O'Canada

Founded by the Weinberg family in 2007, O’Doughs bakes healthy gluten-free breads, pizza shells, cakes and buns at its suburban Toronto facility. The company uses all-natural ingredients such as flax, potato, tapioca, soya and rice flours.

We recently had a chance to try O’Doughs products and, overall, thought they hit the mark. (After trying the samples, we liked most enough to buy more product during our summer trip to Canada.) All of the products are best stored frozen but, in the case of the cakes and buns, taste fine after being defrosted or microwaved.

To satisfy that sweet tooth, the company makes three loaf cakes, all of which are delicious: Banana (with chocolate chips), Carrot, and Chocolate. The cakes are sweet and moist, and show no signs of the grittiness that mar other gluten-free sweets.

We were also impressed with the flax and white pizza kits. The square personal-size pizza shells come with packets of tomato sauce that can be combined with toppings of your choice, then baked in the oven to the desired level of crispiness.

The flax sandwich bread (topped with poppy seeds) and white bread (sprinkled with sesame seeds) are better toasted than at room temperature. While serviceable, they're not airy or pliable like Udi's version.

O’Doughs' white and flax buns have quickly become our son’s favorite for hamburgers. They’re just the right size, complementing the meat patties without being “bready.” Also available are Apple Cranberry Breakfast Buns.

O'Doughs will be participating at Sunday's Appetite for Awareness, where you can sample the products. The company is expanding distribution in the United States and is working on availability at East Coast stores. In the meantime, orders can be placed online for home delivery.

DISCLOSURE: While O'Doughs provided product samples for me to review at no cost, such compensation did not influence my review. Neither I am nor any immediate family member is an employee, officer, director or agent of O'Doughs or its respective parent, subsidiary and affiliated entities, advertising and promotional agencies. My full disclosure policy can be found at the blog's Disclosure page.

News & Notes: October 15, 2010

I was happy to publish a guest restaurant review for this week's feature, and the timing was fortuitous. Reader and Philadelphia Gluten-Free Supper Clubber Adriana Z. wrote about the group's recent meal at Adsum in a week in which the restaurant received lots of good press. Food critics at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia City Paper also found much to recommend.

In restaurant news this week, contemporary American Za Restaurant in Pennington (147 West Delaware Avenue, 609-737-4400) notes gluten-free items on its lunch and dinner menus.

Gluten-free pizza and pasta are available at Medford's Illiano Cucina Mediterranea (200 Tuckerton Road, 888-748-4765).

Reader Annsley K. let me know that the chef at Olive on Third, a newish Italian in Philadelphia's Society Hill section (516 South 3rd Street, 267-519-9498), is knowledgeable about celiac disease and can easily accommodate gluten-free dietary requests.

Currently served in bottles at Northern Liberties' Swift Half Pub (1001 North 2nd Street, 215-923-4600) are Redbridge, Original Sin Pear Cider and Magners Cider.

New to the list of gluten-free friendly caterers is Jack Kramer's Catering in Philadelphia (4217 Chestnut Street, 215-662-5300). Operations manager Brian Miller, who has a family member with celiac, told me that the caterer can prepare gluten-free foods for corporate and social events. The company will be participating in the Appetite for Awareness event on October 24.

Gluten-free breakfast choices have increased with the introduction of a couple new items. First, Glutino has debuted glazed original and chocolate donuts, six to a box. Look for them in the frozen food section of supermarkets and health food stores.

Smart Ones, made by Heinz, has added a Cheesy Scramble with Hashbrowns frozen dish. It's made with scrambled egg whites and Monterey Jack, cheddar and reduced-fat mozzarella cheeses with a side of potatoes.

October 24 stands to be a busy day in the local celiac community. In addition to Appetite for Awareness, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is hosting area benefit walks. One will be along the Camden waterfront, where "Team Celiac" will be participating. The three-mile walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Readers can register for the walk or make a donation. The other will be at Bucks County Community College in Newtown starting at 10 a.m. Advance registration is recommended.

A new book for children called “Mommy, What Is Celiac Disease?” is available exclusively at Wegmans through December 31, 2010. Katie Chalmers’ book grew out of personal experience: she learned in 2007 that she had the disease and, after having her children tested, learned that her daughter Morgan has it too. The book is available at Wegmans for $11.16 (a 20 percent discount of the list price) and will be carried in the Nature’s Marketplace area of the store, where gluten-free foods are sold. Chalmers will sign books at Saturday, October 30 at Wegmans in Mount Laurel from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Sunday, October 31 at Wegmans in Malvern, also from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Enjoy the weekend and root on the Phillies!

Awesome Adsum

The Philadelphia Gluten-Free Supper Club recently met at Adsum, in the city's Queen Village neighborhood (700 South 5th Street, 267-888-7002). Guest reviewer Adriana Z. shares her thoughts on the meal:

I admittedly visit restaurants way too often, and considering that gluten and I aren’t the best of buddies, I find myself constantly hunting for a place that can accommodate my dietary restriction while still being tasty and inviting. When I hear about the newest haunts, I frequently assume that I won't be able to experience them. Considering this, I was surprised when Matt Levin, Adsum's chef/owner, was quick to welcome our Club into his hip, new space.

Portuguese cockles

We went during the recent Center City District Restaurant Week, which made for a fairly crowded dining room. The chef made special arrangements so that we could enjoy a slightly modified prix fixe menu that was free of gluten. Our server, Jack, was quick to explain the menu to us and answer any questions that we had; namely, our curiosity about the Portuguese cockle appetizer. Before long, we were talking and laughing over the first course. I ordered a romaine salad accompanied by roasted onion, polenta croutons and lemon-thyme dressing. The flavor of the dressing was divine, while the soft croutons provided a nice contrast to the crisp lettuce leaves. I also managed a taste of the cockles from one of my friends at the table. With a hint of lemon and a spicy kick from the accompanying chorizo sausage, they made my taste buds dance with happiness.

Herb risotto

Service of the main course was delayed a bit, but considering the menu was altered and some of the dishes were prepared especially for us, we didn't mind the wait. The majority of the group enjoyed the pork mole with radish salad and lime, and scents of cocoa and chili. I enjoyed the herb risotto with crunchy sweet corn, tarragon and tomatoes. It was creamy (but not too rich) and cooked to perfection.

Chocolate pot de crème

The dessert course was highly anticipated. Save for some ice creams, it’s not often that a gluten-free diner can safely enjoy a dessert straight off of a restaurant menu. We were thrilled to have a choice of crème brûlée or a Manjari chocolate pot de crème. I went with the latter, and when it came out in a tiny glass pot, I was immediately impressed with the presentation. I was expecting a softer chocolate – almost like a pudding – so I was surprised when I had to force my spoon into a thick layer of chocolate topped with a fluffy cream. The unexpected texture didn’t disappoint, and when the fudgy chocolate hit my palate, I was in heaven. It was so rich, but the whipped cream evened out the intense chocolate flavor. Overall, it was the perfect ending to a delicious meal. The crème brûlée was rumored to be just as delicious by one of our supper clubbers, who also took advantage of the wine pairing through her meal.

In the end, our experience at Adsum was stellar. Everyone left full and happy, and was pleased to have been able to enjoy top-notch food from one of Philly’s buzzed-about new restaurants. The conversation was delightful, the food and service were superb, and as individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, we didn’t once feel as though we were limited or slighted by the offerings. Thank you, Adsum, for a great experience that was unnoticeably gluten free.

News & Notes: October 8, 2010

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a baseball nut, so you can imagine how stoked I was to witness Roy Halladay throw a no-hitter Wednesday night. In retrospect, I'm glad the game wasn't on television in prime time so I could watch the historic game with my boys. As I wrote earlier in the week, we went to New York last month to see the Phillies beat the Mets on the road and were able to check out the gluten-free food stand at Citi Field.

Also on the sports scene, a reminder that with the start of the new pro hockey and basketball seasons the Wells Fargo (formerly Wachovia) Center has gluten-free food and drink at the "Fan Favorites" concession stand, on the concourse level at Section 122.

Congratulations to reader Jake M., whose name was selected as the winner of the Bisquick Gluten Free prize pack giveaway, and thanks to everyone who entered.

New to the restaurant list this week is Ry's Bagels Cafe in West Berlin (255 Route 73 North, 856-210-6327). The shop has Udi's bagels and uses a dedicated toaster and separate utensils. Diners can also enjoy two varieties of Conte's gluten-free pizza.

Another Seasons Pizza location has added gluten-free pizza. This one is the Elsmere location in Wilmington (1112 Kirkwood Highway, 302-994-4000).

South Philadelphia's Black N Brew (1523 East Passyunk Avenue, 267-639-6070) now offers flourless banana and blueberry pancakes with shredded coconut.

Main Line Pizza in Wayne (233 East Lancaster Avenue, 610-687-4008) has expanded its gluten-free menu beyond its namesake specialty to include pasta dishes and chicken wings, among other items. Coming soon will be homemade meatballs and chicken cutlets made with gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Loads of gluten-free goodies on sale at Amazon.com this month. Add another 15% discount to all orders if you Subscribe & Save; there's free Super Saver shipping on orders of $25 or more and Subscribe & Save orders are shipped free regardless of order total. This month's offers include:

• General Mills gluten-free products such as Betty Crocker mixes, Chex cereals, Hamburger/Asian Helper, Fruit Rollups and Nature Valley Nut Crunch bars are 15% off with code GENMILGF
• Glutino and Ian's products are 10% off with code GLUTENFR
• Udi's Granola is 20% off with code UDISGFGR
• Pamela's products are 5% off with code PAMGFOCT 
• Ener-G products are 5% off with code ENERGGF2 
• thinkThin bars are 20% off with code THKTHIN6 
• Nature's Path and Envirokidz cereals and crispy rice bars are 10% off with code NATPATGF 
• Oskri bars are 20% off with code OSKRIOCT 
• Boomi and PranaBar bars are 10% off with code BOOMIGFI 
• Pure bars are 15% off with code PUREBRGF 
• Pirate's snacks are $3 off with code PIRATEGF 

Looking for healthier chicken nuggets? New to market are fully cooked Coleman Natural Gluten-Free Chicken Breast Nuggets, which are made with chickens that were fed a vegetarian diet and raised with no antibiotics, hormones or preservatives. A serving of six nuggets are 130 calories and six grams of fat (just one gram of sat fat). Readers in South Jersey can find these at ShopRite of Marlton. Fill out a product survey and get five dollar-off coupons for Coleman products. The nuggets themselves are small; we microwaved them and thought they were tasty.

First came Oreo-style gluten-free ice cream sandwiches. Now, the sequel from Julie's Organic and Glutenfreeda Foods combines lemon-flavored frozen yogurt with vanilla cookies.

Purely Elizabeth, a company started by holistic health counselor and native Philadelphian Elizabeth Stein, has debuted a line of gluten-free cookie mixes sweetened with hard-to-find organic coconut palm sugar. The new cookie line includes three inaugural varieties: chocolate chip, oatmeal cherry chocolate chip and oatmeal cinnamon raisin (the oats are certified gluten free). The cookie mixes expand the brand's established line of all-natural, organic baking mixes that are gluten free, certified vegan and free of refined sugar.

This month's Gluten Free Delaware meeting has been rescheduled for this Sunday, October 10. It'll be held this time out at the Woodlawn Free Library, located at 2020 West 9th Street in Wilmington (a few minutes from I-95 Exit 7). Those planning to attend can RSVP through this link.

The next meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Celiac Support Group will take place on Friday, October 22 at Abington Memorial Hospital (1200 Old York Road, Lenfest Building, Classrooms 1& 2). Doors open at 5:45 p.m. with a vendor fair; the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Participating vendors include Cookies For Me, Good Eatz, The Grainless Baker, Grandma's Grotto, Main Line Baking Company, Sweet Freedom Bakery and Virago Bakery.

Enjoy the weekend and go Phils!

Gluten Free Road Trip: The Diamond of Queens

An outbreak of Phillies fever hit the Gluten Free Philly household a couple weeks ago, and we had to drive to New York to get some medicine. To help celebrate our younger son's seventh birthday, my wife and I surprised him with tickets to see the Phils play the Mets during their recent series at Citi Field in Queens.

Knowing that Mutts fans had abandoned their team earlier in the season, I figured it would be a cinch to get last-minute tickets via StubHub. I managed to snag four $30 seats for $10 each online the day before the game.

Bracing for the New York traffic we usually encounter, we left a few hours before game time. While traffic was unexpectedly light, the weather put the trip in jeopardy. The rain was coming down so hard during our drive north on the New Jersey Turnpike, I exited at one point to turn around, figuring the game would be postponed. Convinced the skies would clear, my wife talked me into resuming the drive. Sure enough, the storm passed and, while the sun never peaked out from the clouds that day, the weather was good enough to get the ballgame in.

Before heading to our seats, we stopped to get lunch. Concessionaire Aramark added added a dedicated gluten-free food stand at two-year old Citi Field this season. (Hello Aramark? Citizens Bank Park needs one too!) The stand offers hot dogs, sausages, burgers and Redbridge beer, along with puddings and gels from sponsor Kozy Shack. The meats are served on rolls supplied by The Grainless Baker. My older son was impressed with the foot-long hot dog, which he topped with mustard and onions.

The view from the nosebleed section wasn't bad at all, and we ended up sitting in the upper level with many other Phillies fans who also made the trip. We watched Roy Oswalt throw a complete-game shutout as the Fightins won 3-0.

We had planned to stop at the Chimney Rock Inn in Bridgewater, New Jersey for dinner, but thanks to my unreliable GPS (and my failure to trust my instincts), we ended up stuck in a traffic jam in Manhattan. I reversed course and eventually righted the ship. With the visit to the Inn no longer feasible, we opted to eat at an old favorite just off of Exit 10 on the Turnpike - Harold's New York Deli in Edison. While the restaurant doesn't have safe bread, it does offer a gluten-free menu with traditional deli and diner favorites like chicken soup, pastrami and corned beef (served on a bed of lettuce), steak fries cooked in a dedicated fryer, and a huge pickle bar. And the portions - oy! Our leftovers needed a seat of their own in the minivan.