In search of pumpkin pie

This will be my first Thanksgiving with food allergies. I'm sure that those of you who have been through this already remember the uncertainty. The funny thing is, I don't feel very worried about dinner this year, myself. I've been cooking gluten-free ever since I've been back from study abroad, and for the last 2 months I've been skipping the eggs, soy, and dairy as well. And I know that I can make tasty food - cookies and pies that non-allergic people swoon over. It's my family thats having a little trouble.

My brother, who is a freshman at the same college I attend, went home a few weekends ago. My mum was talking to him about the upcoming holiday and the accommodations that may be necessary for my allergies, and apparently by the end of the discussion, both my brother and step-dad were staring her with their noses wrinkled, asking "But how is it going to taste?" Apparently alternatives grains and soy-free margarine just don't get their juices flowing. My mum is a lot less picky and a lot more open-minded, but I can tell she's a little intimidated by the seeming enormity of the task.

I ended up sending a long email to my mum, step-dad, and dad (who will be joining us for dinner, with his mom. Yes, I have an unusual divorced family) explaining some options for producing the familiar dishes of Thanksgiving in a form that won't make me sick for three days. And I added a little plaintiveness, meekly saying that I like food and I like sharing food with people I love, and I hope it isn't too much trouble to make things safe for me, and I firmly believe that everything will be just as delicious as what they're used to.

But now I have to prove it. Pretty words will only go so far if the pie ain't good. And so, the 2009 Pumpkin Pie Project. I looked at this recipe and several that I found in a Google search for "vegan pumpkin pie." I ended up combining some elements of all. I made a crust out of almond meal, sugar, and butter. I used egg replacer and rice milk. I used two small fresh pumpkins.. I roasted...


...blended...


...and strained...


... all through the night. The result wasn't quite what I was looking for, but hopefully, by the time big Turkey Day rolls around, it will be.

And you know what? It really wasn't half bad.

Welcome

I am a 21-year-old college senior living in Pittsburgh, PA.

I started this blog because I wanted to share my cooking with others. That is, people other than my boyfriend. I wanted to share the process, the ideas, the problem-solving. The tension of a skillet of olive oil just before the smoke point. The triumph of sliding a full pan into the preheated oven. The hesitation of my fingers above jars of spices and bags of flour. And the sweet catharsis of a mouthful of perfection. Or, more often in my case, the lessons learned from my missteps.

In January 2009, I was diagnosed with a gluten allergy; this was supposed to fix the horrible stomach pain I had been experiencing for months. In August, it was back to the doctor, and I came away with more diagnosed allergies: soy and sesame. Recently, I have been tentatively diagnosed with allergies to milk and eggs, and I will be trying to eliminate these from my diet in the coming months. I will be posting recipes that are gluten, soy, egg, sesame, and cows milk free, though I will occasionally use goat/sheepsmilk products.

I have always enjoyed cooking, but as my allergies removed, one by one, the foods I could safely enjoy outside of the home, it has become somewhat of an obsession. I am guided by the conviction that people with food allergies should be able to eat delicious, satisfying food. I strive to make my allergy-friendly meals truly outstanding. My travel (and my list of future travel locations) has influenced my cooking extensively, and I love to combine different “ethnic” flavors in unexpected ways. You will see many recipes that borrow elements of authentic international cuisines, my favorite regions to pilfer being India, Mexico, and Southeast Asia.

I am a college student, with limited kitchen space, cooking implements, money, and time. As such, I will try to post recipes that are easy and require few specialty ingredients or equipment. If procedures can be made simpler, they will be. This is the origin of the title of this blog. I really do have only two saucepans.