Asian Food You Can Love

One of my favorite places to eat out is Pei Wei Asian Diner.  This "distant cousin" to the famous PF Chang's restaurant chain is moderately affordable and delicious.  While I would always choose PF Chang's if given the choice, my wallet would prefer I dine at Pei Wei (pronounce pay-way).

Both eating establishments offer a variety of gluten-free menu items.  In fact, PF Chang's has an pretty extensive selection of GF items, including the wildly popular Mongolian Beef.  (click here for PF Chang's menu)

Pei Wei also has 8 options on their GF menu, but like many restaurants that are trying to accommodate those of us with the "gluten affliction", their choices are often salads or dishes that are heavy on the vegetable side.  For example, Edamame (can't pronounce it, won't eat it), or Vietnamese Rolls (mostly veggies in this one too).

But they have one stand-out AMAZING dish that I highly recommend... Pei Wei Spicy Chicken.  Of course, I have them hold the snap peas.  The chicken is lightly breaded in a GF coating (rice flour possibly?), seared, and seasoned perfectly.  The dish has a "heat" that is just enough to dazzle your tastebuds and clear your sinuses.  The entree is enough to share, but I suggest you don't.  Stuff yourself because when you're on a gluten-free diet, a meal this good just doesn't come along very often.  So enjoy!

Oh, For Pizza's Sake!

Keeping with the Italian food theme, I felt we should discuss pizza.  I have always felt that pizza was God's  perfect food.  It has all the major food groups - grain, dairy, vegetables, meat, fruit (if you like that), and it's even round... like the world!  I believed so strongly that pizza could heal you that I made sure to have it at least once a week.  Until I found out that I had to give up wheat and gluten.

It's understandable then why I have tried just about every GF pizza crust I could find in the hopes of discovering one that tastes just like their "real" counterparts. After an exhaustive search (and a small fortune), I'd like to tell you that I've finally found one, but that would be stretching the truth.  What I CAN tell you is that there are some decent alternatives out there.

I just discovered Mamma's Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta (2 locations in Pasadena area).  Their pizza is New York style with a pretty large selection of toppings.  Best of all, they offer a gluten-free crust (for a small additional charge) that is actually darn good!  It's crispy, but still bends near the middle, and boasts a slightly sweet flavor.  It took the company over a year to develop this crust recipe (seems like time well spent).  In addition, they have a large variety of pasta entrees on the menu, many of which can be made with GF penne or spaghetti.  I didn't try the pasta yet, but the pizza was more than acceptable.  My wife even sincerely liked it (trust me, that's saying a lot since she doesn't think most GF foods are "tasty").  Check them out if you are in S. Pasadena or E. Pasadena. www.mammasbrickoven.com

Another quality GF pizza can be found at The Luggage Room in Pasadena (260 S. Raymond Avenue, next to the Del Mar Metro Station).  Their toppings are authentic Italian meats and therefore will dazzle your tastebuds.  The crust is micro-thin and crispy.  Drawbacks? It's fairly expensive (about $18) for a pizza that's a bit on the small side, parking is not terribly convenient, and they aren't open for lunch on weekdays.  www.theluggageroom.com

Lastly, if you don't live near Pasadena and haven't found a great pizza place near you that offers a good GF crust, then try making your own gluten-free pizza at home.  Udi's makes the best build-your-own pizza crust I've found to date (also the only white sandwich bread that is edible).  Available in the frozen section of your local "health nut" store, this crust lets you make your own creation in about 10 minutes.  Note: the package says to cook it 4 minutes, but I like a crispier crust and leave it in for nearly 11 minutes.  Buy good quality ingredients for your toppings, and don't forget the spices and seasonings.  You can still have movie night at home without settling for a salad.

I am happy to say that giving up gluten does not mean that you must end your love affair with pizza.  It won't be exactly the same as before, but at least you'll find your smile returning to your face a bit more often.

I Must Be Part Italian

When I first gave up foods containing gluten (1,109 days, 7 hours, 14 minutes ago... but who's counting), I was most anguished to be giving up Italian food.  I bet I ate pizza or pasta at least 2x a week for my whole life!  But that was all over.  Now I tried the GF offerings in the grocery store with very mediocre success.  Most restaurants don't offer any GF pasta dishes, and if they do, they are rarely decent.

The trick to making a decent GF pasta dish is great seasoning, and of course, cooking the pasta correctly.  Tonight my wonderful wife made one of my favorite dishes... Chicken Parmesan.

To create the crunchy coating on the boneless chicken breast cutlets, you need to dip the chicken in potato starch (corn starch could be substituted too), then in an egg wash.  Then coat it with a mix of gluten-free bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese.  The chicken is then sautéed in olive oil until fully cooked.  While keeping the chicken warm in the oven, sprinkle it with an Italian cheese blend.

The pasta my wife uses is De Boles Rice Plus Golden Flax Angel Hair gluten-free pasta.  Cook it according to directions on the box.  The BIGGEST reason most people hate GF pasta is that it is easy to over cook it!  The taste is not that different from gluten-lovers' pasta, so if your sauce is properly spiced, the pasta becomes simply a conduit to get that saucy goodness in you.  :)

Any gluten-free pasta sauce can be used, so go with your favorite but read the label to be certain it doesn't contain any wheat.  We use Prego Traditional, which is not labeled GF, but appears safe for me.  Find a good sauce that has lots of flavor (or add some spices of your own), and stock up.  Pasta can once again become your friend if you find the right sauce and experiment with different meats to compliment it (sausage, chicken, etc.).

First of Many

To start this new blog, I wanted to share a simple meal recipe my sweet, wonderful wife makes for me occasionally on cold (60 degrees!) Southern California evenings.  The whole family actually enjoys this simple "soup that eats like a meal" (I think that slogan already exists... sorry).

Doctored-Up Potato Soup

This dish is pretty quick and easy to make and tastes better than most soups I've ordered in restaurants.  For about $7 total, this recipe makes 1/2 gallon of delicious, thick potato soup.

YOU'LL NEED: 

1 pkg. of Bear Creek Potato Soup Mix (11 oz)

4 (approx) strips of bacon

1 cup (approx) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup (approx) Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists

Sour cream (optional)

1. Start with a package of Bear Creek Potato Soup mix (available at most major grocery store chains).  This product is not certified gluten-free, which means they don't produce it in a kitchen that is guaranteed clean and free of any wheat products.  However, no wheat products are listed on the ingredient list so for people with wheat allergies or a wheat intolerance, it should be fine.  Make the soup according to the directions on the package.  It takes only a few minutes, but we're not done yet!
2. Fry up a few strips of bacon until crisp.  You are going to crumble it up right before serving the soup.
3. Grab a large handful of Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists (again, even some "normal" grocery stores are now carrying this brand - pricey, but really quite good).  Crumble the pretzels up until they are in pretty small pieces or crumbs.  This is going to add some bulk and texture to the otherwise fairly thin Bear Creek Soup.  
4. Fill a soup bowl with the prepared piping hot soup, sprinkle with a large pinch of shredded cheddar cheese, place several tablespoons of crushed pretzels on top of the soup, and add a tablespoon of crumbled bacon.  Add a dollop of sour cream if desired.  Season to taste and serve.  

The rest of my family (gluten eaters, but I love them anyway) likes to enjoy this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.  I'm not going to delve into the challenge of making a decent gluten-free grilled cheese sandwich quite yet.  It's complicated and the results I have achieved to date are only so-so.  This soup is actually quite filling and I don't think it needs anything to go with it (except maybe a nice scoop of ice cream for dessert)! 

Why Am I Writing This Blog?

It's not like I don't already have too many things to do each day, but I feel like my world got very frustrating when I found out that I cannot eat gluten any longer. I only discovered my intolerance (or allergy) to gluten a few (long) years ago and I'm still pretty angry about it. I used to love my wheat products! I don't know if I ever ate a meal that didn't involve some sort of bread product. And frankly, vegetables are not my friend. Some might call me a finicky eater... and they' be right.

So when I found out that I had to cut gluten out of my diet (term used loosely), I had no idea how much I'd dislike eating. My days of pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches, cookies, even Red Vines were over! No more Pop Tarts? Augh!! What was I going to eat? My friend who helped diagnose me told me I'd probably lose lots of weight once I adopted a GF diet. She failed to mention that was because most people who suffer through a GF diet eat a lot of salads and tell themselves how yummy they are. One problem... I don't like salad (at all)! Nor did I begin eating tons of vegetables, though I am trying to branch out a bit more these days. Desperation, or God's unique design of our bodies, has eventually caused my tastebuds to change a bit. I didn't lose weight... I actually gained a few pounds! I quickly figured out all the products that I could consume that were naturally gluten-free. For example, Rice Krispy Treats don't contain wheat! Neither do Milk Duds, ice cream, Jamba Juice smoothies... you get the point. I comforted myself because none of the foods the GF industry was peddling were palatable. Most tasted like cardboard, and some tasted worse!

It's been several years now, but I have gradually found a number of things that I actually enjoy eating (with varying degrees of "enjoyment"). So I decided to start a blog to help my friends who find themselves needing to eat gluten-free. Many of them have come to me and asked me what they can now eat? My first question is to ask them if they MUST eat GF, or if it's some sick dietary choice they opted for. But I'm a nice guy and so I try to help even those crazies figure out how to survive (most don't stay on a GF diet very long though). For those of us who have no choice and must avoid gluten altogether, this blog is my way of saying, "I'm so sorry this happened to you too!" These posts will archive recipes, "over the counter" products (groceries, etc), menu items at restaurant chains, and other goodies that I find help me survive this GF nightmare.

Warnings! First, I am gluten intolerant. I do not have Celiac Disease. I do not get violently ill or worse if I consume trace amounts of gluten. Therefore, many of these recipes or suggestions will not be 100% certified gluten free. For example, Rice Krispies are not labeled GF because they are manufactured in a plant on equipment that could contain trace amounts of gluten. However, in my case, that's fine (I'd have to eat tons of them to ingest enough gluten to get any symptoms, and let's face it, that much rice would probably kill me first). So, if you have Celiac Disease, I would suggest doing your own research before trying any of these food suggestions. Please use your own judgement and don't take any chances. Second, I am not screening these food recommendations for their health benefits and nutritional value. In other words, some (or many) may not be good FOR you, but they will, in my opinion, taste good TO you.

Not a bad snack!

That's what this blog is all about: Foods that someone with a gluten intolerance, gluten allergy, or have elected to give up gluten (you know who you are) can enjoy. Yes, I did say enjoy! The health food industry has exploded with new gluten-free products and more restaurants are offering GF selections on their menus. In my finicky opinion, about 5% of them are edible. Yet all of their marketing departments will tell you how great their products taste. Let's be clear about this... if you are stranded on an island about to starve to death, then yes, their GF dinner roll might just hit the spot. I've come to realize that most people who turn to eating gluten-free apparently have had a "tastebud-ectomy". I honestly don't know how these companies manage to sell so much of their horrible tasting, dry, crumbly, suck-the-moisture-out-of-your-mouth products. And they all will tell you how "good" it tastes. Are they hoping that if they say it enough we'll eventually believe it?!

My daughter baked me these petite  cupcakes.

That's not good enough for me. I want to enjoy food again. I long to eat a hamburger that tastes like a burger I used to enjoy. Not a burger that if I close my eyes and pretend not to notice I can choke down the horrible bun and tell myself "it's better than never having a hamburger again". I'm tired of doing that and am on a quest to find foods that are really quite good.

If you long to find foods that make you forget, if even for just a little while, that you had to give up eating wheat, then join me on this journey. And together maybe we'll find some relief for mundane meals.