FOOD FUNK

FINALLY! My first post! My name is Wendy and I am the third contributor to We Curate Food. Don't let my lack of blog posts fool y'all, I am extremely excited about this collaborative blogging endeavour. I have been obsessed with food blogs (as well as mommy blogs and hippy sustainable farmer blogs) for years and am keen on contributing to We Curate Food!

The reason for my delay in posting is that I am in a food funk. Do you ever get sick of food? You know that feeling when all of your reliable go-to meals seem uninspired? When the thought of making another veggie lasagna is unbearable? That is how I feel right now. Food. Funk.

My relationship with food is admittedly a tumultuous one. And by tumultuous, I mean I often have to give myself a shake and an attitude adjustment. (Admitting it is the first step, right?) Long story short, I developed food allergies later in life. Up until the age of 16, I could eat whatever I wanted. Oh! The luxury! To be able to sit down at a restaurant and order anything my heart desired! Those days are long gone. My food allergies have multiplied and increased in severity to the point where I have to carry Benedryl and an epi-pen with me at all times.
Currently, eating out or even buying pre-prepared appetizers/sauces/meals at the grocery store is like a game of Russian Roulette. I know that it could be worse (oh hello Celiac disease!) but in my weaker moments I long for the pre-allergy carefree days of yore.

I am allergic to black/white/red pepper, chillies and jalapenos. Black and white pepper is hidden everywhere - in products where it does not belong, as far as I'm concerned, and where you would least expect it. For example, black pepper is sometimes found in bread and wine. BREAD AND WINE! And I don't mean the "peppery" taste of an Australian shiraz, I mean actual pepper is thrown in during the filtering process. Is nothing sacred?

In some respects, having food allergies is a blessing in disguise; it forces me to read every single food lable. Consequently, I am aware of all of the gross and unnecessary chemicals included in our food. And the sodium! I dare you to look at your cereal box label - you'll be horrified by the amount of sodium in it. This heightened awareness spurs me to purchase as much organic food as my husband and I can afford and to make as much food from scratch as our time will allow.

I will end this introductory post with a challenge. (Read: plea) One of the things I miss the most is a good salsa. I have been unable to create salsa sans chillies and jalapenos and have it taste good. To date, all of my attempts have been epic fails consisting of chunks of tomato, some limejuice and a few sad pieces of cilantro. So, fellow foodies, help a sister out! Do you make salsa from scratch? Do you have any recipes you'd like to share? A (non-lethal) good salsa recipe is a surefire bet to release me from this food funk!