Super Bowl XLIII

Darlene writes:

What a game. I always root for the underdog, but the Cardinals just couldn't get that golden horseshoe out of Ben's butt! All season the announcers talked about Pittsburgh's defense, but the offensive line always does a great job of giving Roethlisberger all the time he needs to throw. It's funny how many of my Ravens colleagues were pulling for Pitt - our arch rival!

I may have been disappointed with the outcome of the game, but not the food. We put out a gluten free spread to rival most restaurants. But, in my estimation, the pièce de résistance was the decadent fudge brownies I made. This was my first attempt at baking a gluten free dessert since being diagnosed. I started out with a recipe that's an old favorite, but had to MacGyver it as I didn't have all the ingredients.

So...without further ado, here's my new chocoholic creation - No Gluten Zone Brownies.


No Gluten Zone Brownies

6 oz. 70% cocoa chocolate bar
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tbl vanilla
1/2 + 1 cup + tbl gluten free flour blend (use your own favorite - I used Pamela's)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300°.

Grease an 8"x 8" baking pan.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook chocolate - if you are down to a few small chunks remove from heat immediately and stir until all chunks are melted and mixture is smooth.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow - 3-5 mins. with an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat on low until thoroughly combined.

Add vanilla and chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and beat on low until smooth.

Add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Mix chocolate chips with 1 tbl gf flour and fold into batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45-55 mins. or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool to room temperature before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Servings: 16
Yield: cut into 2-inch squares

This recipe will go down in history as my official Super Bowl dessert. And next year I'm rooting for a whole lotta Ravens Nation!

Fish, glorious fish

Darlene writes: In my house we're still trying to get used to gluten free living...I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease only 1 month ago so I'm still in the learning stage. A favorite winter dinner in my house is tomato soup and grilled cheese, or pasta fagioli with hunks of fresh Italian bread slathered with butter and topped with Hawaiian sea salt. Well, those are obviously persona non grata now. So, my husband Eric and I found ourselves shopping at Whole Foods where we spied this beautiful baby. It's a 7 pound Rockfish (aka striped bass) which was caught in the Chesapeake Bay. We decided to take it for a spin. We had the fishmonger dress it inside and out and we left with a gorgeous treasure from our local waters. As we drove home we began to discuss the flavor profiles we wanted to use to coax the delicious fresh fish flavor out. (can you say that fast 5 times?) We went with citrus and fresh herbs. First we scored it, rubbed the whole fish with freshly ground black pepper, Sicilian sea salt, and a few drops of olive oil. Then we took luscious fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley and dill) and tart lemon slices and stuffed the cavity. We tied it closed to keep all those goodies inside the fish and popped it on the grill. Voila! The flesh was succulent and tasted like fresh fish with a hint of herbs. It just fell off the bone beautifully. Alongside we served a light salad with romaine, red leaf lettuce, arugula, grape tomatoes, radishes and a citrus vinaigrette. Once we added that crisp Australian Savignon Blanc, we felt that we were transported to the Mediterranean. For one night it was a much nicer place to be than cold, icy Maryland.

You CAN always get what you want...

Darlene went away for the long weekend to Seven Springs Mountain Resort outside of Pittsbugh. She writes:

First of all, let me say there was a sea of gold and black (Steelers fans) which I expected, but the sea of purple (Ravens fans) surprised me. Sorry Ravens, better luck next year! Go Flacco!

This was my first time going away and relying solely on someone else to cook my gluten free foods. I was diagnosed only a month ago and was quite anxious about the whole "food" thing at a ski resort which specialized in fast food, fried food, stick to your ribs food...none of which is celiac friendly. But I was pleasantly surprised when the 1st night in the Slopeside Restaurant my server looked at me and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about...let me get you a chef." Woo hoo! I would prefer to talk to the top dog anyway rather than have a 3-way conversation going.

Out walks Dan the Man. He sat himself right down next to me and said, "Gluten free? What do you want?"
Darlene: "Well do you have a gluten free menu I can look at?"
Dan the Man: "Nope. Just tell me what you're in the mood for. I can cook you anything."
Darlene: "Really?"
Dan the Man: "You got it...whatever you want."

Well, I almost genuflected right then and there. Who knew I could choose whatever I wanted? I opted for grilled salmon with a caper-lemon-white wine sauce over a bed of spinach with garlic essence. When it arrived, it looked good, smelled good, and tasted just fabulous! (Now you see why I called him Dan the Man). A few minutes later Dan the Man came back to my table to see if I was happy with my meal selection. He proceeded to tell me he'd be on duty for lunch and dinner on Saturday so just ask for him.

Saturday's lunch: tossed salad with a homemade creamy dressing with Old Bay for spice, topped with a hamburger.

Saturday's dinner: I had filet mignon with asparagus and potatoes and a really delicious Malbec.

Sunday's late lunch: Dan had fresh escolar so I opted for that sauteed with stir fried veggies.

Sunday's dinner: La Crema Pinot Noir and Snyder's potato chips - hey we were watching the Steelers/Ravens game..I couldn't take time out to eat right. What can I say?

I am so pleased to know that there many establishments out there who want to make the customer happy...and will go the extra mile to do it! Dan is an Executive Chef and I'm sure that makes a big difference vs. a diner with just line cooks who most likely don't know what gluten is. But, I'm still glad to have met him. Dan the Man, don't go anywhere...I'll be back again next year.

Learning to live gluten-free

What??? We have celiac disease???? You're kidding, right? We can never again eat pizza, you say? That's a sacrilege for we pizza-loving girls who grew up in Rhode Island - an italian food eating utopia!

But...we are resourceful women. We will figure out how to have our gluten free pizza and eat it too!

Oohh...looks good. Mmm...smells really good. Alleluia...making it a gourmet "foodie" pizza did the trick...the taste is stupendous!

Caramelized onion, prosciutto, fig jam, and gorgonzola really packs a flavorful punch. The crust had a good mouth feel - almost like the real thing.

Hello. Our names are Diane, Jess & Darlene and we are celiacs...and foodies. Actually, Diane and Jess (mother and daughter) are part-time caterers in RI. Darlene is Diane's niece and Jess's older cousin and lives in Maryland - can you believe it's below the Mason-Dixon line? People say she lives in the south, but she's a New Englander, born and bred, and don't you ever forget it.

We will bring you along on our gluten free journey...sharing recipes, tips, and anecdotes. Looking forward to getting to know you!