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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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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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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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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Mambo Sprouts has sent us some samples from Glutino, Crunchmasters, Gluten Free Pantry, and Barbara’s to review.  Now on to Part 2.

Mambo Sprouts Review Part 2: Crunchmaster

Original Multi-Seed Crackers

Crunchmaster is a brand of oven baked brown rice crackers packed with a great blend of seeds. Their mulit-seed crackers are made from all natural ingredients like brown rice, sesame, quinoa, amaranth and flax seeds. The result is a nutrition filled, naturally gluten-free snack. But how does it taste? Far from bland is the answer. Though they are low in sodium, they have a pleasant salty flavor that compliments the grain and seed blend. A touch of soy sauce is also added. They are enjoyably crunchy and the fact that they are backed instead of fried keeps them from being oily. I only received samples for the Original flavor Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers, after tasting what a great job they did with a basic cracker, I’m am eager to try there Roasted Garlic, Rosemary & Olive Oil and Sweet Onion varieties.
To learn more about Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers visit www.crunchmaster.com

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Finding a delicious gf cracker to bring to an event that would be attended by several very experienced celiacs with out having to shop around might have once been a very intimidating task. But fortunately for me I have a go-to gluten-free cracker I can rely on. Blue Diamond Nut Thins are available in almost every grocery store in my area, and come in a wide variety of flavors.

For this event I chose Blue Diamond’s Hint of Sea Salt Almond Nut Thins. This provided me with a solid yet crunchy cracker base that was only mildly flavored and would allow the flavors of the different cheeses to shine. Blue Diamond Nut Thins also comes in BBQ, Almond, Hazelnut, Pecan, Smokehouse, Cheddar Cheese, and Country Ranch.

In addition to making a delicious brand of crackers, Blue Diamond also takes great care to make those tasty crackers safe for the celiac community. Each production run is tested to assure it meets gluten-free standards. Each production run is sampled and tested to confirm gluten levels do not exceed 20 ppm. They are also processed in a facility that is certified gluten-free.

Blue Diamond’s support for the celiac and gluten-free community does not only extend to safe gf manufacturing practices. They are also proud sponsors of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. In addition to being the exclusive sponsor of the NFCA’s popular Athletes for Awareness blog, they also provide us with monthly delicious gluten-free recipes like Hungarian Hazelnut Torte and Tomato Roasted Chicken Breasts made with their delicious products and have their own recipe box hosted on www.celiaccentral.org.

To learn more about Blue Diamond Nut Thins visit www.bluediamond.com. There you find nutritional facts, store locations, and more. While you are there you can print out a coupon for 50 cents off your next purchase.

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The Gluten-Free frozen burritos are one of the newest products Glutenfreeda offers. These burritos come in four flavors: Chicken & Cheese, Breakfast Beef, Vegetarian Been & Cheese, and Vegetarian & Dairy Free. All four flavors are made with natural, organic ingredient and contain no trans fat. The most appealing feature of these handy, ready to cook burritos is that a gf flour tortilla is wrapped around the filling. This makes it a unique item in the world of gluten free food.  The tortilla appears a bit mushy when it first comes out of the microwave. However, while it is cooling off it firms up resulting in an impressively tasty texture.

Glutenfreeda Real Cookies are available in five great flavors: Sugar Kookies,
Chip Chip Hooray, Chocolate Minty Python (Dark chocolate cookies w/mint), Peanut, Paul & Mary (peanut butter and chocolate chips cookies), Peanut Envy (Peanut butter cookies). Don’t let these cute names fool you; these are serious cookies sure to please any and all cookie fans.  The texture and taste of these cookies is so close to homemade it is amazing. And they are so easy to make. To enjoy fresh baked gf cookies you simply take them out of the freezer, open the package, plop a few of the pre-shaped perfectly round cookies on to a cookie sheet, and pop them into the oven. I served these as desert to the non gluten-free children of the house and got many yum, yum, yummies all around.

Have you been looking for a delicious and safe granola since you started living gf? Well search no further. Glutenfreeda delivers with three flavors of delicious granola made with certified gluten-free oats, heart healthy flax, and filled with all natural nuts, fruits, and grains. Glutenfreeda’s granola comes in three flavors: Apple Almond Honey, Raisin Almond Honey, and my absolute favorite Cranberry Cashew Honey. All 3 flavors make a great cold cereal or the perfect snack to have anytime you feel the need to crunch and munch.

If you would prefer warm oatmeal then Glutenfreeda has covered that base too. I got to try the variety pack of Glutenfreeda Instant Oatmeal, which contains two each of Apple Cinnamon, Maple Raisin, Banana Maple flavors.  If you rather have a more neutral flavor, Glutenfreeda also offers a Natural flavor perfect for topping with fresh fruit of your choosing.  Just like the granola the oats are certified gluten-free and flax has been added to boost its heart healthiness.

But don’t take my word for it, go ahead and give Glutenfreeda products a try for yourself! To learn more about Glutenfreeda and all they have to offer visit Glutenfreeda.

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Recently Starbucks started offering a variety of snack items all with 220 Calories or less per serving some of which are gluten-free. Among these gf snacks offered is the full line of Lucy’s cookies. GF cookies and Starbucks coffee sounds perfect to me!

Lucy’s cookies is available in four flavors, Sugar, Cinnamon, Oatmeal, and Chocolate Chip. The flavor and texture of these deliciously, crunchy little cookies makes it hard to believe they are not only gluten-free but are also free of milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. I enjoyed the simple yet crisp sugar cookies best with my beloved Caffè Mocha. The cinnamon flavored cookies paired nicely with basic house blend coffee, making the afternoon coffee into an extra special treat. The tasty yet not overwhelming oatmeal and chocolate chip flavors go with almost every coffee on the menu. The fact that a serving size of these cookies is only 130 calories with 0mg cholesterol and 0g trans fat means they are a delicious treat that won’t destroy a healthy diet.

Keeping this product safe from allergens and cross contamination is important to Lucy’s cookies so they are made in a dedicated bakery. To learn more about why this is so important the makers of Lucy’s cookies check out the article about Dr. Lucy in this month Celiac Central Newsletter. You can also learn more about this great product by visiting www.drlucys.com . There you will find full product information as well as details on other locations where you can find these amazing little cookies.

After you go out and try some of these cookies for your self don’t forget to enter the NFCA and Lucy’s “Creative with Cookies” video and photo contest. It’s a great opportunity to win a basket full of these great cookies as well as other great prizes while showing off how much you and your family enjoy living gluten-free.

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