Crif Dogs is an East Village Gem with a Not So Secret Secret

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But that all depends on your definition of gem. My definition means it’s good. Crif Dogs is a true dive, yeah Guy Fieri, I used “dive.” Trust me, I was saying it long before you got the show. Honestly, who doesn’t love a good dive?

One night I found myself in the East Village on my way to meet some people and have sushi. Now this is not a knock on sushi, I do eat it from time to time, but I have to be in the mood. I don’t eat raw fish on a whim. Plus I was in NYC and I don’t know about the rest of you but when I’m in the Big Apple I want, no, I HAVE to have at least one hot dog and it has to be from a good spot, I am not a hot dog water kind of guy, but rather along the lines of Schnipper’s, Gray’s Papaya, Nathan’s, and so on.







When I stumbled across Crif Dogs on a Saturday night you can imagine my joy and not just for the dogs. I walked in and legit had to talk myself down from a teenage era, Sega Genesis ledge when I saw the Double Dragon arcade game. Had I played I never would have left. Billy Lee, Jimmy, and a few dogs clearly would have been enough to complete my night, heck, my whole weekend actually.

After my brain nearly exploded with video game nerdiness, I found a way to order some food. I went with their Chili Dog, a well done dog smothered in homemade mustard, onions, and their signature chili sauce. The dog was deep fried (yum) and the topping worked well together, the onions were not overpowering and you could taste both the mustard and chili equally. The dog itself, made of smoked beef and pork was excellent. Try it and let me know what you think.

While I was able to decide on the Chili Dog, it was not an easy choice. Crif makes some crazy/cool versions like the Chihuahua, a bacon wrapped dog with avocados and sour cream; the Tsunami, also wrapped in bacon with teriyaki, pineapple, and green onions; or the one I will order next time, the Morning Jersey, wrapped in Taylor Ham with melted cheese and a fried egg. I may even add chili to that one. Whichever you decide I’m willing to bet you can’t go wrong or you can get your creative juices flowing and create your own from the plethora of toppings they offer.





Of course I needed a side so I went with criss-cut fries, crispy and good but I definitely should have gotten chili cheese fries. I guess that’s why “next times” were invented.

Besides hot dogs and fries, Crif Dogs has burgers with all types of toppings, tater tots, beans, slaw, and shakes & floats (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and coffee). To drink, besides soda, they serve beer!

But there is one other cool thing about Crif Dogs that is not such a secret anymore…A SECRET ROOM. If you already knew, go ahead, act surprised. This secret room complete with bartenders is on the left hand side hidden by a phone booth. The way to get access is to call the secret speakeasy like cocktail lounge, appropriately named Please Don’t Tell, and ask to make a reservation. If you think that’s not cool, well you just aren’t human.

I did not waste my time trying to get in on a Saturday since it fills up on weekends but I know I need a return visit to Crif Dogs very soon for a couple of different dogs, a lot of Double Dragon, and another dog while I sip on a cocktail on my first real visit to Please Don’t Tell.

Crif Dogs
113 St. Marks Place
New York, NY 10009
www.crifdogs.com
(212) 614-2728

Please Don’t Tell
Same Place
Call (212) 614-0386
If it existed. Shhh. Don’t tell.

As Posted on CBS Connecticut: Butterfield 8 and Treehouse Comedy: Dinner with Delicious Humor

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If you’re like me, you get bored with the same old dinner and a show. Musicals are fine, but we have all seen the same ones, with the same tunes, that play like a broken record. Good thing I stumbled across something much better that all the cool kids are doing, dinner and a comedy show, presented by Treehouse Comedy Club and hosted at Butterfield 8 in Stamford.

As you walk through Butterfield’s upscale, grown-up looking lounge area, you would have no idea that an upstairs room serves as a venue for comedians on certain weekends, until you get into the room. If you can imagine a comedy club, you think of nothing spectacular, just your basic setup of tables with a lit candle on each, chairs of course, and a bar in the back of the room. The large photos of famous comedians really enhance the vibe that this is the kind of place where a career begins. Autographed pictures from Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, and Jeff Foxworthy hang on the walls to show Treehouse’s rich history in the comedy world.

So sit back, relax, enjoy a show, but get there early for dinner.

Dinner and drinks are available during the stand-up performances but feel free to show up an hour or two beforehand if you do not wish to eat during the show. At Butterfield, there is a Treehouse Comedy special. For $22, you get an appetizer and an entrée, but the menu is limited. I chose to order off the regular menu, forget those limitations.



First up was a plate of chipotle brisket nachos with pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and chipotle pulled chicken. While the other toppings are common, the pulled chicken was pleasing, not too spicy, but full of smoky flavor. Before I knew the meat was chicken, I swore it was beef. The perfect coupling for me would be an ice cold beer and these nachos.

For dinner I sampled two items, a pan roasted chicken and Kobe beef sliders. The chicken was served with brown gravy, fresh green beans, and roasted fingerling potatoes. Usually I think chicken is a mistake, this time I was wrong. Butterfield’s version was fork tender, well seasoned with herbs, and had a crisp skin. And if you have never had fingerling potatoes, you should start now.



The Kobe sliders were good. The three mini burgers came with a vinegary lettuce slaw, chipotle aioli, and ketchup for dipping. I wish mine were cooked a little less. When I think of a high quality beef like Kobe, I think medium rare. Butterfield served them more on the medium well side but I was thrilled that they were still juicy and tender. They were fantastic with the aioli alone and with ketchup.



Butterfield offers many different salads, seafood options, delicious sandwiches, and pub classics that are perfect snacks during the show, like fried pickles, Bedford Street Wings, and popcorn shrimp. Prices are moderate as my bill came to $48 including gratuity. The comedy show is extra of course.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not talk a bit about the comedy aspect of the evening. If you are weary, don’t be. Just do it. Will you get made fun of? Yes, it’s a small room, it’s inevitable. The best part is that the room becomes one; you get to know people by being picked on together. On this particular night’s lineup, I reserved tickets for $17.50. The headliner that night was Romont Harris who has been seen on “ComicView,” “Last Comic Standing,” and “Showtime at the Apollo.” Harris had the whole room involved in his act and was hysterically funny, appropriately vulgar, and does an improv finish that will surely crack you up. Do not pass up the chance to see this Philadelphia based comic if he’s in your area.

Take your friends, take your family, they will have a blast. Treehouse Comedy Club and Butterfield 8 is a winning combination is Stamford. I will return for more laughs and more food, and if you experience it once, you’ll say the same.

Butterfield 8
112 Bedford Street
Stamford, CT 06901
(203)504-8123
http://butterfield8stamford.com/index.php

Treehouse Comedy Club
P.O. Box 452
Monroe, CT 06468
http://www.treehousecomedy.com/

Say "Szevasz" to Goulash Place in Danbury

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Credit: Roadfood.com
Goulash Place is an authentic Hungarian restaurant located in Danbury, Connecticut. Since opening in 1977, this old-fashioned eatery has been serving up Eastern European fare. And while other Hungarian restaurants in the area have come and gone, Goulash place has survived the test of time, and is still bringing in customers.
Owner and Chef John Aczel is the man behind these made-from-scratch specialties, which are both hearty and filling. The menu, which hasn't changed since 1977, is simple yet perfected. Highlights include the classics of Hungarian cooking: Cucumber Salad, Chicken Paprikash, Stuffed Cabbage, and of course Goulash.
Hungarian cucumber salad with paprika and a dollop of sour cream
Goulash can best be described as stew. Its main ingredients include: meat, noodles and vegetables (usually potatoes). At Goulash Place, you can choose from the traditional Hungarian Goulash, or sink your teeth into Transylvanian Goulash (pardon the Dracula reference).

As you can see, this goulash didn't come in a bowl, but rather on a plate. The meat (beef in this case, pork if you order the Transylvanian) is tender and satisfying. The mashed potatoes had just the right amount of chunk and tasted great with the gravy from the goulash floating to the side. The carrots were nicely buttered, and the green beans were crunchy. It's everything you could want from a dish, and then some.
I was pretty full after having just gone through a cucumber salad and my main plate, but I was willing to sacrifice my stomach in the name of Food Dudes and order dessert. It was time to have a couple of my favorite sweets, palacsinta.
Mouth-watering Palacsinta, one apricot and one chopped walnut
Palacsinta is the Hungarian word for crepe, and the thin pancakes are comparable to the French variety. They can be rolled with a number of fillings, including the traditional apricot jam and chopped walnut. And if you happen to have a real sweet tooth, you can get it with chocolate sauce inside.
The crepes are drizzled with chocolate sauce, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, and come with a couple dollops of real whipped cream. There isn't any Reddi-Wip or Cool Whip used here. They were both delicious, and there was no shortage of filling. Needless to say, they were consumed pretty quickly.
The only gripe I can possibly have is when the check came. It wasn't the prices, which were very affordable (appetizers were $3.75, entrees were $11.75, desserts were $2.50 each). It's the way the check is presented, which is a ticker tape in no particular order. Remembering what you had is key if you're part of a larger group.

Goulash Place is the spot to go to if you want a restaurant with a home-cooked feel and Old-World charm. You'll feel like you're eating at your grandparent's house, and the surroundings remind you of a Eastern European pub. It's located in a residential neighborhood, so it can be a challenge to find. But once you've gotten there, you'll feel like you're at home.
Goulash Place42 Highland AvenueDanbury, CT 06810(203) 744 - 1971

If You Want REAL Fish & Chips Go To Westfair

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Here at Food Dudes we have a motto as it applies to dining…the more you talk, the worse the food probably is. Of course it is acceptable to rant and rave on how good something is but we stick to it, a quiet meal is a damn good one. On an unusually warm Sunday in April, Rob and I decided to try a place that he hadn’t heard about and I had, but I was well informed on the expected goodness that awaited us at Westfair Fish & Chips.

Because it was only noon, Westfair was closed (they don’t open until 1 on Sundays), this just made us hungrier. To kill time we cruised around and then headed back to the somewhat hidden seafood restaurant in the Westfair Shopping Center, and trust me, if you do five miles over the speed limit you may miss the entrance, head to the back part of the center and boom, there it is.

When we arrived a few customers were already waiting outside and a couple more came in after us as if people needed their fish fix and knew exactly when Westfair opened. We stepped up to the counter and ordered…really? Come on! You know we got fish & chips. If there is one thing you can count on, if a place is named something or they’re famous for something, we’re trying it! We snagged one of the handful of tables in the nautical themed dining area and we each waited for our two piece fish & chips.

Now, remember that whole Food Dudes motto thing? This is where it came into play. As our orders were called and we sat down, I swear to you, you have never witnessed a quieter meal. The fish was battered just right, it wasn’t too thick, it was seasoned, and the most important part, it was crispy. The cod was fresh and flaked apart as I used a combination of a fork and my hands. I threw on some malt vinegar on the fish and barely chewed. I will not hate on you for liking tartar sauce but vinegar is the way to go. The fries, or chips if you want to be a stickler about it, were nothing fancy but at the same time were some of the better ones I’ve had when paired with the battered cod. The potatoes weren’t fried to death and had some, for lack of a better term, potato to them. Spritzed a little malt vinegar on those bad boys too. The only missing ingredient, if you can call it that, was having the whole meal wrapped up in yesterday’s news.









Besides the obvious sounds of swallowing and lip smacking, here is the full dialogue:

Me: Try it with the hot sauce?
Rob: *shakes head* (this was in reference to trying fried fish with hot sauce for the first time ever)

A few minutes later…

Me: How’s the slaw?
Rob: Yeah.

For the Food Dudes, that’s a good sign! My potato salad also rocked, major props for using enough salt and whatever other secrets were in there because it was off the charts good.

Westfair Fish & Chips’ menu has many different seafood choices like shrimp, bay and sea scallops, squid, filet of sole, oysters, clams, daily specials, and much more. On top of that, most items are offered fried or broiled. If you are wondering about price, don’t. A two piece fish & chips lunch and a Stewart’s Soda came to $10 and change. Westfair even offers a one piece for $5.95 plus tax.

Being a huge fan of fish & chips I have been searching for a good place since Streets of London closed in Norwalk and now Westfair is my new go-to spot for the British classic, and to think, I was going to opt for a one piece fish. What was I thinking?

Westfair Fish & Chips
1781 Post Road East
Werstport, CT 06880
http://westfairfishandchipsct.com/
(203) 255-3184
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.-9 p.m.

Shack Stack-alicious!

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Every once in a while a sandwich, no, a BURGER comes along that we must shout-out. I give you, with much joy, the Shack Stack from Shake Shack.

Just when I thought one of, if not my favorite place to grab a burger couldn’t be any better, I fall in love with it all over again. Don’t get me wrong, I dig the Shack Burger and its big brother the Double Shack Burger but “The Stack” is in another universe.

On a night where I was starving I went to Shake Shack around 8 p.m. to destroy some food, I just left the gym hours earlier with nothing to eat so pardon the word “destroy.” The Shack Stack was the only burger I have not tried from Danny Meyer’s megahit and expanding Shake Shack empire and this was the night to get it in.

At $8.75, the Shack Stack combines two of Shake Shack’s menu items, the ‘Shroom Burger and the single Shack Burger. To break that down for you, you’re getting juicy, organic Angus beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Shack Sauce. Wait, I’m not done. And it’s topped with a crispy, deep-fried portabella mushroom stuffed with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.

Trust me on this one, if you’re a burger fan, and you love a good mushroom, this is your ticket to heaven. Shake Shack’s burgers are mad juicy, and mad good as is, but adding a portabella volcano of cheeses makes me want to resurrect the word “Blazin.” The shroom was crispy as advertised and the cheeses just did it for me. If I had to nitpick, you just never know which side of the sandwich the cheese will explode out of, but hey, this is one burger I will not beef with.



 Shake Shack 
1849 Post Road East 
Westport, CT 06880
(203) 682-6570
http://www.shakeshack.com/ 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shakeshackfans 
Twitter: @shakeshack

For Your Saratoga Springs Sweet Tooth: Eugenio’s Café Gelato

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For the past two years the Food Dudes visited Lake Georgeand made a long weekend out of Damion’s marathon running obsession. Sadly, LakeGeorge is kind of dead in the offseason. Actually it is a ghost town in theoffseason. Even though we missed the start of the busy season by a few weeks, afew shops were open to satisfy our foodie needs. This time we decided to makethe 30 minute drive to nearby Saratoga Springs and were delighted we did so.

For you rookies out there (we consider ourselves veteransafter one visit) downtown Saratoga Springs has a lot to offer. We noticed manycrowded restaurants, don’t worry, we will try a bunch next year or later thisyear if possible, plus coffee shops, ice cream parlors, bars, and clubs. Weactually started to wonder if we should have stayed here…
Anyway, this is not the Food Dudes Travel Guide.
The first of two places in Toga to get a shout out isEugenio’s Café Gelato. A few random facts about me:

1.          I love ice cream
2.          I love gelato more
3.          I   do not get brain freezes

That last one makes people envy my uncanny ability to shovelcold food things down and they cannot. Ha!
When we walked into Eugenio’s our sweet tooth meter wasgoing crazy. After wings and pizza earlier we needed something and this did thetrick. We just went up to the counter and froze up, not knowing what to order.As if we needed to stand out any more as out-of-towners this really made itobvious. Eventually I decided on a large with three different flavors, vanillabean, salted caramel, and creamsicle because that surely goes with the firsttwo choices.

Some of the vibrant colors of the fruit-based gelatos.

My creation. Sorry about the hand.

You know you want some gelato now.

We chatted up the nice counter lady with the Australian accent?At least I think that’s right. She told us the owner makes the gelato himselfwith local and organic ingredients whenever possible and you could really tell.Every flavor was creamy and dense like gelato should be and I did in fact tastethe salt in the salted caramel, my favorite of the three.
I could try to name all the flavors but I won’t. They justhad so many, not a complaint by the way. Rounding out Eugenio’s menu are gelatoin a cone, sundaes, shakes, a variety of coffees and teas, homemade lemonade, agelato float, and something to try on a return trip, gelato lemonade which istheir lemonade with two scoops of a fruit based gelato.
Even though Saratoga Springs had seemingly good restaurants,getting dessert at Eugenio’s would be difficult not to do. Be sure to stop inthis quaint gelato shop if you’re in the area. We know this will be one of ourfirst stops on our next visit.


Eugenio’s CaféGelato458 Broadway Saratoga Springs,NY 12866(518) 691-6000http://www.eugenioscafegelato.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EugeniosCafeGelato

Starbucks

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I have a confession to make.

For a while I was boycotting Starbucks. Between pulling the delicious and gluten free orange valencia cake to being infuriatingly inconsistent with the information they provide about the gluten status of their drinks, it was mostly a point of principle.

However, I've gone back. I'm not quite at my previous five-latte-a-week habit, but I've had two lattes so far today. (Full disclosure before you think I'm absolutely terrible: as I'm writing this it's the day after we "sprung forward," I worked an eight-hour workday and I am currently waiting for an evening class running 6 - 9:45 to start). They're delicious, and the caffeine boost - especially when workplace coffee leaves much to be desired - is a godsend.

I'm torn - I love their products, and there are really no convenient alternatives for me based on where I live and work (I hate Dunkin' Donuts). But Starbucks as a whole would leave a much better taste in my mouth (no pun intended) if they (you, if you're from Starbucks and reading this) did the following:

• Decide if you want to cater to the gluten free community or not. The orange valencia cake was great, and I can understand pulling it. But then "replacing" it with poor substitutes? I mean, really... who wants dried apple slices with their macchiato?
• And when it comes to specialty drinks - please train your customer service representatives to be consistent. If I call twice and e-mail once, I'll get three different answers. And while I get that e-mail is persistent and that in this litigious day and age you want to CYA -- it's really not helpful to only say "Um, everything can be cross contaminated." Especially when your reps will tell you which drinks do and don't have gluten. In the corporate world that's the equivalent of giving the finger (with an upward shove for emphasis) to the entire gluten free community.
• Get some gluten free prepackaged snacks. I mean look at the protein plate - would it be really hard to replace the meusli bread with flax crackers and make -one- gluten free grab-and-go option?? We're not talking gluten free bread or pastries here. It's not THAT complicated and it would make a lot of people really, really happy.
  

Do you have any other beef with Starbucks?

Movie Theater Concession and Nutrition Labelling

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I came across a rather interesting article regarding movie theater popcorn and proposed legislation to force theaters to disclose the nutrition information in their concessions - and suggesting that they include alternate, healthier movie snacks such as yogurt, granola bars, and vegetables along with their traditional fare.

Now, I'm a bit torn. On one hand, I'm all for truth in labelling and see this only as a good thing. I mean, one of my once-or-twice-a-year guilty pleasures is going to an earlier evening movie, and making a dinner out of popcorn, nachos, and movie theater candy. Especially if it's a traditional summertime "popcorn" movie - nothing beats a hot day killing some time in a frigidly air-conditioned movie theater with my sweetie, hands greasy from dipping into the super-duper-extra-butter popcorn bag (and of course, pockets full of salt packets for the inevitable sodium drop-off after we skim the top layer of popcorn), interspersed with chewy sugar bombs like Skittles or Starburst. Or, if we're feeling incredibly sinful, we'll have theater nachos: corn chips covered with warm, goopy neon-orange "cheese" that just tastes unbeliavably yummy. All while slurping down a Diet Coke twice the size of my head.

Afterwards, of course, I always feel incredibly guilty and atone by tacking on extra workouts (never hard in the nice weather) and eating boring green salads for the next week - with none of the fun add-ons like bacon, bleu cheese, etc.

Now. Labels are good - and I want labels - because a) I like to know exactly that I'm eating and b) It almost goes without saying, but anyone with a food allergy/insensitivity/restriction wants the added assurance that what they're eating is definitely safe. While we've always encountered wonderfully accommodating theater staff who bring out labels for us to read, more disclosure is always a good thing in my book.

Would it cause me to eat less? Of course! I mean, I love the Cheesecake Factory but after realizing how many calories I was consuming in my favorite dishes, I definitely reduced the amount of food that I consume when I go there. A mixed drink for 300, 400 calories? No, thanks, I'll stick to water. Salads that are just as calorie-dense as some of the huge dishes? I'll pass on the salad and force myself to eat only half of the entree I order. Appetizers, dessert? Definitely not (or at least, package it in a to-go box for later consumption).

Would I still go and order food? Yes - and the frequency probably wouldn't change. I mean, once a year or so isn't that bad to have a big blow-out. I may not eat quite as much - perhaps going for drinks and a salad beforehand rather than scarfing down the entire meal at the theater - but once in a while, it's probably not going to kill me.

Would I order healthier food?

Um, no.

To me, eating a yogurt or crudites while sitting in a chair in a large room full of strangers, eyes trained at the movie theater screen - is as foreign and distateful as those yahoos that sometimes sneak an entire fried chicken dinner into the theater with them, making the entire room smell like fried chicken, crinkling aluminum foil, and passing sides like cole slaw. (Yes, I've actually seen this).

Yogurt? If it requires one or more utensil to eat, it's probably not a good idea to have in the theater. Let's stick to finger foods here.
Crudites - most likely with dip? Well first of all depending on the amount and type of dip, this might be the nutritional equivelent of the buttered popcorn. But with that aside, most veggies - carrots, celery, etc. - are crunchy. I'd feel paranoid throughout the entire movie that I was the annoying loud person every time I chewed - or more likely, I'd be the person shooting dirty looks and wishing bad things upon the loud chewers. And really, I don't need the bad karma.

No, I think the content of movie theater snacks should remain the same. I mean, I'm not opposed to some healthful changes - like using better oils - but if I wanted air-popped kettle corn with no added salt, I'd have made it at home.

That said, I do think the industry would be well-served by re-vamping their portion sizes. A "small" soda is ridiculous! I mean honestly, who can drink that much in the span of two or three hours without getting up for a pee break or missing the movie, or ruining the end of the movie for themselves by tightly crossing their legs until their eyes turn yellow and counting down to the credits when they can make the mad dash to be first in line for the bathroom? Plus - I drink diet soda, but most people drink something sweetened - now that is a lot of calories before you even get to the concessions. Offer a 12 oz size, and people would buy it.

Popcorn too - I understand the need for larger sizes, and my husband and I usually share a small. But since it's never good the next day, you're forced to finish the entire bag and feel like a pig or else waste a ton of food. And while some people can, and want to, put away that much, and other people share with a large group - other people go to the theater alone. Or want just a little bit. A single-serving popcorn (think, the size of one of those 100-calorie microwave popcorn bags) would work well here.

Finally, theater candy. Do we really need huge boxes when the size sold at grocery checkouts would do for most people? Better yet - get some bulk bins in there so people can take what they want, how much they want, mix and match, and then just pay by weight. (Crossgates already has a bulk candy store, FYI).

So overall -- nutrition labelling is a great idea that I support. But before revamping the theater menu, understand that individual-sized portions are likely to have a warmer reception than, say, swapping out the nachos for granola.

Parents Picket Girl with Peanut Allergy!?

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This afternoon I came across this article, where parents are protesting a school's accommodations for a girl with extreme peanut allergies - to the point of asking her to withdraw from the school (OK, I'm a little behind on my news).

Wow. At first I really didn't have any words.

Now - I feel fortunate that no one in either my family or my husband's family has a severe peanut allergy. We have gluten intolerance and celiac, but that's the only thing we know of so far. Still, just based on the constant worry of cross-contamination I can feel for some of the precautions that the parents of allergic children are asking the school and students to make.

My thoughts?

• Is this girl's allergy really so severe that she cannot eat in the same cafeteria as someone with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? If she can be in the same room, I think it's paranoid and oppressive to make her eat somewhere else. Kids want to be "normal" and part of that is sitting at a table with all their friends. (I realize that some people will be affected by the smell, but to my understanding that's an extremely small segment of the population).
  
• Asking classmates to avoid snacks and wash their hands before class? The snacks are a no brainer - we certainly weren't allowed to eat in class when I was in school. With childhood obesity what it is, this seems to make sense as well.
  
• RE: the hand washing, with rampant flu this makes sense regardless of food allergies. If I was the school administration, I'd make everyone do this just because I'd want to avoid the spread of germs. Peanut allergies are almost secondary. If handwashing is too much of a pain, distribute antibacterial hand gel and make everyone clean off their hands. (And re-evaluate exactly why so many people get sick in an academic environment).
  
• Encouraging students to brush their teeth/rinse their mouths? I'm on the fence - given the astonishing ignorance of their parents this might be the only time in a day they are given the opportunity to brush their teeth. But it does seem a bit excessive to me. It's not like the students are going to be making out in class, and if they are then the school has many more problems than allergy accommodation.
  
• Hiring a peanut-sniffing dog? Overkill. Come on. This is just asking this girl to be teasing fodder for the rest of her school career - especially if an athletic star is caught with a PayDay in his backpack that he intends to eat after sports practice.
• Make the girl carry an epi-pen on her at all times. In fact, all of her teachers should have a spare as well, just in case.
  

As far as the parents picketing the school? Oh. My. God. Just grow up. If your precious little snowflake seriously harms or even kills a child with a serious allergy over something as preventable as washing your hands, I would HOPE that you both would be completely devastated. Why take the risk? All you are doing now is raising entitled, selfish brats who don't think of anyone but themselves. Retract the helicopter wings now and you might have a shot at a raising a decent adult.

Spring Cleaning Confessions

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This past weekend, my husband and I spend some time organizing our basement - most people wouldn't necessarily consider this a fun task, but I'm not most people, and I found it kind of fun for an afternoon. (My husband always teases me about the fact that I organize the shirts in my closet first by sleeve length, then by color - in my SUNY Albany/single days I even had different colored hangers for "work appropriate" and "going out" clothes, but I've graduated from that - no pun intended).

Now, while I'm by no means ready to make an appearance on Hoarders, I was slightly surprised to see how many bulk flours, pastas, and other stuff I'd accumulated over the winter. I've always been a bit of a pack rat - during our move to the new house I finally got rid the suede jacket that I had purchased using my first paycheck at my high school job. (In my defense, it still fit) ... though, I still kept the cropped Michael Kors denim jacket with rhinestone buttons, lacy cami shirts for going out, and a whole bunch of other fashion catastrophes from my past.

While in the past I've talked about the importance of stocking certain pantry staples, I didn't know I was a food pack rat too! :-) Those pastas? 3 or 4 deep, except the Asian pastas which are piled all over the place. And the flours? Tons of bulk bags of different types of flours from the Asian Supermarket.... the plastic airtight containers are the flours that I use for scooping when I bake in that kitchen.

I suppose the bright side is, we're ready for the zombie apocalypse.

Now, pardon me while I go clean out my closet with a garbage bag...

Recipe: Baked coconut shrimp with dipping sauce

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This evening, in an effort to escape the dinner rut my husband and I tried a new recipe that I'd found online for baked coconut shrimp.

I didn't have everything on hand and modified it to suit our preferences, so here's what I made:

Ingredients

• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I had about 30)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Rinse & dry shrimp. 
3. Mix cornstarch and seasoned salt together. 
4. Dredge shrimp in cornstarch, then egg, then roll in coconut. Place on sheet. 
5. Bake for approx. 16 minutes, turning halfway through. Shrimp will be pink and cooked through and coconut will be brown. 

I served with the following dipping sauce (a variation of one of my own concoctions):

• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 3/4 cup orange juice (pineapple would be better)
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp oil (I was out of sesame so used canola) 

Heat in a saucepan over med-high heat until thickened to the desired consistency, and serve.

Overall the shrimp went over very well. It's a bit rich and might be better off as a party app, but made a very satisfying dinner. I served with baked potato and steamed broccoli (mostly because that's all that was left in the house for veggie options).

Hidden sources of gluten

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My husband and I like to think of ourselves as “gluten-savvy.” Just a few examples:

• I religiously read all food labels. If an item isn’t labeled gluten free, I’ll look online, or someone in our family will call the manufacturer to ask about the product and their gluten labeling policy.
• When we first “de-glutened” our kitchen, I tossed all of the wooden spoons, colanders, etc. into a big box to give to my cousin who was just settling into a brand new apartment.
• We own a dedicated gluten free toaster as well as a second, older toaster is boxed away in our basement in the event we need to toast wheat bread).
• I – as the non-gluten free member of the household – always lick the envelopes when it’s time to pay bills every month. (Always thinking of the Seinfeld episode with the wedding invitations, but that’s an entirely different situation).
• If I have to bake something containing wheat for an event, my mother allows me to use her kitchen instead.
• I make sure the lipstick I wear is gluten free.

All that said – of course, we do have some gluten in the house. I don’t have celiac disease, and I’ve read there can be negative dietary consequences of eliminating all gluten entirely from your diet if you don’t have to for medical reasons. Now, I’ve never been much of a bread eater and my household rule is that my husband won’t eat anything that I – as a gluten eater – don’t think is sub-par. (The exception being Ian’s Waffle-wiches, which he absolutely loves). I also won’t keep any of the food that he used to love in the house, because that’s just too cruel. I’d say as a result, 95% of my diet is naturally gluten free.
The gluten in our house tends to be packed away – Chicken noodle soups that I keep on hand for when I’m sick, alongside the chicken and rice soups we keep on hand for my husband. Frozen meals and Velveeta Easy-Mac bowls for quick office lunches every now and then.  Beer in the fridge for when company comes over. Stuff that I’ve never bothered verifying to be gluten free, like Skinny cow chocolate ice creams (which he would never eat, since they’re chocolate). Or, crackers – because, let’s face it, I’m perfectly happy to shell out $$ for my husband to have good crackers,  but spending $5+ on a pack of crackers when I am perfectly fine eating the $1 box is insane to me. So I keep my own crackers, far away from anything else, and a dedicated jar of non-GF peanut butter for when the craving hits.
99% of the time I eat gluten away from home, but on the rare occasions when I do have it at home, I act like it’s a level 4 containment zone, wiping off counters with Clorox wipes, brushing my teeth, etc.
That said? We found another “gotcha” in the house. We buy Wellness dog food, some of which contains barley, and the puggle’s dog biscuits contain wheat. We never gave it a moment’s thought – since it never goes near my husband’s mouth – until one day when we were watching a movie and making popcorn. My husband gave the puggle a chew, and I absentmindedly called out “Make sure to wash your hands before you touch the popcorn.” My husband stopped, stared at me for a second, and exclaimed “I never thought of getting glutened by dog bones!”

Shrimp

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Shrimp, naturally gluten free, high in protein, and low fat (although high cholesterol) may just be one of Mother Nature's best gifts to us. And, when they go on sale around $5/lb, they're not too bad on the wallet either. Regardless of whether we want to eat junk food, comfort food, or healthy, low-calorie diet food, shrimp is always a good bet to have in the freezer. Bonus: When stored in an airtight freezer bag, it defrosts quickly and easily in a cold water bath.

Typically, we like to keep 1-2 lbs of frozen, raw med-large shrimp in the freezer. I also buy the small, pre-cooked salad shrimp when Price Chopper has them on BOGO specials, because they're pretty versatile and can be used in a lot of dishes.

Looking for some ideas of how to use shrimp? Here are a few, ranging from super-healthy to super-unhealthy (but incredibly yummy). If you have a favorite way to serve shrimp, please share in the comments!

• Shrimp cocktail. One of the easiest shrimp dishes to make, cold boiled shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce is incredibly yummy, and so good that it's easy to forget it's not that bad for you. 
• Grilled shrimp skewers, basted with fat free Italian dressing. Serve with grilled veggies (I usually do portabella mushrooms, white mushrooms, red peppers, Vidalia onions and yellow squash), basted in the same dressing. 
• Buffalo shrimp. I dredge raw shrimp in egg whites, gluten free Bisquick, and repeat. I then pan fry them in a bit of olive oil until they're fully cooked and golden brown - when they're done, I pour warmed-up Frank's Red Hot Buffalo sauce over them and serve them as an appetizer - spear with fancy toothpicks and eat (these work best with medium shrimp). 
• Sauteed shrimp with basil over angel-hair pasta. 
• Shrimp summer rolls. Rice paper, lettuce, and vermicelli. I haven't quite gotten this recipe down yet, but I use the salad shrimp for it. 
• Jambalaya - shrimp, andouille sausage, chicken, veggies, lots of cayenne pepper, and rice. I use the recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  
• Shrimp fried rice. I add egg, and whatever veggies I have on hand. Usually something like peas, carrots, onion, mushroom, etc. Salad shrimp can easily be used here in a pinch.
• Shrimp alfredo over penne pasta. I use Classico alfredo sauce, and my special finish is to top with a bit of mozzarella/cheddar cheese (just a tiny bit) and sprinkle liberally with black and cayenne peppers. 
• Coconut shrimp. Serve with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.
• Shrimp dip. Canned or salad shrimp with cream cheese, a bit of soy sauce, and scallions. Mix together. Good "plain" on rice crackers or rolled up in rice paper wrappers and deep fried, served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. 

YUM!

Mother's Day

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First off, a Happy Early Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there!

Every year my husband and I host Mother's Day for our mothers, and this year my grandmother will be joining us as well. Other than gluten, I'm restricted by some of the spices that I normally use (which, as you know, is terribly hard for me as I use Frank's Red Hot like I drink water).

Anyway, here is the menu I'm thinking of (written before I actually go to the store, may change if I'm not a fan of some produce):

Munchies
I don't want to do too much here, just put a couple of things out for people to nosh on while they're visiting. 

• Scallops wrapped in bacon
• Cheese platter
  

Dinner

• Grilled shrimp and veggie kabobs, basted in fat free Italian dressing. Optionally serve thai chili sauce as a side for dipping (not everyone's a fan, but I'm in love with it) 
• Caprese salad (fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato - I like the organic hydroponic ones this time of year - and fresh basil leaves drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper)
• Trying out a new recipe for almond wild rice. 
• Gluten free macaroni salad (fail-safe in case the rice doesn't come out well :)) I'll also have baked potatoes on hand for people on low-fat diets.
• Gluten free dinner rolls, baked from scratch.
  

Dessert

• Grilled pineapple, with Nutella.

LiveGlutenFreely $5,000 recipe contest

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Have you played with either the new gluten free Bisquick baking mix or any of the Betty Crocker dessert mixes yet? If you've come up with some fun new recipes using these mixes, and would like to share them, now's the time to do so - you could win a sweet five grand to do so!

Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark are hosting a contest for holiday recipes using their new gluten free mixes. Interested? The full rules are at www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge. The contest is open today (June 1st) through the 30th, so it's time to start baking!


In the meantime, Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark are giving away five boxes of goodies - one box of gluten free Bisquick and all four of their gluten free dessert mixes - to one lucky reader of this blog to get you started baking for this challenge. Interested? I'd say so!

As for me? I've already posted my entry. :)

To enter, post a comment to this blog indicating what kind of recipe you're planning to enter into this contest - or, if you're not into entering, what type of recipes would you like to see?

As usual, there are some rules to the contest:

• Blog comments must answer the question above. 
• Blog comments must contain an e-mail address or easy way to contact you, e.g. Twitter. If I have to do more than 30 seconds' research to find out how to contact the winner, I'll move to the next winner. 
• Multiple blog comments from the same person will be disqualified. 
• EXCEPT - You can gain an additional entry by becoming a fan of Kat's GF Kitchen on FB. (Already a fan? Just post on here that you're already a fan). Make sure I know who you are! 
• Contest ends COB Friday June 10th. 

 Ready, set, bake!!! Good luck to everyone!!!

Lip Smackers

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When it comes to makeup, I'm a pretty big fan. One of the first things I did after making the transition from college student to "big girl job" was ditch most of the drugstore Maybelline, Revlon and CoverGirl cosmetics in favor of Dior, Laura Mercier, Nars, Benefit, and the like. The only drugstore purchase I kept around were the zillions and zillions of Bonne Belle LipSmackers that I owned. I never found another chapstick-type lip product that I liked better, and I bought multipacks like they were going out of style, in just about every flavor imaginable. I kept a tube in my car, in my purse, on the bathroom sink, in my desk at the office... see where I'm going with this?

Anyway, for various hoardingimpulse-purchasing-related reasons, I haven't had the need to actually buy new LipSmackers for, well, a couple of years even though I wore the stuff like it was going out of style. Yesterday, though, my stash at the office ran dry - off I went to CVS, figuring that a new multipack would get me through the zombie apocalypseforeseeable future. I grab a package and flip over to the ingredient list out of habit - it's just wax and scent, after all, right? - and find it in big, bold letters: wheat. WTH?

I placed the mutipack of my beloved LipSmackers back on the shelf and hunted around the store for a suitable substitute. I remembered hearing that Burt's Bees were safe, so I bought a few different tubes - figuring that at this point I'd e-mail the company before cracking any of the tubes open just to be on the safe side.

I text my husband this story, feeling terrible  (I suppose we've solved the mystery of how he's accidentally been glutened without eating anything that could have remotely had gluten in it). He told me not to feel bad, it was a mistake anyone could make, and then started to check if the Blistex he uses on a regular basis is gluten free - and within a few minutes my iPhone dinged with a Facebook post from his best man teasing me about the attempted poisoning of my husband by lipstick. Love ya! 

Within a couple of hours Burt's Bees responded to my inquiry with the following e-mail:

Thank you for contacting Burt's Bees.

All of our lip balms, lip glosses, lip shimmers and new tinted lip balms are gluten free except for the Res Q SPF 15 Lip Balm and the Beeswax Lip Balm in the round tin container.  The Beeswax Lip Balm in the tube container is gluten free.  

While we can identify products in which we do not use raw materials containing gluten, we cannot certify that our vendors did not process these ingredients on equipment where contamination could occur. For the most accurate source of information, please refer to the list of ingredients on our website or on the product.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

So now I have a handful of tubes that are safe for me to use and still give my husband a peck on the lips. Unfortunately... I don't like the product as much. The texture isn't that great, and it's a little sticky. So far I've tried the original tube, the honey tube, and the tinted tube. Not a huge fan. Readers, what products do you use to moisten dry lips???

Also - I am now paranoid that I've forgotten to check other products. I'm on a mission to find out if Olay, Nars, Benefit, Laura Mercier, etc. are gluten free. (I think I'm safe on the Dior, because if he's ingesting mascara there would be something insanely wrong). Anyone ever e-mail these companies to find out more information...? I will be hunting down information very shortly.

Poughkeepsie

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This weekend we attended my cousin's wedding in Poughkeepsie, about an hour and a half south of Albany. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in the wedding - my cousin was a beautiful bride, and I'm thrilled to welcome her new husband into our family. It was a HOT weekend - someone told me the hottest on record in Upstate NY with a heat index topping 115 - but that didn't stop us from having a blast! Now, of course, this blog is primarily about food, but here are some of the highlights:

• Thursday afternoon - we got into Poughkeepsie and I picked up my gown. My cousin picked out a-mazing black Watters and Watters dresses. There was a slight hiccup with the dress (I had asked for a modesty piece to be put in, and it wasn't) but they resolved the problem that afternoon and I went home with the dress for the wedding. 
• In between bridesmaid dress headaches, we lunched at Soul Dog -  very close to the Grandview, where we stayed. If you are in the area, definitely check it out - hubby had a GF cheesesteak sandwich and I had GF fish tacos. Their extensive menu includes GF baked goods, bread, mac and cheese, chicken fingers, etc. The owner is celiac and a damn good cook. My husband went back there for a pizza for lunch on Friday as well while I was off doing makeup-and-hair-related stuff for the wedding. They also sell bread online via their website.
• After the rehearsal, we went to Cosimo's for the rehearsal dinner. They had a gluten free menu with various pasta dishes, and my husband ordered a sausage pasta dish that was very good. 
• Between the church and the reception, the bridal party traveled in style in a huge party bus. Complete with bathroom and back room with stripper pole. 
• The actual reception was at the Grandview, and the food was absolutely amazing. Waiters took our orders for individual meals, and any of the meals could be made gluten free - my husband chose the steak which was served with veggies and mashed potatoes. The mozzarella and tomato salad served as an appetizer was naturally gluten free (and verified), and they served him sorbet for dessert instead of wedding cake.
• The Poughkeepsie Grand's breakfast was rather lacking, but we walked across the street for diner breakfast that was very good, and the restaurant was very willing to accommodate gluten free. 

Bake with Price Chopper

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Last night I had the privelege to attend a holiday baking course hosted by Price Chopper at the Century House. Two chefs, Gail Sokol (professor at SCCC's culinary department) and Elizabeth Barbone (of East Gluten Free Baking fame) presented recipes. It was a wonderful time and I was so glad that Lisa from Price Chopper contacted me to tell me about it! 

Gail presented two (non-gluten free recipes) for a chocolate cranberry walnut babka and an espresso almond biscotti.

Elizabeth (whom I was delighted to meet in person for the first time!) presented a rustic apple pie (otherwise known as a galette) with my favorite granny smith apples, pumpkin whoopee pies with a wonderfully gooey marshmallow filling, and an easy-but-delicious chocolate bark that I am planning to use for my annual cookie swap with the girls! Of course, we got to try samples, which were delicious! (Confession, I brought my samples of Elizabeth's recipe home so that I could share them with my celiac husband - while everything was delish, we were both especially impressed by the pumpkin whoopee pie - I must try this recipe at home).

We did find out some good tips - at least, tips that I hadn't really known about beforehand. I was Tweeting a few of them during the event with the hashtag #BakeWithPC but here are some of the tips for you in blog form:

• Dough scrapers are a useful little gadget - used both for molding dough if you don't want to use your hands or cleaning off surfaces. I must pick one up.
• Whisks are recommended to thoroughly mix blended flours before processing (SN: I already do this, but I use the whisk attachment of my stand mixer rather than a hand whisk).
• Never, ever use liquid measuring cups (with a spout) for measuring solids!
• Sugar gets clumpy because it's hydroscopic - that means that is absorbs water from the air. Is that a Words with Friends word or what?
• The Niskayuna Price Chopper recently had a grand re-opening and have expanded their line of gluten free products.
• The crumbs at the bottom of the stand mixer are NOT to be ignored (what I usually do). Make sure to mix them in by hand, halfway through the stand mixing process, for better baked goods.
• Gluten free all-purpose flour is NOT recommended for high quality gluten free baked goods (That said, some mixes are better than others. Betty Crocker/Bisquick mixes and King Arthur Flour are higher quality than many others).
• Food processors can be used to mix all flours, etc. before baking. Interesting!
• Never replace butter or other solid fats with oils when making pie crust or other doughs.
• Tapioca starch, potato starch, and corn starch are pretty interchangeable in recipes.
• While tapioca flour and tapioca starch are the exact same thing, potato flour and potato starch are notably different!
• Many gluten free recipes are over-aggressive in their use of xanthan gum. Too much gum can make food gummy - and cause gluten free bread not to toast!
• "Imitation" flavorings are legally required to be gluten free since they're derived from a synthetic rather than organic source. (Organic in the chemistry sense here...)
• Don't ever use a wet sponge or paper towel to clean up spilled xanthan gum, as the moisture will result in a slimy mess.
• Corn starch will not thicken sauces or other goods unless it comes to a full boil. 

Some of the bloggers I met throughout the evening (I'm sorry if I left your link off, if I did please let me know and I will add it!):

• Linda from Tech Valley Food
• Courtney from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
• Lauren from Healthy Delicious