Gluten Free, R U?: September 2018

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Canyon Bakehouse Focaccia

I never ate Focaccia before going gluten free so I can not comment on if it is the same or not

I can comment on the fact that this is delicious Foccacia.

It is tasty, light and dense at all once, chewy and a new favorite of mine.

I don’t really like garlic bread so this can easily replace that whenever I am craving a tasty bread.

I haven’t seen this in my stores in PA so I bought it online with a coupon I had from their newsletter.

I have tried many of the Canyon Bakehouse offerings and I have yet to find something I do not like.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Pod Baranem - Krakow Poland

If you are ever in Krakow Poland, you MUST eat at Pod Baranem.

Not only do they have an extensive gluten free menu, their food is incredible.
I highly recommend making a reservation as it is a popular local dining establishment.
It is family run and I can not recommend it enough.

I had been dreaming about their gluten free pierogi since I found out about this restaurant a few weeks before our trip. And now I am dreaming about them after having them. Homemade, perfect and delicious.

This is the first time having gluten free pierogi that either came in a frozen bag or that I had to make from hand. They were worth the wait and I would definitely return when I am in Krakow again.

They even have a great gluten free dessert menu. I asked what was local and they said cheesecake. I was surprised but it is definitely not like the cheesecake I know from the US.

It is light, airy, like cake with cheese, not the dense New York style cheesecake I am used to. This is going to make it hard to have that kind of cheesecake from now on.

I will admit I cried when I received my pierogi and then when I tasted them. It was such a joy to have traditional Polish food that I could eat and that were so perfectly delicious.

I will also add that the owners and workers of the restaurant were all super nice and helpful. They held a table for us since I emailed them to let them know I wasn’t sure we could make our time due to being with a tour group. They made sure to provide an English speaking server and he was attentive and a great help with our dessert choices. I can not say enough good things about Pod Baranem.

Please visit them whenever you are in Krakow Poland.

My gluten free history

When I turned 30 years old, I started to gain weight that I couldn't lose and I was getting back to back colds. The final straw was I got bronchitis and I had to take an antibiotic to help me get better. The side effect for 4% of people on this antibiotic was gastrointestinal issues. Yes, I was part of that 4%. The medicine basically stripped away whatever had been protecting me through my first 30 years of life. You see I have always had gastrointestinal issues since I can remember. My father also had the same issues and my paternal grandmother too. I was so sick from the medicine (or so I thought) that I had to go back to the doctor and do a series of tests. During this time I was following the BRAT diet (Banana, rice, a, toast). Saltines and toast were my go to comfort, little did I know they were NOT what I should be eating. My co-worker gave me an article about food allergies and there was a quiz. You only needed to answer 4 of the 8 questions with yes to fall under their designation and I had answered 6 of the 8 with yes. I was on my way. My husband and I cleaned out all our cabinets of the 7 allergens… all that was left was rice. After a few weeks, I was feeling somewhat better when I stayed at a home where they told me to eat whatever was in the fridge. I saw the rice and started eating. Within a hour I was violently ill. I couldn't understand. I took the rice with me to work the next day and when I told my other co-worker about my issue she asked to see the rice. It was orzo… pasta… gluten/wheat filled pasta! I had my first allergen to check off the list as being an issue. It turned out at the time dairy and eggs were also triggers but I have since been able to add them back. My husband and I went on a full gluten free diet and within a few months I had lost my weight, stopped living in my bathroom, looked healthy and was not terrified to eat things any more. Now it has been 15 years and while I have gained some weight back (darn those yummy gluten free cookies and pretzels) my issues are still in check and I couldn't be happier to figure out what was wrong with my body and be able to fix it.