I will admit that hearing "gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free" to describe baked goods doesn't exactly conjure images of rich, moist cakes or silky whipped toppings. In fact, it kind of makes me think of grainy, tasteless, crumbly concoctions that are more hippie health food than they are a treat. But my ears prick up whenever I hear "gluten-free, vegan" these days because I'm always on the lookout for something new to try. This weekend I had great success trying Corina Bakery on 6th and Fawcett in Tacoma.
A couple of weeks ago my sister, via a labor of love and a knowledge of things like tapioca flour and quinoa, created some cupcakes that were allergen free (for both of us) and that tasted great. Her husband, who has no allergies and could easily go out and buy a cupcake anywhere even agreed that they were more than edible. She even managed to prepare some kind of coconut icing that was nearly creamy - a feat, as anyone who has tried dairy free baking knows. This opened my mind to the possibility of really good, allergen-free treats. Nothing beats the gourmet cakes from places like Trophy Cupakes or Borracchini in Seattle.
Then last week I attended the type of health and wellness event where vendors gave out samples or lotions or coupons for 10$ off scented candles and acupuncture. When I walked in the first booth I saw displayed four glass cases of tiny cupcakes. The woman behind the table, tattooed and pierced, asked if I'd like to try one. I started to answer, "Oh no, I can't..." and then I read the signs. "Gluten-free/vegan." She smiled, "At our bakery, you CAN!" I ate a chocolate one and took the woman's advice, coming back later to try an orange flavored one. I took her business card and called my sister.
Corina Bakery was easy to find, just around the corner from the Grand theater in Tacoma. Though most of their baked goods can be ordered gluten-, egg-, and dairy- free, they do not make them all this way each day. Instead, they make several options for the day that are allergen-free, so even though we couldn't eat everything in the bakery, we had at least four options, which is way beyond the choices in any other bakery I know of.
The cakes looked and tasted heavenly. I ate the biggest cupcake I've ever seen; it was probably the size of my fist, and it was dense enough that it felt almost heavy. The frosting was thick, rich and creamy with just a hint of citrus flavor and a few pink sprinkles on top. My sister tried a generous slice of the orange dreamcicle cake which was moist and equally delicious. Paired with chai lattes (made with soy milk of course), what could be better on a sunny Saturday afternoon?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Allergies in Albuquerque
The first week in March I attended a conference for bird trainers in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When I registered I knew that I was setting myself up for a challenge by attempting to travel while still an allergen-avoidance newbie. I am determined not to let my new dietary needs keep me from doing things I want to do. The problem with traveling is that often one is not in complete control of one's consumption. For instance, this conference provided breakfast, but I didn't know if that meant bagels and cream cheese (both no go's for me) or a fruit platter. Similarly, when eating out with a group, I am not comfortable announcing, "Hey, Italian food doesn't have many wheatless, cheese-less options, so we can't go to Beppo's!" It's not my style. In fact, I challenged myself to see how long I could go without anyone noticing I was eating differently at all.
So I packed a few items in my carry-on bag--two packets of oatmeal, a couple of fruit bars, some soy nuts for protein and some gummy bears. Before I left I looked at the Marriott Hotel's website to see if their restaurant provided allergen listings, which it did not. However, the site did provide links to nearby eating establishments; this allowed me to peruse their at my leisure BEFORE ending up in one of them, staring at a menu and confusing a poor waiter by insisting he go look at the lemon garlic sauce ingredient list for something called casein. It probably sounds a little OCD, but I actually memorized a short list of items I could eat at the surrounding restaurants so when I went out with people I could order without much hassle.
For short flights Delta offers a choice of pretzels, cookies, or peanuts and since I can't eat the other two, I received a total of five small bags of peanuts on this journey round-trip. I also was sure to take a lot of Benedryl for this trip because beginning about a week after I started the new diet, I began to break out like a greasy 15-year-old. I didn't have much trouble with acne as a greasy 15-year-old, so this was incredibly distressing. The doctor mentioned that occasionally other symptoms may arise as the body adjusts to changes in diet, so this could be a side-effect. I changed soaps and moisturizers three times to no avail. But then, just two days before departing for Albuquerque, my face started to itch. Around my eyes and under my chin the skin felt tight. Soon my whole face swelled, just enough so that I could tell but probably not many others could. I got some antihistamines and hoped it would just go away. I looked like I was wearing pink eyeshadow, but much of the rest of the swollen blotchiness subsided within a couple of days. Still, I had visions of my face expanding into a pressurized pink balloon on the aircraft or during the conference, so I packed a whole container of Benedryl.
I know my eating habits are by far the least interesting part of my trip, but since this blog is now mostly dedicated to my allergies, I will skip the actual interesting stuff and continue to bore you with details of how I managed not to starve. The first meal I ate in Albuquerque was at a basic American-style restaurant called Romano's Macaroni Grill, which provided excellent allergen info on its website. I ordered a side salad with vinaigrette dressing and even enjoyed some of the fresh-baked bread (because it was a wheat day!) without having to question the waiter about the ingredients in front of all the other conference attendees.
Other meals were a little trickier though, since once a catered meal was served in the hotel's banquet hall and the catering staff was not the same staff who prepared the food. They served fajitas though, which are easily converted into something edible for me. If corn tortillas aren't available I can still eat the rice, beans, guacamole and (usually) the sauteed meat and veggies.
There was one meal that I just couldn't eat though. We visited the Rio Grande Zoo on a sunny Friday and the zoo kindly catered our lunch, serving meat lasagna, veggie lasagna, garlic cheese breadsticks, and a Caesar salad doused in creamy dressing, covered in Parmesan and topped with croutons. I slipped out and ate a banana and an order of fries from the zoo's cafe around the corner. No one noticed.
On the third day, someone finally remarked that I had been ordering all my foods without cheese, so I didn't quite make it all the way through the conference masquerading as a person who is not constantly thinking about what to eat for her next meal. Almost though. And when my saint of a sister picked me up from the Seatac airport, she brought me home-made vegan, gluten-free cupcakes. They were delicious.
On a side note, the dry southwest climate seemed to actually improve my facial woes as both types of break outs finally began to subside. The acne disappearing was a big surprise and huge relief, as it has been present for over a month and was getting pretty tiresome.
I would consider my trip a consumption success, even if I ate a few more side salads than I would have liked. I didn't have to resort to my back-up plans as often as I'd feared (I didn't have to eat any of my packets of oatmeal, though I did eat the fruit bars and nuts. And I didn't have to make a trip to the Trader Joe's, the location of which I'd looked up before I left in case of emergencies). I'd enjoyed green chili stew, fajitas, and some roasted garlic hummus, among other tasty items. Traveling on a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free diet can indeed be done!
So I packed a few items in my carry-on bag--two packets of oatmeal, a couple of fruit bars, some soy nuts for protein and some gummy bears. Before I left I looked at the Marriott Hotel's website to see if their restaurant provided allergen listings, which it did not. However, the site did provide links to nearby eating establishments; this allowed me to peruse their at my leisure BEFORE ending up in one of them, staring at a menu and confusing a poor waiter by insisting he go look at the lemon garlic sauce ingredient list for something called casein. It probably sounds a little OCD, but I actually memorized a short list of items I could eat at the surrounding restaurants so when I went out with people I could order without much hassle.
For short flights Delta offers a choice of pretzels, cookies, or peanuts and since I can't eat the other two, I received a total of five small bags of peanuts on this journey round-trip. I also was sure to take a lot of Benedryl for this trip because beginning about a week after I started the new diet, I began to break out like a greasy 15-year-old. I didn't have much trouble with acne as a greasy 15-year-old, so this was incredibly distressing. The doctor mentioned that occasionally other symptoms may arise as the body adjusts to changes in diet, so this could be a side-effect. I changed soaps and moisturizers three times to no avail. But then, just two days before departing for Albuquerque, my face started to itch. Around my eyes and under my chin the skin felt tight. Soon my whole face swelled, just enough so that I could tell but probably not many others could. I got some antihistamines and hoped it would just go away. I looked like I was wearing pink eyeshadow, but much of the rest of the swollen blotchiness subsided within a couple of days. Still, I had visions of my face expanding into a pressurized pink balloon on the aircraft or during the conference, so I packed a whole container of Benedryl.
I know my eating habits are by far the least interesting part of my trip, but since this blog is now mostly dedicated to my allergies, I will skip the actual interesting stuff and continue to bore you with details of how I managed not to starve. The first meal I ate in Albuquerque was at a basic American-style restaurant called Romano's Macaroni Grill, which provided excellent allergen info on its website. I ordered a side salad with vinaigrette dressing and even enjoyed some of the fresh-baked bread (because it was a wheat day!) without having to question the waiter about the ingredients in front of all the other conference attendees.
Other meals were a little trickier though, since once a catered meal was served in the hotel's banquet hall and the catering staff was not the same staff who prepared the food. They served fajitas though, which are easily converted into something edible for me. If corn tortillas aren't available I can still eat the rice, beans, guacamole and (usually) the sauteed meat and veggies.
There was one meal that I just couldn't eat though. We visited the Rio Grande Zoo on a sunny Friday and the zoo kindly catered our lunch, serving meat lasagna, veggie lasagna, garlic cheese breadsticks, and a Caesar salad doused in creamy dressing, covered in Parmesan and topped with croutons. I slipped out and ate a banana and an order of fries from the zoo's cafe around the corner. No one noticed.
On the third day, someone finally remarked that I had been ordering all my foods without cheese, so I didn't quite make it all the way through the conference masquerading as a person who is not constantly thinking about what to eat for her next meal. Almost though. And when my saint of a sister picked me up from the Seatac airport, she brought me home-made vegan, gluten-free cupcakes. They were delicious.
On a side note, the dry southwest climate seemed to actually improve my facial woes as both types of break outs finally began to subside. The acne disappearing was a big surprise and huge relief, as it has been present for over a month and was getting pretty tiresome.
I would consider my trip a consumption success, even if I ate a few more side salads than I would have liked. I didn't have to resort to my back-up plans as often as I'd feared (I didn't have to eat any of my packets of oatmeal, though I did eat the fruit bars and nuts. And I didn't have to make a trip to the Trader Joe's, the location of which I'd looked up before I left in case of emergencies). I'd enjoyed green chili stew, fajitas, and some roasted garlic hummus, among other tasty items. Traveling on a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free diet can indeed be done!
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