Today a doctor asked if he could remove my tattoo…for free.  I won’t bore you with the details, but he caught a glimpse, and asked to see it in its entirety.  It left him speechless for a good forty-five seconds.

“Now listen,” he told me, “this is proven technology, but we need examples.  Before and afters to really show what can be done.  Your tattoo is perfect.”

What was so perfect about the blue, misshapen tree frog spread across my right buttock?  He assumed I wanted it removed, and was incredulous as he watched me grapple with the decision.

“It is hideous,” a part of me reasoned.  But then the other part reasoned, “It is hideous.”

I told him I’d mull it over.  It’s not often a medical professional singles out a girl to right a self-imposed, costly deformity.  For free.  But, then again, it’s my deformity.

Cornmeal Toad in the Hole

• 600 grams gluten-free pork sausages
• 2 onions, sliced
• a few sprigs thyme
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 150 grams polenta
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 170 grams plain, gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 284 ml buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 25 grams butter

1. Heat the oven to 220c/430f
2. Heat the oil in an oven safe frying pan.  I used a 26cm Le Creuset casserole pan.
3. Cook the sausages and onion with a sprig of thyme, until the onions are soft and the sausages brown.
4. Combine the polenta, sugar, salt, bicarbonate of soda, flour, and baking powder.
5. Mix the buttermilk and egg together, and combine it with the flour mixture.
6. Remove the sausages and onions from the pan.  Discard the thyme sprigs.
7. Heat the butter in the casserole pan until melted and slightly bubbling.
8. Pour most of the cornmeal-flour mixture into the pan.  Add the sausages, and then add the rest of the cornmeal on the top.
9. Put the casserole pan in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes.
10. Serve on its own or with tomato sauce.

Nutritional Information:  Based on six servings

• calories: 451
• fat: 25.2
• carbs: 40.1
• protein: 15.9