Albuquerque

I'm sitting on my couch after a great Association of Rehabilitation Nurses' conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I picked up (another) sinus infection somewhere along our trip. Despite our best efforts, I didn't get to try all of the restaurants on my list. Here are a few experiences us nurses had in Albuquerque.

Wednesday
For lunch we checked out Nick's Cafe, on Route 66. Since we'd gotten up at 3am to catch our early flight, we were starved. We found Nick's after wandering down part of Central Ave. I had strips of lamb kebob on a salad. I am not completely sure if it was soy-free, as well as gluten-free. (I had a few little bumps and some IBS.)

For dinner, we ate at the Doubletree restaurant. We were practically delirious when we sat down, after looking at posters and visiting vendors. I had a fabulous goat-cheese salad with chicken. The Doubletree proved to be a great GF friendly spot. Our waitress 3/4 times were there was really nice, too.

Thursday
Breakfast was "continental" at the conference. For gluten-eaters, that meant pastries, yogurt with granola, and fruit. For me, it meant the Bumble Bar (delicious!) that I brought along and fruit.

For lunch we wandered back toward central and ate some great sushi at Sushi King. The only problem with Sushi King was that the first time we ate (this lunch), A Baby Story was on, featuring a live birth.

At dinner, all of us Shepherd nurses dined at the highly recommended Tucanos Grill. We started with a round of very tasty mojitos. When we moved it over to the table, the kitchen manager came out to talk to me about gluten and soy-free. He took my on a tour of the side item food bar and told me what each thing was and why or why it was not gluten/soy-free. It was great to have someone really take the time to take me aside and make sure that I was taken care of. The manager also provided me a list of the 3 meat dishes coming around that I should avoid eating. All of the food- meat parade and side bar was incredible. I even enjoyed their collard greens (my least favorite vegetable in the South). Their beef was perfectly cooked, each time it came around in varying forms. I ate until I was past full, and loved every minute of it.

Friday
Breakfast this morning was minus the fruit. I was still hungry after my chocolate Bumble Bar. Ugh.

For lunch, Jamie and I kept it simple and ate together at the Doubletree. I had presented that morning, and she was up after lunch. Yummy as usual.

Dinner on Friday was tacos at the Museum of Natural History, an ARN function. Although the lines were long, I think we made the best of it by enjoying an adult beverage and talking. I asked one of the servers if she knew what was gluten-free, and she told me that if she was asked about food allergens, she should let the manager know to come talk to the patron. Having a plan for individuals with food allergies is a great way to manage big events.

Post Ghost tour drinks were had at Elevated Lounge in Downtown. My friend Jamie and I joined up with a nurse from Madonna in Nebraska. The lounge was very trendy and open. The first while was good fun, but when club time started, we couldn't hear each other talk over the DJ.

Saturday
I insisted on a real breakfast, so we dined at the hotel again. Mmmmmmmmmm bacon, eggs, and hash browns cooked in olive oil.

In between dashing out the aquarium and Rio Grande and another round of lectures at conference, Jamie and I check out a great gelato/sorbet place called Sweet Berry. I tried the pineapple sorbet. It was light, fruity, and sweet. Heaven. That was definitely the best snack we had the whole trip. I wish I could import them to Atlanta!

For lunch we ate at the Church Street Cafe. I have never had such a bad GF experience. The server was incredibly rude and short-tempered in regards to my food needs. He made no attempt to be accommodating, but did cross his arms over his chest. I was so insulted, I wrote an email to the restaurant when I got home. I received a very prompt response. The manager explained that they take pride in being able to cater to people with food allergies and even have charts to ensure food safety. If I find myself in Albuquerque, I'll see if I can have a new gluten-free experience. The burger was good, and my gluten-eating counterpart said the Indian frybread was absolutely fabulous.

Exhausted after wandering, we went back to Sushi King. I tried the roll that involved fish and green chilies. I loved it! I wonder how I can get that here in the ATL...

What I Missed
There are three restaurants that I missed eating at, who all responded to an email inquiring about their GF friendliness. These restaurants are: Slate Street Cafe, Garcia's Kitchen, and Bumblebee's Baja Grill. So, if you find yourself in Albuquerque, try them out, and let me know how great your GF eating experience was.

Wings and Football in Tallahassee

Friday night we went to the uh-mazing Kings of Leon concert at Phillips Arena. Having previously seen KOL at the intimate Tabernacle, I did not think I would enjoy such a big venue for their show. Their show was a solid well-attended success; however, I did wish we were in a smaller setting so I could be closer to the band. After the concert, my boyfriend and I headed to Tallahassee.

This round of Tallahassee time was to visit Desi again, but this time for the Florida State VS Georgia Tech game. Nick and I stopped in Albany on Friday night. We stayed in a dingy seedy hotel for $35. The room was a great price, but we definitely got what we paid for. As soon as we pulled into Desi and Sean's driveway, we said our hellos and ran straight for the shower.

We packed up an incredible tailgate at with two other couples that have FSU season tickets and parking passes for tailgating. The tailgate consisted of two tents, a high def tv, and Mexican food. Although it monsooned after we pitched tent #1 at around 3pm, the weather was flawless the rest of the tailgate. We visited with other friends and family, including (but now limited to) Nick's aunt, uncle and cousin, and one of my friends from high school.

The 8pm game started with each team scoring on back to back possessions. And then came the rain delay. After the rain delay, FSU and GT fought it out over a long long long game. With points being scored back to back, and amounting to about as much as a low-scoring basketball game, GT finally eaked out a win. We were thrilled. Our friends? Not so much.

Sunday we had a day of recovery and more football. Before the 4pm Falcons game we all decided on wings for lunch/dinner. While Desi, Sean, and Nick all ordered from a local wings joint that was not not GF friendly (with my sanction), I cooked up some wings of my own.

With the help of Google, I found a few BBQ sauces that are gluten free:
* Sweet Baby Ray's (found on a GF forum post but unconfirmed via the co.'s website)
* Cattleman's Classic, Smoke House, & Sweet and Spicy (confirmed by their website)
* Bone Suckin' Sauce Regular, Hot, Thicker, Hot Thicker, Mustard, Hiccupin' Hot, and Seasoning Rub (verified via their website. Their sauce comes complete with a GF section of their website)

At the local Winn Dixie I found Cattleman's sauce and some chicken wings. Now, I've never successfully made wings before. (My prior attempt at GF wings were a fail because the sauce was disgusting.) I did some guessing (we had time constraints with game time) at how to make them. The wings turned out great and were ridiculously easy. Here is what I did.

Emergency Game Day Wings
* GF BBQ Sauce of your choice
* Wings
* EVOO

1. Heat enough EVOO in a skillet to sear your wings in. Preheat the wings to 350 degrees.

2. Fry the wings in the EVOO until the outside of the wings are cooked (seared).

3. Place wings in a baking dish and cook in the preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or until the wings are cooked through, and you do not desire them to be crispy). Up the heat of the oven to broil, and bake until the outsides of the wings crisp a bit, for about 10 minutes, if desired.

Patriots Game at Meehan's

The Meehan's Public House (http://www.101concepts.com/articles/category/meehans-sandy-springs/) near the house happens to be a Patriots bar. This week was the Falcon's bye week, so Nick and I chose to head to Meehan's to support our other favorite team battle it out in an all-Pats atmosphere.

Meehan's is owned by 101 Concepts, as in Food 101 (a restaurant I have previously reviewed on here). Their menu has so many great things to choose from. I was really looking for something meaty, so I asked our waitress, Christen, about the Farmstead burger. When I explained to her my food restrictions, she brought over Shane, another waiter. Shane also has Celiac Disease, and pointed out a few of his favorites on the menu for me. He highly recommended my burger choice, with a side of spinach. I paired the food with Meehan's Sunday special bottomless mimosas- a little strange, but very delicious.

The organic Farmstead burger features a bison burger, with cheddar cheese, a fried egg, bacon, lettuce & tomato. Shane had the kitchen staff add extra lettuce, to make a lettuce bun. This burger was amazing. It has to be one of Atlanta's best burgers. I highly reccomend sampling this one. I know Nick and I will be going back for more food and football this season.

Trip to Tallahassee

One of my good friends and co-workers, Desi, moved back to her home town of Tallahassee, FL. It's been about two months since she moved back, and another friend and co-worker of mine, Jamie, misses Desi just as much as I do. Last weekend we went down to Tally for a girls' weekend.

Once we got to Tally, we didn't waste much time. After cleaning up a bit, us three ladies went out for sushi at Jasmine Cafe. We arrived just before the Friday night rush, and sat at table in the middle of the top level of the restaurant. One of Tallahassee's trendier spots, Jasmine Cafe had an impressive sushi menu with a great selection of rolls. We had a nice waitress who helped us choose a great bottle of white wine to go with our meal. The sushi was delicious, and the wine was a great pick. Cafe Jasmine was a great way to catch up.

Saturday we headed out to St. George island. Just as we were getting close to the island, it started raining. The three of us ate our lunch under the pavilion while we waiting for the rain to stop. When it the rain slowed to a mist, we hit the sand. Jamie and I enjoyed frolicking in the choppy waves with our inflatable pink rings. Desi took the nap of her lifetime. After drying off and lounging to the sounds of the beach, it started raining again, and the wind picked up. When Jamie and I got goosebumps, we decided we'd been voted off the island. We packed up and headed off the beach. On our way out, we passed by a fresh seafood place to pick up fresh scallops and shrimp for dinner. What is more fresh than seafood fished a mile up road?

As we worked our way back towards Tally, we stopped at another beach, complete with full sun. We kept the seafood on ice, and headed for the sugar sand. This time I got in the nap of my life.

When we got home, we cleaned up and started fixing dinner. This is what we came up with.

Girl's Weekend Seafood Special
* 2 pounds of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 pint of scallops
* 1/2 package of spaghetti, cooked, with a dash of EVOO poured over it.
* white wine (dry)
* 2/3 a stick of butter, cut into smaller pieces
* salt and pepper to taste
* 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1. Prepare your seafood and get your spag going- it won't take long to cook the seafood.

2. In a skillet, begin melting butter over medium-low to low heat (depending on how well your burner heats). Butter has a low smoke point, meaning it will burn easily. Keep stirring the butter to avoid burning. When the majority of the butter has melted, add the wine until a medium-thickness sauce has been created. Add the garlic and seafood.

3. The seafood is cooked when it is opaque. Cooking it on too high of a heat or past the opaque coloring will make the seafood tough. Serve over pasta. Enjoy!

Along with dinner on Saturday, we celebrated Desi's birthday before going out on the town. We made a gluten-free chocolate cake using Whole Foods cake mix, substituting rice milk for the dairy. Rich and delicious, this was the best thing to snack on all weekend long.

Sunday we canoed up river. We got to see so many beautiful things- river, turtles, birds, and manatees (!). We canoed up river with a mama manatee and her baby. It was amazing. Sunday night we ate a shmorgasboard of grilled things at Desi's parents house- smoked chicken, veggies, potatoes, apples. Her dad a gave me a little lesson on how to smoke things on the Webber, so sooner or later I'll try it out and post it on here.

Monday morning Jamie and packed the car and started the sleepy ride home. Atlanta greeted us with a monsoon- www.cnn.com/2009/US/weather/09/22/southeast.flooding/index.html?iref=newssearch

Pre-Concert Musings + Lunch

Do you remember when you heard a song from your favorite band for the first time? That feeling like a first date, where you just couldn't wait to hear the song again? I remember the first music video I ever saw (we didn't spend much time in front of the tv as a kid) was Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time." I can remember when I heard my first Dave Matthews Band song. Under the Table and Dreaming is still my favorite DMB album. I can remember seeing Kings of Leon live for the first time at the Tabernacle and having the distinct memory of me rocking out to their music when I'm 50.

For me, music fuels memories, feelings, high school essays, visions of my future. I can't live or breathe without music. I was reflecting on how amazing it is to see some incredible people and groups play live in concert as I was preparing lunch the afternoon of the Staind/Creed concert. I was boiling water when "It's Been a While" came on the radio, taking me back to the a moment on a high school mission trip in Nicaragua. We were all gathered at the hotel restaurant table when that song came on the radio and a group of us starting singing along. By the time I'd finished preparing my simple lunch, I'd remembered laying on my bedroom floor listening to Creed on table during 9th grade, pondering the mysteries of adolescence. I'd gone back through many memories, and how each moment set to music shaped the woman I am today. We all have a soundtrack. What's on yours?

Pre-Concert Shells & Parm + Aidel's Chicken and Apple Sausage
* Tinkanya shells, cooked. Top with extra virgen olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
* Cut a sausage into pieces, and brown over medium heat while the shells are cooking. Enjoy on the side of the pasta, on mixed with it.

Feast of 1,000 Beasts

I have the best friends in the world. I might have mentioned this a few times in the history of this blog, but it bears repeating. My friend Alan hosted a part over Labor Day weekend, featuring meat dishes. He prepared a few snacks- hummus, guac, cheese dip- and meat- burgers, hot dogs, wings, and chili. The guac was an easy gluten-free. Alan used Bush's beans for his hummus and (maybe I'm giving away a trade secret) peanut butter instead of tahini. I could have just eaten the whole bowl of hummus and been happy with my life. Although I don't have Alan's recipe for his wings, I did look up a recipe that looks pretty good for some grilled wings.

In between meat courses, I made flaming Sambuca shots. My cousin in the DR is a big fan of them- taking a shot (or coordial glass) or Sambuca, adding 3 coffee beans, and lighting it on fire for 5-10 minutes, until the sugars in the alcohol have started to crystalize and brown. Remember to blow out the flame and let it cool off a bit before enjoying!

Oh my goodness! It was good. Here are some ideas for your own meat-tastic grill out. After all, there are a few more weeks until it's too crispy to be outside. I ate until my stomach literally hurt. You should, too.

Burgers: ground beef, salt, pepper
Hot Dogs: Go all-beef- Boar's Head and Hebrew National are my favs; At this link (http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/05/14/hot-dogs-and-sausages-gluten-free-and-dairy-free-list/) they posted a list f GF dogs/sausages. Don't believe everything you read- always double check!
Wings: see below; recipe taken from http://www.examiner.com/x-17285-Milwaukee-Cooking-Examiner~y2009m8d16-Grilled-tequila-wings

Grilled tequila Wings

• 16 wings (and/or drumsticks)
• 1/3-cup butter or margarine
• 1/2-cup Frank's® Red Hot® Sauce - sub with Saracca (red pepper cock sauce)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 oz. of the tequila of your choice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2-tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt

Prepare and heat grill. Melt butter in a medium bowl. Add all ingredients to bowl except chicken wings/drumsticks. Mix well. Marinate wings in sauce for approximately one hour. Oil grill grate. Grill chicken for 20 minutes, until brown, turning often to avoid sticking. Brush marinade over chicken wings frequently while grilling to increase flavor. And there you have them, grilled tequila wings for tequila month!

The Atlanta Braves Go Gluten Free!

For immediate release: September 2, 2009

Atlanta Braves and ARAMARK Announce New Gluten-Free

Concession Stand at Turner Field

The Atlanta Braves and ARAMARK, the exclusive food and beverage provider at Turner Field, have announced the opening of a dedicated gluten-free* concession stand for fans with Celiac Disease. The location opens Friday, Sept. 4, behind Section 106, and will feature all-beef franks, sirloin beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, chips, popcorn, brownies, cookies, soda, water and gluten-free RedBridge beer.

"In response to increasing requests for healthier and gluten-free options from fans, the Braves and ARARMARK are proud to unveil this new concessions option at Turner Field," said Ron Ranieri, ARAMARK General Manager at Turner Field. "The gluten-free stand is part of the Braves and ARAMARK's overall commitment to offer menu options that allow all fans, regardless of dietary restrictions, to enjoy the ultimate ballpark experience."

The Atlanta Braves is Major League Baseball's winningest franchise since 1991. During that time, Braves teams have earned 14 division championships, five National League pennants and a World Series title. Based in Atlanta since 1966, the Braves franchise is the longest continuously operating franchise in Major League Baseball. Atlanta Braves games are telecast on FS South, SportSouth, and Peachtree TV with radio broadcasts heard in Atlanta on 640 WGST, Project 9-6-1 (96.1 FM) and VIVA 105.7 and regionally on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network.

*Gluten is a protein particle found in wheat, barley, rye and all of their derivatives.

ATLANTA BRAVES · P.O. Box 4064 · Atlanta, GA 30302-4064 · 404/522-7630