The folks at Chow recently had a go at a few of the gluten-free beers out now. The verdict? Meh. Read full reviews here.

PS: I’ve previously mentioned that some gluten-free beers aren’t actually gluten-free. If in doubt, doesn’t hurt to call the manufacturer before consuming!

Thomas Keller has had a line of gluten-free products out for several months now, but I finally got my hands on the chocolate chunk cookie mix from Williams-Sonoma yesterday. $19.95 per box is pretty darn steep for 12 cookies, but we’re going to give it a shot later this week and see how they taste. At 250 calories per half cookie, expectations are pretty high! Stay tuned…

We’re making a couple of changes for 2012 here at Renby’s Sugar Shoppe. Our biggest news: we’re now offering $5 flat fee shipping or delivery anywhere in the US!* Delivery area is within 10 miles of our bakery near the MacArthur BART; all orders outside of the delivery area will be shipped.

Secondly, we are now baking weekly! All shipped orders will go out on Wednesdays, and deliveries will be made Fridays and Saturdays. So now you can get your gluten-free fix more often :)

Thanks again for your continued support, and we hope to hear from/see you all throughout the new year. Feedback is always welcome at info [at] renbys [dot] com. Cheers!

* $5 shipping fee per address being shipped or delivered to.

I always love to read about new places to travel, but the best part of this list? #5, right between London and Tokyo, is our Sugar Shoppe’s humble little hometown Oakland. Woot!

via New York Times

It’s national spaghetti day, but just because you’re gluten sensitive doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate! Get down on some spaghetti squash, or get to Whole Foods and pick up some quinoa pasta. My fav is by Ancient Harvest Quinoa, since their combination of quinoa and cornmeal is even tastier than the real thing. Throw on your favorite pre-made, organic tomato sauce and you’ve got yourself a fast, easy dinner. Enjoy!

via Eatocracy

Turns out the term “gluten-free” or “low-gluten” on beers can be very misleading. Those with gluten sensitivity, tread lightly.

via Discovery News

PS For the curious, here is a blog that has a few reviews of gluten-free beers.

I use ribbons of zucchini to mimic wide pasta noodles, but here’s an alternative to spaghetti so obvious, I didn’t even think of it: spaghetti squash!

via Gluten Free Gluttons

This month, Renby’s Sugar Shoppe will be joining writer Angie Chau at Feast of Words, a monthly dinner where writers and foodies come together to eat, write, and share. Come by, hang out, meet new people, and sample our latest sweet (AND savory!) gluten-free concoctions.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 7pm-9pm
SomArts Cultural Center, San Francisco
Tickets @ http://feastofwords.eventbrite.com/
Advance tickets are $10, or $5 if you bring a potluck dish to share

RSVP and view more event details at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=232363016828307

Please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. Hope to see you guys there!

Here’s a quickie guide for any newly gluten-free folks who are confuzzled by all the flour options out there. I particularly appreciate the omission of garbanzo flour, which I’ve never found to be delicious in baked goods anyway (although super tasty in vegetable pakoras).

NutsOnline via Holy Kaw!

I was fortunate enough to see Ferran Adria speak at the Castro Theater last night and snag a copy of his new cookbook, The Family Meal. The book is full of super simple staff meals from El Bulli, and Adria describes them as no less brilliant or well-thought out than any dish at the restaurant. Thumbing through the book, you’ll be surprised at how true that is.

Tonight I tried my hand at a super easy, gluten-free entree right out of the book: Mexican-style chicken and rice.  The photograph-based instruction is incredibly beautiful and easy to follow (click to view larger).

The recipe called only for chicken, water, premade mole, cilantro, onion, and rice. It was also incredibly resourceful, calling for boiling chicken with cilantro for 45 minutes and using the resulting stock to make the rice and the mole sauce for the chicken.

Besides the time it took chop the onions and cilantro, the cooking effort was largely inactive. Keith and I left the chicken to boil while we visited some friends. Then, we came back and watched the Amazing Race on DVR while the sauce reduced, the chicken roasted, and the rice cooked. The delicious result: 

Amazing, only five ingredients, and one of them storebought! One of the best examples of “less is more,” IMO.

Now if only I had some sodium alginate and calcium chloride for some mole faux caviar…