Category Archives: Review

Jan30

No Whine, Only Cheese

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Sometimes I can’t help it but make a little fun out of things :) . Especially if the obvious controversy is literary staring you in a face.

Last week I was sharing breakfast with a doctor, and as there are never-ending topics to discuss for those working in a hospital, the conversation was easily flowing with lots of laughs sprinkled throughout the interaction. I was chuckling inside for an entirely different matter.

As one of my friends says “I’m the best guest ever because I come with my own food” :) , the lemon pound cake made for the previous post had its appearance during this breakfast, and the presence was surely glorious as its buttery goodness had no competition next to the sad-looking ”healthy breakfast” Dunkin Donuts sandwich that was limply hanging in the doctor’s hand waiting to be put out of its deflated misery (I mean, into the garbage can, not the doctor’s mouth, but it didn’t happen unfortunately).

Naturally the conversation touched upon my “dietary restrictions” of no gluten, dairy and soy (sans the occasional organic butter or Tamari soy sauce for sushi), and, by the way, I hope to ever see the day when junk will finally be separated and restricted from the actual food.

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“I’d never be able to do it”, said the doctor gingerly stuffing a mouthful of “enriched white flour”, corn syrup and modified food starch (modified into what? and why do you need to “glue” together foods like eggs, cheese and bread that are supposed to hold shape on their own? unless of course they are in fact just modified food starch) and washing it all down with gulps of sucralose-ladden beverage. Mmmmm, good stuff, Doc, if we need a refresher in a periodic table of the chemical elements! :)

“Need to keep the calories down”, surely he knows, he is a doctor first of all.  “Of course”, I answered, putting another piece of a real caloric ”heavyweight” champion “restricted” from enriched white flour and hormone injected milk, bursting with organic eggs, natural gluten free fours, unsweetened almond milk, pasture butter, fresh blueberries and lemon.

“It’s good!”, said the mouth free from inhaling chemical vapors and finally tasting the actual food.

“Sure, Doc!”, let your body enjoy some nourishment so much needed after a long night shift at the hospital.

Even more so, take the rest of this “restricted” cake with you too! :)

What’s Cooking This Week

People usually ask me how does it feel to live without baked goods, cheese, ice cream and such. I generally say “I have no idea, I’d not be able to do it either!” :) (Cue in a mandatory blank stare here.)

The fact is, I don’t know how it’d feel to not eat bread and cheese, and why should I?! With brands like Udi’s and daiya, my taste buds are not missing anything. So definitely no whine here, just lots of cheese! :)

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

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1 medium spaghetti squash

1 medium onion

1+1 Tbspoon of oil spread (or butter), I used Earth Balance coconut spread

1/2 cup of Mimic Cream, unsweetened (or regular cream)

1 cup of shredded daiya, cheddar style (or regular cheese)

1 tspoon marjoram

1/2 tspoon of dry ginger

1/2 tspoon of garlic powder

salt, pepper, chopped fresh herbs

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Cut the squash in half, clean the seeds out and place each half “face down” in a baking dish with a little water on the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the knife easily runs through, then let it cool off a bit.

While the squash is baking, chop the onion, melt 1 Tbspoon of oil spread and saute the onions until lightly golden.

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Once the squash has cooled off, scoop it out into a baking dish, mix in 1 Tbspoon of oil spread, salt/pepper, spices, onions, Mimic Cream and half the shredded cheese. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Even if you don’t have to be dairy free, I encourage you to try something new like daiya plant cheese and Mimic Cream made from cashews, you’d be surprised how similar it tastes to the “real thing”, and bursting with healthy nutrients, you won’t have any guilty feelings indulging in an extra helping.

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Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Garnish with any chopped herbs. Have as many portions of this “restricted” and chemicals-free goodness as you wish! :)

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Enjoy!

Oct1
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It’s time for the big Foodie Pen Pal reveal yet again! This month I was paired with Melissa who blogs at http://www.fitnwellmommy.com/  :)

Melissa sent me a box full of wonderful healthful goodies that I’ve been enjoying. She also sent me a very sweet handwritten note explaining what everything was and how to use the products in the recipes that she loves.

In the box were:

Delicious and healthy walnuts, great for just about anything, to top cereal or yogurt with, to add into salads, or enjoy like that, as a snack.

This very tasty pumpkin butter, smooth and sweet, it’s great to spread onto toast, mix in oatmeal, top pancakes with, or use as a base to bake muffins. Any way you use it, you get the same great taste!

Sun dried tomatoes had just the right mix of being sweet and tart and were a nice addition to pasta dishes and omelets we had in the past couple of weeks.

Finally, these peppers were my son’s favorite, he liked to add them into salads or dip into ranch dressing and eat as a snack. :)

And here I’m enjoying my goodies: mixed-in pumpkin butter with oatmeal and topped with walnuts.

Thank you Melissa for a wonderful September Pen Pal experience!

If you’d like to learn more about the Foodie Pen Pal Program and participate, please visit http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/

Aug31
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It’s that time again, the BIG reveal of this month Foodie Pen Pal :)

My August Pal was Chelsea who is blogging at http://yashascrazylife.wordpress.com/  Chelsea put together such a fun box for me full of  tasty and gluten free goodies. Here are my awesome treats:

Any nuts and fruit mix is something I eat on a daily basis, from a yogurt topping to a salad add-in to a healthy night snack.

This apple butter was just the right mix of sweet and tart, a nice addition to a morning toast or a cookie topping.

I’m a huge tea-lover, so this oolong tea was a wonderful treat, I made it as iced tea and added a bit of dried rose hips flowers to enhance the sweet flavor.

Granola and fruit bars are my on-a-go breakfast or snack and Larabar is my favorite brand as they are all natural, gluten/dairy/soy free. I haven’t tried these particular flavors before, but can you say “no” to anything that says “cookie” on it?!

This almond butter brand was also not familiar to me, but I’ll definitely be on a look out next time I’m shopping as the taste and consistency were both good. You can potentially spread it on a toast or cracker, but I found that it was best eaten with a spoon right out of the packet, especially the chocolate one. :)

Dried mango slices are the kid’s favorite, they were quickly consumed the same morning the box came (under the blanket like I was going to take them away!). A special thank you from the kid!

And here are some of August goodies in action: I made jam tarts using the apple butter and some of the chocolate almond butter topped with pecans blend.

Thank you Chelsea!

If you’d like to participate in a Foodie Pen Pal program, please visit Lindsay’s site for details http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/

Jul31
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A month ago, while reading one of the posts on The Ranting Chef blog, I stumbled upon this awesome program, Foodie Penpals, created by Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean www.theleangreenbean.com .

I was immediately drawn to the idea, I do love cooking and trying different foods, and I do love writing (it’d be hard to maintain a blog if I didn’t :) ), so it was a no-brainer that I just had to join.

And what’s not to love?!  On the 5th of each month, you get paired with two people, one who is sending a box of different goodies to you, and one who you have to send a box to. I was especially excited that you get to enclose something hand-written too. In this age of technology and instant communication, it’s not too often you get to practice penmanship skills. And to use your personalized pink stationery.

 

Just so happened that this month both my “sender” pal and a “receiver” pal were newbies too, so dare I say, all three of us had a great time participating in the program!

My “sender” pal this month was Heather who lives in California and who sent me a box full of delicious goodies. I was especially grateful she was just so considered that she adhered to my gluten free specifications and sent me foods I can enjoy. I also got a note explaining where the foods come from, it was surely interesting to know what local establishments “contributed” their share to fill the box I got.

Even before the box was opened, I could smell the popcorn and couldn’t wait to have my hands (and mouth) full of it. Oh boy, it was good! Sweet and slightly salty with fresh caramel taste, I ate it before the kid had a chance to discover what was in the box (lucky me :) ).

This is the local honey we got in a cute bear jar, it was tasty and smelled like flowers.

I was excited to try these gluten free cookie bars, I’ve never heard of this company before but will definitely be on a look-out for their products, especially if they come individually wrapped, I’m always happy to throw a pre-packaged cookie in my purse for those spur-of-the-moment dessert outings.

Veggie chips is just the healthy snack to share during a “movie night”, it went well with some salsa and hummus.

I usually add nuts to my morning oatmeal or yogurt, so this addition was right on for my breakfast “fix”. A pink lemonade  mix is great for when you feel under the weather and need a quick Emergen-C remedy to feel better by evening. A fruit “rope” was a nice touch from Heather’s son, very much appreciated by my kid, right before dinner (old habits never die apparently), but since he is now the ever-hungry teenager, dinner was eagerly consumed too.

The Pomegranate BBQ glaze looks like it’d be wonderful on just about any meat coming off the grill. I do, however, need to call the manufacturer to see if the Worcestershire sauce they used was gluten free.

Thank you Heather for such thoughtful and full of healthy food finds mix! And I’m now looking forward to more goodies in August!

Jul6
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As the country was in the middle of “red, white and blue” holiday, I had my own celebration going on.

Having missed all the beach outings and BBQ parties because I was at work, I, nevertheless, managed to have a perfect American holiday.

First, I was lost in fantasy about all the shoes I’ll be able to buy with the extra money coming from triple holiday pay :) Actually some particular shoes. All I want for Christmas (make it my birthday too this year) is a pair of authentic cowboy boots!

Dear Santa, something like this please! Love, Diana :)

My second fantasy was about having a perfect American dinner that evening to celebrate the country’s birthday and, hopefully, my future aforementioned birthday gift.

I basically wanted some “fireworks” on my plate and in my mouth.

You know how you start getting colorful explosions all over your body when you meet a perfect lover (even though some tiny leftovers of common sense keep nagging you that once the brain neurons connection is re-established, you may not think that “perfect” is really so)?! I wanted food fireworks like that! Especially knowing that after the immediate fireworks are gone, you may not remember the lover, but you will surely remember the food and will go back for more. If anything, perfect food (and shoes) are always consistent and never disappoint!

What’s Cooking This Week

Since I was working a lot this week, I didn’t have much time for elaborate cooking (also see the previous post). Yet I still wanted to have some all American comfort food to celebrate the country’s birthday. Pizza came immediately to mind. Yes, technically not American, but definitely well-assimilated and all around comfort food. Though finding a gluten free pizza, and delicious nonetheless, is a task. I’ve tried my share of gluten free pizza crusts, some were just passable, some plain horrible (not a big fan of strong bean flours). Luckily, I work right by famous Mozzarelli’s Pizzeria on the Lower East Side www.mozzarellis.com   I’m a frequent visitor there for either gluten free pasta dishes or desserts from My Dad’s Cookies line, but they are ultimately famous for their pizza (regular wheat pizza is available too by-the-way). As an added bonus, pre-packaged pizza crusts are up for grabs to take home, and they do ship outside of NYC, both crusts and desserts, so check the website.

 Gluten/Dairy Free Chicken Veggie Pizza

1 12-inch GF pizza crust

1/2 cup of cooked chicken

10-12 lightly roasted zucchini slices

1/2 cup tomato sauce

10-15 cherry tomatoes, cut lengthwise

1/2 cup mozzarella style daiya cheese shreds

garlic powder and Italian/Pizza seasoning to taste

fresh chives, chopped

fresh basil leaves

olive oil

Mozzarelli’s pizza crusts come in packs of 1, 2 or 3 (larger quantities available on their site). They are pre-baked and should be kept frozen until ready to use.

For a crisper crust, they instruct you to bake it at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes. The crust came out nicely golden.

Brush the crust with olive oil, spread tomato sauce and top with chicken and zucchini slices, season with garlic powder and other seasonings, sprinkle chopped chives all around and cover everything with daiya shreds.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes or untill the desired crispness is reached and cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. I had to literary restrain myself from eating the whole thing, it was so so good! The crust was crispy and very similar to thin NY pizza texture-wise, my only remark would be, it was a tiny bit sweeter than I’d have wanted, but it didn’t spoil the whole experience at all. It was simply perfect! I wish all lovers would be like that :)

Enjoy!

Jun15
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Remember the “Kodak moment” commercials? The ones where they show you some pricy items, like jewelry or cars, you can buy for the loved ones and then create a lasting memory of their gratitude with a Kodak camera? Despite the claims, the moment is not exactly “priceless”, you actually have to face a hefty price tag to satisfy your loved one to the point that is Kodak-worthy.

So how much are you willing to pay for the “priceless” moment?

And is there a price for perfection?!

It all depends what is perfect to you, and how much you actually want it.

I’ve been on a search for a “perfect” gluten free waffle and pancake mix and a gluten free flour mix in general. If you ever tried gluten free baked products, you may notice that some of them leave this tiny (or not) aftertaste of the flours used in the mix, and not all of them look and taste the best, even for a gluten free product.

Many come pretty close to the regular wheat versions though. Udi’s bread and baked goods are the best I’ve encountered that are also soy and dairy free. I absolutely love The Cravings Place waffle and pancake mix, that is a complete mix and nothing except water or milk needs to be added and still have fluffy pancakes, unsweetened (but with a hint of vanilla) too, I use it as my “Bisquick” for all quick recipes.

But still, nothing came to the absolute perfection until this “beauty” arrived at my doorstep.

 

I heard about the amazing Cup4Cup gluten free flour developed by Chef Thomas Keller exclusively for Williams-Sonoma, http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cup4cup-gluten-free-flour/?pkey=cbaking-mixes but up until now was a bit sceptical to pay a “nice” price of  $19.95 for a 3-lbs bag of mix. Plus the flour is not dairy free, there is milk powder in it, but maybe this is the “make-it-or-break-it” ingredient for a great mix. So my quest for a perfectly plump and gloriously soft waffle still brought me to the reviews of their Ad Hoc Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix that is based on Cup4Cup flour http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/ad-hoc-gluten-free-pancake-waffle-mix/?pkey=cbaking-mixes. I figured, if it’s good, I can have it as an occasional weekend splurge to minimize the effects of dairy in the mix. And you shouldn’t be eating waffles every day to begin with, right?!

OK, I was sold, for $18.95 to be exact :)

 

What’s Cooking This Week

It arrived, as pictured, in a pretty box that contained 2 sealed pouches with the mix, each of them claiming to be enough for 4  7-inch round waffles or 8 Belgian waffles. That makes it about $2.37 per waffle, if you’re counting. OK, I can deal with it, as long as they are really good.

Ad Hoc Gluten Free Waffles

1 pouch of mix

1 cup of milk (I used coconut milk)

1 egg, beaten

5 Tbspoons of unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance coconut oil spread), melted

Follow the directions on the box mixing all ingredients and then letting the batter rest for about 5 minutes.

It kind of plumped-up and looked very thick.

Heat up the waffle maker and spoon some batter to coat it evenly, cook according to the waffle maker instructions.

I did not get 4 waffles, as described, I only got 3, maybe next time I’ll add just a tiny bit more milk to see if that will make a difference.

But, OMG, OMG!!!

They tasted exactly how I remember the good wheat waffles should taste, soft yet plump, buttery and absolutely no aftertaste. I’m sure if somebody else tried them, they would not even know they are gluten free.

Here I’m enjoying them with syrup, toasted almonds and fruit.

It was a glorious Saturday morning, full of leisurely breakfast chat and buttery smells. And I was guarding my waffle plate as a hawk, the kid usually shares whatever I make, gluten free or not, he did not get a morsel this time :)

And, by-the-way, I bought the Cup4Cup flour mix too, I’m pretty sure anything I make with it will turn out exactly like the wheat version, but stay tuned, it will probably be another wonderful review, minus the price tag.

Enjoy!

Jun8
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   Apparently Boston is an unofficial gluten free “capital”.

  It may not seem so to other people, but I’d definitely  nominate it, if such category ever existed.

Last week the kid and I traveled to Boston for 5 days. I came prepared, as the usual case when traveling, with a bag full of gluten free breads and other goodies, but I was also pleasantly surprised that so many restaurants (or at least the ones I encountered) cater to the gluten free community. Kudos to them!

Following are my notes on the gluten free choices along with the actual restaurant reviews. The grades are for the overall experience: gluten free offerings, food and service.

When booking a hotel, the first thing I always look at are the restaurant choices, both on-site and nearby (maybe self-indulgent but surely necessary). We stood at the new hotel in South Boston, right by the Seaport, Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel by Marriott. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/boswf-renaissance-boston-waterfront-hotel/

The hotel is new, only about 4 year old, build in a sleek modern architecture overlooking Boston’s Seaport, it’s clean, comfortable and accommodating, everything you’d want in a hotel. The area itself though is kind of under-developed, like may spots in South Boston, so there’s not much to do in the evening except dining and a stroll along the bay. It’s just two blocks from Boston’s Silver Line subway station.

Oh, let me digress here for a minute about this Silver Line. I had so much fun with it :) So, apparently Boston’s Silver Line is not really “subway” even though it’s part of the system. It’s actually a bus that partially runs underground and connects you with the other, “real” subway lines. So this is the “subway train” that’s near the hotel, and it takes you to the real trains. Every time I got on it, I just couldn’t stop smiling as I was thinking of the Choo-Choo Train from “The Little Engine That Could”. “I think I can, I think I can” – said The Little Engine… You sure can, baby! :)   However, as a mental health professional, I have to warn you all, this bus appears to be suffering from Identity Confusion Disorder, part of Dissociative Disorders. And, as with all Personality Disorders spectrum, you can try mitigating some symptoms with antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, but there’s no cure. So, board at your own risk! :)

OK, back to the actual reviews. The hotel had two restaurants, besides the usual room service, 606 Congress is a formal sit-down place where you can get full breakfast, lunch and dinner. Capiz Bar is a lounge where drinks and lighter fare, such as salads and sandwiches are available. Both Capiz Bar and 606 Congress were accommodating to my needs. The hotel has a print-out from their regular menus indicating the items that are either naturally gluten free or can be made without gluten. I had a great green salad with grilled chicken and creamy balsamic dressing as well as fries at the Bar. They also have this amazing onion dip with homemade potato chips that is only $0.99! You can’t beat that as an appetizer. Unfortunately, the kid and I inhaled both the dip and the salad with fries before I could take any pictures. :) But trust me, it was delicious looking!

I had two meals at 606 Congress, breakfast and dinner. During breakfast time, once I let the waiter know that I’m gluten intolerant, the chef came out to personally greet and assure me that my meal will be safe from gluten and cross-contamination. He told me that his own daughter has Celiac, and he’d make sure that the area where my dish will be made is “cleaned-up”, and clean pots and utensils are used. I definitely felt that I was safe with a chef who has a personal experience cooking gluten free. Now, meeting the chef wasn’t unusual, most of the hotels I’ve been to in the past few years (though all higher-end) catered to my needs, some, like Ritz Carlton, even have a personal dietary navigator.  So, I got a great breakfast dish of home fried potatoes and chicken-apple sausage at 606 Congress. It was just what I needed, a nice warm breakfast that tasted exactly like you’d make it at home.

Dinner at 606 Congress was a more formal affair, we both had Angus grass fed sirloin with carrots and turnips in bordelaise syrup. The steak was very good, tender and cooked to my specifications, the veggies were a nice addition too.

 My only complain was that for the price ($32), I’d want to get a slightly bigger steak that would also include at least one side, otherwise add another $8 for each side, but that’s what you usually get at this type of restaurants, they were not very busy each night, so I guess they need to get their money somehow. We ordered two sides, mashed potatoes, that were absolutely divine, full of butter and cream (therefore, I only had a couple spoonfuls as I don’t eat dairy on a regular basis), and sautéed spinach that was good but not excellent as it was covered in tiny pieces of cooked, and not really sautéed, garlic. I have a thing about garlic, it has to be perfect, otherwise, it just ruins everything. I prefer garlic either pressed and “cooked-in” into whatever sauce you’re making or thinly sliced and sautéed till golden brown so you get the garlic taste but also have a possibility remove the actual garlic pieces from the food and not eat them. When the dish is literally covered in tiny garlic pieces that taste like they were boiled rather than sautéed, I think it ruins the whole experience.

So, my grade for hotel’s food, both Capiz and 606 Congress, is A – , the food was good (minus the garlic), service was attentive (plus for the chef ‘s personal appearance), and it was surely helpful to have a gluten free menu print-out.

The next day we had dinner at Salvatore’s, which is the Italian place nearby the hotel (they also have other locations in Boston). http://salvatoresrestaurants.com/ Upon examining the restaurant’s website, which is what I usually do before going out, I discovered that they offer gluten free pasta. Yay, said the excited Peddler! Well, not so fast, as it turned out. We were greeted by sleepy looking and kind of grumpy waiter (and it was way before the usual dinner time rush, so they weren’t busy at all, but maybe that was the reason, we disturbed his rest). I asked about gluten free menu, and, again, less then enthusiastically, he offered some information about the pasta dishes (some of which I asked him to double-check that absolutely killed his mood as it required extra energy expenditure on his part).

After some discussions with the grumpy waiter which foods they can actually prepare gluten free, the kid and I shared these pan seared scallops in a creamy limoncello sauce, they were good, but really nothing outstanding.

Then the main course came, and I ordered sweet sausage with olives and artichokes in a garlic wine sauce over their gluten free pasta. Sounds simple yet quite delicious, something that I’d enjoy making at home. Well, remember my previous rant about garlic? Yep, I got it yet again, maybe that’s what they do in Boston. Pasta was not just covered in tiny, cooked, not sautéed, garlic and was swimming in a pool of white sauce, it looked more like pasta soup than pasta with sauce. The sausage also tasted kind of boiled (I guess because of all the liquid it cooked in) rather than sautéed, which is what I prefer in my pasta. The only good thing about this dish was that pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente (and it was gluten free), but I kept thinking I’d make it so much better at home.

 The kid had lobster ravioli in some creamy sauce and said it tasted pretty good. But what kind of a food critic a hungry 15 year old can really be?! Plus if the place can’t make a simple pasta dish taste at least passable, what are we even talking about?!

So, my grade for Salvatore’s is big C – (I threw a little extra because scallops were good). Maybe their other locations are much better, but at least you have some gluten free options.

We spent the next day in Salem, and, surprisingly, even there I was able to eat gluten free. Right by the trolley depot, there is a place called Rockarfellas, http://www.rockafellasofsalem.com/ , a casual place of all-American staples. Their menu indicated which items can be made gluten free. OK, I was impressed! If some place in Salem can have that available, why can’t ALL restaurants in NYC at least do the same, simply indicate which items are safe from gluten?! Maybe because some NY’s “finest establishments” are too damn self-absorbed and “sophisticated” to make any kind of substitutions or accommodations. Though I do have to admit it that most of the time I am actually accommodated, but it’s just nice to see it “on paper” so to say that gluten sensitivity is acknowledged. Saves time and aggravation too if you ask me.

I wasn’t in a mood for any of their gluten free options that Rockafellas offered and asked if a pulled pork sandwich could be made on my own roll and is generally safe, which it was. Here I’m enjoying my pulled pork on Ener-G’s English muffin (that I often use as a roll) with a nice side salad. That was a great lunch, and the food was pretty good too.

So my grade for Rockafellas is a solid B (the service was very slow even though it was passed the usual lunch time rush).

That very same day we had a late dinner at Rosa Mexicano www.rosamexicano.com that was right on the Seaport strip. I’ve been to two out of three Rosa’s in NYC and one in D.C., they are all consistently great, if you like spicy food, and to me even some mild heat is spicy. Next to it was also Morton’s Steakhouse www.mortons.com , and I was really tempted. I had some awesome steaks at their D.C. and West Palm Beach locations, but I figured it’s probably best to visit such place in adult company where a great meal could be shared over a few (or many :) ) drinks and a leisurely conversation. So the kid and I had our dinner at Rosa Mexicano, as planned.

As always, I checked the website to yet again find out that they offer gluten free choices. Yay said excited Peddler! Let’s have some Mexican! We were greeted by an overly enthusiastic waiter with “baby cheeks”, and while we browsed the menu, I asked for one of these.

And was promptly ”carded”! I do not remember how long ago that happened last time, and considering that when I came to the US, I was already of legal age, not very many times. Babycheeks, I’m flattered, but I don’t have a tip as big as your compliment! And, seriously, I was there with my 15 year old, did you think I was his girlfriend?!

When in Rosa Mexicano, you just HAVE to try their guacamole, done right in front of you, with your choice of heat “levels” and a side of homemade corn chips, you think you’re in heaven (OK one of those pictured just above helped to feel at ease also :) )

I had one of their specials, fish of the day, which was black sea bass that evening, with a warm potato-chorizo salad, beet chimichurri and pumpkin seed pipian. The dish was great, just on a verge of what I’d consider too spicy for my liking, but I managed. My only complain was that the fish itself was a bit limp and needed just a tad more sear in a pan, otherwise, the meal was very delicious.

My grade for Rosa Mexicano in Boston is A – (for the fish, but with extra hand clapping for the “carded” drink). Oh, and the waiter did get a nice tip, not as big as he’d probably hoped for, but he got his 20%.

The last day was spent roaming around Boston when we stumbled upon Pizzeria Uno http://www.unos.com/indexi.php . Famous for their deep dish pizza, they are also one of the first chain restaurants  that started offering gluten free pizza crusts. But since I don’t eat dairy, that wasn’t an option. I’m a bit puzzled though why they can offer gluten free crust but not other breads. Bad marketing people! You throw together the same ingredients as for the crust and make some wonderful focaccia bread, great for sandwiches or even burgers.

And, of course I didn’t want to eat their burger plain, as indicated on the menu, here it is on a burger roll by Canyon Bakehouse that I was so clever to bring along (as always :) ) with a side of roasted vegetables that were actually surprisingly great and tasted like homemade.

My grade for Pizzeria Uno is a nice B (points taken off for bad marketing strategy of having gluten free pizza but not bread for sandwiches).

And now we came to the last, and the best, meal in Boston, and that could only be described as a complete and utter perfection! Right on the corner of the hotel’s block was a restaurant called The Legal Test Kitchen http://www.ltkbarandkitchen.com/site/ . They were busy, despite it being a Tuesday night, which was a good sign. As soon as I was seated and announced my gluten intolerance to the waiter, I was greeted with these “heavenly creatures” – homemade gluten free dinner rolls. Oh my, I was definitely in heaven, they were awesome! And how great it was to know that the chef took his time to make them so their gluten free customers could feel welcomed too!

My dinner was great too, a tasty dish of pan seared lemon chicken with toasted almonds and zucchini-tomato salad served in a creamy lemon sauce with carmalized lemon peel. I so want to re-create it at home!

My overall grade is A with a great +. Loved an extra touch of attention in a way of dinner rolls, and the food was very good, gluten free or not. Oh, and I got an extra portion of those rolls for my next day breakfast :)

Thus concludes my review of the gluten free options I encountered in Boston. Whether the Universe conspired in a very special way, or I was just very lucky, but every dining establishment I visited had some gluten free choices available, making the trip so much more enjoyable.

Go Boston!!!

May24
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    Have Passport?

    Will travel.

    Even if gluten free!

Way before gluten free lifestyle, cancer and even kid happened, traveling was as easy as just picking up a small suitcase and going. Well, it’s a bit more complicated now. Yes, I’m totally ecstatic that the kid is 15 and doesn’t come with a bag full of diapers, wipes, kids medicines or even swim floaties. It’s the mom now who needs a suitcase packed with her foods and medicines (just in case), but it doesn’t mean that traveling should become a much dreaded activity. It could still be easy peasy (with some advanced preparations).

First, make a list of all the possible things you may need, food including, I keep a list saved on my computer and just update it depending on a nature of travel and season. You may also find out that certain things were needed during your travels that you didn’t even think of. And sometimes it’s better to “overpack” where foods and medicines are concerned as you can’t be certain that gluten free foods will be readily available. Oh, I overpack clothes too :)   I have closets stuffed with clothes anyway (I know, I’m bad), but sometimes it’s impossible to pass by a cute dress, or shoes. :)  Don’t get me started about shoes, I have a whole closet dedicated to just shoes! Some of them need to see the daylight once in a while, so vacation is a perfect time for that.

And speaking of vacation, this weekend the kid and I are going to Boston, nice hotel, indoor pool, private city tour :)   Ahhhhh, life will be sweet for those 5 days! It’s the 1st time we’re going to Boston to stay, rather than just passing through, so I’m very much looking forward to all the sightseeing, and food of course! I’m determined to enjoy their food, with some adjustments and substitutions :)

When traveling while being gluten free, it’s better to bring all necessary substitutions with you. Many times I’ve called hotels to hear that they have some gluten free foods only to find out upon the arrival that they really don’t (maybe the previous guests ate it all LOL), and some other hotels (higher end though) surprised me with gluten free breads and pancakes. The variety and the amount of different gluten free foods I take with me usually depend on a length of stay and the location (if it’s a closed-in resort, you will definitely need more than in a middle of a big city with stores all around you). Though some basics are just that, basics, and you should aim to have them with you so you can fully enjoy your stay.

I usually pack a separate carry-on small suitcase full of my foods, this way I have some options if traveling takes longer than I expected, plus I don’t run a risk of it being lost (or smashed in a cargo compartment).  Again, depending on a length of stay, I may bring whole packages or just a few pieces, but I do bring enough variety not to feel bored with eating the same things. So, what usually goes in my suitcase?

Bread products, for sure, between Udi’s and Canyon Bakehouse, I’m mostly set with that. They are what I eat regularly anyway.

That’s a pretty good breakfast, whether in your own kitchen or the best hotel room!

I also sometimes pack extras, like Light Rice bread (lower in calories) and English muffins by Ener-G Foods.

 Always bring granola and individual servings of non-dairy milk (as I don’t eat dairy either), such as coconut or almond milk).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a longer stay, I can bring my own pancake mix and ask the chef to use it, I don’t think I ever heard a “no”.

Then you also need a nice assortment of snacks and cereal bars (that could also double-up as a quick breakfast), this is my favorite cereal bar, traveling or not.

I do also love Lundau’s peanut butter glazed rice cakes, you get a carb and a protein without the messiness of spreading PB on. I can never keep enough of these at home, the kid keeps stealing them from me.

Nuts is another nice snack you can share with your family, these have an extra zing having sesame seeds coating.

Crackers and pretzels are always a great choice, I bring a few while going out for dinner, this way I don’t feel left out when everybody else is enjoying bread and breadsticks (just make sure you ask for a separate oil dipping dish to cut a chance of cross-contamination).

 Always bring your own pasta and ask the chef to boil some separate, I’m yet to find a restaurant not willing to accommodate me. Some do require though to sign a waiver (because once they are making food from the ingredients they didn’t buy, technically they can’t be responsible), but I never had a problem and always signed it. Tinkyada pasta is the best to hold the shape, texture and definitely taste.

And last, but surely not the least, bring some sweets and desserts, you’ll thank yourself during lazy afternoons over a cup of tea.

                             

                     Who would miss wheat cake when you have these?!

Happy travels!

Oh, and in case you are wondering, you don’t have to be traveling to enjoy any of the products :)

Apr19
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Quote

Life’s Tragedy

It may be misery not to sing at all,

And to go silent through the brimming day,

It may be misery never to be loved,

But deeper griefs that these beset the way.

To sing the perfect song,

And by a half-tone lost the key,

There the potent sorrow, there the grief,

The pale, sad staring of Life’s Tragedy.

To have come near to the perfect love,

Not the hot passion of untempered youth,

But that which lies aside its vanity,

And gives, for thy trusting worship, truth.

This, this indeed is to be accursed,

For if we mortals love, or if we sing,

We count our joys not by what we have,

But by what kept us from that perfect thing.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

What’s Cooking This Week

Today’s theme is imperfection, striking a balance and appreciating what you have. Leading a lifestyle that is devoid of the very common foods is very much all those things especially when it concerns convenience and socialization. When you’re in the very beginning of just having discovered that certain foods do not agree with your body or may even be extremely harmful, you inevitably go through a period of loss not only grieving over the very foods you can’t imagine your life without but also over some perceived lost connections and a lonely life void of any socialization.

In fact, none of these should necessarily happen, you can continue enjoying the dishes you love, but with certain substitutions and modifications. And you certainly do not have to give up your friendships, going out and continue visiting any social outlets you did before (but with some preparations).

Once going gluten free, dessert could be the most challenging part of any social outing, but really it doesn’t have to be. You can come prepared and enjoy it as much as the rest of you company.

Quinoa cookies by Andean Dream is my “to-go” dessert, it’s all natural, gluten free and vegan (and absolutely delicious :) ). It comes in two flavors, chocolate or orange, both are great, and each cookie is individually wrapped so they stay fresh. I usually carry a couple of these cookies in my purse, and any time there’s a spontaneous outing or even a planned party, I’m well-prepared and do not feel like I’m missing out on something when dessert time comes. Hope you enjoy them too!

Apr17

The New Beginnings

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As the world was celebrating Easter holiday a week ago, our family gathered together to celebrate “the new beginnings” of a different sort, an anticipated arrival of a new baby, aka food galore and baby gifts and games ad nauseam, otherwise known as…

My “baby” cousin and his lovely wife are expecting a baby boy next month (which makes me slightly nostalgic as my own boy was also born in May, but not nostalgic enough not to rejoice in the fact that, thanks God, those baby days are finally over :) )

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy for my cousin and the whole family. Apparently we’re a bunch of only children keep producing only children themselves. So any new baby is a tiny miracle by any means! And I sincerely hope that at least one of my cousins will break the family “spell” and will have 2 or maybe even 3 children, the “baby” of the family looks young and strong and totally capable of undertaking this task!

The day was truly lovely, the weather was gorgeous, and I was kind of in a mellow mood. My own baby shower was at the exact same time in the beginning of April but 15 year ago.

Did you think you were going to see a picture from my baby shower?! No way I’m posting something as ridiculous as me wearing a hat with all those paper gift ribbons they make you wear as a “token of appreciation” for all the baby goodies you got. It must’ve been the pregnancy hormones that made me “soft in a head” and agreeable to this kind of torture. Maybe one day I’ll just Photoshop the stupid hat out of the pictures so I can at least have a presentable image of myself for the kid’s “memory box”.

But first about my cousin, who I used to babysit during summers and winter vacations, and who, once he reached the age when he realized I’m not really a grown-up, turned to various torture techniques, one of which was to wake me up early in a morning by crashing a toy truck through my scalp. I hold him fully responsible for any “head issues” I currently possess or will turn up with in the future. And since he is now a doctor, he will “reap what you saw” at the end, as I’ll march right into his office demanding free medical care :)

The party was unisex, so both women and men were in attendance (that’s right, we don’t get to be in this condition on our own), but after a few “hellos” and some bites to eat, all men cleverly disappeared into the basement leaving the women to be slowly drowned in a “sugar coma” from all the baby gifts.

There were plenty of these

But I was trying to concentrate on these ones :)

By no means, I’m not a “baby hater”, but I fully embrace my own kid’s abilities to feed, dress, wipe and get himself to school. Plus if he happens to be up at 2 am, I actually don’t have to. And since he was  first a colicky and then a  mischievous baby, I shudder at the very thought of repeating the experience. If nothing inside you stirs that “awwwwe” longing, and you pray that no “baby fever” contamination rubs on you accidentally, that’s when you feel you’re totally “done”, and one kid seems like enough of a headache and sleepless nights for a lifetime (oh I still love him :) ) Babies and I are just in different life stages now. And I’m fully OK with that!

What Was Cooking For The Party

Lots of different things, and since I also had to work that weekend, I was glad I didn’t have to think about dinner :)

At a Russian party, you’re never a foot away or 5 minutes in between some kind of food offering. The trick is always to try everything yet manage not to feel like you’ve just gained at least 10 pounds and an end-stage emphysema. You just have to pick your battles.

I started with these, we’re all sushi wh***s :)

With a side of some of these :)

 Then I loaded up on different kinds of these

 Couldn’t pass by some lamb pilaf though :)

And then dessert was served

 Luckily, I could still breathe!

And as we crossed the bridge to go back home, I truly felt that I’ve crossed over from “babyland”, and there is no going back. But that is how life sometimes is, it’s sweet and salty and with some bitter undertones. Just like a Russian shmorgasbord!