Gluten Free Shopping - Wegmans, Buffalo, New York (NY)

Being new residents of Toronto, my wife and I decided to take our first trip down south of the border to Buffalo and check out the shopping digs down there.

After reading some reviews about Wegmans, I decided that it would be worth checking out as they carry a decent gluten free section.To my surprise, Wegmans has an impressive line of organic produce as well.  Not only is the selection significantly better than any other grocery store in Canada (yes. Even you Whole Foods.), but the prices are are a fraction of those we see up north.

If you're from Toronto, once you cross the Niagara Falls border, you will have 3 different Wegmans to chose from.  Since we were shopping at the Niagara Fashion Outlets, we decided to go to the one on Amherst St.

I must say it was an amazing experience.  They have prepared food which looked and smelled great, an array of samples, and even a live band playing.

An organic whole chicken that would normally cost you $20+ in Canada was $12-$14.  Organic eggs that would normally cost $5.99-$6.99 at Loblaws were $3.99.  Oh Canada! Our home and native land? I'm having second thoughts....

Okay so what did I end up picking up on this trip?

I got me some gluten free Chex for $3.99 (normally cost $5.99 at Metro), Yogi Tea for $2.99 (best I've seen is $3.99 on sale in Canada but regularly between $4.99-$5.99 average), Tinkyada gluten free pasta ($1.00 cheaper), Jason toothpaste for $3.99 (usually $4.99+ in Canada), and a bunch of other stuff.

The gluten free section is about 3 times larger than any Loblaws sections I've seen.  For those who are gluten intolerant, you may be surprised at the variety of products they have vs. in Canada.

If you live in Toronto or anywhere in proximity to the Niagara Falls border, I highly suggest visiting Wegmans to stock up on product.  It will be worth your trip.

Even if you're not shopping for GF products, things like Haagen Dazs ice cream are almost half the price down there.  Normally grocery stores in Toronto sell a small tub of HD ice cream for $6.99 (which is the average).  The cheapest I've seen is $4.44 on sale at Metro, but this doesn't happen often.

The regular price of this ice cream at Wegmans is $3.99.  Yes, almost 50% difference in price.

Not only are prices so inflated in Canada, but we are taxed 3 times more than our neighbours down south on food products.  We were charged about 4.85% on our groceries.  We spent less than $4 on taxes on a total of $80 in groceries. 

Best Nachos? Sneaky Dee's - (431 College St Toronto)

I often look for Mexican options when eating out as you can find things that do not contain wheat flour like pupusas or the standard Nacho fare.

I've used BlogTo as a reference for getting some ideas about places to eat in Toronto.  (So far it's been hit or miss in terms of quality and satisfaction)  I was in the mood for Nachos and after filtering out existing reviews, I decided on Sneaky Dee's on College St.  Apparently they won the "King of Nachos" title last year, so I was tempted to see what this enviable title was all about.

I opted for the chicken Nachos which literally came with fairly large sliced chicken breast.  There were  hints of cilantro throughout and deep in the middle was a spoonful of Mexican rice and beans.  The top was decorated with a generous amount of guacamole (which tasted like actual avocado unlike preserved container stuff) and sour cream.

It would have been nice to have a side of fresh salsa to balance everything out since one will reach the point of "eating the same thing" stage.

The tortilla chips and cheese were standard.

Overall, I was satisfied. 

I give it a rating of 3.8/5.

Gluten Free Oatmeal - $3.49 at Longo's (Toronto)

Everybody enjoys something nice and warm for breakfast especially in these cold and dreary mornings.  There's no easier way than to boil up some water and add it to some quick and easy gluten free oatmeal.

Now generally, regular oatmeal is quite affordable, but for people suffering from celiac/gluten intolerance, this may not be a viable option.

I've compared the price of Glutenfreeda's variety pack from different stores in both Ottawa and Toronto, and so far Longo's sells it for a regular price for $3.49 (6 packs) which is not too bad.

Hoi An, Vietnam

Visiting Hoi An Vietnam is a wonderful way to get an old touch of multicultural history.  It is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  It actually had the largest harbour in Southeast Asia in the 1st century.

Hoi An is located in Central Vietnam.  Chances are if you are visiting Vietnam, you will be flying into Saigon or Hanoi.  Either way, you will be able to get to Hoi An via bus or train, but you can fly into Hue and travel on land.  Basically, you have options.

Historically, this wonderful place has been visited by the Portuguese, English, Chinese, Japanese and various other foreigners looking for new wares and trade opportunities.

You will find that in general most of the buildings have been restored both internally and externally, but general structures have remained in tact as they were hundreds of years ago.

Keep in mind that this is a very touristy area and you will likely experience groups of visitors throughout the year.  As a result, the prices of souvenirs and food might be higher than other parts of Vietnam. 

Madras Masala - Dosa Review (796 Bloor St. West)

After visiting about half a dozen different Indian restaurants in an attempt to find the best Dosa in Toronto, I am sad to say that I still haven't found one.

The worst mistake (unfortunately the only option) is doing a search for "Dosa Toronto" via Google and trusting some reviewers' opinions.  What I've found is that BlogTo is not a reliable source of information for the most part.  Secondly, most people just do not have the same standards in taste as I do.

I tried out a couple different places in Scarborough which is densely populated with Sri Lankan and Indian people.  So you would expect that some of those restaurants that pop up on the top of the Google search lists would be somewhat decent.  Well all I can say is that a second visit will likely not be warranted on my behalf.

The other day I decided to check out a reviewed BlogTo restaurant for my favorite type of Dosa -Ghee Masala Dosa at Madras Masala on Bloor Street.  The shape and texture of the Dosa itself was okay.  But I was surprised to find a huge glop of potatoes in the centre.  I mean huge.  They totally destroyed the essence of the Dosa.  It's similar to comparing your typical American pizza with a true Italian pizza.  Quantity isn't always better, I'm afraid.

My second complaint is the quality of chutneys.  The coconut chutney was slightly acidic hinting that they were simply trying to preserve the coconut with lime juice.  Big nono.  Your average Joe might not know any better, but that's a huge penalty in my opinion.

In addition, the tomato chutney was just simply bland.  No taste at all. 

A Dosa is not a Dosa without fresh chutney, period.

So far my mission to find Toronto's best Dosa has been disappointing.  I am willing to give Udupi Palace in East York a second go since they pride themselves on the annual Dosa eating contest. 

Gluten Free Pasta from Costco

Great news for Celiacs and Gluten intolerant out there.

You can now find a decent GF pasta at Costco.  1KG should be enough to serve a few meals for the cost of $8.99.

Unlike other GF pasta out there it is not just solely Corn flour or Rice Flour.  There is a mix of Quinoa and Amaranth added to the mix which changes the texture up in a good way.

I also like Tinkyada pasta, but it isn't easy to find.  More importantly, it's a little on the costly side.

So the next time you're at Costco, you may want to give this pasta try. 

Gluten Free Bread in Toronto / North York

So I've been in Toronto for a couple months already and have been finding it very hard to find a  decent gluten free loaf of bread at a reasonable price.  Back in Ottawa I would usually buy it from Wild Oat for $5.  But you'd expect to have something comparable in the big city, right?

Anyone with a gluten intolerance misses the texture of a wheat bread.  So often we are using this as the point of reference for what we desire in a GF bread.  That's the problem.  The characteristics of rice flour, bean flour, corn flour, tapioca and/or chickpea flour are quite different than that of wheat.  It's like trying to recreate an Oxygen atom with a Hydrogen atom.  It's just not going to work (.. at least not that I know of).

So going back to the topic, I have been running around to all these GF bakeries in Toronto that are suggested on BlogTo and have come back with very little success.  I've tried the loaves and desserts and so far, I'm not very impressed.

In respect to the sweets, I found that more than often, there was abundance of sugar being used which is simply unnecessary.  Enough to put a dozen diabetics into a coma off one cupcake.  You know who you are!  You can't replace what GF products lack with sugar.  Or maybe you can, seeing that you are in still in business.  So please do us a favor, cut down on the white stuff.

Living in North York, we don't have the convenience of having the variety of mom and pop shops that those living downtown do. So we have to find most of our groceries at big chains like Loblaws, Metro, No Frills, Food Basics, etc.

 It seems Loblaws is the only chain that carries a few choices of Gluten Free bread products.  Up until recently they have always been in a freezer.  The lowest on the price scale, is usually around $5.99.  Unfortunately, I've tried them all and they are, how can I put this nicely, CRAP!  I don't even need to name the companies, because you'll know what I'm talking about when you get there.

Let's get to the point.  After all the trial and error, I've managed to narrow it down to one bakery which is Yoshi's Sweets down on Queen Street East.  Though initially on my first visit, I found it quite expensive, I later learned that they would be selling it in Loblaws for a lower price of $5.99.

So far, this loaf has had the best taste/texture combination I've had in Toronto.  The price is okay, but the ingredients often make up for it.  Also to my surprise, Loblaws didn't stick Yoshi's bread into the freezer like the rest of them.  They actually had their own little gluten free space in the bread section!

Before I depart, keep in mind that because the bread is not put in the freezer you have to be very careful with the expiry date on the bread.  My wife got food poisoning by ingesting some mold on our last loaf, so be sure to throw it in the fridge/freezer right away to preserve it longer.

Yes I know, it's not a great way to end a plug, but I'm sure we'll continue buying Yoshi's bread because there's no other choice and it taste good when it's fresh.  Caveat Emptor.

Fried Dace and Green Malachite

Since the move to Toronto, I've been looking for quick and easy things to make for dinner.  One thing that I was craving was Fried Dace and black beans that I used to eat when I was a kid.

I can't say that I've ever had anything comparable to this can of goodness.  It's salty, it's oily, and so tasty!  This is the type of thing you eat on occasion, like poutine topped with bacon.

So I went off to my local Asian grocer to find it.

To my amazement, it was no where to be found!  I remember when I was younger, Fried Dace in a can was staple and cheap.  All you had to do was hit up any store in Chinatown and it would literally fall into your basket.

After a bit of research, I saw that a couple years ago, many cans were recalled because they contained traceable amounts of Green Malachite.  Apparently, this stuff is used in raising these fish in order to kill off any bad bacteria and parasites.  The only problem is that it is a carcinogenic and that can't be too good for you.

But it's so goooood! How can you resist deep fried dace with black beans on rice?!  Chinese soul food at its best.

So the question I ask is now that you can find Fried Dace again at select grocers, is it safe to consume?

Also, some people say you'd have to consume a hefty amount of this fish for it to truly affect your body in any detrimental way.  Isn't that what they say about everything else that's sold to the average American?  For example Aspartame in gum.  Do research on that topic and you'll be surprised at what you find.

The pleasantries of living in a "developed" society...

  While we believe we are better off than other countries,  in many ways we are, but there is an unavoidable irony that we face in the food available to us.

To eat or not to eat.  That is the question.