Needless to say, this book is a MUST HAVE for anyone on a gluten-free or paleo diet. It steers clear of the gluten-free junk food mentality that so many books in this category fall into. It’s all about good wholesome food that tastes as good as it is good for you. I know I’ll be using this for a long time to come and can honestly say that I’ll be trying almost every recipe in the book. Thank you Bill and Hayley for such a fantastic resource.

Order the Book!

– – –

Here are just a few samples of what’s in the book:

That someone is Sophia Dubrovina of Sophia’s Survival Food and she was kind of enough to send me one package of every flavor. To be honest, I couldn’t stop eating them and I ate all three in one sitting. I had forgotten how satisfying good beef jerky really was and you can bet that I’ll be buying this regularly. While I’m always an advocate of real food that doesn’t come in packages, this is as perfect as packaged food can get. It’s something that I will feel perfectly happy about feeding my kids. Thank you Sophia.

Original:
Grass-fed Beef, Unrefined Sea Salt

Mild:
Grass-fed Beef, Unrefined Sea Salt, Granulated Garlic, Black Pepper, Fresh Lemon Juice

Spicy:
Grass-fed Beef, Unrefined Sea Salt, Granulated Garlic, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Fresh Lemon Juice

– – –

A little background info on Sophia’s Jerky Chews

Visit Sophia’s Website

As I started to say at this beginning of this post, I received some products from Hail Merry, specifically the Grawnola (Orange Cranberry), Blonde Macaroons, and their Chimayo Chili Pecans — after looking over the ingredients, my interest was peaked and I was ready to dig in. Hail Merry touts themselves as a health conscious product and by the looks of what’s inside, you can be sure this is the case. Sweetened with pure maple syrup and fresh fruit, their products keep everything real. the only added sugar that I found was with organic palm sugar on the pecans. I may be a sugar nazi at times, but when I do eat something with added sugar, it is going to be something like this.

— — —

Grawnola

The Grawnola was absolutely delicious and best of all, it didn’t contain corn like so many gluten-free granola products do. It had a wonderful crunch and held up under the almond milk that I had with it. It had a very subtle sweetness and was perfect just about any time of day. I really like to eat something like this as an afternoon snack with whole plain yogurt — for me, it doesn’t get much better than that. If I had to complain about something with the Grawnola, it would be that they’ve included what they refer to as rice bran solubles — this product is so close to being grain-free, I wish they’d go ahead and make it that way.

Ingredients: Made with organic shredded coconut, almond flour, organic expeller pressed coconut oil, pure maple syrup, organic Mexican vanilla and sea salt. (3.5 oz. bag, 8 pieces per bag.)

Blonde Macaroons

Macaroons are a common favorite for people on a gluten-free diet. Simple ingredients, lightly sweetened, it’s the ultimate dessert that you won’t feel guilty after eating. It’s one of the few desserts I could have on my trip to France last year, that reason in itself is good enough for me to love them.

Ingredients: Made with organic shredded coconut, almond flour, organic expeller pressed coconut oil, pure maple syrup, organic Mexican vanilla and sea salt. (3.5 oz. bag, 8 pieces per bag.)

Chimayo Chili Pecans

When I was a kid, I used to love when my mom would make candied pecans. She would take a sheet of pecans with a stick of butter and a lot of sugar over the top and baked in the oven. Butter and sugar? Of course they tasted good. While I haven’t ditched the butter (butter is actually pretty darn good for you), I have ditched the refined sugar. These pecans have a wonderful balance of sweet and spicy and it didn’t take me long to finish the bag. They were so good, I had to fight off my 8-year old daughter who loves pecans more than anything. This is something I will definitely be buying more of.

Ingredients: Soaked pecans, organic palm sugar, Chimayo Chile powder, sea salt, cracked black pepper.

Chocolate Miracle Tart

Earlier today, I was at Whole Foods looking for something for lunch and came across a product from Hail Merry that I didn’t try before, it was their Chocolate Miracle Tart. Being in the mood for something a little on the sweet side, I decided to fork over the $3.99 and give it a try (this is actually a fairly reasonable price as the tart has a decent size to it). Wow! This thing tasted amazingly like candy and actually scared me a bit. I felt guilty as if I was eating something as decadent as a candy bar. But, looking at the ingredients, I was pleasantly surprised at to what I was actually eating. Organic maple syrup for a sweetener (listed third), coconut oil, almond flour and a touch of salt. As much as my kids like candy, this would be a perfect treat for them.

Ingredients: dark cocoa, organic cold pressed coconut oil, organic maple syrup, almond flour, sea salt.

Now that I’ve gloated about this product, it’s time for you to go try it for yourself. Be sure to follow them on Facebook as well as Twitter and show your support for a great company offering great snacks and treats. I hope to see more products like this in the near future. This is what makes gluten-free great.

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A little background info on Hail Merry

Susan O’Brien

Hail Merry products were designed by a Raw Food chef whose core philosophy is to bring awareness to the powerful benefits of healthy raw oils, which we must obtain from our diets. These plant based fats like Omega 3 & Oleic Acid can actually improve our cholesterol profile, reduce inflammation, and make our hair & skin more radiant.

However, once these dietary oils are heated at high temperatures they begin to oxidize and become rancid causing free radical damage to our cells! All of Hail Merry products are raw or dehydrated at very low temperatures to protect the integrity of these healthy dietary oils.

We use raw, cold pressed coconut oil, which contains lauric acid, known to promote a healthy immune system. Did you know that lauric acid is prevalent in human breast milk and is the first line of defense for babies against bacterial infections? That is why coconut oil is added to baby formula. Coconut oil also is comprised of medium chain fatty acids, which are quickly used as fuel for the body and are likely not going to be stored as body fat.

We prefer maple syrup for its exceptional flavor profile. It also contains more vitamins and minerals than any other sugar source available: including magnesium, zinc, and potassium. We know it’s not raw. Maple syrup may lack some living enzymes but we feel the flavor and vitamin/mineral pay-load is a great trade off. However, for those of you who are 100% raw foodist our new Blueberry Lemon Grawnola and Meyer Lemon Miracle tarts are both made with raw agave’. Look for these new agave’ sweetened items to hit the stores in mid May!

It is in our opinion that most granola’s on the market today are way too sweet and carb loading, not to mention they contain processed oils! Hail Merry’s gluten free Grawnola’s are nutrient dense nut blends that are very low in sugar and carbs, contains no added oils and are also suitable for diabetics! We prefer to add spices instead of sugars for added flavor.

Hail Merry was created by Dallas raw food chef Susan O’Brien. Ms. O’Brien’s products are dehydrated at very low temperatures in order to protect the essential oils and living enzymes foun in her organic raw ingredients.

One day last month, I found a package waiting for me at the office — it was a small box from Zenergy Powerballs. I had never heard of these and I had no idea what to expect. After reading the ingredients, my first impression was that they sounded like a really fancy Larabar in the shape of a ball. They’re made from dates, nuts, and Chinese herbs. I’m usually not one to be bowled over by things like Chinese herbs, but I’m open to just about anything when it comes to food.

The three flavors that were in the box were coconut, almond, and goji berry, all with Chinese herbs such as He shou Wu, Schizandra, Cordyceps as well as South American superfoods like Maca, Cacao, Lucuma and Mesquite (all come with some extraordinary health claims). Again, these aren’t things that I typically look for in my food, but with the way these tasted — it didn’t really matter. The flavor was excellent without being overpowering. A very subtle sweetness and a perfect soft and chewy texture, perfect for a snack or an emergency meal anywhere. The hardest thing for me was not eating the entire package — they were really that good. Regardless of your views on holistic medicine, new age philosophy, or any of the other things that these Powerballs might represent — they are for you. I promise you that if you try them once, you will be addicted.

Peggy Sue Honeyman-Scott

Zenergy Powerballs is owned and managed by Peggy Sue Honeyman-Scott of Santa Monica, California. She is the co-author of the cookbook Rock N Roll Cuisine. No surprise by her love of Chinese herbs, she’s a jin shin jyutsu practitioner and certified yoga instructor. After talking with her for about an hour, she gave the impression of someone who is not only passionate about what she does, but someone who really cares about the quality and integrity of her product — this is something that is sorely needed in a gluten-free community that is fraught with charlatans trying to sell us all sorts of junk food repackaged with a gluten-free label attached to it. Thank you Peggy Sue!

Zenergy Powerballs are available at many Whole Foods stores throughout Arizona and California. You can also buy them online from the Zenergy Website. Either way, just do it and you will be happy you did.

FYI: for all of you paleo/primal fans, these are perfect for you too. They’re nothing but dates, nuts, and herbs.

If you’re not familiar with Elana’s Pantry yet (that would only be true if you were brand new to the gluten-free diet or if you’ve been living under a really big rock), make sure you check out her blog and by all means try every last one of her recipes. If you live a gluten-free lifestyle, it could truly change the way you look at food.

Recently, Elana also posted a behind the scenes look at her experience making this new cookbook — it’s impressive to see what a big undertaking something like this really is. Thankfully, for the benefit of us all, she met the challenge and came up with such a great resource.

Order the Book!

– – –

The making of “gluten free cupcakes”

by Elana’s Pantry

My second book comes out this Tuesday. That’s right, Tuesday, April 26th. The pre-release price is $9.23. So, enough of the mini-infomercial that I promised my publisher I would write, and on to the making of

Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour.

My mom says that writing a book is like having a baby. I couldn’t agree more. However, I gained 5 pounds incubating this book, rather than the usual 20-30 that I put on during each of the pregnancies in which I bore babies rather than paperbacks. How did I gain 5 pounds gestating a book? You try baking 17 hours a day (by the way, everything is mouthwatering at 2:00 am), trying out batch after batch of Banana Split Cupcakes until they are perfect.

Then there are the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes; I was determined to make those. So determined that I made them close to 50 times until they were the way I wanted them. I think you’ll like them whether you’re vegan, carnivore or something in between.

Yes, giving birth to a book is a lot like giving birth to babies. And upon reflection, I realize that my two books are actually somewhat similar to my two children. My first book, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, is a lovable, well rounded collection of recipes. A lot like my first son who is a bit of a Renaissance “man.” My second book is full of adorable little treats. My second son is sweet. Kinda like a cupcake. In fact, when we have gone to gluten free bakeries in New York City, where he can get whatever he wants, he always chooses the biggest, pinkest cupcake, with no shame whatsoever.

I love them both equally –my boys that is. While I’m thrilled to be “expecting” Gluten-Free Cupcakes on Tuesday (it’s a scheduled delivery, unlike the natural childbirths of my boys, delivered midwives), I will always have a huge place in my heart for The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. An editor is a lot like a midwife. I was lucky enough to have my editor, Sara, collaborate with me and come up with fabulous sections for my new book. Here are the chapters we created:

• Classic Cupcakes
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Fruity Cupcakes
• Warm and Spiced Cupcakes
• Special Occasion Cupcakes
• Savory Treats
• Frostings, Fillings and Toppings

One of my favorite recipes in the book is White Chocolate Cupcakes. How many ingredients does it contain? Three. Yes, a cupcake recipe with three ingredients. Sometimes I write recipes and forget that I wrote them. This was one of those recipes. So when I received my galley of the book, I was thrilled to reacquaint myself with this recipe. My other fave is the Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes –otherwise known as Hostess Cupcakes (pictured above in a photograph by the fabulous Annabelle Breakey).

So, enough about me, an annoying Jewish mother –bragging endlessly about her “children!” If you want to meet my second paperback “child,” get the book, which has 50 original cupcake recipes and a dozen more frosting and filling recipes.

Here we are in 2011 and there are countless gluten-free baked goods available in natural foods markets like Whole Foods, Wegmans, New Seasons (just to name a few) and even the mainstream markets like Kroger, Albertsons, and Vons. With all of this variety, there are huge variances in cost, taste, and nutritional value. Most would agree that the prices of gluten-free food are high, but as with any specialty item, you will always pay a premium for it. To be honest, it’s a small price to pay to enjoy something that was really unthinkable just a few years ago. In terms of nutritional value, just remember you’re eating baked goods, a lot of times with a lot of sugar, and they are a treat, not a diet staple to lose weight. Gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, it just means that there’s no gluten in it :)

With the exception of the many great gluten-free bakeries around the country, I like to think that I’ve tried the vast majority of the store-bought gluten-free baked goods that are currently available. I do have my favorites and you’ll see reviews of those here on the Celiac Handbook Website. French Meadow Bakery is one that I had not tried and lucky enough for me, they sent over some samples of a few of their products. I don’t write reviews for everything that I try, but when they’re good, I always will. They didn’t send me any of their loaf bread, but I did receive their Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread, the Gluten-Free Pizza Crust and the Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread:

The first thing that I have to say about this is that I really liked the fact that it wasn’t overly sweet, a hint of cinnamon and just the right amount of raisins. Like most gluten-free bread, it was much better toasted, but nonetheless, it was delicious. It held butter well without pooling up and running off like so many lesser breads will. It was also a big hit with the kids (none of whom are celiacs — I’m the only one) — being kids, they did want a little more cinnamon on it though. I always like to get their opinions on gluten-free food as a positive review on a gluten-free product from a non-celiac speaks volumes.

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust:

I’ll start by simply saying that the pizza crust was good. The only downside for me was that it was a thin crust (a very thin crust at that) and I tend to like it a bit on the thicker side. The flavor was outstanding and the crunchiness of it is what one would expect from a thin-crust pizza. One tip though: stick to the instructions on heating, if you go even a minute or two over, it tended to get very hard (not a problem for FMB, but more of a problem for me, the one who doesn’t always follow directions). I made three of my favorite pizzas: tomato, basil, and mozzarella; mexican pizza with cheddar cheese, refried beans, jalapenos, and salsa; and then my breakfast pizza — two fried eggs, swiss cheese, and pico de gallo salsa. The crust held up perfectly and was very easy to eat without all of the toppings falling off into your lap — I’ve had this happen with some other crusts.

Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies:

My first reaction to the brownies was that they seemed a bit small. While one of them would be a perfect snack, if they’re sitting in front of you (and you lack will power like me), you might eat three or four (or even five) at a time. They come frozen and require a little time to thaw out. I tried heating one of them up in the microwave when I needed some instant gratification, but that didn’t work out as well as I had hoped. Being patient usually works out much better. Thawing them out for an hour did the trick and they were wonderful. Funny enough, in one of my, “I want it now” fits, I ate one frozen and surprisingly, it was really good. After a few seconds thawing out in my mouth, it was cool and chewy — not something you generally associate with brownies, but it worked for me. I even turned my kids onto the frozen brownies and they now prefer them that way. I’m not sure it would work with all brownies, but the only thing that really matters here is that it did.

Another added bonus for French Meadow Bakery is that all of their gluten-free products are made in a dedicated facility and they are certified Gluten-Free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization, a program of Gluten Intolerance Group of North America. This is something that few gluten-free products can say and something that really does increase my trust of a product. I know of a few products out there that are labelled gluten-free, but I won’t even come close to them as I’ve had some bad experiences in the past. When I see a company willing to go out of the way to get the certification, it always puts a smile on my face.

All in all, I would recommend French Meadow Bakery to anyone in search of gluten-free baked goods. Relatively easy to prepare and kid-friendly. They’re a great choice for families that aren’t baking on their own, for school lunches for the little GF family members, and a great thing to have on hand if you find yourself entertaining some GF guests.

For more information on French Meadow Bakery or to find a store that carries their products, visit their Website. You can also find them on Facebook.

A few weeks back, I was invited by Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods to attend Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. I’ve been a long time fan of Udi’s as they make some of my favorite gluten-free products — everything from sandwich bread to bagels to pizza crusts (and many more items). They were also using the Natural Products Expo as an opportunity to announce their new hamburger and hot dog buns. I received a great gift bag from them full of many of their great products as well as the new hamburger and hot dog buns. I’ve been OD’ing on Udi’s this entire week and have had more sandwiches than I’ve known what to do with. I’ve made grilled cheeses (with lots of butter), grilled turkey sandwiches, and I’ve even taken one of their hamburger buns with me to In-N-Out Burger and enjoyed a Double Double without having to have it “Protein Style” (wrapped in lettuce in place of the bun).

A partial view of Udi's line of gluten-free products (photo by Jennifer Brody)

At the Expo, I had the pleasure of meeting some other great bloggers, including Karen Fine of Moms Cook Gluten Free, Marla Meridith of Family Fresh Cooking, Jennifer Brody of Domestic Divas, Rockin’ Mama, Yvonne Condes of Yvonne’s Gluten-Free Goodies, and Nicole Sirote of GlutenFree18. They shared their “why gluten-free” stories as well as some valuable tips for anyone following a gluten-free diet.

(L - R) Marla Meridith, Karen Fine, Rockin' Mama, Jennifer Brody, Yvonne Condes, Nicole Sirote, and Me

Another fantastic part of the Expo was the Nom Nom Truck* that Udi’s sponsored. They served a gluten-free Banh Mi sandwich. Traditionally, this is a Vietnamese sandwich served on a baguette with thinly sliced pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, mayonnaise, daikon, pâté, and pork (or tofu). While I’m actually a fan of tofu (especially a nice spongy fried tofu), the pork was so much better for this sandwich. The Udi’s bread held up perfectly and in my opinion (I may be a little GF bias), it was as good as the real thing.

Photo courtesy of Marla Meridith

Photo courtesy of Marla Meridith

Photo courtesy of Marla Meridith

Photo courtesy of Marla Meridith

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Brody

Afterward, the folks from Udi’s walked us around the Expo floor and introduced us to a few of their friends, including Kettle Cuisine and Maine Root All-Natural Handcrafted Soda. While I was already familiar with Kettle Cuisine’s great gluten-free soups, I hadn’t tried Maine Root’s soda before, but let me tell you what a wonderful surprise it was. I tried their Root Beer (root beer is one of my all-time favorites) and their Ginger Brew — if I were reviewing them, they’d definitely be on my short list for a best-in-class award. I haven’t seen this product in my local stores, but I’ll definitely be looking now that I know who they are and how great their soda tastes.

While hanging out with Udi’s was a paid gig for me, I would have done it with or without compensation. Their gluten-free bread has been one of my favorites for at least a couple of years and I’m always excited to try anything new that they come up with. All of their products are something that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a substitute for traditional bread. It’s far superior to so many of the other store-bought breads that are on the market and actually better than some of the dedicated artisan gluten-free bakeries out there.

One question that comes up a lot with the Celiac Handbook readers about Udi’s is their use of corn in their recipes. I was able to talk with them about this and they were very forthcoming in their response. They assured me that they are aware of this concern and are always looking at ways to reformulate their products to appeal to as many of their customers as possible. While this is something that is on their radar and is something that they are looking at as a possibility, it will only be done if it is something that will improve the taste and the quality of their products.

Udi’s has set the bar for store-bought gluten-free products very high — they are the ones that others like to compare themselves to. You’ll see reviews for gluten-free products from many other companies on this site, some of which I’ll give very high marks to, but just know that Udi’s is definitely among the best of the best.

* THE NOM NOM TRUCK DOESN’T TYPICALLY SERVE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD WITH THEIR SANDWICHES — IF YOU HAPPEN TO FIND YOURSELF ORDERING FROM THE NOM NOM TRUCK, DON’T ASSUME THAT IT IS GLUTEN-FREE.  AS WITH ANY RESTAURANT, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS NECESSARY TO INSURE A SAFE MEAL. NOT ALL SERVERS WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE GLUTEN-FREE DIET AND WITHOUT YOUR DIRECT FEEDBACK, THE CHANCES OF GLUTEN CONTAMINATION WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY.

Celiac Handbook Disclosure: I was compensated to attend this event with Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods and was provided with a pass to the Natural Products Expo West. All of the opinions expressed here are my own.

While I don’t live in Texas and haven’t been able to personally try this sandwich, Alta Mantsch of Tasty Eats at Home does and she has written about an experience that her brother recently had at a North Texas Subway. Below is an excerpt from Alta, bee sure to click through to her original post to read the entire review.

Read the full post »

There are a number of gluten-free chicken products on the market, but the Bell & Evans gluten-free products are outstanding and actually have a breading that tastes like the real thing, light, flaky and a slight crunch. In fact, my three children (none of them are diagnosed celiacs — I’m the only diagnosed celiac in the family) all prefer the gluten-free version over the gluten-full version — it’s quite entertaining to see them devour it and ask for seconds whenever we serve any of the Bell & Evans products. Some of the things we’ve made in the last year have been, simple chicken nuggets with a dipping sauce, chicken parmesan and chicken sandwiches. All of these were outstanding and never a disappointment. I’d love to hear more about how you have used any of the Bell & Evans gluten-free products.

It would be easy for restaurants with kids menus to add a product like this to their menu as a gluten-free option. The fact that they are baked and not fried would make the prevention of cross-contamination less of a risk.*

According to the Bell & Evans Website, their gluten-free products are not produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility, below is an excerpt from the Bell & Evans Website on how they go about assuring their products remain gluten-free:

The facility that produces our Gluten Free (“Black Box”) nuggets and tenders also produces our world famous “Blue Box” items that contain gluten.  However, great care is given to protect against gluten containing products from coming in contact with Gluten Free products.

The process begins with training.  All new hires are trained in the handling of allergenic materials used in that facility – Milk, Eggs, Soy Beans, Wheat and Gluten.

Whenever ingredients are delivered, all allergen containing ingredients are identified, tagged and segregated from other ingredients and packaging materials.  If a spill were to occur, only specifically identified cleaning materials may be used to clean up the allergen.

All Bell & Evans Gluten Free products are produced at the beginning of a shift and only after all processing equipment has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.  In addition to our sanitation and segregation protocols, we begin each new shift of Gluten Free production with Fresh, Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.

* All restaurants wanting to adopt a gluten-free menu should go through an organization like the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program. Along with offering a gluten-free menu comes the responsibility to understand the risks that people with celiac disease face when eating at a restaurant. Their can be great rewards for restaurants that do it right as well as dire consequences for restaurants who fail to take it seriously.

Thankfully, there are a few good tortillas available and one of my favorites is the Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla. In terms of trying to fold a burrito, it’s not perfect, but the flavor is outstanding — a slight nutty flavor) and the texture is decent. I found that it does really well cooking it in the oven to make a crispy flat tostada and it is great for rolling up (at room temperature) any sort of lunch condiment as a replacement for sandwiches. If you are heating them up from frozen, be very careful as they don’t need much time to thaw out and if overcooked, you can forget about trying to roll it around anything as it will just break. I usually heat if for just about 2 minutes in a hot oven and that will usually do the trick.

All in all, it’s a versatile snack item that is a great solution for snacks, quick lunches and even eating by itself. The fact that it’s made from brown rice just makes it that much better of an option than the masses of gluten-free items based on white rice and corn.

Ingredients: Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour, Filtered Water, Tapioca Flour, Safflower Oil, Rice Bran, Vegetable Gum (xanthan, cellulouse), Sea Salt.