Is Your Mini Chef Ready for Prime Time?

Some people get fired up about cooking early in life. I know, I did. My mother always had something simmering on the stove when I was little and this greatly inspired my own early kitchen endeavors. Now I see my children expressing an interest in cooking as well and this makes me excited to be passing the cooking gene to the next generation.

If you've ever watched Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri on Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook Off you know the level of enthusiasm that goes into this kid-centered Food Network production. Now the team is putting out a casting call for kids ages 8 to 13 for the show's second season and is looking for children with captivating personalities who have a passion for the culinary arts.

Maybe you know someone who fits this description? If so, you can apply through the website, here. The deadline is April 18, 2014.

Happy cooking and good luck!

San Francisco Gluten-Free Allergen-Free Expo Finds and Goodies

If you didn't have a chance to make it to the Gluten-Free Allergen-Free Expo this past weekend (Jan 25/26, 2014), here's a quick review of some of the new (and "old") products and companies that are hitting the market.

This is just a no-brainer. If you haven't been to Zest Bakery in San Carlos and you are gluten-free, get there now! Many of their products are also dairy-free (like their sandwiches unless you get cheese), vegan and even paleo. 

 Based out of Dallas, TX, Local Oven is changing the way food service looks at gluten-free. In almost any restaurant in that area, you an get their gluten-free rolls and buns. Wouldn't that be nice! Look for their products in supermarkets as well.

 I am quite fond of Canyon Bakehouse products. It was nice to see them with a larger presence this year. If you haven't had a chance, try their whole grain bread. We use it for sandwiches all of the time. I also like their focaccia bread.

G-Free Foodie delivers boxes of gluten-free items perfect for any foodie! KC is a local to California and knows her stuff. I love her recipes and ideas as well.

Kyra is really making a name for herself. Besides her wildly popular bakery, Kyra's Bake Shop in Oregon, she also has a line of gluten-free cake mixes (chocolate is our favorite) and a new cookbook. She is a 3 time winner of the Food Network's Cupcake Wars with her gluten-free cupcakes. If you need a decadent treat, this is where to go.

 I didn't get a very good photo of the booth for The Inn on Randolph. It's a lovely bed and breakfast located in Napa, CA and is 100% gluten-free. That's my friend Jeff; he teaches gf classes there.

Kettel Krakkers is a fairly new company that was also at last year's expo. I really like the taste of these gluten-free crackers. If you see them, give them a try. The ingredients are organic.

A new "kid on the block", these gluten-free, whole grain mixes were both at the fancy food show and this expo. Amazing Foods For Life is a smaller company which is trying to bring their mixes to the mainstream. They taste great and their team is very enthusiastic! All mixes come with instructions on how to be made dairy-free and vegan.

When I first went gluten-free for my daughter in 2007, Kinnikinnick was there. I tried their bread and recently bought their bagels. The bagels were soft and chewy and tasted great toasted. I love their cookies; the closest thing to an Oreo you can get but gf and df!

I am so fortunate to have been able to get to know Dr. Amy Burkhart over the past year. She is not only a doctor but a registered dietitian as well. She specializes in celiac disease and gluten intolerance/sensitivity. Besides her medical credentials, she is just an all around nice person. She's located in Napa, CA.  

Mary Capone from Bella Gluten-Free always makes me smile. Her products have been on the market for a number of years. Her baking mixes create delicious breads, cakes, pizzas and other treats. Look for them in your grocery store or order on-line from their site.

Enjoy Life Foods is another established company. What I like about them is that their products are safe from the top 8 allergens so you don't need to check the label each time. These are some new bars they have come out with. My children liked the S'mores the best. 

Enjoy Life Foods makes the Plentil chips you see.

My other good friends from all of the expos are Freedom Foods. Look for a blog post and giveaway coming soon. That's Michael (who I like to call Marco because of his thick Aussie accent) and Fred. They are always enthusiastic to discuss their products. I like the products because they are low in sugar and salt and do not contain GMO ingredients. My kids like them simply because they taste good. Win-win in my book.

You will be seeing more of Viviana's gluten-free pastas. They have been working hard to make their delicious gluten-free pasta available in more and more places. If you see it, pick up a package and give it a try. Look for a blog post coming soon from me.

I wish I had taken more photos of this booth. I love the ladies from Natural Decadence Bakery as well as their story. I wrote a blog post about them last year. Their products are delicious and made with so much love! Definitely give them a try.

Sadie is well known for her sourdough bread. I'm sorry, let me rephrase that...delicious gluten-free sourdough bread! I love seeing Bread Srsly become bigger and available in more and more places. 

Ivy's Garden (yes, that's Ivy) is another gluten-free friend who I have become acquainted with over the past year. Her gluten-free frozen products are simply delicious. 

New to the expo this year is Bacano Bakery. They are based in Oakland and sell at farmer's markets and cafes in the bay area. They make a variety of products (see below and be ready to drool); some contain dairy; others are dairy-free and even vegan. Of the samples I tried, I liked the multi-grain bread the best. No, I did not try the danish!

There were MANY more vendors who I didn't either get a chance to talk to or just didn't get their picture. I also liked Luce's Artisan Bread Mix. I bought a bag to try at home. They just came out with a buckwheat mix but did not have it there (darn).

I don't have her picture but do check out my friend Erica Dermer's page Celiac and the Beast. She also just wrote a (very funny) book.

Here is another review with some more vendors from my friend Sandi at Fearless Dining.

If you eat gluten-free or are considering it, I would suggest going to an expo to see what's on the market. Many people still think they could never be gluten-free because there are no good products. That is no longer the case.

Leave a comment with your thoughts or if there was a vendor that you liked in particular. Thanks!

5 Tips for Enjoying a Gluten-Free Expo

If you have never been to a gluten-free expo before put on by the very talented and organized people from the Gluten-Free Allergen-Free Expo, you are in for a treat. I will be attending their Dallas expo this weekend; it will be my third with them. After looking through some photos, I thought of some things that might be helpful if this is your first time:

1. Come hungry! There will be many, many samples to try. However, the one caveat is that they tend to be starchy so have a good breakfast with some protein that day. You might even want to have some (gluten-free) protein on you in case you start to fade.

2. Drink water. All of that walking around, sampling, and talking can make you thirsty.

3. Wear comfortable shoes. Did I mention there's a lot of walking? And expect to be tired at the end.

4. Bring an extra bag or two. Vendors have lots of giveaways. You never know what you might go home with (perhaps a cookbook or two??).

5. Have fun and socialize! These expos are a great time to not only meet vendors but other people who are in the same boat as you. Talking to people who have a food intolerance or sensitivity with you or a family member can really make you feel "normal". I know that some times I feel like I'm the only one out there (especially when I travel or I'm out, watching people eat bread, pizza or cookies). It's nice to know we have a community. Make the most of it. Talk to the vendors as well. It's always interesting to find out how they got started. Who knows; maybe you will meet Gluten-Freeda or Kyra from Crave Bake Shop?!

Check out these photos of past expos.

Gluten-Free Tour Comes to San Francisco Sep 21 and 22

The Gluten-Free Awareness Tour promotes celiac disease awareness and gluten-free food and beverage products. Each stop on the Gluten-Free Awareness Tour features presentations by celiac disease experts, chef demonstrations and dozens of gluten-free food and beverage exhibits from local and national gluten-free food and beverage manufacturers.

Besides meeting top medical experts watch live cooking demonstrations on the Rudi’s Gluten Free Bakery Stage and enjoy gluten-free food samples from dozens of local and national companies.

In 2012 over 100 gluten-free manufacturers exhibited and thousands of shoppers attended the events in cities throughout the Midwest, including Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Louisville.

The Tour is coming to San Francisco, September 21-22 from 9am to 3pm at the Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., Bldg A in San Francisco, CA. Tickets are $15.00 and age 12 and under are free.

I will be there on Sunday, giving tips for gluten-free baking and cooking. Attendees will be able to buy my new book, The Warm Kitchen; Gluten-Free Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love.

Executive Chef Ravi Harryram will be giving a gluten-free cooking demonstration on September 21-22. Chef Harryram runs the kitchen at World Gardens Café in San Francisco, specializing in providing delicious and health-conscious meals which are shipped to your home.  World Gardens Cafe provides gourmet meal programs and individual meals that serve the dietary needs of clients.

Lisa Lam, a specialist in Chinese medicine and Acupuncture, will be presenting at the Gluten-Free Awareness Tour event in San Francisco on September 21-22. Lam practices Acupuncture and Chinese medicine at Blue Path Acupuncture in San Francisco.

Explaining the theory, Lisa Lam said, “Rather than chase signs and symptoms, my goal is to uncover the root cause of an ailment, employing a multi-tiered and integrative approach through means of treating the body, mind and spirit,”. Lam will be discussing the topics of demystifying Chinese medicine and celiac disease.

I hope I will see some of you there! Please pass this information along to friends.

Bob's Red Mill Launches Search for Best Porridge Maker in the United States

Bob’s Red Mill—maker of many of the flours I use in my gluten-free cooking and baking—is in search of some creative cooks to help them win a third title in the 20th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship.

 Recipes must feature the company’s steel cut oats as the star ingredient and must require no more than two burners used in its preparation. Other than that, however, the sky’s basically the limit for this international contest.

The grand prize is a trip to Scotland to compete in the competition but just for entering, you guys –my blog readers—are eligible to win some of Bob’s Red Mill products. All you have to do is perfect your personal sweet or savory porridge recipe, enter the contest rules here and then email me at amy@amythefamilychef.com to let me know that you’ve entered. The first five of you who submit a video entry will be sent a prize pack from Bob’s Red Mill that includes the company’s Gluten-free Steel Cut Oats, Gluten-free Muesli, Gluten-free pancake mix and Gluten-free brownie mix. Your deadline is July 22 so it’s time to get cooking!

Review of Sunset Magazine's Weekend Celebration event

Yummy dish from Nopalito SF

I now know why people love this event and "love the West", one of the mottos of this year's 2 day festival put on by Sunset Magazine. From the food and wines to gardening and travel, the annual Weekend Celebration had someone for everyone, even children.

Located in Menlo Park, California, the corporate headquarters of Sunset Magazine sort of feels like being a kid in the proverbial candy store with its kitchens and manicured gardens. There was so much to see. I attended the event on Saturday and boy, was it hot! Sunset thought ahead and had free water refills at a number of locations. Although it was quite warm, there was shade to be found here and there and covered tents like the ones for the food demos (how convenient!).

There were free samples from Heinz (hot dogs and grilled potatoes), Tillamook (yogurt and a toppings bar), Kettle chips, Blue Bunny ice cream, and more. If that didn't fill you up, there were over a dozen food trucks and booths. You could dine on anything from Indian to Venezeulan to tacos and creme brulee. Beer and wines were from all over the west, including some lesser known areas of California. I didn't partake but I think next year I'll plan to pace myself (and bring a driver!).

I felt like a bit of a rock star, I must admit. Honda, one of the sponsors of the event, was gracious enough to lend me a car for the weekend so I could test drive their Accord. I've owned Hondas in the past and remember why I like them; they handle well, are comfortable and have decent gas mileage. It sure was fun explaining to people why I had a new car for a few days!

Fabio making pasta before our eyes

Besides me (ha!), there certainly were a number of (chef) rock stars at the event. I had the pleasure of seeing Susan Feniger (she is quite funny) and Fabio Viviani (he was hysterical) of Top Chef fame. I was so inspired by his "you can make pasta in 2 minutes and I'm going to show you how" in his cute Italian accent that I went home, threw on an apron, found a recipe I have been meaning to try and...yes, made homemade (gluten-free!) pasta. Ok, it took only 2 minutes to make the dough and a bit more for the rest of the process but that was fine. Believe it or not, I have certain dishes that are not in my comfort zone; gluten-free pasta WAS one of those but is no longer. The only problem is that now I might start eating more carbs. (see below for more photos).

I know this is only the tip of the iceberg of the event but I think it's going to be a new tradition in our house. The kids really enjoyed the arts and crafts table at the Tillamook station, the story reading by Indiana Jones, the talk given by CuriOdyssey with the owl, the climbing wall, and much more. It was just a little hot for them but they get points for being troopers.

If you haven't had a chance to attend the Weekend Celebration, I highly suggest you make plans for next year. I'll try to take more pictures of food and less pictures of Fabio; promise. Maybe. I'll see what I can do!

Fabio was really funny

My pasta dough with my gf flour

GF spaghetti...molto bene!