Bread, Cheese, and Fruit (Lather, Rinse, Repeat)

I've always been one to bring emergency rations with me, even before celiac. I'm one of those people that just does not do well when hungry (MASSIVE understatement, as family and longtime friends can attest to). Over the years, I've become really good at making sure I have something - anything - to snack on, even if it's just a bar or some nuts and dried fruit. Now that I have celiac, this is imperative - especially with summer here, and so many daytime outings on the roster. I always make sure I eat a decent meal before heading out, and then pack an appropriate snack. This past weekend I went to the Renegade Craft Fair in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with a friend. This is what I packed:

Carbs, fruit, and utensil.

Many years ago, on my first trip to Europe, I learned that - in a pinch - fruit, bread, and cheese can sub for any meal, any time. A little savory, a little sweet - with some fat, fiber, and protein - and you're good until a hot meal can be found. The bit of advice works beautifully with my GF life. When I'm going to be out for more than a couple of hours, I pack a fruit (in this case, grapes), crackers/bread, and usually a utensil. This day in age, you can usually find individually wrapped cheeses (string, Cracker Barrel, etc.) or even some cottage cheese at most delis, bodegas, grocery stores. If I find a decent deli (i.e. one that carries Boar's Head products), I'll get a scant 1/4 lb of meat and/or cheese if I need something solid.

My go-to list for the fruit and carbs are:

Fruit:
*Fresh grapes or berries, in tupperware and secured in a plastic shopping bag, to prevent leakage.
*Unsulphured apricots from Whole Foods. (Their store brand of Turkish apricots is amazing - and cheap!)

Carbs:
*An Udi's bagel (Doesn't need to be toasted. Serves as a sandwich base or a great dipping carb for hummus, etc.)
*These Italian crackers that I recently bought at G-Free NYC:

Bravo! Molto bene!

They are THE most delicious GF cracker I have ever encountered. Think saltine, but less dense. Like a butter cracker, but less hearty. They are just so good. They come in packs of four and have, thus far, traveled very well in my purse.
*Sesame crackers from Trader Joe's. About $1.69 a sleeve and very flavorful. Only downside: that flavor comes with a strong sesame odor that has made heads turn in subway cars and cabs. Kind of an open-air-only snack.

To be honest, I also usually add something sweet, especially when I'll be with friends who are likely to consume sweet treats at our outing. A hunk of good chocolate is my go-to. This weekend, I grabbed one of these from Sun In Bloom on my way to the subway:

Yes, they ARE that good.

What are your on-the-go essentials?

G-Free NYC (The First of Many Visits)

As I mentioned yesterday, I finally made it to G-Free NYC this weekend!

Happy stripe-y awning

Where I bought:

The GF goods

I kept forgetting that everything was GF, that I didn't need to read labels. And I kept finding new gems, things I didn't know existed. I've been eating gluten-free for 10 years or so; I consider myself pretty gluten-free savvy. But I didn't know about:

Breaded cheese. What's not to like?

I shared the 6 massive mozzarella sticks from Russo's Gluten-Free with a gluten-eating friend yesterday and we agreed: They are excellent. (And I have to say: That price is good, too. Cheese is expensive! So that price seemed more than fair.) I toasted them up in the oven and paired them with some marinara sauce. Beautiful.

All week, I've been eating this for breakfast:

Challah? Holla!

Toasted on its own, or with a little schmear and jam. Delicious. I'll go ahead and say it: This is the best GF challah I've had to date. (And the price is fantastic - under $6 at G-Free NYC.) Best of all: It is soft at room temp. Yep, no need to toast it - though it's even better if you do. (I suspect the French toast made with this will blow my mind.)

Another of my Katz purchases didn't last 24 hours. These were so good:

Old school rugelech, just like your bubbe used to make/buy

So good that I ate 5 of them on the train ride home! (Hence the battered package.) I will admit that I missed the nuts, but they still get an A. Good combo of crunch and softness, with nice bits of melted sugar around the edges. Well done, Katz.

I mentioned that these cones from Goldbaum's were a hit on Memorial Day:

These got holiday raves too:

Smile on the bag, smile on your face

I toasted them up to pair with cheeseburgers. Favorite comment of the day came when I served these: "I don't understand. Why do we need to eat gluten?!? All the gluten-free things you make are delicious." And that, my friends, is how you make sure you're ALWAYS invited to dinner.

One of the (many) things I like about G-Free NYC is their selection of individually wrapped snack options. While the environmentalist in me abhors the waste associated with individual packages, the vain realist in me knows that I have zero self-control around sweets. Any box of cookies, cakes, baked good of any kind may as well say "servings per package: 1". So I appreciate that G-Free NYC carries individual brownies, cookies, and such. Many are locally baked. I picked these Italian wafers up because they'll last a while and travel well:

Ciao, bella! Come stai?

The wafers are just like the gluten-y version, but with better chocolate. (These have a good quality chocolate filling that is on the dark side.) I tested them on a gluten-eater today and she loved them, eying the pack, hoping for another. (Had she not been concurrently eating a fudge cupcake from Dean & Deluca, I might have relented!)

I couldn't help myself and also picked up these wee snacks from Surf Sweets:

Gummy bears!

But I think my favorite purchase is actually one that I haven't yet used:

GF soy joy

I opened this and stuck two in my purse. When I cook at a friend's place, find GF sushi but no tamari, or when my lunch needs a little flavor punch - these will come in so very handy. (Yes, I am a very practical girl.)


Thus ends this trip around my shopping cart. Hope I've convinced you to get over to G-Free NYC. Seriously worth the trip!

Memorial Day Weekend (A West Side Story)

Sunday morning brought a visit with an old friend on the UWS - and an excellent excuse to FINALLY visit Nice Matin on W79th St. With a gorgeous interior, shaded patio, and - yes - a GF menu, this place has been on my list for ages. Our waiter was well-versed in GF concerns and did not bat an eyelash at my queries. Example: I requested a side of jam for my bread but had concerns about it coming from a jar where there may have been some double-dipping. He nodded, said "not a problem", and brought me a ramekin of jam from a freshly opened jar. Mr. Waiter Man, gold star for you.

Those bread twists? From The Grainless Baker, as our fantastic waiter reported.

In case it isn't obvious, Nice Matin gets two thumbs up.

After brunch, my dear friend had to head back upstate... and I needed to finally go visit G-Free NYC! In case you missed the news, G-Free NYC is New York City's first COMPLETELY gluten-free store!

I, uh, bought a few things.

I know: it's exciting, right? I know we can get many products at our local markets now, but if you live in NYC or are visiting, it is still so very worth of the trip. The selection is amazing and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. (Given the location, I'd expected that high overhead would = higher-than-usual prices. I was wrong.)

I'll post a breakdown of my purchases soon. For now, I'll leave you with:

Box of summer

 And:

Yes, they were THAT good

These were a smash hit on Memorial Day - and I was the only gluten-free girl. All the gluten-eaters loved them and couldn't believe they were GF. (A winning endorsement if I ever heard one.)

THREE thumbs(!?!) up for G-Free NYC - and more product details soon!

It's Hee-eere!

NYC's first completely gluten-free shop, G-Free NYC, opens today!!!

They're currently open Tuesday-Sunday and are located at: 
77A West 85^th Street
(between Columbus & CPW)

You can check out their list of vendors here. I already have my eye on some of Katz's rugelach, knishes from Pi, and Russo's tiramisu. Haven't had any of those foods in 10 years!

I'm glad to see that the folks over at G-free are taste-testing their stock and are committed to only selling products that are safe AND delicious. (Shrink-wrapped tasteless bread is out, flavorful and delicious is in!) Am also pleased that they're carrying products from loads of local gf vendors. 

"Glad" and "pleased" don't really even come close to how excited I actually am about the opening of this store. It's hard for me to believe that it really exists; just a few years ago I could barely get a decent slice of bread and now there's a whole GF store?!? I plan on visiting in the near future and will update when I do. Please share any must-try items you find there!