Beer Barrel

We met Michael and his son Tim for lunch yesterday.
We went to the Beer Barrel on Fitzherbert Avenue.
It is a sports bar.
They do food...
...sort of.
Don't.go.there.
Not for food.
Pleasant staff... BIG tv screens...
Food?
Oh.Dear!!!
Trust me...

Disgusted!

or should that be DISGUSTED!  An item on a New Zealand current affairs programme last night was about the practice of some butchers 'to the trade' (ie restaurants) of 'glueing' meat to make even portions. For example: the 'tail' end of a fillet of beef is glued to base of the tail to make an even width fillet (I'm not explaining this too well am I?)

http://www.3news.co.nz/meat-gluing-practiced-by-some-restaurants/tabid/367/articleID/206988/Default.aspx

Check this out!

The glue (actually a powder) contains transglutaminase (among other chemicals!), which I understand contains gluten!
WTF???

When I don't feel like cooking...

this is what we do.

How lucky am I?

Just around the corner from our house is Hotel Coachman, one of Palmerston North's finest hotels. Their in-house cafe is called La Patio. The Chef has Coeliac disease. ...

How lucky am I?

Window shopping with my Mum and sister

We do it every now and then. Spend the day together, deciding what we would buy if money was no object... we have lunch and maybe a gelato later in the afternoon, and we spend our imaginary dollars (on boots and Merino sweaters).
Eating out can be quite an exercise with celiac disease - where to go to eat safely. The answer yesterday was Moxie's Cafe. Moxie's is on the corner of Main and George St, Palmerston North. The place was buzzing, a cabinet of lucious looking food clearly marked - green stickers for ordinary people, red for those of us who have special needs. They even have an entire menu (red of course) with gluten-free options - an.entire.menu. ! The staff are young, beautiful, friendly and aware. Moxie's deserves a medal - and the Cajun Chicken Salad was delicious.
I didn't need dinner last night - I made this pork the day before...

 HONEY SPICE PORK

4 tbsp clear honey
4 tbsp gf soy sauce
juice of 1 large orange
zest of 1 orange
4 star anise
4 garlic cloves - chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a small pot, heat until melted together and pour over pork (chops or slices).

I forgot the garlic, but added it later

Cover and cook at 150c for about 1 1/2 hours.