The Cary Food Lion at the corner of Kildaire Farm Road and Maynard recently added an end display, four or five shelves, devoted entirely to Gluten Free Products. Among the products are Glutino pretzels, a staple in our house, Glutino Lemon and Glutino Chocolate wafer cookies, Gluten Free pastas, and Gluten Free baking ingredients. Some are priced lower than elsewhere.
The manager told me these products are slow movers, so if you are in the neighborhood, please consider picking up a few items so they continue to stock gluten free groceries.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The gluten-free religion
It was lunch time and we were hungry. The mall wasn't crowded, so I spoke with a kebab vendor, we'll call him kebab vendor #1, who assured us that the skewered chicken and rice could be prepared gluten-free.
I could see that he was just throwing pita slices over the kebabs as they cooked on the grill, so I asked him to cook ours separately, which he did by setting the skewers on the unused, low heat side of the grill. They took longer to cook because the heat was not as high. Just before the kebabs were done, another employee, kebab vendor #2, innocently grabbed the skewer and stuck the chicken on high heat, right where the pita had been seconds before.
I think I probably cried, "Nooooooooooooo!" Winces all around. My freakout factor related to food preparation would have been unimaginable six months ago. Blood tests at the three month mark indicated that our celiac daughter was still getting exposure to gluten from somewhere, exposure that even in minute quantities damages her small intestines, makes her sick, and puts her at greater risk for malignancies and osteoporosis.
After I explained that my daughter can't have any contact with wheat, kebab vendors #1 and #2 jointly put a fresh kebab on the 'clean,' low-heat side of the grill. It took ages to cook. In fact, my husband finished eating before ours was ready. While we were waiting, the woman came over and asked if she could ask a personal question.
Did my daughter not eat wheat, kebab vendor #2 wanted to know, because of our religion?
I am still trying to imagine the religion that would forbid the eating of wheat.
I could see that he was just throwing pita slices over the kebabs as they cooked on the grill, so I asked him to cook ours separately, which he did by setting the skewers on the unused, low heat side of the grill. They took longer to cook because the heat was not as high. Just before the kebabs were done, another employee, kebab vendor #2, innocently grabbed the skewer and stuck the chicken on high heat, right where the pita had been seconds before.
I think I probably cried, "Nooooooooooooo!" Winces all around. My freakout factor related to food preparation would have been unimaginable six months ago. Blood tests at the three month mark indicated that our celiac daughter was still getting exposure to gluten from somewhere, exposure that even in minute quantities damages her small intestines, makes her sick, and puts her at greater risk for malignancies and osteoporosis.
After I explained that my daughter can't have any contact with wheat, kebab vendors #1 and #2 jointly put a fresh kebab on the 'clean,' low-heat side of the grill. It took ages to cook. In fact, my husband finished eating before ours was ready. While we were waiting, the woman came over and asked if she could ask a personal question.
Did my daughter not eat wheat, kebab vendor #2 wanted to know, because of our religion?
I am still trying to imagine the religion that would forbid the eating of wheat.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Raleigh Cel-kids event May 15
Attention families, this is going to be a great picnic event!
Join the Raleigh Cel-kids group at Baileywick Park on Saturday, May 15 for Gluten Free pizza(!) from Mellow Mushroom and dessert (!) from the Moonlight Bakery.
The event is from 4-6pm.
Be sure to RSVP by May 10 to raleigh.celkids@gmail.com, and check the Cel-kids website for more information and directions.
Join the Raleigh Cel-kids group at Baileywick Park on Saturday, May 15 for Gluten Free pizza(!) from Mellow Mushroom and dessert (!) from the Moonlight Bakery.
The event is from 4-6pm.
Be sure to RSVP by May 10 to raleigh.celkids@gmail.com, and check the Cel-kids website for more information and directions.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Road trip - South Beach Grill, Wrightsville Beach
With the hot weather, thoughts turn east to the beach, but if you're like us, you may have heard about a supposed dearth of gluten-free choices in the Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach area.
We've only been gluten-free since January when our daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, so even a short trip to the coast induces a mild panic about how to handle meals. Which is why I am so excited to tell you about South Beach Grill on Wrightsville Beach. It's right next door to Wings.
We ate at South Beach Grill a number of times during our pre-GF days (those halcyon days of yore) and always loved the combination of great cuisine and casual atmosphere, so on Saturday afternoon I stopped in and spoke with Chef James "Firetruck" Rivenbark to see if he would be able to accommodate us that evening. With assurances that the Grill made it a priority to safely serve people with food intolerances, we were able to enjoy the afternoon without worrying about dinner.
South Beach Grill does not have a specific gluten-free menu (yet), but many offerings can be prepared gluten-free upon request. Chef Rivenbark recommended the sage chicken for our daughter, which was delicious. It's a boneless breast prepared with boursin cheese, mushroom, sundried tomatoes, and basil stuffing. The chicken is ordinarily dipped in flour before pan searing, so it's imperative that you speak with your server and specify gluten-free.
If you are interested in learning more about South Beach Grill, check out their website or Fish N Pickles a blog written by the Grill's general manager, Chris Kronenwetter.
South Beach Grill
100 South Lumina Avenue
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
(910) 256-4646
Open for lunch and dinner starting at 11:00 am
We've only been gluten-free since January when our daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, so even a short trip to the coast induces a mild panic about how to handle meals. Which is why I am so excited to tell you about South Beach Grill on Wrightsville Beach. It's right next door to Wings.
We ate at South Beach Grill a number of times during our pre-GF days (those halcyon days of yore) and always loved the combination of great cuisine and casual atmosphere, so on Saturday afternoon I stopped in and spoke with Chef James "Firetruck" Rivenbark to see if he would be able to accommodate us that evening. With assurances that the Grill made it a priority to safely serve people with food intolerances, we were able to enjoy the afternoon without worrying about dinner.
South Beach Grill does not have a specific gluten-free menu (yet), but many offerings can be prepared gluten-free upon request. Chef Rivenbark recommended the sage chicken for our daughter, which was delicious. It's a boneless breast prepared with boursin cheese, mushroom, sundried tomatoes, and basil stuffing. The chicken is ordinarily dipped in flour before pan searing, so it's imperative that you speak with your server and specify gluten-free.
If you are interested in learning more about South Beach Grill, check out their website or Fish N Pickles a blog written by the Grill's general manager, Chris Kronenwetter.
South Beach Grill
100 South Lumina Avenue
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
(910) 256-4646
Open for lunch and dinner starting at 11:00 am
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