Chef John Depuma - the man behind DePuma's Gluten Free Pasta - dishes about Kitchen Stadium, short ribs & his favorite holiday drink.
Tell me about DePuma’s Pasta. I know you started the company after your wife, Gina, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. DePuma's Gluten Free Pasta just celebrated it's 3 year anniversary in August. We proudly carry 5 gluten free stuffed pastas and are introducing our sweet potato butternut squash raviolis for the holiday season. We also make manicotti and lasagna sheets, which are available for special order (call 203.891.5572). Gina and I started this company to help the gluten intolerant enjoy stuffed pastas again.
Do you have Dairy, Nut, & Egg Free or Vegetarian products? All of our products are nut free, our cavatelli is dairy free and all of our products are vegetarian, but not vegan. We use eggs in the making of all of our pastas.
Your DePuma’s Pasta Shop just opened. Got plans for more retail locations? Not at this time. We would like to devote our effort to our shop and the quality of our products. Perhaps down the road....Who Knows!!
You did battle in Kitchen Stadium. What was competing on Iron Chef like? Competing in Kitchen Stadium was like no other experience I've ever had. It was amazing to be a part of the show and to meet Food Network stars, all amazing and very talented chefs.The hour seemed to fly by(it felt like 20 minutes) but luckily we were well prepared and cooked our hearts out. It was a blast!!
Your Cheese Agnolotti gave me hope when I first went Gluten Free, and I’m still a huge fan. Which of your pastas is Gina’s favorite? Gina can't make up her mind when trying to choose a favorite! If she had to choose she most likely would pick the cheese agnolotti - it's the perfect size and works well with any sauce.
What spots should G-Free Foodies hit when they’re in Connecticut? In addition to your store, of course. Quattro Pazzi in Fairfield and Stamford carries gluten free options-including our tortellini,wild mushroom ravioli and cavatelli. Our favorite gf bakery is Dee's One Smart Cookie, she has the best selection, my favorite is the apple crumb cake!
Got a food or beverage you can’t live without? Now that the holiday season is just around the corner, I know it's not healthy for you but I can't get enough of egg nog. I would probably drink it every day if they sold it throughout the the year!
Can you give the Gluten Free home cooks a tip or two on getting chef-quality flavor? Use fresh, local ingredients and don't be afraid to experiment with different gf recipes. Just keep in mind that recipes are just a guide and you can adjust the flavors with ingredients that you like. The only recipes that I wouldn't adjust the measurements are baking ones.
If we opened your refrigerator at home, what would we find? We try to keep our fridge stocked with a lot of fruits and veggies, some from our garden. We eat a lot of homemade healthy foods. I just bought some beef short ribs, I can't wait to braise them!
If you had to eat the same DePuma’s Item every day, what would you choose? My newest favorite is our sweet potato ravioli. We just started making it and I can't get enough of them! A little brown butter, sage, walnuts and topped with shaved pecorino cheese.
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