We’ve kept a delicious lifestyle
In sickness or in health, make every day feel special
My wife, Grace, and I had an expedited courtship, a real whenyou-know-you-know situation.
Within days of meeting, I filled up a sturdy canvas tote bag at my apartment and brought it to hers. It included some clean clothes, a toothbrush and my best Dutch oven. My favourite pot and I were moving in, meaning Grace wasn’t just the woman I wanted to hang out with, she was the one I wanted to make a home, a life, with. She was the person I wanted to cook for every single day, which is the best way I know to tell someone how much you care about them. Roses are pretty, sure, but have you had a birthday cake that someone baked for you even when it’s not your birthday?
During the first two years of our marriage, Grace and I shared more about ourselves with each other through the things we cooked, and we expressed our love through all sorts of latenight grilled cheese sandwiches, bowls of pasta and tall stacks of pancakes studded with bananas and chocolate chips Grace would make nearly every Sunday. Falling in love with Grace made each day feel like a special occasion. Meaning, those pancakes were topped with pools of butter, maple syrup and whipped cream. Just because.
During the 2015 holiday season, just after our second anniversary, Grace started not feeling like herself. A number of symptoms including debilitating fatigue, body and headaches, deteriorating eyesight and unintentional weight loss brought us into a number of doctors’ offices and inspired far more scary questions than sound answers. Grace was eventually diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. While we were both extremely relieved to know why Grace was feeling so unwell and grateful it wasn’t life-threatening, we were both so scared of how much we didn’t know and how quickly her, and our, life was changing.
At the time, Grace and I, like so many people, didn’t really understand the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, let alone know that you could be diagnosed with Type 1 as an adult. Here’s the quickest explanation I can offer: they’re totally different diseases, and you can be diagnosed with either at any age.
At first, Grace immersed herself into learning all about living with Type 1 and connecting with others who live with it. I dove headfirst into figuring out how I could be most supportive. I turned, as I do in just about every single situation, to the kitchen, land of comfort and healing and life and where I have always felt a sense of control. (I know it’s an illusion, but let a girl pretend!)
While Grace can, and often does, eat whatever she wants, she seems to feel her best when she eats meals that are lower in carbohydrates, high in protein and fibre and, of course, appealing to eat and easy to enjoy since living with Type 1 doesn’t mean you’re allergic to pleasure. It turns out, unsurprisingly, that I feel my best when I eat the same way.
As the resident worrier of our family, I figured that if something tempted both of us but didn’t make either of us feel amazing, it was easier to eliminate it than to resist it. So we said goodbye to a lot of things we used to keep in our kitchen (I’m talking empty carbohydrates and processed, sugary treats) and filled the space they left with things that we also enjoy but don’t compromise our well-being. I kept cooking for her, for us, but traded things such as mashed potatoes with bread-crumb-bound meat loaf for garlicky, creamy mashed cauliflower and what I have taken to calling “confetti meat loaf” because it’s fun to say and it’s also dotted with colourful pieces of sautéed peppers and onions, finely chopped herbs and sundried tomatoes. Big salads with good dressings keep our meals feeling abundant, and we’ve learned that a handful of perfect raspberries is as good of an excuse for whipped cream as pancakes.
These changes, the pantry revamp and the increased attention to what’s in our refrigerator and on our plates have made it easy to make choices that make us both feel good on a daily basis. All of that work upfront has meant every decision that followed has been a lot easier. And we’ll take all the help we can get. Life is hard enough, with or without a lifelong chronic illness.
Three years into Grace’s diagnosis, our habit of eating fun meals together, and treating each one like an opportunity to throw a little party to celebrate love, has not diminished. I’m more grateful than ever for the food in our kitchen, the space we have to prepare it and, most of all, for my wife, who still is, wink wink, just my type.
Confetti Meat Loaf
Makes 2 to 4 servings
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small bell peppers (any colour), stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice
1 small red onion, cut into small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and minced 2 large handfuls flat-leaf parsley and/or basil leaves, chopped
3⁄4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat (may substitute ground chicken, pork or beef )
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then use 2 teaspoons of the oil to coat the parchment.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the bell pepper and onion; cook for about eight minutes, stirring a few times, or until the vegetables have softened and are browned on the edges. Turn off the heat and stir in the garlic. Let cool.
Transfer to a large bowl; add the oregano, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, parsley and ricotta, stirring until well incorporated. Add the turkey and use your clean hands to work it into the mixture.
Transfer to the baking sheet; shape the mixture into a tight loaf that is 10 inches long and 4 inches wide (it will be about 1 inch high). Roast (middle rack) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre registers 165 F.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Makes 4 servings
One 1½-pound head cauliflower, tough stems discarded, cut into large florets 4 large cloves garlic Kosher salt
1⁄4 cup half-and-half Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the cauliflower and garlic cloves in a pot, then add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and add a generous pinch of salt; reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower can be pierced with a knife.
Drain in a colander, making sure the florets and garlic cloves get evenly dry.
Transfer to a food processor (you may have to do this in batches); add the half-and-half and another generous pinch of salt. Purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Taste, and add more salt, as needed. Transfer to a serving dish and season lightly with the pepper. Serve hot.
Butter Lettuce with Shallot Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings
1 medium shallot, minced
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1⁄4 cup mild olive oil
Torn leaves from 1 large or 2 small heads butter or Bibb lettuce
Make ahead: The salad can be dressed and held at room temperature for up to an hour.
Use a dish towel to make a nest on the counter for a large mixing bowl; this will make the vinaigrette prep easier.
Add the shallot, salt and vinegar. Rub the oregano between your fingers as you add it to the mix in the bowl, then stir to incorporate.
Let the mixture sit for a few minutes (you can rinse and prep the lettuce, in the meantime) so the shallot softens a bit.
Whisk in the mustard; once it is well incorporated, drizzle in the oil while you whisk, to form an emulsified vinaigrette. Taste (preferably using a piece of lettuce), and season with more salt, as needed.
Add the lettuce but don’t toss to coat; at this point, the salad components can hold at room temperature for an hour or so.
Then toss to coat evenly and serve right away.
Raspberries with Cocoa Whipped Cream
Makes 4 servings
1⁄2 cup chilled heavy cream 1 tablespoon honey (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for optional dusting
Pinch kosher salt
2 cups fresh raspberries
Combine the heavy cream, honey (if using), vanilla extract, cocoa powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon-whisk attachment, or use a hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium-high speed for about two minutes, or just until soft peaks form.
Divide the cocoa whipped cream and berries among individual dessert bowls. Dust with more cocoa powder, if desired. Serve right away.
Recipes adapted from “Now and Again: Go-To Recipes, Inspired Menus + Endless Ideas for Reinventing Leftovers,” by Julia Turshen (Chronicle, 2018).