Tag Archives: celiac

Good Things Friday

Posted on September 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

Even though Friday is a good thing itself, there are always at least a few gluten free good things in my week that I have to share.

1. Rita’s Frozen Custard

Rita’s custard with hot fudge is so good. I don’t really get the whole “ice” thing that they have there – I tried some samples and it just tastes like watery ice cream to me. But I can get on board with the custard. I snagged this one from Rita’s in Chinatown.

2. One pan dinners

Sometimes you just have to throw a bunch of ingredients in a pan and hope for the best. This one pan dinner included: half a package of tempeh, a can of diced tomatoes, a big handful of frozen spinach, sauteed onion, and some chili spices.

And I may have eaten this straight out of the pan while talking on the phone. Don’t judge.

3. Tomato Season

If I took a shot every time I saw the word “heirloom” on a menu this month, I would be incredibly inebriated. Last night at Lincoln I ordered the Heirloom Tomato Risotto with roasted garlic, ricotta, and capers. Our waitress, Gabby, has Celiac’s as well, so she was super helpful. If you go there ask for her, and tip her well 🙂

This risotto was tomato-tastic. I was expecting a plain risotto with some tomatoes sprinkled in, but this stuff was about equal parts tomato to rice. Even though it was a small plate it left me totally satisfied.

Additional good things coming up this weekend are all happening in Michigan!

I’m planning on getting in as many gluten free meals out as possible. Definitely on the list are Mudgies and Greengos, possibly a stop at Arts Beats and Eats, and a late night pizza from Cottage Inn might have to happen as well. Plus the kickoff of Michigan football season, the wedding of a dear friend, and a night in a fancy shmancy hotel. My cup runneth over.

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Posted in Restuarant Reviews, Tips

Tagged celiac, dc, dinner, Gluten-free, ice cream, michigan, risotto

How much gluten did I eat at Zoup! (?)

Posted on September 1, 2011 | 4 comments

Yesterday after work I had a doctor’s appointment, and knew that if I didn’t eat anything beforehand I would be one grumpy patient. Since I happen to work in the gf food desert that is downtown DC, I was struggling to come up with an option close to my office.

When I saw Zoup! I figured I would stop in and see if they had any gluten free soups on the menu. I used to love Zoup! (even if I do think it’s a little silly for them to have an exclamation point at the end of their name) because they always had unique flavors, and a cup of soup and hunk of break could fill me up for lunch. Now, of course, the situation is a bit different.

I asked the very nice man behind the counter if he could tell me what soups were gluten free that day. They already label their menu with DF (dairy free) and V (vegetarian) so it seems like they would be aware of which soups were also GF (gluten free).

He said the only one on the menu that day was the vegetarian split pea (with what sounded like certainty), which didn’t sound all that great to me, but after trying a sample I decided to get it anyway.

But then later in the night I looked at their gluten free menu on their website – the split pea is not on there!

Bleh! Hidden gluten and misleading workers have done it again.

Luckily I’m not feeling awful, just tired and crampy, they probably only use a trace amount in that soup. Considering this experience, and the fact that it cost me $6.25 for a small soup and these gluten free veggie chips, I don’t think I’ll be back to Zoup! any time soon.

I sent a message to Zoup! on Twitter asking them to put a GF label on their in-store menus like they have for vegetarian and dairy free soup. But they just replied sending me back to the gluten free menu on their website. Which is great to have, but not when you’re in the store and your phone is dead and the staff gives you the wrong information.

Sigh… Next time I’ll be more careful. Or make my own darned soup. No exclamation point 🙂

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Posted in Restuarant Reviews, Tips

Tagged celiac, dc, Gluten-free, labeling, soup, zoup!

Yes! Organic Market

Posted on August 30, 2011 | 1 comment

I’m already a fan of the Yes! Organic Market by my apartment in Cleveland Park. It’s small, but has reasonable prices and is great for picking up things that I can’t get at Whole Foods (things that will melt or are too heavy to carry).

After all the hype about the hurricane, and a long lazy Saturday, I needed to get out of my apartment in a bad way. So I ran. Then I went to yoga. Then I walked about six miles. So when I saw the Yes! Organic Market on 14th Street I figured I would stop in for a potential snack and to see if it was different from the Cleveland Park location.

It’s not only different, it’s about 300% better. Give or take.

It’s bigger, has a full wine section (with a sample table), and way more produce. The best part though? The gluten free baked goods.

I was particularly intrigued by Merry’s Miracle Tarts (they had chocolate-mint, and a lemon one as well).

And these chunky chocolate brownies from Frankly Natural Bakers.

Then I noticed that they had a whole shelf full of Katz’s products, including chocolate cupcakes, cookies, apricot tarts, and these vanilla and chocolate rugelech.

They also had a full freezer section with baguettes, breads, and this Against the Grain Gourmet pizza with nut-free pesto that I haven’t seen before.

So what did I buy? Nothing.

I panicked from the amount of choices, grabbed some Jojoba oil, and called it a day. I’ll have to go back when I actually need something, because that place has it all.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what you think!

1 Comment

Posted in Staple foods, Tips

Tagged celiac, cleveland park, columbia heights, Gluten-free, Groceries, washington dc

Chocolate in all forms

Posted on August 25, 2011 | 2 comments

There are some times ~~of the month~~ when I swear I can eat chocolate at every meal. While I could definitely put down a pint of Haagen Dazs every night, I try to find healthier ways to control my cravings.

Chocolate ZICO coconut water

When I first heard that ZICO was coming out with a chocolate coconut water I thought – blech! That cannot possibly be good. I’ve tried the other flavored varieties before and they are way too sugary or taste odd to me. So I stuck to plain.

This stuff tastes almost exactly like chocolate milk. Or at least Yoohoo.

Plus it’s only 110 calories for a big bottle, and since it’s so yummy I can take a few sips and put it back in the fridge, unlike plain coconut water which I basically chug so fast I give myself the hiccups.

I need to order a case of this right away.

(source)

Lindt chocolate with a hint of sea salt

I had seen some rave reviews of this chocolate on other blogs, but I’m not usually one to just buy a big honkin car of chocolate from the store. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.

At first it tastes just like a good piece of dark chocolate, but then, when you get a little rock of salt it causes this little flavor burst that’s so cool! It basically amplifies the effect that you get when you add salt to sweet chocolate chip cookies.

Luna chocolate-peanut butter protein bars

When I was at Target the other day, I picked up a box of these and noticed that they are now labeled gluten free. I guess they just started labeling them, which is great because it clearly differentiates them from the normal Luna bars, which are not gf because of the oats.

“Our ingredient suppliers have confirmed that all ingredients are gluten free, so they contain no gluten from wheat, rye or barley. The location where we make our food is capable of making a gluten free food and we test our finished products to confirm that they are gluten free.” (source)

I can’t say that these taste all that great. They’re protein bars, so, they taste like protein bars. But, half of one out of the freezer works for me if I have a sweet tooth after lunch.

And when all else fails, I can always turn to…

Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle bars. Because they taste like creamy frozen pudding. Also, their website is confusing because it says “Does not contain” and then in the list it says “gluten free”. So it does not contain gluten free? Hmm…

Either way, they are gluten free and I can eat a box in two days. Or one day, or one hour.

So, there you have it. Some slightly healthier options for when you feel the need to have a constant stream of chocolate in your diet.

Do you have any other healthy gf chocolate dessert options?

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Posted in Product Reviews, Staple foods

Tagged celiac, chocolate, dessert, Gluten-free, ice cream

El’s Gluten Free Snacks: Bagel Chips and “Medleys”

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 2 comments

Apparently El’s Kitchen has been all over the place lately getting the word out about their gluten free bagel chips and Gardetto-like snack mix called “Medleys”. I saw a giveaway on Gluten Free is Life yesterday, as well as a review from Gluten Free and the City. Maybe they’re looking to build out their testimonials section?

Well, I’m happy to help! They were so nice to offer to send me a sample bag of each as well.

When they arrived in my mailbox I immediately ripped them open and dumped them on a plate to see what was inside.

Bagel chips on the bottom, Medleys on the top

This is not your average snack mix, people.

The Medleys mix was so interesting and fun!

There were corn nuts, which I don’t even remember eating before, and now I don’t know how they were absent from my life for 24 years. So yummy! Like edible popcorn kernels mixed with a nut. Plus there were these potato cracker/chip pieces that were ultra crunchy and had ridges on them. And to round it out, there were little Frito-like corn chips.

All covered in delicious spicy coating of Worcestershire, honey, paprika, cumin, and a bunch of other ingredients.

The bagel chips are really crunchy and thin, but I was dying to dip them into something. So I pulled out some smoked salmon dip from Whole Foods and got to it.

And that is the bagel chips’ natural state. SO good with the dip. They’re so crunchy that they didn’t break when I loaded it up with dip.

But, I didn’t stop there.

Last night I decided that they needed to go on top of soup. I used to get soup at Bruegger’s Bagels and use their bagel chips to dunk in my soup. Those were thick, and still a bit hard to gnaw on after they waded in the soup for awhile (in a good way).

Doesn’t that homemade roasted corn and poblano chowder look good?

Oh, who am I kidding? I bought one of those pre-made quarts of soup from Whole Foods. I did add in fresh broccoli, yellow squash, and a salmon fillet. That has to count for something, right?

Kind of like I remember. I think that if I’m truly going to get the Bruegger’s effect, I’ll need to make my own really thick bagel chips from gf bagels at some point.

Still, they made a pretty great topper. I think I still prefer them with that smoked salmon dip. Yummmm

El’s doesn’t sell their products in DC yet, so you’ll have to buy them online. Or check if they have them in your area on their website. They would make a great gift for your gluten free BFF too, since it’s a specialty product that you won’t be able to recreate.

I think we can safely say that El’s owns the market in gf bagel chips and snack mix. Crunch away!

2 Comments

Posted in Product Reviews, Staple foods

Tagged celiac, chips, Gluten-free, snacks

DC Pizza News

Posted on August 23, 2011 | Leave a comment

I think that a certain part of my brain is devoted exclusively to pizza. I’m always on the lookout for new gf pizza places to try, as well as opportunities to make my own and share it, since everyone usually marvels at how good the gf pizza crust is.

So here’s some DC pizza-related news.

Homemade Pizza Co is now going to be serving gluten free pizza. This place has a pretty great business plan, where they make the pizza for you, but you bake it at home. I haven’t gone into an actual store, even though I pass the one on 14th St. and Church all the time. You can also order online (make sure you choose the medium crust option). I built one with BBQ sauce and four toppings and it came to $20.10. Ouch : /

The District of Pi is opening a brick and mortar store in 9 days on F St., which is described in Thrillist as a “skylit, chandelier-laden pizza haven with a huge, indoor faux-veranda and 40ft of bar.

Last time I walked by they still had this sign up and construction going on, but I’m excited to go give it a try! They also have daiya vegan cheese and vegan meat substitutes on their menu (although those have gluten in them 95% of the time).

Now, this place is not to be confused with Pi Pizzeria in Adams Morgan. It’s easy to make the mistake, since District of Pi’s Facebook page is www.facebook.com/pipizzeria and their website looks exactly like the Pi Pizzeria sign. I made that mistake a few weeks ago and tried to order gf pizza there, which they don’t have. Embarrassing! The waitress did, however, inform me that they were thinking about starting to carry it in the near future. Which is great because their patio is really nice.

If you’re too lazy to get to Homemade Pizza Co. or District of Pi, then you can always just go to a pizza party!

I brought my own dough mix, my favorite Namaste one, but got to use all of these yummy toppings and homemade tomato sauce made by the lovely hostess.

Topped with broccoli, mushrooms, basil, yellow peppers, and caramelized onions. Everyone at the party helped me finish the whole thing before we headed out and seemed to really like it! Although that could have been the wine talking…

Lesson learned: if you keep a steady stream of pizza in my hand, I’m a pretty happy girl.

See? Wine and pizza is really all it takes. And a few rounds of Cranium.

So far my favorite pizza (and hangover cure) in DC is from Open City, but there are still a few places I need to try. What is your favorite gluten free pizza in the District?

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Posted in News, Tips

Tagged celiac, Gluten-free, pizza, washington dc

Sweetbites food truck cupcake

Posted on August 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

Fridays call for excessive desserts eating. As do most other days of the week. Yesterday I was determined to find the Sweetbites truck, after I tried to go on Thursday but they had already left Franklin Square. How cute is their truck? Sweetbites was at Farragut Square for Farragut Friday – a mass gathering of DC food trucks every Friday around lunch time. Sweetbites has eleven kinds of cupcakes on their menu, with one gluten free option. If I had a choice in the matter, I would have gotten the non-gf salty caramel flavor, but I gladly accepted the gluten free Madagascar vanilla and chocolate buttercream one. This was all kinds of sugary yumminess. Strong vanilla flavor, and ridiculously fluffy and creamy buttercream. The cake was really moist, but also kind of collapsed under the weight of the icing. Not in a bad way of course, since icing is a “the more the merrier” type of thing. I’m not the hugest fan of cupcakes, and often have lamented how DC seems to be in a rut where the only gf desserts offered anywhere are cupcakes. And I’m not opposed to throwing one out if it’s too dry or not impressing me, like I did at Sticky Fingers. But I gobbled this one up. I also was happy to see that Sweetbites keeps all of their cupcakes in tupperware containers to prevent cross contamination. Some of the trucks had huge lines, like the Red Hook Lobster Truck. They serve their lobster salad plain (or maybe on lettuce?) instead of on a roll, so I may try it for my next food truck adventure. Although a lobster roll is really one of those things that seems kind of depressing without the roll… Food Truck Fiesta is a great site for seeing where DC food trucks are every day. For other food trucks with gluten free options, check out this list! Although note that Curbside Cupcakes does not have a gluten free option, I got confirmation via Twitter.

Now off to The DC Scoop! Going to eat ice cream until I get brain freeze.

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Posted in Product Reviews

Tagged celiac, cupcakes, dc, food truck, Gluten-free, washington dc

Soft shell crab at Ripple

Posted on August 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

After a long day of work yesterday, nothing sounded better than a glass of wine and french fries from Ripple in Cleveland Park. I found out via Twitter that their fries are “100% gluten free and delicious”, as well as their soft shell crab (fried in tapioca flour).

While my girlfriends enjoyed these crazy breadstick things and some cheeses, I tried to make a decision between all of the yummy dishes on their menu.

I wanted one of everything, especially the roasted shrimp, heirloom tomato salad, and the bluefish (no quail for me, thankyouverymuch!).

But that crab was calling my name.

It came on top of green beans with some kind of crazy cumin marinade.

Guess the fries will have to wait until next time.

Afterward we needed something sweet to fuel our trip to the National Cathedral, so we hopped over to Cacao, where they had a nice selection of French macaroons.

An Americano and a vanilla one for me. Usually I go for the more exotic flavors, but this was really good.

I don’t know if there’s a soft shell crab “season”? Either way, I need more of it. Immediately. For every meal of the day.

The bartender at Ripple was really great and knowledgeable about the menu as well, which is always a plus. He said that on any night about 90% of their menu is gluten free (in yesterday’s case, everything but the gnocchi).

I think I’ve found my neighborhood wine bar 🙂

Ripple

3417 Connecticut Ave NW, DC

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Posted in Restuarant Reviews

Tagged celiac, crab, dessert, Gluten-free, macaroons, restaurant, washington dc, wine

Good Things Tuesday: Folgers, Sweet Tea and Food Trucks

Posted on August 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

1. Folgers Chocolate Truffle coffee

Any excuse to get more chocolate into every meal, I will take. Add in some Coffee-mate Naturals, and it’s like melted cake in a cup. Making Coffee-mate Naturals was such a brilliant idea given the mass demand for all things organic and non-synthetic. This stuff only has a few ingredients, and actually has an expiration date, unlike the original Coffee-mate, which will last a year unrefrigerated in the Sahara.

2. Firefly Skinny Tea Sweet Tea Vodka

I wandered into my neighborhood wine/liquor store, Sherry’s Wine & Spirits because I heard that they had a huge selection of beer and I wanted to check out their gluten free choices (just Redbridge as far as I saw). But then, miracle of all miracles, I stumbled upon their sweat tea vodka section – holy varieties! There was one that I had never seen before, their “skinny tea”, which is made with an “all natural sweetener”. Even though I hate things that are named “skinny”, I still got one. It tasted just like the original, except less sugary. Win!

3. DC Food Trucks Gluten Free List

There are always a ton of food trucks parked outside my office near Farragut Square, but I’m never sure which ones to approach. I found this list yesterday of food trucks that carry gf options, and there seem to be quite a few. I tweeted at Curbside Cupcakes yesterday, and they said that they did not have gf cupcakes yet, but the rest of the list seems sound. Now I just have to track them down! Sabor’a Street for arepas and Sweetbites are first on my to-eat list.

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Posted in Product Reviews, Tips

Tagged celiac, coffee, dc, food trucks, Gluten-free, good things, washington dc

Gluten Free Hangover Cure

Posted on August 14, 2011 | 3 comments

Yesterday I woke up feeling, let’s just say, not bright eyed and bushy tailed. I had a blast going out in DC on Friday night, but in the morning I needed to recover, and fast!

So, I did what anyone would do in my state. Fry an egg, put it on top of leftover pizza, and eat it in bed in your ~~underwear~~ pajamas!

The pizza was leftover from Open City – Roasted corn, ricotta, mozzarella & jalapeno cream. Cooked extra crispy. And just what I needed.

Here it is sitting pretty the night before. Their gf pizza crust is just so good:

It didn’t exactly “cure” my hangover, but it sure made my belly happy.

So did my lunch from Firefly in Dupont.

I’ve been excited to try their gluten free menu for awhile. And although I don’t necessarily agree with their claim to be “the quintessential urban neighborhood restaurant in Washington DC,” it still was a really cute place.

A mushroom and cheddar omelette for me! Substitute home fries for normal fries, because the more grease the better!