Chow Down

Garbanzo pasta tomato soup

2011-05-07T10:31:00.002+10:00

It's been a while since I cooked from scratch. Let's see if I remember how.
Garbanzo pasta tomato soup
Ingredients

3 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth
3/4 cup small seashell pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Stir into pasta and add garbanzo beans, tomatoes, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve.

I forgot how good fried onion smells.
Done! So easy and so tasty! This recipe is a keeper.
Note: used chicken stock instead of veg. The vegetarian kind.

Fried Brown Rice

2010-08-01T10:09:00.000+10:00

This recipe evolved from one that Em found online for me in response to my comment about my garden brocollini. The basic recipe was bacon and brocollini, stir fried in olive oil. It was delicious.

Over several successive goes, each time with the addition of more ingredients, it turned into this: Fried Brown Rice.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups brown rice (uncooked)
2 onions (medium sized)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 cups diced roast pumpkin
1 cup diced roast red pepper
1 cup diced roast eggplant
1 large bunch brocollini (or 1 brocolli head)
Olive oil (several tablespoons)
1 cup mixed beans
1/2 cup corn

METHOD:

First soak the dried beans. I had a mix of chickpea, red kidney, borlotti and lima.

Then roast the pumpkin. To cheat, I sliced it into thin (1/2 inch) wedges and sat them upright in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the top then sprinkle with whole cumin seeds. It didn't need salt.

And roast the eggplant and red pepper for about 20 minutes in a hot oven (180'C / 350'F). I drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the slices. The eggplant is sliced lengthways, each slice is about 1/4 inch thick.

While the vegetables are roasting put the 2 cups of brown rice, with 5 cups of water, into the rice cooker.

When the rice is cooked, let it cool. When the roast vegetables are cooked, take them from the oven and allow them to cool.

Because my brocollini is growing in the garden, I headed outside to pick some.

Don't they make a pretty bouquet?

Back in the kitchen, I fired up the burner, poured in about a tablespoon of olive oil and tossed in the onion (chopped) and garlic (minced).

When the onion was soft, but not brown, I added the paprika. As this will be a vegetarian dish, the smoked paprika adds a nice smoky, barbeque flavour.

When that's softened, but not burned (don't leave this alone and don't let it cook too long otherwise the paprika will burn), add the brocollini (or brocolli). I roughly cut the brocollini with scissors, flowers and all. Even the narrower stems are edible.

Next I roughly chop (or food process) the roast red pepper and eggplant. I have a small food processor so I did mine in batches.

Add the eggplant and red pepper to the vegetable mixture.

Next I added the beans and corn. All of that is mixed around.

The vegetable mixture is now done and can be moved to a large enough bowl to accommodate the vegetables, all of the rice and still allow room for the mixture to be combined. Or use a large cooking pot, which is what I did.

I then lightly fried the rice in olive oil. I used about a tablespoon of olive oil each time and divided the rice into three batches. Stir frying time was brief, only a few minutes, just to bring out the nutty flavour and to dry the rice a little. It didn't really brown it that much.

When each batch of rice is ready, add it to the vegetable mixture and mix with a large spoon to combine.

Remember that the pumpkin hasn't been added yet. I left it until last because I didn't want the soft pumpkin to be mushed in with the rest of the mix. I roughly chopped the roast pumpkin, after removing the skin (I just sliced around that and dumped it in the compost), then added that to the rice/vegetable mixture.

The mixture distributed evenly across five containers, which I labelled and put into the freezer.

Each is a complete meal, which can be boosted with the addition of protein, but if eaten on its own then each cost $0.71 to make. Not bad, huh!? :-)

Rain, rain, rain and spuds

2010-06-06T13:18:00.000+10:00

Market day again yesterday and mum and I netted a huge haul. A big box of apples, a bag each of pears, bananas and mandarins, a couple of bags of potatoes (two kinds), a bag of carrots and one of onions. Without the little trolley, we'd never have made it back home! All up, that enormous amount of produce came to about $10. We're not sure because we combined a pile of loose change and didn't count it first.

Today is one of those ultimate changeable days. It started off pouring with rain, then turned overcast and threatening, then the sun burst out and drew me out into the garden where I captured most of the photos you will see below. The sun lasted about an hour before down came the rain again. Now, as I type this, it's back to overcast and threatening. Though it's inconvenient and makes planning for outdoor activities difficult, I do enjoy the unpredictability. Those brief snatches of sunlight are all the more precious as a consequence.

After rain and in the bright sunshine, water droplets are a magical sight. I captured several on the pea flowers.

I adore the purple pea flowers. The variety is an heirloom variety and the pods are meant to be purple as well. I can't wait to see those babies!

From there, I wandered the garden, snapping photos of anything that caught my eye or seemed different from the last update. First up, look at this amazing pattern that the rainwater made on the underside of the apple tree boughs.

I'm trying to keep a cherry tomato plant alive for as long as I can over winter. To this end, I enclose it in a plastic shroud overnight and on cold days. This is the first time in over a week that it's been open to the air and sunlight. I need to do that in order to have a chance for the flowers to be pollenated so they will form fruit.

Some pollenation has occurred and there is new growth and new flowers, which suggests that my mini hot-house is working... to some degree anyway.

I have another, larger, hot-house type structure covering the basil and pepper plants. This one is not so successful, I think becuase that part of the yard receives significantly less sun than the other. Also, the area is larger and the plastic enclosure less secure. I'm not yet to give up though. It might still work.

The hot-house is on the left, inside the hot-house is on the right.

Last weekend I moved Ruby the rhubarb as I had noticed her dying back. Maybe it's the time of year when she does... I'm not sure, but she's looking better since having been moved. I'd still like to see some new growth though.

Here's some views of the backyard and the thriving garden that Em and I built just a few months ago.

The broad beans, mixed lettuce, spinach and turnips are going great. No flowers on the broad beans yet, but I trust they will come.

The remainder of the potatoes that I bought a month ago have now passed the stage of edibility. I tossed them in a bucket and took them down to the potato patch. Em, you know where that is. :-) The area doesn't receive sunlight, but given that there are already potato shoots coming up, I figure what the hell. I have nothing to lose and a lot to gain if they work.

Paddy helped plant the potatoes. He considers himself quite the green thumb... paw.

I have a cute video as well, of Paddy chasing the shovel and digging in the soil but it's too big for You Tube. *sigh* But, trust me, it's cute! ;-) He's a great little gardener.

Garden update

2010-05-10T20:22:00.000+10:00

I wandered around the garden on Saturday, admiring and plucking ingredients for dinner. Here are some photos.

Peas.

Em, remember when we planted these as seeds....

Kohl Rabi. I have no idea what to do with these crazy vegetables but will figure it out quick. One will be ready for harvesting in another week or two.

Radish. I ate this on Saturday night with dinner. Yum!

Ladybird that I rescued from drowning. Now go eat aphids...

Beans. These suckers will grow anywhere.

Not much has changed here since Em left. I've still not decided what to plant. Maybe this weekend I'll make some decisions and get some seeds in.

Chester doing his 'king of the castle' routine.

Anyone for celery!?

Only a month or so ago, this was pared back to bare earth. It's amazing how quickly things grow.

That's it for this tour. I've missed out on a few things but will do another round of the garden when some of the newer plants start producing. I'm hanging out for home grown brussel sprouts and broad beans!! Amazing!! I can't wait!

Roast vegetable salad

2010-05-10T20:08:00.000+10:00

Because I had intended to roast vegetables to go with the gnocchi and then changed my mind, I had some cut up pumpkin to do something with. It inspired another idea... a roast vegetable salad that I can eat with tuna for lunches for this week. I started chopping.

I roasted potato, pumpkin and carrot with cumin (whole seeds), smoked paprika, olive oil and salt. When those were done, I dumped them into a bowl and added diced green beans (from the garden), capsicum (from the garden), half a tin of corn and red kidney beans (I'll be using the other half for quesadeas for several dinners this week), celery (from the garden) and rainbow chard (from the garden).

Mixed all around and split into containers, my impromptu roast vegetable salad gives me three generous sized lunches. I'll top each with a can of tuna for a delicious, nutritious and colourful meal. Guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow!?

And here's the cost breakdown. It's a little pricier than the gnocchi because of the tuna but it's not protein rich enough for me to eat on its own. I also suspect that these serves are going to prove just a touch too generous, so this may end up making four meals.

Potato Gnocchi and Tomato/Bacon Sauce

2010-05-10T19:52:00.001+10:00

At the market on Saturday I snagged a 5kg bag of potatoes for $2. With eyes and sprouts, they're not going to last for much longer than a week before they turn inedible, so making potato gnocchi went to the top of the to-do list.

I used a recipe, of sorts, and because I still have lots of gluten free flours, I used rice and potato flour for the mix. They cooked up nicely enough, more spongy and airy than the ones I've made before and well suited to a sauce. I'd intended to roast some vegetables and add tomato to them to go with the gnocchi, but changed the recipe at the last moment.

I have lots of bacon in the freezer and the market haul also netted a good sized bag of onions so I threw together a bacon/tomato sauce, using some of the frozen tomato paste from the freezer to improve the taste. It made six generous sized serves, perfect for lunches.

Each serve works out at $1.10. Not bad for a delicious, filling and nutritious lunch. Here's the breakdown:

Oh, and I forgot... I found a container of frozen cooked pumpkin in the freezer so I tossed that in as well. That would have cost, maybe, at the absolute most, sixty cents, so technically each serving costs $1.20. That's still an absolute bargain, and delicious too!

Anxiety and depression

2010-05-10T19:32:00.000+10:00

After years of symptoms, frustration, dietary restrictions and self-diagnosis, it turns out that I've been suffering from anxiety/depression all this time. All those physical symptoms (ALL OF THEM) were a consequence of insufficient neurotransmitters in my body. I'm now taking an anti-anxiety/depression medication and pretty much every symptom has gone. I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want and I don't suffer for it.

I'm embarassed that I put my friends and family through one fad diet after another when all I needed was a once a day pill. I wish I had figured this out much sooner. Not only would I have saved everyone (and myself) a whole lot of inconvenience and distress, but I would have saved a fortune on shonky remedies and naturopaths.

Dwelling on it is pointless. I'm glad that I'm well, or at least on the road to being well. I accept that pride and stubborness prevented me from accepting anxiety as the cause for a long time. I accept it now.

So it's IBS....

2010-03-08T02:39:00.002+11:00

I saw a Gastroenterologist so I could rule out anything sinister going on that might explain my bowel symptoms. He ran blood and stool tests that came back normal. Low for one of the B vitamins (I can't remember which, not B12, he said that was fine), but still within the normal range (just). I refused to undergo invasive tests and given the good bloodwork, he didn't push it. His diagnosis is IBS.

The only anomaly that worries him is my calcium. It's low (outside the normal range) -- only just in my opinion, but apparently that's significant. He's running another test for that.

To celebrate the IBS diagnosis (yes, I know I'm strange), I went out with the girls on Friday lunch to a Chinese dumpling restaurant. The company was great, as was the atmosphere and value for money but the dumplings didn't quite come up to scratch. The ones I'd tried to make for myself tasted better, even though they looked worse and had questionable texture.

This wasn't my first wheat (gluten) containing meal, but it was the most deliberate one. I told the gastroenterologist that I'm gluten free. In hindsight, I'm not. I eat a 'normal' wheat containing meal at least once a month and some of my grain choices (like buckwheat and quinoa) are labelled as possibly containing gluten.

The only obvious and immediate symptom to come out of the wheat-based meal was bloating.But what about anxiety?

It's 2:30am on Monday morning. Today is a public holiday, thankfully, because I can't sleep. I've read over half of a book, browsed news websites and facebook, worked on my wellness journal template, chased mosquitoes around the house and I'm still wired.

I'm tired, but I feel on edge, worried and anxious about something and yet nothing. Last week I blamed the alcohol and I gave that up. I haven't drunk anything this week yet I'm feeling the same way. Oh, and let's not mention the irrational rage incident a little earlier. *blush* It's all okay, no people or animals were injured, but like the storm that hit melbourne yesterday, the anger came out of nowhere. Fortunatley it quickly disappeared, unlike the storm.

Could this be because of the dumplings? This site suggests it might be: http://www.wheatanddairyfree.com/wheatdairyfreeintolerances.htm

A wheat or gluten intolerance can be difficult to diagnose. As it is such a common food the body adapts to coping with it, hiding the intolerance. Some of the symptoms which a wheat or gluten intolerance produces are: aches and stiffness, depression and mood swings, anxiety, asthma, fatigue/tiredness, sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose, nausea, bloating, stomach cramps, sweating, sore/itchy throat, skin rashes, swollen stomach. .

Depression and anxiety are singled out:

Intolerance to specific foods can often cause depression and anxiety. Sometimes the depressive effect of a food may be accumulative rather than immediate. Sometimes the food may be eaten in moderation without causing any symptoms but accumulation intake of the food may cause onset of depression and anxiety and often also fatigue. In other people the depressive effect may be immediate. Wheat is particularly known for producing this effect.

Hmm...

Realistically, those symptoms can be caused by other things. The only way to know for sure is to keep a food diary. Em is going to help me. I've bestowed upon her the right to nag and belittle me into updating it every day. Until then, I'm going back gluten free. This not sleeping and feeling anxious sucks. And it's not just because of the mosquitoes, though they didn't help.

Beans and chutney

2010-02-28T21:36:00.003+11:00

I intended to wait until Em arrives before harvesting any beans. They were planted, afterall, so she and I could share them. However, the little buggers are growing too fast and producing lots of lucious beans. To wait another week and a half would result in the loss of the beans that are ready now. Fortunately there are lots still growing so Em and I will have beans to share.

Here's the first of the crop:

I had a hankering for a Rivers steak sandwich with their signature tomato chutney. My mouth waters just to think of it. Em found me some chutney recipes online and I picked the one (see: recipe) that looked closest to what I craved. Because I didn't have 3 pound of tomatoes, I adapted the recipe. Well, adapt maybe isn't the right word because I didn't amend the measurements according to scale, instead I noted each ingredient and threw in what I thought might be about the right amount given how many tomatoes I had. Then, to really mess up things, I tossed in a bag of stewed apricots.

This is the end result after 2 hours of reducing and simmering:

And, yes, it is as delicious as it looks! And I have leftovers. I figure I'll freeze some to share in two weeks time! Hmmm... beans!

Oh, and I cut into the Green Zebra (correction to yesterday's post where I said it was a Tigerella) tomato. This is what it looked like inside:

and another:

I took a bite, expecting it to be tasteless or worse, inedibly tart, and instead tasted the most delicious tomato I have ever eaten! I kid you not! It boasted full flavour from beginning to end, starting out sweet, rich and smooth and ending with a delicious subtle tartness that enlivened the tastebuds.

Doesn't it sound like I'm describing wine!? But, seriously, this is one amazing tomato! I can't believe I harvested only one. Though, I don't think I've uprooted the plant yet. Maybe I can coax another fruit out of it before the summer is officially over.

For dinner proper, I went all out with grilled steak (my secret is a burning hot grill pan and a smoked out kitchen. If the smoke detector doesn't go off, the steak won't be tender) on a bed of lettuce and rocket (home grown of course), sweet potato fries, steamed green beans (yes, from the garden), tomato/apricot chutney and because I didn't have bread I used a GF wrap instead.

I admit, it's not quite Rivers, but it was still pretty damned nice. I ate it all while Paddy stood beside me on the couch, drooling. :-)

Now I'm so stuffed full of food that I need to go sleep it off.

Garden update

2010-02-27T11:56:00.000+11:00

On a cloudy day with storms forecast, I ventured out into the garden to do some maintenance.

The big tomato patch has almost finished. Here's one pot that's looking rather worse for wear.

I did find this though. Looks like one of the tigerellas fruited afterall -- one tomato. I wonder what it will taste like.

Here's some produce that I found and picked. Who knew I had a red pepper ready for use?

The beans have gone crazy. I've noticed flowers and baby beans, but who knows what could be in there? I'll send Em in to scout when she gets here. ;-)

The strawberries are doing better. They now fruit like real strawberries and aren't even being eaten anymore... well, not by insects/wildlife anyway.

My idea of growing peas in a bag of potting mix worked. I need to plant out more.

Two new pots have mixed lettuces and chinese greens. They're taking a while to establish and I lost a lot more seedlings than I would have liked. I've not yet mastered the art of growing from seed. The bigger plants do okay, but the little greens have a poor success rate.

And I need to throw in some more radish... and start using the ones that are now ready.

Today I plan to refresh the soil in the big tomato pot now that I've pulled the dead plants out, and I'll go to the nursery and buy some spinach seedlings because it's evident I have no clue on how to germinate them from seed.

Deadly nightshades?

2010-01-25T17:39:00.004+11:00

After a miserable three days with joint pain, fatigue and bowel movements that are best not discussed in polite company... or any company really, I'm directing my attention to my favourite foods: the nightshades.

I am descended from Irish stock (in part) and the Irish love spuds. Not those fake sweet potato things, I mean the real potatoes with the white flesh that make amazing crisps, delectable salads, scrumptious mash, divine wedges, fries, hashbrowns, cakes.... Ohmygosh, I'm drooling!

Uh huh, so I'm addicted to potatoes. If I were ever stranded on a desert island there better be a potato crop right nearby or things would get ugly.

Potatoes are not the only member of the nightshade family that I have an unabashed adoration of. Tomatoes are a potatoes' best friend. My backyard is filled with tomato plants. I'm giving tomatoes away because on an instinctual level I know that to eat too many of those delicious red and yellow delights will result in pain. I restrict myself to small portions, diced up small... well, mostly I do.

Also in the family are eggplants, peppers (capsicums to us Aussies), chilli and tobacco. Tobacco and I have never become friends. Chilli and I parted company some time ago thanks to the oral autoimmune condition that I have, but my love of peppers and eggplants remained. If necessary though, I could live without them... for a short time anyway.

In my quest for a peaceful painfree life, I read this article: Do Nightshades Promote Inflammation?

Okay, to backtrack a bit. Two years ago I had a series of blood tests run. One of the things that showed up was inflammation. When I experience fatigue and joint pain I now recognise it as an inflammatory response to something I've eaten or done. So, could my potato addiction be feeding my inflammation?

The author (Scott Kustes) of the article above talks of his joints popping.

When I first changed my eating habits for the better a few years back, I started incorporating lots of salads (still do, but that’s beside the point). One to two salads per day, each with tomatoes and green peppers. .... I was incorporating lots of nightshades into my diet. At that level of consumption, I started getting all kinds of popping in my joints, especially in my back and even in my sternum. It wasn’t painful, but that I could pop pretty much anything at will was disconcerting.

Yup! I can do the same. My sternum popped at work the other day and my colleague's eyes widened. 'I've never known anyone who could do that,' she said and we laughed about it. One elbow pops when I throw the ball to my dog. That's just started in the last few weeks. I can pop my lower back, my shoulders and my ankles. My wrist pops when I use the computer mouse to scroll in small increments across the screen. That's a relatively new one. Come to think of it, I've been wondering about this recent increase in popping. As Scott says, it's disconcerting.

Scott goes on to say:

Later, Dr. Smith started talking about nightshades on the CrossFit forum and I decided to try cutting back. I cut out the tomatoes and peppers from my salads and cut back on the hot sauce. Lo and behold, the popping in my back and sternum went away.

He admits that after eating nightshades he experiences aches in a formerly dislocated shoulder joint. When he's nightshade free, exercises on the same joint are pain free.

The first joint to give me trouble is my knee. It's a sharp twinge/stabbing pain that doesn't stop me walking but generally precedes the burning/aching pain in the other big joints. It does feel like what I imagine arthritis would be, and I'm ready to accept that nightshades may be the culprit.

Scott raises an interesting point about seasonal eating. Before supermarkets and year round produce, people ate seasonally. Nightshades, even consumed in large quantities, were limited to the cropping season -- predominantly summer. Imagine rotating through foods rather than eating them everyday as we now do. I believe in the theory that over-indulgence in anything will result in damage. Why should nightshades be any different?

So, does that mean no more potatoes for me!? Maybe. At least in the short term until the joint pain and popping goes away, then I can trial things again. The lesson here for me is moderation. It's going to be hard. Potatoes are my life! And potato crisps.... my comfort food! *wrings hands*

Though... I will admit that those sweet potato crisps Em had when I last visited her were all kinds of fantastic! Now if I can figure out how to make those myself, life may not be so bad. ;-)

Oh, and amongst the comments for the article one reader noted that potatoes are medically acknowledged as aggravating IBS symptoms in some people. Huh... who would have guessed?

Juicing

2010-01-24T11:52:00.000+11:00

I have celery growing wild, so many tomatoes that I've had to resort to giving them away and apples that are falling from the tree and rotting on the ground. What better way to deal with all this excess produce than to juice it!

Juicing vegetables converts them into an easily digestible form. If you're struggling to meet your daily fibre intake then juicing won't help because the fibrous part of the vegetables are left to the compost. Nutritionally though, juicing delivers a high burst of vitamins and minerals without demanding the digestive system break down all that fibre. It's good for people with compromised digestive systems -- and for those with healthy digestive systems.

This morning I juiced up celery (6 stalks, home grown), carrot (1, shop bought), apples (3 small home grown) and tomatoes (3 small home grown).

Into the juicer went all this stuff:

Here's the left over pulp. This goes into the compost.

And here's the vegetable juice:

The colour may not be to everyone's taste. What you put in will determine the colour, and to give a beautiful purplish drink you need add a small amount of beetroot.

Juicing options are limitless, confined only to your imagination and taste preference. Experiment, and whereever possible use fresh (home grown or organic) produce.

And, if you weren't convinced by me, read this: Juicing for Health.

Happy juicing!

New veggie bed

2010-01-09T14:08:00.000+11:00

A couple of weekends ago I decided it was high time to build a new veggie bed. This involved weeding an area that roughly measures 2 metres (6 feet) by 1 metre (3 feet). Heading into the garden after several days of sustained soaking rain makes lots of good sense, especially when weeding is on the agenda.

This is what I was faced with:

The vast green mass is couch grass. It's a thick stemmed, deep rooted grass that spreads on long (over a foot long) stems. It's actually quite rewarding to pull out, when the soil is moist, because it comes out in long tangled clumps and it feels like you're actually making progress.

The deep roots are a problem though, and it's near impossible to get absolutely every part of it.

Here I am partway through, thinking that I should be being paid for this.

Mum, bless her, helped immensely by carrying away the vast pile of debris and helping with the digging and yanking. Eventually (finally... many aching muscles later), it looked like this:

That one last mass of brown shows the root system. And yes, even that eventually came out.

Two weeks later, this is the veggie bed, complete with a wire fence (thanks mum!), concrete stepping stone and happy seeds.

The first seeds to sprout are rocket:

Further over to the left some bok choy are also peeking through, but so far no sign of the chinese cabbage (wong bok), tomato (grosse lisse), snow peas, beans or carrots. I'll keep hoping.

While we're waiting, let's tour the rest of the garden.

This is a view of the back part of the garden, with the greens beds, the new veggie bed tucked in the shadows behind and the nectarine tree and pots to the left.

Paddy enjoys the sunshine (damned hot it is too) while the tomatoes wilt and Chester seeks out the heavy shade.

The tomato garden may not be glamourous, but it's prolific. That's all that matters, right!?

The coriander has gone to flower, and soon will seed. I've never collected fresh coriander seed, but I guess there's always a time to start (and learn).

Then, by the back door, I'm growing sprouts in soil. I've never tried this before either, but figured it may be easier than doing them in water and jars. Here's some pea sprouts just coming through, and below that are the alfalfa sprouts.

Cottage cheese on rice cakes

2010-01-09T13:12:00.001+11:00

This simple, tasty breakfast dish packs a protein punch and boasts delicious taste.

I'm fortunate enough to have fresh garden herbs on hand, but if you don't then mix and match with what you have (experimentation is the key).

I sometimes add finely diced cucumber as well, but forgot about it this morning.

Ingredients:

3 thick rice cakes

1 cup cottage cheese

a mix of fresh garden herbs (mix these up according to taste, for this meal I used garlic chives, chives, thai basil and coriander)

cumin (1/2 tspn, freshly ground)

fresh tomato, finely chopped (I have several varieties of cherry tomato growing so I use six of those)

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

pick herbs, chop finely and add to cottage cheese, cumin and salt. Scoop spoonfuls onto the rice cakes. Top with finely chopped fresh tomato and pepper to taste. Enjoy. (serves 1)

Quinoa, millet and roast vegetable pilaf

2010-01-09T13:01:00.000+11:00

Technically this isn't a pilaf because I didn't brown the grains before cooking them, but I couldn't think of another name so it'll have to do.

Ingredients:
1 cup millet
1 cup quinoa
1 litre vegetable stock (gluten free)
2 medium sized sweet potato
1 carrot
2 parsnip
1/4 pumpkin
1/2 red pepper
1 tbsn cumin seeds (whole)
sea salt to taste
2 tbsn olive oil

Method:

Dice vegetables into half inch chunks and spread evenly on a large baking tray or dish. Splash with olive oil, cumin seeds and salt. Use a spoon or spatula to mix so that the oil and seeds evenly coat the vegetables. Roast in a hot oven until vegetables are brown and cooked through (allow at least 30 minutes).

While the vegetables are cooking, heat water and vegetable stock in a large pot (I used powdered stock which I added to boiling water). Add dry millet and quinoa, bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Cook until all water is absorbed, stirring occassionally.

When vegetables and quinoa/millet are cooked, combine in a large bowl. (serves 8)

I pack single serves into freezer containers for easy lunch meals. I eat it with tinned tuna, but it can easily go with just a salad or some grilled fish, chicken, beef.

Buckwheat porridge

2010-01-07T17:04:00.000+11:00

Finally I worked up the courage to give buckwheat groats a go. They are a strange, oddly shaped grain that, while delicious as pasta and the flour is great in recipes, I was leery of their unprocessed form. At $3.50 a kg, I figured it was worth a try.

If I can't have oats -- and I'm not sure that I can, at least for a while -- then could buckwheat be a substitute? Google thought so and we all know that Google knows best.

I tried this recipe: Buckwheat Porridge - recipe by DukeLupus.

Thirty minutes later I had a pot of porridge, and a yearning to give it a try.

I love my oats with yoghurt, fruit and nuts. I had all those things on hand and so put a small serving of the buckwheat porridge into a bowl and heaped on the rest.

It's not bad. I bet I can fiddle and make it tastier... maybe add some spices or try different ways of cooking it. I love the texture. Very similar to the steel cut oats that I fell in love with in the States. And it sits nicely in my tummy. As for the claimed health benefits... astounding, really. It'll all but cure cancer, apparently. It rather puts the old oat to shame.

And guess what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow morning.... ;-)

New Years resolution... of sorts.

2010-01-07T09:23:00.000+11:00

Here I sit munching on rice cakes topped with (low fat) cottage cheese mixed with a combination of garden grown herbs and spices from my cupboard, and finely chopped, garden grown tomatoes nestled on top. It's delicious. Really. Every bite reveals a hint of cumin, or thai basil, or garlic chives, or regular chives, or a splendid burst of tart tomato and the gentle warmth of ground black pepper. It's a tropical sunset for my palate -- delectable and oh so inspiring.

This simple breakfast item delivers a protein punch, which is essential for energy maintenance throughout the day. It also abides by my dietary requirements... at least I think (hope) it does.

I have resolved (resigned) myself to a self-diagnosis of gluten sensitivity. That's really a no-brainer given my dietary history, physical and emotional symptoms and the fact I have one autoimmune condition (acquired 20 years earlier than is the norm for that condition) and, in the words of my specialist for that condition, was on the fast track to rheumatoid arthritis. Oh what joy that would have been.

Beyond that though I abide by the low FODMAP(tm) diet, a diet devised by Sue Shepherd. The diet is based on sound new scientific research into how simple sugars are digested by the body, and identifies those sugars which are poorly (or not at all) tolerated. Though Sue has celiac disease, her advice and recipes extend beyond the exclusion of gluten from the diet and encompasses all the other foods that cause digestive disturbances. I have all her recipe books which are suitable for celiacs and those on a low FODMAP diet.

Until this week, I have not been ruthless about excluding gluten from my diet. I avoid the main players, being wheat, rye, barley but had been including oats and gluten containing sauces and thickeners. When I stick to the low FODMAP diet (which encompasses gluten free), my symptoms are almost fully resolved. I say almost because they are not entirely resolved. As I am my own therapist, researcher, doctor, specialist... you name it, I have nowhere but the internet to gain insight into why this may be the case.

Basically, there are two possible explanations: 1) I am more gluten sensitive that I've realised and the inclusion of even minute amounts of gluten is continuing to compromise my digestive system, or 2) my digestive system is still healing -- it can take months/years to heal and given that I've had symptoms for well over five years, it's unreasonable to expect my health to immediately bounce back.

So, without knowing for sure which it is, the safest option is to go to option 1 assume that I require a gluten free diet, rather than a gluten reduced one. I've found it relatively easy to avoid wheat, rye and barley as a main ingredient, however avoiding all gluten sources is much harder.

At home, in control of my own kitchen and daily eating menu, everything is pretty much okay. I plan ahead, make sure that I always have something on hand that is quick and easy for those times when I'm tired and could be tempted to eat the wrong thing. Eating out though, and socialising is a whole other thing.

Yesterday my colleagues stood around my desk and discussed pasta restaurants, recipes and wheat based food that left me feeling isolated and abnormal. They meant no harm. They are lovely people, but the reality is that wheat permeates every part of modern dietary life. Even if it's possible to avoid it as a main ingredient, it's near impossible to avoid it as a thickener or additive, which makes eating out either difficult (if I am to abide by my dietary requirements) or sickening (if I give in and eat a convenient, but damaging, food). Neither option is appealing, so I rarely eat out. It's not so bad for hermit-like people (as I am), but there are times when I long for human company and generally that means going to another person's house or meeting up at a food place. The complexity of that sometimes seems like just too much effort, so I stay at home, alone, and nibble on my own food knowing that at least I'm not compromising my physical health.

I also learned yesterday that wheat is addictive. I'd never have guessed it, but it does make sense.

The plus side of this is that I am regaining my health and vitality. After years of chronic diarhoea, recurring bouts of fatigue, weakness, joint pain, depression and mood swings, I now wake most mornings feeling rejuvenated and alive. My oral autoimmune condition rarely causes me any trouble and the tube of steroid cream is never touched. My hair no longer falls out with the frequency that it used to. I no longer need to structure my day around the proximity to a toilet and I am physically active and have sustained energy.

It's worth it. It really is. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. Being sick sucks and if eating a restricted diet and having less of a social life means I can be physically active and healthy, then so be it. I refuse to accept ill health. I refuse to accept the worn out excuses and recycled explanations that western doctors throw at patients. And I refuse to take pills to resolve a situation brought on by laziness and inattention to my body's needs. I intend on living a long a healthy life. Popping pills because I'm too lazy to look after myself is not an option. If I can do something to make my life better, I will.

Veggies, veggies, veggies!

2009-12-28T19:26:00.000+11:00

It's been a while since I've updated this blog, the reason being that I've been busy gardening. Okay, that's not the real reason, but look at my garden!! Not bad for a rented property with a concrete backyard and patchy sunlight.

On the right is my greens patch. That mass of green is edible... all of it! Spinach, rainbow chard, coriander and lettuce share the bed in a pick-n-grow manner. On the right hand corner is my little strawberry patch, grown in an old recycling crate. I have flowers so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for fruit. I've never had much luck with strawberries, but I'm not going to give up on trying.

There's something a little odd going on with my peppers (capsicum). The plants were somewhat tormented as youngsters -- planted as seedlings and then overcome by my enthusiastic tomato and potato plants. I transplanted them to a new bed where they recovered, however the fruit is more cylinder like that I remember them being when I last grew them. I'm sure they'll be edible, no matter what the shape. I'll wait and see.

My Thai Basil is going great guns. I use it rarely, but love it so.

This year I have an abundance of apricots. Many are so high up and overhanging the roof of the shed that I just can't reach them. It's such a shame. They are delicious and freeze so well once cooked up. If I can somehow work out a way to get to the rest of the fruit, I'll have enough to last all winter.

[Note to people on the FODMAP diet, be careful with apricots. They contain sorbital and may not be well tolerated. I don't go so great when they're raw, but can handle them cooked... in moderation.]

The tigerella tomatoes are going well. I've yet to taste them as they are still too small and green, but aren't they so pretty!?

The snow peas are still hanging on. Who knew they were still in there? I'll have to search harder. The tomatoes have taken over. I'm surprised anything can still grow through all that.

Garlic chives... mmm... This strong growing bunch of herbs died off through neglect a couple of years ago. I didn't throw the pot away, though I figured them to be long dead. After some heavy rainfall, they resprouted and I transplanted them and voila, healthy green herbs. They're resilient, I'll give them that.

I couldn't resist sharing a photo of a new bunch of tomatoes just being born. Okay, that's just corny, but c'mon... there's something magical about growing your own produce. I love every stage, from creating the beds to planting, tending, nursing, watering, fertilising and finally picking. Oh, and let's not forget eating! The best part!!

And lettuce. Home grown lettuce is never boring, ever! I can't bear to buy that shop bought stuff anymore. I swear I can taste the chemicals on the leaves. Urgh!

Okay, that's it for this check in of the garden. Oh, except to add that this is my next project. Em, when you get here, I'll need your help. :-)

Grilled pork with rice noodles

2009-10-25T16:57:00.000+11:00

This is loosely based on Luke Nguyen's Char Grilled Pork Neck with Vermicelli Noodles. My version differs from the recipe due to my having to adapt because I couldn't find all the ingredients. Despite that though it still tasted amazing!

I used pork schnitzel instead of pork neck, and less onion than the recipe called for due to my need to limit the amount of onion in my diet.

I marinated the pork for two hours, no longer because I was impatient and hungry, and instead of char grilling I used a grill plate instead.

Instead of vermicelli noodles, I used thin rice noodles which was more like thin spaghetti. I prefer those instead of the hairlike vermicelli. I couldn't find all the herbs that Luke's recipe called for, so instead I sliced Thai Basil, bean sprouts, lebanese cucumber and finely sliced spring onions. To that I added Nuoc Nam Cham Cha Gio (I hope I've got that right), a Vietnamese dipping sauce for Spring Rolls. I hoped it might fill in for the missing herbs and maybe replicate the marinated veggies. Also, on the program, Luke had added marinated vegetables which I see he omitted from the recipe.

It plated up beautifully. I dripped more of the dipping sauce over the top to add to the taste. And boy, what a great taste! So fresh and vibrant, and as Luke often says, so well balanced with the mix of sweet from the sugars, sourness of the vinegar, tang of the herbs and fish sauce and mildness of the rice and bean shoots.

Such a great recipe and so easy to make. Thanks to Luke Nguyen and SBS for the inspiration!

Big Breakfast with Buckwheat Pancakes

2009-10-18T15:11:00.000+11:00

What better way to start a Sunday than with a big home-made breakfast?! It's just me to cater for today, but that didn't stop me dragging out the recipe book, opening up the cupboards and defrosting a large bacon rasher to go with the spread I had planned.

First up, the buckwheat pancakes. Simple to make, delicious to eat. I reduced the quantities by about a third, which meant my measuring was inaccurate but I've found that the recipe accepts some flexibility.

When the mixture was ready, I tried my hand at hashbrowns. I worked from the online recipe but the result did not end up like the picture, and now my frying pan is a mess. *lol* I need me a potato ricer!

On top of the cooked pancakes, I added the hashbrowns (poor sad things they were), some wilted spinach, fried tomato and red pepper, fried bacon and a poached egg. Then I spent quite some time photographing it for this blog, by which time it was cold... but still so very delicious!

Evidently I still need some practice at food photograhy, but I hope you can at least taste the juicy tomatoes and imagine the heavenly buckwheat pancake texture. Mmm...

Black Forest Cake

2009-10-14T14:48:00.000+11:00

This sucker is indecently good! So good it's nasty! :-)

Yet another recipe from the internet. Makes me wonder why I buy recipe books. Oh, because they're so gosh-darn pretty, that's why. *lol*

Here's the recipe: Black Forest Cake.

I fiddled things a little because I didn't have all the ingredients. I used butter instead of Nuttelex, and more rice flour instead of the Farex baby cereal. I didn't use Kirsch and I used black cherries instead of sour.

The cake rose well, but not enough to make three layers. I cut it in half and admired the beautiful rich chocolate texture. I've always imagined gluten free baking to be a cross between a rock and a soggy sandwich, but this looked like a cake, an ordinary, average, yummy chocolate cake. Maybe more like a mud cake in texture, but still, yummy!

On went the fillings and toppings and Tanya, my sister in law, did a wonderful job of shaving on the chocolate. I had no clue. I was trying to use a grater rather than a peeler. Thanks Tan!

This is how it came out:

You can take my word for it, it tasted pretty damn fine! Even better the next day. Oh, and I put strawberry jam on the inside faces of the cake before putting on the cherries. I'd seen that somewhere else and figured, what the heck, no kirsch, let's go for strawberry jam. :-)

It was a great birthday cake! And it didn't make me sick. Well... let's not talk about the effect the sugar had. *whistles and walks away*

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread

2009-10-12T14:26:00.000+11:00

This is another recipe found on the internet. This one promised to be a winner, and as my first attempt to bake gluten free bread, I was hoping for a miracle. Here's the recipe, along with all its claims: Gluten Free Sandwich Bread.

My experience with gluten free breads is limited to what I've purchased at the supermarket, being a small rectangular, heavy set loaf with solid texture and a strange taste. I'd resigned myself to a bread-less life if those blocks were anything to go by. I mean, I buy them and I eat them, but I don't much enjoy them. They're not bread, they're something other than bread.

I don't have brown rice flour so I used white instead, and similarly I didn't have ground flax. I did find some flax seeds in the cupboard though, and after a humorous attempt to grind them in a mortar and pestle, and then to vitamise them in a food processor, I resigned myself to throwing them in whole. I used 1/4 cup and added in an extra 1/4 cup rice flour.

The yeast frothed well, which was an encouraging start. I don't have a mixer with a dough hook (though am hoping to get one soon), so I used an electric whisk for the required 4 minutes. Aside from flicking outside of the bowl several times, that seemed to work reasonably well. The dough was soft, wet and much stickier than anything I'd encountered and I really didn't like my chances of getting anything bread-like from it.

Into the bread pan it went and into a warm place. It took forever to rise. Not the recipe's fault but rather my cold house and this burst of spring-winter we're getting. But once it started, it kept going and going and going. When it reached the top of the pan and seemed set to become the incredible blob, I popped it in the oven. This is what came out:

This recipe is everything it promised to be and more! Beautifully textured and light with air pockets just like wheat bread. This is something I'd never expected from gluten free. Morever, it tastes delicious with just a tiny tasty bitterness that I've come to expect from gluten free baked savoury goods. It slices well, holds its form and lasts several days without deteriorating into grainy or mushiness. For my first attempt at gluten free bread, I have to say this has given me confidence to explore further.

Zucchini Bread

2009-10-12T14:13:00.000+11:00

This is a recipe Em found online for me when I said I was having guests over for my birthday. I wanted a mix of sweet and savoury foods, and this bread came in as a fantastic option. Here's the recipe: Gluten Free Zucchini Bread. And here's a photo of the bread, sliced and ready to serve.

This bread by far stole the show! It's beautifully textured, slightly chewy, flavoursome and impossible to label as a 'boring' gluten free baking. I served it with butter and jam (blueberry and raspberry), and the slices vanished off the platter. One of my friend's young daughter, who hates zucchini, went back for triple and quadruple servings, and then selected a slice to take away with her. I offered her a copy of the recipe and she couldn't say yes fast enough! What a winner!

Spaghetti Bolognaise

2009-10-07T14:01:00.000+11:00

This is a recipe from Sue Shepherd's Irrestistibles for the Irritable. It does contain garlic and mushroom, but in small quantities. And it has bacon, so much yummy bacon!

I didn't have gluten free spaghetti, so I used buckwheat fettucine instead. By the way, buckwheat, despite containing the word 'wheat', is a wheat free alternative. And it's all kinds of delicious!

I made up a large batch of this and saved some for the freezer. It's delicious! I can't believe I'd never tried cooking spaghetti bolognaise sauce before. No more relying on a bottle, that's for sure!

Gluten Free Show (highlights)

2009-10-05T11:46:00.000+11:00

After a couple of false starts, I made it to the Gluten Free Show at Jeff's Shed (aka the Melbourne Exhibition Centre).

Once there, I b-lined to the first information session which was a talk by Sue Shepherd about how to identify gluten free foods when they aren't clearly labelled.

Sue has celiac disease so for her the avoidance of gluten is paramount to maintaining good health. She noted, however, that in the audience were more than just people with diagnosed celiac disease. There were those who had not yet been tested, those who had been tested and found not to have the condition but for whom the reduction in gluten containing food assisted them in maintaining good health and those whom had been diagnosed with IBS and had been advised to limit (or remove) certain foods from their diet, including gluten containing grains and others.

Australian food labelling laws require that wheat, rye, oats and barley must be listed as an ingredient. She explained that 'no news is good news'. If the label doesn't mention any of those foods and doesn't say it contains gluten, then it doesn't. They don't have to say it doesn't, just if it does.

The main alternative flours for gluten free use are: rice, corn, potato, tapioca and soy. Some of these can be bought for a fraction of the price from Asian grocers. This is not a comprehensive list, others include quinoa, millet, sorghum, amaranth and more. As I sat there listening to her talk and picking up on her infectious enthusiasm, I realised that it's not people who live gluten free who are restricted in choice, it's those who aren't. Western society's diet is moulded around wheat. Wheat bread, wheat pasta, wheat thickeners, wheat fillers, wheat additives to flavourings, wheat snacks, wheat cakes... the list is endless. Take out wheat, and yeah, the choice of packaged goods narrows, but the diversity of wholefood options widens. I realised that I suddenly had a whole world of dietary options available to me, an exciting, delicious world, one I had never even considered because of my one-eyed devotion to wheat. Maybe this is a gift, not a curse.

Sue's talk was interesting, informative and rich with enthusiasm for a dietary lifestyle that many who do not need to live it would view as restrictive and boring. Sue is glowing evidence that this is not the case. Her recipe books are filled with examples of delicious, nutrient rich and diverse foods. I left her talk feeling inspired.

Fortunately I don't need to be as careful with my food as someone who has celiac disease, but limiting gluten is still important. The second talk, by Jaci Barrett, a dietician and researcher based at Box Hill Hospital, discussed the similarities between IBS and celiac disease and confirmed what I'd already discovered through experimentation and a food diary.

Unlike in celiac disease, IBS does not result in damage to the intestinal villi or bowel lining, just in embarassing and distressing symptoms. Nutrient malabsorption is rare in IBS and symptoms can fluctuate. Stress is also a factor, though not necessarily the cause. Gluten intolerance in IBS does exist but the mechanism is unknown and the instances of it are rare.

Jaci introduced FODMAPS (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Mono-saccharides, And Polyols), aka short chain carbohydrates. Much of what she explained I already knew, in theory, from research I had done on the internet. But the following, I didn't know:

The FODMAPS are made up of: Fructans, Galactans, Polyols, Fructose and Lactose. In over simplified terms: Lactose is dairy; Fructose is fruit; Fructans are wheat and onions and Galactans are beans and legumes. Polyols are spread throughout various foods.

Fructans/Galactans:

are poorly absorbed by everyone
move quickly through the intestine to create wind (e.g. baked beans)
in healthy people, these carbohydrates may just cause wind. In people with gastrointestinal disorders (such as celiac, IBS, Crohns disease, etc), these carbohydrates cause abdominal bloating, pain, gas, and constipation and/or diarrhea. Ah yes, I know those symptoms well. ;-)
no diagnostic test to confirm these are problematic. No-one can absorb them well, but most can tolerate.

Polyols:

only a portion of these are absorbed
same as fructans/galactans, everyone is unable to properly absorb these
will acerbate symptoms of IBS
again, no diagnostic test to confirm these are problematic
these are in beer as mannitol (puts on droopy sad face)
spirits though, are fine (perks up)

Fructose:

usually well absorbed in intestine
some people will malabsorb
a test is available to identify if these carbohydrate is malabsorbed

Lactose:

usually absorbed but requires an enzyme to break it down
a test is available to identify if this is an issue.

Fructans, Galactans and Polyols are ALWAYS to be avoided in patients who present with gastrointestinal symptoms. A trial may be all that's required to identify if the removal of these carbohyrates will help. If symptoms abate, then a low FODMAP diet is recommended.

In hearing this, the final puzzle piece in my search for a solution to my dietary dramas slipped into place.

I won't list all the foods that are known to contain these three carbohydrate combinations, but the main ones that I now avoid are: wheat, rye and onions. Mushrooms may also be a problem, as are a list of about another 20 fruits and vegetables.

I wandered through the rest of the show, stopped by the cooking display to see a television chef making a delicious looking fish dish while the cameraman stuck a great hulking camera so close that it almost disappeared inside the pot he was working over. I guess the chef is used to it, but me, I'd swat the damn thing out of the way.

From this day I took away the secret to recovering my health. It's simple: no wheat; no rye; no onion. The other problem foods I can try in moderation, but I have enough experience with wheat, rye and onion to know that they are not my friend, not matter how enticing and tasty they may seem.

I bought a recipe book, Irrestistibles for the Irritable, some delicious low fodmap sweets and a brimming urgency to unleash a new way of cooking and eating -- one that doesn't make me sick, miserable and deplete my iron stores so I have to live on iron tablets and multi-vitamins... oh, and doesn't leave me achy, tired and depressed. It goes without saying that I have no sadness at losing those other IBS symptoms that are best not mentioned in polite company. ;-)

Gluten free ain't all that bad. Compared to the alternative, it's heaven!

Gluten Free Show

2009-10-03T17:00:00.000+10:00

Tomorrow I'm heading in to the Gluten Free Show.

I'm not gluten intolerant but I do seem to do better when I limit (or remove) wheat, rye and other gluten grains from my diet. After deliberating about whether to go to this show or not, I made my mind up after reading that there will be an information session about Coeliac Disease vs IBS that will explore whether the dietary management of IBS and coeliac disease are similar. Well, I can't very well NOT go to that now can I?!

The deal was that I'd write 2,000 words in order to have permission to go to the show. Guess I better get scribbling, huh?

Leafy greens

2009-09-27T12:55:00.000+10:00

The FODMAP diet suggests that some vegetables are less well tolerated than others. Of the 'safe' veggies are several of my favourite green leafies and that are relatively expensive to buy fresh. I figured I'd reestablish my veggie garden and grow them myself. Here's the result.

I built the patch out of old bricks and discarded materials. It helps to have a brother who is a builder (and a hoarder). The soil came from around the garden and some old bags of potting mix that I'd bought and never used. I used dried and partially decomposing shrub cuttings for the bottom layer because I built the bed straight onto concrete. Near the bottom is a layer of chicken poo (thanks Crackles) and I'll use lawn clippings for mulch when I have them available. The bed construction and soil cost nothing. The veggies cost $30 and I've put two buckets inside to catch water from the shower and the sink to use for watering them because we're on water restrictions here.

And here's the veggies:

- celery

- spinach

- rainbow chard (silverbeet)

- basil

- chives (the only member of the onion family that is okay to eat)

- snow peas and

- mixed lettuce

I've netted them with old green mesh that I found laying around. This is to keep the birds out, but in particular the big orange (chicken) bird named Crackles who has free roam of my backyard. One go with her chicken-claws and the seedlings would be all over the yard.

Now we just need some sunshine and all will be well. :-)

Banana flat bread

2009-09-27T12:32:00.000+10:00

Ingredients: 1 cup gluten free plain flour
1 egg
1/3 cup water
1/2 banana, thinly (wafer thin) sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and pour into greased (I used Nuttelex margarine), heated saucepan. Cook for five minutes on low heat then turn.

Comments:
These came out better that I'd expected. I cut the large circular 'bread' into six triangles and had half with breakfast and saved the other half for a later snack.

These could freeze quite well and be good as work snacks or with different flavourings, meal accompaniments.

Here I had them with spinach, eggplant, mushrooms and tomato. Would have been better with bacon and eggs but I didn't have those on hand.

Gluten Free Beer

2009-09-27T10:21:00.001+10:00

I'm on a FODMAP diet and I love beer but have had to give it up. But, now that I've discovered FODMAPs and have found out that there are gluten free beers available, well life just suddenly got a whole lot better. There's no FODMAPs in beer. None at all. I searched and scanned and researched and could find no reason why I can't have it. Right?

WRONG!

I tried one bottle on Friday night. It tastes delicious, has all the lovely, beery, malty taste that I love in beer but the next morning... oh no.

Note to self: beer is not worth the pain that comes the next day. Get over it!