Wheat Free Bakery

I had heard of the Wheat free Bakery on Facebook with excellent reviews, and decided to try some of their breads.

They are a small, independent, family owned bakery, specialising in gluten and wheat free products, based in Scotland.

They have lots of bread and bread rolls to choose from, as well as an egg free section and cakes, sweet treats and mixes.

I have made a few orders now, generally bloomers, and their bread is amazing. I really love it!!!
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.

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.
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).
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.
All the bread I bought has arrived in excellent condition, and very fresh, as they dispatch it the day they bake it.
I normally buy 3 bloomers & an assortment of rolls.
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.
I only wish that I had a bigger freezer ;)

For more information visit their website:
Wheat Free Bakery
http://www.wheat-freebakerydirect.co.uk/

Yorika Free From Ice cream

Yorika has opened recently in Soho and it is such a joy to visit.

The decoration is quite cool, ice cream colours, seasoned with a happy soundtrack.

Then you have the ice cream bar, lots of choice including some unusual flavours, all made with natural ingredients.
I loved their raspberry and vanilla flavours.

And then you have the fun of their toppings bar!!!
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).
If that is not enough, you can top it all up with a sauce (£0.35).

If you are allergic or intolerant to gluten, dairy, nuts or eggs, or if you are vegan, this is your place.

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!).

I reckon they are on to something good ;)

Yorika
http://www.yorica.com/
130 Wardour Street, London, W1F 8ZN

Chacon cakes

I was wandering around Wimbledon a couple of weekends ago when I bumped into a market at the piazza.

Lots of nice stalls, and amongst them the lovely cakes from Chacon Cakes!

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. 

I only wish I had bought another one.

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. 

She was a baker in her pre-Coeliac days and was telling me about her gluten free experiments in the kitchen. Clearly very successful.

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:

www.chaconcakes.co.uk

Twitter: @cakeschacon

Instagram:@chaconcakes

Barrafina Adelaide Street

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.

I also love watching the kitchen in full swing behind the bar, so many delicious smells, so many good looking dishes coming out!

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.

Fully recommended!

Barrafina Covent Garden
10 Adelaide St, London WC2N 4HZhttp://www.barrafina.co.uk/

Barrafina

Lately I am relaxing a bit about eating out, and I don't always do lots of research about restaurants in advance.

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.

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.

It was on one of this 'whatever' days that I found myself eating at Barrafina.

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.

This is not a typical restaurant, and it's obvious since you go in that food is king here.

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.
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.

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.

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.
Clearly a second visit is needed.

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.

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.

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.

Overall I would be happy to recommend Barrafina as a gluten free dining destination.
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.

Barrafina
http://barrafina.co.uk/
Covent Garden: 10 Adelaide Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4HZ
Soho: 54 Frith Street, London, W1D 4SL

Pastificio Mansi - Fresh gluten free pasta

I was approached recently by Emanuela from Pastificio Mansi to ask if I would be interested in trying her new gluten free fresh pasta.

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.
I clearly couldn't say no to trying it, as I love Italian GF pasta, and fresh pasta even more!

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.

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).

I loved both of them. It is clearly an artisan quality product, and I'm glad I was offered the chance to try it.
What did I like most about this pasta?
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.

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.
I didn't feel unwell at all after eating it, so definitely gluten free, fantastic!
The pasta is sold in 100gr portions at £2.5 for fresh tagliatelle and £3 for the filled fresh pasta

She is currently trading at:
Crystal Palace food market on Saturdays (10am to 3pm) http://www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk/
Fulham market every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month
http://www.rmsmarkets.co.uk/
Brook Green Market every 1st, 3rd, 5th Saturday of the month
http://www.brookgreenmarket.co.uk/
Islington Farmers Market - Chapel Market in Angel every 1st, 3rd, 5th Sunday of the month
http://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/islington/
Check out other venues on twitter and facebook

Pastificio Mansi
http://pastificiomansi.com/
Facebook: pastificiomansi
Twitter: @pasticiomansi

Romeos Gluten Free bakery - Islington

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.
So recently I went on a Sunday afternoon with a friend.
It was quite busy, but thankfully we managed to get a seat.

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.

This is what it said:
"All our bread is gluten-free and baked on our premises fresh from scratch.
Ingredients: Potato flour, Rice flour, Tapioca flour, Eggs, Yeast, Salt, Vinegar, Water"

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.

I did enjoy my cheese cake and I didn't feel unwell at all after eating it.
I've heard comments about it's prices, but I'd say they are probably no more expensive than other bakeries in the area.

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.

Romeos Gluten Free bakery
http://www.romeosglutenfreebakery.co.uk/
167 Upper Street, London, N1 1US

Château Dessert Chiswick

Happy New Year everyone!

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!

Bottom left: Choc and orange, top: mango, right fresh fruit tart

For my last gluten free outing of 2014, I visited Chateau Dessert in Chiswick.

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!).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

gluten-free goats cheese tart & salad

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.

The texture was quite creamy, very close to a mousse once you get through the chocolate coating.

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.

The price for the gluten-free cakes was £3.75 to take away or £4.75 to eat in.

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.



Chateau Dessert

http://www.chateaudessert.com/

Tube: Turnham Green
213 Chiswick High Road, London W4 2DW

Tel: 020 8742 2344

Naturally Chinese new Gluten Free menu

smoked shredded chicken

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.

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?

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.
Unfortunately we were so relaxed talking and enjoying the evening  that I forgot to take a photo of both dishes.

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.

 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.

sizzling lamb

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.

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.

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.

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.

mango pudding

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.
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.

Overall, I was very impressed with the meal.
I enjoyed all the dishes we tried and was happy to see that Amie has addressed her growing demand for gluten-free dishes thoroughly.
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.

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.
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.

Naturally Chinese
http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk​
59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 5LW
Tel: 0208 3995533
Getting there: Surbiton rail (20 mins from London Waterloo)

Pearl and Grove Bakery

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! 

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.

I had not heard of Pearl&Groove before so I was clearly interested in finding out more.

They are a bakery started by Serena and all their cakes are gluten-free. 

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).

You can also order online or join their cake club, and receive a new flavour every month.

Find out more on their website:

http://www.pearlandgroove.com/

Current stocklist:

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.

Coming soon to Selfridges.

Lu-Ma Wimbledon

I finally had a chance to visit Lu-Ma, a new cafe in Wimbledon, not far from the station (5/10 mins walk).
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.
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.

The menu is available online, and you can see their gluten-free options (GF) and vegetarian options (VG).
I love the fantastic choice of drinks, lots of freshly made smoothies and juices, they all looked very appetising and full of vitamins.
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.

We had some juices to start us on the healthy road and they were just fantastic, definitely recommended.

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.

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.
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.

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.

There were lots of interesting ingredients in it and I was feeling slightly jealous looking at it, good thing that my noodles were fab.

My friend really enjoyed it, although felt that the dressing was not enough for such a large salad.

Overall we both enjoyed our meals and would be happy to visit again.

Lu-Ma cafe
http://lu-ma.co.uk/
Justin James Hotel,43 Worple Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4JZ
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.30am – 6.30pm, Saturday & Sunday 10.30am – 6.30pm

The Truscott Arms - Very Gluten-Free Friendly

I went to the Truscott Arms at the weekend with the Gluten Free Meetup group.

I had already heard lots of good things about it and I'd been looking on their website at their food and drink options for us GF eaters.


Fish & Chips

The pub is quite spacious and welcoming and we had excellent service from the staff, no question was one too many and all our doubts were put to rest with a smile. A 10 for service!

We had our dinner at the bar (there is also a restaurant upstairs), and it was great to see that most of the menu is gluten-free or there is a gluten-free option.
As an example, of the eight mains on the bar menu, four are gluten-free and two have a gluten-free option. Brilliant!

Most of us went for fish and chips, and it felt like such a treat.
I could write a whole post about the delicious chunky chips, worth the trip just for them, and the fish was quite good too.
I generally like my batter a bit lighter (like the one we had at Maddys recently), but I guess this is just a personal preference.

On the drink front, there is the normal pub choice plus five different gluten-free beers!!!
It was brilliant, and I finally tried Daas Blonde, which I loved and now shares with Greens the top spot of my favourite gluten-free beers.
All the puddings except one are GF too, what is not to love?

Overall, I felt the staff knew how to handle gluten-free, and were happy to answer any questions. There was a good selection of GF food on offer and I loved what I had.
Recommended!

The Truscott Arms
http://www.thetruscottarms.com/
Tube: Warwick Avenue
Address: 55 Shirland Road, Maida Vale, W9 2JD

Naturally Chinese - Gluten Free in Surbiton

 

Soft Shell crab

I went to Naturally Chinese in Surbiton at the weekend.
I first heard about it from the Gluten Free London meetup group, and although I couldn't go on that occasion, I've been wanting to go for a while.
This is a Chinese restaurant with lots of gluten-free options and all of them very tasty.
The restaurant itself is spacious and light and as we went for an early dinner it wasn't too busy.
The service was very attentive and I even got my own Tamari sauce to use at will!

So, what did we eat?

Steamed dim sum

Soft-shell crab, steamed dim sum platter, chilli squid, vermicelli noodles Singapore style and, as I couldn't have the crispy duck pancakes, I ordered crispy lamb, which is served with lettuce instead of pancakes and plum sauce instead of hoisin to make it gluten-free.
It is very easy to see the gluten-free options on the menu, as they are marked with a red G, and it's also easy to spot the vegetarian options marked with a green V.

Squid

It was really nice food, and I was happy that they knew how to keep gluten-free food, gluten-free. I didn't feel unwell at all after visiting, which was fantastic!

I'd love to go back for dim sum as this is something I really miss from my gluten eating days.

They told me they will be launching a dedicated gluten-free menu towards the end of the month (Sept 2014) with even more choices.

Naturally Chinese
http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk/
59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 5LR
Getting there: Trains from Waterloo take around 20 mins

Gluten Free Greenwich and New Cross

 This weekend I went to Greenwich with the Gluten Free London meetup group.

We started the afternoon in the market, visiting  Rubys of London's stall. I had been looking online at her products, and was looking forward to some GF donuts (although there were lots of other yummy cakes on offer too!)  and I was a bit shocked when there were only 4 left when I got there at 4pm on Saturday.



Oh no! I had to get a couple before it was too late, and so I did, although I could only try the chocolate ones, as all the others had sold out by then.
Obviously need to get there earlier next time for more choice.
As we were going to have some fish and chips I took them home for Sunday and they were quite yummy.

Were they like the gluten containing donuts of my past?

Well, that is a difficult question to answer, as there where no plain donuts left when I got there so I cannot compare like with like.

The chocolate ones I tried were very nice, and they were a nice flavour and texture eaten on the following day. They were slightly heavier than I expected, but quite good, so I would be very happy to go back for some more and to recommend them, obviously aiming for a morning visit.
Ruby's of London
http://www.rubysoflondon.com/
Visit their stall Saturdays&Sundays at Greenwich Market
Getting there: Cutty Sark DLR

We had a -not so- quick stop at Greenlands Health Foods, a proper shop in the market for some supplies. I have to say that although it looks small from the outside, it's extremely well stocked up for the Gluten Free eater. I just had to restrict myself as I would be carrying it around for a while, but I still managed to get some quinoa, Spanish paprika and tahini for my cupboard.
Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.
Greenlands Health Shops
http://www.allthingsgreenwich.co.uk/businesses/greenlandshealthfoods-id-386.html


Then we visited Maddy's Fish Bar in New Cross.
Ben had added quite a lot of information about it on meetup and it looked very promising.
(Read it here: http://www.meetup.com/Gluten-Free-London-Club/events/201270152/ )

Maddy seems to know a thing or two about fish and I certainly was not disappointed.

Fantastic fresh fish with some very light gluten free batter teamed up with some chunky chips and some tartare sauce.

IPA gluten free beer is also on offer, plus cider, wine and some interesting soft drinks.

Overall it was a really enjoyable Fish and Chips.  I can't remember the last time I had some, and I would be very happy to recommend Maddys to any gluten free eaters.
Maddys Fish Bar
https://www.facebook.com/MaddysFishBar/timeline?ref=page_internal
Getting there: New Cross train or overground

Gluten Free Profiteroles

OK, so this is not my recipe, but it is a great recipe for anyone feeling a bit profiteroly ;)

The recipe is from @nels3 on twitter, who also writes the blog: http://fabulouslyfreefrom.wordpress.com/

I changed the proportions for the choux pastry a little, as the first time I did it my mix was too runny and the result was not great, so I reduced the amount of water to 100ml instead of the 150ml in the recipe. And with that, the result was amazing, as you can see in the photos.

Here is the link to her recipe:
http://fabulouslyfreefrom.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/gluten-free-chocolate-profiteroles/

Also, I did not fancy cream for the filling, so I made some creme patissiere (very thick custard) using the recipe (also dairy free) from Glutoniana, here is the link to the recipe (in Spanish):

http://glutoniana.com/2014/03/11/crema-pastelera-sin-gluten-y-sin-lactosa/

The only thing that was a bit messy was the chocolate topping, I think I was just tired by then, so although it is not too pretty, it was very tasty ;)

Gluten Free Camden part 3: Cookies and Scream

 

After having one of the lovely Honest Burgers at the Camden restaurant, we managed to drag ourselves a few steps to Cookies and Scream so that we could enjoy a sweet treat.
My tummy was quite full, but how often do you find yourself surrounded by so many great looking and smelling cookies and puds that are also gluten-free?

Well, one is not made of stone and I got myself an Apollo cake. It might not look like much in the picture, but trust me it was very very yummy.

I shared it after dinner with my sister and followed the instructions they gave me: heat slightly in the microwave (40 secs is enough) and enjoy with some ice-cream.
I did that and was just sorry that I had not got any other treats from them.
All their products are gluten-free and vegan so no need to worry about what to pick.

Ben from the group got some cookie sandwiches that looked quite interesting (sorry no pic), so I might have to drag myself to Camden again and check that out. Fully recommended!

Check their website: http://cookiesandscream.com/index.html

Gluten Free Camden 2: Honest burgers



GF Honest Burger

After a fantastic Friday in Camden it was time for another visit! I met the Gluten Free London club (meetup) at Honest Burgers on Saturday.
I can't believe I had not visited yet, as it is the most talked about place for gluten-free burgers.

The burger can be ordered with a normal or gluten-free bun, and I have to say the bun was very nice. I ordered the Honest Burger without cheese and the flavours of bacon, gherkins and onion relish did complement it really well. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as much as the rosemary chips and the onion rings which were also gluten-free.


GF onion rings

I drank some of their homemade lemonade which I enjoyed, and they also have Daura Damm gluten free beer if you fancy it.

The restaurant is quite small but also quite casual which adds to the charm.
When we arrived around 12ish there was nowhere for us to sit together but some lovely ladies moved tables to accommodate us.
Who says London people cannot be kind?

After a much enjoyed lunch we moved just a few steps to Cookies and Scream for dessert (see review later), although it was a take home pud for me, as I was completely full.

Overall the burger was fantastic, much better than the one I've had before at Vorzars (meat just ok) or the one at GBK (bun a bit dry). I recommend it.
http://www.honestburgers.co.uk/

Udi's cookies and other Gluten Free biscuits

I love cookies and was quite happy to get some samples from Udi's at the Allergy Show.

Everyone I spoke to was raving about the "Oreo" like cookies, named "chocolate flavour sandwich cookies" by Udi's. They were delicious indeed, I was very happy to get some samples to take home.

The cookies are brilliant, although I think they need a snappier name. What about Rodeos?

Ingredients:
Sugar, Rice Flour, Potato Starch,Vegetable Fats (Palm Fat, Coconut Fat), Corn Starch, Glucose Syrup, Dextrose, Cocoa Powder (2.5%), Soya Flour, Sunflower Oil, Thickener (Xanthan Gum), Vanilla Natural Flavouring, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Salt May also contain Eggs
A serving of two cookies (30gr) has 142 calories (2.7gr saturated fat, 6.4gr sugar).
They are very nice and I would be happy to add them to my shopping list if they were easily available. They are currently available at Tesco (£3) at their Lifestyle Food Fair (till end of August, 4 for 3 at Extra stores).

However they are very similar to another cookie on the market by Lovemore.

Lovemore O'Choco Ingredients:
Rice Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Fats, Corn Starch, Cocoa Powder (7%), Potato Starch, Corn Flour, Dextrose, Glucose Syrup, Refined Sunflower Oil, Rice Starch, Raising Agent: Sodium Hydrogencarbonate, Thickener: Xanthan Gum, Flavourings, Emulsifier: Soy Lecithin, Table Salt, Biscuits contain ca. 30% of Cream
A serving of two cookies (33gr) has 148 calories (3.2gr saturated fat, 7.6gr sugar). They are sold as dairy free, so I take it that the cream they mention is soya based. I've bought them in the past at Ocado (£1.95) or Waitrose.

Between the two I wouldn't know which to choose as they are so similar. The Lovemore O'Choco cookie has a taste closer to dark chocolate and Udi's is a little bit less bitter. For me it would be a matter of availability.

What I'd like from both brands is to have the product in smaller packs of two/four biscuits so that they are easy to take away in your lunch box or when travelling (see later on review of Kelkin wafers).

I also got a sample of Udi's gluten free lemon wafers, which were delicious.
If I had to choose between the "Oreo like" and this ones, it would be a difficult choice. I've been happily testing both on and off and, as with the other ones, I'd buy them if they were easily available.

Udi's Lemon Wafer ingredients:
Cane Sugar, Potato Starch, Palm Oil, Soya Oil, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Citric Acid, Salt, Raising Agents (Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Lemon Flavouring May also contain Egg, Milk, Peanuts and Tree Nuts
Available at Tesco during their Lifestlyle food Fair (£3, offer 4 for 3)
There is a chocolate option available too.

I am comparing them to Kelkin's wafers, as it's the only other wafer I've found available so far.

Kelkin Wafer Ingredients:
Milk Chocolate 80% (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavour), Vegetable Fat, Sugar, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Teff Flour, Soya Flour, Skimmed Cocoa Powder, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Vegetable Oil, Free Range Egg Yolk, Salt, Raising Agent: Sodium Bicarbonate May contain; traces of hazelnuts and peanuts
I vaguely remember finding them at Salisbury's or Waitrose. They also have some orange Jaffa cakes that are very nice.

Which one do I prefer?
For taste I would choose Udi's one, it is lighter in consistency and it's more wafer-like. I find that Kelkin's has too much chocolate coating (very close to a KitKat).
However, I love the presentation of Kelkin's, with the individual wrap for each one. Not only it is easy to pop one in your bag or your lunch box, it also keeps the wafer in top condition until you open it.
What I found with Udi's wafer is that the first few I had were lovely and crisp, but by the time I got to the last one, it wasn't very crisp anymore. I'd say individual wrapping would be fantastic to have, as a pack of Udi's wafers is likely to last for a while, specially if there is only one coeliac/gluten intolerant in the household.

Overall, I would recommend all the biscuits here, all tasty in their different ways, just need to have them all in one supermarket to make my day!

Gazpacho Cold Soup - Naturally Gluten Free

When the weather is as hot as this week, only one thing is on my mind, Gazpacho soup.

This cold soup is full of vitamins, as it's made with lots of raw vegetables, and because it has ice cubes too, it's cold cold, brilliant.

There are many recipes out there but in my family it's always made the same way.



Ingredients:
6 tomatoes peeled and cut in chunks
1/2 cucumber in chunks
1 green pepper in chunks
1 garlic clove
1 slice of bread in pieces (without crust)
1 tbsp of mayonnaise (could use olive oil instead)
1 tbsp of cider vinegar (or wine vinegar)
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sweet paprika
1 tray of ice cubes (or 1/2 glass of water and 6 ice cubes if you don't want it too cold)

Instructions:
It is very easy, put all the ingredients except the ice in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer.
You can add a bit of water to help the process along.
Once everything is mixed, add the ice cubes and mix again until smooth.
The result is a very cold soup with bits, marvellous!!!
If you don't like the idea of bits, you can always use a colander to get rid of them, it will be just as nice.

Pasta from Elena gluten free




Pappardelle with tomato, asparagus and chorizo

I bought some pasta from Elena's gluten free way at the Allergy Show.
When I can, I always try to find Italian pasta, specially Pappardelle or Tagliatelle nests, they are my favourites.
There are two brands available from Elena's, Dialsi and Piaceri Mediterranei.

I got a packet of each and recently tried the Piacery Mediterranei Pappardelle.
These pasta ribbons are lovely and I really enjoyed my dinner.
I added a sauce made with tomato sauce (one tin of chopped tomatoes, one tsp of olive oil, half tsp of salt, half tsp of sugar and some ground pepper, cooked slowly for 30 mins or so), asparagus and chorizo.
Fantastic dinner, now looking forward to the  Tagliatelle ;)
My only concern is that the ribbons tend to break after cooking, I guess that is the corn.

Mediterranei Pappardelle Ingredients: Yellow maize flour (49,8%), white maize flour (49,8%), emulsifier: mono and diglycerides of fatty acids)
Dialsi Taglieatelle Ingredients: Rice flour, corn flour
Both ingredients lists are quite short, which I like, no nasty E numbers around.

They are available to buy on her website:
http://www.elenasgfway.co.uk/