Celiac Disease & Gluten Free Diet Resources
Mar 17 2010

Another Healthy Naturally Gluten-free Snack

One of my favorite things to do is investigate new gluten-free offerings at the grocery store. I’m not talking about the heath food store, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Many of our readers don’t have access to those stores. Even if they don’t have a Publix near them, Publix carries things that most other grocery stores do as well. Even though a lot of people are unhappy about Publix dropping Redbridge from their beer line-up, the FL based chain is trying to do better in terms of gluten-free offerings. There are even some Ener-G breads at a store near me.

One of the areas of Publix that keeps offerings more gluten-free options is one of the cases in the deli area. Santa Barbara pesto and salsa’s are stocked there. Both marked gluten-free and both are quite delicious. All products from that line are gluten-free. Several of the Publix ready-made salads in the case near the deli are gluten-free. The Tarragon Chicken salad, which we discovered in FL last year on vacation, is our favorite of all the gluten-free Publix deli options. Luckily, it’s also available here and we have been known to freeze several containers of it when it’s on sale.

Last week, I came across some Tribe roasted garlic hummus in little four packs. Right on the package was this – “Gluten Free, 0g Transfats, No Saturated Fats, Hydogenated Oils or Cholesterol!” You’ve got to love the minimal number of ingredients are in the hummus. As the author of Food Rules, Michael Pollan says, “try not to eat anything that contains ingredients a third grader can’t pronounce”. Roasted Garlic Tribe hummus contains chickpeas, water, canola oil, sesame tahini, sea salt, citric acid, natural roasted garlic flavor and spices. Tribe products are not new to Publix, they are just new to me. We tend to buy hummus at Trader Joe’s, but there isn’t a location that is convenient for us to get to. My fave flavor from there is also Roasted Garlic.

In addition to being gluten-free, all Tribe hummus products are vegan and kosher. Oh, and the taste is superb – at least for the Roasted Garlic which is the only flavor I’ve tried so far. The small individual cups have only 100 calories each and don’t believe the stated serving size. Each cup is enough for one person, not two as it contains about 4 tablespoons of hummus. The mini cup of hummus in perfect for an afternoon snack, to pack in a kids lunch box or to pack for a trip where you can keep it cold. Add some gluten-free crackers and you’re set.  I think toasting  some gluten-free pita bread might work well with the hummus, when using the larger containers. That would be a truly Mediterranean treat!

The Tribe website is currently not working, but if it’s sold in your area, it should be in a refrigerated case. There are over 15 flavors of gluten-free hummus available in this line.

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Mar 16 2010

Product Review: Annie’s Gluten-free Bunny Cookies

I am always on the lookout for on-the-go snacks for Jon. Yes, he is 13 and probably doesn’t appreciate bunny shaped cookies, but as long as his friends don’t see him eating them, he is fine with it. I have been reading different reviews on these Annie’s Bunny Cookies for the past week or so. I stumbled upon them in Whole Foods today while meandering about and tossed them into my cart. I really could get lost in that store & not find my way out for a week.

A little information about Annie’s:

Our Core Values

Annie’s is real, authentic, and trusted by consumers. As a company we strive to build upon this legacy with every decision we make.

Annie’s only makes products that taste great; they delight our consumers.

Annie’s uses only simple natural and organic ingredients, no icky additives or pesky preservatives.

Annie’s sources only from places and people we trust, with high emphasis on quality, as well as agricultural and environmental sustainability. We believe in transparency.

Annie’s is a socially responsible company, and through our actions and programs, we spread awareness and act as a positive role model for consumers and other businesses to do the same.

Annie’s and its valued employees treat consumers, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and each other, with the same high degree of respect, fairness, & honesty that we expect of others.

Annie’s Homegrown has a number of gluten-free snacks in their lineup. Their gluten-free products include:

  • Gluten Free Bunny Cookies
  • Gluten Free Deluxe Rice Pasta and Cheddar
  • Gluten-Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar
  • Organic Tropical Treat Bunny Fruit Snacks
  • Organic Berry Patch Fruit Snacks
  • New! Sunny Citrus Fruit Snacks
  • New! Summer Strawberry Fruit Snacks
  • Artichoke Parmesan Dressing
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Cowgirl Ranch Dressing
  • Lemon & Chive Dressing
  • 16 oz Lite Italian Dressing
  • Lite Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
  • Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette
  • Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
  • Tuscany Italian Dressing
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette – Organic

The Bunny Cookies are cocoa & vanilla, so they are black & white. They were much smaller than I had anticipated when seeing the outside of the box, however when I learned that 27 cookies = 120 calories, I figured they had to be small. The cookies had an odd taste at first, but then I started to really like them. The outside of the box says “you can’t have just 2″ and I have to say that is a true statement. Jon really liked these and ate about half of the box in 1 sitting. Always easy to tell what he likes & what he doesn’t like. While I liked these cookies, I still prefer the Kinnikinnick K-Kritters. The K-Kritters are available in 3 different varieties and are $3.99/box. The Annie’s Bunny Cookies were $4.39 at Whole Foods.

I am still on the hunt for the Deluxe Rice Mac & Cheddar that is new to the lineup. Whole Foods did not have it today when I was there. Has anyone tried this yet? All I could find at Whole Foods was the original Rice Mac & Cheese. It is available for order directly from Annie’s website.

I have always been a fan of Annie’s products, especially the Cowgirl Ranch. I also noticed that Annie’s also makes gluten-free fruit snacks in 4 different flavors – all without HFCS!

Where can you find Annie’s products? Click here to see where you can find them in your area. If they are not available in your area, you can find some of the products on Amazon.com or order directly from Annie’s website.

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Mar 16 2010

Atlanta Location of Pizza Fusion Closes

When I heard that Pizza Fusion was going to open in Atlanta, I was over the moon with excitement. The only gluten-free pizzas I’d been able to order when dining out were in NYC. Since I live in GA, ordering take-out or enjoying gluten-free pizza in a restaurant on a regular basis was out of the question. Jeff Melnick, who bought the Pizza Fusion franchise in Atlanta kept me updated with possible locations, opening dates, etc. When they signed a lease for a space in one of the most expensive areas in Atlanta I was surprised, but also happy they finally had an Atlanta home.

As often happens with restaurant openings, Pizza Fusion kept moving their opening date out again and again. By the time the doors opened in late 2009, zpizza locations in the burbs were nipping at their heels and my local pizza joint (Pepperoni’s in Duluth) had just started offering gluten-free pizza. It seemed like every month that followed the Pizza Fusion opening brought a new gluten-free pizza to the Atlanta dining scene. While it’s true that the location was not counting only on gluten-free consumers to make the business profitable, in other markets where they reign supreme, they are well known for heavily catering to the gluten-free crowd. Hence, my excitement about the pizza place finally opening in this area.

Very shortly after the Pizza Fusion location opened in Midtown, they hosted a gluten-free dinner club event there. For the most part, attendees loved the food and a great time was had by all. The owner, Jeff, even closed the location down just for our event. We did not pay a rental fee or a party fee – nothing. Event attendees just paid for their food and drinks. The owner even worked up a super low price for a buffet style meal for the group. That night proved that yes, the rumors were true. Pizza Fusion without question, caters to the gluten-free crowd.

Having gluten-free pizza in NYC, where almost every joint makes fresh crusts is not the best idea in the world unless you live there. Risotteria and Mozzarelli’s gluten-free pizzas are not just great for gluten-free – they are some of the best pizzas we’d had in NYC. Obviously, a frozen crust, which is what is served in this market, including at Pizza Fusion, is not going to compare to what we’d had in the Big Apple. Everyone has different tastes and I wasn’t in love with the gluten-free crust that Pizza Fusion served here. We had bad luck on several occasions where the middle of the pizza was not done and the ends were fine or the ends were too tough to eat if the middle was done. When we took gluten eating friends there and their gluten pizza was extremely overdone on the ends, we knew the issue was not related to the gluten-free crusts. There seemed to be something wrong with either the ovens or the pizza baker during each of our visits there.

The owner worked hard with the staff on trying to get the pizzas cooked correctly, but the best pizzas we had at Pizza Fusion were made with a small round crust cut out of the huge oval crust. That made the difference between having a pizza that wasn’t so great to having one that was pretty good.  Many gluten-free people here rave about the gluten-free pizza and vegan brownies that Pizza Fusion serves. Yet again, even the brownies we had were always overdone, except during the dinner club event. I think most people who went to Pizza Fusion really enjoyed it. Certainly, if my local pizza joint didn’t serve excellent gluten-free pizza, pasta and chicken tenders, we would have made the trek to Pizza Fusion more often.

Some of the complaints I heard about the Pizza Fusion concept were that people wanted to order a Coke and they didn’t care that the paint used in the place was non toxic. This consumer does care about those things and the naturally gluten-free Boylan’s sodas that Pizza Fusion serves are simply delicious. However, it would have been nice to be able to order hot tea or coffee during cold weather. Niether is offered at Pizza Fusion.

When Foodie Bhuddha tweeted that Pizza Fusion was for sale and might close soon several months back, I thought the news was sad but not that surprising. Pizza Fusion closed their doors in Atlanta on March 8th. Apparently the owner didn’t find a buyer for the business and a new grandchild in CA was calling him and his wife home to be with family. According to the corporate office of Pizza Fusion, they hope to open another location in Atlanta eventually.

The pricey location might have had something to do with the downfall for the Atlanta location, but it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Pizza Fusion been the only gluten-free pizza game in town for a while. It would be quite environmentally unfriendly for people to drive over 20 miles to have pizza in town when they could have gluten-free pizza around the corner from their home. Pizza Fusion’s mission statement is “saving the earth, one pizza at a time”, after all.

Special thanks to Joy Johnston for the news about Pizza Fusion!

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Mar 15 2010

Bamba Ritos Restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado

I had the pleasure of joining the iamgf meetup group for dinner at Bamba Ritos in Ft. Collins, CO. This new Mexican restaurant has a fantastic, although brief gluten-free menu. Much like Chiptole, Bamba Ritos has an entirely gluten-free menu, with the exception of the flour tortillas. But, unlike Chipotle, Bamba Ritos has large, gluten-free brown rice tortillas for the big burritos, so the gluten-free customer has the option of a huge burrito!

The burrito combinations include chicken, steak, lettuce, rice, cheese, veggies, sour cream, pinto beans, black beans, pico, and more. There is also an Ahi tuna option! Not in the mood for a burrito? Try the Bamba-bowl, a large round bowl of toppings/fillings. They also have fajitas with chicken, steak, Ahi tuna, veggie, or carnitas meat, all of the fajita toppings, and your choice of tortillas. In the mood for chips and salsa, or queso? What about hot wings? Both are offered, and are gluten-free! And dessert? How about a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie from Sweet Escape Pastries? This menu is really fantastic.

I ordered the Queso-rito with pinto beans. It was delicious and cheesy. The size was fantastic, a great big burrito! My only complaint is that the stuffing was kind-of hard to eat because it was pouring out of the burrito. But the stuffing was so good that I used a tortilla chip to scoop it out of the center of the burrito and eat it like a nacho topping. The huge brown rice tortilla was really good, lightly toasted and slightly crunchy in places.

With the exception of the flour tortillas, the entire menu is gluten-free. The owner is gluten-free, so she and her husband are personally involved in the menu choices and the commitment to a safe and gluten-free meal. They also own Mancino’s, a pizza and grinder restaurant in Ft. Collins, CO. Mancino’s offers gluten-free pizza and subs! It is great to see restaurant owners who are personally ensuring that gluten-free dining out is easy and delicious! If you are local to the Ft. Collins area be sure to stop by Bamba Ritos for a great big gluten-free burrito. Check out the Bamba Ritos website for menu information.

Bamba-Ritos maps.google.com

  • 2427 South College Avenue
  • Fort Collins, CO 80525-1700
  • (970) 484-7486
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Mar 15 2010

Five Guys Fries Named Worst Fries in U.S.

Don’t worry, the fries were not named worst tasting, just worst for you. When I saw the post from Men’s Health that gave the fries from the Five Guys burger chain the distinction of being the worst (for you) regular order of fries, I had to laugh. The only place in the entire country (that serves gluten) that can without a doubt, claim that their fries are 100% gluten-free 100% of the time gets this snub from a major mainstream organization.

When the Five guys near us opened, I had to have a meal from there right away. My husband noticed the “Now Open” sign on his way to work and told me about it. I’d been calling the store asking when they would open and I knew it was going to be soon. On his way home from work, my husband picked up dinner (to-go) at Five Guys. He ordered me fries and a bunless burger with cheese. Unfortunately, not only did all the cheese come off when I unwrapped the burger, my husband ran off the road and hit a speed limit sign when the Five Guys bag fell over on his car floor board. The repairs to the car ran over $4000, but thankfully no one was hurt. I would love to find someone else who can beat my record of enjoying what might be the most expensive gluten-free meal ever.

Even though I love the fries and burgers at Five Guys, we don’t eat much red meat and it’s really a hassle to get a cheeseburger to-go from there without losing the cheese when you unwrap the burger. One time my husband took in a plastic container for them to put my cheeseburger in, but they could not take the container over the counter. You would have thought he has planted a bomb in it, but I understand companies have rules in place regarding such things.

There is some information in the Men’s Health post about Five Guys fries that I agree with. One regular order of fries is plenty for two people to share. At least it is in our house. Due to us not eating much read meat, having Five Guys is a very occasional treat for us in the first place. If we want to have some full fat French fries cooked in peanut oil about once a quarter, I think we’ll live.

It’s quite odd that McDonald’s fries were chosen to be the healthiest in the Men’s Health article since there are a lot of not-so-healthy ingredients in the fries there. Many gluten-free people avoid fries from the giant fast food chain due to the controversy over them possibly not being gluten-free. Even if they are gluten-free and cooked in a dedicated fryer, there is always a risk the rogue gluten chicken nugget makes its way into the fryer by mistake. Eat French fries out at your own risk – except at Five Guys!

Wouldn’t it be terrific if Five Guys started offering gluten-free buns made from Udi’s (when they become available)?

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Mar 15 2010

Eating Gluten-Free (Sans Gluten) in Paris, France – Part 2

In this post, we are continuing our look at eating gluten-free in Paris, France.   For your reference, you can view the first post in this series here.  

We are commencing with a small restaurant called Leo le Lion, at 23, Rue Duvivier, 75007 Paris.  Leo le Lion offers simple and inexpensive food with a good choice of daily specials, including a number of gluten-free dishes.

Then take  a visit to Willis Wine Bar, at 13, Rue des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris.  At this restaurant you will find that the staff nearly all speak English. It opened in October 1980 and this quite revolutionary establishment, has quickly become a part of the Parisian life.  With its elegant 1930’s facade, a long polished Oak Bar, displaying over 250 different wines. Then the restaurant offers some fine cuisine, supervised by Chef Francois Von, all served under its high Oak beamed ceilings, a wonderful atmosphere. You can have impromptu meals at the bar, or eat in the elegant restaurant, both offering a gluten-free selection.

La Bambou Vietnamese Restaurant, at 70, Rue Baudricourt, 75013 Paris,  Tel 01 45 70 91 75, is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Paris (if not in Europe).  It offers a really great selection of Vietnamese dishes, with gluten-free being catered for. But because the restaurant is so good, it is very popular and is often packed, so be prepared you may have to queue a while, to get seated, it will help if you speak Vietnamese or French!

Le Petit Troquet Resturant, 28, Rue Exposition, 75007 Paris, offers an exceptional quality of A la Carte food, but it is still reasonably priced, with a number of gluten-free dishes.

La Tour d’Argent Restaurant, 15, Quai Tornelle, 75005 Paris.   This is an expensive restaurant, but it offers a great view over Notre Dame and the River Seine, lunch without wine, will cost you around 65+ Euros. When you make your reservation try to get a window seat, it is well worth the effort. The restaurant has an extensive menu, with a number of gluten-free items to chose from.

Le Petit Pontoise, 9 Rue Pontoise, 75005 Paris.  This is an excellent Bistro, its worth waiting, to get a seat outside, it has a good menu, with a selection of gluten free dishes.

So there you have a sample of Paris restaurants, some expensive, others more reasonably priced, but all serving really great food.  Don’t let language problems spoil your visit Paris!

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