Who All Seen the Leprechaun, Say "Yeah"

 

 

A few weeks back we stopped in a little pub between water polo games.  They had a great beer selection on tap, so I asked if they had any gluten free beers.  The bartender said they didn't have beer but they had a new hard cider on tap that came from a local business. 

I was skeptical.  Ciders tend to be too sweet for my taste.  I'm a beer girl; present tense even though I can't have gluten beer anymore. 

She handed me a glass of cider that was drawn from the tap and said, "It's called 'Leprechaun'.  The company is here in Houston.  I think you'll like it.  It's not too sweet."

I tried it.

I'll try anything, especially if it tugs at my jingoistic pride for all things Texan AND makes homage to my Irish roots.

In the eloquent words of Ana Steele, from the book I call Fifty Shades of Meh,  "Holy cow!"

It was good!  Not just, "I'm-drinking-this-because-I-have-to" good but really, really good!

It reminded me more of a sparkling wine than a cider.  I later read that champagne yeast is used rather than beer yeast in the brewing.  That probably accounts for the slightly drier feel this cider has compared to others.

But it was only a sample.  Would a whole bottle of it be as tasty?

Excited to see that the company has grown from tap-only distribution to having stock in stores, I found some at HEB.   

I've enjoyed every bottle I've purchased so far.  It's not beer but it doesn't have to be beer.  It's good on its own merit.  It  pairs well with spicy foods, (gluten free) pizza, salads, hot summer nights and crispy fall weather. 

The only problem I can find with this cider is that every time I open one my mind goes straight to this...



If you get a chance to try Leprechaun, let me know what you think.

Bottoms up or should I say, "I want the gold!  Show me the gold!"?

Wheat Belly?

 

Someone recently asked me if I had read the book Wheat Belly. 

 

I did my best Mae West impersonation: "Read it?  Honey, I LIVE it."

 

 

The photo above on the left was taken the last time I got glutened.  The photo on the right is me, in the same dress, once the effects of the glutening had passed (it took a few weeks). 

It's a Schar Thing

Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato, Onion with Homemade Ranch on Schar Baguette

As someone who loves to cook, I am amazed at my lack of imagination when it comes to making gluten free food that travels; default setting goes straight to sandwiches.

Nothing satisfies like a sandwich.  It's the stuff of which childhood lunch memories are made.  A sandwich is quick, transportable and self-contained. 

For someone with celiac disease, a sandwich is a thing of longing.  It was one of the first and one of the few things I miss.  Not the first; beer being the first.  I can barely type the word 'beer' with out pangs of angst.  Beer first and then, sometimes sandwiches.  See, it takes over.  This blog entry is not about beer.   

I don't miss any particular type of sandwich, it's the comfort, the shape, the familiarity, the ease of making a meal.

Sure I make lettuce wraps now.  Sure I've gotten better at packing left-overs for on the road meals but every now and again I want long for a sandwich.

Many of the sliced gluten free breads leave me cold (and gritty).  I do love Gluten Free Houston's Millet Sour Dough but some sandwiches call for heft like this one:

That picture was taken in La Ferté-Bernard, pre-gluten free me and that is the type of sandwich that comes to me in my dreams.  I thought it was gone from my life forever...

...until my friend found gluten free Schar bread hiding in our local HEB.  She picked up some of their classic white rolls for me to try.  They are wonderful and so I went to buy more.  That's when I found this:

Baguettes!  Gluten free baguettes!  They look and act just like a baguette should!  I've used this bread toasted and slightly warmed.  I've even bitten off a hunk of it right out of the bag.  I may even try to make french toast with it soon.  It's good.  It feels right.  It satisfies my longing.

 

I'm still looking for whole food, grain free options for my dietary mainstays.  But sometimes nothing can beat a Schar thing. 

All Your Labs are Normal

"All your labs are Normal.  May need to do further evaluation if fatigue continues."





This is a doctor's note from 2003. 

Nine years ago.

It's not the first 'normal' report I got from a doctor... it's just the only note I still have.

I started going to doctors after my son was born in 1997 looking for a reason for my debilitating fatigue.  It was always the same response, "All your labs are Normal." 

Actually, they were usually better than normal; they indicated that I was very, very healthy.

But I didn't feel healthy.  I was tired; tired to my bones. 

The docs always appeared to listen intently; asking questions about my everyday life: 

You have two children under two? 
Both your parents just passed away? 
You're managing their estate and working two part-time jobs?

Well, no wonder you're tired!

I remember telling one doctor, "I'm really in tune with my body.  I know there's something else going on."

Years went by.  Years and years of  'Normal' labs.  Years and years of doctors looking at me as if I had a touch of the hypochondria.  Years and years of pushing myself through my daily life. 

It wasn't uncommon for me to sit in the car with my head on the steering wheel, arms drooped in my lap, before I had the energy to lift them to start the engine and drive.

I came up with a phrase to get me to the end of the day: muscle your way through. 

"Come on, Kim, muscle your way through the grocery store."

"Get up and muscle your way past your aching joints."

"Muscle your way through this spin class.  It will make you feel better... eventually." (It never did but I looked better.)

"Muscle your way through the bedtime story."

Stubbornly I propelled myself through the days.

I didn't exactly ignore the increasing pain and fatigue... I just started believing it was 'Normal'. 

"You have young children" turned into, "Well, you're not getting any younger."

This is where the anger starts.

I missed at least fourteen years of my life!

Perhaps if my body hadn't responded so quickly and positively to going gluten-free I would feel differently.  But my symptoms started to lift two days after removing gluten from my diet!

Fourteen prime years.

I try not to take it out on every doctor I see now.  I do, however, see it as my mission to educate them.

They don't seem to like it much.

I started with my internist, who I happen to like:

"When you have a patient presenting with mysterious, seemingly unrelated symptoms, but their standard labs are normal, why don't you run  a panel for celiac disease?  It's just simple blood tests.  The Italians include it in their yearly physicals." 

She didn't even registered a verbal response.  She glazed over more than a Dunkin' donut and hurried to finish the consultation.

Fourteen early years of my children's life!

I said the same thing to my general practitioner.  He replied, "Oh, when I have patients with gastrointestinal problems, I always tell them to cut out dairy.  If that doesn't help I have them cut out wheat."

I reminded him I never had gastrointestinal symptoms before my diagnosis.  He blinked a few times. 
That was his response, a few blinks and a goodbye.

Fourteen precious years!

So why the rant now? 

A blog by the Gluten Dude rekindled my ire last week and sent me searching for evidence; proof that I do, indeed, know my body better than anyone.  That's when I found this note I had filed away.  Like a time capsule waiting to reaffirm what I used to believe deeply: I know my body better than anyone else.

When it comes to being a know-it-all, this note proves that I AM. 

YOU are too.

Let's take it beyond ourselves.  Let's tell everyone we can about celiac disease.  Let's make it a truly 'normal' consideration for ourselves, our loved ones, our doctors and our society to screen for this disease.  It's not some diet fad but the very real cause of what ails many of us.

FOURTEEN FREAKIN' YEARS.

(Can I point out that the doc used a capital N for 'Normal' but not on the word 'need'?  Maybe I'm reading too much into it- but it's as if he wanted to emphasize that everything was ok.  Yes, I'm bitter;  FOUR-teen years.)

Cra-zay for Caprese

 

 



Firm ripe tomatoes, marintated mozzarella balls cut in half, fresh basil.  Stick a toothpick through them.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction.

That is all.

For real, that's all there is to it.

Avocado Margaritas

I love avocados so much I think they should be their own food group!  But when our friends said they had a recipe for an avocado margarita, I have to be honest, I was skeptical. 

 

Avocados in a drink? I didn't believe it could be good. 

 

But, boy, was I wrong! These margaritas are sublime.  The avocado lends a creamy smoothness that does not overwhelm.  So delicate and refreshing, I am now an avocado margarita believer!

 

Here's the recipe from The Mission restaurant in Arizona:

 

1 1/2 oz. of Cruz Reposado

1/2 oz. Triple Sec

2 oz Sweet and Sour

1 oz Lime Juice

1 oz Orange Juice

Splash of Agave Nectar

1/2 oz of Grand Marnier

1/2 an Avocado

 

Cut out and mash avocado into a martini shaker.  Top with ice and add other ingredients to shaker. 

 

Shake vigorously until thick and creamy.  Strain through a fine mesh and pour over crushed ice in a short glass.

 

Arriba!

Fried Eggplant, the Gluten FreeK Way

 

Dish three of Eggplantapalooza: 

 

I bring you gluten free fried eggplant at my family's request. 

 

The starting place for all eggplant dishes is to start with a male eggplant.  No gender discrimination here; just fact that boys have fewer seeds and will be less bitter.  Look for an eggplant with smooth, un-bruised skin.  I like the big boys, so I try to find one that is heavier than it looks.  This tells me it has nice, firm flesh.

Leaving the skin on, slice both ends off and then slice the eggplant into sticks that are about as wide as your index finger.  The edges will be odd shaped, but that's ok.

 

In one bowl, mix the ingredients for the egg wash. 

 

In another, combine the ingredients for the breading.  A few  notes on the breading: 

 

My favorite gluten free bread crumbs are ones that I make from Gluten Free Houston's Sourdough Millet Bread.  I save the ends and grind into crumbs in my Vitamix.  The crumbs can be frozen.  They may freeze into lumps but a quick spin in the Vitamix or food processor will break them apart again. 

 

My favorite Italian seasoning is Instant Gourmet's Original.  My father-in-law knows the owners and they have assured him it is gluten free (I also have a non-biological Celiac nephew!?!)  This spice blend makes great garlic bread and is salt free!

 

Now you dip the eggplant sticks in the egg wash and then dredge in the breading mix one at a time.  Sometimes I have to press the breading onto the eggplant to be sure it sticks.  Place the breaded eggplant on wax paper to wait for frying. 

 

The breading does not stick well to the skin.  I like the skin to show some, but if you want those end pieces to have breading, then do the egg wash and breading a second time.

 

Use one hand for the "wet" bowl and the other for "dry"mix. 
This will minimize having big gooey globs of breading on your fingers by the end of the process.
 

I now have the luxurious Emeril deep fryer, thanks to my Canadian friend who didn't want to transport it north of the border. Never touched by gluten, this fryer has taken all the worry out of deep frying. I fill it to the line and preheat to 356°F. 

 

If you don't have a deep fryer, these can be made in a deep fry pan.  You will need enough oil in the pan to cover the eggplant sticks at least half way.  A thermometer is the best way to tell if your oil is between 350-365 °F.  If you don't have a thermometer, a wooden chopstick or wooden spoon can be inserted into the oil.  If the oil bubbles steadily around the chopstick, the oil is ready.  If the bubbles are too vigorous, turn the heat down slightly.  Few to no bubbles?  The oil is not hot enough and your food will soak up too much grease. 

 

Some will suggest dropping water into the oil to see if it sizzles.   Hot oil and water do NOT mix safely!  The oil could possibly pop and hit you in the eye or face. 

 

Fry the eggplant sticks a few at a time so as not to crowd them.  Crowded fryers yield soggy food.  Use the chopsticks to help turn them over once one side reaches a toasty brown color.  Allow to cook on the other side.  Remove from grease and hold over fryer and allow to drain.  Place the eggplant on paper towels to absorb additional grease. 

 

Serve freshly hot.  If you need to put them on hold until eating, place in a warm oven on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. 
Dip these aubergine dreams in marinara sauce... or better yet, some creamy cilantro dip!

If you want to make Eggplant Parmesan, slice the eggplant into 1/2"  rounds and follow the same breading and cooking method.  Cover in your favorite red sauce, mozzarella cheese and then bake at 350 °F until warm.