Today we went out to lunch with my mom and grandmother.
I asked the waitress if she could check on the glaze in the Citrus Grilled Chicken.
She brought the manager over and he asked if he could help, he personally went back and checked for me. ( great service)
He came back and said that it did have cornstarch, and modified food starch. So I told him, well cornstarch is fine, the modified food starch, by FDA standards, "food starch" HAS to be corn, UNLESS that pesky word "modified" is tagged on the beginning, then it can be anything.
So anyway, I ordered and asked that the chicken and mashed potatoes be on separate plates.
They came out, the chicken was on one plate with the orange slices in their own little bowl, and the citrus butter in its own bowl, and my mashed potatoes on their own seperate plate. They were great, lets hope all Longhorns are equal in service.
The Manager even thanked me for the info on modified food starch and said that he will write a note so that he can pass on the info!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Not so Midnight cake
I have been longing for the midnight cake we would get at school with our pizza on Fridays. I have searched the interwebs and have yet to find a decent copy.
This cake is pretty similar with the frosting, but I think I am going to keep tweaking until I get it just right.
Preheat oven to 350F
Cream together
2/3 shortening (Crisco)
1 2/3 C sugar
3 eggs
then add in a mixing cup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C coffee ( black and cold)
2 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate
sift together
2 1/4 C flour ( I used my gluten free mix + 3/4 tsp xanthan gum)
1/3 C cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
I then blended a scoop of the flour mix, alternating with the vanilla/coffee/chocolate mix.
For the frosting I referred to my mother, granted with all of her cafeteria lady knowledge she doesn't know or ever heard of midnight cake.
She said that the cafeteria uses something like butter flavored crisco for frostings. Not having any I used half crisco half , I can't believe it's not butter. ( I must admit for this I didn't measure in the slightest) I blended the two together, added about a tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract, then poured in powdered sugar until it looked and tasted "right".
Unfortunately the cake isn't the prettiest seeing that my youngest demon seemingly can reach the counter now.
This cake is pretty similar with the frosting, but I think I am going to keep tweaking until I get it just right.
Preheat oven to 350F
Cream together
2/3 shortening (Crisco)
1 2/3 C sugar
3 eggs
then add in a mixing cup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C coffee ( black and cold)
2 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate
sift together
2 1/4 C flour ( I used my gluten free mix + 3/4 tsp xanthan gum)
1/3 C cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
I then blended a scoop of the flour mix, alternating with the vanilla/coffee/chocolate mix.
For the frosting I referred to my mother, granted with all of her cafeteria lady knowledge she doesn't know or ever heard of midnight cake.
She said that the cafeteria uses something like butter flavored crisco for frostings. Not having any I used half crisco half , I can't believe it's not butter. ( I must admit for this I didn't measure in the slightest) I blended the two together, added about a tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract, then poured in powdered sugar until it looked and tasted "right".
Unfortunately the cake isn't the prettiest seeing that my youngest demon seemingly can reach the counter now.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Restaurants
A few restaurants out there now have gluten free menus.
My parents took T and Z out to eat tonight, and apparently Z actually asked for the gluten free menu!
Unfortunately, I got a phone call, practically in tears proclaiming the only thing on the kids menu he could have was the hot dog and he really didn't want a hot dog, he wanted mac & cheese, ( and spaghetti and meatballs, which i do make at home, GF, but at a restaurant that isn't going to be the case)
I really wish that they offered kids something more then steak, bunless burgers, and grilled chicken. Maybe get some Ian's nuggets or something. I let him get the mac and cheese, as he isn't *officially* diagnosed, and he asked for a GF menu all by himself and generally knows to ask what he can eat. Poor kid, I have a hard enough time eating at a restaurant, imagine being 5 and not being able to have nuggets, or pasta, or possibly even fries for fear of the chicken and fries sharing oil.
Oh, so I forgot!
We went to Frate's last night, for T's graduation, I called Bliss, to make sure their ice cream is in fact GF, ( well the common sense ones). After I said that I needed him to use a clean scoop that hasn't touched a cone, or for example cookie dough ice cream, he took the scoop out back and sanatized it for us, right there.
As far as Bliss goes, all of their "main" flavors are gluten free but they are processed on the same belts as non-gluten free products. For example, mint chocolate chip, the chips are gluten free, from a dedicated facility, but grasshopper which contains oreos is also made on the same belt. They always make the Choc Chip first and wash the system down, but can't guarantee that it won't cause a reaction.
My parents took T and Z out to eat tonight, and apparently Z actually asked for the gluten free menu!
Unfortunately, I got a phone call, practically in tears proclaiming the only thing on the kids menu he could have was the hot dog and he really didn't want a hot dog, he wanted mac & cheese, ( and spaghetti and meatballs, which i do make at home, GF, but at a restaurant that isn't going to be the case)
I really wish that they offered kids something more then steak, bunless burgers, and grilled chicken. Maybe get some Ian's nuggets or something. I let him get the mac and cheese, as he isn't *officially* diagnosed, and he asked for a GF menu all by himself and generally knows to ask what he can eat. Poor kid, I have a hard enough time eating at a restaurant, imagine being 5 and not being able to have nuggets, or pasta, or possibly even fries for fear of the chicken and fries sharing oil.
Oh, so I forgot!
We went to Frate's last night, for T's graduation, I called Bliss, to make sure their ice cream is in fact GF, ( well the common sense ones). After I said that I needed him to use a clean scoop that hasn't touched a cone, or for example cookie dough ice cream, he took the scoop out back and sanatized it for us, right there.
As far as Bliss goes, all of their "main" flavors are gluten free but they are processed on the same belts as non-gluten free products. For example, mint chocolate chip, the chips are gluten free, from a dedicated facility, but grasshopper which contains oreos is also made on the same belt. They always make the Choc Chip first and wash the system down, but can't guarantee that it won't cause a reaction.
Pictures!
Okay, so I am not going to post my dessert recipes here, just in case I decide that I want to convince my sister in law to do her cake buisness and offer gluten free treats too.
But I will post dinner recipes and ideas.
These are my gluten free chinese chicken fingers straight out of oil.
I made a wet batter using my flour mix, buttermilk powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Combined with one egg, a few drops of seasame oil, about two Tbsp of veg. oil, and a cup of water. ( I will work out measurements next time I make them)
These are my chocolate, chocolate chip cookies. mmmmm
Whew!
Okay so the past month or so has been crazy.
Instead of letting gluten kick my butt, I have tried to make the things I love gluten free.
I've made brownies, and cookies, and even chinese food chicken fingers. ( the whole no chinese food thing, ouch)
I will make each recipe its own post so people can find things easily, and also talk about local restaurants and whatnot that either a) are gluten-free friendly, b) are willing to work with you or c) just plain not helpful.
( I also have a 5 yr old who can't have gluten so there will (hopefully) be more kid-friendly recipes too)
my basic flour mix is
2 parts white rice flour
2/3 potato starch
1/3 tapioca starch.
I also occasionally throw in a few other flours depending on what i am making. ( the nuttier tasting flours are great for bread)
Instead of letting gluten kick my butt, I have tried to make the things I love gluten free.
I've made brownies, and cookies, and even chinese food chicken fingers. ( the whole no chinese food thing, ouch)
I will make each recipe its own post so people can find things easily, and also talk about local restaurants and whatnot that either a) are gluten-free friendly, b) are willing to work with you or c) just plain not helpful.
( I also have a 5 yr old who can't have gluten so there will (hopefully) be more kid-friendly recipes too)
my basic flour mix is
2 parts white rice flour
2/3 potato starch
1/3 tapioca starch.
I also occasionally throw in a few other flours depending on what i am making. ( the nuttier tasting flours are great for bread)
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