This is ridiculous!! The words my husband uttered after walking out of two restaurants because there was nothing that I could eat on the menu! It was lunch and we were having a nice meal out. We weren't in our local area and we decided to go to one of the rather large clubs in western Sydney with numerous dining options.
The first choice only did fried seafood etc, they did provide an all you can eat buffet but as my husband reminded me how do you know there's not gluten in the satay???
Off we trotted to the second option, my first gripe isn't about the lack of gf food it's the advertising. There was a rather large sign out the front stating lunches for $15 with a soft drink, this was also at the table. But in very fine print was weekdays only!!! What a marketing ploy! Then we sat down, there was no little gf symbol on the menu but I asked if they did gf pizza bases, no they didn't. My second option was soup of the day, but that was minestrone, so full of pasta! There were a few options that I could have had, but I wasn't paying $30+ for a steak for lunch! Once we were informed of the food options, I said to the waitress we are going to have to go somewhere else!
Option three was back to place one to ask if they would do a grilled piece of fish for me, 'We only do fried food here, you will have to go to the other cafe for that!'!!!!
Now we are up to option four!!!, we went to the cafe, the prices were ridiculous for most things, but I did find a risotto on the menu. After the issues I've had in the past with risotto I went asked if there was gluten in the stock. The girl at the counter was rather polite and asked the chef, who was a cow (this would be the most polite way I could describe her)! I heard 'risotto? It's rice,why would it have gluten!!!' I had to explain to her that there is gluten in some stocks, she had no clue!!! Seriously love where are your manners!!! And your a chef, surely you should have some knowledge of whats in the food you cook!
We were running out of options, so I braved it and ordered the risotto. Thankfully the puffer fish didn't emerge, but we were both still annoyed at the lack of options and the attitude of the chef. On the way home I was already drafting a letter by telling my husband what I would say to them in an email if the puffer fish emerged!
Maybe I will write the email about the complete lack of gf options at the number of dining facilities at the club and we can't forgot the attitude of the chef!
On a different note I've set up a Facebook page for the blog, Its Mishaps and Mayhem of a Gluten Free Life
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mishaps-and-Mayhem-of-a-Gluten-Free-Life/227061153975947
have a look at the page and click on like.
Recipe of the Day
This is from the book Gluten Free Bible, I'm sorry there's not a picture of this recipe, I made these the other day and they were gone before I had a chance to take a picture. I will upload a picture later this week.
Coconut macaroons
Ingredients
2 large egg whites
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons rice flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
Optional 1-2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I haven't cooked these with the zest)
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks form (I use hand held electric mixer) and fold in coconut, flour and sugar, mix well.
Form little mounds of the batter on the tray and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown (set timer for 18 minutes just to check).
Cool on a rack before storing
Enjoy xxx
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Saturday, 21 May 2011
GF baking isn't easy
Gluten free baking is not like normal baking, cakes don't usually rise as much, dough has a different texture and things don't always work out.
I've had lots of success with gf cooking and baking but it is important to share there have been lots of interesting concoctions......
I remember one morning getting up to cook myself and my husband some pancakes for breakfast, I had a packet mix which a friend had given me. Good idea but a massive mishap! They turned out a weird grey colour and had the consistency of a glue like dough. My husband took one look at the pancakes and put some toast on, I had to prove a point, so I smothered a few pancakes in golden syrup and tried to eat them. Tried is probably the best word to use, I could only eat a few mouthfuls, they were rather disgusting! So the whole lot got tossed in the bin!
Then there's the shortbread that I attempted to make.... You have to make the dough and put in the fridge for 30minutes to 1 hour, we had to leave a family emergency and it was several hours before we got home. I got the dough out of the fridge when we returned and proceeded to cook it. I really don't know if it was because the dough was in the fridge too long (that's my excuse and I'm sticking too it!) but it wouldn't brown up and was in crumbly chunks! I tasted a bit and it did resemble shortbread but it was just too hard to eat. After all that time and effort, the shortbread too ended up in the bin. Washing up endless dishes after baking is bad enough, when you have an end product that you can eat and enjoy, it sucks when you ruin the dish and you are washing up what seems like thousands of dishes with no reward at the end!
My most recent blunder in the kitchen was actually the day I posted up the recipe for brownies! I've cooked these endless times before and thought it would be nice to have for afternoon tea. I was caught up in the excitement of starting the blog and mixed everything up but forgot to put the sugar in. As I poured it in the tin it didn't look quite right and I couldn't figure out why, then I tasted it. YUCK!!! No sugar, I poured the mixture back into the bowl added sugar and put it back in the pan. It just didn't turn out right, it tasted a bit funny and stuck to the pan, most of it ended up in the bin too!
I thought it was important to share my blunders as well as my success stories. Each day I post up a recipe that I cook and it works out, but there are often things that don't. So don't be afraid to have a go with cooking and messing up a dish is part of learning, the important thing to remember is to make sure you get back in the kitchen and have a go again and have fun while your doing it!
Recipe of the Day
White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Hazelnut Sauce
From The Gluten- Free Kitchen by Sue Shepherd
I cooked this for the first time last night, everyone loved it, every last mouthful was eaten! I didn't have panna cotta moulds, so I just used some glasses.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I used essence and it was fine)
1/3 cup sugar
50g white chocolate
3 tablespoons boiling water
1 tablespoon powdered gelatine
Hazelnut sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons coco powder, sifted
11/4 tablespoons GF cornflour
11/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur (I used Frangelico)
Method
Heat cream, milk, vanilla, sugar and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate has melted.
Combine the boiling water and gelatine in a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a larger bowl of boiling water, stirring constantly until the gelatine has dissolved. Stir the dissolved gelatine into the chocolate mixture. Pour into panna cotta moulds (or glasses, see picture if unsure of amount) and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight until set.
To make the sauce, combine the sugar, cocoa and cornflour in a small saucepan. Stir in a little milk to form a thick paste, then add remaining milk and mix well to ensure there are no lumps (I used a whisk for this). Stir over medium-high heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, then remove from heat and stir in hazelnut liqueur. Transfer to a jug, over and refrigerate until ready to serve, pour over the panna cotta.
Enjoy
xxxx
I've had lots of success with gf cooking and baking but it is important to share there have been lots of interesting concoctions......
I remember one morning getting up to cook myself and my husband some pancakes for breakfast, I had a packet mix which a friend had given me. Good idea but a massive mishap! They turned out a weird grey colour and had the consistency of a glue like dough. My husband took one look at the pancakes and put some toast on, I had to prove a point, so I smothered a few pancakes in golden syrup and tried to eat them. Tried is probably the best word to use, I could only eat a few mouthfuls, they were rather disgusting! So the whole lot got tossed in the bin!
Then there's the shortbread that I attempted to make.... You have to make the dough and put in the fridge for 30minutes to 1 hour, we had to leave a family emergency and it was several hours before we got home. I got the dough out of the fridge when we returned and proceeded to cook it. I really don't know if it was because the dough was in the fridge too long (that's my excuse and I'm sticking too it!) but it wouldn't brown up and was in crumbly chunks! I tasted a bit and it did resemble shortbread but it was just too hard to eat. After all that time and effort, the shortbread too ended up in the bin. Washing up endless dishes after baking is bad enough, when you have an end product that you can eat and enjoy, it sucks when you ruin the dish and you are washing up what seems like thousands of dishes with no reward at the end!
My most recent blunder in the kitchen was actually the day I posted up the recipe for brownies! I've cooked these endless times before and thought it would be nice to have for afternoon tea. I was caught up in the excitement of starting the blog and mixed everything up but forgot to put the sugar in. As I poured it in the tin it didn't look quite right and I couldn't figure out why, then I tasted it. YUCK!!! No sugar, I poured the mixture back into the bowl added sugar and put it back in the pan. It just didn't turn out right, it tasted a bit funny and stuck to the pan, most of it ended up in the bin too!
I thought it was important to share my blunders as well as my success stories. Each day I post up a recipe that I cook and it works out, but there are often things that don't. So don't be afraid to have a go with cooking and messing up a dish is part of learning, the important thing to remember is to make sure you get back in the kitchen and have a go again and have fun while your doing it!
Recipe of the Day
White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Hazelnut Sauce
From The Gluten- Free Kitchen by Sue Shepherd
I cooked this for the first time last night, everyone loved it, every last mouthful was eaten! I didn't have panna cotta moulds, so I just used some glasses.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I used essence and it was fine)
1/3 cup sugar
50g white chocolate
3 tablespoons boiling water
1 tablespoon powdered gelatine
Hazelnut sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons coco powder, sifted
11/4 tablespoons GF cornflour
11/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur (I used Frangelico)
Method
Heat cream, milk, vanilla, sugar and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate has melted.
Combine the boiling water and gelatine in a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a larger bowl of boiling water, stirring constantly until the gelatine has dissolved. Stir the dissolved gelatine into the chocolate mixture. Pour into panna cotta moulds (or glasses, see picture if unsure of amount) and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight until set.
To make the sauce, combine the sugar, cocoa and cornflour in a small saucepan. Stir in a little milk to form a thick paste, then add remaining milk and mix well to ensure there are no lumps (I used a whisk for this). Stir over medium-high heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, then remove from heat and stir in hazelnut liqueur. Transfer to a jug, over and refrigerate until ready to serve, pour over the panna cotta.
Enjoy
xxxx
Friday, 20 May 2011
A dress for the puffer fish
I know that I had a wedding story for you last post, but this one isn't about my wedding, it's about my sister's.
She got married in 2008, BD (before diagnosis) and our lovely friend made both the wedding and bridesmaid dress! Which was fantastic and as I was the only bridesmaid I had a big say in the design with only the bride to keep happy and not 10 other bridesmaids!
The sad thing was that my primary concern and design request was that it had to be loose and flowing around the stomach because I had no idea when the puffer fish would emerge. Remember at this stage we didn't know what was causing it but thought it had something to do with endometrosis.
Thankfully for my sister, we both liked 50s style dresses, which fit in perfectly with the theme and allowed for the puffer fish, without everyone thinking I was 5 months pregnant!
I remember the lead up to the wedding, I was so scared that my stomach would explode and I wouldn't be able to fit into the dress, not only that I was worried about being doubled over in pain. I had my collection of pain killers and anti inflammatory's ready on the day in case the puffer fish reared its ugly head.
I was fortunate that the puffer fish did not rear its head on the night of the wedding and everything went off smoothly.
The sad thing is that I had to design a dress to accommodate the possibility of the puffer fish!
Restaurant of the Week
The Arthouse Cafe at Narellan is my recommendation for this week. I have eaten there on various occasions for breakfast lunch and dinner. All meals have a gluten free option (though they don't have any gf toast for breakfast) and the waitress and chef are very accommodating to your needs. I did select the risotto here for dinner and checked with the chef what stock they used, thankfully they make their own stock and the puffer fish did not emerge. The GF symbol on the menu makes selection easier and provides for a more relaxing and enjoyable dining experience.
Recipe of the Day
Lamb in cranberry sauce
This recipe is from taste.com.au, the originally recipe was for lamb shanks but on the advice of my butchers I use Lamb forequarter chops (they are much cheaper and taste just as good)! I have also changed the recipe to cook in the slow cooker at the end (the meat will fall off the fork).
I'm cooking this tonight, so I'll add the picture when its cooked!
Serves 4 adults
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1kg lamb forequarter chops
20g butter
2 tablespoon plain flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
275g jar whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup fresh rosemary sprigs (I used dried rosemary)
1 tablespoon thyme
Mashed potato to serve
Method
Heat oil in large saucepan over high heat. Cook chops, in two batches, brown on both sides. Remove to plate.
Melt butter in dish until sizzling. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and slowly add stock, wine and cranberry sauce. Season with salt and pepper and rosemary and thyme and bring to boil.
Put lamb in a slowcooker and add sauce and put on medium heat for 5+ hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes (add cheese or garlic for a twist on traditional mash).
Enjoy
She got married in 2008, BD (before diagnosis) and our lovely friend made both the wedding and bridesmaid dress! Which was fantastic and as I was the only bridesmaid I had a big say in the design with only the bride to keep happy and not 10 other bridesmaids!
The sad thing was that my primary concern and design request was that it had to be loose and flowing around the stomach because I had no idea when the puffer fish would emerge. Remember at this stage we didn't know what was causing it but thought it had something to do with endometrosis.
Thankfully for my sister, we both liked 50s style dresses, which fit in perfectly with the theme and allowed for the puffer fish, without everyone thinking I was 5 months pregnant!
I remember the lead up to the wedding, I was so scared that my stomach would explode and I wouldn't be able to fit into the dress, not only that I was worried about being doubled over in pain. I had my collection of pain killers and anti inflammatory's ready on the day in case the puffer fish reared its ugly head.
I was fortunate that the puffer fish did not rear its head on the night of the wedding and everything went off smoothly.
The sad thing is that I had to design a dress to accommodate the possibility of the puffer fish!
Restaurant of the Week
The Arthouse Cafe at Narellan is my recommendation for this week. I have eaten there on various occasions for breakfast lunch and dinner. All meals have a gluten free option (though they don't have any gf toast for breakfast) and the waitress and chef are very accommodating to your needs. I did select the risotto here for dinner and checked with the chef what stock they used, thankfully they make their own stock and the puffer fish did not emerge. The GF symbol on the menu makes selection easier and provides for a more relaxing and enjoyable dining experience.
Recipe of the Day
Lamb in cranberry sauce
This recipe is from taste.com.au, the originally recipe was for lamb shanks but on the advice of my butchers I use Lamb forequarter chops (they are much cheaper and taste just as good)! I have also changed the recipe to cook in the slow cooker at the end (the meat will fall off the fork).
I'm cooking this tonight, so I'll add the picture when its cooked!
Serves 4 adults
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1kg lamb forequarter chops
20g butter
2 tablespoon plain flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
275g jar whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup fresh rosemary sprigs (I used dried rosemary)
1 tablespoon thyme
Mashed potato to serve
Method
Heat oil in large saucepan over high heat. Cook chops, in two batches, brown on both sides. Remove to plate.
Melt butter in dish until sizzling. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and slowly add stock, wine and cranberry sauce. Season with salt and pepper and rosemary and thyme and bring to boil.
Put lamb in a slowcooker and add sauce and put on medium heat for 5+ hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes (add cheese or garlic for a twist on traditional mash).
Enjoy
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