Gluten-free Gourmand

One of the only things that I missed after going gluten-free was beer.  Just a few years ago when I quit gluten for good, there wasn't much to choose from as far as gluten-free beer was concerned.  Well, we've come a long way, baby.  Here's a list of all the gluten-free beers, from best to worst according to my personal preference. I'll list only beers that are commercially available in the Portland area, and most of them will be available beyond.  (Note that Deschutes gluten-free beer is only available at their brewery locations and isn't included on this list.  I've done a number of posts on it, so search "Deschutes" on this site for more information about it.)  I'll link to posts that I've written for more in-depth reviews.  I'll also make this page a tab at the top of my blog for easy access. #1 Green's Quest Trippel Blonde Ale - A complex Belgian ale #2 Green's Endeavor Dubbel Dark Ale - A fruity dark Belgian ale #3 ...

Walk to the corner of NE 60th and Glisan and you'll see something that catches your eye: a sign out front of Seven Virtues lets passers-by know that they now serve gluten-free sandwiches.  Upon further investigation, it turn out that they can serve their grilled sandwiches on New Cascadia Traditional flax bread.  I was pretty excited about this turn of events so I had to sample a sandwich right away.  I got the North Tabor which has turkey, pesto and cheese. But first, I asked a few questions.  The man taking my order that day was one of the owners, and he was very helpful.  I asked if they grill the GF sandwiches on a dedicated grill, and he replied that they don't have demand or space for a dedicated grill right now, but they can give the grill a thorough cleaning before they make the gluten-free sandwiches.  They also use a separate cutting board and knife for prepping the GF stuff.  He told me that the sandwich would take a little longer than re...

Good news!  There are now more gluten-free options in select Portland Whole Foods.  Petunia's Pies and Pastries will be available in the Pearl, Hollywood, Fremont and Laurelhurst locations.  I went to visit the Petunia's booth at the PSU Farmers Market yesterday and picked up a slice of the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap crust.  This is a gluten-free and vegan dessert like almost all of Petunia's offerings.  I loved the crust, and the "cheese" portion was nice and pumpkiny.  This one was a little on the sweet side for me, but I was not disappointed as far as flavor went.  Petunia's never ceases to surprise me with what can be created without dairy, eggs, or wheat.  Check out my other review of Petunia's here .   I'm really excited to be able to get some beautiful gluten-free desserts right in my local Whole Foods!

I have a new weakness: Pamela's Gluten-free Lemon Shortbread cookies.  These are really tasty!  They are incredibly lemony - I like that.  They're nice and tart.  They have a slightly different texture depending on the batch you get.  I mentioned batch variation as well as cost in a review of Pamela's Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chunk cookies.   If chocolate's not your thing, or if you're just trying to keep your weight up, this lemon shortbread cookie is the gluten-free addiction for you.

I have to confess something.  I have been meaning to write this review for a long time and I'm only doing it today because I wanted to eat a cookie.  My camera was handy so I thought I'd take a few shots of the cookies before I indulged.  Boy, do I feel industrious today! I'll be doing reviews of Pamela's Ginger Cookies and Peanut Butter Cookies in due course - probably on a day when I feel like eating a ginger cookie or a peanut butter cookie. I really like the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies that Pamela's Products makes.  They are soft, not crunchy - I like that.  The chocolate chunks are big and of a nice-quality chocolate for a packaged cookie.  In fact, I would say that these are better than most packaged cookies you can buy in the store, wheat or no wheat.  The only criticism I have is that they are a little inconsistent from package to package.  The most recent box of cookies I bought was a little drier than usual.  Usuall...

Craving fresh-baked gluten-free pastries in Portland?  Check out Petunia's Pies and Pastries , a local Portland bakery that specializes in gluten-free, vegan, and delicious treats. I had seen this bakery at the market a few times.   I didn't get a chance to try anything out until last Sunday when I caught them at the King market.  Almost everything in the display case is gluten-free.  I really enjoyed the Lime Coconut Square I tried.  The gluten-free crust was tender and light, and the coconut lime filling had just the right amount of tartness.  I enjoyed photographing it almost as much as eating it.  All of Petunia's pastries are beautifully decorated and displayed.  I'm sure to go again to indulge in a cookie, cupcake, or tart. Getting gluten-free goods from a new vendor is always a little nerve-racking for people who are very sensitive to gluten.  When asked about the degree to which her baked goods are gluten-free, Petunia's owner L...

This is a sad review to write. So far, there have been very few gluten-free products that I've completely panned. Sometimes these things must be said. I want to promote good gluten-free options. Part of my job is to promote the fact that most gluten-free options are good. If I had eaten my first gluten-free pastry at Sweet Pea Baking Company in Portland I might have given up pastries for life. I've bought three gluten-free baked goods there, and tried a sample of a fourth thing. One of those four items was passable. Let me start with the good news. I asked the cashier about their methods for preventing cross-contamination. She told me that they make the gluten-free goods at a separate time than the regular products. They also double-sterilize their utensils and thoroughly clean all the counters before doing the GF stuff. However, they do not segregate the gluten-free products in their display case. The GF coconut cookie I had there was pretty good for being vegan. I...

You may know by now that I'm into pasta. I've done several reviews now, including Ener-G White Rice Spaghetti , Tinkyada White Rice Spaghetti , Tinkyada Brown Rice Fetucini , and a round-up of the Best and Worst of Gluten-free Pasta , in which I declare my favorite gluten-free pasta to be Ancient Harvest Quinoa and Corn pasta. This is still my favorite. However, I was glad to find a new quinoa pasta to try because I was pretty sure I'd like it. I did. This is a very good pasta option, and perhaps the only quinoa pasta available for people who can't tolerate corn. The look, feel, and flavor of the Andean Dream quinoa pasta are all very neutral - even more natural than the Ancient Harvest, which tends to look a little yellow. The Andean Dream is almost semolina colored, but it may have a touch of gray to the color which I don't find overly noticeable. The flavor is surprisingly neutral without being bland. The texture is the stand-out feature of this quinoa pas...

The Deschutes Brewery is now going to have gluten-free beer on tap year-round! I heard about the brewery developing some new gluten-free beers a few days ago and went to the brewery to verify. My server, Jen, was extraordinarily helpful. Not only did she verify that they would be serving gluten-free beer year-round, but they also are working on various recipes. I had been in several months ago to try the Gluten-free Golden Ale , which I had really enjoyed. It was bitter and hoppy. The recipe included sorghum, brown rice and roasted chestnuts. At right is a picture of my friend Ben from Gluten-free PDX with that very ale. I asked Jen about gluten-free options on the menu, because at first glance there didn't seem to be a lot of clear choices. She clued me in to the fact that they have things that can be made gluten-free indicated with a little symbol of a head of wheat crossed out. Vegetarian options are noted with a green leaf. When she came back with our beers, J...

Today was the Starbucks debut of the Valencia Orange Cake. I was surprised they hadn't sold out by 4 o'clock when I went there to pick up three to try. I thought my co-workers might help me taste-test them. Nate and Becca like to cook and eat - they are gourmands by my standards. I thought they might have some added input for my review since they are both gluten-eaters. I returned to work and distributed the surprise treats. Mine was unwrapped and consumed within minutes. Nate unwrapped his and took a bite. "Pretty good," he said. "Is that corn flour?" I checked the ingredients. No corn flour. "That texture might be almond flour," I theorized. Becca unwrapped her cake. "Yeah, pretty good!" she said. So there you have it. It's pretty good and we ate ours before I thought to take a picture, which means something around here because I work in a photo lab. I'm always thinking about pictures. Upon further prodding, N...

This week for What's for Dinner? Wednesday blog carnival I'm doing a simple rice recipe and a review of some battered halibut and haddock from Starfish. For more dinner ideas go see Linda at the Gluten-free Homemaker . Eric over at Starfish asked me to sample his new breaded fish products and let him know what I think. That's right - he gave me free samples, meaning that I've been bribed . In spite of this I will try to give you the most objective review I can possibly muster. After all, if someone tried to "bribe" me with inedible food I'd have something to say about that. As my fair readers may know by now, I take food very seriously. There are two sets of instructions on the box: one for cooking in the oven, one for deep-frying. I appreciated the fact that there are no microwave instructions. Who wants to eat microwaved fish? In the name of science, I should have tried it anyway, but I couldn't bring myself to it. I'm more of an...

Today I would like to write an ode to the New Cascadia Traditional tart. I have gained five pounds since this gluten-free bakery kiosk opened in NW Portland not far from where I work. Am I complaining? No - I am still overwhelmed and delighted to go somewhere and be able to eat anything they sell. Their tart looks like something out of the case of a french patisserie, and the taste does not dissappoint. It has a buttery tart crust that is similar to the pastry shell of their galette. It is filled with a custard cream and topped with fruit, in this case apricot and blueberry. The fruit is in turn topped with a simple clear glaze typical of french-style tarts. The only variation from a tart you'd buy in Paris is the crust, which does not have the light flakiness that a true french pastry has. The New Cascadia crusts are a bit heavier and have a little bit of a whole-grain feel to them, but still have a buttery rich quality I love. While I have experienced this tart when ...