Not so sure about Nepali Kitchen in Lincoln City, Oregon...

I have heard great things about this place.  Not sure I should call it Collage Foods, Cyber Gardens or Nepali Kitchen as it has all 3 signs on the front.  Last Tuesday I took my son in there to try the food.  Atmosphere and decor have not really changed since the last few owners, but it's charming either way.  I believe we sat on the Nepali Kitchen side for about 5 minutes before the cook emerged from the swinging kitchen doors.  He hastily handed me a menu and returned to the kitchen.  Now, Lincoln City is full of excellent restaurants that are bustling with servers and customers alike.  This place was dead at noon.  I have to admit, I could already see a few clues as to why.  1. No actual server to greet you and make you feel like they're open for business.  2. Cleanliness (lack of). 3. Diminished atmosphere, no music. I decided to try the food anyway.  Upon referral, I was told they had Gluten Free Soups and menu options and were very knowledgeable about the needs of people on a Gluten Free diet.  My experience was much different.  I don't expect every server and every eatery to know all about this.  However, I do expect some gamesmanship.  If someone is going to be accommodating, us Celiac's can tell right away.   Straight from the look on their face when we drop the G-Free BOMB!  It's most realistic to have low expectations and be met with positives.  Anyway, After looking over the menu....reading every detail....looking at the pictures....and investigating the overall quality of the menu itself, the cook finally emerged.  If I was in a hurry, I would've walked up the street and gotten something else...anything else!  We ordered one breakfast skillet to share, meat and vegetable with toast on the side. Simple.  As he scurried away, I shouted out what we would like to drink....we had already invested 15 minutes and weren't going without!  As we sat and admired all of the adornments on the walls, ceiling, doors, bar etc...we began to wonder how all glass tables and high chairs were thought to be kid friendly?  I mean, I believe what I read on Urban Spoon!  Yet, we sat waiting an unusually long time for our "skillet" which was described as a combination of hashbrowns, eggs, vegetables and meat.  It didn't exactly specify which vegies and which meat...call it adventurous to order breakfast at Nepali Kitchen and have mystery eats!  I wish we had a server that I could've asked more questions of about Gluten Free options because the lunch and dinner menu looked fantastic.  But, breakfast is generally the safest option for me.  However, I will reiterate, I think we were in the wrong place!  Moving on, our food arrives and we were left once again to forage silverware, cream, sugar, napkins, salt & pepper from the next table....because our cook was back in the kitchen!  Luckily, nobody was there to witness our thievery!   The food itself was simply plated on a clear glass plate with the toast piled right on top of the layered shredded hashbrowns, and scrambled up eggs.  Fantastic.  My son said his food was good.  Not that he's asked to go back, but just the same.  I believe I will try again to enter the Cyber Garden Cafe in the adjacent room.  There's no outside entrance now?  If the sliding glass door is locked for customer entry, than I am not sure what else to do but give Nepali Kitchen a big "EH?"

Excellent Gluten Free Breakfast Scramble

My days start with fresh brewed coffee at 6am...and breakfast is sometimes an oversight until mid-morning when my hands start to shake a little.  I think for Celiac's, it is so easy to get caught up not eating or eating prepared foods most of the time.  They are pre-packaged and ready to take along with you.  I am fortunate that I get to eat breakfast at home most days and my 3 year old loves to share.  This scramble is just right for 2 people and hits the spot when I need some protein...and flavor! 

Tools:
Medium size Frying Pan
Cooking Spray
Small Spatula
Medium Kitchen Knife
Cutting Board
1/2 Cup Measure


Ingredients:
1/2 Cup (Insernio's)Chicken Breakfast Sausage
1/4 Red Pepper Diced
2 Slices Yellow Onion Sliced
7 Eggs
Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Grated Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese or Goat Cheese
Handful of torn Cilantro Leaves

• Preheat your medium frying pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
• Cut off one end of the chicken sausage pkg and squeeze it into the 1/2 cup measure.
• Dump into the hot pan.  Break it up with your spatula.
• Dice your vegies and add straight to the chicken sausage.
• Stir well, breaking up larger chunks of meat. 

• Turn heat to high, cover with a lid and let steam for about 4 minutes.
• Uncover and let the vegies caramelize over the high heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat back to Medium and crack eggs straight into meat and vegies. Add Ground Black Pepper & Stir well.
• Keep stirring from bottom to top. Be sure eggs do not get brown and overcooked.
• Turn off heat when they are a little undercooked.
• Shred your cheese and tear your cilantro leaves from the stems.
• Place scramble into your dishes and adorn with cheese and cilantro.

This recipe has lots of vegies...just the way I like it! I toasted some Rudi's Gluten Free Bread with mine! 

Enjoy!!

Is Mustard Gluten Free?

In my line of work, people ask me a lot of questions about what is and what is not gluten free, soy free, dairy free etc.  I do not claim to be an expert.  Although I have studied the products I use for my everyday baking needs.  I have gotten into a debate with one customer that is still convinced that eggs are dairy...even after I explained to her that they do not contain lactose.  The latest however is that mustard seeds contain gluten.  This surprised me because mustard plants and seeds are not part of the wheat (triticum, Poaceae) family which is an edible, non-flowering grain.  Mustard seed originates from rosids (Cruciferae) family of flowering plants.  When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I was told to stay away from it because it contained vinegar.  9 years ago, it was believed that vinegar was unsafe because it is distilled using wheat and there may be traces of wheat in the liquid.  I believe all of this has been proven safe now.  Where I can see the correllation between gluten and mustard is in the manufacturing of mustard sauces in factories.  After conducting my own research, I have concluded that most table mustard sauces do contain gluten as added to mustard seed paste.  Generally, mustard seed is ground into powder and is cut with wheat flour, thus named mustard flour.  Not to be confused with "mustard powder" on the label.  My next conclusion is not to trust labelling of mustard unless it states "gluten free" after the ingredients.  Because, some companies are just not up to par on their labeling and because it's not worth taking the chance.  I have included a list and link for more information.  So, next time anybody tells you something is or isn't G-free, take it from me, do your own research! 

  "All major commercial brands of mustard contain gluten; here is a list of gluten-free mustards:

* Bone Suckin' Mustard
* Mr. Spice Honey Mustard
* 365 Organic German Mustard and Dijon Mustard
* Annie's Organic Honey Mustard
* Atomic Horseradish Creamy White Mustard
* Natural Value Organic Dijon, Horseradish, Stoneground, and Yellow Gluten-Free Mustards.
* Whole Kids Organic Yellow Mustard"

(List credits are from answers.yahoo.com)

Some of my favorites can be found on Amazon.com:



Westbrae Mustard

Nance's Sharp and Creamy Mustard

Annie's Organic Honey Mustard

Annies Naturals 24169 Organic Horseradish Mustard (Google Affiliate Ad)