Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Gluten Free & Easy, now in Texas!

~Namaste~
Hey cowpokes, we're coming to you live, from (so close to) Austin, Texas. We said a somber farewell to our Seattle network back in September in hopes of putting down roots beside our family trees in Texas. After eating out for two weeks during The Great American Road Trip, Bill and I found great solace in slow food. We've been home a few months now, and living 30 minutes outside of central Austin has rightfully forced us to get back to cooking. My latest sensation is waffles. Yes, those waffles. Soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, iron-pressed, long lost love letters from breakfast time. I've been making them with Namaste Gluten Free Flour ($10 for an 8lb. bag at Costco), chai masala (for flare) and whipped egg whites to give them the puffy fluff so often absent from GF fare, swamping them in syrup and strawberries and closing my eyes.

We're living in Round Rock, home of the big, round rock that once guided stagecoaches and wagons around deep waters while crossing the local creek. Fascinating, right? Well, Round Rock has an expectedly limited milk/gluten free menu, so I'm doing my best to stay interested in local dining.

I've tried the overpriced Cajun fish tacos at Louisiana Longhorn Cafe without much amusement, had disappointing pho and vermicelli bowls at Pho Viet and faced the reality of eating gluten and dairy free at my old standby, Taco Cabana. Every time I drive by I shed a tear for their flour tortillas. My local favorite is Vazquez Restaurant, for their fabulous tacos and ideal location just five minutes from my front door. And yes, I've found that even in a place rife with  breakfast tacos, I still find myself disgruntled. Now, for months bereft of my dearest neighborhood assortment of fresh Pacific fish, GF crepes and Vietnamese food I'm scouting the surrounding counties for palatable options.

Nancy's Sky Cafe's Fresh Hummus Rolls 
Nancy's Sky Cafe's Garden Noodles
My latest search has turned up Nancy's Sky Garden, the freshest and absolute best vegetarian food I've ever had. Modestly priced at around $10 a plate, Nancy's serves delicious, colorful dishes on a fourth floor patio overlooking downtown Georgetown. The fresh rolls ($6) are served with a dipping sauce, (almond-ginger, please) and the Garden Noodles are made of sweet potato, full of flavor and dropped in the middle of a wildly festive veggie orgy. (Are you conversely considering an orgy of vegetables, too? I know, SO different.) What will I do without this place when we move into Austin? Koriente. Nancy's original restaurant at 7th and Sabine. THANK you. Thank you thank you.

Dos Salsa's Bryan Salad, sans quesos
I also reasonably enjoyed Bryan's Salad from Dos Salsas, sprinkled with tortilla chips (GF?), fried bananas, black beans, avocado, corn, cilantro, and about a half pound of sugared pecans. The greens were unimpressive, but the toppings were plenty distracting. At $9.99, I felt like I was mainly paying for the pecans, and sure, I left out the cheese so maybe the glaring flavor imbalance was my doing, but the fried bananas helped me to forgive. Extremely busy at all hours, Dos Salsas is known as the best in Georgetown, but I probably won't be back in favor of a smaller, sweeter little taqueria yet to be found.

Bouldin Creek Cafe's V-Lux Salad





Down south in Austin proper, I stopped into Bouldin Creek Cafe for a little nosh and an Italian soda. I had high hopes for the vegan horchata, but it turned out to be grainy and way over-infused. Their V-Lux salad, however was a bright, fresh display of all my favorite things on the same plate. Oh, yes, another salad on a plate. Who, oh who will champion the big salad bowl? Didn't Elaine make this clear? Stuffing a mass of greens past my grill is work enough, do I really have to spend half the meal rescuing fallen leaves from the table? An unnecessary demonstration of my grace and patience.



Mr. Natural's Veggie Burger
on a GF Sesame Bun




Then there's good ol' Mr. Natural. Back in my vegetarian days before I knew what gluten was, I was all over this place. The Mr. Natural burger on a GF sesame seed bun is really quite a find. A wheat-free patty and a side of fries was just right. If you're from Austin, you know Mr. Natural and Veggie Heaven (can I get a what what for those vegan Spicy Yams???)  have the lock on veggie fare, but if you're visiting and those are all you hear about, take a listen here and haul ass to the nearest East Side King.






East Side Kings' Liberty Rice & GF Veggie Meshi
Asian fusion at it's absolute fancy finest, they can make a good half of their menu vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. Really, you're wasting time every moment you're not eating at East Side King. With more and more locations popping up, the brand is destined to become a national treasure. Don't leave without trying their liberty rice - ginger, garlic oil, basil, cilantro, mint, onion and jalapeno tossed over steamed jasmine rice. My favorite dish is their veggie meshi - literally veggies and cooked rice - it's an orchestra of liberty rice, deep fried shredded cabbage, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeno and deep-fried brussels sprouts in a sweet-spicy sauce. They originally set up a trailer behind Liberty Bar, and have since spread throughout Austin so chances are, you're not far from one right now. Unless, of course, you're in Round Rock.

Dine on, readers! And do let me know if you have any vegan/gluten free recommendations up north.

Love,
The DD



Monday, February 17, 2014

Dis-glutened Dining Aboard the Carnival Magic


My first cruise! Thanks to The Sandifers, The Carnival Magic was our home for one week. A Christmas present, we enjoyed seven days of unwrapping chocolate on our pillows, picking and choosing from a full line up of activities, and a 24 hour, floating feast. My favorite was the fitness center overlooking the bow, and the sauna, and the hammocks, the hot tubs, water slides, arcade, daily trivia contests, karaoke, dance club and endless lounge chairs. When they weren't wet from the nonstop winter rains, I'd choose an isolated seat, take in the horizon, write, nurse a cocktail or play my ukulele. In search of a deserted deck to strum on, I ran into a dude playing his recorder, which, for all the world, I couldn't help but snicker at.

In addition to all the on-board amenities, they do of course, provide you with all the tools you need to behave like a reckless food addict, even if you're milk-free and glutarded. Though it would've been nice to see a "gluten free" or "dairy free" line on the food labels, I never went hungry. Plates the size of turkey platters, bottomless everything and 'round the clock dining never more than a elevator ride away, a cruise is the ultimate enabler. Just for waiting in line, they reward you with as many calories as you can carry, encouraging you every step of the way to soak those up with an $8 cocktail in a novelty vessel. But the real problem with seven days of  24-hour dining? The eighth day. Depending on your fridge after a week of nonstop grazing feels like a cruel joke. 


Note: The following is a "dramatization" based on the maximum dining possible.  

7am
Sunrise
off the stern
A knock at your stateroom door brings your breakfast: two plates of smoked salmon with capers, tomatoes and onions, coffee and juice. The salmon. It's divine! It's gonna be a good week. Your roommates's still dozing, and you're wondering about the offerings upstairs, so... Clad in your robe you shop the buffet. It has yards of  bagels, muffins, pancakes, and plenty of standard breakfast fare for the general public. Then, in a neglected corner next to the bacon, sits a sliced loaf of sad, dry, crumbly, gluten free grits & gramflour bread. Not bad! Grab a couple slices, some fruit, head back to your room and make a fabulous salmon sammy. First and second breakfast down in less than half an hour!
10am
Not even elevenses yet and you're starving? Thankfully the breakfast buffet is still open, so you grab a few hashbrowns and an egg white omelette cooked to order. Enjoy these with some melon while you watch the waves.
Noon
The family meets up on the Lido Deck to strategize for lunch. Indian? Burgers? Pizza? Burritos? Heap a few pounds of different salads on your plate and prepare for the next meal. Who knows when it will be?
3pm
What's that, a little rumbly? Oh, no! The buffet's closed til 6?!? You could hit the deli for some fries and cole slaw but you decide to trouble the pizza guy for a gluten free pie without cheese.
This will become a troubling habit over the next 168 hours.
6pm
Get dressed, you slob! It's time to eat out in the open, with dignity. Utensils, napkins, eye contact with your peers. Each night you can choose from the static menu or the daily specials, always featuring a fish, steak, or fancy option, like escargot, oysters, filet mignon, or lobster. A chat with the host and you'll have gluten free bread, entree and dessert options the whole week.
8pm
You went hard at dinner and now you don't know if you'll be able to fit in that late night snack you've been planning on... Take a turn around the ship, burn what calories you can then stop into a bar for some trivia, or some karaoke or maybe a refreshing beverage. Before you know it, you'll be back at the pizza bar like a zombie, ready for more.

I'll spare you the indignities of the in-between times, but you get the idea. 

Day 1 Fun Day at Sea (food)

Day 2 Funner Day at Sea (food+water slides +! hours of sun)

Day 3 We stopped in Mahogany Bay, Honduras and rode around in a van touring the slums of Roatan Island, hoping to sample some fried iguana but our guide couldn't quite make it happen. Fresh coconut water and tostones almost made amends.



Day 4 Belize! After a two hour bus ride to visit the Mayan ruins, we took in the sights then rode over to the River Wallace where we dined on rice and beans steamed in coconut milk, fried plantains and sampled local wines. Tamarind, pineapple, sorrel, blackberry... all sulfite free. We came back on board with a bottle of cashew wine, locally known as the poor man's whiskey (rumored to guarantee a second day of intoxication 24 hours after imbibing, though after thorough experimentation this proved incorrect). SO delicious, and a little reminiscent of sherry. 



Day 5 Cozumel! Some pocket Spanish delivered us by taxi to a local beach where we spent a gray day enjoying the sand, picking up coral and boozing. They really do pour tequila like water in Mexico. As it's 100% more distilled than the local tap it's probably just as well. Next time you hit San Francisco Beach in Cozumel, ask for Miguel and be sure to order the Shaky Shaky, a local favorite.




Day 6 Back out to sea en route home, the reality of Day 7 was becoming clear. We would eventually have to get off the ship, so I spent Day 6 much like Day 1 and 2 - chewing. 
Day 7 I started the morning with some simple corn flakes and soy milk in attempt to ease back in to the mundane. Vacationing certainly increased my appetite for variety, so going back to Texas (oh, but didn't you know I moved home?) is officially a gastronomical let-down.

Yes, I left Seattle for Austin, looking for browner pastures, higher temperatures and breakfast tacos, but that's a blog post all it's own. Post-cruise blues are in full effect, so if you need me I'm probably in the bathroom, trying to fold my towels into zoo animals.
Love,
The Disgruntled Diner