Senza Glutine

New Blog!

2010-11-25T21:30:00.002-05:00

I have moved my blog to tumblr!

Please come visit me there!

http://noglutenthanks.tumblr.com

Packing up summer.

2010-09-14T17:21:00.001-04:00

I did some canning with the abundance of

banana peppers in my garden.

Using my amazing new Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit

I tossed in some tomatoes (red, yellow, and green)

and a few green beans, to make them look a little more colourful.

I also have way too many zucchini...

... so I vacuum sealed them.

I figure they'll be a delicious treat in the winter.

A vacuum sealer is every cook's best friend.

Non-food related post

2010-09-13T14:35:00.000-04:00

I'm in love with this wallpaper from ferm LIVING.

fermlivingshop.us

Comfort Foods!

2010-08-19T18:34:00.000-04:00

Crustless Lemon Meringue Pie!

Just meringue and lemony goodness! And incredibly easy!

(the photo is a bit dark, but you get the delicious idea.)

TVP Sloppy Joe's!

Sloppy Joe mix, on a gluten free bun, with carrot sticks, and homemade Reisling. Watch a little tube, have a little Joe - it's a perfect night in!

My all time fave movie snack - (vegan) buttered popcorn with garlic salt, nutritional yeast, and dill.

Love+BBQ

2010-07-20T00:01:00.001-04:00

For our anniversary, my gentleman friend and I made dinner. Nothing fancy, but it was extremely delicious.

Perfectly grilled veg.

Paprika spiced potatoes

And rice with tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, red onions, and jalapeno's.

My favourite easy meal

2010-07-13T14:53:00.000-04:00

My favourite "I have nothing in the fridge" meal to make is rice. I usually add spices and beans to my rice, while it's cooking, to enhance the flavour. You can add anything to rice, and make it ever so delicious.

Today's lunch - rice and beans, spiced with cumin, chili powder and garlic salt (1 tsp of each, which I add to the water), topped with roasted zucchini and red onion (both of which I found looking slightly sad in the bottom of the fridge).

It's topped with a little bit of Valentina hot sauce. Pretty much the best tasting hot sauce I've ever put in my mouth.

Cooking for family.

2010-06-22T13:29:00.000-04:00

Herb de Provence rubbed beer can chicken, stuffed with whole lemons.

Roasted cherry tomatoes.

Slow-fried onions.

Add some french fries, a Caesar salad with homemade dressing, and you've got yourself a nice Sunday night dinner.

Caesar salad dressing recipe: 1 egg yolk, some Anchovy paste, a tablespoon or so of capers, 2 cloves of garlic, juice of one lemon, a spoonful of dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste, all blended together, then slowly add olive oil until it looks good. I added lots of bacon bits to the final creation.

Lunch

2010-06-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

Great food day!

2010-06-16T22:03:00.001-04:00

Lunch

Dinner

It's been a delicious day!

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

2010-06-15T23:56:00.001-04:00

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Cinnamon Struesel Topping!

Somehow mine look entirely different from hers, but they're still absolutely delicious! I love baking with strawberries!

I've been trying so many new flours! Hurray!

Mind. Being. Blown.

2010-06-08T12:20:00.003-04:00

veg boyfriend says to meat eating girlfriend: "If I was to break veg, what would you make me?"

to be continued...

Banana muffins

2010-06-07T21:50:00.004-04:00

I made Banana Muffins

They are super delicious!

Blog love.

2010-06-07T18:16:00.004-04:00

I love the blog glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

All of her recipes are both gluten free, and dairy free,
and taste absolutely amazing.

Exhibit A: Sexy Spring Pasta Exhibit B: Double Chocolate Blueberry Brownies
How these are gluten free and dairy free, AND taste so incredibly delicious blows my mind.
And blew the mind of anyone who tried one.

Tofu Parmigiana

2010-05-25T20:06:00.008-04:00

My sister emailed me asking how to make tofu parmigiana, so here's a quick crash course.

Get a package of firm or extra-firm tofu, and cut the
tofu into 1/4" slices.

Bread the tofu. Fill a small bowl with as many breadcrumbs as you think you'll need, and add your favourite spices - I used garlic salt, dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper, and a few shakes of paprika. Keep tasting it until you feel you have a delicious combination.

Fry the tofu until both sides are nice and crispy. Then, in a Pyrex dish, evenly spread out a layer of sauce, then a layer of spinach, and place your tofu pieces on top.

Cover with another layer of tomato sauce, and finish with shredded cheese. I used goat gouda, but mozzarella will work just fine. (you can also add another layer of spinach between the tofu and the tomato sauce if you're feeling you need the extra greens!)

Bake on 400 for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melty and the sauce is bubbly.

Dinner parties!

2010-05-25T13:55:00.007-04:00

Last week found me cooking for friends, which is something I've been wanting to do more of.

Herb-roasted chicken with roasted asparagus and tomatoes.

Deliciously refreshing cucumber-gin slush drink!
(muddled cucumber and mint, with lemon juice,
simple syrup, and gin!)

Tofu parmigiana with gluten-free pasta, a cucumber salad with dill and black olives, and a cheese plate with sheep's milk blue cheese.

Oh, and those cheese plate crackers are homemade.

salsicce

2010-05-19T16:54:00.004-04:00

Just grinding my own meat,

and then stuffing it into casings,

to make delicious delicious sausages.

new stove!

2010-05-18T21:48:00.004-04:00

I got a new stove today, so I tested its awesomeness with gluten free vanilla cupcakes, courtesy of Bob's Red Mill .

They turned out perfectly!

And finished them with a lemon frosting (that was a little bit too drippy)
and strawberries. yum yum!

I love hot dogs.

2010-05-17T18:35:00.006-04:00

Because I can't eat like everybody else, I've come to realize that I'm really aware of how other people eat. I'm fascinated by what's in other people's fridges (i look in there, instead of the medicine cabinet). The other day I haphazardly made a list of my favourite foods, and ended up with a pretty accurate top ten. (in no order)

1. strawberries
2. meringues (and lemon meringue pie!)
3. lemonade (the tarter, the better)
4. rare steak
5. jumbo grilled shrimp
6. Better Pecan ice cream by Tofutti
7. sweet potatoes... done every which way
8. hot dogs on a gluten free bun
(either with mustard, relish, pickles, onions, and a few hot peppers OR just onions and chopped tomatoes with a tiny line of mustard under the hot dog, as posted above)
9. gluten-free onion rings
10 spaghetti with big meatballs

I got the second Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives cookbook from Winner's for super cheap. I'm pretty stoked about my purchase.

I also got Bobby's Flays Burgers, Fries & Shakes.
(I've got a major crush on him.)
I can already tell it's going to be a delicious summer.

I will make a real post soon but....

2010-05-12T16:02:00.005-04:00

These are incredible. I need to make them ASAP!
Thank you seriouseats.com!

Lunchtime

2010-04-13T14:30:00.003-04:00

Rice and beans is probably one of my favourite things to make when I want something simple. I added 1 tsp of cumin and paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, and a few shakes of freshly ground pepper into the water, to give it a little extra depth.

Pair it with some sweet potatoes and freshly sliced tomatoes for complete heaven. I seasoned these sweet potatoes the same as I did the rice - a few pinches of cumin, paprika, garlic salt, and pepper. The white dollop next to these is some delicious lime mayonnaise (!!!) that my room mate brought home from Costa Rica. I will be very disappointed when it's finally all used up.

Gluten Free Bread... in my bread maker!

2010-04-07T19:02:00.006-04:00

My mother is essentially the greatest woman on the face of the planet, and bought me a bread maker with a gluten-free bread setting. I then proceeded to lose the bread paddle, and my machine was rendered useless. Fortunately, said greatest woman got me a new paddle, and I'm back in the bread making business!

I used Bob's Red Mill's Homemade Wonderful Bread mix (that's actually what it's called), to test how pre-made bread mixes worked in my machine.

The answer - like a charm! A delicious charm!

Tofu Parmigiana

2010-04-07T18:44:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine told me about the delicious Tofu Parmigiana she made for her meat eating boyfriend - and he loved it! I figured/hoped my meat-hating boyfriend would probably have the same sentiments. I used some eggplant pieces as well, just in case the tofu didn't work out so well...

I breaded the tofu and eggplant with Glutino gluten-free breadcrumbs, which I mixed with garlic salt, oregano, basil, salt, and a dash of sweet paprika. Fresh parsley would have been lovely, but I didn't have any. Everything just to taste.

My picture skips a few steps.... I fried the tofu and eggplant, til they we nice and crispy on either side. Then I took a Pyrex dish, and lined it with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Next I put down a layer of spinach, followed by my crispy tofu and eggplant pieces. Finally, another layer of tomato sauce, and I covered everything with cheese. I'm allergic to cow's milk, so I used goat Gouda, which melts very similarly to mozzarella. I stuck my cheese in the freezer for am hour or so beforehand, to make it easier to grate.

Amazingly delicious! The tofu was actually WAY better than the eggplant. (there may have been a scuffle over who got what pieces....).

I topped it off with a simple green salad, some fresh veggies, and some homemade sangria, and let me tell you, it was a delicious meal. One of my best friend's stopped by last minute and got to join in on my delicious creation. It was a nice surprise, and a nice chance to get to cook for other people. I haven't done that in a while. Definitely a repeat!!

Steak.

2010-03-11T23:14:00.001-05:00

I also BBQ'd a sweet rib eye steak for dinner tonight, but forgot to take a picture of it. First steak of the season on the BBQ. Actually... I think first steak of the year, period.

Empanadas, take one.

2010-03-11T22:52:00.008-05:00

I took my first stab at making Empanadas tonight. Not bad, but not great. I seem to have problems with pastry. I'm not good at rolling it out, and it always dries out on me. Next time I think the pastry has to be thicker, and I shouldn't cook them as long as I did. I used P.A.N. Corn Flour,and just prepared it how it instructed on the package. I'm looking forward to experimenting with corn flour. Once I figure out Empanadas, I'd like to try making Arepas, which is a bread made of corn from South America.

The filling was quite good. I think I may attempt to repeat it in a lasagna. Crumbled firm tofu, with sauteed red peppers and spinach, + garlic and spices. I swore I'd never play around with tofu, but I gave my heart to a vegetarian, so I figure I might as well try.

I put the reminaing dough, wrapped, in the fridge. After a quick research of my failure, I read on a few sites that it's best to chill the dough overnight. Perhaps tomorrow will find me with much prettier Empanadas. If I can perfect them, the sky is the limit - meats, cheeses, sweets! I'd love to try turnovers! Here's hoping I can figure these little guys out!

Bad Food Blogger!

2010-02-18T18:49:00.005-05:00

I could not find my camera cord for a while, so there was no photo for blogging, sadly. Even now that I've found it, I've decided (ok, I decided long ago) that my camera sucks. Really sucks. I think I may purchase myself a new one with my 2008 tax return. Yes, 2008 (I'm a bit behind).

baked potato, stuffed with goat cheese and spices.
mushroom, sauteed with green onions and garlic.
(and of course I put the garlic oil into my potato. of course)

i felt like a real kid the other day - ham and cheese sandwich with ketchup chips (now that's smoked ham and cheve noir cheese on an Aidan's gluten-free baguette mind you, but the ketchup chips are white-trash Hostess, no worries)

My sister moved to Vancouver, and I miss her a lot, but we've been sending each other mail, which has been super fun. She even asked me to be her Valentine, which of course I accepted, with a Taylor Swift greeting card.

Bits and pieces.

2010-01-06T11:25:00.003-05:00

Gluten-free lemon meringue pie

Gluten-free bread

Gluten-free blueberry pecan muffins

Now these I didn't make, but I loved the idea. My boyfriend's aunt
made these little veggie trees for their big family Christmas,
and I thought they were fantastic!
The base of the trees are styrofoam, then she draped them in dill, and finally put the vegetables on toothpicks to stick them to the tree!

Butter Pecan Cookies

2009-12-11T12:13:00.004-05:00

I freed these delicious Martha Stewart cookies of gluten, and boy were they delicious. Butter Pecan Cookies. Unfortunately I left them in for 5 minutes too long, but I'll know for next time.

For the suburban mom in me...

2009-12-08T14:47:00.007-05:00

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these little contraptions. The "Pocket Pie". Really Williams-Sonoma, what will you come up with next?

Soup, etc.

2009-12-08T13:00:00.006-05:00

homemade vegetable and white bean soup, and baking gluten-free crackers

These are my first attempt at a gluten-free version of the crackers from Food in Jars. Not as puffy, but without gluten, it's understandable. I'm going to keep experimenting with toppings for them, but these ones were absolutely delicious - sesame seeds, garlic powder & garlic salt, and fennel seeds.
I also finally started a jar of what will hopefully be delicious pickled eggs in beet juice. Idea and recipe courtesy of Miss Stacy McCool. If all goes well (and really, how can it not?), I will make lots of giant jars.

To market, to market

2009-12-08T09:10:00.006-05:00

I love going grocery shopping in Kensington, and then coming home and dumping my bag out in the kitchen. So many lovely things. I love the giant carrots.

This was all for an Indian dinner party I had a few nights ago. It was my first time cooking a ton of Indian food, and I think I did fairly well - veg curry, saag aloo, chicken tandoori, and a cucumber/tomato salad in a goat yogurt mint sauce.
Of course, I forgot to take any photos of my feast.

Gluten Free Bagels... delivered to my door!

2009-12-01T17:19:00.003-05:00

This story is actually so wonderful, it's going to seem made up.

So i was given the name of this women who does amazing gluten-free baking (she bakes gluten-free stuff for The Beaver Cafe). I emailed her yesterday about ordering some bagels. She lives at Ossington and Dundas, made them for me today, and because she had an errand to do in the area, just dropped them off at my house! What a wonderful woman! I just consumed the most delicious everything bagel I think I've ever had! (and the first everything bagel I've eaten in over 5 years!)

My six-pack of bagels. Hand made. Hand delivered.

Spiced Maple Pecans

2009-12-01T10:53:00.007-05:00

I also made these last night.

1/4 cup maple syrup (I used dark amber)
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups pecans

1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients. Set aside.
2. Toast nuts over medium heat on stove.
3. Add maple syrup mixture. Stir until all of the syrup has coated the pecans.
4. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. Snack.

Ethiopian Sweet Potato Stew

2009-12-01T09:56:00.004-05:00

The flavour was simple, but delicious. Perfect for a cool fall evening. I used fenugreek for the first time. It's a great flavour. Definitely something I will have to play with further. I was rather disappointed I couldn't get a better image of this. A new camera is surely in order.

My goal for this winter is to really get back into the kitchen. I've been slacking lately. And when I slack, this ends up being every single meal....

Seeing as how my lovely partner in crime is vegetarian, I suspect most of these upcoming adventures in the kitchen will consist of veggie dishes.

To make in the upcoming months....
- more vegetable pot pies
- cabbage rolls
- vegan/gluten-free goldfish crackers
- cheese bread/cheese bread sticks (a sentimental favourite)
- tofu jambalaya
- gluten free yorkshire pudding
- vegan sausages
- shepherd's pie (veg and meat)
- gluten-free/dairy(cow) free lasagna
- gluten-free/vegan Twinkies!! (seriously. this would be amazing!)
... I'll add to the list when I think of more things I'm dying to make.

i am 6.

2009-11-30T19:37:00.009-05:00

Two things.

First....
Just bought this online. So stoked for its arrival.
(if you are confused, yes, it's a lunchbox with many compartments. for children i can only assume)

Second....
I'm sorry, vegan Goldfish Crackers that I'm going to make gluten free? It's pretty much been the best half an hour of my life.

Octo-dog

2009-11-30T18:46:00.003-05:00

Why did my mother never put one of these little guys in my lunch?

Jack Daniels Pecan Pie

2009-11-19T22:29:00.003-05:00

I tried a new type of crust. Gluten free graham cracker crust.
It will make delicious graham crackers, but i don't think graham crackers belong with pecan pie. And I couldn't keep the crust from getting too dark. I think next time I'm going to place foil over the whole pie, and take the foil off for the last 10 minutes or so.

This winter it is my goal to improve my pie crust skills.

Homemade Bread!

2009-11-19T11:21:00.009-05:00

Gluten Free of course, courtesy of the lovely people at Bob's Red Mill and all of their fantastic products! This is the 'Gluten Free Homemade Wonderful Bread'. And wonderful it was!

I felt like a real kid eating my cold cut sandwich with potato chips!
I even had a coke too! It was amazing!

Animal crackers in my soup...

2009-11-10T20:27:00.008-05:00

As of late, my life has really just consisted of these little gems MI-DEL Gluten Free Arrowroot Cookies!

The benefits I guess of living most of your life like a really intelligent (and tall) 12 year old.

Screw you gluten. I've got everything I need right here.

c'est l'halloween

2009-11-05T11:53:00.004-05:00

At work, the bosses bought a bunch of pumpkins
for everyone to carve.

1UP!

2009-10-29T15:44:00.002-04:00

if this isn't romance, i don't know what is.

Thanks be to turkey.

2009-10-25T22:18:00.014-04:00

I'm a big fan of the eating holidays. And Thanksgiving, in my mind, is really the pinnacle of the eating holidays, because Jesus doesn't get in the way. (Sorry mom)

My mom's stove. I know, right?
Makes me want to be a fulltime domestic too.

I really do believe that gravy is the thing
that pulls it all together. I eat it by the spoonful.

The spread, minus a few dishes.
We're not a big family, so we don't over do it.

Mushrooms and Spinnach

Gluten-free stuffing

Putting it all together.
My number two favourite 'eating holiday' condiment -
cranberry sauce.
So key, and must be made from scratch 1-2 days in advance.

There were mashed potatoes, but they had milk in them,
and I wasn't in the mood to make my own. I'll see them
at Christmas I'm sure.

2009-10-25T15:37:00.001-04:00

For when I never get married.
Amazing.

Vegetarian Fajita night!

2009-10-19T16:34:00.003-04:00

re-fried beans, cumin spiced rice, sauteed red peppers and onions,
guacamole, all wrapped up in corn tortillas.

important information:

2009-10-07T18:31:00.004-04:00

Jelly Belly's which are disgusting:
- cappuccino
- chocolate pudding
- root beer
- tutti fruitti
- vanilla
- BUTTERED POPCORN!!

Jelly Belly's which are surprisingly good:
- coconut

Jelly Belly favourites:
- pink grapefruit
- toasted marshmallow
- orange (but I love all orange candy, so this was a given)
- juicy pear

I removed all of the peanut butter beans because I am allergic to peanuts, and could not find anywhere on the internet that would tell me if there was any actual peanut butter in them. I suspect not, but I think peanut butter is disgusting anyways, so those little guys went in the garbage.

.... I'll write about real food soon. Promise.

multiple meats!

2009-10-06T14:12:00.003-04:00

Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya, done in my Slow Cooker.

I might try to make a vegetarian version with firm tofu.
Key word - might.

jelly beans

2009-10-06T12:11:00.008-04:00

I won this jar of Jelly Belly jelly beans at a Bridal Shower
a few weekends ago. A delicious prize, or so I thought.

So I'm enjoying my beans.
A few every day.

Slowly but surely,
eating all of my favourites.

But now I'm stuck with a jar that's almost depleted of jelly beans
that I would actually like to eat! Do I throw out the rest of them?
It's not like I can even give them away - my grubby little hand has been digging through that jar for weeks now!
Those beans are probably germier than the mint
bowl at the Mandarin! I'm at a real crossroad here.

To eat the yucky ones, or not to eat the yucky ones.
That is the question.

blogging about burgers.

2009-10-02T10:40:00.007-04:00

Though dressed like idiots, these guys seem to know what they're talking about.

oh, hi soup!

2009-10-01T14:35:00.001-04:00

Dear Slow Cooker;

Thanks for making life so easy.
Love, Me.

Fall is here.

2009-10-01T12:08:00.005-04:00

I love making mini things.
Like these homemade Shepherd's Pies.

I made mini apple pies in the late winter.
I think the fall is going to find me making lots more.
I need to perfect my gluten-free pie crust skills.

I also love dinner parties with good friends.
Marinated Flank Steak, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots,
crusty bread, and vino.

I just tossed a bunch of things into the slower cooker.
I'm hoping in 6-8 hours, I'll have delicious soup.

rotisserie chicky et al.

2009-09-28T11:30:00.003-04:00

my boyfriend is vegetarian. go figure.

gluten-free bread!

Roasted peaches with vanilla soy ice cream,
topped with raspberry sauce.

My mom's the cutest. "Yuck!"

Dear Santa...

2009-09-25T10:26:00.005-04:00

All I want for Christmas. Well, and I guess the car to go with it.

"Mom, I want a car just so I can have this!!"
"Good enough reason"

love.

2009-09-13T23:22:00.009-04:00

These make me want to fall in love,
just so I can get my heart broken.

Bad Blogger!

2009-09-05T19:56:00.010-04:00

As is usually the case, I forget about blogging sometimes. Never about food though, rest assured. My camera also seems to have gone MIA as of late, and with it, lots of deliciousness. I am not too concerned though, as its credibility as a camera is slipping. I think OSAP might be purchasing me a new one. How sweet of OSAP.

I went to Windsor with my mama, and bought lots of lovely tomatoes to make Gazpacho.

I was on a huge Gazpacho kick for like two weeks. I should probably get back on that. It was a delicious two weeks.

I also made a number of delicious gluten-free chicken fingers.Consumed with homemade BBQ sauce. Obviously.

Did I tell you about the Paula Dean salad that I made? (Yes. You did read Paula Dean and salad, together, in the same sentence, not connected by the words 'doesn't eat')

Well I made that too.

Monday afternoon lunch.

2009-07-28T01:46:00.002-04:00

Bean ragout with grilled polenta, topped with pan fried cherry tomatoes with black olives, shallots, and lemon juice.

In serious news...

2009-07-22T13:45:00.003-04:00

I need this.The Hamburger Mobile!

The not so ominous world of Vegetarianism.

2009-07-22T13:26:00.008-04:00

To me, a good meal has always involved meat. It may be archaic, but I know what I like. But lately, on account of health and bewitchment, I've been experimenting with *gasp* vegetarian cooking.

Thick cut aubergine, rubbed with lemon, thyme, and olive oil, grilled. Much more filling then one would expect. The trick is the thick cut. Then they have the grill lines on the outside, but are nice and soft on the inside.

Tomato, cucumber, red onion and black olives, in a light vinaigrette. Topped with Greek Feta.
The difference between Greek and Canadian Feta? Greek is sheep's milk, while Canadian is cow's milk. Hence the price difference. Greek feta is much more flavourful. Canadian feta usually has a rather salty flavour to it I find.

And finally, a warm lentil salad, with parsley, sauteed red onions, and black olives, in a lemon vinaigrette, garnished with bbq'd cherry tomatoes.

My goal for Friday: a fancy vegetarian dinner. The heat is on.

For the love of Caesar's.

2009-07-17T00:58:00.006-04:00

I consider myself quite the Caesar connoisseur. My two favourite spots here in the city being Mr. Green Jeans in the Eaton Centre, and the Cadillac Lounge. Both which offer you the "double" option up front- a favourite of mine.

Calgary, being the self-proclaimed home of the Caesar, found me drinking quite a number of them.

These lovelies are from The Unicorn Pub. They came accompanied by pickled asparagus spears and a large dollop of horseradish. Horseradish is the key to a great Caesar, yet unfortunately many a restaurant has yet to learn this little trick.

While on a mini-putting excursion, I was confronted with the option of beer or a Caesar in a bottle. Unfortunately beer and I do not agree, so I made the reluctant decision to choose the bottled Caesar. Thankfully, I was quick to appreciate my choice. I've tried the Motts Caesar, as well as the Keg Caesar. Both were brutally disappointing. But this, this was a little piece of heaven. For something you have no control over, it's the perfect combination of tomato and spice. I liked it so much, I had 4. For breakfast.

Though I'm unfortunately without a photo, another great spot I found myself consuming Caesar's at was Joey Tomato's. Despite being a chain, the food here was quite lovely. Sunday night is also Caesar night, which finds you drinking them for a measly $4.99. These came accompanied by a pickled green bean.

The moral of this post: I need to start taking more photographs of Caesars.

In keeping with childhood dreams...

2009-07-15T12:29:00.005-04:00

My partner in crime is vegetarian, so yesterday when I saw Vegetarian Corn Dogs (aka Pogos!), I got really excited. When I got home, I wondered if gluten-free Pogos also exist. After a bit of googling, and a quick trip to Whole Foods, I too was able to relive childhood dreams of food on a stick!

Verdicts on both sides are good. Both were rated with a promising 8/10. The Yves Corn Dogs looked a little more like pogos, with the gluten-free corn dogs being slightly lighter in colour, but i suspect that's because they are able to use a similar recipe to actual Pogo's.

Additionally, I picked some raspberries from the garden today. My garden has not been flourishing as well this year as it usually does. I think the weather is to blame, because god forbid I'm losing my green thumb. Nonetheless, my raspberries are delightful!

Heaven has a taste.

2009-07-14T15:18:00.003-04:00

Gluten-free, Vegan, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. by Purely Decadent.

It tastes like every childhood dream you ever had coming true.

Calgary+Food= Jealously

2009-07-10T22:48:00.003-04:00

I hate when I go somewhere that's not Ontario, and find so many delicious gluten-free products that aren't available in Ontario.

Exhibit A - Rock Creek Dry Cider by Big Rock Brewery. I'm drinking it as I type, and it's fantastic. Far superior to Strongbow, Magners, and the like. I might even go as far as to say better than Bulmers, but I'm only on can one. Further consumption will need to happen before I make such a wild statement.

Exhibit B - Products like this. All I want is to find a gluten free, dairy free freezer pizza. Apparently that's not a problem here in flat-land Alberta.

And finally - Second to None Meats. I suspect I will come home with lots of delicious things from them, if I can figure out a way to bring them home with me.

Today I ate a Fred Flintstone sized smoked turkey leg, hand-made salt water taffy, a "potato Tornado", and a candy apple. Picture to come, of course.

Goal for this weekend - find a liquor store that carries gluten-free beer.

"I have so many delicious things for you to put in your mouth!"

2009-07-08T09:17:00.003-04:00

I ate a few raspberries off of my raspberry bush. They were delicious. And consumed too quickly to take photographs of.

The night before last, I had a dream about Taquitos. For most, this would probably be strange, but for me, just par for the course. Now obviously when one has a dream of this nature, they should make said dream come true. Freud did say your dreams are merely your subconscious speaking to you, did he not? (Though I'm sure Freud would see Taquitos as being something phallic, and not the delicious snack food that they are. Dirt bag.) The brand of taquitos that I love even happened to be on sale! (meant to be, right?!)

I made a delicious cumin and paprika spiced bean rice to accompany my taquitos, and picked some lettuce from the garden for some roughage.

In more delicious news:
Earlier, I posted a recipe for chocolate banana pops.Last night I made this post a reality. And let me tell you, reality is delicious!

food food food

2009-07-02T13:58:00.004-04:00

Some of my favourites - gluten free beer, grilled veg skewers, and sausages.

A trip to Kensington Market for some summer essentials:
the goat yogurt to make a delicious dill dip for veggies and dip!
(the little white ball at the bottom is sausage casing!)

Steaks in the garden = heaven.

veg veg veg veg

2009-06-25T12:56:00.002-04:00

Slightly blurry, but 100% amazing!

Delicious Summer goodness!

2009-06-21T01:40:00.002-04:00

My fabulous friend Chelsea just posted this on her blog. Chocolate Covered Banana Pops? Yes please! Expect pictures of my own creations in the next few days.

Also...

2009-06-19T12:53:00.004-04:00

My idol.

BBQ'd pineapple and burgers, oh my!

2009-06-19T12:34:00.008-04:00

BBQ'd pineapple. I suggest you do it, and fast. I sprinkled a bit of brown sugar on mine before grilling. Holey Moley.

My mother was wonderful enough to buy me a whole bunch of gluten-free burger buns from Organic Oven. This has made me a really happy kid, because now I can eat my burgers just like everyone else! Bye bye fork and knife! Today I decided that's just what I'd do for lunch. Burger, all my fave condiments (lettuce, relish, ketchup, dijon mustard), a light coleslaw, and some delicious cracked black pepper chips. Light reading of course was also necessary for my lunch of leisure. (I'm the biggest dork ever. But perfectly ok with it.)

Next mission: Vegetarian sausages.

BBQ Heaven

2009-06-17T22:58:00.004-04:00

Just a lovely evening manning the grill.
Basil and lettuce greens fresh from the garden.

two of my favourite things...

2009-06-04T12:48:00.002-04:00

Highlighting.
And BBQ.
Lame? Probably.
Do I care? Most definitely not.

Monday night dinner

2009-05-25T21:03:00.004-04:00

This evening I made dinner for my favourite boy on the planet and my beautiful room mate. Red Snapper, bbq'd in foil with dill, garlic, lemon, and chopped kalamata olives. Grilled asparagus. Simple mixed greens salad.
I didn't really take any photos. I'm a bad food blogger. I always forget until I'm half way through my meal. I also realized while I was setting the table that I need to take a trip to VV Boutique (yeah, that's Value Village) and buy some new table wares. I love anything and everything clear glass - hence my plates and my cute little olive dish. Vince bought me a lovely bottle of champagne for my birthday, so we cracked that open as well. A lovely evening overall.

i heart steak

2009-05-25T10:20:00.003-04:00

I think any meat cooked more than medium-rare is a crime against taste buds.

And rare, really, is the only way to go.

a casual mid-week lunch for one.

2009-05-16T17:00:00.003-04:00

Dita Von Teese.

2009-05-14T13:23:00.004-04:00

There are cherries in this picture, so that's my justification for posting it on my food blog. Because seriously, she is pretty much the hottest babe ever.

BBQ Heaven

2009-05-07T12:51:00.005-04:00

My old BBQ died over the winter. The honest truth is, she was murdered. Murdered by the cruel winds of mother nature, who threw my baby off the deck in a winter rage. Now as much as I loved my first born, she needed an upgrade, as most first borns do. (As a first born, I feel I can say this)

Introducing my new and improved child...

She's everything a mother could dream of, and then some. 4 grills, 72,000 BTU, rotisserie, smoker, warming drawer, side burner... I love her.

To bring her into this world right, I had my dear friends Holly and Lisa over, with their significant others, to give her a proper Sunday christening.

Beer-can chicken, some grilled veg, maple carrots, honey-glazed potatoes, spinach salad with sugared almonds... the perfect inaugural dinner. I've got a great summer ahead of me. I can just taste it.

When Japan meets Arkansas.

2009-04-16T17:02:00.005-04:00

Last night I made sushi for my lovely friend Lisa and I. Nothing too fancy - a few California rolls, some avocado and cucumber rolls, and a sweet potato roll. Following our lovely feast, we watched my favourite show of all time, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Every day I hope to turn on the tv and discover the host Guy Fieri has miraculously turned off his inner douche-bag, and become the ultimate amazing babe I know he can be. Unfortunately, that has yet to happen. His surfer-rockabilly look makes me slightly nauseous, but he has a richteous car, and a ridiculously amazing taste for food, so my embarrassing love affair will continue, despite the frosted tips.

Where was I going with this? Oh yes, Triple D (aka Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives). So on the episode we were watching, a delicious dish by the name of Red-Neck Sushi takes the stage. The contents of Red-Neck sushi? Pulled-pork and green onions, deep-fried, with a mayonnaise garnish. What have a spent the past few days making? That's right, pulled-pork and sushi!! It was like Food Network heaven was looking down on me and presenting me with a little food gift.

This afternoon when I got home, I decided to make said delicious dish for Lisa and myself. Let me tell you, it was unbelievable!! Red-Neck Sushi. Who'da thought something so ridiculous sounding could be so incredible. Thank you Guy Fieri.

Pulled Pork!!

2009-04-14T10:28:00.005-04:00

My new adventure in fooding - pulled pork. I'm currently experimenting with dry rubs, in the hopes of finding the best spice combination. For the cooking process, I'm using my slow cooker. 10 hours on low seems to be just perfect. Following the 10 hours, I take the pork out, pull it apart, and then place it back in the slow cooker for an hour or so with some BBQ sauce. The key is to not use too much BBQ sauce. The meat has such a great flavour on its own, there's no need to smother it.

Though many like pulled pork in a cheap white bun with lots of BBQ sauce, I love mine in fajitas. Corn tortillas, fried just lightly in a dry pan, with cilantro, pineapple, and a few squirts of fresh lime is the ultimate way to eat pulled pork!

Waffles!!

2009-03-11T16:56:00.019-04:00

What is the best studying snack? Why gluten-free waffles of course!

2 cups rice flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp Sugar (brown, white, or a combo)
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups of your milk of choice (i use rice milk)
a drizzle of vegetable oil (2 tsp's or so)

Mix and place in your favourite waffle maker! This recipe is something I've put together after having many disappointing moments trying to follow waffle recipes. The amount of liquid I use varies a little. I usually add a little bit of liquid at a time, until I think the consistency is just right. This takes practice, but the more waffles you make, the easier it is to figure out. Gluten-free baking is a science! You can also add oregano, garlic powder or any other favourite spices to this waffle mix to make savory waffles. These can then be used instead of sandwich bread!

I frequently half this recipe, and it produces 5 mini waffles in my heart shaped waffle maker (thank you Williams-Sonoma for making such a product!)

(these are a little off in colour because the person making them
decided to add heart shaped sprinkles to them. which then melted.)

And what do you do when you want to be even more creative with your waffles? You go (run) out to the store, buy Purely Decadent Cherry Nirvana soy ice cream, and make mini ice cream sandwiches. Best eaten on cold, ugly days, which feel like they may never end.

Gluten Free Onion Rings!!!

2009-03-10T12:07:00.005-04:00

I had been craving onion rings for so long. It had almost reached the point that I was willing to risk feeling sick, and just go to Lick's and get some regular ones. Thankfully I was feeling inspired, and decided to make some gluten free ones! The key to gluten free onion rings is to add stiff egg whites. It makes the batter nice and fluffy. This batter seriously tasted like potato chips. I also typically eat my onion rings with a dip that's half ketchup and half BBQ sauce. Delicious!

Pizza Roll-up!

2009-03-09T18:49:00.009-04:00

I love watching Coutdown to Dinner on the Food Network, and then making something that I've seen. Not that long ago Giada from Everyday Italian made Venetian Rolled Pizza. I used a random gluten-free pizza dough recipe and substituted the mozzarella for goats cheese (which I'm sure made it all the more fabulous!) The end results were ridiculously delicious!

Hello 2009!

2009-01-23T12:43:00.006-05:00

I'm not so good at the blogging. I forget. Easily.

I've been craving pancakes for the past few days. I'm worse than a pregnant woman when I get my cravings, which worries me for the day when I actually do find myself having pregnant woman cravings. Last night I got myself prepared, and borrowed (with no plans to return) some maple syrup from the restaurant I work at.

The recipe for these delicious little guys comes from Hey That Tastes Good.

I just stumbled across her blog, and her recipes look mighty good! I used vanilla rice milk instead of soy milk because I like the significantly smaller ingredients list on rice milk. Rule of thumb - if you get confused beyond the 3rd or 4th ingredient, perhaps you shouldn't be consuming it.

Days of Summer

2008-12-19T00:55:00.005-05:00

I miss the summer. All the beautiful tomatoes
in my garden that I could just pluck, douse in olive oil, and roast on the BBQ. Grilled green tomatoes are one of my favourite summertime snacks.

Vegetable Pot Pie

2008-12-16T21:53:00.006-05:00

In the spirit of pie making, and as I had some leftover pie crust dough, I decided that a "dinner pie" was in order tonight. This was one of those throw what you have in a pot creations, and a delicious creation it turned out to be!

I'm still mastering the craft of the pie crust. The top of this one is a little bit patch-worky in some spots, but I seem to slowly but surely be getting the hang of gluten-free pies. The problem lies in how crumbly the crusts end up being. I think I'm going to add a bit more Earth Balance to my dough next time, in hopes to add a little more moisture. It also appears I need to learn to cut my slices a little more evenly - currently it looks like someone just stuck their hand into the pie to grab out a scoopful!!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2008-12-16T00:44:00.007-05:00

Though I do think Paula Deen is a little bit of a hillbilly red-neck, today I baked her Chocolate Pecan Pie, and was forced to fall in love with her. Or better yet, fall deeper in love with myself. For those who are not familiar with the Queen of Southern Cooking, Paula Deen is the creator of things such as the Bacon Doughnut Egg Burger. Thankfully, this creation was not so deadly, and as I converted it to being both dairy and gluten free, I'm sure my arteries are safe for the time being. I used the Molly B's Perfect Pie Crust mix. Molly B's is a fantastic gluten-free family run company out of Southern Ontario (fitting for my Southern pie) that have an extensive line of gluten-free products. To make it dairy free, I just substituted the call for butter with Earth Balance. Heaven on earth, let me tell you.

I did receive a comment from a friend of mine asking me "Just because she can cook, you're going to ignore her ignorant views?" Though I do agree with what she is getting at, I feel I will love Paula Deen the same way I love most southern rock - entirely on the surface.

gluten-free/vegan mac and cheese.

2008-11-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

Mac and Cheese. Essentially the best comfort food. Ever. For me? A one-two punch to sick town. Step in gluten-free/vegan mac and cheese. To. Die. For. Granted I haven't eaten the real thing in a very long while, this does the trick, can be made in 10 minutes, and I typically have everything I need in my cupboard.

At 3am, when the world seems to be peeling apart, mac and cheese is there for me.

Tip: Nutritional Yeast. If you've never used it, run to your local health food or bulk store and buy it. Run.