eating (nearly) everything

Gluten-Free BAGELS

2012-01-01T21:12:00.005-05:00

I am home for the holidays. Growing up, on New Year's Day we'd have split pea soup and usually we'd eat bagels from the bagel store with lox and cream cheese.

I haven't been home for New Year's in many years, so I was very excited for our traditional meal, until I realized...

Oof, no bagels.

Even after five years of gluten free it's still that punch in the gut when you realize you can't have a special thing.

But no punch so hard as the actual punch of eating gluten!

Anyway, so why not try? Why not MAKE BAGELS!

At Christmas we make a Swedish bread—glazed over with sugar and full of cardamom—that we eat with lots of butter (and eggs and bacon) on Christmas morning.

Post-gluten, as I'll refer to it, my mother (also gluten-free) and I made the Christmas bread with the Gluten-Free Pantry's Sandwich Bread mix.

So, I figured I'd start simple with these bagels. I'd start with the bread mix.

This is a really easy way to make bagels, all it requires is the mix, a mixer (you could do it by hand, but get ready to stir!) and about two hours (mostly waiting!)

Here's what I did: using this blog The Fresh Loaf as my starting point, I followed the directions on the back of the bread mix box. (Any sandwich bread mix should do, but I recommend Gluten Free Pantry for flavor and soft texture.)

My friend Marlie (pastry chef extraordinaire and blogger at Marliese's Sweet Treats) told me that what "makes" a bagel is boiling and malt powder. Well, we can't eat malt. The Fresh Loaf suggested using honey instead.

So while I mixed the oil, water, yeast and flour mix in our standing mixer (as per box instructions) I added a drizzle of dark honey and a drizzle of molasses. (Why not?)

I let the bread rise on top of the oven (for warmth, the split-pea soup was simmering) for 40 minutes (as per the mix).

I sprinkled some potato starch on a board (I'm sure any other gluten-free flour would be fine) and rolled some small balls of the risen dough. Warning! It is very sticky. I used a LOT of flour. I punched a hole in the middle of the dough for the hole. (Rolling a log and trying to connect the ends was simply not happening.)

I preheated the oven to 500.

Then put the little guys on a tray and cover them with a damp cloth to let them rise for another twenty minutes.

Then prepare a shallow pan of water. (You could use a larger pot, but I was afraid they would be too fragile. I think they'd survive a big pot, if that's what you have.) You are supposed to add a teaspoon of baking soda (to alkalize the water) and then bring it to a boil.

Meanwhile, oil two baking sheets.

I boiled the bagels for about a minute each, flipping them over with tongs halfway through. (Next time I'd try boiling them longer, in the hopes it'd make them chewier.)

Place on the oiled baking sheet and top (sesame seeds!) while wet. I also sprinkled some salt on after tasting the first batch. (They needed a little salt.)

Bake five minutes at 500.

Rotate the tray.

Bake another five minutes at 450.

Keep your eye on them! That's some high heat right there.

DONE.

They weren't as bagelly as I'd hoped for but they were sweet and chewy and delicious with cream cheese. And one hundred times better than any bagel in a bag or freezer I've encountered. I think they'll be great toasted tomorrow.

Happy New Year!

Gluten-Free in Iowa City

2011-08-28T16:31:00.005-04:00

I come to you live from Fairgrounds Coffeehouse in Iowa City, where I just enjoyed NOT ONLY a banana walnut waffle but a vegan veggie hummus teff-wrap sandwich (and a coffee, and a tea) because I am hunkered down here all day figuring out What It Means To Be A Graduate Student. This much I have figured out: it is a lot of work. Which brings me directly to my next point, a bittersweet one—this blog will be on an indefinite hiatus.

I began this blog to share all the gluten-free goodness New York City had to offer. I found that many times, tips from friends were more up-to-date and accurate than Google searches. I know for certain I will not be able to keep that data up-to-date, as I teach two sections of freshman rhetoric...and as I live thousands of miles away.

Optimistically, I'd cook like a fiend and share all my recipes—still a possibility. But the blog maintenance is not going to be a possibility. I have to focus on my own writing—the kind that can't be frittered away for free on the internet. Except for my regular blog, which you can find at okdunn.tumblr.com, if you're interested! And my regular twitter, @okdunn.

Suggestions for tasty gluten-free eating in Iowa City:

Atlas farm to tabley American fare with very knowledgeable and helpful service

Masala vegetarian/vegan options as well as some harder-to-find South Indian options like dosa and idly!

Red Avocado organic, vegan restaurant with lots of gf options

Happy & healthy eating!

Olivia

Gluten-Free at the Amana Colonies

2011-08-17T23:09:00.004-04:00

Just south of Iowa City you will find the Amana Colonies—less of a luddite anomaly than I was hoping for and more of a German themed Disneyland in the miniature. Still: delicious eating! Cole slaw, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese!

For sale: cheese curds, which make an excellent addition to a spinach salad.

A bajillion flavors of popcorn, just the thing to take the edge off of our wild blackberry wine buzz.
Welcome to America.

Iowa City, IA

2011-08-06T11:01:00.003-04:00

Well, here I am! The land of plenty: education, corn, and pork. The good news: we immediately found a delicious Mexican restaurant on the outskirts of town, La Reyna. Moving is so exhausting that my parents and I went back to eat dinner two nights in a row. When you find a good enchilada, you just want to eat it twice.

Another place we ate at more than once.

Not only that, the other side of the building is a "bodega," (a welcome word to a recent New York City transplant) where you can purchase Mexican and Central American ingredients. (More peppers than you can shake a stick at.) This immigrant (me, to Iowa) has no pots or pans yet so grocery shopping is like a slow form of torture.

Lime mayonnaise? Why not!

This morning I stopped by the farmer's market just to take a gander: BIG MISTAKE. Bulbous and glistening vegetables leered at me from every corner. Individual sized spaghetti squash! ONE DOLLAR EACH! Fresh sweet corn—"picked last night!" Well take me out back and shoot me. I'll be going home to have a sandwich from my toaster... and setting up a small altar to pray for the safe and swift arrival of my cast-iron pan.

Gluten-Free on Far Rockaway

2011-07-17T14:25:00.003-04:00

Two sun-kissed beach bombshells enjoying their frozen brownie sandwich from the boardwalk branch of Babycakes.

Enormous slabs of queso fresco on a bean and cheese quesadilla from Rockaway Taco. Also pictured: watermelon juice. Not pictured: crashing waves, sandy surfers, pure, unadulterated bliss.

I Am Still Here!

2011-07-06T17:59:00.001-04:00

Hi friends and readers, yes, I am still here, yes, I am still gluten-free, and yes, I am most certainly STILL EATING. Who knew that moving across the country will suck up all of your time, money, and blogging energy? Every time I sit down at my computer, I look at my Google calendar and my stomach takes a nose dive toward my feet. Countdown: 25 Days until Iowa.

But I'm not being totally honest. There is something else that has been keeping me from blogging...something relatively controversial and difficult to admit.

I've become... a vegetarian.

OK, wait! That's not entirely true. I am still eating fish. I am definitely eating eggs, from the man in the overalls at the farmer's market. And I accidentally ordered something with fried beef all over it and then ate it anyway.

It's been a long time coming, this vegetarian thing. I was one before, for about... three years? Five? Eight? I don't remember. I started eating meat again when I imagined my study abroad trip in college would take me to places far and wide, and I didn't want to be limited. Little did I know, I would soon discover just what "limited" meant.

My travels brought me to Ireland, where the meat (and cheese, and milkandbutterandeverythingomg) were super-fresh and SUPER-local and super delicious. They also had one tiny portion of one tiny aisle in the Tesco dedicated to gluten-free soda bread. Hmm, I thought. Maybe no more Guinness for me...

Anyway. Every time I thought about what eating meat meant, I would shush myself. Tiny lies, tiny lies, that's what it felt like. Sure, at home I would only prepare (and rarely, at that) "free-range" chicken from Whole Foods but when eating out, those morals just flew out the window. Why? Why would I eat something in a restaurant I'd never eat at home? Weird, right?

We all know the status of meat in this country. We ALL know about the environmental consequences. I am definitely not even trying to look down my nose. I am just trying to do small things that I know are right, as best I can.

Will I eat meat again? Yes, probably. At Christmas, from the farmer's market, at a dinner party with no other (gluten-free) option. At the New World Bistro, when I get so excited about the gluten-free menu I forget that I am trying to be a vegetarian.

So, I am here to accept suggestions—how to be an energetic gluten-free vegetarian? Tonight's menu is Indian food from a bag. For lunch I made a smoked trout salad with balsamic cucumbers. I have green tea ice cream mochi balls in the freezer. Not. Bad.

xoxox

Olivia

New World Bistro

2011-07-06T17:27:00.003-04:00

One of the great things about a smaller city is that unlike New York "Fucking" City, which is enormous and has absolutely everything, a smaller city can incorporate "everything" into "everywhere." What I mean is: here (N.Y.F.C.) you can travel 1.5 hours uptown to get gluten-free pancakes. You can trek to the West Village for incredible gluten-free pizza. AND I LIKE THAT. But in Albany, what might already be your favorite restaurant (ten minutes away) might have made some additions, substitutions, or at least concessions to your dietary restriction of choice.

AMAZING FRIED CALAMARI WITH CHILI GARLIC WUNDERSAUCE

I visited the New World Bistro with a friend a few weeks back. I had read about it on a sister-blog (can I call it that?) and had been DYING to try it out. Fantastic! They have a special menu, one side vegan, other side gluten-free. They have a dedicated fryer, knowledgeable waitstaff, and a tasty cocktail menu. (Recommended: the Old Fashioned—it has cucumber in it. Not as-recommended: the lemon rosemary martini, too sweet, and the sugared rim melted all over my hand. Picky, yes, sticky, more so.)

Insane yucca pancake with cabbage and fried beef.

If you make it upstate, eat here. I can't wait to go back!

Stockpiling for the Apocalypse

2011-06-13T10:47:00.004-04:00

The problem with getting what you want is that you get used to it and then when the new organic grocery store is out of Rudi's gluten-free bread you get really, really mad. I can't tell you how many wry conversations I've had with the cashier of the Pine Tree deli. "I notice you're out of gluten-free bread again," I'd say, conversationally. "What ABOUT ALL MY SANDWICHES?"

Anyway, I broke down and ordered bread from the internet. Eight loaves in my freezer. My roommates were shocked. I am extremely pleased. Bread, bread bread! Who wants french toast? I DO.

Advice: be careful ordering online. The very reason I prefer Rudi's over Udi's bread is that Rudi's has no preservatives. Guess what—shipping preservative-free bread is very expensive. I ordered from Udi's website and the shipping and handling was about $11. That brought the price of the bread up to about what it costs at the Korean bodega anyway.

Soon I will be in Iowa City with my own kitchen and a little more free time and I will attempt to bake my own bread. In the meantime, I will enjoy the easy luxury of frozen bread at my beck and call.

Raspberry Mojitos

2011-06-06T12:49:00.005-04:00

The master of ceremonies was the birthday girl's roommate. We hid behind the kitchen counter as the birthday girl came home from work, unawares. SURPRISE! Cheese and crackers and olives and raspberry mojitos.

Everything looks better in a pitcher.

The forecast said tornado watch.

The mojitos were dangerously good. They tasted of those natural raspberry pops I used to eat as a child. Know the ones I mean?

The recipe was adapted from the cocktail at the Hard Rock Cafe, where the party hostess works. She made an enormous batch, which you'll want to do, too.

find a large mixing bowl and fill with equal parts:
squeezed limes
fresh mint leaves
fresh raspberries
"hand-muddle" which is a fancy way of saying: squeeze everything together with your hands.
drizzle in a little simple syrup to taste (sugar dissolved into an equal quantity of hot water)
soak in a bottle of Bacardi Razz (raspberry flavored rum) (we went there)(so good)
fill a cup halfway with the stew. add a few ice cubes and top with club soda.

An All-American Holiday

2011-05-31T12:10:00.002-04:00

You guys. Last night I had a BEER AND A HOT DOG. We went to a Mets game at Citi Field, and had excellent seats in the CHAMPION'S LOUNGE.

At the stand you can get sausage and peppers (sweet or spicy), hot dogs, or hamburgers. And Redbridge beer. And Kozyshack rice pudding cups!

Heaven! Makes me proud to be an American.

"I Went Shopping"

2011-05-28T11:01:00.002-04:00

From my friend at Hungry in Halifax, the best blog post idea ever: just a photo of your BOOTY. By booty I mean LOOT, obviously. Saturdays are for going to the farmer's market.

I got:

asparagus

parsnips (!)

bok choy

a dozen eggs

a garlic and rosemary goat cheese log (!!!!!!!!)

Tomatoes THAT TASTE LIKE TOMATOES

2 Fuji and 2 other types of apples whose names I forget

a tiny container of strawberries

spinach

a bunch of mixed wildflowers

Shandygaff

2011-05-24T17:48:00.006-04:00

shandy |ˈ sh andē| noun ( pl. -dies)

beer mixed with a nonalcoholic drink (typically lemonade).

ORIGIN late 19th cent.: abbreviation of shandygaff, in the same sense, of unknown origin.

It is 80 degrees in New York City. I had to wait around all day for my moving boxes to be delivered. When they finally came, I felt I deserved a treat. Roommate and I walked to the giant beer emporium where I know they have a large stock of Redbridge. I picked up a Gus's Dry Meyer Lemon Soda and mixed them together, half and half. Refreshing, delightful, and not too sweet. And yes, I am wearing my sunglasses indoors.

Cheers!

Hysterical Health Post... & Pizza!

2011-05-23T10:33:00.004-04:00

Did you guys read this post on Gluten-Free Girl & The Chef? I've been thinking about it all week. It's so true, isn't it—that going gluten-free, while limiting your gas station snack options, really opens up your palate. How it really can be a healthier way of eating, when done properly. "Safety in vegetables" could be our new motto! Wasn't it Michael Pollan who said to shop only from the perimeter of the grocery store? We have that built-in: I can eat practically nothing from the center of my local supermarket. And that's a good thing.

It's not even really about the gluten. Well, for me it is, and for you too, probably. But white flour is really quite disgusting. Bulk flour used in commercial baking has bleach and antibiotics in it. Bleach? Bleach? And what about potassium bromate? From Wikipedia:

"Potassium bromate has been banned from use in food products in Europe, Canada, and some other countries. It was banned in Sri Lanka in 2001 and China in 2005...In the United States, it has not been banned... Instead, since 1991 the FDA has urged bakers to voluntarily stop using it. In California a warning label is required when bromated flour is used."

I first read about this on a little sign at Mozzarelli's, a health-oriented pizza joint on 23rd Street. I was SHOCKED. I already view gluten as a sort of poison, but now... well, geeze. I look forward to a day when our ingredients list really tell us what's inside a product—not just the allergens, but the toxins, too. That will make eating healthy REALLY easy. In the meantime, we'll have to stick to foods which don't need a label. So I'll see you at the farmer's market, since even our fruits and vegetables have stickers on them now. Or see you at Mozzarelli's, for a slice of gluten-free (or un-bromated spelt flour, for you regular-stomached people) pizza.

summer salads

2011-05-16T10:41:00.004-04:00

OK, it's pouring rain today. April and May switched jobs this year in New York City—semi-sweltering late April afternoons lead to rainy May mornings. I have my eye on the future though, and it is bright and full of vegetables! Well... at least legumes, tubers, and fruit.

I took a trip to the farmer's market on Saturday and it was a JOY. I have sea anemone looking cornflowers in a jar on my desk, and I made a delicious fish dinner (stand by for that). In the meantime, I invented a weird salad!

The best kind of salad (lettuce is a joke, let's be honest) is one full of nutrients but also full of FOOD. One of my summer specialties is the "three can salad" (can of corn, can of black beans, jar of salsa) (and an avocado, if you've got it) which is both economical, fibrous, and delicious. Along those lines I made a sweet potato, bean and tomato salad. You could even call it a sweet potato gazpacho if you were really feeling saucy.

Sweet Potato Summer Salad:

mash up one (cooled) baked sweet potato (see this post)

mix in about half a can of black beans

stir in some chopped cherry tomatoes

sprinkle some salt, pepper, garlic powder (or fresh) and a little cumin

top with half an avocado

Angelica's Vegetable Steamer

2011-05-13T14:57:00.003-04:00

College bestie was visiting from Oregon. The classic dilemma: she's a vegetarian (who doesn't like eggs) and I am... gluten free. Now, I'm not saying all I ever do is go out for steak dinners. I'm just saying that two needy-eaters together makes for tricky planning. I was afraid we'd exhausted all my resources (vegetarian sushi, tacos, my favorite raw restaurant) and when we agreed to meet another friend in the city for a quick dinner, I felt flummoxed. We were going to Village East Cinemas to see [THE AMAZING] documentary about Bill Cunningham. Then I remembered:Angelica Kitchen. It'd been a long time since I'd eaten there (pre-GF days!) and I'd enjoyed my seitan sandwich (well...I'll bet my stomach didn't.)

Anyway, I ordered the dragon bowl. Apparently they have a whole gluten-free menu (a list of what they already have that happens to be gluten-free) but we were in a hurry and I forgot to ask to see it. (a) this is not a bowl. That doesn't matter, but (b) it wasn't very good. That's all there is to say. A platter of steamed vegetables with a weak tahini sauce... I am disappointed because I know vegan can taste AMAZING. I know vegetables can taste AMAZING. (They usually do.) (Even steamed ones!) Neither of my friends were crazy about their dishes, either. The point: skibble down the street to Tu-Lu's Gluten-Free Bakery and get a panini instead.

Edit: the carrot-apple-ginger juice was good.

snap crunch snap

2011-05-02T14:02:00.004-04:00

Tate's Bake Shop gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

It is good to know, of course, that anytime I need a chocolate chip cookie, I can find a crunchy gf Tate's bag at my nearest upscale bodega. I am going to save that impulse for Emergency Situations Only, as these are kind of a dangerous little treat. They are extremely buttery, very crunchy, and beg to be dipped in tea. Or milk. Or...ice cream. What I mean is: one is not enough, and one is also not quite good enough. They are that tricky kind of snack that is really only delicious every fourth bite, so you have to keep eating them and eating them, chasing after that quarter of a good flavor you experienced three bites ago.

Another way of saying it is: they have milk-chocolate chips. I am a semi-sweet kinda gal, which is also to say, if you want a chocolate chip cookie, make Betty Crocker's mix and you WON'T be disappointed.

Also, cookies "don't count" if you make them yourself. Everyone knows that.

spring snack

2011-04-26T14:48:00.002-04:00

While you're doing something else (or else it'll never happen): wrap a sweet potato in tin foil and bake at 450 for about 45 minutes. You'll smell it when it's ready. Make three at a time and keep them in the fridge to cool. Eat them chilly, in a bowl, on a hot spring day.

Practically Vegan Bánh Mì Tacos

2011-04-18T15:11:00.000-04:00

While we were waiting for the third cousin to arrive, this cousin and that cousin played a really wonderful game of remembering: recounting aloud the best meals we'd ever eaten. As we chopped green beans and sipped our mango cocktails, we strained our memories and our tastebuds, bringing alive the ghosts of flavors past.

Dad's homemade pizza—any breakfast at our Aunt Sheila's house (farm fresh eggs, homemade bread)—that particular Christmas with the standing rib roast. A night out in Istanbul with seven courses of seafood, a molten lava cake for dessert, a view of the Bosphorus. Discount pizza dipped in Buffalo sauce. Mom's refried bean burrito dinners with steamed broccoli and mint-chocolate-chip milkshakes. The chicken apricot tajine I made after my trip to Morocco (so good, even a vegan ate it.)

This evening spent reminiscing will too be remembered fondly, and not just for the memory of memories. For the memory of yet another delicious meal! Bánh mì TACOS!

I have never had a "real" bánh mì sandwich, since I didn't know about them until after going gluten-free. Bánh mì is a type of Vietnamese bread, but it is also the name given to a sandwich with traditionally Vietnamese fillings on a sliced baguette: a multicultural combination, a positive result of leftover imperialism, interesting, AND delicious.

I CAN'T EAT BREAD (*duh) so I thought: let's add another culture to the concept—Mexican—and make a taco. Why not?

Cousin B made a slaw, and Cousin G suggested that the taco would require a spicy mayonnaise. I made my favorite fried tofu, a mango cocktail, and coconut rice pudding for dessert. The overall result was superb. I will share my recipes with you forthwith:

for the slaw:

1 package of shredded broccoli slaw and/or shredded carrot and/or half a shredded red cabbage

about a cup or so of chopped raw green beans

a container of fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

chop & mix with

slaw dressing:

a few cloves diced garlic

half a diced white or red onion

1/4 cup olive oil

fresh-squeezed lime juice (3 limes)

drizzle of rice wine vinegar

dash of mirin

droplet of sesame oil

drizzle gluten-free tamari or soy sauce

(and maybe a few drizzles of fish sauce)

a few tablespoons of sugar, to taste

for the tofu:

(adapted from gluten-free girl)

1 container extra-firm tofu, DRAINED AND DRIED* and sliced into rectangular chunks

marinated (for about 10-15 minutes) in about a tablespoon each of:

gluten-free soy sauce/tamari

sesame oil

mirin

rice wine vinegar

a little (depending on your spice palate) chili-garlic sauce

fried in vegetable oil

once browned, placed on a paper towel to soak up the extra grease

*I am not kidding. You have to soak the shit out of these puppies. It is wasteful, but I use paper towels, over and over until they no longer come away from the tofu damp. If you have clean dish towels, they will work as well. See the link to Gluten-Free Girl & The Chef for her instructions on how to weigh down the tofu so it drips water (I have never been successful at this.)

Drying the tofu

place on warmed corn tortillas, drizzled with:

spicy mayo:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (or veganaise, hence, the "practically" vegan)

several squirts sriracha sauce

several hearty shakes of garlic powder

lime juice from 1 lime

drizzle of sesame oil

a little salt

a little soy sauce

a little rice wine vinegar

for the cocktail:

(adapted from here)

chopped mango chunks

shot of vodka

ice cubes

mango nectar

fizzle of prosecco

(*drink with caution)

my favorite coconut rice pudding recipe is available here.

Chavella's

2011-04-17T17:40:00.003-04:00

My favorite taco spot in Brooklyn. Get it to go, take it to Prospect Park; repeat.

Aguacate con queso taco (avocado and cheese) and papas con chorizo taco (potatoes and spicy sausage.) (MMMmmmm.)

Chavellas, 732 Classon Avenue, soon to be at Franklin & Sterling.

Eating Out in New York City

2011-04-11T13:05:00.007-04:00

Since it is a beautiful spring day in New York City, I will NOT post another cranky blog complaining about sub-par food I've eaten in the previous week. Instead, I will do something I've been meaning to do for a lawng, lawng time: make a list of recommended eateries here in the Big Apple & BK. I'll link to my review of them. I'll update if something changes. For new readers, I hope this is a helpful (albeit limited and totally partial) resource.

Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery: For all things sweet (and paninis!)

338 East 11th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenue

La Esquina Taqueria: For mouth-watering tacos and celeb-spotting.

114 Kenmare, at Lafayette

Risotteria: For a complete, carbo-loaded meal: breadsticks and pizza, cupcakes and beer.

270 Bleecker Street

Radegast Hall & Biergarten Gluten-free beer, sausages, picnic tables, and hipsters.

113 n.3rd Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Keste Pizza & Vino The chewiest GF pizza I've had yet, available on Mondays & Tuesdays.

271 Bleecker Street

Saravanaas Indian Vegetarian Restaurant South Indian cuisine: dosas, chutneys, and idlys! Vegan Friendly.

Corner of 26th and Lexington

MoMA Modern art and allergy-aware service.

11 West 53rd Street

Tartine BYO French, go for the mussels, fries, and a macaron!

253 West 11th Street

Chipotle cheap eats, many locations.

Everywhere

Veggies Natural Juice Bar Bob Marley & Kale juice

785 Franklin Avenue, between St. John & Lincoln

Sun in Bloom Energizing & enlightening vegan and raw nosh.

460 Bergen Street, Brooklyn

Friedman's Lunch

Chelsea Market, 75 9th Avenue (Between 15th and 16th Streets)

Taim Three flavors of falafel to choose from and fresh date-lime-banana smoothies

222 Waverly Place

Jamba Juice Slightly healthier milkshakes, on-the-go.

Everywhere

Chavella's Best tacos in central Brooklyn, sez I.

732 Classon Avenue, Prospect Heights Brooklyn, soon to open at Franklin Ave & Sterling Place, Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Olivia vs. Pizza

2011-04-01T18:33:00.006-04:00

The nice thing about being a blogger is that I can enjoy a bad experience. OK, maybe "enjoy" is a little over-the-top. I'm not a masochist. I just look forward to the vindication of publicly exposing the worst gluten-free pizza I have ever eaten.

I'd been looking forward to trying Slice for about a year, but for some reason hadn't made it to points west. (Here is where I would normally list the address of the establishment. I won't. You'll see why in the coming paragraphs.)

When a friend had tickets to a theater nearby, we decided this was the perfect dinner: frugal, convenient, and catering to both our palates—gluten and gluten-free.

Even the logo is slightly demonic.

At first glimpse, the pizza looked appetizing. You can't really go wrong with melted cheese (as I always say) and the ingredients claimed to be organic. The toppings were fine, albeit subtly applied, but I'm not here to talk about toppings. There is truly no way to screw up the top of a pizza.

The problem here, as you can see, is the crust. Please note the steak knife here, used for scale. Please note the geometric proportions of the dough. "Thin crust" is a style, implying other qualities apparent: texture, flavor, consistency.

I'd make a better pizza on a brown paper bag. Astronauts enjoy better pizza in outer-space. Dogs enjoy a more uniform quality in their bagged kibble.

What a racket. My friend, who had two unexceptional slices of "regular" pizza, ran up a bill of $7.00. My personal pan (the only option for gluten-free) was $15. I am generally accustomed to spending upwards of $15 on a dinner, especially when paying the extra fee for something gluten-free. I don't care. That is not the issue. The issue is that BLOCKS away are Risotteria and Keste Pizza, with chewy, mouth-watering, yeasty, salty, greasy, delicious pies, waiting to be chewed with a normal set of teeth.

Ugh, you guys! I thought we were past this. I thought it was no longer acceptable to hawk sandcakes. I take a stand! A stand against gritty textures the world over!

Gluten-Free Traveling...

2011-03-29T13:29:00.005-04:00

...can be the worst. But I don't have to tell you guys that! I just got back from a whirlwind trip: Los Angeles for a wedding and Iowa City for a grad school visit. Both cities have a hippie contingency—health-conscious and allergy friendly. But what I always forget is that ANY new restaurant is a battlefield in the war against my stomach. Even the Whole Foods in West Hollywood was a new experience! On the good side, there was an option to have a deli sandwich made on Rudi's gluten-free bread. On the bad side, they were out of bagels.

Iowa is naturally gluten-free.

We went out for sushi and I explained my situation to the waiter. "Oh!" he said, looking concerned. "Thank you VERY much for telling me." That made me feel great. Then our sushi plate came, drizzled in soy sauce.

A girl can only eat so much dried fruit. The trip to Whole Foods was great for my flight home: chocolate-covered pretzels (Glutino) made a nice plane-snack and I ended up buying these little individual packs of peanut (and almond) butters (Justin's)—under three ounces, so airplane-safe! I packed a loaf of Rudi's bread (let's be honest. It NEEDS a toaster. And it fell apart in my suitcase) so I could have a peanut butter sandwich in my hotel room, with fresh fruit and coffee from the little lobby canteen.

The first thing I did when I got to Iowa City was explore their food co-op. I was disappointed to see that they had no fresh baked gluten-free goods and only Bard's beer on the shelf (I prefer Redbridge.) I did notice, however, their bulletin board and suggestion box... I know where I'll be putting in my two cents!

If I leave New York, there'll be lots of changes. But I already made a vegan & wheat-allergic friend in the Iowa grad program, and we agreed to bake up a storm while we're not writing the next great American essay collection.

We're Not Out Of Oatmeal Season YET:

2011-03-13T21:07:00.000-04:00

Breakfast obsession continued. A girl can only eat so many eggs, especially when girl is a waitress at a popular brunch restaurant. Employees of aforementioned establishment have taken to storing a box or two of cereal by the to-go containers, for a quick, easy, and egg-free breakfast option.

There are quite a few gluten-free hot breakfast cereals on the market. I am partial to convenience, second only to deliciousness. This Eco-Planet business requires only hot water and stirring. I like that.

It has a nice thin consistency (don't add too much water!) which I prefer, for some reason. I'm sure that's because it's not JUST oats: it also has buckwheat, sorghum, brown rice, puffed amaranth, quinoa, millet, flax and chia—whole grain, low on the glycemic index, and full of Omega-3s, whatever those are!

Serve with sliced bananas, walnuts, and a little extra dash of maple syrup—because it's NOT too sweet. Thank you.

"Soldier Boys"

2011-03-07T11:11:00.006-05:00

OK, so maybe I am obsessed with breakfast. It could be worse, I could be obsessed with fires or locking my front door or washing my hands. One is allowed to be obsessed with breakfast as one is expected to eat breakfast every day. Moreover one DESIRES to eat breakfast every day. I would say that 90% of the reason I get out of bed in the morning is that I have imagined something delicious to eat.

Working at the restaurant I get a lot of free dinners. While I love a trout in brown-butter lemon sauce, while I love a dijon-caper bowl of mussels, while I love a filet mignon with sauteed bok choy; sometimes I love a memory more.

Eggs are really the most amazing thing. So are cravings—how is it possible that I might crave an egg cooked a particular way, not just the egg itself? The other day I craved a soft-boiled egg. (Maybe it was my subconscious, saying: "make something which won't require scrubbing a frying pan clean.") More specifically, I wanted soft-boiled eggs and toast. More specifically yet, I wanted a favorite childhood breakfast—SOLDIER BOYS:

(2) eggs, soft boiled (boil for 3-5 minutes)

(2) slices of toast (I used Udi's whole grain) ripped up into little chunks.

salt, pepper to taste

optional: a crumble of herbed goat cheese

toss and mash everything together. eat with a fork.

I had to call my dad and ask him why in the name of god this specific dish was called "soldier boys."

Was it because the bread is ripped into small rectangles, representing... soldiers? I wondered. Was it something young soldiers were expected to eat? Did it have something to do with my grandfather's time in Germany, preparing food on the American base? "I have no idea," said my father, and recalled another dish his dad used to prepare for the family, shit on a shingle.

"What's in a name?" we said, and left it at that.

Celebration Sandwiches

2011-03-02T13:10:00.003-05:00

Dear Betty Crocker and her Test Kitchen Employees,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I know you guys have all made her ("her") gluten-free chocolate chip cookies... right?? If not, get thee to Target. I was out buying some household items and realized that the thing my freshly-cleaned kitchen lacked was the smell of cookies baking.

All you need is the mix, a stick of (softened) butter, an egg and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

I appreciate that instructions let you know the dough will be CRUMBLY. It is. Very. You simply cannot make perfect little orbs with this mixture. But isn't that the thing with gluten-free baking? Re-thinking everything. In order to get a familiar result, one has to take an unfamiliar path, meaning, messy messy dough that falls all over the place.

But then the result! Magnificent! PERFECT texture, perfect saltiness, perfect flavor. My roommate picked up one and said, in horror: "You can't have THIS!"

That's how good they are.

So for Oscars Night, we ordered in Indian food and I made chocolate chip cookie sandwiches with mint chocolate chip ice cream. What a ridiculous thing to make, really. I didn't hear anyone complaining. Their mouths were full.

There is a lot to celebrate around here these days—friendship, television, baked goods—oh, and I got into graduate school. Apparently there is a gluten-free pizza place that will deliver in Iowa City...

THE TALE OF THE MACABRE MUESLI

2011-02-21T12:50:00.006-05:00

I'm coming to you live today from my favorite (raw, vegan, gluten-free) cafe in Brooklyn. I had to take respite in an oasis of safety after my terrible fate yesterday: I WAS GLUTENED.

The handsome new cook at my restaurant put MUESLI in my YOGURT. What a disquieting crunch! What terrifying texture! I leaped behind the counter and spit into a paper towel, my heart racing. Of course it was a total accident. I hadn't been specific about my dietary restrictions yet. I don't know how to say "muesli" en Espanol. I was giving him a chance to settle in before I lambasted him with my inner turmoil.

I am super careful about gluten. In five years, my only real screw-ups have been trace elements: rogue soy sauce, accidental crumbs—nothing quite so powerful as a scoop of pure "oat flakes, wheat flakes, whole flour from wheat, rye and barley, sugar, dried raisins, raw cane sugar, dried apples, hazelnuts, almonds, wheat germ, and honey."

Shudder.

So after working a brunch shift with: nausea, a running nose, a sore throat, sparkly stars at the corners of my vision, foggy-brained confusion, joint pain (!) and a GENERAL FEELING OF MALAISE, I took myself to the organic grocery store to see what kind of nurturing tonic I could prepare for myself. I picked up a box of this, which seemed like just the thing:

UNTIL I TURNED IT OVER AND READ:

WE HAVE TO BE VIGILANT, my fellow gluten-frees. Vigilant at ALL TIMES. And it is exhausting. And it is depressing.

But the point is: after having a dinner of ginger ale, pretzels, coconut rice and peach kefir, I went out. I wanted to pass out. I wanted to crawl into bed and cry a little and then fall asleep. But I didn't. It was my friend's birthday and so I put on a loud song and tied up my high-heeled boots and ventured out into the night. At the bar, I had a delicious soda water with lime. I perked up a little in the company of friends, despite my left eye swelling to a near-shut, (is that normal? No.) and had a wonderful time.

Conclusion: I REFUSE to be taken down by a microscopic protein. Wallowing in self-pity is a great activity, but better than that is lipstick and old friends on a Sunday night. I saved all my wallow for today when I could write about it here.

Conclusion 2: the bar we went to had BOTH Redbridge and Bard's gluten-free beers. A little sign from the cosmos, a little wink. I'll be back there (Heathers, in the East Village) when I'm feeling up to a drink.

A mouthful of sand,

2011-02-14T13:14:00.006-05:00

It's not all compliments and handshakes over here at Eating (nearly) Everything.

My thoughtful roommate (and sous chef) picked me up a treat the other week: a savory, gluten-free scone. Though she is 100% adept at digesting gluten, she likes the taste of gluten-free baked goods and enjoys co-experiencing new flavors and products with ME. I usually lament the lack of "healthier" or, what I mean is, "saltier" snacks—anywhere, it seems, has a pumpkin muffin, or a chocolate-chip cookie I can eat. What I want is a BAGEL. You know? I want a cheddar cheese sesame seed SCONE. Which is what you see pictured above.

I don't want to get too graphic here, but just so everyone here knows that I am not perpetually joyful and I don't have the taste buds of a dog: this was inedible. I will eat (NEARLY) EVERYTHING and I did not eat this. It was so salty I started to worry that it might attract deer. And this is Brooklyn. It was gummy and dry and... well, I don't have to tell you. If you're reading here, you've had more than your fair share of chalky baked goods.

Sorry, Las Delicias. Maybe their other products are better? I'd welcome a second taste or second opinion.

Special Friday Post:

2011-02-11T09:38:00.000-05:00

Gluten-free pretzels: bringing childhood back, one bag at a time. Gluten-free pretzels: BRINGING VAMPIRES BACK TO LIFE ACROSS THE GLOBE!

TAIM

2011-02-07T09:19:00.004-05:00

...means "tasty" in Hebrew. Look at that and tell me they're not joking. A miniature little shop at 222 Waverly Place (good luck finding it) has three flavors of 100% gluten-free falafel. Knock yourself out, folks. Knock. Yourself. Out.

Oh, what's that? A banana-date-lime smoothie? I'm sorry. I didn't realize HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH.

OK. BUT. I can't leave this post without ONE complaint, and tell me if you agree. I *love* it when a shop owner or purveyor or counter-person tries to be helpful about a food allergy. I do NOT LOVE IT when they are misinformed. Nothing makes my stomach grumble like a questionably informed maître d'.

Here's how it went (thank you for indulging my catharsis):

"Are you gluten-free?" the man asked, when I said "no pita bread, please!"

"You can't have the tabbouleh then," he said.

"Yes," I said. "I know."

"You can't have soy milk in your smoothie either," he said.

"What?" I said. "Yes I can."

"No you can't!" said the man.

And I sighed.

And my stomach grumbled.

It was the same brand of soy milk we serve at my restaurant, and yes, I can have it. I drink it every day.

The point? It's worth the frustration. Be strong, my fellow gluten-frees. Demand what you must demand and then eat with gusto.

Brunch at Sun in Bloom

2011-01-31T13:42:00.002-05:00

When I experience something great, I always try to figure out how I can have it all the time. I think this is referred to clinically as an "addictive personality." But how bad could it if I am addicted to gluten-free, vegan, raw brunch? NOT BAD!

Of course, I should learn to be more in the moment, enjoying these gluten-free apple pancakes for what they are: delicious and warm. [Note: this is a half order of pancakes. I split them with my brunch companion. I have SOME self control.]

I should savor the olives on the tofu scramble... chewing each bite of chick pea with relish and concentration. I did that. I just want it to happen EVERY WEEKEND.

I should take this gluten-free/vegan chocolate chip cookie sandwich for later, instead of opening it up and eating part of it at the table as we pay the bill. No one's perfect, OK?

The point of today's post is that I took these photos last Saturday—and went back again yesterday for more. I ordered pretty much the same thing so I didn't bother to take more pictures... I was too busy enjoying myself.

The brunch menu for Sun in Bloom changes every weekend, but it is always delicious.

It just keeps getting better and better!

2011-01-26T10:27:00.003-05:00

Last night I made an emergency stop at the (new) overpriced organic bodega on the main strip here by my house. Gentrification, you guys. Gentrification. I can't complain, because four years ago I could only get lemons, plantains, and houseflies in this neighborhood.

You all know that I love Udi's gluten-free bread. I'm sure most of YOU love Udi's gluten-free bread—imagine my surprise when the freezer section of the O.O.B. (Overpriced Organic Bodega) had something called RUDI'S gluten-free bread. Is this some kind of joke? How am I supposed to keep anything straight?

You guys! This bread is awesome! It's bigger and thicker than Udi's, but IN A GOOD WAY. I bought the multigrain option, but they also have "regular" and cinnamon raisin, at least that's what they have at my O.O.B. Has anyone else tried this?

SHUT THE F UP ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

2011-01-21T14:27:00.007-05:00

You guys, I'm like... not even kidding here. A food item with four syllables seems a little labor intensive for your average Thursday night but (1) they are WORTH IT and (2) they require very little effort. I am freaking out here and stuffing my face and I'm actually looking forward to the bounty of leftovers in my refrigerator for once!

INGREDIENTS:

Corn tortillas (about 6-8)

Cheddar cheese, grated (You don't even need that much! I didn't even put that much in and they were delicious! AND HEALTHY! Like 1/4 cup!)

Onion (1 large, diced)

Garlic (to taste—a few cloves)

Vegetables: I used zucchini, beets (from a can, even!) and mushrooms

Black Beans! (half a can—or whatever!)

Can of diced tomatoes

Chilies (pickled, green, a small can's worth)

Hot sauce (The green kind! Be careful! Don't dump half the bottle in like I did!)

Olive oil (for cooking the veg in)

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt

Saute everything in a pan (except the tortillas and the cheese). Layer the cooked veg in between corn tortillas and cheese in a glass Pyrex dish. Cook it at 400 or so until the cheese is bubbling. YUM, you guys!

Pala Pizza

2011-01-18T17:38:00.007-05:00

Just another snowy night in January... whenever I am in the Lower East Side I try to finagle a way to make my way to Pala Pizza on Allen Street. Fortunately for my palate, my outing companion was also hungry for cheese and sauce and all things good.

We were feeling decadent, so we ordered an appetizer: the arancini, risotto balls filled with spinach and mozzarella cheese. KILL ME! They have a dedicated fryer, so there's calamari too.

[A little detail shot here, I aim for food porn whenever possible.]

Really though: the pizza is where it's at. This picture does NOT do it justice, it was like, THE REAL THING. But with awesome ingredients—here we have the Romana: sweet pecorino cheese, field mushrooms, tomato sauce, and fresh parsley. Yeah. The cost of both our giant pizzas (gluten-free does NOT cost more) (!) and the appetizer totaled $40. Both of us took half home for lunch the next day, which is to say, 1 pizza is 2 meals.

AND they have a nice selection of wine, they sell gluten-free beer, and they have a giant window through which to watch the snow fall.

Great News: SUSHI

2011-01-10T10:22:00.003-05:00

After making a shocking discovery at Whole Foods, I was worried THIS would be the only type of sushi I would be able to eat. I had just gotten used to eating sushi with no soy sauce, happily smothering the rolls in pickled ginger and wasabi—when I discovered barley in the ingredients of a type of bagged ginger at the grocery store. Horror!

What was I doing, buying pickled ginger at the grocery store? Why, making sushi at home, of course. It's not as easy as it looks. Check out that hideous seaweed monstrosity above!

We didn't really want to experiment with raw fish, so we used canned tuna. Pictured above is a sort of Italian-Japanese fusion tuna salad; celery, green onion, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have in the pantry.

Brown rice, spread over seaweed! I'm not even going to try to give you hints or tips on this. We ended up eating everything out of a bowl, with seaweed on the side...

Except for our one precious roll. It took so long to make these little gems we gave up after. Mango! Avocado! And tuna salad. A little pure tamari and you're in good shape.

Anyway, if you have a little more time and some proper instruction, making your own sushi can be fun. [Warning: don't try to do it hungry.] But if you live in New York City—which is to say, with a sushi restaurant on every corner—rest easy, friends. I was determined to get to the bottom of the pickled-ginger-mystery, with a New Year's Resolution of shamelessness burning bright in my heart. I usually hate to be pushy, but I decided it was worth it: I asked the woman at the delivery counter of my local joint [Sushi Tatsu II] if I could please read the ingredients of their pickled ginger. She acquiesced, and the GOOD NEWS IS: it is gluten free.

The BAD NEWS IS: it has aspartame in it. Um, gross? Of course I cannot speak for all sushi restaurants, but I assume most places use the same bulk kind. It comes in an enormous white bucket, like what a young giant might bring to the beach.

Friedman's Lunch

2011-01-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

This year I planned my holiday shopping around where I wanted to EAT LUNCH. Since I work in Brooklyn now, I rarely make it into Manhattan anymore and I miss my favorite gluten-free lunch places!

A great place to shop (especially when there is a below-zero windchill) is the Chelsea Market. It is indoors (point 1) and has great shops (point 2) great coffee, sushi from a fish market (always good to pinpoint the source of raw fish) and a totally overwhelming kitchen supply store (Bowery Kitchen Supply). And of course, Friedman's Lunch, which will make you any sandwich on gluten-free bread or bun. YES, Virginia, that is a gluten-free sesame bun.

A hamburger is wildly necessary when making important shopping decisions. And a glass of wine. And some herb-tossed thick-cut french fries. One must build up their resistance before the epic competitive eating of the holidays!

PARTY SNACKS

2010-12-14T10:37:00.012-05:00

The tree is up and the wreath is hung and I already have one holiday party under my belt. Last weekend was the fourth annual Christmas Caroling night right here, in my Brooklyn brownstone. We had a piano delivered (ok, my neighbor threw his keyboard in his car and drove two blocks) but I like the sound of it, very Jazz Age. "The piano is getting delivered at noon and the bathtub gin should be here around three."

Usually I cook a whole bunch of food, but since I am hosting my ENTIRE (22 of us) family on Christmas day, I simply could not exhaust myself. This year we just did drinks and appetizers (and dessert, of course.) I relied on my tasteful friends to show up with a variety of wines, cheeses, and dips. Talk about holiday cheer: my brilliant cousin brought a gluten-free cranberry tart, and a dear friend adapted a artichoke-dip recipe, gluten-free. I felt like I was at TGI Friday's! In a good way!

I couldn't resist making a few things, and I enlisted the help of my industrious roommate. There are no pictures because we were pretty beside ourselves with party cheer and general industriousness.

Ginger Infused Cranberry Gimlets

-One bottle medium quality vodka (the liquor store guy recommended Svedka)

-One ginger root

-Cheese grater

Grate about 5-6 tablespoons of ginger. Pour vodka over it. Soak overnight.

Serve over ice with cranberry juice, sparkling water, and a dash of simple syrup. Or ginger ale.

Clementine Mimosas

-1 large box clementines

-Several bottles of champagne

-Lemon juicer

Cut clementines in half. Do NOT cut your finger. Squeeze juice. Pour some into each individual glass of champagne.

Turkey-Curry Meatballs

-One container ground turkey [warning! get the full-fat kind or else your meatballs will be dry]

-One small onion, diced

-A few garlic cloves, diced

-One egg

- 1/3 cup gluten-free rice crackers OR corn chips OR non-sweet cereal, OR breadcrumbs if you have such a thing in your kitchen

-1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce

-1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
-2 tablespoons curry powder

-Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. (Don't taste the raw turkey.)

Brown the onion with the garlic. Dump the turkey meat into a bowl. Add all ingredients, taking care to blend well, with your hands.

*WARNING* if you are making these the day OF YOUR PARTY, you will have yellow fingernails due to the turmeric in the curry powder. I don't have a solution for this, except maybe to get a manicure (red) or use a spoon (not as good for blending) or make them the day before.

Make little balls. If the balls are not sticking, add more bread crumbs or another egg.

Bake at 35o for about twenty minutes. Serve with toothpicks.

Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango

Adapted from here.

-1/2 cup basmati rice

-2 cups light coconut milk

-2 cups water

-1/3 cup sugar

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 large mango

-Cardamom powder, optional

Combine rice, coconut milk, sugar, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, add vanilla and cardamom. Slice mango and put on top. Serve in little cups, to your vegan and dairy-allergic friends!

A Christmas Miracle!

2010-12-12T12:40:00.001-05:00

Trader Joe's sells Udi's bread—white, whole grain and BAGELS! HALLELUJAH! One-stop shopping at last!

Dr. Soup

2010-12-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

Here is something that is easy to make: soup. Here is something that is easy to make but time-consuming: soup. Here is what I like to do: buy a can of soup, and, as my Dad would say: "doctor it up." I have all kinds of tricks for making canned or boxed soups taste better—and speaking of "doctor," healthier!

Pictured above we have a can of Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque, which is pretty good on its own. To doctor it up, and make it a bit heartier, I added:

Spinach leaves

Garlic powder

Hot pepper flakes

Fresh Rosemary

Splash of red wine

[And some simple cheddar quesadillas on the side.]

Another version I like to make is a Southwestern style tomato soup:

Can of tomato soup (organic)

1/2 can of corn

1/2 can of black beans

Dash of cumin powder

Twist of fresh black pepper

Dab of hot sauce

This makes the soup heartier—fiber and protein!

Third option: Indian Squash Soup,

Box (or can) of organic butternut squash soup

2 Teaspoons (to taste) of any sort of curry powder

1/2 can of chick peas

And even....1/2 can of coconut milk

Cup of quinoa, if you want it!

Conclusion: you can (and should) add spinach to everything. Dinner can be fast, easy and super-healthy. And hot, which is necessary now that it is December!

Bakery on Main Granola Bars

2010-12-06T10:14:00.000-05:00

I was sent a sample of the new granola bars by Bakery on Main. "Soft and chewy" they are, indeed. They come in three flavors—peanut butter & jelly, chocolate almond, and apple cinnamon. All the flavors were nice and mild (not cloying or overpowering) and my only complaint was that they crumbled easily. I ended up crumbling one on purpose and mixing it into my regular dry cereal... delicious. It reminded me of my old favorite Trader Joe's cereal, I forget what it was called (Vanilla clusters?) but in my college apartment we called it "crack." Too. Good.

I think I would buy these again for traveling purposes. They are definitely tastier than a Larabar, which is my usual go-to for emergency breakfast situations, but slightly less healthy (Larabars are literally just nuts & fruit) so they could be more of a travel-treat.

Don't forget Bakery on Main also makes a fantastic dry granola!

Procrastination Pancakes

2010-12-03T11:28:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Applying to graduate school is time consuming—not so much in the actual work (essays, spreadsheets, phone calls, emails) but in the fretting, hand-wringing, and of course: procrastination. Blogging is a form of procrastination but I felt so guilty writing about snacks when I was supposed to be Stating my Purpose, I'd do something even less productive like: bite my cuticles, pluck my eyebrows, or lay across my bed staring at the ceiling. You know.

The only way I got myself to write that first essay was through an ingenious similie I came up with: "like the first pancake." Everyone knows that—gluten-free or not—the first pancake on the griddle is always a little wonky. It's either too greasy, or totally burnt, or raw in the middle. Nevertheless, the first pancake is wildly important: it soaks up that extra oil and primes the pan for the subsequent cakes! You simply have to start somewhere!

First pancake, top left.

So, University of Minnesota: I'm sorry if my essay was a little soggy. All the other essays (which I haven't written yet) do appreciate it. In the mean time, I will reward myself with these breakfast treats.

Pancakes:

Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon oil

3/4 cup milk (I used soy—it's all we had)

I was low on syrup so I did my favorite thing which is to sauté a green apple, making a slapdash compote. (Apples, butter, cinnamon, honey if you have it.)

These pancakes are thick and hearty and hold up to lots of fillings well. Top with BUTTER. Done. You're welcome.

You can't run... you can't hide...

2010-11-19T11:12:00.002-05:00

from BREAD PEOPLE!

I would suggest keeping this blog on hand for any recent gluten-free converts. One look at "Old Dirty Batard" and you won't be craving french loaf for AWHILE.

Autumnal Breakfast Delight

2010-11-16T13:48:00.002-05:00

On a day off, I just want a remarkable and delicious breakfast. That's all I ask, really. I am also trying to cut back on my SUGAR INTAKE since Gwyneth Paltrow emailed me about it.

I bought this new (gluten-free) oatmeal at Whole Foods, called Holly's. I cooked it in soy milk, and while it takes a little longer than instant oatmeal (water boiling time plus four minutes) (as opposed to water boiling time plus zero minutes) it tastes great.

THEN I cut up a granny smith apple and fried it in my cast iron pan in a little butter (substitute oil/Earth Balance for real vegan eating, obviously). I added raisins and about 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree (from a can) and cinnamon and cardamom and a little tiny bit of salt. Amazing, easy, delicious, and I made two servings so I can just heat it up again tomorrow!

Use Your Imagination:

2010-11-14T14:37:00.002-05:00

Because I ate it too fast to get a picture of it.

Today's brunch:

Udi's Whole Grain bread, toasted

Schmear of herbed goat cheese

Smoked trout, from the tin, from Trader Joe's

Fried egg

A savory, Scandinavian-inspired breakfast. If I were really going for it, I'd have had a small mixed green salad with dijon vinaigrette too, but I wasn't really going for it. I was hungry.

Sun In Bloom

2010-10-26T18:13:00.005-04:00

On my day off, I had a TON of errands to run. I barely made it past the bank when I realized I was starving. I was just around the corner from Sun in Bloom - a new-ish (January) vegan restaurant I have been meaning to try. When I saw the chalkboard outside proclaiming: GLUTEN FREE PANCAKES, I had to at least stop inside. Just a peek, I told myself, knowing I was on my way to Target and that it is impossible to step inside that glowing center of capitalism without spending at least eighty dollars.

Feigning interest in the to-go menu, I scoped the place out. By the time the waitress asked if I wanted to sit down, I was so worn down by the selection of gluten-free baked goods and the promise of gluten-free bread on the menu I conceded, and took a seat at one of the four wooden tables.

What a nice little place! I asked the waitress what on the lunch menu was gluten-free, and she told me: "everything." Then I asked about the bread (the menu says you can order a side of it, warm, with almond butter). She told me they didn't HAVE IT and haven't had it since she started working there—but they might get it again in the fall. I'm sure my face fell, and she promised me that all the other baked goods (all of them) are gluten-free.

You can order any of the wraps in greens instead of their sprouted wheat wrap—and maybe come autumn, on bread. I ordered the Morning Energizer Burrito which had brown rice. The spicy tofu was delicious—can't complain about an avocado—the only complaint was the black beans were quite dry. I pretended it was a textural decision and chewed away, enjoying the sunny view of Bergen Street, pretending I was in Berkeley.

So I had to get dessert, duh. I tried this carrot cake cupcake with coconut frosting—the texture was to die for. It had a slight taste of (buckwheat, maybe?) gluten-free flour, but the overall experience was great. Last but not least: you feel good about yourself after eating an entirely gluten-free vegan meal. I have to say: I had a super-energetic day and I don't doubt it was the quality and nutritiousness of this food!

It's also a nice place to go by yourself—they have a wide selection of books (about lifestyle, nutrition, etc.) on the shelves if you forget your own reading material. They also have fresh juices ($$$) and coconut kefir and raw mousses for dessert. I'm dying to go back for the brunch pancakes, and the "Create Your Own Miso" soup! I'll bring my veggie roommate! Finally, a place where we can all get along.

Requisite Autumnal Pumpkin Recipe

2010-10-26T10:51:00.005-04:00

This is a classic recipe in my kitchen. Once you do an autumn pantry re-stock, (I had run out of all flours) you're all set to bake into the colder days. What I like about this recipe is that it can be changed to suit your desires: if you don't have pumpkin, use banana! Or pear, or throw in some frozen raspberries. Don't have any chia seeds because they are mind-numbingly expensive? Use flax! Or don't use any seeds! Add walnuts! Caramelize those walnuts and stick them on top!

You will need:

6 Tablespoons Chia Seeds (or flax, in an emergency, or nothing, in poverty)

1 cup whole grain flour (I used teff flour as it is the most silky delicious thing ever)

1/2 cup white flour (I used Whole Foods GF Baking mix - any general premixed flour will do)

2 Teaspoons cinnamon (I also used cardamom, ginger, nutmeg - go wild!)

2 Teaspoons baking soda

1/2 Teaspoon salt

16 ounces canned pumpkin (or banana, or other wet sloppy good thing)

2 eggs

1/4 cup olive oil (woah! yes!)

1 cup pure maple syrup OR 1/2 cup agave nectar, or any combination of the two

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Salt (and pepper!) to taste

optional:

walnuts

butter

sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, spoon into muffin tray, bake for 25-30 minutes.

Option! I was feeling adventurous so I decided to try caramelizing these walnuts. Easy! Throw some butter in a pan, and some sugar (I am terrible about measuring - let's say, a quarter stick of butter and a quarter cup of sugar and a quarter cup of walnuts - approximately) and cook over low heat until it turns into CANDY. Then you can stick some on top of the muffins before they go i the oven. Mind your fillings, these are sticky!

Please don't judge my electric stove.

Recipe made gluten-free from Dr. Oz's Pumpkin Chia Seed muffins from Oprah.

The Stew

2010-10-14T12:44:00.002-04:00

THE SPINACH

THE GINGER

THE BANANA

Atomic Stew!

Please tell me you've heard this insane song.

There is a WONDERFUL juice bar in my neighborhood - Veggies Natural Juice Bar. It's a tiny little hole-in-the-wall with an inspiring poster of Bob Marley "Just can't live that negative way..." and some awesome selections in the flavor-combination department. Last time I went, I co-invented a peanut butter-banana-strawberry smoothie with the server. It was delicious and kind of like a sandwich milkshake. With almond milk.

Today I tried "THE STEW," which is spinach, ginger, banana, soymilk and honey (I asked for no vanilla - there were no ingredients listed on the bottle. One never knows.)

Nothing better than a nice early-morning jaunt in the park followed by an ICY BRIGHT GREEN SPICE BLAST. Highly, highly recommended - next time you're in Crown Heights - or at your own blender!

(1 banana, two fistfuls of baby spinach, and a golf ball sized chunk of peeled ginger. Ice, splash soy milk, drizzle honey. Go. Believe me.)

Men who may or may not be reading here: they have a special menu for "GROWN MEN." One smoothie is called "stand upright" and has something called tiger bone in it.

Central Park Cupcake Collision

2010-10-14T12:37:00.002-04:00

I'm a little behind here, but a few weeks ago my great friend Marlie of Marliese's Sweet Treats held a genius gathering in Central Park: a cupcake tasting contest. Everyone showed up with three chocolate cupcakes and three vanilla from a bakery of their choice. I brought from Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery, and luckily for me, another friend showed up with treats from Babycakes.

This day was fantastic for so many reasons: the weather was perfect, Central Park is beautiful, I got to eat cupcakes, and last but NOT least: I got to hear opinions from multiple Glutenous Correspondents on the gluten-free cupcakes. Not only their opinion- but their opinion as compared to regular cupcakes. A rare opportunity, my friends.

We judged on appearance, moisture, and flavor. Beyond that, it came down to personal taste: did you prefer a sugary frosting? A bit sized treat? A massive cupcake? A lighter flavor?

The rankings are HERE, on Marliese's Sweet Treats.

What I would like you all to note: out of eight cupcake contenders, the two gluten-free bakeries both made it into the top three.

Babycakes vanilla cupcakes came in third (tied with Sweet Revenge Bakery) and

Tu-Lu's chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting (drool) tied three ways for second place (with Butter Lane and Two Little Red Hens Bakery).

The chocolate cupcakes from Babycakes were not so well-received, and the vanilla cupcakes from Tu-Lu's did not make it to the final cut - but how could the vanilla compete with the chocolate/peanut butter combination? I love a savory-sweet fusion!

Babycakes was a love-hate situation for the discerning crowd. The discussion became about expectation, did someone like it because they expected sawdust? Were they just impressed by the magic chemistry of chick peas and pears? How COULD something be gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free? I love a Babycakes cupcake, but they are definitely their own animal (no vegan pun intended). The flavors are slightly earthier, fruitier, and with a thicker texture than a "regular" cupcake. Honestly, I prefer a solid baked good (and a healthy one.)

Then of course, there was Tu-Lu's: everyone agreed you couldn't tell the difference. That's the butter, eggs and sugar talkin'!

One more thing everyone can agree on: cupcakes and wine make for a perfect Saturday. And contests are a good way to feel sporty about gluttony.

$4.37

2010-10-14T11:46:00.002-04:00

I will shamelessly profess my love for the chain restaurant Chipotle. Nowadays, being gluten-free is easier than ever - but the remaining obstacle for us careful eaters is convenience. It's nice to know that wherever I go in New York City, there is probably a Chipotle lurking nearby, ready to offer me an inexpensive and filling bowl of delicious.

The secret some of you might not know about the crispy taco entree is that you can order three tacos, two tacos, or just one taco. This is not listed on their menu. This is confidential information which you are receiving here, at Eating (nearly) Everything. If you are not starving, two tacos are plenty... and at the Chipotle in Brooklyn (where the prices are slightly lower than in Manhattan,) two vegetarian tacos - (guacamole included) - cost $4.37.

[I am 99% sure that is exactly how much they cost. I lost the receipt. But the point is: they are barely more than $2/each which is a STEAL, my friends. A STEAL.]

Chipotle, Fashion Avenue

Too bad the Brooklyn Chipotle doesn't have this snazzy outdoor decor.

Oaxaca Taqueria

2010-09-27T10:34:00.014-04:00

Great news: tacos less than 100 feet from my house at Oaxaca Taqueria. (I didn't measure. I just made that up.) Other good news: now all the cops in my neighborhood can take a break from eating pizza. Any gluten-free cops in Crown Heights? Anyway, don't bring crime into this taqueria because you will be arrested quickly, by cops with mouths full of black beans.

Besides being fun to say (oh-hock-a-tock-a-ria!) and close to my house, these enchiladas were pretty good:

And dirt cheap. At $2.50/each (pictured: 2 bean and cheese) you can't really complain. The enchiladas come with guacamole, as you can see, and the green sauce is pretty tasty. My beans were a little dry (just plain beans, not refried) but I enjoyed this tiny meal. Next time I'll try the tacos!

Tartine

2010-09-27T10:34:00.010-04:00

Even now that I am working at a French restaurant (come visit your favorite gluten-free waitress at Le Gamin in Prospect Heights!) I still cannot say no to an evening at Tartine, 253 W. 11th Street.

The food is mouth-watering, consistent, and the outdoor seating makes you feel like a celeb. It's BYOB which means you always leave feeling bubbly and glimmery, the lush greenery of the West Village casting leafy shadows along the sidewalk as you amble back to the subway. Nights like these are important to have, especially if you live in Crown Heights or Jersey City - they make you remember what your fantasy of living in New York City was all about: wine and mussels and cake.

Mussels in coconut curry broth

Sauteed chicken with spinach salad

The beauty of French cuisine is its canon: every dish is prepared with centuries of practice behind it. What I mean to say is, if something is supposed to have flour in it, the chef and the waitress both know about it. There are no thickening shortcuts. No hidden soy sauces, no additives in the broth. Everything is prepared from scratch and you can taste it.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: many of the desserts (prepared in-house) are also (naturally) gluten-free. Pictured here - the chocolate macaron (with ice cream). I couldn't get a good shot of the dacquoise cake, which is an absolute dream. It's amazing what they can do with butter.
WHO NEEDS FLOUR when you have almonds and meringue? Flour: the lazy man's baking ingredient.

Warm Breakfast with Book

2010-09-27T10:04:00.003-04:00

I had a cold. I had run out of food completely. I was regressing to children's literature (book pictured: The BFG by Roald Dahl) due to complete sinus congestion.

Times like these it is important to remember that a delicious, nutritious and sweet breakfast can be prepared from pantry items! Either quinoa (as described in the New York Times) or

-brown or white rice, or in my case, semi-instant jasmine rice from the Thai grocery store

-cook the rice and then add (and heat)

-soy milk (nutty and sweeter than regular milk, better for sinus congestion!)

-maple syrup, walnuts, chopped apples, cinnamon, cardamom, and a tiny dash vanilla extract

Eat it straight from the pot if you're really sneezing a lot.

Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!

2010-09-17T16:44:00.000-04:00

Employment has not been the forte of the Dunn family these past few weeks. Let's just say that when Saturday presented itself looking like this:

... we decided to pool our meagre resources and enjoy some midday cocktails. Feigning wealth, we appreciated the roof deck and sipped tangy beverages, dug into some guacamole, and let the breeze rifle through our collective strawberry blond hair. I post this on a Friday so that you can all prepare for a lovely weekend with the following recipe.

ingredients

recipe courtesy/[sic] Gabriel Dunn

tomato juice, not v8
horseradish
pepper
salt
worsterchershreireshire shauce
tabasco
lemon and lime juice/wedges
celery salt
gf beef broth

olives & celery to garnish

vodka, obviously

The hidden ingredient is BEEF BROTH. The secret (but not hidden) ingredient is CELERY SALT, which lines the rim of the glass, like a margarita. It's like gazpacho, but for breakfast, but with vodka.

Clap your hands if you appreciate my 70's food photography. And don't say bloody mary three times at midnight in the bathroom mirror, or as slumber party legend has it... well, never mind. That's why you drink a bloody mary before noon.

Trader Joe's Presents:

2010-09-17T16:35:00.004-04:00

...the ruination of my healthy diet. How could I not buy this? For $1.99, for a blog review... for a cheap and lazy meal. I made it. It tastes exactly like the old stuff. Which is not to say... "good," but also not to say "bad," either. Will I buy it again? Unfortunately, yes. Remember when eating gluten-free meant eating healthy? You can't have your GLUTEN FREE INSTANT MACARONI AND CHEESE AND EAT IT TOO, OLIVIA. Anyway, if you miss being a college student, $1.99 and a long wait in a line at Trader Joe's can get you there. You heard it here first.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-09-13T11:44:00.004-04:00

...from a box!

The other night, after a long chilly and rainy day, I was in serious need of dessert. It is no longer ice cream weather here in Brooklyn. OK, it's always ice cream weather, but I wanted the smell of something sweet and warm in my kitchen. I wanted the oven on. I wanted something crumbly and melty in my mouth. Even at the little, sub-par Key Foods down the street, they had these mix options on display.

[They also had Bob's Red Mill mixes and flours. The pancake mix is my absolute favorite but I do think that any of the mixes which contain garbanzo bean flour taste like... beans. I would recommend shying away from the baking mix and the cake mix - but going for the gluten-free oats, flours, and pancake mixes of his!]

Another gluten-free friend had recommended Betty Crocker's chocolate chip cookie mix a few months ago. I had already made both cake mixes (vanilla, chocolate) and they were both lovely albeit a little greasy (I would use a little less butter than 'she' recommends.)

I made half the batter and refrigerated the rest to use later. The dough that was refrigerated the longest turned out the best. I know that is a cookie trick - 24 hours of chilling does something magical to the dough. The cookies baked til a GOLDEN brown turned out the best - any less cooked and they simply crumbled apart. The crunch was marvelous with a cup of tea.

Happy Autumn!

Governors Island Food Truck Festival

2010-09-13T10:27:00.004-04:00

[Photo from last year on a rainy day]

I'm about a week late on this one, but don't worry: you didn't miss anything. Besides the fact that I always love a seven-minute boat ride (and stunning views of lower Manhattan) the food truck fest was not anything to write - even email - home about.

We waited in line about 20 minutes for some nicely spiced basmati rice and some sub-par chicken Tikka Masala. For six dollars, we felt we couldn't really complain. And besides, there was still dessert to look forward to!

My four dollar scoop of 'artisanal' ice cream is barely worth mentioning, especially compared to this WONDER my loyal roommate discovered from the Kelvin Slush Truck.

From their website:

Our unique slush flavors such as Spicy Ginger, Tangy Citrus or Green & Black Tea are combined with your choice of real puréed fruit, creating endless combinations for a super cold, super refreshing slush.

And then you can ADD A SCOOP OF ICE CREAM. My slurping companion chose the ginger base with a swirl of mixed berry. (And the scoop of ice cream.) Fortunately, the Slush Truck is all over NYC so you can go check it out yourself! Follow them on Twitter for locations, @KELVINSLUSH.

Two-Can Dinner

2010-09-03T14:21:00.008-04:00

This a lie. This recipe clearly requires more than just a can of chick peas and a can of coconut milk but let's take a leap of faith here and say that I went to the store to procure (almost) only these two items and subsequently enjoyed a delicious, healthy dinner.

Lately I have been obsessed with chick peas. Sometimes, straight from the can, they are a bit dry and hard to chew - but I find that if I heat them up in the pan with some olive oil they develop the most delightful consistency!

Ingredients:

diced garlic (1-2 cloves)

diced onion (1 small white or brown)

olive oil (lots)

1 can chick peas

1 (bag, box, amount) spinach

1 large handful of cilantro

curry powder/turmeric/cumin/chile powder

1 cup rice

1 can coconut milk

Brown the onions and garlic. Add chick peas and spices and stir regularly. The longer you have to heat the chick peas, the softer they'll be. (I love a soft chick pea. Did I mention that?) Add cilantro, then add the spinach. I added frozen shrimp at the end, but that really goes against the 'two-can' idea.

Simultaneously, make the coconut rice: simply replace the water you'd cook the rice in with the coconut milk. Lightly sweet and a little buttery!

I forgot to mention Chardonnay. That also does not come in a can. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free at The MoMA

2010-08-30T12:25:00.011-04:00

I had two free passes to The Museum of Modern Art left over from my cushy office job. Even though I am broker than someone who sells houses [get it?] I decided it would make sense to go out to lunch. After wading through all the Matisse, we were simply desperate for the Cafe.

"Is the calamari fried," I asked the woman at the register. "It's grilled - do you have a gluten allergy?" she said, without my prompt. I was impressed - and comforted. There is something to be said for eating out without clenching one's stomach in toxic fear the entire time.

We were starving and chilly from all the AC and decided to share this tangy tomato soup (above). When the waiter brought it over he said - "GLUTEN ALLERGY, NO BREAD." Love it.

The best dish, hands down, was the creamy polenta. Walnuts - who'd have thought? And cheese, of course. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. It is more than enough to share.

We shared the salad plate (choose three, $10) which was nice but nothing to the polenta. I love beans as much as the next person but these salads all tasted kind of the same: vinegary and a little dry.

We didn't get dessert, but please note the availability of three gluten-free options: panna cotta, flourless chocolate cake, and gelato! OH, and the Picasso room was enlightening, too.

Gluten-y Art

2010-08-28T11:28:00.003-04:00

From Gothamist:

Artist Seeking Oven To Bake Bread Bed.

Brooklyn-based artist Glenda Reed contacted us this morning explaining that she's embarking on an art project and working with a new medium: bread.

Oooh, this just gives me the willies!

Whiskey Town

2010-08-21T10:21:00.004-04:00

Whenever someone gets that pitying look on their face: "You can't eat... what?" I smartly inform them that I have Lived Life. My last bread was baguette in Paris, I say, and my last beer was Guinness in Dublin. [I tactfully omit the part about how sick that last beer made me. That last beer was the last beer I needed to convince me beer and I were no longer going to be friends.] Usually, this brief, impassioned interlude on my European adventures settles the listener right down and they cease to feel sorry for me.

Especially when we are at a bar where you can order a can of Strongbow Cider, complete with BEER COSY.

I found this delightful combination at Whiskey Town, 29 East Third Street. It's rare to encounter Strongbow here in New York, and I am always glad when I do - it's not cloyingly sweet like the other varieties, it's crisp and tangy and light. And the cosy makes dancing that much easier.

Veniero's Pastry Jumps on the Bandwagon

2010-08-17T11:38:00.005-04:00

Veniero's Pasticceria and Caffe was always a dessert destination for my family when we'd visit New York City. What a lucky coincidence, then, that Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery opened right next door! It seems their success at baking tasty, gf treats has influenced their floury neighbors.

From their site-

Gluten Free Products:

Baci Pastry, Orange Delight Pastry,
Pignoli Cookie, Spumenti Cookie
Sugar and Dairy Free Products also available

I will make sure to stop by and sample something, though how could it beat a fresh baked, chewy chocolate chip cookie from Tu-Lu's?

Dos Toros Taqueria

2010-08-11T10:43:00.003-04:00

They MELT cheese on the tortilla. Due to the heating process, the tortilla is CHEWY. The hot sauce is HOT. The staff is FRIENDLY. The entire meal was SEVEN DOLLARS and the cutlery is BIODEGRADABLE. I'm sorry, do I need to say anything else?

Dos Toros, on 137 4th Avenue just east of Union Square. Additionally, the people-watching is above average. That's saying a lot, in New York City.

Midnight Snack

2010-08-08T11:18:00.001-04:00

I am basking in the warm light of unemployment this summer, which is good for the spirit but bad for the pocketbook. I have been all over the place, cultivating my free spirit and wasting money on popsicles. One of my breezy adventures took me south, to New Jersey, where I delighted in the day-long concert presented by Lilith Fair - delighted in Sarah McLachlan's vocal prowess but my stomach grumbled as I considered my dinner options. Ms. McLachlan's encore number, "Ice Cream," while delightful, reminded me that "ice cream" was my only viable dinner option at the PNC Center. [Dinner options, not GF: hot dog, hamburger, chicken finger, french fries. Frozen margarita, in guitar-shaped plastic container: $14.] Nary a taco stand in sight - nary a leaf of lettuce in the entire pavilion. So by the time we got back to friend M's apartment, I was experiencing a crisis of blood sugar.

Her cupboard was filled with tasty snacks - pretzels, pita chips, Triscuit crackers. But nothing gluten-free. The only thing we could scrounge up? A hard-boiled egg. Let me tell you - a little salt, a little pepper, (a little cumin?) this makes a fantastic midnight snack. Never underestimate the power of the little egg.

Breakfast for Lunch

2010-08-03T13:16:00.002-04:00

Trader Joe's gluten-free frozen waffles, $1.99, for [the day before grocery day's] afternoon manuscript-reading meal. With a drizzle of maple syrup, peanut butter, and sliced strawberries.

THIS JUST IN!

2010-07-30T10:37:00.002-04:00

OMG! Chelsea Clinton is gluten-free! AND VEGAN?

From here:

The Wedding Cake: Chelsea Clinton has a gluten allergy and had interviewed a number of New York area bakers who specialize in gluten-free wedding cakes. We think she narrowed down the final choice between Lulu's Cake Boutique in Scarsdale – a family favorite – or BabyCakes NYC.

We'll ignore the fact they're calling it an "allergy" and just get real excited about a fancy, GF, (vegan) wedding cake!

Zeppelin Hall, Dirty Jerz

2010-07-29T13:04:00.001-04:00

A friend had her birthday party where a birthday party should always be: within walking distance of the birthday girl's house. This meant that the guests had to trek to Jersey City, which always sounds worse than it is. Truth: it is incredibly FAST, CHEAP, and EASY to get there, and the weekend PATH train rider is a friendly sort of folk.

Also, the biergarten served Redbridge.

Life lesson: DEMAND EXCELLENCE! Scoffing at the diminutive bottle of beer, the birthday girl commanded: pour two of those into the giant glass, OK? And so, we sat outside, and I clanked glasses like a person with a normal digestive tract. IT WAS THE BEST.

Thanks, Zeppelin Hall!

Aforementioned Waist-High Garden

2010-07-23T14:53:00.004-04:00

November 2009, Brussels sprouts

Halifax Puttanesca

2010-07-19T21:02:00.005-04:00

My friend Radhika over at Hungry in Halifax recently posted this DELICIOUS recipe for a summer pasta dish. Visiting my parents last weekend, I was completely surprised when my (gluten-free) mother informed me we were having it for dinner.

Who has a hip, blog-reading mother? I do!

We followed her recipe, adding only a can of tuna on the side. The basil was from my dad's backyard (waist-high*) garden.

Besides a few hours of waiting (for the vegetables to brine) this recipe is incredibly easy, and OH SO DELICIOUS. Especially in this hot weather - one needs a little salt replacement from all the sweating! Gross! Sorry! Enjoy!

*Everything in the backyard is conveniently positioned so that my enterprising father never has to BEND OVER. Picnic tables, wheelbarrows and flowerpots are all used in a display of sheer urban genius. My mother calls it his "white trash garden".

Breakfast Salad

2010-07-18T11:48:00.007-04:00

From my Dad's backyard garden: tomato, basil, baby lettuce (romaine, bibb) and parsley. We had it with fried eggs and toast - a little asiago cheese sprinkled, balsamic & olive oil.

THE LENGTHS TO WHICH I WILL GO

2010-07-13T11:04:00.006-04:00

So my glutenous correspondent and family member Cousin G. found a pamphlet from Boar's Head [Provisions Co., Inc.] about being GLUTEN-FREE. Cousin G. works right down the street from my old office, and on my last day of work we got together for one last lunch break. He had pizza, I had Pinkberry, and we sat in Washington Square Park, watching a man in a tiered skirt do a sort of a war dance by the fountain.

"Where's my gluten-free pamphlet?" I said, remembering his promise of yore.

"Crap, it's at the office!" he said, "I will GET IT ON THE WAY BACK."

We moseyed on back to Bleecker, sticking to the shady side of the street.

"I'll just run up and get it," he said. "Won't take a moment."

I waited on the sidewalk, in a sea of European tourists. I heard a shout - a faraway voice, calling my name.

Gravity: the great time-saver.

Oh my. There he was, up at the tippy-top and threatening to throw. Seized by the spirit of the day: Friday, my last day of work, sun shining, sugary frozen yogurt sparkling through my bloodstream, I shouted back:

"DO IT!"

A few passerby stopped to stare.

He threw - it fluttered - and yes, readers, an impetuous southerly gale whipped it up and slapped it back at the brick, and down, down into an unsuspecting tenant's balconette.

I hiccuped in my hysterical laughter, waving an imaginary flag of surrender. Then there was no choice but to walk away, pamphlet-less. Lunch time was nearly over. As I crossed the street, I received a text message on my phone:

"I am devastated."

And so, the desperate lengths the Dunn family will go to bring you the latest in Gluten-Free Information. From Boar's Head. When possible. Barring gravitational emergencies.

Morning Perfection

2010-07-11T13:09:00.004-04:00

My sandwich bread had gone a little dry... ah, but what makes better french toast than thirsty, crusty bread? It WANTS the egg. The egg wants it back. And I want them both:

Udi's whole grain bread

2 eggs, beaten, with a

dash of half & half and a

teaspoon of vanilla extract

Soak, fry in butter, redip, flip, fry.

sprinkle of cardamom

maple syrup

Double Salad Dinner

2010-07-08T15:58:00.006-04:00

It is TOO HOT for food. Not that this will stop me from eating! It is just the kind of weather that requires staying OUT of the kitchen. I had half a head of cabbage and I remembered my Dad's cole slaw recipe - using yogurt, instead of mayonnaise, which I do not like. He cuts the cabbage into big pieces, adding green apple, salt, pepper, and sometimes raisins. It is DELICIOUS.

Variation on a theme: I didn't want to think that I was just eating COLE SLAW for dinner so I call this salad instead. I googled: YOGURT DRESSING and found several recipes suggesting a blend of plain yogurt and dijon mustard. Cooking is easy!

YOGURT DRESSING

A few spoonfuls PLAIN YOGURT

Tablespoon DIJON MUSTARD

Dash of TURMERIC

Dash (gf) SOY SAUCE

Dash MAPLE SYRUP

SALT & PEPPER

I stirred this up real good and added:

SHREDDED CABBAGE

AVOCADO CHUNKS

GREEN APPLE SLIVERS

GREEN ONION, DICED

The second salad is simply:

CUCUMBER, thinly sliced

BALSAMIC VINEGAR

(SALT & PEPPER)

Which is my favorite way to eat cucumbers on a VERY HOT DAY. ON MY STOOP.

Like instant pickles!

*NOTE - I made this again tonight and instead of SLICING the cucumbers (v. tedious) I used the vegetable peeler to make thin strips of cucumber - like a cold pasta salad! Recommended.

New Favorite Cereal

2010-07-07T11:00:00.001-04:00

I have always been a fan of Puffins - and not just for the adorable tote bags they sell on the back of the box, either. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed Peanut Butter Puffins (glutenous) but recently I had been snacking on the Honey Rice flavor (GF). When what to my wondering eyes did appear, at the sub-par grocery store by my house? MULTI-GRAIN Puffins, gluten-free.

The texture is the best part - they remind me of Honey Comb cereal. Oh, how I used to love that. I also appreciate the "multi" grain - I tire of a corn flake or a rice puff.

Try it over plain yogurt with a quick drizzle of maple syrup, blueberries and/or bananas! That's been my breakfast all week. (OK, and one dinner.)

Heat Wave

2010-07-06T10:47:00.006-04:00

So I am at my desk, listening to Martha & The Vandellas as the temperature creeps up: 93, 94,95... inching towards today's high of 101. What could be more apropos than ice cream? I can't think of anything. Correction: I can't think at all. It's too hot.

So, from a glutenous correspondent in Boston, MA: the following guidelines to Dairy Queen's gluten free items. Thanks, LM!

I also noticed a similar sign (complete with all other allergy information) at Coldstone Creamery. I am the daughter of a small business owner so I am all about LOCAL and SMALL and ETC but that being said, I DO appreciate that a giant corporation doesn't want to get sued when I go into anaphylactic shock. (For example.) Thanks, guys!

Heat Wave Support System

2010-06-30T14:31:00.005-04:00

Sometimes it's just an EMERGENCY.

I really miss the green tea flavor.

A Haiku:

Pinkberry, I need you now.
Mango, strawberry
Blueberry or coconut.

Cashew Butter Truffle

2010-06-28T09:12:00.000-04:00

This is the kind of chocolate that keeps you awake at night. It would have kept me up, except I was pretty worn out from all the dancing - oh yeah, this wedding I went to? It had a six piece Balkan brass band. Excuse me.

The bride's lovely and talented friend was commissioned for three desserts - a cardamom tart, something else with gluten that I sadly ignored, and these cashew butter truffles. Each delicate orb was nestled in a little paper cup, resting on a fresh rose petal.

Christine Manoux's Cashew Butter Truffles

[modified from a Charlie Trotter recipe]

1 cup raw cashew butter
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup (good) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla seeds scraped from vanilla bean
1 tablespoon tamari
cocoa nibs, or other dry coating

-Combine and process all ingredients (minus nibs) in a food processor until smooth.
-Transfer to a shallow container and refrig for at least 4 hours.
-Using small spoons or other implement, scrape filling to make small balls.
-Cover/roll in the nibs to coat.
-Keep refrigerated as they are very soft.
-Eat with friends!

In 'n' Out Burger

2010-06-24T10:00:00.002-04:00

I was in California last weekend for the Wedding of the Century. Friends from near and far came together to eat and dance and laugh and cry (only a little...) and celebrate our dear friend's joyous occasion. After days of stringing garlands and arranging placeholders and carefully applying liquid eyeliner... we deserved a hamburger.

One of us was a native (Californian) and knew just what we needed. A super cheap (!) tasty and not disgusting version of fast food. I had my burger "protein style" which means it is nicely wrapped in lettuce, served with tomato and onion in a little baggie so you can eat it with your hands. I especially appreciate this after 4 years of cutting a burger with a knife and fork and eating it like meatloaf.

It's the little things, really.

The menu is really short, and the fryers are only used for french fries! Which makes them....gluten free! Also, it's California so the tomatoes are red and tasty, not refrigerated and mealy as we are used to on the East coast.

I also had a strawberry milkshake. It was a holiday.

Gluten-Free Grumps

2010-06-23T14:37:00.004-04:00

Bitching and moaning in three parts:

1. I went out of my way this morning to see if the fancy coffee shop by my house had any gluten-free muffins. At a previous visit I had been made aware of the availability of a gf muffin at breakfast hour. They did not have any. "We have VEGAN muffins" the girl said to me, "but they're not gluten free." In other words, they have "weird" muffins, just not my kind of weird. Thanks.

2. Whole Foods did not have any Udi's bagels today OR yesterday. Lunchtime. Disaster.

3. I am being sent to retrieve a cake for a coworker's birthday. Nothing like lugging a melting ice cream cake through the blistering heat - WITHOUT GETTING TO EAT ANY OF IT AFTERWARD.

I am now accepting whiny complaints in the comments section:

First Thing I Cooked

2010-06-14T10:33:00.008-04:00

A sweet idea from Gluten Free Girl & The Chef: to conjure up that earliest memory, in the kitchen, wielding power and wooden spoon for the first time! I couldn't pinpoint the occurrence - so I went straight to the source (and emailed my mother). She said:

Definitely it was chocolate chip cookies. You made them with Dad while I was at an art class. You insisted you knew the recipe and they were really good (if a little dry) except you forgot the butter - so the next day they were like little rocks!!! I think you were in second grade? You were so proud of yourself (as you should have been) and crestfallen when they turned into rocks. The whole thing exemplified many facets of your Dunn personality. Stubborn insistence that you knew what you were doing and the strength of character to plow ahead and do it. You must have been even more sure of yourself than Dad as he (who knew nothing) went ahead with it. It didn't matter about the rocks, because you both had such a good time and as I remember it there was flour all over the kitchen when I came home, It was when the kitchen counters were still 70s orange and we had the stool for you to sit on. Does that help?

Yes, yes it does. In fact, I hardly remember that at all. The incident that sticks out in my mind was the time I made "everything" cookies, giggling to myself as I added ketchup, ranch dressing, and pepper to the dough. They came out hard, like biscotti, and - believe it or not - did not taste horrible! I remember hiding upstairs as my father came home, hungrily shoving two into his mouth, declaring them delicious. Perhaps that was the first time I realized - with a little confidence, it's hard to screw up food.

DANGER: Pickled Ginger!

2010-06-11T15:54:00.005-04:00

OK so sushi is like, my favorite thing, right and (usually) totally gluten-free and safe and easy to find and omnipresent and inexpensive and everything I love. Right? And like I don't even miss the soy sauce because the pickled ginger is so good? Right? And the wasabi? So anyway my friend and I are making dinner tonight and we are going to make vegetarian sushi, and I said, "Can I pick something up, I am at Whole Foods" and she said, "Get some seaweed" and I said, "Where the hell is that" and she said, oh never mind, the point is, I READ THE INGREDIENTS IN THIS PICKLED GINGER:

What are we going to do? I would appreciate any feedback on this depressing discovery.

TRIPLE PIZZA UPDATE:

2010-06-10T14:15:00.005-04:00

Today I was thinking that the saddest thing about being gluten-free is no longer pizza. There are endless options, all over the city! Take this billboard, for example!

Maximo Pino, on Sixth Avenue at 13th street.

Then, Grubstreet announced some new pizza locations, amongst them a pizza chain called zpizza. Anyone been there? Apparently it's all over the country!

Then I discovered this frozen pizza (looks good) at Whole Foods. Bella Monica - who's tried it?

The saddest thing about being gluten-free now? Bagels. I can have them at home - Udi's are the best - but when you're late to work and tired and all you want is a hot coffee from the coffee cart and a fattening cream cheese slathered orb of joy? Or when you live in New York and just want to indulge in the chewy culinary specialty of your city? With olive cream cheese? Enough.

Ginger Masquerade Ball

2010-06-10T14:11:00.007-04:00

I mean, yeah I like gingersnaps. I also like: dogs, telephones, the availability of Kleenex when I need it, pens... my point here is that there are WAY TOO MANY GLUTEN-FREE GINGERSNAPS on the market. Ever wonder why? Because ginger makes everything taste good. Much harder to add garbanzo bean flour to a chocolate chip cookie and have things turn out well. Dessert falafel. No thank you.

Therefore, Nana's "cookie bites" taste good. They also fall apart if you don't put the entire thing in your mouth at once. The texture is like a soft sand cake. Which could be a good thing, if you didn't have teeth - hey, something for everyone! I mean - I ate all of them. But I am over spending money on pre-packed baked goods that leave a gritty pile of crumbs all over my desk.

Moving on, I bought the bag of Duane Reade brand gingersnaps for my plane ride to California. They were fine. They "snapped," as per their name. They crunched. They tasted exactly like the Trader Joe's brand of gf gingersnaps, which is to say, good, and as they should. My glutenous correspondent sampled some while we relaxed on the hotel bed - and went back for seconds, and thirds.

Fancy Schmancy Breakfast Parfait

2010-06-08T09:57:00.006-04:00

Things are getting a little gray here at the old desk. One has to do one's best to keep one's spirits up. The best things in life, I believe, are those things which combine elements of 'fancy' with elements of 'lazy'. I have invented the breakfast treat which fits those requirements.

Ingredients: blackberries and yogurt and dry cereal - mash up the berries in the yogurt, layer them with the cereal in this tall glass. Note: blackberries are great, but they weren't sweet enough with plain yogurt. There should really be a honey jar in my office kitchen. There isn't.

My favorite regular cereal right now is still Mesa Sunrise, and not just because of the silly name. I have also been enjoying the gluten-free granola from Bakery on Main Street - it was on sale at Whole Foods for $5.99. They have a few flavors - I have been munching on the "Extreme Fruit and Nut" flavor, which has hazelnuts in it. YES. PLEASE. It's actually too good, which is why I've switched back to regular cereal. I tend to eat all the best granola nuggets right away, leaving a bag full of sesame seeds by Friday morning.

An early model of the parfait, with Bakery on Main granola.

That good, huh?

2010-06-07T17:13:00.002-04:00

Except KALE CHIPS.

Alright, then! Fine! Next time I get kale I'm making chips!

[From a (now defunct, it seems) natural foods store on Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn.]

Kamikaze Margarita: Dos Caminos

2010-06-04T11:27:00.007-04:00

So... I quit my job. I immediately required a frozen margarita at an outdoor location. I immediately required the ancient, healing properties of guacamole. Dos Caminos, at the corner of West Broadway and Houston (though there are a few locations throughout the city) offered the most convenient oasis from my desert storm of resignation.

We went for the pink ones, 'cause, you know, it's summer.

A few notes about this restaurant. 1. It is not that cheap 2. The man next to me ordered something which looked like a bowl full of garlicky spinach. Sticking out of the green pile was a slim piece of paper marked - "ALLERGIES". If I had not been kamikazing my way through this pink antidote, I would have leaned over and asked him more about his dietary concerns - and his experience with the server. All I can tell you is, it looks like they take an allergy seriously. There are benefits to eating at an institution with $12 margaritas.

Highlights:
-Guacamole texture (soft and smooth)
-Tomatillo salsa ("I want this flavor in my mouth forever", said my Glutenous Correspondent, and I agreed)
-Sharing the taco platter (three tacos, $12, side of rice and beans)
-Outdoor seating
-When a woman, walking past in a dress like a shredded rubber tire, tripped and broke her six inch heel, and put on a sort of cockeyed catwalk performance for all the diners.
-Now that I have quit my job I expect to have more time for GLUTEN FREE BLOGGING.

And now, for something completely...HEALTHY

2010-06-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

Steamed vegetable lunch from Spring Street Natural, conveniently located near my office. Usually this comes with seaweed - I usually opt out. Sometimes, if I am feeling indulgent, I ask for an extra side of the tahini dressing. So. Good.

The rest of the food is fairly bland, but the portions are huge and can make for two lunches. I like this meal because it's vegetarian and dairy-free, too. Sometimes a girl just can't have cheese in her lunch. (Sometimes.) I have also ordered the taco salad - without the homemade tortilla chips (fried on premises with other wheaty things.)

The restaurant uses tamari instead of soy sauce, and because it is one of New York's first health food restaurants, the staff is pretty accommodating!

[For a health food restaurant, though - I wish they had better packaging. That is one serious plastic dish.]

Self Control Happens at the Grocery Store

2010-06-01T16:49:00.003-04:00

..and not at my desk. Here lie the remaining bunch of chocolate macaroons from Whole Foods. Goodbye, small friends. See you later, just over the top of my favorite jeans.

I haven't bought this yet because I know who I am.

2010-06-01T16:17:00.003-04:00

Hi. My name is... Temptation. I'm here at your local Whole Foods and I am glossy and sticky and shiny, and also like the jealous queen's mirror, YOU CANNOT STOP LOOKING AT ME.

I resisted, and instead bought the Whole Foods brand chocolate macaroons, which are under $3 for five, crunchy, deeply chocolatey, and satisfying.

Who here has eaten these puppies? Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments? Concerns?

This 'n' That Stir Fry!

2010-05-29T12:37:00.000-04:00

So it was Friday night last night, which means a couple of things. It means I had time to cook dinner, but it also means I had NO GROCERIES! OK, that's not completely true. One always has some pantry items, perhaps a single carrot, some soggy celery. A can of beans, rice, onion - this 'n' that.

If I were a French housewife, and it were 1940, I would take my celery and onions and make a stock or a stew. Well, I had just gotten back from yoga, and it is 2010, and basically, I needed to eat.

Back in college days, my brilliant friend invented a stir fry with two basic flavor ingredients: peanut butter and chili garlic sauce. Sticking to college canon, I dutifully always made this dish with broccoli, as she recommended. Making it with broccoli is THE BEST because the peanut butter sticks to the little green bristles. SO. GOOD.

Turns out, you can make this stir fry with anything. Variety! The spice of life. Ahem.

You will need:

onions, chopped

absolutely any vegetables, chopped (broccoli, snap peas, carrots, celery, zucchini, anything)

1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter

1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (to taste, it is HOT)

tamari (or gluten-free soy sauce)

sesame oil (or any oil for frying)

ginger, if you have it

rice

Saute the onions. Add the rest of the vegetables. Add the peanut butter and chili garlic sauce (and ginger) and stir until the peanut butter is evenly distributed. Cook until vegetables are cooked - but still crunchy. Look for the bright green glow - don't let them brown. (Obviously this does not apply to carrots. They are orange.)

I added kidney beans - cuz I had them - but you could add chicken, tofu, or chick peas, too!

Serve over rice, add soy sauce as desired.

Bottles of Joy

2010-05-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

With last night's dinner I had a glass of this delicious wine. Let me not pretend to know how to describe it except that I know it is good because I like it. It is kind of dry and does not taste like old paint thinner, AT ALL. Also, they have it at the liquor store around the corner. Try it! You will agree with me.

And, this is the kind of soy sauce I like to use, as it has no added thickeners (like wheat). It's just pure tamari. I got it at Whole Foods. It also tastes good. Now you know, if you didn't before.

SEEN: Duane Reade

2010-05-25T16:01:00.004-04:00

This just in, via instant message!

"Duane Reade is GF central!" There is a new location on 8th Avenue and 16th Street with - allegedly - an entire aisle. It is "superduper fancy" with "all the gf flour, pasta, cookies you could imagine".

Thanks, Karen! And then, in a different, less "superduper" Duane Reade, (on Broadway and 8th Street) I found these gluten-free gingersnaps. Did anyone try them? Since, as you can see from the post below, I was drinking brown cows all weekend, I decided to avoid them in favor of something more sensible.

Snap! Snap!

Coke Float

2010-05-25T14:54:00.005-04:00

Listen, folks. It's going to be 91 degrees in NYC tomorrow. I'm talking hit the drug stores now to stock up on SPF 60 and coconut water.

Second choice - a caffeinated twist on the Brown Cow: coke float! Sometimes it's just the thing you need to get your engine running on a humid afternoon - a little caffeine, a little high fructose corn syrup, a little dairy. You won't be disappointed.

Serves 2, with second helpings and the potential for leftover ice cream (an unknown concept in my apartment.)

Guacamole Salad & Mango Sangria

2010-05-20T10:53:00.005-04:00

My roommate (Glutenous Correspondent No. 1) is my dedicated entremetier and thus is in charge of all things salad. In my head I invented a dish that would be all the ingredients of guacamole, but with shredded cabbage - and diced, not smushed, avocado.

I dreamed. She executed.

These are the appropriate accoutrement to the spinach mushroom enchiladas shown in the post below.

Guacamole Salad

Bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Small head of green cabbage, sliced thin
Juice of 1-2 limes (to taste)
Half a red onion, diced
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced
Dash of salt

Toss.

--

Mango Sangria

Of course there's no photo, what are you crazy? One cannot drink and photograph at the same time. Well, one cannot drink, photograph, and bake enchiladas at the same time. I CAN'T ANYWAY.

1 bottle (cheap) red wine
1 container orange juice - or orange tangerine
cinnamon
mango
1 lime

Dice the mango and dump it, with a hearty shake of cinnamon, into a jug of half wine, half juice. Squeeze in some lime. Ice optional. Done and done. Cheers!

Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

2010-05-20T09:45:00.006-04:00

The pictures would be better if we weren't so damn hungry.

The eternal question: what to do when hosting vegetarians for dinner? Before I went gluten-free, I was vegetarian for a number of years. I started eating meat again while studying abroad in Dublin - most of my anti-meat qualms were environmental and the meat in Ireland is all pretty... local. Oh, and delicious. It ended up being an easy transition: a foreign country, a new diet. I started eliminating wheat in a big way after my first tall pint of Guinness- oh lord, never again.

Last night I went for the old standby: Mexican food. Beans and rice are a middle ground for all special eaters. Sometimes vegetarian options can get a little stultifying in the taco department: do you really want to eat a potato taco? So I found a recipe for spinach enchiladas on the Food Network. (*Danger! Emeril suggests making a roux with his spinach. I didn't, out of laziness, but for eating out this is another flour source to be wary of!)

I usually always like what I cook (and who can go wrong with baked cheese?) but this time I was particularly impressed. I simplified Emeril's recipe the way I always simplify a recipe, basically, read it once and then make it all up as I go along. Last night's menu was:

Mango Sangria
Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas
Beans and Rice
Guacamole Salad

[I will post the salad & sangria recipe later.]

Enchiladas, Beans and Rice (serves six hungry pigs)

1 bag spinach, blanched
Block of monterey jack or cheddar or both, shredded
About 15 corn tortillas
10 or so little white mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1 large yellow onion, sliced and sauteed with...
Cumin, garlic, chili powder, pepper, salt, oil.
2c brown rice
1 large can black beans
1 small can pickled jalapenos
1 habanero pepper, roasted
1 tomato, diced

--
Put the rice on first, with plenty of oil and salt in the water.

Emeril says to roast the habanero pepper over the open flame of the stove. I have an electric stove (oh, the horror!) so I blackened it...over a candle. No joke. It works!

In another pot, heat up the beans. Drain the juice of the pickled jalapenos into the pot, save and slice - and use 2-3 of the peppers. Stir, and let cook for about 30 minutes. Later! Add slices of your roasted habanero pepper and the diced tomato.

Brown the onions, adding all the requisite spices. Set aside.

Saute the mushrooms.

Enlist a sous chef to grate cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Then, blanch the spinach. Here is a very helpful video from Gluten-Free Girl on blanching. I had never done it before - but it was easy enough and very intrinsic to the success of the enchiladas. (Essentially: dunk the spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds, remove with tongs and place in a giant pot with ice water in it. Then squeeze it dry a little in a sieve. No one likes a watery enchilada, or overcooked spinach.)

Phew! Make little taco pockets in a baking pan, adding cheese, spinach, mushrooms and onions to all. (Save half the onions for the rice.) Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Use the bubbling liquid FROM THE BEANS to pour over all the little enchiladas. Make sure it's nice and soupy in there.

Cover the entire thing in cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, and if you want, at the end, broil for about 1 minute to brown the cheese.

Add the remaining onions to your cooked rice.

Serve with Greek yogurt - or sour cream, hot sauce, and the guacamole salad which I will post soon!

Snack Time (All the time)

2010-05-19T16:57:00.003-04:00

I am a pretty big fan of all the Blue Diamond almond "nut thins*" but I'd never tried this pecan situation before. The Dunns are huge eaters of cheese and therefore cracker aficionados - and nut thins were on the Christmas table long before I'd even heard of gluten.

Pair with aged Gouda, green grapes, and maybe a frosty glass of Vinho Verde? Are you allowed to call a wine glass 'frosty'? The butterscotchy element of the Gouda will perfectly match the sweet pecan aftertaste of these crunchy, (buttery) delights.

*There is a storefront in Times Square called "Nut Castle." Just sharing that fact with all of you.

This Just In:

2010-05-18T14:23:00.004-04:00

Damn! This sign went up JUST as I scrambled to my last class of the semester. It's right on the way to my Continuing Education writing class (yes). How I would have loved to just "pick up a slice" on the way! I guess there is only one way to interpret this: as a sign from God to take another class at the New School. Or that melted cheese makes a bad impression on a composition notebook. Either one.

Nothing on their website about the gluten-free yet. I'll keep you posted if I go back! (To the website, OR the cafe.)

Debbie Downer is...

2010-05-14T11:26:00.003-04:00

GLUTEN FREE! See the video here, at Celiac Chicks.

Poor Debbie. She just needs a giant macaroon to cheer her up.

T.G.I.F.

2010-05-14T10:48:00.001-04:00

Each of those green tags serves to indicate Special Diets: GLUTEN-FREE. Green's is my favorite beer yet - especially the blond, but also especially the dark. Who am I kidding? I love them all.

Around the neighborhood...

2010-05-14T10:31:00.001-04:00

When I moved to Crown Heights it was impossible to get my hands on a piece of fruit that didn't have flies buzzing all around it. That's not a criticism, per say, I love my neighborhood. But so much can change, in three years. For the better: now I can get a gluten free frozen pizza - coconut milk ice cream - Tofutti bars - hummus - kombucha, all at the 24 hour Korean bodega. For the worse, well, let's argue about gentrification another time.

Gluten-free cones, available 24 hours.

The first time I tried to buy whiskey at my local liquor store, they laughed in my face - through the bulletproof glass, of course. Jameson? What was I thinking? They could offer, instead, a nip of Wild Irish Rose. Now there is a full wine selection, demarcated by region. Spanish, Italian, French, Australian. Sake in the back corner.

The renovated deli by my house offers lower prices on Ben and Jerry's pints - and more selection. And now, this poster, a public service announcement to the neighborhood! Now if only they had a gluten-free roll...

Saravanaas Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

2010-05-10T09:00:00.002-04:00

Thank God! After several cold months without Indian food, I made it uptown to Saravanaas. Thank God! It is part of a restaurant chain spanning the globe - a literal map of South Indian diaspora. Edison, New Jersey, Sunnyvale, California, Vancouver, Qatar. And New York City. I ate there first at their original location, in Chennai.

I brought my mother to show her how South Indians do it. We both love a curry but I was eager to introduce her to the Southerly treats: we started with idlis.

Even though a lassi is a North Indian treat, we ordered them to soothe our burning tongues! In celebration of her visit to New York City, we blended cultures. (Get it? Cultures? Yogurt?)

The food was great. Was it different than in India? Yes. The sambar was less spicy with less flavor of curry leaf - it tasted more like an Indian twist on lentil soup. Since I love lentil soup I enjoyed it but it was not QUITE RIGHT. Like eating pizza in Istanbul, covered in ground beef and goat cheese. Like eating Chinese in Dublin, curry over chips. (True.)

When you need a dose of dosa... head to Lexington Avenue & 26th Street. Prepare to wait in line with a lot of hungry Indians.

Warning: any food too large to fit in my camera screen should not be eaten in one sitting. Prepare to waddle home, clutching your belly like a woman about to give birth.

The Macaroon King

2010-05-08T11:14:00.006-04:00

My views on carob have changed.

Attention readers. Today is a very special Saturday, indeed. Today is the Saturday wherein I post my exclusive footage and reportage with the elusive Macaroon King himself. Last week I was invited to take a tour of the factory, right here in Brooklyn, NY. The company is planning a move to Pennsylvania to expand, so I hopped on the J train to catch a glimpse before it leaves.

Arnold Badner, the Macaroon King, has been a health food pioneer since the beginning of time. Just kidding! Not that long. He has, however, run over thirty (full) marathons. He eats at least one macaroon per day. What does that tell you?

Here he poses by the largest oven I ever hope to see.

I had a lot of questions for him about macaroons. Who invented such a thing? And how does one become the King of a baked good? Well, the company had its start in fruit cake. In 1919, that was as good a place to start as any. During World War II, a brandy soaked cake was just the gift to send a soldier abroad.

I wonder if it is still edible? Let's not find out. Open this rum & brandy flavored treasure with a secret key.

The company also sold macaroons during Passover. Passover is every gluten-free goyim's favorite time of the year! No flour! (Except matzoh, but who wants that anyway? Not me.)

Arnold: "In 1974, I said, 'fruitcakes are dead.'" So where to go from there? And how to make a business on macaroons alone? Luckily, the product had been snatched up by GNC which marketed the treat as a health food. With only three ingredients, (coconut, honey and egg whites) it was, indeed. Then came the 1980s, when the Center for Disease Control put a ban on coconut on movie theater popcorn. (Hello! Delicious! I will try that some day.) The company took a hit, with coconut proclaimed fattening and dangerous.

Today, coconut is as popular as ever! I am drinking coconut water right now. You can find these chewy treats on your local Whole Foods aisles. And yes, Arnold loves that his image is "antithetical to what they are doing" at the high end supermarket. He's going for the "Orville Redenbacher" look! And when the factory moves to PA, they will begin producing a gluten-free pound cake: original, marble, and raisin. Expect them by September or October of this year. I can't wait!

Excuse me, now, I have to go grab the last can of macaroons from my dining room table. My roommates (or, glutenous correspondents) devoured nearly all of them. Recommendation: flatten two mini macaroons, and spread (coconut milk) ice cream in the middle. Listen. I've had a little bit of time on my hands. It's delicious.