gluten free safari™ - blog

Checking out Bed and Breakfast (B&B's) lodging when travelling? Questions to ask in advance if you eat gluten free.

9/7/2021

Photo Credit: Heather Barnes, Unsplash

Although Air B&B's can be found in every city and hamlet throughout the world (and a shout out to my friend who hosts great people at her Air B&B), some people choose to go the more traditional (and pricier) route of a stay at a traditional B&B, where a hearty breakfast (not just a "grab-and-go" as so many of the hotels now offer) is a treat to anticipate.
When I called one B&B in the last few months, although the owner tried to be accommodating, it was apparent that he wasn't really up to speed on what a gluten free breakfast really entails.
So, here's a quick list of "screening questions" before you commit to a stay:
1. Are gluten free bread/toast (or pancakes, scones) on offer?
2. Is there a dedicated toaster?
3. Is cook/owner aware of danger of cross-contamination?
4. Do they have systems to prevent cross-contamination?
5. Have they served other gluten free folks and what was the result?
6. Do they know the distinction between people who have celiac disease versus those who have "gone gluten free" to lose weight or because they think it's healthier?
Note: Both are valid, but those with celiac disease or a medical gluten intolerance or allergy have to be more careful!
In my case, the owner did offer gluten free bread, but didn't know what a dedicated toaster meant. I ended up staying at a great new hotel that did offer some gluten free granola.

Gala food impresses at Second Annual Anderson Island Film Festival -- including pan-seared scallops topped with sumac yogurt sauce

10/21/2019

Courtesy of Anderson Island Film Festival

I ferried over to Anderson Island -- in Washington State's South Puget Sound -- a few years ago with friends. It was a quintessentially dark and stormy Pacific Northwest autumn night, with waves slapping against the sides of the ferry and just a few island lights visible as we approached the dock, the air whipping our hair around before we jumped back into the car.
That’s why I love the idea of a 1,000-person island (the population “swells” in the summer to 4,000 - 5,000) mounting an ambitious film festival, complete with directors, actors, and others answering questions after some of the films. Not to speak of a red carpet gala opening!
The second annual Anderson Island Film Festival just wrapped in September; and, though I didn’t quite make it to the island this time, I can’t wait to attend next year.
The gala and festival kick-off was an unqualified success, with 134 tickets sold this year, said Sean Griffin, film fest publicist and emcee. An actual red carpet was rented.
“To get the equivalent of 10 percent of the population there is pretty amazing,” he said. Some short films were screened during the gala, and attendees could feel sought-after and well photographed in a “paparazzi booth.”
Catered by Anderson Island’s own Riviera Lakeshore Restaurant, the gala menu included white fish ceviche, crusted Ahi tuna with wasabi mousse, charcuterie meats and gourmet cheese, jumbo pan-seared scallops topped with sumac yogurt sauce and salmon roe, lamb Adana skewers with cranberry chutney, and crab-stuffed prawns with lemon hollandaise.
Mouth-watering!
Before I delve into one aspect of this menu -- the sumac yogurt sauce -- let me assure you that I will talk about the actual films in the festival, and more about Anderson Island itself -- in subsequent posts, so keep reading!
Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice with the color of a deep cabernet sauvignon laced with red pepper flakes, and it has a tart, lemony taste. It is available, of course, in specialty spice markets — such as Seattle’s World Spice. I just picked some up at Whole Foods.
Sumac in yogurt tastes best when the lemony tang rubs up against something breaded or otherwise spicy and/or meaty. I'll work on a recipe to share.
Stay tuned for more about the Anderson Island Film Festival and related gluten free food info!

(please note that links to sites do not imply endorsement of glutenfreesafari by those sites)

ABC Day -- All Bethel Community Day -- featuring all the branches of the Armed Services as well as over 125 exhibitors and 79 vendors -- comes to Graham, Washington, on October 5, 2019.

10/5/2019

Photo by Francesco Paggiaro from Pexels

ABC Day -- in it's 11th year -- is all about "building community through sharing," says enthusiastic booster Terry Brain, who waxed enthusiastic about the event. One food booth, she heard, is offering gluten free and vegan options.
Last year, Brain said, a crowd of 8,000 people came to celebrate, and kids were offered free rides in a military helicopter.
Two nearby churches are helping out, providing parking.
In addition to the Armed Services branches represented -- including the Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Navy -- Brain said that last year the fire department let spectators feel the force of water as it coursed through a fire hose.
Brain also credits Jay Brower, with the Bethel School District, for doing an incredible job helping with the event.

A rich gluten free recipe for spaghetti with meat sauce. And a quick analysis — Part I — of the third Democratic primary debate on September 12th, 2019 at Texas Southern University in Houston, hosted by ABC News in partnership with Univision

9/13/2019

Photo Credit: Luke Michael, via Unsplash

Note to readers: Gluten Free Safari is venturing out into arts, cultural, environmental, architectural/community preservation, and political coverage. Gluten Free Safari is a nonpartisan site! However, the following post is an analysis, which, by definition, incorporates my opinion. Other political posts will be reported pieces. In fact, if anyone has contacts within a candidate’s presidential campaign, I’d love to hear about them; you may email me at gfsafari at protonmail dot com.

This post contains affiliate ads; if you click on them I might receive a small commission, which will help support this site's unique viewpoint. (For more info consult this site’s privacy policy)

First, the recipe: Easy Gluten Free Meat and Veggie Spaghetti! This recipe is so so so easy, but a few prime ingredients make all the difference! If you are interested in the particular brands that I use, please stay tuned for a subsequent post where I will delve into more detail. For now:
gluten free spaghetti
good, rich, spaghetti/pasta tomato sauce
ground red meat
gluten free Italian sausage
2 bell petters, chopped
onion, chopped
a few cloves of garlic, crushed (always add garlic to just about everything)
frozen beans
frozen mixed veggies
Directions: brown the meat in a pan (cut sausage in pieces) and start boiling the pasta water. Add onions immediately to the meat until they start carmelizing. Add a bunch of tomato sauce, then add the frozen beans, then the rest of the frozen veggies. Ensure that the meat is cooked through, simmer for about 20 minutes, Put on the green peppers at the very end so there’s a little bit of a crunch, and add a little olive oil to the pasta when it’s on the plate. That’s it! And it’s really good. Make sure not to overcook the pasta.

Now, Part I, Sept. 12 ’19 debate analysis (stay tuned for Part II):

1. Andrew Yang. He knows how to get to the point. Through all the debates, Andrew Yang has contended that more money in the pockets of middle and lower income class tiers will make a big difference in their lives and also rev up the economy.
During his opening statement in the Sept. 12th debate, he said:

"In America today, everything revolves around the almighty dollar -- our schools, our hospitals, our media, even our government. It's why we don't trust our institutions anymore. We have to get our country working for us again, instead of the other way around. We have to see ourselves as the owners and shareholders of this democracy rather than inputs into a giant machine.”

Yet, a few sentences later, he then used the promise of the almighty dollar — that is, what he termed a “freedom dividend” to try to drive people to his website, promising $1,000 a month for year to 10 American families ostensibly chosen by his campaign from among those who he asked to go to his website and tell how $1,000 a month will help them solve their own problems “better than any politician.”

2. Cory Booker had a pretty good night, stressing again and again how he lives in a “black and brown community below the poverty line.” He also was one of the first debate candidates in recent memory to use the word “dagnabbit.”

3. Elizabeth Warren’s opening statement was tailor made to the Texas audience, as she was able to emphasize her Oklahoma upbringing, that her three brothers served on military bases in Texas (“their ticket to the middle class”) and, that she, herself “got my big opportunity about a half-mile down the road from here at the University of Houston, back when it cost $50 a semester.”

More later . . .

See the exhibit “Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts & Crafts Movement” at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) through September 8, 2019. You will love it!

9/7/2019

The exhibit “Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts & Crafts Movement.” at Seattle Art Museum (SAM) runs through September 8, 2019. See it! The sumptuous exhibit is on par with the Picasso and Yves Saint Laurent exhibit of past years in its scope and “Wow!” factor.

Every room elicits discovery. We have not seen many of these pieces before in the usual retrospectives: for instance, “The Wizard”, by Edward Burne-Jones depicts a sorcerer drawing back a curtain, and viewing the image of a shipwreck. On another wall is a series of four large, entrancing paintings depicting the story of Pygmalion (1875-78) by the same artist. View this SAM YouTube video about the Pygmalion series.

Another example of the surprising richness of the items in the exhibit is a large, ornate chest, 1887-1888, of wood, and gold leaf over gesso.

With the heavily gilt gold frames of many of the pieces, the brilliant colors of both the paintings and a large ornate rug near the beginning of the exhibit, I left the museum wishing that we lived in a time of glamorous flourishes (instead of minimalism) fussy finishes, and vibrancy of color.

While the exhibit description on SAM’s website emphasizes the social underpinnings of the works (“the works of the men and women presented in the exhibition illustrate a spectrum of avant-garde practices of the Victorian period embodying aesthetic and social ideals”) it is really the sheer lush abundance of works (150) — running the gamut from large oils to tiles and tea sets to a book by Geoffrey Chaucer -- that is so impressive.

I know an art historian who took pains to visit the exhibit twice, she liked it so well.

Now, you might be wondering, for an after-exhibit nibble, discussion, and de-briefing, are there nearby gluten free dining options?

For atmosphere, one can’t beat the cafe/restaurant directly across First Avenue — Fonte Coffee Roaster. A marvelous layout showcases food, drink, and coffee options while also allowing for cozy dining. inside. It even boasts little dining niches outside, yet separated from the sidewalk. When we ventured in around 4pm on a Sunday, the food dishes were no longer available — however, there was one gluten free muffin/cake for $3.25. I will report on the sourcing later.

SAM’s own “grab-and-go” cafe — TASTE — includes several delicious-sounding items, that, as noted on the menu, either can be “made without gluten-containing ingredients” or can be prepared that way; however, the menu also indicates an additional charge for sandwiches, soups and flatbreads prepared without gluten-containing ingredients. Please note that this language does not say “gluten free.”

All in all, the Victorian Radicals exhibit and a bite after will make a great experience!

Launch yourself out to see the Museum of Flight's Apollo 11 Mission Exhibition before it ends on September 2, 2019!

8/27/2019

"Buzz Aldrin helmet and gloves," Courtesy, Museum of Flight

(Hello, readers! I have expanded Gluten Free Safari to include, not only health and gluten free food coverage, but also travel, entertainment, cultural, arts, sustainability/environmental, and politics. After all, eating, learning, and great experiences go together!)

"Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission Exhibition" is ending September 2, 2019 at The Museum of Flight (in Tukwila, WA just south of Seattle).

The moon is our faraway friend on Earth. We love it as it waxes and wanes, eclipses and glows; and, as we gaze upwards we have anthropomorphized it, assigning full moons names such as Harvest, Snow, Wolf, or Sturgeon.

So that must be why objects in the Moon exhibit seem so ethereal: some of the objects have touched the moon and returned to tell the tale: well, maybe not out loud in actual language, but in the other-world mystery we ascribe to them.

Want a bite before or after? There are two cafes: Wings and Pavilion. Wings does not require museum admission, according to the website. (While I did not get a chance to eat in Wings, myself, I was told that there are several salads with gluten free ingredients (there is no GIG certification).

In fact, either Wings or Pavilion could be great meeting places for those in Tukwila, Burien, or South King County.

I toured the exhibit recently and spoke about it with Ted Huetter, Senior Public Relations Manager.

It was quite a coup for the Museum of Flight to land the exhibit 50 years after the United States’ July 24, 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, says Huetter. "This is the exhibit that every institution like ours wanted to have on the 50th anniversary.“

Items such as the NASA Apollo 11 command module, Columbia, the Columbia hatch, and Buzz Aldrin’s (Extravehicular) gloves are on loan from the Smithsonian. When the items return to the Smithsonian, says Huetter, they will be behind a piece of acrylic — so “you’re never going to see it like this again,” It’s the public’s chance to see the command module “up close and personal,” he said.

The Columbia module is 10 feet seven inches tall, and 12 feet, 10 inches in diameter. It weighed 1170 pounds at splashdown and was made of aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and titanium. There is something nether-worldly about the surface of the module, which is covered with varying rust-colored hues like an encaustic wax painting. The effect — almost artistic — was caused in part by salt water deposits, corrosion, and scorch marks (from re-entry) Huetter said.

It reminded me of the horizontal brick-like lines you would see on a Mayan megalith.

Huetter explained that the original module was covered in a taped-on material that was “reflecting, shimmering, almost foil-like” - with most of it coming off on re-entry. During the first conservation effort on the module, Huetter said, the rest of this shiny module covering was removed.

When I toured the exhibit, two young men who described themselves to me as “space nerds” were engaging animatedly with the very knowledgeable docent. “They have the module! They have the (Buzz Aldin’s) gloves!” one exclaimed.

But even less technologically complex items were impressive in their sheer simplicity and elegance. For instance, a shiny “rock box” — a little bigger than a bread box — was one of two boxes used to bring back 47.7 pounds (21.8 kilograms) of rocks (“lunar material”) from the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility.

Another fascinating tidbit? Material brought back from the ocean floor by Jeff Bezos Expeditions’ search for and recovery of the Apollo F-1 engines.

In a YouTube video about the Bezos mission, Bezos said from the Expeditions ship: “Three miles below where I’m standing now is a wonderland that is testament to the Apollo program. It looks like a magic sculpture garden with all of these pieces from different missions that are in some cases perfectly preserved and in other cases twisted into these beautiful shapes.”

Artifacts from different missions (Apollo 11, 12, and 16, says Huetter) were mixed up on the ocean floor, and 43 years of erosion had obscured most all serial numbers. But, using a black light and a special lens filter, one of the conservators at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, Kansas was able to identify one serial number — from a thrust chamber — belonging to F-1 Engine #5 from Apollo 11.

The Bezos Expedition brought back “chambers, gas generators, injectors, heat exchangers, turbines, fuel manifolds and dozens of other artifacts,” according to Bezosexpeditions.com.

“All the big (artifacts) are on display,” said Huetter. How much did it cost to bring up these chunks of history? We don’t know, he says.

Of course, the exhibit doesn’t just “launch” (pun intended) one into a room full of rockets and modules and hatch doors without an introduction to the excitement of the space race and the initial landing. The exhibit includes several dozen artifacts from the Museum of Flight collection, such as an SK-1 Vostok Space Suit (1960) — the type of space suit first worn into space by Soviet cosmonauts.

In another part of the exhibit, one peers into a typical 60’s family living room — where the moon landing would have been viewed before the advent of sports bars and big-screen t.v.’s. The authentically-designed living room came complete with stacks of books that included “Harriet the Spy.”

Go see the exhibit by September 2nd, and enjoy the rest of the large museum as well. You will love the panoramic entrance that brings to mind all the hope and big ideas of space exploration.

Gluten free wedding cakes: Small business Sensitive Sweets bakes not only gluten free, but a plethora of other allergen-free cakes and baked items for weddings and celebrations

4/19/2018

Image courtesy, Sensitive Sweets.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them, I might receive a small commission to support the unique perspective of this site!

The cakes range from a delightful tower of cocoa-and-mocha colored tiers to a rose-festooned white creamy dream that looks good enough to wear as a corsage. There is an island-themed cake with subtle green stencils that calls to mind gentle waves and palm trees; and a concoction formed of thin, delicate strawberry-colored and cream tiers that looks both modern and delicate.

Sensitive Sweets Owner & Head Baker Melanie Hohman started the business to help her son --and others -- with severe food allergies. Before she learned to bake without gluten or other allergens, she relates a story on her website about how she had to decorate a cantaloupe to use as a cake for her son's first birthday.

Melanie told me in an email that Sensitive Sweets caters to all allergies, although most of the requests they receive are for gluten-free items. Besides cake, Sensitive Sweets makes a variety of other baked goodies, including cupcakes, cookies, breads, and breakfast bars, among others.

The shop ships all over the country: however, as might be expected, wedding cakes per se are not shipped. However --if a small one-tier cake will do, cakes are shipped if they are ten inches or less.

"I do this because I love helping people, especially those with food sensitivities," Melanie said.

Kitchen swag I like everyday in my gluten free baking and yummy stuff making

4/13/2018

Photo by Brianna Santellan on Unsplash

(Hi there! This post contains affiliate ads; if you click on them I might receive a small commission, which will help support this site's unique viewpoint! (More info in privacy policy, here.)
It's been said that simple pleasures are the best. Whether you're straining pasta, chopping red peppers, crushing garlic, swirling olive oil, or baking a gluten free pizza crust, it always helps to be using utensils and implements that look and act as good as your food tastes!
Maybe I just need to get out more, but I love using my strainer! And my cutting board! And my spatulas!
So what kinds of things does this humble gluten free cook use, and why? A quick list:

1. Stainless steel strainer. I spend more time reaching for my strainer than almost anything else in the kitchen, and I really need to invest in a few more. Go with the best! Stainless steel through and through just looks better than plastic. I like this one.

2. Cutting board. I've read that plastic cutting boards are more sanitary than wood or bamboo. Plus, plastic cutting boards can be tossed into the dishwasher! Still, I like wood or bamboo, even though they often have to be rubbed with oil so that they don't split or lose their luster. There's also another alternative by Epicurean: it's made of sustainably harvested wood and recycled materials -- and, significantly -- it's dishwasher safe!

3. Spatulas. Really small spatulas are super super utilitarian -- and cute! I love colored spatulas, like the one pictured below!

4. Kitchen towels. My favorite kitchen towels are still those in a pale sunflower yellow and white cross-hatch that I purchased years ago at Williams-Sonoma. Spend a few dollars more for towels you love that can be tossed in the wash in hot water, along with everything else! Some nifty ones pictured below.

5. Garlic crusher. A good garlic crusher can save you more time than its weight in gold (well, O.k., not its weight in gold; but, really, in this second millennium, isn't is amazing that garlic still has to be either crushed or chopped by hand? (One can buy a bottle of crushed garlic at Trader Joe's, but I like ensuring that my garlic is grown in the U.S. (much garlic is grown in China), and I often buy organic.)
The garlic crusher that I use was a gift; and the brand isn't indicated anywhere on it! However, thispress by Aoailion looks of similar quality to mine, is reasonably priced, and has three excellent customer reviews.

More later! What are your fave kitchen swag items? Let us know by leaving a comment, below (it's super easy, no registration, passwords, etc).

Catalina Crunch Low Carb Cereal

Box lunches: how to eat well when your group is "ordering in"

4/12/2018

Photo by Emmy Smith on Unsplash

It's a congenial group: you may be clustered in an office at work, powering through a project, and someone suggests that box lunches are ordered from the place down the street. Or, you are at a conference and the registration said that lunch would be provided. Exactly what that lunch is wasn't specified.
But, for you, the gluten free diner, ensuring that the lunch is at least mostly gluten free is the difference between nibbling -- stomach growling -- on a few undressed lettuce leaves; or, the sheer satisfaction of munching on substantial food with actual calories!
And it makes a lot of difference!
As they say, the best defense is a good offense.

Gluten free or vegan Seder dinner: a round-up of suggestions!

3/30/2018

Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash

I have attended various Seder dinners to celebrate Passover, and they are all marvelous and special. Even better is when some of the traditional elements -- such as matzo (or matzah; I have seen it spelled various ways) can be made gluten free, although from what I have been able to gather, gluten free matzo is not really a dietarily correct choice for the meal, which touches on a variety of religious traditions and requirements with respect to food preparation and ingredients.

As two traditional elements of the meal are also egg and lamb shank (lamb shank is a traditional part of the meal from what I have read, though I don't remember ever eating it at a Passover meal), the holiday can be challenging for vegans.

Here are a few articles I have found re gluten free or vegan Passover Seder meals!

Note: I am far from an expert regarding dietary advice for a Seder dinner! (Also, reference to other sites/links does not imply endorsement of Gluten Free Safari by those sites.)

Vegan passover, L.A. Times article

A round-up of recipes from The Spruce website

Several recipes from GF Jules

Excellent article from Chabad.org specifically re how matzo can be made gluten free (oats are the best alternative) and the various religious approaches to this issue.

Easter article to follow tomorrow!

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