Fortunately, I haven’t been diagnosed with celiac disease,
which used to be the only reason for individuals staying clear of anything with
gluten in it, usually wheat related. In
the past few years, however, the topic of gluten-free
has become a growing trend with many opting for it to reduce their carbohydrate
intake, in the hopes of losing some poundage.
I find the later an insult to those who have genuine medical need for
this type of diet, as I’m sure they’d prefer not to have this often-debilitating
disease. That being said, I set out to
taste test a number of bakery type products that were gluten-free. Most of those I
tried had a respectable taste, but didn’t have the real staying power to last
beyond two days, which can make the investment to purchase the products less
than economically favorable.
The primary ingredients in many of these products included
wheat flour substitutes such as tapioca, potato flour, rice flour,
sorghum flour, teff flour, cassava starch, arrowroot starch, etc.; these wheat-gluten-free substitute ingredients also
made for an interesting product consistency, taste and texture. Several of these products were also
vegan-friendly.
Food for Life Black
Rice Tortillas ~ The image above reflects an optimal visual for this
product, which wasn’t my experience.
Perhaps in transit, the samples sent to me became damaged; upon arrival,
I placed them in the refrigerator and then when I went to use them, and
following directions for microwaving, the product was brittle, stiff and too
chewy, making for the chicken and veggie wrap I tried putting together
difficult to enjoy eating due to cracking and a tough chew. Ingredients:
black rice flour, organic brown rice flour, organic tapioca flour, sunflower
oil, organic chia seeds, rich bran, filtered water, xanthan gum, sea salt. http://www.foodforlife.com/product/tortillas/exotic-black-rice-tortillas
Luce’s Gluten-Free New
Italian Artisan Bread and Classic Sourdough Artisan Bread ~ For those who
want to make a loaf of bread without all the hassle, these products are
ideal. All of the contents are contained
in one bag…bread dough mix, dusting flour, baking parchment and a bag that is
used to hold the dough while baking.
While the dough gets a rise and rest period, the dough doesn’t need to
be rolled out; once the dough is mixed, rested and ready to place on the baking
parchment, all one has to do is to carefully drop the dough onto the parchment
and gently form into a loaf form; then, slide parchment and formed dough into
baking bag. I especially enjoyed the
product on the day it was first made, and lost its fresh taste by the following
day. Ingredients:
(New Italian) potato starch, brown rice flour, modified tapioca starch,
gluten-free oats, sorghum flour, rice flour, xanthan gum, sugar, yeast, baking
powder; (Classic Sourdough) brown rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour,
modified tapioca starch, millet flour, rice flour, salt, yeast, xanthan gum. http://www.lucegfbread.com/
Mina’s Purely Divine
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Mix, Chocolate Mix and Bread Mix ~ These products
do require additional ingredients to be added, in addition to the package mix;
only the Bread Mix requires a rest
and rise period. I adapted the recipe
for Carrot Cake listed on the All-Purpose Mix and made my own Pumpkin Bread/Cake. Ingredients:
organic rice flour, organic cassava starch, organic sorghum flour, arrowroot
starch, teff flour, xanthan gum, guar gum. The overall taste was wonderful; the “loft”
was very high and the texture was cake-like; the freshness lasted for about
four days. For the Chocolate Mix, I followed the package recipe for the Brownies; although tasty and moist, the
chew felt crunchy; the baked goods lasted for four days. Ingredients:
organic evaporated sugar cane juice, organic rice flour, potato starch, organic
cocoa power, organic cassava starch, organic sorghum flour, teff flour,
arrowroot, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, natural vanilla powder, baking
powder, guar gum. The Bread Mix yielded a small loaf of bread
that had an airy texture; a hint of tartness was discernable, due to vinegar
required for the recipe; it was best the first day it was made, but lost the
light quality by the next day. Ingredients: organic rice flour,
potato flour, organic cassava starch, rice flour, teff flour, sea salt, xanthan
gum, guar gum. http://minaspurelydivine.com/
Venice Bakery Pizza
Crusts ~ These products tasted delicious, but were a bit brittle. I tried using one of the crusts for a
traditional sauce-based pizza, but found even a thin layer of sauce easily
penetrated the crust and made the dough soggy; I got into a habit of sealing
the crust with a brushing of EVOO, followed by cheese and then topped with a
thin layer of sauce and sprinkled with various Italian herbs; my favorite was
to make cheese focaccia with only a brushing of olive oil, followed by cheese
and topped with Italian herbs. Although
I enjoyed the products, reheating them the next day in the microwave was less
than desirable; however, I found that if I pan heated the slices, they reheated
without the product disintegrating too much.
Ingredients: (Vegan Pizza
Crusts and Vegan Flatbread) rice flour, tapioca flour, water, potato starch,
potato flakes, olive oil, yeast, salt; (Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts, personal size
and Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts, full size) same as Vegan varieties, but with the
addition of Italian spices and xanthan gum. Enjoyed all of the varieties. http://venicebakery.com/
~ In Closing ~
Adjusting the palette to a gluten-free diet can be
difficult, especially when it comes to finding suitable food alternatives that
are tasty, especially bakery goods. Don’t
expect gluten-free bakery items to taste like the gluten-based items; it’s a different
taste experience, and one that can be tasty and satisfying.
That’s it for this edition.
Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your
culinary curiosity. Happy cooking…happy eating…happy drinking.
By Terry Herman
Terry Herman continues perfecting her passion for food and
wine. She has been covering culinary
related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of
cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews,
and coverage of prestigious events such as the International Home+Housewares
Show, the National Restaurant Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo. She has been published since the mid-1990s in
both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa,
beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle; she is frequently interviewed by
publications for her expert content. She
has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with
distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards. She has a background in strategic and qualitative
management, consulting, and motivational speaking. Her social media outreach includes Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, Cision Seek or Shout, Plaxo, Red Room, Pinterest, and
Tripatini. For additional information,
email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.
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(Introductory photo credit, www.forbes.com; all other
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