Let's all enjoy the ride!
Our Favorite Things:
April, 2010
April's favorites
13th Cookie
We came across this marvelous line of baked goods at the Portland Farmer's Market. The creator was selling them from a hand-held box in Monument Square.
Of course, after trying many a gluten-free cookie in our day, we were skeptical. Happily these gems were dee-licious: moist, chunky and possibly, addictive. (They are also vegan, soy-free, organic and can be ordered sugar-free, too.)
Our favorites: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Punkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and Nana Ca'chews (cashew butter chocolate chip cookies with banana). We are looking forward to trying their Flourless PB Tortes (with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache.)
Here's a dare: put out a plate of these cookies for your family or friends. Don't tell them they are gluten-free and wait for their reaction. They'll likely agree: these are great cookies - no matter what they are made of!
The products start at 13.00 a dozen. They can be ordered by phone (207.899.3874) or online.
13thcookie@gmail.com
http://13thcookie.com/
Farmers' Markets
There is nothing better than getting fresh ingredients for your favorite gluten-free recipes. And the freshest food items are found at your local Farmers' Market.
Listings of Farmers' Markets in Maine can be found here and here.
Triumph Dining's Grocery Guide
This is the essential book to have at hand while hunting through the aisles of your favorite supermarket. It's not just one of our favorite things. It is a fundamental resource. Read more about it here.
Living Gluten-Free For Dummies
No Dummies here, but this book is an invaluable tutorial for newbies and the savvy gluten-freer.
In a clear, concise and often perky voice, author Danna Korn examines the medical problems associated with gluten, leading the reader on a step by step excursion to living (and loving) a gluten-free lifestyle
Discover: how to understand what you can and can't eat; shop and decipher food labels; cook crowd-pleasing gluten-free meals; eat gluten-free at restaurants and parties; raise happy gluten-free kids.
Nowadays, there’s a lot of information out there, but we still find ourselves coming back to this book time and time again.
SAN-J Organic Wheat-Free Tamari Sauce
One of our first shocking discoveries after going gluten-free was that wheat sneaks into products where you would never expect it. Chief among those is that Asian staple: soy sauce. Wheat is the number one ingredient in most soy sauces!
Fortunately, we discovered SAN-J Wheat-Free Organic Tamari Sauce. Tamari is very similar to soy sauce, but contains little or no wheat. (the versions with little wheat aren't GF, of course). SAN-J Tamari makes a perfect substitution for soy sauce in all your Asian dishes. We prefer the reduced-sodium style. Salt can always be added to a recipe, but it's difficult to take back out.
But it gets better! SAN-J also makes a whole line of Asian cooking sauces that are all gluten-free. The Thai peanut sauce is one of our favorites.
SAN-J sauces are available in many finer markets and some oriental food markets.
Quinoa Pasta
When first going gluten-free, we tried to avoid substitutes for gluten-containing foods. But we do love pasta! That was one of the hardest food styles to give up. We tried several GF pastas, but found them lacking in texture and structure. Then we discovered Quinoa pasta, and it was a truly "Eureka" moment.
Quinoa (pronounced 'KEEN-wah') is an ancient grain from the Andean region of South America, and has been a food for over 6,000 years. On its own, it makes a tasty alternative to rice. But it also makes a great pasta, nearly identical to traditional semolina wheat pastas in structure and texture. Our particular favorite is Ancient Harvest Quinoa Spaghetti. Do be careful not to overcook, or the pasta will become mushy. But when prepared properly al dente, you'll be hard-pressed to tell it from traditional spaghetti.
Ancient Harvest Quinoa pastas are available at many finer markets.
You Go, Girl!
Hats off to Rockland resident, Ananur Forma. We were thrilled to find her letter to the editor helping to build awareness for the need for more gluten-free dining out options.
Here ye here ye all local restaurants, cafes, bistros, bakeries, pastry shops, deli shops, and grocery stores, near and far: this is a plea for gluten free! There are many of us who are aware that we can no longer ingest wheat products. For most of us corn, too, is a problem. Please make sure to have choices on your menus for us. I have read that perhaps 90 percent of the population has an allergy to wheat! What if all those people found out they were allergic to wheat, would you have something on your sandwich menu to offer them?
It's the way of the future. More and more we are learning how to take better care of ourselves. Please have something we can eat. This refers to sandwiches and desserts too.
Are there any sugar-free, gluten-free desserts on your menu? Also, would you thicken your soup with something other than flour? . . . Thank you for your consideration.
Note: According to Ananur, her original headline for the letter was "A plea for gluten free - if you provide it they will come..."
We can only hope, Ananur... We can only hope!
