Gluten-Free Birthday Wishes ~ Spanish Style!

So I just recently celebrated my birthday...however, which year doesn't really doesn't matter, right?! It was a joyous celebration with family and friends sharing laughs, good conversation, delicious wine, and an almost-all gluten free menu to boot!!

I was determined to create a delicious and safe menu that didn't contain one ounce of gluten even though I, the birthday girl, was the only Celiac at the party. Now you might be wondering about the beautiful little desserts you see above...thinking, "those look too good to be true"...well sadly, you are correct. Those were all specially hand-picked desserts for my guests, however, you can see a blurred vision of my sweet little chocolate cake below, candles included!


My biggest regret of the night was being so caught up in all the excitement and chatter and running around, that I completely forgot to snap a few photos of the most delicious Basque Tortilla de Patata and Los Pimientos that my sweet friends from Espana made for us all to indulge in. My beautiful friend Nere, created two of the most perfect looking Tortillas I have seen, other than the delicious ones sitting on some bar in San Sebastian. They were a meal in themselves and my guests were ohhhing and awwing with every bite. The same went for the gorgeous platter of burnt-sienna colored Pimientos con ajo y aceite de oliva (peppers with garlic and olive oil) that our wonderful amigos de Pamplona prepared to pair with their fabulous vino de Navarra in Spain. Check out their website - it's fantastico!!


Here's a gluten-free recipe for Basque Tortilla de Patata:

- 4 Slices Bacon

- 2 tsp Sliced Green Onions/tops

- 3/4 tsp Salt

- Dash Pepper

- 3 Med. Potatoes

- 1 tbs Snipped Parsley

- 1/8 tsp Dried Thyme, Crushed

- 4 Large Eggs

In 8-inch skillet cook bacon until crisp; drain, reserving 2 T of drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. In same skillet combine reserved drippings, peeled, thinly sliced potatoes, onion, parsley, salt,thyme and pepper. Cover tightly; cook over low heat until potatoes are barely tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring carefully once or twice. In small bowl beat together eggs and milk; pour over potato mixture.

Cover and continue cooking over very low heat til egg is set in center, 8 to 10 minutes. With a wide spatula, loosen sides and bottom and slide potatoes
out onto serving plate, or serve from skillet.


Aside from our muy delicioso Tapas, I also served some tasty gourmet-style all beef hamburgers I found at Whole Foods. There were a variety of fresh-seasoned flavors to choose from, such as basil, sun dried tomato and mozzarella burgers or a jalapeno and herb burger and my favorite was the mushroom and mozarella burger. They are all so delicious and are sure to please any hamburger connoisseur! In keeping the menu fun but low-key, I also found some delicious Kettle gourmet chips in a variety of flavors that ARE safe for Celiacs and so tasty, you won't be able to eat just a few. The final touch was all the hamburger fixings, which included fresh garden tomatoes, sliced onions, butter leaf lettuce, pickles and all the GF condiments one could need for a burger!

Not only was the party such a delight, but so was the satisfaction that came from hosting a gluten-free party where everyone walked away totally satisfied and sated. It was a lovely evening filled with delicious food and a wonderful guest list.

Here's to next year and eating safely for the next 365 days!!

Viva Espana!