Recently, the scourge of lactose intolerance has hit home, literally in our house, and within my extended family. Certainly not an uncommon condition, nor a dangerous one, thank goodness, but still one that requires a change in our daily eating habits. The intolerant are forced to become tolerant of less than tasty alterna-soy substitutes and passing on dishes with buttery, creamy deliciousness that the very soul wants to gobble up.
Really though, changing and substituting some ingredients has not been that difficult. In fact, it has actually been fun to experiment with new recipes and products. That's how this recipe for Tembleque, coconut pudding, was chosen. I wanted to find a dairy-free dessert, and with its base of coconut milk, it fit the requirements.
And let me say, this recipe is a game changer. It is creamy, with a smooth coconut flavor that grows with each bite. Topped with only a bit of cinnamon, it is absolutely delectable, and that is not an understatement. This dessert is going to live a long and happy existence in the belly of our family. I want to find other dairy free dishes like this one that make me want to lick the bottom of the bowl until I am blissed out in a pudding-drunk stupor.
But...It's not ice cream. It's never going to be ice cream. And while some of us want to bathe in a coconutty tub of Tembleque for eternity because, seriously, it's that delicious, when one's favorite food is ice cream, and has been for a very long time, the reality of letting it go is so very difficult.
Because it's really about the loss of a shared experience. Spontaneous trips to Dairy Queen might not be the same when one person is left with a lame-o slushy type drink. Our favorite homemade mac and cheese can't be replicated with whatever faux cheese substitute exists to torture the intolerant. Eating a meal together, sharing the flavor and texture of foods that comfort and delight us all, cannot be substituted if one person is left out. And as such, this requires a change in our eating habits, as a family.
That doesn't mean the rest don't ever get ice cream again. The intolerants our family knows and loves are gracious and forgiving even as they watch a scoop of ice cream get added next to the birthday cake or raspberry pie. And they smile wide as we all eat our coleslaw made with veganaise. Which is a real thing. I swear.
