To Know Me Is To Trust Me

I like the internet as much as the next person. I like it for things like this and this and this. But I don't trust the internet. I don't look for medical information or parenting tips. And I never, ever, ever make a recipe that I found on the internet. I just don't trust it.

There are some exceptions, of course. I will search the recipe archive of cooking magazines. There are three bloggers whose recipes I will make right off their site (but I found all of them through books or magazines).

The reason I don't trust the internet is its lack of context. It's so hard to know where a recipe has actually come from. Has the recipe been tested? Will it work if I'm using an electric stove? Does it assume I have a lot of skill? Will it be delicious or just passable? If I make a recipe out of a cookbook or a cooking magazine I am pretty much guaranteed that it has been tested over and over again and it will work and will be good.

But there's something more important that I can't get from recipes.com and that's the recipe's personality. I am pretty good at reading a cookbook introduction and knowing if it's the kind of recipe I like. I can sniff out if the recipes will put health or gluten-free as a priority over flavour and texture. I can sense if it will lean towards difficult techniques and time-consuming preparations. I can avoid recipes that will call for equipment I can't afford or ingredients I won't be able to find in this city. I just can't do that on the internet.

Here's my dilemma: I want you to trust me. When I say, "this recipe is really delicious" or "Schoolhouse makes the best carrot cake," I want you to get excited. How can I ask you, stranger/reader, to trust me, anonymous blogger?

I think I have a solution. What follows is a succinct (if not incomplete) list of my biases. Read them, learn them, and then use them to follow or ignore my advice according to your own taste.

1) I don't have celiac disease.

Well, I don't know if I do. I made the mistake of cutting out gluten entirely before being tested, which makes being tested very difficult. (Did you know that? If you are considering going gluten free to see if you have celiac, DON'T. Read more about it here - especially the "Gluten Sensitivity FAQ") So I may not be as sensitive as someone with celiac. I tell people I have celiac disease because that's how careful I need to be. Just because I didn't get sick at a restaurant doesn't mean you won't. Please continue to be diligent and ask your own questions about preparation, cross-contamination, etc.

2) I am also sensitive to other things

I am sensitive to corn and soy. So, I won't eat a cob of corn or a hunk of tofu, but I will eat corn syrup in small amounts or soy sauce. I am breastfeeding my supersweet baby, who seems to be allergic to milk proteins, so, until he weans, I don't eat dairy. This means that I will tend to notice new products or recipes that avoid corn and soy (and, for a limited time, dairy). I will try to keep my eyes out for the rest of you who can eat these things, but I am not likely to get very excited about a new corn tortilla or soyogurt product.

(when my son is done breastfeeding I am throwing a dairy party and you are all invited - we will eat tubs and tubs and tubs of ice cream!)

3) I am a "foodie"

My friend Andrew first called me this word three years ago. I took offense because I think it's synonymous with "snob." But I am trying to be honest, so, yes, 80% of the time I am a foodie. I prefer food that is local, seasonal, organic and without added crap. I will pay $15 for a half pizza and a salad, if it's tasty. I don't like margarine or cooking with cans of Campbell's soup as a base. A lot of the gluten-free baked goods on the market are inedible to my taste. However, 20% of the time I love food that no real foodie would like. Ruffles chip dip, packaged waffles, Betty Crocker icing. I also don't get foie gras or truffles or almost any kind of booze. I hate olives. I don't think I would be let into the club.

Here's the deal: I will tell you about a product if it is available in Halifax and is gluten-free. I might mention whether or not I liked it, but I will try to provide information first and opinions second. I'll try.

4) I like to cook

I feel sorry for people who find out they are allergic to gluten and hate to cook. If that describes you, then I urge you to learn some basics because it will save you money and bellyaches. I like to cook. I am comfortable in a kitchen. If a recipe says "fold in the dried cherries" or "deglaze the pan" I know what to do. I don't mind recipes that require a little skill. I also have a fairly well-equipped kitchen with a pasta maker and a food processor and a standing mixer.

If you are intimidated by a more-than-basic recipe, but like the sound of it, email me. I will talk you through it. If I recommend a recipe that requires a piece of equipment you don't have, maybe you can borrow mine. Or I can tell you how to do it another way.

5) I am not a writer or photographer

I want my sentences to be clear and for you to understand me. I don't want to spell words incorrectly or give poorly researched information. I want to be helpful, informative, and up-to-date. I don't really aim for much more than that.

If I take pictures of my food (which I do every time I make something that takes more than 2 hours of work) it's more for memory than aesthetics. I probably won't post many pictures of food here, mainly because I don't think it would be an encouragement to eat whatever is pictured.

Forewarned is forearmed. As I learn more about you and what you want from this blog I will adapt and grow. For now, I will be led by my interests and biases, waiting for your comments and questions.