hibiscus

No, I didn’t eat hibiscus flowers. Hibiscus is a restaurant in Bujumbura that is the closest thing to fast food we’ve found here. Most places take over an hour to serve lunch (don’t even ask about the dinner wait), but if you sit down in Hibiscus and order the plat du jour, you’ll be served a Coke and a heaping plate of rice, beans, bananas, greens, and meat in no time at all. When I first noticed this restaurant I laughed at the take-out window, labeled “Hibi-quik,” because nothing is quick here. But now I believe in the quickness.

And the food was gooooood. Mike and our two friends cleared their plates in no time at all, then dug in to help me clear mine. There was so much food! We all stumbled out with pleasantly full stomachs, and pleasantly full wallets as well. Four plats du jour and four Cokes cost less than $9.00. Before heading back to work, we took a peek behind the building. There is a beautiful garden bar back there! I think we’ve discovered our new Friday lunch spot.

fresh milk

When we first started doing research on Burundi one thing that worried us about the food situation rather than excited us (fresh mangos and pineapple!) was milk. We were under the impression that the only milk available would be very expensive powdered or irradiated, shelf-stable milk-like products. I resigned myself to two years of nondairy creamer in my coffee.

However, soon after arriving we noticed there were a lot of cows here. And a lot of tasty, fresh beef. Naturally we began to wonder if there wasn’t fresh milk available somewhere as well. (Just look at those happy, delicious, albeit thin, cows.) One day a coworker of Mike’s pointed out a place to buy fresh milk. It was as if we’d been inducted into a secret club. A building with a sign-less white façade has a grated door that leads you into what Mike calls the “Milk Bar.” There’s a counter, where if you bring your own bottles, a woman will fill them for you, asking “Pasteurize ou non pasteurize?” The first time we went, we decided to get unpasteurized milk and boil it ourselves. That was a disaster, so since then we’ve always filled up our three Nalgene bottles with lait pasteurize.

The reason Mike calls it the Milk Bar is this: In a separate room there are tables and chairs where men (and the occasional woman) sit and order milk by the glass. Cows are a sign of wealth and only the healthiest, wealthiest people can afford to drink a big glass of milk. It’s like a status symbol, to be seen sitting at the bar drinking a glass of milk. The women working behind the counter spend more time processing the receipts of the customers drinking milk by the glass than they do filling bottles for folks like us.

We love our fresh milk. It’s so wonderful in coffee. Our cook makes the creamiest ice cream and other desserts with it. There’s no such thing as a choice between non-fat, skim, and whole milk. It’s all full-fat milk, all the time. When we get back to the States, we’re going to be snobby fresh milk people who won’t be able to stand Stop & Shop homogenized milk by the carton.

mango cobbler

Mango cobbler is the best term I can come up with to describe the wonderful dessert our cook made recently. (Yes, we have a cook. That’s why so few entries are about my own cooking adventures these days.) He goes into the pantry and riffles through my gluten-free flours and presents the results to me. Some of his creations are fantastic; some need work. But that’s the way it is for all of us gluten-free bakers. I think it’s great that he’s up to the challenge and he keeps trying. 

When this dish was first placed in front of me my initial reaction was “Peach cobbler!” But I quickly remembered we don’t have peaches here. Mango? Yup. Cobbler? Sort of. I think it’s a pie that may have gone wrong and then salvaged. 

Because of the language barrier, I can’t always get a great explanation about the food we’re eating. But I know it’s gluten-free (sans gluten) because I’ve forbidden him from buying local flour; he’s only to use what I provide.

hotel oberland restaurant

We were wandering the alpine meadows of the Interlaken region of Switzerland when we came across the town of Lauterbrunnen and decided to have lunch. It was surprisingly warm outside in those meadows, under the glaring sunshine, and all I wanted was a refreshing green salad and a sweet apple juice (sussmost; I’m not a huge apple juice drinker but I can’t get enough of it when I’m in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria).

We sat down at an outdoor table at Hotel Oberland and I was delighted to see little gluten-free symbols next to certain items on the menu. Unfortunately I didn’t have much appetite for anything more than a salad. But one of the traditional meals from the region, rosti, is inherently gluten-free because it’s potato based. It depends on what’s added to the potatoes that determines the gluten-freeness of the specific dish. Two of Hotel Oberland's four rosti dishes were gluten-free, as well as all their salads and a number of other entrees. 

I still ordered the salad, but my husband had a rosti that I took a few bites of. It was cheesy, potato deliciousness. (I did get rosti for dinner on another day. More on that in a future post.)

chez paul

One restaurant during the whole vacation was definitely tops over all the others. It's Chez Paul, in Paris on rue de Charonne, and we ate there our first night.

Chez Paul has hearty, bistro-style food. As I sat down and started reading the menu, I made note of a couple dishes that would probably be safe. When the waitress came by, we explained my gluten-free requirement and I pointed out a few things on the menu. She went back to talk to the chef and when she came back she said, "Don't worry, the chef will take care of you."

We had a crudite plate of vegetables to start with (and of course my husband had bread). For my main course I had a steak encrusted with peppercorns and a dreamy cheesy potato dish to substitute the usual potatoes au gratin that comes with the steak. My dessert was an amazing creme brulee.

I can't remember the last time I ate so much, especially at a restaurant. The chef certainly did take care of me. The waitress was also ready with some wine suggestions and the bottle we chose was perfect with my steak and my husband's lamb.

Our friends recommended Chez Paul as their favorite restaurant in Paris. Now it's our favorite restaurant in Paris, too. It's a casual place. By the time we finished dinner it was crowded with more locals than tourists. The entire waitstaff was cheerful and helpful.

Chez Paul is at 13 rue de Charonne, close to the Bastille. Reservations are recommended, particularly during peak hours.

galettes

Galettes are savory crepes that are traditionally made with buckwheat, salt, and water. And I found them in Paris. Some people will tell you it's hard to track down restaurants that serve them. I think that's because few people have heard of galettes and call them crepes. I know I hadn't heard of the alternate name until I started doing some research.

Before leaving for our trip I made notes of some specific restaurants, but they were in neighborhoods we hadn't otherwise planned on visiting. On our last full day in Paris we made a point to travel to one of those areas and seek out galettes for lunch. 

Along the way we got distracted. We were in Montparnasses after having visited the cemetery. We decided to wander around a bit before getting on the Metro to seek out lunch. And low and behold we came along a boulevard full of lunch-seekers and cafes and creperies to accommodate them. I started reading the posted menus carefully. I quickly discovered that galettes and crepes were two different foods, to the French. Galettes are often posted as salee, and crepes are sucre. That means galettes are savory and are supposed to be for your meal and crepes are sweet and for dessert. And many places make the galettes in the traditional way with just buckwheat. 

I had one of the great French food experiences completely by chance. I ordered my galette salee avec jambon et fromage (with ham and cheese). And it was great. It was so delicious that I felt bad that I couldn't finish it. It was just too filling. 

Later that same day I found a grocery store that sold packaged plain galettes. I bought some and a jar of orange marmalade. The person at the checkout register tried to stop me from such a heretic combination. Galettes salee shouldn't be mixed with a sucre filling. It just isn't done. He had a look of true sadness on his face when I told him I couldn't eat ble, wheat. He said, "It won't be the same." 

It wasn't the same. But they made for light breakfasts that were good enough some mornings on the road.

Buckwheat has two different names in French. Buckwheat flour can be farine du sarrasin or farine du ble noir.

savanna dry premium cider

I don't get a lot of ciders to drink here. The supply of Woodchucks I brought with me ran out a few weeks ago but soon afterward I had the opportunity to place an order for Savanna Dry Premium Cider from South Africa. They arrived last weekend to much anticipation.

I'd read a couple reviews and I hoped they would be drinkable at least. And that's about what they are. I like my ciders to be a bit darker and dryer than these are (despite the fact they are called "dry"). I think they are more light and sweet. Apparently you're supposed to drink it with a lemon wedge stuck in the neck, like a Pacifico or Corona. I haven't had the chance to try that yet because lemons aren't always available here.

I do enjoy them for the sake of trying a new African beverage. Savannah ciders are made in South Africa from Granny Smith apples. You can taste a little bit of the Granny Smiths in the aftertaste. 

So, not the greatest, but certainly not the worst. I'll gladly finish my case, but I may not be as protective of them as I was my Woodchucks. I'll share them to spare others the fate of buying them by the case and paying shipping fees from South Africa for a beverage that they may not find phenomenal. 

perky's nutty rice crunchy cereal

Right now one of my favorite cereals is on sale from Amazon.com Groceries. When I first saw the ad for Enjoy Life products being on sale, I figured I’d glance at the list of products but probably not buy anything because I haven’t loved anything I’ve had from them. But I can’t let any gluten-free stones go unturned.

I’m glad I took a few minutes to look. I had no idea that Perky’s Nutty Rice Crunchy Cereal came from Enjoy Life. I love this stuff. I mix it with granola or other sweet cereals. I eat it plain. Per the serving suggestion on the front of the box, it's amazing with fresh blueberries or strawberries.

The back of the box has a recipe for an easy crumb pie crust with jam filling. Mmm, cereal and jam in a convenient pie formation.

But I digress. Now through 31 May you can get 20% off selected Enjoy Life products, including Nutty Rice and Nutty Flax cereals, when you enter the code ENJOYLIF at checkout. Note that neither of these “nutty” cereals actually contain nuts. I think they are trying to cash in on the Grape-Nuts fans who had to go gluten-free. (Although, these cereals are much easier on the teeth and gums than Grape-Nuts.)

And from the Enjoy Life website you can download a coupon to use at your favorite grocery store.

starbucks orange valencia cake

Another mainstream gluten-free sighting. I first read it at Gluten Free Post, then I saw it in Forbes and finally from the horse's own mouth. Starbucks is introducing a gluten-free pastry. Those of us who have been unable to indulge in the sugary empty-calorie food display finally have our day! From the Starbucks Ideas in Action blog:

Hi, it’s Erin on the Food team. I am so excited today to share an update on our blog about Gluten-free offerings. Starting May 5 we will be launching the Gluten-free Orange Valencia Cake with Almonds. And even better you are among the first to know! Who better to get the first scoop than you who helped make it happen? This product was inspired by the passionate responses we heard from you on My Starbucks Idea.

The Orange Valencia Cake is a delicious moist citrus cake bursting with Valencia oranges and topped with crunchy almonds. Not only is it gluten-free, it is also prepared with 7 simple ingredients: Whole Eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, Almonds, Sugar, Orange Peel, Gluten Free Baking Powder, and Orange Oil. Plus it delivers 30% of your daily value of vitamin C.

Keep on the look out for it in the pastry case with a sign that says “gluten-free.” A single cake will be displayed unwrapped so you can see it clearly, but don’t worry. They all come individually packaged to prevent cross contamination. And with the ingredient list right on the package, it’s easy to see exactly what you are eating. Whether you are gluten-sensitive or not, this product is delicious and satisfying and I hope you will all enjoy it soon.

Want to know how it’s made gluten-free? Come back to MSI in two weeks and Chris, the lead product developer will take you behind the scenes and share how this cake is made with care.

This makes travel throughout the United States a lot easier. I've always found breakfast to be the hardest meal to satisfy me on the gluten-free diet because I don't like eggs. When you take out eggs and gluten, you're left with few other options while on the road. No, this option is no where near healthy, but the mental aspect is almost as important to me. My body can handle the occasional breakfast pastry when it's combined with the ease of going into one of my favorite coffee spots.

Now to see about getting a Starbucks built in Bujumbura.

riceworks sweet chili gourmet brown rice crisps

My most recent impulsive snack purchase is much better than my last one. Riceworks Sweet Chili gourmet brown rice crisps are my new Doritos. 

I wrote a nice rant about how Doritos aren't gluten-free, even though they should be because they are corn chips. But apparently, most Doritos flavors are gluten-free now; it's just been so long since I've bothered to check on them. That's probably not a terrible thing, that its been long, since Doritos are probably one of the worst snack foods for you; maddeningly they are also one of the most addictive.

Back to Riceworks.

I'd tried other Riceworks chips flavors back in the States so I was confident I'd get a tasty chip. They are salty and crunchy, but they don't taste like corn chips or potato chips. They taste like whatever the flavoring is so it's important that Riceworks gets the flavoring just right.

I didn't expect them to satisfy my Doritos craving so thoroughly, a craving I didn't even realize I had until I started eating these chips. They are triangle-shaped. They are just spicy enough to make my nose run. They turn my fingers red from the chili-flavored coating. They are a bit sweeter than Doritos, which I'm enjoying. 

The Riceworks website is kind of annoying, with lots of moving images that take ages to load on my hamster-run Africa internet connection. But they have a coupon (on the U.S. and Canada sites; couldn't find it on the U.K. site). Saving a few cents is worth a few moments of uploading time, right? 

Riceworks crisps are sold at a store near you (not me). They're also available in bulk from Amazon.com groceries and Homegrocer.com.

Image from homegrocer.com.