Gluten Free: Mass Bytes at the Gluten Free Expo Report!

Crunchmaster products.

Last Sunday was the Gluten Free Expo at the Four Points by Sheraton in Norwood.  Despite an administrative snafu upon arrival, I enjoyed this tremendously.  The event attracted far more attendees than Healthy Villi or any of the vendors had expected -- it was packed!  I failed to make it to any of the workshops due to timing (and honestly, comparatively to the vendors, interest); some vendors left within a couple of hours of the start having run out of their wares.  But the ones that remained were incredible enough to not miss or be sad about the ones that had prematurely left the building.  I'm sure I'll be writing about the businesses and their food for some time to come.

The most amazing thing was that for the first time in several years I didn't have to think about whether the food I was eating contained any gluten or about cross-contamination.  If I wanted to try something -- and I made a point of trying everything, even little sips of the alcohol with prior approval by my prenatal provider -- I could just shove it in my face.  As could Liberty, for the very first time in her life.  The freedom I felt being able to just enjoy food without worry was truly incredible.

Number 9 salsas.  Another local company.

Number 9 tortilla chips.  Delish!

Some highlights, in no particular order (and I'm in the pictures):

Gluten-Free: MassBytes at the GF Expo This Sunday!

Counting down the days.

I'm so excited to be going as media with my trusty assistant Bill -- as well as Liberty, my mother and my mother's friend as regular attendees -- to the Gluten Free Expo being held by the Healthy Villi  this Sunday, October 21, 2012 from 10am to 4pm at The Four Points by Sheraton in Norwood.  Despite having to get up before 8am on a weekend to make it there in time, I've been looking forward to this for months!  It's the very first gluten free expo to be held in Massachusetts and is intended to become an annual thing on the gluten-free calendar.

This day-long event will include six workshops running three times each at 10:30am, noon and 2pm on a first-come, first-served basis.  They differ from the Healthy Villi's quarterly meetings that have more specific workshops like cooking for [insert seasonally-appropriate Judeo-Christian holidays here].  These will be about more general topics consisting of a traveling & eating out panel, a newly diagnosed workshop, gluten-free children and parenting panel, nutrition workshop and two cooking demonstrations with a variety of medical professionals and fellow celiacs.  I'm personally thinking about attending the traveling and children's panels as well as the cooking demonstration that mentions pumpkin muffins.  Mmm... pumpkin muffins.

Will there be the Healthy Villi's traditional gluten-free buffet its members are used to at the quarterly meetings?  I haven't found an answer to this, but it might not matter after a (long, slow) walk through the vendor's area.  There will be shopping & sampling from more than eighty-five purveyors of gluten-free food, celiac healthcare, cosmetics, gluten-free magazines and more.  This includes many national and local companies I've written about in my column here on MassBytes including Pierce's Pantry, Nantucket Pasta Goddess and Against the Grain; businesses I've had on my list to write about in forthcoming blog posts not limited to Something Sweet Without Wheat, Rudi's Bakery and Taza Chocolate; big names like Glutino, KIND, Schar and Bakery on Main; Hannaford and Wegman's supermarket chains; local restaurants such as the Chateau and Burton's Grill; and a treasure trove of small suppliers I'll be pleased to avail myself of for the first time.

Entrance to the expo is $20 for Healthy Villi members, $30 for non-members and $5 for children under 12.  Online registration here or call (617) 262-5422.  If you see me, please come up and say hello, mentioning MassBytes!  Of course, stay tuned for many future posts about the Gluten Free Expo and many of its vendors!  Seriously, SO EXCITED.

The Gluten Free Expo at The Four Points Sheraton, Norwood, MA

Sunday, October 21, 2012 10 A.M. – 4 P.M.

The Four Points by Sheraton, Norwood, MA
The Healthy Villi (New England’s largest celiac support group) will host
our first ever Gluten Free Expo!

The Expo will feature:

• Products from over 85 vendors to sample and purchase
• Expected attendance: 1,000 people
• Free Workshops include:

1. Traveling and Eating Out Panel
2. Eating Well Gluten Free Cooking Demo
3. Newly Diagnosed Workshop
4. Gluten Free Nutrition Workshop
5. Families Living Gluten Free Panel
6. Basic Baking Gluten Free Cooking Demo

SAVE THE DATE: The 2nd Annual East Broadway Foodie Crawl

SAVE THE DATE: The 2nd Annual East Broadway Foodie Crawl -- September 18th 2012



Tuesday, September 18th -- 6:00-9:30pm!

It's Back!! Last years wildly successful Foodie Crawl is coming back to East Broadway better than ever!! Get your tickets here!