Applesauce
4-6 apples (I used 1 Jonathan, 1 Fuji , 2 Rome , 1 Winesap and 1 Empire)
1/3 c water
½ c sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice (ReaLemon lemon juice)
2 Tbs butter (Land O’Lakes unsalted sweet butter)
Spices to flavor – I used cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice – I don’t measure.
Peel, core and slice apples into small pieces.
Mix everything in a pot.
Cook (uncovered) on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Rebecca J. Loomis
___________________________________________
Cheese Puffs a la “manioc”
Brazilian recipe
1 ½ cup of mashed potatoes
4 eggs
¾ cup of corn oil
1 Tb of salt
4 cups of medium cheddar cheese grated ( we use “ Tillamook”)
1 ½ lb bag of tapioca starch ( manioc flour )
Pre heat oven to 450 degrees
Mix all ingredients in large bowl ( you can use an electric mixer to blend )
Use a soup spoon and make small balls. Put on cookie sheets ( 3 at least will be needed) to make approximately 60 balls. Bake for about 18 minutes; check that they don’t get too dry.
These can be frozen and taken out of the freezer directly to reheat in the microwave oven ( a few seconds )
Steve and Nicole Vandervoort
_____________________________________________
O'Henry Bars
1 stick oleo
6 oz butterscotch chips
6 oz chocolate chips
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 heaping cups of Rice Krispies
3 cups marshmallows
Melt the butter and chips, then stir in peanut butter. (I use the microwave)
When cool (this is important or the marshmallows melt), add the krispies and marshmallows.
Put in a lightly buttered 9"x13" pan... and refrigerate (if in hurry, the freezer will rush it)
Cut and enjoy.
Note: I use Hershey’s Butterscotch chips and Nature's Path crispy rice cereal.
I also used Land O'Lakes margarine, Nestles chips, Jiff PB, Campfire marshmallows.
Tanya Davidson
________________________________________
Chicken Curry (or Chicken Coconut Curry)
1 lb (or more) cut-up chicken breast (bite-size or slightly larger) - O Organics (sold at Dominick's) Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast Filets
3 tbsp vegetable oil or clarified butter - Jewel Vegetable Oil - All Natural (100% soybean oil)
1 onion, chopped - Nevada High Desert Onions (3 lb bag purchased)
3 cloves garlic, minced [omitted- my husband isn't a garlic lover]
1 - inch piece of fresh ginger, minced [fresh ginger purchased at Dominick's]
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds [McCormick's Yellow Mustard Seed]
1/2 tsp cumin seeds [Frontier Culinary Spices Whole Cumin Seed]
1 1/2 tsp cardamom [Simply Organic Cardamom]
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander [Simply Organic Coriander]
1 tsp ground cumin [Simply Organic Cumin]
1 tsp garam masala [Frontier Garam Masala Garam Masala: this is a mix of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper, and coriander]
1/2 tsp turmeric [Simply Organic Turmeric]
1/4 tsp paprika [omitted- forgot to get gluten free kind]
1/4 tsp cinnamon [Simply Organic Cinnamon]
2 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces [fresh purchased at Dominicks]
1 sweet potato, in 1/2 inch cubes [fresh purchased at Dominicks]
1 lb chick peas, cooked or canned [West Brae Natural Vegetarian Organic Garbanzo beans]
1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes [Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes]
½ cup or so of yogurt [or, alternatively, 1 - 14 oz can light coconut milk for coconut curry] [Stonyfield Farm Organic Whole Milk Plain]
Salt & pepper to taste
In a large sauce pan, heat oil or butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to brown. Push onion mixture to the side of the pan and add mustard and cumin seeds to the center. Toast them until they start to pop. Add the remaining spices and cook 2—3 minutes and stir into onion mixture.Add the carrots and sweet potatoes to the pan and stir for another 2—3 minutes. Add chick peas, tomatoes [and coconut milk, if you choose] and stir until ingredients are combined. Let simmer over low heat for an hour. The vegetables should be cooked through and the liquid should have reduced and thickened. If using yogurt instead of coconut milk, stir in well at the very end and cook for about a minute. Serve over rice. [chicken can be omitted for a vegetarian dish]
(cont.)
Rice (serves 4)
1 tablespoon butter [Dutch Farms Wisconsin Select Sweet Cream Butter]
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch diced [bagged onions- see above]
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves [McCormick's Ground Cloves]
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon [Simply Organic Cinnamon]
1 cup uncooked basmati rice [365 Everyday Value White Basmati Rice from Whole Foods]
1 whole bay leaf [McCormack's Bay Leaves]
1 cinnamon stick [Frontier Culinary Spices - Cinnamon Sticks
2 cups water [Chicago tap water, filtered using Brita pitcher]
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in a medium high-sided saucepan set over medium heat. Add onion, cloves, and cinnamon; cook until onion becomes translucent and mixture is very fragrant.
Place rice in sieve, and rinse under cold running water. Add rice to saucepan, and stir so grains are coated in butter mixture.
Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, raisins, salt, and pepper to saucepan. Stir in 2 cups water. Raise heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all water has been absorbed and rice has cooked, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove pan from heat, and let stand, covered, 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Katie Donnelly
_______________________________________
Jenny-style No-Name Cooking
2 Containers of Chavrie Goat Cheese (plain or Herb/Basil)
2 Jars of GF Marinara, whichever brand is on sale and is also GF
Open Goat Cheese container, dump slime on top into sink, rinse sink, trust me on this
Dump cheese into one of those longer glass cooking dishes, not brownie size square one, same width but longer rectangle looking kind
Smoosh cheese down a little bit but do not spread out, just enough to be level with side of dish
Pour the sauce over the cheese
Heat oven to 350 and insert dish on top rack
Wait til you see the middle start to bubble and the edges of the dish start to brown
Take out of over with hot pads, remember hot pads, very important I learned
Eat with Scoops chips, tastes better when watching suspenseful movie
Dish will be hard to clean because of step two, but no idea how to get it cooked through and not gross on the edges. If you find a way, email me and I will update and owe you one.
Jenny
_______________________________________
7 layer bars (minus a few non-gf layers)
7 oz flaked coconut
1 cup butterscotch chips
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds
14 oz can sweet condensed milk
8 oz unsalted peanuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 bake pan
Spread 2/3 coconut on bottom. Sprinkle butterscotch, choc chips, peanuts evenly as 2nd layer.
Pour condensed milk over all.
Top with almonds and remaining coconut.
Bake 20 minutes, cool before cutting.
NOTE: I used peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch (and extra choc chips).
I used Nestle choc and peanut butter chips.
******************************************************************************************************
I also made choc chip cookies with the Namaste mix.
Simply add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 2 tbs water.
The mix is GF, wheat free and free of soy, nuts, potato, corn, dairy, and casein, but may not be dairy free as I added chocolate chips.
I followed the directions on the box (not hard I know, but I had to try them sometime).
Rachel Segal
___________________________________________
Corn Bread BBQ Pizza
Corn Bread
1 cup all-purpose GF flour
1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup shortening
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, xantham gum, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt.
Add the milk, eggs and shortening; beat for 1 minute.
Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking pan.
Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until bread is golden brown and tests done.
*************************************************************************************************
BBQ Pizza Topping
1 pound of Chicken burger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, sliced
1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
Cook chicken burger in pan, ground up. Add onion and red pepper and cook until soft. Add Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce.
Add meat/veggies to top of corn bread. Sprinkle cheese and put in oven for 10 min at 425.
Amy Rousseau
________________________________________
These are the recipes emailed to me before the event. There are printed copies available, so if you want one, please email me and I will send it along to you or I can email you this version if you cannot print it off this site.
Enjoy!
Jenny and Tanya
MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
MetroCeliacs October Pot Luck Meet & Greet
MetroCeliacs October Pot Luck Meet and Greet at Whole Foods
Our October event was a Pot Luck held at the Whole Foods on Ashland, our frequent meeting site as they are so supportive and accommodating. Sometimes all the stars align and an event goes as planned, with an outcome that is even better than expected. That certainly happened here. Often times, people see pot luck and, “eek! what am I going to make???” runs through their heads and they scramble to plan something, stress and then end up just buying a package of something dessert-y on the way there. Or, wait, is that just me? Well, this event had such a broad range of dishes – from appetizers, entrees and desserts to wonderful sides – that everyone left full, happy and impressed (and I know that was not just me!). The crowd was comprised of a lot of our regulars and a slew of newbies, which is always exciting for everyone. We had complicated GF recipes, easy GF recipes and modified-to-be-GF "regular" recipes, what more could we have asked for? Oh, I know, how about some donated GF products from Whole Foods and S’Better Farms? Yeah, who doesn’t love Whole Foods’ baked goods, the crackers they sell and, of course, products from our friend Scott Mandell at Enjoy Life Foods? In addition, we had the best corn dogs ever from Brian Gurin at S’Better Farms. I highly recommend them and the frozen dinners (chicken galore) he donated were also just wonderful. We are awaiting reviews on his pastas, which we had no way to make at this particular event. Thanks to everyone who donated to our meeting!!!!!
Let’s just get this out of the way. I wanted to participate in the pot luck and bring some dish that I labored over for hours, I really did. Anyone who knows me, though, would have been to scared to try it, so rather than risk that, I just brought Chavrie Goat Cheese, which I baked in a pan/dish/foil thing with Marinara Sauce and served with Scoops chips. That’s all I got. Tanya, MetroCeliacs’ other fearless leader, brought her famous, coerced by me at almost any opportunity, O’Henry (or, as I call them, O’MYGOSHTHESEAREAMAZING) bars. As usual, I was face down in the pan by the end of the evening. They are always so very well received. Fortunately, or unfortunately if your eyes are bigger than your stomach, everything that we had at the event was flavorful, had a wonderful texture and was just absolutely delicious. Not a dud in the bunch. We even had enough for everyone to take home some samples of things they liked or else did not get to try due to the aforementioned eye/stomach dilemma.
Our October event was a Pot Luck held at the Whole Foods on Ashland, our frequent meeting site as they are so supportive and accommodating. Sometimes all the stars align and an event goes as planned, with an outcome that is even better than expected. That certainly happened here. Often times, people see pot luck and, “eek! what am I going to make???” runs through their heads and they scramble to plan something, stress and then end up just buying a package of something dessert-y on the way there. Or, wait, is that just me? Well, this event had such a broad range of dishes – from appetizers, entrees and desserts to wonderful sides – that everyone left full, happy and impressed (and I know that was not just me!). The crowd was comprised of a lot of our regulars and a slew of newbies, which is always exciting for everyone. We had complicated GF recipes, easy GF recipes and modified-to-be-GF "regular" recipes, what more could we have asked for? Oh, I know, how about some donated GF products from Whole Foods and S’Better Farms? Yeah, who doesn’t love Whole Foods’ baked goods, the crackers they sell and, of course, products from our friend Scott Mandell at Enjoy Life Foods? In addition, we had the best corn dogs ever from Brian Gurin at S’Better Farms. I highly recommend them and the frozen dinners (chicken galore) he donated were also just wonderful. We are awaiting reviews on his pastas, which we had no way to make at this particular event. Thanks to everyone who donated to our meeting!!!!!
Let’s just get this out of the way. I wanted to participate in the pot luck and bring some dish that I labored over for hours, I really did. Anyone who knows me, though, would have been to scared to try it, so rather than risk that, I just brought Chavrie Goat Cheese, which I baked in a pan/dish/foil thing with Marinara Sauce and served with Scoops chips. That’s all I got. Tanya, MetroCeliacs’ other fearless leader, brought her famous, coerced by me at almost any opportunity, O’Henry (or, as I call them, O’MYGOSHTHESEAREAMAZING) bars. As usual, I was face down in the pan by the end of the evening. They are always so very well received. Fortunately, or unfortunately if your eyes are bigger than your stomach, everything that we had at the event was flavorful, had a wonderful texture and was just absolutely delicious. Not a dud in the bunch. We even had enough for everyone to take home some samples of things they liked or else did not get to try due to the aforementioned eye/stomach dilemma.
We started the evening by taking pictures of everyone with their respective dishes…so we know what to request should we ever need treats at a future meeting…hmmmm, I was kidding til I realized that is actually a good idea. Then we made sure everyone had our upcoming events calendar and some other handouts as well as all the recipes.
Now, in addition to being challenged in the kitchen, I am also a bit, well, slow when it comes to technology, so I am going to try post pictures of what everyone made with the event pictures. Then, in a separate blog entry, I will attempt (drum roll please) to post the recipes that were emailed to me (all without a net!). They are also available upon request if you email MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com and let me know which ones you would like.
After we got things settled with the paperwork, put things in the oven and set up the rest of the food mostly by genre, we went around the room and introduced ourselves, telling a little about the dish we brought. Then there was a short little speech by Tanya and myself where we just said who we were and what we do -- for those who were new -- and we talked about upcoming events. We also welcomed any ideas or suggestions for Supper Club places, speakers or topics for future meetings. THEN we got down to the serious business of eating and conversing. The group was lively and we all tried bits of everything, marveling at how the various recipes went well together, how we had all the major parts of a meal represented and how much work everyone did to make this event a success, and a success it was!!!
We are so grateful to Whole Foods, S’Better Farms, Enjoy Life Foods and to each and every member who contributed to our amazing evening. I remember it fondly and often when I am eating peanut butter M&Ms for lunch at work.
Here comes the best part...I hope you ate before you go any further...
Amy's special Corn Bread BBQ pizza
Equal parts tangy and sweet, this is a pizza that satisfies the most diehard BBQ fans as well. The cheese blends the flavors and right when you are finished with a slice, it kicks in and you want more. Amy always contributes something impossible to resist.
Speaking of equal parts tangy and sweet, oh, and cornbread...You would think Nancy is a Texan with this moist, light and smooth cornbread! It was the most surprising dish because cornbread can really be grainy and this was smooth as silk, if silk was made of cornflour. I actually ate it with Amy's pizza and it was the perfect complement to that as well.
Ann and Steve, oh Ann and Steve...Is there nothing Ann cannot do? She contributed her pizza and we had to ask more than once if she was sure it was gluten free? mmmmmmm.... A thin crust that stayed crisp and the toppings varied but were all equally delicious and equally devoured.
The pan says it all, we totally "heart" Jennifer's stuffing and delicious pie. Both treats were moist and rich and soft, displayed with flourish by her dad, a totally good sport. It was honestly stuffing like I remember it being BGF (before gluten free). The pie, well look at it, it speaks for itself. It spoke directly to me a number of times!
Leave it to Steve and Nicole to add some exotic fla-vah to our little group. They brought Cheese Puffs A La Manioc, a brazilian recipe. They were crisp on the outside and doughy and moist and stretchy on the inside. The perfect side dish dinner roll, just the right hint of cheese to make it interesting.
Speaking of spicing things up internationally, what could do that better than curry? Katie and her husband brought a very exciting Chicken Curry and Rice dish. I ate them individually because I was overwhelmed by everything on my plate and they each stand alone very well. Then I was told, you put them together and it is a complete taste explosion, a spice, texture and flavor extravaganza. I finally got it right and it lived up to the hype.
Around this time of year, the right blend spices and texture just says "Fall" and nothing exemplifies that more than some hearty homemade applesauce. Becky was nice enough to bring a big bowl of the most delicious applesauce with big chunks of apples. The apples were so varied, I had not heard of half of them, and it was really exciting to have that mix of sweet and tart and smooth and crunchy. A perfect Fall side dish and also a light and delicious dessert.
One of the best foods in the world is, in my opinion, mashed potatoes. Now, you might think, easy peasy, but Lindsay took an old standard and made it new and just delicious. These were Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and they were mashed and then baked. We had them right out of the oven and when you added the cheese to the potatoes, it was kind of crispy and chewy and stretchy and the potatoes were soft and brought out the cheese flavors. You can't really go wrong with a cheese and potato combo, and this one is sure to energize a normal side of potatoes at any event. Huge fan of this dish and it is easy enough that even I would try it. She did not post with it, so sorry about the dark shot of her, it does not do her or her tasty treat justice.
Speaking of tasty treats and justice, there is no justice in the world that these cookies are possible and all the ones I have ever made have to be classified as "cajun". We had these delicious chocolate chip cookies and 7-layer bars, but without the layers of gluten. The cookies were really good. It is easy to fear cookies because of some of the store brands' aftertaste and weird textures. These were cookies like grandma used to make (if you come from a family that cooks, that is...). The Layer Bars had coconut, so once that info was out there, nothing else really registered for me and I just started piling them on my plate. They were really moist and chewy as well and had that coconut consistency and other subtle flavors that really enhanced the coconut. Both treats were big hits.
There was a lot of socializing, even more eating and second- and third-round-ing, and then we wrapped up some leftovers for people, sent along some of the Whole Foods and S'Better products out to be tested and reviewed, so the rest of the leftovers, what there was of them, got claimed and taken home to be enjoyed again. It was a completely satisfying and delightful evening and we look forward to doing it again in the coming months of the New Year. Thank you to all of the participants. We so appreciate your hard work. I am going to attempt to post the recipes in another blog entry. Otherwise, I can email the word version at your request MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com
Thanks again!
Jenny and Tanya
Monday, October 01, 2007
MetroCeliacs September Supper Club at Smoke Daddy
Hello MetroCeliacs,
Welcome back from our Summer hiatus.
We are back and we eased into our newest season with one final summer fling with BBQ at Smoke Daddy. We thought a nice casual end to summer would be a great way to kick off the Supper Club/MetroCeliacs meeting season. We are in the process of planning for this upcoming Fall and Winter, so we were really looking forward to catching up with everyone. We have some things coming up, but please feel free to email any meeting topics, speakers, product/companies, supper club locations, positive dining or shopping experiences, general commentary, suggestions, etc...to us at MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com Also, please watch for our calendar updates ( http://calendar.yahoo.com/metroceliacs ). If you hear of any events you would like to share with other MetroCeliacs and friends, please email them to our yahoo account. Also, if you attend and wish to submit details in a fun little write-up with or without pictures, we will add them to this blog any time!!!
We are restarting our blog, obviously, after having technical difficulties on and off last year and scrapping it until I learned how to work a computer, a camera and a word processing system effectively. So far, so good...I hope. Anyway, we hope to backdate some of our events from last year because they were all really fun and successful. Granted, things may be posted out of order but there is an index to the side that should help when this starts to happen.
We are so excited to try new restaurants and since we have completely adopted Victoria Gainsburg as our resident nutritionist and cooking teacher, it promises to be a delicious year! In addition to the cooking classes and the supper club, we are planning a tour of Enjoy Life Foods plant because they were recently featured on the Food Channel (Unwrapped) and it was fascinating to see how a real allergen-free operation works. There will be other events and meetings and speakers throughout the year and we look forward to seeing everyone soon.
On to the Recap!
Smoke Daddy is a must-see in one of Chicago's hottest and most eclectic neighborhoods. The best and most flavorful BBQ in the Windy City also brings you more character than most neighborhood rib joints have to offer. They smoke all of their meats in-house each day in the "Lil Red Smoker." They also take great pride in offering Live Music 7 nights a week. It is said to be amazing, world-renowned BBQ and funky rhythms, a perfect end to a really great summer! The catering manager, Ty, was really excited about planning our event and making sure we got a real BBQ that is not only safe, but very flavorful as well.
We had a huge turnout, one of our biggest, and the staff could not have been nicer or more efficient. They brought out the salads first. A cool and refreshing salad was a wonderful precursor to a tangy bbq! The apples and nuts were the perfect touch. The different textures and tastes definitely foreshadowed the good things to come! We had time to mingle before the event and it was really nice to meet the new attendees and see the regulars and kick off the season with a nice big group. The staff came out and introduced themselves and told us the plan for the evening. They were on top of every course and they always made sure there were no empty plates. Ty took such good care of us, as did everyone else, so it was nice to sit back and relax and just enjoy some pleasant conversation and a great meal.
Ok, so the next course consisted of pulled beef and pulled pork. Ok, I admit I am not normally a huge fan of bbq. I feel it can be a bit sweet for my taste. When I tried this pulled meat dish, it had the perfect combination of tangy yet just smoked enough to have some kick to it. It was really enjoyable and it went fast. As a matter of fact, it went so fast I was rushing around to try to get the pictures before anyone dug in and it was not easy. After tasting everything, it was easy to see why. The salad sure did seem like the perfect setup to really bring out the flavors of the meat course.
It was all very good and, just when you think you may have had enough, nope. They brought out ribs. Lots and lots of ribs. Now, this meal was really interesting, the salad had a lot of crunch and texture, the pulled meat was smooth and easy to eat and the ribs were tender but had just enough toughness to them to really complement the meal overall. The flavor was smoky and rich, even moreso than the pulled meats. It was like a flavor crescendo. Delicious. Everyone seemed to enjoy them a lot. I know I did and, as I said, I am not usually too bbq-y.
The staff at Smoke Daddy really went above and beyond. We were having lovely conversations and enjoying our food and the next thing we see was the best part of my day. Surprise brownies. Who does not love surprise brownies. Unfortunately, they brought out plates piled with brownies to all the tables, but I was too slow to get a good shot of them. They went fast and some got pocketed for later. They were so rich and fudgy and chewy and moist that it was hard to believe they tried them for the first time on our group! As a matter of fact, Ty said that if anyone plans to come back, to call her or ask the restaurant for her cellphone number and she will make sure you have a good and comfortable, as well as tasty, dining experience. Because they did not have any desserts we could have originally and I would never book a place without dessert (egads no!), they offered to make one special for our group. Should all of our supper clubs be so enthusiastic!
Actually, that is our goal. We look forward to working with Chefs, Managers and Event Planners who are open to learning about celiac, not just the disease and what to avoid, but how to make the dining experience safe, of course, and also to try to expand that into flavorful, comfortable and easy. We can cook naked chicken at home, we would like to dine out and experience meals that excite our palette but won’t make us sick. As we work with the restaurants, over time we hope to encounter more and more people like Ty in positions that will make our experiences enjoyable ones.
We would like to thank everyone at Smoke Daddy, as well as all who attended, and we look forward to seeing everyone again and to meeting all the new people who inquired about our group. We are in Fall planning mode, so jump in with any kind of contribution to our databank of ideas! One last sidenote, as I was attempting to post this, I realized after it booted me a million times and sucked my pictures into a black hole of internettedness, I am still challenged. If you do not see yourself represented, it is not editing, it is a complete and utter lack of skills. We always try to represent everyone, it just sometimes has a less than desirable conclusion. I will work on that as we go forward. Sorry!
Thank you again,
Jenny and Tanya
MetroCeliacs - Chicago
.........the very delicious end!
Welcome back from our Summer hiatus.
We are back and we eased into our newest season with one final summer fling with BBQ at Smoke Daddy. We thought a nice casual end to summer would be a great way to kick off the Supper Club/MetroCeliacs meeting season. We are in the process of planning for this upcoming Fall and Winter, so we were really looking forward to catching up with everyone. We have some things coming up, but please feel free to email any meeting topics, speakers, product/companies, supper club locations, positive dining or shopping experiences, general commentary, suggestions, etc...to us at MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com Also, please watch for our calendar updates ( http://calendar.yahoo.com/metroceliacs ). If you hear of any events you would like to share with other MetroCeliacs and friends, please email them to our yahoo account. Also, if you attend and wish to submit details in a fun little write-up with or without pictures, we will add them to this blog any time!!!
We are restarting our blog, obviously, after having technical difficulties on and off last year and scrapping it until I learned how to work a computer, a camera and a word processing system effectively. So far, so good...I hope. Anyway, we hope to backdate some of our events from last year because they were all really fun and successful. Granted, things may be posted out of order but there is an index to the side that should help when this starts to happen.
We are so excited to try new restaurants and since we have completely adopted Victoria Gainsburg as our resident nutritionist and cooking teacher, it promises to be a delicious year! In addition to the cooking classes and the supper club, we are planning a tour of Enjoy Life Foods plant because they were recently featured on the Food Channel (Unwrapped) and it was fascinating to see how a real allergen-free operation works. There will be other events and meetings and speakers throughout the year and we look forward to seeing everyone soon.
On to the Recap!
Smoke Daddy is a must-see in one of Chicago's hottest and most eclectic neighborhoods. The best and most flavorful BBQ in the Windy City also brings you more character than most neighborhood rib joints have to offer. They smoke all of their meats in-house each day in the "Lil Red Smoker." They also take great pride in offering Live Music 7 nights a week. It is said to be amazing, world-renowned BBQ and funky rhythms, a perfect end to a really great summer! The catering manager, Ty, was really excited about planning our event and making sure we got a real BBQ that is not only safe, but very flavorful as well.
We had a huge turnout, one of our biggest, and the staff could not have been nicer or more efficient. They brought out the salads first. A cool and refreshing salad was a wonderful precursor to a tangy bbq! The apples and nuts were the perfect touch. The different textures and tastes definitely foreshadowed the good things to come! We had time to mingle before the event and it was really nice to meet the new attendees and see the regulars and kick off the season with a nice big group. The staff came out and introduced themselves and told us the plan for the evening. They were on top of every course and they always made sure there were no empty plates. Ty took such good care of us, as did everyone else, so it was nice to sit back and relax and just enjoy some pleasant conversation and a great meal.
Ok, so the next course consisted of pulled beef and pulled pork. Ok, I admit I am not normally a huge fan of bbq. I feel it can be a bit sweet for my taste. When I tried this pulled meat dish, it had the perfect combination of tangy yet just smoked enough to have some kick to it. It was really enjoyable and it went fast. As a matter of fact, it went so fast I was rushing around to try to get the pictures before anyone dug in and it was not easy. After tasting everything, it was easy to see why. The salad sure did seem like the perfect setup to really bring out the flavors of the meat course.
It was all very good and, just when you think you may have had enough, nope. They brought out ribs. Lots and lots of ribs. Now, this meal was really interesting, the salad had a lot of crunch and texture, the pulled meat was smooth and easy to eat and the ribs were tender but had just enough toughness to them to really complement the meal overall. The flavor was smoky and rich, even moreso than the pulled meats. It was like a flavor crescendo. Delicious. Everyone seemed to enjoy them a lot. I know I did and, as I said, I am not usually too bbq-y.
The staff at Smoke Daddy really went above and beyond. We were having lovely conversations and enjoying our food and the next thing we see was the best part of my day. Surprise brownies. Who does not love surprise brownies. Unfortunately, they brought out plates piled with brownies to all the tables, but I was too slow to get a good shot of them. They went fast and some got pocketed for later. They were so rich and fudgy and chewy and moist that it was hard to believe they tried them for the first time on our group! As a matter of fact, Ty said that if anyone plans to come back, to call her or ask the restaurant for her cellphone number and she will make sure you have a good and comfortable, as well as tasty, dining experience. Because they did not have any desserts we could have originally and I would never book a place without dessert (egads no!), they offered to make one special for our group. Should all of our supper clubs be so enthusiastic!
Actually, that is our goal. We look forward to working with Chefs, Managers and Event Planners who are open to learning about celiac, not just the disease and what to avoid, but how to make the dining experience safe, of course, and also to try to expand that into flavorful, comfortable and easy. We can cook naked chicken at home, we would like to dine out and experience meals that excite our palette but won’t make us sick. As we work with the restaurants, over time we hope to encounter more and more people like Ty in positions that will make our experiences enjoyable ones.
We would like to thank everyone at Smoke Daddy, as well as all who attended, and we look forward to seeing everyone again and to meeting all the new people who inquired about our group. We are in Fall planning mode, so jump in with any kind of contribution to our databank of ideas! One last sidenote, as I was attempting to post this, I realized after it booted me a million times and sucked my pictures into a black hole of internettedness, I am still challenged. If you do not see yourself represented, it is not editing, it is a complete and utter lack of skills. We always try to represent everyone, it just sometimes has a less than desirable conclusion. I will work on that as we go forward. Sorry!
Thank you again,
Jenny and Tanya
MetroCeliacs - Chicago
.........the very delicious end!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)