THIS JUST IN: Key Food Supermarkets go Gluten Free!

For those of you unfamiliar with Key Food supermarkets, they're a small chain that serves the 5 boroughs of NYC, as well as points north in New York and Connecticut.  For quite some time they've carried a handful of gf products, like Mary's Gone Crackers, Nature's Path cereals and snack bars, and a few Annie's products.

But LO AND BEHOLD, I was on a quick grocery run a couple of weeks ago when I spotted a brand new gluten free SECTION!  Where the Jellos and instant pudding mixes once stood was now an entire section exclusively devoted to gluten free products - a variety of pastas, great selection of crackers, cookies, flours, gf oats, boxed mixes, cereal, and more.  And best of all, the shelves were flagged with large yellow tags reading "GLUTEN FREE", also scattered around the store to indicate other expressly gluten free products.

So what did I do?  After picking up a celebratory box of Mary's Gone Crackers, I emailed Ben Mandel, the store manager, to give a giant thumbs-up for the initiative.  Mr. Mandel emailed back, not only thank me for the feedback, but also to invite my suggestions of other gluten free products I'd like to see in the store.  WHAT!  If you live near a Key Food, I'd highly recommend swinging by to see if they too have started a similar initiative - if they haven't, consider contacting them to suggest it, and if they have, be sure to send your support!  Progress, my friends!

THIS JUST IN: Gluten Free Dumplings by Friedman's Lunch!

Dumplings.  The one favorite food that I haven't eaten nor tried to replicate since cutting out gluten almost two years ago.  Sir Benjamin and I could have bought stock in Vanessa's Dumpling or Prosperity Dumpling up to that point.  Nothing like sinking your teeth into a piping hot pork or veggie dumpling in exchange for a mere quarter, but I also used to buy frozen pot stickers from Sunrise Mart and various groceries in Chinatown, to throw together a quick soup or brown bag lunch. I even made pork dumplings a few times from precut pastry, finishing them in a bamboo steamer.

My friend Caroline has just scooped me on a dumpling revelation of sorts - Friedman's Lunch, a fabulous Westside lunch spot (in Chelsea Market), has changed my dumpling fortune.  The owners launched Feel Good Foods, a line of frozen gluten free foods inspired by owner Vanessa Phillips' own dietary needs.  And (drumroll, please) they've started with DUMPLINGS!  The site also lists the stores where Feel Good Foods can be purchased, including Gluten Free Mall if you're not near one of the locations.  Pick some up for an awesome soup - broth of choice, thinly sliced carrots and mushrooms, your favorite green (I like bok choy or gai lan), and a couple dumplings topped with sliced scallions. Time for a trip to Chelsea....

THIS JUST IN: Bittman does it again!

I wasn't really that familiar with Mark Bittman, a food journalist most recently for the New York Times, until I watched him eat and drink his way through Spain with Mario Batali via PBS.  It was an enjoyable and maddening series, maddening only because he got to be there instead of me.  Bittman has developed a really specific style, as embodied by his "Minimalist" cooking column - a bit of culinary simplicity in the world of truffle oil and $1000 chocolate gold-leafed desserts.

"Creamy, Brothy, Earthy, Hearty" is a nice, simple guide to throwing together a good pot of soup, based on your preference for main ingredients and style.  The article covers 12 quick and flexible recipes that you can adapt to your liking and/or pantry availability.  While there are hints of spring in the air here and there in the Northeast, winter is definitely still hanging on by a thread - make a big pot of soup and tell me about it!

THIS JUST IN: Gluten Free in the Major Leagues

Celiac Central reports that reliably awesome Phillies team member Raul Ibanez has recently gone gluten free, related to a gluten allergy diagnosis.  Watch the interview here.

In related news, the Phillies will be hosting a Celiac Awareness night at Citizens Bank Park on July 8th, complete with activities for the whole family and gluten free refreshments.  And the sweet satisfaction of watching the Phils pummel the Braves.

Mark your calendars!

THIS JUST IN: 'How to Cook Just About Anything' round-up

One of my flavorite food sites, The Kitchn, has a new round-up of their best cooking How-To articles (complete, as always, with gorgeous food fotos).  Check the article out here, and talk to me about your feedback!