CakeOver Takeover

A new gluten-free bakery is opening in Parsippany-Troy Hills with a menu chock-full of interesting and traditional baked goods.

Red velvet cake with cream cheese rosettes

The CakeOver begins its regular operating hours (11 am-7 pm) on Tuesday, Oct. 30. It is offering free samples for the week, as well as free coffee and tea with a purchase during November. On the menu are rugelach, cinnamon rolls, biscotti, corn muffins, red velvet cake, pina-colada cake and almond tea torte, as well as a number of other delicious-sounding items.

The store is owned by Alison Teperman, who hails from Russia by way of Israel. According to her bio on www.thecakeover.com, she grew up creating low-fat goodies in her home and began making gluten-free to accommodate allergies in the family.

The store is located at 79 North Beverwyck Road. It also caters to the gluten-free needs for the Stone House in Warren.

I haven't yet sampled the fare, but plan to stop by as soon as I get the chance. If you have eaten a CakeOver treat, please share your review with me.

Photo credit: The Cakeover via Facebook

Ravioli to go go

Ravioli was my absolute favorite pre-celiac disease food. It was completely unobtainable when I was first diagnosed more than 14 years ago.

In the last couple of year, great strides have been made in the GF frozen pasta department. Two New Jersey companies produce the only GF frozen (or fresh) ravioli that's easily obtainable in some grocery and specialty stores. They both made microwavable meals and ready to cook versions. Yum!

Beginning on a Sweet Note

There are several varieties of frozen GF bagels available in grocery stores, but a freshly baked bagel would be so nice.

Luckily, such a GF product does exist and will be available at the Collingswood Farmers Market, starting this Saturday. The market runs 8 a.m. to noon near the PATCO rail station.

Fresh bagels are being brought to Jersey via Sweet Note Bakery. The company typically sells its products by wholesale to stores in Philadelphia and its suburbs in Pennsylvania. According to its website, the bakery's products are available in the Garden State only in Collingswood and will be sold at the Amaranth Bakery stand, close to the police station.

Is gluten-free a fad?

The Today Show on NBC had a segment about gluten-free foods this morning.

It started by talking about the diet as a fad, showing stock footage of heavy people and their attempts to lose weight. Then, it went on to interview a couple who ate gluten-free hot dogs offered at Citi Field in New York City. The man claimed to be eating gluten-free only because the woman did. The woman never gave a clear answer for her food choice, making them both seem dopey.

Only two-thirds into the segment did the reporter mention health issues associated with gluten. The words "celiac disease" were uttered only once and the condition was never really explained. Symptoms were described as gastrointestinal discomfort and a rash. Serious health complications, such as malnutrition, colon cancer and infertility, were not the focus and the risk of death wasn't even mentioned.

The report indicated that only "one percent" of Americans have health issues with gluten, which is simply untrue. One in 133 have suffer from celiac disease alone, but this number doesn't take into account the many people who live with wheat allergies and gluten intolerance.

This report really makes my blood boil. Gluten-free foods were designed for people with celiac disease and  intolerance. I love that "gluten-free" has become more popular in mainstream society, but I wish public information would focus more on its true purpose. When the diet is cheapened to "fad" status, it takes away the idea of it as a necessity and removes focus from medical symptoms and research.

What do you think?

Lunch inside the box

Good gluten-free food is tough to find on the go, and once you've found it, you don't want to get caught in a rut. Most workdays, I carry a homemade sandwich to work, using store-bought gluten-free bread. Every other week or so, I get a hankering for something different.

Typically, I go for A Taste of Thai peanut noodles. If you have a microwave handy in the office, they're perfect for a quick, gluten-free meal. It takes about four minutes to cook. I've tried some of the brand's other varieties, such as those made with coconut or curry, and found them tasty, as well, but the peanut is my favorite.  I usually pack my box of noodles with re-heatable veggies, either peas or carrots, on the side. Chicken slices also mesh well with the peanut flavor. 

In Jersey, A Taste of Thai is available at Wegmans, Shop Rite and other mainstream grocery stores.

GF greeting on the boardwalk

One of the best, if not THE best, freshly-prepared GF pizzas I’ve ever eaten came from Siculiana’s in Asbury Park. I remember “real” pizza and this was the closet thing I’ve found thus far. The cheese was perfectly melted, the crust was a nice texture and the taste was, well, fabulous. 

This pie was even better than my homemade pizza that I had thought was perfected.

My dining party entered Siculiana’s via the boardwalk. We were looking for a quick bite when I saw the sandwich board sign advertising “gluten-free pizza.” You just don’t see such a thing often on a Jersey Shore boardwalk.I had earlier assumed I'd be stuck with a salad or something equally non-filling.

Appetite for Awareness? Yes, please!

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness is hosting its annual Appetite for Awareness event on Sunday in Philadelphia. This is an awesome smorgasboard of gluten-free goodies.

I attended last year's event and loved every minute of it. It may have been the first time in 13 years I walked into a room full of food and could eat EVERYTHING!

There are a bunch of Philly-area restaurants cooking for the crowd and offering plentiful samples of their wares. Most are based in the city, but Jersey is well-represented. The participating restaurants include BRIO Tuscan Grille (Cherry Hill), Casona of Collingswood (Collingswood) and Pasta Pomodoro Ristorante Italiano (Voorhees), which is where I once enjoyed a very tasty dish of freshly-made GF raviolis.

There's also a children's area with kid-friendly foods and entertainment, a GF beer garden, chef demonstrations and lots of swag. Last year, I went home with a resuable grocery bag stuffed with free GF breads, snacks and coupons that were not left unused.

The cost of admission may be pricey for those on a tight budget, ($50 in advance, $75 at the door for adults) but it's worth the expense. For more information, follow this link to the NFCA website: http://www.celiaccentral.org/a4a/