Thursday, November 26, 2015

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Parfait

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Parfait 



Who needs pumpkin pie? As much as my family loves it, this Thanksgiving I didn't have time to play with a new crust recipe.  Previous crusts that I have made ranged from disappointing to inedible.

I created this parfait last minute on the day we were celebrating Thanksgiving.


For 6-8 Parfaits:
In a large bowl,whisk together:
2. 3.4 oz boxes of Jell-o instant vanilla pudding 
1  30 oz can of Libby's Pumpkin Pie mix
2  cups of milk
Pumpkin pie spice (not required)

Next, break up gluten free graham crackers and blend in a blender to make crumbs.

The rest is easy, layer pumpkin pie pudding, graham cracker crumbs, Cool Whip and repeat and top with a peak of Cool Whip.  I used clear plastic disposable cups for easy clean up.  


Friday, July 17, 2015

Super easy GF side salads

I thought I would share some of my easy, flavorful side salads.  Some are actual lettuce types of salads with some homemade dressing ideas, others are more veggie salads.

This first one is super duper simple.  It is beautiful and the flavors just pop in your mouth.

Slice avocados, sprinkle with salt, drizzle with lime juice and top with cilantro.  Be sure to make a lot, because everyone loved this one.

For the next one, quarter Roma tomatoes, chop fresh basil, cube fresh mozzarella, dress with 1 part olive oil, 3 parts red wine vinegar & salt & pepper. Very fresh



Another visually beautiful salad to share is this asparagus salad. 1 lb thin stalk asparagus cut into 1" pieces. Steam for 5 minutes until tender-crisp. Let cool and place in bowl with 1 cup chopped fresh basil and 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved. For the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. I personally used 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, but I prefer dressings on the vinegar side.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Cheating on gluten free diets (tough love)

This is my tough love article for celiac's who cheat or who are tempted to cheat on their gluten free diet.



So I preface this by saying, I understand.  I understand that you are in mourning.  I understand being frustrated to have to research everything you put in your mouth.  I understand that you can't have a decent bagel, pizza or doughy doughnut.  Sometimes I drive past a Taco Bell and just let out a big sigh.  Especially at first, there is that realization that this isn't just a temporary "diet".  You can NEVER EVER have those things again.

Ok, lets all take a minute to be sad and have a pity party. 1...2...3...4...5...Ok, Time is UP!  Let's get real for a minute.  You do have a disease, and yes, in extreme situations, it can actually be fatal.  Here is the deal, it is totally treatable.  Just don't eat gluten.  You don't need to fill your body with chemo chemicals to recover, you don't need to be on dialysis the rest of your life, you haven't lost a limb...just don't eat gluten.

So, it may sound very black and white with me.  One of the reasons is that I was so sick before diagnosis, I had to stop working and honestly couldn't leave the house.  I was sick, depressed and not feeling to optimistic about my future.  You can read my diagnosis story here.  When I finally figured out what was wrong, I was actually quite happy.  I literally went cold turkey off of gluten.  My blood test was positive for celiac and when I had to do a 2 day bowel prep for my colonoscopy, I decided I would never eat gluten again.  End of story. It was not a happily ever after fairy tale.  It does suck sometimes, but we, or at least I, need to put it in perspective.

People are curious and mostly sympathetic about my celiac.  Some people give me their condolences.  That must be about the worst thing in the world, they are so sorry.  I always pipe up with, "At least I don't have cancer!"

Let me give you a personal insight.  At the time I was the sickest. before, during diagnosis and transition of going gluten free, I had a friend my age (early 40's) that was battling terminal cancer. Cancer that was brought on from his anti-rejection medication from having to have a double lung transplant.  Did I mention he was a police officer, married to a school teacher and had a 5 year old? So, I am not going to bitch about having dietary restrictions.  My friend and I did bond over text where we made it through the day without "sharting" and who threw up more. Mine from celiac and his from chemo.  I was diagnosed in March and my friend passed away in August.  So if you think celiac is the worst possible thing that can happen...it's not.



I am sorry-ish if that comes off harsh.  It is a big transition and yes if does effect the rest of your life.  But, you know what, beyond celiac and leaky gut, I am pretty dang healthy.  I am super grateful for that! My husband has the triple threat; type 1 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  He is on an insulin pump and it is just as obtrusive, if not more than my celiac disease. I also have 3 kids who are doing fairly well & my parents are still doing well.  Well, dad had kidney cancer, multiple bouts of basal cell carcinoma and knee surgery.  Mom has had her share of surgeries also.  HEY!  We are all still here.

So I have to cook a lot more, I have to plan our vacations around my food, I don't eat out much because I am sensitive to cross contamination....honestly if that is my biggest complaint, I am a lucky girl.  You have choices.  You have a sensible treatment plan.  CC happens, and trust me, I have ended up in the emergency room more than once. 

My dad...see above, told me that it isn't happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.  Wise words.  Here is a little inspirational message you can pin or post to your facebook.






My son's best friend who was 21 when he passed away suddenly, once posted, "Take a look around and realize what you have now"  His mom made bracelets for us to wear with that message, to remind us that we are here and there is always something to be grateful for.  I wear this and any time I may be having a crap day.  It is a good reminder.



We all have bad days.  Life happens.  Bad work days, fights with partners, stresses of parenting, financial difficulties, mental illness, PMS....it is a very real.  Just remember that isn't the ONLY thing in your life.

Ok, one more inspirational message:


Saturday, April 19, 2014

Viva Las Vegas GF style


For my 42nd birthday, my husband surprised me with a trip to Vegas.  After my initial excitement, the reality set in.  Oh crap, I have to figure out food.

My husband booked us a room at New York, New York and when researching the hotel, they actually had a few GF options.  So I packed my bag, complete with Imodium, zofran, an anti stomach spasm medication, probiotics and digestive enzymes....and hoped for the best.

To supplement my meals, I bought a few Go Picnic meals.  Think shelf stable lunchables for celiacs.  I didn't have enough time to buy them online, but I found that my local Walgreens carried a couple of options.  I purchased a couple each of the Hummus one and turkey peperoni one. They have several snacks in each box.  I opened up the boxes and emptied the contents into a zip bag.  Here is what the boxes look like.  Please be aware they make other meals that are not gluten free, so be sure to check you packaging.  Often you can find deals on Groupon.
http://www.gopicnic.com/





I used a groupon and purchased more, because they don't need refrigeration, they are perfect to keep in the car in case of a celiac emergency (starving but no where safe to eat)

We arrived in Vegas by 8:00 am and started looking for somewhere to eat.  My Find Me GF app gave good reviews for Il Fornaio, however when I asked, they didn't have a GF breakfast menu.  Bummed, but starving, I picked what I was hoping would be a harmless fruit plate with cottage cheese.  I stressed to the waitress how sensitive I was and my concerns about getting ill.



A few minutes later, the manager came to me with my fruit plate.  They had made sure to use a clean cutting board & knife, which they also had sanitized.  That made me feel so much safer.  And they brought me a beautiful fruit plate, which included dragon fruit, mango, papaya, banana, Asian pears, berries, kiwi and pineapple.  It was perfect. 




That night, we went to another restaurant within NY NY that had good reviews within the Find Me GF app.  The restaurant was called The Nine Fine Irishmen.  I spoke with my server, stressed my concerns and we spoke about options.  They did have a gluten free menu.



After speaking with my server, I decided upon grilled salmon, grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes with goat cheese, bacon and chives. All were outstanding.  My favorite was the mashed potatoes.




Most of the rest of my meals were supplemented by my Go Picnic meals.  However, our last night there, we did go to Il Fornaio again.  The hostess had told me that all of the pastas could be gluten free with GF pasta.  We had a great server and when I explained my concerns to him and placed my order, he told me that pasta sauce had flour in it.  Yikes!! I asked him what he would recommend and again, the manager came to my table.  Honestly, to me, that is a sign of a good restaurant.

He and I spoke and I asked him what he recommended for me.  He made a few suggestions, and I ended up going with a Salmone con Spinac, which is grilled salmon over organic baby spinach salad with red onions, mushrooms, toasted walnuts and warm vinaigrette.  It was beautifully presented and again, yay, I didn't get sick! 




Then comes my biggest mistake and it was my own damn fault.  After a long night of gambling, cocktails and fun, I went back to my hotel room at 1:00 am and was hungry for something hearty.  So I looked at the room service menu and chose what looked like the safest bet.  Potato skins.  They were so cute and they hit the spot....then they didn't.  When I woke up my guts were not happy.  It was the morning we were going home, and between frequent bathroom trips, Imodium, and fluids,  I made it home safely.  I was down and out for 5 days though, with fatigue and that general just feeling poorly I get when I get glutened.  So, stay away from room service.



On a side note, I highly recommend going to see The Frank Marino's Divas show.  The  female impersonators were fantastic and the back up dancers were pretty amazing too.



Overall, I consider it a successful trip.  The trip also had a lot of meaning to us.  We brought along some ashes of my son's best friend.  He was 21 when he died suddenly in a car accident in August 2013, so we sprinkled his ashes all over Vegas for his family.  RIP Layne.







Friday, March 21, 2014

Horn of Africa restaurant in Portland

My husband and I happened upon this little gem last month.  I was looking for a new ethnic restaurant to try based on reviews from other gluten free people on Yelp.



The Horn Of Africa is in NE Portland right off of MLK Blvd.  It is actually in a little strip mall of businesses, so I wasn't sure what to expect when we walked in.  It had a cool, open interior and we were greeted by the owner, Mohamed.  He let us choose our seat and browse the menu.


A few minutes later, Mohamed came to our table and I explained that I was gluten free and stressed the importance of cross contamination.  It turns out Mohamed is also strictly gluten free, so he was very aware of my dietary restrictions.

After speaking with Mohamed, we let him choose what we ate.  We ordered a platter of 7 dishes served over a bed of  saffron basmati rice.  I love meals where I can try a lot of different dishes! There were vegetarian, chicken and lamb dishes.

It was a huge platter.  And I mean huge.  We ate straight off of the platter with a fork.  Each sampling items, then spinning the platter a bit to eat off of the other side.



My husband got a side of Ethiopian spongy bread.  He liked it a lot. He said it had a nice sourdough flavor.



We went on a weeknight and it wasn't very busy, but Mohamed did tell us that on weekends, or if you call ahead, they do have gluten free flat bread.  As Mohamed told us, "It is 110% gluten free!!"  He is really wonderful to talk to, he has a lot of personality, is very friendly and a great story teller.  We were also able to meet the chef, Mohamed's wife, Khadija, who was also very friendly.

I love supporting small businesses and it is a bonus that Mohamed buys as much local, organic ingredients as he can.  I felt the prices were very good for the quality of food we were served.  And, as always, I love when I eat somewhere new and not get sick.  We are definitely going back soon so I can try that GF flat bread!

You can call The Horn of Africa at 503-331-9844 on a weekday to request that the GF flatbread is available.  They are easy to find at

5237 NE M.L.King Blvd
Portland, OR 97211


Check out their website:
http://www.hornofafrica.net/



Andina Restaurant in Portland

My husband and I decided to try out Andina after hearing so many amazing reviews.  Andina is not a inexpensive restaurant, so we went for our anniversary dinner.

Andina is located in the trendy part of Portland called The Pearl District.  Andina opened in 2003 and serves gourmet Peruvian food.  The restaurant was founded by Peter Platt.  Peter's mother was from Peru and his father was an Oregonian.  The restaurant seem to be a perfect blend of Peruvian food with a NW flair.

We made reservations (a MUST) and went on a Friday night.  The place was pretty packed.  We were a few minutes early, so we took a seat in the bar to wait for our table.  I was excited that they had some unique cocktails.  I am going to start this review of the cocktails we tried throughout the evening.

First off I tried the SACSAYHUAMÁN.  It is a blend of habanero vodka and passion fruit puree.  It was very tasty.  Perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

Next, I ordered the RON-YKI-ÓN.  It is ginger rum with grapefruit and lime juices.  I did not care for this coacktail. I can not pinpoint exactly what I didn't like, but I didn't finish it.  That is not to say you wouldn't like it, just not a preferred drink for me.


 Lastly, I tried the MOJITO DE PIÑA.  It was pineapple rum, shaken with crushed pineapple, lime juice, fresh basil and cane sugar.  I loved this drink, however it was difficult to drink out of the straw.  I would love to see this as more of a blended drink.



My husband ordered a GOLPE DE ESTADO, which was a chocolate milkshake spiked with spiced rum.  As you can see by the photo, he quite enjoyed it.


Next, on to the appetizers.  My husband received a bread basket and he said the bread was very good.  The bread is NOT gluten free.

The bread came with a trio of dipping sauces to try.  They were not all GF, so I let my husband have at those.

For me, they suggested an appetizer of fried yucca.  It is served with a dipping sauce.  It was good, and I enjoyed the sauce, but I would love to see them offer a good GF bread, like New Cascadia

We love veggies, so we also ordered ESPÁRRAGOS PERUANOS, which is grilled asparagus brushed with chimichurri.  It was delicious.  The asparagus was a perfect tender-crisp.

We also ordered QUESOS ARTESANOS CON MEMBRILLO, whis was three artisan cheeses with quince jam and cancha.  The cheeses were all amazing and the cancha is a special type of toasted corn.  Instead of popping into popcorn, they puff up and you end up with....corn nuts. They blow away the packaged corn nuts that you can buy.  They were fresh and tasty.

For my entree, I decided to go with something very different from what I would normally order.  I ordered CARAPULCRA CON PUERCO.  It is Cascade Natural pork loin stuffed with Fontal cheese, pan-roasted to order atop wild boar-potato carapulcra,  seasoned with ají panca, peanuts and Moonstruck Fortunato No. 4 Peruvian chocolate, served with a red wine-poached pear.  The entree was $24.00.

It was a flavor explosion in my mouth.  So many different and strong flavors that somehow all went together.  My husband was suprised by my choice, and I was nervous, but I really enjoyed it.  We ate so many appetizers, I did end up taking half of it home.  Honestly I felt it tasted better the next day.  I feel like the flavors blended better.


My husband ordered SECO A LA NORTEÑA.  An old family recipe—lamb shank slow-cooked in the Northern Peruvian style, in a rich cilantro-black beer sauce, served with a classic guiso de frijoles, garlic rice and salsa criolla.  This entree was $25.00.  My husband liked this very much.  Less fancy names for this meal would be lamb shank with beans and rice.  My husband ate every bite, despite all of our appetizers.


I love me some dessert, so I ordered a trio of truffles to go. These truffles are $2.50 each, but they gave them to us as an anniversary gift, which I thought was a nice touch.  The flavors were:
CUSCO yellow hot pepper and spiced citrus peel
CAPULI dark chocolate ganache infused with anise
LORETO essence of passionfruit and apricots in milk chocolate
All of the truffles were delicious. The flavors were so unique and I really enjoyed them.

Overall, it was a great experience.  All of the food was so unique with great flavors.  I love trying new things.  When I booked our reservation, I let them know that it was our anniversary, so every staff member we encountered wished us a happy anniversary, which was a nice touch.  It was an extremely busy place on a Friday night.  I definitely recommend making reservations as much in advance as possible.

We will be returning to Andina in the future for special occasions.  It is a high end restaurant and would be a great place to take out of town friends if you want to impress them.  However the best part is, they are very knowledgeable regarding gluten free issues.  As sensitive as I am, I did not get sick at all.

You can view more information about Andina here.  They have an interesting history.  The website is well laid out with tons of information.  
http://www.andinarestaurant.com/

You can make your reservations via their website, the OpenTable app on your smart phone or by calling  503-228-9535

They are located at :
1314 NW Glisan St
Portland, OR 97209

Click here for directions


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Gluten Free goodness at Brooklyn House in Portland


My husband and I had previously dined at the Berlin Inn (See previous review here), that had a really good  GF options.  At our last visit, we were told that they would be closing and re-opening as the Brooklyn House restaurant, which is entirely gluten free. (YAY!)  It took my hubby and I way too long to get back in and try it out and I regret waiting that long!

Brooklyn House is in an often overlooked area.  It is right off SE 12th and Powell, when I speak to people about it, no one can picture it.  When I tell them that  it is right next door to the Edelweiss German deli, everyone knows exactly where it is.  Brooklyn House is exactly that, a house.  But don't let the exterior fool you.  Inside is a very homey, quaint restaurant with enthusiastic staff.

Brooklyn House is farm to table food.  They call their food style "European Comfort Food" I call it simply pretty amazing.  Having been GF for almost a year, I am learning more and leaning more towards organic and farm fresh food.  Most of the red meat my family eats is wild elk from my husband's annual hunting trip.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

We were greeted at Brooklyn House by the co-owner, Erica Litzner.  She is super friendly but laid back, not in your face.  She answered our many questions about the menu and you could really feel her passion for what she does.  She wants to provide fresh, GF, delicious food.  Often gluten free meals are also vegetarian, but I like meat.  One thing I loved about Erica was that she pretty much recommended everything with a side of steak.  Yes, you can get a side of steak with any meal!

My husband and I decided to split meals, so we could both try different things.  My husband wanted this chicken Alfredo.  Not my favorite, but that is ok.  You can get many meals in a medium or larger size.  At Erica's suggestion, we chose medium.  We also ordered the steak with whiskey pepper cream sauce, which came with purple potatoes and roasted vegetables.   I also asked for a side of another menu item, because I wanted to try it, but my husband isn't always as adventurous as I am.

First we tried the rosemary chicken Alfredo.  I have to say, I verbally made sounds of appreciation with my first bite.  It was the best Alfredo I have ever had.  The sauce wasn't as heavy as a lot of Alfredo sauces, but was packed with flavor.


I loved the color and presentation of the steak plate.  Not only did it come with purple potatoes, it came with purple roasted cauliflower. 


My husband likes his steak pretty much still mooing and I am more of a medium type of girl, so we settled on medium rare, with a hint more towards medium. We cut into the steak and it was perfect to meet both of our preferences.  It was very good, as was the cream sauce.


The side dish that my husband didn't want to try was mushrooms over roasted garlic parsnip puree.  I love root vegetables!  There was a hearty helping of different types of mushrooms in a sauce, which contrasted nicely over the sharp flavor of parsnips.  I couldn't finish the whole thing, so I took some home and it heated nicely for an after work snack the next day.


We were stuffed, but you know I can't pass up dessert.  Erica brought out a beautiful platter of options and we selected 3 different desserts to take home to sample later.  I wasn't able to get to the desserts for a day or two, and I was concerned because some GF items get a unfavorable texture when not eaten right away, but these all held up very well.

The first one I tried was a whipped cheesecake with chocolate and caramel sauce drizzled over it.  It was very good.  The texture reminded me of a combination of Boston cream and cheesecake.  The crust was was similar in texture to a graham crust and I could definitely taste dates.


Next I tried the black forest cake with chocolate sauce.  They warned me that this batch was very boozy but I really didn't think it was too bad.  It is a very dense cake with a light whipped topping and a slight tang from cherries. 


Finally, I tried the "Brooklyn Pie" with white chocolate sauce.  They gave me the sauce separately, so I am sure they would have drizzled it a bit more artistically than I did.  This was also very good.  A cake with a layer of cream inside, topped with chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate.  My 14 year old was an eager taste tester and this was his favorite. 


After a not so great experience at my usual favorite special occasion restaurant, it has been replaced by the Brooklyn House.  Price wise for the quality of food, I thought it was reasonable.

The menu at Brooklyn House changed seasonally, but this is a scan from the night in January 2014 that we dined there. The Alfredo was only $12 and the steak was $22.


One thing I appreciate is small, local business like Brooklyn House.  And Brooklyn House also supports other local business.  Here is a statement on the back of their menu:

"Our  mission is to offer the best available food to as many people possible at the lowest price possible while nourishing our society, economy & environment.

Our menus celebrate our regions and changing seasons with food that is artisan & comforting. Our service is meant to show everyone they are worthy of kindness & companionship. We sincerely honor our guestsʼ dietary choices and want everyone to feel supported in this space.


Our house carries a 30-year legacy of European-style dining, & our staff has a deep connection with its rich history. Our relationships with our guests are uniquely strong. Our work is to be a positive impact on our community & our world. We constantly monitor energy consumption, vigorously research each product & service, actively support all forms of local art & fairly compensate our fellow workers for their labor. We must work; therefore we work with love & compassion. We share with you our food, our friends, our space & our lives."


You can check their website for a sampling of local businesses that they support.
http://brooklynhouserestaurant.com/ 

We went on a Thursday night, and the restaurant was pretty quiet, but they do recommend reservations, especially on weekends.  The seating area is fairly small, so space is limited.

In addition to providing delicious meals, Brooklyn caters, does private parties, and does fundraising and supports local charities.

As my friends know, I do not eat our very often because I am so sensitive to cross contamination.  It's just not worth a trip to the ER.  It is so, so nice to find restaurants where I can order anything off of the menu without worrying about getting ill. Follow Brooklyn House on facebook to keep up with events and menu changes.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Brooklyn-House-Restaurant

3131 SE 12th  Ave
Portland, OR




______________________________________________________________________

I wanted to expand my review with a couple of updates from subsequent visits to the Brooklyn house.  This Valentine's Day 2014, my husband was out of town, so my daughter and youngest son were my valentine's dates.

I do have to add that my amazing husband did have flowers delivered with a handwritten note from him.  Love that guy.


Anyway, on to our Valentine's dinner.  My lovely company was my daughter, Becca, age 20 and my youngest son, Nolan, age 14.  They had heard Ed and I talking about how much we enjoyed dinner at Brooklyn House, so they were excited to try it.  My daughter is a bit picky and wasn't sure about a dedicated GF restaurant, but Nolan is a teenager and can eat his own weight in food, so he isn't that picky.


We started with an order of bread.  We received a delicious basket of New Cascadia baguettes with creamy garlic butter.  It was quite a bit of bread for 3 of us.  I had 2 slices and the kids nomed through the rest of it.
Becca asked a couple of times if I was sure it was gluten free, because the bread was so good.  lol

Nolan was really funny and kept saying that his was the fanciest restaurant he had ever been to.  That actually may be true.  My husband and I usually do date nights without the kids.  He loved the fresh squeezed lemon juice.



Both of the kids ordered the cesar salad.  I let them take photos of their own meals.  This is Nolan's photo of his salad.  You really can never go wrong with a Cesar, so the kids were happy.

They both also ordered the rosemary chicken alfredo, because Ed had such good things to say about it.  They both said it was the best alfredo they had ever had.  This is Becca's photo.  She also ordered a side of steak.

Nolan enjoying his alfredo.

For myself, I started with a baked kale salad.  Honestly this was one of the best salads I have ever had.  I highly recommend it.

For my meal, I tried one of their Valentine's Day specials.  It was 2 lamb chops that were cooked rare with a tart cherry sauce.  They also came with garlic mashed white sweet potatoes and roasted vegetables.  It was a great meal and I especially loved the tart cherry sauce.

We were all very full, but of course ordered desserts to go.  I didn't get a chance to get a photo of Becca's.  She had a lemon bar that she really liked.  Nolan had the Brooklyn Pie, which is shown in my above review.
I took home a cranberry meringue pie.  It is just like a lemon meringue, but with tart cranberries instead of lemon.  It was good, but not as sweet as I like desserts.  Nolan had not problems polishing it off.  He gave it two thumbs up.  It's just a matter of preference. 
_______________________________________________________________________________
On March 20th, 2014, Ed and I visited Brooklyn House again.  This time we went with a group from the Portland Gluten Free Supper Club.  A split off group from the Gluten Free Portland FB page.  The GF supper club meets once a month to try new GF restaurants.  This is the first event we have made it to, and it was great fun to meet other GF Portlanders. 
Ed and I started off with a dipping plate.  It came with Spanish Olive tapenade, white bean spread, chèvre/mascarpone whip and Mama Lil's sweet-hot peppers (grown and preserved in Washington) with crostini.  All of the flavors were very sharp and wonderful.  We both enjoyed them.


Although I loved the kale salad, I wanted to try new things, so I ordered the Golden and Red Beet salad.  It came with arugula and spinach, hazelnuts and goat cheese.  It was really tasty and I enjoyed the beets.  


For my entree, I ordered the Wine Braised Chicken Stew.  This used to come with mushrooms with parsnip puree, with I have ordered separately and loved, but they changed this recipe a bit to make it more paleo, and just used roasted parsnips, but the stew was still very good and hearty.  I just love parsnips in general for their sharp flavor.  I took a lot of it home and it heated nicely the next day and made a great lunch.


My husband ordered the Edelweiss Grilled Sausage with braised red cabbage and grilled sauerkraut. It also came with a lovely mustard. This is a simple meal that is right up my husband's alley. The bonus is that the Edelweiss German Deli is literally right next door to The Brooklyn House, so you know it is fresh. 



As always, I ordered deserts to go.
I ordered a banana tiramisu.  It was really good.  I love tiramisu and this was the first time I was able to have one since going GF.  I let my eager son taste test it.  He said, "It's so good you can't even tell it is gluten free!' 


I was extremely excited they were serving a dessert that I had seen featured on their FB page.  It is a brownie, with a layer of homemade marshmallow cream on top and topped with dark chocolate.  I was pleased when I opened my to go box to find white chocolate, hazelnuts and a couple of cherries to go with.  I was pretty excited to try this and it lived up to my expectations.  I would say that I could eat a bowl of the marshmallow cream with a spoon, but that wouldn't be acceptable.....or would it??