Gluten-Free Pizza

Jeff and I discovered a blog post a while back that mentioned something about a gluten-free pizza chain in Korea, called Imsil Pizza.  While Jeff isn't a huge fan, I'm quite happy with a slice of pizza now and then.  

Yesterday, Jeff mentioned the pizza chain while walking me home from work.  I expressed a saddened interest, as I assumed this specific chain was nowhere in Ansan.  Well, I was wrong.  As Jeff and I walked down the street, he pointed to it, and led me through the door! 

As I double-checked with the cook that the flour was 100% rice flour and it was safe for people with a wheat allergy (gluten intolerance or celiacs disease was too complicated for my translating skills), Jeff perused the menu.  To be on the safe side, we ordered a regular sized cheese pizza with tomato sauce.  My longtime favorite is pepperoni, and in Korea, my favorite is pepperoni with a sweet potato paste around the crust.  In the hopes of avoiding gluten in filler-meats like sausage and pepperoni, however we went for the plainest of options.  I had my eye on a veggie pizza, but it was made with a white sauce (which I feared contained wheat flour as a thickener).  

Even though is was a plain cheese pizza, it was glorious!  It felt like I was cheating, gobbling up all the bready goodness!  But my body can testify today that I do not have a stomachache.  At least for my level of sensitivity, this pizza passed the test!  As we munched away, we got inspired for our next Imsil Cheese Pizza purchase.  Our plan is to order one to go, take it home, and doctor it up with sauteed mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, (feta cheese if we can find a good deal on it), and most importantly, grilled kimchi!  (The best pizza I've EVER had was one topped with kimchi, pepperoni, mushrooms, and onions.  I've been dying to recreate it ever since!)

Another option I am excited to recreate is honey-dipped pizza that I've had twice before.  My Korean friends ordered a mushroom pizza (with white sauce), that they rolled up and dipped into a small cup of honey.  A dessert-like way to enjoy your pizza!

Once back in America, I am excited to make my own gluten-free pizza, too.  (Oh, how wonderful access to an oven will be!)  After this experience with Imsil Pizza, I'm extra encouraged to know that rice flour works well for pizza dough.  As I've been browsing the internet for gluten-free baking tips, I've noticed that non-wheat flour is sometimes finicky in terms of rising properly.  The rice flour used at this restaurant seemed perfect just the way it was, though.  It tasted and looked like a true pizza!  (Except for the corn that Koreans always include in their pizza, and the pickles that I've grown to expect as a side dish.)

The only fear I had about this pizza was the stuffed crust.  What appeared at first glance to be cheese-stuffed pizza crust, turned out to be rice-cake stuffed crust.  Not too surprising in Korea.  I was a bit afraid since I have had a bad reaction to rice cakes in the past (sometimes they are dusted with flour that, according to my body, contains gluten), but as I said, I'm feeling fine today, so I'll definitely go back for seconds.

Out to Eat on a Gluten Restricted Diet

Going out to eat is hard.  It's getting easier to see foods that I love and not eat them, but it's still quite difficult to find items on the menu that are guaranteed free from contamination.  I went out to sushi with some girl friends of mine and felt it the next day.  I poked the imitation crab meat out of my roll, and opted out of the soy sauce, but somehow, somewhere, some hidden gluten found me.  (I suppose there is a chance it wasn't a reaction to gluten, but it seemed to cause a familiar stomach ache the entire next day.)


We had more luck at an Indian restaurant , though, where I met Jeff and some of his friends!  We enjoyed some yummy tandoori chicken.  (Poor Jeff waited an extra thirty minutes for me, as we had misjudged the meeting time and travel times.  He hadn't even taken a nibble, though!  I was super impressed and touched by his restraint.)  I made a mistake in eating the salad, which was lightly covered in dressing, but otherwise I think it was a safe meal.  (Dressings and such often include wheat flour as a thickening agent and thus are not gluten-free.)

Jeff's Gluten-Free Treat!

When Jeff came home from the grocery store one day, I was super surprised to hear him say he picked me up a little treat.  A treat?!  What in the world fit into my diet that I hadn't yet made?  As it turns out - the local grocery store carried a brand of hard cider that is gluten free!  There are no gluten free beers here, so I thought I was stuck to wine when I wanted an adult beverage.  (Unless I was out and got a mixed drink of some sort.)  Not that I drink that much beer nowadays, but it was fun little tradition of ours to each grab a beer and take it to a nearby park to sip on. (Public drinking is legal in Korea.)  I was sad to see that tradition of ours go to the wayside, and felt bad that Jeff felt too guilty to have a beer in front of me when I did without.  The new-found hard cider was a perfect remedy to the situation, as I could grab one of those when he sipped a beer.  Yay for options!

Gluten-Free Lunches and Dinners: Lentils

When I first began this gluten-free adventure, I was completely at a loss for meal options.  Jeff was quick to promote the goodness of chickpeas and lentils, and filled my kitchen with them both, along with all sorts of Indian spices and seasonings.

Thanks to him, I now make curry like a pro! (Or something like that.)  In the first dish pictured, I colored a little outside of the lines and made a super yummy apple curry.

The seasonings include cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, cardamon seeds, salt, and garlic. (I've used the occasional bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and mustard seed in other curries, but not this one) For the bulk of the curry, I stirred in onions, lentils, tomatoes, mushrooms, apples, and yogurt.  Honestly, it was the yogurt that brought it all together giving it the creamy texture that I love in my favorite Indian dish - chicken tikka masala.

Outside of the curry world, I attempted to make a chowder.  I incorporated mashed pototoes, corn, tomatoes, onions, carrots, rosemary, garlic, dill seeds, pepper, and coriander powder.  I added in a few splashes of milk at the end to help create a creamy texture.

As I have absolutely no experience making chowders from scratch (and common chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes are contaminated with gluten), it was a bit bland until I added in the coriander powder.  I was impressed by the creamy texture, though. Overall, a successful first attempt!

The last picture is a simple, fresh vegetarian option composed of lentils, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, and the classic salt and pepper.  A fallback for when I'm feeling less inspired.

Gluten-Free Lunches and Dinners: Fish & Shrimp

Salmon (I think... I have yet to translate the label at the fish counter), glazed with honey, lemon juice, and chili powder.  To accompany it, a bed of greens, rice, and a mixture of cooked and glazed carrots, mushrooms, onions, and garlic.  YUM.  I've made it a few more times since then, but need to go back to the original recipe.  My latest attempt (last night) turned out a bit too sweet.

Here, Jeff is preparing a weekend feast of flounder. (??) (Again, we're not sure since we haven't translated the label.)  We enjoyed onions, tomatoes, garlic, salt, peppers, basil? rosemary? (I can't remember), and plenty of olive oil.  It was a bony fish, but eating it slowly and appreciating the taste didn't bother me one bit!  The crunchy skin was the best part!



We also attempted a pad thai dish, loosely following a recipe since we didn't have all of the standard ingredients.  What we used: rice noodles, shrimp, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, peanuts, pineapple, lemon juice, brown sugar, and...and... I can't remember.  It was a tasty dish, though more distantly related to pad thai than we intended.

This picture is of today's lunch: Shrimp, sauteed in garlic, olive oil, and pepper. Onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms all softened on the stove.  And brown rice.  A tantilizing smell wafted up to me when I took it out of the tupperware and reheated it in the teacher's microwave.  I'm stuffed and content.  :)

Last but not least, here is a snapshot of a small portion of rice noodles mixed with tuna.  I cannot eat mayonnaise, and I now realize wasabi is questionable.  This meal was before that realization, however, so the meal had quite a kick to it, given that I did not shy away when mixing in the wasabi paste.  It might look simple, but looks can be deceiving!  Now my tuna is always mixed with olive oil and various herbs.  Once back in America I will try wasabi again.  Being able to read ingredient lists will open up a few foods that I am afraid to try here for fear of hidden ingredients.

Gluten-Free Lunches and Dinners: Chicken

As I've mentioned before, I am sick of chicken.  Yet, nonetheless, a bag of frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts seems to be a wise backup plan for nights when a trip to the grocery store doesn't fit on the schedule, and I've otherwise run out of meat.

Before I realize the ill-effects the Russian cheese had on my tummy, I treated myself to a mixture of rosemary and lemon juice flavored chicken, tomatoes, salad greens, and melted cheese. It was yummy and filling, but left my tummy a bit finicky for the entire next day.

To cook up the rest of the chicken, I went a safer route and substituted the cheese for some brown rice.  I also added some onions and garlic to the mix.

One would think I'm becoming sick of brown rice by now, but I'm not.  I suppose it's similar to eating bread on a sandwich every day.  You grow to appreciate it but aren't overwhelmed by it.

Gluten Free Lunches and Dinners: Pork

I've had less luck with cooking pork.  Back home, my dad was master of breaded, oven-cooked pork chops.  They were always juicy and delicious.  I, however, lack both an oven and his expertise.  I managed to overcooked my pork chops, but was able to salvage them with the juiciness of the onions, garlic, and tomatoes I sauteed up alongside them.  As always, this dish was accompanied by brown rice and a bed of greens, and sprinkled with pepper.