A vegan's POV on Calgary's Celiac Market

By Giselle Wedemire

The Picky Bitchez hit the town on Nov. 17 at the annual Celiac Market. Held at the Parkdale Community Centre, 30 vendors showed off their gluten-free wares to a burgeoning Calgary market.

Picky Bitchez Casey and Giselle hit the town on Nov. 17 when they 
attended the Celiac Market at the Parkdale Community Centre.

As the event’s name implies, the central focus of each culinary offering was wheat- and gluten-free goods -– but I scoped out a whole whack of vegan-friendly goodies. According to Canadian Celiac Association’s Calgary-based program coordinator Kathy Collier, there is some overlap in the Venn diagram of packaged vegan and gluten-free foods  because lactose intolerance and wheat sensitivities often “go hand in hand.”

Celiac Market filled with gluten-free goodies

By Casey Knoll

Picky bitch Casey with a gluten free/vegan
gingerbread cookie from Earth's Oven.
Check out "Bitchez on the loose" for more pics! 

The bitchez joined approximately 600 gluten-free folks at the Celiac Market, hosted by the Calgary Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association, on Nov. 17.

It was like being a kid in a candy store – but with tasty no-wheat eats.  

“This is the biggest turnout so far,” said Kathy Collier, program coordinator at the Calgary Celiac Association. 

Enjoy snacking again

By Casey Knoll

Snacking gluten-free can be tough. But take it from celiac Rachel Feddema – things are better.

Picky bitch Casey shows 
some gluten-free muchies including 
Rice Krispies (not the gluten-free brand in the photo), 
dried cranberries, rice cakes, and Lara Bars.

“There are so many more options than there were before,” says Feddema, who explains you need only go down the health food isle of Safeway, or a health food grocer to get munchies.

Here’s a few of Feddema’s snacks:

• Lara Bars - Superstore, Planet Organic. 
• Judy G’s Pizza - Slice Bakery, Planet Organic.
• Mesa Sunrise Cereal - Planet Organic, Superstore.
• Riceworks Chips - Superstore.
• Gluten-free Kellogg’s Rice Krispies – Safeway.
• Home-made trail-mix: dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and Enjoy Life chocolate chips.

Share your favourite gluten-free snacks!

The curse of the vegan myths

By Giselle Wedemire

Misunderstandings surrounding veganism can give way to myths and silly questions.

While lettuce is great, Picky Bitch Giselle contemplates 
the many great  vegan foods she could be eating. 
Contrary to popular belief, lettuce and tofu aren't a vegan's 
sole diet. For recipe ideas, check out the PPK.

Local vegan Marissa Rae Dick finds this circumstance “frustrating because some people don’t think you’re in the ‘norm’ when you’re living and eating an ethically humble lifestyle.”

Myths about vegans manifest themselves in questions such as, “What do you eat?” and, “Isn’t it hard to go vegan?”

Some assume vegans only eat lettuce and tofu or that we are lacking in minerals. This isn’t the case.

To clarify these myths, be patient and open others’ eyes to how great vegan food can taste. Or, check out our related article.

Figuring out how to get “floury"

By Casey Knoll

Picky bitch Casey demonstrates the confusion 
you can avoid! She's looking at Namaste 
all-purpose gluten-free flour (right), and
quinoa flour from Planet Organic (left). 

Understanding how gluten free flours work can be tricky.

Sarah Pynoo, SAIT Journalism student and celiac, shares some tips.

“I tend towards nuttier or fattier things for muffins cinnamon buns - I’ll use bean, nut, or tapioca flours,” says Pynoo. 

For breads or pastas, she uses rice or potato flours, which are lighter.

However, trial and error is key. 

“I’d recommend having one all-purpose, and then a couple [of other gluten free flours] for experimenting,” explains Pynoo, who says doing so helps you understand the difference from wheat flour.

Check out Living Without for properties of gluten free flours.

Combating pesky questions

By Giselle Wedemire

Being vegan guarantees you an encounter or two with pesky questions about your lifestyle, and many of these questions are based on common myths.

To combat Negative Nellies that may throw baffling myths your way, local vegan Marissa Rae Dick advised vegans adopt an easy-to-master battle stance.

This means striking a balance between doing your homework with ample research and teaching, NOT preaching. Avoid being a pamphlet-waving extremist at all costs, lest you scare others off.

Both Picky Bitch Giselle and local vegan Marissa Rae Dick agree that doing proper research can help vegans (and those of the gluten-free persuasion) to combat the pesky questions that are commonly posed to those living 'picky' lifestyles.

Also crucial is community support; Dick said that veganism is “not an easy road and it’s nice to have other vegans to talk to.”

A word on moisture: 'vegan baking' and 'dry' aren't synonyms

By Giselle Wedemire

Picky Bitch Giselle eyes some vegan baking essentials that 'll ensure that your baked goods are bitchin'.

While the absence of dairy and eggs in any diet have been shown to be beneficial, this can often lead new vegan bakers to much head scratching.

Without the use of traditional, animal-sourced ingredients, novice vegans may find themselves faced with questionable substitutions and/or baked goods that turn out as dry as the Mojave Desert. Either way, it doesn’t make for a good time, as former vegan Melissa Cassidy found out.

Gluten sensitive doughnuts a popular choice at Jelly Modern

A delicious gluten sensitive Pumpkin Spice doughnut from Jelly Modern. 

If you don’t get along with gluten, you probably haven’t had a doughnut in years. Jelly Modern can change that.

Don't let wheat ruin your Thanksgiving sweet-tooth

Picky Bitch Casey Knoll holding a tasty gluten-free pumpkin
pie at Lakeview Bakery's 90th Ave SW location. 

By Casey Knoll

Picky bitch Casey shows you how to rid gluten from thanksgiving pies with kitchen practices, local bakeries, and gluten-free crusts. 

Surviving Turkey Day as a vegan

By Giselle Wedemire

Photo by Giselle Wedemire

Picky Bitch Giselle offers up two Thanksgiving options that are easily veganized: pumpkin pie and  green bean casserole (click the links to access these rad recipes).

The holidays can be stressful enough wth the many celebrations that are packed into one general timeframe. Adding food to this mix can be even more stressful when you add a Picky Bitch into the equation.

Though her plans are still up in the air, novice vegan Yashica Anandani will be facing the challenge of her first animal-friendly Thanksgiving this year, regardless of what her plans turn out to be. Anandani suspects that she will be the sole vegan at any of her possible soirees, and will likely be surrounded by turkey gobblers and vegetarians alike.