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I was so happy when I received an invitation about two months ago to attend a Schär luncheon and presentation here at Espace here in New York City.  I have long been a tremendous fan of their products and quite honestly when their products appeared at my local grocer, it opened up a new world of taste for me.

The event was really very lovely with a gluten-free cocktail hour that gave attendees time to mix and mingle.  I met some extremely interesting fellow Celiacs as well as a host of medical professionals, journalists, and food industry folks.  The entire afternoon would feature recipes that included items from the Schär product portfolio.  The cocktail hour kicked it off with passed antipasti that included: Mixed Mezze (Tapenade, Caponata, Baba Ghanoush, Feta, and Haloumi cheese); Assorted Bruschette with heirloom tomato, green olive, and cucumber dill; and Mini Artisanal Pizza with goat cheese and pest, roasted artichoke with Manchego, and Margherita with buffalo mozzarella.  It was an absolute dream to have passed hors d'oeuvres and being able to indulge without having to worry about gluten.

After the initial mix and mingle we headed into the main room for lunch.  Again, it was great to finally put real faces to names that had until then only existed online.  I was seated with a fascinating mix of people, from a fabulous health coach to a cookbook author to representatives from the Long Island Celiac association and even GFSoupmom (who works for a fabulous company that makes GF soups I must try).  Each table also had a representative from Schär USA.  The group could not have been nicer and the conversation was so engaging.

I know, you want to know what was for lunch?  Well, Espace and Schär did not disappoint.  The first course was a baby arugula salad with goat cheese crostini in a citrus white balsamic dressing.  It was funny that someone made the comment these are the first thing I normally have to remove referring to the cheese-topped crostini – so true.  For the main course there was a choice of herb crusted fluke with fusilli in a heirloom tomato/basil sauce or Stuffed chicken breast with ricotta and red peppers over penne and mixed baby vegetables.  I had the chicken which was really very good.  It was breaded with Schär bread crumbs (as was the fish) and the stuffing was actually very good.  For dessert there was an amazing Tiramisu and the table was presented with a selection of Schär cookies and chocolate covered strawberries.  The Tiramisu was out of this world.

Now the afternoon was not just about eating – though it definitely was a major part.  There were four very informative presenters throughout the afternoon.  First up was Dr. Alessio Fasano who many of you already know as he’s the Director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland.  He gave a truly informative presentation that started with the history of Celiac disease which, I personally found to be amazing.  He then presented some of his research which was equally as interesting.  The sheer numbers of both total Celiacs and the cost associated with properly diagnosing across a range of risk categories was staggering.

Next up was Schär USA’s Director of Nutritional Services Anne Roland Lee who talked about living a balance (and delicious) gluten-free lifestyle.  We all know that as Celiacs we miss out on some of the fortification that others get from gluten-rich foods.  She pointed out that traditional gluten-rich breads are fortified and essentially regulated by the F.D.A. – there are no such standards for gluten-free products.  Schär actually uses alternative gluten-free grains in their products to help provide a more well-balanced option for Celiacs and those with gluten intolerance. Schär is committed to providing Celiacs with great tasting and healthful options which is most appreciated because being Celiacs often presents enough challenges.

Hannes Berger, the president and CEO of Schär USA address the group next and gave insight into the history of the company and some future development plans for the company in the United States.  Donna George, vice president of Schär USA also spoke briefly on where the company was looking to expand.

The final speaker was perhaps the most riveting.  Colin Leslie is an 18 year old with Celiac disease who had what can only be describe as a horrific road to diagnosis that was riddled with misdiagnoses for a host of conditions he never actually had.  His story was not that different from many, who after sometimes years of misdiagnoses, finally meet the one doctor who puts it all together and changes your life.  What makes Colin so remarkable is that he has been a Celiac advocate since he was 13 starting his own walk for the disease to raise money and awareness for Celiac disease.  I highly recommend that you head over to his Web site to learn more about him and his walk.  Truly inspiring.

When we left we were presented with a fantastic swag bag of Schär product and there was one surprise in there – their new par baked Mini Baguettes which I have not seen in the United States.  I cannot wait to pop them in the oven and give them a try.
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The fantastic Tiramisu
 
 
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I declare this week Dessert Week here at GFM.com.  In my never ending quest to bring you fabulous (and delicious) gluten-free items I thought what better way to get a bunch of new product reviews out there than a rapid-fire review-a-day.

So head on over to my Product Review section where each morning a new gluten-free dessert item will be reviewed for your reading pleasure.  Yes, it was a very tough job eating my way through the five sweet desserts I am bringing to you but someone has to do it.  Just select Desserts from the pull-down and you'll get a new sweet review every day.

There are some really interesting and exciting products included in this round of reviews so be sure to check out the section every day this week.  You will not be disappointed.
 
 
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My friends at Katz Gluten Free sent me a very nice sampling of some of their sweet treats and savory breads – thank you so very much.  I have to say that I could not have been more pleasantly surprise with some of my old time favorites now available in gluten-free form.  I also love the fact that they are right here in New York State.  Perhaps the most important thing (aside from being absolutely delicious) about their baked goods is they instantly transported me to my pre-Celiac diagnosis days where I indulged in challah and rugelech without care and never in a million years thought I would find delicious gluten-free versions. 

To start with, three words – gluten-free rugelech.  Yes, that is right my friends you read correctly.  I do not think there is anything finer than a good rugelech and let’s face it, even in its gluten-filled form good rugelech can be hard to find.  

Well, my friends, look no further because Katz has, what is in my opinion, the best rugelech out there – gluten or gluten-free.  The pastry is so light and flakey (as rugelech should be) that I was waiting for a reaction because I just could not believe they were gluten-free. 

Let’s begin with the cinnamon variety – think of a delicious cinnamon bun and that is exactly what these tasted like.  Little miniature cinnamon buns that were perfectly sweetened so you could enjoy the rich buttery flakey pastry.  It took all of my strength not to eat the entire package but actually they are very filling which is a good thing because three, okay four, made for the perfect dessert after dinner without leaving you feeling like there was a rock in your stomach.  The chocolate variety was equally as good with rich cocoa notes and just lightly sweetened so as not to take away from the nuttiness of the chocolate.  You can actually taste the ingredients – from the subtle saltiness of the butter to the sweet graininess of the sugar – there are the real deal and absolutely perfectly balanced from a flavor point of view.

Next up were the two varieties of cookies: chocolate dipped and chocolate chip.  After sampling the rugelech there was really no question that the bakers at Katz knew what they were doing so the cookies were no surprise – they were simply delicious.  The chocolate dipped were a simple vanilla butter cookie half-dipped in a rich coating of chocolate.  The cookies themselves were the perfect consistency – being crisp and flaky but without falling apart into pieces at first bite. 

The chocolate chip cookies were again the vanilla butter cookie base but this time with chocolate chips throughout each cookie.  These were also perfectly balanced from a sweetness perspective.  The chocolate was not overpowering and played well against the richness of the base cookie.

Now onto the breads…

Yes, there are good gluten free breads out there – we all know that and there’s no surprise there.  However, much like their rugelech Katz is a true standout with their gluten-free sliced challah and challah rolls.  Challah people, challah – I mean it just does not get any better than this.  I could not open the rolls quick enough and was not disappointed.  They are actually airy like challah should be but the taste – oh, the taste!  You first get the subtle hint of sweetness that makes challah so appealing followed by the rich savory notes – rounded out with the ever so subtle bite of the browned crust (which is hard to convey in words – but challah aficionados know exactly what I am talking about).  The sliced bread is equally as good and complex and toasts up a dream.  It is extremely hearty and keeps so well in the freezer and comes back to life without issue.  Perhaps the most shocking about Katz’s challah is that you can eat it right from the package and it tastes like a challah should.

So, to my friends at Katz Gluten-Free, thank you for making the most delicious gluten-free varieties of rugelech and challah – two items I never thought I would be able to enjoy again post-Celiac diagnosis.  To those of you out there reading this – run, don’t walk to their Web site and check out their full product portfolio but if you do not order their rugelech and challah you are truly missing out.

Oh, and they even offer first-time customers the chance to get a free sample pack of some of their delicious items – you just pay shipping.
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What better way to ward off those coming April showers than with a fantastic gluten-free cheesecake from my friends at Earth Café.  That’s right you could have one of their fantastically delicious cheesecakes delivered right to your front door – for free. 

It has been a while since I had a little contest so my friends at Earth Café came up with the following contest to give one lucky GFM reader their very own cheesecake – and best of all the promotion runs the entire month of March. 

I absolutely love, love, love these cheesecakes and not only are they gluten-free but also: vegan, dairy-free, wheat-free, sans refined sugars and nasty oils, and free from cholesterol.  Oh, and did I mention they taste out of this world!  There are multiple ways to enter, each offering a different amount of entries.  You can earn a maximum of 10 entries for this promotion.  Best of all you have the entire month to get those entries in.  Oh, and if you know someone who loves decadent desserts feel free to pass this along.

Here’s how to enter:

1.  Write about or link to the contest in your own blog.  Just be sure to link back to this post, forward me the link to your posting, and you’ll receive 5 entries.  Note this method can only be used once.

2.  Fill out this simple entry form for 3 entries.  Note this method can only be used once.

3.  Make a comment right here.  In your comment please include: What flavor cheesecake you want to try.  Be sure to fill out your contact information when prompted.  You can head on over to Earth Café’s Web site to check out their decadent flavors.  GFM loves their Cali Style Lemon and Rockin’ Raspberry flavors.  A simple way to score 2 entries.  Note this method can only be used once.

4.  Become a fan of Earth Café on Facebook.  Just shoot me an e-mail once you do with your name so we can verify.  This will get you 2 entries.  Note this method can only be used once.

5.  Follow Earth Café on Twitter.  Just shoot me an e-mail once you do with your name so we can verify.  This will get you 2 entries.  Note this method can only be used once. 

6.  Tweet the following via Twitter "@glutenfreemike I want a @earthcafe #glutenfree cheesecake! http://bit.ly/bG9ilf ".  This will get you 1 entry.

7.  Friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter for 1 entry.  Just shoot me an e-mail once you do with your name so we can verify.  Note this method can only be used once for Facebook and once for Twitter.

Oh, and if you just can’t wait to try out their cheesecakes, you can get a special 20% discount on your orders by simply entering the promotion code: GFM at checkout.
 
Now here’s the fine print:
Contest is open to legal residents of the United States only.  A maximum of 10 entries can be earned by a single person.  All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on March 31, 2010.  Winner will be chosen from all entries received at random on or after April 1, 2010. 
 
 
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Okay, I have been teasing you enough with the product I have spent the last few days eating in order to provide a comprehensive review of almost an entire product line.  The secret product was…Earth Café’s Gluten-Free cheesecakes.  Well, not just gluten-free but raw, vegan, wheat, and cholesterol free as well.  Did that pique your attention?  I know, you are probably thinking gee, that is great that they are basically everything-free but I bet they are free from taste as well.  Au contraire mes amis...that could not be further from the truth.  Well, to be honest, I too thought exactly the same thing when Craig from Earth Café reached out to me and wanted to know if I would be interested in trying them out.  Yes, I was very skeptical because the concept of a dairy free, raw cheesecake just did not seem appealing.  Quite frankly had Earth Café not reached out to me this would have been one of those things that I likely just would not have tried.  I mean let’s face it cheese-less raw cheesecake seems to be a contradiction of terms.

Thankfully I took Craig up on his offer and he and the fine people at Earth Café actually overnighted a sampling from the O.C. on the West Coast to me here in N.Y.C. and everything arrived perfectly intact due to careful packing.  But I digress…I received five of Earth Café’s most popular flavors: Blueberry Thrill; Rockin’ Raspberry; Cali Style Lemon; Cherry Dream; and Peach Passion.  Let’s just say I knew what I would be having for dessert over the upcoming evenings.  Ah, see why this review took a bit longer than usual?

I am, however, only human so I enlisted the help of my non-GF other half so that I could eat one myself and taste a portion of another to better expedite the tasting process.  I started with the Rockin’ Raspberry.  As I took the first bite, I am not sure what I was expecting but it was certainly not the creamy deliciousness that first hit my palate.  I was confused and looked at the container which the slice came in to read the ingredients.  Where was the cream cheese, the butter, the sugar?  Not here and believe me when I tell you NOT missed.  Just twelve simple, vegan ingredients that somehow Earth Café had managed to turn into a rich, creamy, downright delicious cheesecake that’s not a cheesecake. 

The raspberry variety was chock-full of fresh raspberries that packed a welcomed sweet and tart bite.  The “crust” was nothing more than fantastically soaked chopped nuts that added overall flavor and added complexity but did not distract from the filling itself.  The crusts are finely chopped nuts and appear to be cashew, pecan, and walnut mixes.  I say appear because I am going by the ingredient list on the packages but clearly Earth Café are magicians in the kitchen so I am not sure if any of these comprise the body as well or just the crust.  The filling was so complex with the real raspberry taste paired with zesty lemon and cinnamon undertones all in a creamy base from coconut and sweetened with agave nectar.

Now here’s where it gets interesting…my other half is not a cheesecake fan by any stretch of the imagination – but I needed help and was dying to taste the Blueberry Thrill variety.  He was still not quite sold but dug in and all I can say is he now likes cheesecake (well, Earth Café’s).  So if your home is divided by the cheesecake fans and non-believers, these products meet everyone’s needs.  The blueberry pie was just as rich and decadent as the first – just chock-full of fresh blueberries.  It is the fruit in these decadent treats that really helps you to understand the taste benefits of raw eating.  The fruits tasted as though it had just been picked and thrown into the cake right then and there.  I know, you are thinking sure it did but I was as shocked as you will be at how vibrant and flavorful the ingredients were – and they never set foot anywhere near an oven.

The next evening I continued to work my way through the flavors with the Cherry Dream version.  Once again, same fabulous base with wonderfully ripe red cherries that were…wait for it…still crisp to the tooth.  By this point in time I had resolved myself that I needed to just stop wondering how they are able to do this and embrace the concept raw vegan cheese-less cheesecake.  The following evening it was time to crack open the Cali Style Lemon (lemon has always been a personal favorite of mine as flavors go) and it did not disappoint.  We are talking some serious tang here.  This was indeed my personal favorite of the lot – so light and creamy packing a tart punch that still did not take away from the overall flavor itself.

Sadly (only because I was now out of slices) the Peach Passion was last in the line-up and it did not disappoint.  The sweet fresh peach taste was crisp and delicious and again paired perfectly with the creamy base and subtle spiciness of the nuts.

If you think raw desserts are going to be boring, I encourage you to give these cakes a try.  I was probably one of the hardest sells but am so glad I gave it a try.  I don’t know how they do it – nor do I question it.  The bottom line is that Earth Café makes a more healthful gluten-free option that tastes, in a word, AMAZING.  My thanks to Craig and all of the folks over at Earth Café for making a believer out of me.

For those of you on the West Coast, you can find their products in many Whole Foods and other markets based on your location.  Check out their Store Locator to find out if they are at a location near you.  If not, there is always mail order.  You can view their online storefront to check out all the delicious options that abound. 
 
 
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The number 10 spot on my Gluten Free Mike's Favorite Things goes to another company with a fantastic and delicious gluten-free product portfolio.  I can honestly say that I absolutely love EVERYTHING I have tried from Shabtai Gourmet.  Their decadent desserts are the real deal – made from simple, high quality ingredients.  If you are entertaining this holiday season that do yourself a favor and stock up on some of these delicious goodies.  Best of all they freeze (and defrost) like a dream making your dessert course super simple.  You can check out their entire sweet portfolio on their Web site where you can also place an order to arrive at your front door in time for the holidays (and they are even offering free shipping for the holidays).

Now on to the products:

Shabtai Gourmet Raspberry Roll
It is no secret that I love Shabtai Gourmet’s products.  So, here is yet another one of their delicious desserts as I eat my way through their entire product portfolio.  Enter the famed jelly roll…This is a moist and spongy rendition that is absolutely indiscernible from its gluten-laden version.  The cake itself is light and filled with delicious jam.  The outer layer is rolled in shredded coconut giving the roll an added textural dimension that makes for the perfect marriage when you take your first bite.  Perhaps the best thing about this product is that it freezes beyond compare and can be quickly thawed when surprise gluten-free friends show up unannounced.

Shabtai Gourmet Mini Black and White Cookies
Perhaps Jerry Seinfeld said it best, “Look to the cookie” when describing the goodness that is known as the black and white cookie.  I am on a roll, and a few pounds heavier, thanks to my discovery of Shabtai-Gourmet products.  So, I have been sampling their dessert offerings back to back over the past couple of weeks.  Most recently I indulged in their black and white cookies.  Now these are the mini version of the infamous oversized variety but every bit as good.The cookie itself is wonderfully spongy in consistency (as a good b&w cookie should be).  The icing is nice and thick allowing for the crunch sensation when you first break it sugary crust.  You can really taste the subtle notes of apricot and orange that make this otherwise simple cookie very complex.  Again, Shabtai-Gourmet has taken an iconic classic dessert (and personal favorite) and perfectly cloned it in a gluten free variety.No, I do not own any Shabtai stock, I just love good quality, good tasting items.  I am particularly fond of Shabtai-Gourmet because they not only use ingredients I can easily recognize, but they managed to replace a huge chunk of desserts that I quite honestly thought were gone with my Celiac diagnosis.

Shabtai Gourmet Rainbow Cookies
Continuing with my Shabtai-Gourmet kick, I had a box of these cookies in my freezer and thought why not give them a try the other evening.  Well, I have been eating the steadily for the past few days.  I grew up loving what is affectionately known as the rainbow cookie.  When I was diagnosed Celiac, a huge and quite frankly delicious, part of my childhood was wiped away.  That is until I came across these delectable gems.For those of you not familiar with the rainbow cookie, it is layers of brightly colored sponge-like cake held together by fruit jam and then…wait for it…covered in rich chocolate.  I mean does it get any better?  Shabtai’s version is the real deal.  While eating them the other evening my non-Celiac other half also was eating them and made the comment, “These taste real”.  They certainly do and it is largely because they are made from real ingredients (as with all Shabtai’s products).  One you remove these cookies from the freezer they return to their soft and moist state.  They are no worse the wear for being frozen and honestly I actually enjoy them frozen as well.  Shabtai-Gourmet excels at taking classic, memorable recipes, and keeping them simple, honest, and real.

Shabtai Gourmet Ring Ting Cupcakes
As many of you know, I love sweets.  I love chocolate, I love cookies, and I love cake.  Unfortunately in the world of gluten free, it is often a challenge to find original creations – well my gluten free friends, your search is over.Shabtai Gourmet features a portfolio of products that would make Willy Wonka weep tears of joy.  Their Ring Ting Cupcakes are, in a word, amazing.  Think the Hostess chocolate cupcakes of your childhood which were full of real ingredients and not corn syrup and preservatives.Shabtai’s cupcakes are a throwback to the glory days of baking where a few simple ingredients combined to make magical desserts.  The cupcakes are rich, devil’s food cake filled with a wonderfully sweet white cream icing center.  Ah, the icing…you can feel the grit of the real sugar between your teeth as you savor every bite.  You are not going to find this in today’s mass produced products.  There is no corn syrup here.  In fact here is a list of the ingredients: whole eggs, sugar, potato starch, organic palm fruit shortening, cocoa, cottonseed oil, tapioca starch, all natural vanilla extract, cocoa butter, and salt.  Each cake is enrobed in a fantastically rich chocolate coating that, when coupled with the moist cake and rich cream, makes for a truly magical experience.Shabtai has broken the proverbial gluten free mold and provided Celiacs (and a range of allergy sufferers) with wonderfully decadent dessert options.  I have a few more products sitting in my freezer and will be posting additional reviews in the very near future.
 
 
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 So, for some yet to be explained reason, my Twitter account has been “temporarily suspended” which seeing as it never really worked correctly might not be such a bad thing.  While I am awaiting a response from Twitter as to why per se I have been blocked I do not hold out much hope for an explanation (though hope to be proven wrong).  I realized that it is a free service but it clearly is still full of bugs and not working properly.  A quick Google search showed I am clearly not alone and let’s just say their customer support is lacking.  As a result,  all of my communication will now go through this site or via Facebook so really not a huge deal.  Also, quite frankly do people really care what each other are doing every waking moment of the day – probably not.  Quite frankly I do not find myself to be all that interesting and cannot really imagine anyone that I would really need to know what they are doing to the microsecond.  Okay, rant over…back to gluten free land.

I made the most delicious gluten free cookies this weekend from Gluten Free Essentials.  Check out my review here.  They were super simple to make (and I mean super simple) and absolutely delicious.  Also, for the amount the cookie mix yields you get a good bang for you buck.