BOLD Organics just joined NFCA’s GREAT Business Association, and they sent a few samples so we could get to know their gluten-free products. The pizza is available in four types: Vegan Cheese, Vegetarian, Meat Lovers and Deluxe – all gluten-free, dairy-free and individually boxed, with 2 servings per pie. Knowing that my boyfriend thinks a day isn’t complete until he’s had meat, I reached for the Deluxe, which is topped with sausage, pepperoni, and (thankfully) vegetables.

The pizza was easy to prepare. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, place pizza directly on oven rack, and bake for about 20 minutes. A quick broil to crisp up the top, and you’re ready to eat.

When the pizza was cooked, the vegetables looked a little soggy. A result of the frozen veggies thawing directly on top of the pizza, and an outcome that befalls many frozen entrees. I feared that the pizza crust suffered the same fate, but not the case. In fact, the crust was quite good: crispy on the bottom, with a slighly doughy bite. No chemical aftertaste, either. The meat was tasty with a nice amount of salt, though my boyfriend said he would have preferred a more rustic cut of sausage, instead of the mini meatball shapes.

Most surprising was the sauce. It was sweet and tomato-y, but with a knock of spice – the kind that sneaks in between the corners of your mouth. I wouldn’t recommend this if you have a sensitive palate, but it’s a great addition that sets the pizza apart.

As for the dairy-free cheese, I had no qualms with it, but my boyfriend could tell that it didn’t melt the same way as a traditional mozzarella. Even with that criticism, he gave the pizza a thumbs up, plus bonus points for the tasty crust.

BOLD Organics Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pizzas are just starting to hit stores. Visit the company’s website to find out if they’re available near you.

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February 2011 marked the 11 year anniversary of Namaste Foods. Namaste Foods creator and owner, Daphne Taylor was originally inspired to make good food for friends and family with food restrictions. Her dedication and hard work helped grow Namaste Foods from a one woman show selling her allergy friendly product to local health stores into a successful company that now offers 15 baking mixes and 3 pasta meals that are currently being distributed in all 50 states. A lot of Namaste Foods success can be contributed to Daphne’s early grass roots approach. 11 years later Namaste Foods continues to spread the news about their products using this same approach by reaching out to bloggers and the communities they serve.

I did not know much about Namaste Foods when I accepted the request to review their products, which is always a good reason to do a review. When I received the shipment of samples I learned that the story behind the company was definitely inspirational. So I was very curious to see how the years of hard work affected their products.

For the review I received a muffin mix and a pizza crust mix to sample. Both these products as well as all of Namaste Foods Mixes and Dishes come in a very simple brown package. Though the packaging appears to be simple the instructions printed on the back along with helpful additional recipes included on the side are very thorough. As for the product inside each package, all of Namaste Foods Products are made with all natural ingredients. In addition to being gluten-free these products are also extremely allergy friendly and are made in a dedicated facility free of gluten, wheat, potato, soy, corn, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts and casein.

The Review

I started with the Muffins. The mix itself is very simple and versatile. All that was required to make the base muffins mix was the addition of a few common kitchen ingredients. In addition, to the required ingredients the instructions provided on the back of the package list many other ways to make a variety of variations, including adding juice, fruit, or chocolate chips.

Since my assistant for this review was a young chocolate chip lover we chose to add them to the mix. After a short baking time we had 12 chocolate chip muffins ready to taste. The cooked muffins were very moist and spongy. Even with the addition of chocolate chips they were not overly sweet, a plus for me. One warning I must pass along: These muffins are very dense, so I felt pretty full after sampling one.

Next, it was time to try out the pizza crust mix. From the moment the package is opened the smell of garlic and Italian seasonings got me in the mood to eat pizza. I am always a bit weary of gluten-free pizza mixes, especially those that are spread onto a baking tray instead of being made by stretching out the dough. However, the elasticity of the dough as it was being mixed began to raise my hopes. After following the instructions for mixing the dough it was poured onto a baking pan, spread out, and par baked till it was ready for toppings. I loaded the par baked crust up with sauce and cheese and placed it back in the oven to finish cooking. Even with all the toppings the pizza was easy to slice and pick up. The crust was both crunchy and soft just like a pizza crust should be. As a result I was pretty pleased with the finished product.

If you would like to learn more about Namaste Foods, visit www.namastefoods.com.

The Giveaway

Interested in trying out some of Namaste Foods for your self? You can receive several of their products and some other great goodies free by entering the GFHP’s Namaste Foods Giveaway between July 15th and July 22nd 2011.

Namaste Giveaway Includes:

• 3 Namaste Foods Products
• Namaste Grocery tote
• Copy of our Simple Pleasures Cookbook
• Copy of Living Without Magazine
• Assorted Recipe cards

How to Enter:
To enter for a change to win your own Namaste tote and goodies all you have to do is send an email that including your name, email address, and phone number to alacy@celiaccentral.org. Please use Namaste Giveaway as the subject for your entry.

The Namaste Foods Tote Giveaway runs till July 22nd 2011. The winner will be contacted and announced on Gluten-free Hot Products the following Monday.

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GalloLea Organics began making whole wheat pizza kits, with the goal of making a great tasting pizza that was quick and easy for everyone to make and enjoy. After perfecting their whole wheat version, GalloLea Organics reformulated the flour mix in their kit to make it gluten-free.

For this review GalloLea sent me some of their kits to sample. The kit itself came in a small and simple paper bag. What they fit into that little paper bag was quite impressive. Each bag contains a pizza dough flour mix, sauce, and a piece of parchment paper.
The only ingredients required to make the dough is a half cup of warm water, and a teaspoon of oil. What ever toppings you choose to add are also up to you.

I was very impressed with how easy the pizza dough was to make. My experience with home made pizza dough always seems to be very messy and often complicated. So this is what I was expecting. But after reading the instruction, my concern turned from the mix being too messy to the dough being too dry to shape. To my happy surprise, the dough was as easy to make as promised. After adding the water and mixing the dough for approximately 75 strokes (as the instructions suggested) the dough was easy to handle and form into a ball. Pressing out from the center, the dough easily spread out on to the parchment paper. Did I mention how impressed I was yet?

After shaping the dough, we slid it onto the oven rack to par bake it. 5 minutes later the crust was starting to get a nice color, so it was time to add the included sauce. The sauce was thick and is paste based with a pleasant flavor. The package of sauce provided was very generous so whether you like your pizza with just a dash or smothered in tomato sauce you are covered. Because I wanted to make the pizza crust and sauce do the majority of the work for this review I just added some mozzarella cheese as a topping. After baking it for 8 more minutes, I had a lovely looking pizza that tasted great, and was very easy to make. I have no doubt the finished crust would have held up to a variety of toppings. Suggestions for toppings and helpful tips for cooking the pizza crust with them are included in the instructions.

Before ending this review I just want to share some information about the ingredients. All the ingredients used in this kit, including those used for the sauce, are organic and natural. The dough is made with organic brown rice and buckwheat, which gives the pizza crust a great color, texture and makes it a bit healthier for you. I was also pleased to see the addition of yeast and the absence of Xanthan Gum. I do not have anything against this ingredient. However, it does get leaned heavily upon for gluten-free foods so it was very refreshing to see a flour mix with out it.

If you would like to learn more about GalloLeo Organics Gluten-Free Pizza Kits visit www.gallolea.com.

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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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While reading Gluten Free Philly, one of the great blogs listed on the NFCA’s Celiac Bloggers page, I was happy to discover that Wegmans plans to offer Bella Monica’s frozen flatbread pizzas in October. Read Gluten Free Philly’s full review of this product, which includes a list of places you can find this product,here.

Bella Monica’s flatbread pizzas are truly one of the best frozen gluten-free pizza’s available. They are available in three varieties, Margherita (Tomato sauce, herbs, and a Asiago and Mozzarella cheese blend), Spinach and Tomato (roma tomatoes, baby spinach, roasted garlic, herbs, and a Feta and Mozzarella cheese blend), and Mushroom and Herbs(roma tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted garlic, herbs, and a Asiago and Mozzarella cheese blend). All three varieties are made on a tasty gluten-free rice-flour flatbread and topped with a plentiful combination of herbs, veggies and cheese blends.

There are a few cons to this pizza. One is that it is a bit light on the sauce. The other is that it is a bit pricey. However the convenience of having an overall delicious, high quality, completely ready-made, gluten-free pizza waiting in the freezer mostly makes up for these. To get the most of these pizzas follow the grilling instructions. This results in a crispier and more flavor filled pizza.

To learn more about this great product visit www.bellamonica.com.

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