News & Notes: September 20, 2019

My/Mo has launched two new limited-edition mochi ice cream flavor launches for the fall. Pumpkin Spice is made with creamy pumpkin spice ice cream infused with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove spices wrapped in a pillowy rice flour dough exterior, while Apple Pie á la Mode wraps the dough around a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream hugging a cinnamon apple center. Both varieties are available at Target, among other retailers.

RXBAR is entering the hot cereal category with the launch of new RX A.M. Oats. RX A.M. Oats are made with the same core ingredients found in RXBAR and RX Nut Butter products - egg whites, fruits and nuts - with the addition of gluten-free oats. RX A.M. Oats are available in three flavors: Maple, Apple Cinnamon and Chocolate. Consumers can prepare the single-serve cups in one of three ways: with hot water, in the microwave or as overnight oats.

Simple Mills' certified gluten-free Soft Baked Almond Flour Bars will be available this fall in Dark Chocolate Almond, Chunky Peanut Butter, Nutty Banana Bread and Spiced Carrot Cake varieties. The bars have a soft-baked texture with chunks of almonds, coconuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, carrots, bananas and raisins. The line will be sold at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Amazon and other grocers.

Veggies Made Great by Garden Lites has added two Veggie Cakes varieties and three new Frittatas. The Superfood Veggie Cake now comes in Butternut Squash and Broccoli Cheddar, and the Frittatas in Spinach Egg White, Veggie Bacon & Potato, and Mushroom & 3 Cheese Egg White.

The primary ingredient in the new Crunchmaster Grain-Free Crackers is cassava, a root vegetable native to South America. Also known as yucca or manioc, cassava is paleo and vegan friendly as well as gluten and nut free. The line features three flavors: Lightly Salted, Mediterranean Herb, and Romano, Asiago & Cheddar.

Brewery Ommegang announced the introduction of Project Cider, a new initiative intended to explore the intersection of European and American cider traditions. The line debuts with two varieties: Dry and Rosé. The ciders will be offered year-round on draft and in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans.

Expo East 2017 Recap

What do seaweed, vinegar and beets have in common? Products featuring those ingredients were among those trending at the annual Expo East natural-foods show in Baltimore earlier this month. The show features new and emerging gourmet, natural and gluten-free products from across North America whose manufacturers are seeking wider distribution in supermarkets and grocery stores.

This year's show was larger than ever, with more than 1,500 exhibiting brands and more than 450 first-time vendors. In no particular order, here are some of the highlights among gluten-free products at this year's event (not all items are currently available in area stores):

Mikaela's Simply Divine Biscotti Cookies: These are more "cookie" than "biscotti," given that they're light and crunchy. The all-natural, certified-gluten-free cookies come in five flavors: Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Mint, Luscious Lemon and new Butterscotch Toffee Pecan and Chocolate Brownie, . They'll soon be available in bite-size portioned pouches in addition to the currently available boxes and single-serve versions. Mikaela's cookies can be purchased via the company's Facebook page and are also available at markets in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and in northern New Jersey and New York.

Otto's Cassava Flour: This paleo flour, made with Brazilian yucca root, can be used as a one-to-one substitute for traditional wheat flour. We were impressed with the taste of sample chocolate chip cookies made with Otto's. The flour can be found locally at Whole Foods and Wegmans, and online at Amazon and through the company's e-store.

Unreal chocolate candies: This upstart natural candy company has obtained GFCO certification for its dark chocolate peanut butter cups, crispy dark chocolate peanut butter cups (made with quinoa bits) and dark chocolate almond butter cups. All ingredients are fair trade and sustainable. Unreal's candies are sold at Whole Food, Target and other stores, and look for a special holiday-themed 20-treat-pack of the cup varieties.

The Good Crisp: With a cleaner (and shorter) ingredient list than Lay's Stax, The Good Crisp stacked potato crisps come in three varieties: Original, Sour Cream & Onion and BBQ. The crisps have no artificial colors or flavors and are made with sustainable palm oil. The Good Crisp products can be found at Wegmans and other markets throughout the Northeast, Midwest and Western U.S.

Ethel's Baking Co.: This Michigan-based gluten-free bakery produces delectable, buttery brownies, blondies and shortcake-topped "dandy" bars. All of the them were great, though our favorite was the raspberry dandy. The entire line can be ordered through the company's website or via Amazon (which has either $10.00 flat-rate shipping or free shipping depending on the amount ordered).

The Soulfull Project: The Camden-based, Campbell Soup-backed The Soulfull Project will be introducing gluten-free hot cereals in single-serving-size packets early next year. For every serving of The Soulfull Project’s hot cereal purchased, the company donates a serving to a regional food bank. The flavors will include Hearty Grains & Seeds, Cinnamon Spice Multigrain and Irish Oatmeal. Currently, the gluten-free Hearty Grains & Seeds (14 oz. pouch) and Brown Sugar Pecan Multigrain cups are sold at Wegmans and through the company's website.

Other news from the expo: The Toasted Oat Bakehouse has changed the packaging for its soft gluten-free granola, switching from canisters to pouches; it can be found at Wegmans . . . Mi-Del will have limited-edition gluten-free Maple Ginger Creme cookies available for the winter holidays . . . Lundberg Family Farms was sampling its new line of gluten-free arancini (rice balls); the gouda & mozzarella ones were a hit . . . Smart Flour Foods sampled its new pizza snack bites, and they're worth waiting for . . . Camden County's Caesars Pasta has refreshed the look of its gluten-free pasta meals like lasagna, ravioli and gnocchi and brought them under the Gluten-Free Gourmet line  . . . Goodie Girl teased its new Caramel Apple cookies made with crunchy toffee and dried apple bits . . . Barbara's Bakery is adding a new gluten-free protein-focused Puffins cereal, Berry Burst; look for the Pumpkin variety to return this fall.

Disclosure: I receive a commission from purchases made through the Amazon affiliate link in this post. 

News & Notes: October 23, 2015

I can't vouch for all of the chain's locations, but the 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza in Marlton (752 W. Rt. 70, 856-334-5533) prepares quick-fired gluten-free pizzas on their own foil tins with separate ingredients from the walk-in refrigerator. The staff also uses a dedicated cutter.

The new Cibo by Illiano in Cherry Hill's Short Hills Shopping Center (484 E. Evesham Rd., 856-433-8837) can prepare gluten-free pizza and pasta. Request that separate sauce, cheese and toppings be used.

In Holland (Pennsylvania, that is), Jersey's Tomato Pies and Bistro (295 Buck Rd., 215-396-1000) also offers gluten-free pizza (tomato pies, too) and pasta. As with Cibo, request that separate sauce, cheese and toppings be used. Most entrees can be made gluten free as well.

The Brothers Moon, a New American restaurant in Hopewell, New Jersey (7 W. Broad St., 609-333-1330), can accommodate many gluten-free requests and has gluten-free bread on hand.

News & Notes: September 11, 2015

Though General Mills has discontinued its Chex gluten-free oatmeal line, another food company stands ready to fill the void. Quaker Oats will have its own Select Start gluten-free oatmeal products on shelves beginning this fall. Though details have not been formally announced, customers can look for quick one-minute oats sold in canisters and at least one flavored instant oatmeal variety (Maple & Brown Sugar).

Bob's Red Mill is launching a line of gluten-free oatmeal cups. The meals feature a blend of three different oats as well as flax and chia seeds. There will b e four varieties: Apple Cinnamon, Brown Sugar & Maple, Blueberry Hazelnut and Classic.

Speaking of cups, each of Evol's new gluten-free microwaveable meal cups -12 in all - are made with antibiotic-free meats and are under 210 calories. There are Scramble, Veggie and Fajita Cups, all of which can be found at Target stores.

Look in the refrigerator case for new Hillshire Snacking grilled chicken bites. These come packaged with a variety of dipping sauces: Teriyaki, Spicy Chipotle Barbeque, Honey Mustard and Mango Habanero.

News & Notes: July 3, 2015

If you like cereal, you're in luck this week. First off, General Mills announced this week that the change the company made in its cereal production facilities that allows five varieties of Cheerios to be gluten free now means Lucky Charms is joining that list. Lucky Charms will use the oat flour being made for gluten-free Cheerios.

The company announced the news about gluten-free Cheerios in February and how it developed a way to sort out the small amount of wheat, rye and barley in its supply of whole oats that are inadvertently introduced at the farms where the oats are grown, or during transportation of the whole oats to the mill. This sorting ensures that the oats used – for the five Cheerios varieties and Lucky Charms – allow the company to meet the FDA’s guideline for gluten free.

You should be able to find Lucky Charms, labeled gluten free, on store shelves in September (with national distribution by October). Check the side panel for “GLUTEN FREE” at the bottom of the nutrition information. The five varieties of Cheerios going gluten free will be in stores soon in some areas of the U.S., and by September across the country. They are Original Cheerios, Honey Nut, Multi-Grain, Apple Cinnamon and Frosted.

Incidentally, General Mills recently stated that it is aiming to eliminate the use of artificial colors and flavors in 90 percent of its cereals by the end of 2016.

Chex and Balances

After swapping out barley malt for molasses in most of its Chex varieties several years ago, General Mills made one of its most popular breakfast cereal lines accessible for gluten-free eaters. Now the company has extended the Chex brand to oatmeal. New are three flavors of gluten-free instant oatmeal: Original, Maple Brown Sugar and Apple Cinnamon.

The ingredients are simple, with no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives:

• Maple Brown Sugar: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Salt, Natural Flavor
• Apple Cinnamon: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Dried Apples, Cinnamon, Salt
• Original: Whole Grain Oats

The Maple Brown Sugar and Apple Cinnamon flavors are sold in six-pouch multipacks and as part of a six-pouch variety pack (two of each flavor plus two Original).

Designed for recipes or stove-top preparation, Chex's Gluten-Free Original Quick Cook Oats are sold in a 16 oz. pouch.

The Chex oatmeal products, which are certified gluten free, will begin shipping next week and should be in markets nationwide starting in late June. Pricing has not yet been announced.

News & Notes: April 18, 2014

Gluten-free Milanese pizza from Bricco in Westmont

The owner of Villa Barone in Collingswood, Vincenzo Barone, is serving gluten-free pizza at his just-opened pizzeria down the road in Westmont, Bricco Coal Fired Pizza (128 Haddon Ave., 856-477-2233). The pizzas are made using Conte's crusts and are prepared and cooked separately upon request. (Thanks Heather H.)

Reader Christin H. let me know that Revolution House in Old City Philadelphia (200 Market St., 215-625-4566) notes several gluten-free options on its menu.

News & Notes: March 15, 2013

I can't think of any better news to share today - four years to the day I launched Gluten Free Philly - than the fact that Phillies games will be a whole lot more enjoyable this season, win or lose. Citizens Bank Park will have an all-gluten-free kiosk located on the main concourse at section 136, between third base and left field. The menu will consist of hot dogs, cheese steaks, pizza, snacks and beer, with some other items in the works.

Nectar's soy wrap roll with tuna,
striped bass, avocado and cucumber
(Photo courtesy of Nectar)

The well-regarded pan-Asian Nectar in Berwyn (1091 Lancaster Ave., 610-725-9000) has added a gluten-free menu that includes chicken, shrimp and lobster pad Thai, fried rice, a seafood hot pot with rice noodles, sushi and sashimi.

Penndel's Steak and Hoagie Factory (313 W. Lincoln Hwy., 215-741-6555) has gluten-free rolls for $2 additional. (Thanks Ina M.) A separate grill is in place for prep of the gluten-free sandwiches and the owner has plans to add other items.

Reader Jaime L. let me know that Piatto Grille in Conshohocken (410 W. Ridge Pike, 610-825-1300) can make most dishes gluten free.

P.F. Chang's new Shaking Beef dish

P.F. Chang's has two new dishes that can be made gluten free. One is Shaking Beef, a traditional Vietnamese favorite with sliced beef, broccolini and potatoes tossed together and served over a cool salad with lime vinaigrette. The other is from the limited-time "Inspired" menu: Thai Basil Sambal Noodles - rice noodles, fresh vegetables and Thai basil tossed in a spicy coconut sambal sauce

Thai Basil Sambal Noodles from P.F. Chang's

In last Tuesday's post, you can read about which local pizza chain turns out the best gluten-free pizza according to GFP contributor Jason. The post prompted a friendly debate on the GFP Facebook page.

At last week's Expo East natural-foods showcase, Uncle Wally's, a Long Island bakery founded by chocolate chip cookie entrepreneur Wally "Famous" Amos, debuted GFCO-certified gluten-free chocolate chip and blueberry muffins under the Pillsbury brand that will be available nationally.

Glutino's newest product, unveiled at Expo East, is gluten-free pretzel chips.

We haven't heard from Glutenfreeda for a while, but the company, which makes burritos, pizza wraps and ice cream sandwiches, has unveiled another niche product: all-natural "Hot Pocket"-like Pocket Sandwiches made with gluten-free whole grain bread wrapped around "delicious, gooey, savory fillings" that cook in under one minute. Varieties include nitrate-free Bacon & Fluffy Eggs with Cheddar Cheese, Savory Roast Beef with Caramelized Onions & Provolone Cheese, nitrate-free Hickory Smoked Ham with Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese and Southwest Chicken Chipotle with black beans and corn.

The company is also extending is instant-oatmeal line with Instant Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cups with resealable lids. All Glutenfreeda products are  produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility and certified gluten-free at less than 5 ppm.

GFP has been nominated in the Best Blog category in the Triumph Dining Best of Gluten-Free Awards this year. Voting is open through March 31 and you can vote once daily per computer or mobile device. If you're pressed for time, just jump ahead to the Stores and Resources voting page, where you can show your support for the blog. There's no need to enter any contact information.

Don't forget that you can follow GFP on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ and, as always, tips and comments are welcome via email.

I hope to see many of you at the CHOP celiac event on Sunday. Have a great weekend!

- Michael

News & Notes: December 17, 2010

I won't refer to punny headlines like "Merry Cliff-mas" and "Unbe-Lee-vable" (looks like I just did, didn't I?), but with the Phillies' signing of Cliff Lee I am more impatient than ever for the start of the baseball season. As I mentioned last week, the Phillies will have another Celiac Awareness night in July, but I'm hopeful that on the strength of the strong turnout for the one this past season that more gluten-free options will be available all season long.

I posted a DVR alert on Tuesday. The December 28th episode of the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" will feature Philly's own gluten-free Sweet Freedom Bakery will be one of the combatants.

Congratulations to reader Amy C., who was the winner of the recent holiday giveaway hosted by Gluten Free Philly and nine other gluten-free blogs.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but word came on Monday that Ninety Nine Restaurants has closed its remaining Pennsylvania locations in Audubon, Bensalem and Warrington and its outlet in Deptford, New Jersey. The chain was an outlier in that it actually had gluten-free buns for its burgers. Elsewhere, reader Rich S. reports that Cafe Monterosso in Yardley, which offered gluten-free pizza, pasta and desserts, has closed. According to an outgoing phone message, the owner plans on relocating the restaurant.

On a brighter note, Sonata in Northern Liberties has updated its gluten-free menu.

Warminster's new BRE Bakery has picked up several varieties of My Dad's Cookies, which I reviewed last week. The bakery currently is carrying the Black & White, Raspberry Linzer, Chocolate Fancy, Chocolano and Italian Chocolate & Raspberry cookies.

Since Philadelphia is, of course, the home of the soft pretzel, I'm thinking that the new gluten-free Bavarian Pretzels from Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels just have to be sold in this area. The company announced this week that beginning in January the pretzels will debut at select Whole Foods stores, although information on ingredients and manufacturing protocols wasn't mentioned. Thanks to Gwinnett (Ga.) Gluten-Free Examiner Jennifer for the info.

Here's another first-to-market gluten-free product: a lemon-bar baking mix. Introduced by Marion's Smart Delights, the new mix is not only certified gluten-free, but also allergen-free, Kosher certified and made with all-natural ingredients. The mix is not yet available in the Delaware Valley but can be purchased directly from the company for $6.49 per box.

Made with gluten-free oats from Finland, instant apricot oatmeal is the first of several oatmeal products to be introduced by Simpli. The instant oatmeal is certified gluten-free and sells for $4.95 a box, which contains five servings. You can read about the company's harvesting and processing of its gluten-free oats at its website.

More Udi's goodness, spotted at Wegmans: cinnamon raisin bread and bagels and whole grain bagels. These new products will be more widely available in the new year.
 
Fans of Snikkidy snacks can enter to win a product box from the company. Just fill out the form here between now and January 15, 2011 and write in Gluten Free Philly as the referring source. Two entrants will be randomly selected to win, and the blog that refers the most readers will receive snacks to award to a lucky reader. Also, 25 readers from the winning blog will receive a Snikiddy Snack Pack box, which will include three snack packs and a coupon.

Our older son, who turned 10 this week, is a big fan of the Food Network and probably knows more about cooking and baking than me and my wife combined. Among the birthday presents we got him was a brand-new gluten-free dessert cookbook called The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free by Anne Byrn. The book contains 76 recipes, from Caramel Melted Ice Cream Cake to Southern Sweet Potato Pound Cake. The cool part is that all of the recipes call for packaged gluten-free cake and brownie mixes like those from Betty Crocker and Gluten Free Pantry. Using the Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, he and my wife made the Fresh Orange Bundt Cake drizzled with an orange juice glaze - it was amazing!  Amazon.com has the book on sale for just $8.69, a 42% savings off the cover price.

If you're looking for a fun parent-child activity for some upcoming school off-days, it may be worth a drive to Monmouth County, New Jersey, not too far off of Exit 8 of the New Jersey Turnpike. The Young Chefs Academy in Morganville is hosting allergy-free cooking workshops on January 17 (Gluten-Free National Candy Month) and February 21 (Gluten-Free Famous Dishes of the Presidents). There are other great-sounding workshops scheduled on Monday and Friday nights throughout the winter and spring seasons.

With the holidays approaching, I'll be posting less frequently through the end of December. Look for my year-end roundup highlighting the many good finds from the past 12 months. Keep e-mailing all your great restaurant and product finds and upcoming events. You can also follow me on Twitter @gfphilly, where I tweet items of interest, sometimes before the information gets posted here.

Thanks for joining me throughout 2010! I wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season and a prosperous new year.

Gluten Freedom

I discovered the Glutenfreeda web site shortly after our older son was diagnosed with celiac disease. For the last 10 years, the founders of Glutenfreeda have published an online gluten-free cooking magazine with lots of gluten-free recipes and product reviews. More recently, the company's Glutenfreeda Foods division has introduced its own gluten-free products that include ice cream sandwiches made in association with Julie's Organic Ice Cream.

Glutenfreeda Foods' first products were ready-to-bake Real Cookies. Each resealable 1-lb. container has between 12-14 frozen, shaped cookie dough pieces that are made with all natural ingredients and no trans fats. The cookie line includes the following varieties: Chip Chip Hooray, Chocolate Minty Python, Peanut Envy, Peanut, Paul & Mary, Snicker Poodles, and Sugar Kookies. It took me about 20 minutes from freezer to plate to bake the chocolate chip cookies, which were soft and chewy.

I also tried the company's gluten-free frozen burritos, which are sold individually and come in four flavors: chicken & cheese, vegetarian bean and cheese, vegetarian and dairy free, and - my favorite - the breakfast style with potatoes, red bell peppers and onions. Like the cookies, the burritos contain all natural ingredients. The easiest way to prepare the burritos are in the microwave oven, but in that case it's likely that you'll have to eat them with a knife and fork rather than by hand. We did not try cooking the burritos in a conventional oven for the recommended 45 minutes but they'll probably come out firmer that way.

Glutenfreeda's newest products are three varieties of flavored instant oatmeal, made from certified gluten-free oats. Each single-flavor box (maple raisin with flax, apple cinnamon with flax, and banana maple with flax) contains six packets, while the variety pack contains two of each flavor. These products are not saccharine like many national brands of sweetened instant oatmeal; the natural sweetness of the fruits blends with the added brown sugar to make a mildly sweet hot cereal. I liked the banana maple flavor the best of the three, which I made in a microwave oven using water.

The ice cream sandwiches can be found at Whole Foods Markets exclusively through the end of July, after which time they will be available at local natural food stores. The cookies, burritos and oatmeal, which are processed in a dedicated gluten free facility, are available now at natural food stores and online at the Gluten Free Mall.