A Gluten Free Guide

Gluten-Free Appetizers and Party Recipes

We are once again being bombarded with Super Bowl mania.  I don’t follow sports other than the tidbits delivered to me during the local morning news. While the hysteria was a bit more pronounced in NYC last year, it still feels inescapable this week.   At least last year I was able to enjoyed the Giants fans and hometown excitement; my favorite was the t-shirt being sold that simply said “F&*^ New England” – no logos, no team colors, just the letters across the chest.  Without that distraction, I am on Super Bowl overload.  Once again, I will have to entertain myself by creating a Super Bowl party-worthy menu.

If you haven’t tried this Fig and Avocado Salsa Recipe, you are truly missing out.

While the photos don’t do this dip justice, a Garlicy Bean Spread is perfect party fare.

If the group wants something more substantial, give this Hearty Turkey Chili recipe a try.

As always, I am a big fan of Gramercy Tavern’s Spiced Mixed Nuts Recipe or the Barefoot Contessa’s Rosemary Roasted Cashews,  but Tamari Roasted Almonds or Toasted Tex-Mex Almonds are even easier.

I adore these Gluten-Free Fruit and Nut Bars and the BEST Gluten-Free Brownies Recipe is a sure crowd-pleaser. For a sweet, but snackable dessert it doesn’t get easier than this Homemade Candy – Dark Chocolate Almond Bark.

As you are preparing a slew of gluten-free party-worthy dishes, just make sure you have gluten-free chips or crudite and watch out for cross-contamination – that darn pita bread seems to be ubiquitous lately….

I hope you enjoy the big game!

Gluten Free Restaurants NYC – Knife + Fork

I love to cook, but I also REALLY enjoy eating out. Since eating out can be expensive, I can’t do it as much as I would like and I try to make each outing count. While budgets are a concern for almost everyone these days, the gluten-free diet adds an extra complication when eating out. It is true that I can order a plain piece of fish or chicken and steamed veggies at many restaurants, but getting flavorful and exciting dishes that are also gluten-free is more of a challenge. If I am going to fork over the cash for a meal – I want it to be a GOOD meal.

While I’ve employed the “Non’tree” technique featured in this SFGate article and Saturday Night Live, I don’t want to leave a restaurant with hunger pangs just because appetizers weren’t enough to satiate my rather considerable appetite.

There are many affordable restaurants in NYC, but not so many with a variety of gluten-free options. So recently I was absolutely delighted to make the discovery of Knife + Fork in New York’s East Village. This cozy restaurant on East Fourth Street is heavy on ambiance and offers food on a level equal to the top fine dining establishments at a fraction of the price. They offer a “theater special” – $35 for three courses before 7pm or $45 for a SIX COURSE Chef’s tasting menu at any time. While the individual dishes are still pretty pricey – $17-18 for appetizers and $27-28 for a main course, the tasting menus are practically a steal.

I kept my natural gluttonous inclination in check and ordered the three courses rather than partaking in the full six-course menu.  I plan on making it back for the six courses soon.

The chef was able to adapt almost everything on the menu to be gluten-free if it wasn’t naturally.

The amuse bouche made with crème fraiche and butternut squash was the perfect way to start the meal.

The next dish to arrive at the table, scallops with crispy pancetta, white beans and an olive tapenade combined texture and rich flavors in an appetizer that wasn’t too heavy.

Our main was substantial and thoroughly satisfying – braised shortribs with greens, sweet potatoes, cauliflower puree and eggplant. My photo doesn’t do justice to the presentation.

You would think I would have a difficult time eating dessert after all of those dishes, but I did somehow manage to clean my plate of the warm chocolate fondant with ice cream. The sacrifices I make!

It’s difficult to pick my favorite course because each individual dish would have been a standout on its own – all in one meal — and it becomes almost an embarrassment of riches. The menu changes frequently, but you will surely find something to please your palate.

The Chef, Damien Brassel, is also hosting cooking classes on Sunday’s, according to a posting on Facebook “Private, hands-on Irish brunch cooking classes on Sundays at Knife + Fork for parties of 12-14 people. The restaurant will be reserved for the group, allowing guests to get in the kitchen and then sit-down to enjoy their creations. Recipes will be provided. Fee is $75 per person. For reservations, call 212.228.4885” I emailed to find out if they could accommodate gluten-free cooking classes and the answer was ‘absolutely yes.’ Since I love cooking classes and the classes at ICE cost upwards of $95, this is yet another great alternative for me.

I feel so lucky to live in NYC sometimes and am particularly proud of my country today.  Happy Inauguration Day!

 Knife + Fork

Address: 108 East 4th Street, NY, NY

Phone: 212-228-4885

Gluten-Free Recipes – Easy Roasted Delicata Squash

I was at a potluck event over the holidays without much in the way of gluten-free options.  I knew that would be the case and went anyway, planning to eat afterwards (one technique for surviving the holidays gluten-free).  There was one dish that I could enjoy without worry of gluten-containing ingredients or cross-contamination of serving utensils – Roasted Delicata Squash with Garlic and Thyme.  It was the first time I had ever seen, much less tasted delicata squash. While I couldn’t overfill my plate with the chestnut stuffing, pecan tarts or other “gluteny” holiday indulgences, I did pile on more than my fair share of the roasted squash.

After the event, I couldn’t stop thinking about the delicata squash and rushed to add it to my next FreshDirect order. If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying the petite and colorful squash – it’s sweet and almost creamy with a skin delicate enough that you can eat it after cooking.  I threw caution to the wind and decided to make my first batch without a recipe; it has since become part of my regular repertoire.  I even made it twice during my short trip to Texas for a gluten-free Thanksgiving to rave reviews.  I taught Jenn how to make it and its now part of her winter staples.  If it’s simple enough for a Mom chasing after a VERY active toddler to make on a regular basis, it must be easy.

Easy Gluten-Free Roasted Delicata Squash ‘Recipe’

Ingredients
Delicata squash
Olive oil
Dried Thyme
Course-ground black pepper
Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove ends and seeds from squash and slice into1/2 inch pieces.  Toss squash in a medium-sized bowl with olive oil, dried thyme, salt, and coarse ground black pepper to taste.  Lay squash in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is soft and tender.

For a low-fat version: instead of tossing squash in a bowl with the olive oil oil, lightly spray a cookie sheet with oil, place sliced squash in the cookie sheet and then sprinkle with dried thyme, salt and pepper.

I will surely go through withdrawal once this squash is out of season, but until then I plan on indulging on a regular basis.  Acorn squash and pumpkin are two of my other over-indulgences during the cold months – try Smitten Kitchen’s Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette or for something sweeter – check out Jill’s Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll.

This year, I plan on sharing more of my daily cooking that doesn’t rely on full-fledged recipes, like my Easy Rosemary Beans, Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs, and Balsamic Kale and Mushrooms.  Any feedback or requests would be much appreciated! Hope you are staying warm, Southern California may call me back if the bone-chilling weather persists….

Gluten-Free Restaurants: Gluten-Free Pizza at Uno Chicago Grill

I can hardly believe it – Uno Chicago Grill, a national franchise with over 200 locations, announced this week that they will be offering gluten-free pizza at almost all of their locations.  After conducting a test in Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, they have added gluten-free cheese and gluten-free pepperoni flatbread-style pizza to their regular menu (that’s right, you don’t even have to ask for a ‘special’ menu).

CEO Frank Guidara explained in their press release that it took over a year of research and development to find just the right recipe “While we want to meet the needs of guests with allergies, we never forget that we are about great taste and choice, and that means developing new dishes that are healthful without sacrificing great flavor.”

This is exciting news, and they are making efforts to prevent cross-contamination when cooking and preparing the pies.  The dough is being prepared by French Meadow Bakery – which is certified gluten-free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization.  I called my local Uno’s to ask how they were preparing the pies and spoke with two different people.  Both were well-informed about the product and described a separate preparation area and toppings. They are cooked in the same oven but with separate pans and utensils to keep the gluten-free pizzas free from cross-contamination. I spoke with someone on Uno’s PR team to get even more info: “Each restaurant has monthly training programs for its chefs and employees to educate and train in order to prevent that cross-contamination.  They are certainly aware of the severe reactions that can occur if people with celiac disease consume food products containing gluten.  However, we understand that restaurants are run by people, so mistakes can be made but UNO is taking every step necessary (including speaking with people who have celiac disease) to prevent those mistakes as much as possible.”

I haven’t tried the gluten-free pizza yet, but the reviews on the Delphi Forums so far are good. At my location, it’s $10.48 for a gluten-free cheese pizza and $10.49 for a gluten-free pepperoni pizza, which is on par with their gluten pizzas. Since they deliver to my apartment, I may have to order some tonight…stay tuned for more details.

According to the Unos Website, here are the ingredients in the Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza:

INGREDIENTS: Gluten free pizza crust RICE FLOUR, FILTERED WATER, TAPIOCA STARCH, POTATO STARCH, ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, VEGETABLE SHORTENING (CANOLA OIL, HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL), SUGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: YEAST, SALT, EGGS, GELATIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, ORGANIC DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, EGG WHITES, LEAVENING (SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA), SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, GUM ARABIC, ORGANIC GUAR GUM., Mozzarella Cheese part skim Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Pasta Sauce Uno (tomato puree, tomato, carrot, olive oil, salt, onion, garlic, sugar, spices, sugar, citric acid), Romano Cheese grated (pastuerized sheeps milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, anti-caking agent). 

If you were lucky enough to sample the gluten-free pizza in the test markets or have more info – please leave a comment to let us all know!

And if you aren’t near one of the 200+ locations with the gluten-free pizzas, here’s even more gluten-free pizza info and recipes.

Gluten-Free Pasta – Recipe in the NY Times and more

Even more gluten-free recipes from the NY Times this week – a Gluten-Free Pasta e Fagiole recipe from Martha Shulman.  The main conclusion?  The gluten-free pasta options are good, but you need to follow the cooking directions closely. It quickly moves from al dente (yum) to mushy and gummy (eww). I know allergic girl and I have experienced this with Otto’s gluten-free pasta.

My favorite pasta brands include Tinkyada, Dr Schar, and MolinodiFerro. Tinkyada seems to be the most widely available in NYC grocery stores, but Dr Schar and MolinodiFerro are both available online.

Try making your own gluten-free pasta with this Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe or this Gluten-Free Pasta Kalamata Butter Sauce Recipe.

If a trip to Italy for gluten-free ravioli isn’t realistic, you can order gluten-free ravioli from Everybody Eats or Conte’s and FoodMatters makes gluten-free lasagna that would fool any palate.  Gluten-free pasta is also available at several NYC restaurants: Bistango, Mario Batali’s Otto, Opus on the Upper East Side, Lumi, PizzaBolla, Sambuca, Mozzarrelli’s gluten-free weekends and now even at Blue Smoke you can order gluten-free mac and cheese (thanks to allergic girl’s work).  But for the ultimate gluten-free pasta overload of cheesy goodness – check out S’mac on the Lower East Side. 

It’s great to see more gluten-free recipes in mainstream food sites and the NYTimes.  What is your favorite gluten-free pasta brand?

Gluten-Free Recipes – Easy Rosemary Beans with Olive Oil

Happy New Year! To start the year off right, I want to share an incredible food discovery that will make cooking ridiculously easy – Rancho Gordo dried heirloom beans with all of their varieties. I know ‘dried beans’ and ‘easy’ aren’t a natural pair but stay with me for a minute.    I have always loved beans of almost every kind, but never liked going to the effort of buying dry beans and soaking them overnight. Even the quick soak method seemed like too much work when I could easily open a can of butter beans or dark red kidney beans (two of my favorites).

I had lunch a few months ago with Deb from the luscious food blog Smitten Kitchen.  She described her recent discovery of the ‘best beans she had ever tasted.’  Always looking for ways to explore new tastes and delight the palate, I went home that night and immediately started researching the beans.  Rancho Gordo sells varieties of heirloom beans for $5-6 a pound plus shipping.  While my love of beans urged me to go through with it, I just couldn’t justify the expense.

Fast forward to December – I found myself at the San Francisco Farmer’s Market at the Rancho Gordo stand.  In addition to their heirloom beans they also sell dried corn and tortilla chips.  Their stand boasted some of the most unusual beans I had ever seen and I also spied the best corn tortilla chips I had ever had (my friends Alex and Heather had let me forage in their kitchen where I devoured them the night before).  The beans were a better fit in my carry-on luggage than the bags of tortilla chips; beans got the nod, though it was a ‘Sophie’s Choice’ of sorts for me.

I decided to cook up something with Rancho Gordo’s Christmas Lima Beans last week.  They were so good and so simple.  It’s amazing how much easier cooking is with a few quality ingredients.  While $5 is still a bit pricey for dried beans, they expand to much more than 1 pound, making the cost approximately equivalent to my previous go-to: canned beans.  I also realized how convenient dried beans are for a single girl like me – I can measure out just as much as I want, rather than having to deal with how to use the rest of the can.

It’s not really fair to call this a “recipe” since it’s just 5 ingredients – beans, rosemary, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Well, my Dad would call that a recipe.  It was inspired by a dish Katie and I had during my gluten-free tour of Italy.

Gluten-Free Lima Beans with Rosemary and Olive Oil
Soak the beans, cook in the soaking liquid or chicken/vegetable broth until of the desired consistency (I like mine a little al dente).  Drain and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary to taste.

Ranch Gordo has a cooking primer on their site if you want more info – but they believe simple is better.  I can’t wait to try some of the other varieties.  Have you made any new food discoveries recently?

Gluten Free Restaurants NYC – Corton

I was lucky enough recently to have dinner at the relatively new restaurant from Drew Nieporent called Corton.  It was a truly spectacular meal – innovative yet familiar and as Frank Bruni pointed out in his recent review, it’s an ‘out and out deal in light of its high standards.’  The meal started with an amuse bouche of oyster with lemon balm and just kept getting better.

I had a sweetbread appetizer with a perfectly poached egg and crispy beet leaves (a replacement for the cracker to make the dish gluten-free).

Squab with chestnut crème and smoked bacon was the main and it registered as one of the best dished I’ve had this year.  Time Out NY‘s accolades were consistent with mine.

My friend ordered his dishes gluten-free, even turning down the bread to eliminate any worry about crumbs. He claims that I give him the evil eye when there’s bread on the table, but I think it’s just his paranoia….  He had the bay scallops with uni crème, ama ebi and marcona almond. I am not usually a fan of bay scallops but these were outstanding.  His main – the black angus beef, sirloin, short rib and horseradish bone marrow crust was a cut above most preparations even if not the best I’ve had this year.

There were 3 gluten-free options for dessert – a Giaduja Palette (hazelnut), Bitter Chocolate Fondant (flourless) or the cheese plate.  I had the Bitter Chocolate Fondant with chestnut and ice cream but I demanded he order the Caramel Brioche just so I could see it (no evil eye, just admiration of a beautiful dish I promise).

All of the truffles and sweets offered to close the meal were gluten-free – there was even a chocolate with gold flakes. The entire experience felt like the closest I have gotten to Per Se at a fraction of the cost. Even our wine was unusual and extremely affordable – Corton offers more than 10 bottles for less than $50 each and 6 for less than $40 each, a true steal in NYC.  Elizabeth, the sommelier, is an absolute delight.

I have another friend who doesn’t like to repeat restaurants because he is in constant search for something new, but with a place like Corton it feels like you could go back often and have an entirely new experience each time.  I hope I am lucky enough to make it back soon.

CORTON
Address: 239 West Broadway (between Walker & White Streets) New York, NY 10013
Telephone: 212-219-2777

Candied Bacon and Ice Cream – It’s like a party in your mouth.

That’s right – Candied Bacon and Ice Cream.  While it may sound crazy, it’s one of the most delightful taste and texture combinations I’ve had this year. And since there are a few more days before people start their new year’s resolutions, I wanted to share this recipe with you now. I know you may be skeptical, but if you give it a chance I promise you won’t be sorry.  The first time I read about chocolate-covered bacon, I was a little disgusted to be perfectly honest. How could you possibly make something sweet from a savory slab of pork and have it actually taste good?

I started reading more reactions of shock throughout the food blogosphere.  Then as I read more accounts of this unusual foodstuff, gradually my revulsion turned to interest.   Once I saw David Lebovitz had made candied bacon ice cream, my curiosity was irrevocably piqued.  When I saw ice cream with candied bacon on an NYC restaurant menu, I ordered it without flinching.  The flecks of candied bacon provided the perfect crunch and added just the right amount of savory sweetness to the vanilla ice cream.

It took a couple months before I endeavored to make it myself – but I knew I would have the perfect audience for my creation when I went to visit my brother [read: nephew] for Thanksgiving.  While he is usually uninterested in any of my culinary adventures, I knew I could get him to try anything with bacon as a primary ingredient.

Gluten-Free Candied Bacon Ice Cream Sundae Recipe

Vanilla or Dulce de Leche gluten-free ice cream
Whipped Cream
4-6 strips of bacon (not too thick)
1/4 cup of brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny-side down.  Place slices of bacon on the foil with some space between each piece.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping the bacon over after 6 minutes, coating each side with the sugar syrup that has melted into the pan. Bake until the strips are dark but not burnt (watch carefully as the change happens quickly) and remove strips to cool on a wire rack.

Once the strips are cool and crispy, break or chop the candied bacon into pieces – think chopped nuts for a sundae.

Assemble your sundae with the ice cream, candied bacon pieces and whipped cream. 

VERY IMPORTANT: Forget about dieting until tomorrow.

I got a little carried away during my Thanksgiving gorging and made a ‘pumpkin pie sundae’ sprinkled with the candied bacon, toasted pecans, caramel pieces, ice cream and whipped cream – so you are only really limited by your own creativity.

Gluten-Free Honeybaked Ham and Turkey

The holidays are an especially difficult time for many people trying to stick to a gluten-free diet.  Last year I heard rumors that my favorite holiday dish was reformulated to be gluten-free.  The word from the Delphi Forums was the Honeybaked Ham Company had changed their glaze recipe so that it no longer contained wheat starch.  I was so excited I immediately emailed my Mom to tell her what we were having for dinner when I came home in December.  Unfortunately when I got home I discovered that only certain locations had the newly reformulated glaze and California still had the version with wheat starch.

I didn’t post any of this info to the blog because I want to make sure I only provide info that I have confirmed to the best of my ability.  I don’t want to add any further confusion to this already difficult to navigate gluten-free diet.  After letting another year go by, I decided to check once again on the status of the glaze for my trip to Texas this Thanksgiving.  The web site for the Houston Honeybaked Ham Company still listed ‘wheat’ as an ingredient though phone calls to the particular store claimed that it was allergen free.  I decided to reserve a ham and turkey combo and double-check with the store once I arrived in Houston.  The woman helping me went back to confirm the ingredients with her manager.  When the information I received was not clear enough to make me feel comfortable, she brought out the glaze packaging that listed all of the ingredients and had a big label “ALLERGEN FREE.”  Eureka!  I would once again taste the wonder that is Honeybaked Ham and Turkey.

While I was lucky to find the Allergen Free glaze at this Honeybaked Ham store, an email from the Celiac Listserv today revealed that the Illinois locations still use a glaze with wheat starch.  So please double check with your local store before ordering.  You can always get the turkey or ham without the glaze, though to me that kind of defeats the purpose….

While the Honeybaked Ham was great, the turkey actually didn’t live up to my memory of it. Though the disappointment actually served as a reminder of all of the discoveries I’ve made since starting the gluten-free diet.  Even though sometimes the gluten-free diet just sucks, frequently the new versions of gluten-free dishes are actually better than what I was eating before I was gluten-free.

Here are just a few of the gluten-free discoveries that are better than the gluten-filled versions I enjoyed pre-Celiac:

Gluten-Free Cheesecake with a Pecan-Nut Crust Recipe
Gluten-Free Stuffing with Hazelnuts and Fennel Recipe
Gluten-Free Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Gluten-Free Brownies Recipe
Gluten-Free Roasted Turkey Recipe

And here are a few of my other favorite recipes for this holiday season:

Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls Recipe
Gramercy Tavern Spiced Nuts Recipe
Gluten-Free Cocoa-Spiced Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Barefoot Contessa Rosemary Roasted Cashews Recipe
Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe
Three-Bean Turkey Chili Recipe

And don’t forget to check out my top 10 tips for a gluten-free holiday on MyRecipes.com.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends, laughter and a few gluten-free goodies to fill your belly.

Gluten-Free Diet – How Food Connects All Of Us

For all the press about Americans not including enough produce in their diets, people in NY must be eating a lot of fruit. There are fruit stands scattered throughout Manhattan with piles of bananas, apples, oranges and bags of onions, garlic and other seasonal produce.  In the 10 block walk from my apt to my yoga studio I pass 4 of them.  While they don’t usually have exotic or unusual wares, they do sell the occasional seasonal goody – a basket of figs or a yuzu persimmon.  While I find higher quality tomatoes and apples in traditional grocery stores, I always go to the stands for bananas and onions.  On a recent Saturday as I entered the yoga studio, I was disappointed to see the stand across from me without any of my beloved persimmons.  After finishing class, I saw a few hidden under a bag of lettuce, five for $2 – jackpot! As the fruit seller (I wish there was a more fun word like fishmonger) bagged up my loot, he said “these are my flavor.”  What did he mean?  English was clearly not his first language but but ‘flavor’ was very clear and it just didn’t make sense.
“What?” I responded.
“these are my flavor”  as I continued to look confused he said “I really like these too!”  Ah, he meant ‘favorite’
“I know, I luuuv them” I exclaimed.
“You know they get much sweeter if you wait for them to get soft.”
“I know but I like them firm too.” (oh and I also am usually too impatient to wait…) When he asked me how I ate them, I said “Just like this, I cut them up and eat them raw.”
“Did you know that some people cut the skin off?”
“Really? I always eat the skin.”
“Me too,” he paused and then asked “Where are you from?”
“Ha, I’ve lived in NY for 8 years.”
“Yeah, but you aren’t from here.”
“What, how can you tell?”
“You just aren’t.”
“Well, where do you think I’m from?”
“Conneticut”
“What? Ew. No.”
“Pennsylvania?”
“No, California.”
“Really? Welcome to America!” he laughed as I walked away.

I’m constantly amazed at the ability of food to bring people together.  We were totally engaged and enthralled with the conversation as NY bustled around us.  Here’s to the power of food (now I’m going to go eat a persimmon….)