No Deprivation Here

Ta da! Here it is, dear hearts and gentle people, my first ever wheat-free, beef-free, conventional-dairy-free….lasagna!

“So how is it, really?” you say, looking doubtful.  “Does it taste like lasagna? Is it gross, or…you know…weird?”

Well, in a word, no.  It is neither gross nor weird. Sure, it is a little different than the old reliable version, but still acceptable – maybe especially so if you’re my buddy N (with brain cancer) who is currently craving lasagna and on a diet eliminating beef, wheat, and cow-sourced cheese.  He’s a great taste-tester for experiments like this; I’ll take him a small pan tomorrow and see what he thinks.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on a slab of this layered first cousin of the true Italian-ish stuff. Ooooo la la.  If you look closely, you may notice a few strands of steam rising…fragrant and heady and saliva-inducing.    

And just in case you're one of those skeptical finger-pointers in the crowd who is calling attention to bread...yes indeed, it's true, that is a piece of legal garlic toast in the corner made from millet and flax, topped with garlic-infused palm oil. 

As I always say, a restricted diet need not be boring or bland. No deprivation here.