Gluten Free Trini

I recently bought the Daiya Dairy free Cheddar Cheese block at Be Free Foods to test it out. I was so excited that I didn’t care about the cost. I had to try it. It has been 6 years since I had dairy. I had to cut out all forms of dairy from my diet a long time ago due to allergies. I made something simple with the cheese so I would be able to get a better taste of it. I didn’t want the food to be overpowered by other flavours. So I made, the classic Mac and Cheese.

Hey guys! I've been getting some requests lately for some Roti recipes but I don't have any and I also have no experience with making gluten-free roti. So I need some help.

Here is a document created by the Gluten Intolerance Group with tips on how to read Product Labels to find safe food. Also check out the Gluten Intolerance Group of Port of Spain Facebook Page for any updates on Celiac Disease and the Gluten-Free Diet.

Yesterday, I went to some businesses that sell gluten-free products to hand out flyers and posters for the Gluten Intolerance Group of Port of Spain . I went to Malabar Farms Gourmet Shop , Whole Foods Market , Adam’s Bagels , Cascade Mini Mart , Peppercorns in Ellersie Plaza, Nature’s Discount Nutrition Centre , Petit Gourmet , New Earth Organics Enterprises Ltd , Be Free Foods Organic Grocery , Zayas and Hi-lo West Mall. I would’ve visited some more stores but there were time constraints and my energy level was running low. Let me know if there are any other places that you think should have flyers or posters for the Celiac Awareness Campaign for May. Contact me at gigofportofspain@gmail.com or gluten.free.trini@gmail.com A poster in Malabar Farms Gourmet Shop

I recently formed a support group with the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America for the Port of Spain Area. If you are interested in helping with spreading awareness about Celiac Disease, gluten-related disorders and the gluten free diet, you can contact the group at gigportofspain@gmail.com . Here is a link to the  branch website .

Coconut Drops are a common baked treat found in bakeries in Trinidad and Tobago. I miss them a lot so I decided to make some. I used the Long Time Coconut Drops recipe from The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago & The Caribbean cookbook from Naparima Girls’ High School. I substituted the flour with the Perfect Flour Blend from Namaste Foods . I bought this flour from Be Free Foods . The flour could also be ordered Amazon . The Coconut Drops came out great, the texture and taste was good. I kept the recipe simple. Next time, I will add raisins or sultanas with less sugar so it would not be too sweet.

Today is Divali and I decided to make some East Indian food like curried goat and potatoes. For the curry, I used a hand blended curry from Abundant Harvest & Tropickle Foods . I bought the curry at the Upmarket .

My birthday was on the 4th of August and I wanted to do something different this year, especially with food. I usually go to Movietowne to watch a movie and eat sushi. There are very few things that I could eat with a gluten-free and dairy free diet in most restaurants. This year, I went to a gaming center, Bedrock Minigolf and Gaming Center and I was able to bring my food. I had ordered normal sandwiches from a bakery for my friends since they do not eat gluten free. I made gluten free and dairy free chocolate cupcakes with King Arthur Chocolate Cake Mix Flour. I bought this cake mix from Be Free Foods . I decorated the cupcakes with homemade icing and Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips from Be Free Foods . I need to make some improvements on the icing since it melted easily. All my friends, even the owner of the gaming center, loved the cupcakes and couldn't tell the difference between the normal and gluten-free ones. I had much more fun this year since I didn't have to ...

I recently received the Savour Magazine, Issue 3 from Hi-lo Food Stores. I found an interesting article about the Gluten-Free Diet and Celiac Disease. It is nice to see more information about the Gluten-Free Lifestyle being spread publicly. I also hope people would learn that it is not a diet created to lose weight. In the article, there is also a list of all the Gluten-Free products that are available at the Hi-Lo Food Stores. I like that Hi-lo is making an effort to bring more Gluten-Free Products but not all stores are equal. I noticed that the Westmoorings Branch has a lot more Gluten-Free Products than the one in Starlite Shopping Center, in Diego Martin. The Starlite Hi-lo also stopped stocking the Gluten-Free Cereals and it is rare to see the large boxes of Silk Almond Milk. Click Here to See all the Locations of Hi-Lo Food Stores .