Magic Banana Bread

Ever have some of these sitting in your fruit bowl?

Honestly, I get kind of excited when I do!
(Please note, I did not take this photo. I wish I did though, because it is beautiful, and the plate or counter underneath is even more beautiful.)

Why? Because it means one thing: BANANA BREAD.


Here is the recipe that melts my husband's heart (or maybe tastebuds?) every time! I love banana bread, and it's something that really can hold up a great texture even without gluten. Some folks have even said they like the texture more!




Eat this stuff warm out of the oven with some butter (if you're me) or peanut butter (if you're my hubby) and you're golden.




Magic Banana Nut and Chocolate Bread
Adapted from celiac.com

About 1 cup ripe bananas (I usually use 3ish bananas.)
¾ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (you can go without, but it's better with!)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (Nestle chocolate is gluten free)
1/2 cup walnuts

Combine the bananas, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer bowl (I love my Kitchen Aid!), and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and mix well. Slowly add the rice flours, then the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well, then add the oil . Add the chocolate chips and nuts last

Pour batter into loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for around 45 minutes or until done. I like mine nice and moist, so just make sure the top is golden and a fork inserted comes out without uncooked batter.

Now watch it disappear! (Get it? MAGIC banana bread?) Teehee!

Thumbs Way Up...

...for Old Ebbitt Grill in DC!

I LOVE it when I go to a restaurant and the waitress is fully aware and knowledgeable about gluten and other allergies. Last night, I met up with some special friends from out of town at Old Ebbitt. I'd never been there, but after checking them out online (a good measure for anyone with a food intolerance) I realized they are owned and operated by Clyde's.

Oh Clyde's! Your always gorgeous, super classy locations and incredibly delicious, though pricey, food never ceases to amaze me!

Old Ebbitt was built in 1856 and started as a boarding house. Though uprooted several times, it is currently located on 15th between F and G streets. It's about a block from the White House, and thus has served as a place of hospitality to many historical figures. The location and history definitely make it a fun stop for tourists.

Last night, something happened that has never happened to me before. As I perused the menu, the waitress announced that the soup of the day was split pea and ham, and my heart lurched. Mmm...sweet and salty, smooth and chunky favorite soup...mmm. I told her I would like a cup of the soup in addition to my steak salad, as long as it was gluten-free. The woman then pulls out a list of ingredients right from her little note pad and reads it to me right there! Everything was whole and natural, and let me tell you, that soup was good.

My friends had suggested ordering a crab and artichoke dip appetizer, but I had zero expectation that I would be able to eat that, which was why I ordered the soup. The waitress came back a bit later and said it was fine! That is actually a sign of a quality restaurant, no fillers or thickeners in items like soups and dips; they let the natural, quality ingredients work their magic. The wait staff then brought the dip with some veggies, and brought another little plate of bread out later, to point out that it was kept completely separate.

The restaurant really made every effort to ensure everything was perfectly safe for me to eat, and clearly, I was impressed. The restaurant was utterly packed when I got there at 5:45 on a Wednesday, and was quite possibly even busier when we left after 8. The whole place is beautiful, with excellent artwork covering the walls. It is definitely a winner for tourists and locals alike.

Great food and great atmosphere, but even better conversation and friendship. How many times have I said it; isn't that what enjoying a great meal is really about?

(Side note: I have also been to the Clyde's in Rockville and Northern Virginia, though it's been a couple of years. Both restaurants are also equally huge and beautiful, and every time I've had a great meal. Check them out!)

Easter Desserts

I had visions of a lovely Easter meal post, complete with perfect pictures of my beautifully turned out desserts...

except mine didn't turn out so perfectly!

One of my favorite blogs is called La Tartine Gourmande. The lovely author, Bea, makes delicious French-inspired food and takes even more delicious pictures of it all. Most everything she makes is gluten-free, and not because she or anyone in her family is a celiac; she simply recognizes it is a healthier, more flavorful way to cook!

I once made her chocolate clafoutis (pronounced cla-foo-tee) and it was quite good; almost like eating airy, fluffy, eggy brownies. I thought this egg-centered dessert would be perfectly fitted to a springtime feast. I had to triple the recipe to feed the family, as well as use a Pyrex instead of ramekins, and this time it just did not turn out. It was rubbery on the bottom, soupy in the middle and kind of burnt on top. My kind family ate it and even complimented, but aren't really critical types when it comes to food.

The custard I made to go with was delicious, but custard isn't really photogenic unless you are Bea:
http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2008/01/12/custard-fruit-crumble/
http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2008/05/31/clafoutis-rhubarb-raspberry/

Go enjoy her amazing blog, but promise you'll come back here sometime!

Pizza, Revisted

We finally made it to Uno's tonight to check out their gluten-free pizza. Out of 5 possible Taylor-points, I give it a...drumroll please....

...

3!

It was definitely good. The pizza is thin crust and pretty good; I definitely loved the sauce. It was amazing to be able to order gluten-free pizza OUT. So wonderful. You can even order a Redbridge beer! However, the crust itself was a little soft, and they didn't have enough sauce so it was also a dry. They were also lacking in the topping department. It was good, don't get me wrong, just not great.

This was actually my mom's second Uno's trip; she said the pizza she got the first time was a million times better. We had a feeling they were rushing a little this time because they were busy. She said the first time the crust was obviously cooked a little longer, and thus crispy, and her veggie pizza had tons of toppings. So, ultimately, my recommendation is to definitely go and check it out, but be sure to specify that you'd like the crust crispy. If it comes out dry, you could probably also ask for a little more sauce on the side.

It was a great time for my Chicago-native family get together, although those from Chicago say the original Pizzeria Uno can't be beat. The world is certainly getting better every day for the gluten-disadvantaged; thanks for getting on board Uno!

My Organic Market

Ok, we have officially spent way too much money on gluten-free junk novelty food lately. One of the nice things about being gluten-free and cheap, like me, is that it's a lot easier to eat a lot more healthfully. Snack food is expensive, and pre-packed gluten-free food even more so. However, since we already finished up the bag of goodies from The Grainless Baker, I keep finding myself rooting around for more. What can I say? It's spring break!

Among the yummy looking treats I picked up at Mom's to try, I had to grab a bag of these because they are a tried and true favorite of ours.
In fact, my mom may or may not have given my husband a box full of little bags of Pamela's cookies for Christmas. I also grabbed a box of the pecan shortbread cookies, because I think they taste almost just like Keebler Pecan Sandies. Those used to be my mom's favorite cookies. She doesn't think the Pamela cookies compare, but then, true love stays true. I sure do miss those little elves and their cookie-making magic, probably even more than the girl scouts. A moment of silence, please:
Anyway, a couple of items of interest from my otherwise uninteresting trip to the grocery store:

1. They have started selling sweet rice flour at MOM. But guess how much? No, seriously, guess! You'll never guess! $13.99 for eight ounces! Geez Louise! I guess they don't know you can get a 2-pound bag at Lotte for $2.99. Gluten-free markups make me furious. Do not get suckered into this kind of craziness!

2. MOM brand is selling some new vitamins that are supposed to be easier for the body to absorb. I picked up a few of kinds I take, because I figured it can't hurt. I'm going to do a little more research, but I'm wondering if since my celiac body has a hard time absorping nutrients properly, that these might help. Check out this comment on chelated iron.

I actually really like browsing around at specialty/organic food stores like MOM, Roots and Wholefoods. Even though things tend to be out of my Christian-school-teacher-married-to-a-youth-pastor budget, there really are some great products out there. You can also get lots of new ideas just browsing around, and then try to find similar products more affordably elsewhere. That said, my mom always says that the most important investment you can make is in your own health, and if that means paying a little more for foods that you know are celiac safe or free from harmful antibiotics and pesticides, then so be it. While I completely agree, and I think it's really, really important to eat as much locally grown, organic and free-range food as possible, I'm still working on reconciling that with my wallet. I'm getting there though, and knowing I've outsmarted the MOM powers-that-be with my Lotte sweet rice flour tells me I'll get these sooner rather than later.

Pizza

Remember running across a kid every now and then who would announce at the sleepover or birthday party, "I don't like pizza!" and everyone would stare open-mouthed and then whisper about how weird that kid was?

I was definitely not that kid. I was the kid calling the no-pizza kid weird.

I adore pizza. I could probably eat it all the time. This is probably because cheese is just about my favorite food of all, and I have a secret fantasy of having pet goats and a few dairy cows and making my own cheese. I recently read a book called "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" and while the plot of the book ended up pretty lame and totally chick-lit-ish, I loved the whole concept of the tiny, family-run cheese farm in Ireland.

Sigh. But I digress.

Gluten-free pizza can be a bit of a challenge. Lately, however, lots of places in the DC area are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon and selling gluten-free pizza in their stores. You might be thinking, "SWEET," but wait until you hear the price tag; these places sell only individual-sized pies and they run around $12-15 each. Yikes.

Last night, the hubby and I had planned to grab dinner from Lillit Cafe in Bethesda. They have gluten-free pizza that's pretty decent, but we got there too late and they were already closed. My poor husband was devastated. We called around to a few other places and just honestly could not imagine coughing up 30 bucks for pizza for two. So, after some quick thinking, we called up some friends and decided to make pizza at home, using my mom's most delicious recipe and store-bought crusts from Wholefoods. (The Wholefoods brand crusts are far and above my favorite of all the crusts I've tried so far; gluten and non-gluten eaters alike have all agreed!) The next time you're craving pizza, this recipe is the way to go.

Mama's Sausage and Pepper Pizza

Ingredients:
Two Wholefoods-brand pizza crusts
Olive oil
Garlic (one clove)
One small red onion
One large red pepper
Four gluten-free Andoullie sausages
Gluten-free tomato sauce (you can make your own, but I'm way too lazy for that)
Mozarella cheese (you can do lots of other cheeses too; I'm a fan of Romano cheese on pizza)

Pre-heat the oven to 350. The crusts come frozen, so thaw them out first, or just toss them in the oven while it is pre-heating. Once they are warm, brush the bottom sides of the crusts with olive oil and put them back in the oven until they crisp up a little, about 10 minutes.

While the crusts are crisping, dice the garlic, onion, and peppers. Heat a large, non-stick skillet to about medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the casings from the sausages and break into small bits to brown. Add the onion and peppers and saute until the meat is browned, the peppers are soft, and the onions are carmelized. (My mom usually adds mushrooms, too. I think mushrooms are gross, but to each her own.)

Once your crusts are a little crispy, remove from the oven. Turn the temperature up to 425. Add sauce, then the browned toppings, then tons of cheese to the pizzas. Pop back in the oven and heat until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

YUM.

Serves 4 hungry people, less if one of those people happens to be a skinny, famished 22-year-old home from a month in Europe living on the change in her pocket. What have a I said about food and memories? My sweet mama made these pizzas for me my first night home from my trip abroad a few years ago. I think I ate four pieces, fell asleep on the couch, was carried up and put in bed by my husband (then boyfriend, so he went right home!) and slept straight for about 15 hours. There's no place like home, you know.

Enjoy!

The Grainless Baker

The hubbs just got back from some Young Life training up at Lake Champion, and you know what that means?!

A bag FULL of goodies from The Grainless Baker.

Well, ok, I suppose it also means several days of great fellowship, hard work and encouragement for him, but for me it means cupcakes, hamburger buns, muffins and cookies. My husband must really love me, because he only ate one cupcake and one chocolate sandwich out of the whole bag. He is so good at sharing.

You see, The Grainless Baker sells products at a little store called The Herb Shoppe in Port Jervis, New York, which is just about 30 minutes from Lake Champion. Every single item I have tasted from The Grainless Baker I have adored. So far, they do not sell directly to consumers, but their store base is growing, so keep an eye out!

Here's a little spot I once wrote about them:

The Grainless Baker

When The Grainless Baker co-owner Jane Trygar was diagnosed with celiac disease, it came as a particular shock; her family had owned and operated a bakery for over 22 years! Just when Jane thought she’d never see a cupcake again, her pastry-chef husband Dan came to the rescue, creating gluten-free alternatives for the breads and pastries she missed most. The family soon realized Dan’s creations were too good to go unshared, and before long the family bakery business had gone gluten-free. The Grainless Baker offers everything from dinner rolls and thin Italian-style pizza crust to such formerly bygone delicacies as chocolate cream sandwiches and cinnamon rolls. Located in Lake Ariel, PA, The Grainless Baker ships products to an ever-expanding list of retailers in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. For more information, and a list of retailers, visit: www.thegrainlessbaker.com