Out for the Weekend

This weekend I ate out not once, but twice. The first was after some very exiting shopping, we bought a shed. This made me very hungry. A pizza place is not the first restaurant that one would think of for the gluten free, but I had a tip about a place nearby that made a gluten free pizza. Also being a beautiful spring day this place had outdoor dining. My hubby ordered a gluten free pizza with grilled veggies. The veggie were to be onion, mushroom, peppers and eggplant. Sounds great.
However, when the pizza came the eggplant appeared to be breaded. Now you would think that common sense would kick in. If the guy was ordering a gluten free pizza the veggies should not be breaded. Being ever the optimist, I had to ask. Who knows the breading could be gluten free. But no. A new pizza had to be made, sans eggplant.
This is not the first time such a thing has happened. We will explain to the waitress that the food can have not wheat products in it and what will appear atop the salad, croutons. We have been presented with gluten free menus from chain restaurants in which almost none of the food can be consumed. Why bother then.
We have had the best luck in smaller places where the chef will actually come out to talk to us.
Chef Harry at the local winery will come out and go over the entire menu with us. If in doubt we have been known to ask for the food package.
We ended up with a good pizza (have had better) and for the incovenience was not charged for it.
Restaurant outing number two was for my honey's 50th birthday. Several member of his family are gluten intolerance. His sister and three spouses of nephews (not blood related). We also have several family members who are vegetarian. We chose an Indian restaurant as all needs would be satisfied and we love the place. The staff is warm and welcoming as well as very willing to describe the food to us. This would be Mirch Masala in Groton. Thanks Raj for a delightful meal.
Indian cuisine is mostly gluten free. Nan is an exception - an Indian flat bread that I love. They serve a crisp "bread" that I do not know the name of which is made from chick pea flour. The only other item made from wheat flour is the pastry part of a samosa (this is an appetizer).
My personal favorite is an eggplant dish called Bagara Baingan. Indian food features lots of vegetables, but often uses a vast quantity of oil and gee, so careful of the portion sizes.
Raj kindly allowed us to bring our own cake. I made the cranberry upside down cake (see previous blog) and a pineapple upside down cake. The pineapple upside down cake was made using the same recipe, just substituting pineapple. I have to say that everyone enjoyed them, including the non gluten sensitive people.
FYI - I did have an event of lack of planning with the cake. I had run out of tapioca flour for my usual gluten free mix and being Sunday morning the local health food store was closed. I ended up having enough gluten free mix for 1/3 of the batter ( I made 3 cakes) and used rice flour only for the remaining 2/3. Crossed my fingers. It came out fine.