gluten free vancouver: travel

Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

annual celiac disease conference & food faire

we recently attended the National Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Conference and Food Faire in Los Angeles on May 14, 2011. the conference was very well attended with people of all ages. the theme of the conference was to provide participants with a better understanding of celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the gluten free diet. speakers included Alessio Fasano, M.D., who is the Medical Director of the Center for Celiac Research, Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, and Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author and gluten free cooking expert.

we especially enjoyed the food faire which comprised of over 100 gluten free exhibitors. we spent most our time in the food faire sampling new products, and meeting many of the owners behind these great businesses such as Breads From Anna, Solterra Foods, Venice Bakery and Elizabeth Kaplan of the Pure Pantry. we were also happy to chat with a few other companies we know well like Bard's gluten free beer, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, Pamela’s and Enjoy Life Foods. we also tried amazing baguette style bread from Schar at their booth, everything was so good!

besides tasting Bards and Green’s gluten free beer, and getting our hands on the coveted Udi’s hot dog buns, we found several other unique and new gluten free products. we hinted at a few of our favorite gluten free finds in our conference giveaway post, but we wanted to write more about why these up and coming products and companies look so good.

Breads From Anna

this bread and baking mix company was founded in 2004 by Anna Sobaski, who also has celiac disease. Breads From Anna come in a variety of flavors including the Original, Classic Herb Bread, and Black Bean Brownie. all of Breads From Anna are gluten, soy, and rice free. the All Purpose Flour bread mix is also yeast free. the two wonderful women at the booth were so friendly and helpful and genuinely huge fans of Anna's products.

we chatted about how to make the perfect loaf of bread with a Zojirushi bread machine, which they swear by. after devouring handfuls of the Classic Herb Bread samples, they told us that this bread makes a delicious stuffing mix. Anna's website has step-by-step tips for making her bread mixes in the Zojirushi bread machine, and other brands of bread machines. (I think I know what I want for Christmas this year!)

what we also commend Breads From Anna on is that the mixes are high in quality and nutrition. you would never know that Anna's bread is gluten free, it has the right texture, is not dense, and is full of flavour. common ingredients in Anna's breads include chia flour, chickpea flour, bean flours, and sorghum flour to name a few. what is interesting is that none of her breads contain rice flour, this is so liberating don't you think? we are so over rice bread! for a listing on where to find Anna's products click here. it seems there is only one place in Canada selling Breads From Anna products, St Albert Alberta, but there are several online places to buy these products.

Solterra Foods
we were totally amazed at this company's new gluten free Bake-In-Bag pizzas. not only is the pizza great, but the idea is that you cook the pizza in the biodegradable bag, in any oven, without worrying about cross contamination because it is protected inside the bag! to us this product is ingenious.

the CEO, Elaine Valenza-Opdahl, was at the booth, and it was such a pleasure to talk with her. her booth was buzzing all day long. we love the Solterra philosophy, "Keep it simple, Keep it pure." Solterra offers other amazing gluten free products such as pastas, gnocchi, and baking mixes. there are two pizzas: margherita cheese pizza, and vegan cheese pizza. Solterra is a Colorado-based business, and their products should be available in Canada in a few months. we will keep you posted!

Venice Bakery
this is a Los Angeles-based business specializing in gluten free pizza crusts and focaccia bread. we were so impressed with the quality and taste of their pizzas that we went back to their booth several times to sample their pizzas. the staff were so friendly and passionate about their great tasting pizza, it made trying their products that much better. they also introduced their new gluten free calzones at the show, which were simply amazing!

Venice Bakery is not a dedicated gluten free business, however their gluten free products have been certified by the Celiac Sprue Association. gluten free products are produced at separate times and on dedicated equipment, and are then tested to be sure they are under 5 ppm. as a precaution, Venice bakery sends their product to Siliker Labs for testing. click here to see a video of the president of the company, Jimmy DeSisto, describe the company's history and what you can do with their gluten free pizza crusts.

we have more to tell you about our fun trip to Los Angeles, and our next post will feature some of the great places to eat out gluten free in L.A. one of them we can't stop thinking about! bye for now, Andrea + Robyn.

celiac disease foundation | breads from anna | venice bakery | solterra foods

Sunday, May 15, 2011

post card from los angeles! (+ giveaway)

we are in los angeles! we decided to travel from vancouver to los angeles to attend the Celiac Disease Foundation's annual Education Conference & Food Faire which took place yesterday. we had such a great experience meeting new friends and of course trying out some of the best gluten free foods and beverages.

our highlights were Venice Bakery's pizza and calzones, Green's amber ale, Udi's hot dog buns, Ciao Bella blood orange sorbet bars, and the Pure Pantry's cupcakes! we picked up a lot of great gluten free food samples and swag we don't know how we are going to carry it all home!

since you couldn't make it, we would like to put together a prize pack full of some of the products we found here, including a Betty Crocker gluten free t-shirt, Pamela's Products cake and frosting mixes, Enjoy Life's new mega chunks chocolate chips, Udi's hot dog buns and granola, and so much more!

to enter this giveaway please leave a comment with this post by Wednesday, May 18th at midnight. for extra chances to win, comment on our facebook page or tweet the giveaway (please add @gfvancouver to your tweet). good luck to all! we are heading out today to explore some of the gluten free bakeries and restaurants here in los angeles, so stay tuned for some reviews on the blog! Andrea + Robyn

celiac disease foundation | follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook

Monday, July 12, 2010

gluten free mac & cheese

I have seen the Annie's Homegrown brand of instant pastas and mac & cheese many many times while shopping at either Choices or Whole Foods, and once I checked to see if it was gluten free, and sadly it wasn't. since then I haven't really given it much notice. however, last week I was shopping in my new neighborhood (I moved two weeks ago, been busy!), Gastown, and I was combing the aisles in my new local grocery store to see what gluten free items they sell, and I noticed Annie's Homegrown natural products once again. I decided to check them out box by box. and you know what I found? Annie's Homegrown Rice Pasta & Cheddar, and it's gluten free!

I had to try it, so I bought a box. I made it for lunch and it was so good! I was never really a fan of Kraft Dinner, but from what I remember it tasting like, Annie's is very similar, but better! Annie's uses only natural ingredients, one hundred percent real cheddar, and one hundred percent rice pasta. all of Annie's products are preservative free and additive free, and they don't contain anything artificial. Annie's Homegrown has been around since 1989, and they are committed to making the world a better place through Community Giving Programs, and Sustainable Agriculture Scholarships. that is a lot of care put into one little box of mac & cheese! the only thing I think Annie's could do better, is to add gluten free mac & cheese to their organic line.

have you been missing your mac & cheese? you should try Annie's! yes I know you can easily make your own homemade gluten free mac & cheese, but for you busy people, it's a great time saver. it's also nostalgia in a box for many of you I'm sure, you know, when you were a college student eating on the cheap. it's easy to cook, and only requires 1/4 cup of fresh milk or yogurt to make the cheese sauce. it's actually perfect to take camping, both adults and kids will love it!

hope you are all enjoying your summer! Andrea.

annie's homegrown

Sunday, April 18, 2010

gluten free in palm springs, ca

one of my favorite places to go for a holiday is Palm Springs, California. I personally love the desert climate and unique landscape, and Palm Springs is also a great place to enjoy original mid century modern architecture and art, and of course the brilliant blue sky, palm trees and hot sun!

I have traveled to Palm Springs several times over the past few years, and usually have had a hard time finding gluten free foods. however, on my last trip this past week, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a few organic eateries have opened, including a dairy and gluten free bakery that is set to open soon! my desert oasis just became even more appealing and accessible for anyone who wants to travel there gluten free.

there are several grocery stores that now carry a good selection of gluten free products. these include Clarks Nutrition and Natural Foods Market (rancho mirage location), and Harvest Health Foods (palm desert location). gluten free products include:

Bobs Red Mill hot cereal and baking mixes

Nature’s Path mesa sunrise cereal

Erewhon brown rice cereal

Glutino and Gluten Free Pantry bread products

Nana’s cookies

Roads End Organics mac & cheese

Annie’s Naturals salad dressings and organic rice crust pizza

Tinkyada and Deboles rice pasta

...and much more! you can search for the full gluten free product listing on the Clarks website. Harvest Health Foods will have everything you need to eat gluten free while staying in Palm Springs as well.

other grocers include Trader Joes, but I didn’t find much in the Palm Springs location, and don’t recommend spending time there. Jensen’s, in the Smoketree Village, carries Blue Diamond Nut Thins as well as General Mills Rice Chex cereal.

gluten free is also more readily available at local eateries along palm canyon drive. Palm Greens Café offers a great selection of gluten free and vegan options including sandwiches rolled in rice paper, gluten free buckwheat pancakes, and gluten and wheat free cupcakes and brownies; they also use San-J soy sauce (for the marinated tofu). while the food was excellent, I did find navigating their menu a little tough and required me to ask a lot of questions. Native Foods, also located in the Smoketree Village is a Southern Californian vegan café that also has a gluten free menu! the gluten free menu describes substitution options and lists what is safe for a gluten free diet. gluten free entrées include the tijuana taco’s (soft tortilla, salsa, guacamole, and substitute taco meat for beans or mushrooms) and ensalada azteca salad (quinoa, romaine, avocado).

Cheeky’s is a new organic restaurant in Palm Springs and seemed to be the most popular. they have great smoothies and were able to make me a gluten free chicken salad. it was fun to sit on the outdoor patio under the water misters to keep cool. on my last night we went to Thai Smile, and it was truly the best thai food I have ever eaten! many items are gluten free including the vegetable and meat curry dishes with rice.

the first gluten and dairy free bakery is also set to open soon in Palm Springs, called Canyon Flours organic, dairy and gluten free bakery! Canyon Flours is located in the Corridor on north palm canyon drive. many people we spoke to are unsure when the bakery will open, and it seems to be the town mystery…I'd love to go back as soon as they do...well I can dream! Robyn.

clark's nutrition & natural foods market | harvest health foods | jensen's | palm greens cafe | native foods | cheeky's | thai smile | canyon flours bakery

Monday, April 12, 2010

homemade cuban black beans and rice, naturally gluten free!

if I haven't mentioned it already, my husband is Cuban. since he's been living in Canada he has really enjoyed the variety of foods and cuisines available to us here in Vancouver, however, he still cherishes his beans and rice. black beans and rice is the quintessential Cuban food. if you have been to Cuba and sampled this cuisine in a resort hotel, you may not have experienced the true quality of flavours of this national dish. home cooked beans and rice are in a word—awesome! every family has their own version of the recipe, passed down from generation to generation. in Cuba, almost all food is home cooked and made from scratch. as I mentioned in the previous post, there are no all-in-one supermarkets in Cuba where you stock up on your weekly groceries, most of which are processed and packaged. in fact beans and rice is quite labour intensive in Cuba, making them all the more worthy of deep appreciation.

first the dried beans are spread out on the kitchen table and bad beans and small stones are picked out. then the beans are washed, and then cooked in a pressure cooker until soft. after that, the spices are added and the beans simmer on the stovetop until all the flavours have been infused into the beans. a pressure cooker is an essential cooking tool in Cuba, everyone has one, they are given by the state to every family. the majority of Cubans do not have ovens, though on my last trip I did see one at a friend's house who is part of Cuba's nouveau riche.

the rice is long grain white rice, and even though rice is grown in Cuba, most of the rice comes from Vietnam. the rice is poor quality in that it has not been cleaned or sorted, and there are still small stones and dead bugs. this is another time consuming task in Cuban cooking, the rice is spread out on the kitchen table and the grains are sorted one by one into two piles; the good rice, and the rubbish. once the good rice has been sorted out, it is washed and cooked with about one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one teaspoon of salt. the rice cooker is the other essential cooking appliance in Cuba, and they are distributed to every family by the state.

in Havana basic services are sometimes not available. either the water is out, or the electricity has been shut off by the government in an attempt to conserve energy. cooking becomes a challenge to say the least. your friend or neighbor across the street or on the next block may have their services while you do not, and this is when cooking and eating truly becomes a community event. I am always amazed at the level of adversity Cuban's have, and that in the face of such adversity they can still create a cuisine that is steeped in amor.

the following is our adapted recipe, using canned black beans. we have a pressure cooker, but using cans just saves so much time. we have been using Primo Black Beans, which we buy at Buy Low Foods, but you can use any other brand. just remember that if the canned beans do not include salt, you will need to add a little more than is suggested below in the recipe. Cuban's cook their beans with what is called vino seco, or dry cooking wine, and I'm sure authentic vino seco can be found in latin american specialty shops, but I have not ventured beyond my grocery stores to look for it, so I use Tosca Sherry Cooking Wine. for vinegar, I use Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. the sugar that I prefer to use is Roger's Organic Sugar. for everything else, I choose organic.

ingredients: serves 6

6 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
6-9 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 medium red or green pepper, thinly sliced
3 cans primo black beans
1 1/2 cans of water
1 1/2 tablespoons of dried oregano
2 1/2 tablespoons of ground cumin
3 cap fulls of apple cider vinegar
2 cap fulls of dry cooking wine
2-3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt (if you use beans that do not already contain salt, then add more to taste)

cooking instructions

make the sofrito
1. add the vegetable oil to a stock pot, and set the temperature to medium-high
2. add the garlic and sautee, do not over cook
3. add the onions and sautee
4. add the pepper and sautee
5. continue cooking and stirring until the onions are almost translucent
6. add some of the oregano and cumin and one bay leaf, continue stirring

add the beans
7. when the spices have infused the ingredients add the cans of beans
8. for each can of beans, add 1/2 cup of water, in this case add 1-1/2 cups of water
9. stir well to blend the sofrito into the beans.
10. add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
11. turn the heat down to low and continue simmering for about 45 to 60 minutes.

this dish is gluten free by nature, there is nothing in the dish that contains gluten. it is important to make sure that you do not use malt vinegar as it is not gluten free, check labels carefully. this dish is also vegetarian and vegan if you can ensure your sugar was processed accordingly.

serve hot or let the beans cool on the stovetop, which will make the beans' consistency thicken, which is the best way to eat Cuban beans. the best is to let them set overnight in the fridge and simply reheat on the stovetop the next day. the beans will keep for a few days in the fridge. serve with rice (brown is ok if it's what you prefer). Buen Apetito! Andrea.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

gluten free travel: eating in cuba part 1 - what to expect

if you've been following our blog then you probably already know that I was in Cuba recently. luckily for me (and all of you) Cuban food is more or less gluten free by nature. it is all natural, home cooked, and extremely tasty. surprised? I know many tourists who visit Cuba complain about the food as being bland, boring, and repetitive, you know beans and rice day in day out. while this may be true if you are visiting an all-inclusive resort hotel, it is certainly not the case if you venture beyond the hotel's all-you-can-eat buffet. JJG9FHSPQQGG

Cuba is a very unique place, and I love it! there are no big-box supermarkets, no chain convenience stores, no north american fast food restaurants, and what is particularly obvious is the lack of the commercialization of food. very little food in the Cuban food supply is actually processed and sold on corner store shelves, and there are no commercials on tv (verdad!) selling food or anything else for that matter. what you find instead are fresh fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries, butchers, fishermen, farmers, and of course the bodegas where Cuban's get their rations: rice, beans, coffee, sugar, peas, and condiments like vinegar, spices, and dry cooking wine.

as a tourist doing it on your own in Cuba, there are several ways to go about feeding yourself. in whatever city or town you might be visiting chances are there is at least one paladar. paladares are private restaurants run by families in their homes and what is remarkable about them is that not only do you get a glimpse into the private life of Cubans, but you will also be treated to superb home cooked meals in large quantities at very reasonable prices. this will be the case as well if you chose to stay in a casa particular (like a bed and breakfast) instead of a hotel since most hosts will offer to cook meals on request. the last option is to rent an apartment, and cook some meals on your own. this can be challenging however since most of the food sold in markets is sold in cuban pesos (Moneda Nacional). anytime tourists are seen trying to spend Moneda Nacional, there will always be a local or two trying to buy your food for you, for a tip. or the sellers might conveniently make an error in your change owed. speaking spanish helps a lot, but it's not required.

Cuba has two currencies. the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is what you will get when you exchange your home currency in the exchange offices. everything related to tourism from hotel rates, rental car rates, official taxis, and souvenirs is sold in CUC's. it is possible, however, to exchange your CUC's for Moneda Nacional if you want to shop at the fruit and vegetable markets, or buy street vendor food. however, for people with gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance, finding anything on the street that is gluten free is very difficult, as most vendors sell sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza. there are a few gluten free treats however that can be found: roasted peanuts (maní), popcorn (rositas de maíz), and my personal favorite, guava paste (dulce de guayaba), which is delicious with cheese. in Havana I have sometimes found sweets called coquitos, which are made from sugar and coconut, they are sooooo delicious, but on this recent trip I did not find them since getting coconuts in Havana is difficult.

eating gluten free in paladars and casa particulares is very easy, as Cuban cuisine for the most part does not use gluten containing ingredients. finding vegetarian food, on the other hand, is more difficult, as most main dishes are either made with chicken or pork. eggs and seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and fish are also popular, so vegan travelers will be hard pressed to really enjoy Cuban cuisine. root vegetables such as sweet potatoes (boniato), potatoes (papa), taro root (malanga), and yucca are staples in Cuban cooking, and are cooked in a variety of ways, as are plantains. the native fruits are tropical: mangoes, papayas (frutabomba), guavas (guayabas), pinapples (piñas), limes (limones), and avocadoes (aguacates). contrary to popular belief, Cuban food is not spicy. the main cooking spices and condiments are: onions, garlic, peppers (not hot), oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, sugar, vinegar, dry cooking wine, limes, and sour oranges (naranja agria).

in Havana some of the paladares that I like are: La Guarida, Gringo Viejo, La Julia, Aries Paladar, and La Moneda Cubana. although I haven't eaten at Paladar La Cocina de Lilliam, I have heard excellent things about it. in general, some places will serve bread automatically, and normally in a separate bread basket, you can simply ask not to have one. furthermore, paladares have very few staff, there is usually a cook, and one or two servers, and the owner might be one of these people. they will have an intimate knowledge as to how the dishes are prepared and what the ingredients are. one word to watch out for on menus is empanezado, which means breaded (could be fish or meat). beans and rice are gluten free, as are all roasted or grilled seafood and meat dishes. root vegetables are either fried or boiled, as are plantains. eggs come anyway you like: fried (fritos), scrambled (reveultos), boiled (hervidos), and omelettes are popular (tortillas).

as a general rule, tap water is not safe to drink, therefore depending on the place, I tend to avoid eating raw salads, though paladares are better than hotels, in my opinion, for food safety.

mojitos are gluten free, naturally, try one on the outdoor patio of the Hotel Nacional.

stay tuned for upcoming posts on Cuban dining, including recipes! for now, Buen Viaje! Andrea.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

gluten free travel: what to pack—snack bars part 2

we are back from our travels, and yes we ran out of time to complete our list of gluten free travel goodies, so we will continue now! an item that should be in everyone's suitcase in sufficient quantities is a gluten free snack bar. there are many options to choose from so we decided to break it down into two parts. in part one we told you about Envirokidz, Source Salba, and Glutino Organic Bars. three more excellent options are Elevate Me! energy bars, Organic Food Bar, and Lärabar. I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that we really like.

Elevate Me! energy bars come in seven unique flavours, I like the Cocoa Coconut Cluster, and Banana Nut Bread. they are gluten free, wheat free and soy free. the bars contain 24% protein, are low in fat, high in fiber, and do not contain added sweeteners, preservatives, or flavours. the best part is that this is a local company, family-run, who supports several charitable organizations. in fact they claim that the Elevate Me! bars are made in small batches, in a kitchen (not a lab), and use their mom's original recipe. it doesn't get more wholesome than this! you can buy Elevate Me! bars through their online store, as well as at health food stores, I buy mine at Whole Foods.

Organic Food Bars are made fresh daily in a certified organic and kosher facility. there are seven flavours all of which are gluten free, including the Active Greens flavour even though it contains wheat and barley grass juice. Robyn and I often wonder about the safety of consuming these grasses, does anyone have good information on this? the company website has an excellent FAQ page that answers a wide range of questions. in fact, one family was curious to know if the glue used to seal the wrapper is gluten free, and the answer is yes! they are also all vegan, although the bars which contain chocolate chips are not labeled vegan because the chocolate chips are produced on shared equipment which also makes dairy chocolate. on an environmental note, Organic Food Bars are now produced entirely using clean and renewable solar energy. You can buy these bars at health food stores including Choices Markets and Whole Foods Markets. At this time we cannot confirm whether or not the other products are gluten free: Raw Organic Food Bar, Organic Food Bar Kids, Organic Food Bar One.

the last product to mention is Lärabar. these bars are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non gmo, vegan, and kosher. Lärabar has sixteen flavours, two of which are new: Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Tropical Fruit Tart. my personal favorite is the Chocolate Coconut, which happens to combine two of my most favorite flavours in one delicious little bar! Lärabar was recently featured on the Today Show, you can watch the video here. we are also fans of the Lärabar blog.

I took about six of each of these bars in my favorite flavours (have you noticed I like chocolate and coconut?) which is a little more than one a day for two weeks. I added in a few extra because our flight was a long one, and I never rely on airplane food. some days we walked a lot in the hot sun, and I felt I needed an energy boost, for which I turned to the Elevate Me! bars. some days we were on our own for breakfast and I liked the Organic Food Bar for this, and sometimes I was looking for a dessert alternative and chose my favorite Lärabar. wherever you may travel, near and far, we hope we have been able to introduce you to some new gluten free foods that you can take anywhere! Andrea.

elevate me! | organic food bar | lärabar