the gaslamp speakeasy in san diego sells joints for $12.00 at the bar

Here is a recipe for Homemade Gluten-free Buffalo Chicken Wings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfSW7oUvzEo

My friend went vegan for a while, said she had more energy. I was surprised science doesn't know nutrition through and through yet.

Okay, I guess I'm going to argue for the other side here.

I did some time working in health food stores several years ago when the "Master Cleanse" was becoming a huge thing. People would come in to buy their maple syrup and lemons and rave about how great it was, and how they could feel the toxins leaving their system. (Really? How the hell do you feel toxins leaving your system? Could someone please explain this to me?) And then they would inevitably add, "and I've lost so much weight!" I think that's the key right there. No matter what bullshit people give you about "detoxifying" (and it is mostly bullshit - there's NO evidence that it works, and plenty of evidence that it's actually counter-productive because it puts additional stress on your organs - see here for more on that), as far as I can tell, the bulk of people doing it are really primarily doing it TO LOSE WEIGHT. The stuff about detoxifying is just a fancy rationalization. Of course you're going to lose weight if you consume only lemonade for ten days. That doesn't mean it's good for you. In fact, losing weight rapidly (like, ten pounds in as many days, as I recall a couple of people reporting to me) is essentially never good for you.

I have never tried that particular cleanse, but I've tried a fruit fast for ten days. I did everything I was supposed to, working into it gradually and so on. I felt horrible and got diarrhea. I was told by various well-meaning people that I was supposed to feel horrible, and that that meant it was working. My pounding headache, they said, was from "toxins" (actually, I think it was probably just from not eating properly). That's the really infuriating thing about cleansing and alternative diets generally - it's part of the lore that the automatic response when someone's diet isn't working for them or makes them feel horrible is either that they're not doing it right, or that they're just going through a painful adjustment period as their body rids itself of the effects of their previous bad diet. So, basically, the lore surrounding cleansing (and other alternative food practices) makes it immune to criticism. If that doesn't raise a few red flags, I don't know what does. (Here's a fascinating website with lots of articles about the culture and psychology of alternative food practices.)

Now, I realize that there are gentler forms of cleansing. Some people like to periodically go on a "mono diet," e.g., the brown rice diet, or a diet limited to a few kinds of food. I think this kind of "cleansing" is much more sensible, because you're at least giving your body the calories that it needs to function. I've actually had a lot of success doing a simplified diet of brown rice, vegetables, and tofu. Generally, I think that just eating simple, natural food and cutting out stuff that you already know is bad for you (sugar, caffiene, alcohol, processed stuff, fried food, etc.) will go a long way towards making you feel good, and help you lose weight if that's one of your goals.

I also realize that people have been fasting for millennia, for various reasons. I'm not saying there aren't benefits to fasting - there definitely are. A lot of people seem to get a sort of spiritual "high" out of it. For some people, it's an exercise in self-discipline. Most of us in North America are surrounded by plenty all the time, so it's good to remind ourselves sometimes that we can actually do without a lot of things - that we can not eat everything we want all the time and be okay.

Sorry about my long-winded response, and I'm probably going beyond the scope of your question. I actually get a bit emotional about this topic. In my health food store days, I became very skeptical about a lot of aspects of the alternative diet/health food/whatever-you-want-to-call-it subculture. A lot of people would reject out of hand what conventional medical evidence said because, you know, doctors are all slaves to big pharma and the food industry, but they would unquestioningly buy into all sorts of dippy alternative food fads with zero evidence to support them (and which, by the way, also had an industry pushing them). It made me want to scream. I'm certainly not saying that the standard North American diet doesn't suck, or that people advocating alternatives to it aren't right about some things - I'm just saying that it should taken with a grain of salt (unrefined sea salt, of course), like everything else.

It's also good to keep in mind (to return to cleansing specifically) that there's an industry making money off it in the form of books, supplements, and so on. I think any time there's profit to be made by promoting an idea, it's healthy to be skeptical.

Might I ask what it is you're trying to cleanse?

Tasty hummus you've made yourself with a splash of nice olive oil on top and a dusting of paprika...and a side or veggies and corn chips. Hummus can be made in your blender in about 10 minutes.

I've made this dish several times and it always gets raves at potlucks. It's fairly quick to make.

Sweet Potato Salad with Apple and Avocado

Ingredient List

Serves 6

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup frozen corn
¼ cup unsalted hulled pumpkin seeds or pepitas
1 medium red apple, diced (1 cup)
½ small onion, finely chopped (½ cup)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup lime juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ avocado, finely diced

Directions

1. Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes. Add corn, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well.

2. Toast pumpkin seeds in dry skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until seeds begin to pop. Transfer to plate, and cool.

3. Combine apple, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in large bowl. Stir in sweet potatoes, corn, and oil, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds just before serving.

I know it may seem intimidating, but I find that vegan fresh rolls (raw spring rolls) are awesome for pot lucks and they're not nearly as difficult to make as many people think. My wife is GF and my best friend is vegan so I make them for every event we have.

The ingredients are inexpensive, and you'll most likely use any left over ingredients in other dishes later. When made without meat they keep unrefridgerated for hours (although I would suggest keeping them covered until eating time so they don't dry out) and you can add shrimp or bbq pork to them if you or any of your guests are meat eaters (although totally not necessary, 'cause they're awesome on their own).

I strongly, strongly recommend the vegetarian recipes on this site: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/vegetarian/
I'm not affiliated with them at all, I've just never had anything I made from that site turn out poorly.
Anyway, as someone who was vegetarian for 12 years, here are my general suggestions:

Quiche or frittata. These are great with broccoli and cheddar, spinach and chevre, or really any combination you like and they are SO simple, and super inexpensive.

Risotto. Delicious, and I think the easiest way to make it awesome but not overwhelmed is to choose one vegetable and one cheese (I tend to favor asparagus and parmesan).

Sandwiches. Often overlooked, there are lots of awesome sandwiches. You can do a grilled caprese, or foccacia with arugula/spinach, chevre, roasted peppers, and any other vegetables you enjoy.

Salads. I'm a huge proponent of adding a some kind of fruit, some kind of cheese, and some kind of protein to salads. For instance, a recent salad I made was spring mix with strawberries, feta, and walnuts. You can also do boiled eggs instead of nuts, and probably lots of other stuff too. Go crazy! I strongly recommend the Orange Muscat Vinegar at Trader Joes, with a little mustard and some olive oil for a dressing.

I know there's a lot more stuff, but I'm tired and I can't think of anything right now.

Any version of a GF Tabbouleh works well!! Add all your favorite veggies and it can sit for hours, I actually love to serve it all at room temperature. Here is my go-to for GF/Vegan Potlucks!

Toasted Quinoa & Millet Tabbouleh
Serves 4-6

Place 1 cup of quinoa & 1/2 cup of millet in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water. Place a dry saute pan over medium heat and toss both the quinoa and millet in the warm pan and toast until golden brown and fragrant. You'll know you are near when you hear a bit of the millet popping. This process helps remove the phytochemical saponin which can add an unwanted bitter taste to quinoa.

Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Once boiling, add the toasted grains. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 23 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Uncover the pot, fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature.

Chop cucumbers, halve cherry tomatoes, halve Kalamata olives, slice the green tips of scallions, mince Italian flat-leaf parsley and cilantro. Add mint or any fresh herbs you like!

Season the toasted quinoa & millet with evoo and sea salt, drizzle with fresh lemon juice and toss with all of the fresh veggies and herbs.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Beans & rice is a delicious, inexpensive, gluten-free vegan classic! You can eat it on its own or as a vegetarian base for nachos or tacos. The basic recipe is super simple, but I like to dress it up a bit so I added some optional ingredients. Cooking time is about 30-45 mins.

1 cup uncooked brown or white rice
2-3 tbsp olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
2 15 oz cans black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen's fire-roasted tomatoes w/ green chilies, but you don't have to get fancy.)
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic
Optional vegetable (ex: Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn; frozen, chopped roasted peppers; 1 or 2 yellow or orange bell peppers; yellow summer squash)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes OR a dash cayenne pepper OR sriacha sauce (optional)
salt
pepper

1. Start the rice. For brown rice, cook in 2 cups water. For white rice, drain the liquid from the canned tomatoes into a measuring cup and add water until you have 1 cup; cook rice in this liquid. Add 1 tbs oil to rice to prevent it from sticking.

2. Prep remaining ingredients. (Chop onion, mince garlic, drain beans of their liquid & rinse them, chop optional vegetables, get your spices out.)

3. Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Add 1-2 tbsp oil, then onion & spices. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until clear - 5-10 mins. If they start to stick, add a small amount of water or cooking wine (yum) to the pan. The longer you cook, the more flavorful your spices will be - just be careful not to burn!

4. Add garlic, cook for another minute, then add your optional vegetable(s) and cook until just tender if fresh, or warmed through if frozen.

5. Add beans & tomatoes and increase the heat to medium-high until the mixture gets bubbly. Turn the heat down to low, cover your pan and let simmer for 15-30 mins. (The longer you cook it, the more the flavors will meld.)

6. Your rice should be done by now - stir it in the beany mixture. Taste for spiciness, and add more cumin or sriacha sauce if necessary. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Rice noodles with a sesame/peanut sauce.

Thick crunchy pea-pods in a garlicky vinaigrette.

Watermelon salad! Here's a cool looking recipe for the likes of you:
http://marcussamuelsson.com/recipes/vegan-radish-watermelon-and-bulgar-wheat-salad-recipe

And I know this isn't particularly inspired, but nobody doesn't like guacamole. With corn chips.

Or! Spring rolls. You can do it! Go to the I.D. or other Asian market and get some spring roll wrappers and fill 'em with whatever your vegan gluten free buddies will enjoy. Tofu, rice, some thinly sliced carrot sticks, scallions, a sprig of cilantro, a dab or peanut sauce or hoisin sauce. Viola! You're the star of the potluck, and you'll be slipping in some much-needed protein so the gang doesn't get listless.

I routinely attend potlucks attended mostly by people with restricted diets, and guests often bring good veggie salads and gluten-free pasta salads.

You could make a pasta salad with, say, quinoa pasta (don't overcook), grape tomatoes, blanched broccoli, and vinaigrette (let sit for a while to marinate), or buy one of those quart tubs of hearty pre-made kale salad or coleslaw from PCC. As long as you avoid thin leaves, salads and pasta salads hold up pretty well, plus they're good at room-temp and adjustable for most diets.

German potato salad (well germanish, skip the bacon fat and bring it chilled for maximum longevity), quinoa tabouli, hummus, baba ghannouj, tapenade, three bean salad, nut pate, rice noodle salad, corn salad, lentil salad, spelt salad, gazpacho, beets tossed with arugula toasted walnuts and a fruit vinaigrette.

Any of these should be good for at least four hours if they start off chilled- stir anything with high protein content every hour or so.

You can google any of these and a recipe will be in the top three hits but feel free to ask in the comments if you want more detail.

Have fun!

I recently made a corn, avocado and cherry tomato salad that held up well at a barbecue. I added minced red onion and fresh basil leaves, and poured over a simple vinaigrette (olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard). The corn I roasted in the oven ahead of time and cut off the cob when cooked.

I hope that helps.

You might want to attend this class at PCC Green Lake on Tuesday, July 12: http://mr.fusspot.net/qGFvBR

In Seattle, we have a local expert/cook/celeb, Shauna James Ahern. She's been interviewed by all the major outlets and her blog is a MAJOR resource: http://glutenfreegirl.com and she's on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/glutenfreegirl

She is super nice and helpful and most of all just wants people to be able to safely eat while dealing with being GF. Check her out!
-Siiri
www.aHalfCup.com

Both Pickled Ginger & Holly have said it all!

Just a few more resources for you:
Gluten Intolerance Group: www.gluten.net and if you are Celiac there are all sorts of associations and foundations, you've got the following:
American Celiac Disease Alliance www.americanceliac.org
Celiac Disease Foundation www.celiac.org
Celiac Spruce Association www.csaceliacs.org

Some fun magazines to flip through are:
Gluten-Free Living www.glutenfreeliving.com
Living Without www.livingwithout.com

As for shopping and classes, I along with many others teach at PCC Cooks, I'll be teaching a Gluten-Free Gnocchi workshop this fall. Check out PCC's Website they do offer all sorts of GF/DF classes. PCC is also a great resource for shopping all Gluten-Free items are tagged with an orange price tag.

We love Udi's at our house, but often make our own bread. Shauna & Daniel Ahern have a kicking recipe for Rosemary Bread in their most recent cookbook.

If you love spaghetti, yes Tinkyada is a good substitute but try to get your hands on Andean Dreams Quinoa Pasta, it is by far the best substitute we've run into in our house.

Lastly, we live in a gluten-free bubble here in the PNW, so like Holly said just get in the habit of saying what it is you are intolerant to and for the most part restaurants are flexible and will try to accomodate; we just had one of our favorite Thai restaurants add a gluten-free soy sauce (most likely Tamari) to their kitchen because so many of us in the neighborhood were asking what dishes could be made gluten-free and yes as Pickled Ginger advised Phad Thai is the main Thai noodle dish without Gluten. Stick to rice noodles of course and question those sauces when venturing out. Also at Maria Hine's Golden Beetle they made us a version of Kibbeh with rice instead of Bulgur Wheat.

Babycakes has great sweet recipes if you are looking for cookbooks. Mckenna's first cookbook is Vegan and mostly Gluten-Free and her second book is Vegan & Gluten-Free so that's a way to cure a Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free sweet tooth or head to Flying Apron Bakery in Fremont.

Most importantly, have a blast exploring all of the amazing gluten-free grains/grasses out in the universe.

Buon Appetito!!

I've noticed that when I decided to restrict a food group in my diet it is most successful when I get excited about the new options I have. Sure you may not be eating wheat and dairy but there are hundreds of different exciting replacements out there.

Check out a PCC, Madison Market, or another health food store. Stock up on new grains like quinoa, amaranth, millet, and interesting rice varieties. There are tons of different milk replacements to experiment with as well. Also these store carry tons of breads, crackers, and baked goods that are gluten free.

Furthermore don't try and replace great wheat or dairy based foods with a new food try to replicate the product unless you really like the replacement. For instance soy cheeses with never live up to dairy cheeses. Sometimes I used dairy cheeses in recipes but I never add a slice of soy to a sandwich. There are better tasting nutritional replacements like avocado or hummus. Same goes for things like beer and pasta in my opinion. Try wine or corn instead.

I'm sure you know this but make sure you get the same nutrients. Eat starches and calcium rich foods. Plus a multivitamin can help while you work out the nutritional transition. Good Luck and Good health!

Pickled Ginger's answer is really great, so I'll just add that you're going to find that you live in a very gluten-free-friendly corner of an increasingly gluten-free-friendly world. I'm a third generation gluten free person, and it is a thousand times easier to be GF now than it was back when my grandma was diagnosed. There are tons of products in the stores, everything is labeled, waiters know what the hell you're talking about, and places that you'd never expect to have GF options (like bakeries and sandwich shops) now do, so don't be afraid to ask (but also, if they say no, don't be one of those entitled gluten-free jerks who acts like the world owes them a cupcake.) Be a gracious dinner guest, communicate with your hosts, offer to bring something, etc.

It's a transition, for sure, but it's really not that daunting once you get the hang of it. Focus on all of the things you CAN eat (there are a lot!), be adventurous, and you'll be just fine.

I second the Udi's recommendation. Also Tinkyada pasta is excellent. And there is a new GF pasta-maker - Manini's - making the rounds at the farmers markets. Best fresh GF pasta I've ever had. Seek them out!

Last bit of advice: you will try gluten free versions of things that will make you gag. Don't give up on that thing or decide that it's not possible to make a good GF version - just try someone else's (or make your own). And Shauna Ahern (glutenfreegirl.com) is indeed a great resource.

Good luck!

Are you going full-on gluten free, or just partway? Full-on means no soy sauce (which also means no Chinese restaurants), nothing with undefined "food starch" in it, avoiding cross-contamination in restaurants and at home just in case flour or whatever was nearby, and so on. I didn't have to be that strict, so others will have to help you out with that.

I can give you general tips, though. Eating out, most Asian food is your friend--Thai and Vietnamese especially because fish sauce is better than soy--and most Asian cuisine is dairy-free besides. Eat chickpea-batter-fried Indian pakora instead of onion rings, pad thai instead of spaghetti, pho but not ramen, etc.

At home, explore both substitutes for wheat products like quinoa pasta or gluten-free bread (you can get most of Udi's relatively great product line at Whole Foods; also try Food for Life's English muffins) and gluten-irrelevant foods like rice, quinoa, and mung bean noodles. There's a whole world of tasty grains and grain-based foods (and even nut flours!) out there that most Americans don't eat much or even know about.

Hang out at Uwajimaya, read the Gluten Free Girl's excellent Seattle-based recipe blog, buy some Bob's Red Mill flours and mixes, and remember not to eat oats unless they're labeled gluten-free. And get flexible: You can put tomato sauce on rice noodles, bake your own gluten-free cookies, and have rich butter (or margarine) mochi instead of cake. You might find some new favorite foods!

Mushroom risotto! It's not hard to make, just requires attention and time.

Also: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison is the best vegetarian cookbook ever, and will give you lots of new ideas.

As a vegetarian who dated a non-veggie I can tell you, even if you are the most amazing cook/chef that won't necessarily her want you.

Easy things to make are stir fries, don't even need to add tofu, but it doesn't hurt when cooked correctly. Indian is always good as well.

Check out thrift stores or half-price books for cheap vegetarian cook books and cook something together. She can help you pick something and you can work together.

Chinese/Asian noodle stirfry with tofu and veggies of your choice. Make a tasty sauce out of sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar.

Salads with heirloom tomatoes, dried cranberries, goat cheese, candied walnuts, Asian pears, mmm. Roasted beets are so delish too.

Cold pea soup with cilantro, creme fraiche and a dash of chili oil. Serve with biscuits if you like.

Second the mushroom risotto. Fab.

Indian, Greek, puerto rican.

Also remember if your not that great (like me) of a cook it's best to stick to doing simple thing well. Scheme up a way to find out one of her favorite dishes and cook it in an interesting way. Such as Mac n' Cheese with some sage, rosemary and thyme or Portabella sandwiches or burgers with fancy cheese, heirloom tomatoes and carmalized onions.

Have I got a website for you :)

http://herbivoracious.com/recipes/

Cannelloni filled with ricotta and chevre served with a nice tomato sugo and gruyere sauce.

Mushroom and truffle oil risotto.

Fried zuccini soup.

Spanakopita

Goat's cheese omlette with chives

Salads with greens, toasted pepitas, coriander, goats cheese, olives, capers, cornichons, little beetroots...

Check out cook books for Greek, Italian and south east Asian food.

Whoa!!!! there! Russ and Danger and Geni...
I don't want to scare you Finger Games, but I do feel that someone here should mention that yes, sprouts can be dangerous.

I'm assuming that you're growing your sprouts in jars, not the ground, and as Danger and Geni have mentioned that you're not wiping shit on them.
But! Sprouts and foodborne pathogens require nearly identical growing conditions- moisture, room temp, oh yeah and pathogens need something to eat too, something with carbohydrates, amino acids, and glucose, something like sprouts perhaps?

So lets talk about E.coli. Most of them aren't harmful, lots are beneficial, but know this: E.coli is freakin' everywhere humans are. E.coli are like the stars in the sky, if the stars were constantly mutating and sometimes into variations that killed you, but mostly were your lil' buddies that helped you digest things and made up a significant portion of your body weight.
E.coli. Literally. Everywhere.

Anyway, moving on to E.coli O157:H7- that's the one you're worried about (mostly). It will make you hella sick but it's not going to magically show up on your sprouts, it has to get there, so how does it get there?
First, it likes to live in poop, cow poop and human poop. This is why we wash our hands after making a #2. Commercial beef is covered in a fine layer of poop, which is why I can't sell it to you raw and ready to eat.
Second, have you noticed that poop is everywhere? It is, get a UV light if you don't believe me (DO NOT GET A UV LIGHT) we're filthy, and if you don't have a strong immune system you're going to die really quick. Sorry.

So at this point you're probably like 'damn Goth Jenny, you're saying that the world is covered in E.coli and shit so how am I ever going to eat anything ever again let alone grow sprouts?'

1. Forget all this, if you've been growing sprouts and you're not dead you're probably doing it right.

2. Wash your hands.

3. Sterilize your jars and strainer lids, you can boil them or use bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or quants.

4. Rinse your seeds before you start, rinse them daily while growing.

5. If you're worried and want to sterilize the seeds or sprouts with something use a hydrogen peroxide solution, not bleach.

Seriously, don't worry. The real danger of sprouts comes with large-scale production, as long as you're kind of smart about it you'll be fine.