As I am not feeling 100% today, I thought I’d share just a few things with you all that I’ve run across, purchased, and cooked in the past week.
Books
I went to both Border’s Bookstores in Kahului this past weekend and did some sleuthing for gluten-free books. I first visited the large Border’s on Dairy Rd. on Friday. In the past they’ve had a fairly good selection including The Gluten-Free Vegan (which I joyously own) by Susan O’Brien and Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern.
To my dismay the books had all recently shuffled around, so it took me quite a while to figure out where the books had all been moved to. This shouldn’t have been too difficult, and I could have had someone assist me if I’d chosen to but instead I looked like a confused mouse in a labyrinth.
Finally, I found the Special Diets section and searched high and low for any books related to gluten-free diets or Celiac Disease. I found two books in the entire store. I found Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s book The G-Free Diet in the aforementioned section, and Babycakes by Erin McKenna in the Vegan cookbook section. Out of the rest of the special diets and cookbooks I found no books on the subject.
A friend of mine, who works at Border’s, noticed my disposition as I searched through the Border’s Express store on Saturday. On Monday he e-mailed me to let me know that a new book, The Allergy-Free Cookbook by Alice Sherwood, would be out on the shelves soon but was currently in the back room. I thanked him for the information, and I was glad to know there would be something else out there soon. My sorrow persists as I know there are people on Maui who are recently diagnosed, and most likely as lost as I was when I first started on my gluten-free path.
I looked in the store’s online catalog and thankfully found many pages of books on gluten-free diets, including the previously mentioned books, but they were nearly all marked as books to be shipped to the store. At least the resource is there, and at least there were still a couple of books on the shelves(no matter the controversy surrounding one particular book).
I now almost feel guilty for checking The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy by Bette Hagman out of the library as someone else might need it more than I do. However, it will be returned for someone else to use in the future.
Food Bought
Pukalani Superette now carries Glutino Pretzel Sticks. They’re $6 for a pretty big bag (8oz by weight). They also taste like any other crunchy pretzel stick I’ve had in my life. The Nerd likes them too. They’re definitely a rare treat, and I may purchase them again as party food for myself.
Food Made
I love hearty soups, but they’re a little too heavy for the summer heat. However, I still like soup in the summer and what is better than a soup containing the vegetable bounty of the summer? In The Gluten Free Vegan there is a recipe for Lentil Stew which contains onions, carrots, spinach, and green beans as well as lentils, broth, and seasonings. I forgot to put the spinach in mine, and I didn’t cook the green beans prior to cooking (as the recipe directs), but I found that this is a soup that is cheap and extremely delicious. It’s full of protein from the lentils as well as a variety of vegetables (something we all need more of).
I’ve recently sent a request to the publishing company to ask for the right to copy the recipes into this blog legally. If that does not happen, then I will gladly share recipes with you all, my friends, if you contact me.
If you’d like the recipe for this stew in the mean time, please contact me and let me know.
Aloha
Although I am not feeling top notch, I will be cooking tonight and I’ll get the pictures and recipes to you all as soon as possible.
Have a good night. It’s about time for the solar eclipse. If you’re where it’s viewable (safely with proper lenses or a pinhole projector) I hope you enjoy. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.
