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If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog you will know that I absolutely LOVE pasta.  Being Italian, the biggest blow when diagnosed was the prospect of a bread and pasta-free existence.  When I was first diagnosed there were few pasta options and the ones that were out there, well, let’s just say they got the job done but offered little in the way of true satisfaction.  Today, there seem to be an infinite number of gluten-free pastas in a range of sizes, shapes, and flours.  Well maybe not quite infinite but it feels that way to me.  Every time I visit my local specialty grocer I see more and more gluten-free options popping-up from around the world – and yes it is my sworn duty as a GF blogger and proud Italian that I try each and every one I can get my hands on.  So the number 9 spot goes to Le Veneziane Gluten-Free Pasta.

On the recommendation of an Italian friend who said this was the best pasta out there I eagerly placed an order of four different shapes.  Ordering was easy enough through Amazon.com which had an online storefront for a company out of Boston who would actually ship the order.  Now I paid for normal shipping and the pasta was literally at my door the next day – well done.I was so eager to give this pasta a try as I love new GF items and I LOVE pasta. 

This is an Italian corn-based pasta that is available in some quite uncommon (for GF pasta) shapes which makes for a nice change from penne and fusilli.  I opted for the gnocchi (dry), spaghetti, pipe rigate, and tubetti rigate.  First on deck, the pipe rigate.I was craving a creamy alfredo sauce so wanted something that would capture the sauce nicely and the pipe rigate more than satisfied this need.  The uncooked pasta really looked like the pasta I remembered in my pre-Celiac days but the question remained…how would it taste?  Well, I am happy to report that my Italian friend did not let me down and it was really quite possibly the best pasta I have had to-date.  It cooked to a perfect al dente and the texture was indistinguishable from the traditional semolina version.You can view the company’s Web site (in English) to view their entire portfolio of products. 
 
 
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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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Perhaps Francis Bacon said it best, Acorns were good till bread was found.  I love bread.  I love it in all its forms – rolls, sliced, even crackers (hey, they are made from dough).  So weighing in at number 12 in my Gluten Free Mike’s Favorite Things is a proverbial basket full of bread.   Perhaps the biggest blow to me when diagnosed with Celiac was that at the time, there was really no bread available that tasted remotely like the real thing.  Yes, times have certainly changed but finding bread, rolls, and crackers that tasted consistently real can still prove challenging.   I have been singing the praises of Schär gluten free products a lot after discovering a free-standing display in my local grocery.  I have almost worked my way through their entire product portfolio so thought I would share with you some of my all time favorites.

Schär Crackers
I had actually not purchased these crackers the first time I tried them.  I was at a friend’s house for cocktails and low and behold these were purchased for my enjoyment.  Not to mention they were neatly protected from the gluten-filled options by a carefully constructed napkin wall – very nice touch!

But I digress, back to the crackers.  These crackers were light a buttery not dense and heavy as can sometimes be the case.  The worked extremely well with cheese, dip, and meat.  They are just salty enough so as not to overpower whatever you decided to top them with.  They are a bit delicate but after years of dense and cakey gluten free options I welcome their fragility wholeheartedly.  Also, they are a bit larger than their more traditional counterparts but again, you can pile more toppings on to enjoy.  If you love crackers, please do give these a try.

Schär Classic White Bread
The final bread item from the Schär portfolio is their classic white bread.  I have had their rolls, whole grain, and now completing the bread trifecta is their white loaf.  Now, in full disclosure, I am more of a whole grain kind of guy, but every now and then I crave the sweetness that is good old fashioned, gasp, white bread.Once again, Schär does not disappoint.  Whatever magic they are working over in Germany is translating beautifully here in the States.  This bread is light, airy, and just sweet enough to remind one of the gluten-filled white versions of the past.  The slices are robust enough to take on whatever toppings you throw at them without going soggy or leaking.  The bread toasts up wonderfully (and quickly) and makes for one heck of a good grilled cheese sandwich.  Yes, the slices are a bit smaller that more traditional brands but not having to bake it myself and having a product that tastes like the real thing wins out over size.  Also, the calorie count is far more waist-friendly at 70 calories per slice – so go ahead, indulge in its doughy goodness,So if you are waxing nostalgic for some good old time white bread, give this brand a try and I promise you will not be disappointed.

Schär Classic White Rolls
The next item in the bread line-up from Schär is their delectable white rolls.  Now, I cannot even begin to remember the last time I had a proper roll since going gluten free.  Each visit to the supermarket I am always sure to pick up another package of these rolls as I tend to go through them rather quickly.  The best thing about them (taste aside) is that they last a very long time if you refrigerate them.The rolls are smaller than a traditional Kaiser of the like but still are a fantastic substitute when you are craving, oh I don’t know, a burger that is in something other than lettuce.  Like the multigrain bread, these rolls toast up like you would not believe.  They are surprisingly light and crisp up nicely in the toaster.  They provide just the right amount of density to hold up well to whatever you place between them without soaking through or going all soggy.I have made everything from cheese steaks to burgers. Actually, order a burger from your favorite diner or delivery place sans bun and while waiting for it to arrive, toast up one of these bad boys and when your burger arrives simply plate and enjoy on your very own gluten free bun.  These rolls have helped eliminate the quandary of what kind of takeout to order because I am usually so limited and tend to order the same thing over and over.  I am still somewhat limited given my shellfish allergy but at least I can quickly construct my own gluten free delights from the staple that is New York City delivery.

Schär Wholegrain Bread
Continuing with my Schär kick and my goal of trying every item that comprises the display in my supermarket I thought I would review their multigrain bread.  I know grain and Celiac do not normally meld well together but this bread is most definitely gluten free.I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Schär products I have sampled to-date.  This bread was not any different.  It was very close to the real thing and as far as I am concern is the Celiac real deal.  Now it is not a straight out of the package to plate bread – you have to work a little, but the reward is well worth it.  You need to “refresh” the product to help bring it back to life if you will.  It is a simple process, either wrap it in a paper towel and pop in the microwave for a few seconds or place in a heated oven for a few minutes.  I went the oven route and it worked perfectly.  I then proceeded to toast the bread and it toasted up magnificently.  The texture is, well bread-like, but has the nutty benefit of being whole grain so it is a bit more complicated in the flavor department than your run of the mill white.  It toasts up a dream and is crisp and flakey.  It is also not sticky in the slightest as we often see with some rice-based bread.  The only down-side is that, as with many gluten free bread precuts, the slices are a bit small but GFM welcomes this as it keeps me honest in the portion department.  I have used this bread for traditional sandwiches to open-faced and it never fails me.

Schär Italian Breadsticks
I came across these in the store the other day and after tasting them will soon be going back for more.  I have had other gluten free breadsticks before that were quite good but they were more bulky than these.  This particular brand reminds me of the classic Italian breadstick – thin and long.  Just the other day, while preparing nibbles for entertaining I was thinking wouldn’t it be great to have prosciutto-wrapped bread sticks on the table.  Alas, I only knew of smaller gluten free types so it was a no go.  Well, now that problem is solved…whew!These breadsticks are light, crisp and airy.  I enjoyed them all on their own but could see them adorned with prosciutto or even used to navigate through a creamy dip.  I also love the fact that you get 3 individual packages in each box.  Not only is this good for portion control – because I could have easily kept on eating the entire box – but also helps keep them crisp and fresh.
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Continuing with Gluten Free Mike’s Favorite Things here is one from the recent archive.  Quite possibly the best thing about this granola is that it tastes like granola.  Now, I know what your thinking, GFM shouldn’t granola taste like granola?  Well, my friends in a perfect world, yes, but in our sometimes bizzaro gluten-free world we often get items that claim to be like their gluten-filled counterparts but tend to taste completely different – not Deb and Lynne’s.  Think back for a moment to your lunchboxes of yesteryear.  Remember a green foil wrapped granola bar that actually came two to a pack?  This granola tastes exactly like that (to me anyway) though it is wonderfully softer than the bars which could easily destroy your teeth.  Deb and Lynne’s flavors are also a bit more sophisticated than honey and nut.  I really do eat this all the time and love it as dessert by itself or over ice cream.  That reminds me, I have to place a new order.  Do yourself a favor and give this a try.

I recently had the opportunity to sample all three varieties of natural gluten-free granola from Deb and Lynne’s.  They make Simply Cinnamon, Nut n’ But Seeds, and Cha Cha Chai varieties of granola. 

The Simply Cinnamon was really very good.  It was perfectly sweetened with pure maple syrup which made it sweet but was not overpowering.  The granola itself was fantastic.  It was not hard as s rock (which granola sometimes can be) but rather wonderfully soft clusters that held together but alleviated any worry of damaging a tooth on any rock hard bits.  When milk was added, the granola really shined as they milk was quickly flavored with the essence of spicy cinnamon with the hint of maple syrup sweetness.  I also tried the cinnamon variety on some plain vanilla ice cream and it made for a FAB topping that perfectly complemented the creamy texture of the ice cream.  To be even a bit more decadent I added a bit of gluten-free chocolate syrup and was in absolute heaven.

The Nut n’ But Seeds variety was also quite delicious.  It had a great nutty flavor from the assortment of seeds in the mix.  I loved the pumpkin seeds which paired perfectly with the flax, granola, and other nuts in the mix.  This variety was also perfectly sweetened with just a hint of maple sweetness so as not to take away from the complexity of this granola mix.

Finally is their Cha Cha Chai variety which was quite possibly the most unexpected taste sensation of the entire portfolio.  This variety is really where the brand shines because it is so very different from any other granola I have come across to-date.  The chai was terrifically spicy and from the first bite I fell in love with the mix.  I have to be honest, I am not a chai drinker and was a bit hesitant to give this one a go but the taste was so unique (in a very good way) that I just could not help myself and the sample-sized bag was gone in one sitting.  If you are looking for something that has a bit of a spicy kick and changes the breakfast playing field, then I highly recommend giving this one a try.

You can check out Deb and Lynne’s complete product line and learn a bit more about the company on their Web site.
 
 
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Okay, let's get this gluten-free party started.  We are at day 15 in Gluten Free Mike's Favorite Things.  My favorite things are listed in no particular order so number 15 is every bit as good as the coming number 1.

My first (well fifteenth) favorite thing is a new product that I had the pleasure of sampling recently called Kenzoil.  For the uninitiated (as was I), it is a extra virgin olive oil that is mixed with fresh basil, garlic, and herbs.  Now when I was first asked to give this a try I thought what could possibly be so special about a flavored olive oil?  Well, two words sum it up best, TASTE and VERSATILITY. 

First the taste.  It has such a rich basil and herb taste that you notice immediately, followed by notes of garlic and just a wisp of spiciness.  Somehow Kenzoil managed to find an extra virgin olive oil that, while rich in taste, did not overpower the other ingredients making for the perfect balance.  I often find that extra virgin olive oil can sometimes have a very strong pronounced flavor (I often prefer the extra light variety in my recipes) that can take away from the taste of other ingredients it is mixed with.

Now lots of products I have come across say they are versatile.  Well, Kenzoil really delivers on this.  My initial reaction was to have it with some gluten-free bread, which was delicious.  I had it on the table so figured why not try it on some of my broccolini, again delicious.  The next day I had a hankering for some gluten-free pasta and tossed in some Kenzoil…yep, you guessed it delicious.  Even my non-Celiac other half had the pasta (a rarity) and raved about just how good it was.  I tossed in just a small amount of Pecorino Romano cheese and the end result was phenomenal.  I cannot wait until I am entertaining again because I am going to make some gluten-free bruschetta with tomato and fresh mozzarella that I toss with some of the product.

The product is all natural and must be refrigerated to keep it fresh for a longer period.  Yes, it will solidify in the refrigerator but as the product states, simply run it under warm water or, as I did, just put it out on the counter and it will quickly return to its liquid glory.

The product is available online at their Web site which is full of information about the product and also features some great recipe ideas.  For those of you in the Midwest, you can find it at Whole Foods Markets in Michigan (also in specialty stores), Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska.
 
 
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Forget about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, sorry Julie (though I am a sucker for all things feline).  I thought that I would get into the holiday spirit by having a bit of fun and counting down to Christmas with Gluten Free Mike’s Favorite Things. 

So, starting tomorrow through Christmas I will be featuring one of my personal favorite gluten-free things each day – just in time for those of you wondering what to pick up for the Celiacs in your life.  Forget the 12 Days of Christmas because 15 are far more fun and fabulous, particularly when they are gluten-free.  See you here tomorrow and let's get this gluten-free party started.  Oh, and for my friends celebrating Hanukkah just subtract 13 days from the counter below and for those celebrating Kwanzaa add one day.  Happy holidays to all!