Rachel from Heart of Light: "Things I Love About LA"

Driving on Mulholland at sunset - I generally avoid driving in LA, but I have to admit that there is something enchanting about driving along the winding hillsides and looking out over the city. There are lots of places to stop and take in the view (or go hiking!).

Decadent breakfasts - This city sleeps in and then goes wild for breakfast. If you can make it out the door by 9 am, you can have french toast and french press coffee at The Griddle, or organic eggs and bacon at Swingers, or honey nut pancakes at Snug Harbor, without any wait at all. If you're late, be prepared to wait for at least an hour for a table anywhere.

Santa Monica Farmer's Market - An institution in the city, the SM Farmer's Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can buy your veggies from the same farms that supply the best restaurants in the city, and you can eat some delicious croissants while you shop.

Outdoor shopping - Malls make me feel claustrophobic and itchy, but luckily we have lots of outdoor shopping here. My favorite place to stroll and shop is the Santa Monica Promenade, because if I get retail overload I can just walk two blocks down and be on the beach, but there is also Century City, or even the crazy Disneyland atmosphere of The Grove (but beware of the crowds - I never come here if I can avoid it).

Fabulous dinners - LA is a foodie town, packed with delicious places to eat. The amazing diversity of Southern California means we have just about everything you could possibly want. There are star studded restaurants and little hole in the wall places, and the thrill of discovering a new place is something most Angelenos share. I can't even begin to share a list of the best places, but I will point you toward Jonathan Gold, who is the last word in the Los Angeles food scene.
Concerts at the Hollywood Bowl - The Hollywood Bowl is a summer tradition here. If you check the summer schedule, you'll find there is truly something for everyone. Don't miss the chance to see one of the annual concerts where the Philharmonic plays with a band. It is always the best concert of the summer, hands down. Imagine Zero 7 or the Decemberists with a full orchestra in the background. Amazing.

A huge thank you to Rachel (Heart of Light) for guest blogging while I continue to settle into my new home called LA.

(Photography by Rachel)

Celiac Spotlight: An interview with Miss Aimee from Mostly Mod

I did a post last month on her gorgeous photography. What some of you may not know is that the lovely Miss Aimee of Mostly Mod has celiac disease. After I read about her recent trip to Marfa I was thinking: How does she maintain a gluten free diet while traveling? So I was thrilled when Miss Aimee agreed to answer a few questions about her personal experience with celiac.

When were you diagnosed with celiac disease?
About 4-5 years ago, although I will say it took me about a year to come to reality with the severity of it. I was in denial for a year thinking I could cheat the diet. I was scared that it would simply be unmanageable to continue on being "the foodie" I am in a celiac world.

What was one of the first things you ate after learning you couldn't eat gluten? Are there any foods you miss?
Well, naturally I think my body naturally disliked the foods I couldn't eat. I never liked pizza or pasta or bread. In fact, I can remember as a child always eating the inside of my sandwiches and the hamburger meat out of buns. I loved grits growing up and all corn-based products. So it wasn't a huge change for me. But I will say after knowing you cannot have something there is a funny thing that happens...you just want one more bite. I miss birthday cake from really great bakeries. I miss scones. I miss a good few bites of homemade macaroni and cheese or a good beer on a hot summer day. Although I have conveniently become a wino because of the lack of beer in the fridge.

Are there other members in your family with a gluten intolerance?
Yes, my Dad. He found out 5 years ago and that was why my sister and I both got tested. Of course my sister was fine, and I had celiac. Both my parents were not at all surprised as my Mom will tell the story over and over about the time I broke out in hives from eating too many stone wheat crackers one day. I loved those crackers! What a shame. The doctor (in the 70s) took me off wheat for about a year. Nobody knew what celiac was then!

What is meal prep like--do you cook one gluten free meal that all can share vs. separate ones?
I DO NOT make separate meals. We eat only gluten free foods in my house except for the basic bin of saltine crackers on the counter for my husband and the kids, and I always make sandwiches for the kids' lunch boxes on whole wheat bread. Although I will say my kids love toasted gluten free bread from Whole Foods. Whole Foods brand makes the BEST Prairie Bread ever! It must be toasted though. I eat it all the time.

Is there a favorite gluten free recipe you'd like to share?
Wow. So many. See my blog Mostly Mod for favorites as I post them every Tuesday! I only post recipes that are loved by the entire family. I have a fantastic Mexican cornbread recipe and we eat Pamela's brand pancake mix every Saturday for breakfast. I recently brought it on my Marfa trip and made pancakes for two families. Nobody knew they were gluten free and everyone loved them! In fact my friend Joslyn told me she thought they were better than regular pancakes! She swears she will buy them now. How great is that!

How often do you travel?
All the time. We are huge get-up-and-go-on-an-adventure kind of family. So I never know where we will eat but I can always find something!

Are there particular places you favor going where a gluten free diet can be easily accommodated?
No, I am a go-with-the-flow kind of girl. So, I am pretty easy.

Is there anywhere you would NOT recommend to a person who has dietary restrictions?
Well, I will say I am NOT a fast food kind of person and never have been. It is greasy and makes you feel so bad after eating it. I try not to ever feed it to my kids but sometimes they just want it (so you got to give in).

Basically, what's your method/best advice for handling the whole gluten issue when traveling?
Pack a small cooler bag full of fresh fruits and veggies, pack a few of your favorite boxes of gluten free crackers and a jar of peanut butter....and you won't starve no matter what. Be open-minded....chefs are pretty on the GF diet now. I find that when I go to any place to eat they pretty much all accommodate me well. You can always order a grilled chicken nothing on it and a side of rice or potato right?!

Is there anything else you'd like to add about dining out in general? (e.g., restaurants, friends' homes, etc.)
I will say my friends are intimidated at first to have us over for dinner because of my gluten free diet and then they realize it is pretty easy. I always send them to a few great gluten free recipe links on my blog sidebar that I frequent and they are all great recipes my husband and friends absolutely love! I always tell people you can't really go wrong with Mexican food either. The truth is gluten isn't good for anyone, celiac or not...so if you don't HAVE to go there why go there...right? I feel great. I have tons of energy, I am feeding my body the way I should...so yeah for celiac. I love cooking, I love eating...so it's all good over here.

Thank you for sharing, Miss Aimee!

Please feel free to email me (jackie at VanillaSpoons dot com) if you'd like to be featured in a celiac spotlight.

Related posts about dining out can be found here and here.

Part One: Proper Etiquette for a Gluten Intolerant Person When Ordering at a Restaurant.

Allergic Girl has four posts which discuss the whole dining out gluten free situation pretty darn well.

First read about creating a Cheers experience. Here she outlines steps to follow in preparation of your "Big Night" out. Basically, give a heads up to the restaurant by calling ahead. Present a gluten free card. (Get one if you don't already have one.) Be friendly. But be assertive.

Not Plain But Only is her newest bit of dining etiquette. Translation: say "only" instead of "plain" when ordering.

Another useful tip is having a safe friend with whom to dine. Someone who gets your needs and is understanding. Someone who realizes that you guys may need to leave the restaurant earlier than expected.

And finally, check out Allergic Girl's post about eating allergen-free at other people's weddings. Very similar to the steps in the Cheers experience. She also mentions bringing along a safe snack. (Just in case.)

Bon appetit!

(Stay tuned for Part Two: Proper Etiquette for a Gluten Intolerant Person When Dining at a Friend's House.)

Gluten free dining in the #1 small arts town

Northampton, Massachusetts (a.k.a. Paradise City) is a pretty cool and funky place to live. Smith College is located here. And "Noho" was once dubbed the Number One Best Small Arts Town in America. According to American Style Magazine, it's one of the Top 25 Arts Destinations. The New York Times picked Northampton as the best place for retirees in 2007.

(Via Flickr)


A vibrant Main Street filled with shops and art galleries, downtown boasts more restaurants than your usual small New England college town. There's also a bazillion coffeehouses. Duh.

(photo via Flickr)


The Calvin Theater was once Northampton's largest movie theater. It showed first run films for almost 70 years. The Calvin closed temporarily in 1994, but was later renovated and re-opened to house mostly live performances. We saw k.d. lang perform here. Like Adele (read the post below), another gorgeous voice. Also went to a few Commonwealth Opera productions here. And, yes, was lucky enough to catch a couple of flicks at the Calvin back in the day.

(photo via Flickr)


Ralph Nader made a stop here before Election Day. Notice the ice cream cone in the background. That's the famous Herrell's Ice Cream.

(Photo via Flickr)



Stripey guy in Northampton.

(Photo via Flickr)


Decent fare at this bar/restaurant with emphasis on bar. Haven't been to Packard's in a while. I just liked the greens in this picture.

*Please note, I don't know anything about the gluten free friendly status at this place.*

(photo by Justin Chung)

So if you live nearby or are just passing through you may want to visit some of the following places, road tested by me and my family. They're sure to please gluten free palates and gluten glutton ones alike.

*Please note [again]. These eating establishments are NOT gluten free. However, we have found them to be gluten free friendly. Ask questions. Explain your needs. But eat at your own risk. Everyone has his or her own comfort level when dining out.

Last week we had Sunday brunch at The Green Bean where my son LOVES the ginger buckwheat pancakes. Ironically, buckwheat is gluten free. Who'd have guessed that? The Bean is located at 241 Main Street in Northampton, MA.

(photo via Happy Cow)

Can't exactly recall what we ate but do remember that kids and I enjoyed lunch here last summer. Gluten free friendly, Bela Vegetarian Restaurant is at 68 Masonic Street in Northampton.

(photo via Happy Cow)

The India House at 45 State Street is excellent. Most items on the menu are gluten free. In fact, one of the restaurant's ads reads "gluten-free, and oh so good!" Oh so true.

Paul & Elizabeth's, a natural foods restaurant at 150 Main Street (in Thornes Marketplace) specializes in fresh fish and tempura. Though they are not a gluten free restaurant, they were able to provide us with a gluten free menu the last time we ate there.


Flayvors of Cook Farm, 129 S. Maple Street in nearby Hadley, is a great place to take the kids during the summer. Licking a gluten free ice cream cone and listening to the cows moo. What could be better? I'll tell you what. You can order a gluten free ice cream cake from Flayvors. Give them at least 48 hours notice. Choose two flavors. Cookie crunchies and fudge in the middle. Yummm.

(photo via Flickr)

A final mention goes to River Shark at 17 Montague Road in Amherst. Amherst is about 15-20 minutes from Northampton. My son loves this place. They make regular pizza and also offer a gluten free pizza crust upon request. The Shark used to serve up gluten free pasta. For $1! Unfortunately, it wasn't available when we dined there a couple of weeks ago.


Intersection of King and Main. Bellissima little town!

(photo via Flickr)