What's New at Expo West

Expo West, the annual gourmet, organic and specialty food show that takes place in California every spring, is happening virtually this year due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, there are several new gluten-free products being formally introduced at this year's event. 

Cappello's has launched three varieties of almond flour ravioli that can be found in the frozen aisle of Whole Foods Market locations across the country: Five Cheese, Butternut Squash and Spinach & Cheese. Five Cheese is a blend of ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, fontina and asiago cheeses; Butternut Squash; and Spinach & Cheese with ricotta. 

Taste Republic is expanding its line of grain-free refrigerated pastas with the addition of cauliflower gnocchi. Each pasta serving includes one serving of vegetables. It's sold at Target stores.

Lakeview Farms' newest line, Tribe Mezze Dips, is a collection of Mediterranean-inspired ready-to-serve refrigerated deli dips and spreads. Three feta-based dips include Red Pepper, Roasted Garlic and Spicy Tomato. The Original Style Tzatziki is made with Greek yogurt, cucumber and dill, while the Mediterranean Layered Dip is made with hummus, tzatziki, red peppers and herbs.

Hopefully, this fall's Expo East, slated for Philadelphia, will proceed as scheduled with lots of new products and, of course, samples!

Gluten-Free Meals in a Snap

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Snap Kitchen, which has provided me with compensation, and contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own and I was in no way influenced by the sponsorship of this post. [Disclosure policy]

Walk-in selections at Snap Kitchen's Old City location

Despite the popularity of make-it-yourself pre-portioned meals, not everyone (yours truly included) has the time - or, frankly, the skill set - to cook meals all the time. With convenience in mind, Snap Kitchen has set out to make healthy, fresh gluten-free meals and sides available throughout the Philadelphia area. The company laid down roots in Philadelphia in 2016, having expanded here from Texas, and built a commissary in the Kensington section of the city. There, employees prepare all-gluten-free meals for sale at Snap Kitchen's seven area locations: Malvern, Villanova, Wayne and in Philadelphia proper (Bella Vista, Fishtown, Old City and Rittenhouse Square).

Snap Kitchen locations also have snacks, sides and drinks

While a variety of prepared foods are available daily at the stores, Snap Kitchen's new meal plans offer greater variety and flexibility. There are five plans, all entirely gluten free: High Protein, Low Carb, Balance, Whole 30,  Paleo and Camp Gladiator. The subscriptions are three-, five- or seven-day plans that reoccur on a weekly basis. You can build your plan by selecting which day parts – breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks – work best and customizing which meals you want to make up each day of your plan. The plans can be managed through the Snap Kitchen iOS app or through the website and can be cancelled at any time.

Snap Kitchen offers free delivery for meal plan subscribers within a designated distance of each store and meals can also be picked up at a "home" location. First-time meal plan subscribers can use promo code GFPHILLY for $20 off their first order.

The company offered to let us try a three-day meal subscription, so we opted for the Balance plan, which is designed for those trying to eat healthier without eliminating specific foods or focusing on a macronutrient goal. Lunch and dinner options were stronger than those for breakfast that we tried. We heated the meals in the microwave, though oven preparation is an option. Here's what we thought of some of them:

Snap Kitchen's naked salmon entree

Naked salmon: Not fishy for the most part and was nicely complemented by the lemon butter on top. Both the salmon and the broccolini were flavorful and fresh.

Naked beef: Beef was tender with only one small fatty portion. The green beans were garlicky and well-seasoned, while the cauliflower was a little bit spicy and was a nice twist to an otherwise conservative meal.

Chicken Parmesan with spiralized squash: The chicken was tender, but the sauce was a bit underwhelming and dish could have used some more cheese. The squash tasted fresh, though slightly undercooked. Overall, we really enjoyed this dish.

Crispy salmon: It wasn’t crispy, but take the good parts of baked salmon and add shaved almond and that’s what you have. It was really good and the roasted carrots and zucchini were the best sides out of all the dishes we tried.

Chimichurri chicken: The chicken was tender though not very flavorful. The chimichurri sauce was good and though it was a little watery, the squash on the side was delicious. The inclusion of tomatoes seemed out of place.

Shrimp scampi dish from Snap Kitchen

Shrimp scampi: Shrimp were tender and not fishy. The asparagus was tasty, but we wish it was whole and not cut. The pasta was a bit mushy but the scampi sauce was delicious - equal parts lemony and buttery.

Breakfast sandwich: The star of the show was the biscuit: it was moist and didn't crumble. The egg white patty was standard but fit the sandwich well. While we weren't fans at first, the sausage patty grew on us. Cheese would have added a bit more flavor but wasn't an option.

Goat cheese scramble: The goat cheese was a nice touch, though there wasn’t enough of it. The egg whites were a bit watery and the tomatoes and spinach oddly felt out of place. The sweet potatoes were hard and nearly inedible.

Breakfast platter: We didn’t like the cheesy cauliflower at first but came around to it. The pork sausage patties were greasy, but the eggs were tasty though underseasoned and superfluously sprinkled with chives.

There were many options that we didn't try but looked tempting, including banana pancakes and chicken sausage breakfast tacos for breakfast, and chicken butternut macaroni, beef lasagna and dan dan noodles for lunch and dinner.

If we continue the subscription, we'll fiddle with some of the different choices to find the ideal combination. Overall, we applaud Snap Kitchen's food for its quality and freshness. 

News & Notes: February 27, 2015

South Philadelphia's newest restaurant is Bing Bing Dim Sum (1648 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-279-7702), where gluten-free selections on the menu include two kinds of dumplings, chow fun, lamb ribs and all vegetable plates.

Roberta's Banana Butter Topped Lamb Chops
with Crushed Macadamias

Reader Murray K. emailed several photos from his recent dinner at modern American Roberta's by Joe Muldoon in Northfield (1205 Tilton Rd., 609-677-0470), one of which is posted nearby. He raved about his meal and let me know that the chef and staff are extremely knowledgeable about gluten-free meals and preparation.

The Pop Shop's second location officially opens tomorrow in Medford (1 Bank St., 609-975-6888) with the same menu as the original Collingswood spot. Gluten-free items include grilled cheese, chicken fingers, French toast, pancakes, fries and sweets.

Brick House Tavern + Tap, with local outposts in Willow Grove (2402 Easton Rd., 215-675-5767) and just-opened Princeton (3569 Rt. 1 S., 609-520-9866), has a gluten-free menu.

News & Notes: July 26, 2013

Ribs from BigBites BBQ

A new restaurant is putting the 'cue in Quakertown. BigBites BBQ (641 S. West End Blvd., 267-227-3102) is nearly 100 percent gluten free, with the only items to be avoided are wheat bread and rolls and kids' macaroni and cheese, all of which are kept in separate areas. So what's safe to eat? How about the baby back ribs, pulled pork, chicken breast, chicken quarters, meatloaf and slow-smoked brisket. How about all of the sides, from potato and cucumber salads to corn bread (made with rice flour). Three members of the owners' family have celiac disease, so keeping the food preparation safe for those eating gluten free is a priority. There's no airborne flour, and when someone requests a sandwich on an Udi's gluten-free roll, the item is prepared by one employee from start to finish using fresh gloves and utensils. For now, BigBites is open on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

Reader Kristin R. let me know via the Gluten Free Philly Facebook page that longtime Avalon Mexican spot Tortilla Flats (2540 Dune Drive, 609-967-5658) has a gluten-free menu that includes tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, chili, nachos and salads.

Keeping It Real

By Dori Molozanov

Shopping for and preparing practical meals that are nutritional, creative, flavorful and diverse enough to keep your taste buds interested can be challenging - especially while eating gluten-free. “It’s hard, it’s a lot of work,” says Lucinda Duncalfe, founder of Philadelphia-based Real Food Works. “It took me a solid year to cook well.”

Real Food Works, a meal delivery service offering customizable meal plans for health-conscious diners, is working to make healthy gluten-free dining more accessible with the addition of its new gluten-free option. The company partners with local restaurants to create dishes especially for Real Food Works customers.

A Breath of Fresh Air

When it comes to gluten-free pasta, I am solidly in the corn flour camp; Le Veneziane from Italy is the best dry pasta brand around. Most brown rice versions we've tried turn out more like pad Thai noodles than Italian pasta. So when I saw that the fresh gluten-free pasta from RP's Pasta Company is made with brown rice, I wondered whether I'd change my mind.

RP's, based in Madison, Wisconsin, makes refrigerated gluten-free fusilli, linguini, fettuccine, spinach fettuccine and lasagna sheets sold locally at Wegmans ($3.99 each) and via FreshDirect ($4.99 each). The pasta is made in a dedicated area and is GFCO-certified.

Those of you that make dry gluten-free pasta know that there's a fair amount of trial and error in cooking the pasta "just right." The RP's products are no exception. Although the package recommendation is to cook the fresh pasta in boiling water for two to three minutes, we found on two occasions that the noodles had to bathe for about five minutes to get to a slight al dente texture.

Am I swayed? Not quite. But for slightly more than the average price of dry brown rice pasta, you'll save around 10 minutes of prep time and get a sturdier, more flavorful pasta with RP's fresh counterpart.

The Spice of Life

When Americans think of their favorite ethnic foods, Indian cuisine isn't at the top of most lists. (Italian is, actually, followed by Mexican and Chinese.) More than others, however, Indian-influenced foods - made with less familiar seasonings like curry, cardamom and cumin - are extremely gluten-free friendly. Cafe Spice, an East Coast-based casual chain with an outpost at the food court at Liberty Place in Center City Philadelphia, now provides prepared meals sold at area Whole Foods Markets. Varieties include Chicken Vindaloo with Lemon Rice, Vegetable Korma with Saffron Rice, Channa Masala with Lemon Rice, Chicken Tikka Masala with Saffron Rice, Chicken Curry with Lemon Rice and Saag Paneer with Saffron Rice, all of which are gluten and preservative free. (The gram flour in the Chicken Tikka Masala has no gluten; it's made from ground chickpeas.) The dishes are priced between $5.49 and $6.49 each. You can also find the Cafe Spice products at Whole Foods hot bars.