Caesar’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Pasta Meals

Caesar's Kitchen recently sent me free samples of their brand new gluten-free frozen pasta meals. Caesar’s Pasta, the New Jersey-based pasta expert with 50 years of experience, launched this new Certified Gluten-Free line of fresh-from-the-freezer gourmet pasta meals just a few months ago. The new meals include Gourmet 3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni & Meat Sauce and Gourmet Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese with Cheddar and Blue Cheese Sauce, both of which are gluten-free.

Caesar’s Kitchen features:

• Convenient single-serve meals
• Amazing taste – you won’t believe its Gluten Free!
• Free of rBST hormones and antibiotics
• Zero preservatives, artificial flavors or trans fats
• Great solutions for anyone in the family (work lunches, play dates, sleepovers, off to college or any time)

I first tried the 3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and was pleasantly surprised at the yummy real cheese in this pasta meal. It didn't feel gritty or watery like some cheese-based pasta sauces do in frozen meals. I also liked the way the pasta cooked up in the oven. It gave it more of a baked ziti type of taste and texture. The only downfall is that I don't have a microwave and preparing this dish took much longer than I would have liked. I set the timer for 20 minutes as indicated on the box, but it took almost 45 minutes to heat and eat and I had to bump up the cooking temperature to over 400 degrees.

Next, I tried the Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese for lunch one day. Blue cheese is not my favorite so I didn't love this meal but I ate it because I was hungry. It does have a kick to it, so if you like spicy you will probably enjoy this dish. I had the same problem with heating this meal and had to cook it for 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Keep this in mind if you aren't using a microwave!

Overall, I enjoyed the 3 Cheese Herb dish the best but I probably won't buy it any time soon since I don't have easy access to a microwave. If I was traveling and saw these at the store and my hotel had a microwave, this would be a good option for a quick non-restaurant, gluten-free meal.

Thank you Caesar's Kitchen for the opportunity to try your new products.

3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni & Meat Sauce

Buffalo Style Mac & Cheese

Nutritional panel from 3 Cheese Rigatoni 

Find Caesar’s Kitchen (caesarskitchen.com) at select retailers, including Whole Foods, Wakefern and ShopRite. The price for these gluten-free pasta meals ranges from $4.49 - $5.99.

You can learn more about Caesar's Kitchen from their social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.



Please note, I was sent free product from Caesar's Kitchen but this does not influence my review. Opinions are my own. 

June 11: Pasta Flyer Kick-Off Party with Chef Mark Ladner in NYC

Chef Mark Ladner in the kitchen.
Photo credit: Ted Axelrod

If you read my Monday post, you know I had an amazing and quite memorable gluten-free meal at Del Posto in New York City last Friday. Part of the lunch was spent talking to Chef Mark Ladner about his new upcoming project. Next week, Chef Mark is launching a Kickstarter campaign for his "gluten-free certified pasta bowl restaurant named Pasta Flyer. It's Italian cuisine, Japanese style."

This concept really impressed me. I don't know of any restaurants that I can walk into and get delicious, 100% gluten-free pasta in less than 5  minutes, safely , and "to go." Chef Mark and I chatted about his idea and solidified plans for a kick-off party in New York City on June 11th to celebrate this launch.

PastaFlyer.com

For two decades, Chef Mark Ladner has been working as a chef in Manhattan, focusing exclusively on Italian fine dining at restaurants like Otto, Babbo, Lupa and Del Posto. Last year at Del Posto, he launched a gluten-free menu that received a lot of enthusiasm from diners with celiac. Pasta Flyer is a way for Chef Ladner to share his love for delicious pasta with a wider community, outside the NYC fine-dining scene. He has developed a patent-pending production and cooking technique for Pasta Flyer that enables him to serve any combination of the custom extruded pasta shape, sauce and side in 3 minutes; just as fast as at a Tokyo-style ramen bar. It's 100% gluten-free and will all be made in a gluten-free certified facility. 

I will post the Pasta Flyer Kickstarter link next week when the campaign launches. In the meantime, I want to invite you to our party in New York City on June 11th!

Pasta Flyer Kick-Off Party with Chef Mark Ladner

6:30pm - Cocktail Reception
7:15pm - Gluten Free Demo with Chef Ladner
8:00pm - Tasting of gluten-free snacks and goods
8:30pm - Q&A with Chef Ladner

Now, you might think that a private party with Chef Ladner will empty your pockets. Not in this case! This party is only $25 per person including cocktails, gluten-free pasta, and a chance to meet one of the most prestigious chefs in New York City. This is a big deal for the NYC Celiac Meetup group and probably the most excited I have been about one of our events in a really long time.

Tickets are extremely limited and will sell out fast. Don't delay, visit our ticket page today! You must pre-pay for your tickets to this event. No walk-ins! http://www.meetup.com/Celiac/events/186819012/

Gluten-free 100-layer lasagne

Photo credit: Hannah Whitaker

Chef Ladner Creates Gluten-Free Magic at Del Posto

Del Posto, in New York City, has been on my radar for a while now. When I first read on Serious Eats that they launched and entirely gluten-free pasta menu in 2013, I was really excited and wanted to learn more. I started doing some research, learning that Del Posto is co-owned by Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich. My mom and I have been fans of Lidia's for years, always stopping to watch her cooking shows on PBS. I kept Del Posto in the back of my mind for any upcoming celebrations but kind of forgot about it.

Then two weeks ago, Del Posto came back onto my radar with gusto. Both Gluten-Free Philly and Pasta's Kitchen posted the video below and I was blown away. Chef Mark Ladner speaks candidly and and professionally about keeping customers happy and not letting anyone leave his restaurant dissatisfied. He wants everyone at his restaurant to enjoy their dining experience, regardless of their dietary restrictions. Chef Ladner and his team did their research and made gluten-free magic in their Del Posto kitchen using Chef Thomas Keller's Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.

I applaud Chef Ladner and the Del Posto team for their support of our community by embracing the gluten-free pasta challenge, rising to the true definition of hospitality, and welcoming the gluten-free community.

My birthday is coming up and I am hoping this is a good reason to finally splurge on a complete gluten-free dinner at Del Posto!

Chef Mark Ladner of NYC's Del Posto Creates Gluten-Free Versions of Entire Pasta Menu from Forklift on Vimeo.


"Our ultimate goal is when an entire table is enjoying one pasta, perhaps two or three of those people would be having gluten-free version of the exact same pasta and unless you heard the initial conversation, you would never know the person next to you is having something different from you and that is what makes great dining."  -Chef Mark Ladner

Thank you Chef Ladner on behalf of the gluten-free community! I hope to thank you in person soon. 

Hello Pasta Gluten-Free Option in NYC July 7th and Coupon

I read today on Gluten Freeville that Hello Pasta is opening today in NYC with a gluten-free, corn-based penne option on their menu. I have never heard of Hello Pasta, so I went right over to their website. This new restaurant sounds like the fast food of the pasta world, but Hello Pasta says that all menu options are prepared when you order and not hours before. There sauces are 100% natural and there are a number of gluten-free sauce options. Their menu is also clearly labeled with a GF, V, and V.V for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan, respectively.

Ordering is easy.

Step 1. Choose your Favorite Pasta: Obviously, my choice is the gluten-free penne
Step 2. Pick a Sauce (gluten-free options below), Pick a Size and Say Cheese

Pomodoro – Tomato, onion, olive oil, basil, carrot, garlic, spice (GF,V.V)
Arrabiatta – Tomato, onion, EV olive oil, garlic, spice (GF, V.V)
Primavera– Broccoli, cauliflower, onion, green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper, snap pea, spice (GF,V.V)
Bolognese –Tomato, (no HMO’s) ground beef, onion, carrot, EV olive oil, spice. (GF)
Sausage & Pea– Tomato, sausage, light cream, peas, garlic, spice (GF)
Chicken Tuscan – Chopped Tomato, chicken (no HMO’s), light cream, , EV olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, spice (GF)
Carbonara – Fresh Light cream, bacon, garlic, canola oil, asiago cheese, spice (GF)


Today on 8coupons.com, there is a text coupon for "Any Pasta, Any Sauce 88 cents! Thursday July 8th, 2PM - 8PM" at Hello Pasta at the Lexington Ave location. How can you go wrong?!?

Hello Pasta
649 Lexington Ave. at 54th Street
Opening July 7, 2010
"This location is very special to us at it is the very first Hello Pasta restaurant to have ever opened! Designed by Antonio Di Orzo (Bluarch), it is located between 54th and 55th street on the East side, across from the Central Synagogue.

At this location, we offer delivery anywhere between 49th and 59th street and from 5th Ave to 3rd Ave. CALL 212-55-PASTA (212-557-2782) FOR DELIVERIES!

Monday to Sunday, 11:00 am to 10:00 pm"

Hello Pasta
708 3rd Ave btwn 44th and 45th
Opening in August 2010

Hello Pasta
1400 Broadway at 38th Street
Opening in September 2010
I am most excited about this location because I work around the block!

Hello Pasta
125 Maiden Lane at Water Street
Opening in August 2010

Gluten-Free Pizza Extravaganza

On Sunday, I had the extreme pleasure of organizing and attending the first NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Gluten-Free Pizza and Pasta Party at Mozzarelli's in Manhattan. Mozzarelli's is a pizza place that has been serving gluten-free pizza for a little over a year. Ronnie, the owner, started serving the pizza because his niece has celiac disease. He said that at first there wasn't much interest in the gluten-free pizza. But as Ronnie experimented with different ingredients for the dough and the word of gluten-free pizza in a "normal" pizza place spread around Manhattan, the popularity of the pizza took off. Mozzarelli's sells gluten-free pizza and some gluten-free desserts on a regular day. But Sunday was no regular day...

When I got to Mozzarelli's shortly after 2pm on Sunday I was greeted warmly by Ronnie and Elana, the owners. I had been emailing with Elana for weeks so it was nice to finally meet her in person. There were tons of signs indicating GLUTEN FREE DAY and there were balloons outside to welcome those looking for some gluten-free pizza. When Elana pointed me to the display case of pizza, she said that everything was gluten-free. When I asked her in disbelief "EVERYTHING???", she said YES! This was when my jaw nearly hit the ground. There must have been at least 10 different pies in the case. Pies with cheeses, sauces, veggies, sausage, pepperoni, eggplant, and even chicken Parmesan. Then, I walked to the last display case only to see around 5 pasta dishes and 2 veggie dishes. Of course I had to ask again if everything was gluten-free, which was the question of the day on Sunday. It really was quite amazing to see so many choices. As many of you know, even one choice in a regular pizza place would be shocking. To have this many pizzas, you just didn't know where to start. Elana and Ronnie were too good to me and stuffed me full of gluten-free greatness on Sunday. I think my favorites were the eggplant topped pizza, the spinach pie/quiche, and the carrot cake. (Yes, I ate even more than that!)

I really cannot thank Mozzarelli's enough for making our day such a humongous gluten-free success. The time and effort they put into making the day safe, free from cross-contamination, and fun for all of us was obvious. The support from friends, families, and strangers off the street was also wonderful. I hope to make this a regular event for all gluten-free diners in the tri-state area. Please do yourself a favor and visit Mozzarelli's if you are in town.

Mozzarelli's
38 E 23rd St,
New York 10010
Btwn Park & Madison Ave
212-475-6777

Pictures from above:
1. Mozzarelli's
2. Gluten-Free Dessert Pizza
3. Gluten-Free Pasta Bar
4. Gluten-Free Pizza as far as the eye can see
5. WOOHOO Gluten-Free Day
6. Eggplant and squash gluten-free pizza
7. Ronnie and Elan at Mozzarelli's
8. Gluten-Free Desserts