Happy Gluten Free Christmas And New Year

I've decided that this is it for 2011, I've stopped working and I'm going to take a break from blogging too. I really need to get rid of this stinking cold and violent cough that I've had for well over a month now, I can't let flu set in like it did last year. So as of today the 22nd I'm taking a well earned break.

I've made great progress with the gluten free diet this year, yes there have been some glutening episodes, one in particular that was so awful that it took me two months to fully recover from, but from that I learnt about PPM and why when a product says it's gluten free, that isn't always the case.

My Seafood Platter Christmas Lunch

This is what I'm hoping for, I don't expect the tiered platter, but a single big plate of lovely shellfish would be great. In reality as years before have shown, I will be directed to the fridge where there will be countless bags of shellfish goodies and I'll end up eating them out of the bags at the table whilst using a big bowl to put all the shells in.

It isn't the most glamorous of Christmas lunches when eaten in such a way but it still tastes incredible. Who knows, this year I may get the surprise of a platter so I can dine in the way that my parents and other half do with their traditional roasts. Photographic evidence of just what happens will be recorded for amusement. Ah, being a coeliac!

Trufree - My Favourite Gluten Free Sweet Treat

The thing about being gluten free for me is that I am constantly shocked and surprised at how good ready made gluten free sweet things are. I'm no baker and messing about with flours doesn't appeal but it matters not. There's so many tasty treats out there.

About 18 months ago I discovered Trufree, I sampled biscuits and crackers which were and are lovely, but one day whilst shopping I noticed something new; Trufree Chocolate Fingers.

Surstromming Update

Need Something Like This!

I still haven't had any. It appears as though I'm going to need an old fashioned tin opener to get into it. Just as well the tins are thick, over the course of the last week I've been hearing these 'popping' noises and have been wondering where they've been coming from. Mystery solved, it's the surstromming tins bulging *insert somewhat concerned expression here*.

Roasted Chestnuts

Christmas Chestnuts

200C for 20 minutes and you have gorgeous naturally gluten free chestnuts to snack on. These are probably my most favourite of all Christmas foods, don't be too hasty to eat them though, I'm sporting a blister on my thumb from an eagerness to scoff them. Ouch but yum. Oh and you must cut them a little before you roast them or else they'll explode and leave a huge mess in your oven.

Christmas And Beyond

I've been thinking about Christmas dinner, two years running I had shellfish whilst I looked on longingly at my parents and other half's roast dinners. Last year my mum attempted to cater for me (I had previously refused, as she hates cooking and I didn't want to risk it), which was fine except after I asked as to how the stuffing was made I was told with sausages. Regular, not gluten free sausages. Needless to say I had my first Christmas day glutening.

I'm thinking, I should stick with the seafood rather than the roast, it's too risky. I can't expect my parents to understand gluten free in the way that we do at home, they're elderly and despite me telling them I'm gluten free for so long, it was only a month ago that my dad actually asked what gluten was. Not having a traditional Christmas dinner is starting to sound just fine to me!

Weekend Eats 7

Due to still having this cough and cold that has been lingering for over a month now, I haven't been very experimental lately, we've been having the same old, same old. I guess it's due to being a bit under the weather but I'm realising more and more that although I do love cooking, the majority of the time I need convenience, even sometimes on weekends.

Gluten Free Taramasalata

There are so many things that aren't gluten free that should be. If you think about some foods and what actually goes into making them, there should be no gluten present, so why is there? Filler. Lots of things are pumped full of filler to bulk them up.

Taramasalata in the supermarket form isn't what I would consider to be real taramasalata, it bears no resemblance to the good old fashioned deli versions that I grew up with. Most, if not all shop bought taramasalata's contain breadcrumbs, why?! This is a naturally gluten free food that if done in a traditional way certainly doesn't require the need for blooming breadcrumbs!

Gluten Free Thai Style Spare Ribs

I'm a huge fan of marinating meat, I love how tender it makes it. This was a total experiment purely because I'm all out of my beloved oyster sauce (thanks Waitrose for not stocking it anymore! Now we have to buy it online in bulk - it's Blue Elephant btw). I think that oyster sauce is a staple ingredient to have in the kitchen but seeing as I'm out I tried something completely different.

Pad Thai sauce, I discovered it in the world food aisle of my Tesco. At the moment I have no idea what the brand was but I'll post that up after my next shopping trip.

Update 16/12/11

WorldFoods is the brand, it clearly says no gluten and suitable for coeliacs on the label.

Gluten Free Cheese Pitta Pockets

Speedy Lunch

Following on from my Pitta Pizza Pockets post (tongue twister!), I was just thinking, what can I have for lunch? And I remembered that I had a pitta bread left over from the pizza pocket experiment. As I only managed half of one last time, I did the same amount again but this time I just opened the pitta up (much easier if you cut them in half first) and squished a couple of slices of mozzarella in.

3 minutes later and I've got a gorgeous Cheese Pitta Pocket that I am going to dip into Scotch Bonnet sauce. Seriously, that grill is perfect for me!

Gluten Free Pitta Pizza Pockets

Ok, so it's a bit of a mouthful to say but that's what they are and they're a great light(ish) lunch or a snack. I used Asda pitta breads, they were a bit of a nightmare to cut open and load but that wasn't too much of a surprise, we are talking gluten free after all.

I can make these better but this was lunch after food shopping, I'm always really hungry after that and so it was a bit of a quick experiment. Worked out great though.

Gluten Free Cheesy Garlic Bread

Gluten Free Garlic Bread With Cheese

Not the best form of presentation but who cares when you're hungry?! I just whipped these up and devoured them. I sliced a DS Gluten Free baguette, spread some ready made garlic butter on them then added the cheese on top, this time I used mozzarella and gouda. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes and hey presto! Gorgeous gluten free garlic bread with cheese.

Hot bread usually gives me terrible indigestion, but thankfully it's minimal at the moment. Just.

Gluten Free Chicken and Smoked Sausage Kebabs

Kebabs on the George

I hadn't marinated the chicken so for quickness and ease but still great flavour I used a stock cube, broke it down in a tiny bit of boiling water and made a paste. It covered the chicken pieces beautifully and tasted great too. I can't be doing with plain chicken, it isn't worth eating.

I used my George Foreman grill to cook these but you can cook them in a number of ways. I always used to fry mine, I never added oil to the pan though as I coat the ingredients (minus the chicken and sausage) in oil prior to putting the kebabs together, this is a great way of making the base for a sauce. Deglaze the pan once the kebabs are cooked and you have a lovely sauce to pour over.

Anyway, chicken kebabs, easy, healthy and delicious. It doesn't get much more simple than this.

(Long) Weekend Eats 6

I had the happiest, loveliest long weekend ever, so much so that I just want Christmas Eve here, right now. I cannot wait for that holiday this year. Talking of Christmas, don't decorate your tree whilst drunk, ours looks like something a drag queen would wear.

The long weekend meant that more time could be spent in the kitchen, we even deviated from the regular weekend eats. We were supposed to have fondue but I bought a new cheese to throw into the mix and it turned out to be so different and good that I didn't want to use in in the fondue. It's Le Pied Angloys, much like Camembert but with a hint of honey, a great find for a cheese freak like myself. Lack of cheese meant no fondue, but soon.

George Foreman Grill - What A Time Saver!

I'm growing incredibly fond of George, I didn't think I would need him, so I didn't ever want him, but now that he is in my life he's here for good.

One of my birthday pressies was a family sized George Foreman grill, like I said, I never thought that I would have any use for one but oh my, how wrong I was! I struggle on week days for meals for me and I really can't be bothered to cook for myself. If it isn't something that takes 5 minutes or less I simply do not want to know!

Surstromming

Stinky Surstromming, Yum!

I'm beyond excited, I'm actually in possession of 3 tins of surstromming!

Surstromming is considered by some to be the most stinky food in the world. It's fermented herring and I've spent many an hour laughing at videos of people on YouTube who dare each other to eat it. Lots don't get past the opening of the tin stage.

Surstromming may be a bit of a giggle for some but it's actually a Swedish delicacy and that's why I want to try it. I'm down with what others may consider to be disgusting tastes, the stronger the flavour with seafood, the more I want it. Caviar, Oysters, Smoked Roe, Schmaltz Herring, Brown Shrimps I love the lot.

Customer Service (Or Lack Of It)

Since being gluten free customer service has become very important to me. It's essential to know whether things contain gluten and also in my case, pepper. I've come across some great customer service via twitter and email, for instance, not all gluten free products agree with me, I have a very low tolerance for PPM. Once I realised this it was important for me to ask any new brands I was thinking of trying what their PPM of products was. I've been pleased with the responses, even if I can't have the products.

My Gluten Free Batter Mixture Featured On Prime Time ITV Show!

Yep, no lie, the other night my original gluten free batter recipe was on ITV, I could hardly believe it. There it was in a vast quantity for millions of viewers to see.

When I first found out that I was a coeliac lots of kitchen experiments went on, one was to find a batter that could coat things and be deep fried. Obviously the main ingredient in batter is flour so of course, we had to find out what flour would be best suited. One particular time I came up with the idea of just mixing corn flour and water together to make a nice thick batter to coat chicken. I thought I had it, it was looking really promising when I was mixing it.

OPI Nail Envy - Problem!

I've been using Nail Envy because of my nail peeling problem that I've been having. Today I found out that it's got wheat in it. All Nail Envy products contain wheat. Just waiting on the official OPI Titter account to get back to me on whether the polishes are safe. I currently have bare nails, I don't do bare nails! But I do not want to be glutened.

I now need to contact Leighton Denny, Nails Inc and Zoya to see if their products are gluten free because these are the only brands I use. Twitter calls!

Gluten Free Tomato Sauce For Pasta, Noodles Etc

I originally made this sauce to go with Italian style meatballs but I realised that it's a great alternative to bolognese sauce. I had it with rice noodles and it was a real winner. Bonus is, it takes less than 5 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

1 tin Plum Tomatoes
1 level teaspoon Sugar
6-8 fresh Basil Leaves
250 ml gluten free Chicken Stock
Pinch of Salt

Gluten Free Pork Burgers - A Mustardy Version

I love playing around with different burger ingredients because there's just so many different flavour combinations to choose from. I only ever use pork though because I don't eat red meat and as far as I'm concerned minced chicken is a total waste of time when you can have a juicy whole chicken breast.

I haven't been experimenting with burgers for a while because I don't think it gets any better than my Oriental style burgers, but I was making them as a week day dinner for my fiance when I thought something a bit different would be nice. Cue my Burgers with a little kick:

Weekend Eats 5

These weekend eats posts originally started off as me trying to document all the experiments that go on during the weekend when I actually have time to get a little creative. What they've actually highlighted is the fact that pretty much every weekend without fail we eat the same gluten free stuff.

This is good in one respect, it means that I've perfected these meals to our liking and they're so good that we want to keep eating them. On the other hand, these posts should have been called My Randomosities. Hey ho, there's still lots to write about.

Hello to those of you from Ukraine, my stats tell me that you have been visiting often. Vitayu! (I do hope that is Ukrainian for hello and not some form of insult *insert an awkward smiley face*).

Gluten Free Mustard and Hot Dogs

 
Sometimes it's the little things I miss, like Colmans mustard. Not only did I use it as a condiment but I used it as an ingredient in things such as mashed potato and burgers. I found out pretty early on that Colmans had gluten in it so I bought the powder (which is gluten free) and tried to replicate my own. Couldn't do it, it was never the right consistency or taste.

It had been a few years since I'd had any kind of mustard but recently I'd had a craving for it. Despite the numerous kinds available it didn't take long for a label scanning mission one shopping trip to find one that is not only gluten free, but quite possibly better than Colmans.

Gluten Free Ready Meals

I really enjoy cooking when I have free time, but after a day of work I really don't feel like faffing about in the kitchen for myself. What I love is convenience. Last night for example, it wasn't a ready meal, but I had pork belly strips marinating in oyster sauce in the fridge, so I just threw a couple into a pyrex dish with a tiny bit of stock and cooked them in the oven. Gorgeous flavours but not exactly a well rounded meal.

As a really early dinner today I had an Amy's Kitchen macaroni cheese which is a gluten free ready meal. It's utter comfort food though and whilst it is very tasty, again it's not exactly a balanced meal. I'm ashamed to admit this but I don't recall the last time I ingested a vegetable. With all the deficiencies that go with coeliac disease, this isn't very smart on my part.

Cold, Cough and Covonia

I've been battling with a chesty cough for over 3 weeks now, sniffles that had also been lingering have now turned into a full blown cold and I'm seriously aching. In my pre-coeliac days, I would have whipped up a large saucepan of chicken soup and hey presto, I would be fine in no time.

Sure I can still make chicken soup, but I can't use the same stock cubes and frankly all the ones I can use just don't cut it in the taste department and I just don't have time to make a stock from scratch. That's the thing though, I'm not even sure that making stock from bones would have the same effect. If you've ever heard the expression Jewish penicillin, that's what my old stock cubes were like. Telma chicken stock cubes were like magic, not only did they make the most gorgeous tasting soup, but they always, without fail made me feel better, even if I wasn't feeling ill in the first place.

Weekend Eats 4

Not much new to report, different meals this weekend were Thai Green Curry and Chicken in Oyster Sauce with boiled rice. We usually have king prawns with the curry but decided on chicken this time round as we had prawns in our Sauteed Potatoes and Seafood lunch. I over cooked the chicken, it wasn't great. The Chicken in Oyster Sauce was a triumph though, we hadn't had that for ages.

I'm all stocked up on Amy's Kitchen Macaroni Cheese from Asda and I have become reacquainted with miso soup which I totally forgot how much I loved. I used to have the Sanchi one prior to being a coeliac and though that is gluten free I can't get it at Tesco. The one that Tesco stock is by a brand called Yutaka and is also gluten free, so thumbs up there.

A Gluten Free Nightmare

Just imagine the horror of that being regular flour in one of our coeliac homes.

I'm That Girl Too

It's hard enough being a coeliac in the comfort of your own home sometimes (gluten free foods not actually being gluten free at all!), so eating out and being That Girl who gets called a fussy eater is a familiar one.

Let Me Introduce You To Fred and Friends

If you aren't aware of Fred and Friends cool food and drink related items then you really should be. I don't know about other coeliacs, but I certainly think more about food now than I did when I wasn't on a restricted diet. Along with thinking about actual meals, I think of ingredients, cooking techniques, flavours and how I'm going to serve them.

Whilst thinking along these lines I also think of gadgets and gizmo's and this is where Fred and Friends come into the picture. See that OCD Chopping Board? How cool is that?! It has guidelines for batonnet, allumette, julienne and fine juilienne as well as others.

Sauteed Potatoes with King Prawns and Squid

A Gorgeous Quick Meal

This is a true one pot wonder, an indulgent combination of complimenting textures and delicate flavours.

Ingredients:

2 medium Potatoes (I use Albert Bartlett)
12 King Prawns
1 large Squid Tube
30g Garlic Butter
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
3 Garlic Cloves
1 level tablespoon Parsley
pinch of Sea Salt

Weekend Eats 3

I'm either going to have to shake things up or retire the weekend eats posts because we've had two of the same meals again. Thing is, when something is just so amazingly lovely, you do want to keep having it.

Chicken Goujons with Mozzarella Squares and Chilli Potato Wedges, and Red Pork with Chips and this time Pak Choi made their way back into this weekends meals. I'm actually getting a bit tired of the red pork to be honest, I love it, but I would like something different next weekend, but then I think of that sauce and I'm just drawn back in again.

Gluten Free Guacamole

Following on from the Quesadillas recipe, here's the guacamole that always accompanies it.

1 ripe Avocado
1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Fresh Lime Juice
Generous pinch of Sea Salt

Gluten Free Quesadillas

Quesadillas On The George

How to make homemade gluten free tortillas.

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Breast
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Orange Pepper
1 medium Onion
1 small Chipotle (you can get these from Mex Grocer too)
1 level teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 level teaspoon Onion Powder
2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon of Sesame Oil for frying
Cheese (we use Gouda)
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Gluten Free Chicken Goujons With A Twist

Beautifully Breaded Chicken Goujons

Gluten free chicken goujons have become a bit of a Saturday lunch favourite and whilst they've always been yum, last week my OH came up with a bit of a brilliant idea to make them even better. He gets total credit for this.

We were thinking about brining the chicken before breading it, but what my husband to be came up with was a triumph of simplicity and taste. You may have seen my post about Owen Potts Quick For Cooks range, if not it's here. We just popped open a pouch of his Chicken, Thyme and White Wine Gravy and marinated the chicken pieces in that overnight. Taste sensation!

Gluten Free Red Pork Recipe

Red Pork Cooking In The Wok With Pak Choi

Red pork seasoning was a great discovery, because not only can I now replicate the barbecue sauce you get from Chinese restaurants and take aways, it also makes a quick meal of beautifully tenderised pork.

This is such a simple recipe that you could serve with a variety of sides. It has a star anise, cinnamon, paprika, sweet and salty flavour combination going on. Lovely!

Weekend Eats 2

Predictable. We ended up having two of the same meals as last weekend, Red Pork and Chicken Goujons with Mozzarella Squares. The chicken goujons were done differently this time though and I remembered to make the Chili Potato Wedges. So that was Sunday dinner and Saturday lunch, Friday dinner was DS Gluten Free Margarita Pizza with added toppings and Saturday dinner was...... (it can't have been great as I don't remember - hence Weekend Eats posts!)

DS Gluten Free Pizza With Added Toppings

I take that back, it was great, we had Quesadillas! Not remembering is down to my sieve of a brain, not how good or bad the food was. I'll post the recipes (I actually refer to my own blog for them if I can't find my sexy little black book of gluten free recipes. I also sometimes write the ingredients in there but not the quantities or steps. Blonde, yes I know!), but I don't have any photos to accompany them. Photography isn't my strong point when I'm hungry.

Cockle Popcorn

Cockle Popcorn

Shellfish fanatic here. Always have been and thanks to it being natural produce with no interference, still can be! Absolute gluten free goodness.

I love watching cooking shows, no more so than when shellfish is involved, so I was excited at the prospect of some cockle and mussel recipes being featured on the Great British Food Revival. As soon as I heard the mention of Cockle Popcorn I knew I had to try this.

Nakd Infused Raisins - Gluten Free Goodness

Nakd Infused Raisins

Yet another great gluten free discovery and another that I've only been able to get at Asda. These are not only super delish but one little pack is 1 of your 5 a day. There's nothing artificial in these just sun dried raisins, citric acid and natural flavour.

Weekend Eats 1

Red Pork Seasoning

I've decided to start documenting our weekend meals, just for reference really, as sometimes we have the same meals for weeks on end then forget about them. I don't eat great during the week, I admit that. I just don't get the time to cook two different meals and as my gorgeous OH likes to eat late, that isn't an option for me so I stick to the basics. Things that can be heated or just generally eaten quickly without any fuss in the kitchen.

At the weekend I like to spend time in the kitchen cooking up with new and old favourites alike. I don't do fancy and I certainly don't bake! My weekend kitchen time is mostly spent making naughty foods that I spend the rest of the week craving. Weekend eats, while you are more than welcome to read, are just going to be my random ramblings about my gluten free cooking. No gourmet stuff here!

Thorntons Classic Collection - Gluten Free Chocolates!

Thorntons Classic Collection

I'm in chocolate heaven right now all thanks to optimism and inquisitiveness. I've been eating Tesco free from chocolate bars pretty much since finding out I was a coeliac. I've tried others but they were just too sickly and of a really unusual texture, so I've been getting my chocolate fix, but it's not been with the same enjoyment as my pre-coeliac days. How could it be?

Maybe it was Winter setting in and that need for comfort foods, but I had a mad craving for a box of chocolates. I looked online and sure enough there were some options, but they just didn't do it for me, I wanted familiar. I resigned myself to the free from bars I had made do with. That was until....

The Curious Case Of Potatoes vs My Nails

I've been having problems with my nails for longer than I can remember and I've always blamed it on being a coeliac and having vitamin and mineral deficiencies, despite the fact that I do the best I can to make sure I'm not deficient.

I think it was at some point earlier this year that I noticed that when I was prepping potatoes, my nail polish would chip and come off. Obviously not great when dealing with food so I started not wearing any if potatoes were on the menu that day. Then I noticed that my nails were getting into a horrible state, lots of layers peeling at the tips. I've been using professional nail treatments for months now and despite a few days of improvement, my nails always end up peeling again.

Gluten Free Macaroni Cheese Discovery

I'd had a craving for macaroni cheese for months but I couldn't find any gluten free macaroni to make it with. Imagine my delight on my first trip to an Asda, right there in the frozen cabinet, a gluten free macaroni cheese ready meal!

I wasn't disappointed, it was proper hearty comfort food and both the rice macaroni and the cheese sauce were delicious. Amy's Kitchen who make this have other gluten free foods available too. If you want a filling gluten free meal that's ready in minutes, this is worth a try.

http://www.amyskitchen.co.uk

PPM, Do You Understand What It Means? I Didn't

PPM = parts per million. That's how much gluten in is your gluten free foods.

Hang on, surely I just wrote that wrong, right? How much gluten is IN my gluten free foods?! Yep, you read it right and I wrote it right. If you are a new coeliac this might be news to you.

Up until earlier this year I had no idea about PPM. I'd read bits and bobs but to be honest, it all went over my head. That was until I was glutened by a gluten free product.

Xinxim Recipe Las Iguanas Style - Gluten Free Of Course!

Delicious Xinxim

What is Xinxim? (pronounced Shin Shim) If I hadn't been to Las Iguanas I would be wondering that too. This is how they describe it:

It's a traditional Brazilian dish of chicken and crayfish in a peanut and lime creamy sauce.

This is how I would describe it:

Blooming tasty! But it isn't something you would want every day. It's a dish that when I get a craving for, I have to have it!

I don't use crayfish in my Xinxim recipe but as far as I'm concerned, I've nailed the taste pretty darn close to the Las Iguanas one. It looks pretty much the same too. This is a really rich dish that you'll either love or hate, but you'll probably make that choice as soon as you see the ingredients list.

Saturday Kitchen and That Coeliac Chef

This has been out there for a while now, but seeing as I was one of those who complained to the BBC about the incident and documented it on here, I thought I may as well bring the drama full circle.

My Love Affair With DS Gluten Free Foods And Why I'm Angry

I've been eating DS Gluten Free foods for a good few years now, I believe I started off with the crackers and then as more foods got introduced I scoffed my way through those too. I'm a seriously sensitive coeliac to the point that I can only tolerate a very low PPM and I've never had a bad experience with DS Gluten Free, ever. (Of which the same cannot be said for another gluten free company, that's going to be a long post that I'm not looking forward to writing).

Owen Potts Quick For Cooks - Good Find!

Since becoming a coeliac I can't tell you how much time I have spent in the stock cubes aisle of my Tesco. Sure it would be lovely to make my own stocks and gravys, but there's just no time when work is so constantly hectic. For well over a year I didn't have a stock cube problem, I was using Kallo chicken stock cubes and very nice they were too (not a patch on my beloved Telma cubes though).

Pho Restaurant Review Wardour Street, Soho, London - Avoid!

It's been a while since I've had the time to write anything on Free From G, but oh my, there's been a lot of stuff that I've been keeping bottled up to write up here the first chance I got. This is that chance.

My last post was a glowing review for a restaurant chain called Pho in glorious Brighton . Seriously, it was the most laid back, stress free meal I've had out since becoming a coeliac. With that experience in mind, when my (now) future In-Laws came visiting from abroad, it seemed an obvious choice to go to a London branch of Pho for the same experience. Let me just state this now, if you or anyone you are dining with is a coeliac, DO NOT go anywhere near this place!

Pho Restaurant Review - Brighton - Gluten Free Friendly

It's been a while, so much to post about yet so little time to actually do it. I have a backlog of loads of gluten free recipes which I could post, but there's no photos to accompany them, so it would all look a bit dull really.

Anyway, a while back myself and my other half went for a day trip to lovely Brighton. When planning this trip we had terrible trouble locating somewhere to eat that was gluten free, there was just no definitive list. After a while we came across a restaurant that we had never heard of, Pho. We investigated the menu, read some gluten free reviews and decided that's where we would have lunch.

Blair's Death Sauce Is Gluten Free!

Don't know why it took me so long, but I finally contacted Blair Lazar on Twitter to ask if any of his sauces or chips were gluten free. He said yes but I should email Karin to get a more detailed answer, here's just that:

Sorry for any delay in getting back to you.  I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend.

All of Blair's sauces (both Death and Heat) are gluten free, as well as all chips and all jars (salsa, queso, wing sauce).  However, of our dry spices, only our Nitro is gluten free. The BBQ and Habanero dry spice contain gluten, as does our jerky.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Feel alive!!

Karin

So if you're a chilihead coeliac like me, you can still have Blair's Death Sauces, as well as the other stuff listed as safe. Great news - Blair's Death Sauce is gluten free!!! Feel Alive indeed.

Byron Bay White Choc Chunk and Macadamia Nut Cookies

When you open the packet you can really smell the delicious white chocolate and cookie dough aroma. If you aren't a fan of white chocolate, then this isn't the Bryon Bay cookie for you, but luckily I adore the stuff so this is a taste sensation.

The flavour of the macadamias follow through after the chocolate and they give the cookie a lovely texture. I did find this flavour slightly messier than others I've tried, but the taste is so good that the crumbs don't matter. This is a rich chocolatly taste that has a creamy edge, utterly indulgent and truly delicious!

White Choc Chunk and Macadamia Nut was the very first Byron Bay cookie I tried and since then, I've been converted to the thought that out of all the gluten free cookies I've tried in the 2 plus years I've been an a coeliac on a gluten free diet, Byron Bay Cookies are the best flavours I've had to date.

Byron Bay Strawberry and Clotted Cream Cookie With White Choc Chunks

What you have to understand about my absolute love of these cookies is that my favourite time of the year is and has always been, Wimbledon fortnight. What does tennis have to do with these cookies? Strawberries and cream, that's the signature Wimbledon food to indulge in while you're there, it's terribly English chaps! These cookies are so Wimbledon they should be the official snack!

These cookies made me think of Wimbledon as soon as I opened the packet, it's a sweet but not sickly, creamy smell that I could only dream of my home smelling of on a permanent basis! Actually, I'd like to smell of these cookies, they're so fragrant and fresh.

Byron Bay Cookies Rock!

About 5 weeks ago I discovered Byron Bay Cookies by accident. At this time I began a month long stretch of being a daily hospital visitor as I had a parent who was quite sick. Due to being a coeliac, I was having trouble finding anything to eat on the go, but during one of my early, daily trips to a small Sainsburys, I saw something in the tiny free from section that caught my eye: Byron Bay White Choc Chunk and Macadamia Nut Cookies.

What The BBC Have To Say About Anthony Demetre's Saturday Kitchen Comments

This is the email response to my complaint to the BBC about Anthony Demetre's comments:

Dear Miss -

Thank you for contacting us regarding the BBC One programme ‘Saturday Kitchen’ broadcast on 9 April.

We understand you were unhappy with the comments made by Anthony Demetre about his eating habits even though he has been diagnosed with Coeliac disease.

Anthony is a diagnosed coeliac and his children have shown signs of wheat intolerance. He therefore cooked a dish that was without gluten as it is something he has always been keen to support within his restaurant business.

In discussing his eating habits Anthony was expressing his own personal way of coping with the condition and at no point did he advocate it as a diet that others should try. He accepts that maybe his choice of words could have been better judged but at no point did he intend to anger people and he is perfectly entitled to control his eating in any way he deems right for him. However, he apologises should anyone have been offended or upset by his words but he will continue to serve and cook gluten free food, something that is very unusual in the world of professional chefs.

'Saturday Kitchen' highlights a range of different culinary style and foods. We always strive to provide recipes that are suitable for all diets and we will continue to do so.

We would like to assure you that your concerns were raised with the ‘Saturday Kitchen’ production and registered on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

BBC Audience Services

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

His personal way of coping with the condition is DANGEROUS. Sure he may not be telling others to do the same but just by saying it, he is implying that it is ok to do so. I have no interest in how Anthony Demetre feels after eating gluten, all I know is that back when I first found out I was a coeliac, I may have heard those words and thought to myself that I too could have a diet that did indeed include gluten. That simply is not the case.

This goes to show just how little is known about coeliac disease and it makes me seethe.

Anthony Demetre's Comments On Saturday Kitchen

See the video below for Anthony Demetre's comments on being a coeliac and his 'gluten free' diet.

I'm sick of this illness not being taken seriously by people, especially in the food industry (some, not all).

The awareness of coeliac disease is laughable and that video goes to show that.

If you're a coeliac, or close to someone who is, I implore you to complain to the bbc about the dangerous comments made by this professional chef. Someone newly diagnosed or a child with coeliac disease could take what Anthony Demetre said and follow suit. It's plain and simple DANGEROUS.

Make your voice heard: BBC Complaints

Anthony Demetre - Coeliac Chef Without A Clue

Well done the BBC for having such an ill informed coeliac chef making a gluten free dish on Saturday Kitchen.

"I mean... I, I go on this diet with absolutely no gluten for about three months, and uh; and then for two weeks I just eat as much pasta and pizza as I can get hold of. Because I can't cut it out completely, fully because the body just rejects it when you do have it”

He also says he's "100% coeliac".

There's no % when it comes to coeliac, you're either cursed with it or you aren't.

He's no Damian Cardone, but he's a prize twit who shouldn't be allowed to give any kind of advice on TV about being a coeliac or how to manage it.

If you're a coeliac, you don't eat gluten, ever, end of story. If you choose to do so, then good luck with that, just don't make it sound ok for other coeliacs to do so.

The Damian Cardone Gluten Free Saga

It's people like TheGFreeShow who will eventually make life much easier for all coeliacs / celiacs out there.

So good to see what's happening on Twitter about this.

Damian Cardone A Chef With A Difference

The following quote has been taken from chef Damian Cardone's Facebook page:

Gluten free is bullshit!! Flour and bread have been a staple of life for thousands, THOUSANDS of years. People who claim to be gluten intolorent dont realize that its all in there disturbed liitle heads. People ask me for gluten free pasta in my restaurant all the time, I tell em sure, Then I serve serve em our pasta, Which I make from scratch with high gluten flour. And you know what? nothing, NOTHING! ever happens! People leave talking about how good they feel gluten free and guess what, They just had a full dose! Idiots!

Link

I don't know who this imbecile is, but I know that he's a chef serving supposedly GLUTEN FREE FOOD.

If you're on Twitter, make sure you #damiancardone and RT that link.

Gluten Free Easter Eggs!

Dairy free, gluten free, wheat free, egg free and suitable for vegans. That's what the product description says. Moo Free Easter eggs are Coeliac friendly!

An all round winner in my book! It may be a little early to be thinking about Easter, but planning is always good if you're a coeliac.

Gluten free Easter eggs all round!

EDIT: Since posting this there has thankfully been more gluten free Easter eggs made available, continue reading to see a full list of yum!

Best Gluten Free Yogurt Ever!

 This weekend I had the pleasure of sampling the new limited edition Yeo Valley organic yogurt flavour: Mango and Vanilla.

It's beyond delicious! Everything about this yogurt is a delight, the flavour is amazing. Needless to say that the 450g pot got devoured over 2 days and I'm left wanting (lots) more.

If you're familiar with Yeo Valley yogurts you'll know that there's a recipe on the cardboard outer of the pot. This one is for Baked Mango and Vanilla Cheesecake and it's definitely being turned into one of my coeliac recipes (they use regular flour in their recipe, yuck! Also, ginger biscuits, but I have a gluten free alternative in my cupboard). Can't wait to try it!