Hello, internet friends!  Just a quick update.

Lately I've been:

• Cooking more often! 
• Celebrating the holidays.  We co-threw a party, made stuff*, gifted & was gifted to, etc.
• Using pinterest...on which I have a board dedicated to Gluten-free Food & Drink
• Adding reviews to Yelp

*The bMoreGlutenFree team made homemade holiday gifts for our friends this year: Peppermint Bark in cute packages.  They were easy to make and a big hit!  The rough recipe is:

1. melt white chocolate chips in a make-shift double-boiler (large bowl on top of pot)
2. add in crushed candy canes
3. pour and spread onto trays
4. refrigerate

Phew, so glad I've caught you up!  However, we had a family emergency before the holidays that has taken me away from Baltimore for an indefinite period of time.  I'm not sure how much attention I'll be able to put to this blog and its auxillary sites as we deal with these difficulties.  But I did not want to leave ya'll hanging, and I will certainly be back!

Have a Safe, Happy, & Healthy New Year!

'Til next time . . .

December Guest Blogger recipe: Tortilla Española

Claire S., a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins University, brings us this month's guest recipe!  Claire spent a semester in Madrid, where [I like to believe] she perfected the art of Spanish tapas.  Her version of the popular 'Spanish Omelet' certainly brings me back to my own days abroad, when I first tried the dish.  Yummy yum yum.  (As usual, if you have questions for our guest blogger, please leave them in the comments section.)  ¡Buen provecho!

Tortilla Española

My undying love of the Spanish tortilla came about while studying abroad in Madrid.  It was my staple food there--not only because it’s delicious, but also because it’s affordable and you can purchase it pretty much anywhere in Spain. Very attractive for someone on a student’s budget!  The scrumptious tortilla is also incredibly versatile: it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is super portable for those on-the-go.  A naturally gluten-free dish, there are only five simple ingredients: potatoes, eggs, onion, olive oil, and salt.  Once you have mastered it, this dish will become your go-to meal!

Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• approx. 7 medium potatoes -- peeled, quartered, & thinly sliced
• 5 large eggs
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium onion -- minced
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Cutlery: 10" non-stick pan; mixing bowl; strainer; 12-inch [or larger] plate

Directions:

1. Fill a 10” non-stick frying pan with a half-inch of olive oil and place over medium-high heat. 
2. Once the oil is hot, add potatoes + onion.  Allow to cook until potatoes are golden brown and soft (≈20 minutes).   
3. While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate bowl beat eggs + salt, until fluffy.   
4. Using a strainer, remove the potatoes from the frying pan, allowing the olive oil to drain into a bowl.   
5. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture and stir until combined.   
6. Drizzle some of the excess oil back into the frying pan and place over medium heat. 
7. When the pan is hot, add the potato and egg mixture.   Cook for about 5 minutes, constantly making sure that the sides of the tortilla are not sticking to the pan.   
8. Take a plate that is larger than the pan and place it upside down over the pan.  
9. Flip the tortilla onto the plate (commitment is key, don’t hesitate!).  
10. Add more olive oil to the pan and slide the tortilla back into the pan. The uncooked side should be faced down.  
11. Cook for about 5 more minutes, then slide from pan onto a serving plate.  Enjoy!

An ode to Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Rugelech, in haiku form:

Oh, I'm in love with

Such a yummy, crunchy treat;

So friendly* to eat.

* allergen/intolerance friendly: gluten, dairy, nut, & soy- free; kosher pareve

--     --     --     --     --     --     --     --     --     --     --     --

I first had these pastries of joy when visiting a vitamin/health food shop near my grandpa in Central Jersey.  So for Thanksgiving this year, I asked him to pick me up some and bring it to our dinner.  He got them (Thanks, G-pa!) but unfortunately forgot the package(s) at home.  However, he delivered them to my mom later that weekend!  In fact, I delayed my drive back to Baltimore partly so I could depart with these in tow.

A quick scan of their website shows several flavors of rugelech as well as other allergen-free sweets. Best of all, their whole bakery is a dedicated gluten-free (certified by the GIG) facility.  For those with further dietary restrictions, it's also dairy- and nut-free and all products are certified kosher (OU).  [I'm not sure why it doesn't say lactose-free?]

Here are the ingredients for the Cinnamon Rugelech:
Gluten free flour (Potato Starch, Tapioca Flour, White Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Sorghum Flour), Sugar, Canola oil, Egg, Water, confection Sugars, Orange Juice, Dry Yeast,  Xanthan Gum, Cinnamon, baking powder, Salt, Vanillin

November Guest Blogger recipe: Hot Virginia Dip

This month's guest recipe comes to us from Marion V., a University of Maryland dietetic intern and fairly new 'tweeter' (follow her here).  This recipe is a healthier version of a fun hot [as in warm, not spicy] dip! If you're like me and don't know what 'minced dried beef' is or how to make it, leave a note in the comments or shout out to Marion on twitter.  -->

Hot Virginia Dip

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Greetings All, Marion here, serving as November’s guest blogger for bMoreGlutenFree.  I seem to be just sneaking in at the end of the month – I’m sure bMore is delighted about that one! Let me start off by saying that I grew up on quite a strict diet of hot pockets, pasta with butter, Snapple (lemon, of course), and bagels.  Now that I’m a little bit older and just a little bit wiser, I’ve upgraded to a more colorful diet.  But for this post I wanted to bring one of my old favorites to Baltimore so that you all have something delicious to whip up for the upcoming holiday parties.  I must also mention that I’m a dietitian-to-be, so it’s my personal preference to modify my recipes! While I’m sure you’d like to see the full-fat version of this dip, the modified version is just as delicious and saves over 200 Calories per serving.  I’ll take that! 

While I don’t know the origin of this dip, I can only assume that it’s from Virginia.  (But you know what they say about those who assume.) We used to make it with sour cream, but a few years ago I started using non-fat Greek yogurt and the difference is unnoticeable.  It’s super easy and is always a crowd pleaser.  Serve with vegetables or gluten-free crackers.

 

Ingredients

• 1 c. chopped pecans
• 2 tsp. butter (I used Smart Balance, light)
• 16 oz. non-fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp. non-fat milk
• 4 tsp. minced onion
• 3 oz. minced dried beef, rinsed
• 1 tsp. garlic powder 
• 1 c. non-fat plain Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Sauté pecans in butter until brown, about 5 min. on medium heat. Reserve for later.  
2. Mix other ingredients thoroughly. 
3. Place in 1 1/2 quart baking dish and top with pecans. Chill until serving time. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve hot! 

[It’s easiest to make this (steps 1-3) the night before your party & chill it until you’re ready.]

I wish I could say that I came up with this recipe myself, but I have to give credit to my cousin's family on her dad’s side.  They’re from Virginia, of course.

 

A Gluten-Friendly Thanksgiving

A few weeks ago, my mom posed a puzzle to me: what do we cook for Thanksgiving for my brothers who eat (nearly) everything, me who avoids land-dwelling meats, and a guest who is both vegan and gf?  She concluded the email, "Could you help me with the dinner menu?  We'll need need variety!"

That got me thinking - Thanksgiving is a surprisingly gluten-friendly holiday.  And, three iterations of our own menu later, I realized it is surprisingly vegan and pescitarian friendly too.  

The big thing to keep in mind if you're making your Thanksgiving gluten-friendly is cross-contamination.  It turns out that gluten is a sneaky little allergen.  A perfectly fine gf food can become a recipe for illness if you prepare it on a contaminated surface, use condiments that have been contaminated, or use a glutened utensil or toaster.  Make sure you have a clean start, you're aware of what items you're keeping gf, and everyone knows to use the right serving utensil for all items.

Okay let's talk food!  The menu we ended up with sounds so delicious that I'm already looking forward to left-overs.

• Salmon
• Cornmeal encrusted tempeh (vegan, gf)
• Roasted asparagus, corn, zucchini, and sweet potatoes (vegan, gf)
• Garlicky mashed potatoes (vegan, gf): the trick is to use a combination of canned veggie broth and soy creamer instead of butter and milk
• Gravy of choice: we'll have both chicken and gf/vegan
• Corn pudding casserole
• Salad with cider reduction dressing (vegan, gf)
• Dark chocolate dipped strawberries with citrus sugar (vegan, gf): most higher quality dark chocolates are conveniently vegan and gf

Many people with Celiac are also lactose intolerant, so a vegan menu is actually a good starting point.  But if you're looking for things that are just gf, you may be surprised that you don't have to look far.  Double-checking your recipe and preparation methods: it's likely that you already have a gf turkey, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, and cranberry sauce.  Throw in a few substitutions and viola - you can have gf cornbread, stuffing, and pie too!

What do you have planned to make your holiday gluten friendly?

Sunday meal

This past sunday, we had planned to go to the Farmers' Market under the JFK Expressway* and then make some soup with our finds.  Although neither of those things happened, we did patronize the Baltimore Food Co-op^ and proceed to create a 3-course meal!  Here's what developed:

(A) Several-layer Spicy Bean & Cheese Dip
     Ingredients:

• Black Bean Refried Beans w/ Jalapenos^, 1 can  (can't remember the brand, sorry!)
• Salpica jalapeño jack queso dip^ 
• Green salsa^ (can't remember this brand either *pout*)
• Red salsa (whatever had been in my fridge for a while)
• Organic Valley shredded mozzeralla cheese^
• Hot peppers (mixed variety), chopped

• Garden of Eatin' Blue corn tortilla chips^

     Directions:
     1) Put beans in dish --> Microwave until lukewarm --> Stir
     2a) Place half of beans in glass pan/dish --> Add layer of queso
     2b) Layer some more beans --> Add layer of salsa(s)  (we did one side green and one red)
     2c) Put on more beans or queso if you want --> Cover with shredded cheese
     3) Microwave dish until the top layer of cheese is melted
     4) Sprinkle hot pepper mix on top, to taste
     5) Dunk chips in dip --> Bring to mouth and chew

(B) [Pre-]Battered Cod, with Roasted Cauliflower

     Ingredients:

• WaterfrontBISTRO Cod fillets [frozen]
• Local Cauliflower^, 1 bushel (? is that even the correct term ?)

     Directions:
     1) Remove greens from + chop cauliflower
     2a) Place cod fillets on oven-safe tray
     2b) Place cauliflower on same tray + season w/ salt and pepper
     3) Follow directions on cod box (essentially: bake at 425ºF for a while, flip fillets)

(C) Reeses-infused Brownies à la mode
     Ingredients:

• Reeses peanut butter cups  (we used the slightly-mini but not mini-mini size--because they were on post-Halloween sale--but any composition would work)
• Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie mix^
• Eggs, 2 large
• Butter, approx. 3/4 of a stick (but don't quote me on that)
• Haagen-dazs Coffee Ice Cream 

     Directions:
     1) Chop Reeses cups
     2) Follow directions on brownie mix box
     3a) Stop following directions on box when it says let cool fully.
     3b) Instead, let cool as long as you can handle, but brownies should still be warm.
     4) Top with ice cream


Everything was awesome, obviously.  And everything was gluten free!!  Even though the bean dip says 'spicy' and has a lot of hot peppers in it, the 4 of us who ate it did not find it that spicy (but keep in mind, we all like spicy food).  I also highly recommend the waterfrontBISTRO-brand cod fillets; I've also had their panko-crustred shrimp, but thought the cod cooked better.  Pretty sure I got both from Safeway.


*open Sundays 7am-noon, thru Dec. 18th
^ Items with this symbol were purchased at the Co-op

PFOGF Manifesto

Ladies and gentleman, it's arrived!  The Parents & Friends of Glutens-Free (PFOGF) have finalized the organization's manifesto, and posted it below in all its glory.  You may also view it on the PFOGF page, by clicking the tab on the sidebar.  Think something should be added or changed?  Let us know in the comments!

PFOGF Manifesto

Our Vision. We, the parents, families and friends of glutens free, celebrate diversity and envision a society that embraces everyone, including those of diverse dietary restrictions and identities. Only with respect, dignity and equality for all will we reach our full potential as human beings, individually and collectively. PFOGF welcomes the participation and support of all who share in, and hope to realize this vision.

Our Mission. PFOGF promotes the health and well-being of gluten free persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Glutens Free provides opportunity for dialogue about dietary restrictions, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

Our Strategic Goals

  One. Build the capacity of our organization at every level so that we may have all the resources, in the form of information, people and funding, necessary to move forward in our work with the greatest possible effect.

  Two. Create a world in which our young people may grow up and be educated with freedom from fear of violence, bullying and other forms of discrimination, regardless of their real or perceived dietary restriction or orientation or that of their families.

  Three. Make our vision and our message accessible to the broadest range of ethnic and cultural communities, ending the isolation of families with gluten free family members within those communities.

  Four. Work toward full inclusion of glutens free within their chosen communities of faith.

  Five. Create a society in which all gluten free persons may openly and safely pursue the career path of their choice, and may be valued and encouraged to grow to their full potential in the workplace.

  Six. Create a society in which all gluten free persons may enjoy, in every aspect of their lives, full civil and legal equality and may participate fully in all the rights, privileges and obligations of full citizenship in this country.

We welcome the participation and support of all who share in our Vision and Mission and who hope to realize our goals.


(Special thanks to PFLAG for rhetorical inspiration)

October Guest Blogger recipe: Mexican Sweet Potato Soup

This month's guest recipe comes to us from Alli of Always AlliSunny, a dietetics student and food blogger.  This dish features seasonal/fall ingredients, and I assume many were purchased at Baltimore's Waverly Farmers Market!  Please buy local whenever possible, to support your community and your health.

Mexican Sweet Potato Soup

First of all, I'd like to thank bMoreGlutenFree for asking me to be their guest blogger this month and to share a delicious gluten-free recipe perfect for the fall season. Though not gluten-free myself, as a soon-to-be dietitian (and fellow foodie blogger), I am very sympathetic of people with specific food allergies and intolerances. I love coming up with recipes and meal plans that fit people's needs while still allowing them to thoroughly enjoy great food without feeling like they are missing out. So here is a great gluten-free fall recipe that I am happy to share!!

Let's preface this by saying that I'm obsessed with the abundance of root vegetables that defines the fall season. Colorful, earthy, hearty, soulful, versatile... beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, the list goes on. Sweet potatoes were my root vegetable of choice this week from the market and what better way to kick off fall then with a delicious soup?!

Sweet potatoes (which are not even in the same family as regular potatoes, surprisingly) are loaded with vitamin A from the orange-licious beta-carotene, vitamin C, fiber and tons of other important vitamins and minerals, which make it no surprise that sweet potatoes are considered one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world! But more importantly, sweet potatoes just plain taste good, they are cheap, and they are so so so versatile... a true staple in my kitchen. So here's a super simple and flavorful soup to celebrate the changing of the seasons, the wonderful autumn harvest, the onset of cooler weather, back to school time, or whatever it is you have to celebrate in your life!

Ingredients:

• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup carrots and celery (traditional/optional soup starters- adds good flavor)
• 3 large (or 4 medium) sweet potatoes, chopped
• 6-8 cups vegetable broth (I used my own homemade vegetable broth, but you can used store brought, preferably low sodium)
• 1 bay leaf
• Spices: salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cilantro, cayenne (if you like it hot!)
• Chipotle hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until softened.

2. Add the sweet potatoes and cover with vegetable broth. Add the bayleaf, and spices/hot sauce (a few dashes of each, depending on your preferences and what you have).

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are soft (~20-30min).

4. Use an immersion hand mixer or blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy.

5. Adjust the taste with spices/hot sauce to your liking. You can also add milk or yogurt for extra creaminess. Top with a sprig of parsley or cilantro, maybe a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and enjoy!

Roy's Restaurant Review

When I found out my Dad was coming to visit me in Baltimore, I knew exactly where to take him for dinner: Roy's, the Hawaiian Fusion restaurant in Harbor East.  Why?

1. The restaurant is in close proximity to the hotel downtown he would stay at.
2. My Dad is lactose-intolerant and extremely picky.  Since there used to be a Roy's in Philadelphia, I knew he had been there and liked it.
3. They have a gluten free menu.
4. THEY HAVE A GLUTEN FREE MENU that is slightly too expensive for me to try on my own dime.

So, it was set.  I made a note on the OpenTable reservation that we would have 1 gluten-free diner and 1 lactose-free diner.  When we arrived, I reminded them of said note, and they were already prepared!

I was flabbergasted when they presented me a menu as fancy-looking as the 'regular' menu, and with several pages of items to boot.  At first I was sure they had given me a regular menu, but no, it was just for us non-gluten-eating folks!

I sipped on a delicious and perfectly-alcoholic mojito as I ordered: I'd start with the Teppanyaki Seared Tiger Shrimp Sticks and have the Teppanyaki Mahi Mahi  (I think...It was some sort of white fish, at least) for my entrée.

The shrimp appetizer was awesome.  I don't recall there being any sticks, or anything that resembled a stick, but this was a couple weeks ago and I just remember liking it a lot.  I don't know what appetizer my dad got, because it was not gluten-free and thus, I didn't care.

The mahi-mahi was good, but too salty.  It came with a side of white rice and roasted potatoes...although on the menu it said it came with lobster risotto.  I mentioned it to the server--but didn't make a big deal--and he brought me out some lobster 'risotto' anyway!  (Turns out the item had changed on the regular menu, but they forgot to re-print it on the g/f one.)  The risotto was definitely not what I had in mind, however: There were a few yummy chunks of lobster, but I'm still not sure what the cold, cubed startch it sat in was.  My dad ordered his Grilled Salmon g/f so I could have some, and we both really enjoyed that dish.

I made sure to save some room for the g/f Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé, and holy crap it was good.  I'm not even a chocolate-lover, but I was sad when I came to the last bite.  Seriously, I'm considering going back and just getting that cake.

Of Special Note: 

<> Roy's offers very reasonably-priced [validated] valet parking (I think $5).
<> You can find the gluten-free menu on their website, by clicking location --> cuisine --> local menus & 
     'Download Gluten Free Menu PDF'.  It appears that it changes by season.

I know you all are dying for a new post.  And I promise I have many things to write about.

BUT, I've been super busy, so for now please satiate yourself by visiting my recently-updated Yelp reviews and following my frequently-updated Twitter!

Thanks again for all your support.  And please, spread the word about bMoreGlutenFree!

Happy National Celiac Disease Awareness Day!

To celebrate, I'm having a yogurt and going to work.  Oh, wait . . . I do that every weekday.

But I don't get $20-for-$10 worth of groceries at Whole Foods everyday!  Yep, that's today's LivingSocial deal, and it's good at all of the chain's locations.

September Guest Blogger recipe: Gluten-Free Gnocchi

This entry is the first of a new feature on this blog: every month we will have a guest blogger post their own tried and tasty gluten-free recipe!

This month, Laura of Domestic Sundays and PFOGF shares her foray into homemade gf gnocchi. Enjoy; I know I did!

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't Eat Anything You Can't Pronounce - Gluten Free Gnocchi

Let's talk about my love for potatoes.  And pasta.  And therefore potato pasta: gnocchi.  Let's also talk about my love of money staying in my pocket.  GF gnocchi can go for $10 a pack -- yikes bikes!  Luckily the basic ingredients are cheap and simple: potatoes, (gf) flour, and oil.

I know what you're thinking, "Make my own pasta?!"  It turns out the hard part is getting your mouth around the word.  Say it with me: "knee-OOO-key".  Never fear - you can still make bangin' homemade pasta even if you pronounce it wrong.

*Adapted from Vegan with a Vengance

The ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 to 3/4 cups gluten free flour (we used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose)

Scrub your potatoes, poke a few holes in them, and put them in the microwave until they're soft.  Wait until they're cool enough to handle and peel them.  (We learned the hard way that you definitely want to peel them after they're cooked, lest you get weird lumps in your pasta.)

Take your peeled potatoes, salt, and oil and mash them together in a bowl until they're un-lumpy.  Throw a healthy amount of flour on a (clean, non-glutenous) surface and get kneeding.  You basically want to keep working flour into the dough until it isn't sticky and it's still stretchy.

Then you get to the fun part.  Make sure you still have plenty of flour around and start making little potato-pasta-balls-o-joy.  If you want to get technical, put each ball on your thumb and roll a fork over the top so that one side has an indentation from your thumb and the other side has ridges from the fork.  If you look hard enough in the picture, you'll see that you can even make them cubes.  Or dinosaurs.  The world is your gf-oyster.

If you're not going to cook all of your pasta right now, just toss them in some flour and put them (single layer) in a tupperware container in the freezer.  They'll keep for a couple months and you can throw them straight in boiling water to cook later.

For the pasta that you're cooking, start some water boiling.  You're going to cook the pasta in batches of 8-ish.  When you put them in the water they should sink.  When they float to the surface, cook them for 60 seconds and pull them out of the water with a slotted spoon.

Voila!  You made your own pasta.  Don't you feel accomplished.

Don't forget the necessary toppings -- like hot sauce.

xoxo Domestic Sundays

Homemade Hard Cider Recipe

Homemade Hard Cider aka the easiest thing you've never made
by Domestic Sundays
 
[Editor's note: This recipe will be featured in our upcoming Hard Cider taste-testing on Sunday, September 4th and the event's Review to follow.]

You need:

1. Cider: the fresher the better, pasteurized is fine but NO preservatives (they cramp your fermenting style). I found this (in its brew-ready glass jar) in the juice isle in Safeway. Turns out people don't stock up with organic cider when preparing for hurricanes.
2. Yeast: I use champagne yeast, but you can go for lager or something else entirely (for those in Baltimore, you can find this at Maryland Homebrew in Columbia)
3. Food for the yeast: I like molasses for its rich flavor, but any kind of sugar will do
4. A good (one-way) seal: you can get airlocks for cheap at homebrew stores (and the cork to go with them - a piece I've obviously neglected, as evidenced by my saran wrap), but in a pinch, a balloon stretched over the mouth with a small hole will do. The basic goal is to prevent explosions by letting your carbon dioxide out while keeping bacteria from getting in.

If you're feeling fancy:

• Spices: cinnamon sticks, cloves, fresh ginger root, allspice, lemon juice, cardamom…go crazy!
• A hydrometer: also available at your favorite homebrew store; chemistry nerds especially love these because a quick dip in your brew before and after will let you know your alcohol composition
• A funnel: makes life way easier
• Bleach: people claim sterilizing everything is good for brewing. I'm ambivalent.

What to do:

1) On the stove, dissolve your sugar in about 2 cups of your cider. The sugar is mainly there so you can make it taste nice and ferment it a bit more. I added about 1 cup of molasses for my gallon of cider and the hydrometer told me it'll be about 9% alcohol if all goes as planned. Throw your spices in too!

2) Read your yeast packet and follow its instructions. For mine, I had to add 1/5 of the packet (because I was only making 1 gallon) to some warmish cider and let it sit for 15 minutes.

3) Dump it all in your big jug.

4) Seal that bad boy.

5) Let it sit in a closet for 5-15 days.

6) Throw it in the fridge overnight.

7) Put in bottles or just dig in! If you don't drink it all right away, you probably want to keep bottles in the fridge and drink them within a few weeks.

We're now on Facebook!

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The Cost of living GF

During the week of September 19th, Maryland Hunger Solutions is holding its annual Food Stamp Challenge.  For 7 days, participants will use the average weekly food stamp benefit of $30 per person as their entire budget for food and drink*. The goal is to bring a new perspective and greater understanding of the nutritional needs of low-income people in our state. The organization states: "The [Food Supplement Program] is a safety net against hunger, putting healthy food within reach of low-income individuals and families." This got me thinking: What about people who require gluten-free food in order to be healthy? I cannot imagine adequately feeding myself for $30/week.  Sure, I could have as much rice and potatoes as I want, but I'd be missing a lot of important nutrients. Gluten-free foods are significantly more expensive than their gluten-ful counterparts. According to a study published from our neighbors up north (Stevens & Rashid, 2008): The average unit cost of a GF product is $1.71, while that average for a gluten-containing product is $0.61 Gluten-free foods, on average, cost 242% more than regular, gluten containing foods!  [I wanted to put a price comparison of a specific product here, but it's surprisingly difficult to find the cost of non-bulk produts online.]  By those standards, persons who qualify for food sustenance programs and require a medically-necessary gf diet should be receiving an average of $72/week.  Instead, they are essentially forced to compromise their health--either by eating less in quantity or quality or by forgoing the gluten-free diet. One could argue that fruits, meats, and vegetables--which are naturally gf--cost the same for everyone. This is certainly true and part of an ideal healthy diet.  Ideal, however, is not reality, especially in the food deserts that plague Baltimore's lowest income neighborhoods.  A family struggling to put food on the table often won't have the resources to travel for grocercies; they must make do with what's around.  If that means compromising a strictly g-free diet, the potential of needing costly medical services greatly increases.  That $30/week will soon seem like pennies to the government when they're  paying thousands for doctors' visits and medications. With that being said, I don't know the solution.  Mobilizing communities to establish bulk-buying co-ops could be a great start to keeping costs down for everyone.  Free produce home- or church-delivery in low-SES communities may also be worth considering.  Do you have any ideas?  Leave it in the comments section! *If you would like more information about the Food Stamp Challenge or to sign up to participate, visit their website.

Quarter-life changes.

Let me be the first to welcome my readers to the 2nd quarter-century of my life!  With this impressive milestone comes a new direction in this blog: from now on, I'll be writing in a more personal style.  Think first person, saracasm, biased reactions, and the occaisional interjection of non-gf related tidbits.  Great.

Anyway, this being my birthday week, I've certainly had my share of gluten free goodies.  Some of the items include:

•  Chocolate chip cake (a la Sweet Freedom bakery): gf, dairy-free, sugar-free; basically free of anything that might seem tasty.  Except it was tasty.  My friends loved it, my family loved it; I thought it was pretty good but not as good as...

• Vanilla cake made [not by me] using the Betty Crocker mix:  I was ready to swear off Betty's gf stuff forever, re: the brownie fiasco, but I'm a changed woman.  The deliciousness of this cake even lasted til the next morning, when I ate it for breakfast.  Sorry, Sweet Freedom, but the lessened learned here is that dairy and sugar will always trump non-dairy and non-sugar.

• Cupcakes, from Sweet Sin 
• Chocolate peanut-butter
• Chocolate cheesecake
• Red Velvet --> Note: I only had a bite of this. And MAN am I glad I did...opens up a whole new world of cake-flavor options.  Frankly, I don't like my desserts to be red. It makes me think there's fruit in it, and fruit has no place in [most of] my dessert.  Turns out the coloring is just from totally unnatural food dye--such a relief.

German Chocolate cupcake from Sweet Sin (Eaten by friends.)

The bite of the Red Velvet cupcake was from my most recent trip to Sweet Sin Bakery & Cafe.  A group of us went after the health fair and grueling 3K in Druid Hill Park.  Right after ordering, I changed my mind and decided to veer from my usual--veggie tacos or pizza--and order a 'real entree'.  You see, I've been hesitant to do this, because once you rule out the dishes that taste like coconut (which I don't like), you're left with mains such as mango chicken, lemon sesame chicken, and the day's 'special' (let's call a spade a spade--it's always the special) orange chicken.

I do not want fruit flavors mixed in with my proteins.

Anyway, I decided to suck it up and get the orange chicken because it just looked so darn good.  I chose the cabbage mix and sweet potatoes for my 2 sides.  All I can say is, yummy yummy yum yum yum.  Fret not, friends, the orange flavor was very subtle!  Having no idea what the cabbage would be like, I was quite pleased when it turned out to be warm and yellow and spicy.  Overall, the meal was great, and just the right size [for someone with a big appetite, which I have].

On Monday, I'm off to the gluten-free mecca of NYC!  I am super excited and will be sure to report back on the experience.  For real-time info about where I'm eating, be sure to check out bMoreGlutenFree's twitter!

Home-cooking/baking

Made some brownies tonight with the  Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Mix.  It was my first time having Betty Crocker GF products, and I must say,  they were only so-so.  The texture was pretty good, but the brownies themselves were a bit bitter and had an aftertaste.  Nothing a little coffee ice cream couldn't fix, though! Unfortunately, I think I ate a bit too many, especially since I'm still healing from my slip-up the other day. . .

On another note, I've recently learned that La Choy soy sauce is gluten free!  How did I not know this?!  Although it may not be the best tasting soy sauce around, it's a nice compromise for gluten-eating friends who may be hesitant to purchase or use [the more-expensive] gluten free tamaris. So far I've eaten grilled vegetable kabobs and tofu stir fry that used this product, and I did not get sick either time.

This is a great segway into introducing a new feature soon to be on this blog: Gluten-free recipes from guest bloggers!  The dishes will appeal to the novice g-free chef, meaning minimal or common ingredients and uncomplicated preparation/cooking instructions.  Stay tuned for more info!

Ow.

The other day I got glutened.  It was totally my fault; I took a chance with something that I was almost certain had been cross-contaminated. 

Sometimes, I can't tell whether I've acccidentally ingested my enemy or just feel ill/off due to something else, like being over-stuffed or eating to much creamy goodness.  But it's times like this last one that remind me: I have Celiac Disease and it can--will--negatively impact my health and my life if I'm not careful.

People ask me what it feels like, being 'glutened'.  Well, it's different for everyone, and often a different reaction within myself.  A tell-tale sign for me, though, is like someone is raking over the inside of my intestines.  Like someone is poking them from the inside out. And I'm hungry, but thought of eating anything makes me feel nauseated.  Not that I wouldn't already feel nauseated.  The other consistent reaction I feel is fatigue; combined with the insomnia from not feeling well, it's always a great night!

Back (and eating) in Baltimore!

I was going to update with one large post, but realize I am more likely to update if I don't worry about synthesizing several experiences or sticking to time-order.

I recently began an internship, and my preceptor kindly took me out for lunch in nearby Lauraville to Red Canoe Bookstore Café.  Well I was mighty surprised to find out they have gluten-free bread (Udi's) for their sandwiches!  However, the person taking my order said they keep the gf bread frozen, and therefore must toast it.  As you can imagine, my excitement over a gf sandwich quickly drained...

But wait!

I explained [in layman's terms] that such cross-contamination would be a problem for people with Celiac Disease.  He suggested they could use the panini press, and I accepted...as long as they cleaned it off first! I happily got a 1/2 sandwich--a 'panini' with roasted turkey, cheese, and tomato--and a cup of Gazpacho.  The sandwich in particular was fabulous!  Their black bean soup and the caramels they sell are also GF.

Just a reminder:  If you choose to get a sandwich at Red Canoe, please clearly state that you need it made on the panini press--not the toaster--and nicely ask them to clean it off first.

Anywho, I'm off to dinner at Meet27!  Which, btw, I heard is now BYOB.  I'll let you know when I come back!

Updates

Hey folks,

Still trying to figure out how to resize the logo without messing up the image!

In other news, I'm back in Philly/Jersey to visit friends and celebrate Fathers' Day.  Just ate some yummy gf garlic bread from Pasta Pomodoro in Voorhees. Tomorrow, the mom and I are going on a mini-vacation in Sussex County (North-west Jersey). I'll let you know about any gluten-free finds :-)

Till next time. . .

Cheezy's, Meet27, & more...

Hello again, dear readers,

It has been a whirlwind few weeks, so my apologies in the delay in posting.  But that means I have quite the roundup for you!  First on the list, Cheezy's Pizza & Subs in Towson:

I finally made it out to Towson to eat at Cheezy's.  Located in an unassuming building at the corner of Joppa Road and Loch Raven Blvd, this gluten-free-friendly establishment totally hit the spot!  I asked about a gluten-free menu and the friendly and helpful woman behind the counter brought it out right away.  There are so many choices--not just pizza!  We settled on a gf crabcake (which comes with a side salad) and a cheese pizza with mushrooms.  While Still Riding Pizza is not my favorite crust, Cheezy's delicious cheese makes up for it.  It's the kind that browns a little bit on top, which I love.  I've ordered pretty much this same pizza at Brick Oven Pizza (BOP) in Fells Point, and Cheezy's version was better.

The crabcake was the first I'd had since living in Maryland as well as since becoming gluten-free.  I really enjoyed it, as did my gluten-eating-able friend.  Then again, I can't remember what a glutenous one tastes like, so true crab aficionados may be disappointed.  My two qualms are that it's kind of expensive for what you get (I think $10.99 for 1 medium-sized crab-cake + side salad) and that it doesn't come with any sauce.  We easily remedied this with honey mustard dressing, which we actually put on everything we ordered.  Seriously, if you haven't tried honey mustard on pizza, you should...it's amazing!

Oh and GREAT news, brought to you 1st by bMoreGlutenFree: According to the staff, Cheezy's will soon be getting a dedicated gluten-free fryer!!!!  Cross-contamination-free fries galore! (French fries are bMoreGlutenFree's favorite food.)  All in all, my experience at Cheezy's was great--this news, just the cherry on top--and I cannot wait to go back and try the rest of their gf menu.

Moving forward, late last night I ate at Meet27 on the edge of Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood for the second time.  I can say for certain, my friends, that my delicious first experience was not a fluke--the food at this place is legit!  You can visit my yelp for the review of my 1st visit: bMoreGlutenFree's Meet27 Yelp review.  Anyway, we sat at the bar (which still doesn't have alcohol despite having a liquor license...so confusing...) since it was late and we just wanted a little nosh.  My friend and I split 3 appetizers: the french fries, the vegetable fritters, and the crab momos...or something like that I can't really remember the name.  Simply put, Meet27 knows how to make amazing sauces and dips. They're so good I can't handle it.

My favorite was the crab things, which were like cold Vietnamese-style spring rolls.  They were a great complement to the fried and crispy fries and fritters.  I had heard awesome things about the fritters, so perhaps that's why I was slightly disappointed by them.  Not to say they weren't good--particularly dipped in the tamarind and mint chutney--but they also weren't stellar.  The fries were just as good as I remembered from my first visit, especially dipped in the spicy mayo stuff that I love love love.  Again, I didn't use the peach ketchup (they do not have 'regular' ketchup), because I hate peach and, honestly, can't even fathom why anyone would want their ketchup to taste like fruit.

The Meet27 visit was on the heels of several Sweet Sin trips, which may become problematic since I now live in Charles Village.  I should just give them my credit card to keep on file; I swear I've already spent hundreds of dollars at that place.  Their veggie tacos are just too good to avoid for, like, more than a week or two.  The rice, avocado, cilantro, and of course spicy sauce, feels like a beautiful rainbow dancing in my mouth.  Sweet Sin is also my go to place for Kombucha, which at $4.00 is much more than it'd cost you at Whole Foods (≈ $3.15, I believe) or other grocers.  But I'm just happy they stock it!

I think that'll be it for this post. . .  Maybe soon I will write about my trips to Philly/Jersey and Annapolis.  If you are traveling to either of these [or other] places, feel free to ask suggestions in the comments section--hopefully I or another reader will be able to help! Also in the works are Charles Village and Fells Point overviews and a guide to eating GF on Hopkins' medical campus.

Thanks for visiting, tell your friends, and stay tuned!

Philadelphia [gluten] phreedom

This weekend, I am back in South Jersey/Philadelphia, and letting the gluten-free-good-times roll.  Last night, my mom was kind enough to cook me up some Conte's* cheese ravioli (with Wegman's vodka sauce); then, she and some friends went to the gluten free mecca that is Pasta Pomodoro without me!

However, I quickly forgot when I arrived at Paesano's in South Philly's Italian Market this morning for their Giardini hoagie on a gluten free roll.  I had been waiting SO long since I moved away from Philly to get this special vegetarian sandwich: On one trip, Paesono's was closed for moving and the next time I got there 10 minutes after closing! Super sad face.  So, this time, I made sure to get there within its opening hour. Though I was disappointed by it's small size relative to my friend's gluten-ous hoagie, it was still awesome!  Now I'm just thinking about where to go for dinner... I'll keep you posted!

*To see if Conte's gluten-free pasta products are sold near you, contact: 1-800-211-6607

Sunday Adventures

Today was a pretty swell sunday, in many respects, except gf-food-wise. The Sowebo Arts & Music Festival was a jam, but the taunts of funnel cake and pita sandwiches and bloomin' onions weighed heavy on my soul. Even the advertised promise of vegan food turned out to be a stand of gluten-ous baked goods. So, I stuck with a refreshing lemonade.

Then it was off to score some free/by-donation vegetarian lunch at the Hare Krishna festival! Cult, religion, whatever you want to call it...I don't discriminate against the handers-out of free food. I had the white rice and paneer, but had to steer clear of the farina-sugar-concoction thing. Yummy yum yum!

As some of you know, I'm in the process of moving. I normally have nothing much in the house to eat, but lately it's just hilarious. With a little creativity, I was able to pull together a surprisingly delicious snack from my housemates' leftovers: beets, walnuts, and parmesean cheese, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. I just finished gobbling it up... and think I'll chase it down with the ice cream I'm off to pick up from the store!

Till next time . . .

Talara

On Friday night, my friend and I made our first venture to the 'nuevo latino bistro' Talara in Harbor East.  We went on a whim...i.e. no reservation...and the original news of a 45 minute wait turned into 5 minutes to set a nice 2-top, and we were good to go!

All around, Talara was fabulous.  And did you know they have a gluten free menu?! Yes, they do folks, and they are happy to accomodate.  We loved our server, Monica, who was prompt, helpful, and personable.  My gluten-eating-able friend and I decided to order gf and split everything, and here is what we got:

• Mojitos -- delicious, but small for the price. but we love mojitos so whatever.
• Chips w/ guacamole -- just guac is not on the menu, but you can order it for $3
• 'Double' Ceviche: Avocado+Corn with yellowtail, and Fire+Ice with tuna. -- the Fire & Ice ceviche was incredible. It's described as very spicy but we thought it was just right...keep in mind we like spicy food.
• Cuban Sushi Roll without Ponzu sauce -- This was our absolute favorite thing. It is not on the gf menu, but I suspected it was just the sauce. Our server and the manager checked with the kitchen, and surely enough it was perfectly gf without the ponzu. My friend got a ramekin of it on the side, and while yummy, didn't think it 'made' the dish or anything.
• Chile-rubbed Salmon -- comes with green-beans and cassava/potato-like things in a buttery sauce. Good sized portion...we were glad we shared!

Talara is not cheap, especially if you leave a good tip (which you should, if service warrants), although you can make it significantly less expensive by forgoing drinks. We suggest making a reservation, particularly on a weekend night. There is also outdoor and bar seating available.

Enjoy, dear gf diners and friends!
Have you been to Talara? What did you think? Leave a comment!

First post :-)

Welcome to the new blog for bMoreGlutenFree! We're just getting started, so please be patient with us...

Here, you'll find restaurant reviews with a gluten-free (gf) angle, info about relevant Baltimore-area events, gf recipes (infrequently), and other postings you'll hopefully find interesting!

For the most up-to-date information, check out our twitter page and our yelp.

Please do not hesitate to post comments, questions, advice, etc. This is a community, where we learn from each other!

Thank you for visiting; please spread the word :-)

Sincerely,
bMoreGlutenFree