For as long as I can remember, I’ve had digestive issues. As a kid, I’d complain so frequently of stomach aches that my mom thought that I might have an ulcer. Throughout my teens, my digestive tract operated on a hair trigger. And for the last decade or so, I’ve struggled with the opposite problem — motility issues, if you will — and, as often goes hand in hand, intense, near-constant bloating. Though it’s long been top of mind, and has been something I’ve intensely, perhaps even obsessively, researched, it’s not something I’ve ever really talked about here or elsewhere in my writing. In part, I suppose, out of embarrassment, and also because I didn’t have a good answer, or even really an inkling as to what my problem was.
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ginger
Pear-Ginger Oatmeal With Chia Seeds
I’ve written about oatmeal many times, and this likely won’t be the last. Satisfying, and fiber-rich, oats are what I reach for first when seeking a sweet-leaning healthy breakfast. This pear-ginger iteration is my latest fixation. A variation on April Bloomfield’s genius porridge, which mimics the creamy, chewy texture of long-simmered steel-cut oats by splitting the difference between steel-cut and rolled oats as well as milk and water, this bowl also adds some chia seeds to the mix for an extra-rich texture. Seasoned with a pretty mix of ginger and cardamom, it’s then topped with pear matchsticks and some sesame seeds for an almost-floral-leaning combination of flavors. All in all it’s a simple upgrade to the humble bowl of porridge. And, importantly (at least to me) it makes use of one of fall’s oft-overlooked fruits (pears).
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Cucumber Moscow Mule
The closest I’ve come to being a regular at a bar, Cheers-style, came when Andrew and I lived in San Francisco’s NOPA neighborhood. At the time, my best friend Ally bartended at a spot down the street, Madrone Art Bar. Naturally, we’d pop in from time to time to say hi and have a couple (or more than a couple) drinks. While Madrone has a fairly-extensive cocktail and beer list, early on I landed on a favorite and rarely wavered in my order thereafter. A combination of cucumber vodka, ginger beer, and lime, the “Lola” was easy to love.
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Gluten-Free Plum-Ginger Crisp
Though I don’t have any issues with gluten, I still like to have a handful of gluten-free recipes up my sleeve. When baking for friends who abstain from wheat and other glutinous grains, my typical strategy is to stick with desserts that either omit grains altogether or that contain a small amount, with the hope that it’ll be easier to substitute other ingredients. As we’re in the midst of peak berry and stone fruit season, I recently got it in my head that a crisp would be an ideal candidate for this sort of makeover.
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