first, you need to take the meat off of the bones, if you’re using a whole bird (this is the annoying part, but it’s worth it). then melt some butter in a warm pan (ceramic or cast iron work best), and throw the little pieces of meat in there. once the bird is properly browned, put some cooking sherry in the pan (half to three-quarters cup) and let it simmer for a good 45 minutes. if the liquid runs out (which will likely happen if using a regular stainless steel pan), then feel free to add some water, just enough so the pan doesn’t run dry.

after around 45 minutes to an hour, I usually add more sherry (about a quarter cup) and let the alcohol burn off for just a few minutes, and then add a pint of heavy whipping cream (or soy milk). stir it all around, de-glaze and get the remnants unstuck from the bottom of the pan, and the sauce becomes a nice light brown color. taste it to see if it needs tweaking with more of the sherry or the cream.

then it’s ready to serve~ this sherry cream sauce works great as a gravy for mashed potatoes, so I always make those to go with the pheasant or other bird.  there isn’t a whole lot of meat that comes off of these tiny birds, so you would probably need to do a couple of game hens, for instance, if you have a family of four.

I’ve found that basically any recipe combining sherry and cream is delicious, so enjoy!

Z Pizza has a really crisp, greasy, fantastic gluten free crust. they have a ton of ingredients choices, from the basics to avocado, artichoke, zucchini, and most vegetables you can think of, to BBQ to Mexican. you name it. they have tons of variety!!

one of the best features for those of you who depend solely on Pizza Luce for vegan cheese pizzas, Z Pizza offers the same tapioca-based cheese substitute, which is great news for those of you with casein or dairy allergies. as much as I like Pizza Luce, it’s always nice to have a variety of choices!

although the national chain offers two sizes of gluten-free crusts, the Roseville location only carries the small size, as the large wasn’t selling when they used to offer it. they do a good job of baking in pans, so it’s protected from the rest of the pizzas, which are just thrown in the pizza oven without  pan. and they use separate pizza cutters, etc. so they’re good at avoiding cross-contamination.

Z Pizza has been in Roseville (next to Byerlys) for a couple of years now, I don’t know why it took me so long to go there!! it’s definitely great pizza! check it out if you haven’t already.

just take one of those little jars of roasted red peppers, and throw the whole thing (juice and peppers both) into a blender. then throw in a can of whole peeled tomatoes. and that’s basically it! the rest is just optional. I usually throw in a little olive oil (one or two Tbls), possibly garlic, some salt and pepper, and blend it up. it’s ready to go!

I usually cook the chicken breast in the oven, and then throw the sauce on top for an extra 3-5 minutes at the end, so that it’s nice and warm, but you could also warm the sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave. this has got to be one of the easiest recipes I make. and one of the tastiest. definitely a great meal for a busy night!

1 Udi’s pizza crust

about a 1/3 jar of Davanni’s pizza sauce (found at most grocery stores in the Twins Cities metro)

4 oz mozzarella (I use goat cheese mozzarella)

fresh basil~ I tear into little pieces and scatter on top the cheese, about 1-2 large leaves or more smaller ones

Hormel pepperoni (about 15 slices)

cook at 375 for about 15 minutes, give or take, depending on how well the cheese melts and how crispy the pepperoni becomes

the basil is very important~ I think it’s probably the key part. if you don’t have basil, fresh oregano leaves work as well, but I prefer the basil. in a pinch, dried herbs or Italian herb mixtures will help, but won’t make them nearly as good. I recommend getting an actual basil plant~ these are usually available year-round in the produce section of Kowalski’s. it costs about the same as a package of leaves but can last much longer.

obviously, you can add any other toppings that you like. and if you enjoy sausage pizza, I would recommend going to Kowalski’s for this as well, where they have an italian sausage mixture (mild or spicy). then fry it up, (preferably in some leftover bacon grease), before adding it on top the pizza before placing it in the oven. this sausage mixture is not in actual sausage casings, it’s just the mixture, and it’s perfect for lasagna as well.

I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

(only their Riverside and Grand & Cleveland locations will not have them.)

feel free to go to (or get delivery from!) your nearest Davanni’s pizza now!

as with everything, it’s generally a good idea to verify specific ingredients or cross-contamination issues personally.

Caramel Apple Sundae
Location: Carousel Plaza, in front of Grandstand
Rootbeer, Strawberry, Orange and Cider Floats
Sliced Caramel Apples with Ice Cream

The Charcoal Hut
Location: Next to Intn’l Bazaar & Horticulture Bldg.
Gluten Free Food: Turkey Drumsticks, Grilled Chicken Pieces and Breast Fillets

Cinnamon Roasted Nuts
Location: Intl. Bazaar-Back Wall
Cinnamon Roasted Almonds, Cashews & Pecans

Coasters
Gluten Free Food: Omelets, chicken breasts, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, steaks, prime rib

Corn Roast
Location: Across from East end of Grand Stand
Gluten Free Foods: Roasted Corn & Butter

Dino’s Gyros
Location: Carnes & Underwood
Greek Salad without Pita
Hummus

Dole Whip
Location: Next to Sweet Martha’s
Non-Dairy Fruit Flavored Soft Service in a Bowl

Falafel King
Location: Food Building 121
Gluten Free Foods: Falafel on a stick, Humus, Garlic Chicken Pocket, Chicken, Veggie, Veggie Pocket, Gyros Meat

Foot Long Hot Dogs/Spidahl, A.
Location: Cosgrove Street between Fine Arts & 4-H
Foot Long hot dog (no bun) Hormel, Heinz ketchup & mustard & Sauer Kraut

French Meadow Café
Location: 1703 Carnes Ave (under Giant Slide)
Cupcakes, Coffee, &Tea Frozen Frappe, Espresso drinks

Fudge Folks, Inc.
Location: Grandstand (Lower Level)
Gluten Free Foods: Fudge

Giggles Camp Fire Grill
Location: Corner of Cooper St. & Lee Ave.
Salad On A Stick, Salmon On A Stick, Plain Elk Burger Without the Bun
Red Bridge Beer

Henry’s Kettle Korn
Location: Northwoods
Gluten Free Foods: Kettle Korn

Holy Land Brands, Inc.
Location: Intl. Bazaar
Hummus, Kobobs (Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Shrimp, Falafel, Kufta) Chicken Sampler Tray

Ice Cream Parlour
Location: Heritage Square
Gluten Free Foods: Ice Cream

Key Lime Pie Bar & Iseland Way Sorbet
Location: Next to Skyride (Across from Food Bldg/Food Court)
Gluten Free Foods: Island Way Sorbet, Coconut, Pineapple, Pina Colada, and Orange/Mango in natural fruit shells

Mexican Hat
Location: Dan Patch Ave. Next to KSTP TV
Tamales, Nachos & Cheese, Enchiladas,
Chili with Nacho Chips, Corn Shell Tacos

Minnesota Apples Inc
Location: Horticulture Building
Gluten Free Food: Apples, Apple Cider, Cider Freeze

Minn. Cultivated Wild Rice Council
Location: Dairy Building
Wild Rice

Moe & Joe’s
Location: Clough & Judson
By Miracle of Birth Center
Coffee Blends & Fruit Smoothies

O’Gara’s at the Fair
Location: Dan Patch St. Near Main Entrance
Chopped Beef Steak with Onions & Mushrooms
Corned Beef & Cabbage, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and
Mike’s Light Cranberry Possibly a GF beer

Pickle Dog
Location: Corner of Carnes & Regget
Gluten Free Foods: Pickle Dog (Pickle, Pastromi, Cream Cheese, Pickle on a Stick, Koolaid

Patinella’s Chicken Grill
Location: Under Walkway to Grandstand
Gluten Free Foods: Chicken & Rice Bowls—The chicken is marinated in olive oil red wine, Vin & spices. The garlic rice has olive oil & garlic only. The yellow rice does have wheat gluten& corn cereal solids. Garlic rice can be substituted for yellow rice in any bowl.
Original Chicken & Rice—marinated grilled chicken breast—substitute garlic rice for yellow.
Deluxe Chicken & Rice—chicken, garlic rice, lettuce, tomato, onion
LBrazilian—chicken & rice, garlic rice, black beans, lettuce, tomato, onion
Italian—chix-rice, Italian beans, Romano cheese
Greek Chicken—chix-rice, garlic rice, lettuce, tomato, onion, tzaziki
Vegitarian—chix-rice, lettuce, black beans, lettuce, tomato, onion, eheddar
Mexican—chix-rice, lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese

Sadie’s Frozen Custard Ice Cream
Location: DNR Park
Gluten Free Food: Frozen All Products Except the Cones, Custard Ice Cream

San Felipe Tacos
Locaton: Food Bldg. East Wall off Cooper St.
Request the following with a Corn Tortilla
Beef Taco, Jerk Chicken Taco without the Jerk Sauce,
Vegetarian Taco, Nachos Grande, Nachos & Cheese

Simply Nuts & More
Location: Coliseum Bldg, East Side
Gluten Free Foods: Cashews, Honey Cashews, Mixed Nuts, Cranberry Trail Mix, Triple Berry, Roasted Almonds, M-M Trail Mix, Pistachio’s, Chocolate Peanuts, Butter Toffee, Peanuts,

Sonny’s Tornado Potato
Location: Food Building
Deep Fried Spiral Potato Chips

Sutler’s Taffy
Location: In Front of Education Bldg.
Taffy

Taco King
Location: Judson Ave Across from The Miracle of Life Barn
Gluten Free Foods: Beef, Chicken & Bean Tostadas, Nacho Chips & Cheese, Beef, chicken, beans and cheese fried corn tortilla, Deep fried corn chips and nacho cheese sauce.
Nachos Grande

Texas Steak Out
Location: Machinery Hill Across From
Little Farm Hands
Tater Twisters, Tater Dogs, Turkey Leg, Brisket, BBQ Beef Ribs, Sausage on a Stick, Roasted Corn on a Stick, Baked Potato, Steak Chili, Texas Steak
Dinner on a Stick (without the bread roll)

Thomasina’s Cashew Brittle
Location: Creative Activities Bldg. Annex
Cashew Brittle

West Indies Soul Food Inc.
Location: International Bazaar
Gluten Free Foods: Jerk Chicken
Jerk Pork, Sweet Tea & Lemonade

as a side note, I know that Northland is only allowed to include the items that the vendors say are gluten-free on a form that they send out. however, there could be more foods that are gluten free, but not listed. so it’s beneficial to ask. for instance, I always eat the french fries at the stands that only carry french fries, as those are the only things fried there, and they’ve told me it’s made of just potatoes, salt, and oil. also, I know that 1919 Root Beer is gluten free, per their website (and also corn-free). and I believe I’ve asked about fresh-squeezed lemonade at various vendors and found that it’s been safe. so definitely check if you think something might be gluten free that you’d like to eat. if you find any, please feel free to send in a comment to benefit others!

in other state fair news, Northland Celiacs will host a booth in the Kare 11 Health Fair building. they’ll have information, videos, and spin wheel prizes. there will be a few fun days that they’re hosting as well:

Saturday Aug. 27  – Mad Jacks Restaurant
Monday Aug. 29 – Lakewinds
Tuesday Aug. 30 – GF Goodies
Wednesday Aug. 31 – Mississippi Market Co-op
Thursday Sept 1 – Seward Co-op

so make sure to stop by and check it out! and if you wish to volunteer at the booth, information can be found on their website in the calendar section.

have a great time at the fair!!

on the gluten free menu, my favorite are the gluten free nachos (regular or super “macho nachoz”), which are such a treat!! it’s not often that places have chips that they buy pre-made (i.e. not in a shared fryer in their restaurant). the beef, chicken, refritos, etc are all GF toppings, along with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. yum!

they also offer enchiladas, tacos, etc. the Mexican rice is safe to eat, as are the chips and salsa side, and the beans. the GF menu also lists the individual ingredients that are gluten free (meat choices, enchilada sauce, etc), in case you’re wondering, which is handy. on a more confusing note, they also list gluten-containing menu options on the GF menu that we can NOT eat (pizza, quesadillas, etc). I’d guess that it’s because they get asked frequently as to whether these things can be made gluten free, so they’re letting us know in advance that they can’t be. however, it’s a bit confusing.

if you also have dairy allergies, here’s what I found out: avoid the refritos/ beans and chicken (and the free popcorn, which I didn’t verify to be GF but found out that it’s made with butter). but the beef, enchilada sauce, and Mexican rice are all dairy-free.

it may depend on location, but I’m told they have a few apple/pear ciders on tap that are gluten-free. I sometimes worry about how well such restaurants clean the lines and keep them separate from the beer, so if you feel more comfortable, I’m guessing they likely have bottled versions as well.

I loved the food so much, that I went to Zorbaz twice in three days. it was such a treat!!

menu items available gluten free include sirloin steak, broiled walleye, chicken, and salads.

chicken satays were the only appetizers available, but it’s nice to have any choices! especially if you’re just going out for a drink.(after all, it is a sports bar!)

they had a lot of bun-less burger options, and all of the sandwiches can be made gluten free by omitting the bun as well.  but feel free to bring your own slice of bread if you want to make it a proper sandwich!

as is typical, there are a few salad and salad dressings that are gluten free.

as for the other entrees, options such as steak, ribs, salmon, and balsamic chicken are all gluten free.

the fries are of course off limits, as are the homemade chips. but there are a surprising amount of gluten free sides available, like coleslaw, cottage cheese, potato salad, mashed potatoes, veggies, and fruit, but you may have to pay extra for some of those.

although the gluten free menu is relatively new there, they seem to take it seriously. it’s great to see more restaurant options all the time!