ScotteeM

What Joe said!

I called back yesterday afternoon and spoke to a woman named "TJ", who clarified the whole soft opening versus actual opening situation. It turned out that our original reservation for the 16th was still available, so we reinstated it. But why "Alex" simply changed our reservation without the whole clarification in the first place remains a mystery. No matter, I can't wait! "TJ" asked if we were celebrating a special occasion, and I said, "Yes! The opening of Fiola!"

I have to wonder why we weren't offered that when we called for reservations when we called yesterday to confirm the opening date, our reservation for April 16 was changed to April 23.

. . . but I have (or so I thought) a reservation for April 16th, that my husband made on the phone. He just called back to check on that and was told that, indeed, the opening is April 18th. The person he just spoke with has apparently changed our reservation to April 23rd. I'm thinking I'd better call back tomorrow and confirm that.

That's for sure! You very likely will not find a satisfactory GF bagel. Udi's brand makes very good GF breads, and their bagels are acceptable, although not a true substitute for the real thing. I'm glad you found Shauna & Danny's blog. I highly recommend their book, not only for baking but for living the GF lifestyle. If you use the link on their blog to get to Amazon and buy it, they get a commission, and you pay the same price you would anyway. The book is lovely, filled with fantastic illustrations. The stories and comments are lovely, and the recipes are great. I'm not much of a baker myself, but I have followed Shauna's blog as she has worked through one recipe after another. She had a great series on cookies at Christmastime. I am two years gluten-free, and it has been a life-changing experience (for the better). It takes several months of being strictly GF to really notice a difference, so perseverance is essential. When I find myself missing something that contains gluten, I think about what specifically I miss, and how I can re-create that quality without the gluten. Nathan at Restaurant Eve has developed a great GF bread recipe, and he might be willing to talk to you about his trials and errors, too. He told me it took quite a lot of batches before he was satisfied with the results. I always consider his GF bread a treat.

If you're going to do any gluten-free baking, I really recommend Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef by Shauna & Danny Ahern. They have spent hours working out GF recipes for various baked goods, and it will save you re-inventing the wheel as it were. There are several books of GF recipes out there, but I think this one is the best. (Disclaimer: I don't bake, but others who do have praised this book.) It even made the top 10 list of cookbooks for 2010 for the New York Times.

I second this recommendation. This is our new favorite local restaurant. The food is consistently good, the service is friendly and attentive, and the prices won't make your head explode. On weeknights they have a 3-course menu that is very reasonable. --- Samurai Japanese Steak & Sushi Bar (weezy)

I would agree about hydrogenated trans-fats, like vegetable shortening. However, lard is, AFAIK, classified as an unsaturated fat: it is actually 60% unsaturated. So lard shouldn't be lumped into the same category as shortening, and if it comes from hogs raised outdoors, the lard also contains CFAs, which are cancer fighters. A little lard ain't so bad!

Your comment about Annie's GF Frozen Pizza is appreciated! There are so many GF products on the market or hitting the market, and not all are wonderful. GF selections at Whole Foods stores vary by location and most likely by demand. I have found that my requests for products are taken seriously by those placing orders, which is nice. As far as the Fairfax WF, they do have a good selection of GF products, but it can still be difficult to find any specific product because they are scattered. There is a GF section in groceries and in frozen foods, but there are also GF products placed alongside regular products. When I was searching for Udi's bread and products in the frozen food aisle, another customer directed me to a separate freezer in the bakery department where that brand was stocked. Safeway is rolling out a new shelf label to identify GF products, which are integrated. I have thanked my local grocery guy at Safeway for carrying so many GF products (including Chex cereals and Snyders pretzels). Again, I found that the response to my request for specific products was "Check back soon, we'll get it in."

I recently made Barbacoa by adapting this recipe. I followed it as written except that I browned the meat in a skillet and then combined everything in my slow cooker and cooked it on Low for about 8 hours. We were very happy with the results. I've also made carnitas recently, but I misplaced the recipe. When I find it, I'll post it.

After I hit Add Reply, I thought about Italian cuisine. With only a few exceptions, excluding pastas, traditional Italian dishes tend to be GF.

Sorry for the late reply, Barbara! I was flat-out with a virus for 2 days. But back up and running now. One of the keys to successful GF menu planning is to focus on what you CAN include, rather than what you cannot. IOW, think positive! Avoid a lot of GF substitutes. Not all GF pastas are that great, and most won't work in a dish like ziti, in my experience. But what about cold sesame rice noodles? In terms of convenience foods, there are a growing number that are GF. You can make GF Chex Mix by omitting the Wheat Chex (be sure you get genuine Rice and Corn Chex, which are labelled GF) and substituting GF pretzels (Ener-G, Glutino, and Snyders of Hanover make good ones--the last is probably the least expensive, if you can find it). Progresso chicken and beef broths are GF. Many of the Frito-Lay snack products are GF, and they have a list on the website (plain Lay's potato chips, and Ruffles, are GF). Bisquick offers a GF version, although I think it is very expensive and I'm still evaluating it. My friends have enjoyed the GF Betty Crocker brownies I've made. With the exception of flour tortillas, much of Mexican cuisine is already GF. How about a nice warm cheese/jalapeno dip with corn tortilla chips? Or a 7-layer dip? Taquitos, or a taco bar might be fun. Don't forget the guacamole! Some variation of potato salad seems essential. Crudites and dips are pretty standard, but are naturally GF. Rice salads are great, too. Forget the pasta salad, I say! Cold cuts for sandwiches, with Udi's GF bread for those who need it (this worked well at an office party I helped host). One of my go-to sites for recipes in general is Simply Recipes. Not all of Elise's recipes are GF, but you can search on GF to find a comprehensive list. Another fabulous website is Gluten Free Girl and the Chef. Her baking recipes are for experienced bakers, IMO (OK, I don't bake. Period.). But her other recipes might help with ideas. A party is not the time to experiment with GF flours. Their textures and properties are different, and it may take some practice to use them comfortably, even if you're using tried and true recipes (or so I've read). If you're using a kitchen and utensils that are not GF, be careful of nonstick pans that can be permanently contaminated. I had to toss mine, as well as my toaster, when I went GF. Just don't use them if you're not sure. I hope this helps a little. I've been GF for 2 years now, and there is a learning curve, but it can be done. Feel free to PM me or contact me on Facebook if I can help more. I'll try to keep an eye on this thread. And, please, do post your menu when you get it done!

I contend that this is not a health issue at all. It is an economic issue masquerading as a health issue. [Full disclosure: My husband and I have been daily consumers of raw milk and raw milk products for several years. We buy directly from a farmer we know, who belongs to an organization with stricter standards for sanitation than the local agriculture department. There is no question for us that the products we purchase and consume are wholesome and healthy.] If this truly were a health issue, the reporting would include references to incidents involving contamination of pasteurized milk products, as well as the idea of potential contamination of unpasteurized products. A USDA/FDA report in 2003 stated that deli meats were involved in 515 times more illnesses from Listeria Monocytogenes than raw milk, and pasteurized milk was involved in 29 times more illness of that pathogen, which can cause severe illness, fetal death, premature death, and neonatal illness and death. In fact, in all of the incidents of which I am aware where dairies selling raw milk or raw milk products were implicated in food-borne illnesses, all were subsequently exonerated, but that exoneration was not reported, only the accusations, which stood. The fact is, most raw milk and raw milk products, are sold on the farm. That means the farmer is receiving full market value for his product, as opposed the pittance received for wholesale milk. The commercial dairy industry does not want this to spread. Hence the alarm over raw milk.

This is what I want to make! Bacon: good! Onions: good! Garlic: good! Maple syrup: good! Brown sugar: good! Coffee: good! This sounds like breakfast you can spread on bread. Or a pizza. Think I better stop now.

We had been getting wonderful fresh jumbo lump at Wegmans for a decent price, but I think the season is over, because now all they have is Pasteurized, which isn't bad, really. Maine Avenue usually has great selection and really good prices. I've gotten steamed-to-order hardshell crabs there, which were fabulous, and I've stood in the parking lot slurping oysters out of their shells on a styrofoam plate. I'd look there for good crabmeat. Just be sure to read the label, because much of it is coming from Asia these days.

My husband has purchased Single Malt Scotch as gifts over the past few years, and he has found a certain salesperson at Addy Bassin's to have provided invaluable assistance. He has helped my husband find less well-known but very worthy bottles. Sadly, we don't know his name.

I do share your frustration! And as for steak frites, that isn't always GF, if anything else has been fried in the same fryer as the frites! Even with fresh oil, it's not safe. As for lunch options in NoVA, there is Choices by Shawn in Fairfax City. They do offer very good house-made GF bread. I'd avoid the GF pancakes, as the ones I had were heavy and thick and therefore undercooked in the middle. But I give them credit for trying! Ray's Hell Burger will serve their burgers sans buns. And the fries at RHB are GF safe (last time I was there), but the ones at RHBtoo are not. However, a lovely waitress (whom I tipped accordingly) trekked down the way to RHB to fetch me an order of safe fries. I confess that there are more than a few restaurants I haven't tried yet, because I'm not always willing to commit the energy and coin to dinner at an unknown establishment and so many have gluten-laden lunch menus. On weekdays, of course, Restaurant Eve offers safe choices AND good house-made GF bread with 24 hours' notice! I did have a decent GF pizza and GF beer at Rustico quite a while ago on a weekend mid-day, so it would be worth checking out. I tend to carry GF crackers and even slices of bread (Udi's) in an airtight container in my purse for times when they're needed for cheese or dips. And if I do find a decent GF hamburger bun, I might take one with me to RHB. I'd love to read about others' lunch/brunch experiences, especially positive ones!

Hear! Hear! [raising glass of Gewurtztraminer to all]. This is a very special place, with a special meaning for me, personally. I haven't met most of you face-to-face, but I value each one of you more than you'll ever know. Thank you, Don, for starting this, and thanks to all of the volunteers who help with the site and with the outings and events! Cheers, Scottee

I'm all set. Made reservations 2 weeks ago.

This recipe has been a consistent hit with my family and at larger gatherings. I think I might have made this for a DR.com picnic a few years ago.

Acadiana is offering a full dinner for 8 including fried turkey for $95, or just the turkey (12-14 lbs) for $70. I've seen fresh turkeys at Whole Foods in previous years. You can reserve one in advance, or go in and take your chances.

They seat folks in cutoffs and T-shirts, so you should be fine! But your fellow diners would appreciate slacks in place of jeans. Just sayin'.

My congratulations on your anniversary, and my condolences on the passing of your aunt, and on the badness at work! You had the better outcome, IMO. My husband and I tried Marcel's earlier this year and had a very negative experience. Dino's is far superior, IMO. Dean and Kay, and their staff are truly invested in their diners having an outstanding culinary experience, and that has been our outcome at each of our visits. I'd return to Dino (and many other restaurants) 10 times before I'd consider Marcel's again.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Hannah.

Point taken! Enjoy!