Carol's Culinary Cues - September, 2005

(c) Carol Fenster, Ph.D. - President, Savory Palate, Inc.

8174 South Holly St., #404, Centennial, CO  80122

800.741.5418

ISSN 14244


IN THIS ISSUE:

-What's New in Gluten-Free Products?

-Food for Thought

-Where is the World is Carol?


What's New in Gluten-Free Products?

As many of you know, each spring and fall I attend the Natural Products Expo and last week it was in Washington DC. Walking the aisles of hundreds of booths is like the proverbial "kid in the candy store." Most of your favorite gluten-free vendors are there, plus many new ones as well.

 

My new cookbook, Cooking Free  was introduced and has already garnered a nice review in Body & Soul magazine, from the publishers of Martha Stewart Living.

I  found lots of wonderful new products. I'll describe as many as I can this month and discuss the others next month. Some of these products are so new they aren't in stores yet, but should be soon.


Gluten-Free Pizza is a Winner

The thin crust Cheese Pizza from Foods by George (http://foodsbygeorge.com) was voted "Best New Product" out of 70 entries. In fact, 2 of the 5 finalists were gluten-free items (this pizza and Mary's Gone Crackers at http://www.marysgonecrackers.com) so it was a great day for gluten free foods. Congrats to Foods by George!


New Flour from Flax Seed.

In view of the health benefits of flax, I'm especially excited about finding a new flour made of ground flax seeds. It is finer than flax seed meal so it will work better in baking. My order is still en route to me so I haven't used it yet. But for a  typical 2-cup flour recipe, I plan to experiment by replacing 1/2 cup of the flour with flax flour and see what happens. That's about 25% of the flour blend.

It's called Smooth Omega and can be ordered from http://www.pizzeys.com or call 877.804.6444.


Pretzels in Poppy Seed and Sesame Flavors

Many of you love the Ener-G pretzels. Now they've developed Wylde's soy-free pretzels (made of potato and rice) in two flavors: poppy seed and sesame. Both are delicious.

 

Pretzels are great for traveling or snacks and I like them in my golf bag for a little extra salt on a hot day. But, next time you need a unique no-bake pie crust try crushing these pretzels and using them as you would use graham crackers. Perhaps as the base for a Margarita Pie? You can find these pretzels at natural food stores or order them at http://www.ener-g.com  By the way, they also have a new Chocolate Chip Snack Bar that is great for traveling or for satisfying those mid-afternoon cravings.

 


Pamela's Cookies in a Two-Pack Bag

You're heard me talk about always taking Pamela's biscotti to Europe with me because they don't break in my suitcase and they can be dunked into the wonderful European espresso for a quick dessert. The only problem I have is restraining myself from eating the entire box of biscotti at one meal.

 

Pamela's new Two-Pack of cookies also helps with the travel dilemma. They come in packages of two cookies. Right now, I'm munching on a delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie, but they come in other flavors as well. I can toss a package into my suitcase or my golf bag and know I'll have a great snack. These would be good for kid's school lunches, too.

 

Pamela's also has a new Amazing Wheat-Free Bread mix, a Luscious Chocolate Cake Mix, and Incredible Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix. And, her Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix now comes in a convenient 4 pound reclosable zipper bag. You can find Pamela's products at natural food stores and grocery stores nationwide or at http://www.pamelasproducts.com

 


Healthy Hemp Gluten-Free Tortillas

You've heard me rave about the Food for Life Brown Rice tortillas. Another new tortilla is now available from French Meadow Bakery. It's a Healthy Hemp Gluten-free Tortilla that also includes pumpkin seeds, amaranth flour, and sunflower seeds.

 

I tasted the tortillas in cheese Quesadillas but they can be used in any way that regular tortillas are used. Ask for them at your natural food store or get more information at  http://www.healthyhempbread.com

 


Cornstarch Substitute and Coconut

You probably know Edward & Sons for their wonderful brown rice snaps (crackers), which I also took to Europe with me this summer. I also crushed them tonight to replace bread crumbs in the Crab Cakes we had for dinner. But they have lots of other products, too.

 

One new product is a tapioca starch that can be used in place of cornstarch on a 1:1 basis. Many of you are sensitive to cornstarch or potato starch, so this is a good replacement.

 

Also, Edward & Sons has some new coconut products including coconut milk in both light and regular forms. Coconut milk is a good replacement for cow's milk in baking and is wonderful in puddings. They also have unsweetened coconut in shredded and  flakes, which is good because some stores only carry the sweetened variety. No doubt you've been reading about the health benefits of coconut, so look for these new products at natural food stores or go to http://www.edwardandsons.com for more information. 


Food for Thought

"Two of the five finalists (out of a total of 70) for best new product at Natural Products Expo East were gluten-free foods. It's a great day for gluten-free foods."--Ceil at Foods by George (1st place winner with Thin Crust Pizza)

 


Where in the World Is Carol?
At Natural Products Expo East, Shelley Case and I presented the educational seminar "Gluten-Free Boom: A Closer Look at this Growing Niche." I also signed copies of my latest book, Cooking Free, which is now available at natural food stores and bookstores nationwide. It is designed for the nearly half of gluten-free folks who also avoid dairy and eggs. It offers alternative sweetener suggestions, too.

 

I don't have to travel very far to a new gluten-free restaurant opening in Denver this week. It's called Deby's Gluten Free, Inc. 2369 S Trenton Way Suite M in Denver, CO 80231-7628 and serves a wide variety of foods. For more information, see http://www.debysglutenfree.net

 

PLEASE NOTE: Mention of any particular company or product in this newsletter does not constitute an endorsement by Savory Palate, Inc.