The Salt Bar, Macclesfield

It's not very often that I get so excited about a restaurant but I literally could not wait to blog about my recent visit to The Salt Bar in Macclesfield. I believe I have found a real gem and Coeliac food heaven which I hope to visit time and time again. Friends and family are probably sick of hearing me rave about this place but if you visit it yourself you will find out what I mean.

Happy Birthday to me!

I heard about The Salt Bar on Twitter about 2 weeks ago and I instantly knew this was where I was going for my birthday meal. The restaurant specialises in Scandinavian food and drink which is a cuisine I've always wanted to try and one you just can't get anywhere else in my local area. The best part - about 75% of their menu is GLUTEN-FREE! They have recently changed dishes on the menu that previously contained breadcrumbs and now use polenta instead. This is amazing news for Coeliacs like me!

What I like about the menu is that it's fairly small but they've obviously worked really hard on perfecting each dish. I found there was still a great selection of dishes to choose from and I actually found it quite difficult to decide what to have - even more reason to go back and try something different! You know you are getting authentic Scandinavian food because it's all cooked by their Swedish chef, Anders.

I was pleased to see that the restaurant was busy which is great especially as they have only been open for about 5 weeks. I can see this place going from strength to strength as more and more people find out about it and spread the word.

What did I have?

To start I went for the leek and potato soup, gluten-free of course. Sadly there isn't gluten-free bread yet but our waiter told us that this is something they hope to introduce once they have established themselves. To be honest though, the soup was so lovely and creamy that I didn't really miss having bread. I could eat a bowl of this soup on its own any day of the week. Delicious!

For my main course I had Swedish meatballs in a cream sauce with fries but you could choose mash as an alternative. The meatballs were absolutely fantastic, like nothing I've ever tasted before, cooked to perfection and so full of flavour. I can't explain how amazing they were you will just have to go and try them for yourself.

My husband went for the Swedish burger with onion sauce and pickles and a side of fries. I was delighted to discover that this was also gluten-free and is something I would love to try next time I visit. Surprisingly this burger didn't have a bun but had an extra burger instead. Meat eaters you will love this.

I was pretty much stuffed at this point but there was no way I was leaving without trying dessert, especially as there was a gluten-free chocolate mousse on the menu! I had assumed this would be a small light mousse but I was so very wrong. It was luxurious, velvety, and rich with swirls of white chocolate. It came served in a cute little jar with a lid - top marks for the presentation.

So yummy

Stick a fork in me, I was done! I can honestly say that this was the most perfect meal out I have ever had - even pre-Coeliac - I just can not fault this place.

The Salt Bar is like a breath of fresh air in an area which is crying out for more Coeliac-friendly places to eat - and just 12 miles from Leek (I actually work in Macclesfield so it's even closer on a work night) it's perfect. Next time I get frustrated by the lack of gluten-free places to eat in Leek and Stoke-on-Trent I'm heading to Macclesfield. I highly recommend The Salt Bar for a sophisticated dining experience, something unique and quirky, in a small intimate setting with amazing Scandinavian food. Definitely book a table though as I can see them becoming VERY busy over the coming weeks and months.

You can follow The Salt Bar on Twitter @thesaltbar or find them on Facebook.

Toaster bags

Hoorah! I have managed to find these nifty little toaster bags in my local Poundland shop again as they've been out of stock for a while now. I'd previously been using the grill whenever I wanted toast but it just doesn't taste the same. You really can't beat toast freshly popped out the toaster!

I love these toaster bags because it means I can have yummy gluten free toast without having to buy a completely new toaster and then having the added stress of finding somewhere to put two toasters in our kitchen, not to mention the expense of buying a brand new toaster. The bags help to avoid cross-contamination with bread crumbs from a 'normal' toaster. It's important that Coeliacs don't use a toaster that has previously been used to toast normal bread because even a tiny crumb from the bottom of the toaster could make us ill. It doesn't matter how clean the toaster is you just never know where those evil gluten breadcrumbs could be hiding. It's really not worth the risk and that's why I was so happy when I discovered toaster bags.

The bags are reusable if you just wash them out after use with hot soapy water and the pack says you can use them up to 100 times, however when I have bought them in the past they have never lasted more than I'd say 20 or 30 uses before snagging or burning. Still, at the bargain price of £1 for a pack of 2 you can't really go wrong.

If you fancy being a bit more adventurous you can even make toasted sandwiches using the bags - just make up your sandwich as normal, pop it into a toaster bag to toast in the toaster and you have yourself a toasted sandwich - genius!

The Movable Feast, wedding catering, nr Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

I LOVE a good wedding! I love everything about them - from the happy couple, the vows, the flowers, 'the dress', the music and dancing, and of course the FOOD - they all play a huge part in making the day special.

Last month we attended a friend's wedding in Suffolk. This was my first wedding as a Coeliac guest. When RSVP-ing to the wedding invite I had obviously indicated that I would require a completely gluten-free meal. I had even asked the Bride and Groom to pass on my phone number to their caterers should they have any queries about what I could eat.

I was so nervous about the wedding catering that I took a bag full of Coeliac snacks - Tyrrells crisps, DS-gluten free pretzels, Newburn Bakehouse muffins, that kind of thing - just in case there wasn't much I could eat. The Movable Feast however were absolutely brilliant at catering for my dietary needs, I can't praise them highly enough! On the day itself the caterers knew straightaway I was Coeliac and so when the food started being brought out I had my own server who brought my food out separate from everybody else's. The food itself was amazing, probably one of the nicest wedding breakfasts I have ever had. I had pretty much the same as everybody else which didn't single me out from the rest of the guests. To start we had chicken liver pate with bread, I obviously had gluten-free bread as a substitute. The main course was guinea fowl, something I have never had before. It was really tasty, served with veg and potatoes and I actually think it was exactly the same meal as the rest of the guests. However when it came to dessert I had a lovely panna cotta whilst everybody else had lemon tart. I'm guessing the gluten-free pastry would have been too tricky to master - a little bit disappointing because the tart did look scrummy. I can't complain though because I really enjoyed what I had, I didn't feel singled out as a 'fussy eater' or different to any of the other guests. The caterers were very discrete and considerate of my special dietary requirements and I had 3 courses of amazing gourmet food that really filled me up - the first time I have felt completely stuffed in ages. Sadly there was nothing for me to eat at the evening buffet, which was a BBQ served outside and the risk of cross-contamination was too high with bread crumbs everywhere. To be honest though, even by the time the BBQ was served at 9pm I was still so full from the wedding breakfast that I probably wouldn't have eaten anything even if there was something I could have had so I didn't really mind at all.

Overall it was a beautiful wedding with fantastic food. This was one wedding where my Coeliac snacks definitely stayed in my bag. A big thank you to The Movable Feast for a wonderful meal with fantastic service. The staff are clearly very knowledgeable about gluten-free catering and they definitely try and adapt their dishes to be gluten-free rather than cook something completely different for Coeliac guests.

If you are a Coeliac in the East Anglia area planning a wedding or just planning a wedding with Coeliac guests I would definitely recommend The Movable Feast.

You can contact The Movable Feast on 01359 231 231.

Zizzi, Cambridge

My first taste of gluten-free pasta (not cooked by myself at home) happened at Zizzi in Cambridge as part of my friend's hen weekend. Zizzi is a large chain of Italian restaurants which you will find all over the UK and the great thing about them is they have their own allergen menu's.

They offer a vegetarian, nut free, gluten-free, vegan, soya free, alcohol free, fish free, egg free, and dairy free menu, all separate from the regular main menu - that's quite an impressive list of dietary requirements if you ask me!

I was keen to try their gluten-free pasta dishes as I have found it quite difficult to master the art of pasta cooking at home myself. I've noticed with gluten-free pasta if you overcook it even just by a few seconds sometimes you end up with a sticky mess of pasta all congealed together. Not good! Timing is definitely key.

If you ask for the allergen menu you will soon find the gluten-free section clearly labelled and it's easy to navigate your way down the list. Plus there is actually quite a lot of choice if you love Italian food. Zizzi very helpfully list all their pasta sauces from the main menu that are gluten-free which can all be served with gluten-free fusilli. They also do gluten-free pizza bases which I would love to try next time.

You can view their entire allergen menu online here

I went for the pesto rosso which was a spicy chicken dish with red pesto. Sadly when my pasta arrived it was a little bit undercooked but I blame this on the fact that it was a busy Saturday night and we were part of a hen party of 21 people! The staff were rushing around like mad things trying to get all our meals out at the same time and to be fair they didn't do a bad job. That said, I enjoyed the meal and the sauce was lovely and rich, full of flavour and it tasted pretty authentically Italian too.

So rather than being overcooked my pasta was undercooked which surprised me a little but I would definitely go back again on a quieter night and probably order the same thing to give Zizzi a second chance. Top marks to Zizzi for their allergen menu though!

The Foodamentalists' Gluten-Free Doughnut Mix

The Foodamentalists very kindly sent me a box of their doughnut mix and crumpet mix to sample and review. I wouldn't normally consider using a mix and usually prefer to make things from scratch. But these mixes are great if you are in a rush, plus it also means you don't have to stock several different types of flour in your kitchen cupboards because the flours are already mixed.

I've never made homemade doughnuts myself before but I was so surprised at how easy they were to make and even I couldn't mess these up!

To start with it's great to see that the boxes are clearly labelled gluten-free. I think a few other companies should take note of this. The mixes are also wheat and dairy free and suitable for vegans. All the ingredients are clearly labelled - there are no artificial ingredients - and there is an easy to follow recipe on the back of the box. 

Essentially the doughnut mix is a blend of corn, rice and tapioca flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and xantham gum with just a hint of cinnamon which smells wonderful as soon as you open the box. 

All you need to do is mix 100g yoghurt (I used Alpro soya yoghurt to make mine dairy free too), 12g oil and 2 tablespoons of beaten egg. You then add the doughnut mix and mix together well to form a dough.

I did find that my dough was too dry by adding just 2 tablespoons of beaten egg so I added the rest of the beaten egg. 

Tip - don't throw the rest of the egg away you might need it!

Once the batter is mixed leave it for 15 minutes. Then roll the dough out on to a floured worktop until it's about half an inch thick. 

Use a pastry cutter to cut doughnut shapes. I also used the lid of a coca cola bottle to make the holes for the middle.

Then fry the doughnuts in about 3 inches of very very hot oil (take care!). Fry until they are golden brown on both sides. This literally takes a few seconds on each side. Super quick!

To finish just toss your doughnuts in a bit of sugar and cinnamon. Or if you would prefer to ice them you can, although wait for them to cool first.

So easy to make and they tasted amazing! 

I would definitely recommend eating the doughnuts while they are still warm and the cinnamon really does add a lovely sweet flavour. They are definitely moreish and I'm not sure how long they will last in my house! I loved how fresh they tasted and they weren't too greasy. The dough itself was slightly crispy on the outside but nice and soft on the inside and the smell throughout my whole house was divine. It kind of reminded me of the smell you get when you walk past a doughnut van at a theme park or at the seaside. Mmmmmm.

I made 12 doughnuts from the mix which I thought was a pretty decent number. I think it might be a good idea if the label told you how many doughnuts a pack would make - but this really is my only suggestion. I just like to know what I am getting for my money but that's just me.

The mixes are £2.99 each which I think is very reasonable for the great quality product you are getting.

The award winning Foodamentalists have their very own shop at 47 Wheelock Street in Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 9AB (which I am yet to visit) and they sell a variety of gluten and wheat free fresh products such as bread, cakes and pastries and more, as well as their bread, pastry, yorkshire pudding, tortilla and crumpet mixes. Watch out for future blog posts on their tortilla and crumpet mixes which I am also enjoying trying at the moment. 

You can also buy their produce online here and they also appear at farmer's markets in the local area including Treacle Market in Macclesfield which takes place on the last Sunday of every month.

Simply delicious, fool-proof doughnuts - Thank You Foodamentalists!

Gluten-Free Afternoon Tea at Browns, Cambridge

I had the pleasure of visiting beautiful Cambridge at the weekend to attend a friend's hen party. I'll admit, initially the thought of a hen party away from home in a city I've never been to before did fill me with dread. It's hard enough eating out being a Coeliac at the best of times let alone when you have no control of the places where you eat. However, the wonderful organiser of the hen party was really understanding and accommodating of my dietary needs and every place we ate at she managed to arrange a gluten-free alternative for me.

Part of the hen do festivities involved a visit to Browns in Cambridge where I had my first ever gluten-free afternoon tea. Now, I'm probably not your typical afternoon tea type of girl - for a start, I don't like normal tea and only drink fruit tea infusions - so some might say an experience like this is wasted on someone like me. Because I am Coeliac I can't eat normal scones, cucumber sandwiches and fancy cakes that you would normally serve with afternoon tea, however, on their website Browns state:-

"If you have specific dietary requirements, please contact your local Browns and we can advise you on our menu or our chefs (with a little notice) can prepare a dish especially for you".



So definitely make sure you call them in advance! I was grateful to Helen for calling them beforehand on my behalf.

Here it is - gluten-free afternoon tea for one

Here's what I got:- 3 sandwiches each with a different filling including cucumber and smoked salmon (I can't remember what the third was but it was yummy) all served on gluten-free bread, 4 bakewell tarts (yes 4) and fresh strawberries and pineapple to top it all off nicely. I was actually really impressed considering they don't normally cater for Coeliacs on their regular menu. Because they probably had to go out and buy gluten-free products especially for me this really shows how they will make the effort if you have a dietary requirement all you have to do is ask. I guess it would have been nice to have had a choice of cakes rather than just 4 bakewell tarts but really I was just so grateful to be included in the hen party activities.

Browns not only provide afternoon tea but they also do breakfast, brunch and lunch menu's, cocktails, Sunday lunch and even lobster nights.

To make a booking at Browns click here for more info

Treacle Market, Macclesfield

I literally couldn't wait to visit Treacle Market yesterday as I'd heard the Foodamentalists would be exhibiting there. I follow the award winning Foodamentalists on Twitter and have been meaning to try their gluten-free products for a while since reading the many rave reviews online. This was the perfect opportunity to sample their products and purchase some to take home.

The Treacle Market is held on the last Sunday of the month and is a very popular and bustling market. There are over 100 stalls exhibiting arts and crafts, food and drink and antiques. Not forgetting the great live music and the real sense of community you get as you wander around the cobbled streets.

First point of call, naturally, was to head to the Foodamentalists stall. It was great to chat to them and I purchased some of their tortilla mix - I smell homemade fajita's coming soon! (future blog post to follow). Seriously though, I could have spent a lot more money than I did, all of their products looked amazing!

A couple of stalls down we found Mrs P's chilli jam. Oh my goodness, you have to give this a try! It's the most amazing jam I've ever had with a real kick to it and it's gluten-free so this immediately went in to my shopping bag.

Next, we bumped in to Adam and Marinha on their Delicious Sauce stand. I've not heard of this brand before but I was intrigued to try their Portugese and African-style sauces and oils, as you can probably tell by now I am partial to a bit of chilli. Everybody was dipping bread in to the taster pots but the lovely Adam and Marinha were really conscious that I couldn't have any contamination from 'normal' bread and so they gave me the sauces to try on a spoon. Plus thanks to the Foodamentalists I had a few slices of their gluten-free bread to dip in (leftovers from their samples). All their sauces are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan friendly and use only the freshest and natural of ingredients. If you like chilli then these sauces are for you! I decided on the garlic and chilli sauce in the end after much deliberating mainly because they told me that people use it to make garlic bread with - I was sold! Another blog post to follow I'm sure. I also picked up a bottle of their basil and chilli-infused olive oil.

There was plenty of other food and drink to sample (sadly not for me) but this was a great afternoon out in the sunshine and I will definitely be going again.

You can read more about the market here