Gumbo, at Last

I tried my hand at gumbo last night for the first time in years.

I had learned how to make gumbo about 10 years ago, long before going gluten-free, from a friend who was a New Orleans native. I'd gone to Mardi Gras a couple times with her and a group of our friends. While we did consume our share of Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's, we did Mardi Gras the way the locals do, with a circuit of parties and parades, and I fell in love with the food and culture of the Big Easy. I soon learned how to make fried okra and crawfish etouffee, gumbo and pralines, and so on. (I took a pass on grits -- biscuits were more to my liking.)

Fast forward several years, and I find myself in love with a Southern boy, who originally hails from Mobile, Al. Mobile has its own respected (and actually some older) Mardi Gras traditions, one of which is Joe Cain Day, a celebration that falls the Sunday before Fat Tuesday. So, in honor of Joe Cain Day and Mardi Gras, even though we are in the snow-laden North, I decided it was high time to resurrect some of those dishes and make them gluten-free. And, quite frankly, I have been hungry for gumbo with some good andouille sausage; we finally found one I could have.

I had roasted a chicken the night before, so we conserved the remaining meat and shredded it to put into the gumbo. (As an aside, I strongly believe in good pantry management, particularly when allergen-free groceries can be so cost-prohibitive. Thinking ahead and effective menu-planning really can help manage costs and cut down on waste.) B. had picked up some Wellshire Farms' andouille sausage, which is gluten-, dairy- and soy-free, and available at Whole Foods. He chopped up the sausage and the veggies Saturday night, so come Sunday afternoon, all I need to do was assemble the ingredients and make the roux.

The roux is what put me off to making gumbo for so long. It's the base of flavor and color for gumbo, and I mistakenly believed for a long time that I couldn't make a good one that was gluten-free. But I did some research, and all it takes is oil, rice flour and, as with any roux, patient attention. It couldn't be easier. The roux ready, into the pot went the veggies, then the chicken, andouille and stock, all which simmered away while I prepared the rice and cornbread.

I've had a taste for cornbread for weeks, and I thought it would make a nice accompaniment to the gumbo. I found a couple non-gluten-free recipes that looked good and modified them to my needs. I was pleased with the results. The cornbread came out flavorful with a nice consistency and good texture. Not too bad for the first try. And I have been informed in no uncertain terms that both the gumbo and cornbread recipes need to be repeated with no modifications to them; I'll take that as a success.

Here's hoping that the red beans and rice I'll be making later this week turn out as well. Now if I could just figure out how to do beignets like they do at Cafe Du Monde.

Changes

There have been a couple notable changes lately that I thought deserved a mention.

I'm sad to report that Ina's has suspended its dinner service -- including the gluten-free fried chicken nights -- indefinitely. We truly enjoyed that special evening every month, and while I do understand that the economy has everyone rethinking how to best approach business, I certainly hope that Ina'a chooses to reinstate the gluten-free evening very, very soon. It will be missed.

Also I recently found out that Townhouse Cafe, my favorite lunch spot, has changed its soup base; the new stock is not gluten-free, and so the wonderful soups served there that I mentioned in an earlier entry are no longer suitable for those on a gluten-restricted diet.

On a positive note, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ruled that Air Canada must supply a safe buffer zone for passengers with peanut and nut allergies. People seated within this zone would be asked to refrain from eating peanuts, nuts and any derivative products. The airline is to file a plan on how to implement the mandate, including a proposal for how large the buffer zone should be and how far in advance allergic passengers should give notice. While the buffer zone doesn't apply to other allergens, the fact that the decision was made at all is an indication that allergy awareness is growing, and I commend the CTA for recognizing the issue and doing something about it. It's a start.

Great Bakery

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays, and has a wonderful New Year! We have just returned from our holiday trip out west. I was fortunate to have two holiday trips in 2009 – one south for Thanksgiving, one west for Christmas – and I’m still unpacking and processing. 2010 is off to a good start; I’m very much looking forward to this year and all it will bring, including new discoveries.

One recent discovery is the Twisted Bakery, a gluten-free operation located in Dickinson, N.D. A family friend first made us aware of it and sent us some items. Are we glad she did!



I’ve sampled a couple of the bakery’s products now and wholeheartedly recommend it. The Gluten Free White Bread & Bun Mix literally is the best of any I have tried to date. The mix is easy to use, and the resulting bread not only has a good flavor and texture, it doesn’t need to be toasted. At all. I finally have enjoyed a good sandwich again.

Also, for those who are gluten-free and have missed family favorites like dumplings, wait no longer: The bakery offers a Gluten Free Noodle/Dumpling Mix. We used the mix to make dumplings for soup – they were excellent. When eating the soup, it was as if I had returned to my childhood.

There are a number of its other products I’m planning to try as well. The Twisted Bakery does ship, and also is stocked in some retailers. Be sure to check out its website for additional information.

Upcoming Meeting

The Gluten Intolerance Group of Greater Chicago will be holding a meeting at The Free From Market in Orland Park, Ill., Monday, Dec. 14 at 6:00 p.m. A baking demo and a tour of the shop are planned; the discussion topic for the evening: Christmas for the gluten-free family.

Everyone is welcome. Visit www.chicagoglutenfree.com for more information.

Yummy New Snack

It's been a bit since I last wrote. In short, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. While I'm still organizing my thoughts about our road trip down South, which I'll post soon, I wanted to share a new discovery.

LaraBar has a relatively new addition to its line of snack bars -- Peanut Butter and Jelly. It's great. The bar is aptly named; I don't know how they do it, but it really does taste like peanut butter and jelly!

Like the other bars in its line, this one is gluten-, soy- and dairy-free, and it makes for a satisfying small meal. Although it does pack 210 calories, I happily have another addition to my stash of bars and snacks I have on hand for when I'm on the go.

Preparing for the Holiday

When managing a gluten-free lifestyle, on holidays, for travel and particularly for both at the same time, advance planning goes a long way toward ensuring a good time is had by all. For the Thanksgiving holiday, B. and I will be heading south to spend the week with his family. We leave Saturday morning, which means that this week, I'm busy preparing.

Beside obviously getting clothing ready for the much warmer weather than we have here in the Midwest right now, I'm also compiling the various food items I'll need for the duration. Like most trips, I'll have my stash of bars and treats available for snacks and in case breakfast proves difficult. But because it is a holiday, and because we can't be certain of the availability of essential gluten-free items, we're taking quite a bit with us, too.

A partial list of those pantry items we're packing:

• Ener-G breadcrumbs
• Breads From Anna pumpkin bread mix
• Tinkyada pasta shells
• MimiCreme cream substitute
• Namaste pizza crust

And so on ...

I'm looking forward to discovering new gluten-free resources there and along the way, but again, as I can't be certain of what we'll find, I'm going prepared.

We also have called ahead to the area Fresh Market and ordered fresh turkey, as well as made sure that the store will be carrying products we need, like Pacific Foods' chicken broth and perishable items that can't be brought with us like Andrew & Everett shredded cheese (it's casein-free!).

When we get down there, I'm going to be doing a lot of the cooking. Gluten-free is somewhat of an unchartered territory for B.'s family, so we'll be demonstrating what's involved. (I did have some initial reservations about taking over someone else's kitchen for a week, but I have been assured that it's more than OK with everyone. I like to cook; they don't. I have dietary restrictions; it's just easier for everybody this way.) In order to plan ahead, B. and I have had several conversations about the various menus, including Thanksgiving brunch and dinner, and Iron Bowl nosh, to suit all palates and dietary needs.

Actually, my preparations are not all that different than they would be if we were staying home; the only real difference is having it all organized before we leave -- just a little bit sooner than I might have otherwise.

Expectations are high during major holidays like Thanksgiving, particularly when it comes to the meal. It's almost as if gorging oneself is actually sanctioned. Yet, add certain allergen-free requirements to the mix, and it's a potential recipe for disaster. Holidays can be a challenge when living gluten-free -- more so at the beginning when you're still adjusting to the lifestyle change, although even after several years, the possibility for disappointment can remain high.

Making sure everyone can partake in the special meal is important. Because I'm the one with the restrictions, I tend to cook to ensure I'm happy with the outcome. But for families hosting gf(cf) members, here are some suggestions:

• Processed frozen turkeys often have additives that render them not gluten-free, so fresh turkey is the best option for the gf menu.
• Have a gluten-free bread available -- savory and/or sweet. I'm making pumpkin bread this year. I may also make an herb bread too, if inspiration strikes.
  
• Stuffing is a traditional Thanksgiving menu item. You could say it doesn't seem like Thanksgiving without it. That said, in the past, I never really cared for stuffing -- I didn't like the texture, and it never sat well; now I know why. Instead of a bread-based side, now I typically make a gf wild rice version.
• A word on dairy- or casein-free mashed potatoes: they're easy to do without any special products. Boil and mash the potatoes per usual, except when you would normally add milk and butter, conserve some of the cooking water and use that instead, along with some chicken broth, and salt and pepper. The result: flavorful, moist potatoes.
• A gf dessert of some sort is a must. Only watching while everyone else indulges is not fun. It doesn't have to be pumpkin pie. Baked apples would be a good seasonal alternative that everyone could enjoy.
  

In short, if there's a tradition in your family when it comes to the meal, try to make it gluten-free if at all possible. Otherwise, the person who can't partake will feel excluded -- not a sentiment you want to evoke on what's supposed to be an inclusive celebration.

So, whether it's at home or 1,000 miles away, it helps to think ahead as to what you'll need in the kitchen to make it a gluten-free holiday -- and a happy one at that.

Lunch!

While I make risotto regularly and frequently use the leftovers to create arancini , it didn't occur to me to try another format until I watched Barefoot Contessa's Ina Garten create risotto cakes. Inspired, I put my own gluten-free spin on them. They take much less time to make than arancini, and they fry up beautifully, making for a quick, hot, albeit hearty, meal.