If you’re in the GTA tomorrow… (oh, and a Disney update)

Come on over to the Toronto Public Library’s Brentwood Branch!

Details here.

(Psst… I’m finally updating my Disney trip from February/March this year. Lots of allergy info and details to come! It takes a long time, but it’s getting there!)

What is this, you ask? I would love to point it out on the menu, but it’s not there… because when you have a food allergy or celiac disease at Disney World, the chefs (generally) treat you like gold. Especially when the menu at a particular restaurant is severely lacking and they decide to custom-design you a NON-SORBET DESSERT (this is a big deal if you are familiar with having  allergies and desserts at Disney).

Just you wait.

Four super easy spring-inspired desserts and win a copy of my cake book!

Do you know Julie Hasson? If not, you need to head over to her website right away. (Well, maybe not RIGHT away, I mean, if you’re doing something super important or need to use the bathroom or you’re on the telephone just scanning this. But soon, okay?)

Julie is:

• the author of 8 cookbooks
• a food industry veteren
• a past private chef for celebrities
• a past bakery owner
• an active food writer
• the host of the Internet cooking show “Everyday Dish“
• and so on 

Then she gave away one of my books in this huge double decker review.

This time around, I’ve written a guest post for Julie with three ideas for easy summer recipes, PLUS a recipe from my cake book.

AND… Julie is giving away a copy of The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes and Cookies. So you can go and enter!

So… Go!

Looking for demos, talks, and presentations for private groups?

After my talk on this past weekend’s Gluten-Free Marketplace via the Canadian Celiac Association, I had a lot of people come to my table asking if I do talks for private groups.

Yes — I sure do!

I do talks, demos, presentations, lunch and learns, and other custom-designed seminars for groups of all sizes. Open to travelling and all demos are dedicated to exactly what you and your group needs. References are available.

If you’re interested or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or comment below with any queries.

 

Heartnut Basil Pesto [gluten-free, vegan, soy-free]

I’m quite pleased that nuts and seeds exist, not just because they’re loaded with healthy fats and protein, but because they taste good, too. Except in cake and bread. But anyway…

Local to me, Grimo Nut Nursery is home to the heartnut, a member of the walnut family fashioned in a heart shape. Heartnuts have a smooth, creamy texture with a flavor similar to a cross between walnuts and cashews, and an impressive nutritional profile, too. They have twice the fibre of walnuts, are rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and are recognized for their role in heart health.

Big news! (AKA June is Festival Month!)

Hey folks! Guess what? I’ll be speaking this Saturday at Canada’s Gluten-Free Marketplace, part of the Canadian Celiac Association’s National Conference! Pretty awesome, eh?

That’s followed by two more festivals I’ll be speaking at: the Hamilton Veggie Fest, and Ottawa’s Veg Fest.

I’ve included more details below, but wanted to give you the heads up! I hope you can make it over for at least one of them, and please feel free to contact me in advance if you have anything specific you’d like me to address, preorder a book, and want to discuss anything else. (Email here)

Before and after the talks (and on the Saturday of the Ottawa Fest), I will be at a vendor booth. For the Gluten-Free Market, you can visit me with Gluten-Free and Me at booth 333, and for the Hamilton Veggie Fest and Ottawa Veg Fest, I’ll be with Truly Organic Foods.

I look forward to seeing you!

Canada’s Gluten-Free Market
Saturday, June 8th, 9:45am
Part of the Canadian Celiac Association’s annual conference!
International Centre, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON
I’ll be delivering all of the details on gluten-free baking, then spending the day at booth 333 selling my books, signing, and answering questions. More info here.

Hamilton Veggie Fest
Saturday, June 15th, 11am to 7pm
Marritt Hall at the Ancaster Fairgrounds
630 Trinity Rd S, Hamilton, ON
I’ll be one of the speakers at the first annual Hamilton Veggie Fest! The line-up of speakers is fantastic, and I encourage loads of folks to come out, even if you aren’t a vegan or vegetarian. I’ll be speaking at 3:30pm on gluten-free vegan baking, and the rest of the time you’ll find me at Truly Organic Foods‘ booth. More info on the Veggie Fest can be found here, and details about the speakers’ line up here. I’m taking pre-orders for books; contact me here.

Ottawa Veg Fest
Saturday, June 22nd and Sunday June 23rd, 10am to 7pm
St. Paul University, Ottawa
I’ll be one of the speakers at the Ottawa Veg and Yoga Fest! I’ll be speaking mid-morning on the Sunday regarding gluten-free vegan baking, and the rest of the time you’ll find me at Truly Organic Foods‘ booth. More info can be found here.

Chocolate Mousse Dip with Bioflavia [gluten-free, vegan, soy-free]

As someone who has a particular soft spot for everything and anything food related, only one thing comes to mind when I think of the term “new beginning”: new foods.

Now, I don’t mean exotic ingredients, mystery super foods, and items that can only be specially imported from the depths of the Amazonian rainforest. In fact, I’m talking about foods that are native to Niagara, but, I’d venture, new to you.

In addition to maple syrup, a wide variety of wines, and a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, Niagara also holds unique products with impressive nutritional and flavor profiles that should become a staple in your kitchen.

Southbrook Vineyards, for example, is home to Bioflavia, an organic red wine grape skin powder loaded with antioxidants. Beginning with wine-waste—the leftovers from crushing grapes for wine—the skins are dried, separated, and milled into a fine powder.

Chances are, you’re already familiar with the importance of antioxidants in your diet, which neutralize free radicals that can trigger disease in our bodies. A food’s antioxidant level can be analyzed for its Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) value—the higher the value, the more powerful it is. Bioflavia boasts an impressive 110,000 Units; comparably, wild blueberries have an ORAC value of 9,621, unsweetened cocoa powder of 55,653, and raw garlic at 5,708. Try adding a scoop of Bioflavia into your favorite banana bread, scoop it into a smoothie, or mix it into pasta sauce.

I know this totally sounds like a commercial or advertisement for Bioflavia, but I just really like the stuff, okay?

Chocolate Mousse Dip

This dip is an antioxidant powerhouse, with both Bioflavia and cocoa powder as main ingredients. Enjoy as a fruit dip, use as a pie filling, or simply eat it with a spoon. (I choose the latter)

Makes 8 servings

4 small to medium ripe avocados
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder, sifted
1/2 cup agave nectar, pure maple syrup, or coconut syrup
2 scoops (20g) Bioflavia*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
4 to 8 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk

Put the avocados, cocoa powder, agave nectar, Bioflavia, vanilla extract, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, adding nondairy milk as necessary. Refrigerate overnight before serving for best flavor. It will thicken in the refrigerator; thin with additional nondairy milk before serving if desired. Serve with fresh fruit, or enjoy as a pudding/mousse.

*Bioflavia comes with a little scoop inside the container.

Those little tiny blackish bits in the mousse are the grape skin pieces. Don’t worry – it doesn’t taste gritty (or like anything) at all. Just smooth, silky, deliciousness.

Grilled Tofu with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce [gluten-free, vegan, soy-free]

Thanks for coming out to Niagara VegFest yesterday. As always, I had a great time with my friends at Truly Organic Foods.

Check out my other events coming up if you’d like to say hello!

In the meantime, you can fire up your BBQ and take advantage of rhubarb that’s popping up. Since I often get asked what brands I like, I’ve linked to them in some of the ingredients (I’m not affiliated with any of them, they’re just what I prefer for various reasons!)

Edited to add: Yikes! Okay, obviously tofu is NOT soy-free, but I meant the sauce is! You can certainly use this BBQ sauce on anything your heart desires!

Grilled Tofu with Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Pressing tofu gives it a meatier texture, and when followed by chargrilled crust, well, it’s a combination that’s hard to pass up—especially when it’s slathered by a tangy homemade barbecue sauce. If you like your barbecue sauce really sweet, add additional maple syrup to taste.

Are you in Oakville tonight? If so, come on by!

Tonight I’ll be at Gluten-Free & Me Speciality Marketplace in Oakville delivering a detailed talk on baking without gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy.

Whether you’re new to gluten-free or have baking under your belt, you’ll definitely learn something new! Plus, you get to check out this great, new store where EVERYTHING IS GLUTEN-FREE. What’s fantastic about Daniela and her store is that she goes on a mission to hunt out really different, unique gluten-free items that you’ve seldom (if ever) seen elsewhere.

The details:

Date:  Thursday May 30th , 2013 (that’s tonight, folks!)
Time:  7 – 8:30 pm (6:30-7pm sign in)
Location:  Gluten Free & Me Specialty Marketplace, 74 Rebecca St, Oakville

I’ll also have discounts available for my books and be there to answer all of your baking questions.

You can Like Gluten-Free & Me on Facebook here, visit their website here, see some more details about the event here.

Hope to see you!

Grilled Radishes and Asparagus with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette [gluten-free, soy-free, vegan]

I don’t have much to say other than: fire up the grill for something a little different, okay?

The end.

Upcoming events, updates, and a giveaway! (Wanna win?)

Hey folks! So it’s been awhile but I had that throat thing lolling around, though I’ll blame my abundance of eating vegetables that it is the reason I didn’t have it as bad as some others did.

But it certainly put baking on the back burner for awhile, and I’ve been a little lazy in the kitchen and not seeing the sunshine as much as I would prefer and going a little stir crazy.

However, I certainly hope from today forward I can get back in action! So I have some news for you.

First, I’ve a pretty busy next four weeks booked with various speaking things. If you don’t know, I list them all over at The Allergy-Free Cook on the Events tab, but I’ll give you the run down here, as well.

Nature’s Emporium
Saturday, May 25th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
16655 Yonge St, Newmarket, Ontario
I’ll be signing books and there to answer your questions all afternoon! Come visit and say hello. More info here.

Gluten-Free and Me
Thursday, May 30th, 7pm to 8pm
74 Rebecca St., Unit #1, Oakville, ON
Come listen to a presentation on gluten-free baking, get some discounts on my books and services, and check out this awesome, gluten-free-dedicated store!
More info here.

Niagara VegFest
Sunday, June 2nd, 10am to 6pm
Market Square, St. Catharines
I’ll be hanging out with Truly Organic Foods – visit me at their booth! More details to come.

Niagara Action for Animals Potluck
Friday, June 7th, 7pm to 9pm
Unitarian Church, 223 Church St., St. Catharines, ON
I’ll be here talking about tips on vegan baking with a specialty diet, and talk about baking resources in the area. More info here.

The Cookbook Store
Tuesday, June 11th, 7pm to 8pm
850 Yonge St. at Yorkville Ave. in Toronto, ON
I’ll be doing a presentation and short demo, along with a book signing. Reserve your seats for this one! Discounts will be available at that day at the store.
More info here.

Hamilton Veggie Fest
Saturday, June 15th, 11am to 7pm
Marritt Hall at the Ancaster Fairgrounds
630 Trinity Rd S, Hamilton, ON
I’ll be one of the speakers at the first annual Hamilton Veggie Fest! The line-up of speakers is fantastic, and I encourage loads of folks to come out, even if you aren’t a vegan or vegetarian. I’ll be speaking at 3:30pm on gluten-free vegan baking, and the rest of the time you’ll find me at Truly Organic Foods‘ booth. More info on the Veggie Fest can be found here, and details about the speakers’ line up here. I’m taking pre-orders for books; contact me here.

Toronto Public Library – Brentwood Branch
Wednesday, June 19th, 7pm to 8pm
36 Brentwood Road, North, Toronto, Ontario
Come learn all of the details on gluten-free, allergy-friendly baking. Bring your recipes, questions, and comments. More info here.

There might be another two squeezed in before July, but that is the first update. If you’re planning on attending any of these and want to reserve a book (or two), email me here and we’ll arrange it!

If you don’t HAVE a book, well, do you want to win one? Or two?

Check out my latest article from tuja wellness, where I talk about Celiac Awareness Month and some tips on dealing with celiac disease. AND THEN ENTER TO WIN! Woo-hoo!

I’m also booking private demos, talks, and cooking classes for late July and early August. If you would like to have me for your group, let me know and we can definitely arrange it! If you live in the hot US states down south, even better