Eating out as a coeliac is a completely different matter! The complete lack of choice is completely mind blowing, sometimes there may actually be nothing at all that you can eat!
I went to a cafe today with some old friends, and was very excited to see they had GF cakes (something they didn't have previously)! But its sad when you excited over a 3 different types of cakes you can choose from! Then you glance out of the corner of your eye to the gluten filled cakes!, the variety, the size! GF cakes are generally rather small (granted these were all cup cake like size) but many cafes were I live don't stock anything else! I looked in envy at the size of the cakes my friends had and indeed how nice they looked! GF food doesn't have to be small and lack presentation of flavour!
It's not just cafes, I've been to restaurants were there are three GF options on the menu for both main and desert. Thankfully on this particular occasion I had my first choice of main with any problems and no puffer fish! The GF deserts did look great, the waitress came back to me after I ordered to inform me that 'whoops, that desert wasn't gf they made a mistake!!', I looked at the menu and picked another gf option, she came back again to tell me this time the desert was gf but they had sold out. I ended up with a desert but it wasn't what I wanted!, my third choice!
I often dream about the day when we can go out and the majority of the meals will be gf or at least have a gf option! Wouldn't it be nice.......
Recipe of the Day
Roasted capsicum, garlic and tomato soup
Ingredients
4 red capsicums (peppers for USA readers)
3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
400g can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt Pepper
1 Litre of chicken stock (I used powdered stock)
Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. De seed capsicums and cut in half, place in a large baking dish. Peal garlic and add to capsicum. Pour some olive oil over the capsicums and roast in oven for about 20 minutes or until skins start to bubble and go crispy (darker looking). Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes, carefully peal skin from capsicums. Roughly cut capsicums and put them into a large saucepan with garlic, add tomato, stock, rosemary and thyme and salt and pepper. Cook on medium to low heat for 30 minutes. Add more salt pepper, rosemary and thyme to your taste.
Remove from heat and puree soup, ensuring all capsicums is chopped up. Serve and eat!!
Enjoy
xxxx
