Hey everyone – just wanted to give you an update on life right now and also check in with you all before Thanksgiving. We were in New York City at the end of last week for the opening of a gallery show of our work in Brooklyn, we attended Creative Mornings in D.U.M.B.O. with swissmiss and Jessi Harrington and we had another meeting with our clients at the Metropolitan Museum of Art regarding a new project in a few weeks. It was a very busy and very inspiring trip to the city, as usual. I love going there.

In addition to our usual stop for dinner at Risotteria in Greewich Village, my favorite gluten-free restaurant in the city, I also accidentally stumbled upon Fabiane’s Cafe and Pastry shop on Bedford Ave and N. 5th St. in Williamsburg, on our way out-of-town. We stopped to grab a quick morning bite plus some coffee and tea. I assumed that the best I could get would be some type of egg dish, so I ordered at the counter what turned out to be a delicious organic baked egg dish with smoked salmon and potato and went to sit down. Once I sat down at our table, I looked up and saw a HUGE gluten-free menu that I didn’t see while standing at the counter, the menu included gluten-free waffles, french toast and so much more. I didn’t change my meal, but I changed my side of toast to be gluten-free and started eyeing up the pastry case for a road-trip treat, which was also loaded with beautiful gluten-free goodies. Besides all of the breakfast and pastry options, Fabiane will also make any of their sandwiches with gluten-free bread. I couldn’t believe I had never heard of this place before. They make all of the baked goods right there and each and everything was absolutely delicious. The toast was some of the most delicious gluten-free bread I had every tried. I, of course, had to snag a gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffin from the pastry case for the car ride, because I didn’t think I could sit 6 hours in the car and not salivate thinking about all of the sweets I had just seen.

One final gluten-free friendly restaurant recommendation, if you find yourself in Brooklyn, is Caracas, a Venezuelan Arepas bar in Williamsburg that I have fallen in love with. We’ve been there a handful of times this year. Caracas is very knowledgable about gluten intolerances and arepas are naturally gluten-free, so I can indulge guilt-free, enjoying each and every bite with confidence. In addition to arepas, they also have a bunch of other traditional authentic Venezuelan treats like empanadas, tostones, etc and they have a wonderful cocktail menu, the dark and stormy is my favorite!

As usual, I am always happy for a trip to the city, to get that rush of inspiration, the surge of creativity and just an overall feeling of being alive. There really is nothing like it. I love the people, the food and the hustle. Of course, I also love coming home to my own kitchen, my healthy food and my own bed. I definitely realize for as much as I like the pace of New York, I also really appreciate the serene quiet of my life and more importantly I love having a kitchen that allows me to create huge meals. I think if I were to ever move to NYC, sucking it up and having a tiny kitchen may be the biggest sacrifice and toughest challenge for me. When we got home Saturday afternoon, we just made do with what we had in the pantry and then I woke up yesterday morning and headed to the grocery store to stock up for the week. Last night I made a big pot of my tortilla soup and a new version of my apple crisp. I cannot wait to share both of those recipes with you guys. I plan to make lots of other fun dishes this week, but I also need to start thinking about my Thanksgiving menu for next week. I am working on a plan for what I am going to serve and hopefully making a few dishes ahead of time, so I can share them with you all.

I wanted to ask you guys if there are any dishes that you wanted recipes for before your Thanksgiving? If it is your first gluten-free holiday, it can seem a bit overwhelming and I’d like to help however I can. There are hundreds or probably thousands of recipes online for anything you can think of for your Thanksgiving dinner, made gluten-free. Is there something specific you are looking for? Need some suggestions for healthy dessert options or a way to make your mom’s famous stuffing gluten-free? My mom’s stuffing is the one things I was devastated about no longer being able to eat. It actually saddened me. I have managed to be able to enjoy it every single Thanksgiving since I found out I was gluten intolerant, so believe me when I say, if there is a dish you love I am sure it is possible to make it gluten-free!

What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? What is the one dish that you cannot go without on Thanksgiving? Do you try to make your Thanksgiving healthy or do you allow yourself a day of indulging on all the things you never have?

Here are a few of my favorite fall dishes that would be great for any Thanksgiving feast. Look for more this week and next and please let me know if there are any other recipes that you’d like to see.

Arugula, Fennel and Orange Salad

Gluten-free Vegan Apple Cobbler

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread with Crystallized Ginger and Walnuts

Gluten-Free Apple Spice Cake

Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Pine Nuts

Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash

Flourless Carrot Cake

Gluten-Free Cheddar and Green Onion Cornbread

Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Walnuts and Dried Currants

Cilantro Lime Sweet Potatoes with Honey

Tofu, Wild Rice and Hazelnut Stuffed Acorn Squash