Chow down on this

Despite my obsession with eating - and, in particular, eating out - I actually don't think it's necessary for all restaurants and cafes to cater for my dietary requirements. 

Some requirements are difficult to cater for and the market just isn't big enough for everyone in the hospitality industry to be able to do it economically. 

Of course, I think it's important that some businesses cater (I wouldn't be able to eat otherwise). And I also think it's important that those who do cater make that known to their patrons and completely understand what is required (dealing with a waitress who doesn't really understand what gluten free means is always fun. "Oh, but I know someone who is gluten free and they would eat that" or "but I was told couscous is fine so it must be". You get the picture.).  

But if a business doesn't cater, then that I understand. Genuinely, I do. And if they do cater, well, then that's a bonus. 

What I don't understand is outlets that do not engage with their customers. 

If a person asks whether a restaurant or cafe can cater for them, it's important for the business to respond - regardless of whether they can cater or not. It helps the business understand customer demand, it might attract a new customer, and - perhaps, most importantly - it is courteous customer service. 

Which is why I don't understand why Chow hasn't responded to a query I sent them well over a week ago. 

I wanted to visit Chow and I was trying to help them by asking ahead, rather than nagging waitresses and kitchen staff when they are really busy and the information might not always be on hand. 

But the fact that they didn't reply tells me they don't actually care about my health. It tells me that they only offer gluten-free and dairy-free options to cater for what's trendy, not because they are actually conscious of dietary concerns. 

Maybe I am expecting too much and blogging has turned me ranty (please tell me if that is the case). But the difference between this experience and the superb service I have received elsewhere is so stark. 

At the same time that I emailed Chow, I emailed Dragons who replied to me in less than 12 hours with a very helpful, informed response. And - bonus - they can cater for me!

The contrast makes my eyes hurt.  

I certainly know which restaurant I will be visiting this weekend. 

In the meantime, Ross and I have decided we don't need Chow anyway. We've been making our own Asian fusion food and it's pretty damn good!

Update: Chow have been in touch. They intended to get back to me but due to an error on their part the email never came through. It's great to know they do care (and can cater) after all! The options sound pretty tasty, too. 

Beef sticks with low FODMAP spicy satay sauce.

Juicy duck breast with Asian glaze, polenta fries (cooked in duck fat), and bok choy.

Thai coconut sticky rice with passionfruit curd. 

Low FODMAP lattes (and why catering for special diets is only the beginning)

Update: Rice milk has now been found to be high in oligosaccharides, despite rice itself being low in FODMAPs. Personally, I cope alright with this type of FODMAP (I'm not too sensitive to oligos) but if you're on the exclusion phase, rice milk is no longer suitable. Instead, I recommend So Good soy milk (made with soy protein, not the bean) or almond milk.

Looking for a low-FODMAP latte? Have found the cafe for you!

I like coffee. I mean I really like coffee. And since I started my low-FODMAP diet, I have been drinking it black (lactose is not my friend, cafes use high-FODMAP soy milk, and almond milk hasn't yet been tested).  

I love my morning Americanos. And I happen to drink the best coffee in town. But black coffee is a very no-nonsense way to drink your coffee. 

A flat white will wake you up by gently nudging your brain into action. Black coffee pulls you out of bed, throws you against the wall, and shakes you violently into frantic alertness. 

This is exactly what I want - ok, need - on a Monday morning. But it isn't quite what I'm after on a quiet Saturday. 

Which is why it is so exciting that we discovered Deluxe today during our morning stroll to Moore Wilson's. 

Deluxe is a small, hipster cafe that serves Havana coffee. And, you guessed it, they offer rice milk (!!). 

Now, other cafes in Wellington may also serve rice milk (if you know of any, I'd love to hear about them). But Deluxe is the only one I have ever seen advertise it. 

Asking for special ingredients can be annoying and embarrassing. Especially rice milk. It is a level of coffee-fussiness that doesn't even make the what-your-coffee-order-says-about-you list.

Cafes - if you cater for dietary requirements, you have to make it known. It is not enough to cater to us. Seriously, it isn't. If people on special diets don't even get a mention on your blackboard, it isn't inclusive. It just reinforces stigma around alternative diets, which are often related to very serious health issues. It is really important to remember that many of us who are on special diets don't have a choice about it. 

I care much more about feeling welcome than I do about having rice milk in my coffee. 

And for that reason, Deluxe has won my heart. And my weekend patronage. 

Me and my rice milk flat white.

Update: Apparently Coffee Culture in Timaru offers rice milk (I'm not sure about the other Coffee Culture stores).

Madonna biscuits

Gluten-free baking can be a challenge. And, in my experience, no form of gluten-free baking is more challenging than the humble biscuit. 

Gluten-free biscuits either turn into buttery pancakes or gritty sanding blocks. Or, if you're particularly lucky, some weird combination of both. 

I've tried countless recipes for gluten-free biscuits with little success. I thought maybe it was just me. Perhaps I just had biscuit-cooking incompetence to go with my intolerances? 

But my mother has assured me that is not the case. My Mother's garden statue, Madonna, has been lovingly doused with baking on a number of occasions after ill-fated attempts at making gluten-free biscuits - and Mum's a baking guru.   

So, in the end, I have given up and decided to make up my own biscuit recipes. 

These are my super easy peanut brownies. They are gluten-free, low in FODMAPs, and low in sugar. Plus they are pretty tasty. Sorry, birds - none for you today!

They also make use of Healtheries ground LSA (linseed, sunflower, and almond mix), my favourite new addition to our kitchen. Add a tablespoon to brown rice porridge for a delicious, wholesome breakfast.

Enjoy!

Madonna biscuits.

Madonna biscuits 

Ingredients 

25g butter 

1/2 cup of oil

1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter

1/3 cup of golden syrup

1/2 cup of desiccated coconut*

1/2 cup of ground LSA (linseed, sunflower, and almond mix)* 

2 cups of gluten-free flour blend (Edmonds is good)

1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips* 

2 tsp vanilla 

1 egg 

Method

Preheat oven to 180'C. Gently heat butter, oil, peanut butter, and golden syrup in a pot until a smooth consistency. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, grease your oven tray. Then mix together coconut, LSA mix, and flour blend in a bowl. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and egg to the wet mix and stir. Combine wet mix to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Roll into balls and place on the oven tray (2-3 teaspoons of batter per biscuit). Flatten biscuits slightly with a wet fork. Bake for 12 minutes. Makes 20-24 biscuits.

Note: I don't like my biscuits too sugary, but you could add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar to the pot if you want some more sweetness in your life. And, if you can tolerate it, these would be amazing with melted chocolate drizzled on top. 

* These quantities are such that a 2 biscuit serving is low in FODMAPs. Larger quantities can be high in FODMAPs, so eating the whole batch in one sitting should probably be avoided if you have IBS.

  

PS: You can now follow A bit moreish on Facebook. Just go to www.facebook.com/abitmoreish and like the page to stay updated. 

Not-so-forbidden fruit

One of the challenging things about the low-FODMAP diet is that it restricts a number of healthy, wholesome foods, which is a key reason why seeking professional advice about the diet is important. 

Fruit, in particular, can be tricky. 

Mandarins - a year round FODMAP friendly fruit.

A number of fruits trigger symptoms of irritable bowel. This includes some quite common fruit varieties - apples and pears, for example - and many that tend to be canned or dried, like peaches and apricots. 

An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Ah, no. Not in this case.   

Thankfully, there are a number of fresh fruits that are easy on the tummy. So there's no need to sacrifice nourishing fruit - and the accompanying fibre or flavour - when pursuing digestive health. 

Blueberries and lactose-free yoghurt.

To help you make the most of tummy-friendly produce, I've put together a guide to low-FODMAP fruits by New Zealand season.

Shopping by season is great for ensuring that you are getting the freshest of flavours. The economist side of my brain likes the value-for-money aspect, too.

There are exciting flavours available no matter the time of year, including a number of options that are available year round.

In fact, there are so many fruit options. You might just discover some new favourites!

Add stewed rhubarb or defrosted berries to your breakfast (or your pudding, for that matter!). Make fresh fruit salad with pineapple, grapes, and berries, adding kiwifruit or melon depending on the time of year. Or pop bananas, mandarins and kiwifruit into your lunchbox (because you're never too old to own a SpongeBob lunchbox). 

Low-FODMAP fruit by season

This guide was put together using the Monash University app and 5+ a day website. A vegetable guide will follow in a subsequent post. 

Some of these fruits (denoted by asterisks) are high in FODMAP when consumed in large quantities - check the Monash University app for details. 

PS: Yes, I know that rhubarb is technically a vegetable; and tomatoes (which have been omitted) are technically a fruit. The way I see it, if it could conceivably go in a shortcake, it makes the list. Tomato shortcake anyone? Didn't think so.

Rhubarb and berry shortcake.

Friday night in

Looking for an easy, tasty Friday night dinner? Something to go with a glass of wine and back-to-back episodes of Gossip Girl, perhaps? Yeah, me too. 

My easy Friday-night-in dinners usually involve pasta, or some other form of carb-filled deliciousness (oven fries are another winner). 

But unfortunately on a low-FODMAP diet, easy pasta sauce options are pretty limited. Cream, garlic, onion and mushroom are all out. So.... yeah.

Today's experiment: low-FODMAP / gluten-free pesto. 

Simply put a good handful of fresh basil, some pine nuts, parmesan, and 3 teaspoons of garlic-infused oil in a food processor. Whizz it up, add pepper, and season generously with salt. 

The key here is to make it to your taste. Hmmm, does it need more cheese? Of course it does. 

In a matter of minutes, you'll have an easy pesto base from which to make whatever pasta dish you fancy. 

You'll be on the couch watching Gossip Girl in no time. 

Happy Friday!

Pesto with gluten-free pasta, cherry tomatoes and prosciutto ham.

Taking me back to my gluten days

The closest us gluten-free kids might ever get to KFC: Rick Grant's chicken seasoning mix.

Plus - you guessed it - it's low-FODMAP (finding products like this without onion and garlic in them is actually quite incredible).

                             

All you need to do is whip up the batter, coat, shallow fry, bake and serve. (For the full experience, deep frying is optional - though it really isn't necessary.) 

This little number will take you back to your good old gluten days - only without the heinous stomach problems, gut damage, and tiredness. 

In fact, I'd even recommend this little gem for people who aren't gluten free. Let's be honest, fried chicken is going to test the stomachs of even the most gluten-tolerant of us. And it's low fructose, dairy, egg, and soy free. (I'm going to take a punt here and guess that the secret ingredient is salt.)

Whip this up and you'll have yourself a tasty, nostalgic dinner - only with zero fuss and zero gluten.

Pair it with Lingham's chilli sauce (low-FODMAP and gluten free), and you'll have yourself a spicy, tasty treat.

Fried chicken with, rice, bok choy, carrots, and a splash of chilli sauce. 

You can get these sachets through New World, but you may have to ask someone to order it in for you (sadly, New World Thorndon hasn't responded to the email I sent them about it...). 

We've checked out all the supermarkets in Wellington trying to find it, but to no avail. So if anyone happens to come across this little treasure, I'd love to know. 

This sachet was sourced in Christchurch (thanks, Carol!), so stock up next time you are visiting! 

Marriage brownies

This week I started the 'challenge phase' of my low-FODMAP diet. Taking high-FODMAP foods out of my diet has improved my symptoms considerably. My stomach pains have subsided, my bowels are less irritable, and my tiredness has gone. 

So now it's time to figure out which of the sugars I am sensitive to and how sensitive I am. 

First up, was lactose. 

I started this week absolutely convinced that the lactose challenge would be easy. I thought that I would be able to eat milk, yoghurt - a tub of ice cream if I was allowed - with absolutely no ill effects. Completely and utterly convinced. 

Unfortunately, not so. 

My lactose challenge. Not so challenging to eat, at least. 

After a rather unpleasant couple of days, it has become apparent that lactose might be an issue, after all. We'll see what my dietitian says - cutting back on dairy products is a big deal, nutritionally speaking, so shouldn't be contemplated without professional advice - but it is possible that I might have to keep my lactose intake fairly contained going forward. 

Thankfully, cheese and butter have very low levels of lactose, so I can still get my dairy fix. Plus, these lactose-free treats are pretty amazing. 

But, I'm fairly gutted about the implications for my dessert consumption. 

So, in light of that, I thought it was time to share the joy of marriage brownies - so named, because they are supposedly "marriage-proposal inducing" (someone else's words, not mine). 

These puppies are gluten free and can be made dairy free. They are also low-FODMAP, provided you keep the serving size contained. Large quantities of cocoa / chocolate are high in FODMAPs. And while butter and white sugar aren't high in FODMAPs, large servings of these aren't recommended, either. 

Marriage Brownies

Ingredients

200g butter (or dairy-free spread) 

1½ cups of sugar

1 cup of cocoa

3 eggs 

¾ cup of gluten-free flour blend (we like Healtheries and Edmonds)

150g dark chocolate chips 

Method

Preheat oven to 150'c. Grease and line a 20x20cm cake tin. Cream butter and sugar. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour. Then stir in chocolate. Bake for an hour.

If the brownie looks a bit undercooked when it first comes out of the oven, don't worry - it isn't.

You can used a different shaped cake tin, but try not to use one that's too big. The brownie needs to be sufficiently thick to have the optimal level of squishyness. 

If you want to cut the brownie up into tidy pieces, leave it to cool overnight. This will allow the brownie to set. Alternatively, it is excellent warm and squidgy with vanilla ice cream (So Good soy ice cream is good). 

And, if you can tolerate it, a good dollop of cream on top is pretty scrummy too!

It will be a pretty thick mixture.

Don't worry about pressing it flat. It will melt into shape.

The optimal level of squishy.

My low-lactose treat with So Good soy ice cream.