Going Gluten-Free with Alta Mantsch

I was introduced to Alta last year when we both participated in the Fall Gift Market at Jacob's Reward Farm. I was first drawn to her blog by her food photography - she does a pretty great job! I don't have gluten-free needs, personally, and let's face it - I'm not much of a cook. Her blog Tasty Eats at Home, however, continues to captivate my interest and inspires me to try new foods. (This is saying a lot, you have no idea....)

She invited me into her kitchen, where I got to photograph her family dinner preparation, and pick her brain about the birth of a food blog. Read it in her own words, below. -JJP

AM: I have been blogging since July 2008. I decided I wanted to start keeping track of all of my recipes, and share them with family and friends, so I started my own blog! Little did I know what it would become. In June 2009, I went gluten-free because of some worsening health issues, and that's when I really started to gain a niche for my blog and my writing. I knew there were people out there that struggled with how to start a gluten-free diet, what to eat, how to cook, etc. and I wanted to share my experiences, cooking and recipes, and let people know that having to eat gluten-free doesn't mean living a life of deprivation. In fact, quite the opposite. Since I went gluten-free (and later on, dairy-free), my world has been opened to so many more culinary options than I ever thought possible.

fresh yellow zucchini dressing

JJP: How has your blog changed the way you approach cooking and eating?
AM: Immensely! It's funny how you tend to go the extra mile in the kitchen, even when you might not feel like it, because it's "for the blog". It's a living thing, it seems. It must be fed! But beyond that, I started to really challenge myself to try new cuisines, techniques, and recipes as I started to connect with other bloggers. My eyes were opened to a whole world of possibility, and I wanted to experience as much as I could. If I pulled off something pretty spectacular, I was eager to share! This intensified when I went gluten-free. I was determined to satisfy those cravings for certain long-lost food favorites - pizza, rolls, bread, cake, etc. without sacrificing taste.

The first time I successfully baked something gluten-free from scratch, I felt like I was in that scene in the movie Cast Away - where Tom Hanks screams "I have made fire!" (only mine was "I have made banana bread!") It's kind of a crazy high, if that makes sense.

JJP: What has been the most challenging part of living gluten-free?
AM: Most of the time, living gluten-free is easy for me. Most everything we eat is naturally gluten-free - lots of fresh vegetables, meats, eggs, nuts, rice, potatoes, etc. I don't like to eat a lot of processed foods - gluten-free or otherwise. They're full of preservatives, refined sugars, refined starches - things your body doesn't need. And processed gluten-free food is really expensive. So I opt to go the easy route and eat naturally gluten-free, healthy foods. The difficult part comes when I try to eat out at restaurants. I have a handful of restaurants that I trust, but even then, I have to explain my food restrictions and stress the importance of ensuring my meal is safe.



JJP: How has your blog connected you with others?
AM:My blog has connected me with a whole community! There are a lot of food bloggers out there, and you might be surprised, but there are also a LOT of gluten-free food bloggers! It's an incredible support system to say the least. These connections are key to what keeps my blog going. Of course, connecting with others has it's tangible perks too - I've talked with others enough to get the "guts" to start my own book (coming soon), and as a result of my blogging, I am speaking at the upcoming Gluten-Free Expo here in Dallas in October. But truly, it's the personal relationships/connections that I've made that are the golden nuggets and what makes blogging so fulfilling.

I couldn't agree more! It was wonderful getting to connect with a local food blogger. Many thanks to Alta Mantsch! Know someone in the Dallas area who should be featured in the PhotoBlog Spotlight? Drop me a line!

Need photographs for your own blog, website or business? I can help! -JJP

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Dinner:
Garden salad with mixed baby greens, carrots, radishes, orange bell pepper, tomatoes, and cucumbers, topped with a fresh yellow zucchini dressing (zucchini, tomato, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and cumin, blended until smooth) and roasted turkey breast. With a sprinkling of hemp seeds. The radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini were all local finds at the Chestnut Square Farmer's Market in McKinney.

Dessert:
Fudgy chocolate brownies with a peanut butter swirl

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