Our fondus are a little different, and we think better, than any that you can buy at a restaurant.  First of all, my husband, and now my son, are experts at making fondu.  Secondly, we don’t just dip bread in the fondu, not only because I can’t eat “regular” bread, but because it’s boring.  We eat slightly steamed broccoli, small potatoes, sliced apples, cornichons (small french pickles), and the rest of my family eat the bread .

How do I eat fondu given that I am both gluten-free and dairy-free?  First of all, we substitute rice flour for “regular wheat flour”.  I don’t even have wheat flour in my house.  We shred two types of cheese – guyere and swiss – which we mix with the rice flour in a pot with white wine.  In the meantime we lightly steam the broccoli, cook the potatoes, cut up the apples and the bread for those who eat bread and put them in bowls around the fondu pot on the table.  Then we dig in.

Since I am allergic to dairy I can generally only do this once a year when I am feeling really good, and only with lactose and allergy pills, or so I thought.  This was one of the best fondus we have had in a long time.

We topped it off late in the evening with a dark chocolate fondu.  I carefully and slowly melted dark chocolate pieces in the microwave to get it to a liquid and smooth consistency.  In the meantime I cut up banana, peeled and cut up oranges, apples, and put out strawberries and blueberries.  Given that I am allergic to milk chocolate and strawberries and I have a low tolerance for dark chocolate I have to be very careful with this dish too.  I even had a separate fondu for people to eat the strawberries.  It was fabulous and everyone enjoyed it, including me.

These are great party meals and great fun to eat with family and friends.  Everyone loved them and they were happy and fine today.  Unfortunately I woke up in agony and was sick all day today.  What was I thinking eating dairy at all and eating both dairy and chocolate in the same evening?  If you are gluten-free, you can easily substitute rice flour and you can also purchase gluten-free bread/baguettes for your fondu.  But if like me you are dairy free, think long and hard before you dig in.  It is going to be a long time before I do this again.  I may eat it once the memories of my reaction fade, maybe in another year!

Please send us an email and let us know where you see and buy the cookies (which stores – Home Goods, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and which locations)!

Thanks and enjoy!

I will be one of the guest vendors/speakers.  I am going to showcase my three flavors of cookie dough and will have samples of cookies, a cookie cake and cut out star cookies all made using the cookie dough.  I am looking forward to this event and I hope to see many people there!

For more information on the meeting please contact Michelle Mattia at 860-745-1621.

Our gift baskets and other goodies make it easy for your to order your Hanukkah, Christmas and Holiday goodies for the special people in your life, and for yourself too!

Please check out all of our goodies and gift baskets by going to our website at:  http://www.gilbertsgourmetgoodies.com/gift-baskets.html

Thank you and happy holidays!

Liz

We will be there with samples of our 5 tasty flavors of cookies along with our best selling pouches of cookies, brownies, pumpkin bread and an apple pie.  We hope you will stop by and pick up some of  our delicious gluten-free, allergy-free cookies and treats, enter our raffle and order your Thanksgiving pies !

GLUTEN INTOLERANCE GROUP OF SHORELINE EAST

The CT Shoreline East GIG group will be hosting an open family forum and vendor fair 1:30 pm on  at the Indian River Recreation Center, Rt 81 Clinton (1 mile north of Clinton outlets on the right). The topic will be raw, vegan and vegetarian diets.  Vendor fair starts at 12:30 and the speakers will begin at 1:30.

We will be at the Colin Leslie Walk and Vendor Fair in Rye, NY and at the Central CT Vendor Fair in West Hartford.  We regret that we will are not able to join the Shoreline East GIG meeting.  We hope that you will attend one of these great events!

Prudential Center management understands that many of their fans want healthy snacks and/or need alternative products that are made without gluten and the top allergens.  We are very excited that they have selected Gilbert’s Gourmet Goodies for their specialty food offerings.

So the next time you visit Prudential Center look for Gilbert’s Gourmet Goodies giant cookies and brownies, and if you don’t see them, ask for them!

http://www.prucenter.com/

Gluten-free foods are no longer only for people with celiac disease, food allergies, food intolerances, autism and other medical conditions.  More and more people who want to follow a healthy lifestyle are eliminating gluten from their diets at least part of the time.

The Gluten-Free market in the US reached approximately $2.6 BILLION dollars in 2010, with a 30% growth rate, and is expected to reach $6 BILLION dollars  in sales by 2015.  So voice your opinion!  Ask your local retailers to sell your favorite gluten-free goodies – including GILBERT’S GOURMET GOODIES!

http://www.marketingforecast.com/archives/10536

Ingredients:

• mild white fish (1 pound will feed approximately 3 people).  We like cod, basa, sole and pollack to name a few.
• eggs, egg replacer,  soy milk or rice milk mixed with a little gluten-free flour for thickness
• gluten-free bread crumbs
• onions and spices (optional)

Preparation:

• In one casserole dish crack two eggs and whip together until completely blended.  If you don’t want to use eggs, you can use egg replacer, or a gluten-free “milk drink” mixed with a tablespoon or more of gluten-free flour for thickness.
• In another casserole dish pour in bread crumbs.  You can add spices such as salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, etc. to the bread crumbs before or after coating the fish, if you want to.
• Dip the fish into the eggs and then into the gluten-free bread crumbs, coating completely on both sides, and adding bread crumbs as needed.
• Pour olive oil into a pan on medium heat on your stove top.  Put the breaded fish into the pan and cover.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and flaky.  Cook more time for a thicker fish, less time for a thinner fish.
• Cut onions into slices and cook with fish: if you put them in with the fish at the beginning they will get dark and crunchy.  If you put them in when you turn the fish over they will be lighter and softer.

Tips:

• If you prefer you can bake the fish instead of cooking it on the stovetop, at 350 degrees for approximately 7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish.  Be sure to spray the casserole dish and coat with olive oil.