It’s hard to know where to go after discussing your husband’s nuts in the paper. If you’re still trying to recover from last week’s column, rest assured that this one will be clean as a whistle. At a loss for something angelic to say, I have just ransacked my kitchen cupboards for inspiration. Fortunately I have come up with nutritional gold — the Lucini “Cinque e’ Cinque” farinata mix.If you’re a carb fiend — and especially if you crave carbs at night — this is about as good as you can get. The farinata mix is made from milled chick pea flour, and nothing else. I do love a short ingredient list. Don’t let the chick peas (garbanzo beans) put you off either. Following the directions, simply by whisking this together with water, a pinch of salt and a little olive oil, you get an incredibly versatile and delicious base. What do you use it for? Well I use it in place of bread/dough (eg a pizza base) or eggs (eg for a frittata).There are other reasons to shout about this store cupboard gem:1) It’s low GI, meaning that it releases its carb value more slowly and is less likely to cause a blood sugar spike. This makes it a much better option than rice or potatoes in the evening, especially if you are watching your weight;2) It’s high in fibre — in fact just one serving provides more fibre than two pieces of whole-grain bread (depending on the variety or bread);3) Chick peas are a good vegetarian source of iron for our plant-based friends;4) At less than $4 a bag (making four to six portions), this is a seriously economic option;5) This is naturally gluten-free.To be fair, if you are going to get this into a meat-and-potatoes-loving spouse or a sceptical child, you might have to play around with how you introduce it. I first gave this to the LH paired with the Niman Ranch (ethically farmed) barbecue pulled pork. Anything with pulled pork was going to pass the test. It was definitely the way to get it through the gates. These days he’ll come home with it, unprompted, from Lindo’s.The farinata mix comes in three flavours: traditional, rosemary and fiery. They mean what they say for the fiery one. It will set your mouth alight so only go with this if you really love spicy food. If you’re new to farinata, I suggest you just start with the traditional one. Here are some ideas for how to use it — check my Facebook page for pictures later today.1. You can make this as is. Simply follow the instructions on the back of the packet and serve it as you would polenta alongside chicken, fish or meat.2. Employ the pulled pork tactic. The first time I made this at home, I made it as recommended, topped it with pulled pork and served it with a giant arugula salad. Baby steps.3. Try it as a pizza base. If you are going to use it for this, either make up half the mix and just use that or split the mix between two pans. Cook it for ten minutes instead (until firm to the touch and a little golden on top), add pizza sauce/toppings (easy on the cheese) and then grill til your cheese has melted.4. For healthy canapés, make up the mix as recommended but pour it into (greased) mini-muffin pans. Cook for five to ten minutes until just firm. Turn out from the pan, cool a little, and top with salsa or guacamole (or maybe a layer of each).5. Dipping fingers for children. Make as recommended and allow to cool. Cut into “bread” sticks and let your children dip away.6. Make it frittata style. Soften some onions, zucchini, peppers and baby tomatoes (sliced in half) in a pan. Make the farinata mix as directed, pour it into the farinata pan and then scatter on your veggies. Pop in the oven. You may need to add a few minutes cooking time.The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details visit www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda.