The circle is unbroken, to steal a musical title. Dylan Groupies at our age (slight exaggeration—my husband and I went to two back-to-back concerts in different but nearby cities) endure certain hardships. Made more difficult by my celiac disease: I can’t eat anything with even a trace of wheat. Not only does that preclude most fast food restaurants, but most breakfast offerings are extremely limited for the gluten intolerant. No pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, bagels or anything on a buffet that might be contaminated by sloppy diners who mix serving spoons. Plus, the friendly but completely perplexed stares from waitresses in Evansville, Indiana who had never heard of gluten let alone celiac disease. Made me feel a bit like a space alien traveling in human disguise.
After making do with a cup of yogurt and a banana at the Holiday Inn Expresses for breakfast and salads without dressings at other meals, I coped with my sense of deprivation by baking what turned out to be the best gluten-free banana bread ever. I used quinoa flower and the original recipe from “Joy of Cooking" for banana quick bread. I added a little baking soda, plus the baking powder the recipe called for, to give the bread a little lighter feel. I also let the bread sit in the warm oven that I had turned off once the bread was browned. I find gluten-free baked goods take longer to bake all the way through but brown just as quickly as wheat-flour baked goods. Letting the baked item sit in a warm oven for awhile solves the problem of a potentially gooey middle. I also added raisins, dried cranberries and crumbled walnuts for a nice flavor and texture mix. Yummy bread, however you pronounce quinoa.
Dorothy’s Idea of the Day: Tune in for musical memories. My next post will explore remembrances of a concert year. Or concert attendance as therapy.
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