Daytripping

It is hard to believe that summer is coming to a close. Although we technically have another few weeks, it is finished for many as they head back to school and a regular work routine. It feels a little weird for me as I haven’t really been looking for a job; instead working on a business plan. That was the deal The Honey and I made. He would be ok with me being unemployed as long as I got my business plan done. He probably had visions of me lounging in a recliner in the sun with a bottle/glass of something next to me, and I don’t blame him. If it hadn’t been for our deal I probably would have procrastinated quite a bit. I have been working hard and trying to get over some road blocks, which haven’t been that easy. I finally got over some confusion with numbers (Oh numbers and me don’t always get along) and am off to the finish line. Not quite, but I’m getting closer.

Weekends have been short getaways or day trips outside the city escaping from what awaits us at home, besides the cat. A sunny day in Perth led us to Sweet & Savoury Traditions, just off the main street downtown. It’s a tiny place with a few tables and chairs, but with many options for those who are gluten free. Upon walking in one is greeted by plates of baked goodies, a few being gluten-free. Tall shelves line the walls with goodies, either pre-packaged or made locally; again, many are gf. You can order something to be made for you to enjoy there or wander over to the reach-in freezer, which is full of goodies to take home. Here, you can browse to your content because the gf items are marked on the label (with a big red dot) and there are so many choices. Some is naturally gf, like Shepard’s Pie, while others are made with gf replacements, like the gf vegetable lasagna.

Upon arriving home, the cabbage rolls and veggie lasagna were popped into the freezer for when they were needed. A week or so had passed before they were reheated and enjoyed. Both were filling for one person as is, maybe two if salad or vegetables were added to the meal. Both the cabbage rolls and lasagna had nice flavour and I would buy them again, especially since the price and size are good. The list of ingredients is what they should be: real food and simple.

 

Lunch one day took us to Carleton Place where we ended up at The GoodFood Co. It was a busy spot. The menu had a variety and as we made our way through it I saw that many items were gf. I was surprised and happy, and even The Honey was impressed.

Some follow-up questions are still needed though just to make sure and so anything of concern can be left off. I was disappointed that the soy sauce for the sushi wasn’t gf because I got my hopes up. Instead I got a chicken Caesar salad (sans croutons) and I was still pleased. This is a ‘real Caesar’ and had enough garlic to ward off any vampires – awesome. The salad was substantial, not drowning in dressing, and the chicken was moist. I was very satisfied and quickly forgot about the sushi option.

Food at both businesses is made with love and it shows; it’s delicious.

Charcuterie

It’s been an odd summer, but at least the temperatures have finally levelled out. I haven’t been outside too much this year with all the rain and killer heat, and as a result my bike still hasn’t left the shed. The Honey and I can’t complain about the rain because our garden looks fabulous this year. 

The last of our lillies finally finished and now our coneflowers are in full bloom. Our roses are steller and the envy of those walking by. Finally, our garden is doing well!!!

I’ve been going out for walks too because I am newly unemployed again (don’t feel sad, because I’m not). When I left the school behind I wasn’t without a job for long. A little café was looking for a baker and I wanted to learn more about the business and they hired me. It was rocky at the beginning – recipes not written down properly, mistakes in the recipes (then mistakes with what I made). I felt out of my comfort zone so I was also a quieter person and as a result a colleague, who thought he was the gift to the world, wasn’t very nice to me. I let it slide most of the time because I didn’t care about him in the least and even though I wanted to put him in his place, I didn’t. The Honey says I can be a bitch to people sometimes and it was a new job so I wanted to make a good impression. The guy obviously thought I was there because I needed a job – HA!! My position, their full-time baker, was an experiment and it turns out they didn’t really need someone full-time. I was there to learn about the business and I wasn’t really learning that much. The Honey was surprised when I came home after my second shift and told him all the things they were doing wrong (The staff were all wearing flip flops! How is that not a health and safety issue?!) and how it needed to be corrected. It had been many years since I’ve worked in hospitality, but shouldn’t the owners know better than me?

So it’s not a loss. My walks have given a chance to reflect and decide what I’m going do and how. I do have some plans and they’ll keep me occupied. For the last two years I’ve missed most of summer so I plan to enjoy it while I can.

A friend from back home (and the only one I’ve kept as a friend) came to visit for the long weekend because she needed a break from her life and her kids. As much as she loved them, she needed a holiday. We spent the weekend wandering around the city, popping into shops, eating our way through neighbourhoods. We discovered that Oh So Good in the market and Lapointes in Westboro have gf cake available, and they both were really good.

Our dinner plans went a little awry due to the crazy rainclouds/sunshine on Sunday giving my friend a killer headache. I had my heart on trying a restaurant in the market and seeing how disappointed I was, The Honey took me there. Brothers Beer Bistro has 3 gluten-free beers available so I figured they would be able to accommodate a celiac. They can with some effort switching things up and with the patience of our waiter, they did and it was worth it. Next time I’ll make a reservation just to make it easier on everyone. Our waiter was so kind and helpful and he did everything possible to make sure the food was safe for me (even the butter had beer in it), but knowing in advance would have saved him endless trips to the kitchen. This place will be ‘a treat’ to go to because BSG is one of my favourites and at $9 each, our bill grew quickly.

One of the items we had was charcuterie – a plate with cheese, meat and a few pickled items. It seemed really cool and we enjoy the selection. I was on my own Monday evening so I made myself another. With some special elk kielbasa from Elk Ranch and elk, cranberry, & apple sausages from Bearbrook Farm I felt like I was in for a treat in my own living room. I had a bottle of St Peter’s G-Free left and some white cheddar (oddly from Ikea) and made myself a stunning little plate. Sadly though the dill pickles I picked up at Herbfest were mushy and disappointing.

As I was finishing up my board I realized something. Charcuterie is much like an average Polish meal. I grew up eating something very similar to this (sans Dijon mustard), but in my mom’s Polish family we called it ‘lunch’.

Cat’s Fish & Chips

When I was growing up we had a great fish & chip shop a few blocks away. We would go once in a while and it was a tradition on Good Friday. We never ate there (Well, once. But it wasn’t the same.), take-out was the way to go.

Their fish& chips was perfect – the fish was firm, yet flaky; the batter crispy, but not thick; and the fries were fresh cut. They would wrap the boxes in newsprint and off home we’d go. At home, the fish would be sprinkled with vinegar and then dipped in ketchup. That shop set the standards high and as I ventured into adulthood we ventured further afield; sometimes impressed and sometimes disappointed.

Being gluten-free, fish & chips, let alone good ones, can seem like a dream. There’s Off The Hook in Toronto who make me dream about wonderful fish & chips again. But they’re in Toronto. Thankfully Ottawa has Cat’s.

Located on St Laurent (at Hemlock), this tiny restaurant serves gluten-free fish & chips, and they’re good. I assume their regular fish & chips are just as good because we have been on a weeknight and lucky to get a table. Cat’s also understands the gluten issues as they have a dedicated gluten-free fryer for us celiacs. Service has always been great. The only thing to make it better would be some gf beer to go  along with the gf fish & chips. Magners just doesn’t do fish & chips justice.

Todric’s

Last weekend The Honey had to go into work so we decided to venture to another neighbourhood for breakfast. Someone on the Celiac Facebook group had suggested Todric’s to a query a few weeks prior so I looked it up. We’re not too familiar with the Vanier area and really had no idea where to venture. Needless to say we were surprised by what greeted us.

Todric’s is in an unassuming neighbourhood – a residential neighbourhood with a grocery store on one block and a government building on another. If we didn’t know the address, we would have driven right by. They are only open during the day for brunch on weekends, but otherwise are open for dinner in the evening.

It was a sunny morning and we sat in the front window. While looking over the menu, and until we left, we played ‘Guess that singer’. The 40’s and 50’s tunes were definitely not our era, but we still found it entertaining. Our waiter was attentive and our meal was phenomenal. Walking in we thought we’d be in for some posh prices, but they were what you’d expect anywhere else.

Their gluten-free option was a cheddar muffin served in a variety of ways – as a muffin with breakfast, as French toast, or with poached eggs. They also had gluten-free pancakes. I couldn’t decide between the French toast or the pancakes and finally had to make a quick decision; I had taken up enough time with my flip-flopping. French toast it was and boy, was I ever happy with my choice. I was concerned that the cheddar muffin would be too cheesy, but it was perfect. The French toast was nicely flavoured with vanilla and cinnamon. Overall, it was so light and full of flavour. I was famished so I also ordered a side of bacon, but it wasn’t really necessary because the French toast was enough with the fresh fruit. We were both rolling out the door when we left.

We may have just found a new breakfast place for our rotation.