Bufalo Bob’s Chalupa Wagon: Gluten-Free Holy Grail

Gluten Free Dining - Austin, , , , , , , , , , ,

“As he grew older, Bob was worried at how large people were growing all around him, PicsArt_1367617131704especially their wide, waddling butts.  He recalled how nice and petite bufalo butts usually were, considering how large of a beast the bufalo is! He vowed to do something about it. The more Bob learned about nutrition and the food business, the more it all began to look like some grand conspiracy to destroy the health of good Americans, being waged by the big chemical companies, the big food processing and distribution companies, and the fast food mega chains.” (Bufalo Bob, About page on Bufalo Bob’s official website)

Comedian Jim Gaffigan, in a stand up routine I once heard on Comedy Central, described the dishes at a Mexican restaurant as the same seven ingredients mixed together in different ways. His joke, as all jokes do, contains a kernel of truth. The difference between a chalupa and a hard taco, for example, is merely the shape of the corn shell that acts as the foundation for the other ingredients: beans, meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Bufalo Bob, of Bufalo Bob’s Chalupa Wagon, with his use of ingredients such as flax seed, hummus, and parmesan cheese, over-turns the traditional Tex-Mex with the flavorful chalupas he serves out of his food truck in the parking lot on the corner of S 1st and Live Oak . Continue reading →

Gluten-free Sea Salted Caramel Brownies

Comfort Foods, Desserts, , , , , , , , , , ,
IMG_0846

Sea Salted Honey Caramels

“Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.” (A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh)

Winnie-the-Pooh is a gentle, wise character. His love for honey reflects his value of the simple and the (figurative – transcendent as well as the literal – material) delicious. That oh-so-scrumptious moment he struggles to define before he eats the honey, that anticipation of what he’s about to experience, is almost as luscious as that oh-so-sweet moment of satisfaction he feels once his craving for the honey has been satiated. And satisfaction is what people (like Pooh bears) are supposed to feel when they’ve just eaten something delicious. Any other feeling is surely unnatural; even a “bear of little brain” is aware of that fact! Sadly, though, people often feel guilt, rather than pleasure, after having eaten something exquisitely, delightfully ambrosial: the result of decades of “experts” warning us of all the evil consequences we’ll suffer for eating foods that contain sugar and fat (i. e. the stuff that makes food worth eating). Continue reading →

Shout Out for La Condesa of Austin: Best Gluten-Free Dessert

Desserts, Gluten Free Dining - Austin, , , , , ,

Food and Wine Magazine has listed Pastry Chef Laura Sawicki’s

Boca Negra gluten-free dessert at La Condesa (photo from Food and Wine Magazine)

Boca Negra gluten-free dessert at La Condesa (photo from Food and Wine Magazine)

Boca Negra dessert as among one of the best gluten-free desserts in America:

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/americas-best-gluten-free-desserts#!slide=15

According to the note that accompanies the picture of the dessert in the Food and Wine slideshow, Sawicki uses six varieties of chiles, as well as Valrhona chocolate, to make this flourless chocolate cake. The situation for the gluten-intolerant is definitely improving. The desserts featured in the slideshow sound simply Heavenly. What’s more, they’re full of dairy and fat, as well! Yes, things are certainly looking up for foodies who are forced to eat gluten-free!

Check out la Condesa:

https://lacondesa.com/austin/

Gluten-Free Crab Enchiladas

Regional, Seafood, , , , , , , , , , ,

“The traditional techniques of tortilla making reflected the “hard but sure” nature of Mexican campesino kitchens. crab enchiladas 4Twentieth century anthropologists found that a woman cooking for a large family typically spent the entire morning, five or six hours, making tortillas. Work began the night before, when she simmered the corn solution in lime to make nixtamal. The woman rose before dawn to grind the corn on the metate into a dough called masa. Immediately before each meal, she deftly patted the dough into flat, round tortillas and cooked them briefly over the comal. Tortillas could not be saved for the following day, or even the next meal, because they became hard and inedible after a few hours. The dough likewise would not keep more than a day before it began to ferment. So each morning she returned to the stone on hands and knees, with back sloped as if she were a metate wielded by some tyrannical maize goddess.” (Jeffery Pilcher, Que Vivan Los Tamales: Food and the Making of Mexican Identity (1998), 101)

“Visiting writers such as Stephen Crane, author of Red Badge of Courage, were charmed by the Chili Queens [of San Antonio]. He recalled in 1895 that “upon one of the plazas, Mexican vendors with open-air stands sell food that tastes exactly like pounded fire-brick from Hades — chili con carne, tamales, enchiladas, chili verde, frijoles.” Crane depicted a romantic scene: “In the soft atmosphere of the southern night, the cheap glass bottles upon the stands shine like crystal and lamps glow with a tender radiance. A hum of conversation ascends from the strolling visitors who are at their social shrine.”’ (Frank W. Jennings, “Popular Chili Queens Graced San Antonio Plazas,” Journal of Life and Culture in San Antonio)

Two important factors make cooking and eating easier, in some ways, for those who have Celiac and who also live South Texas: the prevalence of Tex-Mex cuisine, and the invention of the mechanized tortilla press. Corn tortillas, most of the time, are perfectly safe for consumption by those who have Celiac or who are gluten-intolerant. Continue reading →

Eating Gluten-Free: Tips for Avoiding the Danger of Cross-Contamination In Your Own Kitchen

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

“If the patient can be cured at all, it must be by means of diet.” (Dr. Samuel Gee, 1839-1911, among the first doctors to notegluten-free sign the importance of diet in managing Celiac Disease)

“Consuming small amounts of gluten — more than 50 milligrams, or about 1/70th of that slice of bread — on a daily basis also can add up to increased symptoms and intestinal damage.” (Jane Anderson, “How Much Gluten Can Make Me Sick?,” January 28, 2013)

The folks over at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness have much to tell us about Celiac disease the month of May, which has been declared Celiac Awareness Month. People are increasingly aware of the disease, as well as the condition with similar symptoms known as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). This greater awareness has resulted in a greater number of gluten-free food products on grocery store shelves, as well as a greater number of gluten-free menus at restaurants. Though more people are aware of the danger that gluten presents to people who suffer from Celiac or NCGS, a large number of gluten-intolerant people continue to suffer without knowing the root of their distressing and serious physical discomfort. Additionally, a large number of people remain ignorant of what gluten is, and what foods contain gluten. Some of these people work in restaurants; others are friends, family members, and co-workers. Without the proper education concerning gluten, the foods that contain it, and its serious effect on people who suffer some form of gluten-intolerance, these well-meaning but undereducated people will remain a threat to those of us who have Celiac or NCGS. We will continue to be endangered by cross-contamination, or outright contamination until even more people understand gluten and gluten-intolerance. Continue reading →

Coffee, Butter, Cocoa: Scrumptious Fuel for a Joyful Return to Running

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

“Humans aren’t built to sit all day. Nor are we built for the kinds of repetitive, small movements that so much of today’s specialized work demands. Our bodies crave big, varied movements that originate at the core of our body.” (Scott Jurek, Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness)

The world is charged with the grandeur of God. bullet proof coffee 3
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
(Gerard Manley Hopkins, “God’s Grandeur”)

Ultra-runner champion Scott Jurek (whose autobiography is an extremely inspirational and interesting read, even for those of use who vehemently disagree with the ideas about diet and nutrition he espouses in the work) is correct: human bodies do long for big, varied movements, and when one is used to moving – running! – for miles every day, for long periods of time outside the house, a sudden halt to that activity brings her shock at first, then disbelieve next, then finally a reluctant, depressed acceptance of reality. At the moment when she realizes that she really, absolutely cannot run for an unspecified period of time, a sort of panic takes over. How, she asks herself, will she replace that movement: that activity that releases such endorphins into her being, and releases her into the world as well? Should she do upper body and core work  at the gym, where she will be surrounded by television screens showing CNN or music videos? Surrounded by people plugged up to machines that merely mimic running – not even truly moving – while they remain plugged into their various personal  technological devices? Where, in the gym, are the trees?

McAllister Park

McAllister Park  Boardwalk, N of Tobin Trailhead

Continue reading →

Gluten-Free Picnik Austin: New Arrival On The Austin Food Trailer Scene

Gluten Free Dining - Austin, , , , , , , , ,

“Although no one has kept specific statistics on the food trailers’ economic impact, economists and local restaurateurs say the trailers have helped boost industry employment and the local restaurant industry as a whole — while adding another facet to Austin’s personality, which is helpful to the tourism sector” (Brian Garr, “Food Trailers Bloom Into Key Piece of Austin’s Economy,” Austin-American Statesman, Sept. 15, 2012)

“Coffee is a warm drink that fosters friendship and tastes great. What more is there to life?” (Kevin Sinnott, The Art and Craft of Coffee)

Historians generally agree that the drink we know as coffee today has its roots in Ethiopia. Legend has it that a goat-herder

Picture from Picnik's Facebook page

Picture from Picnik Austin’s Facebook page

noticed his flock of goats behaving in a lively way after having eaten some berries from some near-by plants. He sampled the berries himself, and felt a sense of elation. He then reported his find to some monks at a nearby monastery, who condemned the berries as a tool of Satan’s and through them into the fire. Apparently, the smell of the berries roasting in the fire was so appealing that (depending upon which source one reads) the monks threw water on the fire to save the berries, tasted the water, and thus began the world’s love affair with coffee. Whether or not this common legend is based on real events, it is based upon the reality that Ethiopians introduced the world to coffee. Ethiopians, therefore, are established coffee authorities, and as such their coffee traditions deserve respect, no matter how unusual these traditions may seem to us. One Ethiopian tradition that has gained my full admiration and support is their addition of butter or ghee into their coffee! The idea shouldn’t seem so strange, though. Next to the sugar and chocolate, butter is that one other ingredient that can make any dish taste more delicious! I recently had the opportunity to drink a mocha butter coffee at Picnik, Austin’s newest smoothie / juice bar / gluten-free restaurant (tags that appear on Picnik’s Facebook page). It was simply delicious. The butter made the coffee smooth and velvety. I enjoyed every last drop of that buttery, chocolaty, drink. Continue reading →

Gluten-Free Easter and Traditions

Desserts, Holidays, , , , , , , , ,

‘Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees Easter 2013 5
Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy.”
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Spanish Student”)

“There is no creation without tradition; the ‘new’ is an inflection on a preceding form; novelty is always a variation on the past.” (Carlos Fuentes, “How I Started to Write,” Myself and Others: Selected Essays)

Easter Sunday this year dawned gray and cool, causing me to be just a bit too chilly in the sleeveless dress I chose to wear to Mass. We began our Easter as usual: early Mass at St Mary’s cathedral, followed by an Easter barbecue with our children and grandchildren. By the time we arrived at Elizabeth’s house, the clouds had given way to the sun, which then pleasantly warmed the air. Continue reading →

Cascarones and Cake: A Gluten-Free Easter Celebration

Comfort Foods, Desserts, Holidays, , , , , , , ,

Easter Cake
Gather gladness from the skies;
Take a lesson from the ground;
Flowers do ope their heavenward eyes
And a Spring-time joy have found;
Earth throws Winter’s robes away,
Decks herself for Easter Day.
(Girard Manly Hopkins, “Easter”)

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”
(Pope John Paul II –Homily to Croatian People 1994)

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame baloonman

whistles far and wee
(e e cummings, “in Just-”)

We have to love Carlotta, wife of Emperor Maximilian, for her contribution to the celebrations we who live in the American Southwest enjoy. She  introduced the festive cascarone to Mexico, and from there the use of cascarones spread to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. We have to adore the people of Mexico, however, for they made the cascarone suitable for celebratory use. Until Carlotta brought the cascarone to Mexico from Europe, cascarone eggs were traditionally filled with perfumed powder and given as gifts. Once these eggs settled into the Mexican culture, the Mexican people began filling the eggs with confetti instead of powder, and the transformation of cascarones from formal, adult use to informal celebratory use for all ages was complete. According to folk lore, one who receives the shower of confetti over her head as the egg is broken also receives good luck. The popularity of cascarones in Mexico has apparently faded, but they regained popularity in Texas in the 70s and they are now a part of Easter celebrations across the state. Continue reading →

The Cove: A Safe Place for Celiacs to Eat

Gluten-Free Dining San Antonio, , , , , , , , ,

????????

“I begin with the proposition that eating is an agricultural act. Eating ends the annual drama of the food economy that begins with planting and birth. Most eaters, however, are no longer aware that this is true. They think of food as an agricultural product, perhaps, but they do not think of themselves as participants in agriculture. They think of themselves as “consumers.” If they think beyond that, they recognize that they are passive consumers. They buy what they want — or what they have been persuaded to want — within the limits of what they can get. They pay, mostly without protest, what they are charged. And they mostly ignore certain critical questions about the quality and the cost of what they are sold: How fresh is it? How pure or clean is it, how free of dangerous chemicals? How far was it transported, and what did transportation add to the cost? How much did manufacturing or packaging or advertising add to the cost? When the food product has been manufactured or “processed” or “precooked,” how has that affected its quality or price or nutritional value?” (Wendell Berry, “The Pleasures of Eating”)

“I dislike the thought that some animal has been made miserable to feed me. If I am going to eat meat, I want it to be from an animal that has lived a pleasant, uncrowded life outdoors, on bountiful pasture, with good water nearby and trees for shade.” (Wendell Berry, “The Pleasures of Eating”)

“Our passion is SOL (Sustainable, Organic, Local). We work with local ranchers and farmers to bring you locally raised, humanely treated, grass-fed Beef, Bison, & Lamb; Free-range Turkey, & Eggs; & as much local, organic produce as we can get our hands on. Our sodas are cane sweetened, our bread is local, & our hearts are full of love.” (The Cove, menu) Continue reading →