Would You Trust “Gluten Free” at Pizza Hut

There’s a difference between Gluten-Free and Gluten-Free Safe. Any restaurant can make a Gluten-Free item. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t have particles of gluten in it. Unlike foods sold at retail, restaurants are not inspected by the FDA. Restaurants can in fact call what they make “Gluten-Free” even when it’s not. I’ve never heard of a local or county health department testing to verify “allergen-free” claims. Without any FDA oversight on labeling to contend with, restaurants seem to have free-reign to make any advertised claim that they choose to.

However, let’s assume that the restaurant’s intentions are pure. Those of you who have seen my previous entries regarding allergen-free issues know that I refer a lot to acclaimed expert Betsy Craig of Menu Trinfo. Betsy talks a lot about designated cookware, designated utensils, designated and isolated work areas, and even designated and isolated ovens. Just because wheat goes into an oven doesn’t mean that it’s all going to come out. If a bakery makes both gluten and gluten-free products, the possibility of cross-contamination is high. Even without human fault. It’s in the fucking air.

Before I figured out that I was intolerant to gluten, I used to audit Krispy Kreme. I’d come home after those jobs with hives on my hands and sometimes a scratchy throat. I couldn’t figure out why. Just going into a bakery can make someone intolerant of wheat sick. 

So how safe does one think she’ll be going into a pizza place where flour is tossed around?

Pizza Hut has a partnership with Boulder Brands’ Udi’s. I love Boulder Brands. And I think the ability to have gluten-free pizzas is almost a dream come true.

Here are some of the safety measures Pizza Hut takes:

Well, so what. Flour has particles. Keeping them in the same unit is dangerous in itself.

This makes it quite clear that the environment 1) is not a completely designated gluten-free environment and 2) has the potential to have contaminants.

I have no idea how they can make this claim. It seems totally impossible to periodically check that and make that claim. There can be wheat in the library, and no one would know it.

Note that their certification does not include TESTING. Most certification programs for restaurants are educational and training only.

In making “gluten-free” items available, Pizza Hut’s actions accentuate the need for oversight in the restaurant industry regarding allergen-free claims. I’d be interested in seeing laboratory test results of the products as well as the air that they claim has no flour dust.

Golden State of Cocktails Mixes Interactive Fun

Overall, probably the most interactive fun I’ve had was at Golden State of Cocktails 2014. Held inside the Los Angeles Times building, the event housed multiple panels occurring simultaneously while a modest exhibit floor and tasting rooms were set up for enjoyment. And not only for the tastebuds.

Pama Liqueur set up a “Make your Own Sangria” station where you could cut up your own fruits and vegetables, and they’d jar everything up with their delicious Pomegranate liqueur. It was amazing. Another session had teams vying for the best cognac-based concoction. My team was addled by my being a dumb journalist. But it was incredibly fun.

Golden State of Cocktails caters to the professionals, those wanting to pick up new techniques, new ways of thinking. Restaurant owners get advice from renowned entrepreneurs and experts on how to maximize customer engagement and satisfaction. And of course, profits.

There’s also nighttime activities as well like bar crawls and special tasting events. On tap for 2015 is a special event Sunday the 25^th at the Spare Room in Hollywood for some bowling and hosted drinks with Heering Coffee Liqueur. Monday the happening place is Good Times at Davey Wayne’s for the Finger Lickin'!" with The Bon Vivants event—fried chicken and cocktails! Jagermeister will hold a late night party at No Vacancy while Beam Suntory will host several Dinner series.

This year they’ll be at the LA Athletic Club. All day on the 27^th, you can “Make Your Own Bottled Smoky Cocktails with Polyscience and Envy Wine Group.” You had me at “Make.”

On the 27^th expect such illuminating panels as “To Comp or Not to Comp: The Art of the Buyback” conducted by Plymouth Gin; The Truth About Vermouth put on by Bacardi; and “From Bartender to Bar Owner” where Beam Suntory brings together notables who made the transition to owner and has them discuss what worked and what didn’t along their journey.

I’m interested in attending Angel’s Envy’s session “Blend Your Own Personal Masterpiece” where attendees will learn the art and science behind whiskey tasting and the importance of blending. That might mean I’ll have to miss Absolut Vodka’s Drag Happy Hour—wigs provided—that will feature the spirits industry’s first LGBT organization, G.L.A.S.S. I’m also intrigued by a seminar on cold-pressed juices in cocktails by Brown-Forman.

But there’s so much to choose from.

And that’s only one day.

On the 28^th, more interactive fun where attendees can “Make Barrel-Aged Cocktails with Heaven Hill Distillery.” I think this was one of the experiences I missed out on last year. 

There’s a seminar on Sake and how to implement that into your menu. Several Bacardi Skills labs will be held as well as BNIC’s “Crafting Cognac Cocktails” where attendees will get a chance to experiment with a “variety of flavors and cognac marques to create a list of new cocktails based on the seasonality of selected ingredients.” Sound like so much fun! Also interesting is a session on water conservation practices that can lead to “better cocktails, better customer service, and a better community.” A mid-day Bacardi Skills lab puts attendees to the test as attendees will display their pouring and throwing techniques to see how much they waste with advice from the Bacardi Training Team on how skills can be improved. To observe that would be fun in itself.

The 29^th includes the third day of educational fun. I’m interested in the Bee’s Knees which will illustrate the differences between varieties of honey and how selection can make for the perfect cocktail. There’s also a session of Pharmacology-based Flavor-Pairing which unfortunately is already booked full. That opens the possibility to go to Beam Suntory’s session on Southern drinking culture. Anchor Distilling’s seminar on Wormwood is also open for the choosing.

Over the three days of seminars, there’s so much offered up. It’s up to you to take it all in.

Natural Products Expo West: Yum!

As I hurry to finish posts for CES 2015 so I can move on to Natural Products Expo West coming up like a speeding train, these two shows mind-melded somewhat.

I encountered Michael O’Brien, the VP in Marketing for iBOLT(see my post). He was kind enough to research me prior to our meeting and continue reading after it. He’s a foodie—in fact, he runs a catering biz in New York. Not only runs Vegos Amigos, but concocts recipes for it. 

Here’s one of his YUM recipes. Simple and easy to make infive minutes. Linking cuz his site deserves a look.

This is Raw Pumpkin Seed Pate. God, that looks so good.

Natural Products Expo West: Gluten Friendly is Garbage

Gluten-free is not a trend. It was like over five years ago when Gwyneth Paltrow was on a Gluten-Free diet and everyone wanted to be like her. G-F foods have become prominent; they’re staples, and they’re necessary.

Gluten-Friendly is garbage. I have monthly meetings at Souplantation. Beyond the salad offerings, nothing is guaranteed to be gluten-free. As a matter of fact, because they bake and fry a lot, the vegetables don’t come with a guarantee that they aren’t contaminated. But they periodically have a Gluten-Friendly muffin or some sort of baked good tucked away in a bin in the corner. Let me tell you, not only is this potentially dangerous, but it’s an affront to people who are allergic to gluten.

Why? For one, this terminology propagates the idea that people have a choice. I don’t. And millions of others don’t either. I’d love to go back to eating a load of French bread for dinner. I’d die if I did that. Secondly, even if people are trying to wipe out gluten from their diets because there is wheat and other gluten flying around the kitchen, there’s no guarantee that it’s indeed Gluten-Friendly. For something to be entirely gluten-free, there needs to be a separate kitchen with designated utensils and equipment only used for gluten-free ingredients. EVER.

Thirdly, I did grab one of those ‘Friendly’ muffins. It was described to be ‘Free.’ I read the sign carefully, noting the terminology. I could have gotten really sick if I didn’t.

So if your restaurant or company is thinking about making ‘Friendly’ offerings to those who don’t want gluten, don’t. If you want in on the market, open up a designated facility. Otherwise, leave Gluten-Free to the ones who are committed to it.

Rice & Shine's Filipino Brunch & Beats

This looks like fun though I might be too worn out from driving back home from CES.

It'll be a hip and hearty brunch served by Chef AC.

Chef AC Boral is bringing his touring Filipino Soulfood restaurant pop up RICE & SHINE to Los Angeles for the first time this January at Ktown's EsCala. 

On the slate are Chef AC’s Adobo Fried Chicken and Garlic Rice Waffle, Fluffy Maja Blanca Pancakes, and more. Check out the full menu.

DJ Erok will provide the beats.

DATE:           Saturday 01/10/2015

TIME:           11AM-4PM

LOCATION: EsCala - Where Hip Hop Eats! 

                     3451 West 6th Street

                     Los Angeles, CA - 90020 

      @escalaktown

Walk-ins are always welcome but reservations are highly recommended and can be made at: https://riceandshinektown.eventbrite.com

Hip Hop favorite EsCala will be opening its doors at special time of 11am-4pm just for RICE & SHINE.