tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51588516807735864552024-03-16T01:10:02.257+00:00Flourless in LondonEating and cooking gluten free in LondonFlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-69792788910141164912017-06-04T06:39:00.002+01:002017-06-04T06:39:46.276+01:00Blogging BreakHello all,<br />
At the moment I just cannot find the time to write new posts, so I'm going to have a little break for a while.<br />
I will still update the listings with any new places that I find, but otherwise I'll be on twitter and instagram only.FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-57720150677484804322016-05-26T10:17:00.003+01:002016-05-26T10:17:46.797+01:00Wheat Free Bakery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had heard of the Wheat free Bakery on Facebook with excellent reviews, and decided to try some of their breads.<br />
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They are a small, independent, family owned bakery, specialising in gluten and wheat free products, based in Scotland.<br />
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They have lots of bread and bread rolls to choose from, as well as an egg free section and cakes, sweet treats and mixes.<br />
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I have made a few orders now, generally bloomers, and their bread is amazing. I really love it!!!<br />
The crust is a bit crusty without being too hard and there are no holes in the bread. It is very soft and moist and just generally gorgeous. You can see the full list of ingredients for each product in case you have a problem with something else.<br />
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As well as the bloomers, I have also tried some rolls, which are of the same high quality and the eclairs which are very nice too.<br />
And they've always include a freebie in all the parcels I've received so far (hot cross buns for Easter, very spicy, very gorgeous).<br />
They charge £5.95 for delivery (for parcels up to 20 kg), which is what they pay the couriers, but as the bread itself is cheaper than supermarket alternatives I'd say it evens out on price for a higher quality product.<br />
All the bread I bought has arrived in excellent condition, and very fresh, as they dispatch it the day they bake it.<br />
I normally buy 3 bloomers & an assortment of rolls.<br />
I slice the bloomers and freeze them in small portions, and it's as good defrosted as the day it arrives. I put them directly from the freezer into the toaster, and they are good to go.<br />
I only wish that I had a bigger freezer ;)<br />
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For more information visit their website:<br />
<b>Wheat Free Bakery</b><br />
http://www.wheat-freebakerydirect.co.uk/<br />
<br />FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-11026047560197005332016-05-26T09:49:00.001+01:002016-05-26T09:50:01.495+01:00Yorika Free From Ice cream<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-92J1YCzaXqk/V0au7wUKwkI/AAAAAAAABIY/6IGjr40oxe8/s1600/20160526_090957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-92J1YCzaXqk/V0au7wUKwkI/AAAAAAAABIY/6IGjr40oxe8/s320/20160526_090957.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a>Yorika has opened recently in Soho and it is such a joy to visit.<br />
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The decoration is quite cool, ice cream colours, seasoned with a happy soundtrack.<br />
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Then you have the ice cream bar, lots of choice including some unusual flavours, all made with natural ingredients.<br />
I loved their raspberry and vanilla flavours.<br />
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And then you have the fun of their toppings bar!!!<br />
All sprinkles are free, but you can also add fresh fruit, and other mad combinations like gummy bears, cookie crumbs or mini marshmallows (£0.65).<br />
If that is not enough, you can top it all up with a sauce (£0.35).<br />
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If you are allergic or intolerant to gluten, dairy, nuts or eggs, or if you are vegan, this is your place.<br />
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You can choose any of their ice creams, frozen yogurts, smoothies and shakes without having to worry about ingredients, even try the peanut butter ice cream (made without peanuts!).<br />
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I reckon they are on to something good ;)<br />
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<b>Yorika</b><br />
http://www.yorica.com/<br />
130 Wardour Street, London, W1F 8ZNFlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-25459985842320703652016-02-15T12:11:00.002+00:002016-02-15T12:12:05.872+00:00Chacon cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P26vh9FuduQ/VjX-c_m1D7I/AAAAAAAABEA/_5zHjf6pRrE/s1600/20151101_115820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P26vh9FuduQ/VjX-c_m1D7I/AAAAAAAABEA/_5zHjf6pRrE/s320/20151101_115820.jpg" width="184" /></a>I was wandering around Wimbledon a couple of weekends ago when I bumped into a market at the piazza.<br />
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Lots of nice stalls, and amongst them the lovely cakes from Chacon Cakes!<br />
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All of them gluten free, and the one I bought 'Piña Colada' was delicious, so moist that it melted in my mouth in an explosion of coco flakes, pineapple chunks and an immediate need to cheer up. </div>
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I only wish I had bought another one.</div>
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I had a good chat with the baker herself, like you do when you find another coeliac and you realise how much you have in common straight away. </div>
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She was a baker in her pre-Coeliac days and was telling me about her gluten free experiments in the kitchen. Clearly very successful.</div>
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I think she is at the Wimbledon Piazza market regularly, but to find out more about her and where to buy them, here are the details:</div>
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FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-75096384707676504822016-01-26T15:43:00.000+00:002016-02-12T10:23:42.299+00:00Sushi Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iMSS3IJmn0Q/VkhPrudgRuI/AAAAAAAABEo/7Rm-_6uNbsU/s1600/20151115_092351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iMSS3IJmn0Q/VkhPrudgRuI/AAAAAAAABEo/7Rm-_6uNbsU/s320/20151115_092351.jpg" width="320" /></a>I love sushi rolls, and since being gluten intolerant, eating sushi out and about can be a minefield.<br />
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Even though it looks like rice, fish and vegetables should be safe and you just need to avoid the soy sauce, there are a few things to watch out for.<br />
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These are the ones I'm wary of:<br />
* Soy sauce (you could take your own Tamari instead if you plan ahead)<br />
* Crab sticks, which contain wheat<br />
* Mayonnaise, used to season some types of rolls, like California rolls. Some mayos contains gluten. When in doubt I always avoid it<br />
*Seasoning used for rice. In some restaurants it contains soy sauce in addition to rice vinegar, sugar and salt. I recommend asking when ordering<br />
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To ensure I could enjoy sushi rolls whenever I wanted, I was pondering how difficult it would be to make my own ...<br />
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As if by magic, I found an offer at my local Sainsbury's on all Yutaka sushi making ingredients, and all the packets have instructions, so this was my chance!<br />
I bought a sushi bamboo mat, sushi rice, sushi nori (seaweed sheets to roll your sushi in), rice vinegar and sesame seeds.<br />
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In really good sushi, it is the quality of the fish that makes the difference. Sushi grade fish has to have a parasite destruction guarantee. According to European Union regulations, freezing fish at −20°C (−4°F) for 24 hours kills parasites. If you are planning to use raw fish, always check with your supplier that it is safe to eat.<br />
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To make my life easier and avoid poisoning myself i decided to make mine with smoked salmon. Safety first!<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hmH1H6u6z54/VkhPqwknFJI/AAAAAAAABEc/XNp-Nvut_8A/s1600/20151115_092544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hmH1H6u6z54/VkhPqwknFJI/AAAAAAAABEc/XNp-Nvut_8A/s320/20151115_092544.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Ingredients (this makes a generous portion for 2, I get 4 rolls that can be cut into 6 pieces each once you discard the ends)</b><br />
For the rice: 250 gr sushi rice, 330 ml water<br />
For the rice seasoning: 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt<br />
For the roll: Nori sheets (roasted seaweed), Sesame seeds<br />
For the filling: Smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber, Chives (or you could substitute the salmon for roasted red peppers)<br />
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<b>How to cook the rice</b><br />
Put 250gr of rice into a bowl and wash with cold water. Repeat 3 or 4 times and then drain the rice with a sieve.<br />
Add 330mls of water and the washed rice to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for 25-30 minutes. Do not open the lid! I like to put it in the fridge for another 30 minutes, so that it is cold and easier to handle.<br />
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<b>How to season the rice </b><br />
Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt first and once well combined mix it with the rice.<br />
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Place a sheet of nori onto a bamboo rolling mat<br />
Spread a thin layer of cooked and seasoned rice as evenly as possible over the nori, leaving a 1cm gap at the top and the bottom so that you can seal the roll<br />
Place the filling of your choice in a line about 5cm from the front of the nori, be careful not to use too much filling as it will be difficult to roll<br />
Begin rolling the nori carefully and evenly around the filling, using the mat to help shape it, rolling away from you and pressing firmly. Pull the bamboo mat away from you, and make sure to keep rolling the nori around itself (there are some very good drawings on the back of the pack if you use Yakarta nori).<br />
Once the roll is complete, press down firmly on the mat to compress the roll slightly, so that it keeps its shape<br />
Cut the roll into evenly sized pieces and serve with tamari sauce, wasabi and sushi ginger<br />
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<b>Inside out sushi rolls</b><br />
These look very pretty with the rice on the outside and some sesame seeds (or even some fish roe to decorate the outside). It is a little bit more fiddly but not too hard.<br />
Start as before with the sheet of nori on the bamboo mat and spread the rice thinly. Now sprinkle sesame seeds on top (or fish roe), as many or as little as you like.<br />
Now comes the tricky bit: we cover the rice side with cling film and as quickly as possible and we turn it upside down, being careful to keep it all together.<br />
It needs to go back on the sushi mat, with the cling film on top of the mat (then rice, then nori sheet).<br />
It is now that we add the filling as before, but this time on top of the nori.<br />
We'll need to cut off the top third of the nori sheet so that we get a nice roll, and it is rolled exactly like the other rolls with the help of the mat. In this case you have to be careful not to roll the cling film inside the roll, so pull it out gently as you roll.<br />
It does look more complicated than it is, but once you watch a couple of you tube videos it is actually not difficult at all.<br />
I'd say it's important to press the rice tightly when spreading it onto the nori sheet, as it will be easier to roll and the finished shape will be better too.<br />
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It is quite fun, and I've already made rolls a few times. My next sushi challenge will be to experiment with different fillings ;)<br />
Enjoy!<br />
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FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-26683167180396975362016-01-26T15:42:00.002+00:002016-01-26T15:42:42.490+00:00Beyond Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oUh7Qnva7qU/VYp3i-NefaI/AAAAAAAAA_8/EayHWpD8qwQ/s1600/20150221_110351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oUh7Qnva7qU/VYp3i-NefaI/AAAAAAAAA_8/EayHWpD8qwQ/s320/20150221_110351.jpg" /></a>Beyond Bread opened it's doors in 2015, to much anticipation and following on social media. <br />
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It is amazing to find any cafe or restaurant where gluten does not dare to go, and Beyond Bread is one of them, where everything is gluten free and cross-contamination is not an issue. <br />
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It is open during the day, closing at 5pm during the week and at 4pm at weekends so keep this in mind if you plan to visit.<br />
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They offer a variety of cakes, breads, sandwiches and lunch options, and for me, their bread shines above anything else.<br />
When I visit I always have one of their tasty filled baguettes, and so far I have never been disappointed. <br />
I've also recently tried their multi seeded loaf which is by far the best multi seeded I've ever tried.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9j5DTLGSl4o/VYp3iDlPD8I/AAAAAAAAA_4/PNVsUqYJ--w/s1600/20150221_115446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9j5DTLGSl4o/VYp3iDlPD8I/AAAAAAAAA_4/PNVsUqYJ--w/s320/20150221_115446.jpg" /></a>Their danish pastries are also good, but, although I have not tried their cakes myself, I've head mixed opinions.<br />
So, my advice if you visit?<br />
Choose bread, bread or bread!<br />
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<b>Beyond Bread</b><br />http://www.beyondbread.co.uk/<br />2 Charlotte Place, London W1T 1SB<br />Tube: Goodge Street<br />Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 4pm<br /><br /><span style="color: rgba(28, 28, 28, 0.901960784313726); font-family: Raleway;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 24.5px;"><br /></span></span>FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-65938635996166123132015-11-08T23:03:00.001+00:002015-11-08T23:05:43.694+00:00Genius healthier breads and recipes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was recently invited by Genius to a cooking evening with Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne.<br />
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The purpose of the evening was to introduce their new healthier breads and an array of recipes that will soon be available on their blog.<br />
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When I arrived at L’Atelier des Chefs in the City, I was greeted by a small and lovely group of people, including Lucinda and her team and a few other bloggers.<br />
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Lucinda herself led the session, talking to us about the new range of healthier breads they have just launched. We had a chance to taste the breads at the event and to use them for our cooking session.<br />
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I eat the triple seeded loaf regularly, and I've been buying the new one since the event without noticing any difference in flavour, so I'd like to say: Thank You Genius for making my everyday multiseeded healthier!<br />
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As I still had one of the old packs around, I've compared the nutritional value of the old and new multiseeded breads by slice (36gr), here it is:<br />
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Calories: 104 in both old and new<br />
Fat: 3.4g in the new bread (from 4.5g in the old recipe)<br />
of which saturates: 0.3g (from 0.4g)<br />
Carbohydrate: 15g (from 14g)<br />
of which sugars: 1.1g (from 0.9g)<br />
Fibre: 3.6g (from 3.8g)<br />
Protein: 1.5g (from 2.1g)<br />
Salt: 0.22g (from 0.37g)<br />
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As you can see from the data above, the main changes are in the amount of fat and salt.<br />
Genius has addressed a growing concern of mine and I think many gluten-free consumers about the contents of salt, sugar and fat in many free from products.<br />
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If I think of my own gluten free journey since diagnosis, it has been full of ups and downs.<br />
Downs when you have to wave goodbye to those foods you can no longer have, to ups when you find substitutes that fill that space, to more lows once you realise how unhealthy some of them can be, and now I can see a new high coming if other producers follow this trend.<br />
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After the presentation, we moved on to the cooking itself and I have to complement L’Atelier des Chefs for such a great venue. The space is great and it's set up for a small group, so you feel a bit like being in the masterchef kitchen, but without Gregg and John judging!<br />
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We made some Falafel, Hummus and Tzatziki, which we later served with Genius Pitta Bread, and ended the session cooking Bread and Butter Pudding with Chocolate and Chilli, yum!<br />
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I found the recipes very easy to follow and it was great to cook together in a small group and have fun checking out everyone’s progress.<br />
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I would love to say my dishes were good looking as well as tasty. Fortunately thanks to a total meltdown of my phone, no further photographic evidence is available ;)<br />
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I learned a lot of cooking tips from this event, and in my experience, even though there are many books and recipes out there, nothing beats having a professional chef leading a live cooking session.<br />
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For example, I have made hummus before, but I didn't realise how important the type of tahini paste used affects the final taste. Only by talking to Lucinda I learned that light tahini gives the hummus a smoother taste, as the darker varieties are made with toasted seeds and give it a much stronger flavour.<br />
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I also learned that, when making falafel, it is the final coating with polenta that gives them that nice structure and finish.<br />
My own mix ended up a bit too moist, as I think I wasn't very precise when measuring the ingredients, and yet, they look reasonable ...<br />
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So all in all, it was a brilliant evening, I am glad I had the chance to attend, sample many of the new Genius products and learn a lot of new cooking tricks from Lucinda and her team.<br />
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To find out more about Genius:<br />
http://www.geniusglutenfree.com/<br />
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To find out more about couses at Atelier des Chefs:<br />
https://www.atelierdeschefs.co.uk/<br />
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<br />FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-70121663485028534112015-10-13T21:58:00.001+01:002015-10-13T21:58:15.349+01:00Barrafina Adelaide Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Barrafina is quickly becoming one of my favourite restaurants, not only because their tapas are just something else, or their staff are so attentive, but also because they know a lot about food and cross contamination, and they'll go out of their way to ensure you are safe eating there.<br />
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I also love watching the kitchen in full swing behind the bar, so many delicious smells, so many good looking dishes coming out!<br />
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The food is fantastic as it was on this most recent occasion, when amongst other things I sampled some Gildas (lovely pickle morsels on a stick), cod on a bed of black rice (amazing!!!), pork tenderloin medallions and lots of other super tasty tapas.<br />
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Fully recommended!<br />
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Barrafina Covent Garden<br />
10 Adelaide St, London WC2N 4HZhttp://www.barrafina.co.uk/<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-caF6I8Lq-8g/VccSIzzCFSI/AAAAAAAABCc/ekitIS30Qwo/s1600/20150802_190329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-caF6I8Lq-8g/VccSIzzCFSI/AAAAAAAABCc/ekitIS30Qwo/s320/20150802_190329.jpg" width="320" /></a>FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-82154867729328132352015-07-01T18:21:00.002+01:002015-07-03T11:29:04.851+01:00Ilumi sauces - Free From gluten, nuts and milk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full range of Ilumi sauces</td></tr>
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I loved many things about Ilumi when I met them at the Allergy Show last year. <br />
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I like the way they pack their meals, in a very easy to use pouch. <br />
I like the fact that all ingredients and nutritional information is displayed loud and proud at the front of the package. <br />
I like the fact that their ingredients are natural and all free from gluten, nuts and milk.<br />
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I've loved the products I've tried so far, so I was very pleased when I was offered the chance to try their range of sauces.<br />
They have developed a range of recipes to make the most of their sauces, which I thought was brilliant, giving me a chance to eat something I haven't had before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great tomato sauce for a pizza!</td></tr>
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Well, this is not strictly true... who hasn't had pizza?<br />
This is the first sauce I tried, the <b>Tomato and Herb Sauce</b>. <br />
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All the<b> ingredients </b>are clearly displayed at the front of the pack, and they include: Tomatoes, Water, Onion, Tomato Puree, Vegetable Stock, Olive Oil, Carrot, Cornflour, Sugar, Sea Salt, Thyme, basil, black pepper.<br />
One pouch serves two, and it was plenty to cover two pizza bases (bought at M&S earlier!). There are only 154 kcals per pouch, which I think is very reasonable.<br />
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I used their recipe for a topping of caramelised red onion and goats cheese, and it was very very nice, the flavours really go well together!
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I really liked the taste of this sauce, the fresh tomato flavour comes through vividly, and it reminded me of when I was a kid and my mum made tomato sauce with the juiciest tomatoes of the season.<br />
The only improvement I would make to this sauce would be in the amount of herbs, as I personally like herbs a lot. What I did was to add some Italian seasoning from my cupboard that complemented the sauce very well.<br />
I was thinking this would be also a great sauce to have with pasta, adding some mushrooms and spinach.<br />
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The second sauce I tried was the <b>Sweet Chilli Stir Fry Sauce,</b> with the recipe for Spicy Sweet Chilli Chicken Wings.<br />
I used chicken drumsticks instead, keeping them in the oven for an additional 15 mins to ensure they were cooked properly.<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b>: Water, Onion, Sugar, Tomato Puree, White Wine Vinegar, Cornflour, Soy Sauce, Red Chilli, Honey, Rapeseed Oil, Ginger, Sea Salt, Burnt Sugar Syrup, Chilli Powder<br />
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I found this sauce was great for that barbecue texture, a bit sticky and sweet, and yet, only 194 kcals per pouch (serves 2), which I though was brilliant.<br />
They say on their website that this is a mild sauce, and it is very mild, perfect for those who don't like over spiced sauces.<br />
I was somehow expecting a very hot chilli sauce, maybe Ilumi would consider launching an additional sauce in the range with an extra hot chilli flavour?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this marinated beef!</td></tr>
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The third sauce I've tried is their <b>Sweet Soy and Ginger Stir fry Sauce</b>, which is so far my favourite. I am not surprised it was highly commended in the Free From Food Awards 2015 in the store cupboard category.<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b>: Water, Onion, Soy Sauce, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Vegetable Stock, Ginger, Lemon Juice (sulphites), Cornflour, Garlic, Red Chilli, Lime Leaves, Lemon Grass, Galangal, Sea Salt, Chilli Powder<br />
This sauce is a bit higher in calories, at 228 kcal per pouch<br />
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The recipe offers two ways of serving the marinated beef, over lettuce leaves or on rice noodle nests as a starter for four, which was fun to make.<br />
Both options tasted really nice, and I loved the nooddle presentation.<br />
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Overall, I thought the sauces I've tried so far are of a very good quality, easy to use and very convenient in their pouches. They also have a long shelf life, so ideal to keep for those days when you want to make something a bit special but don't want to make everything from scratch, and very reasonably priced at £1.79 on their website.<br />
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And I still have two more sauces to try, looking forward to it!<br />
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You can download their recipes here:<br />
http://www.ilumiworld.com/magazine/2015/5/complete-sauce-recipe-collection<br />
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For more information about Ilumi visit:<span style="color: orange;"> http://www.ilumiworld.com/</span>FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-85534271196502602982015-06-30T08:26:00.002+01:002015-06-30T08:46:46.483+01:00Busaba Eathai - part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Satay and Fishcakes, both GF</td></tr>
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I had visited Busaba Eathai earlier in the year, and, although I loved the food, and I had a brilliant service from the staff, there was a bit of confusion regarding what was gluten free.<br />
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So, as I was around Kingston recently, I decided to go back, dreaming of their lovely Pad Thai...<br />
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I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they have improved their menu, and now all the gluten-free and vegetarian options are marked clearly on it. That was fantastic! I still thought it would be wise to highlight it with our server, just to ensure the kitchen were aware of it, but overall, I thought it was a brilliant improvement and one that will encourage me to visit more often ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pad Thai GF</td></tr>
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What did I have?<br />
Well, the Pad Thai obviously, and I shared with my friend the two starters that are gluten-free, chicken satay and fishcakes, and I thought they were both good.<br />
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Also I checked the sauces on the table. Obviously the soy sauce is out of bounds,but the chilli sauce and fish sauce have no gluten containing ingredients.<br />
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There are several gluten free options on this menu: two starters, two wok noodle dishes, four curries, and four sides (menu available online).<br />
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Overall, I love the location in Kingston riverside, great to go for a walk along the river afterwards. I enjoyed the food and I was not unwell at all.<br />
I would be very happy to recommend Busaba Eathai to any gluten-free eaters.<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: orange;">Busaba Eathai</span></b><br />
<span style="color: orange;">http://www.busaba.com/</span><br />
Kingston branch: 4 Riverside Walk, London KT1 1QN<br />
12 locations around London: Shoreditch, The O2, Hoxton Square, Soho, Bloomsbury, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Stratford, ChelseaFlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-33126383230902471562015-05-30T09:14:00.001+01:002015-05-30T09:14:25.121+01:00Barrafina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-58OEpBudfl0/VV73SNzJjhI/AAAAAAAAA_I/u1N16CWWIfY/s1600/20150522_102638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-58OEpBudfl0/VV73SNzJjhI/AAAAAAAAA_I/u1N16CWWIfY/s320/20150522_102638.jpg" width="212" /></a>Lately I am relaxing a bit about eating out, and I don't always do lots of research about restaurants in advance.<br />
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I guess there is a lot more awareness about Coeliacs out there, and also restaurants have to comply with the new EC regulation on disclosing allergens.<br />
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Personally I am more confident too about asking all sorts of questions, and specially in London, I know I'm always within reach of a tried and tested restaurant, and that has given me a lot of peace of mind.<br />
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It was on one of this 'whatever' days that I found myself eating at Barrafina.<br />
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This is a modern tapas bar, with two sites in London, one in Soho (with a Micheling star) and one in Covent Garden, which is the one I visited.<br />
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This is not a typical restaurant, and it's obvious since you go in that food is king here.<br />
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The layout of the restaurant is a long L-shaped bar with fixed stools on one side and the open kitchen and waiters area in the other.<br />
It is great to see what is being cooked in front of you, and definitely gave me many ideas for what to order in future visits.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c5IW9fO2vx4/VV73Q7XVLzI/AAAAAAAAA-4/Dhxh04ir3Lg/s1600/20150522_103004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c5IW9fO2vx4/VV73Q7XVLzI/AAAAAAAAA-4/Dhxh04ir3Lg/s200/20150522_103004.jpg" width="183" /></a>The staff were very knowledgeable about gluten. The menu is printed on individual paper place mats and as soon as we mentioned our gluten intolerance they clearly crossed off the dishes we could not eat and could not be adapted. That still left plenty of options for us to enjoy.<br />
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We settled for a collection of omelettes, as we could not decide which one was more appetizing, some rice, and pintxos morunos (marinated pork on a skewer). I was gazing longingly at the razor clams too, as they looked amazing, although I had just enough space for a pudding.<br />
Clearly a second visit is needed.<br />
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To finish, I had the Flan (creme caramel) and my friends a mango sorbet and creme fraiche ice-cream. Although they were all good, the creme fraiche ice-cream was absolutely amazing.<br />
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It was a very interactive experience, I don't know if it was because of our food intolerances that we had to keep asking many questions, but the staff were very knowledgeable, checking that we were happy at all times, and it was fantastic to see all those lovely dishes being cooked in front of your eyes.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NM6kMxXE_ow/VV73Sv13P0I/AAAAAAAAA_M/19HIV7LyXsQ/s1600/20150522_102559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NM6kMxXE_ow/VV73Sv13P0I/AAAAAAAAA_M/19HIV7LyXsQ/s320/20150522_102559.jpg" width="285" /></a>I guess this venue is better enjoyed in a small group, as the stools cannot be moved. They are also a bit high and I almost had to climb onto mine.<br />
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Overall I would be happy to recommend Barrafina as a gluten free dining destination.<br />
I didn't feel unwell at all after eating here, the staff are very knowledgeable about their fantastic food and because it is cooked there and then in front of you there is a chance to change things a bit to suit your intolerances/tastes.<br />
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Barrafina</span></b><br />
<span style="color: orange;">http://barrafina.co.uk/</span><br />
Covent Garden: 10 Adelaide Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4HZ<br />
Soho: 54 Frith Street, London, W1D 4SLFlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-68455070725685487532015-05-27T14:08:00.001+01:002015-07-01T09:57:34.032+01:00Pastificio Mansi - Fresh gluten free pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was approached recently by Emanuela from Pastificio Mansi to ask if I would be interested in trying her new gluten free fresh pasta.<br />
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She is an artisan pasta maker who currently trades at a few London markets and has been experimenting with gluten free pasta for a while.<br />
I clearly couldn't say no to trying it, as I love Italian GF pasta, and fresh pasta even more!<br />
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I met the lovely Emanuela in central London and a parcel changed hands. She was telling me about the quality in-season ingredients she uses for the fillings, and I could see it is a labour of love, and that she wouldn't be happy with a product she wasn't proud of.<br />
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She gave me two samples, one with a filling of Kake (+ pine nuts, Ricotta and Parmesan), and another with sundried tomatoes (+ oregano, toasted almonds, Ricotta and Parmesan).<br />
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I loved both of them. It is clearly an artisan quality product, and I'm glad I was offered the chance to try it.<br />
What did I like most about this pasta?<br />
The filling in this pasta is very generous, and the combination of ingredients quite tasty, you can actually recognise the ingredients in it. This tells me Emanuela is serious about making great quality pasta, and she is not cutting corners in the filling.<br />
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The pasta doesn't crumble like other gluten free pastas, and it kept it's shape very well while cooking and eating it, even my gluten-eating sister loved it and couldn't taste the gluten free in it.<br />
I didn't feel unwell at all after eating it, so definitely gluten free, fantastic!<br />
The pasta is sold in 100gr portions at £2.5 for fresh tagliatelle and £3 for the filled fresh pasta<br />
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She is currently trading at:<br />
<b>Crystal Palace</b> food market on Saturdays (10am to 3pm) http://www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk/<br />
<b>Fulham market</b> every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month<br />
http://www.rmsmarkets.co.uk/<br />
<b>Brook Green Market </b>every 1st, 3rd, 5th Saturday of the month<br />
http://www.brookgreenmarket.co.uk/<br />
<b>Islington Farmers Market - Chapel Market</b> in Angel every 1st, 3rd, 5th Sunday of the month<br />
http://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/islington/<br />
Check out other venues on twitter and facebook<br />
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<b>Pastificio Mansi</b><br />
http://pastificiomansi.com/<br />
Facebook: pastificiomansi<br />
Twitter: @pasticiomansi<br />
<br />FlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-67596470124008559182015-02-08T09:42:00.001+00:002015-02-08T09:42:34.202+00:00Romeos Gluten Free bakery - Islington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh6.ggpht.com/-S5zzmRp38jo/VLNggsOU_TI/AAAAAAAAA34/dAqK0UoM6xg/s320/20150111_164139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-S5zzmRp38jo/VLNggsOU_TI/AAAAAAAAA34/dAqK0UoM6xg/s320/20150111_164139.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>Romeos has been open for a while, and I'd seen their mouthwatering products at various events, but I hadn't had the chance to visit the bakery yet.<br />
So recently I went on a Sunday afternoon with a friend.<br />
It was quite busy, but thankfully we managed to get a seat.<br />
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It is great to know that all their products are gluten-free, and they also have an information sheet at the front of the counter where you can see all the ingredients used in their bread and cakes, brilliant if you are intolerant or allergic to more than one thing.<br />
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This is what it said:<br />
<i>"All our bread is gluten-free and baked on our premises fresh from scratch.</i><br />
<i>Ingredients: </i><i>Potato flour, </i><i>Rice flour, </i><i>Tapioca flour, </i><i>Eggs, </i><i>Yeast, </i><i>Salt, </i><i>Vinegar, </i><i>Water"</i><br />
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<a href="https://lh6.ggpht.com/-RIgjKEq5PB4/VLNgh8RrieI/AAAAAAAAA4I/HiHZrkp1rDY/s320/20150111_163740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RIgjKEq5PB4/VLNgh8RrieI/AAAAAAAAA4I/HiHZrkp1rDY/s320/20150111_163740.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>According to their website, they also cater for sugar-free, egg-free and dairy-free diets, although I did not check what was available when I visited.<br />
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I did enjoy my cheese cake and I didn't feel unwell at all after eating it.<br />
I've heard comments about it's prices, but I'd say they are probably no more expensive than other bakeries in the area.<br />
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Overall, I find that it's worth paying a bit extra to be able to relax about food safety, and I can eat anything I fancy from Romeos without having to ask endless questions, so I'll be happy to visit again when I'm in Islington.<br />
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<b>Romeos Gluten Free bakery</b><br />
http://www.romeosglutenfreebakery.co.uk/<br />
167 Upper Street, London, N1 1US
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avocado and sweet bean salad with chicken</td></tr>
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Nandos is such a simple option when you are coeliac/gluten-intolerant.<br />
I've been here many times and never had a problem being ill afterwards, which is great!<br />
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I was with two friends around Vauxhall recently, not known for the best place to cater for gluten-free eaters, and decided to pop into the new Nandos by the station.<br />
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The restaurant is very nice, it looks newly refurbished, and it's located just under the railway arches. They have kept the shape on the ceiling, which gives it a very spacious feel.<br />
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You always know what you get at Nandos, and although I forgot to take a picture of my chicken with chips and salad, I managed to get one from the avocado and green bean salad that one of my friends was having.<br />
We just asked at the till to double check that our order was gluten-free and they mentioned it to the manager.<br />
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I've always had excellent service at Nandos, and it was the same on this occasion, very attentive staff and uncomplicated food. Not bad at all.<br />
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<b>Nandos</b><br />
http://www.nandos.co.uk/<br />
Various branches around London and the UKFlourlessinLondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00400571108025994116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5158851680773586455.post-61924221675547882132015-01-18T23:31:00.001+00:002015-01-19T22:51:49.103+00:00Busaba Eathai<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Busaba Eathai was one of my favourite restaurants before my gluten-free days, in particular the duck with tamarind sauce was a must-have on all my visits.<br />
As there is no allergy information on their website, I've been avoiding it for a few years, but recently I called one of their restaurants and they reassured me they had gluten-free options.<br />
So there I was on a quiet lunchtime at their restaurant on Kingston Riverside.<br />
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This location is lovely, as the windows from the restaurant open onto the river and the riverside walk, and you forget that you are in the middle of a busy shopping area.<br />
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The staff were very friendly and when I mentioned my gluten-free requirements, I got a quick run through the menu of what I could have.<br />
Having forgotten half of it 5 minutes later, I asked again and another waiter came along with a folder containing their allergy information.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese broccoli</td></tr>
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I was happy to hear that their Pad Thai noodles were gluten-free and surprised but happy to hear that the spring rolls were too, which we planned to share as a starter. Unfortunately my excitement was short lived.<br />
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When our food came along and I asked again about it all being gluten-free, and was told the spring rolls were actually NOT gluten-free.<br />
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It was a bit of a disappointment, but they offered me another starter for free, and I got some Chinese broccoli.<br />
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I have to say the food was very very nice, and I'm likely to go again, as both dishes were fantastic.<br />
It seems to me that the error was in the folder containing the allergy information, as our waiter checked it twice and was convinced it was gluten-free.<br />
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So a suggestion for Busaba Eathai would be to double check the information on their folders and to have it available online.<br />
Many of us with food intolerances and allergies love to eat out, but also need to plan in advance where to go so that we can eat safely too.<br />
Having allergy information available online would make our life so much easier, as we could clear out any concerns before we go to the restaurant and it would make the whole experience of eating out with family and friends a much happier one.<br />
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<b>January offer:</b> Busaba Eathai have launched a new app (you have to set up your card details), and you get 50% of your bill if you use it during January. The app gives you a 4 digit code that you give to your server and voila! you get 50% of your bill. It can be used as many times as you want.<br />
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<b>Busaba Eathai</b><br />
http://www.busaba.com/<br />
Address: 4 Riverside Walk, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1QN<br />
Many other locations across London<br />
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<a href="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-3DLYPUYcZO0/VJYEfRccHJI/AAAAAAAAA2w/qxe3vOrpCiU/s320/20141220_194830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3DLYPUYcZO0/VJYEfRccHJI/AAAAAAAAA2w/qxe3vOrpCiU/s320/20141220_194830.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>As a gluten-free food lover, I enjoy finding new places to try, specially if they are easy for me to get to, and I cannot remember how, but as I was doing some research on Google, I came across Olive Garden, an Italian restaurant in Southfields with plenty of gluten-free options and just a short walk from the station.<br />
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Well, I had to check their online menu, and I found out that very much all their pasta and pizza dishes can be ordered gluten-free.<br />
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I really wanted to try their pizzas, as the base looks quite thin, just how I like it, and the ingredients on their Caprino pizza were calling me (Mozzarella, spicy sausage, smoked chicken, goats cheese & sundried tomato). <br />
I don't know why, but lately I am obsessed with Goats cheese, hopefully this phase will not last too long, as I'm trying to stay away from dairy too.<br />
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So I asked as many questions I could think of about how they prepare their pizzas, about any risk of cross contamination, and they happily explained it all to me.<br />
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It seems that they get the gluten-free pizza bases externally and they are cooked separately in the kitchen to avoid cross contamination.<br />
I didn't feel unwell at all after eating here, so, one to come back to.<br />
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The restaurant was very welcoming, the staff friendly and attentive and the pizza was very nice too. I was happy with their understanding of gluten and cross contamination, and I'd be happy to recommend it.<br />
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<b>Olive Garden</b><br />
<b>http://southfields.theolivegardenrestaurant.co.uk/</b><br />
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Tube: Southfields</div>
Address: 42 Replingham Road, Southfields, London SW18 5LR<div>
Tel: 020 8877 0411 <br />
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Happy New Year everyone!<br />
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It has been a while since my last post, as life sometimes gets in the way, but fear not, I've been out and about enjoying many gluten free meals, so it will all be revealed soon!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom left: Choc and orange, top: mango, right fresh fruit tart</td></tr>
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For my last gluten free outing of 2014, I visited Chateau Dessert in Chiswick.<br />
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I had been quietly stalking them on twitter for a while, looking at all those cake marvels and dreaming of starting at one end of the counter to finish at the other (all in the name of research of course!).<br />
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You will be glad to hear I managed to control myself and only ordered one cake, although my friends were kind enough to let me try theirs.<br />
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Chateau Desserts looks from the outside like an upmarket patisserie, with lots of gorgeous little morsels to tempt you, and when you go in, you discover two counters, one for all the gluten-free cakes, one for the others.<br />
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Within the gluten-free cakes, at least 3 were dairy free too when I visited, which is brilliant, as so many coeliacs also have trouble with dairy.<br />
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<a href="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-9_fQqqIcIzE/VKWvik7UPMI/AAAAAAAAA3g/ikvySxnjcW8/s320/20141230_125521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9_fQqqIcIzE/VKWvik7UPMI/AAAAAAAAA3g/ikvySxnjcW8/s320/20141230_125521.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a>I have to say one of my companions was dairy-free but not gluten-free, so it might be an idea to have some cakes for others like her.<br />
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There are also some lunch options available, and for us gluten-free eaters you can have one of their savoury tarts. They are served with a side salad, and I loved my goats cheese and onion tart.<br />
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Once you have ordered, you can make your way to the upstairs room and they'll bring it to you (there is also a basement that I did not visit). We had some coffee and tea as well and it was a fantastic afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gluten-free goats cheese tart & salad</td></tr>
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So, what did I ordered? As I've mentioned earlier, I had the goats cheese tart for lunch which was great and then the chocolate and orange cake, which I really loved.<br />
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The texture was quite creamy, very close to a mousse once you get through the chocolate coating.<br />
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I also tried the mango pudding and the tart with fresh fruit that my friends were having, and, although they were both nice, I would still stick with my first choice.<br />
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The price for the gluten-free cakes was £3.75 to take away or £4.75 to eat in.<br />
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Overall, I would be happy to recommend Chateau Dessert, there are plenty of delicious gluten-free choices and their seating area upstairs is very welcoming, airy and nicely decorated.<br />
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<b>Chateau Dessert</b><br />
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<b>http://www.chateaudessert.com/</b></div>
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Tube: Turnham Green<br />
213 Chiswick High Road, London W4 2DW</div>
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Tel: 020 8742 2344<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smoked shredded chicken</td></tr>
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I had been to Naturally Chinese a couple of times already, and I'd loved the food on both occasions, so I was really happy when Amie invited me over last Monday to try their new gluten-free menu.<br>
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It was lovely to come in from the cold into a warm and welcoming restaurant, and share a few hours with Amie and a few fellow bloggers. Who could say no to an evening like that?<br>
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We started with steamed dumplings (crystal prawn, prawn and chive, spicy mixed vegetables and salmon) which were fresh and melted in your mouth.Then spring rolls, which were very crispy.<br>
Unfortunately we were so relaxed talking and enjoying the evening that I forgot to take a photo of both dishes.<br>
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We also had shredded chicken smoked with beechwood which was amazing! I had never tried it before, but it's now going to be up there in my favourites list together with their soft shell crab.<br>
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I enjoyed talking with Amie. It was clear how important it is for her to keep all her food as natural as possible, avoiding the use of msg (mono sodium glutamate) or any artificial colourings and flavours. Yes, all the ingredients that go into every dish are natural.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sizzling lamb</td></tr>
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This is not something I had realized in my previous visits, as I was just happy to have all this lovely gluten free Chinese food at my disposal.<br>
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She was also talking about how they always try to accommodate any dietary needs. Their food is freshly prepared when ordered, so that gives them the chance to do so.<br>
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We moved on to the main courses: sizzling lamb with ginger and spring onions, beef and beans (we started calling it Amie's dish, as it's off the menu, but she always has it prepared for her by one of the chefs), mixed vegetables, rice and vermicelli rice noodles.<br>
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I loved the main dishes as you could taste the ingredients. I've noticed sometimes in Chinese restaurants the sauces overpower the dish. Here the sauce was delicate enough to let you taste everything else.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mango pudding</td></tr>
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And to finish off the meal, we had a mango pudding. Now, I was a bit doubtful about it, as I've had a similar dessert in the past and I didn't enjoy it, but in this pudding you could really taste the fresh mango coming though.<br>
If you are in doubt like me, I'd tempt you to try it, I know it's going to be a must for my future visits.<br>
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Overall, I was very impressed with the meal.<br>
I enjoyed all the dishes we tried and was happy to see that Amie has addressed her growing demand for gluten-free dishes thoroughly.<br>
Not only she has created a separate gluten-free menu to make it easier for customers and staff, she is also working with Coeliac UK to ensure her food is safe and is awaiting accreditation.<br>
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There is plenty of variety on the gluten free menu to keep your interest on several visits, and I was glad to meet her and see how determined she is to create a new style of Chinese restaurant, where every dish is made naturally and is healthy for you.<br>
I would be happy to recommend Naturally Chinese to any gluten and non gluten eaters, and I know it's going to be one of those places I go to time and time again.<br>
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<b>Naturally Chinese</b><br>
<a href="http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk/">http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk</a><br>
59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 5LW<br>
Tel: 0208 3995533<br>
Getting there: Surbiton rail (20 mins from London Waterloo)<br>
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<a href="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-2Sx9TmnfnvY/VFtpN69JyLI/AAAAAAAAAzU/Yca3sANt5Ow/s320/20141101_173857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2Sx9TmnfnvY/VFtpN69JyLI/AAAAAAAAAzU/Yca3sANt5Ow/s320/20141101_173857.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>A friend got me these gorgeous cakes after a day out around Marylebone, where she spotted them in a shop with a cafe (I think it might have been Hunter Gather). They were both fantastic, the one on the left was salted caramel and the one on the right had marshmallow, yum! </div>
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My favourite was the salted caramel one, but just by a hair, both were really nice and I'd be quite happy to recommend them.</div>
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I had not heard of Pearl&Groove before so I was clearly interested in finding out more.</div>
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They are a bakery started by Serena and all their cakes are gluten-free. </div>
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Although they do not have a shop per se, they sell their cakes at several venues listed below & also are on Fridays (11.30am to 2.30pm) at Granary Square, Kings Cross (Kerb Food).</div>
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You can also order online or join their cake club, and receive a new flavour every month.</div>
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Find out more on their website:</div>
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<b>http://www.pearlandgroove.com/</b></div>
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Current stocklist:</div>
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Harvey Nichols, Daylesford Organic, 108 Marylebone Lane Hotel, Hunter Gather, Kerb Food, The De Beauvoir Deli, Angie's Little Food shop, Peardrop London, Sofa.com, The Doodle Bar.</div>
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Coming soon to Selfridges.</div>
<table class="wsite-multicol-table" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px !important; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; position: relative; table-layout: fixed; width: 970px;"><tbody class="wsite-multicol-tbody"></tbody></table>
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<a href="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-nJ_CcXw8mOc/VCm-QM2qawI/AAAAAAAAAt4/o4g00KLe_u0/s320/20140928_112901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nJ_CcXw8mOc/VCm-QM2qawI/AAAAAAAAAt4/o4g00KLe_u0/s320/20140928_112901.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>This is one of those treats that I've grown up with. </div>
My dad used to make torrijas for us occasionally and they hardly ever lasted a day.<br />
They are made using bread that is a day or two old, and it was a fine art to casually leave enough bread around ready for Sunday morning, when he could be gently persuaded to make them.<br />
<br />
There are as many recipes out there as people making them, some of them use syrup instead of the final coating in sugar, but this is the way I like them and I've eaten them all my life.<br />
Thinking about it, I'd say I've only ever had them at home.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-K8BGUn4dToM/VDz9wL77zmI/AAAAAAAAAyg/rwMwWgZMW_Q/s320/2014-10-14%25252011.40.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-K8BGUn4dToM/VDz9wL77zmI/AAAAAAAAAyg/rwMwWgZMW_Q/s320/2014-10-14%25252011.40.09.jpg" height="200" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milk dip</td></tr>
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I've tried making them with a gluten-free baguette and it works quite well. I would recommend the one from Sainsbury's or Marks and Spencer's, both have the right consistency.<br />
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<br />
Ingredients:<br />
* Gluten-Free baguette, one or two days old<br />
* 125ml milk (I used soya) & 2 tbsp of sugar, mixed<br />
* Gluten free flour <br />
* 1 beaten Egg mixed with a couple of tbsp of milk<br />
* Oil to deep fry it. I use a mix of olive and sunflower oil and a small pan<br />
* Mix of sugar (3tbsp) and ground cinamon (1 tsp)<br />
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Method:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">flour away</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* Cut the bread into slices 1 inch thick<br />
* Dip them in the milk&sugar mix, turning around and making sure they are well soaked. If your bread is really hard, you might need to keep it in there a bit longer.<br />
* Coat them in the GF flour both sides <br />
* Coat them in the egg mixture<br />
* Deep fry until a golden brown colour. The oil should be on medium heat, too hot and they'll burn, too cold and they'll absorb too much oil<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-soXEF3X4lwI/VCm-SzbG0nI/AAAAAAAAAuY/nYLL6ivB0Lc/s320/20140928_110441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-soXEF3X4lwI/VCm-SzbG0nI/AAAAAAAAAuY/nYLL6ivB0Lc/s320/20140928_110441.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eggy</td></tr>
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* Leave to rest on kitchen paper to absorb some oil for a few minutes<br />
<br />
* Coat them in the sugar and cinamon mixture while still warm<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aJgbeToEM2M/VDvVrDDjdQI/AAAAAAAAAvI/5_iJGKVb3X0/s1600/20141011_193044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallop and Mary Pippers</td></tr>
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After an afternoon visit to Borough Market, we had dinner at Elliot's.<br />
Their menu varies depending on what is in season, and according to their website, all their ingredients are sourced from the market.<br />
<br />
The restaurant itself is very welcoming, the sort of place where you are happy to linger for a bit, although the service was somewhat erratic, in particular regarding gluten safety.<br />
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<br />
The booking had been made mentioning we were all coeliacs, and we mentioned it again on arrival.<br />
We were given the menu with the gluten containing dishes marked on it, but a couple were not correctly marked (thankfully "barley" was a clue), and a non gluten-free bread basket was brought to our table.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.ggpht.com/-9Y-DFWkoI0k/VDvVr9u2AJI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/vkbC3k6UaDM/s320/20141011_185603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9Y-DFWkoI0k/VDvVr9u2AJI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/vkbC3k6UaDM/s320/20141011_185603.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork</td></tr>
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Once we were settled on what we could eat, there were lots of interesting dishes on the menu, and choosing was difficult.<br />
We were told two to three dishes per person would be about right for dinner, and being in a shellfish mood I ordered scallops, mussels and some of their Mary Piper roasted potatoes.<br />
There was only one scallop in my dish, but it was very fresh and delicious, and the same can be said for the large portion of mussels (sorry no pic). They were a good size and were served with bacon and a creamy sauce that was very enjoyable. I wouldn't mind having them everyday!<br />
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<a href="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-sA0PUxBceDI/VEIdRLj9pcI/AAAAAAAAAy0/cY5-GNb7RFI/s320/2014-10-14%25252011.38.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sA0PUxBceDI/VEIdRLj9pcI/AAAAAAAAAy0/cY5-GNb7RFI/s320/2014-10-14%25252011.38.28.jpg" height="113" width="200" /></a>I had some of the chocolate ganache for pudding, which was also nice, but not as nice as the main meal.</div>
Most of the dishes ordered by the group looked very appetizing, like the pork in the photo, and it seemed like everyone was happy overall.<br />
<br />
I would be happy to recommend the food, it was lovely and fresh and the venue was very welcoming. Most of the dishes are naturally gluten-free, but make sure you double check about anything you are unsure of.<br />
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<b>Elliots Cafe</b><br />
http://www.elliotscafe.com/index.html<br />
12 Stoney Street, Borough Market, SE1 9AD<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-jwu4UsDhifU/VDvV6h5B9KI/AAAAAAAAAxI/d_OZSuQPwAs/s320/20141004_154055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jwu4UsDhifU/VDvV6h5B9KI/AAAAAAAAAxI/d_OZSuQPwAs/s320/20141004_154055.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jwu4UsDhifU/VDvV6h5B9KI/AAAAAAAAAxI/d_OZSuQPwAs/s1600/20141004_154055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>After visiting Naturally Chinese recently, I wanted to go back to try their Dim Sum, which is available every day until 5pm at the restaurant.</div>
<br />
Dim Sum was one of my favourite weekend lunches before I had to wave goodbye to gluten, so I was curious about how would their gluten free option compare to what I remember.<br />
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They have many gluten free choices clearly marked on their menu (available online).<br />
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I ordered: <br />
Turnip cakes<br />
Steamed vegetables in garlic<br />
Prawn and chive dumplings<br />
Spring rolls<br />
Vegetable rolls<br />
<a href="https://lh6.ggpht.com/-WWAEKMFiWXU/VDvV596Pu6I/AAAAAAAAAxA/LX27zjEt1jQ/s320/20141004_154506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WWAEKMFiWXU/VDvV596Pu6I/AAAAAAAAAxA/LX27zjEt1jQ/s320/20141004_154506.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a><br />
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Unfortunately Char siu buns and glutinous rice were not available gluten-free, which I would have loved to have.<br />
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<a href="https://lh6.ggpht.com/-fqhGyo9EcB8/VDvV5cpZOuI/AAAAAAAAAw4/_BPlgcPpiUE/s320/20141004_154510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fqhGyo9EcB8/VDvV5cpZOuI/AAAAAAAAAw4/_BPlgcPpiUE/s320/20141004_154510.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a>My two favourites were the prawn and chives dumplings and turnip cakes, both very tasty, while I have mixed feelings about the vegetable rolls and spring rolls. The fillings were very nice, but the roll itself could be a bit lighter.</div>
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Overall I would be happy to go back as the food was tasty and they seem to have a very good understanding of gluten and cross contamination.</div>
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<b>Naturally Chinese</b><br />
http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk/<br />
59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 5LR<br />
Getting there: Trains from Waterloo take around 20 mins
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I went to Borough market at the weekend with the London Gluten free meetup group.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freefrom Bakehouse</td></tr>
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The market is great if you like your food, as there is probably not much you might fancy that you wont find there.<br />
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We were looking out for stalls that were gluten free, and we found plenty of them.<br />
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<b>The Free From Bakehouse</b><br />
This artisan bakery has won many Free From and Great Taste awards. All their cakes and treats are gluten and wheat free, with many also sugar free and egg free.<br />
They are at Borough Market from Wednesday to Saturday, and I'd definitely recommend going early if you want to try some of their more popular products. I was looking forward to some jalapeno and sweetcorn muffins but they had run out by then, so I had to get one of their other yummy cakes!<br />
Find out more on their website:<br />
http://www.sugargrain.com/<br />
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<b>Mini Magoo's</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Magoo's, many GF breakfast options</td></tr>
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At this stall, just behind the Free From Bakehouse, there are many types of cereal, many of them gluten free, so if you are into granola, muesli, porridge and anything cerealy it is worth a visit.<br />
Available in many places across London. Find out more on their website:<br />
http://www.minimagoo.com/<br />
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<b>Cannon & Cannon</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannon & Cannon GF charcuterie</td></tr>
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This is a charcuterie where every product is gluten free and dairy free, and they have a huge selection of different products. I bought a few to take home and they were quite nice, although I don't remember now the varieties I got so I cannot be more specific than that!<br />
Find out more on their website.<br />
http://cannonandcannon.com/<br />
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<b>Rabot Estate 1745</b><br />
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This is a restaurant, cafe and shop that's all about chocolate, where you can find from cocoa beans to the very best of chocolate made with beans from around the world. I tried the cocoa beans when we were there, and what an unusual taste, starting close to a peanut in texture, but with that bitter chocolate taste at the end, lovely!<br />
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It was a fantastic culinary journey, we also found some gluten free sausages at Sillifield farm butchers, ostrich eggs and more fish and shelfish varieties that I've ever seen together.<br />
Nothing better to finish the day than a great dinner at Elliot's also on the market, that I will review on a separate post.
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I finally had a chance to visit Lu-Ma, a new cafe in Wimbledon, not far from the station (5/10 mins walk).<br />
The cafe is on the side of the Justin James Hotel on Worple road. The cafe itself is a small venue, but it feels quite light and airy, with tables in and out and a Scandinavian feel to the decor.<br />
We were there for an early dinner (note that they close at 6.30 pm if you plan to visit) although I'd say it's probably a venue to be enjoyed more for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea.<br />
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The menu is available online, and you can see their gluten-free options (GF) and vegetarian options (VG).<br />
I love the fantastic choice of drinks, lots of freshly made smoothies and juices, they all looked very appetising and full of vitamins.<br />
Their focus is on healthy eating, so even the jacket potatoes are made with sweet potatoes, and if you read about their Vision on their website you can see that this ethos goes into all the food and drink they provide.<br />
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We had some juices to start us on the healthy road and they were just fantastic, definitely recommended.<br />
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It was difficult to choose our main course as there were several things I wanted to try, but in the end I went for Buckwheat noodles with chicken and my companion had one of their Super Salads with salmon.<br />
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<a href="https://lh6.ggpht.com/-ebUaSv4Dmqk/VCm-Z1T1sDI/AAAAAAAAAu4/2bK0QP8vvQw/s320/20140922_173657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ebUaSv4Dmqk/VCm-Z1T1sDI/AAAAAAAAAu4/2bK0QP8vvQw/s320/20140922_173657.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>I was trying to check the ingredients on their website as I write but this dish doesn't seem to appear, so I'll just say the sauce in the noodles was very nice and I enjoyed it very much. Noodles can be ordered on their own, or with a protein topping (chicken, salmon, tofu) and I ordered some chicken. Although the flavour was good, the chicken was served cold on top of the hot noodles, which didn't quite work for me.<br />
A suggestion would be to heat the chicken slightly before serving so that it's all warm or to mix it with the noodles so that it's all enjoyed at the same temperature.<br />
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The salad looked very impressive indeed and I could see my companion feeling overly healthy eating it, not just your five a day, probably you get the weekly recommended amount of vegetables with such a nice salad.<br />
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There were lots of interesting ingredients in it and I was feeling slightly jealous looking at it, good thing that my noodles were fab.<br />
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My friend really enjoyed it, although felt that the dressing was not enough for such a large salad.<br />
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Overall we both enjoyed our meals and would be happy to visit again.<br />
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Lu-Ma cafe</span></b><br />
<span style="color: orange;">http://lu-ma.co.uk/</span><br />
Justin James Hotel,43 Worple Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4JZ<br />
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.30am – 6.30pm, Saturday & Sunday 10.30am – 6.30pm
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten Free Chicken</td></tr>
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I was invited to try the new Gluten Free Chicken at Leon that is trialling for a week at their Spitafields branch.<br />
The Spitafields branch is well located inside the market, so it's fun to see the hussle and bustle from the windows.<br />
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My invitation included the new chicken dish plus side, cake and drink which was very generous of Leon.<br />
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Every item I ordered was labelled gluten-free on the menu, however I started feeling unwell a bit later, and I believe there was some cross-contamination in the food I had.<br />
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After mentioning it on twitter I got a call from their Head of Food who went through all the processes they have in place and I have to say, it is surprising if they do all that that I got ill there, but unfortunately my gut doesn't understand of processes, only of gluten.<br />
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They seemed to take it seriously and someone was dispatched to the restaurant to investigate. It might just be a problem with training.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pecan Pie</td></tr>
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Although I am unlikely to go back due to food safety, I did like the chicken, the flavour was very nice and the coating quite crunchy and full of flavour. The pecan pie was lovely too, with lots of nuts.<br />
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I would like to know if anybody else has had a similar experience or a positive one eating gluten-free at Leon, please leave a comment, I'd love to read it.<br />
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<strong>Leon Restaurants</strong><br />
<a href="http://leonrestaurants.co.uk/">http://leonrestaurants.co.uk/</a><br />
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