Alt. titles for this Post:
Why you should run, not walk, to Portland Oregon as Fast as your Gluten Free Legs will Carry You
OR How my diet went down the drain in two yummy stops

For a few years now, I’ve been eating my heart out because of all the wonderful gluten free restaurant options in New York City. I’ve read about all the wonderful restaurants there, especially Risotteria, and turned green with envy. I’ve also been nurturing a jealousy of celiacs in Scotland and the UK, where I hear you can get gluten free fish and chips all over the place. But very recently I realized that I had been overlooking some extraordinary gluten free dining opportunities in my own part of the US, the northwest. I made an exciting discovery a few weeks ago- a discovery that made me jump up and down, scream and do a gluten free happy dance. I was planning a road trip to Anacortes, Washington and thinking about places to stop along the way. I have a deep love for Reed College and Portland, Oregon, where I lived very happily from 1994-1998, and whenever possible I try to stop by Portland and get in touch with my inner college bohemian. (Poor thing, she’s dying a long and drawn out death here in Silicon Valley..) I sent out a call to the gluten free community at the Yahoo group SillyYaks asking for gluten free restaurant recommendations along our Northwest route through Portland, the Seattle area, and Eastern Washington. Almost immediately I got a response, telling me about this little gluten free fish and chips place in Portland. WHAT???!!! Gluten Free fish and chips in my beloved almost-hometown? They didn’t have that when I lived there! I did some research. Turns out they really didn’t have gluten free fish and chips in Portland when I lived there. I had to make do with the allergy friendly and slightly bland restaurant Old Wives Tales, for my gluten free dining. Here’s the story:

“Greg Boyce grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Friday night fish fries are a tradition and a ritual. Since moving to Portland in 1980, he had searched the area, without success, for the kind of fish fry that taverns in the Midwest serve: freshwater fish, thinly breaded (instead of heavily battered).” (Source: restaurant’s About Us page) So, he and Dana Boyce decided to open their own fish fry restaurant. When they were initially experimenting with fish fry recipes for their new restaurant, they found that rice flour resulted in the best fish fry. A customer suggested that they take the menu gluten free, and the owners brought in experts to teach them about gluten and cross contamination. And thus, an amazing gluten free friendly fish and chips place restaurant was born! They are even certified by GFRAP. They opened the Corbett Fish House on Oct. 1, 2002 to instant acclaim and later purchased an additional site at Hawthorne, a hip Portland shopping area. (Source: Celiac Chick Kim’s great review of the place in 2004)

Hawthorne Fish House
4343 Se Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97215-3162, US
503-548-4434

The First Meal Since usually my biggest problem is finding something on a menu I can eat, being faced with a menu where I can eat almost anything listed is overwhelming. I was completely giddy, but also paralyzed with indecision. There were tons of things I really wanted to order, but DH helped me focus. I was able to narrow down my order to the following items, comforting myself with the thought that we would return on our way back from Anacortes.

Oyster Shooters $1.25 each or 3 for $3 Their oyster shooters are a decent deal, considering you get one large or two small oysters per shooter. They use their tangy horseradish cocktail sauce underneath and above the oysters to compliment the “shot”… and slivers of lemon add additional tang. They were super tasty and perfectly satisfied my idea of what raw oyster shooters should be like. 9/10

Deep Fried Cheese Curds $6.50 for a HUGE portion These Wisconsin style fried cheese curds are made with local Tillamook curds and were squeaky, cheesy, and felt OH SO BAD, but in a good way. To be honest, with all the food we ordered, we only nibbled at them, but I was thrilled to get a chance to try such a crazy, sports bar appetizer. DH lurved them, and I thought they were good but SUPER rich. for me, 6/10, but they were fabulous with some Redbridge! They were probably an 8/10 for DH.

New England Clam Chowder cup $3.75 Who can resist a delicious, delicious bowl of perfect clam chowder? When I first discovered New England Clam Chowder in college, I made it every three days for weeks until my boyfriend protested. After that I just made it once a week or every other week or so.. but man, do I love clam chowder. It was one of the few foods I missed as a strict vegetarian. This is the ideal clam chowder- as one review said, somehow they manage to keep the clams tender and not chewy, and the flavor and cream sauce is absolutely perfect. We ordered it here and at Corbett Fish house later- DH just can’t resist a tasty bowl of chowder! 9.5/10

Soup of the Day: Crab Pepper Cheese When I asked the server for recommendations he said that the soup of the day was one of his favorite things on the menu. Apparently in the kitchen they call it “Crack Soup” because they love it soooo much. Those crazy boys. Anyway, this is some seriously rich, rich soup… I think in my college days I would have flipped over this spicy cheesy soup. It was really good even now, but I think my palate has changed and I don’t usually indulge in such creamy, cheesy dishes. It was a little too rich for me. DH also commented that the flavor slightly overwhelmed the taste of the crab. Still, very tasty. I could just hear my arteries committing suicide. 7/10

Fish and Chips: Tugboat Combo $14 2 pieces each of walleye, halibut, oysters, Chile-fried catfish. Let’s face it, appealing appetizers and soups aside- I was really here for one reason, and one reason only: the chance to have gluten free fried fish in a restaurant. Deciding what to get was difficult, but luckily they have a small sampler that you can order with four of their most popular items. They were all good, but I especially liked the small, delicate oysters and chile-fried catfish. However, I think more field research and tasting is necessary to truly pick a definitive favorite. Ah, the trials, the trials of having a food blog. It was all awesome, and the fries beneath the fish were PERFECT- crispy, light, and still with delicious skin on some of the fries. YUM YUM YUM. We had three sauces- jalapeno tartar, tartar, and their horseradish rich cocktail sauce. Each one was DELISH, and I established a favorite sauce for each different fish. Of course I can’t remember now which went with which…. clearly this calls for another expedition and more field research. DH’s only comment, besides the sound of happy chewing, was that he did wish cod came with the sampler. We satisfied his craving later… 9/10


Thank goodness for Redbridge Beer! $4 I guess that before Redbridge came along the Fish House just offered GF cider. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE hard cider, but somehow fish and chips begs-cries- SCREAMS for beer. I never enjoyed a beer so much as I did that day with all that delicious, crispy, fried goodness. I’m still a baby sipper though- I think I only drank (at most) a fourth of the beer, but lunch is a bit early for me to start tippling, anyway.

After a brisk walk up and down Hawthorne, we went back for Dessert: Chocolate Cheesecake. I was in the mood for cheesecake, but probably my big mistake was ordering a non traditional chocolate rather than the berry cheesecake that I really wanted. I just couldn’t resist chocolate… The crust was made of nuts, I think, and was the only thing I had at the restaurant that actually tasted “gluten free”- and it seems to me that chocolate doesn’t really compliment cream cheese all that well, at least in this execution. I’m a savory girl anyway, and while I was thrilled at the opportunity to enjoy dessert to top off a perfect meal, I don’t think I would order that particular dessert again. Ah well. Serious kudos to them for even offering a gluten free dessert menu at a “mainstream” restaurant. So cool! 5/10

*Note: this is rarely the case, but after eating here, I didn’t experience as much as a twinge from gluten ingestion- it was just as if I’d eaten something made in my own kitchen. Yay! Now THAT is the mark of a great gluten free restaurant.- NOTE: Sandwiches are not GF, read menu for GF mark*
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The best thing about the Hawthorne Street location of this restaurant is… the location. Hawthorne Street is a shopping paradise for fans of funky, local, artsy stuff. I happen to be one of those fans, if it wasn’t clear already. Oh yeah, and did you know there is no sales tax in Oregon? I have REALLY missed that. Can you imagine, just paying the price on the TAG of what you’re buying? Yeah. It’s pretty fantastic. I only went a little crazy in the neighborhood, shopping for birthday presents at the Fred Meyer chain store (similar to Target or Kohls, if you’re not familiar with this Northwest retail giant) and then shopping for me at all the funky local shops.

Highlights: Common Grounds Coffee Shop, Bagdad Theater & Pub for cheap art movies in red velvet theater surroundings, with (non GF) pizza and beer served, Powells Books and Powells Books for Home and Garden, and a variety of fabulous little shops with locally made furniture, jewelry and decorative items. Also some great inexpensive clothes and shoes with funky Portland college students in mind. Also, stop by the Daily Grinds Health Food Store down the street from the Fish House- some gluten free cookies (Quinoa etc.) and some goods by local companies like Angeline’s Bakery- their Vegan Java Crunch bars may be about a billion calories but they are AWESOME.

*update: it appears that the Daily Grind has closed its doors for good. -Dec. 2007

Vacationing in Portland? Here’s a site describing the various shopping districts in Portland
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Corbett Fish House
5901 Sw Corbett Ave
Portland, OR 97239-3709
503-246-4434

On our way home from Anacortes, we stopped at the first fish and chips place opened by Dana and Greg Boyce, Corbett Fish House. It was a bit tricky getting to the place from the interstate, due to some confusing streets and convoluted roads that aren’t very well marked. However, eventually we made it to the restaurant, and we were so glad that we did. It has the same menu as the Hawthorne Fish House, but with better natural lighting. There were fewer customers, so we got a prime window seat and settled in to enjoy some tasty fish. The best part though, was the gluten free coffeeshop bakery next door… Post to follow. But what did we order this time around?

Calamari $8 This was my absolute favorite appetizer that we enjoyed at the restaurant. They had squid rings and tentacles, making this not a dish for the weak of heart, but one with great variance in texture. The calamari was coated in cornmeal and quickly flash fried, leaving the squid tender but cooked. Then it was sprinkled with Parmesan, fresh parsley, and (possibly) garlic… whatever was on there, it was super yummy and I’m dying to have this dish again. DH thought it was very yum as well. 10/10

Sweet Potato Fries
$6.50 I have a huge weakness for sweet potato fries but they are usually off limits due to shared fryers and cc concern. Happily, there’s no such concern at the Corbett Fish House (or Hawthorne, where they have the same menu) and so we ordered a basket of these yummy, yummy thing. Unfortunately our eyes were bigger than our stomachs (thank goodness) so we ended up packing the fries up to go- and had a few later and reheated them at home when we returned. Good stuff! But actually, I think the regular fries with their yummy skins were my favorite. 7.5/10

Personalized order of Fish and Chips: Half Oysters, Half Pacific Cod You can actually customize your fish and chips order, which I realized when I read a review of the restaurant. DH had mentioned how he wanted to try cod, and I, like Kim of Celiac Chicks, loved the oysters in the tugboat sampler, so we ordered half of each. The cod was great, although you should keep in mind that pieces are small- not a problem for me, but some reviews were critical of this fact. The oysters… well, actually I was a little disappointed, because they were much larger than the ones I enjoyed at the Hawthorne Fish House, and somehow the larger ones were less appetizing and made me start to think about the gray, spongy texture of the oyster more than I actually wanted to. I think I’ll stick with the sampler- or ask for small oysters, if possible. 6.5 or 7/10

We couldn’t resist having another order of clam chowder and oyster shooters, ’cause they were just so good! *drool*


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Here’s a comprehensive guide to gluten free dining in Portland.
A news article on the Corbett Fish House

Old Wives Tales in Portland is a healthy, gluten-free and veggie-friendly (with non-veg protein options) restaurant that was started by two alumni from my old school. :) It’s a good spot for breakfast. Recent reviews indicate it’s great for gluten free soups and sandwiches!

WHILE YOU’RE IN OREGON, stop at

Angeline’s Gluten Free Bakery in Sisters, Oregon
and
Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store and Cafe in Milwaukee, Oregon

You know, Portland, Oregon (and Oregon in general) has become a great gluten free destination. I always loved the city, but now there are even more reasons to love it- so the next time you’re considering travel to the Northwest, I hope you’ll stop at these places and give them your business. If only they’d expand into California, sniff…

Note: My gluten free mustard didn’t include mustard seeds, but they add a lot of visual appeal if you can find it.You could also sprinkle indian brown mustard seeds… Tofu prepared this way is sweet and light, and would be great in a salad.

Grilled Zucchini with Tomato and Olive Salad Side Dish  Vegetables  Mediterranean

Ingredients 1 lb fresh zucchini and/or squash 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 tsp fresh minced thyme 1 medium sized tomato cut in small dice 1 lg garlic clove, minced 16 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (or regular blk olives) 1 tbsp chopped capers 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar salt, freshly ground pepper 1 tbsp pine nuts 8-10 fresh basil leaves Directions Heat or otherwise prepare grill or grill pan. (charcoal or propane grill is best) Cut zucchini lengthwise 1/4 inch thick, baste in 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle fresh thyme until evenly coated. Combine diced tomato cubes, garlic, olives, capers, and red wine vinegar in a bowl and put aside. Salt and pepper zucchini or squash rounds and grill until marked with grill stripes (3 minutes or less depending on heat). Place on serving platter when done, spread tomato olive mixture on top and season with salt and pepper. sprinkle with pine nuts and attractively cut basil and serve. Notes DH and I don’t even like zucchini, and we gobbled this whole recipe up in a night. A good pizza-less “pizza”- very tasty tapa dish. Yum! Perfect for using fresh farmer’s market zucchini available everywhere this year.

Rating:  9 Original Source:   Recipe ID:  1078 Added:  May 28, 2007 Last Modified:  May 16, 2009

Dijon Mustard Dill Salmon (Or Tofu) Main Course  Potatoes  Tofu  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1/4 cup dijon mustard 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 3 tbsp brown sugar 1/2 lb baby new potatoes in 1/4 in slices 2 8 oz salmon fillets OR 1 1/2 packages firm tofu, pressed lightly and cut into thin rectangles (1/4 in thick) 1 bunch rainbow kale deveined and sliced into ribbons Directions Heat oven to 350 F. Mix first four ingredients and leave at room temperature, covered, for up to two hours. If making TOFU version, spray pan with nonstick spray and coat tofu with 4 tsp sauce, and bake for 15 minutes. Put potatoes in small bowl and coat with 1 tbsp of sauce, tossing. If making TOFU version, turn tofu over and then add potatoes around the edges in single layer for 15 more minutes. If making SALMON version, potatoes bake alone for 15 minutes and then get pushed over to make room for salmon (basted with sauce), which bakes for about 18 more minutes. If making TOFU version, keep turning tofu over and potatoes over at 15 minute intervals until golden brown. If potatoes are done too early, take them out and continue to bake tofu. While these are baking, place kale in skillet with 2 tbsp sauce and stir over medium high heat until wilted and flavorful. Divide up dishes and plate with greens, Tofu OR Salmon, and potatoes. Notes I made both salmon and tofu, and both were very good. Tofu would probably benefit from marinating in the sauce before baking, but it got nicely golden brown and faintly sweet. Lovely dill flavor. We served it with fresh corn on the cob and a little leftover grilled zucchini.

Additional Pictures

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Bon Appetite March 1995 Recipe ID:  1079 Added:  May 28, 2007 Last Modified:  August 12, 2008

For any vegetarian readers, although I have not made this recipe vegetarian, it would be easy to do so. For vegans, Ener-g foods egg substitute could be used instead of eggs, and water or shitake broth could be substituted for the dashi in the sauce and batter. Sautee your favorite vegetables as toppings. Cheese is another fun addition for non vegans. Leave off the bonito flakes and top with sauce, mayonnaise, and ao nori seaweed flakes for a delicious, veggie version. (There are several brands of gluten free vegan mayonnaise- and you could also try my posted eggplant mayonnaise for a really creative twist.) Here is a creative vegetarian (though not GF) version of Okonomiyaki, by one of my favorite Expat food bloggers.

This recipe actually makes quite a lot of batter- you can cut it in half, leave the batter in the fridge and make some the next day (adding liquid as needed, as it will get thicker with time), or prepare the whole recipe and keep the okonomiyaki bases in the fridge for later. (Don’t top them with any sauce- just leave them plain. Slice them for lunch “pizzas” and bring along a little container of sauce, mayo, and flake toppings… Then microwave them briefly, top as if they were fresh, and enjoy!) It might be possible to freeze them, but I haven’t tried it, personally.

View regional variations on okonomiyaki and recipes offered by a Japanese food company

Kansai or Osaka Style Okonomiyaki has the ingredients mixed into the batter and is found throughout Japan.

“The batter is made of flour, grated yam, water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage, and usually contains other ingredients such as Welsh onion, meat (generally pork or bacon), octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, kimchi, mochi or cheese.Ookonomiyaki is prepared much like a pancake. …The batter and other ingredients are fried on both sides on either a hot plate (teppan) or a pan using metal spatulas that are later used to slice the dish when it has finished cooking. Cooked okonomiyaki is topped with ingredients that include okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce but thicker and sweeter), nori, fish flakes, mayonnaise and ginger.” (Source: Wikipedia)

When Kansai style Okonomiyaki “is served with sliced cabbage and a layer of fried noodles (either ramen or udon) worked into the mix, it is called modanyaki. (Modern grill)” (Source: Wikipedia) Obviously wheat based ramen or udon won’t work for us gluten free folks, but you could easily try it with corn or rice noodles.

Hiroshima style okonomiyaki involves layering ingredients rather than mixing them together, and is often topped with noodles and fried egg.
Here is a blurb about its history:
“The roots of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki lie in something called “Issen youshoku” (one-penny Western food) that spread across western Japan like cheap candy before the war. Wheat flour was mixed with water and spread in a circle on a griddle. Chopped green onions and such were sprinkled on top, then the concoction was folded in half and served. This proved to be an extremely popular dish. As the name implied, you could buy it for one “sen” (1/100 of a yen), which at the time could purchase two large lollipops. And it made a perfect afternoon snack for children. From these beginnings, meat and cabbage were added to the mix after the war and the modern Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki was born.” (source: Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Shop Waka Taka)

Fun With Okonomiyaki Videos!

The video (in Japanese) on the left is a clip from the Japanese drama “The Man who can’t get Married,” Summer 2006. Our hero (the man who can’t get married) is at a popular Okonomiyaki restaurant. It begins with his dining companion stirring the okonomiyaki. The protagonist (or should I say, antagonist), gives her detailed instructions on how to make Okonomiyaki. Tired of his suggestions and intimidated by his specialized knowledge of Okonomiyaki making, she finally says, “I’ve totally lost my confidence, you do it.” He takes the bowl from her, finds she has stirred it badly, stirs it properly and begins to grill the okonomiyaki on the teppen grill. Note how he flourishes the metal spatulas and turns the okonomiyaki because the heat may be unevenly distributed. When it is done he spreads it with okonomiyaki sauce and sprinkles blue seaweed (ao nori) and bonito fish flakes on top. She asks, “Hey, how about mayonnaise,” and he cuts that idea short. She apologizes for suggesting it. She takes a bite at last, saying “Oishii!!!!” (delicious) and he snipes, “It was made in such a way as to make it delicious.” Such a charmer.

Here is another great video in Japanese that I found on YouTube which is taken in an okonomiyaki restaurant in Japan. This particular version is quite nouveau as it contains big blocks of cheese, which is melted and then topped with more batter and finally topped with a Shiso (perilla) leaf. Watch the experts at work! Note how the okonomiyaki sauce is brushed on. Next the server asks if the customers want Mayonnaise, to which they reply, “We Absolutely Do”… The final shot is of another okonomiyaki topped with shredded green onion (or similar vegetable) and a poached egg.

And finally, a video in ENGLISH by a sweet guy who just wants to show English Speakers how to make (mini) okonomiyaki.

Visit Odds that Never End, to see one family’s variation of my okonomiyaki recipe… It was a big hit! Yay!

Okonomiyaki Japanese As you Like It Pancake Main Course  Vegetables  Japanese

Ingredients Basic Ingredients: 1/2 lg head green cabbage; finely chopped 1/4 c finely chopped green onions 2 1/2 c Gluten Free Blend by Bette Hagman (or preferred flour) 4-6 tbsp dashi (stock made from bonito fish flakes) 2 c water (add more as needed- dough should be like slightly thick pancake batter) 4 eggs 1 tsp xanthan gum oil for frying optional: 4 ts Beni-shoga (red pickled ginger- dark pink and already sliced into sticks) Some Possible Additions: (seafood- or meats, if you are so inclined) Octopus, Squid, Prawns, Scallops, Fresh tuna cubes (vegetable) Onion, Mushroom, Sliced Green Beans, Tofu… anything! All of these things should be in bite-sized pieces. Condiments: 1/2 c (homemade) okonomiyaki sauce 1/2 c mayonnaise (in squeeze bottle) 4 ts aonori; (dried green seaweed flakes) 4 ts katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) Directions 1. Thoroughly mix cabbage, flour, dashi, water, eggs, ginger and onions in large bowl. 2. Heat lightly greased griddle or skillet over low to medium heat. Saute any meat or seafood ingredients that need to be well done. Remove from pan, clean, and lightly oil. 3. Ladle approximately 1 cup batter onto hot griddle into a circle. Add about 1/3 cup of desired ingredients (from seafood, vegetable categories etc.) on top of the batter. I like to add strips of pickled ginger on the top. 4. Cook until bottom of okonomiyaki starts to color and edges become firm. Using multiple spatulas, loosen okonomiyaki and flip it over. Cook until bottom has turned light golden and center is firm, about 6 to 8 minutes. 5. To garnish, squeeze 2 tablespoons okonomiyaki sauce back and forth over surface of each okonomiyaki. Then alternate strips of Japanese mayonnaise to add color contrast and rich flavor. Sprinkle each okonomiyaki with 1 teaspoon aonori, then 1 teaspoon katsuobushi. Watch the bonito flakes wilt because of the heat! 6. Using spatula, cut each okonomiyaki into 4 slices. You may need to use both spatulas to pull pieces apart. Serve immediately. Repeat until all batter is used. Notes PLEASE DO NOT REPLICATE THIS RECIPE ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION Thanks!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  compiled from various sources Recipe ID:  1038 Added:  March 15, 2007 Last Modified:  March 20, 2007

Okonomiyaki sauce from scratch Sauces & Condiments  Japanese

Ingredients 2 tb tomato puree 2 tb ketchup 1/3 c worcestershire sauce (I prefer the mild Japanese brand, Bulldog) 3 tb wheat free tamari (or soy sauce) 1 ts sugar 7 tb dashi (made from katsuobushi fish flakes, this is central to Japanese cooking) 2 tb cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water Directions 1. Bring tomato puree, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar and dashi to boil in saucepan over high heat. 2. Add cornstarch mixture,a little at a time, and cook until thickened to the texture of ketchup. 3. Cool before serving. All prepared okonomiyaki sauces contain wheat from wheat based soy sauce, so this is a great recipe to have. I simmer it and then let it cool before pouring it into a squirting mustard type bottle. It keeps reasonably well, too. You probably want to make the sauce a while before you actually want to eat okonomiyaki… it’s nice to have on hand, too. This recipe is derived from the out of print “Practical Japanese Cooking” by Shizuo Tsuji and Koichiro Hata.

Rating:  10 Original Source:  Practical Japanese Cooking Recipe ID:  1039 Added:  March 15, 2007 Last Modified:  March 19, 2007

One thing the gluten free diner often faces is the problem posed by packing a lunch. Oh sure, we can stave off our hunger with a Lara Bar or other protein bar- or even do creative things with lettuce leaves or tortillas, and of course we can make our own bread and our own sandwich. But, one of my favorite solutions to the gluten free diner’s lunchtime dilemma is “Onigiri, also known as Omusubi, a snack of Japanese rice formed into triangle or oval shapes and [sometimes] wrapped in nori (edible seaweed).” (source: Wikipedia) This snack holds a special place in the heart of many Japanese people- mothers often include it in their children’s first lunch away from home, and handmade onigiri is said to be made with love for the intended recipient, much like the obento, or lunch, itself. Now you can buy all kinds of onigiri in Japanese supermarket and Japanese convenience stores, varying in type from traditional flavors like fish flakes to crazy innovations like fried rice or spam- but they often contain wheat soy sauce as an ingredient. (Although the convenience store Lawson’s onigiri has many gluten free flavors…) So, whether I’m living in Mountain View, California, or Chiba City, Japan, I love to make my own onigiri. It’s filling, homey, and is especially good when served with homemade pickles and a few other nibble sized dishes. DH begs me to make tuna salad onigiri, and it’s one of my favorites, but I also love my own creation- a kimchi tuna stew filling that tastes good cold, at room temperature, or heated in the microwave. It also has the added benefit that you can use any leftover kimchi stew as a topping for rice for a hearty Korean style meal. (And the stew freezes beautifully for busy school nights!) But, for vegetarian palates, spinach, a dry Indian curry, raw veggies, miso, or natto- fermented soy, make excellent fillings. Some people love crispy seaweed nori sheets wrapped around rice balls- and I like it too, but because only the freshest toasted nori sheet has good flavor, lately I’ve been making them without.

Some suggested fillings:
Traditional- pitted and minced Umeboshi (pickled plums), katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings) mixed with small amount of GF soy sauce or GF miso paste, tuna or cooked salted salmon, Smoked salmon, Crab with mayo or crab without mayo, natto, seaweed, dried fish

Nouveau- Leftover Curried Tofu, Grilled marinated tofu, Korean BBQ tofu, Avocado cubes, cucumber, kimchi, spam (hey, not my thing, but some like it), teriyaki meat/chicken/tofu, Indian Curry, Fried rice smushed into an onigiri shape… The only limit is your imagination!

All set to make yourself some yummy, portable rice balls? Great!

To make onigiri, you need short or medium grain, high quality Japanese style rice (preferably white, but you can try brown if you don’t mind it being more crumbly), salt, sesame seeds, fillings of your choice, and saran wrap. The rice should be warm (or hot, if you can stand it and it won’t melt the plastic wrap).

Here are the best instructions for making onigiri/ omusubi

note: I highly recommend making your onigiri in a small rice bowl, as she suggests, and lining it with saran wrap. But, I wasn’t quite satisfied with dampening the saran wrap and sprinkling it with salt. My salt clumped. So, if you want salted onigiri, you might try putting the saran wrap on the counter, sprinkling it with salt, and then putting down a clump of rice on the wrap. Then, lift the saran wrap with the rice on it, fit it into the rice bowl and proceed as her site directs. Or, just skip the salting until the rice ball/triangle is formed. Then sprinkle your hands with salt and clamp them around the onigiri to add the salt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Instructions for hand shaping onigiri, with photos

Or how about Yaki Onigiri,Onigiri grilled and brushed with GF soy sauce?
For creative instructions, including instructions on freezing and reheating yakionigiri, visit http://ss-biggie.livejournal.com/26421.html

Here are two fillings that I enjoyed today in my lunch Onigiri. I also like tuna with mayo, for a creative twist on a tuna fish sandwich, shrimp with mayo, smoked salmon, or umeboshi plum as filling. I usually sprinkle them with brown or black sesame seeds, and sometimes use salt as well.

Kimchi Tuna Stew Main Course  Seafood  Vegetables  Korean

Ingredients 1 to 2 cups of well fermented kimchi (Read label carefully to find one gluten free or make your own) 1 can of tuna 2 green onions(slim, or 1 if very large) 1Tbs of chopped garlic 1 Tbs of sesame oil (flavorful japanese or korean variety) 1 Tbs of fish sauce (check for wheat on label) 10-20 small korean oval mochi chips (for use as stew) Seasoning between 1 tsp to 1 1/2 Tbs cayenne pepper (or more to taste) 1/2 tbsp paprika 1 tsp of chopped garlic 1/2 tsp of chopped ginger (See if you can find prepared bottles of this stuff at a korean market- it’s awesome for flavor and time saving!!!) Directions Cut kimchi into desirable size.(about 2 inch length) Cut green onion into 2-3 inch length pieces. Open tuna can and drain oil (or water) well. Mix ground red pepper, chopped garlic, chopped ginger to make seasoning. In a pot, stir kimchi, seasoning, chopped garlic, sesame seed oil, and tuna over high heat for about five minutes. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water over it and boil. When in starts to boil, add fish sauce and boil over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add white rice mochi chips and boil for 5 more minutes (or follow instructions on package for length of heating)- they should become soft and tender, like dumplings. Add green onion before turn off the heat. Notes I served this with white sushi rice sprinkled with furikake, a black sesame seed/salt garnish, and a simple blanched spinach in a tamari, sesame oil, garlic powder sauce- sprinkled with sesame seeds. When I use this as onigiri filling, after the stew is made I pick out the mochi chips from the part I plan to use as filling.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  modified from http://www.geocities.com/ypmljulia/ Recipe ID:  1031 Added:  March 8, 2007 Last Modified:  March 9, 2007

Spinach Sesame Okazu (side dish) Side Dish  Vegetables  Japanese

Ingredients 1 or 2 cups raw spinach 1/2 tbsp sesame oil 1/2 tbsp GF soy sauce 1/2 tbsp sake Light sesame seeds chili oil (optional) Directions Blanch spinach in salted water. drain of all water and chop. Add sesame oil to small nonstick pan, heat. Add spinach. Add GF soy sauce and sake. Turn off heat. Add sesame seeds. Sprinkle with chili oil before serving, to taste.

Rating:  7 Original Source:   Recipe ID:  1033 Added:  March 8, 2007 Last Modified:  March 8, 2007

Another pleasant accompaniment for Onigiri, or any japanese obento for that matter, is homemade Japanese pickles. I fell in love with this particular type of pickle, called “asazuke” or lightly [salted] pickles, when living in Japan. The crisp, light flavor is wonderful in hot summer or on a warm spring day, and you only have to wait an hour before you can enjoy them.

Konbu-zuke Pickled Cucumbers with Konbu Snacks  Vegetables  Japanese

Ingredients 4 Japanese cucumbers or 2 English cucumbers 2 in konbu 1 1/2 tsp salt (or less, to taste) Directions Slice cucumbers into 1/2 inch cylinders, cut thin strips of Konbu. Mix cucumbers and salt and konbu and put in a small ziploc bag. Seal and let sit at room temperature for an hour. Rinse if you like to remove excess salt flavor. Notes Excellent served in a bento (lunch box) with hearty or rich food as a crisp, fresh flavor.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Easy Japanese Pickling Recipe ID:  1032 Added:  March 8, 2007 Last Modified:  March 8, 2007

More fun with Onigiri:

Here is a charming youtube video for the Lawson convenience store’s Onigiri, which is told in a letter form by an actress playing the role of an onigiri maker. Sorry, guys, it’s in Japanese- but fun to watch anyway. It’s called “Aichan no Tegami,” or Miss Ai’s letter. She begins by saying that she can’t forget the taste of the first onigiri her mother made for her, and then explains how she came to work at the Onigiri shop. Highly romanticized portrayal of working life in Japan.

In my search for video demonstrating how to make onigiri, I found these short infomercials for a Japanese saran wrap company showing you how to make yummy onigiri using their product. It’s like a cooking show, but with the product prominently placed in front of the actors, and with the product mascot dancing behind them. It’s entitled “Kyou no Omusubi” or “Omusubi of the day.” It begins with an introduction from the hosts, then you watch them make the omusubi, and then they have a panel of three judges that try the omusubi, comment, and award it points. Each judge gets 100 points that they can possibly award, and then they add up the points for a final score. It’s pretty good for showing techniques for making different kinds of Omusubi, although sometimes they make some pretty weird combinations. Here are a few of my favorites.

Okinawan Salt and Black Sesame Seed Musubi

Miso mixed with sake and sugar, topped with a Shiso leaf

Spinach Musubi

You can enjoy more videos by going to the poster Kichinto3’s site at You Tube

I’ve always had a secret fondness for clam chowder. I remember when I first learned to make it out of the Better Homes and Garden cookbook in college. I liked it so much I made it once a week for weeks on end, until my friends begged me to stop. “Don’t you like clam chowder?” I asked. “Sure, we liked it for the first month,” they said plaintively. Realizing my efforts were being wasted, I cut back for a while. But what wasn’t to like in clam chowder? Now keep in mind, I’m firmly planted in the New England tradition. None of this newfangled acidic tomato soup for me- I’m all about the creamy, milky sauce, the chewy clams, and one of my favorite gluten free ingredients, the potato. It’s so good, so easy, relatively fast, and so forgiving.

The other day I was thumbing through Gluten Free for Dummies and I happened across a recipe by Danna Korn for a Chebe Soup/Chowder Bowl. It sounded easy enough- basically mix up a batch of Chebe original or All-purpose, with or without cheese, press it into a 3/4 inch thick crust in oven proof bowls (I used corningware) and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. If they don’t get brown and crispy enough for your taste, remove the bread bowl from the baking dish, turn them upside down onto a cookie sheet and bake until golden all over. Turn right side up and pour hot clam chowder into the bread bowls and enjoy!

I finally made this recipe last night. I made the dough without cheese, feeling that I didn’t need the extra calories, and I had just enough dough for two small (7 oz) ramekins and one larger dish. It baked up beautifully, and was a very sturdy bowl for soup. I did feel that the bowl was a bit “chewy”, which was also my estimation of Chebe as a pizza crust. I had a small soup bowl the first night, and then had the larger soup bowl with chowder for lunch. Because chebe gets even chewier when microwaved, I heated the bowl in a very hot oven for about ten minutes. It became nice and crispy; even crispier than it was the first night. The crunchy, crispy crust was really good with the creamy clam chowder. The only thing is- I realized, I had no idea how to eat clam chowder in a bowl- eat the crust and the chowder oozes out, eat the soup and, well, what about the bowl? Ah well, I think this definitely fits under the heading of a good problem to have…

New England Clam Chowder Soup  Potatoes  American

Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 celery stalk (cubed) 3 tablespoons GF flour (I used Authentic Foods brown rice, but Bette Hagman’s gluten free blend would also be good) 2 cups vegetable stock 2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice 1 cup milk (i used skim but it’s up to you) 2 bay leaves 1 pound potatoes, cut into 1/2- inch cubes- I used small red potatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), milk, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Add one tablespoon of butter (if you used skim milk). Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  based on Lieberman’s recipe on Food Network Recipe ID:  1026 Added:  February 26, 2007 Last Modified:  February 26, 2007