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Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts

Sunday, January 9, 2011

happy new year with gluten free beer!

beer originally uploaded by feastguru_kirti.
the subject of gluten free beer has been one of the most popular topics on the blog in 2010 so Andrea and I decided to update our original article on gluten free beer now that we have more information about where it's available. the availability of gluten free beer is growing so we will keep our ‘whats happening’ section updated with more information as we find it.

there are a few brands of gluten free beer on the market, and several that are also available in Vancouver. these include Bards, Greens, La Messagere, and New Grist which is made by Lakefront Brewery. others not currently available in Vancouver include Redbridge made by Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Budweiser, and Estrella Damm Daura, a gluten free variety of the popular Estrella Damm.




what is gluten free beer made with?

most gluten free beer is made with sorghum, rice, yeast, hops and water. Greens is one brand that uses buckwheat and millet as well. gluten free beer also packs a bit of a punch, with an average of 4% alcohol content per volume.

what does gluten free beer taste like?

gluten free beer does not taste like regular beer for most people. my only advice for those wishing to try it, is to not expect gluten free varieties to satisfy your craving for a Guinness. I tried Redbrige when I was in the US recently, and then tried Bards in Vancouver at the Irish Heather and Shebeen Whiskey House in Gastown a few weeks ago. I personally thought they both tasted great! Redbridge tasted the lightest of the two, and it resembles a honey pale ale. our friends over at Gluten Free Edmonton really enjoyed Greens Amber Ale, but most reviews will tell you that New Grist and La Messagere are not very good.

where can I find gluten free beer in Vancouver?

1. Bards

Bard's, made by the Bards Tale Beer Company, is the only brand that is made with 100% malted sorghum, a similar process to how traditional brewers malt barley. the founders of Bards are also celiac and have a great philosophy behind their business that is based on making gluten free products accessible to those that require it. Bards also has a great website that has a useful product locator listing with a corresponding map. I have only listed a few of the liquor stores below where Bards is available, but check out the map for other locations, there are many! click on one of the beer bottles in the home page to navigate the site.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Lennox liquor store (city square shopping center)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Granville Island Hotel Beer Store (granville island)
•Steamworks liquor store (gastown)
•Brewery Creek wine store (main street)
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Toby’s (commercial drive)

restaurants and pubs:
•Irish Heather/Shebeen Whiskey House (gastown)
•Zipang Sushi (main street)
•The Wallflower (main street)
•Taylors Crossing (north vancouver)
•Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Pie Shop (point grey)
•Hyatt Regency Hotel (downtown)
•The Perch (grandview-woodlands)
•Rose & Crown pub (delta)
•Witch of Endor Neighborhood pub (maple ridge)
•Rock Cod Café (cowichan bay)
•Salt Spring Inn (salt spring island)
•Wild Bistro (gibsons)

2. Greens

Greens gluten free beer is brewed in Belgium and comes in three flavors; discovery amber ale, endeavor double dark, and quest triple blond. all are made with sorghum, millet, buckwheat and brown rice. Greens comes in one pint bottles (500 ml) and available as singles (other brands are sold in packs of 6).

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Brewery Creek liquor store (main street)
•Libations liquor store (oak and west king edward)
•Viti Beer and Wine (at Moda Hotel) (downtown)

restaurants and bars:
•Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar (commercial, cambie)

3. La Messagere

La Messagere is a light ale made with buckwheat and rice, and is brewed in Quebec by Bieres de la Nouvelle-France. many reviews say La Messengere tastes more like a cider or ale than beer.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales

4. New Grist

New Grist, made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, was the first North American company to market gluten free beer in 2005. Lakefront can be also credited for changing legislation that previously defined ‘beer’ as having a minimum of 25% malted barley. way to go Lakefront Brewery!

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wine and Ales
•Legacy Liquor Store

I also found a great facebook page called Gluten Free Beer! that is a useful resource for those that want to connect and discuss gluten free beers with others.

we would love to hear your feedback on this topic! leave us a comment if you have any thoughts to share about gluten free beer. Robyn.


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Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

celiac in the city: latitude on main

photo credit: www.scoutmagazine.ca
drinks after work can be a difficult task for a Celiac. it's summer time and everyone wants to be on a patio somewhere, chilling, eating, chatting. beer is obviously a difficult beverage to manage (though gluten free beer does exist, and we will be posting more on it soon), but thank goodness wine is safe for us Celiacs. wine has now become my alcoholic beverage of choice (it used to be beer), and with BC's wine industry growing and improving year by year, what's not to love? now to find that perfect food to nibble on with your friends, co-workers, or your special someone. Latitude on Main Street is just the spot. Latitude is a restaurant and wine bar, which focuses exclusively on North and South American wines where you can order wines from BC, the United States, Chile, and Argentina, by the glass. likewise the food menu showcases North and South American inspired cuisine. 

Latitude is the creation of husband and wife team Lisa Henderson, who is the chef, and Larry Nicolay, who manages the front of the restaurant. Latitude has been open for a little over a year, however even though Latitude is relatively new to the main street neighborhood, they are already making quite the statement for both their cuisine and interior design. Latitude recently won a bronze award for "Best of the America's" at this year's Vancouver Magazine Restaurant awards. the restaurant has also recently been featured in a design book titled "Night Fever 2" published by Frame Magazine.

Lisa and Larry are not new to the restaurant business. in fact before Latitude, they were the owners and creators of the legendary RainCoast Cafe in Tofino, BC. with all this experience under their belt, it is no wonder that when you sit down and ask, "do you have anything gluten free?" they know exactly what you are talking about. even though Latitude's menu has not been designed to accommodate a gluten free diet specifically, there are more than enough items that just happen to be gluten free to make it worth dining here frequently. everything on the menu is under twenty dollars, and the food is well thought out, served bistro style, and so delicious. last time we were at Latitude, Robyn and I were so satisfied with the service, the food, and of course the wine that we'll definitely be back for more. if you don't believe us, Mia Stainsby, a food critic for the Vancouver Sun, also wrote a favorable review on Latitude as well.

Latitude is open seven days a week from 5pm for dinner or cocktails and late night snacks. brunch is served on weekends between 9.30am and 2pm. Recently Robyn and I met a few friends here and we shared the Caesar Salad, which we loved, the Paella, and the Chickpea Fries. the brunch menu offers many gluten free choices including the Classic (without toast), Brunch Burrito (ask for corn tortillas), Huevos Divorciados, Huevos Revueltos, Scrambles (without toast), Benedicts (without the english muffin), and finally the Fruit Bowl (without the crumble topping). 

even though this information is accurate at the time of writing, Latitude does change their menu on occasion, so it is always wise to ask Larry, or your server what they recommend for gluten free diets. you can rest assure however, that they will understand your request, and help you enjoy your dining experience. see you on the patio!  Andrea.

ps. try a mojito, the best cuban cocktail ever, it's gluten free!


latitude on main   |   follow latitude on twitter   |   follow us on twitter
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

the healthy shopper: 2010 edition in stores now!

The Healthy Shopper is a coupon book for natural and organic products, many of which are gluten free! if you haven't heard of The Healthy Shopper, it's really worth checking out. it is available for free at participating retailers in Canada, to find your nearest store click here. you can also order it online free of charge, but you do need to pay for the shipping. if you register online you will have access to the e-coupons, which you simply print as many as you need, and then go shopping! 

we first told you about the 2009 Healthy Shopper back in January, and since then, the 2010 edition has become available. the e-coupons have been available for download since Arpil, however I managed to get my hands on my first physical booklet today from Choices on Cambie. I was at Whole Foods on Broadway a few days ago, and they didn't have any left. it isn't a big deal, because as I said you can simply register and download as many e-coupons as you like. in fact, that might be the more environmental approach since you are only printing the coupons you will actually use.

the products in the 2010 edition are slightly different from last year. I have noticed that Glutino, for example, is no longer participating, too bad. there are still many great products with good savings in this latest edition. some of the gluten free products you will find are:

So Delicious lactose free frozen desserts (save $1)
Blue Sky natural sodas (save 50¢)
San-J asian cooking sauces and tamari sauce (save 75¢)
Simply Natural organic salad dressings and condiments (save 50¢)
Pamela's Products baking mixes and cookies (save 75¢)
Barbara's Bakery cereals (save $1)
Liberté conventional and organic yogurts (save $1)
Olympic organic yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese (save 75¢)
Nature's Path and Envirokidz cereals and snacks (save $1)
Blue Diamond Growers nut-thins crackers and almond breeze almond milk (save $1)
Tom's of Maine toothpaste (save $1)

please note that some of these companies are exclusively gluten free, while others are not. please check with the product websites to verify which products are gluten free. we have already posted on several of these, Simply Natural Organic Mustard, Pamela's Products Classic Vanilla Cake Mix, Envirokidz, and Tom's of Maine.

in addition to savings on gluten free food and beverages, there are some great savings as well on vitamins and supplements, household cleaning products, cosmetics, and diapers! that's right moms and dads, there is a coupon for $2 off the purchase of any package of Seventh Generation diapers.

combine these savings with other grocery store reward programs, like at Choices Markets and Greens Organic & Natural Market, and you can really make a difference in your grocery bill. and if you are Celiac don't forget to save your grocery receipts this year to claim the incremental cost of the gluten free food you purchase on your 2010 taxes.  Andrea.


the healthy shopper   |  choices markets   |   greens organic & natural market
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Thursday, February 4, 2010

be my valentine: dagoba's gluten free hot chocolate

photo credit dagobachocolate.com
not only is valentine's day just around the corner, but it's a time of year when a nice cup of hot chocolate can take the chill off, especially if you are hanging around some of the 2010 Winter Olympic venues! Dagoba Organic Chocolate not only makes chocolate bars, but they also have three kinds of hot chocolate mixes; authentic, xocolatl, and unsweetened. what is xocolatl you ask? it is a blend of cacao, rich dark chocolate, chillies, and cinnamon, sounds nice doesn't it?

all Dagoba Organic Chocolate products are gluten free, certified organic, and fair trade certified. Dagoba also practices what they call Full Circle Sustainability™, which is a commitment to better their business, products and themselves in the areas of quality, ecology, equity, and community. you can read more about it here.

mix your favorite Dagoba drinking chocolate with warm milk or your preferred milk alternative, but make sure that your milk alternative is gluten free. in our last post Robyn discussed some of the options, you can read about it here. today I am having a cup of authentic drinking chocolate, which contains cane sugar, but it's not too sweet at all, it is a nice smooth and rich chocolate taste. 

do you know someone who loves chocolate, but also has a gluten allergy? the drinking chocolate containers or the chocolate bars make a nice gift for your sweetie, friend or coworker. they will love you for thinking of them, and for being able to present them with a gluten free valentine. you can buy online, or at Choices Markets and Whole Foods. 

xoxo  Andrea.

dagoba   |   gluten free milk alternatives

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

non-dairy beverages and gluten

yes, even alternative milk beverages can contain gluten, sigh. double sigh if you are only drinking soy or rice milk due to your gluten allergy in the first place. many people with gluten intolerance also experience lactose intolerance as a related condition. celiac.ca is a great source of information about secondary disorders related to celiac disease. for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, soy, rice, almond and hemp milk are good substitutes. I stopped drinking milk several years ago and switched to soy, and after trying several brands, found most were not so palatable. however, I eventually settled on Soy Dream for its creamy taste.

I spent the afternoon at Whole Foods recently and read the ingredients on all of the non-dairy beverage containers they carry. the following is my non-dairy milk – gluten breakdown:

soy, almond and hemp milk brands with gluten free on the label
Ryza (Earths Own) (all flavors)
Almond Breeze (Blue Diamond)
Organic Almond (Pacific Foods)
Hemp Bliss (Manitoba Harvest) (all gluten free)

soy and hemp milk brands with safe ingredients (no gluten free on label)
So Nice
Soy Dream
Silk
Natura
Living Harvest Hempura

soy milk brands not gluten free
Vitasoy
Edensoy

all flavors of Vitasoy and Edensoy contain barley extract. in the case of Edensoy products, they also contain malted wheat. the ingredients in Rice Dream appear to be gluten free, but according to their website, the rice milk is processed using a barley enzyme and therefore could contain a residual amount of barley protein (0.002 %). make sure you always check the ingredients of non-dairy beverages and watch for malt or barley ingredients.  Robyn
ryza   |   almond breeze   |   organic almond   |   hemp bliss

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Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts

Sunday, January 9, 2011

happy new year with gluten free beer!

beer originally uploaded by feastguru_kirti.
the subject of gluten free beer has been one of the most popular topics on the blog in 2010 so Andrea and I decided to update our original article on gluten free beer now that we have more information about where it's available. the availability of gluten free beer is growing so we will keep our ‘whats happening’ section updated with more information as we find it.

there are a few brands of gluten free beer on the market, and several that are also available in Vancouver. these include Bards, Greens, La Messagere, and New Grist which is made by Lakefront Brewery. others not currently available in Vancouver include Redbridge made by Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Budweiser, and Estrella Damm Daura, a gluten free variety of the popular Estrella Damm.




what is gluten free beer made with?

most gluten free beer is made with sorghum, rice, yeast, hops and water. Greens is one brand that uses buckwheat and millet as well. gluten free beer also packs a bit of a punch, with an average of 4% alcohol content per volume.

what does gluten free beer taste like?

gluten free beer does not taste like regular beer for most people. my only advice for those wishing to try it, is to not expect gluten free varieties to satisfy your craving for a Guinness. I tried Redbrige when I was in the US recently, and then tried Bards in Vancouver at the Irish Heather and Shebeen Whiskey House in Gastown a few weeks ago. I personally thought they both tasted great! Redbridge tasted the lightest of the two, and it resembles a honey pale ale. our friends over at Gluten Free Edmonton really enjoyed Greens Amber Ale, but most reviews will tell you that New Grist and La Messagere are not very good.

where can I find gluten free beer in Vancouver?

1. Bards

Bard's, made by the Bards Tale Beer Company, is the only brand that is made with 100% malted sorghum, a similar process to how traditional brewers malt barley. the founders of Bards are also celiac and have a great philosophy behind their business that is based on making gluten free products accessible to those that require it. Bards also has a great website that has a useful product locator listing with a corresponding map. I have only listed a few of the liquor stores below where Bards is available, but check out the map for other locations, there are many! click on one of the beer bottles in the home page to navigate the site.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Lennox liquor store (city square shopping center)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Granville Island Hotel Beer Store (granville island)
•Steamworks liquor store (gastown)
•Brewery Creek wine store (main street)
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Toby’s (commercial drive)

restaurants and pubs:
•Irish Heather/Shebeen Whiskey House (gastown)
•Zipang Sushi (main street)
•The Wallflower (main street)
•Taylors Crossing (north vancouver)
•Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Pie Shop (point grey)
•Hyatt Regency Hotel (downtown)
•The Perch (grandview-woodlands)
•Rose & Crown pub (delta)
•Witch of Endor Neighborhood pub (maple ridge)
•Rock Cod Café (cowichan bay)
•Salt Spring Inn (salt spring island)
•Wild Bistro (gibsons)

2. Greens

Greens gluten free beer is brewed in Belgium and comes in three flavors; discovery amber ale, endeavor double dark, and quest triple blond. all are made with sorghum, millet, buckwheat and brown rice. Greens comes in one pint bottles (500 ml) and available as singles (other brands are sold in packs of 6).

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Brewery Creek liquor store (main street)
•Libations liquor store (oak and west king edward)
•Viti Beer and Wine (at Moda Hotel) (downtown)

restaurants and bars:
•Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar (commercial, cambie)

3. La Messagere

La Messagere is a light ale made with buckwheat and rice, and is brewed in Quebec by Bieres de la Nouvelle-France. many reviews say La Messengere tastes more like a cider or ale than beer.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales

4. New Grist

New Grist, made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, was the first North American company to market gluten free beer in 2005. Lakefront can be also credited for changing legislation that previously defined ‘beer’ as having a minimum of 25% malted barley. way to go Lakefront Brewery!

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wine and Ales
•Legacy Liquor Store

I also found a great facebook page called Gluten Free Beer! that is a useful resource for those that want to connect and discuss gluten free beers with others.

we would love to hear your feedback on this topic! leave us a comment if you have any thoughts to share about gluten free beer. Robyn.


follow us on facebook   |   follow us on twitter


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Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

celiac in the city: latitude on main

photo credit: www.scoutmagazine.ca
drinks after work can be a difficult task for a Celiac. it's summer time and everyone wants to be on a patio somewhere, chilling, eating, chatting. beer is obviously a difficult beverage to manage (though gluten free beer does exist, and we will be posting more on it soon), but thank goodness wine is safe for us Celiacs. wine has now become my alcoholic beverage of choice (it used to be beer), and with BC's wine industry growing and improving year by year, what's not to love? now to find that perfect food to nibble on with your friends, co-workers, or your special someone. Latitude on Main Street is just the spot. Latitude is a restaurant and wine bar, which focuses exclusively on North and South American wines where you can order wines from BC, the United States, Chile, and Argentina, by the glass. likewise the food menu showcases North and South American inspired cuisine. 

Latitude is the creation of husband and wife team Lisa Henderson, who is the chef, and Larry Nicolay, who manages the front of the restaurant. Latitude has been open for a little over a year, however even though Latitude is relatively new to the main street neighborhood, they are already making quite the statement for both their cuisine and interior design. Latitude recently won a bronze award for "Best of the America's" at this year's Vancouver Magazine Restaurant awards. the restaurant has also recently been featured in a design book titled "Night Fever 2" published by Frame Magazine.

Lisa and Larry are not new to the restaurant business. in fact before Latitude, they were the owners and creators of the legendary RainCoast Cafe in Tofino, BC. with all this experience under their belt, it is no wonder that when you sit down and ask, "do you have anything gluten free?" they know exactly what you are talking about. even though Latitude's menu has not been designed to accommodate a gluten free diet specifically, there are more than enough items that just happen to be gluten free to make it worth dining here frequently. everything on the menu is under twenty dollars, and the food is well thought out, served bistro style, and so delicious. last time we were at Latitude, Robyn and I were so satisfied with the service, the food, and of course the wine that we'll definitely be back for more. if you don't believe us, Mia Stainsby, a food critic for the Vancouver Sun, also wrote a favorable review on Latitude as well.

Latitude is open seven days a week from 5pm for dinner or cocktails and late night snacks. brunch is served on weekends between 9.30am and 2pm. Recently Robyn and I met a few friends here and we shared the Caesar Salad, which we loved, the Paella, and the Chickpea Fries. the brunch menu offers many gluten free choices including the Classic (without toast), Brunch Burrito (ask for corn tortillas), Huevos Divorciados, Huevos Revueltos, Scrambles (without toast), Benedicts (without the english muffin), and finally the Fruit Bowl (without the crumble topping). 

even though this information is accurate at the time of writing, Latitude does change their menu on occasion, so it is always wise to ask Larry, or your server what they recommend for gluten free diets. you can rest assure however, that they will understand your request, and help you enjoy your dining experience. see you on the patio!  Andrea.

ps. try a mojito, the best cuban cocktail ever, it's gluten free!


latitude on main   |   follow latitude on twitter   |   follow us on twitter
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

the healthy shopper: 2010 edition in stores now!

The Healthy Shopper is a coupon book for natural and organic products, many of which are gluten free! if you haven't heard of The Healthy Shopper, it's really worth checking out. it is available for free at participating retailers in Canada, to find your nearest store click here. you can also order it online free of charge, but you do need to pay for the shipping. if you register online you will have access to the e-coupons, which you simply print as many as you need, and then go shopping! 

we first told you about the 2009 Healthy Shopper back in January, and since then, the 2010 edition has become available. the e-coupons have been available for download since Arpil, however I managed to get my hands on my first physical booklet today from Choices on Cambie. I was at Whole Foods on Broadway a few days ago, and they didn't have any left. it isn't a big deal, because as I said you can simply register and download as many e-coupons as you like. in fact, that might be the more environmental approach since you are only printing the coupons you will actually use.

the products in the 2010 edition are slightly different from last year. I have noticed that Glutino, for example, is no longer participating, too bad. there are still many great products with good savings in this latest edition. some of the gluten free products you will find are:

So Delicious lactose free frozen desserts (save $1)
Blue Sky natural sodas (save 50¢)
San-J asian cooking sauces and tamari sauce (save 75¢)
Simply Natural organic salad dressings and condiments (save 50¢)
Pamela's Products baking mixes and cookies (save 75¢)
Barbara's Bakery cereals (save $1)
Liberté conventional and organic yogurts (save $1)
Olympic organic yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese (save 75¢)
Nature's Path and Envirokidz cereals and snacks (save $1)
Blue Diamond Growers nut-thins crackers and almond breeze almond milk (save $1)
Tom's of Maine toothpaste (save $1)

please note that some of these companies are exclusively gluten free, while others are not. please check with the product websites to verify which products are gluten free. we have already posted on several of these, Simply Natural Organic Mustard, Pamela's Products Classic Vanilla Cake Mix, Envirokidz, and Tom's of Maine.

in addition to savings on gluten free food and beverages, there are some great savings as well on vitamins and supplements, household cleaning products, cosmetics, and diapers! that's right moms and dads, there is a coupon for $2 off the purchase of any package of Seventh Generation diapers.

combine these savings with other grocery store reward programs, like at Choices Markets and Greens Organic & Natural Market, and you can really make a difference in your grocery bill. and if you are Celiac don't forget to save your grocery receipts this year to claim the incremental cost of the gluten free food you purchase on your 2010 taxes.  Andrea.


the healthy shopper   |  choices markets   |   greens organic & natural market
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Thursday, February 4, 2010

be my valentine: dagoba's gluten free hot chocolate

photo credit dagobachocolate.com
not only is valentine's day just around the corner, but it's a time of year when a nice cup of hot chocolate can take the chill off, especially if you are hanging around some of the 2010 Winter Olympic venues! Dagoba Organic Chocolate not only makes chocolate bars, but they also have three kinds of hot chocolate mixes; authentic, xocolatl, and unsweetened. what is xocolatl you ask? it is a blend of cacao, rich dark chocolate, chillies, and cinnamon, sounds nice doesn't it?

all Dagoba Organic Chocolate products are gluten free, certified organic, and fair trade certified. Dagoba also practices what they call Full Circle Sustainability™, which is a commitment to better their business, products and themselves in the areas of quality, ecology, equity, and community. you can read more about it here.

mix your favorite Dagoba drinking chocolate with warm milk or your preferred milk alternative, but make sure that your milk alternative is gluten free. in our last post Robyn discussed some of the options, you can read about it here. today I am having a cup of authentic drinking chocolate, which contains cane sugar, but it's not too sweet at all, it is a nice smooth and rich chocolate taste. 

do you know someone who loves chocolate, but also has a gluten allergy? the drinking chocolate containers or the chocolate bars make a nice gift for your sweetie, friend or coworker. they will love you for thinking of them, and for being able to present them with a gluten free valentine. you can buy online, or at Choices Markets and Whole Foods. 

xoxo  Andrea.

dagoba   |   gluten free milk alternatives

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

non-dairy beverages and gluten

yes, even alternative milk beverages can contain gluten, sigh. double sigh if you are only drinking soy or rice milk due to your gluten allergy in the first place. many people with gluten intolerance also experience lactose intolerance as a related condition. celiac.ca is a great source of information about secondary disorders related to celiac disease. for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, soy, rice, almond and hemp milk are good substitutes. I stopped drinking milk several years ago and switched to soy, and after trying several brands, found most were not so palatable. however, I eventually settled on Soy Dream for its creamy taste.

I spent the afternoon at Whole Foods recently and read the ingredients on all of the non-dairy beverage containers they carry. the following is my non-dairy milk – gluten breakdown:

soy, almond and hemp milk brands with gluten free on the label
Ryza (Earths Own) (all flavors)
Almond Breeze (Blue Diamond)
Organic Almond (Pacific Foods)
Hemp Bliss (Manitoba Harvest) (all gluten free)

soy and hemp milk brands with safe ingredients (no gluten free on label)
So Nice
Soy Dream
Silk
Natura
Living Harvest Hempura

soy milk brands not gluten free
Vitasoy
Edensoy

all flavors of Vitasoy and Edensoy contain barley extract. in the case of Edensoy products, they also contain malted wheat. the ingredients in Rice Dream appear to be gluten free, but according to their website, the rice milk is processed using a barley enzyme and therefore could contain a residual amount of barley protein (0.002 %). make sure you always check the ingredients of non-dairy beverages and watch for malt or barley ingredients.  Robyn
ryza   |   almond breeze   |   organic almond   |   hemp bliss

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Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts

Sunday, January 9, 2011

happy new year with gluten free beer!

beer originally uploaded by feastguru_kirti.
the subject of gluten free beer has been one of the most popular topics on the blog in 2010 so Andrea and I decided to update our original article on gluten free beer now that we have more information about where it's available. the availability of gluten free beer is growing so we will keep our ‘whats happening’ section updated with more information as we find it.

there are a few brands of gluten free beer on the market, and several that are also available in Vancouver. these include Bards, Greens, La Messagere, and New Grist which is made by Lakefront Brewery. others not currently available in Vancouver include Redbridge made by Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Budweiser, and Estrella Damm Daura, a gluten free variety of the popular Estrella Damm.




what is gluten free beer made with?

most gluten free beer is made with sorghum, rice, yeast, hops and water. Greens is one brand that uses buckwheat and millet as well. gluten free beer also packs a bit of a punch, with an average of 4% alcohol content per volume.

what does gluten free beer taste like?

gluten free beer does not taste like regular beer for most people. my only advice for those wishing to try it, is to not expect gluten free varieties to satisfy your craving for a Guinness. I tried Redbrige when I was in the US recently, and then tried Bards in Vancouver at the Irish Heather and Shebeen Whiskey House in Gastown a few weeks ago. I personally thought they both tasted great! Redbridge tasted the lightest of the two, and it resembles a honey pale ale. our friends over at Gluten Free Edmonton really enjoyed Greens Amber Ale, but most reviews will tell you that New Grist and La Messagere are not very good.

where can I find gluten free beer in Vancouver?

1. Bards

Bard's, made by the Bards Tale Beer Company, is the only brand that is made with 100% malted sorghum, a similar process to how traditional brewers malt barley. the founders of Bards are also celiac and have a great philosophy behind their business that is based on making gluten free products accessible to those that require it. Bards also has a great website that has a useful product locator listing with a corresponding map. I have only listed a few of the liquor stores below where Bards is available, but check out the map for other locations, there are many! click on one of the beer bottles in the home page to navigate the site.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Lennox liquor store (city square shopping center)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Granville Island Hotel Beer Store (granville island)
•Steamworks liquor store (gastown)
•Brewery Creek wine store (main street)
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Toby’s (commercial drive)

restaurants and pubs:
•Irish Heather/Shebeen Whiskey House (gastown)
•Zipang Sushi (main street)
•The Wallflower (main street)
•Taylors Crossing (north vancouver)
•Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Pie Shop (point grey)
•Hyatt Regency Hotel (downtown)
•The Perch (grandview-woodlands)
•Rose & Crown pub (delta)
•Witch of Endor Neighborhood pub (maple ridge)
•Rock Cod Café (cowichan bay)
•Salt Spring Inn (salt spring island)
•Wild Bistro (gibsons)

2. Greens

Greens gluten free beer is brewed in Belgium and comes in three flavors; discovery amber ale, endeavor double dark, and quest triple blond. all are made with sorghum, millet, buckwheat and brown rice. Greens comes in one pint bottles (500 ml) and available as singles (other brands are sold in packs of 6).

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Brewery Creek liquor store (main street)
•Libations liquor store (oak and west king edward)
•Viti Beer and Wine (at Moda Hotel) (downtown)

restaurants and bars:
•Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar (commercial, cambie)

3. La Messagere

La Messagere is a light ale made with buckwheat and rice, and is brewed in Quebec by Bieres de la Nouvelle-France. many reviews say La Messengere tastes more like a cider or ale than beer.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales

4. New Grist

New Grist, made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, was the first North American company to market gluten free beer in 2005. Lakefront can be also credited for changing legislation that previously defined ‘beer’ as having a minimum of 25% malted barley. way to go Lakefront Brewery!

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wine and Ales
•Legacy Liquor Store

I also found a great facebook page called Gluten Free Beer! that is a useful resource for those that want to connect and discuss gluten free beers with others.

we would love to hear your feedback on this topic! leave us a comment if you have any thoughts to share about gluten free beer. Robyn.


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Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

celiac in the city: latitude on main

photo credit: www.scoutmagazine.ca
drinks after work can be a difficult task for a Celiac. it's summer time and everyone wants to be on a patio somewhere, chilling, eating, chatting. beer is obviously a difficult beverage to manage (though gluten free beer does exist, and we will be posting more on it soon), but thank goodness wine is safe for us Celiacs. wine has now become my alcoholic beverage of choice (it used to be beer), and with BC's wine industry growing and improving year by year, what's not to love? now to find that perfect food to nibble on with your friends, co-workers, or your special someone. Latitude on Main Street is just the spot. Latitude is a restaurant and wine bar, which focuses exclusively on North and South American wines where you can order wines from BC, the United States, Chile, and Argentina, by the glass. likewise the food menu showcases North and South American inspired cuisine. 

Latitude is the creation of husband and wife team Lisa Henderson, who is the chef, and Larry Nicolay, who manages the front of the restaurant. Latitude has been open for a little over a year, however even though Latitude is relatively new to the main street neighborhood, they are already making quite the statement for both their cuisine and interior design. Latitude recently won a bronze award for "Best of the America's" at this year's Vancouver Magazine Restaurant awards. the restaurant has also recently been featured in a design book titled "Night Fever 2" published by Frame Magazine.

Lisa and Larry are not new to the restaurant business. in fact before Latitude, they were the owners and creators of the legendary RainCoast Cafe in Tofino, BC. with all this experience under their belt, it is no wonder that when you sit down and ask, "do you have anything gluten free?" they know exactly what you are talking about. even though Latitude's menu has not been designed to accommodate a gluten free diet specifically, there are more than enough items that just happen to be gluten free to make it worth dining here frequently. everything on the menu is under twenty dollars, and the food is well thought out, served bistro style, and so delicious. last time we were at Latitude, Robyn and I were so satisfied with the service, the food, and of course the wine that we'll definitely be back for more. if you don't believe us, Mia Stainsby, a food critic for the Vancouver Sun, also wrote a favorable review on Latitude as well.

Latitude is open seven days a week from 5pm for dinner or cocktails and late night snacks. brunch is served on weekends between 9.30am and 2pm. Recently Robyn and I met a few friends here and we shared the Caesar Salad, which we loved, the Paella, and the Chickpea Fries. the brunch menu offers many gluten free choices including the Classic (without toast), Brunch Burrito (ask for corn tortillas), Huevos Divorciados, Huevos Revueltos, Scrambles (without toast), Benedicts (without the english muffin), and finally the Fruit Bowl (without the crumble topping). 

even though this information is accurate at the time of writing, Latitude does change their menu on occasion, so it is always wise to ask Larry, or your server what they recommend for gluten free diets. you can rest assure however, that they will understand your request, and help you enjoy your dining experience. see you on the patio!  Andrea.

ps. try a mojito, the best cuban cocktail ever, it's gluten free!


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Thursday, May 20, 2010

the healthy shopper: 2010 edition in stores now!

The Healthy Shopper is a coupon book for natural and organic products, many of which are gluten free! if you haven't heard of The Healthy Shopper, it's really worth checking out. it is available for free at participating retailers in Canada, to find your nearest store click here. you can also order it online free of charge, but you do need to pay for the shipping. if you register online you will have access to the e-coupons, which you simply print as many as you need, and then go shopping! 

we first told you about the 2009 Healthy Shopper back in January, and since then, the 2010 edition has become available. the e-coupons have been available for download since Arpil, however I managed to get my hands on my first physical booklet today from Choices on Cambie. I was at Whole Foods on Broadway a few days ago, and they didn't have any left. it isn't a big deal, because as I said you can simply register and download as many e-coupons as you like. in fact, that might be the more environmental approach since you are only printing the coupons you will actually use.

the products in the 2010 edition are slightly different from last year. I have noticed that Glutino, for example, is no longer participating, too bad. there are still many great products with good savings in this latest edition. some of the gluten free products you will find are:

So Delicious lactose free frozen desserts (save $1)
Blue Sky natural sodas (save 50¢)
San-J asian cooking sauces and tamari sauce (save 75¢)
Simply Natural organic salad dressings and condiments (save 50¢)
Pamela's Products baking mixes and cookies (save 75¢)
Barbara's Bakery cereals (save $1)
Liberté conventional and organic yogurts (save $1)
Olympic organic yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese (save 75¢)
Nature's Path and Envirokidz cereals and snacks (save $1)
Blue Diamond Growers nut-thins crackers and almond breeze almond milk (save $1)
Tom's of Maine toothpaste (save $1)

please note that some of these companies are exclusively gluten free, while others are not. please check with the product websites to verify which products are gluten free. we have already posted on several of these, Simply Natural Organic Mustard, Pamela's Products Classic Vanilla Cake Mix, Envirokidz, and Tom's of Maine.

in addition to savings on gluten free food and beverages, there are some great savings as well on vitamins and supplements, household cleaning products, cosmetics, and diapers! that's right moms and dads, there is a coupon for $2 off the purchase of any package of Seventh Generation diapers.

combine these savings with other grocery store reward programs, like at Choices Markets and Greens Organic & Natural Market, and you can really make a difference in your grocery bill. and if you are Celiac don't forget to save your grocery receipts this year to claim the incremental cost of the gluten free food you purchase on your 2010 taxes.  Andrea.


the healthy shopper   |  choices markets   |   greens organic & natural market
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Thursday, February 4, 2010

be my valentine: dagoba's gluten free hot chocolate

photo credit dagobachocolate.com
not only is valentine's day just around the corner, but it's a time of year when a nice cup of hot chocolate can take the chill off, especially if you are hanging around some of the 2010 Winter Olympic venues! Dagoba Organic Chocolate not only makes chocolate bars, but they also have three kinds of hot chocolate mixes; authentic, xocolatl, and unsweetened. what is xocolatl you ask? it is a blend of cacao, rich dark chocolate, chillies, and cinnamon, sounds nice doesn't it?

all Dagoba Organic Chocolate products are gluten free, certified organic, and fair trade certified. Dagoba also practices what they call Full Circle Sustainability™, which is a commitment to better their business, products and themselves in the areas of quality, ecology, equity, and community. you can read more about it here.

mix your favorite Dagoba drinking chocolate with warm milk or your preferred milk alternative, but make sure that your milk alternative is gluten free. in our last post Robyn discussed some of the options, you can read about it here. today I am having a cup of authentic drinking chocolate, which contains cane sugar, but it's not too sweet at all, it is a nice smooth and rich chocolate taste. 

do you know someone who loves chocolate, but also has a gluten allergy? the drinking chocolate containers or the chocolate bars make a nice gift for your sweetie, friend or coworker. they will love you for thinking of them, and for being able to present them with a gluten free valentine. you can buy online, or at Choices Markets and Whole Foods. 

xoxo  Andrea.

dagoba   |   gluten free milk alternatives

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

non-dairy beverages and gluten

yes, even alternative milk beverages can contain gluten, sigh. double sigh if you are only drinking soy or rice milk due to your gluten allergy in the first place. many people with gluten intolerance also experience lactose intolerance as a related condition. celiac.ca is a great source of information about secondary disorders related to celiac disease. for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, soy, rice, almond and hemp milk are good substitutes. I stopped drinking milk several years ago and switched to soy, and after trying several brands, found most were not so palatable. however, I eventually settled on Soy Dream for its creamy taste.

I spent the afternoon at Whole Foods recently and read the ingredients on all of the non-dairy beverage containers they carry. the following is my non-dairy milk – gluten breakdown:

soy, almond and hemp milk brands with gluten free on the label
Ryza (Earths Own) (all flavors)
Almond Breeze (Blue Diamond)
Organic Almond (Pacific Foods)
Hemp Bliss (Manitoba Harvest) (all gluten free)

soy and hemp milk brands with safe ingredients (no gluten free on label)
So Nice
Soy Dream
Silk
Natura
Living Harvest Hempura

soy milk brands not gluten free
Vitasoy
Edensoy

all flavors of Vitasoy and Edensoy contain barley extract. in the case of Edensoy products, they also contain malted wheat. the ingredients in Rice Dream appear to be gluten free, but according to their website, the rice milk is processed using a barley enzyme and therefore could contain a residual amount of barley protein (0.002 %). make sure you always check the ingredients of non-dairy beverages and watch for malt or barley ingredients.  Robyn
ryza   |   almond breeze   |   organic almond   |   hemp bliss

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Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts
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Sunday, January 9, 2011

happy new year with gluten free beer!

beer originally uploaded by feastguru_kirti.
the subject of gluten free beer has been one of the most popular topics on the blog in 2010 so Andrea and I decided to update our original article on gluten free beer now that we have more information about where it's available. the availability of gluten free beer is growing so we will keep our ‘whats happening’ section updated with more information as we find it.

there are a few brands of gluten free beer on the market, and several that are also available in Vancouver. these include Bards, Greens, La Messagere, and New Grist which is made by Lakefront Brewery. others not currently available in Vancouver include Redbridge made by Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Budweiser, and Estrella Damm Daura, a gluten free variety of the popular Estrella Damm.




what is gluten free beer made with?

most gluten free beer is made with sorghum, rice, yeast, hops and water. Greens is one brand that uses buckwheat and millet as well. gluten free beer also packs a bit of a punch, with an average of 4% alcohol content per volume.

what does gluten free beer taste like?

gluten free beer does not taste like regular beer for most people. my only advice for those wishing to try it, is to not expect gluten free varieties to satisfy your craving for a Guinness. I tried Redbrige when I was in the US recently, and then tried Bards in Vancouver at the Irish Heather and Shebeen Whiskey House in Gastown a few weeks ago. I personally thought they both tasted great! Redbridge tasted the lightest of the two, and it resembles a honey pale ale. our friends over at Gluten Free Edmonton really enjoyed Greens Amber Ale, but most reviews will tell you that New Grist and La Messagere are not very good.

where can I find gluten free beer in Vancouver?

1. Bards

Bard's, made by the Bards Tale Beer Company, is the only brand that is made with 100% malted sorghum, a similar process to how traditional brewers malt barley. the founders of Bards are also celiac and have a great philosophy behind their business that is based on making gluten free products accessible to those that require it. Bards also has a great website that has a useful product locator listing with a corresponding map. I have only listed a few of the liquor stores below where Bards is available, but check out the map for other locations, there are many! click on one of the beer bottles in the home page to navigate the site.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Lennox liquor store (city square shopping center)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Granville Island Hotel Beer Store (granville island)
•Steamworks liquor store (gastown)
•Brewery Creek wine store (main street)
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Toby’s (commercial drive)

restaurants and pubs:
•Irish Heather/Shebeen Whiskey House (gastown)
•Zipang Sushi (main street)
•The Wallflower (main street)
•Taylors Crossing (north vancouver)
•Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Pie Shop (point grey)
•Hyatt Regency Hotel (downtown)
•The Perch (grandview-woodlands)
•Rose & Crown pub (delta)
•Witch of Endor Neighborhood pub (maple ridge)
•Rock Cod Café (cowichan bay)
•Salt Spring Inn (salt spring island)
•Wild Bistro (gibsons)

2. Greens

Greens gluten free beer is brewed in Belgium and comes in three flavors; discovery amber ale, endeavor double dark, and quest triple blond. all are made with sorghum, millet, buckwheat and brown rice. Greens comes in one pint bottles (500 ml) and available as singles (other brands are sold in packs of 6).

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Brewery Creek liquor store (main street)
•Libations liquor store (oak and west king edward)
•Viti Beer and Wine (at Moda Hotel) (downtown)

restaurants and bars:
•Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar (commercial, cambie)

3. La Messagere

La Messagere is a light ale made with buckwheat and rice, and is brewed in Quebec by Bieres de la Nouvelle-France. many reviews say La Messengere tastes more like a cider or ale than beer.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales

4. New Grist

New Grist, made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, was the first North American company to market gluten free beer in 2005. Lakefront can be also credited for changing legislation that previously defined ‘beer’ as having a minimum of 25% malted barley. way to go Lakefront Brewery!

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wine and Ales
•Legacy Liquor Store

I also found a great facebook page called Gluten Free Beer! that is a useful resource for those that want to connect and discuss gluten free beers with others.

we would love to hear your feedback on this topic! leave us a comment if you have any thoughts to share about gluten free beer. Robyn.


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Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

celiac in the city: latitude on main

photo credit: www.scoutmagazine.ca
drinks after work can be a difficult task for a Celiac. it's summer time and everyone wants to be on a patio somewhere, chilling, eating, chatting. beer is obviously a difficult beverage to manage (though gluten free beer does exist, and we will be posting more on it soon), but thank goodness wine is safe for us Celiacs. wine has now become my alcoholic beverage of choice (it used to be beer), and with BC's wine industry growing and improving year by year, what's not to love? now to find that perfect food to nibble on with your friends, co-workers, or your special someone. Latitude on Main Street is just the spot. Latitude is a restaurant and wine bar, which focuses exclusively on North and South American wines where you can order wines from BC, the United States, Chile, and Argentina, by the glass. likewise the food menu showcases North and South American inspired cuisine. 

Latitude is the creation of husband and wife team Lisa Henderson, who is the chef, and Larry Nicolay, who manages the front of the restaurant. Latitude has been open for a little over a year, however even though Latitude is relatively new to the main street neighborhood, they are already making quite the statement for both their cuisine and interior design. Latitude recently won a bronze award for "Best of the America's" at this year's Vancouver Magazine Restaurant awards. the restaurant has also recently been featured in a design book titled "Night Fever 2" published by Frame Magazine.

Lisa and Larry are not new to the restaurant business. in fact before Latitude, they were the owners and creators of the legendary RainCoast Cafe in Tofino, BC. with all this experience under their belt, it is no wonder that when you sit down and ask, "do you have anything gluten free?" they know exactly what you are talking about. even though Latitude's menu has not been designed to accommodate a gluten free diet specifically, there are more than enough items that just happen to be gluten free to make it worth dining here frequently. everything on the menu is under twenty dollars, and the food is well thought out, served bistro style, and so delicious. last time we were at Latitude, Robyn and I were so satisfied with the service, the food, and of course the wine that we'll definitely be back for more. if you don't believe us, Mia Stainsby, a food critic for the Vancouver Sun, also wrote a favorable review on Latitude as well.

Latitude is open seven days a week from 5pm for dinner or cocktails and late night snacks. brunch is served on weekends between 9.30am and 2pm. Recently Robyn and I met a few friends here and we shared the Caesar Salad, which we loved, the Paella, and the Chickpea Fries. the brunch menu offers many gluten free choices including the Classic (without toast), Brunch Burrito (ask for corn tortillas), Huevos Divorciados, Huevos Revueltos, Scrambles (without toast), Benedicts (without the english muffin), and finally the Fruit Bowl (without the crumble topping). 

even though this information is accurate at the time of writing, Latitude does change their menu on occasion, so it is always wise to ask Larry, or your server what they recommend for gluten free diets. you can rest assure however, that they will understand your request, and help you enjoy your dining experience. see you on the patio!  Andrea.

ps. try a mojito, the best cuban cocktail ever, it's gluten free!


latitude on main   |   follow latitude on twitter   |   follow us on twitter
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

the healthy shopper: 2010 edition in stores now!

The Healthy Shopper is a coupon book for natural and organic products, many of which are gluten free! if you haven't heard of The Healthy Shopper, it's really worth checking out. it is available for free at participating retailers in Canada, to find your nearest store click here. you can also order it online free of charge, but you do need to pay for the shipping. if you register online you will have access to the e-coupons, which you simply print as many as you need, and then go shopping! 

we first told you about the 2009 Healthy Shopper back in January, and since then, the 2010 edition has become available. the e-coupons have been available for download since Arpil, however I managed to get my hands on my first physical booklet today from Choices on Cambie. I was at Whole Foods on Broadway a few days ago, and they didn't have any left. it isn't a big deal, because as I said you can simply register and download as many e-coupons as you like. in fact, that might be the more environmental approach since you are only printing the coupons you will actually use.

the products in the 2010 edition are slightly different from last year. I have noticed that Glutino, for example, is no longer participating, too bad. there are still many great products with good savings in this latest edition. some of the gluten free products you will find are:

So Delicious lactose free frozen desserts (save $1)
Blue Sky natural sodas (save 50¢)
San-J asian cooking sauces and tamari sauce (save 75¢)
Simply Natural organic salad dressings and condiments (save 50¢)
Pamela's Products baking mixes and cookies (save 75¢)
Barbara's Bakery cereals (save $1)
Liberté conventional and organic yogurts (save $1)
Olympic organic yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese (save 75¢)
Nature's Path and Envirokidz cereals and snacks (save $1)
Blue Diamond Growers nut-thins crackers and almond breeze almond milk (save $1)
Tom's of Maine toothpaste (save $1)

please note that some of these companies are exclusively gluten free, while others are not. please check with the product websites to verify which products are gluten free. we have already posted on several of these, Simply Natural Organic Mustard, Pamela's Products Classic Vanilla Cake Mix, Envirokidz, and Tom's of Maine.

in addition to savings on gluten free food and beverages, there are some great savings as well on vitamins and supplements, household cleaning products, cosmetics, and diapers! that's right moms and dads, there is a coupon for $2 off the purchase of any package of Seventh Generation diapers.

combine these savings with other grocery store reward programs, like at Choices Markets and Greens Organic & Natural Market, and you can really make a difference in your grocery bill. and if you are Celiac don't forget to save your grocery receipts this year to claim the incremental cost of the gluten free food you purchase on your 2010 taxes.  Andrea.


the healthy shopper   |  choices markets   |   greens organic & natural market
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Thursday, February 4, 2010

be my valentine: dagoba's gluten free hot chocolate

photo credit dagobachocolate.com
not only is valentine's day just around the corner, but it's a time of year when a nice cup of hot chocolate can take the chill off, especially if you are hanging around some of the 2010 Winter Olympic venues! Dagoba Organic Chocolate not only makes chocolate bars, but they also have three kinds of hot chocolate mixes; authentic, xocolatl, and unsweetened. what is xocolatl you ask? it is a blend of cacao, rich dark chocolate, chillies, and cinnamon, sounds nice doesn't it?

all Dagoba Organic Chocolate products are gluten free, certified organic, and fair trade certified. Dagoba also practices what they call Full Circle Sustainability™, which is a commitment to better their business, products and themselves in the areas of quality, ecology, equity, and community. you can read more about it here.

mix your favorite Dagoba drinking chocolate with warm milk or your preferred milk alternative, but make sure that your milk alternative is gluten free. in our last post Robyn discussed some of the options, you can read about it here. today I am having a cup of authentic drinking chocolate, which contains cane sugar, but it's not too sweet at all, it is a nice smooth and rich chocolate taste. 

do you know someone who loves chocolate, but also has a gluten allergy? the drinking chocolate containers or the chocolate bars make a nice gift for your sweetie, friend or coworker. they will love you for thinking of them, and for being able to present them with a gluten free valentine. you can buy online, or at Choices Markets and Whole Foods. 

xoxo  Andrea.

dagoba   |   gluten free milk alternatives

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

non-dairy beverages and gluten

yes, even alternative milk beverages can contain gluten, sigh. double sigh if you are only drinking soy or rice milk due to your gluten allergy in the first place. many people with gluten intolerance also experience lactose intolerance as a related condition. celiac.ca is a great source of information about secondary disorders related to celiac disease. for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, soy, rice, almond and hemp milk are good substitutes. I stopped drinking milk several years ago and switched to soy, and after trying several brands, found most were not so palatable. however, I eventually settled on Soy Dream for its creamy taste.

I spent the afternoon at Whole Foods recently and read the ingredients on all of the non-dairy beverage containers they carry. the following is my non-dairy milk – gluten breakdown:

soy, almond and hemp milk brands with gluten free on the label
Ryza (Earths Own) (all flavors)
Almond Breeze (Blue Diamond)
Organic Almond (Pacific Foods)
Hemp Bliss (Manitoba Harvest) (all gluten free)

soy and hemp milk brands with safe ingredients (no gluten free on label)
So Nice
Soy Dream
Silk
Natura
Living Harvest Hempura

soy milk brands not gluten free
Vitasoy
Edensoy

all flavors of Vitasoy and Edensoy contain barley extract. in the case of Edensoy products, they also contain malted wheat. the ingredients in Rice Dream appear to be gluten free, but according to their website, the rice milk is processed using a barley enzyme and therefore could contain a residual amount of barley protein (0.002 %). make sure you always check the ingredients of non-dairy beverages and watch for malt or barley ingredients.  Robyn
ryza   |   almond breeze   |   organic almond   |   hemp bliss

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Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beverages. Show all posts

Sunday, January 9, 2011

happy new year with gluten free beer!

beer originally uploaded by feastguru_kirti.
the subject of gluten free beer has been one of the most popular topics on the blog in 2010 so Andrea and I decided to update our original article on gluten free beer now that we have more information about where it's available. the availability of gluten free beer is growing so we will keep our ‘whats happening’ section updated with more information as we find it.

there are a few brands of gluten free beer on the market, and several that are also available in Vancouver. these include Bards, Greens, La Messagere, and New Grist which is made by Lakefront Brewery. others not currently available in Vancouver include Redbridge made by Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Budweiser, and Estrella Damm Daura, a gluten free variety of the popular Estrella Damm.




what is gluten free beer made with?

most gluten free beer is made with sorghum, rice, yeast, hops and water. Greens is one brand that uses buckwheat and millet as well. gluten free beer also packs a bit of a punch, with an average of 4% alcohol content per volume.

what does gluten free beer taste like?

gluten free beer does not taste like regular beer for most people. my only advice for those wishing to try it, is to not expect gluten free varieties to satisfy your craving for a Guinness. I tried Redbrige when I was in the US recently, and then tried Bards in Vancouver at the Irish Heather and Shebeen Whiskey House in Gastown a few weeks ago. I personally thought they both tasted great! Redbridge tasted the lightest of the two, and it resembles a honey pale ale. our friends over at Gluten Free Edmonton really enjoyed Greens Amber Ale, but most reviews will tell you that New Grist and La Messagere are not very good.

where can I find gluten free beer in Vancouver?

1. Bards

Bard's, made by the Bards Tale Beer Company, is the only brand that is made with 100% malted sorghum, a similar process to how traditional brewers malt barley. the founders of Bards are also celiac and have a great philosophy behind their business that is based on making gluten free products accessible to those that require it. Bards also has a great website that has a useful product locator listing with a corresponding map. I have only listed a few of the liquor stores below where Bards is available, but check out the map for other locations, there are many! click on one of the beer bottles in the home page to navigate the site.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Lennox liquor store (city square shopping center)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Granville Island Hotel Beer Store (granville island)
•Steamworks liquor store (gastown)
•Brewery Creek wine store (main street)
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Toby’s (commercial drive)

restaurants and pubs:
•Irish Heather/Shebeen Whiskey House (gastown)
•Zipang Sushi (main street)
•The Wallflower (main street)
•Taylors Crossing (north vancouver)
•Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Pie Shop (point grey)
•Hyatt Regency Hotel (downtown)
•The Perch (grandview-woodlands)
•Rose & Crown pub (delta)
•Witch of Endor Neighborhood pub (maple ridge)
•Rock Cod Café (cowichan bay)
•Salt Spring Inn (salt spring island)
•Wild Bistro (gibsons)

2. Greens

Greens gluten free beer is brewed in Belgium and comes in three flavors; discovery amber ale, endeavor double dark, and quest triple blond. all are made with sorghum, millet, buckwheat and brown rice. Greens comes in one pint bottles (500 ml) and available as singles (other brands are sold in packs of 6).

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Brewery Creek liquor store (main street)
•Libations liquor store (oak and west king edward)
•Viti Beer and Wine (at Moda Hotel) (downtown)

restaurants and bars:
•Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar (commercial, cambie)

3. La Messagere

La Messagere is a light ale made with buckwheat and rice, and is brewed in Quebec by Bieres de la Nouvelle-France. many reviews say La Messengere tastes more like a cider or ale than beer.

beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales

4. New Grist

New Grist, made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, was the first North American company to market gluten free beer in 2005. Lakefront can be also credited for changing legislation that previously defined ‘beer’ as having a minimum of 25% malted barley. way to go Lakefront Brewery!

beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wine and Ales
•Legacy Liquor Store

I also found a great facebook page called Gluten Free Beer! that is a useful resource for those that want to connect and discuss gluten free beers with others.

we would love to hear your feedback on this topic! leave us a comment if you have any thoughts to share about gluten free beer. Robyn.


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Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

celiac in the city: latitude on main

photo credit: www.scoutmagazine.ca
drinks after work can be a difficult task for a Celiac. it's summer time and everyone wants to be on a patio somewhere, chilling, eating, chatting. beer is obviously a difficult beverage to manage (though gluten free beer does exist, and we will be posting more on it soon), but thank goodness wine is safe for us Celiacs. wine has now become my alcoholic beverage of choice (it used to be beer), and with BC's wine industry growing and improving year by year, what's not to love? now to find that perfect food to nibble on with your friends, co-workers, or your special someone. Latitude on Main Street is just the spot. Latitude is a restaurant and wine bar, which focuses exclusively on North and South American wines where you can order wines from BC, the United States, Chile, and Argentina, by the glass. likewise the food menu showcases North and South American inspired cuisine. 

Latitude is the creation of husband and wife team Lisa Henderson, who is the chef, and Larry Nicolay, who manages the front of the restaurant. Latitude has been open for a little over a year, however even though Latitude is relatively new to the main street neighborhood, they are already making quite the statement for both their cuisine and interior design. Latitude recently won a bronze award for "Best of the America's" at this year's Vancouver Magazine Restaurant awards. the restaurant has also recently been featured in a design book titled "Night Fever 2" published by Frame Magazine.

Lisa and Larry are not new to the restaurant business. in fact before Latitude, they were the owners and creators of the legendary RainCoast Cafe in Tofino, BC. with all this experience under their belt, it is no wonder that when you sit down and ask, "do you have anything gluten free?" they know exactly what you are talking about. even though Latitude's menu has not been designed to accommodate a gluten free diet specifically, there are more than enough items that just happen to be gluten free to make it worth dining here frequently. everything on the menu is under twenty dollars, and the food is well thought out, served bistro style, and so delicious. last time we were at Latitude, Robyn and I were so satisfied with the service, the food, and of course the wine that we'll definitely be back for more. if you don't believe us, Mia Stainsby, a food critic for the Vancouver Sun, also wrote a favorable review on Latitude as well.

Latitude is open seven days a week from 5pm for dinner or cocktails and late night snacks. brunch is served on weekends between 9.30am and 2pm. Recently Robyn and I met a few friends here and we shared the Caesar Salad, which we loved, the Paella, and the Chickpea Fries. the brunch menu offers many gluten free choices including the Classic (without toast), Brunch Burrito (ask for corn tortillas), Huevos Divorciados, Huevos Revueltos, Scrambles (without toast), Benedicts (without the english muffin), and finally the Fruit Bowl (without the crumble topping). 

even though this information is accurate at the time of writing, Latitude does change their menu on occasion, so it is always wise to ask Larry, or your server what they recommend for gluten free diets. you can rest assure however, that they will understand your request, and help you enjoy your dining experience. see you on the patio!  Andrea.

ps. try a mojito, the best cuban cocktail ever, it's gluten free!


latitude on main   |   follow latitude on twitter   |   follow us on twitter
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

the healthy shopper: 2010 edition in stores now!

The Healthy Shopper is a coupon book for natural and organic products, many of which are gluten free! if you haven't heard of The Healthy Shopper, it's really worth checking out. it is available for free at participating retailers in Canada, to find your nearest store click here. you can also order it online free of charge, but you do need to pay for the shipping. if you register online you will have access to the e-coupons, which you simply print as many as you need, and then go shopping! 

we first told you about the 2009 Healthy Shopper back in January, and since then, the 2010 edition has become available. the e-coupons have been available for download since Arpil, however I managed to get my hands on my first physical booklet today from Choices on Cambie. I was at Whole Foods on Broadway a few days ago, and they didn't have any left. it isn't a big deal, because as I said you can simply register and download as many e-coupons as you like. in fact, that might be the more environmental approach since you are only printing the coupons you will actually use.

the products in the 2010 edition are slightly different from last year. I have noticed that Glutino, for example, is no longer participating, too bad. there are still many great products with good savings in this latest edition. some of the gluten free products you will find are:

So Delicious lactose free frozen desserts (save $1)
Blue Sky natural sodas (save 50¢)
San-J asian cooking sauces and tamari sauce (save 75¢)
Simply Natural organic salad dressings and condiments (save 50¢)
Pamela's Products baking mixes and cookies (save 75¢)
Barbara's Bakery cereals (save $1)
Liberté conventional and organic yogurts (save $1)
Olympic organic yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese (save 75¢)
Nature's Path and Envirokidz cereals and snacks (save $1)
Blue Diamond Growers nut-thins crackers and almond breeze almond milk (save $1)
Tom's of Maine toothpaste (save $1)

please note that some of these companies are exclusively gluten free, while others are not. please check with the product websites to verify which products are gluten free. we have already posted on several of these, Simply Natural Organic Mustard, Pamela's Products Classic Vanilla Cake Mix, Envirokidz, and Tom's of Maine.

in addition to savings on gluten free food and beverages, there are some great savings as well on vitamins and supplements, household cleaning products, cosmetics, and diapers! that's right moms and dads, there is a coupon for $2 off the purchase of any package of Seventh Generation diapers.

combine these savings with other grocery store reward programs, like at Choices Markets and Greens Organic & Natural Market, and you can really make a difference in your grocery bill. and if you are Celiac don't forget to save your grocery receipts this year to claim the incremental cost of the gluten free food you purchase on your 2010 taxes.  Andrea.


the healthy shopper   |  choices markets   |   greens organic & natural market
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Thursday, February 4, 2010

be my valentine: dagoba's gluten free hot chocolate

photo credit dagobachocolate.com
not only is valentine's day just around the corner, but it's a time of year when a nice cup of hot chocolate can take the chill off, especially if you are hanging around some of the 2010 Winter Olympic venues! Dagoba Organic Chocolate not only makes chocolate bars, but they also have three kinds of hot chocolate mixes; authentic, xocolatl, and unsweetened. what is xocolatl you ask? it is a blend of cacao, rich dark chocolate, chillies, and cinnamon, sounds nice doesn't it?

all Dagoba Organic Chocolate products are gluten free, certified organic, and fair trade certified. Dagoba also practices what they call Full Circle Sustainability™, which is a commitment to better their business, products and themselves in the areas of quality, ecology, equity, and community. you can read more about it here.

mix your favorite Dagoba drinking chocolate with warm milk or your preferred milk alternative, but make sure that your milk alternative is gluten free. in our last post Robyn discussed some of the options, you can read about it here. today I am having a cup of authentic drinking chocolate, which contains cane sugar, but it's not too sweet at all, it is a nice smooth and rich chocolate taste. 

do you know someone who loves chocolate, but also has a gluten allergy? the drinking chocolate containers or the chocolate bars make a nice gift for your sweetie, friend or coworker. they will love you for thinking of them, and for being able to present them with a gluten free valentine. you can buy online, or at Choices Markets and Whole Foods. 

xoxo  Andrea.

dagoba   |   gluten free milk alternatives

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

non-dairy beverages and gluten

yes, even alternative milk beverages can contain gluten, sigh. double sigh if you are only drinking soy or rice milk due to your gluten allergy in the first place. many people with gluten intolerance also experience lactose intolerance as a related condition. celiac.ca is a great source of information about secondary disorders related to celiac disease. for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, soy, rice, almond and hemp milk are good substitutes. I stopped drinking milk several years ago and switched to soy, and after trying several brands, found most were not so palatable. however, I eventually settled on Soy Dream for its creamy taste.

I spent the afternoon at Whole Foods recently and read the ingredients on all of the non-dairy beverage containers they carry. the following is my non-dairy milk – gluten breakdown:

soy, almond and hemp milk brands with gluten free on the label
Ryza (Earths Own) (all flavors)
Almond Breeze (Blue Diamond)
Organic Almond (Pacific Foods)
Hemp Bliss (Manitoba Harvest) (all gluten free)

soy and hemp milk brands with safe ingredients (no gluten free on label)
So Nice
Soy Dream
Silk
Natura
Living Harvest Hempura

soy milk brands not gluten free
Vitasoy
Edensoy

all flavors of Vitasoy and Edensoy contain barley extract. in the case of Edensoy products, they also contain malted wheat. the ingredients in Rice Dream appear to be gluten free, but according to their website, the rice milk is processed using a barley enzyme and therefore could contain a residual amount of barley protein (0.002 %). make sure you always check the ingredients of non-dairy beverages and watch for malt or barley ingredients.  Robyn
ryza   |   almond breeze   |   organic almond   |   hemp bliss

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