Traditional French bread is by nature, dairy-free.*  Essentially nothing more than yeast, flour, water, and maybe a touch of salt, it should be perfect for nearly every special diet short of gluten-free. Yet mastering that loaf can be tricky.  Professional bakers have a one up, with special ovens to maximize the texture of each baguette.  But.... this month the Daring Bakers took on the recipe for Pain Francais (French Bread) from Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume Two by Julia Child and Simone Beck.  Intimidating to look at, this recipe spans numerous pages.  Yet, it is more a guide of tips and techniques, with the recipe at its core being really, quite simple ...

A popular summer camp in the Kansas City area called Wildwood is trialing a new week-long camp catering to special diets.  Wildwood is unique, in almost every aspect of being an outdoor education center and a residential camp setting. For one week the camp's kitchen will be dedicated dairy-free, gluten-free, and peanut-free, and the menu will focus on a plant based diet, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, beans, and gluten-free grains.  Though it is currently a girls only camp, if successful, they plan to open the special diet camp to boys.  The following letter details the concept and how to contact the camp ...

One of my favorite brands of baking mixes, gluten-free or not, is Namaste Foods.  Their desserts and breads produce flawless results that easily fool my wheat-loving husband … and their pasta mixes are  devoured in minutes, literally.  Luckily, it seems as though the Namaste staff is in love with their products as much as I am. They have produced Simple Pleasures, a cookbook with over 60 recipes utilizing Namaste mixes.  The cookbook is entirely gluten-free, but some dairy does sneak on occasion.  Nonetheless, they were kind enough to give us a glimpse of the contents by sharing the following gluten-free, dairy-free recipes a blackberry streusel crisp and hearty minestrone soup …

Rumored for years as one of the best vegan cheese alternatives ever created, Playfood has at last made it to market following a drawn out custody battle.  PlayFood’s product line currently includes Cheezy Cheese (cheddar), Nacheezmo (spicy southwestern nacho), Whip Cheese (cream cheese) and Cream Tang (sour cream). True to name, each “cheese” comes in a fun bottle that likens itself to squeezable tubes of paint.  Unlike many other vegan cheese alternatives on the market, Playfood products are also GMO-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and trans fat-free...

Allergic Girl, the blogging beacon for eating out with severe food allergies, has started a new program to help other food allergy sufferers enjoy restaurants.  Her new concept, Worry-Free Dinners™, is a membership organization with the goal to provide fun and "worry-free" dining experiences for those who have manageable food allergies and food intolerances. The Worry-Free Dinners community is based around social and educational dining events that are held at restaurants in and around New York City. By contracting with understanding, sympathetic and welcoming restaurants to host these dinners, she strives to create a friendly place to eat safely, connect with like-minded diners and learn how to replicate the experience ...