Chicken Noodle Soup is high on the list of colder weather remedies and the subject of today’s review. A can of Gluten Free Café’s chicken noodle soup was lingering in the cabinet. So I decided to give it a try. The can promises that this soup is “so good you will never know it’s gluten-free”. Since this is my review I will be the judge of that.

The directions are simple, open the can, pour into a pot for the stovetop or a bowl for the microwave, and heat. Once I had poured the contents into a pan, I was disappointed at the low amount of veggies, which mostly consisted of small pieces of carrot. But to be fair the soup is not called chicken vegetable noodle soup. The broth was thick and opaque. As the soup started to heat up some of the noodles seemed to melt away, though it is more likely they just blended into the broth.

Once it was heated up I handed out samples to me testers, my boyfriend and his 12-year-old son, and kept one for myself. Reviews were mixed. My boyfriend and I felt the soup was not healthy enough. The broth tasted too synthetic to me and too bland to him. His son, who adores chicken soup regardless of the season, thought the soup was yummy and tasty.

The one thing we all agreed on is that you really couldn’t tell it was gluten-free. The noodles are simple rice noodles, but they get the job done. Since this is the one thing the soup actually promises, it is great that it actually delivered.

To learn more about this product as well all the other products gluten-free café offers visit myglutenfreecafe.com

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One of the product samples from Mambo Sprouts still awaiting review was a box of Arrowhead Mills baking mix. This particular mix was for chocolate cupcake from their “Bake with Me” line. The idea behind this line is to get the whole family, especially children, involved in the gluten-free baking process.

Each box includes complete instructions, “fun” balloon cupcake liners, and dry ingredients. An egg, some water and a small amount of canola oil are the only additional ingredients required. The instructions are simple, only consisting of four easy steps. Each written step has the addition of something to say to the child assisting you. For example, step 1 is preheat the oven 350 degrees, above this step is red text that reads “Let’s preheat the oven so the cupcakes bake properly. I can’t wait to eat them with you”. I found these to be silly and unnecessary, though others may find it cute. The balloon liners being called fun also seemed silly to me, but they did come in handy as being one less thing to have to remember at the grocery store.

All the silly packaging and marketing aside the real value of this product is in its ingredients. Organic whole grain brown rice flour helps this product boast 11 whole grains per serving. Additional ingredients, such as a vitamin and mineral blend, make this product higher in iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Instead of sugar, organic evaporated cane juice and dried fruit powder replace less healthy sweeteners and flavors. These ingredients alone may not make it the most wholesome desert choice out there, but they do make this classic favorite dessert for kids a bit healthier.

So it has a healthier choice of ingredients and cute family oriented packaging, but how does it taste? The answer is pretty good. The cupcakes came out of the oven flawlessly. They were moist and did not fall apart even when the liner was pulled off. The cocoa flavor is strong but not overwhelming. Nor are they overwhelming sweet, so the addition of frosting makes them perfect instead of giving you sugar shock. Though the cupcakes look small, they are very dense and filling. My only complaint was the texture felt a tiny bit grainy compared to some of my favorite home made recipes. However, the convenience of this product paired with its healthier ingredients makes up for this flaw.

To learn more about this product as well as all other Arrowhead Mills gluten-free mixes visit www.arrowheadmills.com.

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Which brings us to this product review.

Though Sake is made primarily from rice and water it did not occur to me that it maybe a safe alcoholic beverage for people who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant until Rock Sake submitted their product for review. Thankfully Rock Sake generously sent me two bottles of their high quality sake to sample and remind me how tasty this gluten free choice can be.

The Rock Sake shipment included two varieties of sake. Junmai Ginjo, the most common form of sake; and Rock Sake Cloud which is a roughly filtered form known as nigori sake.

In addition to being a more common variety of Sake, the Junmai Ginjo is also considered to be ultra-premium. The taste is very clear and crisp. Of the two this was my least favorite. Not because it tasted bad, because it did not, but because it had a bite to it that reminded me of alcohol that you would serve in a shot glass or mix into a cocktail. Since I’m not really a shot glass kinda girl, I would have preferred this in a cocktail or mixed drink, which is a common and very tasty way to enjoy this and many other forms of sake.

The Rock Sake Cloud was by far closer to a beverage I would pick for my self. Since this form of sake is less filtered more of the rice residue remains in the bottle, resulting in white cloudy look and sweeter taste. It tasted like sweet rice milk had been spiked with a bit of alcohol. It was very delicious by itself and would make a great addition to a sweeter cocktail.

Sake is often referred to as rice wine, but unlike wine Sake is not aged and tastes better fresh. Rock Sake is brewed in the US from all natural ingredients. The rice is grown in the Sacramento Valley in Northern California and the water comes from the coastal ranges of Oregon where the sake itself is made. In addition to being extremely fresh and made from natural gluten-free ingredients, Rock Sake does not contain any preservatives or sulfites.

If you would like to learn more about this product visit www.rocksake.com . There you will find more information about sake and Rock Sake aswell as find some great cocktail recipes.

Till next time, cheers!

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Gluten-Free Customer

Kristin N. Voorhees, Program Associate for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)

The gluten-free phenomenon is not coming to a halt anytime soon and Eric Paraskevas, Executive Chef of Terra Restaurant in Philadelphia, is entirely aware of this dining need becoming a standard in today’s restaurants.

Another business well acquainted with the rising gluten-free marketplace is Domata Living Flour, a leader in the manufacturing and production of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Domata’s signature product, gluten-free all-purpose flour, is truly unique in that it can be used as a cup-to-cup exchange for regular, gluten-containing flour. This is undoubtedly the product’s most important characteristic since the majority of gluten-free flours on today’s market require different measurements when incorporated into recipes that call for “regular” flour.

Earlier this summer members of NFCA staff and their family had the privilege of dining at Terra Restaurant to taste Executive Chef Eric Paraskevas’ recreations of several popular menu items he prepared using Domata Living Flour. Thanks to GREAT Kitchens, an NFCA program that trains members of the restaurant industry to effectively offer patrons gluten-free options, Chef Eric knew how to safely prepare his menu items to be gluten-free using Domata’s products. We had on hand three celiacs and two gluten-eating folks to taste test the dishes. The results? Delicious!

Lamb Pizza
While gluten-free pizza has become a popular addition to several menus, many restaurants fail to offer versions beyond the traditional cheese and tomato or cheese and veggie combos. However, Chef Eric was able to offer not just one, but two original takes on the Italian classic! We enjoyed a Lamb Pizza, complete with feta, hummus, olive oil, and red onion, and a Prosciutto Pizza, topped with pear, mozzarella, red pepper pesto, and balsamic.

The best part about both the Lamb and Prosciutto Pizzas was the similarity to its gluten-containing counterpart – there was actual flour on the bottom of the crust! This characteristic is almost unheard of in the gluten-free world, and the celiac folks really enjoyed this ability of Domata’s flour. While both pizza crusts were very thin and airy, the Lamb Pizza was much crunchier.

Prosciutto Pizza
It was a challenge to choose a “winner” among the pizzas. Everyone was in agreement that the Prosciutto Pizza was super cheesy and sweet (thanks to the balsamic and red pepper pesto), but the crunchiness of the pears was missing. On the other hand, the lamb offered a unique, sweet flavor, the hummus was incredibly creamy, and the lightness of the dish provoked everyone to reach for a second slice.

We also had the good fortune of homemade, gluten-free pasta on the dinner menu. (That’s a sentence you aren’t often able to write!) Using Domata Living Flour to create the pasta, Chef Eric prepared Roast Chicken & Manchego Tagliatelle Pasta in a Harissa Cream Sauce.

Gluten-free Tagliatelle with chicken, mushrooms, peas, and cheese, in a spicy cream sauce
Although the cream sauce was on the lighter side and not very heavy, it managed to hold very well to the Tagliatelle pasta. So well in fact that the two non-celiacs at the table were the first to recognize this aspect! Both remarked that they wouldn’t have known it was gluten-free unless they had been informed. Compliments to both Chef Eric and Domata! This is indeed an attribute that all gluten-free chefs and manufacturers strive to hear.

The noodles had a thick width, but were rather thin in depth, which made them less ideal for soups and better fit for pasta dishes. With this dish, Chef Eric provided our table with a true comfort food that we were able to share family style. It was also a pretty meal to just look at, as the green peas added a nice pop of color among the chicken and Tagliatelle. The hint of spice and the creaminess of this pasta dish made the Tagliatelle a hit!

A big thanks to Domata Living Flour! Your product is proof that gluten-free pizza and pasta can be delicious too!

Interested in checking out Terra? Be sure to try their other menu items too. Whitney Ehret, Kristin Voorhees, and Chris Auman and her twin daughters, Madeline and Samantha, enjoyed these tasty dishes and dessert too!

Other menu items enjoyed included:

• Terra Salad with mixed greens, grilled red onions, cucumber, roasted beets,creamy dressing, hazelnuts
• Baby Spinach Salad with blue cheese, spiced almonds, mangos, apples, red onion, three-herb vinaigrette
• Salmon with asparagus, cauliflower, truffle vinaigrette
• Chicken Breast with honey mustard spatzle, lemongrass bisque, radish tomato salad
• Scallops with broken red pepper vinaigrette, polenta, mushroom sauté
• Pork Chop with sweet potatoes, pear salsa, fresh horseradish jus
• Crab Cakes, a menu special that evening
• Caramel and Ginger Ice Cream Sundae

Chef Eric Paraskevas

Recently I was asked to cook with Domata Living Flour, a gluten-free flour substitute designed for people living with celiac disease. The gluten-free flour is known for its cup-to-cup exchange, an attribute expected to recreate the taste and texture of “regular” foods in the gluten-free versions of dough, pasta, breads, and other similar items.  Determined to find out whether Domata Living All-Purpose Flour is as easy to use as the product reviews claim, I used the gluten-free flour to recreate two menu items I make on the regular: pizza and pasta.

The outcome? Domata works exactly as it claims. I changed nothing in my recipes and got nearly identical results to my regular, gluten-containing menu items.

I tasted the finished products and fed my staff and a table of both non-celiacs and celiacs. The celiac folks loved the dishes, and my staff didn’t notice a difference until I told them. The resounding response was: “the flavor was that of real flour.”

The people at Domata have created a superb product by taking out the guesswork and giving all cooks simplicity. If you can read a recipe then you can use Domata Living All-Purpose Flour!

It is a product that everyone should have on hand because you never know when you’re going to have the chance to make someone’s day, week or even month.

Individuals diagnosed with celiac disease that still have a memory of what “real” pizza and pasta taste like now no longer have a reason to miss out on old favorites. With this product chefs can provide dishes to those who thought certain foods were forever gone.

It has been, and continues to be, very satisfying to watch a gluten-free customer eat a dish as familiar as pizza  – it is almost impossible to overlook the nostalgia and memories that emerge.

Now, because of Domata Living Flour, we can bring back all of those memories and good feelings more often.

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Enter GFHP News and Updates. This post will be somewhat brief and will include a little bit of news along with a link if available so you can find out more.

GFHP News and Updates: August 2010

Happy 100th anniversary Blue Diamond Growers

Blue Diamond recently sent the NFCA information on their 100th anniversary along with some yummy almonds. To celebrate their centennial, they are introducing an extremely informative site that covers the history of Blue Diamond almonds over the past 100 years. AlmondHistory.com features archived photos, historical stories, almond processing and nutritional information, classic recipes and more.

A small portion of almonds contains high amounts of protein, fiber, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, calcium and other important minerals, and phytochemicals that may help protect against many common diseases. In addition, thanks to Blue Diamond innovations, almond goodness is now available in a variety of products for those of us who have food restrictions. These products include Almond Breeze®, an almond-based beverage for the lactose-intolerant market, Nut-Thins®, a crispy cracker based on almond and rice for the gluten-free market, and Almond Butter.

Learn a bit more about the powerful almond and the inspiring success story of Blue Diamond by visiting AlmondHistory.com.

Clif introduces Gluten-Free Snack Bar: Clif C

Clif the makers of the well-known and very popular energy and snack bars, Clif Bars and Luna Bars, have released their first gluten-free Clif bar. Similar to all of Clif products, Clif C is made with all-natural, organic ingredients. The bar consists of a nut crust base, with a fruit spread topping. Clif C is currently available in four flavors, apple, blueberry, Raspberry, and cherry pomegranate. I have not tried these my self yet, but I am very curious about them and hope to post a review in the future.

Learn more about Clif C here.

Pro Cyclists Include Bakery On Main Gluten Free Granola in Their Recipe for Success

A July 16th news release from Bakery On Main announced that their Gluten Free Granolas in Nutty Cranberry Maple, Extreme Fruit & Nut and Apple Raisin Walnut, were selected for inclusion in the Garmin-Transitions US Cycling Team’s gluten free anti-inflammatory diet by the team chiropractor, Matthew Rabin. Though these delicious granola combinations were originally created to provide celiacs with a tasty, gluten free snack the founder Michael Smulders is happy to discover that non-celiacs will benefit from the nutritious ingredients and great taste. I am happy about this announcement as well. Gluten-free food that taste great and is good for you too is always good news!

Learn more about The Bakery on Main here.

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Not too long ago a shipment of samples from Surf Sweets arrived at the NFCA’s main office. The NFCA staff is always excited when samples come in and doubly so when it is gluten-free sweets. Thankfully, I managed to make it out of the office with several of the bags to review and to use as bribes — I mean ‘incentives’ for the kids.

It did not take the kids long to spot the bags of Surf Sweets samples. For the rest of the review I will refer to them as Q and F. Q is a fifteen-year-old girl and self-proclaimed sugar addict. “Ohhh sugar!” she proclaimed when first spotting them. I informed her that they were samples for a product review. She made a sad face at that news until I told her that if she was willing to help with the review, she could have some of the candy. She quickly recruited her brother. F, a 12-year-old self-proclaimed candy connoisseur.

Though Surf Sweets provides a wide variety of fruit flavored gummy snack choices, for the review we only sampled their Fruity Bears, Sour Berry Bears, Gummy Worms, and Jelly Beans. Surf Sweets uses organic evaporated cane juice and natural fruit flavoring so there is no corn syrup in any of their fruit snacks. In addition to being Gluten-Free they are also nut, dairy and casein free. These fruit snacks include many of the positive ingredients, and more importantly are missing some of the major negative ingredients that make them an appealing treat to adults. But how will sugar-hungry, candy-loving kids react to them?

Organic Fruity Bears:
Q, noted that they were a tad less chewy than common gummy bears but felt that was a positive difference. F gobbled up his portion without complaint, which is the same as saying they are delicious. Neither seemed bothered by the absence of artificial sweeteners. Both kids thought the Fruity Bears were pleasantly sweet and found the natural fruit flavor “tasty”. Both agreed they would be glad to receive them as a treat again.

Sour Berry Bears:
A favorite road trip game for us is the “Sour Off”. Each of us samples a sour candy and waits to see who makes the most extreme sour face first. We all smiled at the idea that we might find another candy to add to the sour list. All three of us tasted one of the Sour Berry Bears at the same time. Q felt they were more tangy than sour. To me they tasted very close to a tart berry so I agreed with her. F on the other hand happily referred to them as “Brain Sour”. For the record F lost that sour off.

Gummy Worms:
The first thing we all noticed was that they were extremely stretchy, which is expected of a good gummy worm. Q stated that the taste and texture were almost identical to other gummy worms she had tasted and enjoyed. These ended up being her favorite of the four. F found them to be extremely chewy, yet very tasty and worth the effort.

Jelly Beans:
The results of this taste test were a bit surprising. Though we all enjoy jelly beans, Q is by far a bigger fan of this type of candy. However, she is not as big a fan of tropical fruit flavors. So she was not as happy with these jelly beans. On the other hand, F and I found the fruity flavor of these extremely tasty. All agreed that the best word to describe them was “fruity”.

The final conclusion of the taste test of Surf Sweets was that all participants would be happy to eat them again. For the kids, they tasted good. For me they tasted good, and contained ingredients I approved of. Another Win-Win review for us here at GFHP.

To learn more these and all of the products offered by Surf Sweets.

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Last year I did a review of Pamela’s Products Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies. In that review I mentioned how Pamela’s Products is a proud sponsor of the NFCA’s and generously donates cupcake kits for our fabulous Gluten-Free Cupcake Parties. If you want to learn more about this fun and easy community fundraising activity visit our Cupcake Party page.

Among the many other GF products Mambo Sprouts sent my way was two bags of Pamela’s Products baking mixes, Baking and Pancake Mix and the Cornbread and Muffin Mix. Until this recent shipment my exposure to Pamela’s Products was limited to their delicious cookie selection, and of course, their easy to make cupcakes.

First impression of these baking mixes was pretty positive. Both come in nice sunny orange packaging. A pleasant combination of images, colors and fonts used on the packaging brings to mind a warm country kitchen, and begs you to open it to start baking. And that is exactly what I did.

I started with the Baking and Pancake Mix. The blend itself is very fine and primarily consists of a combination of rice flours and starches. Cultured Buttermilk and natural almond meal are also mixed in as welcome addition to the mix. On the package there are simple instruction for standard recipes including pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies and crepes.

First I used the mix to make pancakes. This resulted in a batch of fluffy, moist pancakes.  Paired with a dab of butter and a splash of syrup, they were positively yummy. Feeling a bit adventurous I attempted crepes next. The batter held up to my poor cooking skills and the flavor was as tasty as the pancakes. I’d say the results of this mix were similar to those of a batch made from scratch but the complex and well blended flour mix make them a bit better and so much easier to make. Though I only made the pancakes and crepes I can easily imagine this mix performing equally well in a wide variety of recipes.

Next, I moved on to the Cornbread and Muffin Mix. This mix consists of a pleasant blend of semi sweet flours combined with organic corn meal. Together they work to make a perfect batch of cornbread. I was completely impressed at this mixes ability to stay moist. The flours blended the cornmeal give this mix a great flavor and texture and add to its versatility. In addition to Cornbread, this mix can be used for muffins, tart crust, sprinkled on the bottom of pizza crust (yummy), and anywhere else you would normally use a cornmeal and flour blend.

After trying out both of these baking mixes I am once again highly impressed at the quality of Pamela’s Products. To learn more about these great products or any of the Products Pamela’s offers visit www.pamelasproducts.com

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A while ago a box of very interesting products arrived at the NFCA’s office. The shipment contained flours and grains from Zocalo Gourmet.  Zocola is a small company that supplies gourmet cultural ingredients and foods to the U.S. In the case our shipment, Zocalo Gourmet provided Peruvian Heritage flours and grains.

Peru is home to a long list of very diverse and hardy plant life.  Among that list are highly nutritious grains, potatoes, and corns. Zocalo offers many of these healthy foods as whole or puffed grains, and as flours. Today’s review will focus on four of Zocalo Gourmets products, Kañiwa flour, Mesquite (Algarroba) Flour, Purple Corn Flour, and Sweet Potato Flour

Kañiwa (pronounced ka-nyi-wa) is very similar to quinoa.  It is packed with nutrition and is very high in protein. Zocalo offers Kañiwa as whole or puffed grain and as flour. When this mighty grain is puffed it can be served as cereal, or added to a granola mix. Whole or  toasted and ground into flour, Kañiwa’s, makes a wonderful addition to breads, muffins, cookies and more.  Because is such a potient grain it is best used when blended with other flours. The result of adding it to your mix is a product that has a more earthy flavor and texture with the additional bonus of all the nutrition Kañiwa grains contain.

Mequite Flour is made from the dried and milled pods of Algarroba trees. When included in a recipe, the MesquiteFlour imparts a sweet and slightly smoky flavor.  In recipes utilizing cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, or coffee, the Mesquite Flour enhances those flavors. This multipurpose flour can be used to add nutrition and a warm yet sweet flavor to cookies and pastries, or to spice up and sweeten protein drinks or energy bars.

Purple Corn is very similar to table corn except for its deep purple color.  The pigments that give this corn its rich dark purple are also high in antioxidants. Purple corn flour can be used in any recipe that normally calls for corn flour or corn meal. Use it to make breads, tortillas, pancakes, muffins, and cakes and those dishes will have the added benefit of amazing color and nutrition.

The sweet potato is an amazing source of fiber, vitamin A, iron, and calcium. Since Sweet Potato flour stays moist and has a smooth texture and semi sweet flavor it is a great ingredient to use  in gluten-free baking which often depends of potato flour to prevent gf baked goods from being to dry or grainy. Though this flour makes a great addition to baked goods, such as breads, cookies, muffins, pancakes and crepes, cakes, and doughnuts, it can also be used in soups, as a thickener for sauces and gravies, and in breading for fish.

In addition to being gluten-free Zocalo Gourmet’s offers these flavor and nutrition packed flours free of preservatives or additives, GMO, Trans Fat, Sugars, Nuts, Wheat, Soy, Casein, and Dairy. To find out more about these products as well as all the products Zocalo Gourmet offers visit www.zocalogourmet.com.  If  you like the idea of these products but are not exactly sure how to implement them or just want a few new ideas, visit Zocalo Gourmet’s Blog for useful recipes.

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Though the official Celiac Disease Awareness month is technically over, Mambo Sprouts has been kind enough to continue to ship gluten-free products samples our way. One of these gf products is Ian’s Gluten-Free Animal Cookies.

Ian’s Animal Cookies is a gluten-free alternative to the classic kid friendly treats Animal Crackers. Though they did have fun animal shapes and the sweet sugar cookie flavor I remember from the animal cookies I used to eat when I was much younger, there were also a few major differences worth mentioning. On the negative side, the texture was slightly grainy and the cookies were chewier than crunchy. On the plus side, in addition to being gluten-free, there are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Despite these differences, it did not take long for my household to finish of the whole 70z  bag. My personal favorite way to eat them was dip them into peanut butter. Others in the household preferred a more traditional method, and enjoyed them with a glass of milk.

To learn more about Ian’s Animal cookies as well as all the other gluten-free and allergy free products Ian’s offers visit www.iansnaturalfoods.com.

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Since the first shipment from Food Should Taste Good I’ve been a big fan of their chips. All their favors use a great blend of corn, grains, and seeds merged with other high quality natural ingredients to make truly snacks worthy chips. So of course I was very happy to receive a package with bags of Cheddar and Blue Corn, the latest additions to the Food Should Taste Good product line.
I was very impressed with the Cheddar flavor. Being a big fan of cheese in general and cheddar especially, I’m very glad that Food Should Taste Good finally added this to their line up. The smooth cheddar flavor is not overwhelming, but definitely present. Another big plus to these chips, is that since the flavor is natural, real and baked in there is no grimy artificial cheese powder coating the delicious crunchy chip.
I’m equally pleased about the addition of a Blue Corn flavor. The same great blend of grains and seeds partnered wonderfully with organic blue corn. Just like all the varieties of Food Should Taste Goods Chip, the Blue Corn Flavor is crunchy, sturdy and lightly seasoned they are the perfect addition to your favorite salsa or dip.
In addition to the newest flavors, Food Should Taste Good, also sent me a sample of the newest way to enjoy their very popular Multigrain flavor, convenient To-Go Packs.  To-Go Packs include 6 individual 1 oz bags.
To learn more about these flavors as well as all the other delicious productsFood Should Taste Good offers visit www.foodshouldtastegood.com

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