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Orto Trading Co., Surry Hills, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 15, 2012 No comment

With a bit of rummaging you can find a good gluten free breakfast and Orto Trading Co., has one of the best I’ve seen, check this out:

This was one of several gluten free brunch options. Snug under those mushrooms, the sautéed spinach, the poached egg and the hollandaise sauce is a slab of ‘rosti’; that fancy hash brown claimed by the Swiss Germans. This version is made with feta cheese and it’s got lots of zing.

Orto Trading Co. is a breezy, sunlit urban pocket. The outdoor area features a stack of potted herbs, perfect on a sunny Sydney Winter morn.

Another ‘gf’ option listed on the brunch menu is the ‘Boston Baked Beans’:

I don’t think Howard (below) would have been so down if his beans were made with maple glazed onions topped with a poached egg, crispy pork belly and clumps of thyme.

‘Howard the Celeriac’, my gf twitter buddy in Brixton, London, has kindly allowed me to reprint one of his cheeky cartoon illustrations here. If you’re a coeliac and haven’t come across his work, check it out at www.howardtheceleriac.com and have a good laugh and cry at your own expense. Does this scene look familiar???

Better go to Orto – open for lunch and dinner, (with gf and vegetarian options), closed Mondays and Sunday evenings.

Orto Trading Co.
38 – 55 Waterloo St
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
http://www.ortotradingco.com.au/

Tahbilk Cafe (at Tahbilk Winery), Country Victoria

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 14, 2012 No comment

Ashley Thorpe, the new Head Chef at the Tahbilk cafe, has spread the word that he ‘doesn’t like flour’. Hooray! That’s not all there is to avoid in a gluten free diet, but it’s a big chunk of it. He estimates that 99% of his main meals do not contain flour, and it’s only really when he’s making desserts that he breaks out the white stuff.

Tabilk (spelt differently to the winery) is a scenic 2 hours drive north of Melbourne. The cafe is part of Tahbilk Winery, surrounded by bushland and plonked by the billabong.

Our entree was the (divine) crispy skinned pork on cauliflower puree with scallops and microherbs.

Ready for the close up?

It would be stupid not to indulge in a glass of wine at a winery wouldn’t it? Especially at one of Australia’s oldest and cutest (est. 1860).

My main course was polenta, wild mushrooms and kale.

I feel like a successful truffle hunter having found a chef who doesn’t like flour – more please! With the right company, a sunny day, the wine slipping down and the river sliding past, you can’t go wrong here.

Tahbilk Winery
254 O’Neils Road Tabilk (via Nagambie)
Phone: (03) 5794 2555

Yong Green Food – Fitzroy, Melbourne

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 11, 2012 No comment

How do you stop a coeliac mid-mouthful?? Tell them they’ve been given the wrong dish! A common human error in the waitering game and when it happened at Yong Green Food in Fitzroy, we unwittingly struck it lucky. We had ordered nachos and were delivered this:

Melbourne is a funky city famous for its innovative ways with food. We assumed this was nouveau nachos, and it was so tasty! What we had actually been served was ‘raw nachos’ – chia seed chips with cashew cream, guacamole and sunfried seeds. It was such an intriguing meal we were sad when it was taken away but too shocked to do anything but check that it was gluten free – it was, phew!

The ‘unraw’ nachos was a bit of a let down after the drama of the raw version. It was still great – nachos are such a palatable comfort food, with tangy cheese, crunchy + soggy chips and beany goodness – but it was a bit pedestrian after seeing the other side.

These quinoa fritters with coconut chilli sauce were crisp and wholesome. Yong’s is a vegetarian restaurant, there are many ‘gf’s on the menu and many more ‘v’s (vegan). All of the dishes pictured were vegan and gluten free.

Fitzroy’s iconic ‘Veggie Bar’ is on the other side of Brunswick Street. The Veggie Bar is a magnetic institution with such reliably fabulous fare it’s hard to justify going anywhere else in the area. But with a menu sporting mango lassi (mango, cashew milk, agave, lemon juice), ‘Rawsagna’ and ‘Dragon Bowl’ soup, Yong Green Food is definitely a contender. And if you’re going to play Russian roulette with your gluten free meals – the odds here are pretty good.

Yong Green Food
Vegetarian and Raw Foods
421 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
03 9417 3338

Sacs – Gluten free cafe/shop, Melbourne

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 3, 2012 No comment

Newly diagnosed coeliacs inducted at Coeliac Australia learn to confidently read labels to check for gluten. It’s a useful skill. As is recognising that ‘just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean you have to eat it’.

Blithely seeking coffee and a newspaper, I slaked myself into a cake coma yesterday unable to resist the one gluten free option in a cafe. Not only did I order and eat it (classic orange and almond cake, nicely warmed, pretty good I have to say), but I made a point of discussing it with the staff and congratulating them on their clean-tonged serving technique.

Confessing on twitter later, it seems I’m not the only one who feels obliged to partake in any gluten free offerings regardless of appetite or lack thereof..

@itsgottobeglutenfree agree 100% trying to explain to self that I personally don’t need to bankroll the gf market! My poor waistline!

@DavidJ_GF sure we’re all guilty. If Im out & about, see something gf… like never know were next meal will come from!

So true! If you have issues with this then I suggest you beware of Sacs in Melbourne – EVERYTHING in this place is gluten free.

Hiding out in trendy Northcote in Melbourne, this place is a one-stop shop. For immediate gratification, it’s a cafe & bakery, with deli-style take-away options including pastries and cake. It also stocks gluten free groceries (packet mixes, biscuits, breakfast cereal) and has a freezer section with gluten free goods. I have never seen anything like it. There’s one catch. Or maybe two..

Many of the reviews of Sacs say that the service is terrible and the prices are high. It does seem to be an uptight establishment. When I asked if I could blog about Sacs, the owner was very reticent – I felt like I was selling broken vacuum cleaners – and then she called out to ask if I had finished yet when I’d taken a few shots.

It’s such a shame – gluten free people usually feel ‘difficult’ whenever they eat out – surely we should be able to relax at one that is purely gluten free?

Surly service aside, no where else have I seen such an extensive range (and the food I had was great).

Sacs are very fastidious about their gluten free status – my cousins’ daughter was told off for eating some other-worldly food (nuts) in the cafe because of the risk of possible contamination.

Seriously gluten free.

Coeliac Australia members get a 10% discount (though I was asked if I was going to be eating the food as if it wasn’t me I couldn’t have the discount – crikey!)

Sacs
105 High Street
Northcote
VIC 3070

Breakfast in the Bush

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on April 21, 2012 No comment

Lucky me, a day and a night in the Victorian bush to visit a dear friend who I’ve known for two decades. Amidst the outpouring of our life musings and philosophies (tracking what we love, what we have learnt, what has changed and what hasn’t), she assembled the most extraordinary food. My gorgeous friend, who is also gluten free, is living in an old post masters cottage and many of the ingredients she cooked with were freshly plucked from the garden.

These quinces were captured from their native habitat just minutes before the above shot was taken.

They were poached with cinnamon sticks on a quirky old stove and laid on quinoa porridge.

Lucious figs from pre-historic looking grand dames of trees were placed alongside chunks of Margaret River yoghurt, swirls of melting wildflower honey and a sprig of star anise.

This breakfast set the scene for an Autumn morning of superb conversation and spectacular scenery. We were graced with swarms of butterflies, an insistent sun and days later, I still have scratches on my legs from attempting to photograph a wild emu.

True happiness.

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Macro Gluten Free Pizza Base Mix

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on April 20, 2012 No comment

More and more chains are offering gluten free pizza – nationwide franchise ‘Crust’ are one of the best and even Pizza Hut (with heavy disclaimers) can do a gluten free base these days. They’re always going to be less healthy than pizza you make yourself though. A packet mix is an acceptable middle-ground for a simple gluten free dinner that’s quick to make and won’t have you waking up thirsty like take-away pizzas.

Here’s what you need:

That’s 60ml vegetable oil in the cup and 100ml of water in the jug, 2 eggs + the mix.

I got the packet from our local supermarket for around $3.50. The instructions say that it makes enough for two pizzas but I think that’s a stretch – if I make it as thin as I can, it’s one and a half – just enough for my family of two adults and 2 girls who don’t eat a lot. Supplement with another packet or a gluten-full version if you’re a hungrier, dietry-split mob.

It all goes in the one bowl and apparently is mixed better with correct ‘dough attachments’. Whizz for a couple of minutes, then oil your hands and roll it into a ball – no extra flour required.

Oiling the pan is an important step. I do this with my all-time favourite kitchen utensil…. the silicon pastry brush.

Especially good for coeliacs, the silicon brush goes in the dishwasher and is much less likely to hide gluten than traditional hairy versions. It’s also heat resistant so great for oiling hot fry pans to make pancakes.

I’ve had complaints before when the dough was too thick – stretch it out as thin as you can, it’s not the main feature, just a vehicle for the artistry and flavours of the toppings.

Tonight we went for a simple, child-friendly pizza with tomato paste, ham, pineapple, mozzarella cheese and a few sneaky herbs (basil and oregano) from the balcony…. I’m pretty sure they went unnoticed.

This meal got many compliments from my two trickiest customers, the eldest of which once told me in a very kind and well-meaning tone ‘Mum, if you were on Masterchef, you’d be out for this’. Yikes!

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Brioche – Balmain, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on April 19, 2012 No comment

You know you’re in good hands when a cafe selling gluten free goods is founded by a coeliac.

Fiona Wilkinson opened ‘Brioche’ in Balmain just this year and diners will happily munch through the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you’re here for the freshly baked gluten free bread, you can choose from a crusty high-GI loaf (pictured above), or a squarer low-GI loaf made with chickpeas, brown rice and almond meal. Gluten-full bread is also for sale.

I visited at lunchtime and the range of gluten free savoury pastries was exciting:

How often are gluten free meat pies on the menu? Spinach and ricotta roll anyone?

Not everything sold is gluten free, but the daily specials always include a gluten free option, be that risotto, pasta or soup. Regular gluten free items include a quinoa/beetroot slice and this wonderfully sharp tasting sweet potato and polenta number:

Gluten free cake variations are abundant. Many of them – including the tofu berry slice below – are both gluten and dairy free.

Having been a coeliac for 20 years, Fiona has dodged the ubiquitous ‘flourless chocolate’ and ‘orange and almond’ cakes (I’m very grateful for these, but it’s nice to have other options!). Brioche cakes are baked with thought and imagination.

The airily delightful marshmallows (below) are incredible. We had to go back for more. And $1.30? What can you get these days for that price? A heavenly mouthful I tell you.

Brioche is a food haven whether or not you’re gluten-free – ingredients are carefully considered and preservatives kept low. My only quibble is that the ambience is more brusque bakery than atmospheric cafe, I’m sure many customers would loll for hours if it were cozier.

Brioche has all meals covered – eat in or take-away – fingers crossed it flourishes.

Brioche
349 Darling Street
Balmain NSW 2041

http://brioche.net.au

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Melinda’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on April 5, 2012 No comment

The night before I went gluten free, my partner and I splurged on cake in a fancy patisserie. I knew that I would miss cake the most – fabulous, life-enhancing cake. I was stoic about my new gluten free diet, but sad that cake might not feature so luminously. The waiter was almost in tears when he heard that it was my last night as a non-discriminate cake eater.

Our local cafe sold gluten free brownies but they were a bit dry and rubbish, so I was excited when I found this packet mix – and when I realised how fudgily rich and moist they were, I knew I was going to be ok with this gluten free malark. I have one rule. I will only make them if I’ve got company – otherwise I would single-handedly down an entire tray in a morning.

Make these brownies by gathering two eggs, your gluten free butter (I recently upgraded to my own gluten free butter dish, what do you think?), and Melinda’s distinctively pink Chocolate Fudge Brownie packet mix which you can pick up at Woolworths or Coles.

We crack the eggs into the same big bowl where all the mixture will end up because we’re a bit lazy and don’t want to wash too many things.

Stirring the eggs is a great job for little people.

The only part that requires any skill is melting the butter and chocolate. We don’t have a microwave so it’s the old pyrex bowl in a saucepan of water trick.

Mix everything together in the big bowl and bung it in the oven. I use a silicon tray as it’s perfect size for these little treasures. Spatulas and bowls are licked clean while the brownies are cooking – just 20 minutes will have them at their fudgiest.

We started making these at 8am and they were in my daughter’s lunch box when I dropped her to school at nine – a special gluten free treat appreciated by all.

Tea?

http://melindasgfg.com/

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Iku – wholefood cafes in Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on April 3, 2012 No comment

There are a bunch of beautiful Iku Cafes in Sydney. The original is in Glebe, with another 12 dotted around the city. Most of the food served is gluten-free and all of it is dairy, GM, preservative and additive free. There are tables for those with company, benches for those after a quick bite and everything is available to take away if you need to – it’s fast food with nutrients!

This is an Iku rice ball – I wish I could replicate them at home. They are made of brown rice with teeny rice-sized pieces of carrot and celery, onion, parsley + crispy sunflower and sesame seeds. A perfect snack for anyone or whole lunch for a toddler.

Below is the delightful Iku laksa – all the usual suspects are here; chilli, galangal leaves, coriander and rice noodles in a gently spicy coconut soup. Surprise entries are zingy pickled sprouts (that leave a residual craving), pickled tofu, almond meal and a smidge of bush tucker with native lemon myrtle.

Iku have dairy and gluten free cakes too. Highly recommended is the Iku black rice pudding and the orange and lemon sago – handily packed in take away tubs if you can’t fit anything else in.

Menu options, ingredients and store locations are listed on their website. I’m very fortunate to live just down the hill from one of the Iku Cafes – so stay tuned for updates…

http://www.iku.com.au

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Pages Cafe – West Ryde, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on March 29, 2012 No comment

‘Pages Cafe’ in West Ryde, Sydney, has an extensive gluten free menu. It also has a sheltered outdoor soft-play area (free to patrons) especially great for coeliac kids or parents – with the added benefit of a quieter section inside where kids are less likely to venture. Located near the West Ryde train station, the cafe is part of a large Christian book store, but diners from any denomination are welcome.

Matthew Eagleton, Pages Cafe Manager is very aware that many cafes and restaurants claiming to serve gluten free food are inadvertently sabotaging the gluten free status of their food through improper handling – and damaging intestines in the process.

Matthew’s wife Bec was diagnosed as a coeliac several years ago and regularly polices the gluten free pipeline at Pages. Despite not having a particularly large kitchen area, Matthew has introduced a separate gluten free toaster (+ designated gluten free butter), a wheat-free preparation area which is routinely cleaned after each use and green handled tongs only to be used with gluten free cakes. Staff are trained in what it means to be a coeliac and what ‘cross contamination’ is all about.

Pages Waitress Marlene shows off the cafe’s gluten free tongs.

Gluten free sandwich fillings have their own containers in a gluten free section of the fridge and gluten free food is prepared with designated cutlery. Gluten free mayonnaise and a gluten free alternative to vegemite are at the ready and ‘Silly Yaks’ Anzac Biscuits and individually wrapped gluten free ‘Byron Bay Cookies’ are on the counter.

Matthew keeps a comprehensive ingredient list so that vegetarians, wheat, dairy and nut-free customers can tell at a glance what is safe for them to eat.

‘My wife and I go to cafes and ask ‘Is your hot chocolate gluten free?” says Matthew – they encounter blank faces ‘You just know from the first reaction if there’s no basic knowledge’. Hot chocolate, incidentally, is often not gluten free.

Pages Cafe uses Choices (www.choicesglutenfree.com.au) three seed bread that’s already sliced – this is an example of their gluten free Turkey Toasted Sandwich – it has turkey breast, cranberry sauce, swiss cheese and avocado. If you rarely eat bread like me, a decent sandwich is a wonderful thing.