Just in the nick of time...

BS"D

Today was Hubby's birthday, and I was tired last night. I wasn't in the mood to measure out the ingredients for the great cake recipe I recently discovered (see "Cake Walk"). Earlier in the day when I was in the supermarket, I eyed the enticing Passover layer cakes on display. I was willing to shell out the nearly $20 asking price for one of these bakery creations that was as attractive as any gluten cake I ever ate, with butter cream swirls and artfully arranged chocolate curls. But I sighed, I would still have to make Rosie an egg less cake, and she would probably complain about not having a store bought one as well. I went home cake less.

In my pantry, I had one last box of cake mix from last year's post Passover half-price buying spree, and contemplated how I can successfully make this gluten-free mix egg less as well. I looked at a recipe in Simply Tempting, which called for using applesauce instead of eggs in the boxed mix. That seemed promising, until I read through the recipe and it said "the cake is crumbly and should be served with a spoon, topped with ice cream or whipped topping". That just wouldn't do for a birthday cake. Then I decided to take my "mad food scientist" pose and just dive in with different ideas from different recipes. The worst that would happen is I would ruin a $2 box of cake mix. So I set to work. The result looked good, it seemed moist and not crumbly, as is the texture of many potato starch cakes. The girls and I frosted the cake with reckless abandon (see pic.). When Hubby bit into it I got the biggest compliment I could hope for, "It tastes like a regular cake." And, basically it did. I believe the baby food fruit is responsible for the nice moist texture.

(blown sideways through cake)

The Ener-G egg substitute is not kosher for Passover, so I tried using potato starch and water as an egg substitute instead. The texture wasn't as moist and was a bit crumbly. But if you need a gluten-free and egg less cake for Passover, along with ease of prep., this is quite a decent option.



Make sure to buy Passover cake mix that is made with potato starch, or says "non-gebrokts". Some companies make their Passover mixes with cake meal, which is finely ground wheat matzo. A lot of companies have caught on to the fact that their passover products appeal to the gluten-free community all year, as such they put the phrase "Gluten-Free" on their product. These items, of course, are o.k. to buy. The recipe below is intended for chocolate or vanilla cake, not for sponge or angel food style cakes.

Moist- from-Mix Gluten-Free and Egg Less Cake

1 box Passover cake mix (made with potato starch) for a 9x9 single layer cake*
water as per package instructions
oil as per package instructions
egg substitute (such as Ener-G) for amount of eggs called for on package*
1- 4 ounce jar baby food apricots, pears or prunes (pears and prunes lend a more neutral flavor, apricots give a slight tang to the cake)

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix according to package directions. Bake as directed on box. Cool and frost as desired.

To make a 2 layer cake, use a sharp knife or dental floss to divide cake in two. Using unwaxed, unflavored dental floss, wrap a piece around the cake, directly in the center of the layer. Cross ends over each other, and pull in opposite directions. This splits the cake in two layers perfectly evenly. Fishing wire works well too.

*For use on Passover, substitute 2 teaspoons potato starch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons of water, for each egg called for in recipe.

New Way with Huevos

BS"D

This month's magazines were very good for the gluten-free among us. Both Family Circle and Women's Day featured articles on gluten-free recipes. And, I found some great ideas that happened to be gluten-free in Bon Appetit, Cooking Light and Cook's Country.

A bowl full of beaten eggs holds much potential. They can be turned into humble scrambled eggs, a comforting and warm meal any time of day, dolled up with smoked salmon and chives for an elegant twist. Or, they can be skillfully mixed with vegetables and cheese for a quiche or frittata---easy, yet impressive. Sometimes we need something new to turn that potential into a spectacular reality. A recipe for Huevos Revueltos caught my eye in Cooking Light magazine, which is sort of huevo ranchero-ish, but billed as "guilt free". It is easy enough to throw together. The recipe calls for cheese, which could be substituted with soy cheese for those looking for a dairy free version.

With Passover just a week away the staples of eggs and potatos are on many of our minds. It is especially true for those non-matzo eaters. With the cost of gluten-free oat matzo being astronomical, our family saves it just for the seders and festive meals, when one is required to wash Hamotzi. That leaves alot of space to fill next to the main course. Potatoes do that nicely in lieu of rice, or gluten free pasta we have available during the year (although I have recently seen potato starch pastas). But boiled, baked or roasted can be a bit boring when oft repeated. Cook's Country magazine has a recipe for a steakhouse style hash brown cake that is egg, dairy (if desired) and, of course, gluten-free. It is a nice substitute for a kugel for those who are egg allergic. Whatever you choose to do with your spuds and yolk folks, make it tasty and enjoy!



For Passover, the corn tortillas in the recipe should be omitted. This kicky-egg dish makes a great change for a meatless brunch, lunch or dinner.

Huevos Revueltos
from Cooking Light, April 2010, p. 136

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 jalapeno pepper
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 cups chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspon salt
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (or cheddar)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
4 lime wedges (optional)
Hot pepper sauce (optional)

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut jalapeno in half lenghtwise; discard seeds from one half and leave seeds in remaining half. Mince both jalapeno halves. Add jalapeno, green onions, and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and salt; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.

2. Add eggs; cook 3 minutes or until soft scrambled, stirring constantly. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and cilantro. Serve with totillas, lime wedges and hot sauce, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Steakhouse Hash Browns
from Cook's Country magazine, April/May 2010, p. 18

Note: In lieu of the time consuming steps of peeling and cutting potatoes into chunks before boiling, check out this video, "Dawn Wells peels potatoes" for an easier alternative. When cooled, cut into chunks as below.

3 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Bring potatoes and enough water to cover by 1-inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are tender but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot; let stand 5 minutes.

2. Transfer 1 cup potatoes to bowl and toss with butter or margarine. Mash until smooth, then gently combine with remaining potato chunks. MIx in salt and pepper.

3. Adjust oven rack to upper position (about 4 inches below broiler element) and heat broiler. Coat a rimless cookie sheet with cooking spray. Heat 3 Tablespoons oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add potatoes and lightly pat into a circle. Cook until bottom is crusty and golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes.

4. Slide hash browns out of skillet onto prepared baking sheet with browned side facing down. Brush top with remaining oil and broil until deep golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then carefully slide onto platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 4 to 6

Cake Walk

BS"D

As my birthday neared last week, I contemplated making three separate cakes. I really wanted a rich, glutenny chocolate cake for my birthday...with eggs and buttermilk. All items two of my children cannot eat. I plopped down last month's Bon Appetit magazine in front of my husband, open to an enticing picture of such a cake. "This", I said as I stabbed at it with my forefinger, "this is the cake I want, can you make it for me?" He looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. Forgetting the fact that he has trouble warming things up in the microwave, I sighed. I knew the answer. But I hoped. I didn't have the energy to bake three cakes, and I feel one should not have to bake their own birthday cake. But bake one I did. Yes, one.



Since we've gone gluten free I've tried various cake recipes with egg substitutes, or my stand by egg less chocolate cake recipe for Rosie (from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook) with gluten free flour in place of all-purpose. The last experiment, which I was hopeful for, ended in a bundt cake that looked like a flat bicycle tire. The week I made that for Shabbos Lillie asked me if I could make a good cake for next Shabbos. It was at that point that I realized I would have to just make two sets of cake or cupcakes, one gluten free with eggs and one glutenful without eggs. And so it went. Until I received Simply Tempting in the mail (see previous post). The allergy free cookbook contains a section for Passover recipes, hence the cake is made with potato starch (in my estimation the cheapest gluten free "flour"). The recipe for a gluten free, egg free cake fairly jumped off the page at me. I had my doubts though. For the past several Passovers we've made do with mousses, chocolates and ices for dessert as I had not been able to make a satisfying Passover cake for Rosie without eggs. Since they don't have flour, they generally need the eggs for structure, texture and levity. But it was worth a try.

Hubby icing cake

Since Hubby has had kitchen amnesia dating from the time he placed a ring on my finger, I agreed to bake the cake with the girls and he would frost it with them. That left some element of surprise for my birthday cake. After I mixed the batter, I looked into the bowl and it seemed downright liquidy to me. I had never seen such a cake batter before. I realized I may have misread the recipe and added an extra half cup of soy milk, which would explain the liquidy texture. To satisfy my curiosity, I measured out the remaining soy milk in the newly opened container and found that, no, I had measured the correct amount, the recipe just yielded a liquidy batter.

With my doubts I placed the cake pans in the oven and hoped and prayed. The recipe called for baking the cake for 1 hour, which seemed too long to me for 2 - 9 inch round pans. It was, I shortened the baking time by about 15 minutes. The cake came out of the oven with a bit of a cracked top, which may have been due to the long bake time. But it wasn't burnt. The cake cooled, and much hubbub was heard downstairs as I went upstairs to busy myself during the frosting extravaganza. When I apprehensively took a forkful of the cake, I was pleasantly surprised. The texture was like any other gluten free cake, it was chocolaty, and tasted just fine. So baking a cake for my family can be a "cake walk" now that I don't have to make separate cakes to accommodate various family members.




This cake is ideal for Passover (make sure all ingredients are marked Kosher for Passover), and can be made into a sheet cake, layer cake or cupcakes. Baking times will vary (see below). You can frost the cake, top with nuts before baking, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when cooled, or serve with a garnish of fresh berries. Potato starch should be in the supermarkets in abundance now for Passover...stock up for all year!

Pesach Chocolate Cake
from Simply Tempting, second edition, p. 120 (instructions slightly modified)

3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1 /2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or pure vanilla extract)
1 3/4 cups potato starch
1 cup liquid coffee whitener (or soy or rice or almond milk)
2 teaspoons apricot jam or puree (I used apricot baby food)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9x13 cake pan* with non-stick cooking spray and line bottom of pan with parchment paper to keep cake from sticking. Set aside.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add coffee whitener, apricot puree, and oil (as well as vanilla extract if you are using instead of the dry vanilla sugar). Blend well until smooth. You may use an electric mixer or blend by hand. Add boiling water. Mix well.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Serve with whipped cream or frost as desired.

* For 2 -9 inch round pans or 2 - 8 inch square pans bake for 40-45 minutes. For cupcakes bake for 20-25 minutes. Check for doneness before removing from oven.


The following frosting recipe will make your cake taste like a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie.

Mint Chocolate Frosting

adapted from Cook's Country Magazine, April/May 2010, p. 7

2 1/2 sticks pareve margarine or unsalted butter, cut in pieces, softened
3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk or creamer (i.e., Rich's whip, soy milk, rice milk) or heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1/8 teaspoon salt (increase to 1/4 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

Using an electric stand or hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together butter, cream, extracts and salt until combined, about 1 minute on medium-high speed. Add melted chocolate and continue whipping until combined. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low.

Slowly add confectioners' sugar and cocoa, while mixer is running, and mix until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Yield: Frosting for 2 9-inch cake layers, one 9x13 sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes

Nosh, nosh a hamantasch

BS"D

Yes, it's that time of year again. Another holiday with a specific, gluten and egg based food of which my girlies cannot partake. Or can they?

I searched my cookbooks and on various gluten free blogs for a gluten free and egg less version of the traditional triangular shaped cookies eaten on Purim. They are named "hamantaschen" after Haman, the villain of the Purim story, and are said to resemble a three cornered hat he wore. After no luck locating an appropriate recipe, I emailed the good people at Better Batter, as they have a lot of ethnic and vegan recipes, to see if they had any suggestions. Their staff said I could just substitute their product for wheat flour in any recipe. My search continued. Lillie wanted me to make separate gluten free hamantaschen with eggs for her and egg less, wheat flour hamantaschen for Rosie. I told her I didn't have time to do two separate batches, while I munched on a store bought, egg full, wheat hamantaschen.

Then, my answer came in a manila envelope sitting most unexpectedly in my mailbox. I love getting large manila envelopes in the mail, as they usually contain something good. This was padded---even better. I looked at the senders name and address, and was puzzled as it was from my friend Shuli's mother. I had no idea why she would be sending me something. It was actually from Shuli's sister, visiting from out of town, who is the mother of a severely food allergic child. Her son is now outgrowing many of his allergies, and she was kind enough to pass on to me her copy of Simply Tempting: The Allergy Friendly Kosher Cookbook, by Blimie Frank and Beverly Israel. The cookbook actually claims to contain recipes which are egg, milk, nut, sesame and pea free. However, there are many Passover recipes which use potato starch, and thus are also gluten free. Included are egg less and wheat less cakes and kugels. Such recipes I have been wanting desperately! As I flipped through the book, I was pleased to see an egg less hamantaschen recipe. It calls for wheat flour, but following Better Batter's advice, I decided to go ahead and substitute gluten free flour. So enjoy, and nosh, nosh an egg free, dairy free and wheat free hamantasch!



This recipe is very large, but it can easily be halved. If dough seems too soft to work with, chill for 30-60 minutes before rolling out. I recently read that 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup gluten free flour should be added when substituting for wheat flour, as the gluten free flour doesn't absorb liquids as well. If this particular dough seems too liquidy, begin adding additional gluten free flour 2 Tablespoons at a time, until it achieves a firmer, but not stiff consistency.

Purim Hamantaschen
from Simply Tempting, second edition, page 106

6 cups gluten free flour blend (I use Better Batter)
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 sticks margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or pure vanilla extract)
1 1/3 cup (plain) seltzer
desired filling (jam, prune lekvar, chocolate spread, poppy seed filling)

Preheat oven to 300F degrees.

Combine all ingredients. Knead into a soft dough.

Roll out onto a floured surface (roll between two pieces of waxed paper, or silicone mat with waxed paper on top, so dough doesn't stick to rolling pin or rolling surface). Cut into circles (use a glass or biscuit cutter). Fill with 1 teaspoon of desired filling (do not overfill, as the filling will spill over when baking). Fold all three sides together (to resemble a tri-cornered hat), and pinch closed as much as possible.

Bake 20-30 minutes (gluten free dough sometimes requires extra baking time ...an additional 10 minutes may be needed). Do not over bake; dough should not turn brown.

Cool on wire racks.

Store in airtight containers, or freeze in zip top plastic bags.

See Cookie Baking Tips.

"Maid"-a to Order

BS"D

Lillie came home from school the other day with telltale signs of cupcake consumption ringing her mouth. During one of the copious snow days we had in the past few weeks we made a fresh supply cupcakes for both Lillie and Rosie to take to school and keep in the freezer there in case of parties. They are clearly labeled with their names and what they are "free of", just in case someone glances at the last name and gives Lillie Rosie's or vice-versa.

She told me there was a party for her classmate Rachel, and her mommy came in and played games. Then she went on to describe the flower cake effusively. Not once did she mention that she wanted to eat the cake, or that it wasn't fair that she couldn't have the cake like all the other children. Lillie just took joy in the fact that her friend had a pretty cake, which she enjoyed looking at as a piece of artwork almost. I felt she had crossed a big threshold in terms of dealing with celiac disease. She could socialize and go out in the world and not chant the "no fair" rant when she cannot eat what everyone else is enjoying. Her own cupcake satisfied her desire for cake, and self-acceptance of her situation satisfied her emotionally.

Of course, it is always nice when everyone can eat the same thing. What a joy it was to open Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts, and see a section entitled Cakes Without or Almost Without Flour. The "almost without flour" cakes generally called for a mere 2 Tablespoons of flour, which is easily replaced with potato starch or any gluten free flour blend. I have found that potato starch works well for such substitutions and is the cheapest among the gluten free flour choices. With Passover fast approaching, potato starch should be in abundant supply in the supermarkets---stock up! Perusing further into this book I found other gluten-free friendly offerings in other sections of the book, including a brownie made with oats and a flour less cake created especially for the current Queen Mother of England (maybe that's the secret to her longevity). Given the fact this book practically leaped into my hands at the library, I found these recipes even more serendipitous and delightful. They are good for everyone to enjoy, and if made with potato starch are terrific for Passover entertaining (except the oat recipe).

I have simplified the directions for this recipe to make it "busy mommy" friendly. Ms. Heatter uses all the best techniques though. If you are interested in doing it her way, consult the book. I am interested in using the least pans possible in the shortest amount of time.

Chocolate Oatmeal Brownies
from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts, p.p. 154-5

3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/4 pound (1 stick) sweet butter (or margarine)
1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 2/3 cup (gluten free) rolled oats
4 ounces (1 heaping cup) walnut halves or pieces

Adjust rack to the center of the oven and pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-inches of foil hanging over the edge on each side. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the chocolate in a medium sized microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes. Stir until completely smooth. Chocolate may be returned to the oven for 15-second intervals if not completely melted. Stir in remaining ingredients in the order listed. Pour into prepared pan, and pack down firmly, smoothing the top.

Bake for 15 minutes in pre-heated oven. Remove pan to wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Then cover pan with a second rack, invert, peel off foil, and invert again, leaving the brownies right side up to cool completely.

Cut into thin bars, or chill first in the refrigerator to make cutting easier.

Yield: 24 bars

Get Fruity!

BS"D

This Saturday is the holiday of Tu b'Shevat, the new year of trees. We celebrate by eating all sorts of fruits, fresh and dried, and especially try to eat a "new" fruit---that is one we haven't tasted all year. I chose persimmon, they are just ripe and I look forward to digging in to the enticing burnt orange flesh.

A fun project and yummy dessert to make with the kids are fruit kebabs. Naturally gluten free, they are healthy and easy to make. To add an elegant touch you can serve with a chocolate dipping sauce that's a cinch to prepare. I prefer tropical and summer fruits such as pineapple, kiwis, berries, mangoes, etc. But if all you have on hand are apples, oranges and bananas, that's fine too. Like many recipes that are geared towards children, it's more about the process than the end result. What's important too is that children see the variety and attractiveness of fruit; not something that's "icky" and forced on them to eat. Start the process by taking the kids to the farmers market or supermarket and choosing what looks appealing to them. You can discuss where the fruit comes from and how they think it tastes.

If you want to make a more "grown-up" version of this dish, you can add some of your favorite liqueur to the dipping sauce. Almond or fruit flavored liqueurs work especially well. The amounts for the kebabs vary depending on how many people you are serving, so no specific cup measurements are given for the fruit in this recipe.

Fruity Kebabs

Any of the following fruit cut in cubes:
Pineapple
Mango
Papaya
Bananas
Plums
Peaches
Strawberries (halved)
Blueberries (whole)
Cherries (whole)
Grapes (seedless, whole)
Mandarin oranges (pith removed)
Bamboo skewers

Thread several kinds of fruit onto the skewers creating an attractive, repetitive pattern. Leave about an inch of skewer showing at either end. Arrange on a platter and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with warm chocolate dipping sauce.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce

1 - 8 ounce container non-dairy whipped topping (such as Rich's Whip) or heavy cream
1 - 10 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips*
1 Tablespoon liqueur (optional)

In a medium sized microwave safe bowl, place sauce ingredients. Microwave on high for two minutes. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and thoroughly combined. If chocolate is not melted completely, return to microwave for 15 second increments, stirring in between until smooth. Allow to cool 10 minutes.

Divide into individual small bowls and serve alongside fruit kebabs.

*Any equivalent amount of sweetened chocolate can be used in any combination you like, from bittersweet to milk chocolate. If using bar chocolate, chop coarsely before placing in bowl.

Note: Leftover sauce may be covered and chilled until firm to create a truffle filling. Roll teaspoonfuls of firm chocolate mixture into grape sized balls, then roll in cocoa, confectioner's sugar or ground nuts. Chill until ready to serve.

Hold It!

BS"D

Last night night I feel like I broke the unbroken spell hanging over Lillie of not eating in restaurants. Since she was diagnosed neither she (nor we) have gone out to eat due to the fear and uncertainty of food prep that was not under our control.

Yesterday I decided to take the plunge. Our family was on an outing near a Chinese restaurant we used to enjoy several times a year, Eden Wok, in New Rochelle, NY. I broached the subject to Hubby and he was apprehensive at first. He really worried that Lillie may be "contaminated" by gluten. I was worried too. Noone likes to see their child writhing in pain. I decided to call ahead and ask if they do gluten free meals, they said they did. I know they have a very nice sushi selection, and tried to convince Lillie on the way over that this was the "safest" option. But given the fact that she's never eaten sushi and she's five, I decided not to push the issue.

The takeout menu totes a sticker that says: Food Allergies? If you have a food allergy, please speak to the owner, manager, chef or your server. That put me at ease somewhat. When we sat down, I looked over the menu and felt frustrated. It seemed like everything was either coated or wrapped in flour. Many kosher Chinese restaurants have an "American menu" (which I thought they did), and would allow me to go with something simple like a hot dog (whose ingredients I could check and french fries). But they didn't, so I kept looking. Prior to being diagnosed with celiac disease, Lillie's favorite dish was lo mein. I spotted a section of rice noodle dishes. Our waiter didn't speak English so well, so I was a bit nervous about having a discussion about allergants with him. Instead I chose to go over to the manager and ask my questions directly. He was very hospitable, and told me the rice noodles have neither eggs nor flour (the lo mein noodles have eggs...bad for Rosie). But, the dishes themselves do have eggs and soy sauce. I asked if those could be omitted. He assured me they could, but seemed to convey that the taste without the soy sauce wouldn't be optimal. I decided Lillie could live with that. So I sat back down and I ordered one chicken chow fun hold the soy sauce and one hold the eggs and any sesame the dish may have.

The items came to our specifications and the kids dug in. Rosie had been very cranky as she eyed the crispy noodles on the table which she couldn't have them because they contained eggs. Then she wanted some broccoli from my chicken dish. As far as I could see there was no problem, but ever cautious Hubby (by the way I'm not a negligient mother, but I guess Hubby is even more cautious than I) wanted to ask if there were any allergants in the chicken dish. The waiter said the chicken may have been marinated in egg. I held my breath as I realized if my chicken pieces were marinated in egg, then in all probability so were the ones in Rosie's dish. We had a problem on a couple of occaisions in the past where she threw up after eating steamed chicken and vegetables--no sauce, what we thought was a safe dish. We were puzzled until we inquired at the restaurant and where told even the steamed chicken is marinated in egg whites. The waiter returned and told us, much to my relief, the chicken was fine. Rosie happlily munched away on my broccoli. She was even happier that she could have the fortune cookies which were eggless...that was a real treat. Lillie handled her fortune cookielessness maturely. I think she is beginning to see that she must be resigned to the reality of her situation. The restaurant also gives orange segments for dessert.

I considered our trip a success, but Hubby reminded me we wouldn't really know until the next day when we see if her stomach is bloated. This morning I asked her first thing how she felt, and was overjoyed when she answered simply, "Fine."

One caveat. Although I was boasting to Lillie that sushi (without soy sauce to dip, of course) is the best option. I noted at the sushi bar that the salmon pieces had a fake crab roll (a.ka. surimi) resting on them. Any self-respecting celiac knows that fake crab rolls generally have gluten. So be wary. You may also wish to ask the sushi chef to change his plastic gloves and even put a fresh piece of plastic wrap on the bamboo mat he uses for rolling the sushi. Always be wary of the little things that can set of a reaction.

Eden Wok in New Rochelle has an "all you can eat buffet" on Monday nights that included sushi (as of the last time I was there on a Monday night). This is an especially good deal as sushi can be expensive in general.



If you can't get to a restaurant, try this recipe from Martin Yan (fave Chinese cook) for vegetarian chow fun. Most chow fun recipes I found contained oyster sauce, which is not acceptable in kosher cooking. This recipe featured on the Food Network is complete without the oyster sauce.

Hakka Vegetarian Chow Fun

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Chow Fun:

• 2 dried black mushrooms
• 12 ounces fresh or 8 ounces dried flat rice noodles, about 1/4 inch wide
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 cup shredded napa cabbage
• 3/4 cup shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chopped Chinese celery or 1 small celery stalk, julienned
• 1/4 cup sliced preserved vegetable or mild kim chee (optional)
• 3 green onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Sauce

1. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.

Hakka Vegetarian Chow Fun

1. In a bowl, soak mushrooms in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Discard stems and thinly slice caps.
2. If using dried rice noodles, soak in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain.
3. Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, swirling to coat sides. Add noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add half the sauce and stir to evenly coat noodles. Remove noodles from pan.
4. Return stir-fry pan to high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, celery, preserved vegetable, and green onions. Stir-fry until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to side of pan, add egg, and stir-fry until egg is cooked, about 1 minute.
5. Return noodles to pan and toss gently. Add the remaining sauce, stir to evenly coat, and cook for 2 minutes. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings