Gluten Free in Poughkeepsie!

I was recently in the Hudson Valley for my alumni weekend! When I was in college I was not on a gluten free diet, so I was happy to find several restaurants with gluten free options while I was visiting.

Baby Cakes Cafe

This is a cute cafe close to the Vassar campus. Baby Cakes is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A few weeks ago a friend and I stopped here for lunch. I ordered the Chicken Chipotle sandwich on gluten free bread, but without the chipotle mayo and I added avocado. Unfortunately, the cafe does not make the mayo themselves and could not guarantee that it was gluten free. I ALWAYS question dressings and marinades on my meals. It's better to be safe and ask than end up with a tummy ache! My meal was a little bland, but since I did not get sick this lunch was a success. My none gluten free friends always love their meals too.

Amici's

This is a restaurant I have dined at many times while in college; especially when family was visiting. I have never met anyone (including myself) who has had a bad meal here. When I as back in Poughkeepsie for alumni weekend my friend and I ate here for dinner. The server was very knowledgeable about their gluten free options. Amici's offers gluten free pasta along with several other dishes that they can make gluten free. (Tips: always remember to question the sauces when ordering a pasta dish) I ordered gluten free penne with white wine clam sauce and it was excellent! Gluten free or gluten lover, Amici's never disappoints!  

Shadow's On The Hudson

Shadow's was a favorite of mine while in college. My friends and family always loved going here for dinner. I did not eat here while visiting for my alumni weekend, but I did notice they have a new gluten free menu! Shadow's is another restaurant I have never had a bad meal at, so I highly recommend trying their gluten free menu if you are in the area. The restaurant is also right on the Hudson with beautiful views. 

P.S. I was VERY happy to find that Darby's carries RedBridge! That made me one happy alum!

Views From the Walkway over the Hudson.

Perks of Marinades

Tonight was just a quick easy dinner. I marinated chicken in sesame ginger marinade for about two hours. I baked it in the oven using a disposable aluminum tin. As sides I made steamed broccoli and brown rice. (Perfect for a tummy ache day) Sesame ginger is definitely one of my favorite marinades! My Aunt Laurie uses when she makes skirt steak which I have also made at school. Over the past few months I've learned that using different marinades is one of the easiest ways to change up your meals and keep things form getting boring. They are also very convenient when you don't really feel like cooking...marinate the meat for a few hours then pop it the oven and voila! A lively meal. 

As a side note: Sometimes it is quicker and easier to cook a small serving size just for yourself, but when you don't have a lot of spare time for dinner cooking larger meals that make leftovers is the way to go. For example, tonight I could have made four to five chicken cutlets with extra rice and had enough meals for dinner this week. 

Helpful Kitchen Tips

I've been watching a lot of cooking videos to help to master some basic skills. It's the simple skills & tips along with the right tools that make cooking in college a little easier. My kitchen at school has limited supplies, but we do have a good set of knives like the ones Giada describes in this video. The kitchen basics that I always use are:

- the 3 knives shown in the video (pairing, utility & serrated)
- a cutting board (one for chicken & one for everything else)
- a baking sheet
- a small frying pan
- a medium pot
- a metal colander (which I use to both steam on the stove & drain in the stink)
- tongs
- spatula (I have recently realized that a rubber spatula is MUCH better to use when making eggs)