Run Forrest Run!!!

Run Forrest Run, to Bubba Gump’s Seafood Restaurant.  Even if you are not on a vacation vising a Bubba Gump Restaurant will make you feel like you are.  Walking though the restaurant on squeaky hardwood floors you almost forget that you are not walking through Bubba’s boathouse.  As your eyes wonder around the room your mind remembers every piece of movie memorabilia hanging on the walls.  At some locations  waitstaff periodically hold impromptu “Forest Gump” trivia games between dinners pitting table against table.  You might be asked, “What color were Jenny’s shoes when she married Forrest”.  Of course the answer is, she wasn’t wearing any.  But best of all are the gluten free options.  You can start with a plump and juicy, ice cold shrimp cocktail served hanging from the rim of a martini glass.  There are two featured salads. Deciding between tossed cob or berry and pear isn’t easy.  If you like Mahi Mahi you can have it broiled or grilled with vegetables and jasmine rice. If your mouth is dripping for shrimp skewer or seasonal fish served Cajan style or with lobster butter, Bubba’s is the place to run to. My all time favorite is the flaky grilled salmon.  Dessert lovers will want to try one of Jennie’s mini mousse treats.  Bubba Gump’s even has a gluten free meal for the kids.  In addition to the gluten free menu many restaurants also have a Bubby Gump souvenir shop where you can “pick up a box of chocolates” or try on a pair of Forrest’s shoes.  As always when you are eating gluten free you must verify with waitstaff that your meal is safe.  For more information about Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.  please follow this link.  http://www.bubbagump.com/assets/menus/kona-gf.pdf  If you haven’t eaten at Bubba Gumps’s where do you get great seafood? 

Photographs By Tina Trimble

To Thai Or Not To Thai

Thai restaurants are increasing in popularity and for good reasons.  But are they safe?  Planning a trip to Australia I searched “gluten free restaurants”.  Speaking with the owner of “Coconut Thai” in Australia I was pleased.   The manager had a great deal of information about several gluten free dishes.  I look forward to knowing I will be able to enjoy dining out on my trip.  My conversation prompted me to speak to the owner of “The Thai Café” not far from my office. Much to my surprise he was willing to go through the menu pointing out several gluten free dishes.  Even better they carried gluten free soy sauce for those of us who need it. There was something for everyone, rice, noodle, mild, spicy, salad, soup, and traditional dishes which included tofu, chicken, beef, pork and shrimp.  The Pad Thai was excellent as was the spicy beef and drunken noodles. But we need your help. Have you tried a Thai restaurant since being gluten free? Are you familiar with a national Thai restaurant chain?  I would love to consider including them in our national gluten free restaurant guild. As always dine safely and use your own best judgment after verifying the food is gluten free.

Traveling Gluten Free In A Pinch

Summer is around the corner which means trips to the beach or other destinations. Traveling gluten free, however, can be tricky even when you are prepared and have a great plan in mind.  What do you do if you are traveling and simply can not make it to your destination or favorite restraint before they close?  Or perhaps your plans chance unexpectedly and are faced with making a detour?  Of course, most of us know to keep a few granola bars, canned chilly or fruit packed just in case.  Even then, however, our best plans and efforts can fail.  That is when I start looking at my GPS or keep an eye out for a large grocery store.  These days many grocery stores are open 24 hours a day.  Most will have prepackaged salads or a salad bar.  Nicer stores with a café may even have a microwave and seating area.  If so, take advantage and look at the freezer section.  Chances are they will have a few gluten free selections  that you can microwave.  Just as easy as that it can be smooth sailing and you will be on your way again.

BD’s Mongollian Grill

A Mongolian Grill is an interactive experience similar to a salad bar. BD’s Mongolian grill advertises gluten free options. After arriving at the meat bar you can scoop and fill your bowl with an assortment of sliced seafood, beef, pork, poultry or soy. Mixing and choosing to your hearts content and allowing your imagination to guide you. Next is a trip to the produce bar. You can add a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. It is up to you, bright red tomatoes, crispy sliced green bell pepper, sweet pineapple and my personal favorite fresh baby spinach. There is so much to choose from it is to numerous to list. Then it is off to the sauce bar where you can mix and match from a limited selection of gluten free options Or bring your own to be on the safe side. If you are confident, it is off to the round grill heated to 600 degrees. You can ask the grill master to clean the grill, separate the grill, and use fresh utensils to prepare your meal. To be on the safer side you can ask that your meal be prepared in a separate area in the kitchen rather than on the grill. Because a Mongolian grill is similar to a salad bar this is one area that I suggest using Extreme caution. As always call ahead to talk with the manager, check with your doctor, and then again with wait staff once you arrive. However! Warning! I totally avoid those meat, produce and sauce that are within reaching distance of anything that might have gluten in them. Talking with wait staff is extremely important particularly where others may come in contact with what you put on your plate. Arriving early might also be well worth considering. This way there is less chance of cross contamination. Be certain that you are confident that your gluten free concerns have been addressed. If so, a Mongolian Grill can be an interesting experience and restaurant adventure.http://www.gomongo.com/menu/create-a-bowl/build-your-bowl

Valentine My Soup

Who has time to make a Valentine’s dinner much less something special? Today, every mother is a working mother and every man knows about the concrete jungle. So here is a quick tip, so quick I hesitate to share it. But, in spite of my hesitation here it is.  If you have time, today, prepare your favorite go to soup or stew recipe.  Or!  Better still pick up some of your favorite soup or stew from a deli.  Then all you will need is a container of Pillsbury gluten free pastry dough.  Just follow the instructions on the container and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to press out heart shaped crusts to top soup or stew. You might even want to make a few extras and layer with melted chocolate, berries and cream as an extra sweet treat for dessert.  When you don’t even have a minute to spare make even the simplest of meals say “I Love You”.  Soup its what’s for dinner. 

Subway! Changing Direction

According to ABCnews.com Subway Restaurant is removing azodiacarbonamide after fellow blogger Vani Hari gets over 50k signatures on her petition. This potentially dangerous chemical is used in sandwich bread and is linked to a host of health problems. The same chemical is also found in shoes and yoga mats. Even those who thought they had been eating a healthy diet by making wise choices at Subways were eating what amounted to plastic. This begs the question. Should anyone be eating anything which is not at its very core “food”? You may be asking, “What does a sandwich shop have to do with a gluten free blog?” After reading similar articles about azodiacarbonamide I found myself researching items in my own gluten free pantry. In addition, the truth is, Subway restaurants has tested a gluten free bun in some areas but as yet I do not know of any Subway restaurants that carry a gluten free bun. However, after seeing first hand what Vani Hari has been able to accomplish WHO says that one person cannot make a difference? What might happen if all of us worked together to encourage similar restaurants to provide high quality gluten free foods? What might happen if each one of us called Subway’s corporate office and asked them to provide a gluten free bun for you and your family? If you would like to examine what Subway offers please feel free to follow the link below.
http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Menu_And_Nutrition/MenuFAQs.aspx

Trader Joe’s-Daily Table

Nearly forty percent of food offered by grocery stores is thrown out because of sell by dates. Often sell by dates have nothing to do with the quality or nutrition of the food.  Stores often purchase far more than what they can sell.  That is food that you and I pay for one way or another.  Worse still some statistic suggest one in four children are going to bed hungry.  In addition, healthy high quality food can be a bit pricy in our hard pressed economic times. But what do we do?  Doug Rauch former president from Trader Joe’s has the solution.  He will spearhead a new discount food store called Daily Table.  The store will provide safe, repackage food still in its prime to sell at drastically reduced prices for underserved urbanites.     

Picture This?

Its true!  Everyone loves good food. It is also true that a  picture is worth a thousand words.  Therefore a picture of food must be worth ten-thousand words. So?  The next time you are eating at a national restaurant with gluten free offerings why not take a picture with your cell phone and let us know what you think about it?  Because this blog is your blog too.

Boston Market

As soon as you open the door and walk into a Boston Market you can smell the aroma. Tender, Juicy, Rotisserie Chicken rotating on a spit until it is a deep, rich, brown, right before your very eyes. And! Who doesn’t love home style mashed potatoes covered in gravy? Yes, I said, “gravy”. Thick, rich, savory gravy dripping from your plate. Did I mention the creamed spinach? If you are not a fan of spinach Boston Market actually has a number of additional sides you can consider. These just happen to be my favorites. Boston Market is a café style restaurant. You place your order at the front counter while you are served. Then your food is brought to your table on plates with silverware. Staff is courteous and will bus your table. In fact, trash cans are not even available. The feeling of the restaurant is casual and homey. Click below to follow the link to Boston Market to see what options youmight enjoy. And as always verify and re-verify that what you will order is not only gluten free but also that staff understands safe food handling practices. Where do you enjoy eating family style?
http://www.bostonmarket.com/ourFood/index.jsp?page=allergens

One Million Dollar Pillsbury Bake Off

With a one-million dollar grand prize, Pillsbury has made life and winning a lot easier to be gluten free.  With a variety of delicious ready to use products you can be a winner too.  It is my hope that the 2014 winner will be a gluten free recipe.  Most grocery stores carry gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough, pizza crust, and pastry dough.  Their website is full of great ideas to get you thinking about an entry of your own. I have already experimented using the pizza dough to make focaccia.  Lets just say that it needs a little more work. The pastry dough, however, is fabulous, white, flaky, and buttery.  It holds up to any pie crust including gluten.  I have tried a few new creations such as a ground sausage and spinach breakfast tart which is full of flavor. I also have used the chocolate chip cookie dough to duplicate some of the suggestions on their website.  The peanut butter blossoms they suggested where a hit.  I also substituted the mini peanut butter cups for Hersey’s kisses. For the recipe click on this link. For more information about how you could win the one million dollar Pillsbury Bake Off contest click here. http://www.pillsbury.com/our-makers/bake-off-contest/bake-off-47