headlines, giveaways, and sales this week

Alice Best Wants to Teach You All About Celiac Disease, Philadelphia Daily News

Gluten-Free Food Fair May 21 at Bellingham Public Market, Bellingham Herald

Kellogg's Rice Krispies Joins the Gluten-Free Brigade as FDA Drags Feet on Definition, BrandChannel.com

Gluten Sensitivity Talk in Edwards Wednesday, Vail Daily

Mouthwatering Gluten-Free Recipes from French Meadow Bakery, Marketwire.com

Gluten-Free Diet Said To Be Behind Djokovic's Success, Times of India

The Diet That Shook Up Tennis? Starch Madness: Novak Djokovic's Domination of the Sport Has Coincided With His Gluten-Free Turn, Wall Street Journal

Gluten-Free Guide Published for Caterers, Eat Out

Gluten Allergy? Park City Pizza to the Rescue, Park Record

THE FAMILY TABLE: Gluten-Free Isn't the End of the World, San Angelo Standard Times

Eating Out Gets Easier for Celiac Patients, New York Times

Delightfully Gluten-Free is giving away a copy of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies. You have until June 1 to enter.

Courtesy of Gluten Freeville, "Sprouts Farmers Market Grocery Stores is offering 25% off more than 2,000 specially signed gluten-free products around the store including Gluten Free grocery and frozen grocery items, plus select items in other departments, between now and May 25." Sprouts stores are located in California, Colorado, Arizona, and Texas. The sale, unfortunately, does not include Henry's and Sun Harvest at this time. Visit the Sprouts website to find a store near you.

Also from Gluten Freeville, a special from Jules Gluten Free, makers of the world's largest gluten-free cake. You'll find the recipe and a sale on the flour used to make the cake. There's also a special on shipping.

Readers of Cool Mom Picks can get free candy from  JJ's Sweets at Foodzie. "The first 100 CMP readers who sign up for the Foodize Tasting Box subscription (which is so awesome if you're a foodie type) will get a free bonus of 4 assorted cocomels from JJ Sweets in your May order. Just sign up through this link." Note that not all Foodzie products are gluten-free, although the JJ's Sweets candies are. Read product descriptions carefully before ordering.

Bob's Red Mill has several gluten-free products up on the Monthly Specials page, including all-purpose baking flour, pizza crust mix, quick-cooking oats, bread mix, and brownie mix. Please note that not all products on the Monthly Specials page are gluten-free, so read the product descriptions carefully.

It's not too late to take advantage of some yummy Celiac Awareness Month sales at Amazon.com Groceries.

taqueria monte cristo, berkeley, ca

This is the last of my restaurant reviews from my California vacation. It wasn't part of the Pizza Safari. Tacqueria Monte Cristo is one of our favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. They serve some of the best Mexican food we've ever had. We saved it especially for lunch one day after I had to fast for some blood tests.

It was worth the wait and the restaurant was every bit as great as we remembered it. I ordered my usual cheese enchilada platter, with green sauce, rice, and pinto beans. Mike ordered his usual carnitas platter. The salsa bar still had it's assortment of fresh salsas. Mike got an agua fresca and I splurged on a Mexican hot chocolate (I was freezing!) and we sat down to a fantastic lunch. We both agreed that my cheese enchilada was the best we'd ever had. And I'm not just saying that. I truly believe it was more than nostalgia talking, because honestly I've had some mediocre cheese enchiladas from there, as well. Generally, the are very good to the best, though. Mike is always completely satisfied with his meals there.

This isn't healthy Mexican food. It's fresh, and you can taste the freshness especially in the salsas. But it's greasy and cheesy. They are not shy with the sour cream and queso fresco. But do you really have to be healthy all the time? No. That's what special treats are for.

They have a full menu of Mexican cuisine, plus beer, wine, sangria, agua fresca, horchata, and a variety of other beverages. They have counter service with sit-in tables and they do take-away orders.

Taqueria Monte Cristo is on University Avenue next to the Andronico's, a few blocks from North Berkeley BART. There's a small parking lot and some street parking, but we usually hike over from the BART.

uno chicago grill, san diego, ca

The final stop on my California Pizza Safari was Uno Chicago Grill in San Diego, California, at the Fashion Valley mall. (I remember growing up calling this restaurant Pizzeria Uno. Did they change the name or did I always just call it the wrong thing?) I admit that pre-celiacs, despite it being a chain restaurant I really liked Uno's deep-dish pizzas, so I had high hopes for the new gluten-free pizza.

I was a little disappointed. The crust was thin and crispy, but not chewy enough and not very flavorful. It was like eating pizza on a giant cracker. The cheese and pepperoni were tasty; the sauce could have been a bit more seasoned.

Overall, though, I appreciated the restaurant's attention to detail. They have a separate menu that lists all the gluten-free items, such as a variety of chicken and fish dishes and ice cream desserts. You don't have to search through the regular menu for gluten-free possibilities if you want something other than pizza. They also know to omit the croutons in the salad if you're ordering off the gluten-free menu and they list which salad dressings are safe. It was one of the more positive gluten-free eating experiences I've had.

I liked the pizza, but didn't love it. When I'm in an emergency food situation and there's an Uno's nearby, I'll go back. When you're on the road a lot, chain restaurants are usually your best bet for a reliable meal, if it's not the greatest meal.

Image from Unos.com. I was not compensated in any way for this post. Food was purchased by me for personal consumption.

doughboy's pizzeria, grover beach, ca

The second stop on my Pizza Safari was Doughboy's Pizzeria in Grover Beach, California, which is right next to Pismo Beach. My pizza there was one of the best pizzas I've ever had, gluten-free or otherwise.

Doughboy's is owned by a couple from the East Coast, so if you're looking for New York pizza in California, this is one of the best places to go. The wife was a nurse who specialized in food allergies and she worked tirelessly to create a gluten-free pizza crust that was just as good as a "regular" crust. Her work paid off.

I ordered the Grandma's Pizza off the gluten-free menu. I also ordered a spinach salad (living where I do, it's been ages since I'd had fresh spinach; the local epinard is not quite the same) and they whipped up a fresh vinigrette dressing to top it off with. The salad and the pizza were both fresh and tasty. The pizza crust was perfectly chewy but crisp where it was supposed to be.

My only complaint was that service was a bit casual. Lots of locals walked back into the kitchen to place their orders directly with the owners, who were the only ones working that night, and that slowed down service for those of us waiting at tables. By the end of the evening the place was getting full and there had been a nonstop parade of take-out orders; it was obvious that this is a popular restaurant among both gf- and non-gf-eaters.

Doughboy's has a small eat-in restaurant, delivers within the area, and you can place take-out orders. They sell their gluten-free pizza crust at several local grocery stores. The gluten-free menu includes an appetizer, a number of salads, nearly all their pizza toppings, and Redbridge beer. (I did not have a beer even though it was tempting. Redbridge isn't really my favorite among the gf beers and lately I've been saving my alcohol for extremely special occasions -- I'm eating gf for two now!)

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. Goods were purchased by me for personal consumption.

mary's pizza shack, walnut creek, ca

Mary's Pizza Shack in Walnut Creek, California, out in the East Bay, was the first stop on the pizza safari that was part of our Cali vacation. We lived in Walnut Creek for about 18 months and I don't think this restaurant was here when we lived there. If it was, it didn't turn up on my gluten-free radar and it's not the sort of restaurant we'd usually go to. The only reason we went now was so I could try the gluten-free pizza.

If you've been out running errands and you're crashing and need a place for a casual gluten-free lunch, Mary's will do. But there's definitely better pizza out there. I ordered the cheese and pepperoni. The crust was thin and a little soggy in the center, but crisp at edges. The taste wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. The crusts are made off-site, supplied by local gluten-free bakeries. The pizza was also on the expensive side. The gluten-free pizza only comes in a 12-inch size and it costs about $17, before you start adding toppings. However, I did take leftovers home and was able to get two more lunches out of my pizza.

Even though the address for Mary's is on a main road, Oak Grove Road, you can't see it from the street. It's in the same shopping center as the Nob Hill grocery store. There are several other locations through NorCal. It has the feel of a family-style chain restaurant, which isn't really my taste, but I know it works for a lot of people. If I had no other options, I'd consider one of their pizzas for takeout, since reheating it in the oven at home would help to crisp up the soggy crust.

*I was not compensated for this post in any way. Items were purchased by me for personal consumption.

mariposa, oakland, ca

The Mariposa Baking Company in Oakland, California, was a baked-good dream come true. It's an entirely gluten-free bakery and many of their treats are so good you'd never even know they were gluten-free. While on a recent visit to the Bay Area I popped into the shop and bought cinnamon toast biscotti, cheese ravioli, a coconut cupcake and a red velvet cupcake (I'm usually a chocolate fiend for but for some reason I wasn't feeling chocolate that day), multi-grain bread, and sesame seed bagels. I was on the go, so didn't stop to eat and get coffee in the cafe area. You can get many of their baked goods fresh on the spot, with a cup of coffee or tea to complete your snack.

The biscotti, ravioli, and cupcakes were totally awesome. The ravioli was one of those items that, to me, tasted exactly like the "real" thing. The cupcakes were moist and cakey and my non-gf husband liked them a lot too. The package of biscotti lasted me for several days' worth of afternoon tea times.

The bread and bagels weren't bad, but were noticeably gluten-free. Part of the quality issues were admittedly my own doing, because I left them in the refrigerator for several days, then they lived in the back of the car and in a hotel room for several days before I got around to eating them. Not exactly ideal conditions. But they toasted well and were a good vehicle for jams and cream cheese.

At the cafe in Oakland, they serve pizza by the slice daily from noon to 3:00 pm. They have a shop in the San Francisco Ferry Building (I don't believe it's a cafe, but I don't know for sure) and some of their products are available at nationwide retailers such as Whole Foods. You can also order their products online (and they're having a special right now -- a free brownie with the online purchase of a gift set -- I don't know how long this offer lasts, but a certain gf blogger has a birthday coming up next week...). :) They also supply pizza crusts for several restaurants in the Bay Area. Check their website for more information on locations, distribution, and special offers. I unfortunately did not have a chance to try the pizza, so someone else will have to try it and report back to me.

Mariposa is a must-visit for anyone living in or traveling through the Bay Area. In the Oakland location there's ample parking and the San Francisco location is easily reachable by BART.

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. All items were purchased by me for personal consumption.

diablo oriental foods

Why oh why did I wait so long to check out Diablo Oriental Foods? It's right around the corner from my home and all the times I mused about making my own maki... I could have made my dreams come true so easily.

This is a small market. The selection isn't stellar, but what they do have is some very specific Japanese food ingredients that you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. They have a small selection of Asian vegetables, some of which I'd never seen before. They also have some fresh meats and fish. The prices are decent. Some of the jars of stuff seemed pricey and that could have to do with weight and importing. But my needs were few and I shopped smartly so for $11 I bought a mini-steamer for veggies in the microwave, a bag of chunky sea salt for my salt grinder, a shaker of furikake (both the furiakake and sea salt are probably large enough to last for 6 months, since they aren't things we use every day), and a pack of nori with 10 large sheets. They have a small selection of houseware, including some bento supplies, but that's some of the stuff that seemed more expensive.

I could have gone crazy buying quite a bit more. But I walked there, plus until we know exactly when we're moving and what our packing strategy will be we're trying to curb purchases.

Since it's not easy for me to get to Ichiban Kan or Daiso, Diablo Oriental Foods will have to satisfy my craving for the time being. It's not the same, but it's a taste.

crave bakery monster cookie

Have you ever bitten into a fresh cookie at a bakery and thought "Okay, I can die happy now." The Monster Cookie from Crave Bakery made me feel that way. And it came from a package in a freezer.

This cookie has the ridiculously rich sweetness of raw cookie dough. The cookie and the chocolate chips melt in your mouth. There's an unexpected warm apple-cinnamon feeling. I never wanted this cookie to end.

About half-way through the cookie I had to stop and take a breather. It was just too good. During that rest I looked up Crave Bakery's website to see if they have a storefront where I can buy cookies fresh in San Francisco. It appears that they don't, unfortunately.

If you live in California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada you can buy them in select stores. Crave also sells the cookies in bulk from their website. They are shelf-stable for 7 days or can be frozen for longer. I bought mine frozen at Whole Foods. After about 90 minutes on the counter at room temperature it was perfectly ready to eat. I bet if you zapped it in the microwave for a few seconds it would be not only gooey but pleasingly warm.

Crave offers the monster cookie, a brownie cookie, a chocolate cake and a pumpkin tart. All products are gluten-free and casein-free. The individual packaging of each cookie makes them great for travel snacks. (I was going to say kids' lunches, but in retrospect I think it's too sweet for a kid to eat the whole thing in one sitting.)

I'll be looking for the brownie on my next grocery shopping trip. If it has all the goodness of the cookie, but with chocolate... I can't even complete that thought.

(Logo image from the Crave website.)

grindstone bakery

When I heard about Grindstone Bakery's fresh-baked gluten-free bread I thought it was too good to be true. It seems impossible to find gf bread that isn't frozen, vacuum-sealed, or both, to ensure "freshness." I decided to pay the price ($10) to find out how it would be.

It wasn't exactly warm from the oven, but it was a fresh loaf. The first thing I thought was, "Whoa. Heavy." It's as heavy and nearly as dense as a brick. It certainly is a hearty bread. It's not a nice, soft, "bready" loaf. (I don't know about anyone else, but I miss a good, soft bready bread.) But the taste is pretty good. For the first day or two it was moist enough to eat without toasting. It does make a very tasty slice of toast though, especially when sliced thick so the outside gets crispy and the inside gets warm and soft. Eat it fast though. In less than a week it looks like this:


One of the ingredients listed is raisin juice. Huh? Isn't a raisin a raisin because it lacks juice? Whatever it is, it seems to be what gives this bread a moist chewiness, almost stickiness. And as you can see from the photos, it's an attractive loaf of bread, even when moldy. This would be a good bread to serve with a hearty winter meal. A toasted slice next to a bowl of soup could be an entire meal, actually. This bread is filling.

I ordered mine through Planet Organics. You can order directly from Grindstone Bakery and if you live in the San Francisco area you can buy their loaves at some local stores. They have a variety of whole grain wheat-free and gluten-free artisan loaves. The gluten-free loaves are made in a separate facility with a grinding wheel that is only used for gluten-free grains. All of their breads are also yeast- and dairy-free.

organic produce delivery

I think my place in hell has been reserved. You know, in that special area set aside for smug San Francisco-area people. This morning I received my first delivery from Planet Organics, and I love it. I haven't figured out yet if it's saved me any time or money, and I'm not sure I care. It's so convenient. And it does help with the shopping and meal prep organizing that I'm trying to bring under control.

I'm not particularly concerned with organic and non-organic. My concern is delicious produce that's affordable. I spend a lot of time pouring over every piece of fruit I buy, whether it's from Safeway, Whole Foods, or farmers' market. With Planet Organics, someone else spends their time picking the good stuff for me and the price is about the same as what I'm paying elsewhere.

And I'm not so terribly busy that I don't have the time to go shopping. I can do it. I just don't like to. Why not get a little package delivered to my door every week?

They offer some specialty grocery products, so I can treat us to the occassional prosciutto or fancy cheese.

You can choose a variety of delivery options, such as all fruit, all veggies, 2/3 fruit, or half-n-half. You can set up a standard order and be surprised with each delivery or you can specify exactly what you want from their available stock that week. It comes in a reusable plastic tote box with minimal packing materials. After you've put your groceries away, throw the packing materials back in the tote and give it back to the delivery person next time.

I like knowing what I'm going to get so I can plan meals. However, I didn't know basil would be out of stock until I opened my tote today, and I'd planned several meals around fresh basil. I wanted one more week of summertime basil! I guess I'll live, but I haven't figured out yet what to do with all the tomatoes I'd gotten to eat with all the basil.