And I should also add, no refined sugar, no peanuts, no chickpeas and... no chocolate! Ah!!
It's been a year. Yes. A year since I've eaten these things. And had you known my eating habits prior to October 15, 2012, you'd have observed that being the bakesta' that I am, I ate one or all of these things on a daily basis. But surprisingly when my doctor told me I need to steer clear of these foodie delights, I wasn't sad. I took it as a challenge. A culinary challenge. Here's the thing about me... as much as I love chocolate and all those things I listed above, what I love more is a culinary challenge. So with arms wide open I dove into this thing head on. And let me tell you, it's been the most informative and delicious culinary adventure I've been on thus far (and before all this I had about five years dedicated to self-taught chocolatiering... so that's saying something!)
I've experimented with more flours than I knew existed. I've discovered fruits and veggies galore. My palate has been retrained in the ways of sweetness. And interestingly enough, my sense of smell has heightened (this comes in handy when I bake "normal" things for others that I can no longer taste test... I call it bake by smell).
This whole dealio came at a perfect time and I am thankful. Not only has it aided in the growth of an already existing passion of mine, but my food restrictions made themselves known after I had dabbled enough in the baking world. Having had tried techniques and tastes, I can use my prior knowledge in the way I bake and cook.
So while people often feel like this is some burden for me, I see it as a gift. It "forced" me to step out of my foodie comfort zone and venture into a new place. I basically can accommodate most any food allergies that others might have. I know this is silly, but it reminds me in the Bible where it talks about going through hardships for the sake of walking through similar future hardships with others. Since food is a love language, I appreciate that I can understand other people's food restrictions so much more now.
And while I do hope one day I can taste a simple chocolate bar or bowl of hummus again, I honestly feel like this is a delicious dream come true.
