Gluten Free V-Day

Brooke Sweeney  

Whether you are celebrating with a special someone or on your own (there is nothing wrong with showing yourself some love!), there is a surplus of options for a gluten-free Valentine’s Day. From candy to restaurants to recipes, there is no need to be intimidated by preparing a Valentines Day for your gluten-free sweetie or self.

If your Valentine’s celebrations will consist of treating your loved one with yummy confections, consider some gluten-free candies. I was delighted to see that some brands of the beloved conversation hearts are gluten-free, including Brach’s. The always-appropriate Hershey’s kisses are gluten-free as well, but only the milk chocolate version. Dove chocolates contain loving messages and are gluten-free; if you are into the cutesy colors and bite-size treats then look for milk-chocolate M&M’s. Of course, these are not the only sweets that are gluten-free: in fact, many quality chocolate bars are gluten free, including some flavors of Chocolove. There’s nothing more appropriate for Valentine’s Day than a chocolate bar with the words chocolate and love in the name.

Maybe your agenda for this celebration of love includes a dinner date. If so, check out some of these spots around Ann Arbor that are gluten-free friendly. For a casual romantic evening, try Silvio’s Organic Ristorante and Pizzeria, where you and your honey can share a gluten-free pizza. With their wide array of toppings you won’t be at a loss when ordering the perfect slice for your partner. Even better than the main course is Silvio’s gluten-free tiramisu. Even the name is sexy. This dessert features coffer-liqueur-soaked cookies layered with chocolate and whipped cream, making it a great dessert for your sweetheart’s sweet tooth. If you’re in the mood for something a bit fancier, head to Paesano’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar on Washtenaw. Look for the gluten free icon on their menu that denotes dishes that are or can be made gluten-free and pair them with an impeccable glass of wine. The menu also offers a selection of gluten-free pastas. Take advantage of this elusive dish and perhaps recreate the classically romantic scene from Lady and the Tramp.

If you are feeling extra ambitious and decide to make dinner, kudos to you! Your options are endless and you are in a good position to customize the meal to your gluten-free companion. For a delicious appetizer, try red wine infused cheeses cut into heart shapes. Salads are also a great option and can be dressed for the event with jewel red cranberries or pomegranate seeds. Pair your salads with some exquisitely prepared protein and you’ve got yourself a sultry meal. No dinner would be complete without the star of the show – dessert. Chocolate covered strawberries are always a winner and sinfully easy to make. Melt chocolate, dip strawberry – repeat. Once you have conquered your gluten-free meal, don’t forget to add they key ingredient: love! And while you’re at it, light those candles too.

Food is an inextricable part of the Valentine’s celebration - as it should be. The sharing of food is an intimate experience. Whether you opt for candy, a fancy dinner out, or a cozy dinner in – maybe all three? – enjoying a gluten-free V-day is not only an easy feat, but a labor of love.

Just Add Pumpkin

Brooke Sweeney  

With seasonal change comes a change in flavor, and fall brings with it an explosion of pumpkin flavored everything. From double whipped lattes, to warm soups, to fresh baked goods, it seems that everywhere I go I see pumpkin. Advertisements for pumpkin pie bagels plaster the windows of Panera, and let’s not forget the infamous pumpkin donut that belongs with cider like peanut butter belongs with jelly.

But for us gluten free folks, this time of year can be a bit tough. As we watch our friends and family gobble down bite after bite of pumpkin goodness, we yearn for the perfect pairing that is earthy pumpkin and sweet cinnamon. And, contrary to popular belief, we can have it; it’s as simple as just adding pumpkin.

The other day, hoping to make a sweet treat for a work meeting, I went to the grocery store and let my craving do the talking. Chocolate chip cookies sounded yummy and simple, but then I remembered pumpkin. Why not mix the two? I grabbed gluten free chocolate chip cookie mix and a can of pure pumpkin – not pumpkin pie filling, but the creamy orange goodness of true pumpkin – and headed home to experiment with the two flavors.

After following the instructions on the cookie mix bag, I added two heaping spoonfuls of pumpkin mush. Next came a half-tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, leftover from last Thanksgiving’s pumpkin adventures. These measurements were really just a guess, and I tasted the cookie dough before baking to make sure I had the perfect ratio. In your own cooking, you can add or subtract as you see fit. I was eager to taste the results of combining the classic flavor of chocolate chip with the golden pride and joy of autumn that is pumpkin. Because gluten is a protein that gives dough it stretchiness, gluten free baked goods can sometimes be dry and brittle. Adding pumpkin helps to moisten the cookies to the perfect consistency.

After throwing them in the oven for a bit longer than the package calls for, the cookies finally emerged. I stared at them longingly as I waited for them to cool. When I finally got to taste, it was well worth the wait. My experiment had produced the chewiest, chocolatiest, most moist pumpkin cookies ever created. And that is no exaggeration. They were so mouthwateringly good my coworkers swooned over them. I baked the same cookies twice in less than four days – a record for a repeat recipe!

With the success of the pumpkin cookie in the bag and an apple orchard visit rapidly approaching, I realized that nothing would highlight some fresh cider like a gluten free pumpkin donut. Having never attempted a gluten free donut before, I returned to the childhood memory of a time my family and I fried up biscuit dough into donuts. Why not try and recreate doughnuts through that same approach? Picking up some gluten free biscuit mix, I once again followed the directions on the box before adding my star ingredients - pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. I rolled them out and cut them into donut shapes. Here I encountered the one trouble with this recipe (besides eating the whole batch in one sitting, oops!): the donuts stuck to the counter like crazy. I added more biscuit mix to the dough to try and fix this problem, but eventually decided to make donut “holes” instead, which turned out to be just as scrumptious. Once the little golden beauties came out of the hot fryer, I tossed them in a paper bag with some cinnamon and sugar and shook it to coat them. The result was a hot, mouthwatering pumpkin treat that went perfectly with the crisp cold cider.

As you can see, a gluten free diet does not mean you have to resign yourself to a pumpkin-less fall. And best of all, these recipes are great for both gluten free and the gluten eaters alike. In fact, no one could even tell that the cookies and donuts were gluten free. They chowed them down without a second thought, and you can too – all you have to do is add pumpkin.