My friend Mark, mentioned in my previous post on Annisa and Savoy, recently became very domestic. A man who previously avoided the kitchen, leapfrogged over a simple weeknight meal to dive right into the more complicated world of pastries. Then not satisfied with the relatively simple challenge of a ‘regular’ cookie, he decided to take on gluten-free baking as well. I’m not quite sure what has come over him, but I am happy to be a benefactor.

When he first came to me for advice on how to adapt his Ranger Cookies recipe to be ‘Catherine-friendly’ I sent him a link to this gluten-free cookies post and told him he needed to experiment along the way. He was meticulous in making sure that none of his ingredients or supplies were cross-contaminated in his care or in previous processing. When he brought them to a BBQ I threw earlier in the summer, no one could believe they were gluten-free. My friend Erica even got nervous when she saw me eating them, because “they are too good to be gluten-free.”

I am lucky to have such caring friends, so I feel the need to pay it forward by sharing the recipe with you. He tells me this version is even improved from the batch he brought to the BBQ; they were a resounding success with his coworkers. He’s offered to make some for my upcoming birthday. I can’t imagine a more delicious way to celebrate.

Gluten-Free Ranger Cookies (makes 12-14 three-inch cookies)

Ingredients:
1 cup Gluten-Free Pantry all-purpose flour mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups gluten free corn flakes (crush them to lessen the air in the
measuring cup)
1/8 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I find about 1/2 cup starts
getting too sweet)
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (quick oats work better but can’t find gf version)
1 cup flaked coconut (packed into the measuring cup since flakes have
lots more air than shredded coconut)

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in corn flakes, flax seeds, chocolate chips, oats, and coconut. In a large stand mixer combine sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and eggs. Gradually add the dry mixture 1/2 cup at a time while beating on low speed until thoroughly mixed.

On a slightly greased cookie sheet place heaping tablespoons of cookie dough at least 2″ apart.

Bake for 12-13 minutes, until golden brown around the edges, be careful not to overcook, checking at 10 min for doneness.

Photos (and cookies) by Mark Chen.

Your eyes are not deceiving you – that is gluten-free cake at Starbucks!  While the national launch doesn’t hit stores until May 5, 2009, employees are getting a preview this week.  The Starbucks blog gives more information:

“The Orange Valencia Cake is a delicious moist citrus cake bursting with Valencia oranges and topped with crunchy almonds.  Not only is it gluten-free, it is also prepared with 7 simple ingredients: Whole Eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, Almonds, Sugar, Orange Peel, Gluten Free Baking Powder, and Orange Oil.  Plus it delivers 30% of your daily value of vitamin C.

Keep on the look out for it in the pastry case with a sign that says “gluten-free.”  A single cake will be displayed unwrapped so you can see it clearly, but don’t worry.   They all come individually packaged to prevent cross contamination.  And with the ingredient list right on the package, it’s easy to see exactly what you are eating.  Whether you are gluten-sensitive or not, this product is delicious and satisfying and I hope you will all enjoy it soon.”

You can see in the out of focus cell-phone photo that each cake IS “wrapped for gluten-free goodness.”  Each cake is about the diameter of a baseball and is considered a “single-serving” [Nutritional info: Calories – 290, Fat – 16g, Carbs 52g (23g sugar), Protein 9g]

What a wonderful change – to have access to gluten-free food across the country without fear of cross-contamination.

And the best news?  My source on the inside says it tastes good – sweet and a little bit like orange but not overwhelming so.  It’s very moist and doesn’t crumble like many gluten-free cakes. She’s a gluten-glutton and gives it a thumbs up!  I should have one of my own to taste later this week.  Any one in the test market get to try it yet?

Let’s hope it’s such a smashing success that Starbucks and other chains continue to add gluten-free options to their menus!

CEO Frank Guidara explained in their press release that it took over a year of research and development to find just the right recipe “While we want to meet the needs of guests with allergies, we never forget that we are about great taste and choice, and that means developing new dishes that are healthful without sacrificing great flavor.”

This is exciting news, and they are making efforts to prevent cross-contamination when cooking and preparing the pies.  The dough is being prepared by French Meadow Bakery – which is certified gluten-free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization.  I called my local Uno’s to ask how they were preparing the pies and spoke with two different people.  Both were well-informed about the product and described a separate preparation area and toppings. They are cooked in the same oven but with separate pans and utensils to keep the gluten-free pizzas free from cross-contamination. I spoke with someone on Uno’s PR team to get even more info: “Each restaurant has monthly training programs for its chefs and employees to educate and train in order to prevent that cross-contamination.  They are certainly aware of the severe reactions that can occur if people with celiac disease consume food products containing gluten.  However, we understand that restaurants are run by people, so mistakes can be made but UNO is taking every step necessary (including speaking with people who have celiac disease) to prevent those mistakes as much as possible.”

I haven’t tried the gluten-free pizza yet, but the reviews on the Delphi Forums so far are good. At my location, it’s $10.48 for a gluten-free cheese pizza and $10.49 for a gluten-free pepperoni pizza, which is on par with their gluten pizzas. Since they deliver to my apartment, I may have to order some tonight…stay tuned for more details.

According to the Unos Website, here are the ingredients in the Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza:

INGREDIENTS: Gluten free pizza crust RICE FLOUR, FILTERED WATER, TAPIOCA STARCH, POTATO STARCH, ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, VEGETABLE SHORTENING (CANOLA OIL, HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL), SUGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: YEAST, SALT, EGGS, GELATIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, ORGANIC DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, EGG WHITES, LEAVENING (SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA), SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, GUM ARABIC, ORGANIC GUAR GUM., Mozzarella Cheese part skim Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Pasta Sauce Uno (tomato puree, tomato, carrot, olive oil, salt, onion, garlic, sugar, spices, sugar, citric acid), Romano Cheese grated (pastuerized sheeps milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, anti-caking agent). 

If you were lucky enough to sample the gluten-free pizza in the test markets or have more info – please leave a comment to let us all know!

And if you aren’t near one of the 200+ locations with the gluten-free pizzas, here’s even more gluten-free pizza info and recipes.

It was during our second dining experience, at Savoy that I knew he was my food soul mate.  He arrived at the restaurant with his camera in hand (to photograph our meal) and a bag of mangosteen for me.  Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that I had never tried before.  It wasn’t for any particular reason other than he knew that I love food and would enjoy trying something new.
Then the waiter came to tell us about the specials, I went through my ‘gluten-free spiel.’ Mark looked at the menu and said “Why don’t you pick dishes that you can eat and then we can share so we both get to taste more.” Then when the waiter brought bread for Mark he pushed it back with the reply “I don’t want you to have to worry about cross-contamination.” Wow! What more could I ask for?

Since that dinner, Mark has helped me paint my apartment, taken me rock climbing for the first time and accompanied me on many more gluten-free restaurant adventures in New York.  He is always up for trying something new; we’ve experimented with sweetbreads, buffalo, stinky cheese and liver (though not together).

Back to the food – I highly recommend both Annisa and Savoy for special occasion gluten-free dining in Manhattan.  While Annisa is an Asian-influenced restaurant (which can be tricky gluten-free territory), the chef was able to make a full selection of dishes for me without soy sauce.

The two appetizers we had a Savoy may be my favorite dishes of the summer.  The caul fat sausage was so good, I almost cried when I went back for lunch and it wasn’t on the menu.  Don’t be dissuaded from going to Savoy for lunch though, the menu is still great and very affordable – more along the lines of sister restaurant Back 40 in the East Village.

Both restaurants were very accommodating and knowledgeable about gluten-free dining needs. They made eating such a pleasure, gluten-free was merely a refinement rather than a restriction.

Annisa
Address: 13 Barrow St
New York, NY 10014
Telephone: (212) 741-6699

Savoy
Address: 70 Prince St
New York, NY 10012
Telephone: (212) 219-8570

Sarita alleviated my concerns: “We have limited the possibilities of cross-contamination as much as possible right now — the only products that we now serve in the restaurant that contain gluten are the “regular” elbow macaroni and whole-grain elbow macaroni, as well as cookies and brownies. The two pastas are cooked in separate pots than the gluten-free pasta.

As far as the cornflake crumbs go, it did take some work to find genuine GF cornflake crumbs (in bulk quantities) but here is the brand we are using.”

Sarita is even working with the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program to become a participating restaurant. I followed the positive reviews on the NY Gluten-Free Meetup Board and The CeliacChicks coverage of S’mac and finally made a trip to try their gluten-free wares yesterday afternoon.

I ordered a gluten-free Cheeseburger S’mac and a gluten-free Parisienne S’mac. While I love a good cheeseburger, I really enjoyed the flavors of the Parisienne – a great combination of sweet and savory – rosemary, brie, roasted mushrooms and figs. It absolutely lives up to their promise of addiction.

The gluten-free versions are so good, it was difficult for me to believe that they hadn’t made a mistake with my order. I even double-checked my receipt to make sure they both were designated as “gluten-free.” I wish I lived close enough to get S’mac delivered to my apt though I’m sure my waistline appreciates the fact that I don’t….

S’mac – Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese
Address: 345 East 12th Street, NY, NY 10003
Phone: 212-358-7912

I saw an interesting feature on the news about how to keep the holiday weight gain from creeping up on you. Eat before the party and bring a healthy dish — the tips seemed to fit perfectly with how to stay gluten-free. So if you are feeling deprived, just think how much better you will feel when everyone else is making their New Years’ Resolutions to lose the weight they gained.

1. Eat before you go to the party – this strategy is especially important for work or other holiday parties where you don’t have a personal relationship with the host. It’s a common strategy for those of us with Celiac – someone even created a tshirt for us.

2. Bring your own gluten-free dish – It’s difficult for someone unfamiliar with gluten-free requirements to understand which ingredients are off limits. Depending upon the party, you can bring a meal for yourself or why not offer to bring some gluten-free goodies for everyone to enjoy?

3. Be aware of cross-contamination – even if some of the dishes are gluten free, it’s easy for someone to casually use the same serving utensil for gluten and gluten-free dishes alike. Last night I was at a party, ready to eat some delicious hummus and veggies the host had for me. Right as I was about to take a bite I saw someone dip a cracker from another table in the hummus. Luckily I saw it happen BEFORE I took a bite.

4. Talk to the host beforehand – You could ask them to set aside any gluten-free appetizers before they are “glutened” I always try to let the host know that I will be eating beforehand or bringing something that I can eat so that they don’t have to worry about my dietary restrictions. If you do bring your own dish or eat beforehand, let the host know you appreciate the effort and are really excited about the party but that you don’t want to add an extra level of stress to their party planning.

5.Call the restaurant a few days in advance – If one of your holiday parties is at a restaurant, check online to see if they have a menu. Call the manager and let them know when you will be there and what party you are attending. Ask what the options are and see if the chef can accommodate your needs. If it’s a prix fixe menu they need lead time to have a separate dish for you. If they are unable to accommodate you then at least you have enough notice to eat beforehand or bring something gluten-free.

6. Be part of the planning – If it’s a work party or a group gathering get involved at the planning stages and you may be able to have the party at a “gluten-free friendly” establishment.

7. Throw your own holiday party – make it all gluten-free and relax as you enjoy everything being served (though beware, you may have to make the New Year’s Resolution with everyone else)

8. Focus on the people not the food – that’s the most important part of the holidays so try to enjoy all of the opportunities you have to celebrate with family and friends.

If you followed Ms. Guide’s gluten-free soft-serve adventures this summer, it should come as no surprise that I went on a hunt for gluten-free gelato during my recent tour of Tuscany.

Before embarking on my trip to Italy, I consulted the Italian Celiac Association (AiC) site for a list of gelaterie that cater specifically to gluten-free needs. Katie and I tried to visit the gelateria Il Paciugo in Lucca, but unfortunately we ran out of time. After such a big lunch, I probably wouldn’t have truly enjoyed it. On to Florence, where I found two gelaterie associated with the AiC and one recommended by Shauna.

Eliana, in addition to being a wonderful host and cooking incredible meals during my stay, was eager to accompany on my quest for gluten-free gelato. The first stop was Gelateria Malotti. The location is a bit out of the city center, definitely not convenient for most gluten-free tourists.

The options were limited – four flavors of gluten-free gelato, set apart from the standard fare. The novelty of enjoying gelato on a gluten-free cone made up for the meager selection. They used a freshly washed scoop (preventing cross-contamination) to serve up my Vanilla and Hazelnut treat.

Two days later, we continued our journey with a visit to Gelateria Damiani. The options here were plentiful and Solange, the owner’s daughter was a joyful ray of sunshine. On the other side of the Arno river, this outpost is still a trek for gluten-free tourists but may be worth the effort if your schedule permits.

In addition to 15+ gluten-free flavors of gelato and gluten-free cones, Gelateria Damiani also offers gluten-free cialde cookies, plain or filled with hazelnut cream.

After much internal struggle and debate (vacation requires so many thought-provoking decisions), I decided to forgo the gluten-free cone (I like my frozen treats melty) and instead get a cup of fig, pinenut and coconut gelati topped with a plain cialde.

Eliana indulged in chocolate and vanilla soy gelati – even the dairy-free have options at this gelateria.

The last gelateria I visited in Florence was GROM. This gelateria is not part of the AiC but was recommended by Shauna as gluten-free friendly. It does seem a touch sacrilegious to visit a gelateria that has a NY outpost, but its origins are Torinese (as are mine), and we were not disappointed. When I told our server I had Celiac disease, she eagerly explained which flavors were safe and let me sample until I settled on three: Cassata Siciliana (ricotta with candied fruit), Zabaglione (the flavor of the month), and Vanilla (simple perfection).As many customers seem to have trouble choosing, they offer help in the form of “Matrimoni d’amore” – flavor combinations - something to please every palate.

When preparing my cup they used two fresh spatulas taking care to prevent cross-contamination with the other flavors or gluten-containing culprits. (the question now is -does the NY outpost cater so well to gluten-free patrons? I will gladly work to find out.)

The warmth and friendliness of the staff made the experience even more enjoyable.

Sadly, during my one evening in Siena, I was unable to find a safe place for gelato. Almost everything was closed early on Sunday evening. So I had to make due with a truly sacrilegious option. But they had caramel, which has been discontinued in the States; I enjoyed every bit of “caramelly” goodness.

Next stop: Cantinetta di Verrazzano, my last meal in Florence (on this trip anyway).

Gelateria Damiani

Via Burchiello, 20/r

Firenze, Italia

Phone: 39-055-2335428

Gelateria GROM

Via del Campanile at the corner of Via dell’Oche

(between the Duomo and Gli Uffizi Gallery)

Firenze, Italia 50012

Phone: 39-055-216158

Gelateria Malotti

Via di Novoli, 42/6

Firenze, Italia

Phone: 39-055-411997

Gelateria Paciugo

Via della Formica,172

Lucca, Italia

Phone: 39-0583-56069

Tasti D Lite is a New York institution. The chain offers a range of “low-calorie” desserts for a price that’s arguably too high. But despite that and the fact that it tastes only slightly better than the ice milk served in my college dining hall, I still find it holds an inexplicable lure.

When I was diagnosed with Celiac almost three years ago, I went in for my endoscopy after eating a slice of pizza and a large Tasti-D Lite waffle cone. (For a proper diagnosis you should keep eating gluten until you have the endoscopy.) The ingredients at the time included oat bran. Since then, Tasti-D has changed its formula and confirmed via email that the vanilla flavor is gluten-free. I was unable, however, to get a response about the gluten-status of their other flavors.

I don’t feel safe getting any of their toppings – who knows if there was a waffle cone sitting in the peanuts.

And their method for putting on toppings is rife with cross-contamination potential.

Tasti-D Lite survived the Crema Lita attack and the lines are still long even with the current Pinkberry invasion of Manhattan. Its status as a NY institution was confirmed when it made an appearance on HBO’s Sex and the City.

I know that Tasti-D Lite will never taste as good as real ice cream, but the pleasure I find in spending a warm summer evening with a friend walking and eating a cup of vanilla “frozen dessert” makes up for anything it may lack.

Which brings me to my latest dilemma. I had a grand plan for this weekend. Spend Saturday night with a group of girlfriends eating lots of food, decorating eggs and sampling various wares from BabyCakes bakeshop. I wanted to know what items were the best so I started reading online reviews. Then I discovered that they are not a completely gluten free facility. I started some investigation into the way their bakery is set up. From the BabyCakes Web site:

“Should there be concern regarding cross-contamination? BabyCakes realizes that many people are concerned about cross-contamination, because spelt flour is used in our facilities. We take every precaution to ensure that gluten-free items are not corrupted by spelt flour. We use separate pans, sinks, spatulas, measuring cups, cleaning utensils and bowls. During the baking process, we bake gluten free items first and wipe down the oven between baking. Although we take every precaution to ensure a safe gluten free environment, it is ultimately up to the consumer to decide her comfort level.”

Knowing the amount of time it took me to get my antibodies down to zero, the amount of work that my Mom does every time I come home to “decontaminate” the kitchen, all of the money invested in new baking equipment and Teflon cookware, and how grateful I was for my gluten free kitchen, I just couldn’t do it.

This sent me into a slight funk – I had already sent the menu to my friends to ask them what they wanted. I was so looking forward to just buying some goodies rather than fixing everything myself. I was disappointed, I didn’t want to disappoint my friends, I didn’t want to deal with this miniscule protein that makes me so sick!

Well it turned out just fine. My friends and I had a great time. I tried out some new recipes, bought some other gluten free cookies and felt safe knowing that I didn’t cross the line after being spooked. Every person with Celiac has to decide what and where they are comfortable eating. But it’s important to my piece of mind to listen to my gut.

Of course I still plan on trying out some of the amazing looking gluten free recipes from BabyCakes founder’s (the fabulously feisty Erin McKenna) appearance on Martha Stewart. And lucky for us, according to her interview with Kelly from the CeliacChicks they are working on a dedicated gluten free facility in San Diego. I will be first in line.