Passover and Gluten Free Products

Passover began at sunset Tuesday March 29 and extends through Monday April 5th. Dietary restrictions include refraining from "Chametz" all edible fermented grain products to include leavened grains. While not all "Passover foods" are gluten free many are and can be easily found in the grocery store. The Gluten Intolerance Group features a very good article by Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD, LD entitled:"Passover Great GF selection". You can also go to the Manishewitz site for a complete listing of their gluten free products.
Tip: Many of these items may go on sale after Passover and this would be a good way to stock your gluten free pantry!

Restaurant Eden, Restaurant Review

I have enjoyed both lunch and dinner at Restaurant Eden. The restaurant describes itself as having a "refreshing, healthy and simple approach to familiar American cuisine." The website describes their philosophy further:

What sets Eden apart is our support of local small businesses and farmers as we proudly serve locally farmed produce from our State Farmers Market. Our menu will evolve with the seasons to capture the very highest quality ingredients just when they reach their peak.

This is sticking with one of themes for March's National Nutrition Month of "eating from the ground up". Eden does not offer a specific gluten free menu but catered to my specific needs. At dinner the wait staff asked several questions of the chef and we were able to mutually agree on a steak dinner. I had a great experience at lunch (note this was a slower time and easier for the wait staff to spend extra time with me). I was given a copy of their lunch menu with selected items circled that were gluten free and others crossed through so I knew they contained gluten. I enjoyed the Eden Salad with Salmon which was very good.
As a side note, I would encourage you to check out restaurant.com. This is a great site that offers coupons to various local restaurants and Eden was featured in the Durham zip code area.

Restaurant Eden
3211 Shannon Road
Durham,NC 27707
www.restaurantedendurham.com

Hours:
Monday 11:00AM-2:00PM Lunch Only

Tuesday 11:00AM-9:00PM

Wednesday 11:00AM-9:00PM

Thursday 11:00AM-9:00PM

Friday 11:00AM-10:00PM

Saturday 4:00PM-10:00PM Dinner Only

Sunday Brunch 11:00AM-2:00PM Brunch Only

Donate Gluten Free Food at the NCSSM Food Drive-Saturday March 20,2010

The North Carolina School of Science and Math will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for a 24 hour food drive by a non-charitable organization in a single location on Saturday, March 20th. The School will be accepting donations from 7:00am-10:00pm. It is very difficult to find gluten free food options at food banks this would be a great way to help stock some of the shelves with non perishable gluten free foods!
According to the Food Drive Website the schedule is as follows;

NCSSM World Record Food Drive
Saturday, March 20, 2010
7 a.m. – 10 p.m.1219 Broad Street / Durham, NC / 27705
Stay tuned throughout the day for Food Drive updates:
twitter.com/NCSSMFoodDrive
facebook.com/NCSSMFoodDrive
www.ncssm.edu/fooddrive
Questions? Call the NCSSM Food Drive hotline 919-416-2963
Due to limited parking availability on the NCSSM campus, if you choose to stay for any events,
we ask that you please park in the surrounding neighborhood.
Thank you!

Schedule of Events
7:00 a.m.
Food Drive begins!

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Food Drive T-Shirts Available for $10*
*$5 will go directly to purchasing additional food for the drive
Raffle Tent
Bryan Lawn

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Meet & Greet: Miss N.C. Teen USA 2010 and Mrs. America 2009
Raffle Tent
Bryan Lawn

11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Meet & Greet: “Biggest Loser” Contestant Antoine Dove ’04
Raffle Tent
Bryan Lawn

1:30 p.m. “Biggest Loser” Journey: Antoine Dove ’04
Raffle Tent
Bryan Lawn

5:00 – 9:00 p.m. RAFFLE DRAWINGS (See separate schedule)
Raffle Tent
Bryan Lawn

7:00 p.m. NCSSM Asia Fest
General Assembly Hall
John Friedrick Educational Technology Complex (ETC)

10:00 p.m. Food Drive ends
T.B.A. Meet & Greet: Wool E. Bull

Gluten Free Product Recall,Gluten Free Naturals Mixes

GLUTEN FREE NATURALS MIXES HAVE RECALLED SOME OF THEIR PRODUCTS DUE TO POSSIBLE SALMONELLA CONTAMINATIONL The following information is from the FDA website:

GFN Foods, LLC Voluntarily Recalls Gluten-Free Naturals Pancake Mix, Gluten-Free Naturals Light & Moist Yellow Cake Mix and Gluten-Free Naturals Cookie Blend Flour
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 11, 2010 - GFN Foods, LLC of Cranford, NJ is voluntarily recalling:

Gluten-Free Naturals Pancake Mix – UPC 187058 000043
Lots 09159 (exp 12/8/2010), 09320 (exp 5/16/12) 09322 (exp 5/18/12)
Gluten-Free Naturals Light & Moist Yellow Cake Mix – UPC 187058 000067
Lots 09083 (exp 9/24/10) and 09322 (exp 5/18/12)
Gluten-Free Naturals Cookie Blend Flour – UPC 187058 000029
Lots 09086 (exp 6/24/10), 09219 (exp 11/7/10) and 10035 (exp 5/4/11)

These products, manufactured by GFN Foods, are being recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The FDA and Thumb Oilseed Producers Cooperative of Ubly, MI found traces of salmonella in Thumb Oilseed's facility. GFN Foods, LLC is voluntarily recalling the products that contain the ingredient supplied by Thumb Oilseed.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and in some cases fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which can be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result into getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

The safety of our products is of paramount importance to GFN Foods. Customers that have purchased the above products should contact GFN Foods at 866-761-6147 for a refund or to arrange for replacement product. You can also email sales@gfnfoods.com or call with any questions.

Note: The GFN website does not list any retail options for these mixes in North Carolina, however they are also a mail order product through the Celiac Shack and through GFN's own on line store.

PF Chang's Boasts 28 Gluten Free Offerings

PF Chang's continues to increase it's gluten free offerings! I received this information via email and wanted to pass it along to the Gluten Free Durham readers. PF Chang's has increased it's gluten free offering to include 5 new gluten free beef dishes: GF Mongolian beef, GF Hong Kong beef with snow peas, GF beef a la sichuan, GF pepper steak, GF beef with broccoli. You can review the entire gluten free menu here. I have reviewed my dining experience at PF Chang's in a previous post.

The Durham Location is at:
6801 Fayetteville Rd (across from South Point Mall)
Durham,NC
919-294-3131

Refectory Cafe' at Duke University, Restaurant Review

As I mentioned in my previous blog March is National Nutrition Month. The American Dietetic Association has picked the theme for this year to be "Nutrition From The Ground Up" Two points of this message include choosing locally grown produce and limiting trans fats in the diet. The Refectory Cafe' at Duke University encompasses both of these ideas.
I recently enjoyed lunch at The Refectory Cafe',located near the Duke Chapel in the Divinity School. This popular breakfast and lunch spot is a "Green Cafe'" which features: local products, organic ingredients using recycled material and follows sustainable practices. The Cafe' has a casual, welcoming atmosphere. You are able to view your food options at the time of ordering, and I was happy to see clearly marked ingredient listings and gluten free offerings! Their website explains that:

The Refectory Cafe is proud to serve all foods free of transfats and in styrofoam-free containers.
Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free & Low Carb menu items available daily.

I chose a light lunch of vegetarian gluten free chili and corn chips which were very good. You can sign up to receive a weekly email of the menu and specials at www.therefectorycafe.com
The Refectory Cafe' has two locations on Duke's campus one at the Divinity School and the other located at the Law School. It is great to see Duke University offering so many gluten free offerings for students, faculty, staff and visitors. I have already written about the other options at The Great Hall and Trinity Cafe'.

The Refectory Cafe' at Duke Law School Hours:
8-6:30 M,T,Th
8-2:30 W&F

The Refectory Cafe' at Duke Divinity School Hours:
8-2:30 M-F
11-3:00 Sunday Brunch
Driving Directions:
15-501 to Cameron Blvd - Head towards Washington Duke Inn. At the light is the entrance to Duke's West Campus - Science Drive on the Left. Turn Left - approximately 1/2 mile ahead on the right is the Bryan Center Parking Deck.
On foot, outside the parking deck head towards Duke Chapel follow the path to the Left. The Divinity School is immediately to the Left. Enter the first set of doors (adjacent to the Pentecost Stained Glass Window). Go down 1 flight of stairs - The Refectory is on your right.

Low Sodium Options for a Gluten Free Diet

Do you know how much sodium is in your gluten free diet? I have found that we sometimes focus so hard on the "gluten free" aspect of our diet that we can forget the other components that contribute to healthy eating. March is National Nutrition Month and I hope to have several posts this month focused on nutrition as it relates to the gluten free diet. The current dietary guidelines recommend individuals consume less than 2300mg of sodium per day. These guidelines are revised every 5 years, so 2010 will offer some updated guidelines. The American Heart Association is now recommending that individuals consume no more that 1500 mg of sodium per day. Note one teaspoon of salt contains 2400mg of sodium! Just 14 tortilla corn chips provide 150 mg of sodium to one's diet. Sodium is added to many processed foods, soups, frozen meals, and deli meats. One of the most significant sources of sodium is the salt shaker.The Chicago Tribune published a timely article on what some food companies are doing to limit excess sodium in foods. Read the article here. Reducing sodium intake can lead to improved blood pressure, decrease fluid retention and decrease risk for heart disease.

Durham offers a valuable resource to those looking to buy low sodium foods. The Rice Diet Program, the famous weight loss center located on Cole Mill Road includes the Rice Diet Store. This store is open to the public weekdays from 8-12. Ira Green is the gentleman that manages the store and is very helpful in answering questions. I recently attended a panel discussion on obesity at the Rice House and was able to take a peek in the store. I was surprised to see many gluten free offerings at a reasonable price. The store's website is very well designed and it lets one click on the food item and review the ingredient list. A few of the gluten free items available include: Quinoa pasta shells for $3.25, and Notta Pasta Linguine for $4.25. To go to the Rice Store and review products click here.Do realize that the store's main focus is low sodium and not all products will be gluten free.


The Rice Diet Store
1644 Cole Mill Road
Durham,NC 27705
www.ricedietstore.com
919-383-7276 ext 2