleasure when it comes to food. I will continue to live without regular pasta (except when going out for a meal) and make up for it by exploring and trying new dishes, sauces and ingredients that are naturally gluten-free and hopefully as satisfying as those childhood dishes.