What's New for Passover 2018

While the Jewish holiday of Passover has not lost its religious meaning, it has in recent years become an unofficial gluten-free holiday. This year, Passover begins the evening of Friday, March 30 and ends the evening of Saturday, April 7. It's a time when many more gluten-free products are available at supermarkets. This grew out of the observance of certain segments of the Jewish population refraining from eating any wheat products during Passover. The packaging of many gluten-free products is expressly labeled as such, while others have a "non-gebrokts" notation. (As always, read the ingredient label before buying and consuming a particular item.)

Kosher food manufacturer Kayco will be introducing many new gluten-free products this year under various brand names (you can find all of Kayco's gluten-free products here.) The best-selling gluten-free matzo-style cracker, Yehuda, will have a Cinnamon version for the first time, joining Original,  Everything, Egg, Unsalted, Onion and Fiber Enriched varieties. Returning products include Yehuda's gluten-free matzo meal, farfel, cake meal and crackers.

Kayco's Gefen label will introduce fresh gluten-free gnocchi and fusilli pasta for Passover. Gefen will also have a new lasagna and two kinds of chow mein noodles on store shelves.

New from Kayco's Haddar brand are chocolate nut clusters (cashews, pecans and almond), soup croutons and panko crumbs (Original, Onion & Garlic and Barbeque).

This year, Manischewitz has two new gluten-free gefilte fish products: a frozen loaf and a pre-sliced version.

Lieber Foods is expanding their Passover baked-goods line with several kinds of mini cookies.

About a week or two before the start of Passover, supermarkets receive their shipments of fresh gluten-free cakes and cookies from New York bakeries such as Oberlander's, Lilly's Bake Shoppe and Schick's. Look for sandwich, black-and-white and rainbow cookies, cake rolls, decorative and layer cakes.

If you want to try "Mexican Coke" (made with sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup), Passover Coca-Cola will be available in the Philadelphia area and other regions. Look for bottles with distinctive yellow caps.

Prices of some Passover foods tend to be higher than their non-holiday counterparts, so I suggest buying one of a particular item to see if you like it before stocking up. Keep an eye on Passover sections after the second night of the holiday, when markets tend to cut prices on whatever products are left.

Holiday Cheer

With Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah approaching, it might seem premature to talk about Passover, which doesn't occur until early April. However, new gluten-free products announced last week at the annual Kosherfest food show in northern New Jersey merit a look ahead.

Kedem Foods announced several new gluten-free products that will be widely available for the Passover holiday next year, including additions to its all-natural, certified-gluten-free Rebecca & Rose brand. Chief among them are Entenmann's-style Chocolate Covered Donuts. Also new under the Rebecca & Rose name are brittle-like Brownie Crunch and Blondie Crunch as well as two cookie varieties.

Kedem is also adding a Cajun variety to its Jeff Nathan Creations line of Passover Panko flakes.

Also at the show, Manischewitz sampled new garlic & rosemary matzo-style squares and crackers, matzo ball mix, carrot cake macaroons (which won the event's Best New Kosher for Passover award) and a chocolate brownie mix.

The year-round artisanal gluten-free flour mixes from Blends by Orly won the Kosherfest award for Best New Mix. Each blend is optimized for different categories of baked goods; for example, London Blend is a cup-for-cup substitute in recipes for scones, cookies and biscuits. Other varieties include Tuscany Blend (breads and pizza crusts), Paris Blend (cakes and cupcakes), Sydney Blend (brownies, muffins and pies) and Manhattan Blend (brioche, challah and pastries). Currently, the mixes are sold in stores throughout northern New Jersey and New York, but can be purchased online.

News & Notes: March 28, 2014

The popular 4C brand of bread crumbs now comes in a gluten-free version - two actually. Certified by the Gluten Free Certifying Organization, 4C Gluten Free Crumbs are made with rice flour. The seasoned variety (plain is the other) is blended with herbs, spices and 100% imported Pecorino Romano cheese.

All-gluten-free Steadfast Beer has grown the distribution footprint of its Sorghum Pale Ale (which you can read about in this 2012 post), Golden Blonde Ale and seasonal Pumpkin Spice Ale beyond its home base of Albany, New York to encompass all of New Jersey. In addition to their current lineup of gluten-free ales, Steadfast plans to release a new beer, Steadfast Oatmeal Cream Stout, in year-round 4-packs as well as quarterly 22 oz. “Special Editions” of the same beer this year. April 2014 marks their second anniversary of conducting business and will be commemorated with the release of a Belgian-inspired Biere de Garde in 22 oz. bottles. Steadfast will be participating at the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival next weekend.

News & Notes: June 15, 2012

Pappone's Pizzeria in Media (1145 W. Baltimore Pike, 484-442-8782) is now serving gluten-free pizza. The crust comes in its own baking tin and the sauce and cheese used for those pies haven't yet been used for wheat pizzas.

Kitchen Bar in Abington (1482 Old York Rd., 215-576-9766) can prepare many items gluten free, including all salads and various appetizers and entrees.

Joe's Crab Shack has brought its steampots and other gluten-free menu choices to Bala Cynwyd (555 City Ave., 610-949-0391), the seafood chain's third area location.

With the presence of Sweet Freedom Bakery, Rex 1516 and Quick Fixx, South Street West is quickly becoming Philadelphia's Gluten-Free Restaurant Row. Now Pure Fare, which serves all of its sandwiches on gluten-free bread at its original spot on 21st Street, is opening a second location at 1609 South.

Pure Tacos' Center City location is about two to three weeks away from opening. Vote for them at Mission: Small Business by June 30 to keep them in the running for a $250,000 grant to continue their good work. They need about 70 more votes to make it past the first round. Just search for "Pure Tacos" on the Mission home page after you login with your Facebook ID.

It took forever, but Frito-Lay has finally removed the wheat from nacho cheese-flavored Doritos. Old formulations are still on some shelves, so be sure to read the ingredient labels.

Crunchmaster has announced its new line of kid-friendly Cheddar Cheezy Crisps and Cinnamon & Sugar Grammy Crisps. Both items are made with 100% whole grains and are certified gluten and peanut free. The snacks have a suggested retail price of $2.48 and will be available for shipment to supermarkets and club stores nationwide starting in August.

New from Ian's Natural Foods is gluten-free Italian panko breadcrumbs, made with rice flour.

You can print a coupon for $2 off a box of Wegmans' new gluten-free mixes good through August 4.

Wegmans now stocks Immaculate Baking Co.'s all-natural ready-to-bake gluten-free cookie dough in the refrigerated case. I picked up a package of the chocolate chunk dough (there's also fudge brownie cookie dough) for $2.99, the same price as the glutenous counterparts.

Tuesday's post featured Uniquely Greek feta spreads, made locally in Delaware County and sold at area Whole Foods Markets.

Whole Foods stores have begun carrying gluten-free baked goods from England's Livwell, including pita bread, English muffins, rolls and pancakes.

On Saturday, June 23 at 11 a.m., the new Glen Mills Whole Foods is hosting a gluten-free store tour that includes samples. Sign up at Customer Service or email Meredith Lubking to reserve your spot.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

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My new 'Gluten Free Philly' Delaware Dining Guide is available as an e-book download. The guide provides hyperlinked listings for restaurants, bakeries, markets and attractions throughout the First State, including Wilmington, Newark and the southern resort towns like Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. Updated editions published within 30 days of initial purchase will be emailed to purchasers free of charge.

News & Notes: September 10, 2010

Back to work, back to school. After an activity-filled summer, the Gluten Free Philly clan has resumed its "normal" routine. The weekend before Labor Day, we attended the Celiac Awareness Day at the Reading Phillies game - I came thisclose to catching a foul ball on two occasions. The all-you-can-eat gluten-free buffet had hot dogs, chicken, pasta salad, cookies and more. The stadium there is 60 years old but has a wonderful charm; the team itself has been affiliated with the big-league team for more than four decades.

Since I first wrote about the event a few weeks ago, October's Appetite for Awareness extravaganza - organized by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness - is taking shape. Amis, Broad Axe Tavern, Buddakan, Butcher and Singer, Casona, Chifa, Fleming's Prime, Giorgio on Pine, Le Castagne, L'Oca Bistro, Osteria, Pasta Pomodoro, Rouge, Vetri and Zahav are among the participating restaurants. Vendors include South Jersey pasta companies Caesar's and Conte's and local bakeries Sweet Christine's, Sweet Freedom and Virago, in addition to national bakers like French Meadow, Glow Gluten Free, Rudi's, Schar and Udi's. Tickets are still available, and the NFCA continues to seek ad book submissions. Ads are not only for businesses but also for individuals, who can also use them to honor or commemorate the "Silly Yaks" in their lives. The ad deadline is set to close on October 1, so act quickly.

In last week's post, I mentioned that a new line of gluten-free crab cakes are now available at some local ShopRite supermarkets. This week, I reviewed two of Rudi's Bakery's new gluten-free breads. Also take note of two new additions to the blog: a separate map for Philadelphia restaurants and a tabbed page for upcoming events.

Leading off the restaurant news is word from reader Leslie M. that Buca di Beppo has a gluten-free menu with salads, chicken, veal and salmon entrees, and sides. The family-style Italian's area locations are in Center City Philadelphia (258 South 15th Street, 215-545-2818), Exton (300 Main Street, 610-524-9939) and Wyomissing (2745 Paper Mill Road, 610-374-3482). Another branch is opening soon in Wynnewood (260 East Lancaster Avenue, 610-642-9470).

Pizza is proliferating in these parts. The just-opened Seasons Pizza in Aston (2755 Pennell Road, 610-485-1000) is carrying gluten-free pizza; the chain's location in Wilmington's Midway Plaza (4723 Kirkwood Highway, 302-998-6500) has also picked it up. Gluten-free pies are now at Giovanni's Big Daddy's Pizza in Pottstown (1300 North Charlotte Street, 610-323-8055), Brazzi Brick Oven Pizza in Manahawkin (601 Route 72 East, 609-597-8161) and Piccolo Trattoria in Newtown (32 West Road, 215-860-4247), which also has pasta.

Reader Rich S. points out that the kitchens at the Blue Point Grill, a seafooder in Princeton (258 Nassau Street, 609-921-1211) and The Yardley Inn in Yardley (82 East Afton Avenue, 215-493-3800) accommodate gluten-free diets. The latter uses wheat-free tamari in its soy-based sauces and dressings.

Dock Street Brewing Company's Sudan Grass Ale is now available on tap at the West Philly brewery.

Today marks the official opening of Mt. Airy's Food For All allergen-friendly market. As I wrote back in June, all of the prepared foods and many baked goods and other products will be gluten free.

Woodchuck Hard Cider has partnered with individual Vermont pumpkin growers to produce the world’s first pumpkin cider, just in time for Oktoberfest. The Private Reserve Pumpkin is a high-end cider with a 6.9% alcohol content (compared to Woodchuck’s 4% and 5% for core and Limited Release styles). The limited-edition cider is being shipped to wholesalers at the end of September and into October. Also this fall, Woodchuck springs its Fall Cider Limited Release, featuring a bouquet of autumn spices starring cinnamon and nutmeg and balancing out the taste with a hint of American white oak. As with all Woodchuck Ciders, Limited Releases, and the brand new Private Reserve Label, both the Woodchuck Fall Cider and Woodchuck Pumpkin Cider are naturally gluten free.

Hol-Grain's newest gluten-free products are Onion Ring Batter Mix and Tempura Batter Mix. I found them at the Cherry Hill ShopRite, but they can be ordered direct from the company.

A reminder that Amazon.com's Back-To-School grocery deals run through tomorrow. Add an additional 15% off of each product with a Subscribe & Save order (includes free shipping). Gluten-free products on sale include:

• Betty Crocker Cookie, Brownie and Cake Mixes: 15% off with code GMBOXTOP
• Nature's Path and EnviroKidz cereals and bars: 10% off with code NATPBTS3 
• Erewhon cereals: 10% off with code ATTNBTS4
• Kind bars: 5% off with code BTSKINDI 
• Pamela's Cookies: 10% off with code PAMGFBTS
• Annie's Mac and Cheddar - powdered or cheese sauce: 15% off with code ANNIES55
• Oskri Bars and Crunch: 20% off with code OSKRBTSI

The Celiac Center at Paoli Hospital presents an evening with NFCA founder Alice Bast as she shares her personal experience with celiac disease and the strides that have been made for people living with the disease. The event will be held on Thursday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. and will take place at the hospital's Potter Room (Zone B, Level 1), located at 255 West Lancaster Avenue in Paoli. To register, call 1-866-CALL-MLH.

The Whole Foods Market in Princeton is hosting a store tour of its gluten-free offerings on Thursday, September 23 at 4 p.m.

Sur La Table has scheduled two gluten-free baking classes this month - one in Marlton on Sunday, September 26 and another in King of Prussia on Monday, September 27. On the menu is Banana Bread, Double Chocolate Muffins, Buttermilk Biscuits, Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons and Garden Veggie Pizza. The cost is $69 per participant.

On Wednesday, September 29, the Chester County Gluten Intolerance Group is sponsoring a dinner at Catherine's Restaurant in Unionville.The cost of the three-course BYOB meal, which will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., is $55 including tax and gratuity. Call the restaurant at 610-347-2227 for reservations and additional menu details.

Have a great weekend!

An All-Schar Lineup

Among gluten-free food companies, Schar's variety is perhaps the most diverse of all. Italy-based Schar opened its North American headquarters in Lyndhurst, New Jersey in 2007. Since then, the company has introduced stateside a number of products that contain other grains in place of wheat.

Schar sent me several of its products to sample: tagliatelle and spaghetti, pizza crust, bread crumbs, breadsticks, shortbread cookies and ladyfingers. Most of these items, like some others I've tried from the company, are first-rate, although a few come up short.

We keep handy in our house Schar's rolls, both the ciabatta and sandwich kind. The textured and grainy ciabatta bread is par-baked, requiring about 10 minutes in a pre-heated oven to bring out the flavor. We pop a frozen sandwich roll into the microwave for a minute whenever hamburgers are on the menu, whether at home or at a restaurant.

Other standouts from the company include the chocolate hazelnut bars, chocolate-dipped cookies, ladyfingers, pastas (made from corn and rice flours) and new snack crackers, which formerly were produced by Glutano.

I was less impressed with the pizza crusts and breads, which come in vacuum-sealed packaging. Even after topping with sauce and cheese and baking, the crust was dry and not particularly pliable. The same can be said about the white and multigrain bread loaves. The shortbread cookies lacked the buttery taste this variety is known for, while I found the Italian breadsticks lacking zest.

Overall, most of Schar's gluten-free products are worthy of consideration, especially the unrivaled items like the ciabatta rolls and chocolate hazelnut bars. Many products are available locally at Wegmans and natural foods stores (click here for a store locator), and online at Amazon.com, The Gluten-Free Mall and Schar's own e-store.

(DISCLOSURE: While Schar provided products to me at no cost, such compensation did not influence my review. My full Disclosure Policy can be found toward the bottom right of each page on Gluten Free Philly.)

News & Notes

The weather in the Delaware Valley during this first full week of September made it feel like it was time for trick-or-treating. I blogged on Tuesday about a few gluten-free treats from French Meadow Bakery. Their new tortillas and breads were a hit in my house.

I finally got around to finishing the map of gluten-free-friendly restaurants and markets in southern New Jersey. The links to the Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania maps can be found on the top of every page on the Gluten Free Philly site.

Reader Andy wrote to tell me that he had an enjoyable gluten-free meal at Christopher's in Wayne, Pennsylvania. The American restaurant does not have a gluten-free menu but had either items that already were gluten-free or that could be modified.

Arpeggio, a Mediterrean BYOB in Spring House, Pennsylvania that's one of the initial eateries posted to the Gluten Free Philly restaurant list, has listed its gluten-free menu items on the "News" page of its website.

The Water to Go outpost in Pennsauken, New Jersey has sold gluten-free breads, pizzas and sweets, among other items, for some time. Now the store's owner, Jane, has formalized the food side of her business by creating Gluten Free Dynasty, located in the same spot at 3501 Haddonfield Road. She's expanding the business by offering customized gluten-free food baskets.

Naturally Savvy reports that Glutino has introduced yet another new product: gluten-free breadcrumbs. Many Glutino products - including the sandwich creme cookies I mentioned last week - are available for purchase at glutenfree.com, the company's online store. You can save $5 on an order of Glutino products totaling $25 or more by entering code BEFREE at checkout. The offer ends October 31, 2009.

The list of participating restaurants at the Appetite for Awareness event on September 30 in Philadelphia keeps growing. The event will feature gluten-free cooking from the likes of Bar Ferdinand, Beneluxx Tasting Room, Bindi, Café Estelle, Casona, Chifa, Cochon, Devil's Den, Distrito, Fish, K. Taylor Holy Smoke, L'Oca, Little Fish, Lolita, Melograno, Mirabella Cafe, Noble American Cookery, Osteria, Sauté, Slate and Vetri. Among the sponsors and vendors are Bard's Beer, Bell & Evans, Blue Diamond Growers, Boar's Head, Caesar's Pasta Specialties, Conte's Pasta, French Meadow Bakery, Good Eatz, Kettle Cuisine, Pamela's Products, Schar, Shabtai Gourmet, Thai Kitchen and Wegmans. Tickets for the VIP reception and general admission are available from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

I wanted to mention a couple of other fundraising efforts related to celiac awareness. Donna Bell's daughter, Evey, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease three years ago when she was 3. Each October, "Team Celiac" - started by the Bell Family - takes part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey to raise money to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. The event usually draws over 5,000 walkers. Over the past two years, "Team Celiac" raised over $35,000 for the JDRF. The team's other goal is to raise awareness for celiac disease.

This year, the Walk will be held on October 18. Donna expects between 250 and 300 participants walking for "Team Celiac." In addition, the team will be renting a booth at the vendor area and handing out celiac information packets along with gluten-free food samples. To join the team or make a donation, you can visit this site.

Also, Westbrook Lanes in Brooklawn, New Jersey will host a "Lazer-Glo" bowling fundraiser on October 4 to support the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. The event, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., costs $20 per person or $75 per lane (up to six bowlers). Gluten-free snacks will be served. The fundraiser will also feature a Chinese auction and 50/50 drawings. For more information or to reserve a spot, call Patricia Lokitis at (215) 882-0407 or email her at plokitis[at]incresearch[dot]com.

For those of you in the Jersey Shore area, the Children's Celiac Support Group (for parents and children) will meet on Sunday, September 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Pediatric & Adolescent Specialty Care Center in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Attendees should bring their favorite gluten-free food to swap. RSVP by September 16 by emailing celiaccenter[at]email[dot]chop[dot]edu or by calling (267) 426-6822.

Looks like it will warm up a bit this weekend - enjoy!