Fresh crust (from pre-made dough) at Hearth Pizza Tavern

Ever since something changed with the Blue Moon gf crust (at least at the Sandy Springs location) and the same thing happened at Crust in Alpharetta, I've been avoiding pizza places.  I'm not paying an upcharge for something that's not as good as a frozen gf pizza I can make at home.  Duh.

However, I keep the faith that someone will start offering a gluten-free pizza worth eating out in the ATL.  While doing my normal gluten-free pizza in Atlanta web search, which I do every month or so, I came upon rave reviews for the option at Hearth Pizza Tavern in Sandy Springs.  After confirming they have a process in place to keep the pizza crust as safe as possible in a gluten kitchen, we made a date to try it.  The crust comes from a company in Colorado, but it's stretched at the restaurant.  Therefore, it tastes more fresh than the typical frozen crusts that abound in the area.

We arrived to the cool space that is Hearth on a bustling Saturday night.  Even though it was early...around 6 pm, it was so busy there was a wait.  We put our name on the list and headed to the Whole Foods in the same complex.  When we got back less than 15 minutes later, our table was ready.  The server didn't seem to understand much about what gluten-free meant so that was unsettling.  However, the manager on duty (who seemed knowledgeable) oversaw the order.  For reference, the salad we ordered didn't seem to come with any croutons or bread, but you ALWAYS have to order EVERYTHING gluten-free, even salads, so you don't end up with a lovely gluten garnish on your food!  Sure enough, as the server was walking away she said "oh, so you don't want the bread on your salad?".  Mmmmm.....NO I don't want bread unless it's gluten-free.  The look on her face indicated she might not know such a thing exists (LOL!), but at least she got the order in correctly.

The pizza was quite good and most definitely worth having again.  It's no Don Antonio, but let's be real.....we're not in NYC.  I likely would not risk eating at Hearth with a wheat allergy since there's always going to be gluten flour in the air, and the server knowledge (or lack thereof).  My guess is that way more people who order the gluten-free pizza at Hearth have no clue what gluten is in, than people who actually can't eat it ;)

Also, when we called to check on gluten-free ingredients for the pizza, beyond the crust, I also asked if there were any gluten-free ciders.  The answer was "no, I'm sorry we don't have cider" so it was a nice surprise when two were listed on the menu.  I think I had one with blackberry and ginger in it and it was very refreshing!

After taking half my pizza to go, we stopped into WF again and bought the amazing JB's Carrot Cake and another treat from that line we'd not had before - Blueberry Cheesecake - for dessert.

The restaurant group that owns Hearth, MooCoo Group, also offers the "fresh from prepared dough" at Atwood Pizza in the city and some other location in Marietta, which I can't recall the name of....or find online.   


   

Andean Dream pasta available at Whole Foods Buckhead

Many moons ago, I found Andean Dream pasta.  It's a quinoa/rice blend which is not only edible - but delicious - COLD.  I don't like mayo-based pasta salads so none of the gluten-free pastas I tried worked for my favorite summertime pasta.  I went without cold pasta for a few years since most gluten-free pasta (at that time) was pretty much like a brick when cold.

Anyway, after finding, and faithfully using, Andean Dream pasta for years, I started having a hard time finding it locally. Then I couldn't find it anywhere.  And so for another year or so, I did without pasta salad.  Then, several weeks ago, my husband spotted the Andean Dream macaroni pasta on the bottom shelf at the Whole Foods in Buckhead.  I was so excited that I bought four boxes, leaving one on the shelf.  Maybe this brand is back at the WF near us, but at last check it wasn't.  And this pasta is definitely good enough to swing by WF, when in town, to stock up!

This pasta is vegan, corn free and Kosher, and made with non-GMO ingredients 

Below is my favorite cold pasta recipe...please make it your own - and enjoy!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked gluten-free pasta (that is EDIBLE when cold)
EVOO
green scallions
crumbled feta cheese
minced roasted red peppers
sliced kalamata olives
sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Coat cooked, drained pasta with olive oil (to taste)
Toss in all other ingredients (change them up to suit your personal taste!)
sprinkle with sea salt (to taste)
Cover and refrigerate for two hours or more (to let flavors percolate)
Remove from fridge and uncover about an hour prior to serving (it's very good straight out of fridge, but I like it less chilly)

**To make this pasta into a meal, add cooked chicken or shrimp, or even canned tuna fish.  Just don't set it out for an hour with any meat in it.

ENJOY! 




     

Gluten-free and the living is easy....not so fast

Everyone who has to follow a gluten-free diet has someone (or multiple people) in their life that is under the impression that doing so these days is super simple...or at least, it's not that hard.  Why would anyone think such a thing?  To understand, all you need to do is take a look around your basic grocery store and it will become clear.  Companies have slapped gluten-free on pretty much everything they can think of - canned pineapple, salt, cornstarch - you get the drift.

Let's go back a decade (yikes! no one knew what gluten-free meant back then in the USA) and think about how much has changed.  From dressings to marinades to spice packets - it seemed everything contained gluten in the form of wheat.  Nowadays, many such items are not only gluten-free, many are labeled as such.  You can't get too far down the shopping isle without seeing a gluten-free product - or ten.  Even mayo has fallen into the ridiculous items that are marked gluten-free, when the exact product I'm referring to in fact, never ever contained gluten.  I even had a friend remark years ago that since X brand of mayo was now gluten-free, she was going to switch brands.  Yes - that really happened...lol!

While there are many more gluten-free replacement items available, that doesn't mean we have many delicious choices for any of them.  Have any decent, soft, flavorful, fresh (not frozen) gluten-free bread lately?  Not if you didn't get it from your local gluten-free bakery.  Think that bread you found on the shelf was not previously frozen? More often than not, if you're in the USA, you'd be wrong about that.  The same goes for the cupcakes, brownies or anything else you might find in a "traditional" bakery area of a store.  Just ask the staff and they'll tell you those items come in frozen.  There are a few things you might find that are fresh like fudge made in-store.  But most people are too sensitive to eat fudge made in a bakery with gluten flour flying around.  Even the items in the refrigerated bakery section were sent in frozen. 

People are always telling me about some place that has gluten-free pizza.  They're usually excited to share this news, but not once has the place shared had decent gluten-free pizza.  Who wants to eat pizza that tastes like cardboard?  Same goes for pasta.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate friends (or acquaintances) that are thoughtful enough to tell me about a gluten-free menu they found out about, etc.  It's great that people are kind enough to do it.  And of course, they have no idea that said place possibly has terrible food and/or service regarding gluten-free options.

We decided to grill hot dogs recently and I had to go to THREE stores to find gluten-free hot dog buns.  And, I had to buy a brand that was not my first choice at that.  Starbucks just dropped their gluten-free breakfast sandwich and we were all in tizzy over it.  It wasn't any good to start with so this was understandable.  We were likely upset because we always feel like we're being dissed for having to be gluten-free because...well...we are.   

It's just not true that being gluten-free is as easy as pie...at least, not in this country.  And if anyone you know thinks that's the case, you might do well to inform them that they are quite mistaken.  Many companies churn out gluten-free replacement products that are not good (some are literally inedible) on a regular basis, and think we should be happy to have them.  Additionally, we live in a country where food allergies and intolerances are made fun of on a daily basis and it's simply disgusting.  Let's all do our part to set the record straight. 

We can all appreciate how far we've come in the last decade, of course, but we're far behind many other countries on this issue.  And as far as I can tell, history tells us that will continue possibly forever. 





 

   

     

Valentine's Day - worst day to dine out gluten-free

I'll never forgot my first gluten-free Valentine's Day.  It was 2006 and, back then, dining out was NOT easy - even at chains with gluten-free menus.  After exhaustive research that spanned the three weeks between my dx and Valentine's Day, I finally chose a place in Buford, GA to eat at on the big night.  The place has since closed so I'm not naming it here.  Since we could not make reservations, we arrived when they opened at 5pm.  I think we were seated in just under two hours, at which time we were both hungry enough to eat the table cloth.  No apps were safe for me so my husband wouldn't order anything for himself.  We did end up having a lovely meal, but that was my first meal out since going gluten-free and it didn't make me feel like doing it again anytime soon.

That night taught me to take emergency snacks when going out to eat.  Many years passed before I didn't feel the need for that safety net.  Everyone has their own faves for purse snacks and mine included nuts, dried fruit or crackers (to use with sans gluten cheese plate).

After skipping dining out on February 14th for several years, we finally went out again (to another place that has since closed) and had another bad experience.  This time around we had reservations, but since the place was jammed packed and fairly chaotic (they had clearly taken more reservations than they could handle), we agreed to sit in the bar area instead of the main dining room.  Our meal took a while to come out, but everything was really good.

The bad part was that the server informed me (after our order was put in) that I could not have the goat cheese on my salad...the exact salad I'd had many times without issue.  That's because there was NO gluten in the cheese.  Someone was confused in thinking gluten-free and dairy free were related...it set a bad tone for the rest of the night and my husband suggested that I might mark the place off my list of safe places.  I didn't do that, but I did inform the restaurant that they might do a little retraining of the staff.  It should be said that this place was known for gluten-free service - one of the few such places in the area back then.
        
We've had a couple of other negative experiences on Valentine's day so a few years ago, we decided to celebrate the holiday early.  We're not the only people doing this, of course, but the difference in the atmosphere at restaurants on Valentine's day and the day (or so) before it is like night and day.  The staff is much more relaxed which lends itself to a diner with allergies being more relaxed as well.

Have a sweet gluten-free Valentine's Day - however you choose to celebrate!❤
  

Review: Chick-Fil-A's gluten-free bun

The one fast food chain I frequented (at least, when traveling) before my celiac dx was Chick-Fil-A.  Loved the fried chicken sandwich....simply loved it!  So when I had to start ordering grilled chicken tenders when making a pit stop on the way to FL, it was disappointing.  The tenders were good enough, and the fries (made in dedicated fryer) were yummy so it was fine.

Eventually, someone made an unfortunate decision to change the grilled tenders by putting them in some horrible marinade.  It is so bad, in fact, that I thought I got a bad batch...thought I was going to get sick after eating one nasty tasting tender.  It didn't occur to me that the product was supposed to taste that way...seriously, it was gross!  The second time I ordered the tenders (after the unfortunate experience) I realized the tenders must have been changed (for the worse!) and I confirmed this with the restaurant.  Thus began my quest to find suitable quick, safe food when traveling.  No more Chick-Fil-A for me since all I could get was the grilled chicken sandwich, sans the bun, and that didn't seem fair since I was paying for a sandwich.  I can be cheap in the most silly ways...lol!

Fast forward a few years (to 2017) when Chick-Fil-A introduces a gluten-free bun!  I was so excited by this development that I realized I was going to have to try it before taking a trip that would lead me there for a pit stop.  After reading reviews of the bun, I braced myself for the bread to have a sweet flavor - something I'm not looking for a in bun unless cinnamon and sugar are involved.

The gluten-free bun was a total miss for me.  Didn't like the flavor, texture or the overtly sweetness of it.  I'm glad the company introduced a bun, and I'm sure that many people enjoy it.  I'm just not one of them.  I'd much rather be able to order fried chicken tenders that are gluten-free.  Oh well, at least we have Bantam+Biddy in the ATL ;) 

UPDATE: The Bantam+Biddy at Avalon closed several weeks ago (as did the location at Lenox).  The original location at Ansley Mall is still open and the location in Chattanooga should be open soon! 

Popular questions in the gluten-free world

So, I'm asked gluten-free related questions all the time.  The bad part is that there are some questions I can't answer - even when I go to extra trouble to do so.  I thought it might be fun to list some of the ones I can answer here, since I get some of the same questions over and over again.

Is bleu cheese gluten-free? 

We're out to dinner with a party with another celiac. They want to know why Red Robin's gf menu doesn't list bleu cheese as safe.  Likely answer - someone on the corporate side read some very old, outdated and untrue info about bleu cheese containing gluten.  It was once thought that was the case, but later on, very extensive studies (mostly done in Canada) proved the theory about the mold used as a starter for bleu cheese containing gluten was never accurate. I'm a bleu cheeseaholic, so there.

At a very popular place in Ashville, NC (no, not the fabulous Posana Cafe), I'm told I can't have the strawberry salad unless they leave the bleu cheese off.

Tom + Chee's nutritional data stated (at last check) that their bleu cheese contains gluten...and so forth and so on.

Bleu cheese is the most common thing I've come across as being listed as containing gluten, when there is likely no bleu cheese to be found in any commercially available bleu cheese. At least those found in the U.S and Canada.

Is movie popcorn gluten-free?

At one time, there was supposedly some gluten in some movie popcorn ingredients, but these days, that doesn't seem to be the case.  Since going to the movies is still one of the best entertainment values out here, I made sure to check on the popcorn safety at the chains I frequent.  Both AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas serve gluten-free popcorn - at least without the fake butter.  Since I've not had any interest in eating whatever they call "butter" (it's in no way, shape or form butter, by the way) at movie theatres in over thirty years, I didn't bother to check on the ingredients in it anywhere.

Going to the movies is the ONLY place you can go and just walk up to the counter, order popcorn and a soda and enjoy it while watching a movie like everyone else. No zillion questions about ingredients, preparation methods, etc. Just make sure to skip the Twizzlers, which for reasons I'll never understand, do contain gluten!

Is mayo (or mustard or ketchup) gluten-free? 

Until recently, I thought this question was put to bed. And then, of all people, a doctor said to me "you can't even have mayo, right? It has gluten in it"...! I almost fell over, seriously.  Thankfully, this doctor has nothing to do with celiac, but still - it's 2018. It's been well over a decade since there's been much confusion on this topic.  Let's just say that while I don't like mayo (except in deviled eggs) and I can't even have a ketchup bottle on a table when dining out (it so grosses me and my husband out!), I might not be here anymore if mustard, or anything with distilled vinegar in it contained gluten.  Keep in mind that malt vinegar is almost always made from barley and therefore, it is NOT gluten-free.

Why would Twizzlers (lemon curd, cream of mushroom soup or barbeque potato chips) contain gluten?!

There is an exclamation point above because that is how people ask those questions. As if I am surely confused or have a serious learning disability and I don't know what does and doesn't contain gluten.  That's right - I've been gluten-free for over a decade so how would I know such things....DUH! The answer is that I have no idea why those items can, and often, contain gluten. You'd need to ask the companies that make the products about that. Thankfully, many lemon curds, and at least three brands of cream of mushroom soup (including one condensed), is gluten-free.

You can eat most anywhere these days since everyone knows what gluten-free means, right?

The answer to that comment-turned-question is simple. No, no and no!!!! Many places with printed gluten-free menus (especially large chains) don't have a clue about how to serve gluten-free customers safely.  So, we can't just go out and eat anywhere.  And if someone means I can have a plain salad, that just plain insulting.  Who wants to go out to eat at a place where the only gluten-free option is a boring salad?! Certainly not me.

There are more annoying questions than room to discuss here, and I guess we'll all be dealing with them for years to come...possibly forever.  Especially if we live out our days in the USA.
   
         

Gluten-free means never not having to question everything

Remember the movie Love Story?  In it, there's a somewhat ridiculous line, though it's sweet in the film, "love means never having to say you're sorry".  I told you it was ridiculous.... Anyway, I was thinking recently about what gluten-free really means.  Of course, it means different things to different people.  There are some, or rather, many of us that are gluten-free because we have celiac, a gluten intolerance issue or worse, a wheat allergy (gluten-free is wheat free, but wheat free doesn't mean gluten-free, BTW).  Then there are hoards of other people that couldn't explain what gluten-free actually means for a million bucks.

I think we've all been guilty of being glad that so many people have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon in the last several years. It's hard not to get excited when you can find a gluten-free version of apple fritters, battered fish and even "fried onions" at your local supermarket.  Today in fact, there are more gluten-free versions of things I can have than I can't.  Over a decade ago, I never thought I'd be able to say that.

Recently, I attended a charity event (which I didn't buy tickets for, but went as a guest) and beforehand I checked to see if any of the "finger food" served at the venue would be gluten-free. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly based on the town I was in, I found out I could eat something from the saute station and nothing else.  I didn't realize until we arrived that some cheese grits with spinach dish was the ONLY thing at the saute station.  Oh well, that's why I had cheese crackers, almonds and yogurt pretzels in my bag...lol!

We were going out to dinner after the event so I just needed something to nibble on while tasting many delicious wines. But my husband, who gets way more annoyed about me not finding safe food at such events than I do, was determined to find something else for me to enjoy. In checking out the mostly gluten-filled buffet station options, he noticed individual servings of what looked like a berries and cream dessert. Surely, he thought, this must be gluten-free. He excitedly told me about what he'd found and decided we should find out if I could enjoy this lovely treat.

Mind you, we're in a hotel ballroom so there aren't servers and employees running around just anywhere. We had to wait for a while until we finally found someone to ask.  The guy dressed in kitchen garb, including a "chef's jacket", that I decided to ask about the dessert seemed put off by being disturbed. That's fine by me - I just had a quick question that he could answer easily with a "yes, no or I don't know". His answer didn't bring much confidence that the dessert was gluten-free.  In the end, he determined that it was.  And if I was new to the gluten-free game, I would have made myself very sick away from home - not cool.

Trusting my instinct instead of the questionable (and somewhat questionable) answer from the restaurant staffer, I asked my husband to eat the dessert first.  If he determined that it tasted like berries and cream (all that was supposedly in it), then I would have gladly tried it myself. But guess what?  There were TINY pieces of cake in the dessert!  That's right - cake - and it was NOT gluten-free cake, obviously. How ridiculous is that?  I honestly had a hard time believing it happened!

I felt really badly that I let this incident pretty much ruin the rest of my night.  Not because I ate something that made me sick - I was vigilant enough to keep that from happening.  Not because I wanted the dessert either.  It just infuriates me that so MANY people in the U.S. still DO NOT get what food allergies are or - or know what gluten-free means.  Honestly, only third world countries are behind us on this issue.  It's completely embarrassing how misinformed (or totally uninformed) the majority of food service workers are in this country.   

#SICKOFGLUTENFREEIGNORANCE!    


       

Gluten-free Not a Fad Diet

This interesting article speaks to the fact that the gluten-free diet is not a fad which most of us already know. But the author shares some interesting ideas on why so many people need to avoid gluten these days compared to yesteryear. Additionally, she mentions how much gluten can damage various part of the body. That's something I don't think everyone understands - but everyone should. Eating gluten can cause such a host of issues and while the gut can heal on the gluten-free diet, many other conditions eating gluten can cause don't go away when someone starts the diet. Unfortunately, those conditions are for life.