Introducing What’s For Dinner!

This time of year, we (like many other people) eat out less and cook at home more. The holidays are so jam-packed that it’s nice to enjoy a relaxing meal at home with family.

We’d like to share some of our favorite gluten-free recipes with you, so we’ll be starting a new series called What’s For Dinner. You’ll see regular posts on what we’re having for supper, as well as an easy-to-follow recipe, and perhaps even pictures!

This will be the first entry in the series. The dish that inspired this idea is Market Fresh Pot Roast. This tasty recipe makes about eight servings and requires a slow cooker.

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A Holiday Favourite: Candied Sweet Potatoes!

A friend of mine made this sweet potato recipe last Christmas, and it was so delicious, I just had to share it with my family. I’m glad it’s easy, because I’ve made it about a dozen times since then! You only need four ingredients, all of which are gluten-free. (Make sure you always read the labels, though, since you never know.) And, you can make it ahead to make holiday meals a little easier!

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Gluten-Free Holiday Entertaining Made Easy!

The holidays can be a busy, stressful time, and if you find out that you’re entertaining someone with a gluten allergy or intolerance, things can become even more stressful. I’d like to share some ways to make holiday entertaining easy for everyone. 

First and foremost: do not panic! Many foods are naturally gluten-free. Most Celiacs are reasonable people who just want to be included in the meal like everyone else.

Next, talk to the person with the condition and find out what their requirements and preferences are. If they have Celiac disease, then you need to be much more careful than if the person is trying to avoid gluten to lose weight. (Case in point: A friend of mine carefully prepared a multi-course gluten-free holiday meal for a fellow on a gluten-free diet. When it came to dessert, however, he chose the gluten-containing pie! Turns out he wasn’t on a strict gluten-free diet, but was just trying to avoid carbs. Oops!)

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Updates on Our Favourite Places!

We’ve done a lot of reviews over the past 20 months, so we thought it was time for some updates! Here’s some news on a few of the places that we have reviewed.

The Bicycle Thief

The Bicycle Thief has some great new gluten-free options. You can now get gluten-free handmade kettle chips as well as handmade gluten-free corn pasta. (Our original review is here.)

Baton Rouge

We were less than impressed with our first visit to Baton Rouge – you can read about it here. We finally gave it another try a few weeks ago, and it was fantastic. The server was knowledgeable, there were tons of options, and the food was amazing.

The Foggy Goggle

Two years ago, a less-than-enthusiastic waitress at the Foggy Goggle completely cheesed us off. (Read about it here.) We returned for the first time a few weeks ago, and were delighted to have a knowledgeable, pleasant server. The Foggy Goggle does indeed have plenty of gluten-free options, including Foggy Spuds and wings!

The Wooden Monkey

This winter, The Wooden Monkey will be taking over the old MacAskills space in Alderney Landing. We can’t wait to check out the new digs! (You can read our review of the Grafton Street location here.)

Boston Pizza

Boston Pizza has added GlutenWise items to their menu. It features a gluten-free pizza crust, lots of pizza toppings, and gluten-free pasta. Their menu does note that they can’t guarantee that cross-contamination will not occur, however.

daMaurizio

daMaurizio continues to impress me! We went there with family earlier this fall. I enjoyed their prix fixe menu, which they were easily able to adapt and make gluten-free. If you’re looking for a spectacular gluten-free meal, this is the place to go. You can read our original review here.

Closures Abound!

Earlier this fall, we reviewed jane’s on the common. (You can read the review here.) You’d better get your fix in while you can, because they’ll be serving their last meal on December 31, 2012. The downtown location of ela! Greek Taverna (review here) and The Muster Station (review here) are both closed as well.