As with many people, family and food are engrained in my heritage. We cook and eat not merely for sustenance, but as an experience that brings family together. We share in the pleasure of good food and conversation – it bonds us. Cooking and food are a catalyst for connecting people.
From a young age, I became inspired watching my parents and grandparents cook delicious, cultural cuisines. I loved their cooking, well most of it. I recall, in particular, observing my grandmother labour tirelessly in the kitcken cooking to feed gatherings of her posterity. She was an amazing cook.
My grandfather owned a number of bakeries in his time, as a master baker. The beautifull smells of freshly baked bread, dessert pasteries, and authentic Mexican cuisine paint my upbringing and speak delicious nostalgia to my soul. I grew to love and crave my Grandfather’s traditional Mexican pasteries and my desire to learn to bake and cook myself grew from that, as well.
Over time I have learned many of their recipes and come up with my own. With my wife and children I have come to cook more and more; excited at the adventure of learning new recipes and experimenting with my own. Its satisfying to cook something delicious and realize you made something good.
I remember a time, like during my upgringing, where we never worried about allergies, fat, or sugar content of a meal. Ignorance was bliss. It wasn’t until later in life that I came to realize that not all food is created equal. As a certified Nutritionist this has become more apparent.
Several years ago I trained as a dedicated, recreational distance runner. I was as healthy as I’ve ever been, I thought. But I kept getting sick over and over. Week after week. What was going on? Then we also noticed my daughter complaining about repeated stomach aches. She got sick and lost a lot of weight.
After rounds of testing we discovered that I had an allergy to whey and cows milk, my wife is Gluten sensitive, and my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Our diets suddenly turned on their heads. Our recipes and cooking, our family diets, our shopping, our lifestyle, had to change. We had to adjust everything to be Gluten Free and mostly dairy free.
Change is never easy. Yet you can learn a lot from it. I’ve adjusted most if not all my recipes and our cooking to be gluten free / celiac friendly and mostly dairy free – I say ‘mostly’ as we do still consume a little dairy now and then and I still, sometimes cook other meals that contain gluten.
So now when my children ask, “Daddy can you make…?” the food is typically gluten free and dairy free. If not I find a way to adjust the recipe to be gluten free and celiac friendly. Just as my parents and grandparents inspired me to cook and share in the blessing of good food, I want delicious aromas of good cooking to fill your home. I hope to share my experiences and recipes with everyone; and desire that good food helps connect you with your family and others. Cheers!