About
Normal people have problems and normal people eat food- all kinds of food, healthy, unhealthy, but mostly a mix of both and including things they like, junk food, foods they don’t like very much, but consume because they think it’s good for their health. This is true also of people like me, who have a wheat allergy, which sometimes manifests as full-blown gluten intolerance.
Like many others with the same problem, I spend a lot of time in the supermarket, reading labels of food products that I buy so I stay far away from that one offending ingredient: gluten. But despite this – or perhaps because of it – I’ve always felt that people with gluten intolerance must have “normal” access to food like everyone else.
And that is why I created Food for Normal People.
My name is Manasi and I am a journalist based in Germany. I usually write about politics and conflict in Asia, but this blog was born out of my desire and need to cook dishes with readily available, gluten-free ingredients that didn’t require endless shuffling between supermarket corridors, looking for that one elusive gluten-free product.
I found myself looking for recipes for dishes that did not have wheat or any other gluten-containing flour as an ingredient in the first place, and I as realized, finding such recipes was not difficult at all!
When eating out in Cologne, Germany, where I live, I choose traditional German meal combinations like meat and potatoes, which are often gluten-free. I am an Indian by birth and my exposure to traditional South Asian cuisine has also been very helpful in looking for gluten-free food options. A lot of Indian curries don’t use flour and go well with rice, and in many parts of India, chickpea flour is used instead of wheat in many delicious, easy-to-make recipes that are light to digest.
This blog has recipes from around the world – mostly of dishes that I love and that I have been improvising and using in my kitchen for the last several years. All of them are gluten-free, and many can be adapted for vegan and lactose-free dishes. I’ve also added tips on easy ways to stay off wheat and similar products without feeling deprived.
Feel free to browse through my blog and let me know of your suggestions in your comments!