New Contributor for Gluten Free Charlotte

I must admit that I’m not much of a foodie. By that I mean, I’m not the sort of person who has to have the best in culinary creations to be happy. But that said, I am gluten-intolerant. As anyone with a food allergy will tell you, when an allergen knocks many a food item off the “Eatables” list, you can’t help but start to become a bit of a connoisseur.
My name is Rachel Bastarache, and though I’ve probably always been gluten-intolerant, it wasn’t diagnosed until just a few years ago. Until then, my only food allergy was aspartame. This only knocked most chewing gum off the food list, so it wasn’t a problem. But with gluten…entire restaurants became off limits! Learning to cook gluten-free became a nightmare as my family quickly realized that substituting ingredients didn’t work in gluten-free recipes. Food, which never was much of a hassle, suddenly became something I paid attention to.
When I was diagnosed, I was living with my parents in Upstate New York. Though it’s a small town area with little by way of shopping and restaurants, we quickly found places that supplied all of our gluten-free needs. Last year, I moved to Charlotte, NC, and that’s when I found out I’d been spoiled at home! Where gluten-free pastas, crackers, and cooking ingredients had been relatively easy to purchase around my small hometown of Oxford, NY, in Charlotte I had to relearn how to shop, where to shop and even where to eat!
I found the Gluten-Free Charlotte blog when I moved to Charlotte. I volunteered to write for the blog because Charlotte is my new home city. If I’ve been learning where to find gluten-free food to eat, and where the good stuff is, then perhaps others would like to know as well? Gluten-intolerance isn’t the easiest of diets to maintain, especially when food choices are slim. But as I’ve discovered, both in New York, and here in North Carolina, finding and enjoying GOOD gluten-free food is possible!
I hope to be contributing to the Gluten-Free Charlotte blog at least once a month, with the latest foods I’ve been trying, and the latest places I’ve gone shopping. My geographic location is South Charlotte, so sometimes I venture into South Carolina in search of good tasting, gluten-free food. I’ll try to be honest about the way things taste, the texture, the price, even the location. To tell you the truth, after being spoiled by great gluten-free living in a small town in rural Upstate New York, I’m hoping to prove that Charlotte has more than meets the eye…or the taste buds!

Earth Fare - Gluten Free Cooking Class

Charlotte Ballantyne Earth Fare

Gluten Free Cooking Class
Date: January 25, 2010
Time: 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Admission: Free
Contact: clt120Community@earthfare.com

Bring a bit of Tuscany to your winter table! Join Barbara D'Ambrosio, of The Thoughtful Baker, at Earth Fare on Monday, January 25th at 6:30 pm for this free cooking class and learn how to make a delicious and easy family dinner. Please reserve a seat, please call 704-926-1201.

Gluten Free Cooking Class - Earth Fare Charlotte

Cooking Gluten Free w/ The Thoughtful Baker @ EARTH FARE
09/28/09 ~ 6:30 pm

Ease into fall with gluten free Italian Gnudi! Please join Barbara D’Ambrosio, of The Thoughtful Baker, at Earth Fare Ballantyne for this free cooking class and learn how to make a delicious and easy family treat! Barbara will demonstrate how to prepare these savory vegetable dumplings filled with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses and smothered in a basil tomato sauce. Barbara will share treats from her gluten free bakery to top off the tasting.

Please reserve a seat for this free demonstration at the Ballantyne store Monday, September 28 at 6:30 pm by calling 704-926-1201.

Earth Fare - Ballantyne
12235 North Community House Road
Charlotte, NC 28277
Just north on Johnston Road off the 485 freeway

Bella Monica GF Pizza Tasting @ Earthfare

I received word that Trevor from the Bella Monica Flatbread Company (see previous posts on Gluten Free Raleigh here) (makers of excellent Gluten Free frozen pizzas) will be on site at the South Park Earth Fare in Charlotte on Saturday, May 30th, 2009 between 11am - 2pm.

If you have not had the chance to try Bella Monica GF pizza, this is a perfect opportunity. You will not be sorry and will go home with a huge stack of pizzas (I always do). Make sure to say hello to Trevor and tell him the Gluten Free Charlotte blog sent ya!

South Park Earth Fare
Web site
Phone: (704) 749-5042
721 Governor Morrison Street
Suite 110
Charlotte, NC 28211

Souper!Salad Gluten Free Menu

I recently was alerted to a Charlotte area restaurant called Souper!Salad. They are an 82 location soup and salad bar chain based in Texas. Click here to check out their extensive Gluten Free menu and here for more information on the Matthews location.

Uno Chicago Grill - Gluten Free Pizza Update

Here are a few exciting updates from Uno Chicago Grill which is already offering a great Gluten Free menu.

1) A brand new Gluten Free pizza has just been added to the GF menu at Uno's. They already were serving a Cheese pizza and a Pepperoni pizza but are now offering a Veggie pizza. Featuring peppers, onions and mushrooms as toppings, the new gluten-free veggie pizza will give those suffering from Celiac Disease or wheat intolerance or allergy yet another option to enjoy pizza at Uno. Frank W. Guidara, CEO of Uno Chicago Grill, said the company was encouraged to proceed with the launch after the gluten-free community responded so passionately to Uno's introduction of its cheese and pepperoni gluten-free pizzas earlier this year. Uno's gluten-free pizza crust is prepared in a dedicated gluten-free facility, whose products are certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization, and is delivered to restaurants frozen in a sealed case which includes a baking pan, for immediate placement into freezers. Uno's gluten-free pizzas are thin crust and round, making the difference in shape from their oval flatbreads and deep-dish pizzas striking and unique to the eye.

2) Uno Chicago Grill will host a national Dough Rai$er fundraising event May 25 - May 31 to benefit the American Celiac Disease Alliance (ACDA) in support of National Celiac Awareness Month in May. Consumers interested in participating in the May Dough Rai$er can secure a voucher here, which they can then bring to their local Uno Chicago Grill location. 20% of sales generated from those who participate will support the ACDA cause.

Uno's has 1 Charlotte location. Get out and try the new Veggie pizza while also raising funds for the ACDA.

Shane's Rib Shack - Free Ribs May 16th

Check out the following offer for FREE RIBS at Shane's Rib Shack on Saturday May 16th, 2009.

The first 100 people at every Shane’s will each receive a free half rack of baby back ribs and a large Coca-Cola Zero. The will also receive a numbered "Shaniac" Jersey T-shirt with a number from one to 100 indicating their place in line. The only Shane's in the Charlotte area is the one at Grand Promenade Shopping Center Village II.

Click here to see Shane's Gluten Free menu which of course includes the Ribs.