An old favorite


Chiantis, in the NE, is by far my most frequented GF establishment. It's a pasta house with great cheap pasta nights (sun-tues) and GF bread warmed and brought to the table so you can feel just like everyone else.

The owner is Dave McBeth and he is so super with every order I have ever placed. Rod is also a manager there and he takes care of me when Dave isn't there. I usually ask my server, unless it is Rod or Diane, who are super experienced and cautious, to ask Dave to place the order for my GF meal. He always goes to the back and has a new pot of water set out and a clean utensils used for every step of the way.

Their pasta menu consists of a host of pasta choices and sauces to top it off with. Most of their sauces can be made GF and if not Dave will suggest for you the closest alternative. The appetizers are not all GF or even Celiac-friendly but there are some goodies that are. The shrimp and prawn appies are GF, ask for no seasonings if you are really sensitive as I find that whatever mix it is bothers me.

Hi All,
So SPLITT, our friendly local completely GF restaurant has had to shut it's doors due to a flub in the Calgary Herald... here's a letter from Dave, one of the owners...

Hello Celiac friends. Dave from Splitt here. Yes it is true Splitt is done and it is very unfortunate. We definitely want Splitt to come back but I need all of your help. We are currently in a legal battle for defamation and I need to build as strong of case as possible. In order for this to happen I need to show that Splitt was a destination for allot of people not just a neighborhood pub/restaurant. So if at all possible can each person on this list please send me there postal code with there name so I can show that people travel to come here and either NW / NE / SW / SE. Believe me this information will go no further than myself and my lawyer and possible the court if it goes that far I need to put a geographical representation of our patrons.

I would appreciate all of your help....Please....

Thanks, dave

If you want to support SPLITT, please email your name, postal code, city to splittclosure@hotmail.com.

C'mon guys, let's get SPLITT back up and running, maybe opening one in Edmonton too!!

Found this old post from my other site about Chinese food. Since our dinner club is visiting there again this coming week just thought I'd post so you all could read about it.

Oh wow, Oh wow, Oh wow....

So we went for chinese food tonight with the dinner club and boy oh boy was it super fabulous.

They, PEKING GARDEN in Calgary, are so amazing when it comes to making us feel cared for, safe and wanted. They prepared everything from the most dee-lish ginger beef to sweet and sour everything to salt and pepper squid to fried sinapore noodle dishes... OH THE FABULOUSNESS OF IT ALL!!!!!!

They have to go to alot of effort for us to eat there as well. They clean the kitchen, change out all the oil and use special sauces and such. We have to put our order in a couple days in advance so that they can make out food seperate and first in the clean oil. They always double check all the ingredients on all the dishes. It is so great. We ate so much and were so full.

Aileen and Patrick brought their new little baby boy and he was happy, no doubt from the happy talk at the table and the wonderous smell of GF chinese food. Leanne returned to the group after a long absence. Carolyn made it down from Edmonton and brought her boyfriend along. They were full of useful edmonton info and came bearing foccacia bread, chocolate cake and carrot cake. It was a great touch and made the dinner that much better.

It was super fun night full of great food. AHHHHH!!! YUMMMY!!!!!! Yeah to Peking Garden!!!!



The details of the new dinner are as follows...

when... Tuesday nov 21st 2006
where... Peking Garden 4625 Varsity Dr. NW
time... 6pm
special instructions... you must place your order ahead of time, I need them by 8 pm sunday
night (nov 19th) so that they can prepare them properly (clean oil ect...)

The menu is available in PDF just send me your email.... celiac_dreams@hotmail.com and I'll send you a copy and you can place your order, there are very few things they can't do.

Cool.... Jenny

NEW FOUND FOOD LISTS

check out this site... it has great links, click on the potato guy at the bottom, to a manufacture based GF food list.

http://www.public.asu.edu/~lhengl/

It's american so some doesn't apply in Canada, always read the labels and do your own checking.

The Calgary Chapter- 2006 Celiac Conference

So, today was the bi-annual conference. There was two doctors, two dieticians and our very own Kelly McGowan as speakers.

Dr. Alaa Rodstrum spoke about the NIH and the processes that health organizations use to effect change.

Dr. Butzner spoke about the progress he has been amking with the effots at screening kids at the Children's hospital.

Kelly gave a talk to practice for her big talk coming up in New York and told us all about her research project about screenings tests (the EMA test) and it's use and effectiveness.

Shelley Case, the dietician spoke about her book and what's hot and what's not in Celiacs today. She talked about the real story behind oats, gave us the low down on controversial or hard to recognize ingredients and briefed us all on the new laws on labelling and what to expect in the next few years.

Jaquolin Gates, a dietician, joined the panel for the question and answer period.

The catered lunch of sandwishes, multiple salads and vegetable soup was very delish and the desserts were fantastic with several creamy custards, rice pudding and chocolate mousse.

The vendor section of the conference was smaller this year but offered some seriously good choices including Judy G's pizza, Carlos' Pizza (my biz), Kinikkinnick, Earth's oven and a new makeup company. There was a celiac association table with several prizes and raffles.

I made a bit of a speech about the dinner club and met three really great new girls, hopefully you all will get to meet them to at the next dinner club dinner.... CHINESE FOOD.

Well, well. Guess who just sat down to a five page entirely Gluten Free menu, a wonderful three course meal including CEASAR salad, had to skip dessert because I was too full to even get up out of my seat and even had left overs for dinner the next day....

oh yeah, you guessed it, your friendly neighborhood Celiac, Jenny. That's right. The boyfriend and I, along with some friends headed out for a good old steak dinner and this time instead of the tried and true and always GF ribs at Tony Roma's, we decided to try somewhere new. We looked through the phone book and phoned several other steak and rib houses including Montanna's but with no luck on finding a Gluten Free friendly menu.

Finally I phoned The Outback Steak House and was cheerfully greeted by a hostest who informed me that they had a full sized Gluten Free menu. A full sized Gluten Free menu?? What?? Did I hear that correctly?? Yes, was the reply, so we booked a table through call ahead and took off across the city.

We arrived and gave our names at the desk and I asked to see the infamous full length GF menu and was handed a heavy, yes heavy, five page booklet. The girl at the desk was extremly helpful and told me just to tell my server and all would be taken care of.

We were seated in 15 mins and I was glad to have a table to set the menu down on to really give it a good look through. It took me the same length of time to go through my menu as it did for the guys.

The menu itself contained an introduction stating where the GF information came from and who prepared it. There is a disclaimer to take into consideration any persoanl health needs while using the menu and all gluten free infomation is marked in RED so it is easily visualized. There was everything from ceasar salad to full steak or rib and chicken dinners. The menu was very clear on what could be eaten all the way down to the seasonings and preparation methods. There was even a flourless brownie dessert.

I do have some mild criticisms of the menu however... there were no prices on the GF menu and that made it hard to read and forced me to check on the regular menu over my boyfriend's shoulder. Also the non-gluten free items were still on the menu with full descriptions, although it was nice to know why I couldn't have it, it did get redundant to have to again search for the safe foods, albeit easier to find due to the red inked GF's. Personally, the menu was extensive enough in it's GF items that to have a three page toally GF menu sounds like a fantasic idea.

The server was really great. It wasn't that she was knowledagable to any particular extent about the GF diet but she knew that all she had to do was write CELIAC on the order and all would be fine. She knew that Celiacs and Gluten Free go hand in and hand and used the terms comfortably and interchangably. It was very confidence inspiring and reassuring.

When the meals came out, salads first, the serving staff was different but they handed over my meal with the announcement that it was Gluten Free and stated no croutons or no seasonings. It was pretty amazing. The food was fantastic. I loved the chicken, cooked to perfection. The ribs were tear off the bone soft and I ate way more than I should've. They are a bit heavy on the sauce for the salad and the meats but it was great sauce so no harm done. As a celiac sauce in a restaurant is sometimes a rarity so when it comes in an abundant it can be overpowering. I'll just ask for light sauce next time round.

The servers were attentive and the staff was friendly. On my way out I stopped to talk with a manager and met Ryan Winterton, that evening's manager. He was friendly and very informative about the Outback's veiwpoint and commitment to provided safe GF meals for their Celiac patrons. He gave me his card for the Edmonton location, there is also a Calgary location (although I have not been there, I am told it is similar) the info is below.

So please check it out the next time you are in the mood for some good ribs and or chicken.

Jenny

Outback Steak House - Edmonton

17118 90th Ave. Edmonton AB T5T 4C8

ph (780) 484-5400

email summerleasteakhouse@telus.net

in Calgary...

130 Crowfoot Terrace NW, Calgary, AB
Phone403-241-1213

Savoury Infusions Review

Savoury Infusions has recently been a huge lifesaver for me. When life gets crazy my diet tends to suffer as it seems that all that I can grab that's safe to eat is potato chips, until I met Lisa Gorill at Savoury infusions.

She makes great to go made that day or frozen meals. She is knowledgable about celiac needs and keeps an extensive list of GF meals. The meals are all really tasty and are more than enought to feed a hungry run off her feet Celiac. She is always changing it up and has introduced many new items even in the short amount of time I have been a patron there.

Check out some of the menu items below:

~NEW~ Mango Peach ChickenChicken Breast smothered in a sweet mango peach sauce. Served on a bed of rice / wild rice mixture with green beans and red peppers.Small: $8 Large: $15

Teriyaki Chicken and RiceSweet teriyaki chicken over rice/wild rice mixture served with green and red peppers, and pineapple. Yum!Small: $8 Med: $15

Chicken in Thai Honey Peanut SauceChicken in a sweet honey peanut sauce with a hint of ginger and coconut over red and green peppers, pineapple and a bed of rice/wild rice mixture.Small: $8 Med: $15

Lime Peanut SatayChicken grilled in a spicy lime peanut sauce, served over a bed of vegetables and rice/wild rice mixture.Small: $8 Med: $15

Rosemary Lemon Chicken in White Wine Sauce. Never thought that Rosemary and the chicken would get along so well. It just took a little wine! Chicken breast is simmered in garlic, lemon and wine mixture, served with zucchini, tomatoes, and red onion mix on a bed of rice/wild rice mixture. Small: $8 Med: $15

Maple Mustard PorkA patriotic dish! Cubed pork candied in a tangy maple sauce, served with red peppers and corn over a bed of rice/wild rice mixture.Small: $8.50 Med: $16

Spinach, Chicken and Mushrooms in White WineSliced chicken breast simmered in a light mushroom white wine sauce. Served over a bed of spinach and broccoli. Small: $8

Also check out this article about lisa herself...
http://www.risingwomen.com/savouryinfusions/index.htm

Check out the store website.... http://www.savouryinfusions.com/

Addy and such:
1049 40th Ave NW
Calgary AB
(403) 451-6970

Worth the pick up. Check it out.

Soul Soup Review

Well well, so I finally made it up to Edmonton and found my way into Carla Alexander's SOUL SOUP and it was really great.

To start with, I actually had to get there. It's a little hard to find for a Calgarian who is very unfamiliar with the streets of our capital city. But, I found it, main floor, sorta on the side of the Rice Howard building, corner of 100 ST and 101A Ave. Parking is available at a public lot just across the street or you might get lucky enough to find one of the maybe 20 spots available along the street.

I make it there, with some serious phone assistance from Carla herself and her lone employee Fawn. I walked in and it was amazingly funky. Dark rich tones and then these huge splashes of pink and these really great silver magnetic boards to display the soups of the day and the prices. There is a glass case for the glass bottled drinks (a few canned drinks existed) and a long glassed in counter that you could see the soup simmering away and Carla working her magic. There is limited seating behind a little bar with high stools. The plating is modern and funky, the soup is served in little vented no spill take away containers that are incredibly ingenious and handy. Soup is available in 4 sizes and you can have the fresh soup or the frozen varities.

Oh, and the smell. It was like walking into your grandma's kitchen just before your favorite meal. You know she made it just for you, it smells like heaven and you never want to smell anything else again. It was perfect.

Carla, herself, is amazing too. Super friendly, even having customers and friends alike just stopping in to say hello, knowledagble and passionate about her soups. Even the people sitting next to me at the bar while I sampled some gluten free fare were quick to mention how much they loved this place and how nice Carla was. The feel of the place has a lot to do with Carla herself. She greets everyone as they come in and is attentive and inviting. You speak more than two words to her and you immeadiatly want to come again. Her passion for her business, her products and her restaurant/store is immense. She is very aware of all, and I mean all, that goes into her soups and has notices posted about the origin and quality of the products she chooses. She was knowledgeable about the gluten free diet and it's specifics. She is even venturing into GF breads so that she may offer her GF clients a bun the same as her gulten eaters.

(the GF bread was not available, I did not ask about the pots, pans and utensils that she uses when baking and the posistion of the breads and flours in an effort to prevent crosscontamination... but... I will be returning, so when GF bread is available, I will)

I sampled two soups, A yellow curry and white fish cowder, and a Zuchini tomato black bean with cheddar cheese soup. I am not a huge fan of curry but it was really tasty and I enjoyed a few mouthfls before packing it up to turn it over to a friend who loves curry and said it was amazing and had just the right flavor. But... oh... the tomato based soup. It was sooooo delish. I revelled in every mouthfull. The cheese was stringy and perfect and the spice was just right, even for a whimp like me, and it tasted so good, so good you almost can't believe it's really GF but it is!! I bought a litre of it to take home... it was that good.

At the end of the meal there was one more reason why Soup Soup was worth the journey, there were an assortment of candies (all GF) rolled up inside the napkin. It was a sweet geture and made me smile. A lollipop and rockets go great with soup!

Below are a list of her gluten free soups available frozen and a price list and sizing..... the list is impressive and tasty.

8oz = $4 16oz = $6.50 32oz = $10 1l (fresh) = $20 1l (frozen) = $9

Seafood types: Spanish seafood stew Classic bouillabaisse

Malaysian seafood laksa Caribbean white fish w/okra & yam

Russian salmon w/dill & sour cream Trinidadian crab w/mango

Spicy wild salmon w/lentils Ghanian seafood

Vegetarian types: Classic Ribollita (no pasta) Mushroom in a lemon almond broth

Moroccan harira w/ apricots Turnip & yam w/oka cheese &pistachios

Meat types: Mexican beef & black bean Chicken tortilla w/ feta and corn

Smoked ham & red lentil w/ jalapenos

Fresh : Check with the staff about daily soups available GF, there is always at least one of the three that is Celiac friendly.

Thanks so much to Soul Soup, Carla, and Fawn for a marvelous lunch and a great experience. I am so pleased to know that I know the best place for soup in Edmonton.

Number and Address....

10020 101A Ave

Edmonton AB

(780) 409-8272

Check it out. You won't be disapointed. It really is soup for the soul.