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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. …
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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Toasted Quinoa Salad With Grilled Halloumi And Herbs (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Fructose Free)
The culprits: Black tahini and coconut butter! The victims: Two broken kitchen machines in less than a week, one of which wasn’t even mine.
After destroying two tools in such a short period of time, I had to ask myself whether I
a) own the wrong tools,
b) live in the wrong country or
c) should stay away from ‘fancy recipe’-land for a change?
Why? Because I keep thinking, this “Braun/Magic Bullet”-dilemma wouldn’t have happened with a Vitamix. And would I have been in Germany instead of Istanbul at the time, I most likely would have simply picked up ready-made coconut butter or tahini at the nearest health food store instead of bothering to make it from scratch. Leaving us with c) and the realisation that too much of Pinterest’s rainbow-cake-wonderland-inflow can be destructive at times. …
My Morning: Friendly Little Kitchen and her classic Spelt Pancakes
This interview took place as part of the “My Morning” interview series.
When I reflect on my first baby steps into the FODMAP free diet about two years ago, there is one lovely lady who played a major role throughout my field trip: Steph Papillo from Friendly Little Kitchen. Steph was my first real blog-pal, my guide through the crazy FODMAP jungle, always there to help out. With her delicious recipes and dreamy pictures this curly beauty from Melbourne continues to show how easy a wheat free and fructose friendly diet can be on a daily basis. Full of wit, her Instagram stream is not only an endless source of inspiration, but of sunshine as well! …
Fructoseintoleranz: Alle Symptome Und Beschwerden auf einen Blick
„So ein bisschen Bauchschmerzen, ein aufgeblähter Bauch und extreme Müdigkeit”. Das und keinen Pieps mehr hättet ihr vor 5 Jahren an Symptomen bei einer Fructoseintoleranz aus mir herausgekitzelt. Peinlich berührt war nach dieser Erklärung das Thema für mich gegessen.
Wer heute fragt, bekommt mehr zu hören. Egal wann und wo es auf die “Leiden der jungen Fructopia” zu sprechen kommt, versuche ich möglichst offen davon zu berichten, was übermäßig viel Fructose und Zucker in unserem Essen anrichten kann.Wenn ich heute Symptome auslasse, dann schlichtweg, weil ich vergesse, wie dreckig es mir damals wirklich ging. Und siehe da, so schlimm kommt das in der Regel bei meinen Gesprächspartnern gar nicht an. Die Rückfragen werden zahlreicher und zuckerfreie Rezepte sind hoch im Kurs. Aber vor allem leuchtet beim Gegenüber immer wieder die Frage auf “Vertrage ich vielleicht auch keine Fructose?”.
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Gluten Free, Sugar free Strawberry-Raspberry-Tartelettes aka Princess-Tartelettes for Emmi
It’s not always easy. People like you and me, are surrounded by endless menus, we run around supermarkets for hours, but in the end we still end up going home hungry and annoyed. “Do we really need to add onions, wheat, tomatoes, sugar, honey and dates to every freaking dish?” According to research, “every third German suffers from fructose malabsorption”, so do I really need to argue with the waiter when all I need to know is exactly what they put in the that dressing? Whoever came up with fructose malabsorption, must have loved complaining. After all, it’s what really comes naturally to us (sarcastic undertone), isn’t it?…
My Morning: The Whitest Cake Alive
Among German food bloggers there are common word jugglers and downright stars such as today’s guest and main attraction of the “Croation-Swabian State Circus”. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage: The Whitest Cake Alive! Sonja’s exceptionally honest and entertaining posts, her stunning recipes including this strawberry-rose petal-pistachio-cake as well as her being fructose intolerant to top it off, makes it all the more easy to instantly become a huge fan of hers. Good morning Sonja, let’s get this day off to the right start! …
Black-Sunflower-Brittle (fructosefree, vegan, gluten free)
Happiness is when you receive “2 star”-ratings on Amazon, but still have every reason to smile. Who cares about critics, when there are care-bears like you?! Okay, give the critics some credit. It’s true, I didn’t include any tables or hard nutritional facts in my cookbook, but why should I have done so in the first place? I never pretended to be anything I am not. I am not a professional dietician or physician, but simply someone confronted by the daily difficulties of handling fructose malabsorption and trying to do my best to turn the negatives into positives and live a healthy life. …
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. …
My Morning: The Fructose Friendly Chef + Homemade Granola
Lately nothing has fascinated me more than the art of starting the day in beautiful and productive style. Everybody seems to have his or her own way of claiming the day’s first sunbeams. Seeing as the morning hours hold such a precious place in my heart, I thought it might be time to find out how other talented bloggers and bloggerettes start their day and thus created this interview series. So instead of asking „How was your night?“, from now on I’ll rather be asking „How was your morning?“.
After a beautiful prelude to this series with earlybird Steffi, I should probably warn you ahead of today’s interview: If you too are a child of the sun, you might find yourself packing your bags for Australia right after finishing this read! Why? Because today’s guest, the fructose friendly chef Melissa, wakes up where koalas and kangaroos kiss each other good night, while being surounded by cafés sure to make your food sensitive heart leap for joy. Morning walks on the beach in dreamy light and an enviably healthy tan on Melissa’s face: If being a morning grouch looks like this, I’ll take an extra large serving! But see and read for yourselves…
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Gluten Free Holidays: Fructosefree Blueberry-Buckwheat-Cake With Lemon Curd
Sound familiar?
I made a cake and am super excited to treat my family members to a healthy and sugar free dessert for the holidays. Everybody gathers around the table and happily digs into piles of Easter bread, juicy carrot cakes and delicate chocolates. Lightyears seem to have passed since the last holidays. One by one, tense shoulders around the table loosen up and even my guilt-free cake receives some attention.
Right when I’m about to put on a content smile, thinking how nice it is that people finally seem to appreciate healthier alternatives instead of the usual sugar bombs, I get hit by a wave of comments again: “Your cake tastes really good, like, really healthy! A little bit like bread… Really good. I would just add a bit more sugar the next time.”
Duh! I mean that’s the whole point about fructose free cooking, right?
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App-Review: “Food Intolerances” + A Giveaway
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? …
Forbiden Rice With Sunflower Seeds, Avocado And Nutritional Yeast (Vegan, Fructose Friendly)
„Black is the new green. Trust me, in 2015 black rice will take over your kitchen.“ – Tweet that
This is pure deliciousness: Lucky rice, forbidden rice, the emperor’s rice, call it what you like. But if there’s one thing you might want to try this week, make it black rice! Its slightly chewy texture and sweet tang make my senses dance the samba time and time again. What’s more, research suggests it is rich in antioxidants and healthy fibre. Bye bye then guilty rice conscience. Better stock up on black rice asap!
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5 surprising ways to use coconut oil
Before we jump into today’s post, I’d like to talk about money for a second. Some of the links in this post are so-called affiliate links. You are most likely familiar with this already, but let me explain quickly for those of you who aren’t. If you happen to order some of the mentioned products in this post or other posts through the provided links, Amazon or other affiliate partners will pay me 3-7% commission. Of course for you as a buyer the price of the product stays the same as for everyone else shopping at Amazon. So far I „earned” a total of 3 € through the linked products in the sidebar to the right. But Amazon only pays me if and when I actually cross the 100 € line. Nothing to get rich with I guess. But maybe at some point this will cover the running costs for this blog. I just wanted to be open about the links I provide on this space. Because in the end it should be your choice, who get’s a share of your currency spent. Now let’s move on to today’s post.
While a pot of rice is happily steaming away on my cooker in light of my next kitchen experiment, let me offer you another peak into my pantry. You’ve probably noticed my love for unusual ingredients: Asofetida, nettles, bee pollen, you name it. Today’s starlet is on the exotic side as well, but I’m sure you’re more familiar with this one: Hi there coconut oil! …
Kitchari: Guts Healing Rice Bowl
There may have been few signs of it lately on FRUCTOPIA, but don’t be fooled, fructose malabsorption still plays a major role in my life. While I sometimes feel as though the symptoms are not worth mentioning anymore, I can’t help but remember the hell I used to go through before receiving the liberating diagnosis. Who would have thought, I’m actually feeling rather fine these days. True story.
“Well, good for you!“ you might find yourself thinking. When you are new to fructose malabsorption and knee-deep into your elimination phase, you may also be asking yourself how anyone could possibly be feeling fine, when dealing with fructose malabsorption? …
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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Cornbread Comeback (Gluten Free, Fructose Friendly)
Is this really today’s date? Are we already this close to October? As for the summerlong silence on Fructopia, that could only mean one thing:
Faces held out towards the warming sun, legs dangling in the sparkling sea, endless nights on the terrace of a summer house located somewhere along the manifold azure blue coastal landscape of southern Turkey. A table bending under the weight of all the delicious mezze and fresh produce, brought forth by the fertile earth we are surrounded by. Standing nearby, a grill with delicate fish, bought off of a local fisherman on our way home from the beach. He shares a faint smile as a long day out on the sea comes to an end. Sun, wind and water have left their marks on his face, hinting at all the stories he could tell.
You are probably thinking, that I must have thoroughly been enjoying myself this summer. After all, every true „Istanbullu“ spends summer at their summer house, right?
Cut, rewind. Let’s start from scratch. But this time, let’s stick to the facts, okay? 😉
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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….
Rainbow Salad With Herbs Galore
Spring arrived in Istanbul a few weeks ago and we are already heading full speed towards Summer. While in Southern Turkey the skin-warming sun lures people into the sea for the first time this year, in Istanbul we are celebrating the sun’s return by letting sweet and plump, bright red strawberries melt in our mouths. All the while the Spring showers, turning the Black Sea region into a bright green wonderland, are responsible for the abundance of delicate and rich greens on display at our weekly farmers market. Trying to refrain oneself from those treats would almost be an insult to this country’s fertility. Thus, happily volunteering to pay tribute, mint, parsley, dill, thyme, basil and other greens pile up in our kitchen every week. We’ve become quite creative in terms of putting the various herbs to use, though sometimes we just can’t keep up and the delicate little plants wither away. To use up all of the leftover herbs in due time I came up with this little rainbow salad. Instead of the usual lettuce I put in bol bol (Turkish for plenty of) fresh herbs resulting in a feast for the eyes and fireworks for your taste buds. I wouldn’t even mind having this salad two days in a row. …
Devil’s Dung, certified fructose free: Asafoetida
Last month I treated myself to a little something special. No, I didn’t visit any expensive restaurants, nor did I spend a day at a local Hamam (well actually, I did that too). I did however venture into the world of Ayurveda. Seriously? Ayurveda? Yes, seriously. At the end of the day everybody has their own idea of what a proper ‘treat’ should look like, right? And no, just to spoil the premature excitement and even though that would have been a nice treat as well, I didn’t spend 4 weeks at a yoga resort, meditating all day and sipping on one chai after another, as might be the common association when it comes to Ayurveda. (Note to self: Remember to travel to a distant place and meditate for four weeks someday). Anyway, my exploration into the field of Ayurveda was of course food related and came in form of an Ayurveda cooking class. It sounded interesting enough to make me get up very early on a Sunday morning and literally hop on a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul.
The term Ayurveda translates to something like ‘wisdom of life’ and is known as a traditional Indian art of healing. Even though the Ayurveda teachings go way beyond just knowing how to nourish your body, that is the part I’ve been coming across quite often lately,which doesn’t come as a surprise. The teachings of Ayurveda seem to know it all, when it comes to calming down and healing a stressed stomach and an unbalanced digestion. And thus I embarked on a welcome excursion into an ancient knowledge promising to treat several unwelcome dietary symptoms. Who wouldn’t, right?
Needless to say, I was pretty excited about the upcoming class and looking forward to acquiring new insights and inspiring recipes, while happily munching on food all day long. My expectations were by far exceeded, thanks to Ulli, the very knowledgeable and kind Ayurveda expert and yoga therapist holding the class. In just four hours she introduced us to a broad palette of herbs and spices as well as to their individual and combined healing benefits. We also talked about sprouting and soaking and on how to make food easier on the stomach in general. Which might further emphasize why this class was invaluable to me. Even though I tend to choose my ingredients wisely when cooking at home, there are still some things that upset my tummy to a certain extent, though they shouldn’t according to so-called popular science. I’m sure that with Ulli’s advice I’ll soon be kicking some serious symptom butt. The best thing about the class though, was it’s simplicity. That’s what made the whole Ayurveda approach so appealing to me in the first place. Despite the many ingredients in use and the alternate approach to what most people dub a normal diet, it is highly applicable. Integrating certain ideas and ways of nourishing in my day to day food routine even felt easy and natural. After all, nobody’s asking you to turn into a fulltime Yogi, right? (I just wanted to make that clear in case this post was getting a bit too spiritual for you 😉
Such a long introduction and I still haven’t told you about the thing that got me most excited during the class, which was a malodorous, but promising ingredient by the distinct name of Asafoetida. Malodorous? You might ask. Well, a spice commonly known as devil’s dung does not necessarily provoke odorant thoughts of a beautiful flowery Spring meadow. Unless of course meadows full of dung are your thing. Asafoetida, aka devil’s dung or hing, has been a staple in medicinal history for centuries but is rarely found in most modern cuisines, except for maybe the Indian. But let me tell you why Asafoetida is of such interest to us FM’ers. I mean, who would voluntarily add something to a dish that smells of rotten eggs? Two words: Garlic & Onion. Seriously, I couldn’t believe my ears when hearing nor my tongue when tasting it. Sparingly used and when heated in some fat, Asafoetida loses its ‘sharp’ taste and releases subtle tastes of onion and garlic, without causing the painful symptoms and bloated stomach. In fact its effect is quite the contrary. It is known to calm the stomach and reduce flatulence. Would somebody responsible for causing this spice’s near passing into oblivion please raise their hand? It’s scandalous and I need someone to blame. …
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. …
Going Gluten Free IV: A side note on dairy
Last year, during my initial phase of going gluten free I reflected not only on my wheat consumption but also on my diet in general. I figured that I was consuming a lot more dairy here in Istanbul than I used to do back in Berlin. Since moving here I had yoghurt for breakfast every single morning, drank many, many café lattes and ate lots of salads topped with loads of feta cheese. Everybody knows, too much of anything is never good, so I felt the urge to put a halt on this. In the back of my head I developed this thought that just maybe I could hit two birds with one stone: Going gluten and dairy free at the same time. I mean, why not? I was about to change my diet completely anyway, right?
Some of you might break out in hysterical laughter right now and I can’t even blame you.
Little did I now, how time consuming and sometimes frustrating it would be to go gluten free. This process once again put all my previously acquired eating habits into question (see Unlearning snacking). Cutting out dairy as well was just as naive as believing in sticking to one’s New Year’s resolution. …
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! 
