Yesterday we went to the track - it was a gorgeous day for it! Unfortunately neither of us won big, but we still had a very nice day. ;-)
While we were there we checked out the new Blue Smoke restaurant for lunch. They have a pretty limited menu - pulled pork sandwiches, ribs, wings, and fries. They also sell beer, soft drinks, and I think cookies for dessert.
After waiting in line for a little while, I asked the girl at the counter about gluten. She told me that the ribs and chicken wings were both gluten free and the only allergen was soy. Score! We ordered an order of ribs, and order of wings, and an order of fries to share. The total came to about $22. (We had brought our own drinks in a cooler).
Well, we waited for about 15 min, and got about half a dozen each of wings and ribs. The wings were absolutely amazing - tender, juicy, and they had a bit of a nice kick. The ribs, not so impressed - they were very dried out. The fries were amazing. Overall, it was a light meal/snack and a little pricey even for track food standards, and they definitely have some kinks to work out, but it was interesting to try.
Afterward we went to the Circus Cafe for dinner - I'd tried it with my mother in law but hadn't taken my husband there. He got a french dip sandwich on gluten free bread and I had a burger. Both of us had salads on the side and we ordered the cotton candy for dessert - WOW. Talk about huge! Thankfully they gave us a bag to take (most) of it home in. :-)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
What are your guilty pleasure foods?
I saw this article on CNN about guilty pleasure foods - this is a great topic because we all have a list of a few guilty pleasure foods - foods that we love but only indulge once in a great while, and foods that we love and have as often as possible on a regular basis. I thought this was a great, fun topic - so I'm going to list mine (gluten free for this blog of course, though I'll admit the occasional gluten-filled Chinese food run when I'm not with my husband). So here goes my top 10, in no particular order...
1. King Crab Legs. When done right, possibly one of the most decadent foods ever, and IMO better even than lobster. Done to perfection and steeped in hot melted butter, these are pure bliss. We splurge on them a couple of times a year, but we can easily eat five pounds between the two of us! We'll tend to save these for special occasions and chill some champagne as well.
2. Guacamole. Lately I've been buying Wholly Guacamole (spicy, of course) in Price Chopper, but it's so simple to make - avocados, red onion, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, lime. Jalapeno peppers optional. Guac is the single. best. thing. about football season.
3. Hot Buffalo Wings. Actually, scratch that. Anything with buffalo sauce. I like marinating grilled chicken breasts in buffalo sauce and adding it to salads, buffalo wings (baked or deep fried), buffalo chicken pizza... It's amazing. I'll even buy the Blazin' Buffalo Doritos, even though they're a poor substitute.
4. Caprese salad. I only indulge in this in the summer (because it's just not as good when the ingredients aren't in season). But a ball of fresh mozzarella from the farmer's market, combined with fresh garden-picked basil and tomato, sprinkled with salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, is just about the perfect summer meal. And, it pairs unbelievably well with white wine.
5. Yellow squash. Another summer-only indulgence (it's just not as good out of season), I boil it and load it up with butter, salt and pepper. Unbelievable.
6. Starbucks non-fat vanilla chai latte. 90% of the time that I go to Starbucks, this is my drink (the other 10% of the time it's the holidays and I'm all about the peppermint mochas). It's an indulgence because I feel a teensy bit guilty for spending $5 on a drink, but I also credit this drink for my 4.0 GPA in grad school. (So far at least.) :-)
7. Nutella. A decadent chocolately, hazelnut spread that goes so well on so many things. My favorite thing to enjoy Nutella with is fresh, grilled pineapple. Absolutely delicious.
8. Bleu Cheese. I know there's some debate about bleu cheese being gluten free since it's grown on wheat, but I have read studies that state there is no gluten when the cheese is independently tested. So let's assume for the sake of argument that it's gluten free. It's delicious, crumbly, and there's something about the sharp biting taste that is indescribable - but soooo good. Bleu cheese dressing is also good, but can't compare to a nice wedge of bleu.
9. Milk chocolate. I'm not that picky about it - I love Hershey's, Cadbury, M&Ms, anything. But milk chocolate is so wonderfully sweet and good with a delightfully creamy texture that I can eat about a pound of it if I let myself. And when I really want chocolate, the bitter dark chocolate that I'm supposed to like as a foodie, just doesn't do it for me. I LOVE milk chocolate. Add peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, whatever to it, or just plain.
10. Scallops wrapped in bacon. I don't think I need to say anymore, but the saltiness of bacon combined with the texture of scallops... it's just about the best appetizer on the planet, and as a bonus you can eat it with a toothpick.
And for a bonus, the one thing I miss the most that does contain gluten:
11. Spinach dip in a rye bread bowl. I haven't found a way to duplicate that yet.
Those are mine. Now for fun, what are yours??
1. King Crab Legs. When done right, possibly one of the most decadent foods ever, and IMO better even than lobster. Done to perfection and steeped in hot melted butter, these are pure bliss. We splurge on them a couple of times a year, but we can easily eat five pounds between the two of us! We'll tend to save these for special occasions and chill some champagne as well.
2. Guacamole. Lately I've been buying Wholly Guacamole (spicy, of course) in Price Chopper, but it's so simple to make - avocados, red onion, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, lime. Jalapeno peppers optional. Guac is the single. best. thing. about football season.
3. Hot Buffalo Wings. Actually, scratch that. Anything with buffalo sauce. I like marinating grilled chicken breasts in buffalo sauce and adding it to salads, buffalo wings (baked or deep fried), buffalo chicken pizza... It's amazing. I'll even buy the Blazin' Buffalo Doritos, even though they're a poor substitute.
4. Caprese salad. I only indulge in this in the summer (because it's just not as good when the ingredients aren't in season). But a ball of fresh mozzarella from the farmer's market, combined with fresh garden-picked basil and tomato, sprinkled with salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, is just about the perfect summer meal. And, it pairs unbelievably well with white wine.
5. Yellow squash. Another summer-only indulgence (it's just not as good out of season), I boil it and load it up with butter, salt and pepper. Unbelievable.
6. Starbucks non-fat vanilla chai latte. 90% of the time that I go to Starbucks, this is my drink (the other 10% of the time it's the holidays and I'm all about the peppermint mochas). It's an indulgence because I feel a teensy bit guilty for spending $5 on a drink, but I also credit this drink for my 4.0 GPA in grad school. (So far at least.) :-)
7. Nutella. A decadent chocolately, hazelnut spread that goes so well on so many things. My favorite thing to enjoy Nutella with is fresh, grilled pineapple. Absolutely delicious.
8. Bleu Cheese. I know there's some debate about bleu cheese being gluten free since it's grown on wheat, but I have read studies that state there is no gluten when the cheese is independently tested. So let's assume for the sake of argument that it's gluten free. It's delicious, crumbly, and there's something about the sharp biting taste that is indescribable - but soooo good. Bleu cheese dressing is also good, but can't compare to a nice wedge of bleu.
9. Milk chocolate. I'm not that picky about it - I love Hershey's, Cadbury, M&Ms, anything. But milk chocolate is so wonderfully sweet and good with a delightfully creamy texture that I can eat about a pound of it if I let myself. And when I really want chocolate, the bitter dark chocolate that I'm supposed to like as a foodie, just doesn't do it for me. I LOVE milk chocolate. Add peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, whatever to it, or just plain.
10. Scallops wrapped in bacon. I don't think I need to say anymore, but the saltiness of bacon combined with the texture of scallops... it's just about the best appetizer on the planet, and as a bonus you can eat it with a toothpick.
And for a bonus, the one thing I miss the most that does contain gluten:
11. Spinach dip in a rye bread bowl. I haven't found a way to duplicate that yet.
Those are mine. Now for fun, what are yours??
Monday, August 2, 2010
Gluten Free at a Mets Game in Citi Field!?!?
We go to Yankee Stadium (now Steinbrenner Stadium) every year, and we usually tailgate in the parking lot before the game. It’s a fun time, we bring a small grill and do burgers, hot dogs, and have a couple of beers before going into the Stadium and watching the game (where we’ll usually get snacks like Cracker Jacks, peanuts, etc.) However, since we’ve never been to a Mets game before and aren’t sure if/where tailgating is allowed, we were wondering what to do for food that day. It’s a long trip and we’ll definitely need something!
Well, good news for us – the Mets announced a gluten free stand at Citi Field this year. Yes, you can now go to the ball park and get gluten free beer, hot dogs, burgers, and the like. Um, YAY!
I did some digging around and apparently the gluten free stand is a stand-alone cart in the World’s Fare market, on the field level of the stadium in the right field corner, with a HUGE sign saying “gluten free.”
In the meantime, here are some links from people who have already written up about the gluten free stand. We’ll be sure to share our thoughts (but stash a couple of snacks just to be on the safe side).
· http://metspolice.com/2010/03/24/gluten-free-and-vegetarian-food-come-to-citi-field/
· http://www.scoreboardgourmet.com/2010/03/gluten-free-concessions-at-citi-field.html
· http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-go-mets-gluten-free-at-citifield.html
So, tell me readers – have you been to see a Mets game at Citi Field yet this year? Have you visited the gluten free stand, and if so, what did you think? Any advice on what to get, or other options in the park??? Or do you tailgate?
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Gluten Free Bisquick!
Along with most of the other gluten free community, my husband and I were anxiously waiting for the arrival of Gluten Free Bisquick! When I read a comment on the Times Union Gluten Free blog that they were found in the East Greenbush Walmart, I went there on my lunch break to check it out, emerging victorious with not only a box of Gluten Free Bisquick, but also a box of Gluten Free "Asian Helper" Chicken fried rice mix. (We don't usually eat that stuff, but when my husband is on his own for dinner he always makes gluten free boxed mac and cheese - this might give a little more variety.)
This morning we decided to try the pancakes. (I'll admit, we were looking forward to Sunday breakfast for a few days, lol). I had read online something along the lines that you had to add shortening, but the box didn't call for it. So, off to Google I went.
First, I found a great blog review from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom. This review called for 1 cup of shortening for every 8 cups of Bisquick. Since I only had 1 box (definitely not enough for 8 cups of mix), I didn't want to prepackage it but instead wanted to find out the "regular" box recipe to make pancakes. So my next stop was AllRecipes, where I found the Bisquick pancake recipe. However, all of the comments said to use the "Melt in your mouth" recipe instead. I trust their comments - and "melt in your mouth" sounds amazing, so that was the next recipe I looked for: Melt in your mouth Bisquick pancake recipe.
The final output was:
The melt-in-your mouth pancakes called for an additional Tbsp of sugar but we didn't use it and thought the pancakes turned out wonderful. I heated up some pure maple syrup to pour over them, and they tasted JUST like regular pancakes!
We'll definitely buy more of their pancake mix. I'm looking forward to trying it on chicken and also trying the gluten free coffee cake recipes I've seen floating around. Yum!
This morning we decided to try the pancakes. (I'll admit, we were looking forward to Sunday breakfast for a few days, lol). I had read online something along the lines that you had to add shortening, but the box didn't call for it. So, off to Google I went.
First, I found a great blog review from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom. This review called for 1 cup of shortening for every 8 cups of Bisquick. Since I only had 1 box (definitely not enough for 8 cups of mix), I didn't want to prepackage it but instead wanted to find out the "regular" box recipe to make pancakes. So my next stop was AllRecipes, where I found the Bisquick pancake recipe. However, all of the comments said to use the "Melt in your mouth" recipe instead. I trust their comments - and "melt in your mouth" sounds amazing, so that was the next recipe I looked for: Melt in your mouth Bisquick pancake recipe.
The final output was:
- 2 cups Gluten Free Bisquick mix
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 cup milk*
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
The melt-in-your mouth pancakes called for an additional Tbsp of sugar but we didn't use it and thought the pancakes turned out wonderful. I heated up some pure maple syrup to pour over them, and they tasted JUST like regular pancakes!
We'll definitely buy more of their pancake mix. I'm looking forward to trying it on chicken and also trying the gluten free coffee cake recipes I've seen floating around. Yum!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Dinner at New World Bistro and Bar
Yesterday, we met some friends in Albany. The Spectrum Theater was showing The Girl Who Played with Fire, the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Since we're huge fans of the book series and the first movie was so good, we couldn't wait to see it. (Side note: my friends and I found it disappointing -- they left a lot out, and it wasn't as well-done as the first movie IMO). Our plan was to see the 3:30 PM showing and then walk three doors down to the New World Bistro and Bar for an early dinner.
Now, I'd heard of the New World Bistro and Bar before, but I only found out they had a gluten free menu recently, at the Gluten Free Food Festival at St. Peters this spring. As soon as I found that out I checked out their gluten free menu online and added it to the list of places I was desperately anxious to check out. I was even more psyched to see they use a lot of local produce and sustainably raised meats including grass-fed beef. The prices are a little higher than most restaurants but I'm more than willing to pay the markup for quality ingredients.
After the movie we walked over, and the place was already packed! We asked for a table and were shocked that at 5:30 or so they were already booked well into the evening. (Mental note: make reservations next time!) The earliest table inside was at 8:45 PM, but they did have patio seating outside, so we decided to try it.
WOW. It was hot outside yesterday. (I usually live in air conditioning in the summer - central air in my house, air conditioning in my car, and then such cold air conditioning in the office that I wear a jacket all day in the summer. Perhaps that's why the heat was such a shock to us. :))
Still, we weren't deterred from ordering. The dinners looked absolutely fabulous but we weren't up for a big meal in the heat, so we all ended up ordering sandwiches and their gluten free french fries. Our friends both ended up ordering grass-fed beef burgers, my husband ordered a mushroom and cheese melt sandwich, and I ordered the salmon sandwich. My husband was thrilled they served his favorite, Amber Woodchuck, and I couldn't resist a glass or two of the Spanish house sparkling wine, Paul Cheneau. Delish!
When we got our sandwiches - WOW. My husband got the gluten free bun and I had a taste - it was soft and delicious. Everyone was thrilled with their sandwiches, and I don't think I've ever had a better fish sandwich in my life. The fries were incredible (though, if I had to do it again, I would have had the grilled summer vegetables - it was a corn on the cob last night and I bet it would have been amazing). Everyone cleaned their plate despite the heat - the portions weren't HUGE but we were all comfortably full afterward. If it wasn't so hot we would have looked at the dessert menu.
I will DEFINITELY be back again to try more dishes at New World.
Now, I'd heard of the New World Bistro and Bar before, but I only found out they had a gluten free menu recently, at the Gluten Free Food Festival at St. Peters this spring. As soon as I found that out I checked out their gluten free menu online and added it to the list of places I was desperately anxious to check out. I was even more psyched to see they use a lot of local produce and sustainably raised meats including grass-fed beef. The prices are a little higher than most restaurants but I'm more than willing to pay the markup for quality ingredients.
After the movie we walked over, and the place was already packed! We asked for a table and were shocked that at 5:30 or so they were already booked well into the evening. (Mental note: make reservations next time!) The earliest table inside was at 8:45 PM, but they did have patio seating outside, so we decided to try it.
WOW. It was hot outside yesterday. (I usually live in air conditioning in the summer - central air in my house, air conditioning in my car, and then such cold air conditioning in the office that I wear a jacket all day in the summer. Perhaps that's why the heat was such a shock to us. :))
Still, we weren't deterred from ordering. The dinners looked absolutely fabulous but we weren't up for a big meal in the heat, so we all ended up ordering sandwiches and their gluten free french fries. Our friends both ended up ordering grass-fed beef burgers, my husband ordered a mushroom and cheese melt sandwich, and I ordered the salmon sandwich. My husband was thrilled they served his favorite, Amber Woodchuck, and I couldn't resist a glass or two of the Spanish house sparkling wine, Paul Cheneau. Delish!
When we got our sandwiches - WOW. My husband got the gluten free bun and I had a taste - it was soft and delicious. Everyone was thrilled with their sandwiches, and I don't think I've ever had a better fish sandwich in my life. The fries were incredible (though, if I had to do it again, I would have had the grilled summer vegetables - it was a corn on the cob last night and I bet it would have been amazing). Everyone cleaned their plate despite the heat - the portions weren't HUGE but we were all comfortably full afterward. If it wasn't so hot we would have looked at the dessert menu.
I will DEFINITELY be back again to try more dishes at New World.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Review: Circus Cafe in Saratoga
Last night, I won tickets to the ballet at SPAC. It was a really nice event with the "Girls Night Out" promotion (wine and chocolate tastings, mani/pedis, etc.) and I invited my mother, mother-in-law, and a family friend to the event with me. My mother-in-law has the same gluten free restriction as my husband, so we picked the Circus Cafe to eat.
Now, I'd heard good things about the Circus Cafe, but the last time we checked their gluten free menu it was lacking. The standard "burger with no bun" type deal, and a lot of salads. However, they've updated their gluten free menu since then and I was happy to check out a new place .
Their menus are displayed on their website, and have been updated to include multigrain gluten free hamburger buns and gluten free penne pasta. Well, none of us (gluten free or not) could resist their burgers, which their menu stated were "award winning" and "voted best in Saratoga." They come with several options - different cheeses, onions, guacamole, etc. YUM! For sides, they have (cross-contaminated) fries and sweet potato fries, but gluten free and health-conscious diners can order a side salad in lieu of fries. The salad is GOOD too - real lettuces, not the iceburg junk that some restaurants peddle.
We were not disappointed with the burgers at all - they were wonderful! Juicy, flavorful, and big. None of us left hungry.
I've definitely added Circus Cafe to the list of places to visit when my husband and I go to Saratoga.
Now, I'd heard good things about the Circus Cafe, but the last time we checked their gluten free menu it was lacking. The standard "burger with no bun" type deal, and a lot of salads. However, they've updated their gluten free menu since then and I was happy to check out a new place .
Their menus are displayed on their website, and have been updated to include multigrain gluten free hamburger buns and gluten free penne pasta. Well, none of us (gluten free or not) could resist their burgers, which their menu stated were "award winning" and "voted best in Saratoga." They come with several options - different cheeses, onions, guacamole, etc. YUM! For sides, they have (cross-contaminated) fries and sweet potato fries, but gluten free and health-conscious diners can order a side salad in lieu of fries. The salad is GOOD too - real lettuces, not the iceburg junk that some restaurants peddle.
We were not disappointed with the burgers at all - they were wonderful! Juicy, flavorful, and big. None of us left hungry.
I've definitely added Circus Cafe to the list of places to visit when my husband and I go to Saratoga.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Back - It's been a while
Wow, it's been a long while since I was behind the computer, writing a blog entry. There's been a ton of stuff going on in our lives and it's just been a crazy couple of months. I've been on Facebook and Twitter, but more than 100 characters and my attention span has been lacking lately! I'm back, though, and trying to get back into writing more regularly!
The biggest recent event has been buying a house and moving. We put an offer on a house in late March/early April and closed the first week of May, then moved the week before Memorial Day. The house is in the Rotterdam area, which we like for a few reasons:
It's been a blast so far. :-)
Anyway - last week we checked out the gluten free food festival at Sisters of Mercy - it was a great time and we sampled a ton of amazing food. I have to say though that my favorites were: Sherry Lynn's gluten free cornbread, Dawn O'Donnel (DAFFI/KD's)'s mini hot dogs and Kettle Cuisine tomato soup. Yum! I won a frozen pizza in the raffle too -- it's in our freezer but we're totally trying it when we get a chance!
Coming up soon -
That's about all for now. Stay tuned, I promise it won't be months before the next blog post. :-)
The biggest recent event has been buying a house and moving. We put an offer on a house in late March/early April and closed the first week of May, then moved the week before Memorial Day. The house is in the Rotterdam area, which we like for a few reasons:
- We're both originally from Schenectady County (Scotia-Glenville and Schalmont grads here) and our families are still in the area, as are a lot of our friends.
- It's close enough to the Thruway that our commute isn't that bad.
- We found an AWESOME house.
It's been a blast so far. :-)
Anyway - last week we checked out the gluten free food festival at Sisters of Mercy - it was a great time and we sampled a ton of amazing food. I have to say though that my favorites were: Sherry Lynn's gluten free cornbread, Dawn O'Donnel (DAFFI/KD's)'s mini hot dogs and Kettle Cuisine tomato soup. Yum! I won a frozen pizza in the raffle too -- it's in our freezer but we're totally trying it when we get a chance!
Coming up soon -
- This Saturday we're checking out Pet-A-Palooza at the Ballston Spa Curtis Lumber. It sounds like a great event if you're looking to adopt a companion!
- This Sunday is Father's Day, and we're looking forward to getting together with our families.
- We have tickets to Citi Field this summer. Not only do we get to watch Baseball, I've heard rumors of a gluten free stand there that I must investigate!
- We're planning a winter trip to California - definitely planning to check out DisneyLand!
That's about all for now. Stay tuned, I promise it won't be months before the next blog post. :-)
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