Exciting Gluten-Free Products!

Hello all! I am writing this in protest of finishing a pressing paper due tomorrow. I guess I've been so wrapped up in school, I've kinda lost the balance in my life I usually take great pride in having. So, in an effort to bring balance to my evening (and to procrastinate just for 15 more minutes), I bring you a special blog post...

 I wandered around Lifestyle's Market (Douglas location) a couple weeks ago as an opportunity for me to spend money on 'specialty' foods that I probably can't afford. I only do this once every few months, so I somehow can justify it. Anyways, to my delight I found some really amazing gluten-free goodies just waiting to be sampled:

1) Goldbaum's Gluten-Free Chocolate Sugar Cones: a far cry from those styrofoamy goblets we enjoyed as youngsters. it's an ice cream cone...that tastes like a COOKIE! It's likely just another simple privilege that gluten-eaters enjoy regularly, but seriously, when was the last time you had a sugar cone? A must-buy as a wonderful little treat for yourself (goodness knows, you deserve it) [12 cones for about $6]

2) Mountain Top Bakery Sausage Rolls: the little fat kid inside of me loved sausage rolls--flaky dough wrapped around a log of meat?! Sounds promising, right? These little gems made for a couple perfect lunches, yet were a tad expensive. Found in the freezer section. [ 4 rolls for $10]

3) Annie's Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese: I feel like I should have known about this sooner--I feel like I was a deprived student because I didn't eat KD twice a day, and I really hoped for an authentic university experience. This lovely box of super-salty cheese dust and dehydrated elbows (pasta shape, not body part) made a perfect midnight snack while I was studying. I feel slightly more complete. [ 1 box for about $4]

4) Glutino's Chocolate Covered Pretzels: I feel like this doesn't even need justification, but in case you haven't convinced yourself that you deserve this, I'll give you some motivation. It's pretzels....covered in chocolate. Sweet and salty crunchy morsels of indulgence; super addictive, super deadly. I suggest asking your significant other to hide them once you've taken a good handful, otherwise, you'll find yourself walking back and forth from your laptop to the kitchen cupboard in an attempt to satisfy your basic human need to eat chocolate covered pretzels. Good luck with this one. [ 1 bag, for $6]

Pink Sugar Cupcakery (773 Fort St, Victoria BC)

Is there anything better than a fist-sized mound of cake and icing? Probably not. The sheer novelty of a cupcake has held up throughout the decades, and now cupcakes aren't just for birthday parties and bakesales anymore. Indeed, cupcake-culture has culminated into a North America phenomenon where the more creative you are equals more happy customers nomming on your sugar-muffins.

Enter...Pink Sugar Cupcakery.

An unassuming, yet vibrantly decorated sweet shop eagerly awaits your patronage in lovely downtown Victoria. For a gluten-free gobbler such as myself, I had come to terms that gluten-free cupcakes were for special occasions, made by myself in my modest kitchen. When I discovered Origin's Bakery had cupcakes, I jumped in on the action and gave myself a killer sugar-hangover. After I recovered, I breathed a sigh of relief "Thank goodness I don't live close enough to Origin's where I'd be tempted to indulge much too frequently"--I thought to myself. Little did I know that only a few blocks from my home was Pink Sugar, baking up gluten-free desserts on a daily basis....just waiting to get me hooked.



The wonderful thing about Pink Sugar is the vast variety you can sample from; every day is different however so if you want to enjoy the same variety I have, frequent visits are encouraged, or simply call ahead. These cupcakes are so wonderful...I wish I had known about them sooner, but I'm happy I could share my discovery with my readers! FYI, they do special orders ;)

Restaurant Review: Baan Thai (1117 Blandshard St, Victoria BC)

I've made a wonderful new friend this semester, and she's obsessed with Baan Thai. She has been known to eat it on her way to class in the morning, or sometimes twice a day. I liked the idea of trying a new Thai restaurant but I was of course nervous given that gluten allergies are not always easy to accommodate. I did my usual research; an in depth look at Baan Thai's website and online menus and to my surprise, they are able to make about 75% of their menu items gluten-free! Everything was looking quite delicious at this point as I saw a world of options open up in front of me, but I wondered to myself, when would I take the leap of faith and try something new? Well, last night was THE NIGHT! And wow...it was something special!

My friend and I ordered two dishes to share, ordered off the "Take Out Menu":
#17: Pad Thai Gai: Rice noodles, flash fried with tender chicken, extra firm tofu, salted radish, tamarind, egg, green onion with fresh bean sprouts topped with roasted ground peanuts.
#44: Pra Ram Long Song: Tender sliced beef, sauteed with fresh vegetables with Baan Thai's own peanut sauce and chili paste oil. Ordered with a side of Steamed Rice.

To our dismay, we came home with our aromatic paper bag package and opened it up--the portions were much smaller than Little Thai Place and the dishes were slightly more expensive. Usually when we order from Little Thai Place, we have enough food for two dinners under $30. "Nevermind" I told myself  "Let's see how it tastes!" My friend and I sussed out the details, ensuring each of us had the exact same amount of food each...both of us are big eaters and sometimes sharing can be complicated. We emptied out the aluminum pans of every last morsel of goodness and we sat down.

Okay, I'll be honest. Regardless of the cost or the portion size, the food was EXCELLENT. Mouth-watering, savory, and perfectly balanced. This food had serious flavor and I felt bad for judging a book by its cover (or meal by its size). I could finally understand how my new friend could eat this every day...it was everything I wish my homemade Thai food could be. And I didn't get that gross, heavy feeling I usually get after eating oily take-out--this food actually tasted like REAL food. The saddest thing was we finished our plates, and we were both hungry after. Baan Thai was satisfying in every way except it could not tame my big appetite while being friendly to my student-sized wallet. Bottom line, I would DEFINITELY have Baan Thai again, and I would DEFINITELY recommend it to anyone with a gluten-allergy. Just inform your server (or call-taker) that you have a gluten-allergy and they take care of you from there.

An Update: Where I've been, What I'm eating, and What's Next...

                               
My goodness has it been a long time! This has been the busiest time of my life so far, and I wish I was exaggerating. I'm in 3 week long courses that are condensed from the standard 14 week long course, so literally, everyday I'm at school, and every night I'm doing homework. It's super intense! On top of that, we're moving this month and the process has been anything but simple and straight forward. This month has been EXCELLENT for food though. Here's a little briefing of where we've been, and what we've eaten...
1) Noodle Box--Had the Spicy Peanut gluten-free finally and my tummy was delighted!
2) The Pink Bicycle--I had the Lamb Burger with Blue Cheese and Apricot Pesto...to die for!
3) Canoe Club-- A gluten-free success! I had the Cowichan Pulled Chicken Sandwich with a side salad, and my brother had the burger on gluten-free bread. I had heard some mixed reviews regarding their gluten-free foods, but I informed my server that my allergy was very severe and to ask the chefs to be extremely careful. It was great in the end!
4) Little Thai Place and West Coast Waffles--I would tell you more, but I haven't tried anything new from them yet! Still, love them!

I have two new favorite gluten-free products: Hunny Bunny Amazing Dad's BBQ sauce...it seems expensive for $8, but it's 100% organic, and the first ingredient is organic honey. It's SO good! San-J Tamari Peanut Salad Dressing...would be yummy on an asian-inspired salad, or on anything really! Both bought at Thrifty's.

My brother is in town and he's an excellent cook. We've been eating very well you might guess. He bought a deep-fryer just for his visit so we could have huevos rancheros with keffir lime hollandaise, and spicy fish tacos with coleslaw. Since he's been here, we've also had BBQ'd halibut, BBQ'd ribs, and burgers. Every day there has been a meal together, and it's been so delicious. It's been a marathon of food!

The future of this blog is looking very bright. I am discovering countless more places in Victoria that do gluten-free menus or food items and I'm just so excited to try them! The downside of being a student is that I can't dine-out very often, especially not 'fine dining'. Currently, I am at the end of my student loans and awards and all my funds are being set aside for bare basics for the next 25 days (yes, I really am counting down the days).  It seems that gluten-free is expanding all over Victoria and I've compiled a little list of the places I'll be eating at in the coming months.
1) Brickyard Pizza--I'm curious to see how careful they are about cross contamination, but also excited!
2) Jackalope Bistro--A peculiar little place I've walked past a million times, but they have cheap burgers on gluten-free 'corn rounds'...we'll have to wait and see about this one!
3) The Reef--Not a particularly exciting gluten-free menu, but I'm hoping it's delicious still!
4) Bon Sushi--I had this sushi once before, but now I want to pay special attention to what they do to accommodate gluten allergies and what exactly is gluten-free from the menu.
5) SkinnyTato--Polish cuisine for me? The menu looks small, but I'd go just for the cabbage rolls and potato pancakes!
6) John's Place-- They carry Origin's bread for their breakfast menu...eggs benny? Fingers crossed.
7) Pagliacci's-- An exciting pasta menu, available with rice noodles. I'll double check about cross contamination.
8) Smoken Bones--when they open in December, I'm gunna be ALL over this place.

That's it for now guys! I promise to update more come September!

Seattle Extravaganza! Part 2 of 2

The best part of Seattle was of course, all the seafood!

                                    

Crab Pot Insanity

The Crab Pot, 1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle WA

Once we docked in Seattle, and checked into our hotels, the group decided they wanted to be real tourists and go to "The Crab Pot". For those who don't know much about this place, "The Crab Pot" is located in the super touristy district on Alaskan Way, and the restaurant itself is GIGANTIC. Like, literally, it takes up about a block, A CITY BLOCK! At The Crab Pot, you sit down at big long tables covered in paper. You order a selection of seafood including crab, mussels, clams, prawns and oysters and they steam it all up together with some red potatoes and corn on the cob. Once it's cooked, they dump it all on your table, give you a wooden mallet and block, and of course, a bib. Yes, a bib. Like a baby. The Crab Pot is nothing spectacular honestly; the seafood is delicious ), but the service is pretty bad, and the atmosphere is super tacky. You basically go to The Crab Pot just for the experience of getting messy with a bucket of seafood. It felt so American.
Gluten-Free Tip for The Crab Pot: Ask to get your meal without the andouille sausage. It is NOT gluten-free.

Sazerac, 1101 Fourth Ave, Seattle WA

Lamb Sausage with Polenta

The best part of our foodie adventures in Seattle took place at this fantastic restaurant: Sazerac. They were located in the Hotel Monaco, right across the street from our own hotel. We practically haunted Hotel Monaco the entire trip: 5 oclock wine tasting and appys in the lobby, awesome restaurant, convenience/gift  shop, friendly helpful staff that will practically bend over backwards just to accommodate you...Yah, Hotel Monaco was simply amazing. And it was the same price as our hotel which kinda sucked in comparison. We'll definitely stay here next summer. 

So, down to Sazerac. I'm going to be honest, I wish this place was in Victoria. We ate 3 out of 4 meals here...and for good reason. They will make pretty much anything gluten-free for you. Not only do they have a special gluten-free menu, but they literally will make any modification so you can enjoy whatever your heart desires. Eat your heart out indeed!

For breakfast both mornings, I had the "Eggs in Hell" which consisted of polenta, eggs, red beans, and andouille sausage which was just amazing! 

Later that night, we indulged in a four-course tasting menu; and believe it or not, I HAD DESSERT! My four courses were: Fresh Oysters on the Half-Shell with Mignonette, Roasted Beet Salad with Chevre and Pistachios, Pan Seared Scallops with Chickpea Puree, and a Maple Pecan Creme Caramel with Candied Banana. This meal was just $40. Plus, it was one of the best meals I've ever had. Literally, to die for.

Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates with Chevre and Balsamic Reduction

We ate a lot of food from Sazerac, and how could we not! Practically everything they make was ready for a gluten-free modification. I could not have asked for a better place to eat while in Seattle...it took all the stress and guess work out of searching for a delicious meal. I'm so excited to go back soon!

Odds and Ends:

Something that I cannot get out of my mind is the Gelato I had in Seattle. Bottega Italiano Gelato (1425 First Ave) had mindblowing gelato. It's made with 100% natural, in-season ingredients (no corn syrup or preservatives) I wish I had gone back at least 3 more times, it was such a delicious treat to combat the hot climate. Me and my friend shared a four-scoop cup for roughly $5. It was a very generous portion for the price. We had Chocolate, Cinnamon, Coffee, and lastly, Pistachio flavors. The Pistachio was epic, and unlike anything I've ever had before. I'm determined to find some in Victoria that is even half as delectable. They also had many dairy-free options for those of us who don't do moo-juice.

Seattle Extravaganza! Part 1 of 2

Last weekend, me and and a group of friends all made the trek over the Seattle for a Steely Dan concert. Naturally, I get quite anxious at the very thought of leaving the comfort of my city and kitchen to explore the unfamiliar and scour a new environment for delicious eats.

I did some planning for my Seattle trip. I had gone onto urbanspoon.com to get the scoop on what restaurants were being touted as gluten-free. I made a fabulous list, complete with addresses and types of cuisine. (I'm a Capricorn...making lists is just something we're obsessed with). But despite my list, I felt like it had the potential to hold me back, or worse yet, isolate me from the rest of the group. I knew I had to be flexible for improvisation.

After taking this three day trip, I kept some notes on how to improve my experience the next time I'm over there. I suppose these tips could apply to travelling just about everywhere, so hopefully this will be useful to everyone:
1) Make sure your hotel room has a mini fridge: Yes, we had a coffee maker in the room, but no accessible soy milk.
2) The Clipper has pretty much no gluten-free options: Aside from sodium-laden peanuts and potato chips, you're pretty much on your own for this 3 hour ordeal. The Clipper can at times be a pretty rocky ride; I recommend bringing these: a couple bananas, candied ginger, rice cakes, and an apple, water bottle, and coconut water. If customs gives you a hard time for bringing fruit on board, just simply explain to them these are your only food options available for the trip over. They'll be nice about it.
3) Bring ginger capsules: these handy little pills are my best friends when eating at unfamiliar places. I took about 3 with every meal, and 2 every couple of hours. I was still recovering from the gluten-poisoning I experienced nearly 3 weeks ago now, and my tum was just not ready for super rich foods. So...I forced myself to eat whatever was available, and I counteracted any unpleasantry with these ginger pills. If you wanna read more about ginger pills, go here http://www.nutritional-supplements-information.com/benefits-of-ginger-root.html.
4) Inform every place you eat that you have a gluten allergy: Ask what might be suitable options, and also don't be afraid to ask for them to make modifications. Most places I found were happy to accommodate me.

Another recommendation, find a drug store close to where you're staying. Once there, look for coconut water  in the refrigerated section. Coconut water does amazing things for my stomach, especially if I've eaten too much salt, or too rich foods. I drank about half a litre of this stuff every day I was there.