ZPizza

My sister is pregnant.  Also, my mom has celiac.  These two facts are relevant because my mom and I have a bet on when my sister will give birth.  I bet that she would have the baby yesterday.  Clearly, as she is still pregnant, I lose.  The terms? I owe my mother a pizza.  But not just ANY pizza.  Oh no.  The pizza worth betting on has to come from zpizza.

A gluten-filled, gluten-free beer?

Have you heard of this O Mission beer? It's allegedly gluten-free, yet made with malted barley and put through a "deglutenizing" process.  I haven't tried it, but it's picking up market shares all over the states.    I can't wait for this storm to be over so I can test it out! And for other reasons.  Obviously.

Happy Halloween!

The lists are out -- candy that is safely gluten-free for Halloween! Enjoy!

More Chicken! With a Bite.

Despite appearances to the contrary, I don't dig on beak.  Poultry is not my thing.  I'm not sure why...I get that its a great protein, generally accepted as healthy.  I just don't particularly like it. But, it is cheap.  And cooking on a budget lately has mandated chicken-creativity.

I actually loved tonight's dinner.  I'll call it: Chicken with a Bite.

Take some chicken.  We had 1.38 lbs of chicken breast.  Chop it up into bite size pieces and sauté it up with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Squeeze half a piece of lemon over the chicken as it cooks.

Meanwhile, chop up whatever vegetables you have on hand.  Add in some chunks of pineapple.
1/2 onion
1 summer squash
1 carrot
3 pieces of celery
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced

After the chicken cooks, set it aside in a plate.  Stir-fry the veggies until cooked to taste.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Stir together:
1/4 cup of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of fish sauce
A big dollop of siracha
The juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch

Add the chicken back to the vegetables and stir together.  Pour the sauce over and mix together.  Sprinkle some basil over the whole thing.  Voila!

From My Dad--With Love

Celiac runs in families.  My mom, for example, got it from me.  At least, I was diagnosed and insisted everyone else get tested--hers came up positive.  My dad, who discovered an abiding love of cooking in recent years, stepped up to his two-fold challenge; learn to cook gluten-free and do it in a tiny, northern Maine town with limited resources.

I love when he comes to visit in DC for many reasons, but certainly one of them is that he enjoys cooking, knows how to cook gluten-free and he's like a kid let loose in a candy store in our bountiful DC grocery stores.  Every time he comes down, our standard of eating rises.  On one of his recent trips, it was a cold, rainy day calling for soup.  He made us the most incredible soup.  After much prodding, I got him to write it down.  He's been asking me to send it to him and, frankly, I think other celiacs could benefit from it, too.  I make it whenever I'm sick (which has been frequent lately).

Thai Style Chicken Soup (from my dad's recipe)


1 package extra firm tofu--drained, pressed & cubed
2 cloves of garlic - minced (I usually use three or four. And I don't believe my father has ever made anything with less than 5 cloves of garlic)
1 in. ginger - minced
1 chicken breast - cubed
3-4 cups chicken broth
red pepper cut into strips
1/4 -1/2 fresh red chili peppers
1 cup julienned carrots
1-2 cups fresh baby spinach - chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a wok, fry tofu until crispy (this requires a lot of patience--leave it longer than you might want). Remove the tofu and drain it on some paper towel.  Add cubed chicken to remaining oil and cook, stirring frequently until no longer pink.  Add the garlic and ginger.  Stir for a couple minutes.  Add carrots and red pepper, stir frying for 2-3 minutes.  Add the spinach, stir frying until wilted.  Add the chicken broth.  Bring it to a boil and add tofu.  Add the chili pepper and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste, adding spring onions and cilantro as wanted.

Chicken Soup

We have nothing to eat.  Much like I have nothing to wear.  But a week-long headache has hampered my enthusiasm for grocery shopping.  So.  A Top Chef- like challenge presents itself.  How to get something for dinner--that will not exacerbate a headache and will satisfy a toddler--from frozen food and leftovers?

Two small pieces of frozen chicken and a bowl of leftover brown rice later, I have chicken soup simmering on the stove.

Chicken Soup-ish


A bit of olive oil
2 small pieces of frozen chicken--thawed
1 big onion (can you get small ones anymore?)--chopped
5 cloves of garlic--sliced
1 qt of chicken broth (I use Pacific brand, free-range chicken sodium free)
1 cup of water
A bit of white wine (use Julia Child's method...a little for the soup, a little for me)
2 egg yolks
whatever mushrooms you have in the fridge
chopped up celery
1 big squirt of siracha
2 shakes of fish sauce
the juice of one lemon
1 capful of soy sauce
1 bag of spinach

I get that the amounts got fuzzy at the end.  I blame the wine.

Start with the dollop of olive oil in a dutch oven. Heat it up.  Sear the chicken until brown on both sides.  Dump the onions in and remove the chicken.  Dice the chicken and stir it back in. (If you have celery, add it).  On medium heat, cook until the onions are slightly caramelized.  Deglaze the pot with the white wine.  Stir in the garlic.  Pour in the broth and water.  Add siracha, lemon juice, fish sauce, soy sauce and mushrooms.  Stir.  Simmer for...however long you want.  Stir in the egg yolks slowly, noting the cool chemistry that occurs as the broth thickens.  Add the brown rice.  Simmer until gently boiling.  Add the spinach.  Stir together and wait until everyone shows up.

Presents for a celiac

You know what your favorite celiac wants for Christmas/ Hannukah? I'll give you a hint. It is not a strange fake hamster (or a strange live hamster, for that matter).  And while world peace would be great, lets be honest, it's probably not happening for a while.  So. Simple answer: gluten-free food at your holiday party.

The season of parties is upon us and it can be intensely frustrating for a celiac to attend these soirees.  Inevitably, amid the small talk and drinking, the fact that someone is not eating gets attention.  Your celiac will probably tell you that it's no big deal, they prefer to bring their own food.  Not true! What they would prefer is to eat with everyone else.  An equality of food, if you will.  The problem that's inherent in the system (anyone?) is that even if you make a gluten-free option, the likelihood that it will be contaminated is kind of high.  Even people who are moderately aware of the effects of gluten tend to be less than careful about cross-contamination; "aren't you being just a bit too picky?" "can't you eat just a little?"  "it won't hurt you."  Add alcohol to the mix and there's almost zero chance that the gluten-free food will stay gluten-free if it's universally available.  Therefore, the safe celiac will not partake even if there is a gluten-free option. 

So.  The more complex answer to what your celiac wants for the holidays: universal awareness of celiac disease and its restrictions.