Sunday, September 11, 2011

Egg Rolls!


Alright, folks! I finally did it! Gluten free egg rolls are a success in my house tonight! It takes a little time, but it is really easy. Here's the recipe:

1lb ground pork
shredded cabbage and carrots (I used a bag of slaw mix)
soy sauce to taste
ginger to taste
pinch of nutmeg
lemon juice to taste
salt to taste
rice wrappers (about 10)

1) Brown the ground pork in a pan, mixing soy sauce and seasonings.
2) When the pork is almost completely cooked, add the cabbage and carrots. Cook until vegetables are tender.
3) Fill plate with water. Submerge rice wrappers, one at a time, in the water for a few seconds to soften. Submerging too long with result in a wrapper that falls apart.
4) Place softened wrapper on a second plate. Add about two tablespoons of filling, and roll tightly. Put aside.
5) Place egg roll in about two inches of hot oil (about 375 F) until wrapper is opaque and slightly browned. Place cooked egg roll on a plate to cool.

It's important throughout the process that you do not let egg rolls touch each other, as they wrappers will stick together, even when cooked. The wrappers will also stick to paper towels and paper plates. The rice wrappers are much more delicate than traditional, wheat based egg roll wrappers, so they are harder to handle with tongs. In the past, I used metal tongs and ripped the wrappers, exposing the filling. Tonight, I used flat, silicone-tipped tongs that worked very well.

The filling had a good flavor, though I wish the wrapper would have been slightly more crispy. I think that the consistency is due to my lack of skill. For a first successful attempt, though, I am incredibly pleased with my result.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Ali Baba

Today for lunch, my friend and I were in Longwood, and she suggested we go to a Turkish restaurant. She called to see if they had gluten free food, and they assured us that they had a lot of gluten free options. Plus, we had a coupon. So, we collected our husbands and had a double lunch date. :) When we were being seated, I mentioned my gluten allergy, and I was concerned because the food for lunch is buffet style. I was assured that most of the items on the buffet were gluten free and labeled. When I reached the buffet, I saw that was the case. Though some of the signs were missing, the ones that were there listed all the ingredients, and it's dietary attributes (gluten free, low sodium, low fat, vegetarian, etc.). For those items without signs, I asked the staff. They were able to tell me exactly which items did and did not have gluten. There were tons of choices for me. There were at least three salad items, two types of rice, lentil soup, chicken and rice soup, babaganoush, kabobs, a beef and bean stew sort of thing, and chicken. The food was delicious, and I hate to admit, I over-indulged a little. The restaurant also sold items near the register such as Turkish delight (also gluten free). Hookah was available as well. While no one was using it, there was a stage in the restaurant, and dancers perform sometimes. The staff was friendly and accessible, and the restaurant was clean and had a pleasant environment. It is, however, quite pricey, so I wouldn't go all the time. In fact, I wouldn't go without a coupon. But, it was a nice treat!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Udi Wows Again - This Time with Hamburgers!

Tonight I had a lovely dinner - a "hamburger" with all the fixin's (well, a lot of them, anyway) and a side of sweet potato fries! I started with some Udi hamburger buns. Tonight was the first time I tried them, and I was very excited. Previously, I had to use Kinnikinnick buns, which had a hard, oily texture and a strange aftertaste and were not pre-cut, so I was very excited when my Publix started carrying the new Udi brand buns. Udi's buns are pre-cut (yay!), and are soft, with a texture very much like regular hamburger buns. I am hooked! Never again will I settle on a lack-luster hamburger. I topped my Udi hamburger buns with an Amy's Gluten Free Bistro Burger, a slice of Kraft 2% American cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce, and French's honey dijon mustard. It was tasty! For I side, I had some Ore Ida sweet potato fries. I am so grateful for the ever-growing line of delicious Udi products. In addition, I am awed by how many mainstream brands are available for those of us with Celiac disease. I am also grateful for the massive selection available at my local grocery store. Thank you, Publix for making this dinner a possibility!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Popeye Would Be Proud

In an effort to tone up my body, I am focusing on a high-protein, low(er)-carb diet. For my mornings, this means eggs. Lots. of. eggs. And while I make lovely eggs, there's only so many times you can make a recipe without getting bored. I decided something with spinach would be nice, so I scoured the internet for a recipe that involved spinach and scrambled eggs. I found a recipe entitled Scrambled Eggs with Spinach on About.com that I quite enjoy, though I did modify it to use the ingredients I had in my kitchen already. Also, I quartered the recipe so that it made only one serving. Here it is:

12oz package of baby spinach leaves
2tbs olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced (I used garlic powder)
4tbs heavy cream (I used 2% milk)
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste (I used red pepper for a little kick)
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves (I omitted these)
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Coarsely chop spinach leaves. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet and cook onion and garlic until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and cook, stirring often, until spinach is tender, about 5-7 minutes.

In small bowl, beat cream with eggs, salt, pepper, and thyme until foamy (the milk did not get foamy). Add the egg mixture to the skillet, stirring to allow the eggs to scramble with the spinach, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Having less food, I chose a small skillet, and the cooking times were lower. The recipe was delicious, though I think the garlic made the flavor a little darker than I was anticipating this morning. The new recipe was a nice change in my morning routine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Ma! The Meatloaf!

Sometimes a girl needs her comfort food. Sometimes that comfort food is meatloaf. This week was one of those times for me. I recently acquired a copy of The Gluten Free Bible, which is an amazing resource for gluten free cooking. It has tons of recipes of varying cuisine with a wide range of ingredients that are reasonably accessible. One of these recipes is for Southwestern meatloaf, and it sparked a serious craving. Aaron and I cooked it last night, though with some modifications. Here is the recipe and my critique.

1lb ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup shopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (4oz) chopped mild green chiles, drained
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used a peppercorn medley grinder)
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce, divided
2 tbs ketchup (I used Sweet Baby Rays Chipotle Barbecue sauce)

1) Preheat over to 350F. Spray 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Combine beef, onion, cornmeal, cilantro, chiles, egg, cumin, salt, pepper, and half of tomato sauce in large bowl; mix well. Combine remaining tomato sauce and ketchup in small bowl.
3) Shape meat mixture into 6x9-inch oval in prepared baking pan. Top with tomato sauce mixture. Bake 55 minutes or until cooked through (160F).
4) Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 4 servings

This is a pretty good recipe! I like the twist on a traditional favorite. I substituted the pepper because that is the pepper we had. I think I would prefer the original black pepper, as some of the peppercorn bits were still too firm and messed up the texture. I substituted the barbecue sauce for the ketchup because I loathe ketchup. It gave it a nice punch of flavor that I quite enjoyed! The recipe was straightforward, easy to follow, and yielded nice results. The only minor complaint I have is that the meatloaf came out a little dry. I think this is because of the cornmeal. Next time I may try GF breadcrumbs. The recipe also needs a bit more salt. To combat this, I topped it with some fresh barbecue sauce, which worked beautifully.

I served the meatloaf with some Southwest corn from Birds Eye. While the recipe claims to feed four, we had quite a lot of food, and I think it could easily feed more, providing no one wants seconds. We have a substantial amount of left-over food to eat now!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

GF in Milton, FL

For those of you (and I'm sure there's a lot) who don't know about Milton, it's a city in the far west part of the Florida panhandle, just east of Pensacola. It's a small city, and most businesses close painfully early, but it has some lovely rivers in which to canoe, great camping, amazing restaurants, and a fantastic bike trail. It also happens to be my hometown. A few weeks ago, I had to visit Milton, FL for a funeral. Aside from the obviously bad situation, I was excited to see my family, because I had been missing them! The dietary downside, however, is that Milton is a small country town with delicious, traditional Southern food. This means gluten, and lots of it! If you DON'T have a gluten allergy, you must go to Kwikburger. The fried chicken is amazing, they have great cornbread, and the pies are fantastic. La Hacienda is some of the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. The Catfish House is an amazing place to go for good seafood, and you can't leave without a stop to the Milton Bakery, which frankly, puts other bakeries to shame. HOWEVER, since all of those places are full of gluten, I had to find some alternatives to my old favorites. Sad! Though to be fair, the Catfish House does have grilled fish and a few sides that are available, but cross contamination can be an issue there. On a previous trip, I discovered that I could eat at a place called the Blackwater Bistro, which is a lovely place to have a nice, more upscale dinner in town. They were pleasant and knowledgeable, and I felt very safe eating there. This trip, I mostly ate at my dad's house, because he is an amazing cook, and I knew I'd be safe. I brought a few GF items with me from Orlando, because I knew they'd be tricky to find in Milton. For the most part though, between Winn Dixie and Publix, I can find quite a few gluten free items to meet my needs. The GF selection in Milton grocery stores compared to Orlando grocery stores of the same chains, however, is quite unimpressive. Knowing my preference for a pescatarian diet, my dad made delicious vegetables, including pan fried okra, and a lemon herb tilapia that was quite tasty. Eating my dad's food is always a treat! On the occasions that I could not eat at home, however, I managed to find some decent options. In the neighboring town of Pace, FL, there is a Chili's, which of course, has a pretty large GF menu. I met a friend there and ate dinner the second night of my trip. Also, I knew that Wendy's had gluten free food, but I hadn't been brave enough to venture a try here in Orlando, especially not at the one at Chickasaw Trail and Lake Underhill. I wouldn't trust them with regular food. Knowing that fast food in Milton is vastly superior to fast food in other places (it's true, investigate it yourself!), I thought I'd give Wendy's a try. To my surprise, Wendy's does not only have a GF free menu, they have a HUGE GF menu. I had a baja salad and a small frosty on maybe three different occasions while on my trip! The employees of that location were very helpful and diligent with my food allergy, often vocalizing the steps they were taking to keep my food safe. I was impressed! The other place I ate out while in Milton was Ace's Fillin' Station, which is another traditional Southern restaurant. I ate there for breakfast, and they were extremely helpful with my food allergy, bringing items to the table so I could check labels and running back and forth to the kitchen to check information. After I thanked the server for being so helpful, she replied with a smile, "Of course, Honey. I don't want you to get sick. An ambulance in front of a restaurant is always bad for business." Good Southern humor for you! I felt confident that I could eat there safely. There was only one questionable item, and it was my fault for not checking it. Oops! I ended up being OK, though. :) I also found out about some other gluten friendly restaurants in Pensacola, FL, which is about 20-30 minutes from Milton, including some chains like Chili's, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, and Red Robin. So, Celiacs can relax when visiting the Pensacola area. They will take care of you!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Spicy Parmesan Tilapia

Ok, readers. You are in for a treat. Tonight I share one of my signature recipes, Spicy Parmesan Tilapia. It's a very simple recipe, and it is amazing! All you need are fresh tilapia filets, Italian dressing (I prefer to use Ken's Lite Northern Italian), garlic powder, salt, ground red pepper, and Parmesan cheese. I broil the fish, and since I have an electric stove (boo!), I heat the oven to its highest heat (525, I think), and I move one of the oven racks to the highest shelf setting, closest to the heating coils. When the oven is heated, I turn on the broiler. Meanwhile, I marinate the tilapia in the Italian dressing. I also prepare a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up and cross-contamination avoidance). When the oven is ready, I place the fish on the baking sheet, and sprinkle the garlic powder, red pepper, and salt on the fish. I don't measure, I tend to go by sight. I broil the fish for roughly 10 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the fish, it may be done sooner. I check the fish constantly, looking for the edges to get a brown, crispy texture. This description always worries Aaron. he feels like the fish will be over done. It isn't, but it is a delicate balance. Only the very edge needs to be browned. This is how I know it is done. Once the fish has obtained the desired appearance, I take it out of the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve! I have served it with a variety of sides, my favorites being Spanish-style rice or mashed potatoes and broccoli. I'm sorry that there aren't pictures, but I just can't leave the fish sitting uneaten long enough to take the picture! Even if you're not gluten free, this recipe is definitely worth a try. Good luck! Tell me what you think!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Goodbye to North Carolina :(

After the banana disaster, Aaron and I headed back out into town. We had lunch at Hawg Wild BBQ, which is right by the entrance to the Pisgah forest. We called ahead, and the manager gave me a thorough rundown of everything I could eat there, and it sounded like I had several choices. Armed with information, I ordered a BBQ pork platter with their Eastern BBQ sauce, which has a vinegar base, and roasted corn on the cob. I was disappointed that I couldn't have traditional sauce (Western) because it had wheat as a thickener (as does all other BBQ sauce in North Carolina - BEWARE!), but it was fun to try something new! While it was totally different to have vinegar on pork, I liked it. After that, I decided that I had spent enough time in the rain and mud, and I wanted to have a night out in a dress. We started going to a local bluegrass jam session, but it wasn't very good, so we left. We ended up at a downtown restaurant called Square Root, which had trivia later that evening. I asked if they could accommodate my diet, and they said that almost everything on their menu could be modified, and that the sous chef's girlfriend had Celiac, so he knew all about gluten intolerance. I LOVE hearing this! When I hear that someone on staff closely knows someone who has Celiac, I know I'll be taken care of. I had a salad with citrus vinaigrette, curry, and berry sorbet. Aaron's dinner was also gluten free, and he ordered the daily special, swordfish. We also split a bottle of wine. His dinner was tastier than mine. While the curry was surprisingly authentic, including raita and a poppodom, it lacked flavor. All the correct spices were there, but it was very bland. The trivia was fun, though, and my date was dreamy! ;)

On our last day in Brevard, we had breakfast, hung around the house for a bit, and then went downtown again. Our first stop was at Mayberry's for lunch. Wow! One of my favorite meals in Brevard! This unassuming deli with trivia on a chalk board has some great food! I ordered a soup and sandwich combo with balsamic lentil soup and a turkey sandwich with cranberry walnut sauce (on Udi bread!). The soup was different. It had a tomato base and an almost sweet vinegar flavor. It was very good! My sandwich, however, deserves top billing. The turkey was a slice from a smoked whole turkey, and the cranberry walnut sauce was made fresh there. The bread was cooked in butter, and while it is not at all healthy, it is DELICIOUS! I could've eaten two ore sandwiches, they were so good. I did not, however, because I do have SOME restraint. Some. :) I was interested in seeing a movie at the downtown Co-Ed Theater, a cute, historic, single-screen theater, but we had about 2 and a half hours until the next showing. Needing to kill time, we wandered into OP Taylors, an awesome toy store that mixes modern and classic toys. We also found some gifts for friends and family. We perused antiques and a really fun architectural salvage shop. My favorite item we found (though I didn't get it) was an old knitting catalog from the 70's. In Japanese. Finally, it was time to see Cars 2 (great move, loved the Tokyo scenes). After that, we went back home and cooked some dinner. We weren't really hungry, so we pieced together a salad, pan-fried okra, and for me, boiled eggs.

The drive home was fairly uneventful. I ate a large breakfast before we left, so that we did not need to stop for food. Aaron grabbed taco bell on the way out of town. Still loaded with our gluten free snacks, we kept ourselves fed until dinner, for which we stopped in Brunswick, GA, again. We ate at a Ruby Tuesdays because they have a gluten free menu, and except for Aaron's complimentary cheddar biscuits, both of our meals were gluten free. I had a pesto mahi mahi with green beans and white cheddar mashed potatoes. The fish was very good, but the sides were just OK. The green beans had good flavor, but needed more seasoning. The mashed potatoes might have had good flavor, but I couldn't tell because the whole thing tasted like a salt lick. I was expecting deer to follow us back to our car!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

A Culinary Disaster!

Excited about my new rice wrappers, I decided to make banana lumpia (egg rolls) for breakfast. I cut up my bananas, added cinnamon and sugar, and started getting my wrappers ready. They were hard and stiff, so based on directions I found online, I submerged them one at a time in water for about 15 seconds before using them. I placed my banana mixture on the wrapper, folded it up, and set it aside until I had filled all the ones I was making. The oil was ready, so I dropped the first one in. It started browning up nicely right away, and I was very happy. I put a second one in with the first one, and that was a mistake. They two stuck together, and in separating them, I tore the wrappers. This was the beginning of a downward spiral. All the rest of the lumpia started out well, but when I tried to turn them or remove them with tongs, the wrapper would tear, and banana mixture would spill out into the oil. I managed to salvage some, and I thought the wrappers and spilled mixture tasted alright, but it was not what I would call a success. I think the metals tongs are too sharp. I will try this again with maybe silicone tongs or tongs with more of a paddle on the tip. Oh well! We learn from these disasters and become better cooks for it. :)

More gluten free than meets the eye

Yesterday, Aaron and I started with some breakfast, but because it was foggy and overcast, we decided to wait on exploring nature. Instead, we FINALLY checked out Poppies and wandered around downtown for a bit. Poppies market has gluten free items, but it's not anything special. Whole Foods might do a better job, honestly. I did, however, find some soup mixes that are gluten free, including a chicken noodle soup mix with corn noodles. We bought a few of those. I also found some rice wrappers, which I have been wanting to try. I bought some of those, too, and I might buy some more before we leave. All in all, though, it was not the amazing experience I was told it would be. But then, those who told me probably have never seen Chamberlin's. Central Florida has it good! After Poppies, Aaron really wanted to try Rocky's, a restaurant next to a shop called Bullwinkle's. Haha, Rocky and Bullwinkle! ;) Anyway, it is a cute little malt shop with tons of retro Coke decoration, bar stools, and charm. Aaron ordered a strange little item called a grilled pimento cheese sandwich and a cherry soda. He enjoyed it greatly! The menu did have salads and things, but there were some cross-contamination concerns, and I wasn't feeling daring yesterday. So, I chose to wait for lunch until I could come home and eat left over pasta. On the way, though, we did stop at a gelato shop that caught my eye called Kiwi Gelato. I asked if they were gluten free. They were! All of their flavors are gluten free unless they specifically add cookies to the flavor. I had the Fior di Latte flavor. With its light, sweet cream flavor mixed with a hint of strawberry, it was quite lovely. Though they had great gelato, they didn't have the flavor I wanted to try - White Squirrel. I will have to catch that one before we leave! On the way back to the car, we passed a restaurant called Mayberry's, and we noticed a sign that said they offer gluten free bread! We will try them! After lunch, the sun came out and the day warmed up, so we headed out to Sliding Rock. So much fun! It is a 60-foot rock with a current of water that propels you into an 8ft pool of icy water. After that, it started raining again, so we hunkered down at home to stay out of the nasty storm. We made a lovely gluten free dinner right here, though. Aaron made pork chops seasoned with Chef Paul Prudhomme's Veal & Pork Magic, and I boiled some corn and made a fried green tomato. :)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Lazy days in North Carolina.

So far, we've visited Asheville and we've explored Downtown Brevard and all the 4th of July celebration the city has to offer. Asheville has a lot of gluten free restaurant options available. Our first stop had nothing to do with food, though! We went to a Dillards clearance center. It was pretty cool. Aaron had more options than me, but they had a lot of good clothes at a huge discount, plus, all clothes were BOGO. After 5 hours of bargain hunting (and we still didn't look through everything), we were hungry! Aaron found an egg roll in the mall, but there was nothing for me. So, I used my handy dandy app, and we found a restaurant in the historic Biltmore Village called Neo Cantina. Lovely! They had a gluten free menu, and both the kitchen and wait staff were very knowledgeable. First, because I checked in on Yelp, we got a free queso dip. You can add all sorts of stuff to it, but I just wanted the plain queso. It was very well seasoned. I had grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas with mango salsa. They needed a little heat, so I added some Cholula hot sauce to it, and it was good. Aaron also ordered the tacos, and they put his on corn tortillas, too, so his meal was gluten free as well! That meant we could share an amaretto flan for dessert. And, we were glad that we did!

The next day, I had cottage cheese and a fresh peach for breakfast, then we headed out to the July 4th celebration in Downtown Brevard. The festival was really cute, and it reminded me of city festivals from my home town. Booths housing political propoganda, art vendors, and food lined the street. Car raffles and live music peppered the streets. The downtown shops were open for the public, too. I loved it! I was expecting to have to scrounge for food, but I immediately saw a booth from Poppies market. Hallelujah! They have a huge gluten free food selection (so I've heard - still haven't gone yet), so they are obviously aware. I asked about gluten free options, and I was able to have a bratwurst with sauerkraut without the bun. I also got an enormous piece of watermelon. I would have rather eaten vegetarian, but when options are slim, sausage is a delicious option. :) Toward the end of our downtown adventure, we found a chocolate shop called Downtown Chocolate. The chocolate is all made fresh in the store, so they know exactly what goes into the sweet treats. There were some chocolate bars with Oreo cookies that I couldn't have, but everything else was fine. I chose some toffee bars covered with dark chocolate and almonds, a coconut curry truffle, a cherry white chocolate truffle, and a Mexican hot chocolate truffle. The toffee is amazing, and I'm still working on eating it. For me, the coconut curry truffle is a little overwhelmed with curry flavor, but the cherry truffle was fantastic, and the Mexican hot chocolate truffle in addicting with its sweet chocolate, darker flavor from spices, and a spicy kick from cayenne pepper that is subtle at first and then grows. I only purchased the one truffle, but we will be back before we leave to get some to take home! That night, we waited until after the fireworks to make dinner. I made a simple side salad and some Tinkyada tri-colored gluten free pasta topped with Classico carmalized onion and roasted garlic sauce. Not a bad dinner, if I say so myself! We have left-overs, so that will be a lunch on one of our more quiet days.

Our next day, I had cottage cheese for breakfast again, and then we went waterfall hunting! The waterfalls are breathtaking! Unfortunately, at our second one, we were in the middle of a mile-long hike to reach it, and we got rained out with a thunderstorm. Boo! We wound our way further up the mountain to reach the Pisgah Inn restaurant. On our way, we saw the most awe-inspiring phenomenon. The moisture from the storm met the heat of the mountain, and it created fast-rising steam that made the mountains look like they were smoking. Beautiful! It's nothing particularly new - this is what the Smokey Mountains are known for. However, being in the Blue Ridge mountains, it was a nice surprise! By the time we reached the Inn, we were starving and freezing (because we were drenched from the rain storm). They said they could accommodate gluten free, but what I found was they had a few items that were naturally gluten free, and I could have those. And that's fine. However, they didn't realize that some items like soy sauce have gluten in them. The only thing I found to order was a pork chop with a cranberry apple chutney. I ordered this with a green bean medley and some wild rice. It all tasted very good. In fact, the pork chop was incredible. It tasted like pork and fire. I did, however, suspect (and with reason) the vegetable medley. It smelled like Teriyaki sauce. I asked if it had any sauce, and the waiter said no, but if it smells like Teriyaki, and it tastes like Teriyaki, I have a hard time believing that it is NOT Teriyaki. I don't know... I stopped eating the vegetables, but damage had already been done. So, my stomach is a bit upset. The inn is worth visiting, however, because the view is breathtaking. The restaurant is surrounded by walls of window, so you can see the view from the top of Mount Pisgah as you eat, and from the lookout porch, you can easily see about 15 different mountain peaks. From there, we took the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville and then looped back south to meet some friends in Columbus, NC. They actually live in Orlando, too, and are visiting at the same time. They have a vacation home here, and invited us to dinner. Also, they eat gluten free, too! What an amazing dinner they served! The first course was a mango salad topped with grilled shrimp (which I did not eat, because shrimp likes to kill me) paired with a local white wine. The second course was an antipasta which had delicious vegetables, cheese, and sausage. I was excited for the vegetables! The main course was a delicious risotto. Both of these courses were paired with a red wine. Desert was a sort of Italian frozen custard with peaches paired with a sweeter red rine. A gourmet dinner with fascinating company? Anytime!

Ingles Grocery

This post is a tad out of sequence, but I didn't want Ingles to get buried in another post somewhere. It deserves its own space. Why? It's enormous. Seriously. Publix on steroids. Or, for those who remember, a lot like a large Delchamps. It even has a movie rental place (that we employed, of course). It's not a health store, and it doesn't have more gluten free options than any other grocery store. For that, I must go to a store called Poppies (which I intend to do, just haven't caught it open yet). In fact, in some categories, it has less (like Amy's products). It does, however, have a HUGE gluten free baking section, dwarfed only by Chamberlin's. It has the Betty Crocker gluten free mixes, but it also has other major brands including Glutino. The best part about Ingles, however, is their signage. They have little tan stickers that say "gluten free" under their products. The stickers are right beside the price tags and sale stickers. Not every maintstream gluten free product is listed, but several are. It's a start. I thought that was very nice. It not only helps Celiacs as consumers, but also it helps our confused friends when they try to feed us. Plus, it raises awareness in the general public that we do exist, and that there is food for us. Mainstream food. Yummy food. I don't know about you, but I always get, "Wheat, huh? That must suck. How do you eat anything?" Well, thanks to Ingles, maybe people will know!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Driving to the Carolinas!

My husband decided to surprise me with a romantic vacation this summer. I love him! We rarely get to travel just for travel's sake. Luckily, our WONDERFUL friends have a house in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina that they were willing to let us borrow for a week. So, the next few posts will be about our adventures here. We're near(ish) the border between both Carolinas, so we are planning to explore a little of both. The drive up was long, but surprisingly not boring. The drive in the mountains was sometimes downright scary! Besides the surprisingly nice drive, we also had a surprisingly nice time getting gluten free food! We did bring snacks and drinks, and Aaron, being the wonderful husband he is, purposely brought gluten free snacks so that we should share. :) But, one cannot eat snack food for 10 hours, so we did stop for lunch and dinner. The first stop was in Brunswick, GA. To find GF food, we did have to venture away from the interstate and into the town. We originally planned to eat at a Longhorn Steakhouse because we found a gluten free menu online, but then we saw a Five Guys in the same parking lot and decided it would be cheaper and faster to eat there. Oh darn! ;) They were, as always, very good about dealing with my food allergy, though they kept making Aaron's order before mine, so they had to change their gloves about five times. I giggled a little. I am very glad, though, that the gloves were changed. The food was amazing like always. About half an hour before dinner, we needed to stop to change drivers. We stopped at a Pilot station off of I-26 in South Carolina, and while we walked around, I noticed a bag of caramel popcorn from the Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company that said it was gluten and nut free right on the front of the bag. Reading the ingredients, it also looks dairy free, but I can't verify that. They had other flavors, too, but I'm a caramel fiend. We had snacks in the car, but the bag was $2, and I was curious, so the popcorn got purchased. I had a few bites, but not many because we were on our way to dinner. Oh My God! This popcorn is fantastic. Truly fantastic. It is rich and sweet, but not overbearingly sweet. And at 120 calories per serving (there are four servings in a bag), it's not a diet breaker, either. I have yet to eat anywhere near a serving, and I've snacked on it three times. I will Linkdefinitely be on the lookout for this popcorn in places other than Pilot stations. This stuff is amazing! For dinner, we stopped in Spartanburg, SC. I used my Droid phone app "Find Gluten Free Near Me" to find McAlister's Deli. The menu had a lot of gluten free options, and while it is a chain, we don't have it in Orlando (though there are locations in Florida), so we were excited about the new experience. It was a great experience. The people were friendly, and the gluten free menu didn't require me to change or substitute much. In fact, my meal was ordered straight from the menu without any modification. I had a pick two meal with a chipotle chicken salad and a potato ole. The chicken salad had lettuce, tomato, chicken, tortilla strips, and a delicious chipotle peach dressing. The dressing was rich and thick, so I did not need much. The sweet and very spicy flavor really complimented the salad. The potato was topping with vegetarian chili, cheese, and jalapenos. This was also delicious! The jalapenos brought heat without it being overwhelming, and the chili had a very nice flavor. Great restaurant! We had a lovely drive, and now I'm going to stop blogging about it and experience the Carolinas!

GF Blueberry Muffins! Udi wins again!

I love blueberry muffins. I have since I was a child. I don't eat them all the time, but not eating a blueberry muffin in the year I've been gluten free has been quite sad. Enter Udi baked goods. Again. I knew they made muffins, but my Publix didn't carry them, so I'd never tried them. I was investigating a new Publix to see what they offered, and right in the gluten free bread section was the Udi muffins. The muffins come in a tray of four muffins, and are a bit pricey, but the muffins are large, and it's cheaper (and often tastier) than going to a GF bakery. While I had high hopes because I trust Udi brand products, I didn't really know what to expect. When I opened the package, I was surprised to see huge grains of sugar on all of the muffins. These are not for dieters! These muffins are for days when I exercise or eat lots of salad! The first muffin I ate, I just took right out of the container. It had a good taste, but it was hard and crumbly. I was a bit disappointed, but then I remembered that when things are a bit dried out, it helps to wrap them in a paper towel and microwave them for a few seconds. So, the next day, I tried a muffin with the microwave technique. Bingo! We have a winner! These muffins suddenly were moist, spongy, warm, and delicious. When warmed, the contrast between the soft muffin and the crunchy sugar is really punctuated. The flavor of the blueberry is brought to the forefront. These are easily the best blueberry muffins I have ever experienced, gluten free or not. I highly recommend them, and if I suddenly gain about 50 pounds, you know why. ;) (Not happening!)

Monday, June 27, 2011

Poolside service

Today I'm pretending to live in the lap of luxury. While my husband is attending a conference at the J.W. Marriott here in Orlando, I get to hang out by the pool. Oh darn, right? This place is incredible. The pool area is huge and the areas are all connected by a lazy river. The river has waterfalls and fountains, and the vegetation is beautiful. You don't even have to leave your seat to eat or drink. The servers come to you! As I lie in the shade with a breeze blowing, I think, is there any place I'd rather be right now? Nope! Admittedly, I'd rather be here with Aaron, and I thoroughly enjoy the times when he is able to join me out here. My only concern in this venture was eating. I figured a fancy hotel like this had to have something gluten free, but I didn't know if I could eat outside, or if I'd have to find a super pricey place inside. Luckily, this is a very conscientious hotel. Immediately, we found a little place that all sorts of gluten free snacks and breakfast bars available for purchase. I really wanted some real food, though, so I decided to investigate the outdoor restaurant, Quench. Definitely more a bar than an eatery, the drink list is probably three times larger than the food menu. The cocktails look amazing. I ordered a melon mojito. It was quite enjoyable. The server helping me was very nice, and as soon as I mentioned gluten, he was ready with available options and assurances that the kitchen staff was well equipped to handle allergies. He even offered to cook fries separately for me, since they fry everything together. I haven't taken up that offer yet, but I plan to do so before I leave. For my lunch, I chose to order a blackened fish salad, except that I had it grilled plain, because blackened seasoning and I do not get along very well. What intrigued me most about the salad was the unique toppings. It comes with fish, feta cheese, pickled onion, watermelon, and citrus vinaigrette. It was good. Very good. I ate it in my chair, and since it was a time when Aaron was free, I got to enjoy his company. Like I said, before I leave, I plan to get some fries and one more cocktail, which is a peach flavored rum concoction. Good day! Nice pre-vacation vacation.
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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Udi-licious Pizza!

Tonight my friends and I had a make your own pizza party. They bought regular crust, and I brought some Udi gluten free crust. I hadn't tried it before, and I was excited. I made my pizza first, because we wanted to make sure that the shared toppings didn't get cross-contaminated. I thawed the crust, added toppings, and baked it for about 7 minutes. My excitement over this crust was definitely warranted! This is the best gf crust I've ever eaten. It has a soft texture and has elasticity that most gf crusts do not have. Absolutely fantastic. Polish that off with some flan from Publix, and I call that a perfect meal!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Mochi Madness

Oh, Mochi, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
1)You have the best taro yogurt I have ever eaten in my life (and I'm a bit of a taro yogurt nut).
2)You have delicious mochi ice cream balls (which, unfortunately, I do not think are gluten free...sigh... I did so love the red bean flavor.).
3)Your downtown location is convenient and pleasant. It is also by my favorite movie theater.
4)Your staff is friendly and helpful.
5)You always have the best movies playing in your store. (Tonight was Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory AND Charlotte's Web.)
6)You now serve boba tea.

What? Boba tea! Amazing! Taro yogurt AND the best beverage ever? Yes! Mochi Downtown has boba tea. Actually, they have boba tea and boba smoothies in many delicious flavors for our drinking pleasure.

One should note, however, that the Mochi yogurt is made with Danactive yogurt, and Dannon's gluten NONstatement states that while none of their yogurt is formulated with gluten containing products, they cannot guarantee that their stabilizing agents (referring to alcohol stabalizers, which may or may not be derived from corn instead of wheat, rye, barley, or oat) do not contain trace amounts of gluten. I will say that I have never had an issue with just their yogurt. I have, however, had issues when I've eaten their toppings. I suspect that they cut their fruit on the same cutting board as their pound cake, cookie dough, etc. I have no concrete proof of this, but I do know that I've only had a reaction when I've added toppings to the yogurt.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Fish disasters

I eat fish pretty frequently, so when I saw gluten free fish in the frozen section, I had to try it. The product is called Fish Creations and it's by a company called Morey. I chose the Mediterranean flavored tilapia. I had to soak it in cold water for thirty minutes to thaw it, and then I had the choice to grill it, bake it, or microwave it. The first time I made this fish, I decided to grill it. I thawed it and grilled the fish for the instructed amount of time, and it came out hard and rubbery. I tried to eat it, but I couldn't. I figured that I might have been to blame, so to give the product a fair chance, I decided to try the fish a different way. I thawed my fish, but this time I baked the fish. Since following the directions yielded sorely overcooked fish, I decided to cook it a shorter amount of time and then check it. It was cooked with the shorter time, so I plated the fish. While the fish was a better consistency, it was still very rubbery. I am done trying with this fish. Fish Creations is a no go. Looks like the only fish I'll be eating is fresh. There's no easy way out.
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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Gluten Free Stir Fry

I love Asian cuisine. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, Vietnamese...I love it! So, I'm always a bit bummed about the whole most soy sauces having gluten in them thing. I can eat food at Pei Wei and PF Chang, but that gets expensive, and frankly, it's boring to eat out all the time. I love cooking at home, and I'm excited that I've found an easy way to make delicious stir fry! I use a brand of Stir Fry sauce mix called Sun Bird that is made with gluten free ingredients. The company does mention that it is made in factory that processes wheat, but I have never had trouble with it, and I'm pretty sensitive. They have many different types of sauce mixes available like beef and broccoli, sweet and sour, stir fry sauce, and Szechuan sauce. Tonight I made the stir fry sauce. All I did was add sugar, water, and soy sauce (San-J gluten free, although La Choy is gluten free as well) to the sauce mix and poured it on the vegetables I chose to use. The packet gives suggestions for fresh vegetables to use, but I was feeling kind of lazy and used a frozen vegetable mix that had broccoli, bell pepper, onion, mushroom, baby corn, and snow peas. It was great! I put it over some rice, and had a quick, easy, and delicious dinner! Tomorrow, I'll have the left-overs for lunch. Yum! Now, all I have to do is figure out gluten free egg rolls. God, I miss those! Any suggestions?

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I can eat at Olive Garden?

Olive Garden used to be one of my favorite restaurants. I LOVE pasta. And their arrabiatta sauce is to die for. So, of course, I was pretty upset when I could no longer have my endless salad and breadsticks with linguini arrabiatta. Sigh. I think I had gone almost a year and a half without setting foot in an Olive Garden because of my diet. Then, I heard they had a gluten free menu. I wasn't too excited, though, because I've gone to other Italian restaurants that have one just to discover that it had no pasta on the menu. I mean, seriously ? That's why one goes to an Italian restaurant in the first place. So, a while went by, and I didn't care enough to check it out. However, I'm a curious person by nature, and I have this little blog here, so after a few weeks, I had to investigate. I was shocked and pleased to find both the salad (without croutons, obviously) and pasta on the small menu. Thanks to a friend who will always support an Olive Garden trip, I ate there on Friday. I ordered the salad and penne marinara (the only sauce that's gluten free). The salad was lovely, and because I had no croutons, I got an entire bowl for myself. To be fair, it was smaller than everyone else's, but it was mine! The penne was OK, but it completely fell apart, and some of it was crunchy. The sauce was good, though. It's nothing I'd crave, but it is good to know that if my friends want to eat there, I can eat there, too and not be a problem because of my dietary needs.

Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 3 stars
Taste - 2.5 stars
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Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Mellow Mushroom

I have been wanting to try Mellow Mushroom's gluten free pizza for a while now, but despite how it looks on this blog, I don't eat out all the time. :) Today, however, has been pretty awesome, and Aaron and I went out to celebrate. We checked out the gluten free menu online, and found out that they also have vegan cheese in some locations, which is good news for all my gluten free vegan friends! We went to the location on Colonial Drive near UCF, which does provide vegan options. I was very impressed, because they had a pretty large gluten free menu, including Red Bridge beer and Woodchuck cider. They mention right on the menu that they take every possible precaution to keep the pizza gluten free, including separate prep spaces and utensils. Almost all of their specialty pizzas are listed on the gluten free pizza along with all of their base sauces. And if that isn't option enough, you can also create your own pizza with a large list of toppings and proteins. Tonight I chose the Funky Q Chicken pizza (with a few modifications). It usually comes with a BBQ sauce base, BBQ chicken, mozzarella, cheddar, caramelized onions, and Applewood smoked bacon. I substituted BBQ tofu for the chicken, and I added pineapple. It was delicious! Like pretty much all gluten free crusts I've had, it was thin, and had a slightly more crumbly texture than regular wheat crust, but it had a good flavor. The toppings were fantastic, and it completely hit the spot! I had an amazing experience. I was confident in my safety, I had great service, and the food was delicious. And, the best part is, I have enough left-overs for two more meals. :)


Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 4.5 stars
Taste - 4.5 stars

Monday, May 16, 2011

Pollo Tropical

I can't believe I've gone this long without writing about such a staple in my diet! I eat at Pollo Tropical all the time, partly because there are restaurants right next to both of my work locations, but mostly because they are inexpensive and delicious. ;) Pollo Tropical, on a corporate level, is also AMAZING with accommodating food allergies. They are a member of FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) and have identified four different meals that are completely free of the common allergens milk, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and wheat. In addition, they clearly identify allergens in menu items. As a Celiac, there are very few things I can't eat. YAY! I can't have the dinner rolls (obviously), Caesar salad & croutons, french fries (always sad), tortillas, tres leches, and key lime pie. Everything else on their extensive menu is fair game! And, even though they fry their plantains, I've been told that they use a separate fryer, so they're still GF! I eat them all the time and never have a problem, and I'm pretty sensative. There have been two times at two different locations where I've had issues with cross-contamination, which is pretty good, considering that I eat a Pollo Tropical at least once a week. This issues were the direct result of people in the kitchen not taking my allergy seriously. Every other time I've eaten there they are very receptive to my explanation of my allergies, change their gloves, and are very careful while serving the food. Today, the man putting orders together was uncertain about my request, and (Hallelujah!) asked what I NEEDED HIM TO DO. This was at the South Semoran Blvd. location. All restaurants should have this level of service!

Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 5 stars

Steaks, Shakes, and Spicy Chicken

I know it's been a while since I've blogged. I have let life get in the way of stuff. Oops! There's not a lot to say about my gluten free adventures since my last post. In fact, only two events come to mind.

The first was a lovely lunch with Aaron at Pei Wei last Sunday. They have a limited but delicious GF menu, offering edamame, salads, and a few entrees. The restaurant is very careful about cross-contamination, which makes me feel very safe. The only downside for me is that my diet is about 95% vegetarian, and other than the edamame, there is no vegetarian option for me on the list. Since I'm allergic to shrimp, my only protein option is chicken. I have not experienced large portion of the menu yet, because I like the spicy chicken so much. It is delicious, and the portion is large enough to share between two people. Aaron and I shared this on Sunday. I will review this restaurant in more detail later. :)

The second experience that stands out in my mind is one from Friday night. After an AMAZING performance of Suessical Jr. from Howard Middle School, Aaron and the cast, crew, and parents had an after party at Steak and Shake. Fortunately, I was able to rearrange my work schedule and get to the school in time to see the show, and I was invited to the party! Unfortunately, I was hungry and not very hopeful about Steak and Shake's gluten free offerings. My prediction was correct. There was not a whole lot on the menu that I could eat. After a talk with the chef, whose brother-in-law has Celiac, I did my best to navigate the menu. I could eat hamburgers without the bun, but I was reluctant to do so, as I strongly prefer to eat a vegetarian diet (GF wins, though, if a choice must be made). Finally, I found a Southwest chicken salad. It usually comes with ranch dressing, which would have been my first choice if it was safe. It however, was not safe and neither was any other dressing on the menu except for the vinaigrette. I ordered my salad with the change in dressing, planning to remove the chicken from the salad when it arrived. Within a few minutes, the manager came to my table and explained that the chicken comes pre-marinated and the supplier did not provide a complete ingredient list (WHY?), so they could not guarantee the safety of the chicken. As I wasn't going to eat it anyway, this did rock my world too much. I was, however, very grateful that I was informed and could ask for the offending item to be removed from my salad. Had it come on the salad, just picking it off would have not been safe enough! Considering the fact that there were about 50 middle school students running around the restaurant, I was very impressed that the kitchen took so much time to help me. I was also impressed with how quickly my food was ready. The salad itself was not that incredible, but it was OK. The ingredients were fresh, and the jalapeno in the pico de gallo was quite spicy, which was a surprise. Since Steak and Shake does not have much gluten free food available, I probably won't be dining there on a whim, but it is nice to know that I can eat SOMETHING there and be safe if the need arises. Plus, they have the fun flavor syrups. :)

Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 2.5 stars

Sunday, May 1, 2011

A gluten free Sea World

After a long, hard week, I wanted some quality penguin time, and in Orlando, that means a day at Sea World. Aaron and I decided to get the meal wrist band, which have us unlimited access to 7 different restaurants in the park. With unlimited access to food, the only question was what could I eat. I asked guest services if they had a comprehensive allergen list, which they did not (btw, Disney does). So, I had to ask the chef at each restaurant what I could eat. We tried three different locations. Here's how it went...

The first place we went was called Voyager's Smokehouse, which had BBQ and salads. The chef there was quite knowledgeable, and was able to clearly tell me exactly what I could and could not eat. She even said that I couldn't have the fries yet, because they were fried with the chicken tenders, but after noon, they cooked them in an adjacent snack place, so the fryer was safe. I meant to go back for some fries, but I forgot. I will definitely get some in the future, though. She told me to avoid the deserts except for the fruit. I could have the salads, but they had to make new ones, because the two salads that they serve come with croutons or fried tortilla shell. I couldn't have sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, or chicen tenders. I could however, have all of the BBQ meat, corn, and baked beans, which excited me, because that's rare when eating out. While it's nice that I could have the BBQ, I eat a vegetarian diet most of the time. So, I did the best I could and got a BBQ chicken salad without the shell points and baked beans. The beans were disappointing. They tasted overwhelmingly like black pepper. The salad was nice, though, and was the best food I had all day. I ate some of the chicken, but mostly picked around it and ate the salad. Being the first stop of the day, I was impressed and hopeful at what else we might find.

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 3.5 stars
Taste - 3.5 stars


After a few exhibits, we decided to get lunch at the Seafire Inn. This restaurant was mostly Italian food, but also had some stir fry. We went mostly for Aaron, but I decided that since I blog, I should at least ask what they could do. I was told that the only thing I could have was the chicken stirfry without the sauce. The chef offered to make it special for me, so I accepted, though I wasn't that hungry. The food took a LONG time. Finally, I man brought the food and said he only used olive oil, and didn't use any seasonings. After I got it, I asked if the watermelon was cut on a GF surface, just to make sure. He was happy to check, but a woman working at the buffet line gave me some strange attitude about it. She told me that watermelon was GF because it was a fruit. I told her that I knew that, but I was inquiring about the utensils and the cutting surface, because if watermelon touches something that is not GF, then it is no longer safe for me to eat. She started to make a snide comment, but trailed off, said "Whatever" and walked away. After a bit, the original chef came out and assured me that the watermelon was fine, and got some for me, because the line had grown significantly during my wait. I was impressed by the kitchen staff's knowledge and willingness to make different food for me, but the food took a while, and that one woman was quite rude. After this whole ordeal, I finally sat down with Aaron to eat. The stir fry looked good with nicely cooked chicken and a colorful assortment of veggies, but with no seasoning and no sauce, it was pretty bland. I ate more than I particularly cared to, mostly because the chef made it specially for me. After a few bites, though, I focused more on the watermelon.

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars (would be 5 except for Miss Attitude)
Taste - 2.5 stars


The last place we visited was Mango Joe's Cafe. I was excited about this, because I remember really enjoying food there in the past. I was a bit disappointed when we talked to the chef, though. The most exciting thing on their menu is this fajita hoagie thing, which was obviously off-limits, but has given me a ridiculous craving for a steak sandwich. They have other sandwiches and wraps, but again, those are off-limits, though the chef tried to tell me that I could eat the vegetable wrap because it had a spinach wrap... Spinach wraps still have flour last time I checked. I thought that was a bit odd. All of their fajita meat it a no go, too, because it is marinated in soy sauce. The only option left after all of that was the salad. They had a chicken house salad that I could get without the chicken, or a fajita salad without the chicken. The house salad had a vinaigrette, and the fajita salad had ranch dressing. I asked if the dressings were safe, and they didn't know, so they told me to avoid them to be safe. I pressed the issue asking them to check, and he brought out the bottles so I could look at the ingredients. Both dressings seemed safe to me, so I chose the ranch dressing with the meatless fajita salad and watermelon. The salad was fine, but not as good as the BBQ one from Voyagers.

Knowledge - 1.5
Accommodation - 1.5
Taste - 3

I understand that Sea World is not Disney (which has won awards for its leadership in food allergy awareness), but even still, I was disappointed. If I have to ask the chefs at the various locations, the chefs should know what gluten is and what items I can eat. I was also surprised that none of the locations we visited had alternative food of any kind. The best food I had was mediocre. I do have to say, though, that throughout the whole day, I think I managed to leave unscathed, which, given the fact that I was flat out told I could eat something with gluten in it, is pretty impressive.



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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Bombay Cafe


I have been craving Indian food for a while now. I know that a lot of Indian food is naturally gluten free (Yay!), but I have been nervous, and haven't eaten at an Indian restaurant since my diagnosis. Also aiding my apprehension was a noticeable lack in reference to gluten free Indian restaurants in Orlando. At a work day for my husband's school, some of the parents and Aaron and I started discussing Indian food and where we like to eat. We mentioned a place we use to like to go on Orange Blossom Trail, and the parents said there was a great place across the street called the Bombay Cafe that was less expensive and, in their opinion, tastier. So, we decided to give it a shot tonight. It's not really hard to find, but it is tucked away in a smaller shopping center, so you do stay alert. We walked in and liked the atmosphere. We looked at the menu, and it looked very promising. My favorite dish (so far) was on it! Now, all we had to do was ask about the presence of gluten in the food. They were quite knowledgeable, and went through the menu, telling me exactly which items had gluten in them, and which ones did not. I started to get excited when many of the starters were gluten free, but then I asked if they were fried in the same fryer as the other food. They were. Drat! Luckily, though, my favorite, aloo gobi (pictured), was gluten free, so I was happy. Aaron ordered the bhindi masala, which was also gluten free, and also another one of my favorites. He also ordered a starter which was, unfortunately, not safe. Waiting for our food, we were tempted by all sorts of wonderful smells coming from the food on nearby tables. Luckily, our food came quickly! I first tried some of Aaron's bhindi masala, which was great, and then went on to try my aloo gobi. It was delicious! We ate until we were quite full, and left with tons of leftovers. I would still like to give my old place a try, but we will definitely be back. Definitely. Did I say we'd be back? Because we will be!

Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 3 stars
Taste - 5 stars

Glutino Penne Alfredo



Tonight I review the Penne Alfredo microwave meal from Glutino. Yes, I promise I cook, but I was tired and wanted something easy, so I decided to try something new! I've been looking at this meal for a while. I am, however, always a bit nervous when trying new food (or at least worried about losing money on food I can't eat). So, it took me a while to get up the nerve to try the penne alfredo. I brought it home, and cooked it right away. I decided that I needed some vegetable in my dinner, so I also steamed some broccoli to put in the pasta. I was very excited to see that the pasta looked decent. When I stirred it, I found it to have a nice texture, but the pasta fell apart very easily. I added my broccoli and some red pepper, because I put it on everything, and sat down for dinner. The first thing I noticed was that the sauce had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. It was like eating creamy, plain noodles. I added salt, and it helped, but it only raised the meal to a mediocre level. To be fair, though, the noodles were a good texture, and the meal was quite filling. Also, I enjoyed my broccoli very much. However, I think next time I have a hankering for alfredo, I'll make it myself. Classico is gluten free and quite nice!

Appearance - 3.5 stars
Texture - 3.5 stars
Taste - 2 stars

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Lots of Praise for Chipotle

If you are lucky enough to live in a city that has a Chipotle, you are probably aware of how awesome they are. Before my diagnosis, I went there all the time because they were delicious and economical. I frequent them now because they are very gluten friendly. If you're not familiar with the restaurant, it's a fast food burrito place that only uses fresh, organic, free-range foods. The have salads, burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and chips. For protein, they have chicken, steak, carnitas, barbacoa, and beans. They also have a delicious cilantro lime rice that I love. And the best part? Most of their menu is gluten free! Obviously, the burritos and soft tacos are out, but most everything else is fine. I get a vegetarian burrito bowl with corn salsa, pico de gallo, salsa verde, sour cream, and guacamole. The guac is free with mine, but costs extra if you get meat. The hot salsa is not guaranteed gluten free (the other ones are), and while lettuce and cheese are fine on their own, there is cross-contamination issues because they pick them up with their hands. This makes me sad a little, because I love cheese and lettuce on my burrito bowl. On the upside, they're one of the only restaurants with gluten free chips and hard taco shells! Before I order, I explain that I have food allergies and ask them to change their gloves. They always do this happily! Chipotle uses an assembly line format, so a different person usually adds the toppings. Instead, I ask if the first person who changed their gloves will finish my bowl, and most locations also do this without issue. Most locations even recognize me and have started learning my requests and my order. Like I said, though, some locations are better than others about my allergy. The Chipotle on Colonial drive near the Fashion Square Mall is by far the best location. They are always willing to help me and the food is always of high quality. The one on Orange Ave in SODO is consistently good as well, except that when the first person tries to finish my burrito bowl, the second person usually gives some grief about it. I thank the adamant people who refuse to hand the bowl over. The locations on Semoran and Sand Lake have been nice so far, but I don't go to those much, so I can't really say definitively how I'd rank them. The location to avoid is the one in Winter Park on the corner of Orange and Fairbanks. The portions are small, the food is not as good as the other locations, and they are unbelievably unhelpful about my allergy. They refuse to make the whole bowl with one person. The last time I went, I explained that I had a gluten allergy, and asked the girl working to change her gloves. She brought back the gloves and as she put on one, she laid the other on top of the flour tortillas. When I asked her to get a different glove, she gave me a nasty look. She then refused to complete my bowl, and told the second person to change her gloves in a snippy tone of voice. I was not impressed. Go to Chipotle! Just not the one in Winter Park.

Knowledge - 4 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 5 stars

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Amy's Asian Noodle Stirfry

In general, I'm a big fan of Amy's products and I try to sample different items. I already knew I liked some of the Asian dishes, but had not ever tried this one. I took it to work today and had it for lunch. As it cooked, it smelled quite good, and when it was finished, I was impressed to see that it looked more or less like the picture on the box. The vegetables looked bright, colorful and fresh. They also had a nice texture as did the noodles. I took a bite and was immediately assaulted by ginger. I like ginger, but in this case it overwhelmed the other tastes. Upon further investigation, I noticed a pineapple taste as well. Other than the abundance of ginger, the flavor was pretty watered down. I ate it, because I had no other food, and it was ok. It served its purpose nutritionally, but the taste was lackluster at best. I probably won't get this meal again.

Appearance - 3.5 stars
Texture - 4 stars
Taste - 1.5 stars
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My Fried Green Tomatoes!

With all of the wonderful food in Savannah, I've been on a Southern cooking kick back here in Orlando. I've been trying to remaster my favorite recipes in a GF way. Last night's adventure was fried green tomatoes. I used King Arthur GF all-purpose flour, which I seasoned with Vegetable Magic, salt, and red pepper. I dipped the tomato slices in an egg wash, then coated them with the flour. I then fried the slices at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the were golden brown. I tried some with a double coating of egg wash and flour, some with one coating. I preferred the single coating best. Since I was out of peppered vinegar (what is wrong with me!), I used Tobasco green pepper sauce instead. It was Heavenly! Hoping to master the fried pickle next!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

So What Happens?

When sharing about my diet with friends and family (and sometimes total strangers), one of the first questions I am asked is, "So, what happens when you eat [gluten]?" So, I thought I'd take a minute and answer that question. The symptoms are different for everyone, and some people don't even feel anything. The internal damage is still there, though. I'm actually quite glad that my body reacts; having no symptoms can be quite dangerous!

When gluten (from wheat, barley, or rye) enters the GI system, a Celiac's body will view it as an intruder and attack the body. The small intestine has several finger-like villi which produce digestive enzymes. Our immune system will attack these villi making them short, stubby, or even totally flat; they produce fewer enzymes in this state, which can result in fewer nutrients being absorbed. The inflammation and malnutrition, if not corrected, can lead to diabetes, bowel cancer, anemia, and osteoporosis. It's serious stuff! Often when children are not diagnosed with Celiac, they are unable to grow to their full height because they lack the nutrients to do so (says the woman who is 4'10''). All Celiacs are at risk of these health issues when exposed to gluten.

The external symptoms vary greatly from person to person and even exposure to exposure. Symptoms can include:
  • Weight loss or weight gain
  • Nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorbtion including. low iron levels
  • Gastro-intestinal problems (bloating, pain, gas, constipation, diarrhea)
  • Fat in the stools (due to poor digestion)
  • Aching joints
  • Depression (deficiencies often cause this symptom)
  • Eczema
  • Headaches
  • Exhaustion
  • Irritability and behavioral changes
  • Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage
  • Cramps, tingling and numbness
  • Slowed growth in children.
  • Decline in dental health
  • Anemia
  • Fatigue
  • Burning, tingling, numbness in hands and feet
  • Loss of feeling in hands and feet
  • Numbness, tingling or reduced sensation in face and body.
I have, at one point or another in my life, experienced all of these symptoms except anemia and full-scale eczema (though I frequently have patches of drier, itchier skin), and sometimes several symptoms combined.

Some people get severe stomach pain once gluten has been ingested. This is not usually the case for me, though my stomach does feel definitively different. Just a few moments after I ingest gluten, the taste in my mouth changes to a putrid one. Since I'm actually allergic to wheat as well, my chest will feel tight and breathing feels uncomfortable, though my airways are still open. I feel heavy and toxic, and my stomach starts feeling irritated and inflamed. It sort of feels like having a stomach bug for me. A few minutes later, a knot of pain appears between my shoulder blades. The pain then shoots up my spine, into my shoulders, then my neck, then my head. My head feels like it is being squeezed to the point of popping, I become sensitive to light and sound, and, overstimulated, I can no longer process information. The next day, my nerve endings are usually on fire and my body is swollen. Everything hurts - even my fingernails. I feel lethargic but cannot rest. I feel clammy and feverish, though my temperature doesn't change much. Either the second or third day following the incident, I will finally crash, unable to keep myself awake any longer. It is a very uncomfortable sleep with dizzy spells, disorientation, and near-hallucinations, a lot like trying to sleep while drugged after a surgery or big accident. Other than the day of excruciating pain, the physical symptoms, while frustrating, aren't nearly as bothersome for me as the emotional and mental symptoms that occur.

When I ingest gluten, my brain becomes foggy. I cannot think logically, cannot process information, and cannot prioritize things. My mind jumps around from thought to thought, activity to activity, and I can't focus on a single one. Huge gaps of information escape my attention, and realize too late that I forgot to do something or go somewhere. It is quite scary, and it hurts me on a personal level when it results in leaving someone I care about in the lurch. My vocabulary is also cut considerably, and I find it difficult to engage in any sort of conversation or other linear experience. I spiral into a severe depression, aggravated by the awareness that my lack of concentration is hurting those I love, and my emotions are a giant roller coaster. At times, I am cold and calculating, shrewd and blunt. At other times, I am overly sensitive, reacting way too personally to the slightest (non)offenses. Yet other times, I am suspicious and fearful. I fly off the handle in anger and then cry. Tiny details or stimuli bother me until I blow up or shut down. These symptoms usually emerge the day after I'm exposed, and they can continue for a week or longer. I hate these times the most. I can stand outside of myself and see my erratic behaviour and see the wake of destruction it causes, yet I cannot do anything to help it. I just have to ride it out and wait for the gluten to leave my system. Any attempt to reign myself in causes greater destruction. I feel helpless, frightened, and frustrated.

So, there it is. I've answered the question. This is what happens when I come in contact with gluten. It is no fun at all; a truly miserable experience. I am grateful that God has provided me with a husband who is patient enough to endure the roller coaster with me, even if he doesn't always understand. What happens to you?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Jazzy Dog Cafe

I went to this cafe, which is located off of Orange Ave. near the Amtrak station and the hospital, when I first got diagnosed with Celiac, and was really excited to see potatoes and sweet potatoes on their menu with a wide array of toppings available. I ate a potato, and I felt kind of weird after, but it was during a time when I had a lot of problems with my stomach, so I thought nothing of it. Yesterday, I wanted a potato, so I asked Aaron if we could go. He loves the place for its specialty hot dogs, so he said yes right away. Before ordering, I informed them of my gluten allergy, and they checked on several ingredients for me. I asked about the toppings and found out that there aren't utensils for the different toppings, they just grab them with their hand. This made me uncomfortable about cross-contamination, so I decided to pass on a potato. SAD! I knew, however, that their fries were cooked in a grease-less fryer, so there were no cross-contamination issues there. After more inquiries about the ingredients, I found that the cheese fries were gluten free. The chili, however, is not, so I chose to include salsa on my fries. The man who made my order was very careful and washed his hands several times. The fries were very good, though I'm not used to eating food as oily as the cheese sauce. I took upon myself to mention to him that if he got separate utensils (or at least one) for his toppings, that he would get a lot of customers with gluten concerns, because we can eat potatoes. This was a bold thing to do (very out of character for me), and he was sort of insulted (oops!). He said that they were actually very careful and had very little issue with cross-contamination there. He said they wash their hands and use hand sanitizer frequently and recently got inspected for cross-contamination. I might go back and try a potato, especially because I accidentally insulted them. They seemed to be careful but not as knowledgeable as I would like them to be for my comfort. The food's delicious, though, so I recommend it on that level. If nothing else, stop by for some cheese fries. They're pretty amazing!


Knowledge - 3 stars
Accommodation - 3 stars
Taste - 4 stars

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Jason's Deli ROCKS!

Hey! Did you know that Jason's Deli has an extensive GF menu, including sandwiches on Udi gluten free bread? Somehow that slipped my attention until yesterday! I had heard that they were good about accommodating gluten allergies, but I hadn't asked how yet. Then yesterday I read online that they had gluten free bread! I looked up their menu, and it is really big. It has salads, items from the salad bar, build your own sandwiches, baked potatoes, and of course, their free soft-serve ice cream (without cone)! I wanted to try it out as soon as possible! Last night Aaron asked me to meet him for dinner somewhere, and I said, "Let's go to Jason's deli!" I ordered a sandwich, and talked to the person making them to ensure that he changed his gloves and made my sandwich far away from the other sandwiches. He asked if I was really allergic, and when I said yes, assured me that he would make it "really special" for me. While I was waiting for my food, I checked out the condition of the salad bar, because several places will list items as gluten free when they are contaminated because they don't realize that danger exists for us. The salad bar was very clean and well laid out for those of us with gluten issues. All of the bread products were on one end of the bar, then there was a buffer zone of various pasta and potato salads and fruit (so I would avoid these). The salad dressings next on the bar, and I think they are all gluten free, but just in case I might request dressing straight from the kitchen. On the far side of the bar was the lettuce and all the toppings, so I think that, within reason, these should be good to go! The sandwich came on Udi bread (my favorite!) with chips and a pickle. On the plate was a sticker with a disclaimer saying that the GF ingredients may come in contact with contaminated items because Jason's Deli is not trained to know the nuances of gluten intolerance (or something similar to that statement - will take picture of it next time). I ate it anyway and had no problems. It was really good! I was too full for ice cream, which I know some people (Aaron included) finds a bit sacrilege. But, I'm not upset. I'll just get it next time, because I'm definitely going back! So glad to know that an old favorite can be new again!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Dexter's

Sorry I haven't been on in a few days. Had to catch up on stuff (like sleep) after my studio recital! After the recital, I was quite hungry, and I wanted to go to a favorite spot of ours, Dexter's. There are three locations, but the one that is closest to me is the one in Thornton Park, right next to downtown Orlando. The atmosphere is an upscale, trendy, relaxed sports bar. I love the space, the location, and the food! One of the best things on the menu is their sweet potato chips, but they are off-limits to Celiacs, so I cannot eat those anymore. :( My husband still gets these all the time, though. I had eaten here only once before since my diagnosis, and had ordered a delicious salad. I had forgotten that I could eat safely at Dexter's, and after a conversation with a friend, I remembered this salad. Since then I'd been craving it, so we had to go! The salad comes with grilled asparagus, roasted potatoes, artichokes, mixed greens, tomatoes, feta cheese, and a lemon dill dijon dressing. The potatoes normally have rosemary on them, but since I'm allergic to that, too, they cook the potatoes without the herb for me. The blend of flavors is really delicious, and the contrast of the cold lettuce with the warm potatoes and asparagus is lovely. I couldn't remember whether the salad was completely gluten free or if they needed to make adjustments. I mentioned this to the waitress, and she told me that she would ask the kitchen. Everything ended up being gluten free, and I got the salad with no other substitutions than the potatoes. Just like my previous trip to Dexter's, the staff was quite knowledgeable about gluten, and they took very good care of me. The waitress was kind and attentive, and the food was amazing as always. I can't believe I forgot about Dexter's. To complete our experience, Aaron and I met some players from Orlando City Soccer. Go Lions! I will definitely dine there more often!

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 5 stars
Taste - 5 stars

Monday, April 11, 2011

A GF Reception

Yesterday, I held a studio recital for my voice and piano students, and we had a reception after the recital. When I host anything now, I make sure that it is gluten free, and I wanted to do the same for the reception. (I figure if I'm going through the trouble of organizing it, I should be able to freely enjoy it!) I also asked the students if they or any family members had food allergies, and found that we also needed to avoid peanuts and tree nuts. I was nervous about asking parents to bring food to the reception with all of these restrictions, but I trusted that they would understand that I wanted the food to be safe for everybody to eat. The parents really shocked me! They really took the idea and ran with it, and with a few brand suggestions, they came with tons of delicious food. We had chips, salsa, dip, vegetable trays, fruit trays, cupcakes, cookies, and brownies, and drinks. There was enough for everyone to have seconds and thirds, and people had them! The baked goods were delicious, and the parents were surprised that gluten free food could be that good or taste just the same as food containing gluten. The star of the reception menu, though, was the brownies. They were Betty Crocker GF brownies. They are amazing and so simple to make! Everyone wanted some, and everyone wanted to know who made them. People wanted to know how to make them at home, even though they didn't need to be gluten free! Even one of my best friends (and brownie experts) thought they were great. I was happy to have educated so many people. :)

Fried Green Tomatoes!

Fried green tomatoes at Belford's Savannah. Yum!

Gluten Free in Savannah

My best friend finally moved from across the country to within driving distance, so excited, I made plans to visit her in Savannah, Georgia. While the trip was an exciting prospect, the thought of eating in Savannah was a bit scary. Eating out with Celiac is always tricky, especially in a new city. Researching Savannah, I found some pretty bad reviews. I even read that it was the one of the worst cities to visit if you have a gluten allergy, so I was pretty nervous. After a lot of digging around on the internet, I found some restaurants that looked promising. After enjoying a lot of gluten free food, I have to say that Savannah is more gluten friendly that their reputation implies. Here's a rundown of our trip:

Kasey's Gourmet Grille
I read about Kasey's on a Celiac forum, and after perusing the menu online, my friend and our husbands decided to try it on our first night in Savannah. They had a strange location in a rough-looking shopping strip across from a hospital, but the inside had a cozy, pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant was very accommodating, and the kitchen was very knowledgeable about gluten-containing ingredients. They did not, however, understand about cross-contamination. Our group appetizer was fried goat cheese, which is normally coated in a mixture of flour and cornmeal. They omitted the flour for our order. The chese came with a fruit chutney and a roasted garlic spread, both gluten free and very tasty. It was, however, served on the same platter as the toast provided for dipping. Luckily, there was a section that had not touched the bread, and I managed to cut a portion of cheese for myself and get the toppings I wanted before everyone else dug in. I took a gamble doing this, but it seemed to work, because there were no resulting stomach problems. The cheese was good, but the garlic spread was the table's favorite. Before my entree, I also had the Kasey's Salad, which is comprised of baby spinach, tomatoes, fried shallots (omitted because of the gluten), goat cheese, black pepper croutons (omitted because of the gluten), and blueberry champagne dressing. The salad was amazing, and probably my favorite part of the whole meal, but about halfway through, I tasted a very small part of a crouton. I decided to continue eating the salad, because the damage was done (and I paid for this decision), but I was a little upset that the salad was not entirely safe. My entree was a crispy grouper with mango glaze served with swiss chard and potatoes (substituted for Jasmine rice, which contained gluten). Again, they used only cornmeal to coat the fish. The whole meal was good, the bitter chard being a nice contrast to the sweet mango, except that I was expecting a grouper fillet, and instead, I received an entire grouper! That was a bit of a shock! For desert, I had a mocha creme brulet with chocolate and whipped cream on top. I could only eat half of it, because I had eaten so much food already, but it was fantastic. As soon as I put my spoon down, my friend grabbed it and finished it!

Knowledge - 2.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 4 stars


Moon River Brewing Company
I heard about Moon River in a Savannah online travel guide. I called ahead, and assured that they could accommodate a gluten free diet. They can also accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets, too. It is a lovely pub located near River Street with nice decorations (including prints of paintings by my favorite artist, Van Gogh). Our waitress was polite, but she was very slow, being absent for long periods of time. The restaurant was out of several items like sausage, nacho, cheese, and butter, which was a bit off-putting as well. The staff knew what gluten was but were uncertain how to determine whether food was safe, so they took an overly cautious approach, for which I was grateful. They were wary to put any seasoning at all on my food, and brought labels from the kitchen so I could determine whether or not the items were safe. After perusing a few labels, I made my choice. I ordered a barbecue pork sandwich without the bun. The fries that normally come with the sandwich were not safe (cross contamination), so they happily substituted broccoli for my side item. The barbecue was very good, and had a sweet, spicy flavor. The broccoli was served plain, and after learning that they were out of butter (honestly, how does a restaurant run out of BUTTER‽), I decided to season it with salt and lemon juice, which was sufficient. While the food was good, it was a little disappointing to have a plate of plain broccoli and a small pile of barbecued pork. I felt like for the price I paid, I should have had more food. After dinner, I went next door to 5 Guys and got some french fries.

Knowledge - 2 stars
Accommodation - 3.5 stars
Taste - 3 stars


The Cotton Exchange
Walking down River Street around lunchtime, my friend, Aaron, and I decided we were hungry, thought this place looked good, and took a chance. We asked the hostess if they accommodated gluten allergies, and she brought the manager to us who assured us that the kitchen was very good about handling food allergies. The decor was charming, with an old tavern feel created by showing the original stone structure, wooden beams, and beautiful wooden booths that, while new, kept in line with the era. While the kitchen was knowledgeable, my gluten allergy seemed very new to our waiter. He was sweet, but he looked scared! I decided not to overwhelm him, and tried to order a salad, which seemed to be the easiest thing on the menu (most everything else was fried). I was between the Greek salad and the Cobb salad, depending on which one could be gluten free. I asked about the ingredients, and the only thing he wasn't sure about was the salad dressing. After several trips to the kitchen to confer with the chef, he brought the salad dressings in question so I could read the labels. I was very impressed with how willing he was to ensure that everything was right. The Greek dressing was definitely gluten free. The Cobb salad normally comes with a ranch dressing that is not gluten free (Hidden Valley), so I asked about the honey mustard. After looking over the honey mustard ingredients, I was not sure that it was gluten free, so I chose the Greek salad. Even with the special gluten request, our food came very quickly. I don't care for cucumbers, and I forgot to ask for them to be omitted, so my first few minutes were spent picking through my salad for the offending items. After that, I was free to dig into my salad, and I was very pleased. The ingredients were very fresh, and the salad tasted great!

Knowledge - 3.5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 4 stars


Belford's Savannah
Aaron and I were investigating the Savannah City Marketplace, and we decided we needed lunch. We looked at the various menus, and the last restaurant on the street caught my eye. In the list of appetizers, there were fried green tomatoes that were pan fried in cornmeal. I had been hoping for some fried green tomatoes, a delicious Southern staple, and this looked promising! We poked our head inside, and were immediately impressed by the charming interior. The floor was a beautiful wood, and the walls were exposed brick. Contrasting the raw materials, the tables and chairs were very chic and upscale. We asked our waiter if the could accommodate a gluten free diet, and after saying yes, he shared that a woman had just dined there, and told us what she ordered and how they adjusted it for her. For an appetizer, I got the fried green tomatoes (of course)! They usually come breaded in cornmeal and flour, but they took the flour out. Since they were pan fried, there were no cross-contamination worries. They were served with a corn salsa that provided a nice cool contrast to the warm tomatoes, and a remoulade sauce, which I requested on the side, as I do not like like remoulade. They were fantastic! Just what I was hoping to find! For my entree, I ordered a Mediterranean salad, which had several vegetables and feta cheese. The only substitution I had to make was the salad dressing. I had balsamic dressing instead of their Greek dressing, which contains gluten. Though pricey, the meal was absolutely wonderful, and I could not have asked for more.

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 5 stars
Taste - 5 stars


Johnny Harris Barbecue

I am very impressed with Johnny Harris. I had heard about them on a Celiac forum, and e-mailed them to request allergen information. I knew that their fried chicken was gluten free (no breading), and I wondered about their Brunswick stew. They promptly replied, asking me to call and go over the ingredient list, as there were so many in the stew. During the phone call, I discovered that the stew was gluten free (yay!), and that if I brought my own flour, they could fry whatever items I would like in a dedicated fryer (the one they sue for their fried chicken). I was excited about this place a week before I even arrived in Savannah! We finally decided to go on the 4th night of our trip. The restaurant, which opened in 1924, has a very unique decor, and was a very fun experience. In the middle of the round room stands a lighted post, and the walls have a continuous mural around the top. The tables are in individual booths that line the edge of the room. The booths have service call buttons, and had a bar where curtains used to hang, making the booths private. Flour in hand, I explained to our waitress that I had a gluten allergy, and that I had made arrangements with the manager to have food fried with my own flour. the manager came to our table, and talked with us for a while about my dining needs. For my appetizer, I had fried green tomatoes for the second time that day. I was in Heaven! I liked the seasonings on these tomatoes bettern than at Belford's, and was very pleased to have peppered vinegar available. For dinner, I had a bowl of Brunswick stew and a side of turnip greens. The Brunswick stew was very good, but quite strong. I had to eat it in small doses. The turnip greens, which my friend also ordered, were too salty for either one of us to eat. Overall, though, the meal was superb, as was the service. The food was reasonably priced, and it was fun to hear the restaurant's history. I will definitely be back!

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 5 stars
Taste - 4.5 stars


Lady and Sons
Paula Deen's restaurant was eagerly anticipated by both Aaron and me, and we had heard from a Celiac forum that her restaurant staff was knowledgeable and accommodating. After waiting in a short line a 9:3o am for lunch reservations, we spent the morning enjoying Savannah. We returned for our reservations around noon, and it was very crowded. We got called for our table about 30 minutes after our reservation time, and were sent past food that looked and smelled delicious. My mouth was watering. Once seated at our table, we were given a cornmeal cake and cheddar biscuit, which smelled amazing, but were not gluten free. Aaron happily ate both our portions, reporting that they were as good as they smelled. After informing our waitress of my gluten allergy, I discovered that they had a gluten free menu. I was excited and hopeful at this news, but was immediately disappointed when I saw that the lunch menu only had four items on it (the dinner menu had more choices). Upon inquiry, I found out that the lunch buffet had several gluten free items (baked chicken, potatoes, candied yams, and salad), but the vegetables I had been eying were not safe. Because of this, I decided to order from the GF menu. I got a baked tilapia served with vegetables and rice. Aaron ordered the buffet and was able to get his food immediately, but mine took a very long time. Feeling bad for me, he brought back some yams on a separate plate so I could try them. They were good, but they were so rich and sweet that I had trouble finishing them. Aaron loved all of the food he ate, especially the fried chicken. When my food came, though, I was sorely disappointed. The fish was seasoned only with an overabundance of salt, and it had that lakey taste of a fish that is just a little bit too old. The rice was buttered, making it the best thing on my plate. The vegetables included sauteed squash and zuchinni, which were almost as salty as the fish, plain grilled portabello mushrooms, and plain steamed asparagus. It was a pitiful showing, especially for a restaurant with such a big name behind it. I felt like the allergen friendly food was an afterthought. The highlight of my experience was a flourless chocolate torte. The torte had a good taste and consistency, but it did not make up for the pathetic showing that was my lunch.

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 1 star


Corleone's Trattoria
We found this restaurant on a gluten free registry. I was intrigued, since most Italian restaurants (at least in America) are off limits to Celiacs. I called the restaurant, and found out that they had gluten free pasta! The decision was a pretty quick one! My friend and our husbands headed over to Corleone's immediately, and were impressed right away. The chef came to our table and verified that the pasta was gluten free, as were all of the sauces. He also went over the salad dressings with me to make sure I made a safe choice. During our chat, we found out that his wife had Celiac, too. After talking with us, he left to cook my pasta, and our food came out pretty quickly. My salad was a nice, fresh start to the meal. I ordered penna a la vodka, my favorite, and was very excited! When our food came, the smell was incredible, and the taste did not disappoint. It is the best penna a la vodka I have ever eaten in my life. The noodles were so good that I was worried for a minute that they weren't gluten free! The meal was, however, perfectly safe. This was easily my favorite meal of the trip!

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 5 stars
Taste - 5 stars


Lulu's Chocolate Bar
My friend enjoys this cute desert bar and wanted to share it, because she knew they served creme brulet. I thought the atmosphere was very nice. It was a mix between stylish and laid back, and had classic rock playing softly in the background unless the jukebox was being employed. I had three choices of creme brulet flavors, and after checking that all were gluten free, I chose vanilla bean. It was great! The staff there was very pleasant and knowledgeable about the ingredients.

Knowledge - 5 stars
Accommodation - 3 stars
Taste - 4 stars


Savannah's Candy Kitchen
We found two locations in Savannah, but the one to visit in on River Street. When we walked into the store, I was immediately drawn to the smell of caramel and pralines being prepared. They have homemade gelato and ice cream and taffy and pralines made fresh in the store. It is a candy paradise (a kid in the store even said so!). I immediately asked if the caramel was gluten free, and they assured me that it was. I asked about the marshmallows, but they couldn't be certain, since they get those from a different manufacturer and advised me to avoid them. I asked about the pralines, and was given a list of ingredients and was assured that they were gluten free as well. As if this wasn't exciting enough, they had free samples of the fresh, warm pralines that were just made. AMAZING! Best pralines I've ever had. They had a deal where you could get a free half pound of pralines if you purchased a pound, and we did! We of course, shared them with friends, as we could not possibly eat a pound an a half of pralines before they went bad. Not that we didn't try! While waiting for the pralines, we enjoyed glass-bottled Coke and watched the taffy being made. The taffy started as a huge ball and after being threaded through a machine where it was cut and wrapped, it was sent in buckets up to a chute that sent the taffy to a bin where you could purchase it. It's a really fun experience!


Knowledge - 4.5 stars
Accommodation - 3 stars
Taste - 5 stars