Busy Days

 It all started a few days ago, getting ready for Easter Sunday on News Channel 13.

It was a GREAT start to three days of living in the fast lane.

This morning Michael Moynihan, of O'Tooles Restaurant in Queensbury NY, and I had the privilege of being interviewed by Benita Zahn from News Channel 13 WNYT. We were very excited to talk about the first ever gluten free buffet in the area. The buffet will take place on April 2, 2013.

O'Tooles is the first restaurant in our area to complete the National Foundation For Celiac Awareness GREAT Kitchens Course. The Gluten Free Buffet is also The Glens Falls Regional and Saratoga Springs Celiac Support Group April meeting.

Mike took Benita on a VIP tour of the O'Tooles kitchen as she interviewed him. Mike and his staff even prepared their famous gluten free chicken parmesan from their gluten free menu.

Here is Benita Zahn's Health Report from tonight's 5:00pm news cast: Click Gluten Free Buffet http://wnyt.com/article/656/

On a side note, Benita is absolutely lovely and truly a sweet person. I thoroughly enjoyed her company.

Next, it was off for a quick cup of coffee on the way to the LOOKTV Studios to meet with David Storey.

It was great to see David again! David and I talked about the Gluten Free Buffet at O'Tooles too! He is genuinely excited about the event. You might even catch him at the bar, enjoying a gluten free beer and a bite tomorrow night.

Here is the interview with David Storey on LOOKTV 5:30pm News: http://www.looktvonline.com/gluten-free-for-dinner


As Benita reported the April 2, 2013, 6:00pm seating at O'Tooles Restaurant for the first Gluten Free Buffet has been sold out.

GOOD NEWS: We are holding a second seating for the Gluten Free Buffet at 7:15pm on April 2, 2013. Please RSVP by calling O'Tooles Restaurant      directly at (518)-793-3389 or by emailing glutenfreersvp@gmail.com

We hope to see you there tomorrow evening!!


Warmest Regards & Happy Cooking,



Amy
www.glutenfreewithamy.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/glutenfreeamy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cook-Gluten-Free-With-Amy/146394436394

It's Gluten Free GREAT!!



Pierre's amazingly delicious dinner at our new favorite
restaurant. Look for more information on this new
mystery restaurant right here! Coming Soon!

 Everyone who knows me knows that I am super strict about gluten cross contamination in my kitchen. My passion for "safe" gluten free cuisine follows me everywhere I go, from my home to the restaurants we frequent.

If you are living a gluten free lifestyle, then you know how hard it can be to find a "safe" restaurant, a restaurant where you can trust to dine. Many restaurants are seeing the green and offering gluten free menus (I have even seen a restaurant that offers a "low gluten" menu.) This can be very deceptive to the gluten free consumer, since it only takes less than 20ppm of gluten to contaminate an entire meal. Many of these restaurants have no training or education in gluten free cuisine. In fact most of these restaurants do not even have any gluten cross contamination procedures in place.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) has created a wonderfully proactive program for restaurants with the appropriate acronym GREAT. The NFCA's Gluten-Free Resource Education and Awareness Training program "empowers the food industry to provide safe gluten-free options for individuals and institutions."

Here is a list of the available GREAT programs currently available:

         GREAT Business Association is a gluten-free business association open to individuals and businesses. In addition to networking, the association helps food manufacturers uphold best practices for gluten-free food production.

• GREAT Kitchens provides a "Train-the-Trainer" course for chefs and food service managers. Included with the program are tools to educate the entire kitchen staff on safe gluten-free food handling.
• GREAT Dietitians provides similar programming to GREAT Kitchens, but adds specific lessons for the trained dietitian, including an introduction to clinical practices.

As the Restaurant Liaison for the Glens Falls & Saratoga Springs Regional Celiac Support Group, I see first hand how we can help restaurants serve a delicious and safe gluten free menu. (Yes you can have both!) We are instituting a "Restaurant of the Month" program. For a restaurant to qualify they must enroll and complete the NFCA's GREAT Kitchens course. Upon completion of the NFCA's course the restaurant can contact me and together we can develop a delectable gluten free menu that fits that particular restaurant's vision and set up safe gluten free cross contamination procedures. To know when the Glens Falls & Saratoga Springs Celiac Support Group's schedule of meetings please visit http://www.gfceliacsupportgroup.com/

No matter what part of the country you live in, I encourage you to have your favorite restaurant (or a restaurant you would like to be your new favorite restaurant) complete the NFCA's GREAT Kitchens course. Please visit the National Foundation For Celiac Awareness's website, http://www.celiacentral.com/ for more information on all of their fabulous educational programs. Remember that once you have the knowledge you have the power! Take charge of your gluten free lifestyle and love it!


I love the message at the bottom of this menu!

Amy's Recipe of the Day: 

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Copyright 2010 by Amy Rota-Poulin

Marinade & Savory Sauce:

1 cup plain low fat yogurt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon brown mustard (gluten free)

2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

4 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about the juice of one large lemon

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Kabob Fixings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” chunks

18 cherry tomatoes

1 red onion, cut into 1” slices

Bamboo kabob sticks, soaked in water

Marinade & Savory Sauce

Mix together the yogurt, olive oil, mustard, fresh rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place half of the mixture in a gallon size bag, and reserve the other half in your refrigerator to enjoy later.

Kabobs Fixings:

Cut the chicken breasts into 1” chunks and place in the plastic bag that has the marinade in it.  Place the bag in the fridge. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, however you can leave it in your fridge overnight. Meanwhile place your bamboo skewers in water, and set aside. This process helps the skewers not to burn. Get your grill started on medium/low heat.

To assemble your skewers place a slice of red onion, followed by a chunk of marinated chicken, another slice of red onion, a cherry tomato, a slice of red onion, a chunk of marinated chicken…and so on until each skewer has 3 pieces of chicken and 2 tomatoes on it. Of course you may make them however you like, this is way is just what I have found to be the most flavorful.

Grill the kabobs on medium low heat until the chicken is fully cooked. Approximately 4-5 minutes each side. Make sure to turn your kabobs!  Serve your kabobs piping hot with a dollop of sauce.  With this easy and summery dish the Mediterranean comes right to your backyard. Great Recipe for entertaining! Enjoy!

*Always Read the ingredient labels of each individual ingredient you are using to make sure that, that particular brand is completely gluten free. If you are unsure call the manufacturer or visit their web site, they are usually more than happy to answer your questions. *

This recipe was created by Amy Rota-Poulin author of Cooking Gluten Free With Amy.  Enjoy!

Please visit http://www.glutenfreewithamy.com

These recipes and many more can be found in my cookbook, Cooking Gluten Free With Amy available at the Northshire Bookstore and online!



Saratoga Spring's Gluten Free Lifestyle is Up and Coming!

If tonight's dinner at the Circus Cafe, located on Broadway, is any indication of Saratoga's gluten free lifestyle, than it is thriving. As many of you know from experience, finding a good gluten free meal at a restaurant can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Sure, you might come across a place that has a gluten free menu. However, a piece of paper does not mean much if the staff is not knowledgeable about what that menu actually means. Never mind cross contamination issues. Tonight, I am absolutely elated to report that this was not the case at the Circus Cafe!

The moment we entered the fun, festive restaurant a friendly face welcomed our family. Immediately I asked if they had a gluten free menu. To our delight Jason, who would be our waiter this evening, said yes. Jason was more than happy to answer my questions and took my husband's food allergy seriously. My six year old nephew loved the over sized velvet curtains, bright colored lights, and of course his favorite was the painting of a unicorn on the wall. My mother loved the menu and the friendly service. My husband, Pierre, and I loved the extensive gluten free menu, the restaurants’ proactive approach to gluten free cuisine and, of course, the reasonable prices.

Within seconds of being seated at our table, we each had a glass of ice water in front of us. Jason quickly took our order ( if you have a six year old with you, that’s  priceless!). Pierre ordered the Shrimp Marinara Pasta (gluten free), I ordered the Pasta a la Panna (gluten free). My Mother ordered the Pasta Primivera and my nephew the Bear's Bite (a generous grilled cheese with curly fries). I also took the liberty of ordering a ginger martini which was absolutely fabulous! Per request, the Circus Cafe offers Chopin Vodka which is distilled from potatoes rather than from grain. The meal far exceeded my expectations. Maybe it was the long day of shopping, going to the movies, & walking through downtown Saratoga Springs in winter weather. Yet in that moment, digging into a more than generous bowl of pasta never tasted so good. While we were all diving into our dessert, decadent chocolate lava cake (also gluten free), it hit me. This is a great moment. In fact the for the first time in a long time the focus of the meal was exactly where it should be, on spending quality time together as a family.

My compliments to our waiter, Jason, the bartender, the Chef , and the proprietors for making your establishment truly and deliciously gluten free. We will be enjoying many more meals at the Circus Café.  I highly recommend that if you are looking for a family friendly restaurant with an extensive gluten free menu, including a kids menu, that you check it out too.

The Circus Cafe is located at 392 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Phone: (518)-583-1106
For more information on the Circus Cafe please visit: http://circuscafe.com/index.htm 

Quick Recipe: For a fabulous Ginger Martini: Add 1 1/2 parts good vodka made from potatoes or one of my favorite Vodkas, Core Vodka, which is made strictly from apples, 2 parts good ginger liqueur, and a touch of Grand Mariner. Shake with ice, strain and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger for the ultimate presentation!

Quick Tip: To add a hint of sweetness to any beverage, you may add a small amount of agave nectar. It has a low glycemic index, and dissolves easily in cold liquids.

*Always Read the ingredient labels of each individual ingredient you are using to make sure that, that particular brand is completely gluten free. If you are unsure call the manufacturer or visit their web site, they are usually more than happy to answer your questions. *