Cooking with Pesto: Part II

Here are the other three dinners I created last week using the fresh pesto I made.

Night 2: (My personal favorite!) Roasted rack of lamb with pesto crust



Put rack of lamb in roasting pan, fat side up and rub with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Cook at 450 for 10 minutes. Take the lamb out of the oven and rub the top of the lamb with pesto. Place back in the oven and roast at 450 for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minute under aluminum foil.

I served the lamb with parmesan risotto and sugar snap peas.

Night 3: Pesto Pizza


For this meal, I used the same chickpea pizza crust recipe I used last week. Once I made the crust, I just added a thin layer of pesto and a layer of parmesan cheese and put on high heat in the oven for a couple of minutes.

Since the chickpea recipe makes enough dough for two pizzas, I also made one tomato sauce, Hormel pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.

Night 4: Pork chops, Yukon gold roasted potatoes, and sautéed spinach (This was the last night of the pesto so we just dipped both pork chops and potatoes in the pesto…delicious!)

Yukon Gold Roasted Potatoes:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut 1 ½ pounds of Yukon gold potatoes (not peeled) lengthwise and into wedges. Place potatoes on baking sheet and mix with ¼ cup olive oil, 2 T. melted butter, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 T. fresh chopped rosemary, S & P.

Spread out potatoes flat on sheet and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Season with S & P.

Pork Chops:
I cooked the bone-in pork chops, very simply in a skillet, rubbing them with olive oil and Bosari Seasoned Salt. (We love this seasoning salt and use it often when cooking.)

Put olive oil in skillet and heat on high heat. Preheat oven to 400. Add pork chops to skillet and cook on stove top, about 4 minutes on each side. (You want to get a nice crust.) Then place skillet and pork chops in the heated oven for about 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Cooking with bone-in pork chops takes a lot longer than boneless chops. David and I have found that bone-in provides much more tender meat so we usually prefer going with bone-in. You can easily make boneless pork chops in the skillet, you’ll just cook for a shorter time. The meat needs to be about 145 degrees.

Labor Day Lunch Eat Ins: Slow Food Atlanta

If you're looking for something to do on Labor Day, pack yourself a gluten free picnic and support a great cause! Join in one of the Eat Ins in the Atlanta area advocating for better food in schools. I'll be at the Piedmont Park location, but they'll also be in Decatur, East Cobb County, Gwinnett and Buckhead. Click on the links below for more information.

Slow Food Atlanta - Eat-In

September 7, 2009
12-3pm
Piedmont Park - Atlanta, GA
Organizer: Judith Winfrey
Email: judith@loveislovefarm.com

Let's get REAL FOOD in schools. Let's join over 200 picnics nationwide to support vegetables for kids. Let's enjoy our city, a great meal, our favorite park, and a great group of folks. Let's get more money for school lunch programs. Let's support local farms. Let's eat!

Here's the deal. You bring a picnic to Piedmont. You eat it. By showing up, you support better lunches for kids in schools. Easy breezy, right?

Information for Atlanta Slow Food Picnic

Slow Food Atlanta Website

Cooking with Summer Squash

One of my favorite summer foods is squash. You can find squash easily and in great quantities during the summer in the southeast. Last summer I shared a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with my sister-in-law, Alden, and we were blessed with all of the squash and zucchini we could imagine.

If you love fresh vegetables and fruit, a CSA is a great idea for the summer. You get a delivery each week from the same farm of whatever vegetables are growing on that farm at that moment. It forced me to cook and experiment with unfamiliar produce such as bok choy but I also learned to make my own pesto (due to the unlimited basil we received for a few weeks) and gluten free zucchini bread. I would recommend sharing a CSA with a good friend because then you don't feel as if you're wasting food when you're out of town on vacation and it's a fun excuse to cook together!

When joining a CSA or going to a local farmer's market, you're guaranteed to encounter plenty of squash. There are many ways to cook squash but today I wanted to share two delicious squash dishes that are family favorites. Both of these dishes are great for entertaining because they don't require much hands on attention once the cooking process begins.

Simple Roasted Summer Squash: This dish is very simple, easy and flavorful and you can make it in small or large quantities (sometimes a CSA will only give you one piece of squash which can be difficult to find a recipe and use for just one).

Ingredients:
Summer squash, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
Onion, sliced
Olive oil
Salt/pepper
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice squash into 1/2 inch round pieces. (If it's a larger squash/zucchini, I then cut the rounds in half.)
3. Slice up an onion.
4. Place onion and squash on cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper on top. Mix up onions and squash in olive oil. Lay onions and squash flat on cookie sheet.
5. Cook for 15 minutes then using a spatula, flip onions and squash and cook for another 15 minutes.
6. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 2 minutes.
(Note: I like the squash to be nice a browned before taking them out of the oven, but they also taste good when not browned.)

Dot's Squash Casserole: This recipe is my grandmother, Dot's, old recipe. My mom made it last week and I'm going to make it today using squash from my in-law's garden in Linden, VA that is overflowing with summer vegetables right now!

Ingredients:
3 pounds summer squash, chunked
3 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup water
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
(the original recipe also calls for crumbled crackers on top but we just skip that step now to make it GF! I think it tastes better without it anyways)

Directions:
1. Cook squash & onions with water, sugar, salt and pepper until mashable (about 45 minutes).
2. Beat two eggs lightly.
3. Add milk to eggs and mix well with squash. Add butter and mix.
4. Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes.
This recipe freezes well also!

Enjoy the abundance of squash during the last month of summer! Feel free to add your own squash recipes.

Making Fresh Pesto

Last week I stumbled upon some beautifully fresh basil and decided to make pesto. David and I love pesto and fortunately, we don’t get sick of it because I’ve incorporated it into four dinners in the past week. I went with the classic, no frills pesto and it was absolutely delicious and super easy to make.

I followed this recipe from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Special equipment needed: A food processor Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

What I made:

Night 1: Chicken pesto pasta

1. Cook GF spaghetti ( Bionaturae Brand: follow instructions on container, but I would suggest not using as much salt as they recommend)

2. Cook chopped boneless chicken breasts on stove with olive oil for about 8 minutes on medium heat.

3. Once chicken is cooked, add cherry tomatoes to pan and cook on low temp to soften tomatoes…I used all different color tomatoes from the Decatur Farmers’ Market to add more color to the plate.

4. When pasta and chicken are ready, drain pasta and put in a serving bowl with chicken and toss in pesto.

I also roasted some fresh okra (400 degrees for 10 min, olive oil, S and P) for the meal as well. Enjoy!

*More details on Pesto Nights 2, 3, and 4 still to come!

Gluten Freedom’s Search for Thai Food

Thai food should be gluten free. Rice noodles, rice, spices, it should all be gluten free, right? (Just hold the soy sauce.) David and I love to make GF Thai food at home, but it’s always great to find a Thai place accommodates the GF customer. After a week in Atlanta, I figured why not try searching for my go to Thai place in Atlanta?

Last night we went to Amaryn’s Thai Bowl and Sushi in Decatur. While there was definitely some confusion as to what gluten was, I will say that the management and waiters at Amaryn’s were very nice and willing to work with me. They also knew that soy sauce has wheat in it. When I inquired about the menu, they told me I should be able to get any of their Thai Bowl combos, without soy sauce. Of course you need to have rice noodles, not egg noodles (they contain wheat in addition to the egg).

I ordered the chicken panang which they assured me had no soy sauce in it and they even checked the ingredients on the fish sauce for me. They thought rice had wheat in it but I assured them rice is fine.

When the waiter brought me my meal, there were two balls of fried something in my meal. I was pretty sure those were not gluten free. I explained to the waitress that I couldn’t eat it and that I needed a new meal entirely (they couldn’t just take off the fried dough balls). She very nicely agreed and brought me an entirely new meal. It was definitely an entirely new entrée, which I very much appreciated.

So was I nervous about eating the meal? Definitely…But, I was totally fine afterwards. No contamination! Always a victory when eating out at a new restaurant in a new city. I don’t know if I would give Amaryn’s my highest recommendation to the gluten free diner, but there should be plenty of options at Amaryn’s and other Thai places.

A couple of tips for dining out:
- I find it’s always good to call places ahead and try to speak with a manager. It’s even better to call at a time when you know they won’t be busy.

- There’s an IPhone App called “GF Card” where you can get explanations of Celiac Disease in about 50 different languages, from Bulgarian to Thai to Urdu. This App is great for travel and dining. Just show it to your waiter and they can even take it back to the chef (Of course I left my ITouch at home last night!)

Amaryn’s Thai Bowl & Sushi
265 Ponce De Leon Pl
Decatur, GA 30030-3259
(404) 373-2788‎

Things I Love: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats

I love oats and Bob’s Red Mill now produces oats that are certified gluten free. (Make sure you purchase the GF oats…it’s clearly labeled on the bag.)

What I use them for:
- Making homemade granola (recipe still to come…mines not as good as my mother-in-laws)
- Making Monster Cookies
- To add to a topping for a fruit cobbler

- A hearty breakfast in the winter

Why I love it: While oats have been controversial in the past in regard to their gluten content, Bob’s are certified and good to go. Oats were one of the foods I missed the most when first diagnosed and now I don’t have to miss out on them anymore. When following a recipe using oats, you don’t have to change it at all. They cook the same as any other oats.

Shortcoming(s):
- More expensive than non-certified gluten free oats, but unfortunately that’s not unusual in the GF world.
- Sometimes can be difficult to find in stores. Good news! Kroger on Howell Mill Road carries them as does the Buckhead Whole Foods.

A Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Egg Free, Nut Free Feast!

This weekend we hosted two of our friends over for dinner. One of our guests, Chris, is allergic to eggs, lactose, nuts and fish so we made a meal that worked for both him and me and it was delicious! (And not too difficult.)

The Menu:

Appetizers:
Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Chips
Whole Foods Roasted Pepper Salsa
Refried Bean Dip (purchased at the Decatur Farmers' Market)

Dinner

Beer Can Chicken on the Grill (Made with a can of Diet Coke instead of beer…it tastes exactly the same.)

Spinach and mixed green salad with blueberries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes (again, Decatur farmers’ market), red pepper and Ginger Pear Salad Dressing made by Maple Grove Farms of Vermonth. I love this brand because they clearly label gluten free products and they taste great too.

Chickpea Flatbread: See below for recipe…I found it in the July 2009 Bon Appetit

Dessert
Sorbet (Strawberry & Passionfruit) and Lucy's Cinnamon Thin Cookies. I was determined to find a dessert that fit all of our dietary needs. I fell in love with Lucy's Cookies about a month ago when a friend brought them to me and it turns out that they're gluten, nut, egg and dairy free. I don't know how she does it, but they're so tasty. (Even non-allergy people like them.)

Chickpea Pizza Recipe (From July 2009 Bon Appetit)

While called a ‘pizza’ in the recipe, I see this more as a flatbread that is a great side dish. I envision it as a replacement for Naan when making Indian food. It’s super easy and very economical. No mixer required and very minimal ingredients. I found Bob’s Red Mill garbanzo bean flour at Whole Foods for less than $2.50.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups chickpea flour (same as garbanzo bean flour)
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
6 Tablespoons e-v olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
6 Tablespoons parmesan cheese (I left the cheese off of Chris’ pizza)

Recipe:

1. Sift chickpea flour and salt into a large bowl
2. Gradually add 2/3 cup water, whisking until smooth
3. Whisk in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of water and rosemary
4. Let sit for 30 minutes
5. Preaheat broiler. Spray large nonstick broilerproof skillet with nonstick spray. Add 1 T. oil.
6. Heat skillet on stove over medium high heat. Whisk batter and pour half of mix into skillet.
7. Drizzle with 2 T oil. Cook until top is almost set (about 4 min.), piercing bubbles with a knife.
8. Sprinkle with 3 T. cheese and pepper. (Leave cheese off of dairy free pizza)
9. Broil pizza 4 to 5 minutes, until golden. Slide onto platter.
10. Repeat to make second pizza


Tonight I’m going to reheat the leftovers and add pesto and tomatoes. Serve it with a great salad and it’s dinner!

Gluten Freedom's SouthEast Road Trip: Part I

Through some lucky circumstances, David and I were fortunate enough to have a mini vacation last week to Sea Island, Georgia and Pinehurst, North Carolina. I had never been to either of these resort towns before and I was excited for our post-Bar, pre-Atlanta trip.

Being gluten free makes traveling and vacations tougher than in my earlier gluten filled days, but the change in diet is clearly worth it. One thing I always make sure to do when I travel is have plenty of snacks with me, just in case my gluten free options are limited. The ‘travel with food’ rule applies basically any time I leave the house. You don’t want to get caught hungry. Almonds, Dark Chocolate M&Ms, and Apple Pie Lara Bars are a few of my staples when on the road.

In researching prior to our trip, I was disappointed not to find anything online regarding gluten free dining options in Sea Island or Pinehurst. I was optimistic, however, that in a nice resort town like Sea Island/St. Simons, places would be able to accommodate me throughout our trip and my hunch proved to be solidly valid.

Our first night on vacation we decided to eat dinner at Halyard’s on St. Simons, which a friend recommended. Before dinner, we met up with my cousin at the Lodge. What a beautiful setting! Every night a bagpiper plays and you can look out at the water, listen to the music and enjoy a beverage. Even though a torrential downpour disrupted the bagpiper, The Lodge was a great place to spend cocktail hour. David and I definitely went both nights of our trip!

We arrived at Halyard's for our 8:30 reservations and I immediately wanted everything on the menu. They had a 3 course menu for $30 and David and I both decided to inquire about this option. Much to my delighted surprise there were plenty of options for me on the three course menu and I was able to get my first choice for every course. I went with the soup of the day, which was a broth based soup with peas, tomatoes, beans and bacon. Hearty but not too rich because of the broth. (It sounds like an odd combo but it worked well!)

My next course was the house salad with grilled peaches, goat cheese, candied pecans and balsamic vinaigrette. I love salads with fruit, cheese and nuts and this one did not disappoint. I definitely saved the best for last because my main course outdid the previous courses. I ordered the grilled hanger steak with mashed potatoes (my favorite side dish!), grilled broccoli with a Vidalia onion and tomato jam. My entire meal, entirely gluten free, needed no modifications from the regular menu!

Our Halyard’s waiter was willing to go back and talk to the chef each time I asked her about an item on the menu, never appearing annoyed or overly confident. Our meal was so good that we actually thought about going back for our second night as well, but we ultimately decided we need to branch out. Another plus about Halyard’s is that it’s prices are much more reasonable compared to the Lodge and the Cloister.

Gluten Freedom’s South East Road Trip: Part II

The next day on Sea Island we had coffee and I ate breakfast in the room, Stonyfield yogurt with a Serenbe Farms peach. When I travel, I usually try to eat one meal with my own food because it’s one fewer opportunity to risk getting sick. It’s also a good way to save some money! After breakfast we went to the Beach Club at the Cloister and had a lazy morning by the pool. For lunch we went to Big George's, the restaurant at the Beach Club. Due to its casual nature and mostly sandwich filled menu, I was nervous about this venue but we decided to try it.

Our trip was made by our waiter at Big George’s, Whitney! When I mentioned celiac to Whitney he knew exactly what we were talking about because his 12 year old daughter has been diagnosed with celiac for two years. A thoughtful and friendly waiter, I felt so comfortable with our dining experience at Big George’s. Whitney knew I couldn’t have grilled chicken because it was marinated in soy sauce, so I had a nice piece of grilled salmon on a salad. This was a perfect meal on a hot beach day. Whitney even brought out Glutino crackers before the meal came! (It’s no corn bread with bits of bacon like David got to eat, but very thoughtful of Whitney and gave a little more substance to my salad.)

For our final meal, we decided to go to dinner at the Oak Room at the Lodge. We really liked the ambiance at the Lodge and went with the Oak Room, which is more casual than Colt & Alison but still has very nice options on the menu. Of course we had a drink on the porch first, listening to the bagpiper! For dinner, I ordered the sweet tea brined pork chop. Of course the mac and cheese was not gluten free so I ordered their sweet corn grits which I enjoyed more than the mac and cheese anyway. (Sometimes it pays to have celiac because restaurants don’t mind if you swap sides!) The entrée also came with yummy stewed okra and tomato. (Side note: now that I’ve moved to Atlanta I’m in love with okra. I had some last night at my friend, Mary Stuart's house and I just bought some okra at the Decatur Farmer's Market on Wednesday…Let me know if you have any recipe suggestions for okra.) The Oak Room was a great choice for us and the waiter and manager were very attentive to us and my dietary needs. The manager checked on us multiple times throughout the meal to see how we were doing.

David and I had a great time at Sea Island and our dining experiences were all delicious, fun and memorable. I felt like I was able to enjoy the food that I wanted, and that I wasn’t limited by my celiac disease. Now we just need to figure out a way to go back!

Richard Blais' Flip Burger

Last spring David and I came to Atlanta to check out the city, as we knew we’d be moving here this summer. While on this trip, I had the opportunity to check out a couple of different restaurants. As a huge fan of Bravo's Top Chef, the place I was most eager to see was Flip Burger, which is owned by Richard Blais, a contestant on Season 4 and personal favorite of mine. For those of you who’ve seen the show, Richard always used molecular gastronomy in his cooking and has a bit of a mini-Mohawk.

It’s clear from the name that this relatively new restaurant does burgers. They’ve got all kinds of burgers (turkey, faux lafel, salmon and lamb, to name a few) and they do them well.

Before we went, our friends called ahead to see if Flip Burger was willing to accommodate gluten free customers and they said they definitely could. Located right on Howell Mill Road, Flip is in an up and coming area on the Westside and it is filled with customers.

When we got to the restaurant we sat outside and could not have had a friendlier waiter. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable, she told me to pick what I wanted and they would see what they could do. I decided to go with the turkey burger which comes with avacado, alfalfa sprouts and pomegranate ketchup. The cook wrapped my burger in lettuce since I had to go sans bun. Definitely a thoughtful touch! We also decided to share the Caesar salad (without the croutons of course). Everything I ordered was delicious and looked beautiful. The presentation and menu creativity are some of the best parts of Flip besides the food.

The highlight of the evening for me was actually getting to meet Richard Blais! Like I mentioned earlier, I loved him on Top Chef. He was friendly and nice to us and I thanked him for being willing to make gluten free burgers. He said of course they accommodate the GF customer and that he realizes what a large population is becoming gluten free. He even mentioned that on the side he’s working with a friend to try to create a delicious gluten free pasta. I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything more about that.

Flip was a fun and unique first dining experience for me in Atlanta. I was definitely star struck but also enjoyed the delicious food. Many of the burgers themselves are gluten free (if you leave out the bun), but you might have to make some modifications to the toppings. Sadly you’ll need to avoid fried things (fries, onion rings, okra, etc.) but the salad was yummy and they have a beet and goat cheese salad that looks good too. The potato salad and five bean salad might also work, but I’ll have to check.

The other component to Flip Burger’s menu are the liquid nitrate milkshakes. Full from my burger, I did not try or ask about the shakes. My guess would be that you need to stay away from the Krispy Kreme shake, but the others (Georgia peaches ‘n cream, foie grois, and spicy chocolate mole to name a few) are probably GF.

If you go to Flip, and I suggest that you do, remind your server about being gluten free and also ask them to clean off the section of the grill/pan that they’re going to use to prepare your burger in order to avoid cross contamination.

Enjoy! And maybe you’ll get to meet Richard too! (It’s still worth it even if you don’t have a Richard sighting.)

Gluten Free Trips to Charlottesville, VA

David and I’ve gotten to partake in some great trips together this summer and shared many delicious meals. Once David finished the Bar Exam in July, we decided to meet up for a few days in Charlottesville, Virginia. Both graduates of UVA, David and I love Charlottesville. For those of you that have been to Charlottesville, you know that unfortunately many of the places we loved so much in college are based around bread…Bel Air sandwiches, Bodos’ bagels, and Take it Away bread ends with house dressing are just a few of the places I can no longer go…well, I still go there and just watch David eat our old favorites!

Needless to say, we’ve had to explore new options when we go to Charlottesville now. While it was tricky at first, we’ve found some yummy, gluten free alternatives and rediscovered old places with our new gluten free perspective. Sadly, I don’t think Bodo’s will ever be gluten free!

So I arrived in Charlottesville, eager to meet up with David who is coming from Roanoke where he took the Bar. For dinner that night, we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants from our college days, Duner's Restaurant. Located on Route 250, five miles west of Charlottesville, Duner’s is small and does not take reservations, but it is totally worth the potential wait.

I was amazed at what a large menu they had and the wait staff was extremely friendly and encouraged me to decide what I wanted to order. I made my selections and the waitress told me that the chef would definitely be able to produce gluten free versions of my choices. Not only did she ensure that my meal would be gluten free, but she also said they could make David’s gluten free as well. For those gluten free eaters out there you know what a treat it is to be able to eat off of someone else’s plate at a restaurant!

The meal was absolutely delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ordered as well as David’s! We shared grilled sea scallops for our appetizer that were prepared with a summer squash salsa on top. For my main course I chose rack of lamb with sun dried tomato pesto. The menu listed the rack of lamb as ‘parmesan crusted’ so the chef just left off the crust and sprinkled some parmesan on top. It was perfectly prepared and the sun dried tomato pesto went perfectly with the lamb. David ordered the grilled ribeye steak and it too was perfectly flavored. The chef put the sauce for the ribeye (which was not gluten free) on the side for him so I could try it. I personally think I out ordered David but both meals were unique, flavor and delicious! The wait staff was very knowledgeable about gluten and definitely willing to accommodate their gluten free customer.

The next morning David and I ventured out for our morning coffee. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease, I’ve discovered a Charlottesville bakery called Baker's Palate that makes gluten free muffins. My personal favorite are their pumpkin muffins, but they also make banana muffins. Located close to the Downtown Mall, we stopped in to stock up. They keep their gluten free muffins in the freezer, so they’re not freshly baked each day but they’re still delicious. I would suggest heating them up before you dive in. The owner pointed out to me that she makes the gluten free pumpkin muffins with raisins. Note: if you are ever at Baker’s Palate and they serve you a pumpkin muffin without raisins, it’s NOT gluten free. Just a heads up!

Baker’s Palate also sells their gluten free muffins at Java Java coffee shop on the Downtown Mall (421 E. Main St.), but sometimes they’re sold out and they never have more than a few. In the past I’ve gotten a bunch of muffins at Baker’s Palate and stuck them in the freezer. They freeze really well; just reheat them in the oven.

As any good vacation goes, by the time you finish coffee and breakfast, you’re thinking about your next meal. Lunch is tough in Charlottesville with no more Bel Air or Take it Away, but we’ve discovered (thanks to Gluten Free Bird), The Flat Creperie on the Downtown Mall. At The Flat you can order buckwheat crepes that are gluten free. They serve both sweet and savory crepes at this crepe stand.

While delicious and filling, The Flat is not a fine dining experience. It’s often very busy and the only potential seating can be found on benches outside. Being that there are cramped quarters in the kitchen, I do worry about contamination but they wipe down the crepe makers before they make a buckwheat crepe and all of their ingredients you can get inside the crepes are gluten free. I’m very sensitive to gluten, but in the three times I’ve eaten at the Flat, I’ve never gotten sick. My personal favorite is a buckwheat crepe with chicken, spinach, cheddar and tomatoes. Yummy! Once I get my crepe I like to take my food and sit on the Downtown Mall. The Flat tends to be quite hot a crowded in their front yard eating area.

Now I’ve saved the best news for last about our trip to Charlottesville. Arch's, the popular frozen yogurt spot, is gluten free!! Hooray! I indulged in this dessert twice while on our three day stay. Sadly, you must stay away from all of the toppings (major cross contamination with all of the serving utensils and open area where the mix ins are located) so you can’t get an Archer. I brought my own M&Ms and homemade granola to add to my peanut butter and chocolate swirl frozen treat.

Another fun afternoon treat in Charlottesville are the many vineyards nearby. Our personal favorite is King Family Vineyards, located off of 250 in Crozet. The grounds are beautiful and the UVA polo team plays on the fields on the property. There is plenty of seating outside and they don’t mind at all if you bring your own food. The vineyard also sells cheeses on the premises but you’ll want to bring your own gluten free crackers.

So even though I’ll no longer have a Zazu’s wrap or a Bel Air picnic at Beaver Creek, David and I have found many gluten free alternatives in Charlottesville as we stayed well fed during our Charlottesville visit.

Adding Spice to your Gluten Free Cooking with Old Bay

The husband and I love Old Bay! Ever since my friend, Becky, gave us a huge container of the seasoning salt as an engagement gift (she's from Easton so that sort of explains the gift), we've loved using it. When I was first diagnosed with celiacs, we immediately checked to see if Old Bay is gluten free. Lucky for us, it is!

Old Bay is a seasoning salt that is typically used when eating crabs. The husband and I have found that it adds good flavor to many foods. Two of our favorites are sweet potato fries and burgers. This combo is one of our go to weeknight meals and it's perfect for having a group of people over for dinner. Old Bay is yummy in both turkey burgers and hamburgers and the recipe we use is the same for both.

Old Bay Dinner for 6

Old Bay Burgers:
Ingredients:
2 lbs. hamburger (I prefer 85/15...90/10 gets a bit dry)
2 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 T. Old Bay (the husband and I vary our amount of Old Bay depending on whose taste buds we're feeding...in our minds, you can't have too much! 4 tablespoons is actually a bit conservative)
Sliced white cheddar cheese
Sliced avocado
Sliced fresh tomato

1. Heat olive oil in pan and add chopped onion. Saute until onion is brown.
2. In a bowl, mix meat, eggs, onion and Old Bay.
3. Make into 7 patties and they are ready to cook. I think everything is better on the grill, but you can make them on the stove top as well.
4. Add cheese when burgers are almost cooked through.
5. Top burgers with avocado and tomato.

*Note: we prefer to go bunless with these burgers. I still haven't found a gluten free bun that I love and I find that eating burgers with a fork is not the end of the world; in fact, it makes the dinner seem a little fancier!

Old Bay Sweet Potato Fries:
Ingredients:
4 Large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into strips (think steak fries shape...2 inches wide, 4 inches long, and about 1/2 inch thick)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Old Bay

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl, mix olive oil and Old Bay; then add sweet potatoes and mix
3. Lay sweet potatoes flat on cookie sheet.
4. Cook for 10 minutes and then flip sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.
I keep my eye on them and serve them once they start to get brown and a little crispy. The husband thinks you can't overcook them!

We usually serve this meal with a nice salad as well to add more color to the plate. You can use the extra tomato and avocado for the salad. One of my favorite GF dressings is Maple Farms of Vermont Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Cecilia's Bakeshop: Gluten Free & Vegan goodies

As you know, I'm new to town, but Cecilia's Bakeshop was featured on Daily Candy recently. They are by appointment only but they have all kinds of cakes, pies, and cookie doughs that are gluten free and vegan. You can also order cupcakes.

The rich chocolate cake and carrot cake look particularly appetizing to me! Prices are listed on the website and while a bit pricey ($28-$36 for a 6 inch cake), it's a great deal in the gluten free world. I always want to support local people making gluten free food!

Cecilia's Bakeshop
678-643-9502 (By Appointment Only)

Cecilia's Bakeshop Website

Who Am I?

Welcome to my blog!

Growing up I was an adventurous eater who always wanted to know when my next meal would be. I loved food and appreciated that meals and cuisine brought people together. I enjoyed going out for meals and cooking in my home, with family.

After college, I gradually began feeling more and more uncomfortable when I ate. Even simple meals could sometimes bring discomfort, bloating, and all kinds of fun stomach issues. I also started having night sweats frequently, constant fatigue, as well as arthritis symptoms. I began to fear food and meals, as I could not find an explanation as to why I felt sick constantly.

Teaching high school history, coaching and living on a 9th grade girls dorm did not allow me much time to think about feeling sick. For about two years I tried ignoring these symptoms, but they persisted. I began losing weight over a period of time and my parents and husband insisted that I seek a doctor’s opinion.

In the summer of 2007, I was diagnosed with celiac disease after spending most of my adult years feeling sick and uncomfortable. It took nearly a year of going to different doctors in order to receive my diagnosis. Doctors were confused by my symptoms and I sat through many scary and frustrating doctors' appointments over the course of a year before a doctor finally connected my health problems to gluten.

When diagnosed, I experienced many different emotions. I felt relief that I didn’t have a life threatening disease, nor would I need to take medication the rest of my life. (In my mind, of all of the diseases to have, celiac is the best one!) I was thrilled to finally know what was wrong with me, after being passed from one doctor to the next, and being tested for all kinds of illnesses and conditions. My husband, David, and I even threw a party to celebrate my diagnosis (lots of rice crackers, cheese and fruit were served).

After the immediate sense of relief, I quickly became terrified, overwhelmed and anxious. David, and I were about to embark on a two week trip through New England, followed by a week vacation with my in-laws in Maine. Questions flooded my mind as I began to think about the challenges this new diet would present: Where would I eat? What questions should I ask at restaurants? Will people think I’m rude? What can I eat on the road? Would our family be able to make meals that I could eat? Would I annoy my in-laws with all of these new 'food regulations?'

This trip was great for me as it forced me to step into the world with my new diet, instead of hiding in my home. Traveling was definitely going to be different now, but it's totally doable. There are moments when I get frustrated by having celiac, especially when I'm eating a protein bar during a wedding reception, but the down moments are minimal in comparison to how much my diagnosis and eating gluten free has changed my life for the better.

Over the past two years, I’ve learned many things about eating gluten free, and I’ve discovered all kinds of delicious foods that are gluten free. I’ve developed a love for cooking and being in the kitchen. I've continued to travel and explore new dining experiences, both in and out of my home. I feel blessed to finally know what’s wrong with me and empowered that I can make meals that make me feel my best and I can seek out restaurants that will cater to my gluten free needs.

I recently moved from the Washington, D.C. area to Atlanta. While in DC, I created a blog Gluten Free in DC that provided a venue to post gluten free recipes that I've made and love. I also wrote reviews of Washington DC restaurants (and places I travel) that are willing to accommodate a gluten free customer. When you search online for gluten free restaurants, you typically find chain restaurants, like Outback (which does have great GF options). I've found that many restaurants are knowledgeable of celiac and willing to make GF meals. Some even have gluten free menus! I plan on continuing to blog about restaurants and recipes while living in Atlanta, hence the creation of Gluten Freedom Atlanta. I hope that Gluten Freedom Atlanta will be a helpful resource for others with celiac disease in the area.