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By now you must have figured out that I live to entertain.  These past few weeks have been busy and the coming weeks prove to be even more so.  Living a fabulous gluten free life can be taxing but I tend to reserve any entertaining of scale for the weekends.  During the week I am in bed by 9 p.m. and at the office no later than 7 a.m.

This weekend is shaping up to be very interesting.  I will be throwing a dinner party for a former international dignitary and dear friend over the weekend.  I am already trying to come up with a menu for all meals and cocktails that will appeal to non-Celiacs as well to me so that I can enjoy the fruits of my labor.  I am still working on what will be served but have decided that, with possibly the exception of hors d’oeuvres, it will be entirely gluten free.  Have I gone crazy?  Nah, I just like to continue to demonstrate that your guests need not even know that they too are living gluten free while partying the evening away.  There need not be any discernable difference on the part of your guests.

Needless to say I am going to be out to impress tomorrow evening so definitely check back to see what was on the menu for the evening – as well as (hopefully) some fantastic new recipes. 
 
Gimme A Break! 07/16/2009
 
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Okay, it takes a lot to piss of Gluten Free Mike.  I mean I am a pretty easy going guy.  However, the other morning I went to a different Starbucks than my norm and noticed no Gluten Free Valencia Orange Cake in the display case.  Did not really think much of it at the time as I just thought they were out.  After all they are delicious.  Well, apparently that is NOT the case and the news broke on Twitter yesterday that Starbucks is essentially discontinuing the cakes and tweeted We heard that it was too much of a treat, and not a nutritious snack. The @KindSnacks bar is replacing it."

Are you freaking kidding me Starbucks?  Not a nutritious snack?  Have you looked into your display cases as of late?  I sure did this morning and perhaps the small scone at over 400 calories or perhaps a single cookie weighing about the same.  Wash it down with a 500 calorie Venti Caramel Frappuccino perhaps?  Don’t hide behind nutrition Starbucks when you in the indulgence business.

Oh, and for the record one Sesame and Peanut with Chocolate Kind Bar has 225 calories, 131 of which are from fat with 14.6 grams of sugar – yeah, that’s a healthy option.  This is not an attack on Kind Bars in any way.  I am just stating the facts the way Starbuck positioned them.  Frankly I can get a Kind bar at any deli here in the city so big freaking whoop that they are on the counter in Starbucks.

Okay, my rant is over but GFM is pissed that he finally had a real GF option (albeit an indulgence) that he could snack on with his coffee like all the “normal” people do.  If I want to shove a cake into my gob it is my call – I am a big boy and can make my own nutritional decision, thank you very much.
 
 
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I normally tend to frequent smaller groceries that carry more specialty-type foods.  Having spent a significant portion of my life living abroad, I often crave some specialties to remind me of my colorful past.  Or I utilize the convenience that is Fresh Direct, a local online delivery service that the majority of New Yorkers I know tend to use.  Well, the other day my partner and I made our way to a very nice but rather large chain that is in our area because quite frankly they tend to have terrific sales and who doesn’t like a bargain?

The special offers began just as we entered the store and were faced with a display of innocent looking little Lindt bunnies.  That’s right, a virtual wall of delicious gold foil wrapped Swiss rabbits looking like something directly out of Willy Wonka.  You would think that this alone would be enough to command my attention but no, it was the bright yellow sign announcing 10 of these little animals for $10.  At first, I thought too many calories and continued into the produce section to source a variety of mushrooms for a GF rice noodle dish on that evening’s menu.

Alas, at the urging of my partner (a confessed chocoholic), we edged the cart closer to the bunny den and promptly had 10 little bunnies jumping eagerly into the cart.  Fast forward to after dinner later that evening (which consisted of wonderful fresh ribeye, steamed broccoli, and my famous rice noodles with five mushrooms – the recipe to which will be featured soon on the Recipe page).

As we retired fully satiated the bunnies were neatly lined up on the buffet staring at us.   The temptation was just too great and we each grabbed one, sheared it golden fleece and began to indulge in their sweet chocolate goodness.  I had no sooner taken a bite that I began to notice the ingredient label and thought I would at least see what nutritional damage I was doing to my diet.  Unfortunately what caught my eye was not the caloric count but rather two small words nestled among the sugar and cocoa – two fateful words – barley malt.  Argh!  Once again, I glutenized myself.

Thankfully I had only taken a bite (okay two) rather than shoving the entire thing into my big gob and no real damage had subsequently taken place.  But I was, well, pissed, that I did not follow my own advice of reading EVERY label ALL the time.  See, even we hard-core GFer’s slip from time to time because we get too comfortable sometimes and forget that product formulations change and ingredients you may not think belong are in fact contained.

What is our lesson for the day…READ, READ, READ all labels.

So my partner now has 8 ½ bunnies all to himself. LOL!
 
 
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Not too long ago, I hinted that some exciting changes were coming to the site and decided that this week would be a good time to announce a new section that will soon be debuting in the Dining Out section.  Now, I have always been a fan of seeking out gluten free or at least friendly restaurants but let's face it, it is not always practical.  Particularly when you are trying to live a fabulous lifestyle.

Now I will still continue to review gluten free or friendly restaurants but the new section, which will affectionately be known as Quintessentially New York Gluten Free or QNYGF will widen the landscape.  I love food and I love New York so I will be dining at some of the most iconic and legendary restaurants here in the city.  I have developed set criteria that will be evaluated to help quantify my dining experience as a Celiac and will be dining with a non-Celiac at each occasion.  My hope is to give readers, not only a view into some of the greatest restaurants around but the added perspective of a Celiac living in a gluten filled world.  More importantly my hope is to help educate to show my fellow Celiacs that we can co-exist and, in fact, live quite fabulously in a non-celiac world.

Oh, and yes, the Quintessentially program will of course be expanded as my travels take me around the globe -- but as Dorothy said best, There is no place like home -- and what better place than my hometown to kick it all off.

So I hope you will come along on what promises to be a delicious journey and stay tuned as the premiere restaurant will be one of my true favorites and is a real New York institution.
 
Cocktail Culture 07/12/2009
 
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Now when I originally developed the recipe section I thought the focus would be, of course, delicious gluten free options for the table.  Yet, yesterday evening I had a bit of a Eureka moment.  Five o’clock is historically cocktail time in my house and I am a big wine fan.  My partner on the other hand is a fan of the real cocktail aficionado and it tends to rub off on me from time to time.  Hey, it is after all about living fabulously, right?

I went to high school in Germany and developed a strong love of all things beer (good beer, thank you very much, not the swill that is often passed off here in the United States).  Alas, my celiac diagnosis threw a wrench into my love of beer, so I sought out other options over time.  Fine wine became a strong favorite and the occasional cocktail used to work its way into my repertoire sometimes.  With the influx of gluten free beers of late, I will certainly give them a try, but I am not holding out too much hope – and quite frankly my love of wine has likely eclipsed beer but time will tell.

But I digress....yesterday’s cocktail time had me feeling creative.  So, as I looked around the kitchen I found some delicious blood red plums languishing in the fruit bowl.  The refrigerator yielded some perfectly chilled green apple flavored vodka and seltzer.   What do you get when you combine the three?  Cocktail nirvana.

In a highball glass I took some ice, a good amount (but to your taste is fine as well) of the vodka, some of the plum juice (just a tinge) and a splash of seltzer.  Garnish with a gorgeous slice of thin plum and viola!  The subtle flavor of the apple pairs perfectly with the slight sweet and tang of the plum and the effervescence of the seltzer tickles your palate. 

These were simply delish and notice the plural “these”.  I just could not help myself and enjoyed a wonderful evening at home, watching new and vintage British television sourced directly from across the pond.  Settled in for a fantastic dinner and some good chocolate for dessert and Gluten Free Mike was a very happy camper.
 
 
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I’ve been to Nice and the Isles of Greece…I’ve been to paradise…well, you know the rest.  One of my favorite pastimes is globetrotting.  I love to find new destinations to explore and more importantly eat my way through.  Now, my other half absolutely hates to fly though, on occasion, I do get him sufficiently liquored up in the airline lounge, then continue for the duration of the flight – as long as the seat turns into a bed on long flights, traveling with him is a dream, LOL!

Most of my crazy travel adventures actually involve (with my partner’s blessing) my fabulous 70-something year old mother who, will on a moments notice, trek cross-country or around the world with me.  She makes for a great travel partner and also happens to be diabetic so coupled with my food allergies there is never a dull moment.  Now I speak Mandarin but when Mom wants Splenda in China –good luck!

The point of this post is that when I first was diagnosed with Celiac disease, then later an allergy to all possible shellfish – I honestly felt overwhelmed and a bit scared.  I mean how could I keep living the fabulous lifestyle and be GF and not die from an anaphylaxis shellfish-related incident?  After all, it is a BIG world out there.  I love to eat more than words can express.  I loved shellfish more than ABBA (well, maybe not that much, but close).  I loved pastry, bread, pasta, you name it.

Well, I took baby steps when travelling doing lots of research beforehand so I would at least have some safe backup options at a particular destination.  Know what to ask for in the language of your destination.  Now, I do speak several world languages but there are times I need a cheat sheet for new countries.  Go online and look for helpful phrases or better yet, purchase translation cards from a company such as Triumph, which I stumbled across but have not yet tried. 

Basically do whatever you need to do prior to departure to feel empowered and comfortable.  Most international airlines will offer a GF option, so ask.  I have had some great ones (and not so great) over the years but it is always interesting to see how different airlines approach GF dining at 35,000 feet.  I will review some of those some other time.  Another great tip is to pack a snack pack and don be shy about it.  On shorter trips we know airline food is crap and more often than not, regardless of class of travel there are few to no GF options.  I like to bring some of my favorites along just in case of delays. 

When you arrive at your destination, talk to people, ask hotel staff for recommendations – remember some estimates now put us Celiacs at 1:100 so you never know who you might chat up or what recommendations they might have.  Oh, and for my shellfish allergy sisters, a good tip is finding a Kosher restaurant.  Yes, it is not always easy but it really helps put, at least one of my allergy woes, at ease.

Do I ever feel 100% fully confident?  Nope.  But a little knowledge goes a long way.  So get out there and be fabulous while going gluten free on a global scale!

 
 
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After my wonderfully fabulous, self induced pizza coma yesterday, read all about my experience here, I am taking it easy today.  I did want to post a quick note about a new feature that will be coming to the site in the not too distant future. 

I decided to up the fabulous ante and will be launching a brand new section that is sure to take gluten free living to the next-level.  It promises to be a fun and informative section with a very special guest along for the ride.

So stay tuned for updates!
 
 
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No, I am not talking about toxic waste dumping but thought I would focus today's chat on cross-contamination.

As always, I can only speak from my experience so your mileage may vary.  When it came to gluten cross-contamination I was once extremely young and naïve.  I am still young but far less naïve, LOL!  Things like shared prep areas and deep fat fryers never really weighed that heavy on my mind.  I mean, in my mind I thought could such a "low risk" activity such as eating food that might have cavorted with gluten yield consequences of any degree?

Needless to say, there is a lesson to be learned here...though it actually came about as a result of my shellfish allergy.  I tend to scrutinize a menu to identify if a restaurant served shellfish.  I suppose I have some internal risk ratio that I calculate as to whether or not to eat somewhere.  Too much shellfish -- Danger Will Robinson, no go.

Well one evening my partner and I decided to have delivery.  Living in NYC basically anything is possible.  We had (notice past tense) a favorite Gyro place that really is the best you will find.  Having reviewed their menu only one fried appetizer (calamari) could pose any risk and quite frankly everyone orders Gyros and fries from this place. Definite low risk in my crazy little world, right?  Wrong!

While I had indulged repeatedly over quite some time very successfully, I might add this would soon and abruptly come to an end.  The evening in question, I ordered fries as a treat (I normally had rice) and in the craziness that is our universe, another customer must have finally order the calamari just before my fries were cooked.  Food arrived and in a rush of hunger I snatched quite literally three fries from the container while plating the rest (as one does) and the fries no sooner hit my lip that it began to swell…and swell…and swell…and burst.  Yep, I had fallen victim to cross-contamination via shellfish and luckily did not need my Epi-Pen.  Honestly, I never thought of oil as the enemy but it certainly got me thinking and the gluten connection became apparent.  Now Mc Donald’s actually has gluten (as flavoring) in their oil – we all know that but think of your local tavern with the great fries that also happens to do a huge amount of chicken tenders business.  Just a bit of food, pun intended, for thought.

I no longer eat anything deep fried for fear of shellfish AND gluten (unless at a gluten certified restaurant or at home – check out my great chicken fried chicken recipe, shameless plug).  I think that restaurants should be ashamed to co-mingle different food types given the increase in all sorts of allergies.  Perhaps it is time to start a movement.

I know I learn new things everyday and we do learn from our mistakes but it is a bit different when your health is at stake.  So please keep cross-contamination front of mind, particularly when dining out.
 
 
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After looking at some Tweets on Twitter yesterday, I noticed that there was quite a lively discussion referencing of all things gluten free bread.  Now, we Celiacs know that, well, to put it mildly, GF bread lacks the wholesomeness of its gluten counterparts.  The breads I have sampled (and we are talking a lot) over the years have left me asking the question Why can’t GF bakeries get it right?  I have walked through many a wonderful bakery both locally and in the travels just to smell the enticing aroma that is real bread.  Oh, how I envy the Gluteners out there that can buy a terrifically fresh baguette from the boulangerie and pile it high with fresh ingredients, ever anticipating the hypnotic crunch as they take their first bite – a whirlwind of culinary sensations.  Blast!

I know that the GF replacement flours used behave differently than those chock-full of gluten but come on already.  I want to eat a sandwich that A) does not rip the insides of my mouth to pieces when toasted; B) does not STICK to my freaking hands; C) is SOFT with the ability to become perfectly toasted when need be, if I want cake I’ll eat dessert – can I get an Amen!

True to my Living Well mantra, I decided to do something about it.  When you are gluten free and fabulous one simply cannot sit around.  So here is GF Mike’s quick fix, not perfect by any stretch of the imagination because I am in no way a baker.

I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix which when made following the package instruction is a typical, cakey, GF bread – and by no means bad.  However, through much trial with my trusty bread machine, I found a way to make the crust crustier and combat a bit of the cakeyness. 

Instead of putting 1 egg and the rest of the required egg as whites only (to ¾ of a cup), I put 1 jumbo egg (or two small) and increase the oil from ¼ cup to just under ½ or sometimes more depending on the weather.  Now this serves two purposes: (1) it gives the thick mix a bit more lubrication through the kneading processes and (2) helps the bread create a WONDERFUL crust.  When using a bread machine be sure to set the crust setting to Dark which usually adds 5 minutes or so to the baking process and makes all the difference.

The result is a crusty loaf that mimics more traditional breads.  No, it is not an exact match but I will take what I can get.  This version is PERFECT for garlic bread – see my recipe in the recipe section.
 
 
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Okay, so Madonna might have been living in a material world but we celiacs are living in a world of gluten.

By now you have probably picked up on my mantra of Living Well Gluten Free.  Well, I will be the first to say it is not always an easy task, particularly when dining out though the tide is changing slowly to accommodate Celiacs.  But I say why wait?  I mean yes, in a perfect world all restaurants would have clearly labeled GF options and recommendations for us but in the real world it is up to us to navigate the gluten-filled world that surrounds us.

When I go into a restaurant, chain (gasp) or otherwise the first words out of my mouth are Do you have a gluten free menu?  Sometimes I am met with blank stares but other times I am simply amazed that yes Virginia, GF menus or at least recommendations do sometimes pop-up.  I was in a very well known Asian restaurant (Tao) with some friends here in NYC one afternoon for lunch.  Now this is a double whammy for me because not only of the gluten but the shellfish allergy I have which is really life and death matter.  Well, with my Epi-Pen in my pocket we sat down and I explained to the server my sophisticated mélange of allergies and she was simply terrific.  Apparently this restaurant has a secret book that lists every item on their menu and servers can look up, by allergy, what is safe for their diners.  When I had questions, the server relayed them to the chef for clarification.  Now, I was able to eat basically a couple of items but it was nice to be able to mainstream it with my friends and know that 1) I would not be glutenized and 2) would not die from shellfish contamination.  The point here being while I had a limited selection, I was able to go where my friends wanted and have a safe and enjoyable meal without having to worry.

The lesson learned is that you need to speak up whatever your dietary restrictions are.  I have been to restaurants where I felt the server did not realize the importance of my restrictions so I simply would ask (in a very nice way) the manager for assistance.  Remember, it is not just about the ingredients in a dish, but how it is prepared and where it is prepared.  I am particularly sensitive to cross-contamination given my shellfish allergy but if you are eating something that is fried, ask if there is a dedicated fryer.  I am seeing more and more restaurants, particularly here in the city, offering either dedicated GF menus of at least educating their staff to be sensitive of diners needs.

It is your allergy so it is up to you to be responsible and ask the questions you need to feel comfortable.  Do be shy, there are increasingly more of us out there and we have evolved from becoming a mere niche to a force that is really shaping the way mainstream food is evolving.  So get out there with friends, ask the right questions, and live fabulously my fellow Celiacs.