Monday: Day in Eats

Apparently, my main topic lately is eating. To be honest, when I'm home and the Roommate is also here, eating is the main entertainment of the day. There are few things I love more than food. This is nothing new and definitely isn't a new Belgian hobby. I just happened to start living with a guy who might match my fervor for food. He'd actually disagree: I read blogs and articles about food. I talk about food. I dream about food. He simply really likes to make and eat good food.

After the past few weeks of super heavy eating, I'm trying to dial it back a little. So here is a glimpse at my eats now that we are into the new year.

Breakfast: To know me is to know that I love eggs. Any way, any meal, all day. I'm one of those people who see them as the perfect food and I typically eat a few eggs for breakfast most days. I'm also a fermenter. For this photo, I added homemade pickled red onions and fermented red peppers. The only exception to my egg eating is when I'm insanely busy, at a race hotel that doesn't have eggs (or already added milk or cheese) or I'm just too lazy.

Lunch: Some days, I have a mid morning snack, some days no. For lunch, I typically need something fast. Even though I work at home when I'm not at a race, I don't really take a lunch break. So I look for something I can throw in a pan and return to 5-10 minutes later. Today, it was leftover chili with homemade gluten-free, dairy-free cornbread. The bread was a bit too dry but the chili was fantastic.

Post-Lunch: A glass of water kefir. This is my super crunchy granola hippy side showing through. I make my own water kefir. This is flavored with raisins and vanilla and taste just like cream soda. Healthy and insanely tasty.

Afternoon Snack: Half a perfectly ripe avocado with salt and pepper.

Dinner prep: Making dinner together is one of the roommate and I's favorite past times. We have a super small kitchen but we've figured out how to work well together without stepping on toes.

Dinner: This is my new favorite meal. We actually started with the plan to make a taco salad and it morphed into Romaine Lettuce Tacos. Filled with baked chicken, corn, beans, roasted tomatoes, loads of cilantro, avocados and a sauce with soy yogurt, vinegar, and more cilantro. I felt like I could eat to my heart's desire and it was all so healthy and tasty.

Holiday Dining Standouts

Warning: this is a post about sheer decadence. Instead of exchanging gifts this year, the Roommate and I decided to dine at four fancy restaurants. We'd reached this decision after walking around town recently and seeing there were so many places we'd never eaten at but always said we wanted to.

**I attempted to be gluten and dairy free where possible....but I definitely wasn't even close to 75%.

So now was the time to make it a priority while we were both in town and with the holidays as a good excuse for celebrating. Also, we never take for granted how long we are living in Belgium and never know if it could be our last holiday season here.

Naturell

It was our first time at Naturell, which pitches itself as an "all senses" cuisine. The video above of our first starter gives you a little glimpse at what they mean. Fantastic! We had let them know that one of us was gluten and dairy-free and they did a wonderful job accommodating the request. After a fantastic multi-course menu, we left already eager to return.

Carte Blanche

Carte Blanche is well reviewed in Gent and it was the only place we could get a reservation on Christmas Eve. I'm not sure if it was their first time hosting a Christmas Eve multi-course menu but there were definitely a few hiccups during the night. I wasn't as wow'ed as I wanted to be.

Karel De Stoute

This was our second time eating here and like our first experience, I was so impressed. The biggest thing to note is that they do a full gluten-free and dairy-free tasting menu for me. I greatly appreciate this and felt so spoiled. Also, they were by far the best-priced place that we ate at. If I could dine here once a week, I would. I'd say they are my favorite restaurant in Gent.

Pakhuis

Pakhuis is an old standard for us; any time we have guests in town or simply want a good cocktail, we go to Pakhuis. The food (particularly the Poulet de Bresse) is always top-notch and the interior is unique and impressive. We went here for New Year's Eve and unfortunately I came down with a stomach bug right after arriving. I managed to make it through most of the meal but didn't really eat or drink. I was sad that I couldn't enjoy it because it all looked wonderful. I was home and in pajamas before midnight. No champagne toast for me.

Favorite dishes

• Appetizer: Bonemarrow at Janine's (restaurant not listed above)
• Vegetarian course: Carrot, Pumpkin, Kale - Naturell
• Fish course: Soft Shell Crab-Karel de Stoute
• Meat course: Hare two ways - Karel de Stoute
• Dessert: Yuzu and black ride - Naturell

And now the dieting begins. To be honest, there were a few kilos gained throughout this holiday season that I'm not looking to keep with me too long into 2017.

Food, Food, Food: China Edition

For my Beijing trip, I was only there for less than 70 hours, so I wasn't quite as concerned as my Japan trip-- foodwise. I didn't pack nearly as much emergency foods. I knew that I would mainly be eating in restaurants, so I figured I'd have control over my gluten, dairy, peanut and banana intake. I also figured that while in China, I needed to just go with the flow. To my surprise, it was quite easy to stick to my diet and the food was always very tasty.

On the first night, I had an early dinner at the hotel's main restaurant, which had both Asian and western options. I started with the egg white soup with shrimp and scallops. For the main, I had a Thai beef salad. Whenever I'm super jet lagged, I tend to have a much smaller appetite and soup and salad was the perfect light option.

Every morning, I had the exact same breakfast: congee with pickled vegetables, fresh fruit, two hard boiled eggs whites and a coffee with soy milk. This is actually what I try to eat every morning when I'm on the road, both personally, at a race or for meetings. 

I was actually pretty pleased to stay with my normal foods. The hotel had a massive breakfast buffet and 95% of it was foods that I was super confused by and couldn't understand how you could eat for breakfast. Lots of fried, rich and heavy foods. And things I couldn't identify. That's why once I found the congee, fruit and hard boiled eggs, I stuck with it every morning.

On Monday night, I ate with my athletes at their hotel (about five minutes away from my hotel). We were all just too tired to put in any effort to find somewhere else to eat. Their hotel restaurant had a massive menu. We kept picking things but the waiter would tell us it wasn't available. This went on for awhile until we all basically ended up with vague resemblances of what we wanted. I got a beef and vegetable dish and ordered what I thought were grilled green beans on the side. Instead, they were hot peppers. I don't shy away from spicy foods, despite my Crohn's, and these peppers turned into an eating competition. I definitely lost but still managed to get down quite a few. I think my mouth is still burning.

On the final night, I ate at my hotel's Asian restaurant. It was pretty large and wide open. I was lame and arrived at about 6:15pm; I was the only person there. They had me sit front and center in the middle of the restaurant. Let's just say I was left feeling a little exposed and awkward.

I fell in love with this crab/lobster picker that came with my place setting. So adorable! 

For dinner, I ordered a mushroom soup in a super basic broth. It was light and fresh. Then for my main, I had the seasonal hairy crab with asparagus and more mushrooms. I grew up in the mid-Atlanta US region, so crabs hold a close place to my heart. It was a fun experience but this little guy didn't have much meat. Definitely more work than filling! But the big plate of asparagus and mushrooms made up for that and I headed to bed satisfied.

After traveling to both China and Japan in the past two weeks, I would say that I preferred all the fresh fish in Japan over what I ate in Beijing. But I was impressed with the food I had in Beijing. I had heard such mixed reviews about dining in China. I'm sure it is very different in the rural areas, but Beijing was a win. I enjoyed trying all the new foods and I was glad that I could stick with my eat habits, both mainly gluten and dairy free along with loads of fresh fruit and veggies.

Spoiled by Volta

When I found out I was going to need surgery (fairly unexpectedly and with very short notice), I threw all caution to the wind and went out for an extravagant dinner at Volta that same evening. I figured I couldn't take anything for granted (maybe slightly dramatic) and loads of delicious food was on my bucket list. Out went all my dietary restrictions and beliefs that calories mattered and in came a multi-course meal that was just what I needed before being bedridden for days, and days, and days....

I've wanted to eat at Volta ever since moving to Gent and maybe even a little before that. It's set in an incredible building situated along one of the city's park. The chef always gets great reviews and my doctor's office happened to be right around the corner, so it seemed like the right time to let them indulge us.

Three amuse-bouches to start - the mussels were one of the best bites of the evening - and several decadent courses followed. My favorite was by far the wild duck with foie gras. A delicious fruit dessert and then, I said yes to the cheese cart. A round of post-meal amuse-bouches concluded the eating and then an espresso to finish it all off. We had memorable wines paired throughout the meal. I would say that Volta is now, without a hint of a doubt, my favorite high-end restaurant in Gent. It was a wonderful experience from start to finish, with attentive and friendly waitstaff, super interesting decor and fantastic food.

It concluded with a nice long walk home to work off some of the delicious food and enjoy the fact I could still walk for a few more days.

Six Months Gluten, Dairy, Peanut and Banana Free.

As of today, I have been gluten, dairy, peanut and banana free for six months. When I first started this, it was daunting. My doctor recommended that I eliminate these foods from my diet for a full year to see what it would do for the inflammation in my blood and how I felt overall. About a week into this diet, I stated there was no way I could do a full year and I reduced it down to six months.

As a brief backstory, as a baby, I was allergic to milk. I'm actually not sure I ever got over this because milk and I have never been good friends and I've tried to avoid it most of my life. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when I was in high school. I had a positive biopsy for celiacs disease in my early 20s. I actually followed that diet for nearly a year back then but didn't notice a real difference. Since my 20s though, I have followed a fairly organic, all natural diet. It is VERY apparent to me when I eat preservatives, fried or fatty foods and just crap in general. My crohn's flares and my body doesn't feel good.

Since around this time last year, my body started really feeling off and I had noticeable physical changes including a lot of pain in my feet (read more about that here). By December, my head was feeling super foggy and I had no energy. While part of me thought, "Oh, this is what 35 feels like," another part of me believed something wasn't right. I have blood work done every three to six months and for ages, it has been off. Not super off, but also not right. One of my doctors in Belgium asked if I had had allergy blood work done. Not since childhood, so we pulled more blood and got the above results.

The gluten didn't surprise me thanks to the celiacs and the milk didn't surprise me because I feel awful after I eat it. The banana and peanuts super surprised me. Most of the grains are on the lower scale of inflammation but basically every meal I ate these foods. It wasn't enough to cause major problems, but I believe it was enough to keep things off. I had blood work done at three months into this diet and it was still slightly off but improving. I recently had blood work done at six months and it was basically completely normal. I also feel much better; that sense of brain fog as gone away. My feet haven't improved at all....

When I said I could only do this for six months, it was while it was hard. I missed foods, I thought about all the things I couldn't have. At one point, I think around May, I started noticing how different I felt and could see physical changes in my body, so I embraced this diet. I realized it isn't that hard. I simply eat real food, real fruits, real vegetables and real meats. I rarely try to come up with GF/DF substitutes because they are rarely good and I don't actually need them. I can find sustenance and enjoyment in real foods. 

So as of six months in, I don't see myself going off this diet anytime soon. It might actually be a lifestyle, not a diet. I feel so, so, so much better eating this way. I try not to be one of those people who makes a big deal out of it. I make it as easy on me and everyone else as possible. I travel a lot, often in countries where I don't speak the language, so I simply aim for the best. If I get it wrong, it'll be okay. I also always carry my own snacks. And occasionally, like while at Oktoberfest, I can choose to go off the diet. I can count five times that I've knowingly gone off the diet and yes, I felt bad afterwards, but they were all worth it. 

Eats on the Road: Travel Day

As a general rule, I try to avoid plane food. I'm willing to say I've never eaten a plane meal and thought, "Mmmm, that was delicious. I'm happy I ate it." But thanks to a blood sugar issue, I can't skip eating, so I plan ahead and bring snacks.

Took a piece of fruit from home and grabbed a soy latte and sparkling water at the train station. Ate most of it on the train to the Brussels Airport. It was a shockingly bad latte.

I spend a lot of time on planes, so eating healthy is pretty important to me. If I let every travel day be a "cheat" day, then it'd quickly catch up with me. And the food is never worth it. So I try to stick to fruits, veggies and the occasional bar.

My sister found me these Julian Bakery bars and I've since ordered a box of the sunflower butter ones. Only 150 calories, 20 grams of protein and gluten, peanut and dairy free. They aren't super delicious, but they aren't bad...which is actually what I want. I want to eat it because I need food, not because I'm bored and just snacking.

When I flew to the US last weekend, I took with me a variety of snacks so I could pass on the sad chicken salad or the "before we land" snack. Being peanut and gluten free, this means I skip on the peanuts and pretzels. (I do get excited when flights hand out cashews or almonds...) 

I wish I had some salsa to enjoy with these Party-Tizers Dippin Chips but felt good to get in some veggies as part of my salty snack.

Last week's trip left Brussels, passed through Prague before landing at JFK. Many of these snacks came from my Love With Food gluten-free snack box subscription. So excited they deliver to Belgium!

I'm a super fan of these Got Snacks Roasted Coconut Chips in cinnamon honey. I kept trying to put them down but in about five minutes, I'd eaten the whole bag.

When I travel, I try to get a meal or at least grab something to go during a layover.  The Prague Airport was a little lacking. There was a juice bar, but it was closed while the staff went on break at noon......really?! Everything else was just....no.

This is why I try to steer clear of the unhealthy snacks...I have zero self-control. I probably had three (maybe four) mugs of potato chips. And I don't regret it.

Instead of grabbing sub pair food, I hit the lounge where I ate my body weight in potato chips and a few splashes (glasses) of only okay wine. I'm not always so good at that whole 'don't drink while flying' advice, but at least I try to offset it with loads of water.

Passing through Momofuku

In 2008, I walked away from a decent paying corporate job with absolutely no plan. Well, I had a plan but no idea how to make it a reality. I knew I wanted to work in pro cycling but that's much easier said than done. 

Needless to say, basically everyone was horrified and concerned by this career move. Most people were confused but a few came in with good advice as I made a total leap of faith. The two things I remember the most: 1.) Don't get lazy. 2.) Don't make your hobby your job. 

Plenty of people thought cycling was my hobby. To be honest, it never felt that way. I can't exactly explain it. The energy I got at a race, or maybe just around pro sports, was so special, energizing and unique for me when it came to a work environment. Sure, I definitely appreciated cycling but it was never my hobby. I've ridden, but I've never been fanatical. I've never raced or even wanted to race.

Lunch time at Momofuku Ssam. I ate alone at the bar....how I eat more meals than I can count.

My hobby is food. Good food. Special food. Amazing food. Unique food. Anything and all food that amazes and wows me. It doesn't have to be fancy, expensive, unique, molecular or exclusive. Sure, I like trying all of those, but they aren't my motivation. I simply love to consume amazing food. Following the aforementioned advice, I don't think I'll make food my career anytime soon (except maybe for a PR function....I'm never going to try my hand at creating it.)

Maybe it was lunch, but I was about hour 47 into a trip that should have taken 12. At this point, I needed booze to avoid going insane. And let's be honest....Grüner Veltliner is perfect with spicy food on a hot day.

And that is what leads me to my unexpected trip through Momofuku Ssam. There is no better way to put it: I love David Chang. His food, his approach to food, the people he hires, the ways he views food. The list goes on. I consume all media related to David Chang, but sadly, my life up until this point hasn't let me overlap with his food. Until earlier this week. (And note: I still haven't eaten David Chang food...simply David Chang-crafted food.)

I began with the shrimp rolls with daikon, green mango and peanut. The peanut was all on the outside, so I tried to avoid. My fabulous server gave me the Ssam sauce (not gluten-free) and it was a total add. This was delicious and added a lovely spicy. My only takeaway is that I wish I had people to share this dish with so I could have enjoyed another starter. 

This week was a travel nightmare that will need to be a whole other post. I began here but that was only the beginning. Fast forward to a 24-hour unexpected layover in New York City and thanks to some amazing advice, I knew Momofuku was in my future. Several places were open for lunch, but a 2008 New Yorker article lingered in my mind and I needed to go tp Momofuku Ssam.

Wow. This was delicious. I let my server pick my main course and he went with the Spicy Pork Sausage and Rice Cakes with broccoli and sichuan peppercorn. It was AMAZING. And when they say it is spicy, don't be scared. It wasn't that spicy.  What it was was huge. I couldn't finish it, but I gluttoned myself trying. 

There is no way to add this into the conversation. I currently am gluten, dairy, banana and peanut-free. It's a whole long conversation that has to do with autoimmune issues...but I'm not quite ready to go into all of that. But let me say, I've been as completely gluten, dairy, banana and peanut-free as humanly possible for the past three months, 1.5 months of that living on the road. No hiccups. I got to Momofuku and decide none of that mattered. Sure, I wasn't going to go super overboard (yet) with the steamed buns, but I wasn't going to miss out on this moment...and I also wasn't going to have an anaphylactic reaction, which is a real problem for people.

I Milk Bar'ed. This is where I went dairy overboard. It was noticed afterwards.

The entire meal was perfect. The servers at Momofuku Ssam were personable, knowledgeable and basically exactly what you want when dining, particularly dining alone. They didn't make me feel like a weirdo. The service was spot on and the food was what I hoped for and more.

Following lunch, I stopped by neighboring Momofuku Milk Bar. This was the most obvious moment where I threw all dietary restrictions to the wind. I got a cereal milk and fruity cereal milk soft serve blend. It was beyond amazing and I don't regret a lick of it; I was even stopped on the street and asked where I got such a good looking ice cream. All I can say, I plan to tackle Milk Bar without any food restrictions at one point in life (looking at you Arnold Palmer Cake and basically anything ever made by Christina Tosi.) 

Momofuku was definitely the high point of a disrupted travel that began on Monday and didn't end until Thursday afternoon.