Last year, I left behind a life with which I had become entirely familiar. Packing up the car to its limits – and I mean its limits (recalling a lampshade hovering oddly to my right) – we swapped our busy London lives for our cute little countryside dwelling.
In all honesty, I felt certain I would miss a lot; a job I truly loved, our funny little flat north of the river, trips into town when time allowed… Fifteen years prior, I had left the ridiculous monotony of village life and vowed to never, ever go back to a way of living that was simply an existence rather than memorable.
Persistent health troubles led us to move. London is expensive, and I had to leave full time employment. Our new home came on to the market at just the right time. Fluke or fate? I frequently annoy people in need of a ‘pick me up’ by saying, ‘Something good will come of this – it’s fate.’ I do believe in fate, but also knew I had to plan ahead to make life work. I would need something new to fill my days rather than sit back and wait for things to happen. It’s important. If you are reading this and ever experience your joints swelling beyond recognition, crippling pain or physical defeat, get out of bed every day, even if just to see real daylight and breathe in fresh air.
Now 34, I have changed a great deal since my teens. For a start, village life was not for me back then because of my endless ambition. To meet these ambitions I needed to make good money. For a few years, I taught in fabulous schools, teaching the most brilliantly inspiring girls and boys. I worked hard because I wanted to be the best I could be and genuinely loved every moment, largely down to having chosen a career I wanted (I’ve never considered an office job) and the immeasurable support and kindness of two particular Heads, to whom I will always be indebted. I paid off my credit card, got rid of other financial debts and finally treated us to Good Things. Not material things, no; experiences, most of which were based around food. We enjoyed incredible, thought provoking, flamboyantly different, shocking, theatrical, beautifully presented, unique meals. Simon Rogan (Fera, Roganic ‘- pop up’, Rogan and Company), Tony Fleming (Angler, Lunch in the Sky), Atul Kochhar (Benares) and Pierre Koffmann (Koffmann’s) are inspirational artists, innovators and culinary geniuses who I recommend you visit just once so you too can see what I mean!
Life is so, so different now and not just because of having to eat my words! Village life is WONDERFUL! We have a garden(!), pretty flowers and, thanks to my partner, two raised beds full of my most favourite things; spinach, three varieties of rocket, beetroot, sugarsnap peas, enormous courgettes, sweet carrots, salad leaves… the difference between these and even veg from the market can be compared to the vivid beauty of hearing your favourite piece of music performed by a live orchestra, having thought you had heard it at its best on a professional recording. It’s special, right?
Since always, certainly since leaving home to go to university, I have been fond of cooking. Good food and nutrition make me feel happy! I once tried a ‘ready meal’ and hated myself for doing so, feeling conscious of the endless unknowns; even the original state of the onion and the source of the eggs bothered me to the core. We have three beautiful chickens who lay amazing, vividly-yellow-yolked eggs. A few weeks ago, it was revealed not all so-called ‘farm fresh’ free range eggs are truly free range, plus more often than not take a week or more to reach supermarket shelves! If this is the case, what on earth are we buying? Our chickens’ eggs are eaten at their freshest, and how good they are! My gluten free fairy cakes (see ‘Juvela White Mix’ review) were pale yellow, not bland, boring whitish-cream. I may rename them Eventful Cakes, the polar opposite of long life, stale ‘value’ options.
So this is it: A changed life, working from home both as a composer and food writer. I care about what I eat and know I am not alone. My aim is to write about and review a range of naturally and specially produced wheat and gluten free foods. I pride myself on my Proper Reviews, hoping to inform and inspire fellow health conscious, wheat and gluten intolerant people. Alongside many of my musings you will find my own recipes, tried and tested with the product in question so you can be sure it works!
We are living and experiencing the most exciting year of gluten free cuisine, snacks, health foods, grain alternatives and discoveries. With some very special, never-thought-possible gluten free foods within these pages, I can’t wait to find out more.
Thank you for reading!
Franco
Twitter: @PeaBennett
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