Chef Lino

I went for dinner tonight at a really nice restaurant in Ottawa. As the only completely gluten-free restaurant in town, Caprese was number one on my list of places to try. I have to say, it was really nice not to even have to ask about cross-contamination! Everything they serve they make in house, including sauces, dressings, and desserts so there’s no fear of hidden gluten. In my experience, making everything from scratch is more important than organic or local foods, since you can control the ingredients. The menu was nice and varied, with many options that were naturally gluten-free and some with substitutes.

The owner, Luigi, also owns the wood-burning pizza restaurant across the street, Forno Antico. Over the past few years people have been coming in asking him for gluten-free pizza. However, they don’t make anything gluten-free there because it’s impossible to avoid cross-contamination. When Rasputin’s Cafe closed after a fire, Luigi opened Caprese in its place. A few of his friends’ wives had Celiac disease and asked if he would be offering any gluten-free dishes. He decided if there was going to be some gluten-free items, it might as well be 100% gluten-free. People still asking for pizza will have to wait, there is none available at Caprese since the kitchen is too small for making it.

I read glowing reviews about the bread they make and they were well-deserved. I haven’t actually tried gluten-free bread before, but after making muffins with almond and coconut flour I knew it would be tricky to get a good texture. This bread was delicious, perfectly moist and crumbly and I enjoyed my first piece of bread in over 3 years.

We chose the Melenzana rolls as an appetizer, eggplant with ricotta cheese in a tomato sauce. It was nicely spiced and very flavourful.

My mom ordered the Linguini Pescatore, a corn and rice blend pasta served with seafood.

I ordered Principessa, veal and asparagus in a cream mozzarella sauce, with roasted potatoes and vegetables. It was delicious. Again, just a perfect amount of spice and flavour.

I wasn’t going to get dessert, but when they said they had a flour-less, dairy-free chocolate cake I decided I had to try it. Surprisingly it was served without any globs of icing, and was nicely rich without being overly sweet.

For anyone in Ottawa I highly recommend going to this restaurant even if you don’t eat gluten-free. The dishes tasted wonderful, true home-cooking style. And if you are eating gluten-free or have food allergies that you need to be careful with, then you certainly have to eat here at least once. I really hope we get more restaurants like this in Ottawa. Tonight was such a normal dining experience, the first time I’ve had that in years!

The Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association held a general meeting the other night with a panel of chefs from local restaurants. Judi Varga-Toth from Credible Edibles (family run cafe, catering and meal service), Kent Allaire from the Westin Hotel (catering, hotel events), and Justin Giroux from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier (hotel restaurants) all talked about how they offered gluten-free meals to their customers.

I would feel completely comfortable eating at these restaurants. I have eaten at the Chateau Laurier and managed to have two full SCD meals and one gluten/grain free meal. My family goes to the Sunday buffet once a year and each time the chefs were more than happy to prepare me a dish or two separately and show me which of the buffet options I could safely choose from. The three chefs on the panel were very aware of dietary restrictions and food allergies, so I have no doubt they could handle someone with as many restrictions as I have.

One recurring topic that left me a bit disappointed was the obsession with the gluten-free baking. Every question from the audience was about bread, cookies, cakes, muffins, pasta etc. In fact it seemed like the only thing people were interested in was knowing they could get gluten-free bread when they went to a restaurant. I wonder when (if?) the mainstream Celiac diet will focus on wholesome healing foods and not replacements for what made us sick in the first place.

That said, there was a lot of great information shared by the chefs that I will highlight here:

• The chefs all keep a separate area for preparing dishes to serve to customers with special diets. They also changed some of their recipes to be naturally gluten-free for everyone, including salads, soups and sauces. Potato could be used to thicken soups, while sauces are usually made by reducing stock.




• They learned a lot from their customers including how to handle cross-contamination. Judi at Credible Edibles keeps an open kitchen and said her first gluten-free customers would tell them if they were doing anything wrong. Justin from the Chateau Laurier has a daughter with Celiac disease so he really understood the importance of being very strict in the kitchen.




• Chefs can easily accomodate for allergies, intolerances and dietary preferences. If you are dining at a restaurant ask to speak to the chef, they would most likely be happy to speak directly to you. This might not work at a chain restaurant, or if it was a particularly busy time.




• All agreed that it was a good idea to call ahead, but not necessary at all. They could all accommodate specific dietary needs when you walk through the door.




• The chefs all reported increasing requests for special dietary needs. It used to just be vegetarian or not, but now they are seeing customers with food allergies and/or Celiac on a weekly basis.
• They all noted the difficulty in preventing cross-contamination. Separate food prep areas are kept in each kitchen for this reason. Also they stated the difficulty in baking with gf flours in a larger restaurant/catering service meant most of the baked goods were bought from gluten-free suppliers. Making gluten-free breads and pastries on site and free from cross-contamination would be almost impossible.




• Judi from Credible Edibles does make gluten-free items in store, and buys some specialty baked goods.




• All the chefs made a point of stating that going to a restaurant is not just about eating the food, it’s an experience. They don’t want you to worry about the food you’re eating, feeling paranoid that something has gluten in it. They also don’t want you to go home and feel sick later. So, if you do go to a restaurant where you can talk to the chef, you should be in good hands.




• Catering to special diets used to be considered a bit of a nuisance. Now however it seems more like a challenge. They don’t want you to have to compromise and order something you’re not keen on. Instead, they are happy to create a dish for you that you will enjoy safely.




• One chef mentioned avoiding gluten-free foods from the US since they have less strict rules about tolerable gluten levels. So they try to get everything from Canada.




• Finally, it sounds like they make gravy and stock like we do on SCD. Stock is made by simmering bones, meat and vegetables for 12 hours. Then it’s strained and simmered down until it thickens. No need to add any flour to make gravy.

I hope to go eat at each of these places in the next few months. Listening to these chefs talk about their work made me feel excited to eat in a restaurant again.

There is a Canadian Celiac Association National Conference being held in Ottawa this May I’m considering attending. I hope the entire conference does not focus on baked goods. I doubt the speakers will, but the food and vendors might be. Either way I think it would be interesting to hear about current research and recommendations.

Ottawa/Gatineau Area
Over the past couple of years I have come across many sources of real good food. Below is a list of sources I personally buy from regularly and trust. I have met the farmers and discussed their farming practices with them. These are all sources of organic produce and pastured meats/dairy/eggs. All of them are very accommodating for delivery or pick-up of orders. Don’t hesitate to contact them with questions!

Dobson’s Beef
www.dobsonfarm.com
Farmer Bob Dobson sells pastured beef usually by the quarter, half or whole. He can also accommodate purchases of individual cuts at a slightly higher price. Recently he has been selling sausages as well. He can arrange for delivery or you can find him at the Carp Farmers Market in the summer.

Totally Natural Beef
http://totallynaturalbeef.ca
Farmer L.J. Helferty sells pastured beef by the cut, packages of around 20 lbs, quarter, half, or whole cow. This is my original and favorite source for beef but they have been out of stock lately. I’m really hoping by next year they get more inventory. I have ordered a few times from them, usually 20lb packages of stew, roasts, and ground. The mature ground beef they sell is a bargain and tastes great.

Canreg Station Farm & Pasture Dairy
www.pasturedairy.com
Farmer Josef Regli sells pastured lamb by the cut, 1/2 lamb or whole. I usually order 1/2 lamb at a time. I have tried other sources but this is by far the best tasting and best price. You can ask to have it wrapped in paper or plastic, I choose freezer paper (cheaper and better for the environment).
They also sell delicious sheep milk cheeses and have a few varieties that are aged hard cheeses appropriate for the SCDiet. They can be found at the Byward Market in the winter and at the Farmers Markets at Main Street and Landsdowne in the summer.

Bootstrap Farms
http://www.bootstrapfarms.ca
Nico van Stralen and his family sell pastured pork by the cut, 1/2 or whole pig. I ordered a 20lb “traditional cuts” package along with some organ meats. Delicious!
They also have chickens, beef, and eggs by order but I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet. They sell at the Byward Market in the winter and at the Farmers Market at Landsdowne in the summer.

Bearbrook Farms
http://bearbrookfarm.com
My absolute favorite source for all things animal. They carry different types of eggs such as bantam chicken, regular chicken, duck, and even sometimes emu eggs. They have all sorts of meats available (even exotic stuff like rattlesnake and ostrich) and make delicious sausages free of preservatives, chemicals, gluten etc. They also make meals, meat pies, and pates. All stock is from natural, organic, pasture-raised animals. They always have a cart at each Farmers Market in Ottawa during the summer months.

The Whalesbone Oyster House
http://www.thewhalesbone.com/
The only “Ocean Wise” retailer in Ottawa offering ethically sourced oysters and seafood. They have both a restaurant and retail shop. I have been to the retail shop several times to buy fish, scallops and oysters. Selection varies by time of year but you can check their website for current availability. They offer a brown-bag lunch that is quite popular. The wild salmon I have gotten from here is absolutely amazing.

Ottawa Organics and Natural Foods
http://ottawaorganics.com
Matt runs a great service that delivers organic vegetable, fruit, and dairy baskets on a one-time, weekly, or bi-weekly schedule. Everything you get in these baskets is so fresh and perfect, it’s almost hard to buy from the grocery store if you need something specific. It has certainly changed my style of cooking for “what do I want to cook” to “what can I make with these vegetables”. You see ahead of time what you will get, and you can even add individual items to your basket if you need more. For anyone suffering from illness, it’s nice to have the delivery service and guarantee that everything is organic. They do try to source locally when possible but offer a wide selection of produce all year round from reliable sources outside of the region.

Rainbow Foods
www.rainbowfoods.net
A vegetarian source only. They carry a large selection of organic produce which is clearly labeled as local or the country of origin. They have fresh organic peanut butter and almond butter ground right when you get it. Also a source of local honey in bulk. Organic nuts, dried fruit, coconut products, and spices. Full line of organic dairy including whole organic cow and goat milk, and organic raw cheeses. They carry tomato paste and coconut oil in glass jars.

Natural Food Pantry
http://naturalfoodpantry.com
They carry organic meats and wild-caught seafood. I tend to shop here in between bulk orders from local farmers. Hallelujah Organics is their main source of meat and I trust that their animals are raised properly without hormones or antibiotics. This store is great for buying by the cut for chicken, beef, pork and sometimes lamb. They also carry whole chickens that aren’t too big, a good size for one meal for a family of 4. They also carry organic fruits and vegetables, local honey in bulk, nuts and dried fruits, Larabars, and organic frozen vegetables and fruits.

Mother Earth Natural
www.motherearthnaturalhealth.ca
They are the only retailer in Ottawa I have found to carry the Weston Price recommended brand of Cod Liver Oil. Bulk organic spices and nuts. Also lots of green products such as cleaning products, feminine sanitary products, and lots of books.

www.realrawfood.com
Organic Nuts, dried fruit and coconut products. Even with delivery it’s cheaper than buying in stores, and is a good service for all of Canada. I’m not sure what shipping costs would be to the US but simply email them and they’ll let you know. They were very quick to respond to questions and very helpful. I use this as my source for buying nuts in bulk. Great quality products.