Posted by glutenfr | Posted in News, Travel | Posted on 29-11-2010
Imagine my surprise when I found a box of gluten free Blissful Berry bikkies tucked into the conference bag on a recent work trip to Melbourne.
Of course this is not typical. The gluten free thing usually puts a bit of a dampener on trips away. My co-blogger Lucy has even vowed self-catering is the only way for her family.
The hospitality industry does seem to seriously lag behind the growing demand for these types of services.
But with food intolerances on the rise, this may soon be set to change. We received a media release recently about a Paris holiday package for families with special dietary needs. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by glutenfr | Posted in Lifestyle, nutrition | Posted on 26-11-2010
Quinoa
Health was the watchword at this year’s gluten free expo in Sydney, as savouries triumphed over sweets, and some alternative grains went under the microscope.
We’ve already discussed the dearth of cupcakes at the show, and will run through some of the new/interesting products we hunted down in the coming weeks.
But first I thought I would share details of one of the more intriguing talks for those who suffer unpleasant digestive complaints as a result of eating gluten.
Naturopath and nutritionist, Janalla Purcell, took the stand at the expo to discuss this issue. She believes that the growing numbers of gluten intolerant people have resulted from the over-reliance of our society on wheat as a grain.
For those suffering classic gluten intorerance symptoms (which means IBS-type symptoms rather than coeliac disease) she believes you can fix your digestive tract to tolerate gluten (in smaller quantities) – as long as you give your body time to recuperate. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by glutenfr | Posted in Events, treats | Posted on 21-11-2010
A reader who attended the last Sydney expo in August noted at the time that there were too many treats and not enough savouries being spruiked. At this show, the exhibitors seem to have struck a better balance.
Actually at this show, there are fewer exhibitors overall. This makes it a little bit easier on the feet. The challenge of healthy eating on a gluten free diet also seems to be a growing theme, and this is visible both at the stands and amongst the presententations.
Fewer exhibits has meant there is more space for information gathering: there are numerous Coles Kitchen cooking demos, expert sessions on gluten free living (we sat in on quite a few of these yesterday and will share some of their insights over the next few weeks) and a large cooking school featuring up close and personal demos from the experts.
yum!
So, back to the cupcakes. As you can see from the pic, I did not go home empty handed in this regard, but I swear these Rowies cakes are the only ones and even these are only being sold by the boxload!
There are plenty of other goodies and some new products as well which I will share with you soon!
The Sydney Irrisistable Gluten Free expo is running this weekend at the Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park.
MB
Every so often we unearth a new gluten free product that makes a big improvement to our quality of life.
Lately, however, it is some older products that have been reinvented or distributed in a new way that have proved to be our saviour – and it is the reinvention of two new breakfast staples that has me all a-flutter this week.
Rice puffs
Our big breakfast discovery for the week are these “new and improved” rice puffs from Freedom Food. We tried this brand a few years ago – but there was something amiss with the texture and taste so we swiftly moved on to Nature’s Path Crispy Rice, which we have been eating happily ever since.
Only problem is they are hard to find – and our local IGA only has them in stock sporadically so we need to buy up a truckload when we see them. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by glutenfr | Posted in Lifestyle, parties, Recipes | Posted on 14-11-2010
corn chip crab cakes (photo supplied)
Sometimes you just hanker for something crispy-coated. Unless you make it yourself though, these types of foods are usually out of bounds.
I have dabbled with a few types of gluten free breadcrumbs over the years. I have made them the usual way by drying gluten free bread slices in the oven on low heat and then grinding them into submission.
You can also buy gluten free breadcrumbs if you can find them. Vitarium are among those who make them and they are pretty good [crumbs from Lifestyle bakery have also recently appeared on on shelves at Coles].
And back in the day when I used to whiz up my own chicken nuggets, I would coat these in rice bubbles crushed by hand with a wooden spoon or in the kitchen whiz.
They offer a very quick, easy, nice tasting last minute solution and they also go well in rissoles, meat balls and patties along with some onion, egg and seasoning – and whatever else you feel like throwing in.
But far and away the yummiest crumbing was introduced to me recently at a work do. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by glutenfr | Posted in bread, New products | Posted on 11-11-2010
Woolies goes gluten free snag mad
It’s been busy time in the gluten free game for the mainstream retailers, especially in their meat and bread departments.
Woolies has gone gluten free snag mad and massively ramped up its home brand gluten free range. Most of the brand name sausages it carries are now also gluten free. It’s almost harder to get sausages with gluten in them these days.
Lilydale also recently announced a new line of gluten free chicken sausages that are also free range. They will go on sale in Coles nationwide, except for WA.
Speaking of Coles, it has started stocking some new gluten free breads and cakes in its bakery section. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by glutenfr | Posted in kids, parties, Recipes | Posted on 08-11-2010
Against all the odds, I did manage to produce a car-shaped cake for my son’s birthday party.
Yes, it took two attempts and far more time than I am prepared to admit here – but on Sunday I was able to serve him up that big blue car cake as promised.
Here’s how it unfolded. I bought two NaturallyGood chocolate mud cake mixes thinking that would easily be enough mix (6.5 cups) to fill the mold I blogged about last week. As you can see from my picture gallery below, my first attempt at a car lacked – ahem – wheels. And because it took ages to bake, it got a bit crispy on the bottom (or top) as well.
But fortunately the vegetable shortening and flour pan lining held up well and I had no problem at all removing my half-car cake from its mold.
In my second attempt (which I neglected to photograph owing to it being midnight) I used almost three cake mixes (which easily made up the 6.5 cups of mix) and used the rest to make muffins.
When my final result still fell short of a whole car, I concluded that gluten free cakes probably don’t rise as much as ordinary ones and vowed next time to fill the mold almost to the brim and put a tray underneath to catch any drips in the oven.
Luckily I had kept the first cake and was able to carve bits off that to complete the car shape.
As you can see – the pre-made icing was not too hard to handle and didn’t scrub out too much of the original car detail. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by glutenfr | Posted in Events, kids, parties | Posted on 04-11-2010
Call it the folly of a desperate woman – but I am hoping to pull off a modern-day miracle this week when I attempt to bake the best ever gluten-free car-shaped birthday cake.
It all began a fortnight ago when our birthday party season officially kicked off with a bang. A poolside party with one of our son’s best friends yielded a fabulous feast of lolly pops, marshmallows and hot chips – all things our little guy could eat.
Not only did he have a ball – but we didn’t have our usual heartbreak of him feeling like a party pariah – where he gets to watch all the other kids gobble down things he cannot.
Fortunately in this day and age - most party hosts are sensitive to our predicament and are happy to make a little concession here and there to make our little guy feel like one of the crowd.
We are also lucky in that most hardcore party fare – chips, lollies, chippolatas etc – are largely okay for him to eat – or at least we choose turn a blind eye to the possibilities of small quantities of wheat (I realise many other kids do not have this luxury).
But what happens when you are invited to a birthday bash with people you don’t know so well – and who may not even know that your child has a dietary issue? Read the rest of this entry »
My haul from last year
Its show time for Sydneysiders once again in November as the Irrisitable Gluten Free Show comes to the Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park on November 20 – 21.
The venue has changed from last year’s show – which was held at Darling Harbour – and I think it is also a week later than previously scheduled, so do double check your diary.
It may not be as central – but one of the good things about the change of venue is that it also now a good deal cheaper to attend (I’m not sure if the two things are related – but last year I paid $25 entry which was a bit of a sting).
I believe ticket prices are now $10 per adult at the door – which makes a big difference for a family of four – but a quick check of website indicates you can also pre-register for free tickets – so that could also save you a dollar or two. (Though you may also have to factor in the cost of parking given Moore Park isn’t particularly close to any train links.)
My co-blogger Mandy and I will most certainly be there, soaking up the gluten-free vibes, sampling all the gluten free sweet treats, and quizzing stall attendees about the minutiae of their product ranges. So for those stuck out of town – and unable to attend – please send in any burning questions you may have for manufacturers or retailers and we will make sure the tough questions get asked! Read the rest of this entry »
