Gluten-Free Tucson

Impossible cacti, blazing heat, mountains ... and great gluten-free food. Mike and I hopped down to Tucson for a weekend to celebrate a friend's wedding. After stepping off the plane, we headed over to Piezano's for a gluten-free pizza. We were the only ones in the restaurant, so the guy running the show was more than happy to make us a half "big and meaty" and half Hawaiian pizza. We inhaled it, and didn't regret it one bit.

Then it was time for the rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner at the Old Pueblo Grille, where we had a lovely cocktail hour and sat down to dinner. I had the Avocado Chicken, which they made specially gluten-free for me, and it was mighty tasty.

When we booked our hotel, the Hacienda del Sol, I knew it would be nice, not just because of the price tag, but because they made a note that I'm gluten-free for their in-house restaurants, "just in case" I decided to dine with them. I did - while Mike was out with the groom before the wedding, I ordered myself room service - my very first room service ever.

It was a salmon salad, and the hostess made sure to check with the chef before even placing the order, just to make sure it was totally gluten-free. It was, and I was so glad. The salmon was delicous - grilled to a crisp on the outside, but still moist and tender on the inside. The dressing was good too - light and creamy and just right. At first, I thought the corn was raw, it was so sweet and crisp, but it was actually charred a bit on the grill, then chilled. Yum!

Finally it was time for the main event, which was absolutely beautiful. After the ceremony, we headed back to the hotel, where the reception was, for a wonderful party. We checked with the servers, who checked and assured us that all the menu items for the evening were gluten-free! We had steak and salmon, and both were amazing.

The next morning, we trudged over to the airport to go home. I didn't expect to find much, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Cibo Express Market at the Tucson airport. They had a range of gluten-free snacks, and some were even nut-free. My favorites were these gluten-free cookies that tasted just like Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies. They even had healthier options, like red pepper-artichoke spread, and cut fruit.

I'm sure we'll be heading back to Tucson soon. Have you eaten gluten-free there?

Leftovers I Crave

We had salmon the other night for dinner, and there was some leftover. Not wanting it to go to waste, I made this dish - my go-to recipe for salmon leftovers. I won't admit to buying extra salmon just so I can have this dish, but it is that good.

It's good either warm or cold, so it makes awesome leftovers of leftovers for lunch the next day - if it makes it that far. At my parents' house, if there's any of this dish in the fridge, you'd better stake your claim to it, eat it, or hide it from everybody else, because otherwise it won't be in the fridge the next time you look.

Leftovers of Leftovers

This is so easy to make, and pretty versatile too - you can use fresh fish or canned, whatever mild cheese you have around, and of course you can always adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve on a bed of mixed greens if you're wanting a more balanced meal, but it doesn't really need any dressing.

Salmon Pasta Salad

• 8 ounces pasta (shells or elbows)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 2 ounces cheese, grated (cheddar, parmesan, or monterey jack all work well)
• 6-8 ounces salmon, cooked (or a can of salmon)

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Return to pasta pot.

Meanwhile, if using canned salmon, make sure it's been drained and picked over to remove any bones or dark meat. Use a fork to separate the salmon into smaller pieces.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add the butter, oil, and spices to the pot. Toss once, then let sit about five minutes. Add the salmon and stir, then stir in the cheese.

Serve either warm or cold. Serves about four.

Note: Originally, we used Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle for the seasoning, then added salt and pepper. I've long run out of my jar, but I always have basil, oregano, thyme and garlic on hand. I rarely take the time to measure out the seasonings for this dish. I just dump in the herbs until it tastes right. The measurements above are pretty close to my normal ratio, but if you want more of one herb and less of another, by all means, go ahead. You're the one eating it!

Soy-Mirin Marinated Salmon

Ahh, salmon. This guy is lucky he even made it to my frying pan, because one of my favorite ways to eat salmon is raw, over the cutting board, drizzled with a little bit of mirin. But it was time for a good piece of cooked salmon. Wild caught. In season for just a little bit longer. Oh baby, talk to me about salmon.

My favorite thing about salmon is the way it melts in my mouth like butter. So for this recipe, I spared no expense with the fat - in the salmon, the croutons, the onions. And it was totally worth it.