Move Over Relish -- Slawsa is My New Favorite GF Condiment

I was recently sent a sample of Slawsa, a relish alternative, from Julie Busha at Nicole Foods. A cabbage-based mustard and vinegar relish, the product is from the owner's mother's recipe, a Southern classic.

I'm always thrilled to find condiments that are gluten-free. So many use malt vinegar or stabilizers like maltodextrin and neglect to mention if the maltodextrin is from corn or wheat. Busha assures me that all ingredients have been checked and this condiment is definitely gluten-free. And I didn't have a reaction, so I know it's true. I am VERY sensitive, and I definitely would've gotten sick if there had been any trace. I spent last Sunday night in the hospital when served regular soy sauce instead of gluten-free soy sauce -- that's how sensitive I am. 

My husband and I used the jar as an occasion to have hot dogs for dinner (with a roasted zucchini and feta salad on the side). Nathan's hot dogs (gluten free), and an Udi's gluten-free hot dog bun for me. Usually, when I eat hot dogs, I'm a strictly ketchup person. I'm not a fan of mustard, and I don't really like relish on my hot dogs.

At first bite, the Slawsa was sweet, crunchy, and slightly mustardy, with a touch of vinegar tang. As I chewed, the Slawsa finished with a slow growing heat. I was blown away by the complexity of the flavors, and the balance of sweet and tangy. I checked the ingredients and was very surprised to find that it is low in sodium -- most condiments are super high in sodium. I ended up piling more onto my hot dog and wolfing it down.

Compared to your basic relish, Slawsa is crunchier, with a wider depth of flavors. It's salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy (though not very spicy) all at once. This is a great addition to any Labor Day Weekend grilling event!

Eating Gluten Free at Alta Strada - MGM - Foxwoods

Foxwoods is in the type of area where there really is nothing for miles and miles. Though I live near the Wellesley Alta Strada, my friend and I decided to go to the one at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods while visiting my parents for the weekend, who live nearby. I tried googling "Foxwoods gluten-free" to see if anything came up, and the only option was the Veranda Cafe, which is not the type of place we were looking for.

Our server at Alta Strada was incredibly friendly and kind. She went through the whole menu with me, and let me know what I could have and what I couldn't have. I was disappointed that they don't carry gluten-free pasta -- it seems like something easy enough to hold onto, and they have delicious sauces there that I would've loved to try. I opted to start with the Caesar salad (hold the croutons) and got my old standby, the bunless burger with a side of veg instead of fries.

The Caesar salad was wonderful and salty. I was a little bummed watching my friend eat the freshly baked crusty Italian bread, and a gluten-free roll would've been great. I don't understand why restaurants don't carry them -- they're frozen and don't spoil, so they can be kept for people like me. But I enjoyed my salad.

My burger was also excellent. It came with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese, and the veg was broccoli rabe with sauteed garlic and red pepper flakes. It was perfectly cooked, high quality meat, and extremely tasty.

The highlight of the meal, for me, was the dessert. Alta Strada is the sister restaurant to a favorite Boston spot of mine, Via Matta. At Via, they make these Marscarporeos, which are homemade Oreo cookies with a marscrapone filling. One time years ago, they offered a special of stone fruit with the marscarpone filling. I asked the server if the pastry chef could do something similar, and she said it was no problem. I got a dish of brunch fruit (green apples, bananas, strawberries), with a dish of the marscarpone cream -- absolutely delicious. It's always a nice surprise to get something for dessert that isn't sorbet or ice cream.

Overall, Alta Strada didn't really cater directly to celiacs. They don't offer gluten free pizza or pasta, but almost all of their entrees are already gluten free, with the exception of their chicken parmigiana and their chicken milanese. But there were enough options that I was happy with my meal, and the dessert made it completely worthwhile.

It's also worth noting that the Alta Strada at Foxwoods has a different menu than the Alta Strada in Wellesley. The one in Wellesley offers tapas-style small plates, which I love, and I've never seen a burger on their menu.

Liberty Tree Tavern in Disney World: One of the BEST GF Meals Ever!!

It's no secret that Disney is a friend to those with food allergies. They are equipped to handle all common food allergies. What I didn't realize was the level of care they'd put towards making sure that I had an amazing meal.

Let me start off by saying that I am a big, big Disney World fan. I've been to Disney many times, but never as someone with celiac disease. My husband and I chose Disney as our honeymoon destination, because of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, where we ate what I estimate to be close to 5000 calories a day. As someone who loves food, there are few places in the world with that many good restaurants clustered in an easy-to-access area. It's a very controlled area with everything focused on fun and delicious food, with a wide range of cuisines and truly some of the best restaurants in the country. I also love Disney's attention to detail -- their staff continues to go above and beyond to make sure that every single guest is having an amazing time. I have a million stories of how a Disney staff member has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me out. I'm well aware that Disney is a business and everything they do is for money -- but they know how to make that money by making everything they do magical. It's impossible to be in a bad mood in Disney World, and this is coming from someone who is notoriously crotchety and cranky. Even my grumpy husband, who is cranky about pretty much everything, loved our trip to Disney.

I went to Orlando for work, and my coworkers and I headed to Magic Kingdom. Because it was a day-of idea, we didn't really have many choices when it came to restaurant reservations. It doesn't help that the Magic Kingdom is one of the worst places to try to get a good sitdown meal, rivaled only by Hollywood Studios. So in a choice between the Crystal Palace and the Liberty Tree Tavern, I decided to go with the Tavern, because it's on the parade route and we would be eating around that time.

The Liberty Tree Tavern is a Colonial-era themed restaurant with an all-you-can-eat family style setup. There's no buffet line -- rather, costumed servers bring platters of food to your table, and you can request as much as you want. Upon arrival and checking in, the hostess double-checked and asked who in our party of four had the gluten allergy. I let her know it was me, and she made a note on the reservation, and seated us promptly.

Our server was incredibly well-trained in food allergies. He knew exactly what gluten is, and how cross-contamination works, and assured me that I was in good hands. Within minutes, the chef came to our table and was very friendly and assuring. He informed us what was on the menu that night -- salad, roasted multi-colored carrots, green beans, mashed potatoes, mac 'n cheese, roasted pork, turkey, a beef roast, and stuffed apple cake with vanilla ice cream -- and let me know what I could and couldn't have. I obviously could not eat the mac 'n cheese, the cake, or the gravy that came with everyone else's food, but I was happy to know that nothing else had any kind of gluten contamination.

We began the meal, and to my surprise, hot gluten-free tapioca rolls with fresh butter (my own, to avoid contamination with everyone else's bread) arrived. These were the BEST gluten free rolls I've ever had -- as long as they were hot. The texture was like that of a really good whole wheat roll, but once it got cold, it turned into cardboard. I honestly didn't care -- I was thrilled to even be able to eat bread while everyone else broke into their bread baskets.

Everything was delicious. To my absolute delight, the server brought me my own gravy boat of GLUTEN FREE GRAVY. I absolutely love gravy, and being unable to eat it in restaurants has been a sore spot for me. I assumed it would be like a jus, more broth-like than gravy-like, but it was truly a real gravy made with rice flour. It was a slightly different color than the regular gravy, but it tasted just like the real thing and I was really touched that they would go the extra mile to make some for me. I poured it on everything! The salad had an incredible vinaigrette, the mashed potatoes were perfect, and the meats were tender and juicy. The beef was by far the best protein, with a flavorful crust and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Surprisingly, the highlight of the meal was the multi-colored carrots. Red, orange, and purple carrots were perfectly roasted and an amazing balance of sweet and salty. This was, hands down, the best meal I've had in the Magic Kingdom.

The stuffed apple cake looked extraordinary. My coworker, a former pastry chef, raved about it, so I knew it was good. The server brought me a bowl of sorbet with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, plus a dish of vanilla ice cream, so I didn't feel left out. I was just so content and happy knowing that I had eaten an amazing meal with no gluten contamination.

I was blown away by the level of service here. Every person, from the reservation taker to the hostess to the chef, was well-educated and trained in food allergies. They took it very seriously (quite a contrast to many restaurants in Orlando, where I've been asked several times "what's gluten?") and made sure that I had as well-rounded a meal as my coworkers. My husband and I are returning to Disney for our one year anniversary, and I am so excited to go to a place where I can eat literally everywhere and not worry about a lack of variety or getting contaminated. I'm especially excited to check out the new Babycakes bakery in Downtown Disney, the allergen-free bakery where we can use our snack points from our Disney dining plan.

Oga's in Natick -- Delicious, But Be Wary of the Staff

Since I've lived in Natick, Oga's on Route 9 has been one of my favorite restaurants. I always mocked it, seeing as it's located in a Blockbuster plaza, but when I found out that the Japanese Red Sox players were going there to eat, I knew it must be something special. It's beyond special. It's literally one of the best restaurants I've ever been to, anywhere. The spicy tuna tostada (spicy tuna served on a "tostada" of rice wrapped in seaweed pounded flat then tempura fried) and the gindara saikyo-yaki (broiled cod marinated in miso and sake) are two of the best dishes I've ever had. The gindara saikyo-yaki is also gluten free!

However, I hadn't gone since my celiac diagnosis. I am always a little wary of places where the staff doesn't speak English well, because it's hard to translate to them what "gluten" is. This is an example of how some places just don't get it.

I went with my siblings there, and explained that two of us (my brother also has celiac) cannot have gluten. The server brought over gluten-free soy sauce for us, which is always a good start. She said that the chefs recommended we avoid the rolls and stick to the straight up fish, just to be safe. We started off with the sashimi platter, which was beautiful. White tuna, mackerel, salmon, oysters, octopus, etc. However, it came drizzled with a ponzu sauce. I asked the server if there was regular soy sauce in the ponzu, and she said "yes." So I said, "I told you, I cannot have gluten, so I need this remade." Her response? "Well, can't you just eat around it?"

No. I cannot eat around it. It took all of my self control to not lose it on her right then and there. I said, "No, even if I eat a little, I will become very sick. Can I have this made again without the sauce?" At that point, she got a little hesitant, and says "But we already made this one." I don't know if maybe she thought she was going to get in trouble with the chef or management. Either way, I asked her to go find out if "another one could be made," and she left the plate of sashimi on our table while she went to go find out. For at least five minutes. We stared at it, wishing we could eat it, because we were starving. She finally came back and took the plate away and brought back a clean plate with no ponzu drizzled on the sashimi.

The rest of the meal was fine, but I was beyond furious at the gall of saying to someone "Well, can't you just eat around it?" In retrospect, I really should have asked to speak to the manager. I generally avoid it, as someone who worked in the food industry and understand that mistakes can be made. But if nothing else, this girl needed to be trained on food allergies, and it's clear that she wasn't. I just didn't want to raise a fuss because I want to keep going back for the gindara saikyo-yaki. So do I recommend this restaurant? Yes, the food is always delicious there. It's very legit Japanese food, and the chefs are incredibly creative and consistent. However, BE CAREFUL if you have food allergies. The staff is clearly not trained in dealing with them. Normally, I've had great service at Oga's. This was the first time it was this bad, and it makes me a little scared to go back.

Zaftig's = Wonderful

I have been TERRIBLE about keeping up with the blog, and I am sorry!! I went into tech week for my play and things went downhill from there in terms of time management, so blogging just wasn't going to happen. No excuses, I know.

But I'm back! And I have lots to tell you, starting with great news -- Zaftig's now carries gluten free bagels and buns! I had a wonderful gravlax plate with a toasted gluten free bagel, and it was everything I dreamed of and more. I really respect that they understand what celiac disease is to begin with, and even considers it right down to the vinegars used. Many restaurants I've been to don't seem to understand how sensitive some of us are, and the dire consequences if we ingest even the tiniest bit. There was a server at a nice restaurant, one of my favorites, who said "well.. can't you eat around it?" More on that in another blog post, but needless to say, I was furious. No, I can't just eat around it! Yeesh. I can't blame the restaurant for bad service, but it makes me not trust the kitchen if this is the idiot who's taking my order.

It's hard to trust restaurants to begin with. I was recently in Orlando for a work event, and I got contaminated by the Hilton Orlando, even though the server had spoken to the chef and everyone seemed to be well-educated on celiac disease. I had the shrimp and grits with chorizo... well, the chorizo (I'm guessing) wasn't gluten free, as I learned a few hours later while I curled up on the bathroom floor puking my guts out. It was the typical "I've been contaminated" reaction, and it ruined my trip. My boss made up for it by taking us to Disney World... more on that in a later blog, too! Needless to say, Disney is quite possibly the greatest place in the world when it comes to food allergies.

Sorry to tease two very exciting future blog posts, but I promise to write them up soon!

Eating Gluten Free at Paparazzi

I had heard many things about the gluten-free menu at Paparazzi (Insert Lady Gaga joke here). I've been there before and was never really wowed by their regular menu, and I always found it a bit overpriced. My husband and I decided to give Paparazzi (the Framingham location) a try for lunch one day, and we were pleasantly surprised by the offerings.

First, Paparazzi brings a basket of breadsticks out to every table. My heart broke a little when I saw them, but the server also brought out some freshly toasted gluten-free bread, slathered in butter and topped with fresh herbs. The bread was incredible! The herbs and the butter really made it. The one problem was our server.. she was very nice, but she was either rushed or uneducated. I asked if the gluten-free bread brought out could be used on their burger. She looked at me quizzically and said "You know, I've never run into that before." And then ran off. I assumed it was to go ask her manager or the chef... no. She didn't. She just ran off. I had to specifically wave her down and have her ask the chef, which she did. And yes, the burger can be served on the bread.

Paparazzi also does any of their pasta sauces in gluten-free penne. I ordered the Bolognese, because I am a sucker for a good Bolognese. At first, I thought they had mixed up my order, because the pasta did not taste gluten free. But I was assured that it was, and I didn't get sick, so it must've been. The pasta quality was very good, and the sauce had a good level of flavors. The pancetta, veal, and onions really came through in each bite, with big chunks of mushroom for texture. I did find it a bit on the salty side, but it was still a good pasta dish.

We didn't do dessert because we were in a rush, but I'll have to do it next time. I'm also intrigued by the burger on that excellent bun. It's hard to justify dinner there when it's so expensive, but for lunch, it seems like it's a pretty good deal.

Click here to view information about Paparazzi's Framingham location.

Gluten Free Menu at Zaftig's -- Going to a Jewish Deli and No Bagels?!

Before the celiac diagnosis, Zaftig's was always one of my favorite restaurants. When I was in college, my friends and I would take the C line out to Coolidge Corner, and wait 2 hours for brunch at Zaftig's in Brookline. It was always well worth the wait -- Jewish deli food has always been comfort food to me, and their brunch options are out of this world. The banana stuffed French toast... drooool.

After my husband and I bought our house in Natick a few years ago, Zaftig's fortuitously opened up a location near our home. Since it opened, we've probably eaten there dozens of times, and we never get sick of it. Their sandwiches are amazing, their latkes (especially the loaded latkes stack -- layered with chili, bacon and cheese, or smoked salmon and creme fraiche) are to die for, and their griddled banana bread with date butter is a sinfully delicious heart attack on a plate. I always ordered my gross-out sandwiches, like beef tongue, with the kickass potato salad and half sour pickle. But when I was diagnosed and could no longer eat gluten, the first thought I had was "No more smoked fish plates at Zaftig's!!" and I wanted to cry.

But Zaftig's once again comforted me, when I called and found out that they offer a dedicated gluten-free menu that takes cross contamination into consideration. The menu is obviously limited -- they don't yet offer gluten free bread and bagels, so the smoked fish plates are only available with just the fish. Not so alluring. But my beloved potato salad is gluten free, as is my favorite entree -- the stuffed cabbages with a tomato cranberry sauce. It normally comes with a slice of challah bread, but I substitute some potato salad instead, and I am thrilled.

Zaftig's can also do most of its omelets gluten-free, as well as its scrambles and breakfast sides. Sadly, the roast beef and roast turkey are both not gluten free, nor is Zaftig's amazing brisket. I'm guessing something with the rub or the vinegars they use probably include gluten. Sad. Doubly sad is that the latkes are contaminated with gluten. On the plus side, the celiac disease is limiting me from eating things like banana bread fried in butter and deep fried potato pancakes smothered in cheese, so at the very least, it's forcing me to eat healthier. The celiac is achieving what my mom's tried to do my entire life. Admittedly, I miss items like the latkes and Zaftig's bagels with cream cheese and their housemade gravlax. I didn't think I'd miss bagels so much, but I do.

But I can still get my stuffed cabbages with potato salad, and it's much better to focus on the delicious things I CAN have, rather than the delicious bad-for-you things that I can't have. I am grateful to Zaftig's for taking celiac sufferers into consideration, and making an easy to follow dedicated menu for us. Now how about some gluten-free bagels so I can still enjoy the gravlax...?

Going Gluten Free at Sel de la Terre

This past weekend, my husband and I decided to check out Sel de la Terre, one of our favorite places to eat. We love the one on the Waterfront and on Boylston St. in Boston, but there is one in Natick too, so we decided to see what they could do for me and my celiac disease.

First off, despite the fact that this place is in the Natick Collection, this is not your typical mall eatery. Entrees are 25+ and it's definitely more high-end than what you might find at say, California Pizza Kitchen. Our server fully understood gluten and celiac disease, thankfully, and guided me through the menu. There were obvious things I couldn't have, like flatbreads, but he also warned me about the short ribs being dusted in flour. It was nice to know that he was on top of things and that I didn't have to worry about whether or not he knew his stuff well enough for me to trust him.

We ordered the moules (or mussels) in a white wine, capers, and tomato broth. The crostini came on the side as to avoid cross contamination, which I appreciated. The portion was very small, but the mussels were perfectly cooked and the broth was good enough to drink. Which I did.

For entrees, my husband got the pan seared bass on red quinoa salad with braised endive and orange fennel reduction. The bass, however, was dusted in flour, so I couldn't try it. But I ordered the bunless burger, with FRIES!! Sel de la Terre is well-known in the city for its fresh rosemary pomme frites, often deemed the best fries in the city. The server assured me that the fries were completely gluten free, and not contaminated by any gluten sources in the frying oil. I could have kissed him! I miss fries so much, and these are some of my favorite. The burger, smeared with sweet caramelized onions and a hunk of what I think was Gruyere, was perfectly cooked and the quality of the meat was fantastic.

They even had gluten free dessert options! There was the seasonal and always reliable sorbet selection (this night's was pear, guava, and Concord grape), and creme brulee, but they also offered a poached pear with a star anise sabayon. I wasn't feeling the sabayon, so I went boring and had the sorbet, which was delicious. My husband had the apple cran polenta crumble, which smelled amazing. He said it was delicious, and essentially licked the plate clean.

Sel de la Terre didn't exactly blow my expectations away (after all, at those prices, they'd better be able to accommodate someone with celiac disease), but I was still pleased with the meal overall. Though the appetizer portion was small (especially for a $13 plate), it was tasty, and the staff took extra care to make me feel safe. It was an expensive meal, but I'm happy to pay a little more for peace of mind when I go out to eat.

Gluten Free Mac 'n Cheese -- First attempt

Who doesn't love a good mac 'n cheese? There's something so comforting and warm about it, and I love how you can customize it to your tastes. Last week, we had an eight lb ham that we needed to use up, so I decided to chop some up and make mac 'n cheese with some ham and spinach. I figured I could use brown rice pasta, and safe cheese, but I didn't think about the cheese sauce.

The problem is that I start all of my cheese sauces with a bechamel -- start a roux with butter and flour, then add milk and whisk until creamy. Obviously, the flour was an issue, so I went to my pantry to see what kind of gluten-free flours I had. I found potato flour, so I figured, why not? It should work, right?

Nope. Miserable failure. The potato flour clumped up and didn't dissolve when I added the milk, so it looked like baby formula mixed with mashed potatoes. Gross. I had to ditch the whole shebang.

I instead skipped the flour, and whisked butter and milk together. Then I added American cheese, goat cheese, salt/pepper, garlic powder, and waited until it got hot. I mixed some corn starch with water, then dumped it in, brought it to a boil, and then took it off the heat. It cooled to just the right texture, and I poured it over the cooked noodles with some ham that had been sauteed with spinach. I threw some shredded cheddar on top, and then popped it in the oven for half an hour. The brown rice pasta held up well, surprisingly, and it ended up being a decent -- though not stellar -- mac 'n cheese.

Lesson to be learned? Potato flour CANNOT be used to make a roux. I may try tapioca flour next time, or corn flour, and see how that works instead. According to the interwebs, arrowroot flour works well as a rue. I've also used brown rice flour to make a roux for turkey gravy, though I don't know how it would work with milk.

Other fun ideas for mac 'n cheese:

• Ditch half of the milk/cream and add pureed steamed/roasted cauliflower instead. It adds a really nice nuttiness to the dish, and helps work in vegetables. 
• Use a half cup of Greek yogurt to replace some of the cream.
• Puree some butternut squash as a replacement for some of the cream.
• Bacon. Bacon bacon bacon. BACON.

Surviving Super Bowl Sunday -- For Party Hosts with Celiac Guests

This post isn't so much for celiacs, but for people hosting parties today. For some of us, the best part of the Super Bowl is the copious amounts of food that will be served, from takeout to homemade. Here's a guide to help hosts without gluten issues understand what their guests with celiac can and cannot eat.

• Baked goods -- Obviously, this is the big one for us. We can't have anything with flour, or that's even been dusted with flour. Most people understand this. But what about when you're cooking, and are in a rush, and decide to reuse a cookie sheet for something that will be celiac safe? That's the kind of cross contamination that makes a celiac really sick. 
• Wings/BBQ -- My formerly favorite part of watching Super Bowls was ordering a ridiculous amount of wings and chowing down. Unfortunately, if they're from any wing takeout place, they aren't gluten-free, even if they don't dust the wings in flour. They fry them in the same oil as the battered chicken, and that's enough to make us sick. Same goes for BBQ -- it's not the preparation, but the BBQ sauce. Most restaurants use vinegars made from gluten (such as malt vinegar) for the marinade/sauce, so this is not gluten free.
• Chips and salsa -- Seems pretty clear cut, right? No flour in any of this. Except.. still not gluten free, depending on the brand. Tostitos chips are gluten free, but NOT the ones that are "Hint of..." flavored. And Tostitos salsa is not gluten free. Many companies will process their chips and salsa on the same equipment that processes items with gluten, and this is enough to sicken us. For someone with just a sensitivity to gluten, these items are probably fine. 
• Potato chips and snacks -- Many potato chips are safe (Utz brand, for example, and regular Lays), but many are not. Miss Vickie's are not gluten free, nor are a bunch of Lays flavors. Doritos are also not gluten free -- they are processed on the same equipment as some gluten items. For those of us who are so sensitive that even the slightest contamination will make us sick, here's a list of Frito Lays products that are positively gluten free and those that are not made with gluten products, but processed on the same equipment.
• Pizza -- Obvious. Gluten-free pizza is the only kind of pizza we can eat, and if you are making a frozen one, make sure it's a clean cookie sheet.
• Chinese takeout -- Another common takeout food for the Super Bowl (I used to work in a Chinese restaurant, and Super Bowl Sunday was always nuts), Chinese food, especially the bastardized American version, is chock full of gluten. Everything is battered and fried, or fried in the same oil. Soy sauce is made from wheat, so anything with soy sauce is off limits -- that means pretty much everything.

Please understand that most celiac sufferers will show up with their own food. I, personally, do not plan to put anyone out or inconvenience a host by making them accommodate my food issues. But when I host parties, it is important to me that I accommodate all food allergies (I had a dedicated food allergy plan, including separate desserts, for guests with allergies at my wedding) and take this task very seriously. If there are any others out there like me, I hope this helps!

Also.. GO PATS!