A Gluten Free Guide

Gluten-Free Cooking Spree – The Goodie Bag

After savoring every gluten free morsel at the Gluten Free Cooking Spree last weekend, we were given a gift bag filled with even more gluten free goodies.

My favorite discovery from the gift bag was Ina Garden’s gluten free Melba Toasts. They are crispy without being too hard or too crumbly and the flavor is great. What more could I ask? I put in an order for more Melba Toasts and bread from this gluten free bakery. I will report back once they arrive. (Ina Garden’s Gluten Free Bakery is not to be confused with my favorite Food Network star Ina Garten) UPDATE 2008: The bakery has rebranded as “Le Garden Gourmet Gluten-Free Bakery”

The Glutino pretzels were served with the drinks at the party. These were also just as good as their “gluteny” counterparts.

Foods by George gave everyone a gluten free brownie. It had a great chocolate flavor and fantastic texture and consistency, just a little flaky and crispy on top with a soft gooey center. My only complaint here is the number of calories. The one little brownie is considered two servings – each having 210 calories and 10 grams of fat. Yikes! I guess we can’t have it all…

The Bumble Bars are positioned as a healthy power/energy bar. They are primary sesame seeds, with a few cashew or almond pieces. They are soft, just a little bit sticky and slightly sweet. It’s not something I would crave after a workout, but they make a nice sweet indulgence (they aren’t low in fat or calories either).

The hand cream by Arbonne Intelligence skin care has a lovely scent but the cream was a little too light for my dry skin. (I may give it a second try during the summer. )

The Azna Gluten Free bakery provided the delicious scones pictured here. For the goodie bag they included a Chocolate Chip Shortbread cookie. While they both tasted great, they were so crumbly I couldn’t even get a photo of the cookies and the scones were falling apart. I would guess this is due to the fact that they are using “expandex” rather than the standard xanthan or guar gums used in most gluten free cooking. I hope they figure out how to improve the consistency in future product iterations.

The SoyJoy Bars are not something I would ever buy. They tasted like old school “health food bars” that used to dominate healthy and organic foodstuffs. At least they reminded me how far we have come.

One embarrassing snafu with the gift bag occurred when “GlutenEase” was included. This is a completely unregulated health supplement that posits itself as an gluten digestion aid. Unfortunately no such pill exists and those with Celiac need to avoid gluten at all costs. Alice Bast from the NFCA apologized to the group and warned everyone not to use the product.

So this brings my coverage of the NYC Gluten Free Cooking Spree to a close. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Gluten-Free Cooking Spree – Part 2

As promised, I had to cover the amazing gluten free dishes made for the competition portion of the Gluten Free Cooking Spree. I was lucky enough to try all of the dishes; I even managed to procure seconds of a few of them.

All of the chefs worked with a doctor to ensure all of their ingredients were approved as “gluten free.” Wow, I wish I had that for all of my restaurant dining experiences – what a sense of security. Each chef was given the option of using chicken or tilapia as their protein. Beyond that they were free to experiment with any gluten free ingredients they felt would best highlight their culinary creation.

The dish selected by the panel of judges as the “winner” was Chef Brett Reichler’s Tortilla Crusted Free Range Chicken Stuffed with Manchego and Spinach served with a red pepper sauce. I particularly loved the red pepper sauce.

I don’t think I could have selected a single winner, they were all so different. Chef Patricia William’s Tempura of Tilapia with a salad of cucumbers, mango, rice wine vinaigrette and sesame oil foam was true culinary artistry. I didn’t think I would ever have the pleasure of enjoying “gluten free” tempura. This tilapia tempura was light and fresh. The salad was the perfect combination of sweet and savory to complement the tempura. I can only hope that Williams decides to bring the dish to her restaurant menu at District.

While the photo doesn’t do it justice, Ralph Pagano’s Chicken Souvlaki served in a chive crepe danced on my gluten free tastebuds. The crepe was thicker than a traditional French crepe but not quite as thick as a pita. Ralph told us the key to getting just the right consistency was club soda and Redbridge gluten free beer. It gave the crepes the elasticity and airiness that gluten protein would have otherwise provided. The chicken, the crepes and the yogurt sauce married together flavors and textures I thought had been forever banished with my Celiac diagnosis.

Twyla, Andy and I were able to have a great conversation with Carrie Levin from the restaurant Good Enough to Eat on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Her fish chowder was another extraordinary gluten free dining experience. As most people following a gluten free diet know, chowders are one of those dishes that you don’t usually even ask about because you realize that the likelihood that it is thickened with traditional flour is about 99.9%. When we talked to Carrie, she told us how much she like the chick pea flour she had used in her recipe. It was better than the white flour she had been using! She told us how much she had learned about gluten free cooking and that she thinks there is a market for a gluten free catering business in New York. All I could say is “AMEN! Yes, please!” I hope she decides to follow through with it or at least start including more gluten free items on the menu at her restaurant.

The other dishes served that night that I didn’t get photos of were the Coriander Spiced Fish with chili chitake, chive biscuits and cucumber cumin raita from Chef Jehangir Mehta of Graffiti and the Seared Tilapia with a chile lime glaze. I particularly enjoyed the Coriander Spiced fish. The coolness of the raita with spicy coriander was superb, and big props for even attempting a gluten free biscuit (which was quite good)! A big thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for donating all of the gluten free flours for the chefs to use. Apparently Chef Levin was not the only one to express their surprise at being more pleased with the gluten free flour than the white flour they had been using.

The event was covered by CNN as their reporter Heidi Collins is the spokesperson for the NFCA. There was even an article on Epicurious.com this week written by a fellow gluten free blogger. Thanks to everyone who put in time and energy to make this event such a smashing success! As more chefs become aware of the needs of the Celiac customer, the easier and more delicious our “dining” lives will become. Though if you want to try these dishes for yourself, the chefs were kind enough to share their recipes here.

Because I do like to cook and bake, I know that I am lucky in the celiac community. I could probably figure a way to make most items myself. But it’s a lot of work, so I was truly grateful to enjoy the luxury of being able to eat all of these dishes in a safe environment, without playing 20 questions with a waiter. I may have to find an excuse to visit friends in the other cities where the Gluten Free Cooking Spree will be stopping this year!

Gluten Free Cooking Spree – Part 1

Eating gluten free was never so “normal.” Imagine an evening dining on pasta primavera, cheese rolls, chicken nuggets, “jalapeno poppers,” calamari, fish chowder, tempura, meatballs, pizza, pretzels, cookies, beer and more. That is exactly what you could have done at the Gluten Free Cooking Spree on Friday night in Manhattan. Luckily for those of you in other cities, this event is on the move. Check out the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness site for more details. The New York event is just the first in a series of events to be held across the nation to educate chefs and the local community about Celiac Disease and the importance of the gluten free diet.While I enjoyed the food tremendously and probably ate one too many of everything, the best part of the evening by far was the company. While I arrived by myself ($50 was too steep of a price for my gluten eating friends) I quickly met the impossibly cute married couple, Twyla and Andy. We spent the evening savoring all of the gluten free dishes, from high-end culinary artistry (tempura with sesame foam) to gluten free comfort foods like pizza and chicken nuggets.
I also had the pleasure of meeting David, Erin, Jennifer, and Kelly, fellow gluten free bloggers. The world is such a small place, Kelly and I have a mutual friend and David and I are both UVA alums. I was so happy with all of the new acquaintances it would have been enough for the evening. But the luxury of being able to eat everything that was served at an event (without preparing it all myself) is almost indescribable.

When they brought out the pizza (thanks Food by George), the crowds swarmed the tray, dispersing when only crumbs remained.

I managed to get a photo of a few remaining chicken nuggets from Bell and Evans before they were polished off.

I met the owner of Bistango outside the event. He is a kind and wonderful host. He recognized me from my frequent patronage; you should definitely check out his restaurant on 29th street. Lucky for us that night he was dropping off Pasta Primavera, Calamari, Pasta alla Bistango and Eggplant Rollatini.

I never got a photo of the Pasta alla Bistango, but it was my favorite of the two. It comes with a delicious red sauce with just a hint of nutmeg.

Rice on Lex, another wonderful restaurant in Manhattan donated Meatballs with calamari in a black squid sauce. The presentation was a little shocking.

Twyla and I were rewarded for our adventurous spirits; the flavors were fantastic.

Puff and Pao provided four different types of their Brazilian cheese rolls. They are perfectly bite-sized.

I do have to wonder what happened with the cheese and sushi platters. No gluten free crackers or soy sauce were in sight. How did that get overlooked at a gluten free event? (Thanks to Whole Foods Columbus Circle though for donating the sushi and Fresh Direct for the cheese plate.) (UPDATE – apparently they had crackers and soy sauce but they were forgotten in all of the craziness of getting the hungry masses fed)

All was forgiven with the numerous gluten free dessert choices: a raspberry scone/cake, peanut butter, chocolate and raisin cookies all from Azna Gluten Free, and mini chocolate cupcakes from Babycakes bakery.

My next post will go in more detail about the actual dishes prepared by the chefs for the “competition.” Are you hungry yet?

Gluten-Free Cooking Spree

Tonight is the Gluten-Free Cooking Spree in NYC. I will be there. Big thanks to the heads up I received from Erin about this event a couple of weeks ago. Photos and a full report to come!

TOP CHEFS:
Brett Reichler: BR Guest
Ralph Pagano: Hell’s Kitchen
Jehangir Mehta: Graffiti
Julian Medina: formally Zocalo
Aarón Sanchez: Centrico
Carrie Levin: Good Enough to Eat
Patricia Williams: District Restaurant

DOCTORS/CLINICIANS:
Dr. Peter Green: Columbia-Presbyterian
Dr. Suzanne Loiselle: Mt. Sinai Hospital
Dr. Michael Blechman: Beth Israel Medical Center
Dr. Marc Wager: Sound Shore Medical CenterD
r. Michael Contillo: Lawrence Hospital
Dr. Zoovia Hamid: Sound Shore Medical Center
Dr. Rafael Soltren: Phelps Memorial Hospital
Dr. Robert Mangione: St. John’s University
Maureen Higgens, RN: Memorial Sloan Kettering

Date: Friday, March 2, 2007
General Admission ($50): 6:30pm to 9:00pm
VIP Admission ($75): 6:00-9:00 includes special meet & greet with doctors and chefs
Location: Institute for Culinary Education50 West 23rd Street
Enjoy gluten-free hors d’oeuvres, desserts and cocktails.
NFCA will honor Dr. Peter Green and the Columbia University Celiac Disease Center for all of their contributions to the celiac community.Space is limited to 150 people.*
All tickets must be purchased directly through the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website: http://www.celiaccentral.org/Events/Gluten_Free_Cooking_Sprees/331/

Location: Institute for Culinary EducationThe National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and CNN Newsroom Anchor Heidi Collins to host Gluten-Free Cooking Spree with celebrity chefs and New York City-area doctors compete in a gluten free cook off to raise celiac disease awareness.The Gluten-Free Cooking Spree is an event that joins together the medical and lifestyle aspects of celiac disease. The event began as a partnership between the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, the Drexel University School of Public Health and the Drexel University School of Hospitality Management in an effort to educate people about the wonderful world of gluten-free cooking. For more information about getting involved, please contact Vanessa Maltin at vanessa@celiaccentral.org.*All tickets must be purchased directly through the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website: http://www.celiaccentral.org/Events/Gluten_Free_Cooking_Sprees/331/

Gluten-Free Food For The Five Senses

After overloading on meat at Blue Smoke, you may want to try some lighter gluten free fare. Gobo is a vegetarian restaurant on the Upper East Side and the West Village with a pretty substantial gluten free offering. (They are not part of GFRAP, so double check ingredients and preparation techniques with your server.)

Gobo touts itself as “food for the five senses.” I love the ambiance and the attitude towards food that they cultivate in their restaurant. On this visit with my friend Molly, we ordered together. She eschewed the dinner rolls and requested a gluten free menu so that I could enjoy it all without fear of “contamination.” Molly has particular empathy for the difficulty of eating gluten free. She was instructed by a doctor to try a gluten free diet for a few months when they suspected she might have Celiac. Luckily she doesn’t, but she is so kind in helping me feel included. I baked these gluten-free orange vanilla dreams for her cookie party.

We were starving when we arrived at Gobo, having just finished a yoga class. Unfortunately the service was quite slow. The server did apologize for the delays and gave us dessert on the house. It’s amazing how much better this made us feel.Our first course was the Cappuccino French Lentil Truffle Soup. While the name is fancy, it’s a basic Lentil Soup. The Cappuccino refers to a froth that normally tops the soup, but that had “collapsed” before reaching our table. After seeing a special on lentils on the Food Network, I haven’t been able to get enough. I would definitely order this again.

The Curried Cauliflower Salad with pine nuts and red currants was unlike anything I had ever eaten. Part of the cauliflower is shaved down to an almost couscous consistency with small cauliflower florets curried and mixed with the pine nuts and currants. It’s a cold salad and quite light and tasty. While I really enjoyed the flavors, I would add some cardamom if I were to try to make it at home.

The Eggplant stuffed with herbed tofu cheese was perfect. It is similar to eggplant parmesan without a heavy or greasy feel. I didn’t know what to expect from “herbed tofu cheese,” but it tasted just like a regular dairy cheese when served with the eggplant and tomato basil sauce.

While I wasn’t able to get a good photo of the Creamed Spinach Gratin and Prunes with Cognac, it was our last dish. It’s relatively small and the spinach is unremarkable, but the Prunes were amazing. I don’t remember the last time I even ate a prune before this meal, but the way they were cooked highlighted the sweet and savory flavors in a totally unexpected way. I now feel the need to figure out a way to incorporate prunes into a homemade dish. Any ideas?

We decided to indulge in dessert even before we knew it would be on the house. My favorite dish of the night – Warm pineapple in rum caramel topped with Soy Ice Cream and Toasted Coconut. Need I say more? Molly and I were in heaven, savoring every last morsel.

I will without a doubt be back at Gobo again soon. With two locations, they make gluten free dining even more convenient.

Gobo Uptown: 1426 3rd Ave, New York 10028 Btwn 80th & 81st St Phone: 212-288-5099
Gobo Downtown: 401 6th Ave, New York 10014 Btwn Waverly Pl & 8th St Phone: 212-255-3242

Keeping Your Houseguests Happy

Not only do they taste great, they are surprisingly affordable. Regular name-brand cereals tend to cost $3-5/box. This box of gluten free cereal cost only $2.99. What a nice change from the usual “gluten free markup.”

I love to show my gluten eating friends and family how delicious it can be to eat gluten free.

Blue Smoke – Gluten-Free Ribs and More

While not part of the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program, Blue Smoke in Manhattan’s Gramercy/Murray Hill neighborhood has a gluten free menu. Allergic Girl posted their gluten free menu here, though the Salmon wasn’t offered on my recent trip there. But let’s be honest, who goes to a BBQ place and orders fish?

Blue Smoke has a warm, down-home feel that isn’t common in Manhattan restaurants. The food is delicious, the service was friendly and they have worked out all of the details. They have a convenient table-sized bucket for discarding your ribs and will bring a handy toothpick dispenser with some “wet-naps” to clean up after your meal.

My cousin Lisa and I decided to order together so that we could try more items from the extensive menu. I always appreciate my friends’ willingness to order gluten free with me!

We started with the chopped salad with olives, feta and tomatoes. It was perfectly seasoned, without too much dressing.

The whole lot of us shared the Chipotle Chicken Wings. I couldn’t eat the dressing (not gluten free) but still enjoyed the spicy kick.

We ordered the brisket with a mix of the lean and marbled meat. Lisa and I both preferred the lean brisket even though the marbled was slightly more tender. We also substituted green beans for the mashed potatoes; we needed something healthy!

The stars of the evening, without a doubt, were the ribs. Lisa and I ordered a half-rack of the Kansas City Spareribs. The ribs are “saucy” and mouth-watering. Don’t leave Blue Smoke without giving them a try.

Gareth enjoyed his rib sampler.

Maybe a little too much…

Nicole ordered the pulled pork sandwich (not gluten-free at Blue Smoke, though I recently made a great gluten-free version) but ate a few ribs from Gareth’s sampler.

Be sure to make all of your gluten free needs clear to the staff – they aren’t all as familiar with the diet as some other restaurants I’ve featured. But if you like ribs, enjoy some gluten-free barbeque right in the center of Manhattan.

Blue Smoke 116 E 27th St, New York 10016 Btwn Lexington & Park Ave Phone: 212-447-7733

Enjoy Life gluten-free foods hit the Blogosphere

Over the past two weeks I have seen Enjoy Life Foods product reviews popping up on various gluten free blogs. By The Bay, Lynn from Free to Eat, and Mike’s Gluten Free Blog all reviewed a few of the products. I too was excited to receive a package of gluten free goodies from Enjoy Life foods recently. When they contacted me, they mentioned the less than favorable review I had given their granola in this post. Apparently they had reformulated their granola and wanted me to give it another shot, while trying some of their other products.

As I’ve said before I don’t waste the money or calories on gluten free products that are not as good as the original. There are too many delicious naturally gluten free foods to focus on what I can’t have unless a craving just takes over. That said, I am always excited to find something like the Bakery on Main Granola that tastes as good if not better than many gluten filled granolas.

I gathered two gluten eating friends, Kristen and Abby, to help me assess the Enjoy Life products. I’ll start with the products we truly “enjoyed.” The “Not Nuts” trail mix is really fantastic. Abby, Kristen and I couldn’t get enough of it. It has a great combination of seeds and dried fruit. It’s just savory enough with a hint of sweetness from the dried fruit. Yum!

The mini chocolate chips were another hit. They loved the small chips and really liked the chocolate flavor. The only suggestion we had was that it might be useful to have a resealable bag similar to the one used for the “Not Nuts” trail mix. How frequently do you use a whole bag of chips? (I agree and would love all of my baking chips to come in a resealable package)

Enjoy Life makes a number of different types of cookies. We sampled the Snickerdoodles. These were delicious. Abby said “Wow, these are something I would eat for pleasure.” Kristen noted that “you don’t miss the gluten and they are nice and soft.” The only complaint was the limited number of cookies in the actual package.

We didn’t have quite as much success with the rest of the products. The plain bagels and the Caramel Apple Snackbars were not loved but we did manage to finish them off over the course of the week.

The bagels are smaller and denser than the beautiful gluten filled NY bagels I would buy at Essa bagel or at a great bakery in Brooklyn. I would compare the “Enjoy Life” versions to the frozen “Lender’s” bagels I had growing up in California. Toasted or warmed in the microwave is definitely the best way to eat these (a common trait with gluten free baked goods). Neither Abby or Kristen liked the Cinnamon raisin bagels. I didn’t mind them but I wouldn’t buy them on a regular basis.

The Caramel Apple Snackbars have no hint of caramel, but they taste good, like a slightly denser apple muffin. As Kristen put it “I had one last night and today I brought one with me to work if that tells you anything.”

The two items I can’t recommend are the Very Berry Snackbars and the Cranapple Crunch Granola. Despite the reformulation of the granola, we found it lacking in flavor. Abby and Kristen’s comments ranged from “no flavor, like sawdust” to “eew, bad after taste” or “It’s like they are trying to cover up cardboard with craisins.” I think that Enjoy Life could improve their granola by integrating some of the seeds and dried fruit from the trail mix with less of a focus on the brown rice and beet fiber.

The Very Berry Snackbars received a similar reaction. “Not sweet or savory – they have a weird crunch.” “Not good but not completely disgusting.” They reminded me of the bars you used to find in the pre-Whole Foods era, when health food stores had that weird medicinal smell to them.

I have to give Enjoy Life credit for reaching out to the blogosphere to get feedback on their products (and of course PR). I am glad that they are working to constantly improve their offerings. The fact that they are able to make many delicious foods “allergen free” is much appreciated. I know some of the other bloggers had different opinions on the same products – that’s one of the beautiful things about this world, the variety of tastes and outlooks just make the experience that much richer.

Chocolate Fondue – Dip Away!

A luscious, rich chocolate fondue is a sure crowd pleaser. Dipping various treats into warm chocolaty goodness is the perfect luxury on a cold winter evening.

When planning a menu for a small Valentine’s gathering, I was told emphatically that it just wouldn’t be complete without chocolate. As I’ve said before, I don’t like chocolate so it hadn’t even occurred to me. Well, I knew I was up for the challenge. Figuring out the best recipe for something that you don’t like to eat is possible with research and focus on the best possible ingredients.

I started my search online, reading every chocolate fondue recipe I could find. Some used corn syrup, others butter. A few included caramel or peanut butter. I knew I wanted something with clean flavors so that the chocolate could be the star. The fun and variety would come with the treats dipped in the chocolate.

After all of that research, I decided to see if the Guittard web site had any recipes. They make the most incredible Vanilla and Butterscotch chips (highlighted in this recipe) and I knew that their chocolate had a reputation for being one of the best. (I also had confirmation from a representative at Guittard that all of their products are gluten free.)

Sure enough they had a simple formula for creating an exquisite fondue. Everyone who indulged gave it rave reviews.

Chocolate Fondue (adapted from Guittard Chocolate Company)

12 ounces E. Guittard 72% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
12 ounces E. Guittard 38% Cacao Milk Chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk

Gently melt all ingredients in a double boiler set over simmering (not boiling) water using low heat. To serve, transfer the fondue to a warmed ceramic dish or fondue pot. Note that the fondue will thicken as it cools.

I didn’t have a double boiler, so I set up a large pyrex bowl over a saucepot with simmering water. If you are using a fondue pot with a sterno flame, be sure that you can control the heat. Too hot and your chocolate will burn.

This recipe will easily serve 15-20 people. As far as what to dip? You are limited only by your own creativity. I selected gluten free macaroons, animal crackers, marshmallows, strawberries, pineapples and bananas.

A Valentine’s Day MeMe

Happy Valentine’s Day, originally uploaded by A Gluten-Free Guide.

Happy Valentine’s Day! I am leaving for a trip today – sure to return with new recipes, food and travel experiences to share with you. Before I go, I wanted to respond to Jeff’s MeMe tag. (Since I already perpetuated this chain letter tradition in my first MeMe post, I won’t be tagging anyone else.)

So here are a seven random facts about Ms. Gluten-Free Guide:

1. I love being an aunt. My adorable nephew lives in Texas now and I miss him terribly.

2. I live far away from my family but I talk to them on the phone almost everyday.

3. I am an eternal optimist.

4. As a yoga instructor I can now do backbends, forearm stands, handstands and all kinds of crazy things. But growing up, I couldn’t even touch my toes.

5. I started eating sushi before eating cooked fish.

6. I helped Matt Damon get dressed once (you’ll have to talk to me for the full story)

7. I overcame my fear this weekend, and chopped off my hair. It was scary, but now I love it.

It’s a day to celebrate the important people in your life, go tell someone you love them!