Gluten Free Travel Blog

Glutino and Gluten Free Pantry: Our Top-Picks for the Nostalgic Tastes You Remember From Before You Were Gluten-Free...

Just about everyone following a gluten-free diet has heard of Glutino and Gluten Free Pantry, two of the bigger manufacturers specializing in gluten-free products. Glutino has been around for decades, and in 2004 they acquired Gluten Free Pantry's line of award-winning baking mixes, founded by renowned Celiac chef Beth Hillson. All their products are tested to contain less than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten. 

We've been buying Glutino and Gluten Free Pantry products since Day One when our son was diagnosed with Celiac, before he was even two years old. Glutino has also been kind enough to send me new products to sample periodically. And some new products we discover all on our own. We have our favorites, like one new discovery I wanted to share with you...which reminds me of a popular gluten-filled product you may be missing since going gluten-free.

It's Glutino's Table Crakers, and they're the closest thing in taste to those Saltines you likely remember (and maybe still crave!). I noticed them for the first time last week while shopping at Whole Foods, so I picked up a box, hoping they'd be a new cracker option for my son, who hasn't seemed particularly excited about most gluten-free crackers we try. Well, I'm not sure he appreciated the taste as much as I did, because he certainly wouldn't remember eating a Saltine before he was two (if he even did have them -- I can't recall!). But WOW...they were crisp, tasty, and reminded me so much of that much-loved plain Saltine cracker that's very much off limits for anyone following a gluten-free diet! They are also larger than Saltines, and I was particularly impressed that the batch I bought was NOT broken, they way I've found many gluten-free crackers we buy (even other types from Glutino). 

Another favorite that allows GF folks to have the pleasure of an all-American treat is Glutino's new "Genius" sandwich bread. I particularly like using the white sandwich bread to make classic grilled-cheese sandwiches. The bread is light, airy, and makes the perfect grilled-cheese. Just spread a little butter or olive oil on each slice of bread, and get as basic or as fancy as you like with the cheese and other fillings. For "regular" sandwiches I prefer to use the Genius multigrain sandwich bread, just because it's healthier. For all sorts of great recipes using their Genius bread and other products, be sure to visit the recipe page of Glutino's website. 

Glutino's yogurt-covered and chocolate-covered pretzels are another big hit in our household. Until Glutino introduced them, I don't think there was a gluten-free version on the market. It's nice to be able to enjoy this uniquely sweet and salty snack again, and Glutino does a great job replicating the "real thing!" No big surprise, since their gluten-free pretzels are fantastic...and, in my opinion, nearly indistinguishable from gluten-filled varieties.  

If you or your kids are yearning for those "Apple Jacks" you had to give up when going gluten-free, Glutino makes a great substitute: their Apple Cinnamon Rings cereal. While this has been on the market for a while, it's a relatively new discovery in our household and a hit with our older son who isn't even Celiac. My own personal favorite among Glutino's cereals is their Berry Sensible Beginnings cereal, which is like lightly sweetened corn flakes (these are actually corn/rice flakes) and filled with real freeze-dried strawberries, which soften up nicely when you add milk. It's just the right amount of sweetness...not overly so. 

I'd have to say I haven't tried a Gluten-Free Pantry baking mix I haven't liked (although there are still plenty I need to sample). But our all-time favorite is definitely the Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix. Oh my goodness...they are to DIE for! First off, no one can tell they are gluten-free. They are so rich and moist and delicious that we have family members that gleefully make them every time they hear we will be coming to visit! It is a good excuse for them to make what has now become their favorite brownie mix!  These brownies are filled with little chunks of chocolate and don't need any icing...they're perfect plain or sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar. Once you try the Chocolate Truffly Brownie Mix, I'd be surprised if you ever bought another type of GF brownie mix again!

So there you have it...gluten-free folks can certainly enjoy plenty of All-American favorites, thanks to Glutino and Gluten Free Pantry. Lest you think I'm completely biased, I will share that there are a few Glutino products we aren't crazy about. In my family's opinion, their Glazed and Chocolate Glazed donuts don't measure up to Kinnikinnick's donuts in terms of taste or consistency. (Our favorite is Kinnikinnick's cinnamon sugar variety.)  Glutino's bagels, too, are not spectacular...a bit heavy and dense. However, they have several varieties, including cinnamon raisin, which has a good flavor. We're torn between whether we prefer Glutino's or Udi's. Neither is the "perfect" bagel...perhaps that is near impossible to achieve. While Glutino's is too heavy, Udi's in some ways is too airy...more like bread, not a bagel consistency. I guess it's a matter of personal preference. 

I'd love to hear about YOUR favorite Glutino and Gluten Free Pantry products -- or any recipes you've tried that incorporate their products -- so please leave a comment below! 

Gluten Free Expo in Washington, DC -- First Annual Show a Great Success

I had the opportunity to attend Washington, DC's Gluten-Free Expo last Friday at the Embassy Suites Convention Center hotel. It was a great success -- and an opportunity for me to meet new GF friends and re-connect with some old. Over 600 people attended this first-annual event, and proceeds went to the Celiac Disease Program at Children's National Medical Center.

Although I didn't have the opportunity to leave my own booth for very long, I did a quick lap through the hall of 60-or-so vendors, most of whom were sampling delicious sweet and savory gluten-free treats. Amie Valpone, of The Healthy Apple blog, was handing out samples of Rudi's delicious line of gluten-free breads. Glutino was also on-hand with samples of their new sandwich bread, which looks, smells, and tastes so much like "real" bread, you can definitely be fooled. 

Bloggers Diane of The Whole Gang and Bernice from Wheatless and Meatless were there, as were some of my favorite local baker Marion of Marion's Smart Delights bake shop and Maureen of One Dish Cuisine (FANTASTIC gluten-free crabcakes!).

In the booth beside me was Tonya's Gluten Free Kitchen, sampling their amazing gluten-free soft pretzels and pretzel bites (worthy of ballparks!). Other favorite food companies included Pamela's Products (whose Pancake and Baking mix our family ADORES) and Kettle Cuisine, with a line of high-quality gluten-free soups that are delicious, quick, and healthy. 

Wildfire Restaurant was sampling some new gluten-free items: cheese biscuits and chocolate pecan cookies, and Bella Monica was there with their delicious Artisan-syle gluten-free pizzas. Perhaps my favorite sampling experience, however, was Triple Oak Bakery, of Sperryville, VA. I'd been in touch with the owner, Brooke, recently but hadn't met her in person. Formerly a pastry chef at Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Flint Hill, Virginia, Brooke has nailed it when it comes to gluten-free baking. Really...probably the best GF baked goods I've had, and I've sampled A LOT. Her Smith Island Cake was addictive and like nothing else I've ever eaten. Her gluten-free cream puffs were to-die-for. She operates out of her retail bakery and also has some local distribution of her products and is trying to expand that distribution to shops and restaurants in the DC metro area. We would all benefit from that development! In the meantime, keep this bakery in mind for parties and special occasions.

And speaking of special occasions, I met a Stephanie Courtney, a lady specializing in Allergen Free Events in the DC and Baltimore areas. What a great service to keep in mind for help with big parties or events where some of the guests have special dietary needs!

Despite already being quite satiated from all the amazing gluten-free samples, I headed to the hotel's restaurant, Finn and Porter, for the "Globally Gluten Free" cocktail reception, featuring an amazing spread of Italian, Mexican, and other internationally-inspired gluten-free food. The presentation and taste of the food -- and the range of gluten-free options -- was incredible. Especially magnificent was the gluten-free cupcake display. Kudos goes to Executive Chef Aaron Flores, who is literally a legend within the gluten-free community.

My apologies for not including pictures with this post...my biggest regret was being so engrossed in conversations and tasting the food that I forgot to take photos!

Gluten Free Restaurants: Picazzo's Sets a High Bar for Gluten Free Menus

Fortunately for people with Celiac Disease -- and others following gluten-free diets -- restaurants offering gluten-free menus keep growing in number. But there's a difference between a restaurant offering "stripped down," bland versions of their regular offerings (often resulting in nothing more than a grilled chicken breast, baked potato and steamed veggies) and restaurants that really invest the time in creating amazing offerings especially for their gluten-free guests. Picazzo's Organic Italian Kitchen is an example of the later.  With locations throughout Arizona, Picazzo's sets the standard for gluten free dining with their extensive gluten-free menu that includes house-made gluten-free pizza. 

I had the opportunity to speak with Rick Freedman, the founder, owner, and Executive Chef of Picazzo's, earlier this week. His philosophy centers around offering his guests with the healthiest food possible. The result has been a new menu unveiled in the past year that incorporates more organic, local, and gluten free ingredients. Rick explained, "I'm all about eating healthy. And I want to be able to put bona fide healthy products out to our customers." 

Currently, 85% of Picazzo's menu is gluten-free. In fact, if you view their menu on their website, you'll notice they don't have a separate gluten-free menu...the "regular" menu is just filled with "gf" notations next to most of the items. The offerings range from appetizers (including their wings and sauces that are all gluten-free) to unique entree salads to gluten-free pasta with a wide range of sauces (and even gluten-free homemade meatballs) to house-made gluten-free pizza. A nice range of dessert options is also available for those diners that still have room!

Picazzo's has been using Ancient Harvest gluten-free quinoa pasta but will also begin offering a gluten-free brown-rice pasta from Goldbaum's soon, just so that people can have a choice. In fact, Rick is so committed to helping his guests eat healthier that he is planning to phase out "regular" wheat-based pasta and solely offer the two gluten-free varieties. 

Their hand-made gluten-free pizza and various gluten-free breads (including foccacia and flatbread) are made using a gluten-free flour blend from Tom Sawyer, an Arizona-based company that has worked with Picazzo's to develop its recipes. It was actually the chance encounter of meeting founder Tom Sawyer in Picazzo's Sedona restaurant years ago that launched Rick on his mission to introduce his first gluten-free offerings in the restaurant, something he'd already been thinking about for a while. 

This serendipitous event was just the beginning. Over the years, Picazzo's had expanded their gluten-free menu, and their devoted gluten-free clientele continues to grow. Rick is fastidious about avoiding cross contamination, saying they are "very, very aware" of how important that is. They have a separate area of the kitchen devoted to building the gluten-free pizzas, and there is a special washdown process on all the mixers. They even have a special brick in their oven for gluten-free pizza. All staff members -- from kitchen staff to servers -- are extensively trained in person, and all gluten-free orders are "flagged" from when the order is taken until it comes out of the kitchen with a special American flag toothpick as an identifier.

When asked if they planned to take their successful concept to a wider geographic area beyond Arizona, Rick said he'd love to do that at some point, but expansion would have to allow for the same stringent requirements with regard to local, gluten-free, and organic sourcing. I, for one, will keep my fingers crossed that this fantastic concept makes its way eastward!

If you've been lucky enough to dine at one of Picazzo's locations, please take a moment to share your experience by posting a review to GlutenFreeTravelSite -- or sharing your comments below. And if you'll be traveling to Arizona, take a moment to search reviews of Picazzo's and other "gluten-free friendly" restaurants on our Search/Mapping page. 

Wonderful Gluten Free Bakery in Boston area

The products I've tried from Glutenus Minimus gluten-free bakery in Belmont, Massachusetts are fantastic -- whether you buy them pre-made, or buy one of their many pre-packaged mixes to make yourself. Their extensive line of products include cookies and squares, muffins, cupcakes/cakes, coffee cakes, loaves, and breads. 

They sell their baked goods and their mixes at their bakery in Belmont, and they also have their products available at area restaurants, bakeries, and markets. You can also order their mixes on their website. Special occasion cakes and cupcakes are available via special order, too.

We have tried their blueberry muffins, which were fantastic...very moist and tasted like "the real thing." The mini vanilla pound cake we purchased was also very flavorful with a good pound-cake texture. These products were indistinguishable from gluten-containing baked goods.

We purchased three gluten-free mixes to make at home: the Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake Mix (a top seller), the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, and the Vanilla Cake Mix. 

The coffee cake was outstanding. I'd never made a gluten-free coffee cake before, and most of the pre-made ones we'd tasted weren't all that special. I definitely know why this is one of their best sellers. And it was SO easy to make (just add butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and what I like to call the "secret"  ingredient: sour cream (to make it moist). The coffee cake did not last long in our house! 

Next up was the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, which I decided to try less than a week later...on Valentine's Day. My husband has always LOVED the huge cookie "pies" you can get at Mrs. Field's for special occasions. We hadn't had one in years, and I felt it was "cruel and unusual punishment" to bring one in house since our 8-year-old son (the family member with Celiac) wouldn't be able to have it. So I 
decided to make one on my own...using this mix from Glutenus Minimus.

I followed the directions on the box, adding butter, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Then I spread a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and formed a large heart with the dough. I was hoping the dough would hold its shape and not "spread" too much as it was cooked, turning my well-crafted heart into a big blob! I had to cook the cookie much longer than the directions for regular-sized cookies on the box, but it turned out great -- held its shape and all. Then I decorated it with some icing and a Valentine's message...Viola! Mrs. (Gluten-Free) Fields!

I have yet to make the Vanilla Cake Mix...I think our sweet tooths have been satisfied for a while!

If you live near Belmont, definitely check out Glutenus Minimus (just not on Sunday or Monday when they're closed!). Or, if you live outside the Boston area, try ordering some of their products online. They're easy and wonderfully tasty!

Gluuteny: A Wonderful Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Bakery in Pittsburgh

Our family traveled to Pittsburgh this past weekend. After seeing a brief review of Gluuteny gluten-free bakery on our sister website, GlutenFreeTravelSite, we decided we would have to make a stop there on our way in to town. So glad we did! It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday, and the woman working in the store at the time (Elizabeth) apologized for the lighter selection of baked goods, given the time of day. 

But we were still very pleased with the range of choices: brownies, iced sugar cookies, mini chocolate vanilla marbled bundt cakes, vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, huge Whoopie pies, gingerbread men, huge chocolate chip cookies, mini cinnamon swirl coffee cakes, pound cakes, pumpkin loaves, and lemon loaves. YUM!! What delicious-looking treats.

We seriously had to use discipline not to buy everything in the store. We finally settled on a few cupcakes, some muffins, the coffee cake, and a Whoopie pie. The great thing is that they sell the dry mixes for most of the items baked in the store, so we also bought a mix for the marbled bundt cake. (You can order these mixes, plus their cookies and croutons, to be shipped but not the other baked goods, which wouldn't be stable enough for shipping). 

Now I regret not buying more when we were there...but the problem was that we didn't have any place to freeze what we bought since we weren't going home until the next evening. Since they don't use preservatives in their baked goods (a good thing!), they might get a little dry after a day or two. But 
everything we had was AWESOME. I didn't get a taste of my kids' muffins or Whoopie Pie, but they seemed to enjoy them just fine! The coffee cake ranks among the best I've had, gluten-free or not, and the chocolate cake used for the cupcakes was delicious...perfect taste AND texture...you wouldn't even know it was gluten-free. The icing was a little sweet, but still very good.

I was chatting with my kids and husband, comparing the icing to a buttercream icing I like to make from scratch, and then remembered that Gluuteny's products are not only gluten-free but dairy free as well (the owner's daughter was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in 2005). Well, after thinking about the lack of wheat AND dairy in these treats, I became even MORE impressed! Incredible what some very talented bakers can do without wheat or dairy these days! I cannot wait to make the marbled bundt cake, and I'm looking forward to ordering more of their dry mixes to have at home. 

AND I'm seriously looking forward to our next trip to Pittsburgh so we can stop at Gluuteny. Neither the owner of the store or  the manager was there the day we stopped in, so I'd just like to say, "Keep up the great work!" I highly recommend anyone in Pittsburgh (gluten-free or not!) and those visiting Pittsburgh make Gluuteny Bakery a regular stop for amazing gluten-free, dairy free treats! And if you're dying to try their goodies but aren't anywhere near Pittsburgh, you can order via their website or on Amazon.com. For their local clientele, they also can make special occasion multi-tiered cakes and decorated cupcake or cookie platters.

Gluten Free Muffins and Lemon Bars that are Healthy as Well as Delicious!

I have the pleasure of being a member of the DC Celiacs support group, and through this group, I met a woman named Marion who has been working feverishly to develop a near-perfect gluten free muffin mix and lemon bar mix. After having had the opportunity to sample her treats at several group meetings -- and trying both mixes myself at home -- I can’t say enough about the quality and taste of Marion’s Smart Delights Gluten Free Cookie and Muffin Baking Mix and her Gluten Free Lemon Bar Mix.

The variety of baked goods you can create with Marion's muffin mix is almost endless (she includes many delicious recipes on her website). I've personally tried the chocolate chip muffins, vegan orange chocolate chip muffins, and the shortbread cookies. The mix is not only gluten-free, but free of ALL 8 major allergens! Another thing that sets this versatile gluten-free baking mix apart from all the others is that it’s the only one that incorporates so many sources of whole grain (millet, amaranth, quinoa, and timtane), making your baked goods healthy as well as delicious. (And I don't know about you, but as much as I want to incorporate more of these healthy, gluten-free, "alternative" whole grains in the food I cook for my family, sometimes it's easier said than done!)

Another advantage Marion's mixes have is that they are naturally low in sugar and sodium, you aren’t getting as much of the “bad stuff” either...but trust me, the taste doesn’t suffer. With the muffins and shortbread cookies, I really enjoyed the subtle sweetness that can be tailored depending on the recipe you follow and what you add to the mix.

Marion’s Lemon Bar Baking Mix is another home-run...just the right level of sweetness and lemony flavor, and you’d never guess the bars are gluten-free. These two mixes are really perfect for anyone with gluten-intolerance or allergies to keep stocked in their pantry...the baking possibilities are endless. They are even Kosher certified, and recipes can be tailored to be dairy free or even vegan. Right now, Marion's Featured Recipe at the bottom of her Home page is for Cranberry Walnut Bread. Other tempting recipes included on her website include Carrot Cake, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Almond Cookies. 

Marion's Smart Delights Mixes are currently available at a few stores in the Washington, DC area with new retailers coming soon. In the meantime, you can also buy the mixes and have them shipped directly to you through her website. If you buy them, I'd be anxious to hear what you made and how it turned out. Feel free to share YOUR favorite gluten-free baking mixes with us as well by replying to this post!