weekend of deliciousness

This weekend is a gluten free delight: Cincinnati Celiac Support Group luncheon at Maggiano's Little Italy and Jungle's Jim's Weekend of Wellness. 

Lunch was specially made by Chef Carl, whose mother-in-law has Celiac.  This was our menu:

The chopped salad - with avocado and green apple - is my undeniable favorite.  Currently, the lasagna is not on the menu.  For the pasta, Maggiano's imports Mariella Gluten Free Penne Rigate Corn Pasta from Italy.  All of their sauces are gluten-free, and it's recommended to speak with the chef directly to determine the best meal for your needs & tastebuds and to provide 24 hours notice.  Each of the 44 restaurants nationwide has the corn pasta.

We got word that Maggiano's is developing a gluten-free menu.  At the moment, this particular Maggiano's gets an average of 10 gluten-free customers per day - far more than any other food allergy sufferers.

Then later today, we went to Jungle Jim's Weekend of Wellness.  It's still happening tomorrow, so it's not too late to catch it yourself!  Admission is $8, and it's well worth it to me with so many samples and sometimes even free products from the 49 vendors.  They paid a lot to be part of the event, so I want to make sure they get the publicity they deserve for their dedication to the gluten-free community.

Shown here are all of our free gluten-free goodies that we didn't eat on the spot:

• Enjoy Life Plentils, a variety of Enjoy Life cookies, and thinkThin Bars 
• PopCorners 
• Sweet Perry Orchards Baja Blend fruit & nut mix from GoPicnic 
• pink lady apples, red delicious apple, kiwis, & a granny smith apple from Indianapolis Fruit 
• Simply 7 Hummus Chips 
• Harvest Bay Coconut Water
• Boomchickapop 
• a gluten-free vanilla creme submarine from Sonny Marie's 
• urban raccoons Gluten Free Granola Bars 
• amafruits Acai organic fruit puree
• two packets of Simpli Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal

There was a selection of sauces and salsas from Local Folks Foods; delicious bread from Eban Bakery out of Grove City, Ohio; i heart keenwah quinoa clusters; Schar products; a fantastic snack mix from el's gluten free snacks (and met El); Angie's Kettle Corn; Lifeway Frozen Kefir; Plainville Farms chicken; Edible Ohio Valley magazine; samples from Moondance Desserts; and New Planet Gluten Free Beer (the 3R Raspberry Ale is dangerously tasty), Woodchuck cider varieties, and Green's Gluten-Free Belgian Ale.

What a tasty Saturday!

Happy eating!!  :)

chocolate-ancho chili flourless mini cupcakes

 Shown here: Chocolate & Ancho Chili Flourless Mini Cupcakes

Hello, and happy summer!  It's obvious that I've been more than a little busy the past few months.  Ask me what I've been up to, and I'll probably give you a blank stare.  It's been full of Reds games, the FBI Citizens' Academy, my boyfriend's annual training with the National Guard, the World Choir Games and the Big Pig Gig: Do Re Wee, Zumba for the Wii, and more gluten free treats.

For Cinci de Mayo, I made these chocolate and ancho chili flourless mini cupakes, doing some slight modifications to a recipe from Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter
• 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  Note: Chocolate chips are not designed to melt; so that they stand up in cookie recipes, they have a coating on them that makes them not melt as uniformly as chopped chocolate.  There are six terrific tips over at giver'slog.   
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (plus some for dusting the finished cupcakes)
• 3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
  It sounds like a lot, but it really is not overpowering.  I was skittish, too.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 duck eggs, separated
  You're welcome to use large chicken eggs.  My parents have ducks, and using their eggs creates a loftier finished product - a desirable trait in a gluten free goodie. 
  If "separating" eggs is foreign to you, check out this photo-essay on Simply Recipes.
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar (AKA powdered sugar)
• Pinch ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the mini cupcakes cup in the tin. 

In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over medium-low heat.
When a recipe calls for a double boiler, you can improvise but can rarely substitute something else.  If you don't have an official double boiler, you can use a saucepan and a large bowl.  Water will be boiled in the saucepan, and the bowl will be set in the pan but should not touch the water.  The chocolate pieces go in that bowl.
Once melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa, chili powder, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until thick and pale yellow in color.
Fold the chocolate mixture into the yolks and mix well.

In a third bowl, you'll make the frosting.  Whisk the egg whites until thick.
While whisking, add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar gradually and continue to beat to form a light meringue.
You'll have a meringue when peaks begin to form.  I see them as little mountains in the snow.  
In several additions, fold into the chocolate mixture, being careful not to deflate the meringue.
Gently pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared cups.
I use an ice cream scoop to measure even portions.
Bake until the edges are set but the center is still moist, about 30 minutes.  It should pass the toothpick test.

Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.


In a bowl, beat the frosting mixture with an electric mixer until frothy.
Add the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and continue to beat until the cream holds soft peaks.

To serve, dollop a portion of the sweetened whipped cream and garnish with cocoa powder.

Yum!  Happy eating :)

sinfully gluten-free

As the only dedicated gluten-free bakery and restaurant in Southwest Ohio, Sinfully Gluten-Free has an ever-expanding customer base - and for good reason!  Occasionally I wonder if the things I'm tasting really do taste like what I used to eat 3 years ago or if in actuality my taste buds are simply adapting.  That didn't cross my mind when I bit into my pizza sandwich (hold the onions). 

The cheese was perfectly ooey-gooey, and the bread was nicely toasted.  It was delicious and came with crinkle-cut fries - and no need to be preoccupied with "Is it a shared fryer?" or "Did they change their gloves?"  <happy sigh of relief>

The new and improved location opened on December 30, 2011.  Although not exactly on my daily Cincinnati commute, it is well worth the drive to Centerville, a suburb of Dayton.

The family behind the restaurant has been part of the gluten-free population for the past five years, according to the website.  The listing of bakery products evolve as recipes are developed, but the restaurant menu is here.  Sinfully Gluten-Free also offers products in some retail locations and has an online store. 

I encourage you - both my gluten and non-gluten eaters - to visit this delightfully yummy restaurant & bakery and "Like" them on Facebook. 

Also, just until June 30, Sinfully Gluten-Free is in the running to receive a $250,000 grant from Chase and LivingSocial.  Support this Centerville, Ohio small business by voting here!

Happy eating :)

eating in las vegas: the nightmare version

Our first night in Vegas was not so glamorous...  We had trekked from our room at Circus Circus to our friends who were staying at Bill's Gamblin' Hall.  It was late in the evening, and we were pretty hungry.  We decided on Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, knowing ahead of time that the chain has a gluten free menu.  I had good experiences at the local Jimmy Buffett's Cheeseburger in Paradise back in Cincinnati and expected the same quality.  We waited about 30 minutes on this Tuesday night. 

Once we were seated, I asked for a gluten free menu.  Our host disappeared to find one and never returned.  When I politely asked the server for a gluten free menu, she only asked, "What do you want?"  Her tone made me feel like an inconvenience, definitely not a guest.  I didn't have a menu yet, and I'm not familiar with their offerings - how could I know?

When she returned with our drink orders - one at a time - my friend's drink was wrong.  It was a strawberry daiquiri instead of a strawberry margarita.  That wasn't a good start, but I still had faith in the kitchen.  I was relying on my experience in Cincinnati...and blinded by the fact that the clock was ticking, and my belly didn't want to wait longer.

Eventually the server returned with a small menu that she read aloud to me.  It seemed that I was meant to memorize it, because she wasn't letting me look it over.  When she turned to leave, I asked to take a picture of it.  I set it on the regular menu to give a point of reference for the scale.

A gluten free bun?  That looks promising.  There's no mention of suggested sides, so I thought that the fries were safe.  I ordered the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger gluten free with the sauce on the side.  I'm picky with sauces.  The server didn't suggest any changes. 

She brought out the barbecue sauce first, adding, "I don't know why you ordered the sauce.  It's got gluten." It was as if I should have known, and she laughed at me.  I was in shock and spoke in a staccato rhythm.  "I don't want it if it has gluten!  It was on the gluten free menu, so I thought it was safe.  I don't want it.  It'll make me really sick.  Please take it away."

A few minutes after that hair-raising moment, my meal arrived.  Scott politely asked the food-runner, "And this is gluten free?"  The server - who hadn't written down the order - quickly came over, interrupting the food-runner to say, "Yes, of course it's gluten free."  (In food allergy and intolerance world, you always have to double check.) 

Like clockwork, 30 minutes after my first bite, I was sick.  My unmistakable symptoms had begun, and I was miserable.  It was our first night in Vegas, and we were hanging out with my dear friend, the bride who would be getting married in just a few days.  While I was away, the server checked to see if I liked my burger or would like a box.  Scott said it had glutened me and that I was sick in the bathroom.  The server argued, "No, it's cooked the same way it always is," and offered no remorse, no sympathy.  No one checked on me once I finally returned to the table, and it limited our options for the remainder of the night...  Luckily I wasn't down & out the remainder of the trip. 

May you all have happier eating experiences!

eating in las vegas: mon ami gabi

I'm a little ashamed that I haven't written at all during Celiac Awareness Month!  I'd intended to write more frequently this month instead of less, but things got all jumbled when I realized that the countdown to our vacation was on.

We spent the past week relaxing in Las Vegas and Newport Coast, California.  A friend from college had recommended watching the Fountains of Bellagio from Mon Ami Gabi - a cute French restaurant on the strip.  The patio has a terrific view of the fountains as they dance.  When I pulled up Find Me Gluten Free on my iPhone, it had a 5 star rating and 8 reviews - plus a dedicated & publicized gluten free menu and the promise of warmed gluten free bread!  We made a lunch reservation for our second day.

Our server was delightful, and the aroma of delectable food filled the air.  I was handed a gluten free menu (and it's advertised on the regular menu!).  I ordered a side salad, the all-natural chicken paillard with shallow-fry frites, and knew I'd want the crème brûlée.  Scott had the steak classique with shallow-fry frites.  Both the chicken and the steak had been pounded thin.  They were tender and flavorful.  Neither of us knew exactly what shallow-fry frites were.  I assumed they would be something like a shoestring French fry.  These were much better!  Wide but thin, they had a crunch similar to a chip but still with the substance of a fry.  The lemon butter and the herbs from the chicken rendered ketchup useless.

Before our food arrived, a gentleman brought out a loaf of fresh French baguette and gave it to Scott.  He put in an order of gluten free bread for me (below).  Both varieties came with a ramekin of sweet cream butter.

The crème brûlée was wonderful, making me realize that I'm bound to eat more of it at a Nordstrom Cafe Bistro in an attempt to relive this little getaway.

(I was too distracted by my own food to remember to take a picture of Scott's.  Guess we'll just have to go back!) 

I neglected to take a photo, but if you enjoy a variety of fine wines, you're in luck. We were surrounded by bottles of things like Dom Pérignon Rosé.

It was an excellent experience overall, and I'm looking forward to returning & checking out the other locations of Mon Ami Gabi.

Happy eating!  (And stay tuned for more food recommendations for Vegas & Southern California.)