Bob Rocks

First the disclaimer: "This blog is not endorsed, promoted or otherwise sponsored by any commerical entity or company."

That being said, if you have to be allergic to wheat, Bob's Red Mill rocks. They have great wheat-free bread mix, specialty flours, chocolate chip cookie mix and lots of other wheat-free products. Bob's is also available in many "regular" food stores and not just health food stores.

For other "regular" food store shopping, get to know your local Asian market. There is a wide selection of rice pastas and noodles that stay together better, have a nicer texture, and cost less than most of the specific "wheat-free" items. You can also find a greater variety of soy sauces. Steer clear of Kikkoman, the second ingredient after water is wheat. (You'd think it should be soy, huh?) I find La Choy is the easiest to find substitute in most stores for soy sauce and teryaki.

Another wonderful wheat-free pasta is from Bionaturae- an Italian organic food company. The secret is that the pasta is a blend of flours and not a single-grain product.

The selection of wheat-free items is growing daily. With companies like Bionaturae and Bob's Red Mill, you can still find staples to cook most of your old favorites with tasty results.