HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKI!

-
Four years ago, when I was still living in Vancouver, my very good friend Becki gave me 24 cupcakes for my birthday. We ate all of them during the party at Steamworks and on the way back home! Becki, today it's your birthday and it's my turn to give you cupcakes - virtually, since we can't eat them together. Perhaps we could share one on Skype later on today :) Becki, you're A-MA-ZING and I wish we could celebrate together, because now I have to eat all those carrot cupcakes! By the way, if you want the recipe, check this previous post.

Miss ya and have a super-duper day!

P.S. Don't sleep at the Six Acres ;)

OLD DELHI SPICE MARKET

TROPICAL SPICE FARM, GOA

-
During our weekend in Goa, Catherine and I had the chance to visit the Tropical Spice Farm in Ponda. When we arrived on site, Juliet served us delicious lemongrass tea to welcome us. Then, she took us for a tour on a part of the 6-hectare spice plantation. As we walked through "the jungle", Juliet showed us ginger, banana, papaya, guava, arabiaca coffee, green and black cardamom, garam masala, curry, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, turmeric, basil as well as aloes and she described their culinary and medicinal uses.

We chew cinnamon bark, moisturized our skin with (edible) aloes and smelled many spices. My favorite one was garam masala. It can be produced either by mixing some spices (coriander, nutmeg, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, clove, curcuma, cardamom and more) or by using a leaf of garam masala all spice plant that combines all aromas together.

After the tour, we had a fresh and healthy lunch, prepared from the plantation's organic spices: plain rice, sweet yellow rice, spicy chicken, papadum (a chip made from lentil flour) and vegetables.


---
Four most expensive spices in India:

1- Saffron
2- Vanilla
3- Green cardamom
4- Clove
---

MOHAMMED ALI ROAD, MUMBAI

-
When the sun sets at Mohammed Ali Road in South Mumbai, food lanes become very busy and Indians gather to feast after a very long fast day during the Holy month of Ramadan. Noise, hanging chicken, oil "pools", food stalls, colors, spices... If you are looking for THE Indian experience, you are well served.

Catherine, Simon and I met Siddarth and Hena, our Mumbai friends, at this famous place for dinner. They decided to order a bunch of typical meals to give us the best experience. The only restriction: the food had to be gluten-free. The chef brought us many plates containing red, orange and yellow food. We had no clue what the content was, but everything was exquisite! Then we learned that we had just eaten goat brain, chicken 65 (made with 65 spices), liver, biryani and more... Unlike Muslims, we hadn't fasted all day. So I was full and I thought I would be sick! But it was only the first part of our Indian dinner...

After, Hena and Sid took us to the dessert shop. Their goal: have us taste every dessert. Since they were all deep-fried and made from wheat flour, I was exempted from eating an additional quantity of food. The greasiest dessert I had ever seen was there, right in front of me: an egg pancake, deep-fried in a pool of oil, topped with cream. Seriously, I couldn't even look at it. Thanks to my gluten allergy, I was saved!

GLUTEN-FREE INDIAN MEALS

-
Last summer, I travelled to India. Indian food had always been one of my favorite foreign cuisine, so I was very excited to explore the real thing even if it meant not eating any naan bread, chapati, samosa or deep-fried food. Eating gluten-free was a lot easier than I had thought. I did some research prior to my trip and realized that lentils, chickpeas and rice were often used instead of wheat flour. Of course, gluten-free options were limited and I ended up ordering masala dosa, uttapam, dal or biryani most of the time. But the real challenge was the "sharing" aspect: I had to make sure that none of my friends dipped chapati in the plates! Here is a list of some gluten-free Indian meals:


DAL
Dal is a thick stew prepared from lentils. It is usually served with rice at the end of a meal to facilitate digestion. But I liked to order it as a main dish since it is quite filling! Dal is very common. Served in every part of the country, it is always fresh and yummy.


RAITA
Raita is a sauce made with yogurt. It may be seasoned with cucumber, cilantro, mint and other herbs. Its refreshing taste brings balance to a spicy meal.


IDLI
Idli is a delicious South-Indian cake popular throughout India. It consists of a batter of fermented black lentils and rice that is steamed and then served with spicy sauce. The first time I tasted idli was in Pune, Maharashtra. I bought 2 pieces in a small store in the morning and ate them for lunch at the famous Aga Khan Palace & Gandhi National Memorial.


FENNEL SEEDS
In India, a small plate of fennel seeds is served at the end of each meal with the bill. The licorice taste is so refreshing that it (almost) replaces a toothbrush. Plus, it facilitates the digestion of a very greasy and spicy Indian meal. My favorite seeds were the few sugar coated ones.


MASALA DOSA
Masala dosa is the first Indian dish I tasted and it became my favorite. Made from rice batter and black lentils, this crepe is stuffed with spicy potatoes. It is a staple dish in southern India.


UTTAPAM
Uttapam, the Indian adaptation of pizza, is a thick pancake with various toppings. Since its batter is made from rice and black lentils, it is gluten-free and very easy to digest. Veg uttapam is delicious for breakfast!


BUTTER CHICKEN
Probably one of the most popular Indian dish all over the world, butter chicken is a classic. I had never been a fan of this dish (the name is a real turnoff), but in India, butter is the "main ingredient" in anything. So let's just taste this "chicken meal" and forget what it really is! Because you really don't want to know how much ghee (clarified butter) was poured in the pot!


BIRYANI
A great option for celiacs is the delicious biryani. A South Indian dish, it is less fat (or at least appears to be) than other dish. The mountain shaped rice hides vegetables or meat. I shared the most exquisite mutton biryani with Ajinkya in a very old restaurant, in Pune, Maharashtra.

AU P'TIT RESTO

-
When you have the celiac disease, eating at the restaurant can be a nightmare. But it can also be a great experience. Julien invited us to his friend Guillaume's restaurant, Au P'tit Resto. Guillaume recently adapted the menu to make sure most of the dishes were "gluten-free friendly". The food was delicious and on top of that, the chef was very comprehensive and accommodating to my gluten allergy and to Julien's lactose intolerance. As a starter, I ordered a refreshing gaspacho made without tomatoes, but with other ingredients such as melon and figs. Then I had the horse tartar, served with fries and coleslaw. And for dessert, la crème brûlée! Yum! I was full when I left the restaurant. What a great meal, with great wine! The restaurant is BYOB, but because Julien knows the owner, Catherine, Maxime and I had the privilege to blind taste three delicious wines. Thank you to Julien and Guillaume!