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My new favorite kitchen gadget: FlicFloc aka The Grain Flaker
Damn it! One by one my kitchen appliances were starting to bite the dust. I’ve come to ask myself if this is me or some universal force trying to tell me that I should step away from gadgets all together. Two broken blenders were more than enough to push me over the edge. I was convinced that I wouldn’t get myself another blender, ever. Of course, this and other New Year’s resolutions ultimately failed. The homemade pesto, bulletproof coffee and warm soup fanatic in me wouldn’t overcome this loss. Or to put it differently, without a blender I’d need to retire from blogging all together.
I still doubt the necessity of most other gadgets though. Let’s consider the exemplary ice-cream machine. The idea to make our own sugar-free ice cream whenever we want sounds fantastic at first. But then winter kicks in early and the tool disappears somewhere in storage for some 9 months or more. Not the kind of tool I like to spend my money on to be honest.
But what if the object of desire is no ordinary gadget after all? What if it has the potential to be a companion for life? A tool made from elegant wood, with an indestructible stainless-steel roller. A gadget propelled by your own body power rather than nuclear power from the socket. A helper for your everyday needs and beautiful to look at!
“And then she jumps to her feet to dance her little happy dance!” – This is me, everytime I look at this little fellow. It was love at first sight! This buddy here is definitely still an insider’s tip, on it’s way to becoming a mandatory household item everywhere. …
My Morning: Lieschen Is Getting Married
“Have you seen those gorgeous ‘save the date’ invitations? Oh, I just love the glittery confetti! And those flowers!”
Don’t worry. I haven’t switched my line of work. I’m just having a look around. Food bloggers do marvel at other things than food from time to time. Who wouldn’t, considering these stunning wedding ideas over at
Lieschen-heiratet.de . The genius behind? Lieschen aka Susanne Rademacher, communications consultant and book author by trade and at heart, as well as Germany’s undisputed wedding blogger queen.
All these successful projects of hers surely require a lot of energy, thus making Susanne the perfect candidate to interview for my series on morning routines. I’m extremely happy she agreed to share her personal tips on how to start the day in a relaxed manner with us! Don’t miss out on that bonus question at the end! Enjoy! …
The Sultan’s Breakfast: Çilbir – Poached Eggs On Yogurt And Garlic Infused Oil
It’s been pretty quiet around here the past couple of weeks. But don’t be fooled. Behind the scenes there was some serious tinkering and thinking going on. Why? Because Istanbul worries us. The city is nervous, its air is hot and sticky and our mood is low. Not feeling safesetting foot in the subway anymore is one thing, but seeing the frustration with this country’s government written all over our friends’ faces is another thing.
These days, Istanbul is changing right in front of our eyes. Rapidly. And we literally feel the growing pains. There is this thick layer of heat, bluster and political outrage covering the city. And it has become increasingly difficult to maintain our initial euphoria, to keep our love for this unique city alive. The way out is out.
It’s a wrap. We’ve come to a decision and already gave notice to leave our flat. Three weeks left until we turn our backs on Istanbul, for now. A kneejerk reaction? Maybe. But an important one.
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Behind The Scenes: These two photographers helped breathe life into Fructopia – The Book
It’s already May 7th and Amazon claims my book’s currently ranks at number 7.130. Meanwhile I’m still eagerly waiting for my personal copy to finally arrive here in Istanbul. Dear postal service, don’t you recognize the exceptional urgency of this matter?
It’s been eight days now since my first very own cookbook *cansomeonepleasepinchme* hit bookstores in Germany, but its proud mom has yet to hold it tight in her arms. This of course might explain, why your feeds aren’t flooded by “selfies with my cookbook” yet.
It also enables me to embark on a public display of affection for two truly enchanting ladies, who breathed life, color and joy into my recipes. Two photographers, who gifted my book an enchanting atmosphere to dream and smile about. Dear readers, let me introduce you to Marta Greber and Maria Köhler. …
App-Review: “Food Intolerances” + A Giveaway
The TOP 5 Sugar-Free Instagram Feeds You Should Follow
Call me crazy, but a day without just doesn’t feel right. No, I’m not talking about my new favorite morning coffee. I’m talking about my daily dose of Instagram. These 5 Instagram profiles are truly a feast for the eyes and an infinite source of sugar-free recipe inspirations. If you’re asking me, sugar-free food never looked this good! But see for yourself (in no particular order):
1. KBSugarFree
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Sweet Pumpkin Bread With A Cinnamon Swirl (Low Fructose, Wheat Free)
The word is out: Last week I gave my final approval for my very own cookbook to go into print, but my small chipmunk heart is still pounding like mad. Between writing posts, testing recipes and the usual chaos here in Istanbul, I somehow forgot that the real excitementis only just about to begin. Writing a cookbook on the quiet is one thing. But waking up everyday to your good wishes, knowing that there are people now actually waiting for my cookbook to bet published, that’s pretty absurd.
So bear with me, while I get a bit emotional: I just wanted to say that I am really grateful for each and every one of you! Thanks a million for your lovely words and support! Thank you for every single like and share! Now come here, let me give you a hug and then I’ll bake you all the fructose free cakes in the world. We’ll have loads of low-fructose wineas well, but don’t tell anyone, okay? …
Chocolate covered orange peels (fructosefree)
Welcome in 2015! This year will be great! The mere thought of it makes my whole body tingle and I can’t stop grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat. According to Google, „to grin like a Cheshire Cat“ is the equivalent of the German idiom „grinning like a honey pie horse”. Now you know. 😀 Anyway, like I said, 2015 will be great!
For one, I just kicked off writing for German lifestyle magazine i-ref.de as a regular contributor. It is all in German, but you should check out this talented and absurdly good-looking team anyway! I’m also super flattered to be working alongside one of Germany’s most famous food bloggers: Jeanny from Sugar, Cinnamon and Love. She is the queen of backing, which is why her books are currently being translated into English as well!
And, as if that wasn’t enough, there’s more big news. I know I’m being a tease, but bear with me. Let’s just try to enjoy the anticipation for now. And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. That way you won’t miss any of the big news. No spamming of course!
I must admit, the new year has activated some sort of “green smoothie” gene in me, which comes as no surprise seeing as my skin is craving the sun and my nose is constantly seeking the smell of spring bouquets. I’ve really come to love blending lush greens and nuts and turning these into a filling meal. That being said, I’ll continue to stick to the earthy winter produce for now, as long as it’s available. So let’s talk oranges. …
Sweet Parsnip Bread
Seeing lettuce heads hanging low, mere pale shadows of their former selves, while all the iridescent and plump berries have retired to the freezers emphasizes the writing on the wall: Winter in Turkey has arrived. Not only are the temperatures dropping, so is the availability of fructose free fruits and veggies. But don’t despair, there are still some fructose friendly gems around just waiting to be turned into warming soups and stews, hearty casseroles and fondues. All we need to do, is to switch our focus from green to white: Wake up dear celery roots and parsnips! These days we require more nutrients and energy to keep us warm than during any other time of the year. …
Purple basil lemonade
Most of my recipes are a byproduct of me going nuts at the weekly farmers markets, buying more produce than I can handle. That’s why recipes such as this rainbow salad, which are designed to taste amazing, while coincidentally using up as much food as possible, are clearly among my favorites.
Today, instead of salad, I present you this basil lemonade.
Um, is that supposed to be tasty? Yep, very much so!
Purple basil, or thai basil, is vibrant in color and dulcet in taste. Add fresh lemon juice, powdered glucose and a pinch of anise, and you are set to go. It reminds me of ‘şerbet’, the refreshing, yet absurdly sweet lemonade from Ottoman times, that is still popular in Turkey to this day. But don’t worry, my blend is hardly as sweet.
It’s the perfect drink to ask summer for another extension.
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Feeling Mallow
It may just be the season, but the whole blogosphere and Instagram community seems to be going crazy about smoothies and smoothie bowls at the moment. I’ve also been observing an increasing demand for smoothies low in fructose, which are just a little bit more challenging to make. I already introduced you to Smoothies recipe a while ago, but in general I keep on combining and testing whichever ingredients I manage to get my hands on. One of my favourite finds so far this year is marshmallow. Ok, not quite, but close. It’s actually the common mallow. Common mallow is this lovely little plant, which grows on the side of roads and hiking paths, which we usually don’t pay much attention to. Most people don’t even know that its leaves as well as flowers are edible and that both make wonderful additions to any salad. When added to soups, mallow acts as a thickening agent. Of course you can make some delicious tea with it too. But it is not just its taste that draws me to common mallow. In the end it’s all the more fun, when there are some additional health benefits involved, right? So what good can mallow do for you? First of all it is rich in Vitamin C and beneficial mucilage. The abundant mucilage soothes throat inflammations and coughs. It also has a slightly laxative effect. Not too shabby, don’t you think? What’s best is: Common mallow is free. When you are out on your next walk in an area that resembles nature you’ll probably start spotting it everywhere. Because it literally grows everywhere. That small patch of grass, the one that all the dogs in your neighborhood choose to pee on, does not count though. So grab your book for identifying local, wild flora, go out and collect some mallow for your salad and this fructose free smoothie recipe….
Fructose Friendly Smoothie Istanbul Style
When it comes to breakfast, pretty much everyone has his or her own idea of the “perfect” set-up. The choices are endless, be it cold or warm, liquid or solid, savory or sweet, or nothing at all. Since being diagnosed with FM breakfast is not only mandatory for me but also a way to start my day in a calmer manner. It’s a chance for me to be nice to my stomach first thing in the morning, so that it won’t be too upset later in the day if something wrong comes along. Whenever I skip breakfast entirely the day is basically ruined. Then all I think about is ‘how on earth will I get something quick to eat on the way to wherever I’m headed. Which is, as you probably know yourselves, rather impossible. So breakfast has become a very important part of my morning routine. …
Fructose friendly Brunch for one
Sundays for me are preferably spent relaxing and in most cases also cooking ahead. Even though I do not meticulously plan out my meals for the upcoming week, I still like to be prepared. Prepared in terms of knowing that sometimes it can be difficult for people like us to quickly whip up a healthy and filling meal. That is why on Sundays I usually cook up a batch of buckwheat, potatoes or millet, or all of the above, to store in the fridge. That way I have a fructose friendly and gluten free base on hand to ready a nice meal. This is particularly convenient when I’m running late and still need to pack lunch rather than returning home on an empty stomach.
Speaking of planning ahead it is about time I share this recipe for gluten free millet patties with you. While millet has become one of my favorite gluten-free super foods, these millet patties are quite the perfect all-rounder. Due to their subtle taste they go well with almost everything: Have them with eggs and salmon for brunch like I did, with a spicy yoghurt dip for lunch or with a salad for dinner. They taste equally good warm and cold, that’s why they also make a great take away snack. Be warned though, this recipe is a bit time consuming. Then again, Sundays are usually more slow-paced anyway, right? Plus, in my opinion it’s even more rewarding to treat yourself to a nice meal you’ve worked hard on. 😉 So make a batch of millet patties and grab whatever else your heart desires on the side and enjoy a cozy, well-deserved Sunday brunch!
P.S. I created a Facebook page to share my posts as well as interesting research finds. Only four more to crack the 100, so go ahead and share some likes! 🙂
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Guide To Fructose And Gluten Free Dining In New York
I’m back. And with me I brought 10 days filled with memories of this remarkable city called New York. Those of you who have been to New York before, might have noticed that it is quite an intense place. The noises, the smells and completely different visual language compared to other cites made me stare on in awe. It is only now that I’m sitting back at my desk in Istanbul, a city that feels slow and relaxed compared to New York (a statement I never thought I would make), that I realize how worn out I am after this trip. New York simply has its own pace that is hard to keep up with. But maybe that’s the reason people are so fascinated with the place.
Besides the wedding we were attending, the thing I was looking forward to the most, of course, was food. After all, New York is home to many health food devotees and the place, where most of the food trends rise and fall, second only to San Francisco. Though kind of aware of this at the start of our journey, I was still anxious about the upcoming week, my head filled with all the high fructose corn stories, worried that those good old American fries would make for the main component of my meals during our stay. Luckily all my worries vanished as soon as I realized that all of our friends there are foodies just like us. In case this term is new to you, here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:
“A foodie is a gourmet, or a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food and alcoholic beverages. A foodie seeks new food experiences as a hobby rather than simply eating out for convenience or hunger.”
Intentionally or unintentionally our friends seriously introduced us to cream of New York’s crop. I’m not talking about five star restaurants here. I’m talking about healthy, ingenious but honest cooking, that was worth every dime we spent. (Did I mention that New York is a bit pricy compared to Berlin or Istanbul?)
Anyway, if you happen to be cast away on the East Coast, namely in NYC, sometime in the near future, the following advice might come in handy if you are into experiencing some memorable, fructose free and gluten free moments of indulgence. …
Spicy Celery Root Fries With Oriental Yoghurt Dip (Gluten free, Low Fodmap)
If you take a closer look at my recipe list you might assume I have quite a sweet tooth. Sorry to disappoint you. Though it is true, I used to be a sugar addict, eating lots of sweets up until I was diagnosed with FM. Beyond any doubt, it is my fructose malabsorption I blame most for my sugar cravings. And believe me, I’m more than happy the cravings have finally ceased. Most of the dishes I cook at home are actually more on the savory side and I would always prefer a piece of fenugreek-goat-cheese on a slice of whole spelt bread over a cup of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I’ve become a savory girl through and through. To prove that, in my future posts I want to share some more recipes catering to our savory cravings. Today’s recipe features one of my favorite winter foods, namely celery root or celeriac. Celeriac is a good substitute for grainy side dishes, as it is quite filling. Besides its health benefits I like the mild and slightly nutty flavor of this magic root. So let’s kick off the celery root season with some easy to prepare celeriac fries and an oriental spiced yoghurt dip!
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(Deutsch) Produkttest: iPhone App “Fructosefrei”
Sorry, this entry is only available in German.
Review: Fructose free, gluten free gummy bears by Frusano
It’s time for a new category on Fructopia. From now on I will also present product finds. New products that I’ve tested and that I think are worth sharing. I couldn’t have thought of a better product to kick off this new section than the one I’m about to introduce you to. We all love products that are pretty much flawless, don’t we?
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September blues: Time for turmeric milk
So far Berlin has been treating us with grey skies and proper fall showers. A wonderful excuse to stay at home, sit by the window with a blanket, your favorite mug in your hand, sipping on a hot drink warming you from the inside. For now the space in my mug is reserved for turmeric milk. Naturally sweet and spicy at the same time.
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Going gluten free Part III: Fructose free superfoods
It’s been seven months since we left our home in Berlin in an attempt to grow roots in Istanbul. A few days ago we arrived back in Berlin. It’s our first time home since February. I was looking forward to these upcoming three weeks. Looking forward to all the breakfasts, lunches and dinners with friends and loved ones, to happy bike rides in the city and enjoying morning runs in the park close by. Other than that, I must confess, there is not much I missed about Berlin. Who would, considering the numerous hours of sunshine Istanbul provided us with, all the Turkish food and fresh seasonal goods grown on the fertile lands of the rough Black Sea, the thousand plus different views of the Bosphorus or the seemingly endless supply of new and one of a kind impressions. Istanbul has not failed to keep us entertained. Needless to say the Gezi Park protests and the surprisingly violent response by the police caused quite a stir in our daily lives.
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Fructose friendly cheesecake with berries
I know, you guys were probably expecting the follow up on my journey of going gluten free. Unfortunately you will have to wait a couple of days more, as I’m not finished writing yet. There is so much to tell you. So, sorry for keeping you in the waiting line. Speaking of waiting lines, you should listen to this beautiful song by Zero 7.
To make waiting a little more enjoyable, I want to share this delicious, cream cheesy recipe with you. As mentioned before, I turned 30 in the middle of my gluten-free experiment. And I consider myself a really lucky girl that my boyfriend spent a full afternoon in the kitchen to create this fructose friendly, gluten free, creamy beauty for me. I took me a few days to finish it as nobody dared to eat up my special birthday treat. To be honest, I wasn’t too sad about having it all for myself. …
Video Tuesday: fructose research links
It’s been silent around here for the past three weeks. We went on a one week holiday only to return and find the city we live in has been turned upside down. Behaviors, moods, beliefs have changed. Istanbul is still as beautiful as it was, but the people living here and in the rest of the country have changed. The sheer violence that was used against peacefully demonstrating protestors shocked all of us in Turkey and many of you abroad, leaving us behind with terms bereft of meaning such as trust, freedom and democracy. Here we are, sitting in our home, approximately 800m from Taksim Square where the protests begun, reading, watching, talking, trying to understand facing many new questions. Right now it feels weird to go back to normal, working on and posting fructose friendly recipes with the pictures of people being chased down by police and fed with massive amounts of teargas still vivid in my head. So as for today, I will only share two videos with you.
The one is an ABC report on fructose in general including an interview with Robert Lustig, who also held an impressive lecture on fructose called “Sugar. The bitter truth”, a must-see for every fructose malabsorptioner.
The other one is a nice find by my boyfriend, illustrating the danger of processed food and what food industries made us believe to be “real” food. Watching both videos makes me actually happy once again that I had to cancel out fructose and processed foods from my diet. Enjoy!
Oatmeal muesli cookies low in fructose
It took me a while to realize that Spring in Turkey doesn’t last as long as it does in Germany. The fresh, locally grown strawberries at the fresh food markets disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared a few weeks earlier, leaving me little to no time to come up with all the nice strawberry-containing recipes I wanted to try and share with you. Which makes me a bit sad, as strawberries are one of the few fruits I can handle pretty well. But the good thing is, they will be back next year and meanwhile I will be concentrating on other seasonal fruits low in fructose. Enter, Apricots. Naturally low in fructose, an essential part in Turkish (dessert) cuisine and the perfect cast for the grand finale of my oatmeal cookie trilogy. Today, sun kissed apricots, crunchy, salty pistachios and a full-bodied cereal mix will be turned into aromatic Oatmeal-Muesli-Cookies. You could almost call it a tribute to my German-Turkish roots. ;)…
Oatmeal coconut cookies low in fructose
As I’m sitting here writing this post there is a plate of freshly baked oatmeal coconut cookies resting next to my laptop, begging to be devoured. Today it felt hard motivating myself to write. Before I sat down I quickly threw together those seven ingredients listed below, turning them into yet another batch of oatmeal coconut cookies, just to eat one of the freshly baked cookies straight out of the oven. I can‘t think of a better way to get into cookie mode. Also, when I tested this recipe a week ago I myself was a little surprised how delicious these cookies actually turned out to be. Therefore I needed some kind of reassurance that these cookies weren‘t too good to be true or rather just a stroke of luck. ;)
I found this recipe on Crash Test Mummy. It was the only recipe I found for oatmeal cookies low in fructose that looked worth giving it a try. Crash Test Mummy calls them ANZAC Cookies. Most of you native English speaking readers have probably heard this term before, but for me ANZAC didn’t ring a bell. It was only after a short search via Wikipedia that I found out what the abbreviation stands for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps” and that this type of cookies are usually baked around the end of April to celebrate ANZAC Day and remember the fallen troops during World War I. I made those cookies because the recipe sounded delicious. Only now, when re-reading the same Wikipedia article did I notice that the same troops fought in a city called Gallipoli, which is called Çanakkale today and lies, guess what, in Turkey. I love coincidences. …
Oatmeal spice cookies low in fructose
To be honest, I am not the only one reconsidering our initial, resistance-free plunge into the Turkish eating culture, after having arrived in the land of milk and honey (see also “Unlearning Snacking“). More recently my boyfriend has also been doubting his reacquired snacking habits. A long time ago he drastically cut down his own sugar consumption out of consideration for me suffering from fructose malabsorption and surely as a result of my never ending lectures on the negative aspects of fructose consumption. But our numerous sugar slips during the past weeks are finally coming into effect. As soon as we get close to a supermarket there is this faint voice to my left asking “Uhm, I wonder if they have those amazing Coco-Star chocolate bars. I didn’t have any sweet treat today. One surely couldn’t do much harm”. A classical case of back-on-the-addiction-sugar-cravings I’d say. Even his attempt to do better by going for the organic, soaked in honey, oatmeal cookie instead of the chocolate bar cannot negate my previously made diagnosis. The only positive outcome of this recent sugar-slip is, that somehow I wasn’t able to get those ‘forbidden’, crunchy and chewy oatmeal cookies out of my head. I was craving to have one of those cookies, but of course one being low in fructose. After browsing millions of oatmeal-cookie recipes on Pinterest I was left with no alternative. Because of that and well aware of my intent to strictly follow a fructose-free diet once again, without compromising on taste or variety, I resulted to not one, but three different recipes for oatmeal-cookies that are low in fructose. Call me nerd. …
Willkomen in Fructopia! In dieser kleinen Welt dreht sich alles um ein gesünderes Leben ohne Fructose, ohne Zucker, ohne Weizen. Schön, dass ihr da seid! 
