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Let’s face it, being gluten free and fabulous is a lot of work and try as I might to squeeze everything in to a mere 24 hours it is a challenge.  My day job is quite hectic and requires focus and quite frankly allows me to maintain my gluten free and fabulous lifestyle to which I am accustomed.  Oh, I am not going to sugar coat it; GFM is HIGH maintenance but as you know makes no apologies.  Work hard, play harder…what a great mantra.

As I have been gaining more and more readers, I though it might be a good time to do a Best of GFM’s blog posts.  So, I selected some of my favorite posts and thought the best way to share was to shove them right in all of your facesJ.  To my new readers, I hope you will find them both entertaining and useful.  To my regulars, isn’t the second time around always best?  Here are my top 10 favs, in no particular order because quite frankly can you really pick a favorite child:

1.       A Tale of Two Allergies

2.       I'm Not Hungry. I'll Just Pick

3.       Fait Accompli, Gluten Free

4.       Sometimes the Most Delicious Things in Life are the Most Dangereuse Dahlings

5.       Not in My Backyard

6.       Living Well in a World Full of Gluten

7.       A Family Affair

8.       Knowledge is Power

9.       Gluten Free at the Office

10.   Fly Me to the Moon
 
 
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The other evening saw me entertaining once again.  It has been a busy summer socially but I do like having friends and family over and engaging in great food, drink, and conversation.  I normally have both gluten and gluten free options available for guests but this time I figured why not just go completely gluten free?  And did I ever.  There were wonderful cheese presentations, dips and spreads, wonderfully piquant olives stuffed with jalapenos and garlic, but perhaps the piece de resistance was a magnificent gluten free Stromboli from a bakery located on Staten Island (which another gf-blogger turned me onto and friends of mine picked up for me and delivered to my office).

Dinner was pulled pork cooked for 8 hours and then sauced with my favorite North Carolina BBQ sauce that I buy by the case when down there.  It was paired with a wild rice medley and a cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, grape tomatoes, scallion stir fry.  Dessert was a homemade gluten free brownie with creamy vanilla ice cream topping it off.

Sometimes the most delicious and satisfying meals are the most simple.  When I entertain I don’t like to be away from my guests so when not catered, simplicity is key.  Remember, your guests came to see you so don’t spend the evening slaving away in the kitchen.
 
 
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You might have read in a previous post that my mother is my partner in crime, if you will.  We travel the world together and have elevated both shopping and food to a religious experience.  Now everyone always likes to say that there Mom is the best cook…well when it comes to cooking I think I can safely say that my Mom kicks your Mom’s…well, you get the idea.

I jest, but in all seriousness my mother taught me pretty much everything I know about cooking and I remember spending time in the kitchen growing up watching her prepare magnificent meals.  This is likely where I gained my love of entertaining.  My parents (both of whom are still very much with us) loved to entertain and never did anything on a small scale.  The looked for any excuse to throw a fête and were constantly entertaining – it is just what they do.

Well, I have asked my mother to share a few of her delicious recipes with my readers and she gladly agreed.  Now, I am not going to post them all at once but thought I would start with what is likely my favorite, Mom’s tomato sauce with meatballs.  This sauce takes over 6 hours to cook but fear not, it is done in a crock pot so there is minimal stress.  I remember my mother prepping a pot just before bed and awakening to the smell of sauce wafting though the house.  I used to sneak into the kitchen and have a meatball for breakfast.  Mom never minded because, as all Mom’s do, she knew her sons and husband often could not resist and would always make extra meatballs.

It’s funny the things we remember – the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the experiences.  I can say without a doubt that food was a major part of my childhood and some of the best times were spent around the dining room table.
 
 
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Alright, yes, I am currently existing, during the day anyway, exclusively on Zone bars (well bar) in order to shed some pounds that seem to have piled up during the miserable June weather we experienced.  Of course, I thought I would relate it to my personal gluten free experience, quelle surprise!

When I was a Celiac living as a non-Celiac (meaning did not have an explanation let alone a diagnosis for Celiac disease) I was thin.  No, I mean really thin – think emaciated.  I am not kidding.  I would eat and eat and could not understand (nor did any medical professional at the time) why I seemed to have trouble actually putting on weight.  Remember, this was a time before Celiac came into vogue as it has of late.

I digress…fast forward to five or six years ago when I was actually diagnosed and changed my diet.  Enter the pounds…and pounds…and well, you get the idea.  Now that my digestive system was on the mend, I was absorbing nutrients correctly and it seemed like my body was making up for lost time.  I was also naïve at the time and would just find GF replacements and hoover them down not really bothering to look at the calorie counts.  This would be a lesson soon learned.

As I continued on through my GF journey, I became more aware or labels not just for ingredients but for calorie content.  I was amazed at how the GF replacements were oftentimes significantly higher in calories than their non-GF counterparts.  That coupled with the fact that I was over compensating for my loss of gluten-filled treats by eating every (though limited selection in the early days) GF treat I could find.

Now you will always find me looking at labels on all of the GF purchases I make to get a feel of the damage I am doing to my waistline.  This allows me to plan accordingly and eat smart – particularly when I want to indulge in sweet treats.
 
 
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I just wanted to keep my readers informed that there are some exciting new posts in the works that will be posted to the site over the next couple of days.  The dinner party previously mentioned was a huge success and, if I might add, gluten free and FABULOUS!  Now I am not going to disclose who the guests were because that just is not GFM’s style but guests regaled wonderful experiences on topics from celebrities to royalty – and there were some that are still making me smile.  I will talk about the evening more in-depth when I reveal the fantastic (yet, simple) menu – from cocktails and hors d'oeuvres through appetizers and dessert.

I so look forward to sharing the evening with you but our dear friend who the evening was in honor of, decided to stay an extra night so GFM is still in entertaining mode.  I will be sneaking away from my hosting duties from time-to-time in order to compile my upcoming posts and will most definitely send out alerts once posted.

So stay-tuned my gluten free friends and keep living deliciously. 
 
 
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The other evening we were entertaining yet again and I thought I would take this opportunity to share a few tips when catering to non-Celiacs as a host with Celiac disease yet making a menu everyone can enjoy.

Now this was just a small get together so we decided to keep the snacks and dinner pretty straight forward.  We began with a selection of GF cheeses including Swiss, Pepper Jack, and Cheddar paired with some sesame rice crackers along with regular cracker flats and water crackers for the gluten eaters. 

It is important to note that when serving a mix of GF and gluten options steps must be taken to avoid cross-contamination.  I always ensure that GF and gluten options are served on separate plates.  Also, be sure to serve and dips of spreads either in separate serving bowls or provide a spoon and cocktail plates and have your guests create their own individual plates.  Remember to discourage dipping to prevent contamination.  I never make a huge deal about GF/non-GF etiquette as the golden rule of entertaining is to make guests feel welcome.  However, if you make a subtle move of serving yourself on the cocktail plates, most guests will follow.  All of my friends know about my GF-lifestyle so entertaining rarely becomes an issue.

Some corn tortilla chips and natural potato chips paired with fresh salsa, olive hummus, and roasted red-pepper hummus rounded out the dipping options.  The main course consisted of a wonderfully fresh filet mignon roast cooked to order, fresh local bi-color corn and a truly fantastic salad with organic mixed greens, brussels sprouts, edamame, chick peas, and tomato covered in a homemade dressing that is a family secret (though I might divulge one day in the recipe section).  Dessert was a gluten free vanilla ice cream topped with organic fresh strawberries.

A great time was had by all and everyone, myself included, were more than satiated at the end of the evening.
 
 
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I love food.  There, I said it.  As much as I would love to take a long lunch hour and have a proper meal it is just not going to happen.  Alas, my lunch is most often spent in my office with the door partially closed, noshing away on something I ordered from Seamless Web.  For those of you unfamiliar with Seamless Web it is an online ordering service that allows you to peruse and order from restaurants in your area that deliver to your location.  It is my best friend come lunchtime and if it is in you city it is worth checking out.

However, today I am being relatively good and brought my lunch from home (a rarity).  Since I had my little soiree last night I made a trip to my favorite little gourmet market that is always full of wonderful European specialties.  Yesterday I snagged real Fanta (not the bright orange U.S. version) along with some delectable house made chicken salad.  Well, I spent the time prepping for my guest's arrival noshing on all of the snacks I put out so my chicken salad languished in the refrigerator.  This morning I noticed it looking back at me from the shelve.

So I packed the chicken salad along with a few corn tortillas and some cheese into a little bag and it is now sitting in my office refrigerator until lunch.  If you have not tried corn tortillas as a bread replacement please do.  You just need to warm them in the over (wrapped in foil) or pop them into the microwave wrapped in a slightly dampened paper towel.  This will make them wonderfully warm and pliable -- much easier to work with.

This afternoon I will make little soft tacos, if you will, filled with chicken salad and a bit of cheese.  So looking forward to it.