News & Notes: July 16, 2010

On the heels of the recent Celiac Awareness Night at the Phillies game comes a similar event from the team's minor-league affiliate in Reading, Pennsylvania. As I mentioned this week, the R-Phils will host a Celiac Awareness Day on Sunday, August 29 with a gluten-free buffet in the third-base picnic section. Check out the post on the event for more details and ticket information.

Denizens of University City can get gluten-free Chinese any which way - dine-in, take-out or delivery - from Beijing Restaurant (3714 Spruce Street, 215-222-5242).

I've added more restaurants from the Stephen Starr emporium to the restaurant list, as a rep told me that the kitchens can accommodate gluten-free diners. In Philadelphia, steakhouses Barclay Prime (237 South 18th Street, 215-732-7560) and Butcher and Singer (1500 Walnut Street, 215-732-4444), Alma De Cuba (1623 Walnut Street, 215-988-1799) (which offers a cassava flatbread appetizer), Mexicans El Vez (121 South 13th Street, 215-928-9800) and El Rey (2013 Chestnut Street, 215-563-3330) (serving gorditas made with corn masa buns), comfort foodery Jones (700 Chestnut Street, 215-223-5663), Continental Mid-Town (1801 Chestnut Street, 215-567-1800) and Continental (138 Market Street, 215-923-1800) are now listed, as is Continental at Atlantic City's Pier Shops at Caesars (1 Atlantic Ocean, 609-674-8300). Morimoto, Buddakan and Parc already were included.

Panzone's Pizza and Pasta in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island (1106 North Bay Avenue, 609-492-5103) has gluten-free pizza - ask for it to be baked on a clean pan.

Udi's gluten-free bread is now served at Jason's Deli locations nationwide, including in Willow Grove (3610 Welsh Road, 215-366-5103).

Pure Tacos, the recent Ocean City Boardwalk addition, was profiled in the Atlantic City Press this week.

Swiss Haus Bakery in Center City no longer carries gluten-free sweets.

Among the first gluten-free cookies we bought after my older son's diagnosis were ones from MI-DEL. New treats from the company are on the way. Gluten-Free S'mores are chocolate graham-style cookies with marshmallows. Each "lunchbox" contains five packs of bite-size cookies, only 90 calories each.

Pamela's Products has introduced single-serve boxes of its Chocolate Brownie Mix and Baking & Pancake Mix. Shoppers will be able to find these on store shelves this Fall for about $1.99 each. The single-serve packs make a stack of four pancakes or one microwave brownie in about a minute. To quickly make pancakes, add water, oil, and an egg, and cook on an oiled griddle or pan. For an individual brownie, put the contents of a single-serve pack into a microwave-safe cup or bowl, add water and oil and microwave.

Ali Shapiro, a nutritional counselor in Center City and a frequent health contributor to the local NBC 10! show, is leading a series of hands-on cooking classes teaching techniques for preparing natural and low-glycemic desserts. Her “Wholesome Desserts” Sunday Summer Salon Series - hybrid cooking classes and educational workshops - continues on Sunday, August 8 (Crème de la Crème) and Sunday, September 12 (Pâtisserie) from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Rittenhouse Square area. All desserts are gluten and dairy free, and organic wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. For more information and to register, visit Ali's website.

Have a great weekend!