Today is national Celiac Awarness Day! Know someone who gets sick a lot, or has poor health, with no explainable cause? Tell them to find out if they are gluten-intolerant. Removing it from their diet can get them better dramatically fast!
Check out Celiac.com for a list of symptoms.
Was surprised during a recent visit to Williams Sonoma to see Bouchon gourmet gluten-free cookie mix. Thomas Keller has partnered with Williams Sonoma exclusively to sell this gluten-free chocolate chunk cookie mix as well as a gluten-free brownie mix under his ad hoc restaurant label.
Unfortunately, both mixes have dairy ingredients, so I’m unable to try them, but I’ve ate at Bouchon, and the food is incredible. If anyone tries these, let me know how they are!
Those of us who have been eating gluten-free for awhile know there is an abundance of gluten-free baked goods available. The general public though is just catching on.
In today’s NY Times, the Dining section covers the gluten-free baked goods market, including a couple of recipes and book/website references.
This article from the SF Chronicle is a must-read guide for anyone gluten free living in, near or planning to go to, San Francisco. There are more and more restaurants offering gluten-free options – Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, Venezuelan, Pizza and more. Print this article out – it’s a must-have!
Here’s a list from the Chronicle’s article:
Dosa, 1700 Fillmore St.; (415) 441-3672. Also 995 Valencia St.; (415) 642-3672 or dosasf.com.
Eagle Pizzeria, 1712 Taraval St.; (415) 566-3113.
Extreme Pizza, various locations; extremepizza.com.
Gracias Madre, 2211 Mission St.; (415) 683-1346 or gracias-madre.com/web.
Ike’s Place at Lime, 2247 Market St.; (415) 553-6888 or ilikeikesplace. com.
Minako Organic Japanese Restaurant, 2154 Mission St.; (415) 864-1888.
Moya, 1044 Folsom St.; (415) 431-5544 or eatmoya.com
Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, 401 Valencia St.; (415) 400-5453 or picapicakitchen.com.
The Plant Cafe Organic, various locations; theplantcafe.com.
Power Source Juice Bar, 81 Fremont St.; (415) 896-1312 or powersourcecafe.com.
Ristorante Bacco, 737 Diamond St.; (415) 282-4969 or baccosf.com.
Saha, 1075 Sutter St.; (415) 345-9547 or sahasf.com.
Tao Cafe, 1000 Guerrero St.; (415) 641-9955 or taocafe.com.
Zadin, 4039 18th St.; (415) 626-2260 or zadinsf.com.
Gluten-free Chinese food isn’t easy to find. Besides P.F. Changs, there aren’t a lot of restaurants where you can find gluten-free versions of your favorite noodle dishes or entrees such as beef with broccoli and moo goo gai pan. Well, if you live in the San Diego area, you are in luck.
Del Mar’s Rendezvous Chinese Fusion Cuisine is a destination for gluten-free eaters! They have an extensive menu of gluten-free dishes, and also have vegan and vegetarian choices.
They offer koonyaku noodles (in addition to rice noodles). These are actually a Japanese root vegetable, from the taro family. These noodle substitutes are high in fiber, low in calories, and they taste amazing. When you’re anywhere near San Diego, give this place a try. *Tip: Wednesday and Sunday are half-price wine nights!
I’ve tried several gluten-free store-bought cookies, and I have to say- Liz Lovely makes the best. Her chocolate fudge cookies are gluten free and vegan. They taste as good as the real thing. I’ve only found these at Jimbo’s in San Diego, but it looks like you can order these on their website.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal says that a lack of B12 can cause people to feel drowsy and sluggish. It cites Celiac disease as a culprit in preventing absorption of this vitamin.
I know this was a symptom both Heather and I had. I currently take a B complex, which includes B12, but am thinking about the shots. Has anyone tried them?
Fortunately, finding gluten-free Mexican food isn’t too difficult. Using rice and corn as staple ingredients, people with gluten-intolerance generally do okay at Mexican restaurants. However, there is often gluten hidden in ingredients at all types of restaurants.
Rosa Mexicano, a higher-end Mexican restaurant chain (I’ve been to one in NYC and the one in downtown LA.), offers a special gluten-free menu to make it easier to confidently order a gluten-free meal.
For more on gluten-free restaurants, click here.
Who doesn’t love pie? Well…I actually never really cared for it, that is until sometime after I couldn’t have it. I had tried pumpkin and sweet potato pie, but was never interested in other fruit or nut pies- I guess they seemed too healthy.
Heather has experimented with making gluten-free pies, and over the holidays this year, she made me my first pecan pie–gluten-free of course.
She adapted this recipe from the Foodnetwork.com.
She used a pre-made gluten-free crust from Whole Foods, and made the pie dairy-free by substituting the butter with a vegan substitute. She also used agave nectar instead of corn syrup as a sweetener.
The result: Pecan pie is my new favorite. And now, I actually like the fact that I can justify it as being health food because it’s topped with nuts…
Harder to find then Redbridge, New Grist is a great gluten-free beer made by Lakefront Brewery. Made from sorghum and rice, New Grist has a crisp and distinct taste. I’ve found it at some specialty markets, but it can be purchased at BevMo.
Shaun
Heather