ce ce ce celia - a gluten free beer

I tried Celia beer a little over a year ago and really didn't like it. Maybe it was an off-batch, maybe I have grown and my tastes have changed... it doesn't much matter because it is great. It is hands-down the best gluten-free beer I have tasted.

It is actually the only gluten-free beer I have come across that actually has pronounced hops. That's right folks, this isn't a weird cloying-ly sweet beer, and it is also devoid of that strong sour finish that most sorghum-based gf beers suffer from. The texture is also the closest I have come to "real beer". For those who have read all of my beer reviews, one of my largest complaints is lack of adequate carbonation. This beer has it!

This beer is solid enough that it is the first I have served to gluten-mouths at a party... and people enjoyed and went back for seconds. The use of orange peel is genius, and while it is a little heavy for everyday, it clearly stood up to my Indian food left overs. (This is probably a horrible pairing; spicy curries go great with sweet wines and light beers, but I like to call dinnertime the time to randomly pick things out of the fridge like taste-bud roulette.)

Three cheers for a local beer company doing it right!

Daura - not-so-gluten-free-beer

UPDATE - apparently this is designated as a "low gluten beer" and is NOT gluten-free. Please consider this before you make the decision to consume this beverage.
**

I tried Daura Estrella Damm last week. The bar has been set pretty low in the gluten-free beer category, so I might be over-selling it.

Pros - It tastes like beer!
Cons - It tastes like crappy beer.

I have to give the company credit for creating a gluten-free beer from barley. Bravo on mastering that science experiment. Sadly, the result tastes a lot like college drinking games. I found it reminiscent of Coors Light or Busch Light. My drinking companion said it tasted like Corona.

Here I am clearly making a personal preference judgement call. I do not like this style of beer. To be fare, it is the MOST beer-like gluten-free beer I have ever had. The carbonation is right, the flavor is light, the hops are slight - but it is beer. So if you enjoy an easy-drinking beer, this might be exactly what you are looking for.

naked pizza

There are few things I miss more than pizza and beer. Yes, there are a lot more gluten-free beers out there, and more places than ever are offering gluten-free pizza crust options... but let's face it, most of them suck. Gluten-free beers are bad. They either have a sour finish and/or taste way too sweet; and they all are missing true hoppy-ness. The carbonation is lacking, and they just don't taste like BEER. Gluten-free pizza crusts have their own host of problems, both taste and texture related. Please don't even get me started on ones filled with soy or chickpea flour - mehhck flavor and lead to tummy bubble city.

This leaves me on my important mission of trying and reporting back on any and all pizza and beer options. Yes, it is a difficult task, but someone needs to do it.

I first heard about Naked Pizza from a friend living in New Orleans. He mentioned that all locations have gluten free crusts, but these were sight unseen. When I heard they opened up a branch in Brookline, MA, I knew what I had to do.

I was a bit surprised when I walked in. The shop is very small, only 2 tables and a few counter seats. The menu is cute and quirky; imagine if your android phone made 2-d, minimalist icons for toppings. The decor is a combination of silver and GREEN. The place clearly is not designed for people to linger, but there is a large tv playing little videos about how the pizza's are made, where the ingredients come from, etc. Staff were super friendly and knowledgeable... but you are reading cause you want to know about the pies!

 This is probably the best restaurant gluten-free pizza I have had. This beats out every gluten-free frozen pizza too. I still think my homemade version is better, but not by much. The crust is thin, crisp, but not cracker-like. It is substantial enough to hold up to toppings and cheese without disintegrating. Oh and it doesn't taste like cardboard! It actually tastes pretty great, but the flavor does not outshine the toppings - and the cheese is worth a shout out. It is some of the best mozzarella I have had on a pizza. Guys, this pizza was so good, after it was devoured, I ordered a second one.

This is the look of surprise and shock at such a great crust. (Or I have been hypnotized by the neon green walls.)

 Yay for pizza!!!

Madrid Coffee Cakes

It is really hard for me to say no to free cake; so when Madrid Coffee Cake contacted me and offered up a free sample, I said yes. There is your warning, disclosure, what have you, dear readers, that the following victuals were not purchased by me, but here is what my brain and taste buds thought.

The Classic Tarta de Santiago was the hands-down winner. The cake is moist, not too sweet, has a nice texture with the ground and sliced almonds, and it is perfect with coffee or tea. It does not suffer from many of the pitfalls of gluten-free cakes, like being gritty from rice flour, dry, cracking, crumbly, or tasting of chick pea flour, or strongly of egg whites. I really liked it.

I was a bit surprised when I tasted the second offering, the Chocolate-Hazelnut Coffee Cake. While the cake middle itself was soft and moist, the top was cracking like a meringue, and the flavor was off. It did not taste like hazelnuts and the mini chocolate chips made it taste like a cheaper quality product that the Santiago. I contacted the owner, but have not heard back. I am hoping that this was a fluke or a bad batch. I will report back with updates.

While I probably would not grab another Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee Cake, but I am a little jazzed to taste the Pistachio-Almond. I am excited to have another local gluten and dairy-free bakery in the Boston area!

stagger lee - Crispin cider

I have had Crispin cider before, but I haven't written about it. On the whole, I don't write about products I don't really like. Crispin cider is ok. Its not great, though its better than most I have tried, it just isn't fantastic, and I don't see the point in writing about things that aren't fantastic.

Crispin's limited release of their Staggar Lee, well its worthy of grabbing a pen. The standard Crispin cider is a bit boring, one note, and while it is less sweet than the standard ciders (Magners, Original Sin, Harpoon) its still not a slam dunk. Stagger Lee is beautiful. There are complexities and flavors beyond that of apple. It is not floral, but a little smokey, and the rye barrel flavor really comes out. Its a bit pricey, $5 for a single bottle, but I believe its worth it. There are some subtle flavors that you have to go hunting for to find, so I wouldn't recommend it as a with-food beverage, but it certainly could handle a meal.

New favorite hard cider - Clos Normand

This is my hands-down new favorite beverage. (That's right, its trumping all other gluten-free alcoholic beverages!)

Clos Normand Brut is now at the tippity-top of my favorites list.

It is everything I want an alcoholic cider to taste like. Dry, dry as a bone. If you have peeped my thoughts on gf beer, you know that my biggest complaint is that they are too sweet. They taste more like wine than beer, and often the carbonation is small and not really at full capacity.

It smells a bit smoky and of apple juice, not like floral apple orchards. The taste is much milder, mellow, and almost light. There is no hint of smoke in the flavor and the finish is very clean.

Crunchmaster crackers

I received some Crunchmaster products free over a month ago. I have been late to the game in reviewing them, but here goes. The 7 Ancient Grains were solid snacking crackers. They claimed 7 grains, though I think flax and sesame are categorized as "seeds" not grains, but I digress. Their crunch is loud, and consistent with a rice cracker, but the flavor is slightly more complex, and the finish isn't as sweet as traditional rice-only rice crackers. My favorite part was that they were well balanced in the salt department, not too much, but not too bland either, thus escape the fate of many a dull gf cracker.

 The other package was of the Multi-Grain Crackers.

These contained oat flour. I do not eat oats, gluten-free or otherwise. So I handed them off to a gluten-eating mouth, which reported that they were good and not too-cheesy. (No Smartfood like white paws post snacking did appear)

Glutino Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Gluten free chocolate covered pretzels... you are going to get me through finals.

Trader Joe's Gluten Free Mac N Cheese

When the temperature goes bellow 90 again, I will start cooking. I have become quite creative with lettuce wraps. I will take pretty much anything cold from the fridge and nestle it inside a piece of lettuce and call it a meal.  I gambled turning on the stove and I enjoyed half a box of Trader Joe's gluten free rice pasta mac n cheese. I enjoyed it while embracing an ice pack. This heat is not even for the birds... though I did see my first oriel. (I honestly thought it was a giant possessed bee, but it was in fact a relatively normal sized bird. IT IS THE HEAT I TELL YOU!)

Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Donuts

Last week I tried Kinnikinnick's donuts for the second time. The first time was about a month ago, chocolate glaze via a friend. The first couple bites were ok, I wasn't jazzed and I don't blog about stuff I dislike, it seems like a waste of my time and yours. So I was ready to write them off, but as I was finishing the round, I noticed that the side of the box indicated they were best when warmed. I heated up the last bite and the whole flavor changed. It went from a stale, rice-y, Entenmann's knock-off to a thing that tasted good.

So I figured it was worth purchasing a box of my own and try them warm.

They were better than I thought they could be. I toted home the cinnamon sugar variety, warmed them for a few seconds in the microwave (after they defrosted in the fridge overnight) and they tasted like autumn. The cake-like texture, cinnamon and sugar, they were almost a cider donut. There is a part of me that is glad that they cost almost a dollar a donut, otherwise I would be in bigger trouble. THEY ARE SO GOOD!

Udi's bagels

The bar has been raised. I just had an Udi's plain gluten free bagel and am wowed. I am posting to resist consuming the three remaining in the package. Light, a little chewy, toasts well and tastes damn close to the original. SO GOOD

Cilantro & Jalapeno hommus

I recently tried Cedar's new hommus "cilantro with jalapenos" and goodness it is awesome. Its not hot or spicy but its really delicious. I dipped some rice crackers in as a snack, but I am thinking it would be delightful as a spread on a sandwich. I am feeling like a hobbit, ready for second lunch and some more.

science, the unknown and food that is fun

I have been thinking and reading a lot about autoimmune diseases lately. (I feel this is the time where I apologize to anyone who has been near me when I talk about wanting a hookworm... but a girl has got to dream.) I have been looking for, but haven't found, a really good explanation about what is going on in bodies with autoimmune diseases, and specifically what isn't working. On the whole, I have been disappointed. Information is spotty or so overly scientific, one needs a specialized degree and some medical dictionaries to get through it. (Yes, I have read Dr. Green, and while it is good, it is still lacking a solid and clear definition about what is physically/chemically happening in the body of a human with active Celiac Disease.) I spent some time talking with a scientist this weekend, and what I learned was both clarifying and confusing.

1. In general there isn't a ton of information known about autoimmune diseases or the human immune system in general. (This made me feel slightly better about not really being able to find/understand good information about the processes and problems.)

2. My theory and questions about bone marrow transplants was pretty much dispelled. (Radiation was a form of treatment therapy for lupus, so I thought maybe it would be a feasible - though probably undesirable thing -for persons with other autoimmune disorders)

3. There are multiple possibilities for how and why intestinal damage occurs in persons with Celiac Disease. The specifics of how and why the body attacks gluten AND its own body, the intestines, its 100% known. (This makes a ton more sense to me. Especially considering how many people have non-GI issues, it seems like there are several things happening at once and villa damage is just part of it)

Part of the reason why I really want to figure this stuff out is mostly curiosity and the desire to be able to better explain it to other people. Ideally, I would like a better visual representation of what the hell is going on in bodies that decide to wage war on gluten. (For some reason I always use a military or pac-man analogy.)

All in all, I have to admit that things have been easier for those looking for gluten-free options. I am surprised daily about people who actually know what gluten is, and food establishments with better and better offerings. Here are a few happy surprises:

I used the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix for cupcakes on my birthday and they were good, better than good. Fluffy, dark and not-too-chocolately, I was amazed. They even fooled a few people into thinking they were the traditional kind, when covered in burnt sugar cream cheese frosting. They were so good. Apparently they are even up for an award!

At a very indulgent dinner last month, I was surprised at how wonderful the service remains at Oleana, and at their attention to detail. After letting the server know that gluten was a no-no, he brought out a side plate of fresh cut veggies for me in lieu of the bread basket for the other diners. Not only was it thoughtful, it was a great compliment to their carrot puree - the best thing! - and sported a few sliced watermelon radishes, a personal favorite.

This past weekend, I was excited to find out that Highland Kitchen has a gluten-free menu that is not only extensive, it had offerings that were beyond the "hamburger sans bun." The house-made pickles rule and the braised pork was tender and flavorful. Not to mention their very interesting cocktail list.

Food Should Taste Good Olive chips

Food Should Taste Good Olive chips are really really good. I cannot get enough of these. At first I thought they were a little weird, but no, they are amazingly delicious.

Danielle Crispy Rolls

These are my new favorite snack. Light, crispy and not-too-sweet, Danielle's Crispy Rolls remind me of Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes, but even better. They are made with tapioca and coconut milk, though they don't taste coconutty.

I could eat them on a plane, on a train. I would not eat them with a fox, but I sure could eat a whole box!

Capone Foods

A place known for its fresh pasta might not be on the top of your list of go-to places, but Capone Foods in Union Square in Somerville, MA should be. Small and narrow, the shop is packed to the gills with homemade and imported foodstuffs to tickle the taste buds. A cheese case, meat case, freezer and fridge filled with fresh pastas and sauces just make up one side of the store. The other is floor-to-ceiling oils, vinegars, olives, mushrooms and beverages - all things you did not know you needed but feel compelled to take home. I made a visit this past weekend, with a goal in mind but came out with something I did not expect--perhaps its a contradiction but perhaps it is the reason I go into small, specialty markets in the first place.

I stopped in Sunday and the owner, Albert, stands behind the counter with a smile beaming through his mustache and urges me to taste a new red wine vinegar. (It is good, surprisingly good. Sweeter and complicated than 89 cent stuff I have at home and it makes me wonder how I have made a salad with anything else. $12.95 a bottle tells me why, and that I won't be bringing it home today, but most certainly will be back.)

I ask if he carries abbrusseze, and an eyebrow goes up. He responds no, but have I tried this salame, and offers me a slice. It is better than it looks, and it looks beautiful. No two are perfectly alike and there is a nice dry, white mold on the outside and it smell cave-aged. Its looks were not deceiving. I gush over its tenderness and he smiles widens. We discuss the shop, the neighborhood and where one does find obscure, dried sausages.

The conversation meanders a bit more about different products -their pasta and why I am not buying any - and I mention I used to work at a specialty food store and he insists I try his sun dried tomatoes in olive oil. I tell him they are not my favorite things, but he picks one up with tongs, out of a long glass vase and holds it out towards me with pride. I gingerly grasp it between two fingers and take a bite. The tomatoes were soft, not leathery and sweet. Before I go, he insists that I try some of their pesto, on the house.

I was so excited to go home and try out new foods and cooking techniques (the pesto warns DO NOT HEAT) and figure out how to make a meal out of these new treats.

***

I tried there house made sun dried tomato pesto last night; it was better than I anticipated (I had set the bar pretty high). My big gripe with sun dried tomatoes is that they can get bitter; this pesto not taste bitter at all. I place the semi-thawed pesto atop the hot pasta and allowed it to melt gently. It was bright, not too oily and clung nicely to my rice pasta, making for a delicious dinner and left over.
The container says not to heat the pesto - but cold rice pasta is gritty and disgusting, so I gently warmed it in the microwave.

I ate it with a salad and a few slices of the salame. Columbus artisan salames are gluten free and amazing. Not overly salted or seasoned, with a nice mix of fat and meat, but the real treat was the beautiful rind. I tried the smaller, harder cacciatore, that was beautiful. It has the texture of an abbrusseze, but much milder.

Wheat Free Tamari

Discovering that soy sauce contains wheat was a big surprise. I am not going to lie, I was bummed out about kissing most Chinese and Japanese foods goodbye. I was elated to discover wheat-free tamari!

Tamari is a Japanese fermented soy sauce. Most traditional tamaris do contain wheat, so read the labels carefully. San-J Wheat Free Tamari is my favorite. It has a round flavor, softer and sweeter than soy sauce. Its less salty, but since its naturally fermented, there is also a complexity to its flavor. It has become a pantry staple, right alongside fish sauce, siracha and toasted sesame oil - items that can sometimes be found in the grocery store, but are worth the adventure out to an Asian market to find.

(I love this stuff so much that I bring a small bottle of it with me when I go out for sushi.)

Gluten Free Cake at Starbucks

I wrapped my excitement in skepticism as I approached Starbucks. The gluten free rumblings had put me onto the release of a new product: Valencia Orange Cake, that's gluten free. While cleaning my desk, I found a gift card from two years ago - don't judge, we all procrastinate - and was giddy to see if a gluten free treat could be mine!

I tempered myself, conjuring up all the not-so-great and down-right horrible ____-free products I have tasted. Its not fair to set the bar too high, especially on a company's first try.

Upon reaching the counter I thought I had been thwarted, no orange cake in sight. The barista informed me that they do carry the Valencia Orange Cake, they are tucked behind the counter and individually wrapped for safety. The same cheery fellow commented on how moist and delicious the cake was. I let my enthusiasm shine through a bit and commented: "I am just excited that you even have it!"

The cake was not only moist, it had a small, even crumb. I was afraid it would be overly sweet, but the orange flavor was light; the orange oil flavor much more strongly pronounced than the orange peel or juice. The almond flavor was not very strong either, and without the few sliced almonds dotting the top, I am not sure their contribution would be easily recognized.

VERDICT: Would eat again. More importantly - and increasingly becoming my new measuring stick - it was good enough that I would share this with a gluten-eating friend.

Fish & Chips

I have been eyeing Whole Foods new gluten free breaded fish products. I have become a stickler for waiting for new things to go on sale and this past weekend they finally did, so I thought I would give it a try.


The last time I had fish and chips was over two years ago at the Druid in Cambridge, MA. Hands down, it was some of the best I had ever had. My taste memory set the bar high, but its a frozen, packaged fish food... I am not going to get ahead of myself.

While the oven warmed, I sliced one potato, coated it in olive oil and kosher salt and spread it on the outside of a baking sheet. When the oven hit the required 450F, I added the fish pieces to the middle and baked for 13-15 minutes, per directions, turning halfway through.




I made a quick sauce of mayonnaise, lemon juice and ground white pepper. I like tartar sauce, but found myself without pickles and didn't miss them too much.
(Yes that is ketchup in the background, I like it on my fries, I can admit it.)


Overall, the fish was good - a bit more strongly flavored than most cod I have had, but not in an unpleasant way - and the batter was crunchy and stayed put; it did not flake off or separate from the fish. It was a little greasy and more salty than I expected, but not overly seasoned. I was glad I had extra lemon on the side.
I would try the Haddock or Halibut option if either were on sale as well.

Vosges Chocolate

While in Chicago I checked out Vosges Chocolate. I have previously had their Mo's Bacon Bar and Black Pearl Exotic Candy Bar. I found the bacon bar, well wanting for bacon, but thought the black sesame and wasabi worked well with the dark chocolate in the Black Pearl.

Armed with info about gluten-containing truffles from their website, I was excited to try most of their offerings. Honestly, I think I should have known better. Upon walking into the storefront on North Michigan Ave. it was clear that packaging was more important than product. Purple walls, check. Purple accents, check. Expensive lighting shining on chocolate that shouldn't be exposed to that much heat, check. Overpriced clothing oddly placed between the customer and the truffle counter, you got it.

Dazzled by the prospect of rich, intense flavors I purchased the following truffles:

Rooster: Taleggio cheese + organic walnuts + Tahitian vanilla bean + bittersweet dark chocolate
Olio d'Oliva: First press extra virgin olive oil + white chocolate + dried kalamata olives
Balsamico: 12-year aged balsamic vinegar + dark chocolate + Sicilian hazelnuts
Kayoko: Japanese macha green tea + white chocolate + cherry blossom petals
Buddha's Leaf: Malaysian pandan leaves + dark chocolate + cocoa powder
Black Pearl: ginger + wasabi + dark chocolate + black sesame seeds
Naga: sweet Indian curry + coconut + deep milk chocolate
Red Fire: ancho chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + Venezuelan dark chocolate

and bars:

Organic Enchanted Mushroom Candy Bar

Calindia Exotic Candy Bar
Goji Exotic Candy Bar

As I signed away my bill with a purple pen, the staff person threw in a mini Red Fire Exotic Candy Bar for free.

Overall I was underwhelmed. For the price point I expected something much more interesting, intense and more solidly constructed.

One of the truffles was cracked, the two white chocolate flavors were not filled properly and almost every truffle had separation between the two uneven layers of the outer shell. They were packaged in 2s or 4s in little cellophane bags (why they don't use boxes is beyond me), but without a guide some of the tasting was guesswork.

My favorite was the Redfire truffle which had heat, chocolate and cinnamon flavors that all came through. The pandan leaf truffle was a bit nutty but could easily have been hazelnut. The black pearl was my second favorite truffle, echoing the bar I remembered and liked so much. The rooster did pair chocolate and cheese effectively. It had an interesting tang but I am not sure its something I would necessarily reach for again. The balsamic vinegar truffle was one of the most disappointing; it clearly had a sour note, but the chocolate overwhelmed it. Some of the flavors were a bit lost, others were nearly obliterated. The white chocolate was salty and overwhelmed both the green tea and olive oil centers.
(I opted out of tasting the Naga truffle. I asked if it contained fenugreek and the staff there was not sure, so I bought one on a whim. Boy did it! Fenugreek is one of those spices that I can taste from a mile away and then only taste it for the next few hours.)

The bars faced a similar problem of missing or overpowered flavors. The dark chocolate in the Enchanted Mushroom bar masked most of the mushrooms earthiness as did the pink salt, taking over the goji in the Goji bar. The Calindia bar had a strong cardamom and chocolate flavor but I couldn't taste the prunes. (Dried plums on the label do not fool me.)
The mini Red Fire Bar hit hard with intense cinnamon and then a warm heat that tickled the back of the throat, like the truffle with the same name, it was the stand out favorite.

While I doubt I am going to be dropping that much cash on chocolate again, I think Vosges is using good products, I just question the pairings and truffle construction... a lot.