Rudi’s Organic Bakery Launches Gluten Free Bread

We in the gluten free community know most gluten free breads are endured not enjoyed. As chef’s, restaurant owners, and household cooks we want to expand our gluten free menus but lack of quality gluten free bread has limited our ability to do so. 

However we have all benefited from a race over the past twelve months to introduce gluten free bread that tastes good AND has the pliable consistency of gluten bread.   Last Wednesday we were invited to a special gluten free dinner featuring new gluten free bread at Root Down restaurant near downtown Denver.   In this post, we review this new gluten free bread.

We came to dinner optimistic that  we might see innovative new dishes using bread – and we were not let down.  Root Down Chef Justin Cucci presented an exceptional gluten free menu with added dimension made possible by Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery.  Rudi’s Organic of Boulder, Colorado recently launched a line of gluten free bread under the new Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery brand. 

The menu for the evening:

Soup

• Rocky Mtn. Ford Cantaloupe & Tomato Cazpacho

Small Plates

• Madras Curried Corn & Tempura Asparagus
• Cherry Tomatos with Mixed Greens

Entrees

• Country Fried Organic Tofu
• Rocky Mtn. “Never Ever” Bistro Beef Tender
• Pan Seared Line Caught Halibut

Dessert

• Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Bread Pudding

Our Rocky Mtn. Ford Cantaloupe & Tomato Cazpacho soup was served with Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Tomato Jam Grilled Cheese.  What a delicious start to the meal.  This was our first glimpse of the new bread and we were impressed.

The Tomato Jam Grilled Cheese was served on Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Multigrain Bread. The Tomato Jam had the consistency of queso and was partnered with Potato Chip Gouda cheese then cooked in a buttered pan.  The Grilled Cheese didn’t crumble or break even when held with one hand.  The taste of the bread was mild and not too grainy.  The soup and grilled cheese were so good we could have stopped there.

Next came the Small Plate and Entrée.  In sticking to our intention to review bread in this post, we won’t review these plates since they contain no bread.  However, we recommend visiting Root Down to experience their menu.  The Madras Curried Corn & Tempura Asparagus were outstanding as was the Rocky Mtn. “Never Ever” Bistro Beef Tender.  Both gluten free. 

Our meal ended with Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Bread Pudding.   We haven’t seen bread pudding offered on a gluten free menu before.  Since we both get weary of soggy bread, we weren’t sure how we would like the bread pudding. 

To our surprise, the bread pudding was presented in a cupcake-like form and was not soggy.  The smell of cinnamon and vanilla filled the air around our table.  Our bread pudding was served with Stranahan’s Whiskey-Butter Sauce & Sour Cream Ice Cream.  The consistency of the bread pudding was not compromised by the gluten free bread.  The taste was of cinnamon and vanilla and the mild flavor of the bread.

Since the dinner we brought home a loaf of the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Multigrain Sandwich Bread.  We’ve enjoyed it with sandwiches although our children are not as fond of the multigrain taste as we are.  In making french toast on Sunday we struggled with dipping the bread in the batter.  The top corner of the slice kept breaking off as I flipped the bread and one piece broke again as I tried to pick it out of the batter.

But again we were happy with the bread in the finished french toast.  The taste and consistency of the bread are outstanding.  We look forward to having bread in our menu in a more meaningful way in the coming months. 

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery have three bread choices available:  Original, Multigrain, and Cinnamon Raisin.  Rudi’s Organic Bakery have distribution in all 50 states so you should see it available soon.  Let us know your opinion of these new breads!

Galettes Galettes Gluten Free Galettes

I had never had a galette but since I was a little girl loved crepes or “roll-up pancakes” as they were called at my house.     My daugher’s celiac diagnosis meant that I had to really work to find a way to have us continue to enjoy this favorite way to have sweet and savory treats.  We use Pamela’s pancake mix or our favorite all purpose gluten free flour out of Utah, Life Tastes Good Again, to make crepes at home but had not yet found a place we could enjoy these favorites while dinning out.

Enter Bar Breton.   Chef Cyril Renuad has created an amazing gluten free menu, including  buckwheat galettes from his native Brittany.

We had a late brunch there recently on a trip for a friend’s wedding.   Our friendly waiter answered our questions about the menu as best he could and was very knowledgeable about gluten free, even offering his own critique that they should offer some type of gluten free beer because “people always want it.”  We did stump him with whether or not their bloody mary mix was gluten free but we didn’t even know for sure what common ingredient makes these not gluten free but guessed Worcester?!

  The brunch options were very affordable, especially for New York, with our total bill for chorizo galette and bunless GF burger with Parmesan and fries as well as two mimosas a piece at around $50.   It even has a wonderful patio.   If you are in New York or just visiting, Bar Breton is worth you time.

Summer Gluten Free Barbecue

Mention barbeque and I’m sent daydreaming of a warm breeze blowing the smell of sizzling meat and vegetables through the backyard.  In my mind, the barbecue is relaxation – it means time with friends  while enjoying a summer evening. 

But the barbecue presents challenges since we eat gluten free.  How do we deal with cross contamination when going to someone else’s barbecue?    Serving utensils, cooking utensils, and the grill  are tainted with gluten.   How do we handle potentially glutinous sides, condiments, sauces, and desserts?   Daydreams of breezes and relaxation are overcome with stress and concern. 

With some experience, we now enjoy barbecue’s for what they are – time spent enjoying good company.  We treat other people’s barbecues as potlucks – meaning we bring our own sides, meats, and desserts.  With the sides and desserts, we make our own plates first before setting out the food so we avoid cross contamination. 

We bring aluminum foil for grilling the meat.  Keep in mind the foil will slow down cooking time on red meats.  Grilling fish is a great alternative since it is often best cooked in foil anyway.  Pack it all into one of your eco-friendly cloth grocery bags and it won’t be a burden to carry.

We end up hosting an increasing number of barbecue’s at our house too so we have control.  It’s fun hosting a barbecue with a complete gluten free menu (except for what the neighbors sometimes bring!).  Think it is hard to do? It’s not.  Take a look at the menu we have planned for our July 4th barbecue this year:

Snacks

• Chips and Salsa (Tostito’s chips and La Victoria Medium Salsa)
• Queso Dip for dipping – we use On the Border Medium Queso
• Veggie tray with Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing for dipping
• Fruit salad

Main Course

• Barbecue Chicken – chicken breasts marinated overnight in Sauce Goddess Sweet & Spicy Grill Glaze
• Corn on the cob – soak in water for an hour plus, then grill
• Cornbread muffins – we use Quaker Yellow Corn Meal and follow the recipe for Easy Corn Bread on the container (substitute the wheat flour with gluten free all purpose flour from Eating Gluten Free)
• Jennie-O Turkey Dog’s for the kids(no buns)

Dessert

• Gluten free peanut butter cookies – we use the recipe from Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes with Jif Peanut Butter (you’re guests will ask you for this recipe)
• Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding

Condiments

• Heinz ketchup
• French’s Mustard (spicy and yellow)
• Newman’s Own salad dressings

Beverages

• Wine (white and red)
• Gin and tonic
• Whiskey and ginger ale or cola
• Juice boxes for the kids – we use Apple & Eve juice boxes

A menu that is simple, gluten free, and relatively inexpensive.  No buns or bread necessary.  Of course, guests bring sides and desserts which contain gluten – and that is okay.  Make room for them and be sure that you have enough sides and desserts tucked away so you can serve your family without threat of cross contamination. 

Enjoy your summer and let us know what barbecue menu tips have worked for you by leaving a comment!

New Gluten Free Baking Mixes

In March of this year, King Arthur Flour Company introduced gluten free baking mixes and a gluten free flour in several markets. Now these new mixes are becoming widely available in grocery markets around the country.  We have not yet tested these mixes.

If you have tried them, we would love to hear your feedback.  Email us from the Contact Us page or write a comment to this post. 

Check out the gluten free pages on the King Arthur Flour website.  They are proud of the work they’ve done and have clearly submerged themselves in the art and science of cooking gluten free.  The ‘mix tips’ are useful – for example, “If you use a stoneware, glass (e.g., Pyrex), or dark metal pan to bake your brownies, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees.”  Now that is information we can use!

Beyond the wish to try these new mixes, we are excited that such a well established flour maker has come to market with an assortment of gluten free items. Like General Mills products, King Arthur Flour products are widely distributed making them easy to find. 

 We are thrilled with the addition of these products to the gluten free marketplace.  Higher quality inputs to baking and cooking enables the downstream creation of a broader assortment of gluten free foods.

We will update this article after trying the new mixes and pass along any feedback we receive from readers.

Penrose Hospital Cafeteria Offers Gluten Free Selections

While we are fortunate enough to not have to visit hospital cafeterias regularly, we have also found that we must treasure those that actually provide gluten free options.  The lack of such offerings initially suprised us since of all places and professions, we initially thought the medical world would understand this need and its prevalence.    Experience has taught us that while the knowledge is growing, even good doctors may not understand celiac or the limits of a gluten free diet.

With all of that said, we were happy to find that Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs offers a wide array of gluten free choices.   The signs conveying gluten free options availability are hard to find at first but once you spot one, you’ll notice them around at most of the food stations.   The baked goods are generally provided by Cece’s, a dedicated gluten free bakery in Northern Colorado Springs.   We enjoyed the mock rye bread for a sandwich and gluten free chocolate chip cookies.    One word of caution:  we are not 100% sure about cross contamination so for the extremely sensitive and very caution you should explore further.   We may try to speak further with the hospital about this at some point.

Coupon for Nutthins – the tasty gluten free snack crackers

So Blue Diamond has a coupon and a giveaway going on right now that we thought we would share –  we love their Nutthins, which come in an array of tasty flavors as well as just their regular nuts.  

http://www.bluediamond.com/index.cfm?navid=8

Register now for the Gluten-Free Challenge!

Join the Gluten-Free Challenge set for May 22- 23.   The Gluten-Free Challenge is being put on by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and Pamela’s Products® . 

What better way to celebrate Gluten-Free Awareness Month than to recruit your family and friends to join you in eating gluten free for two full days?   The challenge seems like an excellent way to spread awareness through action. 

Sign up via the link above and you will receive recipe ideas right up until the Challenge begins.  I know we are looking forward to seeing some delectable recipes!

Gluten Free Houston Baked Goods Tasty Treat

Only those on a gluten free diet would be as excited as we were to receive a box from Gluten Free Houston filled with such luxurious items as Cinnamon Coffee Cake,  Carrot Cake, Ginger Bread, Dinner Rolls and Chocolate Chip cookies.      While most folks can simply buy these items at their local grocery store or bake some up quickly at home, enjoying such an array of diverse baked products is more of a luxury for your average celiac.

We enjoyed several of the cookies right away and found them to a good texture, firmness and flavor.  The next treat we sampled was the cinnamon coffee cake for breakfast.    It made a great companion to eggs, bacon and a cup of coffee (or milk in case of the kids).    This was my personal favorite as I felt it was a good enough to be served at brunch, baby showers or the like without feeling like it was substandard fare to its gluten filled counterpart.   In contrast, while both still quite tasty, the carrot cake was very crumbly and the ginger bread a bit dense.   The dinner rolls were very good as well – lighter than most of the gluten free pre-made rolls we have tried in the past.

Gluten Free Houston’s array of products are impressive!   We highly recommend them, particularly for folks who can buy them locally or get the shipping deal they offer to customers in Texas (free shipping with $30.00 order).   For us they will likely be a special occasion order (like for the family reunion we have this summer) since the shipping is rather expensive and we are fortunate enough to have several tasty GF bakeries here in Colorado.

One other item worth noting – the labels do not yet contain nutritional information beyond ingredients.

Schlafly Bottleworks Gluten Free Dinner Option

I recently visited the Schlafly Bottleworks in St. Louis, MO for a business dinner and was surprised to see a gluten free entree on the menu! Schlafly is a craft brewery which, from what I have heard from local St. Louis friends, is not widely distributed outside of the greater St. Louis area. 

Under the ‘Pastas and Grains’ section of the menu, you’ll find the Gluten-Free Bison Stroganoff.  This is a hearty and tasty meal!  The Bison gives it a unique although salty flavor.  The gluten free pasta is nice and the mushroom and onion sauce is quite powerful and flavorful. 

Schlafly’s mentions on the menu that they “…offer provisions from as many local farmers and businesses as possible.”  The Bison is free-range.  Altogether, the meal has a distinct flavor and I would order it again.  Note, however, that this meal probably is not a good option for children.   

Sclafly’s used to make a gluten free beer in 2006 – 2007 according to its’ website but stopped production of it because of lack of demand.  I can’t help feeling like they were just ahead of their time.  I hope they will try again in the near future – demand for gluten free options has skyrocketed in the past three years!

While I am glad to see the gluten free menu option, it was not apparent that any other item on the menu is gluten free.  Having been there for a business dinner, I couldn’t question the wait staff on the full extent of gluten free options available.  If you plan to try it, it would be worth calling in advance to check on gluten free salad, salad dressing, and desert options.  Anyway, the Gluten-Free Bison Stroganoff plus a glass of wine is more than enough to eat in one meal!

I will be providing a copy of this post to Sclafly’s and will update the post with any responses I receive!

Gluten Free Cooking Class Series to Begin at Cook Street School of Fine Cooking

We learned while at a tasting for The Last Bread Crumb (review to follow in the next few days) this weekend that the Cook Street School of Fine Cooking will be starting a Gluten Free cooking class series.   While we can’t yet speak to the value of these classes, we think the opportunity is exciting.  The two classes we learned of are:

Gluten Free Kitchen Basics on April 27th from 6 – 9:30 pm

This class will discuss foods that are naturally gluten free and Cooking 101.  Included in the class will be a Gluten Free meal served with wine.  Cost $79

Gluten Free Basic 1 on May 18th from 6 – 9:30 pm

This class will introduce gluten free grains, grain cookery, flours and blends.  Included in the class will be  Gluten Free meal served with wine.  Cost $79.

We likely will try to attend the May class and will then provide a review.  Please check our our calendar for these and other gluten free events — you can even add your own! For more information and reservations call 303-308-9300 or visit www.cookstreet.com