Primal Food & Spirits

The Raleigh Gluten and Allergen Free Expo kicked off with an amazing blogger/vendor dinner the night before the expo at Primal Food & Spirits in Durham. Primal welcomed the very large group in their private room and overflow in the dining area.

Chris and I were fortunate enough to attend the dinner. The ample private dining room was nearly full by the time we arrived so we sat in the dining area with Nikki Everett's awesome family and with vendor Stephanie of SAF Organics and her husband Ken of JMF Photography.  (Nikki is the amazing woman who coordinates the GFAF events all over - check the expo site to see when one will be near you).

I could say so much about Primal but I think that photo of the bucket of bread says it all! When was the last time you had delicious gluten free bread at a restaurant? Sometimes its the little things that mean the most and make you feel welcome.

We all ordered off the menu which could not have been easy for such a large group but our server made it look simple. Chris and I shared Crab Cakes with citrus cabbage slaw and orange aioli. Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I've had crab cakes since it had been a long while before I had to go gluten free.  Every bite was perfection. If I could order only one thing at Primal from now on, this would keep me happy.

Chris' fish was melt in your mouth good. Fish isn't my forte and although I grill, saute and bake it a couple of times a week I can never get it to this level of perfection.

The veggies were crisp and flavorful and the almonds were a perfect bit of crunch and flavor.

I had the veggie lasagna which was a really delicious layered dish of veggies and cheese. No pasta to get in the way of the fresh flavors.

After dinner Chris ordered a pot of French press coffee and we each picked a dessert. At this point we were both very content and probably should have skipped or, at the very
least, shared a dessert. The dessert
options were just too tempting.

Chris had the berry tart and it was sweet and creamy with a crispy crust and piles of beautiful berries. I chose the flour-less chocolate torte.

I have a beloved old recipe for a flour-less chocolate torte that I have been making for decades and it's the recipe I gauge others by. If you had me do a blindfolded taste test between the two, I don't think I could have told the difference.

It was dense and oh so chocolaty without being cloyingly sweet. Just exactly the way I love it.

So we finished our meal completely stuffed to the brim and happy. Our dinner companions were charming and interesting and we can't wait to go back to Primal Food and Spirits.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread!

It's good to be a ChaCha for so many reasons. I loved the name the very moment my Ev gave it to me three years ago and I adore that his sweet and sassy little sister yells "my ChaCha" and comes running when I pick her up from camp. Ev will tell you it is a very good name and he's excited (and just a little proud) that our soon to be grandbaby Aiden will be calling me ChaCha when he's old enough.

Being ChaCha has it's perks, too!  When Ev and Ollie went blueberry picking at Herndon Hills Farms last week, Gabby gave me a huge bag of the most gorgeous, freshest blueberries I've seen in a long time. While I haven't been to Herndon Hills Farms, Gabby vetted the farm and they use only natural materials approved by the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) and are working towards organic certification. Gabby's photos show how beautiful the farm is, too. Lucky for me, Evan and Ollie can pick a lot more berries than they can eat! Can you see that Ollie can hardly hold up her own bucket!?!

I wanted to make some gluten free coconut flour muffins, similar to these but with a splash of lime juice and chock full of blueberries. Since I had just washed the loaf pan and it was still on the counter, I used it instead of the muffin pan and liners, although this recipe should make twelve muffins easily.

And please take a moment to read Pam's blog at I'm A Celiac on the Gluten Free and Allergen Free Wellness Event next month in Durham! It's a wonderful blog to sit and explore when you have some time. In this post, Pam's got lots of information and some really helpful tips for first time visitors. It would be wonderful to see lots of friends there!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread

Heat oven to 400 degrees

This lemon "glaze"? Will tell more soon!

Grease a Pyrex loaf pan with Coconut Oil 

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

6 Eggs

1/2 cup Coconut Milk, canned

1/3 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in bowl of Kitchenaid mixer on low speed to combine.  Increase speed to medium high for two minutes or until smooth. 

Gently mix in.

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries 

Pour into greased pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown. You can use a toothpick to test the center, but you'll know it's ready when you gently press on the center of the loaf and it feels firm.

Enjoy!