The Un-Gluten Guy (My Gluten Free Recipes & GF Adventures)

I have been traveling up to Oregon to go fishing from time to time.  It was in June of 2013 that I first found, what was then called, Harvester Beers.  It was a gift from the gods for someone who enjoyed beer but could not consume beers that contain gluten. I am not an expert, I can not pick out all of the ingredients and tell you what to eat which each particular brew.  I can tell you I like beer and I like to eat.  I used to enjoy New Belgium Fat Tire, Rogue Dead Guy, Sierra Nevada and Stone Levitation.  So you can see I was not into light or non-hoppy beers. As far as GF beers go, I have tried New Planet, Glutenberg, Epic's Glutenator, Bard's, Redbridge, New Grist, Dogfish, and Green's (I have been reluctant to try any of the "gluten removed" beers).  I don't think you can comment on something unless you know how it compares to the competition.  Well, hands down GroundBreaker is on top by a large margin. For those of you that do not know, GroundBreak

As if dealing with Celiac disease is not enough I was continuing to have abdominal symptoms.  I wasn't eating gluten.  I had blood test to verify that there was no accidental contamination going on.  Switched to lactose free dairy products - no improvement.  My doctor recommended a breath test to rule out SIBO (Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, diahrrhea, heartburn.  I seemed to get a acid reflux like taste in my mouth and some bloating. In addition to celiac disease, other diseases that may lead to SIBO include diverticular disease, crohn's disease, alcohol abuse and liver disease. The overgrowth of bacteria can lead to malabsorption.  This can result in low levels of B12, iron and vitamin D.  Low vitamin D can lead to inability to absorb calcium which can result in muscle twitching (which I was getting) and it can lead to osteoporosis. The diagnosis can be made non-invasive with a hydrogen breath test. For the tes

During my trip to British Columbia I had the pleasure to enjoy the cooking talent of Chef Julie, a  Red Seal  chef, from Canada.  Her food was amazing and she did an incredible job of feeding me delicious, safe, gluten free food for a week. After many requests from many people she started a site called  Foodsoulchef  that offers up many of her recipes.  Many of the recipes are gluten free but those that are not are easily converted.  I have been talking up her blog to friends and thought I would list it here so you too can enjoy her recipes. Some of my favorites are: Cazeula from Culo de Mundo, Chile This is a rich, hearty soup.  You can easily make it vegetarian.  I have at times used chicken instead of lamb.  Feel free to substitute yams for potatoes or butternut squash. Sexy Beet Soup  (her name not mine) This is one I really like.  I like beets and the black beans and peppers add protein and some heat. Blackberry-Apple Crumble This one is awesome.  Have it

Wow, summer is over and school has started.  I am not really sure where the time went but we had fun. Our Uncle has a family cabin up in Maine that has been in the family for I don't know how long.  It is located on Big Lake which is just one of the many lakes found throughout the state.  My wife took me there once while we were dating but our kids have never had the chance to visit.  We made plans to head east for a summer trip. Luckily having your own cabin and kitchen means you can cook gluten free and where the cabin is there are not too many options to eat out anyway. We packed the usual suspects: Jovial  gluten free pasta, peanut butter, Udi's gluten free bread, Rudi's gluten free tortillas, Spicely gluten free spices, granola bars and other snacks, Justin's peanut butter cups and Pamela's pancake mix. Searching online I found a Gluten Free Bakery in Bangor, Maine that was close to the airport.   Raegamuffin's  is a place to have to visit if you ar

I decided to book a trip to the famous Dean River to go fly fishing for King Salmon and Steelhead.  Not only did it require some work on making sure I had the right gear, flies and travel arrangements but I had to plan food for the trip.  To get to the Dean from San Diego meant a layover in San Francisco, a night in Vancouver, another flight to Smithers and then a float plane to the lodge. But when you fly over British Columbia in one of these you get to see some really beautiful country. The lodge I booked with Blackwell's thru  April Vokey's Flygals  service and they let me know that their lodge cook, Julie, could accomodate my gluten free needs.  That was one big hurdle to get over since I would be there for six days in the middle of nowhere.  As any one would food sensitivies would do I still packed a fair amount of GF options to be on the safe side. I made a section in my luggage for Schar GF bread, Glutino breakfast bars, Kind bars, tunafish packets, chocolate

We like salsa.  Salsa on chips, eggs, pork, chicken, shrimp, on platters, tacos, and burritos.  We make homemade salsa too but it is nice to have a go to jar available in the house.   There are lots of brands we have tried and a few that have found their way into our kitchen for being both good and GF (Organicville, Cookwell & Company and Mrs. Renfro's). My wife picked up a jar of Terra Verde Farms  Green Chile Salsa.  It is vegan, soy and gluten free.  It tastes fresh - a lot of that depends on the tomatoes and chiles and onions they use and they must have a great fresh supply of fruits and vegetables (yes, if you didn't know a tomato is a fruit).  The salsa has just the right amount of heat and kick. They are located in Carlsbad, California (Just north of San Diego) and looks like they have another office in Arizona.  As of today they have a new website being produced so it under construction until the  end of July but I am hoping to see what other products th

My wife has visited Cucina Enoteca with her friends and was hoping that it would be a place we could visit together.  They offer GF pasta but the big question is was it safe for a gluten free diner.  She spoke with one server that has celiac and she told my wife that she ate their herself and that the kitchen was very good and safe when it came to preparing GF dishes. We had family in town and we went out with the kids for an early dinner on Sunday.  Once we arrived we found out that the waitress my wife had spoken too was off that night.  Instead we were seated with Angelo, who was excellent.  He knew the menu well and went back to check with the kitchen to make sure what I was ordering was going to be safe to eat. Cucina Enoteca is a sister restaurant of Cucina Urbana, which is a big favorite with one woman I work with who is a huge foodie.  I saw on the website that there is also a Cucina Enoteca in Irvine. The restaurant is an Italian restaurant with an urban flare and very

The kids had a week off for Spring Break and we were looking to get away.  Friends of ours had visited the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona and raved about how much fun they had.  The husband has a gluten sensitivity and they told us about the gluten free menu and gluten free bread that was served during their stay. So I looked into the hotel and found that their main restaurant Il Terrazzo has a gluten free menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The restaurant has a special area for GF food preparation even its own GF toaster.  If you choose to eat at one of their other restaurants, or by the pool, the food can be ordered through the main restaurant and brought to you. The bread is from a local GF bakery called  Gluten Free Creations.   The resort also gets GF chocolate chip cookies and I believe some other baked goods that are offered on the GF menu. When we arrived in Scottsdale we stopped for lunch at  Picazzos .  This is a chain of "Organic Italian Kitchen(s)" in