How to Eat

We have spent the past two months on vacation and seeing family. I finally saw my where my husband grew up. It's a little town in the Eastern Sierra. We stayed at the home of a childhood friend (they were off on their own adventure in Europe). It was lovely. One of my favorite parts of the trip: eating at the local bakery. I ate almost an entire loaf of sheepherder's bread by myself, sliced thick and spread with Nutella. We wanted to spend our time outside or touring the sights, so our meals were simple. Boiled corn on the cob and fresh burgers. Boiled artichokes and pain au chocolat. Fruit with yogurt or cheese. It was delicious and simple.
The trip coupled with all the food planning that precedes and follows any big vacation, coupled with reading a book about French culture and their approach to food, has sent me deep into thought about the way we eat. The depths continued as we enjoyed a visit from B's sister and her dear family. She is a fellow celiac and foodie who has traveled a lot. Together we tried a gelato place in Fremont; ate the best ice cream of our lives on Bainbridge Island (they even have gluten-free cones); and made ensalada caprese. Walking through Pike Place and the return of our own Farmer's Market have added to my new goals and resolve.
When it comes down to it, I sound like a broken record. My goals haven't changed--eat lots of fruits and vegetables, eat fresh, have leftovers, bake something, enjoy food. But as I've learned more my approach to these goals is changing. As I've sought these goals, I have seen changes in myself. It's a slow process. Right now I'm just enjoying that I'm in a moment of clarity where I can see how far I've come--and feel excited about the road ahead.
To that question--How to eat? The part I want to focus on at the moment is how to prepare to eat. Too many times I find myself scrounging up food, hurrying to prepare dinner when everone in our house is already too hungry. For that, a few solutions:

*Decide early in the day what's for dinner. Decide by lunchtime, and note how long it will take to make.
*Start with a clean kitchen. For me, this means at least one counter space and an emptied dishwasher so I can load as I go. Your kitchen does not have to be perfectly clean.
*Try mise en place. this professional approach means you prepare all your ingredients before you begin cooking. I love doing this with any dish that requires a lot of spices or many chopped ingredients. Setting up this way also means you read through the recipe several times and get a better sense of it.
*Set the table. With two adults and two kids we tend to do buffet style, serving ourselves in the kitchen. Now that we have a bigger table we have room to put our food on the table. I cannot say enough about eating at least dinner at the table together--sans media, of course. Whatever your family situation taking your time to eat a meal at your table helps to set it apart from the rest of your day. Meals are nourishing and can nourish us beyond our caloric needs.
*Serve meals in courses and stick to small portions. This is tres French, but it is also a suggestion from Jessica Seinfeld in Deceptively Delicous. Starting with a vegetable can get the hard part out of the way. Next the main course--grain and protein, then finishing with dessert, maybe some nice fruit. A more French approach: bread is set on the table throughout the meal and the meal might finish with a rich dessert or simply some fruit with a bit of cheese or dark chocolate.
Serving small portions--sometimes even smaller than normal--gives children the satisfaction of finishing and asking for more.
*Bring everyone in on the dinner prep. J is becoming quite adept at mixing and stirring. Dinner doesn't usually offer as many opportunies for helping as baking does, but she is very keen on setting the table for everyone.
*Try new fruits and vegetables. This is especially important for children, but also for celiacs. Trying new fruits and vegetables is the best way to expand the palette. Not up for trying a whole new fruit? Try organic or locally grown berries or nectarines and see what you think. For some things, it's worth the extra money.
*Find a bread recipe and make it regularly. Bread or muffins, even simply pancakes or waffles. There are tasty options out in the gluten-free world, but there is something magical about homemade bread. It can be time consuming--all in all the bread below takes 1.5 to 2 hours--but most of that is hands-free, just being home to make sure it doesn't burn. Muffins can be done in about 30 minutes total. Nothing rounds out a meal better than a nice slice of bread or a muffin with some fresh fruit, nutella, or fruit preserves. Recipes for bread and muffins follow.
We have to figure out what works in our own families. For me, a major goal in raising my children is introducing them to every fruit and vegetable that I can. I want eating fresh produce to be an innate part of their lives. My other major goal: find and develop good gluten-free meals. Because eating shouldn't feel like a chore for anyone, no matter their dietary restrictions.
What would you add to the list above? What makes your eating experiences more nourishing spiritually as well as physically?


Homemade Gluten-free Bread
developed by Susan Singley
You prepare this bread like a quick bread, but it includes yeast so it rises. It works just as well with all rice flour--using sorghum gives it a little more nutty flavor and umph.

3 cups rice flour OR 1½ cups rice flour, 1½ cups sorghum flour
¼ cup sugar
1 package or 1 Tablespoon dry active yeast
3½ teaspoons xanthan gum
1½ teaspoons salt
2 cups lukewarm water
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs

1. Combine flour(s), sugar, yeast, xanthan gum, and salt in mixing bowl. Blend well.
2. Add the lukewarm water (water that is too warm will kill the yeast) and the vegetable oil. Blend well.
3. Add the eggs. Mix at highest speed of mixer for 2 minutes.
4. Bread dough should be wetter than cookie dough and stiffer than cake dough.
5. Add water till correct consistency. Usually only needs ¼ more at the most.
6. Pour dough into greased bread pan. Let rise until slightly above pans.
7. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Makes one loaf.

Betty Hagman's Easy Gluten-free muffins*
This basic lends itself to all kinds of variety--a few ideas are listed below.

1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons shortening or butter
2 eggs
1 cup rice flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup milk or nondairy liquid (orange juice comes out crispier--mmm.)
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Grease 8 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin cups.
In a mixing bowl, cream together sugar and shortening.
Beat in the eggs.
Sift together the flour, salt, xanthan gum, and baking powder and add to the egg mixture alternately with the milk. Don’t overbeat. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour into muffin cups. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes.

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Variations
Blueberry Muffins: add 1 to 1½ Tablespoons fresh or frozen blueberries
Cranberry Muffins: add 1 to 1½ Tablespoons fresh or frozen cranberries
Raspberry Muffins: add 1 to 1½ Tablespoons fresh or frozen raspberries
Lemon Poppy seed Muffins: 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and 1½ Tablespoons poppy seeds