A Gluten Free Guide

Magic Fingers Gluten-Free Sushi Bar

Atlanta is a landlocked city, yet counter intuitive as it may seem, they offer some of the best sushi I have ever had. Magic Fingers or MF Sushi in Midtown provides an elegant environment and exquisite fare.Now for those of you thinking “eww, raw fish?” Three years ago I was of the same mindset. At the time I didn’t even eat cooked fish, why would I pay MORE for raw fish? Luckily my good friend Gareth claimed that he didn’t like cooked fish either but assured me that he had enjoyed amazing sushi from “the sushi nazi” in LA. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a strip mall serves some of the best sushi in LA. Chef Nozawa is called the Sushi Nazi because a la the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, he will kick out customers that talk on cell phones and doesn’t accept any payment but cash. We sat down for lunch, never saw a menu, but various sashimi and sushi dishes were brought to our table. (This continues until you say stop and then they give you a check.)

How could a girl that didn’t like the fishy taste of a California roll make that leap of faith to eat big slabs of raw fish? I’m still not really sure where I got the courage. But thank goodness I did! The buttery, steak like taste of yellowtail and smooth rich flavor of salmon sashimi were unlike any of the rolls I had previously experienced. I discovered that the actual fish was delicious – it’s the seaweed used in rolls that I didn’t like. Since then I have developed a discriminating sushi palette. A perfect piece of hamachi or toro is an unparalleled luxury. If you can muster the courage, go to a good sushi restaurant (I still find most cheap sushi and rolls less than appetizing) and order a couple pieces of yellowtail (hamachi), salmon (sake) and tuna (maguro) sashimi, mix a bit of wasabi with your gf soy sauce and give the combination a try. You may be glad you did.

Once I was diagnosed with Celiac, sushi restaurants became a haven for my gluten free dining. It’s so much easier to ask someone if they want to go for sushi than look for other gluten free friendly dining establishments. I can just grab my bottle or packets of gluten free soy sauce and head to the restaurant.

For appetizers – the steamed or boiled edamame sprinkled with salt is always a winner.

While I know that some Celiacs have had success with more fancy rolls and sushi offerings, I keep it simple with a plate of sashimi.

Unfortunately eating sushi gluten free is not completely care-free and there are still things you need to be wary of in order to eat safely. Ask for your fish to be cut with clean utensils on a clean surface. The rising popularity of tempura rolls has increased the chances for cross-contamination here. Tell your server no crab unless they can assure you it’s real, most fake crab meat used in sushi rolls is made with wheat. Most roe (fish eggs) used to top sushi has wheat as an ingredient. Also, ask for no sauce, albacore sashimi usually comes with a forbidden sauce and many white fish are sprinkled with a gluten containing culprit. Eel (unagi) comes soaked in a sweet sauce that is a definite no-no. Double-check the wasabi, ginger and rice to make sure that there are no suspect ingredients. (I usually just forgo the rice since the combination of carbs, protein and fat wrecks havoc on my blood sugars.)I highly recommend MF Sushi in Atlanta if you want to sample fantastic sushi far from the sea.

MF Sushi 265 Ponce De Leon Ave : Unit B : Atlanta GA 30308 Telephone: 404-815-8844

Eating Sushi is a Gluten-Free Dream

As soon as I started eating out “gluten free” I discovered the simplicity of going for sushi. I could order a plain platter of sashimi and bring my own gluten free soy sauce. I still ask for my fish to be prepared on a clean surface, double check that no sauces are used on my dish and check the ingredients of the wasabi and ginger. But, there is a certain level of transparency with sushi that you don’t find with other cuisines and cooking techniques.Sushi quickly became the easy restaurant option; I didn’t need to do as much research upfront and I knew there would be SOMETHING I could eat (even if it was just steamed edamame). When I was first diagnosed I would carry a bottle of soy sauce with me to the sushi restaurant. It’s a little unwieldy to keep a bottle of soy sauce always at the ready in my purse so I needed some advanced notice to get a “quick” sushi lunch or dinner. Last year Kari-Out came to the rescue and launched gluten free soy sauce packets. Now I can carry these handy packets in my purse and always be ready for a last minute meal.

They can be ordered here, along with plenty of other travel sized packets of salad dressing, mustard, or even steak and BBQ sauce all great for gluten free travel.

 

Everybody Eats Gluten-Free Garlic Bread

It had been a LONG time since I had made garlic bread. Growing up we would buy “pre-made” frozen garlic bread or use a garlic spread and sprinkle it with Kraft parmesan cheese. (It almost seems blasphemous to this “born again” foodie.) When I went gluten free, it seemed like a waste to hide a freshly made gluten free loaf under a cheesy garlicy paste. And I had yet to find any pre-made gluten-free French bread that passed my strict taste standards.A few weeks ago I received a package from a gluten free bakery based in Brooklyn, NY called “Everybody Eats.” They were included in the Gluten Free Pizza Party round up, but at the time I hadn’t had the chance to actually try any of their products. A few people I met mentioned that their bread was great and I read some positive reviews, but the price and shipping costs were quite hefty.

Well, their crusty French baguette was so good, it didn’t seem possible that it was gluten free.

 

The crust is chewy but the inside is light and airy. With so many gluten free bread options that could be used as a door stop, it is a marvel what chef’s Pedro and Bruce have achieved.

The flavor and texture are unsurpassed by any light gluten-free bread I have purchased up until now (though I still recommend this artisanal gluten-free loaf).The deli rolls offer a similar taste and texture as the French baguette, but the baguette will make a perfect canvas for this fresh Garlic Cheese spread. I chose pecorino romano rather than a parmigiano reggiano because it has a slightly stronger kick to it. If you like a more subtle flavor any good quality hard parmesan will do.

Gluten-Free Cheesy Garlic Goodness
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 gluten-free French baguette, cut in 1/2 lengthwisePreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

Cream the butter, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and half of the cheese in a small bowl using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Spread both halves of the bread evenly with the garlic butter and top with the remaining grated cheese. Place the bread halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut sides up, and bake until fragrant and lightly golden around the edges, 8 to 15 minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn’t burn. Cut crosswise on the diagonal into1 1/2-inch slices. Serve hot.

Gluten-Free Vegan Tapas Restaurant – only in NYC

In some ways NYC is like the Internet, if you look for even the most niche offering you can find it. Sacred Chow is a vegan tapas restaurant with a small seating area, one server and a kitchen downstairs from the dining room. The West Village location is just south of Washington Square Park. The server, straight from “vegan hipster” casting, asked my friend and I where we were from – apparently the restaurant is a tourist destination for vegans around the world. (I guess the excitement I was effusing over the large gluten free menu gave me the dreaded air of “tourist.”)My adventures in gluten free dining compadre, Molly and I visited Sacred Chow twice in the space of a month.

On each visit, we split two of the “Tapas Trios,” soup and dessert. The Tapas Trio came on graduated serving dishes that somehow made the experience even more fun.

Molly and I share a somewhat unusual passion for Brussels sprouts so we savored each bite of their cornmeal crusted sprouts special.

My favorite protein was the Korean Tofu Cutlets served with pickled vegetables, followed in a close second by the Roasted Indonesian Tempeh. We enjoyed the tempeh so much we asked the server about how it was prepared. Their tempeh is more flavorful and has a firmer texture than any tempeh I had ever had before. We were told the secret is sautéing the tempeh in the sauce before roasting it. The double cooking process locks in the seasonings and provides the unique consistency.

 

Two different trips, two different soup specials. I had the pleasure of introducing Molly to Borscht – a sweet and salty soup made from beets that I first discovered in my early days in NY at Veselka.

 

Our second trip offered us a pumpkin soup served with apples. It was perfect on a cold winter day.

The sautéed shitake mushrooms with toasted sunflower seeds were so good they inspired us both to pick up some shitake mushrooms at Trader Joe’s after dinner.

 

The greens sprinkled with sesame seeds were simple but tasty enough to make it onto our table during both visits.

 

The four seasons salad wasn’t a standout and I definitely wouldn’t order the raw Dijon marinated kale again. The kale is the kind of dish that gives ammunition to meat eaters that deride vegan/vegetarian food – dry, cold, bland.

 

On our first trip we were a little disappointed with our dessert choices. We selected the Toasted coconut rice syrup macaroon and the Nougatines. They would be fine as a snack/dessert if you were camping but not the kind of indulgence you look for when dining out.

 

On our next trip we decided to give the Sacred Sundae a try. Vanilla soy ice cream topped with blueberry sauce. I am so glad our first less than appealing experience didn’t scare us away from a second attempt. The blueberry sauce was light, fresh and full of flavor without overpowering the creamy vanilla ice cream.

 

I can’t wait to go back, now if only they delivered to my neighborhood….

 

Sacred Chow, 227 Sullivan St, New York 10014 Btwn Bleecker & W 3rd St Phone: 212-337-0864

Basil and Heirloom Tomatoes

Spring is finally here! After a long, cold winter that nearly crushed my spirit, the weather is finally warm and the sun is shining brightly. As I navigated through a crowded grocery store this weekend, I was feeling uplifted by the weather, there was a new lightness in my step. Well, I almost did a happy dance right there in the store when I saw a beautiful display of heirloom tomatoes.

I never had an heirloom tomato before moving to New York. Growing up, I was the only member of my family that loved fruits and vegetables (my brother could live off of french fries, macaroni & cheese, red vines and fruit roll ups). So as irony would have it, most of my exploration into new produce occurred after I left California.

When I first saw heirloom tomatoes with their funny shapes and colors and a hefty price tag, I couldn’t imagine what could be so special – I mean they are still tomatoes after all. But last year during a trip to San Francisco, I ordered a decadent salad with heirloom tomatoes, basil, goat cheese and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I had no idea that the flavor of a tomato could be elevated to such great heights. Suddenly I found myself spending money on heirloom tomatoes instead of going out to eat. The flavors are amazing and they can be so visually arresting (we eat with all of our senses after all).

I have since introduced this delicacy to my family during my trips back to California. Skip your Starbucks coffee one day and spend that money on a perfect heirloom tomato – you won’t regret it. A plate of tomatoes with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and a dash of salt is naturally gluten free and a great way to celebrate a changing of the seasons.

Ecco – Eating (too much) Gluten-Free in Atlanta

Sometimes when you get behind on “blogging” you find a new restaurant that serves incredible gluten free food and you go back to it twice before having a chance to blog. The good news is that I have even more yummy photos and experiences to share.

Ecco is a relatively new restaurant in midtown Atlanta. It’s managed by the same restaurant group that owns La Tavola, where I had a delicious gluten free meal last year.

The space is beautiful and the menu is designed to satisfy all of my restaurant cravings. They serve a wide variety of gourmet meats and cheeses, taste and share small plates, appetizers and mains inspired by fresh and seasonal ingredients. They describe themselves aptly as “cuisine with European influences. …. Ecco embraces its classic roots while delivering an unmistakably modern, fresh and original dining experience.”

They are not part of the GFRAP, but I was able to discuss with a manager and a well-informed wait staff all of my gluten free needs.

The many small plates and appetizers make sharing easy, letting you sample an assortment of flavors and dishes.

During my visits I’ve had two meat and cheese platters, including a delicious 3 milk Robiola cheese that is a new favorite. (of course Piave remains near the top)

The mixed olives were surprisingly light – no extra olive oil weighting them down.

The tuna crudo with chili and chive is a unexpected combination of spice with the smooth texture of the fresh tuna.

 

The baby eggplant with pine nuts and sultanas is a mere $4 and was one of the top choices during my second trip to Ecco.

The garlic shrimp with olive oil and bay cost twice as much but the preparation was so delightful I wouldn’t hesitate to order them again.

 

Baby octopus is a risky dish if it isn’t prepared well, but the tomato, paprika and olive oil kept it from being overly “fishy” and the texture was just right.

Roasted mussels with saffron and chilis are a fantastic deal (and are pictured above) – a huge plate of mussels seasoned with saffron and chilis. It’s a little bit spicy but not overly so.

It’s hard to believe that three sections of the menu (pizzas, paninis and pastas) were completely off limits to me, yet I still had so much to choose from.

 

Fig glazed lamb loin with a warm potato and chicory salad was a great combination of savory and sweet. I’ve had mixed success with lamb as a main course, but this is one I would recommend to anyone new to the protein.

Trout is not one of my favorite fish, but this preparation, wrapped in grape leaves and served with winter squash, walnuts and sherry transcends the limitations of the fish and delivers a gluten free dining experience to be remembered.

Ecco Restaurant: 40 7th Street, Atlanta, GA 30308 Phone: 404-347-9555

Gluten-Free Pizza Party – Dig in!

Gluten Free Pizza, originally uploaded by A Gluten Free Guide.

As previously announced, we are having a gluten free pizza party. With more than 20 recipes and tastings you will have a whole new set of skills and products to add to your gluten free pizza repertoire.

Gluten Free Pizza Recipes:

Shauna never fails us with her gluten free recipes, her crunchy, slightly nutty pizza crust will surely delight. Of course the chef also put his gluten free pizza skills on display with this slice embellished with heirloom tomatoes, caramelized onions and rosemary.

Jean in Washington, shares a whole grain pizza crust recipe that makes use of flax seeds.

Mike, a gluten free cookbook author and blogger extraordinaire, gives us a traditional thick crust recipe using teff and millet flours.

The Gluten-Free Gastro-Gnome specializes in putting sorghum flour to work, but her gluten free pizza crust uses bean and tapioca flour.

Ellen who has five kids to please with her cooking made a fantastic roasted vegetable gluten free pizza on her first try.

Gluten a Go Go in Westchester County, NY has two gluten free crust recipes to add to your lists, once again you have to trust a pizza that can stand up to the toughest critics – children.

Wheatless Bay tops her gluten free pizza with mushrooms, caramelized onions and canadian bacon.

Mrs. GF makes a foldable pizza crust – the NY-style pizza lovers will love this.

Sheri made a BBQ pizza for the round up and uses garlic and herb cheese spread instead of red sauce on another pizza creation.

The impossibly cute Suzi of Gluten Free Living gives us five versions including one with roast lamb to create a gourmet gluten free pizza.

The indomitable Lynn of Free to Eat puts her “Lovely Loaf” to the pizza test.

Flamenco Mom in NYC gives you the tools for making a gluten free/casein free pizza.

Julie in Boulder, CO tempts us with his and her pizza photos but doesn’t share her recipe that is still being perfected.

Gluten Free Pizza Reviews:

Rob and Diana give top marks to the Glutino gluten free pizza but their reviews don’t stop there.

Jennifer Ate gives us a taste of three different options when it has to be pizza.

Sheri gives her thumbs up to the Arrowhead Mills mix.

Gluten Free Pizza Fun:

David of Gluten Free NYC keeps us laughing with Gluten Free Pizza a la Sedaris.

My additions to the party include a Zucchini Crust Pizza and a round-up of other gluten free pizza resources.

Gluten Free Mixes and Crusts:

Gillians Foods frozen pizza dough was the canvas for the pizza pictured above. Kinnikinnick sells GF/CF pizza crusts and Chebe makes an OnTheGo Gluten Free Pizza Dough. And have you heard of Dad’s Gluten Free Pizza Crusts?

Frozen Gluten Free Pizzas:

When you are too tired to do any of the work – there are a number of options available to satiate your gluten free pizza cravings. EveryBody Eats, a gluten-free bakery in Brooklyn makes three different styles of NY-style pizza that can be mailed directly to your door. If you have to have it that night look at your local grocery store for gluten pizza options from Amy’s, Foods by George, or Glutino. (Van Harden is a new gluten free pizza to market, using a cheese crust similar to the currently unavailable Comfy Cuisine.)

Some of you may even live in areas lucky enough to have restaurants that serve gluten free pizza:

Arizona:
Picazzos, 7325 Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd (Scottsdale Promenade) (Cross Street: N Scottsdale Road) Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: 480-990-2212

California:
Maurizio’s Italian Restaurant, 135 North Maryland Avenue, Glendale Phone: 818-247-5600. Call a day ahead and order the gluten-free pizza

Connecticut:
Frascati Restaurant 581 Newfield AvenueStamford, Connecticut Phone: 203-353-8900

Illinois:
Lou Malnati’s has multiple locations in the Chicago area that serve a crustless gluten free pizza (the “crust” is made from sausage)

Massachusetts:

Boynton Restaurant 117 Highland St Worcester, MA Phone: 508-756-5432

New York:
Cafe Baldo, 2849 Jerusalem Ave Wantagh, New York 11793 Phone: 516-785-4780
Mama’s Italian Restaurant, 1352 Montauk Highway Oakdale, New York Phone: 631-567-0909

Mozzarelli’s Pizza 38 E 23rd St, New York 10010 Btwn Park & Madison Ave Phone: 212-475-6777
Risotteria, 270 Bleecker St, New York 10014 Btwn 6th & 7th Ave Phone: 212-924-6664
Slice, 1413 2nd Ave, New York 10021 Btwn 73rd & 74th St Phone: 212-249-4353

Pennsylvania:
Jules Thin Crust, 78 South Main Street Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901 Phone: 215-345-8537
Manny B’s Pizzeria, 3820 Freemansburg Avenue Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania Phone: 610-866-8864

Let me know if I missed any good recipes or pizza offerings!

Zucchini Crust Gluten-Free Pizza

Zucchini Crust Pizza, originally uploaded by A Gluten Free Guide.

I was intrigued when I stumbled upon this pizza crust recipe made without a speck of flour. I decided to give it a try during my test run of recipes from Donna Klein’s new GF Cookbook. However, it was too big of a risk for me to rely solely on this for my dinner party. So as a backup, I prepared a second pizza using Gillian’s Foods gluten free pizza dough.

I was pleasantly surprised with how “crusty” the zucchini recipe turned out. I tasted a small piece after the first baking. Then topped it with a simple marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil to make a classic Margherita style pizza – with a rather nontraditional gluten free crust. While it tasted good, next time I will use a shredded mozzarella with less moisture to keep the crust a little crispier.

After a rushed defrost of the Gillians frozen pizza dough (oops, I was supposed to put it in the fridge to defrost the night before…) I was also pleased with my “back-up” gluten free pizza. I used a basil marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, kalamata olives and roasted red peppers to top the pie.

All of the guest seemed to enjoy both pizzas. Since half of them were gluten eaters, these recipes and products truly passed the test.

I’ve had past success using the Gluten Free Pantry pizza dough mix. It’s thick and doughy – more of a Chicago style deep dish. As a third alternative I also had two frozen Nature’s Hilights Brown Rice Pizza Crusts. This was for a guest that was on a restricted fat diet. The only ingredients are rice and water. Unfortunately the flavor is quite bland and I wouldn’t recommend the product unless you absolutely can’t use any of the other alternatives.

Zucchini Pizza Crust (from Donna Klein’s The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen)

2 to 2 ½ cups grated raw zucchini (about ¾ lb)
Salt
2 eggs
1 cup shredded gluten-free part-skim mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Lightly grease a standard-size nonstick baking sheet with sides. Place the zucchini in a colander set in the sink and sprinkle liberally with salt; let drain for about 15 minutes. Rinse under cold-running water and drain well. Transfer to several layers of paper towels and squeeze to thoroughly dry. Transfer to a large bowl and add the eggs mozzarella, and pepper; toss well to thoroughly combine. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, pressing mixture evenly into the sheet with your fingers. Bake in the center of the oven until light brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Use as directed in recipe.

(It’s really important to squeeze as much of the liquid out of the grated zucchini as possible before mixing with the other ingredients)

PS — My round up of gluten free pizza across the blogosphere is now live.

Friendship Bars with a Gluten-Free Twist

Gluten Free Friendship Bars III, originally uploaded by A Gluten Free Guide.

One of the new recipes I tried this weekend (when my gluten free bakery dreams were crushed) turned out so well it would seem that fate had its wise hand in it all from the beginning. What better to make for a group of girlfriends sitting around in a NY apartment watching hilarious television than a treat called a Friendship Bar? (Our sides and cheeks were hurting from the hilarity on The Office and Da Ali G Show in case you were wondering.)

I stayed mostly true to David’s original recipe. I used sorghum flour and added a 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. The almond extract adds a really nice hint of flavor. Since I wasn’t able to find the “Baker’s Edge” pan he raves about in his post, I decided to bake the mixture in two loaf pans rather than the 8X8 pan in order to maximize the “crusty edges” of the batch.

These are so chewy and perfect – you simply must try this recipe. I still can’t believe there is no added fat other than the walnuts. Let me know how they turn out for you.

Gluten Free Friendship Bars (adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris)
About 16 bars

6 tablespoons sorghum flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons packed, light or dark brown sugar
2 cups walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped
1½ cups dates, pitted and quartered
1 cup dried apricot halves quartered
1 extra large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Line two 8X4-inch loaf pans or one 8-inch square pan across the bottom and up the sides with aluminum foil

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the brown sugar and stir, breaking up the packed sugar. Add the walnuts, dates, and apricots. Use your fingers to mix separating any pieces sticking together, ensuring that all of the fruit is coated with the flour mixture.

Beat the egg, vanilla, and almond extract in a small bowl, then mix with the fruit and nut mixture until evenly coated. Spread the mixture in the baking pan with your hands and press to even it out. It is pretty gooey at this point.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the batter is golden brown and has pulled away just-slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool the bars in the pan. It will be tempting to take them out of the oven too early but the bars won’t set if you do. Once the bars are cooled, peel off the foil, cut and serve.

A Gluten-Free Spook!

I have been thinking about the idea of being “spooked” ever since Allergic Girl made this post. Shortly after reading her tale, I was at a conference held at a hotel in NYC. I spoke repeatedly with the waiter, gave very specific instructions and received this plate of chicken and vegetables that looked perfectly safe. But I just couldn’t eat it – I was “spooked.” Things were so hectic in the dining room, I couldn’t confirm that the chicken breast wasn’t pre-marinated (as has proven a problem at other hotels) or that it wasn’t cooked on a grill with bread or gluten containing sauces. So rather than risk it I sat and ate the cold lunch I had brought with me “just in case.” It could very well be that all of the food was safe but once you are spooked it’s just not worth it.

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.