Gluten Free / Dairy Free NJ

Restaurant Review: Muscle Maker Grill (Multiple NJ locations and AR, CA, FL, IL, MO, NY, OK, PA, TX)

2013-05-10T17:57:00.000-04:00

Over the past couple of years, I've been seeing more and more Muscle Maker Grills popping up. Recently, I was out with some friends and we needed somewhere to grab a quick bite. There was a Muscle Maker Grill nearby so we decided to give it a try. Gluten Free / Dairy Free at Muscle Maker Grill They have an in store Nutrition and Dietary Guide pamphlet which contains a fairly brief gluten

Gluten Free Baking Tips / Dairy Free Baking Tips

2013-05-01T23:29:00.000-04:00

Baking is not an art; it’s a science. I recently put together a list of baking tips for someone on a forum who was having some trouble getting started in GF/DF/egg free baking. Since I do all three (although not 100% on the eggs) I was able to provide some good insights and past lessons, so figured I’d share here as well. Gluten Free / Dairy Free Biscuts Baking isn't an art; it's a science

Restaurant Review: Gao Thai Kitchen (Ramsey, NJ)

2013-04-29T18:58:00.000-04:00

I recently had dinner at (or more correctly, ‘from’) Gao Thai Kitchen (63 West Main Street, Ramsey, NJ 07446). I had gone with a friend for dinner but there was quite a wait (it was a Saturday night and they were packed) so we decided instead to get take out. Gluten Free Massaman Curry at Gao Thai Kitchen Their menu flags which items are gluten free and like most Thai restaurants there is

2013 Colin Leslie Celiac Disease Walk on Hiatus Until 2014

2013-03-30T16:29:00.000-04:00

Colin Leslie Celiac Walk will be back in 2014! Colin Leslie Walk for Celiac Disease Awareness I heard this week that my favorite Gluten Free event of the year, the Colin Leslie Walk for Celiac Disease Awareness, has been canceled for 2013. Unfortunately, according to their website, the Rye High School which has hosted the walk every year since the walks inception, is undergoing renovations

Product Review: Gluten Free 'Pop Tarts' (dairy free too, contains egg)

2013-02-28T18:31:00.002-05:00

I was fairly excited to hear that Glutino would be producing a gluten free toaster pastry (gluten free 'pop tart') and even more excited when I saw them at my local Whole Foods. (Yes, Eco Planet makes a 'pop tart' style gf toaster pastry as well but I've yet to find them nearby.) Due to trademark issues, Glutino can't call them a pop tart (since that is Kellogg's brand name) but it is obvious

Gluten Free Thailand [Gluten Free Cambodia too]

2013-01-22T23:24:00.002-05:00

We can make it that way, but it won’t be very delicious! I spent two weeks in Thailand in December with a friend of mine. I had an amazing time, but this was primarily due to the things we saw and did, not the dining options. Buddhist Temple in Bangkok Before heading to Thailand I did a couple of internet searches on eating gluten free in Thailand (and Cambodia where we went for a couple

Gluten Free Gift Ideas

2012-11-23T07:42:00.000-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over for another year, it is time to think about the next big holiday season! (Yes, most stores have been 'decking the halls' since September which is why I avoid them in the fall - one holiday at a time please!) A couple of months ago I put together a Gluten Free Gift Idea Page. It is full of ideas of what to get someone who is gluten free but also it may trigger some

Gluten Free Thanksgiving

2012-11-21T17:29:00.000-05:00

Roast turkey on its own should be gluten free. Just be careful as some brands inject broth and that broth may contain gluten. Also, assuming you aren’t cooking for yourself, a turkey stuffed with gluten containing bread will be seriously contaminated – if there is going to be gluten containing stuffing, it has to be outside of the bird. [Generally speaking it is now generally considered unsafe

Gluten Free Gravy (Dairy Free)

2012-11-21T17:27:00.000-05:00

This is how I make gluten free gravy. The final amount will depend on the amount of pan drippings you start with although I never measure these. I'd rather have too much gravy than not enough! You can easily scale this up as needed. Some people strain the pan drippings and skim the fat which you are certainly welcome to do. Gluten Free Gravy Ingredients: 1 cup water + gluten free bullion

Gluten Free Stuffing (dairy free / vegan depending on bread)

2012-11-21T17:20:00.000-05:00

I figure on two slices of bread per serving and just like gravy, I'd rather have too much stuffing than not enough. (I can't believe I just typed "too much stuffing", as if that's possible!) Gluten Free Stuffing Ingredients: 8 slices gluten free bread, cubed 1 medium onion, chopped olive oil 1 tsp ground sage salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup almond milk + more as needed How to prepare

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes (Gluten Free / Vegan)

2012-11-21T17:18:00.000-05:00

The secret to really good mashed potatoes is to fully cook the potatoes and whip them until past the point you think you should stop! Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes Ingredients: 1 pound potato peeled and quartered 2 tbsp olive oil Almond milk as needed (about 1/4 cup) How to prepare dairy free mashed potatoes: Boil the potatoes until fork tender (about 25 minutes). Drain the pan and begin to

Product Review: Luce's Gluten Free Bread Mixes

2012-10-25T01:18:00.000-04:00

I first met Charles Luce a couple of years ago at a Celiac Disease support group meeting. That evening he was giving a talk on the techniques he had perfected for making a sour dough starter for gluten free sour dough bread (traditionally, sour dough starter is grown in a mixture of wheat flour). He had brought along numerous loaves of fresh baked gluten free sour dough breads in various

Restaurant Review: My Thai (Frederick, Maryland)

2012-09-30T23:22:00.000-04:00

Based on the recommendation of two different online Gluten Free restaurant guides I decided to try My Thai (193E Thomas Johnson Drive, Frederick, MD 21702) during my recent trip. Gluten Free Garden Rolls at My Thai in Frederick, MD Both sites stated that My Thai has a gluten free menu. Unfortunately this is the issue with user submitted GF restaurant sites, you are trusting a user who may

Restaurant Review: Isabella’s Taverna (Frederick, Maryland)

2012-09-27T22:59:00.001-04:00

This restaurant was the highlight of my trip and, while I ate here twice, I do regret not finding time to eating here even more! Isabella’s (44 North Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701) has flagged all of the items on their menu that are naturally gluten free as well as those that could easily be made gluten free. Not only that but their waitstaff is incredibly attentive and willing to double

Gluten Free Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia

2012-09-25T22:54:00.000-04:00

I recently got back from a whirlwind trip trough Maryland, Northern Virginia and the eastern tip of West Virginia. I had gone down for the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam and extended the trip to tour a number of other national parks (I ended up visiting 13 of them, 10 I had never been to before). Antietam National Battlefield Before leaving on the trip, I took my own gluten

Event Review: Appetite For Awareness (Philadelphia, PA)

2012-09-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

I just got home a short while ago from Appetite for Awareness. [Note, I wrote this last night, added the photos and published this morning.] I drove down down with a friend of mine (also gluten free, but not fully dairy free) and had a great time sampling the products and restaurant offerings, viewing two cooking demos, watching the NFCA award ceremony for Michael from Gluten Free Philly [if you

Colin Leslie Walk for Celiac Disease Awareness: 2012

2012-09-18T22:48:00.003-04:00

While I'm looking forward to attending Appetite for Awareness this weekend, and the CSA conference in October on Long Island, the one Gluten Free Event I most anticipate every year is the Colin Leslie Walk in Rye, NY! Colin Leslie started this walk in 2005 and to date has collected over $335,000 for the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia. Again this year, the walk will be held at Rye High School

Happy National Celiac Awareness Day!

2012-09-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer and is ready for the fall. Today is National Celiac Awareness Day and while I don't officially have celiac disease, I certainly realize that dealing with my gluten sensitivity would be infinitely more difficult if not for the efforts of the celiac community. In celebration, I'll be eating out gluten free for both lunch and dinner (lots of reviews will

Daiya vs Vegan Gourmet Dairy Free / Vegan Cheeses

2012-08-31T18:14:00.001-04:00

I’ve been dairy free for over 20 years now. I had tried DF cheeses in the past and found them terrible. They all suffer from at least one of three problems: 1) they were lactose free not dairy free*, 2) they didn’t melt, 3) their taste and texture when not melted is terrible. (* most alternative cheeses still contain casein (the protein found in milk). I assume this helps them melt as those

Restaurant Review: Joe’s American Grill (Paramus, NJ, Short Hills, NJ, and locations in CT, FL, MA, NH, and RI)

2012-08-29T19:05:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance. We decided to get together for dinner so I sent him a list of restaurants I still wanted to try and he chose Joe’s American Grill. Hamburger on Gluten Free / Dairy Free Bunwith Gluten Free Fries at Joe's American Grill A couple of months ago when I tried Papa Razzi’s gluten free menu (read Review of Papa Razzi here ), I had

Updates for Gluten Free Fast Food / Chain / Quick Serve List

2012-08-23T18:44:00.000-04:00

I'm planning a trip to Maryland / Virginia in September and in preparation I've been scouting out my gluten free dining options. Along the way I found a number of chain restaurants offering gluten free dining options. Most of these are chains that we just don't have here in NJ. After I had found all I could in the area I am heading, I was on a roll and expanded my search to nationwide. When

Restaurant Review: A Taste of Asia II (Chatham, NJ)

2012-08-08T19:18:00.000-04:00

Paper Shrimp at A Taste of Asia IIin Chatham, NJ I recently met a friend of mine for dinner at A Taste of Asia II (245 Main Street, Chatham, NJ 07928). I had walked past them a couple of years ago and noted the sign in the window advertising a gluten free menu but never found it online. (As a matter of fact the site doesn’t even acknowledge the menu exists!) But, it does indeed and it

Which Gluten Free Hamburger Bun is Best?

2012-08-02T21:38:00.000-04:00

Well barbecue season is in full swing again (or so I hear; I live in an apartment). For me the two main hamburger bun competitors in NJ are Udi’s and Canyon Bakehouse. Kinnikinnick just launched a new soft bread, hot dog bun and hamburger bun. I’ve included them in the comparison below even though they are still hard to find. Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Hamburger Bun [There are a couple

Restaurant Review: Via Roma (Toms River, NJ)

2012-07-31T18:51:00.000-04:00

People have been mentioning Via Roma (2360 Route 9, Toms River, NJ 08755) to me for a while now. Since it is over an hour away, I put it on the list of restaurants I'd like to try at some point. The reality was I should have rushed there right away! Gluten Free / Dairy Free Philly Cheese Steak at Via Roma in Toms River, NJ Via Roma has a full published gluten free menu (it is a tri-fold

Product Review: Turkey Pork Roll (pork free, gluten free, dairy free)

2012-07-29T11:31:00.000-04:00

While my two main food issues are gluten and dairy, I am also pork free and coffee free and have lesser issues with tomato, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruit and eggs. I’ve been able to substitute Jennie-O turkey ham for ham and beef cervelat in place of salami. Oscar Meyer (formerly Louis Rich) makes a great turkey bacon. The one pork item I was still missing was Taylor ham (known to some