Soup in the Summer? YES with The Splendid Spoon

At the Speciality Foods Show in June, I met Nicole Chaszar, founder and "Spoon Captain" at The Splendid Spoon. I was excited to meet Nicole and learn more about her soup company for two reasons. First, I had just moved to Greenpoint, Brooklyn and realized that Nicole and I were practically neighbors. She started her company locally in Brooklyn and is now shipping her delicious soups all across the country. Second, The Splendid Spoon soups are gluten-free, provide 3+ servings of vegetables in every container, and do not need to be heated up to be consumed. These are gluten-free, delicious, and portable. It's a win-win-win product if you ask me!

Sold in both bottles and pints, The Splendid Spoon soups come in flavors like market gazpacho (my personal favorite!), vegan bone broth, cauliflower coconut, strawberry rhubarb (think soup meets smoothie), butternut tumeric, and beans & greens. The soups change with the season and all vegetables are sourced from small farms within 200 miles of New York City.

While I enjoyed the Splendid Spoon soups over a few days, the soups are suggested for use as a 1-, 2, or 3-day soup cleanse featuring five soups per day. You can also buy a seasonal sampler as well as build-your-own-soup package. I have never done a cleanse, but these soups were filling enough that I would definitely consider a nutritious soup cleanse with The Splendid Spoon in the future.

If you are looking for a healthy snack, a soup cleanse, or a little bit of both, I highly recommend The Splendid Spoon! Learn more at: http://www.thesplendidspoon.com/

My personal favorite! 

Note: The Splendid Spoon sent me these complimentary soups for my review. Views expressed in this post are my own. 

Pasta Flyer in New York City and Beyond!

Last night, the NYC Celiac Meetup Group and the Brooklyn Gluten-Free Meetup had a launch party for Pasta Flyer. Pasta Flyer is a new Kickstarter project started by Chef Mark Ladner of the award-winning Del Posto in New York City. In my eight years of leading this Meetup group, I think this was my most exciting event ever! It's not every day (or year) that you have a James Beard nominee from a four-star restaurant talking to your group in a small, friendly, intimate setting like this. The room was buzzing with excitement.

Held in the 100% gluten-free kitchen of Krumville Bake Shop in Brooklyn, we had a sold-out event! Throughout the evening our members got to meet Chef Mark Ladner, chat with him about his new Pasta Flyer project, and eat some amazing gluten-free food. Chef Mark prepared his famous 100-layer gluten-free lasagna, garlic dots (think garlic knots/popovers), and dried rice penne with caramel. As expected, the food was amazing and of course, gluten-free. It was so awesome to see so many smiling group members eating safe gluten-free food made by a gourmet chef!

Members of the NYC Celiac Meetup Group

Chef Mark Ladner making his gluten-free garlic dots!

Everyone in our Meetup group was slightly starstruck by meeting Chef Mark, who couldn't have been any nicer. We all were beyond appreciative for the attention he is paying to the gluten-free community through his pasta research and this new project. I was especially impressed that a chef of his caliber is not only going out of his way to learn about gluten-free food, but is also so excited to meet the gluten-free and Celiac community. You guys, he took a night off from Del Posto to cook for US! This was a wonderful experience!

Check out that view from the Krumville ktichen! 

Whipping up some gluten-free focaccia bread

The point of our event was not only to eat gluten-free food, but to also introduce Pasta Flyer to NYC and the world. I really encourage you to check out the Pasta Flyer Kickstarter page and help make this gluten-free project a reality. This concept is going to revolutionize the food industry. It is going to bring gluten-free pasta to the limelight in a gourmet, yet affordable way. Please go to the page and back Pasta Flyer today.

Thank you Chef Mark for attending our NYC Celiac Meetup group event last night. It was such an honor! 

Also, a special shout out to my dear friend Kristen, from Wine with Kristen, for her impromptu sommelier job last night!


DONATE NOW BY CLICKING THIS LINK OR THE WIDGET BELOW! 

Click here to see even more pictures on our Facebook page.

A Gluten-Free EatUP! Grows in Brooklyn

I was approached months ago by an eager NYC Celiac Meetup member looking to make a difference in our local gluten-free community. Her ideas were grand but her mission was simple: to safely and happily feed those of us with Celiac Disease in the Big Apple. Finally, we can see the fruits of her labor. Deb Goldstein, of Levine's General Store, is co-hosting the first ever Gluten-Free EatUp! on February 9th.

The Gluten-Free EatUP! is a one-day marketplace of locally crafted gluten-free, taste-full delectables. Try a kimchi spiced grilled cheese, grab a gluten-free beer, and take home some sweets. There will be hot savories, sweets, packaged treats and more.

JOIN US! Click here for more information.

Sunday February 9, 2014 

1pm to 6pm 

Freddyʼs Bar 627 5th Avenue BROOKLYN