JUST 4U: Peet's Coffee & Tea on Gluten-Free

Patricia Crosstown at Public Domain Pictures.net. 

I appreciate this guest post - which originally appeared on Musing by Moonlight - from Lindsey at Peet's HQ.  There are more things on their coffee-and-tea menu for those of us who have to go gluten-free than I thought. Thanks, Lindsey!

I too have to avoid gluten, and I am glad that I can share the following information with [Brooklyn in Translation] readers. Our teas, and herbals (black, green Oolong, white, and herbals) are made without gluten ingredients. The only exception would be our Genmai Cha that contains roasted rice kernels, so this tea would contain rice gluten, which is generally considered "safe gluten". In addition I would like to share that all of our coffees themselves are gluten-free. Our Dutch Cocoa powder and syrup are both made without gluten ingredients. Our syrup is a mixture of sweeteners and Dutch Cocoa(which is ground cocoa) as well. The additional ingredients used in our various bar beverages (milk, Freddo powder, cocoa powder, and all of our other syrups) are all made without gluten ingredients. Our Pacific Soy Milk is made with organic soybeans, is both gluten-free, and casein free.

Jamie's Spanish-Coffee Recipe: Sugar a mug by dipping the rim in orange juice and then granulated sugar.  Blend six oz. of hot, freshly made Peet's Espresso Forté with 1 teaspoon sugar, a 1/2 oz. Tia Maria, and a 1/2 oz. rum. Pour coffee mixture into the mug. Top with freshly whipped, unsweetened cream and a gluten-free maraschino cherry.


Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

GF FROM P.F. CHANG'S, Eat-in or Take-out

What would Brooklyn be without its ubiquitous Chinese restaurants?  It just wouldn’t be the same. Once it seemed most of our Chinese immigrants came from Guangdong Province, so our Chinese food was generally Cantonese. It was always filling, sweet and spicy, and served with hot, hot oolong tea. There was egg drop soup or wonton, fried egg rolls, barbecued spare ribs, lobster Cantonese, chicken chow mein with crispy noodles, and white and pork-fried rice. 

Dinner was generally followed by a small bowl of lychee's or kumquats in syrup, a diminutive almond cookie, more tea, and a fortune cookie. It was all wonderful and memorable. Unfortunately, if you have Celiac disease, eating out in a Chinese restaurant is a thing of the past. Virtually everything Chinese is made with soy sauce, which has wheat in it. There are wheat-free soys or tamari but, with one exception, their use is not an adaption that is commonly made by restaurants. The one exception is the American restaurant chain: P.F. Chang’s.

P.F. Chang’s is the only Chinese restaurant that I know of that offers a gluten-free menu.  The restaurant is clean and nicely decorated. The food is fresh, delicately seasoned, fragrant, and presented beautifully. The wait-staff is just about as good as you can get. And -okay this is my own hang-up maybe - the restrooms are clean. Yesterday, in  recognition of Celiac Awareness Day, the company announced an expanded gluten-free menu of twenty-nine choices and a new gluten-free dessert, Triple Chocolate Mousse Mini Dessert. Link to their site for locations, menu, gluten-free recipes, and a Warrior Card. No kidding! Sign up for the Warrior Card for 10% off all year at P.F. Chang's. Such a deal! 


Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product.