Saturday, October 30, 2010

How to Make your Gluten Free Bread Taste Better

My most favorite Gluten Free Bread is hands down Udi's White Bread, but as I spoke with people at the Gluten Free Expo some of them complained that it was still dry and crumbly so I want to provide some tips and tricks I use to make it the best possible.

I freeze my bread and use it as I need it. Refrigerating bread can cause it to dry out and it doesn't last as long as it could in the freezer.

To prepare bread out of the freezer I warm it in the microwave on a glass or paper plate for 20-40 secs till it becomes soft and pliable. Be careful not to over heat the bread so that it loses all of its moisture. I let the bread sit for a minute to cool down before making a sandwich.

For bagels, English muffins or especially dry or crumbling baked goods I cover with a up-side-down bowl to "steam" the bread.  After ward I finish it off by slightly toasting it.  Toasting creates a bond on the outside of the bread that locks in the softness and keeps your bread from being mushy.

Even if you have fresh baked bread it make still be helpful to zap it in the microwave for 10 secs.  Any bread make with rice flour has a tendency to absorb and lock up any moisture making it taste dry. You need to heat it up to help it release and redistribute that moisture.

Lastly, if you happen to go to Jason's Deli to have a GF Sandwich made on Udi's bread, my suggestion would be to have it toasted or see if they will zap it in the microwave for you. It will go a long way to soften up the bread and make it more enjoyable.

Monday, October 25, 2010

My Favorites from the SLC Gluten Free Expo

The Gluten Free Expo in Salt Lake City was a great event. Thousands came enjoyed the many booths. I handed out over a thousand Gluten Free Directories as well as visit with hundreds of people who were in search of better gluten free options. Here are some of my Favorite things from the show:

- Sweet Cake Bake Shop
This tasty delightful bakery ships anywhere in the U.S. They are located out of Utah so if you are in the area you need to stop by. They had delicious soft and chewy sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies.

- Eleanor's Bake Shop
The things I loved from this bake shop were their cake pops.  At their bakery location they have sandwiches made on Arepas. If you are in the area of 9000 S. in Salt Lake stop by for Lunch, Dinner, & Dessert.

- 123 Gluten Free
Mmmmm, let's just say their pan bars (a.k.a. divinely moist spice cake) are swoonful. Add some cream cheese frosting and its heaven.  They also make many other mixes which I am trying out. I am interested to see how the biscuits turn out.

- OMGF! Flour
I was impressed by this flour. Its a GF flour blend you can use in place of regular flour in recipes. The banana applesauce muffins they made were so fluffy, soft, and moist. Three critical characteristics of great tasting baked goods.

- Irresistibly Gluten Free Cook Book
If you do nothing else but make the waffles in this cookbook you will be thrilled. I have made the waffles several times in the past two weeks. Even the non-GF'ers in my house absolutely love them. I also love this cookbook because it has the basic simple foods that you really miss when beginning a GF diet. The flour blend is so simple and the ingredients are considerably easy to find.  Had I know about this inspired flour blend 10+ years ago, I would have saved my family many meals filled with brick like breads and baked goods. This cookbook is a staple for any GF'er.

- Biaggi's Italian Restaurant
Just thinking about the Chicken Alfredo they served at the Expo makes me smile. Each bite was a piece of happiness. I can't wait to go and taste it again. (Just ask my family, I haven't been able to stop talking about it.) Their restaurant is located downtown Salt Lake City, Utah at the Gateway Mall and if you have Celiac you have to try it. They use Tinkyada pasta (my favorite) which has a great texture and flavor. Their sauces were flavorful and their chicken was grilled and delicious.

- Pirate's Booty
I was pleasantly surprised by this. They make healthy non-fried snack options. They were enjoyable and my kids loved them. They are low in fat and calories so you can enjoy, feel healthy and not guilty.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Cafe Pancake Breakfast at Home

Of all the pancake mixes I have tried to-date, Kinnikinnick's Waffle and Pancake mix is absolutely the best. I love it because even the picky Gluten Eaters in my family love the taste, texture and flavor of the pancakes and waffles.

You can find their mixes online, or at The Good Earth
http://www.kinnikinnick.com/

Picture from Kinnikinnick

Gluten Free Directory

If you are attending this weeks gluten free expo stop by and get a Gluten Free Favorites Food Directory.

Check back soon to find the directory online.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Gluten Free Expo in Salt Lake City October 9th

Come stop by our booth at the gluten free expo. We will be selling the most diving marble chocolate brownies from Blossom Fine Foods among other delicious tasting gluten free items.