GFGS Community Calendar: Tastes of fall 2017

Autumn offers great opportunities for New Jersey’s gluten-free community to sample and socialize with multiple food expositions happening in the region. Education and information are provided, along with the introductions of new food products. Mark your calendars!

Saturday, Sept. 9: Empowering Our Gluten Free Kids: Managing the Social Challenges of Growing Up gluten-Free, 10 am-12 pm, at Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley (250 Old Hook Rd.) in Westwood. Hosted by Generation GF NorthernNew Jersey, a Gluten Intolerance Group program for children and their families, the event offers fun activities for kids, as well as opportunities for children to discuss their feelings about the gluten-free lifestyle. A licensed clinical social worker will lead the discussion, and food samples will be available. Email GenerationGF.NorthernNJ@gluten.org to register.

Sunday, Sept. 10: SouthJersey Celiacs, Chapter 9 of the National Celiac Association, Meeting, 2 pm, at Virtua Memorial Health Center (401 Young Ave.) in Moorestown. The support group meets monthly in Conference rooms 155A and 155B, and welcomes new members. This month kicks of a new year for the chapter and officers will collect annual dues.

Saturday, Sept. 16: Gluten Free Festival, 11 am-3 pm, at ShopRite of Medford (208 Route 70 East) in Medford. In honor of Celiac Awareness Day, ShopRite offers a free tasting event that showcases various gluten-free items available in the store. Retail dieticians on staff will be available for consultation.

A Pizza Hut take-out

Photo/GFGardenState

Pizza Hut launched its gluten-free initiative earlier this week, and days later, I had my first opportunity try a pie.

My experience was pleasantly surprising, yet not over-the-moon satisfying. Quite frankly, I had low expectations going in. Having not eaten at Pizza Hut in many years, I was happy to discover a decent product that was better than a typical pizza chain of the corporate kind.

Pizza Hut delivers on gluten-free promise

Photo/Udi's Gluten Free

It's starts today.

Gluten-free pizza is now available at about 2,400 Pizza Hut locations across the country, including 28 in New Jersey. They're listed below.

The national chain is offering plain cheese and pepperoni varieties, cooked on pizza shells by Udi's Gluten Free. Prices start at $9.99.

Pizza Hut is certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group, and the company appears to be making efforts to avoid cross-contamination. For one, all ingredients to be used for gluten-free pizzas are being kept in designated kits, apart from other foods items.

#GFAFExpo in Photos

Photo/Gluten Free Garden State

Photo/Gluten Free Garden State

We have lots of product reviews and details about the 2014 Gluten Free & Allergen Free Expo coming. In the meantime, enjoy some of the images taken by Gluten Free Garden State photographers, who were on site both days.

Prepared for a Girl Scout cookie

Photo/abcsmartcookies.com

There is a lot of talk going around about the new gluten-free Girl Scout cookies with some key points missing.  

Before you get too excited, you must first know that this is a test product. It is not readily available and no Girl Scouts in New Jersey are currently selling them. Regional Girl Scout councils in select markets across the country are offering them. 

I repeat, YOU CANNOT GET THEM IN NEW JERSEY. 

Hopefully, you will be able to in the future.
In the meantime, the closest to the Garden State is the Eastern Pennsylvania Council, which serves Philadelphia, and it won’t have them until the spring.

Leaders of the pack

We tasted wonderful things at the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo, and were excited to find so many new and new-to-us products. Here's a list of 10 foods/beverages, in no particular order, that got us excited.

1. Ravioli by Contes Pasta: I've had these several times in the past, and they're awesome. Full of flavor, the pasta part has a nice texture that's moist without falling apart. I'm a cheese aficionado, so the seasoned ricotta is right up my alley. Sold frozen and heated in the microwave, the ravioli is packaged with tomato gravy. The props for marinara sauce, however, goes to Hoboken Farms, which is perfect for dipping in a piece of their gluten-free bread.

Photo/Gluten Free Garden State

Expo Hangover, Part 1

The first day of the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo is in the books, and it was a fabulous one.

Sure, my feet are aching from circling the Expo floor multiple times and I ate way too many samples. But, I met interesting people, was excited by some new gluten-free products and learned a thing or two in the classroom.

My day started off with other bloggers, and it was fun to see people in person who I had only "met" previously through social media. We all were treated to an introduction to Holy Crap cereal before the doors even opened to the public.

One of the first things I did once the Expo started was hit the beer garden. It was less about my love for beer and more about the fact that it was at the back of the convention floor and completely devoid of other people. I got to easily talk to the vendors and sample the wares.

Yes, I was throwing back beer at 9:15 a.m. So, what?! It was for research purposes. You'll thank me later.

Celiacs welcome here

The Wegmans company offers an abundance of gluten-free products for sale, including a comprehensive line of its own store-brand items, so it's natural that it would honor National Celiac Awareness Day.


On Friday, Sept. 13, the Wegmans store in Mount Laurel is hosting a free public event, 3-8 p.m., that highlights the gluten-free products its carries and provide meal ideas to those of us living the GF lifestyle. The evening promises to have available product samples and recipes, as well as snack and lunch ideas for kids going back to school.

We frequently shop at Wegmans stores and regularly purchase store-brand gluten-free items, which tend to be significantly lower in price than other companies' products and are of excellent quality. A bag of pasta, for example, costs $1.79 compared to $3.49 for another brand of equal size. The tastes and textures of the store brands are often better than other brands, too.

Make a date for the Expo

Art/KoinoniaAcademy.org

Ok, who wants free tickets to the Gluten & Allergy Free Expo, coming to Secaucus next weekend?

We'll be drawing a name at random from interested readers/fans of this blog, courtesy of expo organizers. This fabulous event runs Saturday, Sept. 7-Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Meadowlands Expo Center. The tickets are good for one day, which will be determined by the winner.


How will we know you want to go?

1. You tell us, in a comment to this post.
AND
2. You "like the GFAF Expo page on Facebook and/or follow the Expo on Twitter.

While you're at it, please vote in our poll on the top left of this blog. (Although not a contest requirement, we would really appreciate it.) You can also find Gluten Free Garden State on Facebook (www.facebook.com/glutenfreegardenstate) and Twitter (@gfgardenstate).

The contest is open until 10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Good luck!

Favorite foods

I'm pleased to share some new features on the Gluten-Free Garden State blog.

Starting today, we are polling our readers through an interactive feature that appears on the main page, to the left of the most recent post. Please share your opinions and email gfgardenstate@gmail.com with any comments or suggestions. GFGS is also on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/132Hfih and Twitter @gfgardenstate. Like us. Follow us. Send us your thoughts ... Please.

In the coming weeks, we'll be taste-testing various gluten-free products. Tasting and poll results will be shared in a series of "food wars" posts. In recognition of the start of school, the series will debut with quick breakfast items, such as waffles and bagels. Later this year, we'll focus on holiday desserts.

All of the foods being highlighted in this series are those that are not naturally gluten-free. While we fully support quick meals and snacks of fruits, veggies and naturally gluten-free foods, the mission of this blog is to give people insight into what products are available that we otherwise would have to give up to Celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

My Blue Heaven

By nature, Mexican food menus tend to offer an adequate variety of gluten-free foods. Quality dining establishments, for example, will always have corn tortillas as a safe, soft alternative to traditional flour tortillas. Meanwhile, beans, rice and various taco toppings are often gluten-free.

Some, however, make that extra effort.

EXPOsing New Jersey to a gluten free world

That little shriek of excitement you heard was me hearing about a big celiac-friendly event coming to the Garden State next month.

The Gluten & Allergen Free Expo is scheduled to run Sept. 7-8 at the Meadowlands Expo Center. According to its organizers, it will feature more than 150 vendors offering free samples and/or products for sale, as well as classes and swag.

Did I mention there are samples?

Hot tomato!

Photo/Gluten Free Garden State

Pizza shop owner Giulio Padalino didn't start serving gluten-free foods to appeal to his customers or to jump on a trendy bandwagon. He was instead looking to help his son, who was diagnosed with celiac disease as a child.

That was more than 25 years ago!

Palermo's Ristorante, which has locations in Bordentown, Roebling (aka Florence) and Ewing, has catered to celiac customers longer than most.Although Padalino began stocking celiac-friendly pastas and pizza shells for the family's personal use, he recognized its appeal to some customers early on and has been expanding the menu every since.

Lunch date

Photos by Gluten Free Garden State

I loved Dante’s Italian Deli long before I “met” it.

The River Edge establishment, also known as Dante's Imports, has been supplying the GFGS family with homemade gluten-free raviolis for quite some time, despite this writer having never been there before last week. 

Sold frozen, the taste and texture rival those of leading pasta makers and may even be better.

On a recent visit to the Kinderkamack Road store, which is undergoing an expansion, I noticed the large-print signs in the window promoting its gluten-free wares. My stop yielded a box of Dante’s GF manicotti and a freshly-prepared sandwich that was especially impressive.

Just dessert

All celiacs have been disappointed when they encounter a restaurant or or office party or social gathering where there is absolutely NOTHING gluten-free to eat. On the flip side, we're also pleasantly surprised from time to time, and that's what happened this morning.

My daughter and I arrived at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia about an hour before it opened, so we went across the street to Sister Cities Park. The Milk & Honey cafe had been recommended by academy staff for grabbing a coffee (for me) and a beverage for Bel. Unbeknownst to us, there were gluten-free cheesecake brownies for sale at the counter. (Happy dance!)

More, more more!

It seems more and more restaurants and mainstream grocery stores are catering to gluten-free consumers. Yay!

Read about the trend and where to dine/shop in Burlington County here: GF Menus and GF Groceries

Still on a Sweet Note

Fresh-made bagels landed in Jersey earlier this fall. The makers, Sweet Note Bakery in Pennsylvania, have now extended their reach to two new locations.

The bakery announced today its deals to supply doughy, holey rounds of gluten-free goodness at a pair of Bagel Talk stores in Central Jersey. They're located at 8 S. Main Street in Marlboro and 3177 Route 9 in Old Bridge.

For more on Sweet Note Bakery, scroll down to my earlier post or find it here: http://gfgardenstate.blogspot.com/2012/10/beginning-on-sweet-note.html

Testing the medicinal waters

Here's a chance to do something for the celiac disease community that could improve the quality of life for many of us.

South Jersey Gastroenterology is seeking people diagnosed with celiac disease to participate in a clinical trial. Those who qualify will test the effectiveness and safety of an investigational medication.

Researchers want people between the ages of 18 and 75 with diagnoses confirmed by biopsy and lab work more than 12 months prior to entry into the study. They must also have been on a gluten-free diet for 12 months or longer, are still experiencing symptoms when exposed to gluten and are willing to maintain the current diet for the duration of the study.

If you're interested, call 856-552-3618. The office is located on Lippincott Drive in Evesham (aka Marlton).

Helping the food allergy community recover from Sandy

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and its devastating impact on New Jersey, the GF Garden State family is encouraging donations of allergy-friendly, non-perishable foods for those in need of safe meals. We are in the process of compiling a collection and plan to deliver it on Saturday.

According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, several New Jersey food allergy support groups have indicated a variety of items needed for those most affected by the storm. They include foods that are gluten-free, peanut-free, milk-free, egg-free, soy-free and/or those without tree nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios and pecans. Foods devoid of fish or shellfish also are being sought.

If you are able to make a donation, please send any variety of these foods in boxes labeled "Allergy Friendly" to the following food banks:

The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Inc.
3300 Route 66
Neptune, NJ 07753

The Community Food Bank of NJ
31 Evans Terminal
Hillside, NJ 07205

Thank you!