What is Choosy Food about?

Choosy Food is a new way of thinking about how we eat now. As two old friends who've spent their happiest times cooking for family and friends, we've noticed a definite shift in the way we all prefer to eat. Gone are the days when plates were politely cleared. In this pick and mix world, everyone¹s as individualist about their food as in everything else they choose.

A few of us have discovered a genuine allergy. Allergic reactions are on the increase, particularly amongst children - with apparently inoffensive ingredients triggering symptoms which can range from a mild rash or bloating to a life-threatening event. The Choosy Food way of thinking was cooked up with them in mind.

More and more people are selective about food for other reasons, too. Vegetarians, of course, who range from strictly vegan to fish-, chicken-, even game-eating. And we're all highly health conscious now, careful about our weight, cholesterol, blood pressure or a fear of migraine. Some people have religious scruples about ingredients. And finally, there's a growing number of us who are just plain picky: our choices about what we will and won¹t eat is as changeable as fashion - but we both like fashion.

What's to be done? Some of us cope with a household that has one or more allergies, and one or more preferences. Most of us have experienced a moment when we cook up something new and delicious, but one of our guests (who used to eat everything) will sit back and declare: "I'm sorry, I don't eat that!" The Choosy Food website and blogspot are here to help. Of course there are a plethora of books and websites devoted to each individual condition - special ones for gluten allergies, or for organic eating, for low-fat alternatives, and so on and on. But ours is the only one that aims to cover the whole range of special eating. Here you will find recipes, tips, advice and above all lively writing about the food we all love, and the food we all need. Our aim is that food designed for special preferences doesn't have to be self-denying, or seem somehow lacking or dull. We devise really delicious recipes which everyone at the table can enjoy - including us!

Sunday, 9 August 2009

Flour and Butter-Free Chocolate Cake



Whether you serve this as a cake or a pudding, the absence of flour and butter will press a lot of avoidance buttons and confirm the rumour that everyone's a chocaholic.


5 eggs
175g caster sugar
175g best black chocolate
2 tbsp boiling water
1 punnet fresh raspberries or mix of berries
150 ml double or whipping cream
A little icing sugar to finish



Heat your oven to gas mark 6/200C/400F

Grease 2 sandwich tins and cut two discs of greaseproof or non-stick paper to fit inside each base.

Prepare a bain marie or sit a heatproof bowl in a small saucepan half full of boiling water.

Separate the egg whites and yokes into two bowls. Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and set aside. Beat the yokes with the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale.
Break up the chocolate and melt in your bain marie, stirring constantly until the chocolate is runny but not so hot it begins to cook. Gradually pour the runny chocolate into the yokes, beating all the time until all the chocolate has been added. Thin the mixture with a tablespoon or two of boiling water. Fold in the beaten whites.
Divide the mixture between the sandwich tins and cook in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. Leave in tins to cool.

Just before serving, knife around the edges of the tins, tip out your sponges and sandwich them on a wide plate with whipped cream and most of the fruit. Place a few more raspberries on top and dredge with a little icing sugar.


Choosy Note: For a lighter filling, try a half-and-half mix of cream beaten with thick Greek yogurt. For a totally low-fat option, spread the two sponges with best raspberry jam before piling on the raspberries.
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