Gluten Girl in Austin

Giveaway: Better Batter

2011-03-27T19:20:00.006-05:00

I've almost driven myself to madness in the last few weeks experimenting with different gluten free flours in recipes. It's amazing how differently they work together, and I've found out the hard way, they are definitely not interchangeable. In the last month I've purchased all of these:

garbanzo bean flour

certified GF oat flour

brown rice flour

glutinous rice flour

sorghum flour

Bob's Red Mill GF flour blend

tapioca flour

almond flour

and i'm afraid there are more hiding somewhere in my freezer

I've got a flour garden, a serious credit card bill, and I STILL seem to need millet. I'm seeing so many recipes calling for millet. Sometimes, I just want to bypass the flour blends and use a good old mix like those gluten folks get to use. That's where Better Batter comes in. Better Batter's been around for a while, but because it's not widely available in stores, people seem not to know about it. I heard about it first on Heidi's site. I was searching for a way to make gluten free chewy pigs in a blanket, which is a Christmas tradition in our family, and Better Batter appeared to be my only hope.

The folks over at Better Batter were kind enough to send me out some samples, which I tried and loved. I tried all 3 mixes (flour blend, brownie, and biscuit/pancake) thanks to their generosity. My gluten eating husband declared their biscuit mix to create the most Bisquick like GF biscuits he'd ever had, even more so that GF Bisquick! With the flour blend, I dove into the cinnamon roll recipe from Better Batter's site and displayed on Heidi's page above, and it was quite the recipe! It was my first experience with yeast, and I can joyfully say I was shocked at how much it enhanced the dough. The rolls were chewy and delicious. I used palm sugar and made a glaze with cream cheese & agave. You'd never know you were missing the came sugar. I have one more batch of dough in the freezer I can't wait to defrost next weekend for breakfast.

The only drawbacks for Better Batter that I see are that I have to purchase the mixes online, and that there is sugar added to the brownie and biscuit mixes. As you know, I am not eating cane sugar, and so I'd prefer to have a mix without added sugar so I could add an alternative. That's one reason I'm giving away my last box of the Better Batter gluten free brownie mix. All you need to do to be eligible to win is to like my facebook fan page. That's it! And of course feel free to participate in a discussion or add a suggestion of a place I should eat while you're there. I'll pick a winner from one of my fans next week.

More Better Batter reviews:

Heidi with Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom - check out her beautiful cinnabon roll clones! I didn't photograph mine because they couldn't touch hers!

A Life of Sugar & Spice

Kim with Gluten Free is Life

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-03-15T15:22:00.004-05:00

Life's full of changes. Mine has had a few lately.

I've been out of blog touch for a few weeks now focusing on my "real life," also known as work. In order to pursue my passions, I recently decided to leave my career in real estate development and have accepted an offer at HomeAway! I start next week! I'm very excited about this opportunity. HomeAway is a reputable, young and energetic company, so I am looking forward to the change and hopefully growing into a career in social marketing there, a passion I would have never discovered without starting this blog.

Secondly, I lost a dear friend to a tragic accident. A regular Sunday morning changed with one simple phone call as I learned that Lewis had left us in the blink of an eye. His passing was another reminder of how short life can be and how quickly it can change. We need to celebrate the little things in life and be gracious for where we are, even if we are striving for more. Sometimes in our society built on excess, that is hard to remember. Lewis helped inspire me to take my new job and jump into the unknown despite risks involved and having a very good position at my current company. But life cannot be lived with caution all the time. I remembered a favorite quote:

Risk is essential. There is not growth of inspiration in staying within what is safe and comfortable.

And so I leap, and I remain thankful that I have the ability to make such a leap, unlike Lewis. I am thankful I got to marry the love of my life, unlike Lewis. When I sit in rush hour traffic every morning, I try to be thankful that at least I am alive to sit there in gridlock, unlike Lewis. And then there's Japan. Sometimes I think the world will be swallowed up in sadness. When I watch the images of the tsunami damage, it's a challenge not to compare it to something apocalyptic. But all you can do is try to help, and give thanks.

In celebration of life, I'll be posting some giveaways over the next few weeks. The only thing you need to do to win is like me on facebook. Listen, I'm baiting you to go to my facebook page at first, but if you get over there, I think you'll see why. I actually love it, and it's not a regurgitation of my blog whatsoever. It's something entirely different. I discuss and share much more information than I care to share on the blog. I recently fostered a discussion about restaurants that have poor cross contamination policies, and we all named names. I also post medical articles that interest me, other folks giveaways & take requests of restaurants where you want to see me dine! So for your chance at winning a copy of Blackbird Bakery's cookbook (personally dedicated to you by Karen), The Happy Herbivore cookbook and Better Batter Brownie mix, like me. I'll pick winners from there each time I announce a give away here. Go on, go. I'm likeable I swear!

Gluten Free Pizza Fest: Review of Austin's Pizza

2011-02-17T19:28:00.005-06:00

More pizza! My husband makes fun of me for how much I love & eat pizza. I can't help it. It's a gluten free replacement food I cannot give up. Austin's Pizza, a local pizza chain with a gluten crust I used to love back before I was diagnosed, uses Gluten Free Kneads (first discussed here) for their crust. And the beauty of this is...they deliver! Gluten free pizza delivered to your door. I never thought I'd see the day. Unlike Brick Oven's variation, the pizza dough comes out a little softer I presume due to not being cooked in a wood fired brick oven. I also think the sauce is a little less flavorful but the cheese is thicker and "cheesier," which I like.

Please note, as with Brick Oven, I imagine cross contamination is an issue at Austin's Pizza. I will work in the coming weeks to update these posts with cross contamination policies. You should ask questions before you order.

This post is part of Gluten Free Pizza Fest over at ATX Gluten Free. Click on over to her page to read pizza recipes and RSVP for the Pizza Fest celebration on February 24th at Parkside. There will be door prizes, giveaways, and wide variety of pizza's cooked by talented Parkside chef Shawn Cirkiel! Join us!

Gluten Free Pizza Fest: Review of Brick Oven Pizza

2011-02-09T19:40:00.007-06:00

Italian food is normally a four letter word in a gluten free household. Lately though, gluten free pizzas have become pretty accessible. They are available in a lot of "gluten" restaurants around Austin including:

Austin's Pizza

Brick Oven on 35th

The Brick Oven (chain)

Most of these chains source GF crusts from local company Gluten Free Kneads, one of the sponsors of Gluten Free Pizza Fest. Craigo's is the exception I know of here. The crust is thicker and more doughy. I really like it. I'll try to review it next week. Brick Oven on 35th (not associated with the chain) is probably my favorite of all the options in town. The restaurant serves up a large and varied gluten free menu including pasta, meatballs and sandwiches. It's fantastic to dine there and have choices, and it's one of Austin's most beloved gluten free friendly eateries.

Because most places use the same crust, it really gives the sauce & cheese a chance to shine (or not). The wood fired brick oven gives the pizza at Brick Oven on 35th a great subtly smoky flavor. Note the slightly charred crust edges. The sauce and cheese are also super flavorful, moreso than the others in town I've tried. My husband is a fan of their "regular" pizza for that reason. The gluten free crust is thin and is a nice combo of crispy and chewy. You can add toppings, but note that a plain GF pizza is about $12 and feeds one hungry Gluten Girl.

One thing to note is I did not consult with each restaurant about their policies to prevent cross contamination. The chance to cross contaminate at a pizza place where they make gluten dough is obviously an issue. Please be sure to ask before you order.

This post is a part of Gluten Free Pizza Fest over at ATX Gluten free. Click on over to her page to read daily recipes and learn about the pizza party being thrown to celebrate the Pizza Fest on February 24th. All pizza will be cooked by Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside, which we all know is one of my fave restaurants in town. Come join us!

What to Eat at Luke (San Antonio)

2011-02-02T19:03:00.006-06:00

It's been a while, but hopefully you have some clue why. As you can see if you've been with me for a while, this gluten girl has been busy...like these guys. I've been gussying up the place with the helpful of the lovely & talented Erin. She also helped me migrate to my own domain, so you'll notice the blogspot is gone from my web address. It's the little things that excite me!

Over Christmas, I traveled to San Antonio with the inlaws. I somehow conned them into taking us all to Luke, Chef John Besh's new Lone Star state restaurant! Of course, they were excited about it too and kindly indulged my desire to try it out. All of us food lovers in Austin had been discussing it since its opening.

At first glance, it was not what I expected...much more casual than I pictured. That was probably my fault. I've not been to the original location in New Orleans, so I can't compare, but with Chef Besh at the helm, I just pictured white table cloths and candlelight. Not here. Luke is located on the riverwalk in the first floor of a hotel. Considering the usual crowd on the riverwalk, he is probably wise to dress it down a bit. It's a more casual laid back feel along the river after all, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I dined on some very fresh tasting and plump gulf shrimp. They were delicious. What was even better was the remoulade. I asked the waiter if they sold it. I'm not kidding. I wanted it to buy a jar or a jug. Speaking of our waiter, he was outstanding. Super friendly, very attentive to my gluten free needs, just what you'd expect at a restaurant headed up by a top chef.

For dinner, I ordered a filet of white fish that was grilled and served with a side of divinely clarified butter. It's been a while since I was offered some clarified butter, and I forgot how it makes just about everything better. The two fish preparations on the menu both include a dusting of flour. Therefore, you'll need to notify your server you need some fish gluten free. They were happy to grill my fish separately for me, and it tasted warm, light and buttery.

My husband had a steak he declared one of the best he'd ever had! I did not ask if this was gluten free, so order at your own peril. There look to be some other gluten free options on the menu including oysters and some salads, like the one below with a poached egg my father-in-law ordered. I really wanted a bite, but it was full of croutons, so be sure to ask for no croutons in your salad.

The dishes were all a bit heavier and less refined than I expected but nonetheless tasty. Particularly when you consider what else is available on the riverwalk, Luke is a great option for lunch or dinner if you're a seafood lover. It would be great for groups and has ample seating. Eat upstairs if you can, so you can look in the window and watch the kitchen at work.

What to Eat at Trace (W Hotel)

2011-01-10T11:53:00.004-06:00

Move over Four Seasons, there's a new hotel in town.

The W Hotel is officially open in Austin, and you're living under some sort of rock if you don't already know that. It's packed pretty consistently with travelers and locals wanting to check it out or be seen. I have to say, it feels like you're in big city while sitting at one of the several seating areas, which all feature a bar or wait service. There are several cozy fireplace as well. We bypassed the masses and headed into the dining room of the hotel eatery Trace.

Named for its desire to trace the origins of the food on your place to their source in the garden, pasture or sea, Trace is to be admired for its commitment to the local food movement and sustainability. I was pleased to see many locally farmed meats, cheeses and veggies on the menu even all the way down to condiments from Confituras! Yay Stephanie!

We began with the charcuterie, which was beautifully plated. It was the highlight of the night for me. I spotted Salt & Time chorizo on the board, another local favorite. The rillette and pate I avoided as both contained gluten. The crackers/bread were served on a separate platter at my request so as to avoid any dangerous crumbs.

My husband dined on the chicken with brussel sprouts and some seasonal root vegetables. This dish was gluten free, but I did not try any. I'd enjoyed a large lunch earlier in the day and accordingly was eating light. He liked the chicken but said it was fairly basic in its flavor profile, and that he had enjoyed better elsewhere. It looks lovely I think.

I dined on the hamachi appetizer, which is gluten free as prepared. Our waiter seemed very knowledgeable and comfortable with a gluten free diner. He mentioned that most of the dishes on the menu were gluten free or could be made so unless obviously otherwise, so there were many other options I could have selected including some salads, beef, quail and trout. The hamachi was light and fresh, but lacked a strong or exciting flavor. Perhaps I am spoiled by Uchi and Uchiko.

All in all, I am thrilled with Trace's commitment to locally sourced products and that there are so many gluten free options. However, as with most new restaurants, I think the chef is going to need some time to really work on developing a unique and exciting menu, particularly at those prices. We have so much good eating here now, something to be excited about, but it means the new guys have a lot to live up to. Trace left all of us feeling as if we wouldn't return just yet. One other issue for me personally is that Trace does not really have that feel of the Austin we all know so well. The decor is pretty, but it also feels a tad like Dallas or Vegas, a look that doesn't tend to do well here. I like upscale, but Austin's upscale is a bit more comfortable, and it's an aesthetic I love, and that many places get right. I think with a few tweaks Trace could get there, but I am curious if they will. The cheesy techno playing at our 6:30pm weekday dinner was not a good start.

I look forward to seeing how the new guy will fit in here. Stop by and welcome him. Then let me know what you think. I don't pretend I'm a food critic people, just a gluten intolerant girl who loves to eat out, and in that vein, Trace is a success.

Wendy's Winner!

2011-01-03T17:18:00.002-06:00

Ok I've been lazy and haven't picked a winner for the Wendy's gift certificate or done my Better Batter give away. The holidays are so busy (read: exhausting), so my apologies. I used Random.org, and the winner is Liz! Congrats, Liz. I've emailed you. Please get in touch with me within 48 hours, or I'll pick a new winner.

Congrats! More posts coming later this week and next on Luke (in San Antonio) and Trace (at the new W Hotel).

Wendy's new fries & giveaway!

2010-12-17T12:59:00.005-06:00

As part of the Tastemaker program at Foodbuzz, I was sent a Wendy's giftcard to try out their new hand cut, skin on, sea salted fries. I've been offered other goodies before through the Tastemaker program, but this was the first time I've accepted one. Why? Because Wendy's is basically the only fast food restaurant chain I trust with gluten free options. And while we all like to avoid fast food as much as possible, sometimes you just gotta eat it, like on quick lunch breaks or road trips. If I'm driving through some small town, I actually enjoy seeing a Wendy's because at least I know they have some safe options, which is better than chancing it at some random spot.The beauty of fries at fast food places is that a lot of times they have a dedicated fryer, so that eliminates some cross contamination risk. You should confirm that of course wherever you're ordering fries from does. Now McDonalds still puts gluten in their fries regardless, so avoid those. In fact McDs adds gluten to just about everything - it really is remarkable in the worst way possible. But as long as your Wendy's has a separated fryer, you should be able safely eat their fries. Wendy's just launched "new" fries with the skin still on and using sea salt. I tried them today, and they are good if you like fries. They don't taste much different than before really, but they are saltier, which this saltaholic likes. They are also a bit pricier, with a small costing approximately $1.50. Sea salt probably makes them a tad better for you, but they are by no means healthy of course. A small serving has 320 calories & 15g fat with 3 being saturated. That being said, you could do a LOT worse eating there (a baconator double is over a 1000 cals).

If fries aren't your thing, Wendy's does post a list of gluten free items, and it includes baked potatoes, the chili, some salads, and more. Note that it does not include fries for the very reason I stated above: some restaurants do not have dedicated french fry fryers.

Do you want to try out the fries for yourself? Foodbuzz gave me an extra $10 giftcard to give away. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS feed & leave me a comment saying you did so, and I'll choose a winner at random next week. If you hate my blog, you can always unsubscribe. :)

Stay tuned. I'll have a Better Batter giveaway before the end of 2010!

A preview of Backspace

2010-12-08T09:39:00.007-06:00

Backspace is just what the name suggests, a little cozy nook of a restaurant nestled in the space behind Parkside. Chef Shawn Cirkiel, of both ventures, is diving into the world of brick oven pizza with his newest eatery. The menu features sourdough pizzas, antipasti, salad and dessert.

Antipasti

Pizza (gluten filled)

Now why is a gluten free girl covering a pizza place you might ask? Well I love everything Chef Cirkiel touches. We had our rehearsal dinner at Parkside, and I love the food and atmosphere he creates in his restaurants. In addition, I'd heard rumblings of a gluten free crust sometime in the future, so I had to get the scoop on that. Here is the run down.

The restaurant is going to attempt a good, handmade gluten free sourdough crust. This would be the first place in Austin that I know of making their own gluten free crust.
There are several gluten intolerant staff at Parkside, so the team at Backspace is familiar with gluten intolerance, and they realize the need to avoid cross contamination.
If a gluten free crust does come together, it will likely be offered on only one night a week so as to protect from cross contamination issues like shared knives.

I will keep you updated of course. If you end up at Backspace with gluten eating friends, there are still options for us GF folk on the menu. Much of the antipasti is gluten free. I did not get to sample all of it, but I did try the potatoes, romaine salad, cardoons, olives, and charcuterie & cheeses, all of which were gluten free. There are other choices as well, including a GF dessert, so please ask your server when you get there.

Other interesting tidbits:

The brick facade of the oven was built from bricks from an old church
The oven reaches temperatures upwards of 900 degrees inside, so the pizza only needs 90 seconds to fully cook. It was amazing to watch.
My gluten eater friend said this was the best pizza she'd had in all of Austin.

Dinner service begins at the official opening next Thursday 12/16/10. Lunch service will start in March.

Good luck, Chef Cirkiel! I'll be checking in on that GF crust soon!

Don't be afraid to ask

2010-11-29T19:31:00.004-06:00

I know there are times in all of our gluten free lives where we order something simple like a salad, so we don't have to ask so many questions of the waiter. It gets exhausting to perform an interrogation before every meal, trust me I know. But I wanted to share a little reminder of why it can pay off just to ask.

This is a trio of sliders from Trio at the Four Seasons Austin. The FSA has a large gluten free menu, but these sliders (apologies for the poor quality blackberry photo) are not on the GF menu. However, I know Trio is known for excellent service, as I have experienced many times there, and I know they now carry Udi's gluten free bread. I asked my waiter if it would be possible to get the sliders made with Udi's. I offered to pay extra if needed. The waiter asked the kitchen and returned to let me know the chef would be happy to make this modification. I was excited. I assumed they'd just cut down the bread a little to fit the small patties, but as you can see from the photo, they even cut the Udi's into little circles and toasted and buttered the resulting buns! They were delicious, and I was so glad I asked. So next time you really want something that maybe at first glance doesn't seem gluten free, don't be afraid to ask the kitchen if they can make modifications. It might pay off times three!

One quick note: this gluten girl's site is undergoing a little re-design and migrating to its own domain soon. So if you see some changes, hopefully you'll like them! I'll post more details soon. I hope you had a gluten free & happy Thanksgiving!

Bona Dea Muffin Mix

2010-11-21T17:46:00.008-06:00

Greenling was kind enough to gift me some of local gluten free bakery Bona Dea's new mixes to try. They are thinking of carrying their products but knew they needed a gluten free friend to test them out. I was certainly willing to be that girl.

Bona Dea's Marvelous Muffins mix contains a unique variety of flours which includes whole grain millet flour, potato starch, teff flour and tapioca starch along with baking soda & powder, sugar and xanthum gum. This leaves you only needing to add 2 eggs, a 1/2 cup of oil (it calls for canola but I used grapeseed) and a 1/2 cup milk. Of course, this makes the muffins very quick to cook, but I wish they would not have included the sugar already, in the form of evaporated cane juice & vanilla sugar, as this did not allow me to make a non-refined sugar substitution with agave or palm sugar.

To have so many ingredients already in the mix, it just reduces flexibility. However, the mix does make a tasty muffin. Ryan, my gluten eater husband, said he liked them. That's always a good sign. Not too dense, good fluffiness; however, they lacked in flavor. The instructions on the package says add ins are "optional," but I would call them necessary. Otherwise your muffins will be a little bland, with the sugar primarily adding the flavor. I added a little pumpkin to my muffins because I had some pumpkin puree in the fridge I did not want to go to waste. However, both of us noted the muffins needed more than that. I should have employed spices, but for this review, I wanted to taste the mix as it was without many additional ingredients.

I would recommend the mix as a simple gluten free flour or muffin mix to which you might add chocolate chips, herbs, spices and more. I think this mix could have just as easily made a loaf of bread as it did muffins. It made 12 large muffins with one bag, but the recipe could have been easily halved if desired. All in all, I think this is a great gluten free flour mix that could be useful in a variety of recipes. My only complaint is the sugar being pre-added to the mix. But what it lacks in flexibility, it makes up for in texture & ease of preparation. You can order from Bona Dea online, by mail or by calling them. If Greenling picks up their line, I will of course let you know! Happy baking and Happy Thanksgiving!

Gluten Free Twitter

2010-11-10T19:10:00.005-06:00

Well I'm back from wedded bliss. I've gone to the grocery after having not done so for 2 mos. I've cooked two meals this week. Not even sure when that last happened. Thanks for your patience in my absence. I'm back to eating gluten free all over Austin. As my first post back, I want to talk about an invaluable gluten free resource: Twitter.

I avoided Twitter for years because I just didn’t get the purpose. In addition, I didn’t want one more internet site to keep up with. Facebook & email were quite enough for me. However, an Austin gluten free friend changed my mind. At lunch one day, she told me the gluten free (or vegan, dairy free, etc) community is extremely strong and vocal on Twitter. I joined and quickly discovered she was correct. Twitter has hundreds, I’m sure thousands, of gluten free chefs, recipes, and bloggers. Some are doctors, some are moms, some are young teens. It’s amazing how much gluten free information passes in front of my eyes on my Twitter feed.

If you are gluten free, whether new to it or not, Twitter is a valuable resource. Even if you never send out a “tweet” (message to people following you), join just to read what others are saying. It’s a place to share, to find support, to ask questions. It really is remarkable. I will share a few examples of how Twitter has been helpful to me.

I headed to Denver to visit my family a few months ago, and I wanted to know the best & tastiest gluten free restaurants in town. I sent out a tweet a few days before my departure and had over 10 recommendations within just 24 hours. Hearing about places gluten intolerant people eat is, in my opinion, more trustworthy that scouring the internet with its outdated articles and mistagged websites. While I still double check the restaurants before sitting down to dine, when it’s a recommendation straight from a person’s mouth, I at least know where to start. I’ve successfully eaten gluten free in quite a few cities that way. Unfortunately a lot of restaurants don’t post their gluten free menus online, and so often googling isn’t helpful.

Another example occurred a few months ago when I was dining at a local restaurant and debated with a friend about if bleu cheese was gluten free. I headed straight to my phone to use Twitter to ask other’s opinions. One of the most popular gluten free bloggers (Gluten Free Girl) answered me, along with several others, by providing a link to a study conducted by the Canadian Celiac Association proving that bleu cheese was in fact gluten free. I got this response before our entrees had even been served. There is no other form of communication where I’ve found you can get so much information so quickly.

Lastly, there are so many good gluten free bloggers out there I may never have known about if not for Twitter. I’ve got an abundance of recipes, many complete with a multitude of substitutions to accommodate all diets, at my fingertips, and for free. If you’re a cook, you can share yours. You can also make friends. There is a closeness, a feeling of community, amongst these gluten free people.

Try Twitter out. I think you’ll be amazed at how much it can offer. Find me & say hi if you like: @glutengirlinatx. Start following some of the people I follow. You’ll figure out your way from there, and if not, shoot me an email.

What to Eat at Snap Kitchen

2010-10-03T18:36:00.008-05:00

I find myself feeling that I need to blog. But I lack the desire. Life is busy. The wedding is less than four weeks away. My week days and weekends are primarily filled with my full time job, Junior League, and lots of tasks for my upcoming nuptials. It's hard to remember what I have to do that do no less to take my camera and photograph my meals. I've found myself not wanting to cart the Canon around and rather just sit and enjoy my meal, the moments of peace at the table, savoring what's being served, not prepping for a blog. With all the chaos that come with four weeks to a wedding you are planning (this past weekend consisted of unloading over 30 white pumpkins from a car to mom's house, picking up my veil and shopping for earrings), I look to my dinners out for a little respite from any sort of obligation or duty. So hopefully, you will forgive me for not making weekly posts as I planned. I assure you I will be back to normal come November.

Sometimes not only do I not have the time or desire to blog, but I don't have the time to cook nor the desire to eat out. I am saving for this wedding, and the life after, too, and that especially comes to mind as I write a check to the baker and the officiant and musicians. So what is a girl (and her hungry fiance) to do? Enter Snap Kitchen.

Snap Kitchen provides healthy pre-prepared meals that you can grab and go. Their tagline is Fresh, healthy take-away. But guess what? They taste good. And some of them taste REALLY good. I tweeted a few weeks ago about having a moment of panic when I bit into Snap Kitchen's banana walnut pancakes, which are gluten free, and thought I'd gotten gluten pancakes instead. Except they don't make gluten pancakes, so I was just fooled by how amazing these tasted. They were fluffy and very flavorful. One rushed morning, I put a drizzle of agave on the pancakes, toted them to work with me and heated them up at work for breakfast. Perfection for around 140 calories. Pictured below, it probably has a few more than 140 due to greek yogurt & agave.

The meals are created by dietitians who ensure each meal is well balanced in terms of carbs, protein, and fat so you are satiated but with fewer calories. The label on each container notes whether a dish is gluten free, vegan, low sodium, or diabetic friendly. The meals are made with real food, not like a Lean Cuisine full of unpronounceable ingredients. I got a tour of the main kitchen at the Triangle location, and I saw all the ingredients - Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats, palm sugar, quinoa, tinkyada pasta (bagged and in a separate container than the whole wheat pasta). They also source some ingredients locally including all grassfed beef from Texas and Thunderheart Bison, which I often get from Greenling or the downtown farmer's market. They don't use white sugar, which conveniently helps me out because I just started a one month white sugar free diet to see if it helps curb my sweet tooth. But don't worry. I haven't given up desserts. I just baked Elana's vegan almond flour cookies using agave nectar.

vegetarian lasagna

Snap Kitchen also cares about gluten cross contamination. I met with one of the kitchen's dietitians Andrea, who explained that each dish is prepared by one cook at a time, and then the dishes & surfaces are sanitized before another meal was started. They only use gluten free oats. The primary sources of gluten are whole wheat pasta and soy sauce. I was shocked at the steps taken and choices made by Snap Kitchen to keep up GF folks safe. The restaurant is in the process of getting approved by the Alamo Celiac group, and that's got to be saying something. I have heard via twitter some people have had reactions to some food here. There is risk of cross contamination at SK as there is at any restaurant, so make your own decisions. Note that if you react to oats, you will want to avoid the pancakes and other items made with the certified gluten free oats they use.

vegan scramble

I could sing their praises for longer, but I'll leave something for you to discover. Check out a store or their website to learn more about their curbside pick up, meal plans and nutritional info/pricing on each dish and more. Prices range from $5-$10ish depending on the size. Please note that the lovely Andrea did give me 2 dishes for free to try. She didn't ask me to blog about them in return. I did proceed to buy $35 worth of meals on top of the 2 free ones. Thank you, Snap Kitchen!

What to Eat at Asti Trattoria

2010-09-20T18:52:00.004-05:00

Asti is one of those little local places nooked into Hyde Park somewhere I can never seem to find. I like those kind of places...the ones you have to search for. Not like a McDonalds you can see from 6 miles away.

Recently one of Asti's talented chefs Brad competed in the Next Food Network Star TV show. R and I stopped by to see if celebrity had changed the menu or the place.

I like the coziness of the atmosphere once inside, and it was bustling when we went around 7pm one Friday. We started out with the Antonelli's Cheese Plate. The adorable little Antonelli's Cheese Shop around the corner from Asti walks over some tasty selections to make this daily special. I don't even remember what the cheeses were, but one was excessively soft & creamy (my favorite). The other had a somewhat sharp tang, and R ate most of it. I loved the round cheese board on which it was served, and that pear was quickly gobbled up as well.

As for my meal, if you read my blog, you'll know what I ordered: risotto. I can't turn it down when it's on a menu. This was a sweet corn risotto with summer tomatoes & arugula. A very good looking bowl. It was warm & comforting, which I enjoyed despite the 100 degree temps outside at the time.

R ordered a white pizza that smelled better than he said it tasted. I wanted to grab a piece of that fried sage on top, but alas the gluten ruined my fun again.

There are lots of gluten options of course, as there are at any italian joint. The gluten free options include salads, risottos, some appetizers and some main courses like this beautiful looking chicken the table next to us ordered that looked like it just walked off the farm. It is from Dewberry Hills after all, and the pork is from Richardson Farms, so local food is on the menu.

I always have good service and good food at Asti. This is actually the spot I chose to introduce my mother to the man I am now about to marry. So surely that's saying something.

Gluten free in Denver

2010-09-14T15:27:00.000-05:00

I took a trip to Denver to visit family a few weeks back, as I do every few months. This time, armed with the new camera, I decided to document the gluten free options there. Luckily, it was a rousing success. Denver is becoming very gluten free very fast. It changes more every time i visit.

On the way in from my early flight, my sister and I dropped by the Cherry Creek farmer’s market, which shockingly had more gluten free food than Austin's! I was stuffed after trying so much of it, all for the sake of the blog of course. Here's a quick photo tour of some of the sights.

There was a taco trailer, nothing new in Austin but apparently new to Denver, and it noted on the truck that all it’s ingredients are gluten free. I nearly fainted. Yes, even in a city like Austin where so many GF options exist, I still get excited for every new menu and restaurant available to me.

I have to avoid most food trailers in Austin because the cross contamination is just a nightmare. With so few surfaces in a small kitchen, gluten flies around like crazy. Not to mention that many feature primarily sandwiches & fried food anyhow. So I stepped up to this gluten free taco truck and ordered two tacos. I ate both in about one minute.

I’m going to be a traitor to say it, but these were better than any taco I’ve had in Austin, pre & post gluten. Torchy’s, which I basically can’t eat anymore, was very good, but these flavors were stronger, and to my taste buds, well, tastier. I begged them to come to Austin before heading on to the next booth.

We came across a booth with a very doughy looking pita of sorts, but the food was South American. Then I looked up and it said, all the food was gluten free! How could this little mound of fluffy dough be GF? There were all sorts of amazing sounding stuffings to put in the dough pocket, but I was too full to try it. I vowed to return next trip.

A few more booths down, tamale samples called my name. They were all gluten free (made from corn) and were tasty.

Last stop was a bakery called Outrageous Baking, which is all gluten & dairy free and out of Boulder. She had samples, and I took a bit of each flavor of her breads. They were so so good, nice and moist, flavorful. Probably not too healthy, but I believe in dessert.

My sister and I walked away with 4 loaves (2 pumpkin, chocolate zucchini, and lemon poppyseed). I can’t say which was my favorite because all 3 were seriously that good. Three of the four loaves were gone in as many days. The kids loved them too. I did NOT ask Outrageous Baking to come to Austin because I have no restraint, and I would be eating their breads daily. But I was very impressed.

For dinner one night, we stopped by a place my sister had been raving about called Root Down. It was a must try for my trip. My sister A was happy to oblige me, as it’s one of her favorite restaurants in Denver. I know why. After visiting, I can say that Root Down is like all of my favorite restaurants in Austin rolled into one. Beware of the wait though & make a reservation if you can.

They use reverse osmosis water, wind power, grow some of their own herbs & veggies and locally source food. The atmosphere was lively yet relaxed, no white table clothes or pretentiousness despite the amazing dishes on the menu. Also, the pricing was completely reasonable considering the quality and tastiness of the dishes. They have interesting drinks, including a Ginger Mule, which I’ve only ever seen before at East Side Show Room. It had freshly grown mint from their garden, and my sister was stealing sips. We ordered several small plates because we both wanted to sample many dishes. The curry carrot soup was A’s favorite. I hesitated to order it because I generally don’t like curries, but oh I am so glad I did. The sweetness of the carrot was of course the perfect partner for the curry. We almost licked the bowl.

Then came the grass fed bison sliders with gluten free buns. I was most excited about these because I’ve never had a gluten free slider available to me in a restaurant, and it’s grass fed buffalo, a favorite protein of mine (used it in my meatballs recipe). Sadly, they were the low point. Bison is hard to cook, I know. You have to heat it slowly or it just gets tough because it’s so lean. They were a little dry/tough, and then the buns were just terrible. It’s a shame because Denver has access to several gluten free bread options they could cut into the size needed for these sliders, Udi’s, Canyon Bakehouse, local options from Boulder. I have no clue what they were using, but they were like the gluten free bread of old (pre Udis), so dry and dense, they were essentially inedible.

However, things quickly turned around when the salad & scallops arrived.
The salad was topped with sake macerated cherries, goat cheese and a red wine vinaigrette. Wow. The goat cheese went beautifully with the tart cherry & acidic dressing. Yum.

Even after the tasty dishes before it, the scallops were the star. They were cooked PERFECTLY, and you kind of forget what a perfectly cooked scallop tastes like until you taste one. They were served with some lovely baked plantains with crispy green onions on top. I am starting to love crispy veggies. I had an outstanding crispy garlic at La Condesa last week, and I’ve got to learn how to replicate it. We were too full for dessert, I was uncomfortably full, but all that food (no alcohol included) came out to only $49! I’m so used to pricier meals for food of that quality and quantity, so the bill was the icing on the gluten free cake of my experience of Root Down. There are other dishes I want to try & a brunch, so you mind find me there next trip too.

Snooze is the Magnolia Café of Denver except double the wait. mobs of people lingering outside. I had heard it had an amazing gluten free brunch selection, so one of my best friends who happens to live in Denver (yay!) joined me for the 1.5 hour quoted wait. I had to try it. Only an hour later, which was spent getting our nails done across the street, our table was ready. Eggs Benedict could be prepared on gluten free bread, and they had some tasty varieties. They could prepare almost any of their famous pancakes gluten free, and they also had a naturally gluten free pancake on the menu. Naturally I had to try both a pancake and eggs benedict. So rare is it to get the chance to have either prepared for me gluten free, that I had to take advantage. Plus after the long wait, I was starved.

Snooze served me one of the best breakfasts I'd ever had. Now it's been a loooong time since I had eggs benedict, but the flavors of the two I selected were not only enticingly unique but tangy, sweet and savory, everything you want breakfast to be. The first was your traditional Eggs Benny. The second was the Bella Benny - thin slices of prosciutto and brie topped with the usual eggs benedict, arugula and a balsamic glaze. The glaze really made the dish. The pancake surprised me because normally cornmeal isn't a favorite of mine. They call it the Macchu Pichu Pancake made from quinoa and cornmeal with fresh blueberries, sunflower seeds, agave nectar and whipped butter. I don't eat real butter at home generally (I use soy free Earth Balance vegan spread), so just getting fluffy creamy butter was a treat, but the pancake was smooth, not at all gritty, and just the right amount of sweet. I could have eaten a stack.

If you're not drooling yet, you're strong. I've officially made myself starving reliving the trip, and I didn't even cover the day visit to Boulder, but that's for another time. Keep reading for more Austin-based posts. I'm back and not going anywhere for a while.

Get to know me

2010-09-08T09:31:00.003-05:00

One of the biggest & baddest gluten free bloggers in town, Jessica with ATX Gluten Free, is featuring other local Austin gluten free bloggers on her website this month. We are all taking a turn introducing ourselves, so if you don't know me and my gluten free story, head on over there & read! As a bonus, Jessica posts awesome GF recipes on her site. Not being a chef, I am constantly in awe of her amazing yet simple recipes she creates all on her own!

In other news, I have not posted as often as I'd like due to being out of town the last few weekends and my upcoming wedding (less than 2 months away). I will work hard the next few weeks to make up for that. Also, I wanted to let you know I am the new Austin Gluten Free Food Examiner. I will post articles there once or twice a week on newsworthy items or things of note that don't make it to my blog for whatever reason. Please check it out & subscribe!

Stay dry!
-sarah

What to Eat at East Side Show Room (ESSR)

2010-08-24T19:47:00.009-05:00

She'll charm you, that little East Side Show Room (ESSR). She's a looker, for one, with a unique whimsical vintage charm with a slight french twist. For two, she'll get you drunk on cocktails with ingredients you've never heard of but that taste oh so good.

ESSR is an intimate yet hip restaurant on East 5th, a rather small but bustling district on the east side (duh) of Austin. You're greeted by the historic exterior shell of a building which ESSR inhabits, and these historic vintage touches continue into the interiors of the eatery. There are bottles lining a mantle on the wall, an antique piano, an exposed brick wall, oak barrels hanging near the kitchen and old silent movies playing overhead. The bar, well it's remarkable, at least to someone like me who loves these kind of unique details, if something so large can be called a detail. Better described with a photo...

Watching the employees, many (if not all) personal friends of owner and designer Mickie D. Spencer, use the ladder to reach some spirit for one of their numerous specialty cocktails was so cool. There's a small cozy patio out back I'd love to sit at once it's not 100.

If it's not clear yet, ESSR is a place that embodies many things I love, and therefore it's a place to which I continue to return. The food is good, not great but good. I think it will only improve. Self described as rustic French with soul food flare, they are true to their roots serving dishes like a pork chop and barbeque chicken with sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. I prefer the appetizers to the entrees, but that is true of many places. Entrees I've been told are gluten free (that I've eaten) include grilled quail with peaches and pork chop with figs.

These dishes let you in on another reason I heart ESSR - they love local. Local herbs, local food, local flair. An entire page of the menu is devoted to the more than 20 local farms from which they source ingredients. The local cheese plate is a favorite of mine (bring gluten free bread). Be sure to ask the wait staff about any dish you order, as they don't seem fully comfortable with the whole gluten free thing each time I go. But I don't care. In case it's not obvious from what I photographed, it's the atmosphere I go back for. It's a place I almost feel is too cool for me to go to, but in a good way.

East Side Show Room has me wrapped around her finger, and, for once, I don't mind.

Remembering grandma

2010-08-17T10:15:00.004-05:00

I wrote a guest post for Diane's blog The W.H.O.L.E Gang that posted today. Click on over & check it out or read it here. Or scroll down for a family recipe of the BEST gluten free spaghetti & meatballs! It can be altered to be dairy free.

Why does all of America pretty much detest Mr. Ex Sandra Bullock (Jesse James)? Well because we love Sandra. Her engaging and down to earth personality has won her many fans over the years, but she’s never had as many as she does now. When we found out Jesse James cheated on her, the nation embraced Sandra with magazine covers, standing ovations and more positive press than most get in an entire career. It’s kind of silly isn’t it? That we think we know a person without ever having met or spoken to her? Yet we feel a connection with her through films & interviews. We relate. It feels like we know her.

Unfortunately, my life began close to the end of grandmother Dorothy’s. I don’t remember her. I wish I did. The things I know of her are the lovely memories others have, her delicious meatball recipe, and my personal favorite, that I sometimes remind people of her. It’s my laugh or my smile or my nose. It’s hard to miss a person you never met, but sometimes I do. She was a good cook. I am not…not yet anyway. She had a delicious spaghetti & meatball recipe that my mother reprises from time to time. When Diane called for recipes, I knew I wanted to try it myself.

I almost felt nervous about attempting the dish. I wanted to be sure I got it right, that I made my grandmother proud. As the sauce simmered, I watchfully tended to it for over an hour. I pictured Dorothy doing the same in her kitchen, albeit with less nerves than I.

I gently rolled the meatballs in gluten free breadcrumbs and thought about what she and I might have chatted about over lunch. Did our laughs really sound alike? Was he nose pointy like mine? Throughout the two hour cooking process, as I followed each step, it felt a little bit like meeting my grandma. No, I don’t have a memory I can reckon back to when I think of her, but cooking her spaghetti helped me feel her spirit, her presence. I felt like I knew her, just like we feel like we know Sandra, and I don’t care if it’s silly.

Now I share her love with you and ask that you pass it on. Maybe not through this recipe but one that is special to you. So many days we need a quick & easy meal, me more than anyone. But some lazy days, it’s nice to set aside a few hours to relive a family tradition like grandma’s meatballs or mom’s apple pie or dad’s bbq chicken and to really put love into what you are cooking. Then pass the recipes on to your children, and your children’s children. Let your love live on. It may not seem like it means much now, but maybe one day it may help someone you don’t even know feel close to you, even if just for a meal.

Grandma Dorothy’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
Note: I encourage the use of local produce when possible. I purchased the onion, pork, bison, parsley, garlic, eggs and mozzarella from the local farmer’s market.

Sauce:
1 chopped onion
3 tbsp oil (any kind, I used olive)
1 lg can tomatoes (sauce or crushed)
2 six oz cans tomato paste
1 ½ c water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Brown onion in oil. Add other ingredients & simmer for one hour. While simmering, make the meatballs.

Meatballs:
¾ lb ground bison (or sub ground beef, turkey, etc)
¼ lb ground pork
¾ c gluten free breadcrumbs
½ c grated parmesan cheese (finely grated)
1 sprig parsley, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c milk (almond milk works)
1 well beaten egg
salt & pepper to your preference

Combine ingredients into balls and brown in large skillet.

A note about the breadcrumbs/wet ingredients: I recommend adding the wet ingredients last so that you can judge if you need more or less based on how your breadcrumbs absorb them. I tried Glutino’s brand in my recipe, and they did not absorb. Therefore I had to use less wet ingredients than you will if you use a better kind of breadcrumbs. You might need to up the milk to ½ c or eggs to 2 if you use something more absorbent.

Cook until done inside. Add meatballs to sauce & cook an additional 15 minutes on low heat. While cooking, boil gluten free pasta. I used Tinkyada organic spaghetti. If you use the whole bag, you’ll still have extra sauce, so just make what pasta you’ll eat and save the sauce for leftovers.

Remove bay leaf from sauce. Top cooked noodles with sauce & sprinkle with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese if desired & serve.

What to Eat at La Sombra

2010-08-12T19:44:00.016-05:00

I enjoy the new little Rosedale retail district that is springing up just north of 45th on Burnet. La Sombra is the newest kid on the block there, and it appears it should be more successful than it's predecessor in that space (Sampaio). The interiors were re-designed, and are now both warm, modern & slightly eccentric. There are several distinct seating spaces for groups perhaps just wanting to have drinks & appetizers. There is also a rounded bar with plenty of seating. A bamboo wall of sorts divides this area from the dining. This gives the dining area an intimate & cozy feel. Well that and the fact that it is cozy (read: small).

Featuring Central and South American cuisine from several different companies, La Sombra has dishes that feel both safe and daring, standard & unexpected. The eatery was started by James Cameron Lockey, who studied under the Austin restaurateur Eddie Bernal who owns local lovelies Santa Rita, 34th Street Cafe & Blue Star Cafeteria (the latter of which is just down the street from La Sombra). As with interior mexican cuisine, there is not a ton of gluten inherent in the ingredients, so double check first, but much of the menu is/can be gluten free.

Three of us drank a pitcher of sangria, which we all agreed had a bizarre licorice like flavor to it at first. However, after a few sips, you kind of got used to the taste, and we enjoyed it more. Not sure that I'd order it again however; there were many other drinks that sounded too good. As an appetizer, we tried the Tiradito de Atun, which was a tuna sashimi like appetizer. It was light and tasted good, but I didn't care much for the yucca it was served with. It was a bit like they threw yucca on every plate just because it's South American.

One friend went safe & ordered the beef taco appetizer (Tacos de Baracoa). I did not try it because I was not sure it was gluten free, but she enjoyed it. I thought the fried plantains looked like the best thing on the plate! I did try one, and it was tangy yet caramelized.

The other friend went daring and ordered the Feijoada Completa. I minored in Spanish and have no clue what that means. It was a fascinating mix of black beans, rice, beef jerky, pork belly, kale, yucca flour (gluten free), and dreaded blood sausage. Sounds odd (read: gross)? I enjoyed my few bites. Getting a bit of everything magically composed into one bite was the real secret. All the components craved each other. The blood sausage was very salty, but with just a touch of it on the fork, I found it a nice addition. Then again, I never turn down salt.

I was completely predictable and ordered the risotto. Rare is the occasion where I see risotto on the menu and don't order it. The best way I can describe this risotto was like chicken noodle soup, which is a good thing. It had all natural chicken, potatoes, walnuts and parmesan cheese. I asked where they sourced their chicken, and the waiter looked like that was a real first for him to hear. He let me know it wasn't locally farmed, but it was all natural hormone free. That I appreciated, although I hope Lockey will consider bringing in some Austin Farmers Market finds.

You know, the term "foodie" has caught a lot of flack lately, but I don't get it. What's so wrong with people loving food and being passionate about trying unique inspired dishes from creative chefs? Seems like something we should celebrate if you ask me. Sure don't be a snob about it. I love Torchy's Tacos (out of a trailer) as much as I love La Condesa. Yes, I love pork belly, but shouldn't anyone with tastebuds? Regardless, I enjoyed my dinner at La Sombra, like many of the restaurants I review, because it celebrates my foodie desires: a genuine excitement to try a place and dishes that are new to me or flavors I adore endlessly. For that, I won't apologize.

What to Eat at Takoba

2010-08-08T20:35:00.005-05:00

Takoba is a new little taco joint on the blossoming East Side. It's visible from 7th, and it's modern architecture makes it hard not to notice. They have a modern & spacious patio (not entirely visible here) that would be lovely when it's not 2000 degrees out. It's a restaurant started by the people behind the Tacorrido trailer, and it serves up simply done interior mexican cuisine at very simple to afford prices. Interior Mexican food, just as at La Condesa, equals lots of gluten free options.

While the food is enjoyable, the drinks were my favorite part. We started with a goblet of a michelada and a sangria blanca. The sangria had a bit of champagne in it, which made it really tasty and unique. It was very refreshing in this Texas heat.

Yes, my favorite drink the Salty Dog appears on the drink menu here, which makes me enjoy it even more, but you won't find it called that. That's a Salty Perrito to you, muchacho.

I dined on tacos al pastor. The green sauce is a tomatillo or verde sauce that's fluffiness is surprising. So is its spice, which built up on my tongue the more I ate of it.

Note that the corn tortillas are from El Milagro, which is just down the street. R had the braised pork shoulder, which is cooked with a family recipe. Both tacos meat was tender and tasty, but again, simple. And that's fine with me, especially when the total bill for 4 drinks and two meals (2 tacos & your choice of 2 sides) was $40 or $20 per person. My waiter was friendly and attentive and verified with the kitchen that all my food was gluten free. I was told to avoid the fried fish, soup and obviously flour tortillas. I also did not eat the chips because they were fried in the same oil as the battered fish.

They're open! Go say hi.

Luling Farmer's Market - I'm a suckulent!

2010-08-01T13:47:00.012-05:00

Luling is not a spot to which most Austinites will travel for a farmer's market. However, every time I've visited (the boy's family lives there), I crane my neck out the window as we speed by all the little roadside markets. This particular one had a sign that said "eggs" as well as a ton of interesting plants, so I finally demanded we stop. R didn't want to get out at first, but I encouraged him to take a look at the plants. We're using a lot of plants (as opposed to flowers) for wedding & rehearsal dinner decor, so we've buying up interesting cacti & succulents.

Great contrast between the handmade sign & the fancy OPEN lighted sign.

Love the sign's message.

I bought okra & tomatoes. Roasted the okra last night & it was fantastic. Okra was $1 a basket. Tomatoes were $2 a tub.

Love the ceiling with it's peeling white paint that gave an unintended shabby chic feel.

Wanted to get some zukes too, but I worried I'd overbuy & stuff would go to waste. Next time...

I am a sucker for succulents, a suckulent? :)

Took home this little guy for $9, 2 cacti & succulent & the pot included.

I love to see the diversity different towns offer at their markets. Prices are lower than Austin as well. I'm glad I finally pulled over for this little roadside gem. You'll find surprises in strangest of places if you're just willing to look.

Gluten Free Find

2010-07-29T17:44:00.007-05:00

I'm starting a new branch of this blog with this post: Gluten Free Find (GFF). These are the gluten free products I've found & fallen in love with for one reason or many. Yes maybe you've already tried them, and it's old news by now, but if I put them on here, I just recently tried them and love them.

For my inaugural GFF, I'm going to introduce you to my little crunchy cookie friend Mary's Gone Crackers Love Cookies. These cookies are lovingly prepared by our friends at Mary's who are better known by most for their Gone Crackers, which are GF too. Yes, these foods are processed, and some people shy away from processed gluten free foods, but listen for a second.

First of all, these cookies are vegan & made with real food ingredients. Secondly, they are made with palm sugar & other low glycemic index sugars. Thirdly, they are the first GF cookie with crunch I've found that wasn't rock hard (Lucy's). Fourthly, they are certified organic. I enjoyed the taste of the Chocolate Chip, but there are other flavors as well. If you're looking for a quick snack or a dessert not full of artificial colors, flavors & refined sugars, then give these a try.

Got a gluten free product you want me to review? Leave a comment or email me. I love to be a guinea pig, especially for all things sweet.

What to Eat at Kenichi

2010-07-27T20:12:00.008-05:00

I am starting to feel like a "real" food blogger now. Due to the niceness of a local social media celeb, Jenny (@misohungry), I was invited to a Food Blogger dinner at Kenichi, where the chic sushi restaurant unveiled some of their delightful new dishes. These dishes also featured some locally sourced ingredients from Central Texas businesses and farms. Such ingredients included the eggs from Texas Quail Farm, produce from Bella Verdi, and pastry from Mandolas (not gluten free). The entire feast was a 6 course meal complete with sake pairings. I had to laugh at all of us bloggers taking notes & clicking away on our cameras. All 6 courses were prepared gluten free for myself and my friend & fellow gluten free blogger Jessica (@atxglutenfree).

If you order anything, be sure to double check you're getting the GF version. I emailed the manager who hosted the event to ask if they'd have an official gluten free menu as they did at our tasting, but I have yet to hear back. I will post if/when I find that out. Below is our culinary journey through Kenichi.

Austin Style Sashimi - yellowtail, serranos, cilantro and GF basil vinaigrette. Light, fresh & tasty.

Seared Sea Scallop - yuzu kosho, sweet pickled daikon, candied ginger, peanut butter miso. Apparently the gluten filled version was a tad too peanut buttery for some, but ours was subtle. I liked this because I like all things scallop, but I also enjoyed the unique flavor combination.

Tuna & Miso Fois Gras - pear, crispy garlic, truffled tamari. It was love at first bite with this dish. Everyone around the table could be heard enjoying it. I highly recommend you try it.

Sansho Escolar - peppercorn crusted waru in a lemon-truffle sauce over sauteed portabellas. I don't remember this really. Everything else must have outshone it.

Temari Sushi - yellowtail belly, orange mustard sauce, scallions, red shiso. You had me at yellowtail belly. A little sweet & light. I enjoyed it.

Japenese Steak & Eggs - Akaushi (anti-biotic free beef high in omega 6), poached quail egg, king oyster mushrooms, kizame wasabi. I love a poached egg on top of a dish, even if it's quail. I really liked the beef as well. High quality, memorable dish.

Raspberry Panacotta - the gluten fans had a green tea tiramisu, but honestly, I thought my dessert looked better. It was sweet and a bit tart. I really enjoyed it as a delicate end to so many savory dishes.

If you enjoy Sake, which for the most part I do not, Kenichi has a million. I tried sips of them all served at the tasting. Some were very strong. Two were actually quite tasty. The sparkling sake Zipang was my favorite - it tasted much like champagne. Apparently Kenichi has one of the top sake experts in the state, so stop by and see him. He was very passionate about his rice wine, and I enjoyed his stories even when I didn't enjoy the sake.

It's fantastic to see yet another dining establishment go gluten free, particularly one where I truly enjoy the dishes! My dining experience may have been enhanced by my geeking out about all of my adored Austin food bloggers dining around me (@austinfarm2tbl, @foodiethenew40 & so many more). Still, Kenichi's food & atmosphere dares you to not enjoy a lively dinner of fresh fish.

Gluten Free Bakeries

2010-07-20T07:06:00.014-05:00

Some days, you just need a cupcake. Or I do anyway. But when you're gluten free, that can be a real challenge. I set out to eat my way through the gluten free cupcakes in Austin. It was NOT easy, but I did it for you, dear readers. :) Ha. If you read my posts, you know I love sweets. How I wish I didn't, but I do. I've started walking the dogs twice a day now to help make up for this "research."

If you haven't read up on or tried Blackbird Bakery yet, what are you waiting for?? I have a real love affair with Blackbird. Karen is now my wedding baker and cookin' up some cream puffs for our rehearsal dinner & cupcakes for our wedding.

Not only is the stuff nice to look at, but the taste and textures are amazing. The cream puffs achieve a fluffiness I was convinced could not be created without gluten. Blackbird is entirely gluten free, and she does more than just sweets. She thinks of every little detail, from creatively icing a cupcake to graphically interesting packaging.
I really enjoyed her tastings for our wedding, and I joked that I may fake several more marriages so she would drop off gluten free goodies to me on a weekly basis. She doesn't have a storefront, which means I can't go eat cream puffs on a daily basis thank god, so contact her through her website.

Delish, a local bakery on 3rd street downtown, is a lovely little cupcake cafe. They feature one gluten free flavor each day (and many gluten flavors), which is usually chocolate. I wish they would have a little more variety, but the chocolate tastes rich. The cake is very moist. You could fool wheat lovers with these. Delish wins the Prettiest Cupcake award. They have glitter on the icing, and they pipe it so delicately. One day recently, they featured gluten free Smores cupcakes. I rushed over and snapped a pic on my phone of the most gorgeous cupcake I've ever seen.Just look at her...Slightly toasted marshmallow frosting and a hidden GF graham cracker layer at the bottom. It blew me away and tasted as good as it looked. Stop by Delish for their gluten free flavor of the day after lunch or dinner.
**UPDATE 7.28.10: In the week since I wrote this, Delish has featured a gluten free lemon, vanilla and orange cupcake! So it appears they are finally branching out into the flavorful gluten free varieties. I'll be trying orange today & will post a pic!

Wild Wood Cafe in Westlake was my third & last stop on this gluten free cupcake tour of Austin. This is yet another entirely gluten free bakery, and they feature breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as dessert. For my purposes, I sampled the cupcakes and another very similar item known as a gluten free ding dong, paying homage to the snack cake by Little Debbie. Some of us gluten free folk refer to the ding dongs as crack. They are really tasty, and they have a variety of flavors for the fillings. Not only are they GF but they are dairy free as well.

The cupcakes the last few times I've had them have been a bit dry for my taste. But because these items, like all the above, are crafted with real food by real people, batches can vary. Wild Wood also carries GF vegan cupcakes and offers other allergen free options. There is another cupcake bakery in town who does gluten free cupcakes called Hill Country Cupcakes, but I had a negative experience with them. I also found their flour mix to be a bit gritty. I'm sure they have left many customers satisfied, but I do not recommend them. I will leave it at that.

Gluten free cupcakes & baked goods are no longer a pipe dream for us gluten intolerants. Give these places a try when you need a little iced cup of cheer.

What to Eat at Trio at The Four Seasons

2010-07-12T21:31:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday, Ryan! My fiance and I celebrated his birthday at Trio at the Four Seasons this past Saturday, and look how they printed out special menus with the birthday message at the top! So sweet & a perfect example of service at the Four Seasons. I celebrated the new gluten free menu! I've always been able to eat gluten free pretty easily there, but to have an official menu just makes life that much easier. The menu is large and varied, but be sure to clarify you need the gluten free version, as a dish by the same name on the regular menu is prepared differently in some places. They will toast you gluten free bread with any dish - just ask.

We started with the local cheese plate, and for this, we sat in the bar area because it was still happy hour. During happy hour, you get half off some appetizers, so the cheese plate, GF bread and honey = $7.50. They don't have the local cheese plate on the gluten free menu, I suppose because it comes with bread. However, just ask for the bread to be switched to GF, and voila you have another option. I love the local cheese plate because I like to read the little card that explains where all the cheeses are from and how they're made.

Next came the trio of baby wedges. Needs more bacon and less dressing, but otherwise very yummy. Be sure they leave off the crispy onions.

Olive oil potato puree as a side.

My favorite side on their menu is the broccolini. I could write a page about this broccolini alone. For one, it's a bit salty & garlicky - two of my favorite tastes. Then the ends (florets?) of the broc are slightly cripsy from the preparation, and it makes the dish. A must try.

For my entree, I got the sole prepared simply with olive oil, spices, BUTTER and apparently the skeleton on top. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the presentation, but it was kind of awkward. What do I do with this? Where do I put it while I eat? It was really buttery tasting, which we all know makes everything good. Ryan even liked it, and he's not a cooked fish guy. I was reminded of how good sole is.

For his entree, Ryan ordered a special bday organically grown dry aged steak. They had one left, and it wasn't cheap, but it was outstanding. I don't like steak, people. I never ever eat it. This didn't even taste like steak. Our waiter explained the dry aging causes it to take on a different flavor and gives it a crispy crust. As on all meat, I'm a sucker for a crispy slightly salty crust. While it was pricey, R and I both agreed it was worth every penny. That's got to be saying something.

I left Trio almost unable to stand up straight I was so full. I'm not kidding. I felt ill from overeating (not gluten!) for almost an hour after I got home. Still...totally worth it! Stop by for happy hour if you're more budget conscious, like I usually am. It runs from 5pm - 8pm Monday through Saturday with half priced apps & wine. Seats fill up because you have to sit in the bar area, so get there early. It was rockin' even on Saturday.