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Hello there, and welcome! I’m Cristina and I’m so glad you’re here.
If you love delicious and fun food made completely from scratch with fresh, local ingredients, you are in the right place!
I Say Nomato is a nightshade-free food blog, which means everything is made without tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant. It has been a daunting journey, but there is so much out there to eat! Mr. Nomato is nightshade intolerant, and finally figuring out his crazy allergies has changed our lives dramatically. He’s no longer taking medication for his chronic migraines and it has made such an impact that I decided to start a blog after finding little-to-no resources online.
You can find out more about Nightshades and read about our Nightshade-free journey here!
I Say Nomato is a distinctly East Coast blog, and often features Nova Scotia recipes and local, in-season food. Homey dishes like Rhubarb Pie, Blueberry Grunt, Pan Fried Haddock, Butterscotch Pie, Garlic Fingers with Donair Sauce, and many other local specialties will make your kitchen smell like you can look out the window and see the ocean crashing on the rocks!
I have a ‘let’s throw it at the wall and see what sticks’ approach to cooking, and I’m not one to back down from a challenge. While never formally trained, I come from a long line of amazing home cooks on both sides of my family, from my Italian Nonnas on one side to traditional Nova Scotian home cooks on the other. Italian food is a specialty of mine, so recipes like these amazing Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Risotto alla Milanese, Zabaglione and Italian Meringues are old family favourites.
My real passion is creating and decorating fun cakes and cookies, like my famous Peanut Butter and Chocolate Drip Cake. You can check out my Youtube Channel for a video of these adorable Apple Blossom Cookies made in celebration of our Apple Blossom Festival! Other favourites include “Hamburger” Macarons, Tiramisu Cake (my personal favourite), and Amaretto Sour Cupcakes.
Most of the recipes on here are naturally nightshade-free, as I don’t believe in sacrificing taste for a lesser alternative. There are exceptions though! Sometimes with some experimentation, I’ll put a spin on recipes that are usually made with Nightshades (and in my opinion make them even better!), like this Curry Seafood Chowder, Nightshade Free Miracle Chili, and this towering BLC Bagel.
Through the creation of the blog, I’ve discovered a love for Food Photography. I’m definitely still learning, but playing with food and light to create something beautiful that looks as good as it tastes is always my goal! I’ve written a couple blog posts on this for amateur food photographers like myself. Part 1, Part 2, and if you need an inexpensive background for any photos, this is an easy tutorial showing you how you can make your own for under $30 CAN!
Thank you for visiting I Say Nomato, I hope you enjoy your stay!