Another 100% Gluten Free Restaurant in Texas!

UPDATE: 2010 - This restaurant is no longer open.

We headed to Plano for lunch around 10 a.m. on Saturday since we wanted to have an early lunch and then rest a bit before the wedding that night. When we arrived at the shopping center where Laura's Bistro is located, my husband was sure I had wrong directions and we were lost. There was really no activity in the strip mall to speak of but I finally saw the Laura's sign and a sign that says 'open' in the window. We parked and went in just after 11 a.m. Needless to say we were the only ones there except the staff but the Chef wasn't even there yet...he was running late. They actually don't open for lunch until 11:30 but they have a store for shopping for gluten free food. I think my auxiliary pantry has more food than their store shelves did but in any case, we were seated by a cheery server and started reading the extensive menu.

Like the LAB in San Antonio, everything on the menu at Laura's is gluten free. Unlike the LAB, this menu is very extensive and so it's very overwhelming to decide what to order. Should I try the country fried steak with gravy, a pasta dish, catfish, pizza, crab cakes? It was almost too much to think about. Since we could not order for a bit, we started ruling out what we could have at home - crab cakes, pasta, salads, etc. That left pizza, onion rings and fried catfish - or at least those tempted me the most. So for an appetizer we had a pepperoni pizza. It was a personal 8" size so it was just enough to share and it was very good, with a crust that was somewhat similar to a Cheebe but better. Next up came an order of catfish with fries AND a basket of onion rings. The onion rings were really, really bad. When the server noticed we were not eating them she asked why and when we told her she admitted they bought them frozen and didn't make them there with their own batter....that would explain it. We asked her to take them away and she did but never mentioned taking them off the check. We were so happy with the rest of the food we didn't mind paying the $6 for something we found inedible. The catfish was some of the best I'd ever had but without the onion rings, my husband thought we should order something else to eat. So he ordered the crab cakes and we split them too. They were fabulous though I didn't care for the sauce served on the side so the husband got all of that.
When we were sufficiently full from the largest lunch of our lives, it was time for dessert. This place is also a gluten free bakery and they supply cakes to a fancy bakery Dallas for gluten free weddings and special events. They make great cakes but don't pretend to be expert decorators (see photo of cakes above). I knew I had to try their award winning chocolate cake but that would be my dessert for the wedding reception. For that day, we decided on the strawberry cake and since they had chocolate cake doughnuts, my husband had to have one of those as well. The sandwich shown below was not ours, but the people at the next table were nice enough to allow me to take a photo of it. It's a simple BLT with fries but oh how the simplest things can excite our set!

My husband said the doughnut was okay but we agreed piece of strawberry cake we shared was incredible! I don't even like strawberry cake but it was moist with a great flavor and the icing was also exceptional. It's hard to believe but I really didn't feel overly full when we left Laura's but I wasn't hungry again for many, many hours.

For the wedding reception, the staff had been made aware of my dietary needs and indicated to the Bride's Mother that it was not a problem to accommodate me. When everyone else's salads arrived, I was a little surprised to see they brought me a fruit salad instead. There were no croutons on the salad so the only thing I could think of was that the candied nuts in it contained flour. The fruit was fine and it was clearly gluten free so I just ate it and didn't ask about the salad or nuts.

When the dinner plates arrived, everyone at our table was served exactly the same thing. The server insisted my meal and everyone else's was gluten free. Considering the plate has a potato casserole of some kind on it, we were not too sure he was right but at that point I could have eaten the tablecloth since I'd had to skip all the appetizers served before the reception doors were open. So I ate almost every bite on my plate. The steak wasn't quite done enough for me so I ate the outside and gave my husband the middle. The salmon was perfect and both sauces were very good as well. The veggies were tasty and the potato casserole was amazing! It was my favorite part of the meal. My meal was indeed gluten free and delicious!

Obviously neither wedding cake served was gluten free and I was a little surprised that I was not offered anything else for dessert. No worries though - we simply asked for small plates and pulled out our huge piece of chocolate cake from Laura's. I'd put the take out container in a small gift bag and stuck it under the table on arrival. We split the cake and it was absolutely the best gluten free chocolate cake I've had to date. I like my own chocolate icing better but the cake itself was out of this world delicious! No wonder it won a taste test against gluten cakes! Way to go Laura!

So, if you're ever invited to a wedding or event at The Adolphus in Dallas, be assured you can get a great gluten free meal. You just need to request it when you rsvp for the event. The Chef said he'd prepare gluten free Afternoon Tea service with advance notice but we didn't have time for that. If any locals try it, please let me know how it is. And if you're within driving distance of Plano or are ever in Dallas you have GOT to go to Laura's Bistro for a gluten free meal. You will not be sorry you did!

Gluten free in Austin Texas

On Friday morning we sadly had to say goodbye to Anne and Joe at Chicken Paradise and head to Dallas for the wedding - the real reason for this trip. We had to arrive in Dallas in time to press clothes and change for the rehearsal dinner. Of course I had called the restaurant to figure out what I could eat and it turned out I could eat nothing being served on the buffet...such is the life of someone with Celiac. No problem, they were happy to make me some beef soft tacos (fryer issue) rice and beans. All were checked to confirm they were gluten free. My meal ended up being not only gluten free but pretty darn tasty as well!

As it turns out, when you are driving to Dallas from San Antonio, you drive right through Austin. There is a place there called Wildwood Arts Cafe that has a gluten free bakery onsite and they serve many gluten free dishes as well. They serve lunch so of course we had to go - no question. We'd been warned that traffic in Austin is horrid but being from Atlanta we always think people that say that have no idea what real traffic is. Unfortunately for us (and Austinites), the warning about Austin traffic was accurate. It took forever to get to Wildwood even though it was not that far off the interstate. We arrived during the lunch rush and it was crazy busy so I had plenty of time to figure out what to order while waiting in the long line. We snagged a table (they don't have many there) and waited for our meals to arrive. I had pork tamales with rice and beans and my meal was outstanding. My husband ordered some kind of sandwich and said the rice bread it was made from was ok.

When it was time to pick a dessert from the massive gluten free offerings, I started reading ingredients and realized most things there seemed not only to be gluten free but dairy free as well. Some of my favorite treats are made with canola oil and not butter so I was not completely scared away. I chose a cookie to have later (it wasn't good) and my husband chose the brownie, which was made with margarine instead of canola oil. I'm sure at some time I've had a worse tasting brownie but I'm not sure what or when that was. I could not believe my husband ate the whole thing after admitting he didn't like it...but he couldn't bring himself to throw it out.

For the following morning I needed something to eat in the room unheated so I chose a pumpkin muffin. My husband chose a blueberry breakfast bread which was huge. Considering the traffic delays and the quality of the baked goods, I would not bother returning to Wildwood if I was ever in Austin again. There are more places in the area than Wildwood that can provide safe gluten free meals. You'll find them on the Celiac Alamo site.

The pumpkin muffin turned out to be the best thing we bought at Wildwood and I should have gotten a few more. The blueberry breakfast bread was inedible except for the blueberries that my husband literally picked out of it...he had some protien bars to supplement his breakfast as there wasn't time for him to get service in the hotel cafe at this point.

Like another well known 'almost' gluten free bakery in NYC - I don't get what all the fuss is about regarding Wildwood Cafe. I can make better gluten free baked goods at home and I'm no baking expert. I just use the very best mixes on the market and that doesn't take much skill - except to find said mixes. I guess people accept these less than stellar tasting items just because they don't want to make every single cookie or piece of cake at home, and for that I don't blame them. But for me, if something isn't good enough for a discriminating glutenoid to eat, I usually don't like it. Life is too short to eat bad food - gluten free or otherwise.

Texas trip - Part 3 / Eating out in San Antonio

As most people who've been to San Antonio know, the Riverwalk is a famous attraction there. We found it to be lovely, if a bit too touristy for us. Still, we knew we had to dine along the Riverwalk during our stay. But unlike most visitors, we had to find a gluten free friendly place to go. Like at home, I try and avoid those large impersonal chains with gluten free menus. In Georgia, most servers and even managers who work at such places could not explain what gluten is if their life depended on it.

Luckily for me, Anne at Chicken Paradise was able to steer us to several great options for safe, yet interesting gluten free meals. We were tired our first night in town (I'm always tired from flying regardless of the length of the flight) so we settled on a casual dinner at Paloma Blanco for Tex- Mex fare. Once there we were seated quickly at a nice table for two and handed gluten free menus. Interestingly, their version is called a Celiac Menu there. This is the first time I'd seen this and found it delightful. We knew from Anne's gluten free hand book that we needed to stress we had to have Celiac chips and so we did. But after a good long while our server appeared to tell us they were totally out of gluten free chips and they were very sorry. Since I have a place at home that has a dedicated corn product fryer and have Mexican fare often with safe chips, I got over it. The VIP margarita made up for the lack of chips and I loved that it was served in a martini glass!

The place was super busy but finally our meals arrived and mine was excellent! I ordered a stuffed poblano pepper with shrimp, veggies, cheese and spices and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My husband got the fish tacos and would not order them again. He said they were fine but nothing special. He says that about that about most everything he orders at Mexican restaurants these days. Maybe eating this fare in Mexico (work travel) has spoiled him. There wasn't any dessert I could have but I ate all my meal so I could not have had anything anyway. Knowing my husband loves Tres Leches cake I convinced him to order a piece but he didn't like that either. In his defense, the version served here is nothing like we're used to in Atlanta or in Mexico for that matter. It was dry and we thought maybe they gave him the wrong thing but they didn't. I loved the ambiance here and would go back when in San Antonio. Maybe next time they'll have the Celiac chips!!!

For lunch the next day we tried a real honky-tonk kind of place called The Cove. It's a restaurant with a garden, a playground and for some odd reason, a car wash. We knew they had gluten free buns and grass fed beef but the ordering process was sketchy at best. The gluten free menu was hand written on a yellow note pad sheet and didn't say gluten free on it except to describe the buns. They had sweet potato fries listed which my husband ordered but I knew they didn't have a dedicated fryer. He can eat gluten so no worries there. It was nice that the cook came to our table to explain the fries were not gluten free and was shocked to hear they are listed on their 'so called' gluten free menu. In any case, she was really nice about it. The bar tender insisted that they didn't carry Redbridge beer and offered only what was on the menu. So my husband had to carry the menu - with Redbridge clearly printed on it - to the bar and the guy finally found one for me. Our burgers were killer but I could have done without the bun. The frozen Whole Foods GF Bakehouse buns are better and I'm not in love with them by a long stretch. Still, if you get the chance to order a burger with a gluten free bun, I suggest you do it. You can always remove it if you don't like it. At The Cove, I ate only the bottom bun and it was okay that way.

We went to The Cove on an 'off' day, to say the least. And because my husband was so concerned they messed up my food, I could not enjoy the place or my meal that much. It's nice that he's so protective but sometimes he acts as if I'm going to drop dead if someone messes up my meal. I'm happy to report that my meal at The Cove was most definitely gluten free. If I were to go back I'd eat before going, and go at night when they have live music.

I have to say that our dinner that night more than made up for the lunch experience. Upon Anne's recommendation (and others on Trip Advisor) we dined at Las Canarias in the Omni Hotel on the Riverwalk. We were seated at a romantic table by the window and had a lovely Riverwalk view down below. Our server immediately explained that I should review the menu and ask for whatever I wanted and she would ask the Chef if I could have it prepared gluten free. When I eyed the duck entree I knew I had to order it, if it was not full of wheat starch like all the duck dishes I'd inquired about before. The server quickly returned to tell me the duck would be prepared safely for me so I ordered that and we ordered a salad to split - which was almost too pretty to eat. I could not eat what my husband ordered but he enjoyed it, though neither of us can remember now what it was. The salad was fabulous and I rarely get excited about salad when dining out. But my duck entree was probably the best I've ever had, and I've had duck in many high end places in the US and even in Paris. All I can say is if you live in or visit San Antonio and you like duck, you must go to Las Canarias and order it. I don't care of you eat gluten or not - this dish is not to be missed! There was nothing I could have for dessert except for creme brulee with cherry compote and I can have that (or plain creme brulee) most anywhere so we skipped that course. I had a Kahlua and creme instead. If you enjoy fine dining without the air of pretentiousness that is present at many please offering it, don't miss this special dining experience in San Antonio. Chef John Brand is happy to accommodate his special needs guests and is extremely creative and well versed in gluten free food preparation. Excluding tip our bill was $107 and we considered it quite a deal! I know I say it all the time but when you dine where there is an actual Chef cooking REAL food, you'll always have a better experience than at a large chain where they roll their eyes when you mention gluten, even when they have a gluten free menu.... There is just no comparison in the two types of places, and that is as it should be.
To the left is my favorite shot taken at The Alamo which we visited before lunch one day. Last but not least, is a shot of The McNay Museum which we visited upon Anne's recommendation. Luckily for us, they have a reciprocal membership deal with the High Museum of Atlanta which we're members of, so we were able to get in for free which allowed me to purchase a gorgeous glass art bottle stopper in the gift shop. It's hard to believe the place was once someones home but it was. One of the most interesting exhibits to us was Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. They had actual mini sets from the movie and it was truly fascinating! If you enjoy seeing fabulous art in a most spectacular setting, do not miss The McNay when visiting San Antonio. The general admission only runs $8 and I think one day a week you can get in for free. Check their website for details. Oh, and don't miss the spectacular sculpture garden on the McNay grounds!

Collectively we've been to eight cities in Texas and we agreed that San Antonio is by far our favorite place there now. I just wish it was within driving distance so we could visit more often!

Texas trip - Part 2 / Chicken Paradise - our home away from home!

When you drive through the colorful gate at the Chicken Paradise B&B, it's hard to believe you're in the middle of a residential area of San Antonio but in fact, you are. The sprawling property is part farm, part garden and part resort. It's run by the Alamo Celiac leader Anne Barfield and her husband Joe. The Paradise Suite is huge and offers a private entrance, full bath and small kitchenette. The garage to the house separates the Suite from the main house where Anne and Joe reside. Guests have access to the lovely pool, deck and patio out back. There is even a private outside shower which offers hot and cold running water and two shower heads!

Below is the breakfast served our first morning there. And yes we ate every bit of it. First up was a huge fruit plate, complete with some of the best mangoes we've had anywhere. Then we each had a homemade Teff waffle - the first non frozen waffle I've had in almost three years - and it was excellent! Last but not least was a goat cheese basil omelet served with bacon. They served the tomato slices on the side. The eggs came from the on site Chickens of course, and the tomatoes and basil came from the garden!



















Since Anne and Joe are used to dealing with all kinds of food intolerances (unlike most B&B hosts), she asked me what we liked to eat before we arrived. She even had Agave sweetener for my coffee - both in the Suite kitchen and at breakfast. They thought of everything at this place! I've never experienced anything like it and we've been devoted B&B patrons for over fifteen years now.

To the left is one of the many Chickens that rule Chicken Paradise. I'm not really an animal person per se but these Chickens were very friendly and interesting to observe. It was hysterical to watch them all run to the coop for dinner when Joe called them to dinner. The tree below is in the center of the backyard and is actually two trees next to each other. The private outside shower sits under these gorgeous trees!


Below are photos our breakfast on the second morning of our lovely visit at Chicken Paradise. The hosts made sure the day before, that we didn't have a seafood or shellfish allergy and that we liked crab meat. After our lovely fruit plate course, out came these lovely Asian Crab omelets, served with jicama and a sliced apple salad. Anne took this photo inside the house. Oh, and we had excellent toast made from bread from the LAB with homemade fig preserves. Yes, they even have a fig tree at Chicken Paradise!







We only stayed two nights in San Antonio and were sad to say goodbye the Chickens, the dog Chutney, the outdoor shower and especially to our new friends Anne and Joe. We vowed to return to Chicken Paradise one day. San Antonio is our favorite city in Texas now. True Southern hospitality is alive and well there, with an extra dose available at Chicken Paradise.

Below are photos are the magical trees in the afternoon, the pool water fountains and lovely fresh flowers in our Suite. They came from the garden too, of course. I'm telling you they thought of everything at that place! Check out the tree house, complete with a bed on their website!


Without question this was THE best B&B experience we've ever had - gluten free or not! About half the guests at Chicken Paradise are gluten free (and many have multiple food intolerances) and the others are glutenoids who rave about the food just like we did! There was one thing we could not get over though. The rate was ridiculously low, considering all you're
getting. For selfish reasons we hope it stays that way but we would not flinch at paying more to return. The breakfast alone would set you back $30 or more and would not be nearly as good anywhere else in town. And certainly no Chickens would be welcoming you to breakfast!

Thanks Anne and Joe, for giving us a home away from home in Texas! We hope to come back again and again!

Our gluten free tour of Texas - Part 1

We had to attend a wedding in Dallas so I negotiated a trip to San Antonio before the wedding weekend. Our flight on Wednesday landed at 10 a.m. and after picking up the rental car we headed straight to the Little Aussie Bakery for an early lunch. It is the only 100% gluten free restaurant in San Antonio and it's in a little house, complete with a fireplace and a shower in the rest room...lol! It reminded me of a place that would have been in the Highlands here, before that area became so upscale. Upon entering the place I saw a dessert case, filled with six fancy looking cakes. They looked like cakes you'd find in a gluten bakery in NYC. It was hard to believe they were all gluten free but of course I knew they were. Our server Crystal actually apologized that the desserts didn't look that nice since their pastry chef was on vacation. I can't imagine how they could have looked any better that they did. Check it out....














After choosing a table by a window in the back we started reviewing the menu. It is not that extensive but includes varied sandwiches (made with on site baked bread), pizzas, soups, salads, lasagna, garlic bread and even a leg of lamb. To say it was overwhelming to stare at a menu that had nothing off limits to me is quite an understatement. I teared up just like I did at Risotteria in NYC (the first place I'd been able to have pizza out since my diagnosis). It sounds like a silly reaction to people that don't have any dietary restrictions and I'm not someone whose life was ever controlled by food even. But the reality is that in our world every social event, client lunch, company party, wedding, funeral, etc. is a mine field full of something that is poison to us. Most of the time I do fine but sometimes it gets old, especially when people don't get it. And most people don't get it, trust me. So at the LAB (as they refer to themselves) I got to do what most 'normal' people do. Walk into a restaurant, sit down, read the menu and order whatever the heck I wanted. And that felt like winning a million dollars to me! Or maybe better since money truly can not buy happiness. Shortly after we ordered, Crystal brought out some garlic bread. It was soft in the middle with a crunchy crust. It was unlike any gluten free bread I've had and I absolutely could have eaten my own weight in it....lol! Luckily for me (if not my waistline), even more bread was served with my meal.
The lasagna of the day was chicken (with bechamel sauce) which I'd already heard was excellent so I had no problem making my choice. My husband finally settled on a pepperoni pizza but I have no idea why since Pizza Fusion is opening here next month. Whatever - it was his lunch but at least I got to taste it. The pizza was very good but did not compare to my lasagna which was excellent. The side salad served with had an interesting sweet citrus dressing. The lasagna was not a large portion so I had plenty of room for dessert. And since we could not decide on anything we wanted to share, we each got our own dessert.
Choosing which of the six desserts to have was quite challenging. I wanted a tiny piece of everything but they use a cake cutting tool to cut huge slices so that wasn't possible. I'd have to order six huge desserts to taste it all. Finally I settled on the passion fruit sponge cake since I'd never had gluten free sponge cake before. My husband chose the lemon cake with lemon icing. He loved his cake and I thought it was excellent but the sponge cake made me fantasize about playing (and winning) the lottery so I could fly to San Antonio any time I wanted. Shipping it frosted would not work well and the frosting was almost outstanding as the cake itself! I can not accurately describe how great this cake was except to say is was without a doubt the BEST gluten free cake I've had to date and after many cakes later on this trip, it still ranks on top! It was also the best sponge cake I've ever had, regardless of ingredients. Below is the lemon cake with lemon icing (not frosting which is fluffier) and under that is the my sponge cake - both side and back views. Isn't is gorgeous? It's hard to believe that it tasted even better than it looked!











After a somewhat surreal lunch experience, Crystal told us how to get to the Riverwalk (she even wrote directions for us!) where there was a mall. I'd left my dress for the wedding in Atlanta so I needed to buy something - anything - to wear on Saturday night. We had couple of hours to kill before checking in to the B&B so it was all good. Well, except for the spending money on a dress that looked quite similar to the dress left in Atlanta part...lol! But the dress I found was on sale for $79 and it even came with a jacket I can wear later. My own black sparkly bolero style cover up (that I didn't forget to pack) worked fine with the new dress. So less than thirty minutes after walking into Macy's, we walked out with what we needed and the damage was not as bad as I was expecting. The husband was happy and we headed back to the parking garage to head to Chicken Paradise. More about that coming soon but just know that if you live anywhere near San Antonio you need to treat yourself to a stay there. A better lodging value you will NOT find in the state of Texas, whether you're gluten free or not!


Below is the cupcake display on the dessert counter and the Australian flag flies outside the restaurant, next to the USA flag. My only regret about our visit to LAB is that Rita (the owner) was on her way out when we got there. I didn't know who she was until she was gone. Thanks Rita, for giving gluten free people there a place to call home!

Beleza - an almost gluten free restaurant in Atlanta

Beleza opened quite a while ago in downtown Atlanta. Their concept was unique to say the least. They don't have an oven and don't use processed sugar and had only one item that contains gluten. You would think I would have been their first customer but my husband is not really into Tapas and that's what this place offers. They offer the best quality ingredients of any such place around to be sure, but still they are Tapas - or small plates. Either term fits and hence my problem with the husband. I even read a Trip Advisor review that said 'the only problem with this place is that men won't like it'. Great.

Finally last weekend, over a year after they opened, I made it to Beleza. They are on their second Chef but they are still not using sugar or an oven and the only gluten dish is a side of Farro which is an ancient form of wheat. We made it a girls night out (if one can call a 6 pm dinner on a Saturday night that) and headed down from the burbs for a gourmet gluten free meal. Two in our party were even glutenoids so props to them for agreeing to join our gluten free adventure!

On arrival I realized that employees outnumbered the customers but I get the feeling that Beleza doesn't even pretend to get cranking until after 9 pm. The menu has more drinks listed than food selections. I ordered a cocktail I thought I'd enjoy and loved it. It tasted like tequila to me but was supposed to be infused rum...whatever. For only $8 it's the best deal on a cocktail I've had downtown in a while. Not everyone in our party liked their drink choices but they were able to swap drinks with each other and live with them.

Since the glutenoids in our party didn't care about having Farro, we were all able to share everything we ordered with each other. We had the lobster salad, shrimp and scallop Ceviche and the dip appetizer to start. Two of the three dips were good enough make me feel like not sharing but I was nice and of course shared with the other ladies. The term onion dip seems boring but this one was far from it. The cheese dip was killer as well. The one thing I tried only one bite of and thought it didn't live up to everything else was the black eyed pea dip. Two of us agreed on this and the other two loved it. One criticism of this appetizer was that we had to ask for extra Cassava chips and celery sticks to scoop the dips with. Clearly a place like this knows we are going to share with each other and the table next to us got a lot more 'dippers' than we did for the same dish.

For my entree I had the Lobster Salad (shown below the dip plate) as did another in our party. Others tried a fish of the day (above top) and the cooked shrimp (in the bowl). Both loved their selections, though the fish special actually needed salt. To be honest, I'm not sure I've ever had such fresh tasting ingredients at any restaurant in Atlanta. One would think the lobster traps were pulled out of the water a few feet from the place. The fruit that is part of this dish seemed as if someone pulled it off a tree or off a stalk that day.

When you are gluten free, you're used to leaving without dessert when dining out. Personally, I can take only so much creme brulee or chocolate mousse and I don't care for ice cream. I could have left without dessert at Beleza and been totally satisfied. But a dinner club member told me about the chocolate tart there - she is gluten free, dairy free, soy free and even more things free. She can almost never have dessert when dining out. When she described this decadent treat to me I knew I could not pass it up. The chocolate tart is a small slice of chocolate something with pink rock salt on top. It really doesn't look remarkable at all, though the flower adorning the plate made for a nice presentation. But the taste was not to be believed. I don't think I can accurately describe it because I've never had anything remotely like it. The pink rock salt took it over the top for me - a 'salt-aholic' who shockingly did not add any salt to my dishes at Beleza.



The carmelized banana and coconut milk chocolate sorbet was nothing special according to the ladies that ordered it but I actually took some of my dessert home and savored it for four days. The only way I can explain how I was able to do this is that when something is that amazing, you don't truly need that much of it to be satisfied. And that is what the owner of Beleza is trying to accomplish with this resaurant. In an interview I read shortly after the restaurant opened he said something to the effect of 'people think they need to feel uncomfortably full when they leave a restaurant and that is very bad for their health'. He has a point and that is why many nutitionists suggest we eat six small meals a day instead of three larger ones. I did leave Beleza feeling full but not in an uncomfortable way.

The decor at Beleza might remind you of LA, as will the slight attitude of the staff. But I find the latter is true at some places here that offer mediocre food at best. At least Beleza has earned their attitude. Now I just have to figure out how to get my husband down there with me. Once you try Beleza you'll have to go back if you really appreciate the 'best of the best' ingredients prepared in most unexpected ways. When I asked the server how they made the chocolate tart without an oven she said it was magic - and that's exactly what it tasted like to me!

Fabulous and EASY gluten free bread mix!

As most of you know, unless you have a good, gluten free bakery in (or near) your town, you can't buy ready-made gluten free bread that's edible without being heated first. If your local stores carry gluten free bread, they are most likely stored in the freezer case to keep them 'fresh'. We always get a kick (and feel sorrow at the same time) when a newly diagnosed Celiac asks where to buy freshly baked gluten free bread in Atlanta. The answer is from your own oven, of course.

In the past I've made bread from two mixes that deliver wonderful gluten free bread. They also are much easier to prepare if one has a bread machine, which I do not. Since I'm always looking for ways to do everything in the kitchen easier, I recently ordered the new oat bread mix from Tracey's Treats. They have killer pizza crust and muffin mixes so I knew I liked their stuff in general. This new bread mix was supposedly easy to make without a bread machine so I had to try it.

You need a magnifier to read the instructions on the labels from this company if you have over 40 eyes like I do. However, I mixed the bread up quickly and easily and left it to rise for an hour or so. It rose very well and continued to do so when baking. The smell of freshly baked bread is wonderful but smells and even looks can be deceiving when speaking of gluten free bread. The real test would be how it tasted - both toasted and at room temperature. I let the bread cool off slightly before tearing off a piece to test taste. It was just exactly as the name implies - outstanding. Both the taste and texture were phemonenal actually!

The next day I made an open faced sandwich with the unheated bread that I'd stored on the counter in a baggie overnight. Again, the bread was excellent. Several days later I defrosted some of the same loaf (needs to be stored in freezer if not eating in a couple of days) and had another open faced, unheated sandwich. Still, the bread lived up to it's name - Outstanding Oat Bread. I'm likely the worst gluten free food snob you'll ever find. The only way this bread could be better is if it was sitting on the shelves of my grocery store already baked for me. Maybe one day.....

Gluten Free baking - it's really not as hard as it seems

When I was first introduced to the gluten free diet (the week of my Celiac diagnosis) I dove right in and purchased a gluten free cookie mix from Whole Foods. The maker of said mix will remain unamed but it comes in a blue and white box with red accents...and the company makes gluten mixes as well. The smell alone should have been a warning about how bad these cookies would taste but I'm an optomistic person so I remained upbeat as they rose and turned golden brown in the oven. Once they cooled, I took a bite of what looked like a cookie, but tasted and even smelled a little like sawdust with a slight hint of chocolate chip cookie dough flavor. I kid you not - it was that bad. As a matter of fact, it's over two and a half years later and I'm not sure it wasn't the worst gluten free product that's come out of my oven. Oh, and just to prove my point further, please consider this. On an episode of the ABC show 'Cavemen', one of the brothers decided to go on the gluten free diet. They said the word gluten about ten times and our community crashed the ABC server the following day so it took me two days to finally be able to view it. Not suprisingly, that episode is now absent on ABC's site and was pulled from every other site that had publisded it. Anyway, the guy trying the gluten free diet is finally convinced by another brother that the diet is silly. So the newly gluten free brother exclaims 'Good! these cookies taste like dirt!' as he slams the package of cookie mix on the counter...lol!

For a while, I assumed all gluten free baked goods were the same - not worth buying, baking or eating. But that could not be farther from the truth and I'm sort of sorry that there are so many fabulous mixes out there now. I mean who really needs three kinds of favorite brownies anyway? In my gluten eating days I rarely made brownies and now I pretty much make them at least every month if not more often. Or if I'm being lazy, I just buy ready made gluten free brownies, I'm particularly partial to those by French Meadow Bakery. Theirs are teeny tiny so you don't feel guilty if you have one or two of them.

But there's a lot more out there than just brownie mixes. You name it and I can recommend a killer brand for you - scones, muffins, cakes, cookies, pancakes, etc. As with the brownies, there are usually more than a few good choices for mixes. Or if you're lazy like me, there are many fabulous ready made items of the above items...even ready made pancakes that are better than Eggos. Those come from Trader Joe's and are not to be believed!

Here is a tip to use with mixes that I've found work in most any situation. For cake, quick bread and muffin mixes, add unsweetened applesauce. For example, 1/2 cup works for a two layer cake but use only 1/4 cup for a quick bread loaf. This is a trick gluten bakers use and I found out about it on a regular recipe website. I make the best ever pumpkin bread using this trick. I tried four variations of an old family recipe before I finally added the applesauce. Once I did that, everyone thought that it was the best pumpkin bread I'd ever made - including what I baked in my gluten eating days. Now I use this trick for my zuchinni and strawberry quick breads and even blueberry muffins. What else...oh, and I use it in a spice cake mix and a yellow cake mix too. I prefer the natural version from Mott's.

If I'm baking anything that calls for flour, I use Pamela's gluten free pancake and baking mix. I don't use it for pancakes as I prefer the mix from Gluten Free Naturals. Pamela's baking mix subs out cup for cup for regular wheat flour. It even works for savory things like olive cheese puffs and sausage balls. Recently I learned that gluten actually absorbs grease so frying things in a gluten free flour produces a less greasy (and much better tasting) product. Therefore, depending on what you're making, you might adjust the amount of fat (oil, butter or margarine) you use for the recipe. For example, my gluten olive cheese puff recipe calls for three tablespoons of butter but 2 1/2 tablespoons is plenty for the gluten free version.

People are seem perplexed when I tell them my favorite recipe site is Recipe Zaar. This site does not even have a gluten free section on it. You can type gluten free pizza or French bread or whatever....even gluten free funnel cake, and you will find at least a version or two of all of these things. But I just type in what ever I'm looking for, excluding the words gluten free, and sort by ratings before deciding which recipe to print and start experimenting with. If something calls for a cookie crumb crust, I use the gluten free version of whatever type cookie they reference - Oreos, ginger snaps, pecan shortbread, etc. You name a mainstream cookie and I can recommend a gluten free version of it that makes a perfect tasting pie crust. It's not rocket science either. You melt some butter, mix into crushed cookies and press into the pie pan. You follow the recipes instructions for baking details. It should be noted that to date, I have tried three brands of prepared frozen gluten free pie crusts, and have not found any of them to be worth purchasing a second time. If you need a regular pie crust for pies of even quiche, you can not go wrong with the mix from Breads by Anna. I just wished she made a pre-made crust for us...lol!

Why not give gluten free baking a try yourself? I'd love to hear what others are out there creating. Especially if any of you are into uncomplicated creations, like I am. I love cooking more than I ever dreamed possible but there is more to life than being stuck in the kitchen. I strive to create great tasting, quality food that is also fairly easy to make. I recently found a new gluten free bread that is super easy to bake (without a bread machine even) and is shockingly good. But I'll write about that later. Happy baking everyone!

Triumph Dining give-away!

These days I consider myself an expert at dining gluten free, even in the US. But in the beginning I could not have gotten through without the cards and dining guide book offered by Triumph Dining. They are doing a give-away through the month of August for their American cuisine dining card. If you don't already have at least that card, I urge you to order your copy today. Below is the press release regarding the promotion. Happy gluten free dining out everyone!


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Triumph Dining is giving away FREE American Dining Cards until the end of August. There’s absolutely no purchase necessary. Your readers can simply visit http://www.triumphdining.com/freediningcard.aspx to participate and get a free dining card.

The purpose of this give-away is to raise money for Celiac Disease Awareness. If 15,000 people to sign up for free dining cards, Triumph Dining will make a $10,000 donation in support of a national celiac disease awareness campaign. When we hit our goal, we'll ask you and the gluten free community to help us decide which non-profit(s) receives the donation.

We’re trying to build awareness on two fronts: With 15,000 more dining cards on the street, we’ll be educating more restaurants about the gluten free diet faster. And, with $10,000 funding behind a national campaign, we can diagnose and educate more Celiacs.

The FREE dining card offer is available at http://www.triumphdining.com/freediningcard.aspx and we’ll be posting regular progress reports on our blog at http://blog.triumphdining.com/.

Why is Texas so gluten free friendly?

We are going to Dallas in late September for a family related event. Unlike for most people, a trip where someone else chooses the location is fairly stressful for those of use with Celiac. So I started scouring the internet looking for any and all info I could find about dining out in Dallas gluten free. Then I remembered there is a gluten free Bed & Breakfast called Chicken Paradise in San Antonio (that's their pool below). Mmmm....it's just a few hours drive to Dallas from San Antonio. It took some convincing but I talked my husband into letting us make a detour on the way to Dallas. I booked two nights in San Antonio and two in Dallas. We used reward airline tickets which might have vanished soon otherwise. By my own creative accounting methods, that savings more than pays for the B&B, rental car and gas to get to Dallas...lol!
As usual, I turned to the Celiac listserv to for help about where to eat in San Antonio and Dallas. Soon after sending my request into cyberspace, I was inundated with tips from people in all parts of Texas - and some who just travel there - about where and even what to eat during our trip. I'll wait until we get back to post about said places as I don't want to recommend any place we havn't actually dined at yet.

But here is what I found very strange about Texas. There are three restaurants within several hours of each other that are either completely gluten free or about 98% gluten free. Another place in Dallas offers daily gluten free desserts made by a pastry Chef who studied at the Cordon Bleu. I mean where is all this coming from? There is not a Celiac center in the whole state that I'm aware of. Please correct me if I'm wrong. The fact that these places exist anywhere in the US is amazing, of course. But to find them in Texas of all places...quite perplexing. I don't remember being told of any 100% gluten free restaurant in NYC and the gluten free bakery there actually uses spelt in about half their goods. So in other words, in NYC there is not even a 100% gluten free bakery, let alone a gluten free restaurant. In Texas there are at least two such places. One of the places my listmates informed me about is in Austin and they do have at least one non gluten free granola. The other two places are gluten free cafes that are bakeries as well.

I really can't imagine walking in to a restaurant and checking out the menu and not having to worry about what is or isn't gluten free. I simply can't put myself in that frame of mind. It will take me being there to really understand what that means. How that feels. One menu lists crab cakes, chicken fingers, french fries, onion rings, fried catfish....the offerings are more extensive than I could dream up. It's simply unbelieveable to me. One listmate suggested that I really study the menus online right before the trip so I won't be tempted to over order, as most people do the first time they visit such a gluten free nirvana. Very good advice.

Another listmate suggested that the catered affair we'll be attending in Dallas will not likely offer me any dessert, though the hotel staff did assure me the Chef can make us gluten free meals for said event. The listmate sugested that I get some gluten free cake (at a cafe we'll visit that day) and put the cake container into a gift bag and keep it under our table. When dessert is served I can ask for a plate and discreetly as possible put my cake on the plate and enjoy dessert right along with everyone at our table. How smart is that? I've done similar things in the past, but never at such a formal event. Of course, if I'm surprised with a dessert that is NOT ice cream, my 'smuggled in' cake will keep for the following day.

So if any of you know why Texas is such a trendsetter in the gluten free world, please let me know. Dr. Kenneth Fine is based in Texas and believes that as much as 20% of the population can't digest gluten properly. That is many more people than the 1% of us that have bonafide Celiac. Maybe his teachings have something to do with Texas' gluten free friendliness. Or maybe like everything else, Texans like to do things big and this is just another example of that. Either way, I can absolutely not wait to get there. I just hope I don't want to move there after the trip!