Yes, July 25th was in fact a long time ago.

My best friend reminded me recently that July 25th was a long time ago. I racked my brain to figure out what happened on July 25th but landed on nothing special. She then informed me that July 25th was the date of my last blog post. Well, I'll be. Woopsies.

Instead of a long diatribe about takeout, discovering new restaurants and re-visiting old haunts, sprinkled with plenty of delicious meals from the culinary team at work, I leave you with this dish. A most delicious and of the moment rice pasta, topped with dry farmed tomato and arugula sauce, all dancing underneath of a few Merguez sausages.

Sauce
2 cans Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes (I prefer Muir Glen)
5 ripe tomatoes (I used dry farmed tomatoes, which are particularly delicious this time of year)
2 cups of arugula (whole, not chopped)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 medium sized red onion
salt, pepper, dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil

While the pasta is cooking according to the packaging, get started on the sauce. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, along with the garlic and the onion. Stir, cook until onions are translucent and your kitchen starts to smell like heaven. Open the cans of crushed tomatoes and toss them in the pot. Quarter the fresh tomatoes and throw those in, too. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce should cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the fresh tomatoes are soft. Add the arugula 3-5 minutes before serving. Just toss the arugula on the top of the sauce-don't stir it in too deeply or it will wilt beyond recognition before you serve the pasta. Add salt, pepper, and dried thyme to taste. I found that the arugula gives a nice peppery flavor and the fire roasted tomatoes bring a fabulous flavor all their own.

Meanwhile, cook up some rice pasta (My current favorite is Mrs. Lepers veggie and rice pasta) and brown the Merguez sausages (ours come 6 in a pack, and there were 2 leftover sausages).

Serves 4.

From Sea Urchin to Uni

You might find it quite amazing that this came from this:





Up until a particularly adventurous trip to the Farmer's Market a few weeks ago, I would have doubted that anyone other than a skilled sushi chef or an otter could successfully open this sea urchin, dig out the tasty pieces, toast up a gluten free baguette, slather some tomato paste on top, and artfully place the uni on top as an appetizer. But in his feat to constantly amaze and inspire me (ahem, and make me eat strange foods), C did just that.

Uni is fresh and salty, not unlike a mouthful of ocean water. The process of opening this spiky critter is challenging, and the man who sold it to us must have told us 15 times that uni stains. Like, really badly. C lined the sink with plastic bags, got out our chefs knife and oyster shucker and promptly proclaimed that the inside of a sea urchin is the darkest thing he'd ever seen. Before long, the gunk that is inedible was separated from those 5 delightfully edible pieces commonly referred to as the eggs (a quick Wikipedia search will set the anatomy of what you're actually eating straight) and the only thing stained were C's hands. Between the oyster shucking and the sea urchin butchering, he's quickly gaining on the otter's skills.

Well, Hello Summer.

Said it before, and I'll say it again. Thank the gluten free gods that blue crabs (hard and soft) are gluten free.

Moo Goo Gai Gluten?

I've only walked out of one restaurant in the time that I've been gluten free. It was a Chinese food joint, and the waitress looked at me like I had five heads when I asked if they could steam me some chicken and vegetables with no sauce, only after I asked about soy sauce in nearly every dish on the menu. I had to leave because I got the distinct feeling that I was not going to get out of the restaurant without a major pain in my gut. In hindsight, I could have done better research on how GF friendly the spot was, but it really soured my perspective on ever being able to eat Chinese food again. There's the soy sauce to worry about, for sure, but add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and hosin sauce that are not often gluten free, and you've got quite a Chinese food gluten-y disaster on your hands. A tragedy, really, since I had only recently discovered how tasty and diverse authentic Chinese food can be.

But before I shunned the orange chicken and lo mein of my youth forever, I found a few Chinese-American places that cater to the gluten free community with a special menu. P.F. Chang's is celebrated for their gluten free options, and it's tasty stuff, for sure. I've been once or twice since I started eating gluten free. I'd probably go again. But, a place where you may see my shining smile more frequently, slurping on Asian noodles, is Betelnut. I went to this happening spot with a friend and asked about soy sauce in a dish, only to be asked if I was gluten free and would like to see their gluten free menu. Oh, yes. Served a sea salt and tamari roasted edamame, followed by a rich curried rice noodle soup with tofu, chicken and shrimp, and plied with a mint gimlet, this gluten free belly left full and happy.

Crawfish aplenty in New Orleans

You guys, I'd like to make the understatement of the year and say that New Orleans is amazing. The people, the music, and not least, the food are all mind blowing. Between all the red beans and rice, crawfish, praline bacon, and grits, I think I'm just now coming out of my food coma. And it's been three weeks since I got back to SF.

With all of the rich gravys and rouxs of the south, I was a bit worried about eating GF in New Orleans. Turns out I didn't need to be concerned, since my sister (who is also GF) and I were greeted with friendly waitstaff who always double checked every menu item for gluten with the chef. Yeah, I didn't eat any etoufee, but I wasn't worried. I was too busy figuring out how to eat this delightful crawfish.

In no specific order, here are some of the favorite restaurants of the trip:

Dick and Jenny's
Elizabeth's
Bennachin

And in case you need some music (or to lay your sorrow down by the riverside):

The Spotted Cat

Gluten Free Grilling

Spring's warm days beg for afternoons spent outside lounging on a park blanket, admiring flowers freshly in bloom and sipping on a chilled glass of wine. Toss in a grill, some sausages, and if it's a special birthday fete in the park, a few dozen oysters, and you've got a gluten free party going on.

As the days get longer and the charcoal gets hotter, it's time for the gluten free to get creative. Barbecues often feature hamburgers and hot dogs wrapped in gluten-y buns. Eating a hamburger on its own is always an option, but breadcrumbs could be the secret ingredient binding the meat together. Anyone who has tried knows that a stand alone hot dog can be hard to stomach and less than satisfying. My go-to grill solution is always a pack of sausages, which can be eaten quite successfully with a knife and fork and a dollop of mustard. Check the packaging to be sure there's no gluten (I've seen some brands that aren't gluten free). Added bonus: if you pick up your sausages from Prather Ranch in San Francisco's Ferry Building, you become something of a barbecue hero, which is defined by the Prather Ranch guy as the person who brings the best, most delicious gourmet food to a barbecue. As if your sparkling wine didn't give you that title already.

A Real Simple Gluten Free Monday Night Meal

Mondays can be tough. By the time we finally make it home from work, fixing a delicious and healthy meal is quite simply the last thing on our minds. The cashier at the Thai place down the street knows our name and our order by heart from many, many Mondays of takeout curry. But if you haven't found your go-to takeout place yet, there's always Real Simple.

Last week, I was thumbing through my May issue of this fabulous rag, thinking about another night of take out when I stumbled on this recipe. Chicken thighs, carrots, radishes, chives, and chicken stock were the only ingredients I needed-and 40 minutes. I was surprised to find every single ingredient in my kitchen, ready to be whipped into this delicious, fresh, and naturally gluten free meal. Honestly, I didn't have super high expectations for the recipe, but I took the availability of all of the ingredients as a sort of omen and headed into the kitchen.

I knew from the moment the chicken skin got crispy and brown that this dish was going good places. I'm here to tell you that this is hands down my new favorite springtime dish for busy weeknights. The chicken was moist, the vegetables sweet and savory, and it was easy. You might even call it real simple.