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

Dairy and Gluten, An Unrequited Love Story

Hey pals! I've been gone a spell but I promise, I've been diligently dining and whining daily. I gave up writing about it a few months ago (last year) because I got sick of photographing my food at restaurants. For someone who just wants to sit in a booth and privately savor one bite after another and generally coast through life unnoticed, it really wasn't playing my song. But check it out - I turned 30 in February so now I'm free of all that self aware bullshit (or I'm telling myself it is in fact so), and since this ain't for a grade I'm going to continue without ceremony. There. Now I'm just like you!
These revelations must be made. And of course, they're made to be shared so thanks for playing and let's get going!







By my hippie doctor's orders, I've abandoned gluten and dairy (so long, beloveds), for better living without allergies.
"Allergies, d'you say?"
Allergies. You guys, I've been fighting headaches, unholy itching, bloating, constipation and sleep all these years, just assuming I was atoning for something I did wrong in a past life.
Not so.
After a blood test, I've been thusly classified:
I''m allergic to casein, the protein found in cow's milk, Gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye and barley, Dust mites and Cock roaches. All likely producing headaches, digestive troubles, fatigue, listlessness, and brain fog, (and I thought I was just fried from college). All these years, I assumed everyone struggled with these things, and I was just being a baby. When I couldn't cope, I'd pop some ibuprofen and hit another pint of ice cream. Or some pizza. Or both.You know the drill.

Not pizza.

Alas, the list of foods I must avoid grows. After my juice cleanse last fall I've stayed off of caffeine, meat and most processed foods. Now when we're out to eat I'm left staring slack-jawed at menus, and I'm always on the look out for quick meals I can throw together at home. So when Bill throws a Totinos in the oven, I press through my sorrow and open my heart to a little more effort and start chopping. If I'm really pressed for time, I'll grab for *gasp* canned beets, but mostly, timely cooking is a brand new challenge. Here's what I'm working with these days:
Produce, Produce, Produce, nuts, eggs, Coconut milk, Almond milk, Rice, Quinoa, Brown rice pasta, Udi's Gluten Free tortillas, mung bean noodles and other wheat free creations, which, while not found too often in restaurants, are carried by most grocery stores in their "health food" aisle. I call it the "Fivef***indollarsforwhat?!?!?!" section.

Luckily, swearing off pizza and fast food has been excellent for my brain and body. Though I haven't quite put my mind to it, I imagine losing weight would now be a snap, especially since I CAN'T DRINK BEER.

My doctor also informed me that my cholesterol is too low, so I've been given carte blanche to gorge on avocado, fish, nuts and chia seeds, and have implemented the seed cycle. It's been a couple months now and while I could have been better at meeting the 2-tablespoon-a-day quota, I like to think I'm feeling better.

Chia Seed Pudding

So, if you're feeling like you might be missing out on high performance living, or just want to see if you could maybe feel a little better than you do, holler at me and I'll send you some recipes. Look, here's one now!
Chia Seed Pudding
 I make this at night and have it the next morning. And the next morning and the next. After that I have to make a new batch.
You'll need:
a quart container with a tight fitting lid
1/2 c chia seeds
1 1/4 c vanilla almond milk
1 1/4 c vanilla coconut milk
cinnamon
topping suggestions:
sliced banana
chopped roasted almonds
toasted coconut flakes

Combine the milks in the container, add as much cinnamon (and/or masala spice) as you like, maybe about a tablespoon total, then add in the seeds. Stirring here helps to avoid clumps from forming but if you're really fast you can just pop the lid on and tell your shake weight you found a new boyfriend.
Refrigerate for at least four hours, shaking whenever you open the fridge, or once, or never. Clumps are not the worst, since most of the milk will get absorbed no matter what, and a clump or two will provide some surprising crunch. Assemble in a small bowl with your preferred toppings and experience omega-3 fatty acids like never before!