A Slice

One of the true joys of living in New York is the slice. You know how it goes, you stop by the local pizza place on the way to a party that you don't want to be hungry for, on the way home from drinks that you don't want to be too hungover from. It's perfect: greasy, filling, cheap. One slice takes the edge off, two are acceptable as a meal substitute.

And then there's gluten-free pizza. Available: only at home, only after preparation, only after a 450 degree oven. Or: Mozzarelli's. Available after a visit to the lawyer to discuss partnership agreements. ("$350 an hour? Eh... Next to Mozzarelli's? Where do I sign?")

Some things:

1. Good crust.

2. Greasy, not too greasy.

3. Good topping options (note: pepperoni, above)

4. Available By The Slice.

That's what I'm talking about, people. I love New York. Even More.

Devil's Food Cake and Funfetti icing, too

A couple of months ago General Mills announced a line of Betty Crocker gluten-free baking mixes.

Tonight, a simple trip to the Park Slope C-Town challenged me to bake a birthday cake in honor of all the Leos of our lives. The mix was simple, only three ingredients and 38 minutes later, Devil's Food Cake with Funfetti icing (artificially-flavored vanilla icing with a packet of sprinkles tucked into the lid of the perfect tub). And, it tastes exactly as I remember box cake. How did they do it?

At start, I was wary; the mix was granular, the batter watery but after plumping at 325 and topped with fluffy icing, it's perfect.

Ice cream sandwiches

Lo and behold, ice cream sandwiches! On a recent trip to Union Market, a font of gluten-free pastas, treats and naturally safe fruits and veggies, I created the Brooklyn version of a summertime favorite. A oversized scoop of Ronnybrook vanilla ice cream "smooshed" between two Dr. Lucy's Cinnamon Thin cookies (they are basically Snickerdoodles, but crispier) makes for the perfect ending a summery dinner party. The cookies were so cinnamon-sugary with a subtle hint of salt, the best GF cookie to date. Even gluten-loving guests went in for seconds!

Pancakes

It's the season of the CSA, when the mounds of kale and chard in the refrigerator compete with my normal inclination to just order take out. Right now, for instance, the door swings open to: lettuce, bok choi, kale, broccoli, snow peas, corn, cucumbers, scapes, peaches, and blueberries. And last week's pickles. Oh, and (just checked) scallions, turnips, eggs, and kohlrabi. So delicious and local and good for me... so overwhelming. With more coming on Thursday.

Clearly, I need to take steps. Today's baby step was: blueberry pancakes. (Hey! I admitted it was a baby step.)

In all honesty, I've never been much of a pancake girl, even before I knew I was celiac. It was always like choosing candy for breakfast--feeling glad that as an adult I can make that choice, but knowing that as an adult I have to live with the consequences of feeling jumpy and hungry for the rest of the day.

So pancakes are a special treat. Particularly using the Kinnikinnick mix. I venture to say that this is one of the few gf items where the gf version is far superior to the traditional. The perfect consistency--spongy but substantial, chewy but light. I don't know how those folks do it. Also, perfect for me: they only require 3 ingredients: 1 egg, oil and water/milk/seltzer/soy milk (I love that choice, as I'm bound to have at least one of those). And fresh South Jersey blueberries that get all melty and juicy and explode in your mouth.

Today I made them as big as my head. Now I'm ready to a) make peach ice cream or b) take a nap.

Yellow Cake on the Horizon

Oh my goodness, so many new things, so long ago my last post.

First, a quick one:

JULY 2, 2009
For General Mills, Wheat-Free Items Are Tricky to Make, Cheap to Market

Mass marketer General Mills Inc. is carving out a niche in gluten-free food after realizing it could reach eager customers without costly ad campaigns.

The company's Betty Crocker brand is rolling out gluten-free mixes for cookies, brownies and cakes. The mixes are the first gluten-free offering from a major, mainstream brand in the cake-mix aisle. Gluten is a key protein in wheat, but many people react badly to it.

Ann Simonds, General Mills's president of baking products, says the company decided to pursue gluten-free products last year after its customer-relations department noticed that customer inquiries about food allergies and sensitivities ...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124649298279583139.html

Or, you know, if they'd been paying attention. I have to say, this is probably the beginning of the crap-ization of gluten-free food, but doesn't a box cake sound kind of dreamy in a summer vacation kind of way?

Chinese meal in DC

When I found out that the menu for our company laser tag retreat this year was "pizza for lunch, Chinese for dinner," I was devastated. Really? Don't they remember that I have celiac disease? And don't they know there is absolutely nothing for me to eat at a Chinese restaurant?

Of course, Alexis contends that there are plenty of things that I can eat at a Chinese restaurant, to which I reply: "Like what? Chicken with that gloopy clearish white sauce? I'll pass, thanks." I mean, no soy sauce, nothing deep-fried, nothing breaded. What does that leave at your standard Chinese place?

Lucky for me, Peking Gourmet Inn in Falls Church, VA, is not your standard Chinese place. For one thing, it's the Bushes' favorite Chinese restaurant, and as soon as I walked in I saw one million photos to prove it. Hmm. One the pro-side: good enough for former leader of the free world. Con-side: he's not celiac.

There was no gluten-free menu, which always makes me a little nervous, but there was a very attentive server who promised me something delicious with no flour or soy sauce. Chicken with garlic shoots it was. I remained suspicious as the Scorpion Bowls arrived, with the dumplings soon after. I had braced myself for this, by envisioning what I'd have from room service before I even sat down.

And then the garlic shoots arrived on the baby-pool-sized lazy susan. What a dream: fresh tasting, not at all bland, and pungent without leaving me smelling of garlic for days. That same fresh taste that the "special greens" at Sushi D have. Success!

I knew the Bushes wouldn't let me down (when it came to Chinese food).

Order of Dumplings

Obviously it would be the pork dumplings at Lily's 57. Oh my god, how much I've missed Chinese food since being diagnosed with celiac.

When people ask which gluten-free treats I miss, I usually keep it to three things: great naan, fresh New York pizza, and real New York bagels. I miss them for their convenience, their chewy deliciousness, their irreproducability.

But lurking behind that neat list is an entire category of delectable Chinese food, entirely off limits. Oh, delicious brown sauce, tempting fried items, greasy egg rolls, steamy dumplings, I admit it: I miss you. Even, you, slightly stale fortune cookies. I miss you, too.

Until now. Based on the Celiac Chicks review, I took my mom, aunt Sue, and Alexis to Lily's 57 after an off-Broadway show last weekend. With low expectations, I requested the gluten-free menu, and was immediately dazzled by the choices. It was like the first time I went to Tao Palate as a vegetarian: you mean I can have *any* of this? Really? In fact, I was so overwhelmed that the manager had to come over to assist me.

His enthusiasm was contagious: "all of the blogs" love the dumplings (one order, please!), the chicken satay is very good (sign me up) and apparently their gluten-free General Tso's is even better than their sister restaurant, Lily and Loo's (sold).

The satay was first, and while I loved not being anxious about whether the peanut sauce had soy sauce in it, the chicken was a little bland, and nothing to write home about. But then came the dumplings: OMG. First, they were filled with pork, which prompted a wonderful flashback to my pre-vegetarian days. Second, the dumpling itself was excellent. Doughy without being sticky, and with good mouth feel. Just thinking about them now, my mouth is watering.

Next time I try a new gluten-free restaurant, I'm making everyone order gluen-free to expand my options, like a real restaurant reviewer. At Lily's I made the mistake of letting everyone choose for herself. Never again.

Because my gluten-free General Tso's tofu (my former vegetarianism dies hard, apparently) was the best dish on the table. Lightly fried, in a spicy/sweet sauce. Perfectly nostalgic. I let everyone try it to determine that I had, in fact, gotten the best thing, and then had to slap their hands away so they wouldn't eat it all.

The owners even brought me out a piece of gluten-free layer cake, on the house, to end my meal. Apparently, it's a work in progress, and when I had it, it was a little... leaden. But I have no doubt that they will get it right by my next visit. Which is, hopefully, tomorrow?