Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Have you ever heard of anyone being allergic to garbanzo beans?! I haven't. But that's the only conclusion I can come to from this... Okay, this photo - of D crying - is an old photo, but his face looked exactly the same as this last night after he ate two fresh garbanzo beans . Just two. Poor baby. But that's my body's reaction to fava, sadly. Tummy ache. Cramping. Gassy. Ugh. I know he's had cooked garbanzo beans before...and hummus with no problems. But we'll steer clear of fresh  garbanzos for him. That's fine. More for the rest of us.

I had the joy of going on a food tour yesterday...for business and pleasure. I was finishing up an article about local food tours and spending a beautiful afternoon with a friend, walking, eating, and enjoying the day. At the beginning of the tour, the guide asked there were any allergies she needed to know about. I am allergic to only one thing. And, since it's such a rarity to ever be served it, I stayed mum and said, "No, no allergies." But after a couple of stops we ended up at a restaurant with a wood-burning brick oven where we were served - you guessed it - the one and only thing that I can't eat: fava beans. Arrrrrgh. It was a gorgeous thin crust pizza topped with truffle cheese, onions, oyster mushrooms, fava beans, and allium blossoms. I began to pick off the beans and told Staci the funny story. What are the odds?! She, smartly, told me that I probably shouldn't eat the pizza anyway...just in case they used a fava puree on the crust. Good thin...