Luigi's Restaurant

Last night I had the best gluten free pasta I have ever had.  It was so good that after a few bites I was convinced it was not gluten free and made the waitress confirm it for me.  She assured me it was and informed me that they make it themselves in house.  I was impressed.

I'm in DuBois, PA, where, according to the internet, there is basically nothing gluten free to eat.  I stumbled upon Luigi's by accident.  I had planned to go to a Mexican restaurant next door because Mexican is usually pretty GF friendly, but it was closed.  It was getting late so I walked into Luigi's (an Italian restaurant) expecting to just order a salad when I saw a sign at the hostess stand that said "Ask about our gluten free menu."

The gluten free menu has gluten free pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and meat options.  I got gluten free penne with Tia's Tomato Alfredo sauce.  Have I mentioned how good it was?  Honestly, the best GF pasta I have ever had.  I wish I could go back and try the pizza.

Luigi's has two locations, one in DuBois, PA and one in Clymer, PA.  From looking at the website, I don't think the Clymer location has a GF menu.  DuBois is located along Interstate 80 which runs across the entire state of PA connecting New York and New Jersey with Ohio.  It's a long highway with few food options along the way.  This is such a great find that I plan to post about them on every gluten free travel site I can find.

A big thank you to Luigi's for letting me eat such a good meal in DuBois, PA.

Eating Gluten Free at Chain Restaurants

I haven't been posting as much these last few months.  Truth is, being gluten free has become so much a part of routine life that it's hardly noteworthy anymore.  I feel very fortunate to live in New York where there are so many stores, restaurants, and bakeries that cater to my needs.

However, I'm back on the road again for work and didn't have as much time to research restaurants this time.  I've eaten at quite a few chains over the last week and have been surprisingly successful (I hate most chains).  Some of the more mainstream chains I've been to are Applebee's, Chili's, and Longhorn Steakhouse.  Abblebee's and Chili's were just ok, but I actually really enjoyed my meal at Longhorn - so much that I went back the next day.  The waitstaff were really helpful at all three.

A chain I had never tried until this trip was Bonefish Grill.  This chain is a bit on the nicer side and I really enjoyed it.  They have a lot seafood (obviously), but since my company was paying I went with the Lily's Chicken (it's a nonprofit, ok?).  They have several locations all over the country.

Tonight I went to J.B. Dawson's.  They only have four locations, all in Pennsylvania, but I really liked it.  I had a pulled pork sandwich on a gluten free bun with coleslaw and green beans.  I also had a gluten free brownie with ice cream.  Don't tell.  I didn't finish it all, I swear.  I would definitely go back.

You know who's not gluten free friendly?  Panera.  I walked in just wanting a salad and the lady behind the counter told me I couldn't have anything.  It was really sad and I walked back out.  Friendly's is also not gluten free friendly.  Ironic, no?  They tried, but my salad came with croutons and my bunless turkey burger was disgusting.

I hope to go home soon.  Believe it or not, I'm sick of going out to eat.

Gluten Free at the Barclays Center

Last month I went to a Nets game at the new Barclays Center.  I don't love watching basketball on TV, but going to a professional game is really fun.  Between the game, the arena, the fans, the dancers, and the snacks, it's a good time.  Before I went I was very excited to learn the Barclays Center has a gluten free booth.  I'm not sure if they move it around or not, but when I went it was located on street level near section 108, which was coincidentally right near where I was sitting.  I had a hot dog on a gluten free bun and a couple Redbridge beers and was happy as could be.  Thanks Jay.

Good to Go Organics

I have mixed feelings about writing this post because I didn't actually love the food I ate, but I appreciated it so much that I think it's worth sharing.

My brother and I drove home to Vermont a few weeks ago for Christmas vacation.  We stopped along the way at a rest stop in Connecticut for some food.  Normally on these drives I either bring some snacks or eat McDonald's french fries, which is not healthy and questionable anyway.  This time I noticed a sign for Good to Go Organics at the back of the travel plaza.  I told my brother I wanted to check to see if they had anything gluten free and they did - it was a Christmas miracle!

I was so excited to see Applegate gluten free chicken nuggets on the menu.  I was also excited to see tater tots, because really, who doesn't love tater tots?  The nice gentleman working behind the counter was very knowledgeable about what was gluten free and what wasn't.

My brother got regular chicken nuggets and tater tots.  Both of our meals were so-so.  The gluten free chicken nuggets were very small  but I was still excited to be eating chicken nuggets again.  The tater tots had so much potential but had a weird I was microwaved and now I'm sad taste.  After we finished my brother said he wished we had gotten McDonald's.

Even though the food could have been a little bit better, I still think this is a great idea.  Good to Go Organics has five locations.  The one I visited is located in the travel plaza on 95 between exits 40 and 41 in Milford, CT.  Another is in the MetLife Stadium in NJ where the Giants and Jets play.  The other three are food carts - two in Central Park and one at Chelsea Piers.  Please note, as of right now the gluten free chicken nuggets and tater tots are only available at the CT location.

Daisy's Grits in Bryant Park

I stumbled upon the Holiday Shops in Bryant Park recently and was pleasantly surprised by the ice skating rink, shops, and food booths.  I make it a point to go to the Union Square Holiday Market every year and somehow missed that there was also one in Bryant Park.  This was such a nice discovery and to make it even better, I found a booth with gluten free food: Daisy's Grits!

I always look for gluten free signs wherever I am (this is normal, right?).  I was so happy to find a gluten free sign on the booth of Daisy's Grits.  They have many choices including sweet, savory, and even some vegan options. Almost every one of their menu options is gluten free except for the ones with soy sauce.  I tried the Colombian Chorizo with cheddar cheese.  The grits are topped with Pecorino Romano cheese, pepper, chives, bacon (if you want), and a special seasoning.  Basically, they are warm and delicious.  This is a perfect meal to enjoy while you sit and watch people skate or to take home.  They are also very reasonably priced for a meal in midtown.

The Holiday Shops in Bryant Park are open until January 6th.  If you happen to be in Bryant Park in the next few weeks be sure to stop by.  It's worth it!

A Year of Flour

Photo Credit

Last year for Christmas I asked for flour.  Lots of flour.  I was trying to find a flour blend that I liked and wanted to experiment with making my own.  There were recipes I wanted to try that called for several different flours and I didn't have any of them.  I also wanted to try all the different flours I was reading about to get a sense of the different flavors.  But, as many of you know, gluten free flour can be expensive.  Really expensive.  Especially when you want to try 15 different kinds.

So I put in an ask into Momma K for a box of goodies from Bob's Red Mill.  Included was almond flour, coconut flour, millet flour, amaranth flour, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, quinoa flour, oat flour, teff flour, sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, and xanthan gum.  I also asked for a bag of Cup 4 Cup.

I set off baking and tried all of these flours in different variations.  The Cup 4 Cup was gone within a few days as it was the first thing I tried.  As I mentioned in my post, I liked it, but it is so expensive I wouldn't normally buy it for myself.

Many of the other flours are gone, but some are resting hardly touched in my refrigerator.  I enjoyed the sorghum, millet, and sweet rice flours the most.  I find the brown and white rice flours the the most versatile.  I tended not to use the starches or xanthan gum because I generally find them unnecessary.

I only flour I really did not like was the amaranth flour.  I only used a little bit of it in two different recipes and I did not like the taste it produced.  The quinoa flour also has a strong taste so I tend not to use that too much.  I haven't found many opportunities to use the buckwheat, teff, almond, oat, or coconut flour.  Who's got recipes for me?

I would like to try this mix from the Gluten Free Girl since I did like the flours she uses in her demonstration, but at the end of the day I'm kind of embarrassed to say that after all my research I still use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour mixed with rice flour for most of my baking.  I found that I wasn't able to create anything as reliable and it seems to be more cost effective than continuing to buy several different kind of flours.

How about you?  What's your favorite GF flour mix?

Caesar's Pasta Review

I recently received some free samples of Caesar's Pasta.  Caesar's has been around for 42 years making frozen pasta dishes with high quality, all natural ingredients.   They recently introduced their gluten free line which includes lasagna, stuffed shells, ravioli, manicotti, gnocchi, and more.

I really loved the meat ravioli.  Ravioli is never high on my list of things I want to order at restaurants or make for dinner, but this ravioli was so good I would definitely buy it for myself.  I have only tried one other brand of gluten free ravioli and it completely fell apart while cooking and then got stuck to my strainer.  Caesar's gluten free ravioli not only tasted great, but it held up really well.

I like Caesar's not only because it tastes good, but also because their meat and cheese come from grass fed cows. Grass fed cows are happy cows.  Happy cows taste better.  It's a proven fact.

Next, I would like to try their gnocchi.  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Say It Loud

I ran across this website today and it made me laugh.  Because yes, gluten does hurt my tummy.  I want this.  I also like this one:

Get it, kisses? 

biPro Whey Protein

Last month the folks at biPro emailed me asking if I'd like to try their Whey Protein.  I like to try new things so they sent me a few samples.  biPro is unflavored, gluten free, carb free, sugar free, fat free, and lactose free.  It is 100% pure protein and doesn't have any added fillers.  I don't generally use protein powder in my day to day life, but two men in my life do.  I figured I'd give it a try and ask them to try it as well to get their expert opinions.

My man friend runs his own personal training company.  Not only does he train people, but he exercises a lot.  (I eat cookies a lot.)  He usually has a protein shake before he goes to the gym.  Here's what he thought of biPro:

"I think the product is good mainly because it's natural in comparison to similar products.  Other protein products are compounded with unnecessary ingredients that don't necessarily digest well.  Although I normally would rather a flavored brand of protein, this one mixes well with chocolate and fruit when making smoothies."

Because he usually just mixes protein powder with water quickly before the gym, he prefers when the powder has a taste.  Conversely, my dad has been searching for a protein powder that does not have a taste.  He had major surgery a year ago that has made it very difficult for him to gain weight (not a problem I am familiar with).  He is very particular and hates sweet drinks.  He has been drinking smoothies with protein powder as an afternoon snack and really dislikes the flavors of the protein powder sold in most stores.  biPro was a good find for him because it is unflavored and easy to digest on his post surgery body.

I love smoothies and decided to mix biPro with one I purchased by work.  I prefer all fruit smoothies rather than the addition of milk, yogurt, or ice cream.  However, I do like my smoothies a little thicker.  biPro thickened my smoothie without the addition of any fat or carbs.  What's not to like about that?

With my samples came a few different recipes for baking with biPro, all of which are gluten free.  I didn't get a chance to try any of them, but I think it's a cool idea.  Overall, I think biPro is a good product for whatever your whey protein needs may be.

Disclaimer - I did not pay for my samples of biPro.  However, everything I said here is true.

Thanksgiving 2012

I didn't take any pictures while I was home.  This is from the summer.
But it is the view from my backyard.  Vermont is lovely.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It's all about food and family.  I like it so much that this year I went to Canada for Canadian Thanksgiving just so I could celebrate the holiday twice.  Around Thanksgiving time most food bloggers post all sorts of new recipes for the holiday.  I didn't because we eat the same thing every year and I love it.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Last year we had to adapt Thanksgiving to be gluten free.  With the experimenting last year, this year was a breeze.  My mom even made me homemade gluten free stuffing this year using Udi's bread since I've never tried a packaged GF stuffing I've enjoyed.  I bought a mini GF pumpkin pie at the local co-op since I really didn't need an entire full size gluten free pie laying around.  It was pretty delicious.  We also had the creamed spinach, sweet potatoes, and mashed cauliflower again.  This year we added brussels sprouts to the menu, which I love.  I also had Almond Nut Thins around for all the cracker and cheese appetizers.

I spent six days at home laying low, eating good food, and visiting with family and friends.  What could be better?