Body Essentials Nutrition & Massage

We love to ski/snowboard, so I’ve been slowly accumulating gluten free info for ski areas we go to (similar to the gluten free baseball stadium options I’m compiling too).  The ski area I go to most often is Mt. Baker in Washington state, home of the world record snowfall in the 1998-1999 season.

Unfortunately, calling the main offices for the Mt. Baker Ski Area reveals only a few gluten free options at either of their lodges (I like the White Salmon Lodge best, aka “the lower lodge”).  The choices are the usual salads or a baked potato which can be smothered with chili.  We hope to see this improve in the future, especially as I had been waiting with baited breath to see what their new menu would be for this 2011-2012 season.

But don’t worry, because there are many more options available to you on your drive home from the mountain, which is when I tend to get extra hungry anyway.

Try stopping first at Milano’s in Glacier (9990 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier WA, 98244, 360-599-2863).  Though it’s not listed on the menu, they have gluten free spaghetti made from quinoa flour, stored in the kitchen for when it is requested, and it can be subbed for many of the linguine or fettucine dishes on the menu.  (Note: not every waiter is familiar with this option, so just ask them to check back in the kitchen).  I’ve been told that you can also bring your own gluten free pasta in if you prefer, and they will cook it for you.

Another option, about an hour’s drive down from the mountain, is the North Fork Brewery (6186 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming WA 98244, 360-599-2337).  Though the menu still doesn’t come up on their website, you’ll have to trust me that this establishment serves a full gluten free meal option, plus has a great atmosphere.  You can get a 9″ size gluten free pizza with your choice of toppings for a reasonable price (depends on how many toppings you order, but you could go all out for about $13.00), a Strongbow Cider to drink, and their gluten free “Death by Chocolate” for dessert (last price check on this dessert was $5.00).  Note: the menu doesn’t list the gluten free pizza option, you just have to ask for it!

I highly recommend both of these places, though full disclosure is that I grew up in this area, so they are familiar favorites to me.  I’d love to hear about your favorite gluten free meals at other ski areas too, just leave a comment below.

We’re finally starting to get out of our “restaurant rut” and try a few new places again.  You know how it is when a food intolerance is involved – you find a few safe places you have eaten at successfully before, and then proceed to go to only those same restaurants month after month.  It becomes utterly boring, especially when you live in such a thrilling foodie locale like Brooklyn, NY!

Here are our recent finds:

• Chick P (490 Bergen St, near corner of 6th Ave, 718-783-1525) – this place just opened last month, and it is a great place to stop by for a “to-go dinner” when you are coming home late from work.  They specialize in Falafel, and while Falafel is not always gluten free at every restaurant (some use regular wheat flour), Chick P makes it authentically gluten free using finely ground potato flour, plus it is honestly the BEST tasting falafel I have ever had!  Any of the platter dishes are gluten free, as long as you skip the pita bread (or just give it to your friend).  The owner also runs Fish & Sip nearby (216 Flatbush Ave, 718-636-2256), another favorite of ours to get a nice affordable fish dinner with baked potato and veggies.

• Le Gamin (556 Vanderbilt Ave, between Atlantic Ave and Pacific St, 718-789-5171) – a cozy French place to go for brunch/dinner and get….CREPES!  Yes, they serve 100% buckwheat crepes, no other flour involved – note this is for their savory meat & cheese crepes, NOT the dessert ones unfortunately.  We also love their chicken salad – there’s just something about the way they julienne all of the vegetables and apples on top that makes it unlike any other chicken salad I’ve ever had.

• Alma (187 Columbia St, entrance is on corner of Degraw, 718-643-5400) – we came to this Oaxacan-style restaurant because we heard about the amazing view.  If you climb the stairs to the enclosed rooftop, the view of lower Manhattan is fantastic, especially on a bright clear day.  Watch the helicopters taking off and the Staten Island ferry going by as you nosh on corn tortilla chips & salsa, as well as a variety of naturally gluten free dishes made with corn tortillas, plantains, and potatoes.  I especially recommend the Chilaquiles!  (Note: as always, use your best judgement – obviously the Pan Mexicana, aka bread battered w/ egg, is not gluten free).

• Crespella (321 7th Ave, between 8th and 9th St, 718-788-2980) – this place is next on this list for us to try, now that we are on such a crepe kick from Le Gamin!  They make their savory crepes w/ chickpea flour, but still no sweet dessert crepe options yet.  You can get gluten free muffins here too.

I have fantastic news: we are going to become parents in the spring!  Now that I’m in the second trimester, I have my normal hearty appetite back again.  But those first few weeks of pregnancy left me with no appetite, so I didn’t want to eat much at all.  As a dietitian, I know that the secret to deter nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is to eat small, frequent snacks every 1-2 hours.  It’s when your stomach is truly empty that you will feel at your worst!  I’ve compiled a list of the foods that worked well for me in my first trimester – the ones at the top were best at first, and then I slowly started incorporating more foods as time went on.  Remember, every woman is different (and every pregnancy for that matter), but these same foods have worked well for many of my patients as well.  (Note: The suggestions with a GF next to them are gluten free).

Foods to Eat When You Don’t Feel Well

(and they’re good for baby too!)

• Goldfish crackers – look for the whole grain ones (or rice crackers GF)
  

• Wheat toast w/ butter (or rice bread toast to be GF)
  

• (GF) Plain rice cake – try adding a little peanut butter too

• (GF) Unsweetened applesauce

• (GF) Chocolate pudding – “nonfat” is best

• (GF) Yogurt –some people tolerate it best if it’s frozen

• (GF) Strawberry banana smoothie

• Macaroni & cheese – try cooking the pasta w/ frozen green beans & add diced tomato for a balanced meal. (GF note: Annie’s makes a GF mac & cheese).
  

• (GF) Baked potato w/ cheese – try adding broccoli on top

• (GF) Eggs and rice – try adding some sautéed kale or spinach. Remember: no runny yolks for pregnancy!

More Ideas

• Try to eat a few bites every couple hours – dry carb foods are the most helpful to soak up that extra saliva!

• Sip on ginger or mint tea (read labels for teas without licorice root, hibiscus, or chamomile)

• Plenty of ice cold water
  

• Chew on gum to get rid of that yucky taste!

• Ask someone else to do the cooking when you don’t feel well

Pumpkin Pancakes

A perfect breakfast for a fall weekend….thanks to Eric Olson for the idea!

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour

2  1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1  1/4 cups milk (or soymilk)

1 cup canned pumpkin *Freeze any leftover pumpkin for a future breakfast

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 Tbsp melted butter

Directions

In a bowl, soft together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and canned pumpkin.  Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients.  Also mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, and butter.  Let batter rest for 5 minutes.  Batter should be a thin consistency, so add more milk/soymilk if needed.  Heat griddle to 375 degrees (or heat an oiled frying pan over medium-high heat).  Cook pancakes until golden, about 2-3 minutes each side.

The Oyster Festival in South Norwalk, CT was pretty fun this past weekend!  There were lots of craft  booths, a pirate’s cove, an oyster shucking competition, and amusement park rides.  The gluten free food options were somewhat limited, but my husband very much enjoyed a plate of oysters on the half-shell, hand cut fries, and some unsweetened ice tea for lunch.

We brought our own snacks of course since we expected there wouldn’t be much gluten free stuff available, but look what we found there!  In the tented craft wares area, there was a booth for Loraina’s Italian Specialties, which happened to be staffed by a young man who had celiac disease.  He had a huge variety of gluten free biscotti/cookie type bars for sale ($8 a box).  We sampled a few of the flavors – they were all good, but we liked the almond and pecan varieties the best.  We bought a box of the pecan flavor and it made a great dessert for us over the next 3 days.  You can click on the link to order from their website – I think it would be a nice option for a gluten free brunch, tea, or dessert for a party.  I was so impressed, and feel especially inspired by a guy that turned his own medical needs into a great business opportunity!

This is another installment in my series about gluten free options at baseball stadiums.  I went to see the NY Mets play for the first time this week.  Sadly, Shea Stadium is no more, but did you know the new Citi Field is one of the few professional baseball stadiums with a gluten free concession stand?  It’s called Kozy Shack (as in the brand of pudding).  Kozy Shack is located on the field level outside the World’s Fare Market and has been run by Aramark since March 2010.  Among the gluten free items they have there are:  Gluten Free Hotdogs!  Gluten Free Burgers!  Gluten Free Beer!  Gluten Free Sausages! And Gluten Free Pudding!

However, I didn’t eat there for the game – I found another gluten free option at Taqueria (also on the field level).  They had soft chicken tacos made with corn tortillas – very tasty (and spicy!)  I also got a bag of good old-fashioned Cracker Jacks, which is naturally gluten free as well – the ingredient list is simple, sweet, and safe: sugar, corn syrup, molasses, salt, corn/soy oil, and soy lecithin mixed in with popcorn and peanuts.

I also learned that the Mets hosted a Celiac Awareness Night earlier this spring (May 2011) and a portion of the proceeds from that game was donated to the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness (which, by the way, is a great resource).  All in all, I think the Mets deserve our patronage considering how much of an effort they have made to make the gluten free community welcome in their stadium!

The other day, a friend asked me for some gluten free breakfast ideas as she was getting tired of eating quinoa flakes every morning.  So I sent her a few ideas, and then I thought, “That would be a good blog topic too!”  Here’s what I shared with her:

• cottage cheese w/ peaches (or some other fruit)
• rice cake w/ peanut butter and raisins on top
• a couple warm corn tortillas w/ ham & cheese (this could essentially be made as a quesadilla too)
• grits made w/ (soy)milk instead of water
• fruit smoothie
• Van’s gluten free toaster waffle spread w/ part-skim ricotta cheese and an orange
• rice flour pancakes with blueberries & turkey bacon

What are some of your favorite gluten free breakfast ideas?  Please share!

Gluten Free Banana-Nut Muffins

I’ve been making this recipe quite often lately as bananas seem to ripen too quickly in the summer heat.  I found the recipe here, but I used ground almonds instead because I didn’t have any walnuts on hand (and no, I didn’t toast them and it still tastes fine!)  This recipe uses whipped eggwhites to add extra volume, so you don’t end up with the typically dense gluten free muffin.  Bet you can’t eat just one!

Gluten Free Fruit Tarts

This year I made gluten free mini-tarts for my husband’s birthday.  This was a favorite treat his grandma used to make him, but he hasn’t been able to eat one ever since becoming gluten free.  I’ve simplified this recipe from the elaborate one in the CIA’s Gluten Free Baking cookbook, so it’s easier to whip out in an afternoon.   It makes 12 muffin cup size tarts.

For the tart:

1/2 cup (4 oz) cold butter

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1 egg

For the cream filling:

3 egg yolks

2 cups milk (or soymilk) – divided

1/2 cup sugar – divided

5 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Topping:

1/2 to 1 lb. fresh fruit, sliced (ie. berries, kiwis, pineapple, peaches, etc)

Directions:

Cut the butter in to 1″ cubes.  Combine butter, sugar, rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, and egg in a bowl.  Mix by hand until thoroughly combined.  Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll out chilled dough to 1/4 inch thick and use a 4-5 inch size round cookie cutter (or upside down glass) to cut out 12 tart rounds.  Place cut dough rounds into greased muffin tin and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool.

While tarts are cooling, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and the cornstarch in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  Combine remaining milk and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat.  Add the egg-milk mixture to the simmering milk in the saucepan.  Whisk until it comes to a boil and begins to thicken.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the butter and vanilla.  Pour into a shallow pan/bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap, pressing it to the surface of the cream to prevent skim from forming.  Refrigerate until completely cooled.

Once cream is cooled, spoon into each of the 12 tarts.  Top with sliced fruit, and serve.

I was lucky last week and won tickets on the radio to a Yankees game.  I love the Yankees, so that was great, but then I felt worried that there wouldn’t be anything gluten free for my husband to eat there (and let’s be honest: part of the fun of a pro-baseball game is the “eating while watching”, right?)

It turns out that many stadiums across the country have started introducing a few gluten free items for their fans.  I found gluten free pizza at the Famiglia stand by Section 125 on the main level.  The guy behind the counter there says they get 5-6 requests for gluten free pizza each game night.  The pizza was about the same price mark-up as everything else in the stadium. ($10 just for a chicken sandwich?!?  Geez!)

I also heard there is gluten free Redbridge beer to be found by Section 227b on the 2nd level.  The gluten free pizza stand states it’s not up to them which beers they can sell at their particular stand, so unfortunately there are no plans to sell both gluten free beer and pizza in the same place.  Oh well, at least there’s options!

So what about the other baseball stadiums out there?  Leave a comment with the gluten free options you’ve found at a game you attended, so others can benefit too.