Saturday 26 December 2015

Homeland Holidays

Christmas Eve dinner saw one of my mother's classic recipes take a gluten free twist. A salmon and rice pastry bake. Enveloped in my shortcrust pastry, it was literally like coming home again - albeit with an admittedly dense pastry. A power outage midway through prep sent us all into a panicked frenzy as I also had a gluten-free vegetarian curry potpie in the works. The omnipotent Hydro Quebec engineers must have sensed the cumulative groans of despair from an entire suburban block's worth of residents fretting over Christmas Eve meals in limbo as the problem was resolved within an hour.


Coupled with Brasseurs Sans Gluten's Glutenberg millet based red ale, my Christmas game was strong this year. Probably my favourite of Glutenberg's range thus far, there are lots of subtle flavour notes in this one but the overall taste is full, well-rounded and satisfying with no hint of the initial interior monologue questioning whether or not I actually find this latest instalment in my gluten-free beer drinking escapade palatable. No hesitation. It's a keeper.



Saturday 1 August 2015

Guest Beer-House: Cerveteca Lisboa

Portugal, craft beer. Two things you would not think to be synonymous given the culture's penchant for wine, but there you have it. Cerveteca Lisboa gave us a solid few hours of craft beer from various countries before we hit the Bairro Alto one night in Lisbon. They had quite a few gluten-free beers on offer. I tried two from Danish brewery Mikkeller, who use traditional ingredients and processes to brew their beers but they de-glutenize it by way of enzyme additives. Charming. And common practice. The third was another Danish brewery, To Øl

Mikkeller's I Wish IPA, which they tout as the world's first gluten-free beer, was quite good with an almost pine-like aroma along with the usual hints of citrus.

Mikkeller's American Dream (Gluten-Free version) was a lager, and I've expressed how I feel about gluten-free lagers, but this one did break the mould ever so slightly; an abundance of fruity aftertastes without being cloaked in citrus and just a hint of carbonation. Very dry though. Mikkeller also make a regular version of their American Dream so it's imperative for a Coeliac to ensure they are getting the right bottle.

To Øl's Hop Love Pils was quite enjoyable and I discovered this one by fluke when a friend had ordered it and it was only upon reading the label and googling it that it proved to also be gluten-free. I did only have a small taste (not sure what controls are like for brewing as they reportedly use other breweries' equipment). One of the cloudiest pilseners I've ever seen, a very delicate fruity aroma, peach perhaps, with sharp grassy undertones. Rather lovely though and evidently indistinguishable from a regular pils.

Cerveteca Lisboa was a top visit and the owners were very pleasant, keeping our interest peaked until closing time. Saúde!

Cerveteca Lisboa
Praça das Flores 63
1200-192 Lisboa, Portugal

Guest Restaurant: Cervejaria Ramiro

You go to Lisbon thinking you’re rather partial to seafood. You go to Cervejaria Ramiro and you leave Lisbon realizing how a meal with 3 basic ingredients can turn your partiality into utter adulation.

Cervejaria Ramiro has been around since the 1950s. They don’t take bookings, and we were lucky enough to turn up early afternoon when there was little to no queue. You’re seated, served refreshingly cold drinks (bless Portugal and their 375mL single serving bottles of wine) and invited to choose from their crustacean menu. Our waiter was pleasantly helpful, reaffirming our instincts on what to order, but needed guidance on how much to order.

Garlic shrimp and steamed clams to start, then a 1kg crab, giant tiger prawns, and red shrimp. Crab came complete with a small board and mallet, which makes for a great hands-on experience, if also a slightly messy and noisy meal.

There are no vegetable or side dishes on offer really, just bread - no for me - but what made this lunch one of the most relaxed dining escapades as a Coeliac was the fact that it was obvious the crustaceans were just cooked with steam, garlic, butter, and love. I had no concerns about cross-contamination and I suppose unless you’re a vegetarian or lactose intolerant (the butter), this is one of the purest culinary experiences you can embark on, even just a few hours after a night out along the Bairro Alto and all that sangria.

Cervejaria Ramiro
Av. Almirante Reis, nº1 H
1150-007 Lisboa

Saturday 11 July 2015

Ealing Beer Festival 2015

Even a tube strike wouldn't deter me from visiting the Ealing Beer Festival this year given that they had two gluten-free beers on offer and that I had just moved home and was in need of pint glasses. The GFPA from Allendale was sadly unavailable on day one so I put all my eggs in one basket and trekked over to the other end of the tent's alphabet to find Wold Top's Against the Grain. A couple of half pints of this smooth pale ale hit the mark, rocking in at 4.5% and offering a creamy, assertive taste. I'm still rather fond of the home-brew two friends helped concoct for me but Against the Grain passed the test, unveiling a shroud of that ever resonant adjective used for so few gluten-free beers: drinkable.

Wold Top's Against the Grain

Monday 20 April 2015

Brighton Marathon 2015

Ran 26.2 miles for charity, raising funds for Coeliac UK. Ran those 26.2 miles as a personal challenge and resolution for 2015. Ran 26.2 miles in under 5 hours.

The Brighton Marathon was a brilliant experience. Stayed at The Neo, a boutique B&B in Brighton, suavely neo-Baroque, with an excellent DVD collection, and offering up both a comfy B and a scrumptious B, going the extra mile to get in some gluten free bread for me. Just around the corner from the Brighton Centre for the Marathon Exhibition, which featured a wealth of products and knowledge. Finally got around to trying the Beet It shots, havibg drank Beet It juice to start my day nearly every morning for the last year.

The run itself on the Sunday was very well organised, offering up an intoxicatingly fun atmosphere at the start and keeping me perfectly hydrated along the course, under crisp, sunny skies. Maybe a bit too sunny, but on behalf of the rest of Southern England, I wasn't complaining.

The course had a couple of segments that did double back on themselves, which was a bit tedious but always much easier when running the backtrack. After looping Preston Park and running through town, you're taken along a brilliant stretch out east along the shorefront towards Rottingdean and back. It helps that I am so naturally drawn to the sea so found the sights and sounds immensely soothing. We were rather lucky with the weather as Monday saw Brighton blanketed in a dense fog. I think I passed along the northern side of the Finish line as Duncan Maiyo won and there I was, half way through. We ran through some residential areas, always great to see the locals making thousands of strangers feel beyond welcome on their doorsteps. The last stage of the Marathon is looping through the industrial area out west along Basin Road, a somewhat grim place for people to hit their walls. But thanks to a second Lucozade Elite Running Gel, was able to soldier on without stopping (save to wave to a fellow Coeliac UK runner). The last 2 miles saw some amazing and much welcome support along the promenade and back up along King's Road to the Finish.

Ran 26.2 miles, loved it, and am already contemplating when I might do it again.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Bite down the line

Tuesday night is gluten-free night at Brockley's Rock down in SE4. I'd been through Brockley once before, to see an endearing production of The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre a couple of years ago and I'd vowed to return. I took another jaunt down the Overground for some fish n chips this time around.

The eat-in area was quiet upon our arrival but staff were at the ready and definitely hold allergen awareness in high regard. All the stops are pulled to ensure little to no cross contamination in the kitchen, including special batters, as well as separate fryers and heating windows. The gluten-free batter on the plaice I had was well flavoured and welcomingly crisp, though next time I will definitely opt for a more fleshy fish as plaice is admittedly rather flat. They doublechecked ingredients of the salad dressing on hand that night, which was not gluten free, but even the plain side salad itself was a very generous helping to accompany what is otherwise your typical guilty pleasure of a night out, without the effects of coeliac kryptonite.

Offering a BYOB option with a minimal corkage fee, Brockley's Rock is still a takeaway joint at heart and by the time we were leaving there was quite the crowd waiting for their box of goodness. Glad to have it practically around the corner but would happily venture from far any Tuesday.

Wednesday 8 April 2015

Two words

Menstrual cup. Tried it a year ago based on recommendations from two dear friends and I never looked back. The Femme Cup was a perfect match but everyone is different and it's not surprising that some women don't find the right fit on the first go. It takes some getting used to but as someone with a heavy flow, I can attest to its comfort, cleanliness, and utter convenience. I have never slept better whilst on my period. The menstrual cup also enabled me to get through 20 mile training runs without a hitch and it will do so again on the big day this Sunday in Brighton. I can feel it coming; particularly strong sign was on my evening run home, all I could think about was hummus. The 3 mile runs home will be perfect to keep the legs loose this week. Female runners, two words. Menstrual cup.

Thursday 26 March 2015

Hot Stuff

Exercising my green thumb this year thanks to the lovely folk over at South Devon Chilli Farm. I sowed some Fresno chilli seeds a month ago and just potted the seedlings on into temporary makeshift pots. They are a little spindly but I'm hoping the mothership sporting a 6400k compact fluorescent bulb will lend the extra light they need until the Spring days get longer. Next up in the propagator, Espelette chillies, which might be the crop to dry out for use over winter.

Thursday 19 March 2015

Stay disconnected

Training definitely had a few setbacks last week. I had every intent of gracing my usual route home from work with my exhausted but determined presence Tuesday evening. Stretching at Tower Hill, just about ready to set off, an email from a friend about a #RebelX invite rerouted me towards the ever glamorous Elephant & Castle. A mandatory change into a boiler suit, a laser etched dog tag, free cider, and an hour of techno in a studio under the railways meant to either be a new age Mos Eisley Cantina or a club in the tunnels of the ice planet Hoth, and we had a free ticket to Secret Cinema's forthcoming Empire Strikes Back event Making a point of running home every remaining evening this week.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Taking Pi to the limit

This was the first weekend I took off from training in a long while, it being my birthday, ultimate Pi day, and all. 3.1415; to all those trying to round up for next year, how dare you round Pi! For mathematical shame! I hosted (what I hope was) an inaugural Pi(e) Night wherein guests came round to eat pie and drink whisky and wine. A homemade pie wasn't required for entry, let alone for it to be gluten-free, but my friends are undeniably amazing and most of them did hit both nails on the head. Anyone who didn't, brought booze, which made for a wonderully indulgent Saturday night and I will likely have a dry month from now until April 12th.

I made the executive decision to forego another 3 hour run and spend 10 hours in the kitchen instead.

Behold, a glimpse of the night's offerings. Pork pies, both large and small, vegetarian curry pot pie, a cheeky pizza pie, sweet potato pie, a Mississippi mud pie, a raw, vegan, blueberry pie, and mini lemon meringue pies. All gluten-free! There was also an apple pie and cheesy puff pastries that were only eye candy for me but smelled divine. May I re-iterate how outstandingly wonderful and supportive  the people in my life are?

Recipes to follow!

Thursday 12 March 2015

20 Mile Breach

That next 20 mile run I mentioned in my previous post? It happened. So many weekends in a row of intense mileage and surpassing previous distance records, but I think I hit a bit of a mental block this time around. Not a physical wall per se but I know my bluntness around mile 17 when I uttered something along the lines of never wanting to run again was just a sign of dehydration; I know why fluids are imperative. I know my body, I believe it can go all the way, and I know my mind, too stubborn to quit. Wate, a running gel, and more water, and away went the haze of disillusionment and I powered on for another 3 miles.

Speaking of running gels, at the recommendation of a colleague, I've tried Lucozade Elite Running Gels, which have sat well so far. I suppose the way maltodextrin is processed is not dissimilar to distilled alcohols, so they are coeliac friendly as far as I can gather and, more importantly, feel. My initial intent was to run au naturel, with just water and maybe a 9 Bar (seeded bars of goodness, my go-to snack of choice) but as I increase mileage and approach the dreaded wall, I see the physiological benefits of the running gels so I might pack two in my back pocket on the big day.

Saturday 7 March 2015

A lil late night ginger

New flat, new problems. Heating element for the fan component is not working, which was quite disconcerting when I had batter ready for gluten-free spiced carrot and ginger muffins at 11:00 pm but also a notable amount of stubborness to persevere and keep my promise to bring treats as fundraising incentives to work the following day.

Using the grill and convection microwave, I managed to get the lot done 3 hours later, to a respectable standard, and they went down well. We'll see how the next 20 mile training run goes tomorrow and whether I can stay on my feet long enough afterwards to bake something coffee flavoured. Still fundraising for Coeliac UK, and I've even raised my target, click here to donate!

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Training Update

My weekday runs took a bit of a hit when life threw a curveball and we had to move at short notice. A 5 minute jaunt up-stream in the same postcode, we have a new flat and training is back on schedule. Am rather enjoying running part way home from work some evenings; admittedly only 5K but it saves me going all the way home only to go right back out, which was fine last summer, but less enticing in the dreary and damp London winter.

Weekend runs have been ace. My pace over long distances is getting slower and even over short diatances, I am nowhere near my personal bests of last summer, perhaps due to the extra layers in "winter" and the backpack in the evenings. But in terms of endurance, I feel great. Coming home from a long weekend run to the smell of a fresh gluten-free loaf of bread is truly encouraging. Half of it is inevitably inhaled within 10 minutes of emerging from the shower.

All for a great cause! Support and donations for Coeliac UK welcomed and my thanks shall be expressed in the form of doughnuts!

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Super Bowl Weekend

Another day, another colossal batch of mini gluten-free doughnuts. These ones, Super Bowl themed - a clear sway towards the Seahawks was evident amongst those in attendance that night; no one was touching the red/white/blue ones.

Moving flats this month so I've been resisting the urge to buy more baking paraphernalia beforehand; I think it's time to upgrade to full size doughnuts. Having excess buttermilk, I opted to make some buttermilk cornmeal and sage muffins (which really came out more like scones), which were intended for a friend's inaugural chilli party but they suited Super Bowl Sunday just as well. My journey to aforementioned chilli party was already precarious enough with a lemon meringue pie in hand. I calculated that I travel an average of 15 miles on public transportation with each of these pies, be it London, Berlin, Montreal; it's a wonder they survive - if but a little weepy upon arrival.

Monday 19 January 2015

Whey-hey!

My morning runs have morphed into evening runs. So instead of waking up in the dark to run 3 miles, I get home from work in the dark to run 5 miles. I actually rather enjoyed starting my day with a brief jaunt around the marina; by 8:30 am last Friday, I was ready to start my workday having already run 3 miles and found a new place to live (leaky ceiling, long story) but I cannot justify waking up even earlier to permit for the increased mileage.

My long weekend runs are still slated for a morning start but I almost always faff about for ages to the point that I am terribly annoyed when I get to Tower Bridge and it is chock-a-block with people and their selfie-sticks mid afternoon. One might think I am nuts for crossing at Tower Bridge but I really do love the loop down to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel and back home - with added loops around Southwark Park. My only other crossing option is Rotherhithe Tunnel, which is a carbon-monoxide deathtrap.

There has not been much on the gluten-free baking front, save for the fact that I started adding plain yoghurt to my bread mix as a substitute for about a third of the required water and the texture is remarkably better; the whey protein must truly help.

Saturday 10 January 2015

Canadian Gluten-Free Beer

Home to Montreal for a gluten-free Christmas.

Health food and dietary foods in particular are shocklingly expensive in North America, be it for lactose/dairy intolerance, veganism or coeliacs. I wouldn't mind paying a premium for the alternative flours, baked goods and gluten-free tourtiere if it strictly came down to the attributed manufacturing cost (ensuring there is no cross-contamination in the production and packaging process for example) but it does seem as though there is a mark-up to take advantage of North Americans lurking in the free from aisle for a fad diet.

Glutenberg's IPA, Red Ale, APA and
Double Belgian
That being said, the gluten-free beer on offer in Quebec was not outrageously priced in comparison to food, and certainly not in in relation to Estrella Damm's gluten-free beer, Daura, which is the only brew available to coeliacs at even the largest of Tesco stores I've visited in the UK. Bless Quebec and their love for beer and microbrewing culture. The local IGA grocery store I visited in my suburb of Montreal had two brands, canned Glutenberg and bottled La Messagère, offering 7 varieties of gluten-free beer at this particular store.

I only had two hands so I picked up a case of Glutenberg IPA and La Messagere Rousse (and had to forego the milk).

The IPA I had with dinner was not great. It was almost unbearably carbonated, sharp, and dry with very little flavour. To be fair, I have yet to try a gluten-free pale ale or even lager that I didn't struggle to finish and perhaps going for the strong ale for my first beer since a so-so citrus-infused gluten-free lager in Amsterdam was ambitious. I'm still keen to try Glutenberg's other flavours, some of which are award winning (which I didn't notice in my rush of euphoria at the grocery store).

La Messagère's Rousse red ale, was woody and flavoursome with hints of caramelization and spice, yet still robust, which worked well on its own and with a feast. I am quite pleased to be spoiled for choice by two respectable microbrasseries whenever I will visit home. Get brewing to keep up, Europe.

La Messagère's Rousse, Millet and Blonde