Category: Food

Product: Schär Gluten-Free Baguettes – $7.99+

Despite the fact that loaves of bread are bought packaged in plastic all the time, sometimes it’s hard to fathom that something so soft and fluffy could emerge out of a vacuum sealed wrap like Schär’s rolls and breads do.  It just seems to boggle the mind and go against nature.  Rustic breads, such as baguettes and ciabatta (two offerings by Schär) should come wrapped in paper from the local corner bakery, right?

Well, for most people…yes.  For someone with an intolerance to gluten, well…breads are never an easy task.  While everyone else is gobbling up garlic toast and bread coated with olive oil and seasoning, it’s hard not to want something for yourself as well.

That’s where Schär steps in.  While out at the grocery store…I admit it…I splurged.  I was planning on baking up a polenta gnocchi that week to have for dinner throughout and wanted something to accompany it.  Previously, I had enjoyed Schär’s ciabatta rolls.  This time, I decided to grab the package that contained two baguettes and give that a try.

These baguettes come sealed in a vacuum-locked package to hold in the freshness of the parbaked bread.  Upon opening it and pulling out one of the baguettes, the first thing you notice is how soft and fluffy the bread is.  Nothing going stale or stiff…this bread could be eaten just out of the package.  But why do that when God created an oven and a myriad of spices?

One baguette is four servings, so I quartered it, put what I wasn’t using in a plastic bag in the fridge for future evenings, put the unopened baguette in the pantry, and preheated the oven to 400°.  I sliced my quarter of the baguette in half, then brushed a light coating of olive oil over it, seasoned it with garlic salt and a dash of crushed red pepper…and into the oven it went for only five minutes.

What emerged was an amazing gluten-free rustic delight.  The bread still had a bit of give to it, but it had crusted up to perfection.  It had absorbed the seasoning and paired really well with my sauced up dish.  No sauce went to waste, actually, because I now had something that could mop it up.  Schär created a parbaked loaf of bread that holds up on shelves and is absolutely mouthwatering.  It tastes like the real thing, fresh from the oven is like getting it hot from a local bakery as they pull it out of their own oven.  It was absolutely fantastic and just once again went to prove that looks can be deceiving.  Just because something comes packaged in plastic doesn’t automatically mean that it won’t bring a wow-factor to your palate.

Once again Schär does this allergic chef proud with their products.  I can now pair so many dishes with a slice of these scrumptious baguettes and not feel like the odd man out at the dinner table anymore.  Schär does gluten-free bread proud and with two items now that I’ve been highly impressed with, I look forward to giving other products of theirs a shot.

Need a delicious gluten-free alternative to bread…give the baguette a warm in the oven and enjoy.  It’s heaven in every bite, no matter how you dress it up.

Product: Rudi’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread – $4.99+

I have a local gluten-free tasting fair to thank for introducing me to quite a few products that I will eventually be reviewing.  But, more than anything, I thank my natural food store for giving me the opportunity to try things that I normally would pass on due to my financial situation and the high cost for most products that I can eat.

That being said, while I have had a successful run with products made by Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery, I hadn’t tried their Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread…until a plate was handed to me at the tasting fair.  And, quite honestly, my life changed.

I know that sounds pretty facetious to say, but it’s the truth.  But I don’t just spend my money on any gluten-free product.  Rudi’s Cinnamon Raisin bread is not only affordable…but epically delicious.  So, I bought a loaf and brought it home.  Just a couple bites was all it took for me to snatch this product up and take it home.  That already speaks volumes.

But the food is what should do the talking, and what I’ve discovered with Rudi’s is that they make high quality, delicious, and affordable gluten-free products from basic, natural ingredients.  You won’t find a thing on the list of ingredients that you don’t recognize.  That is amazing reassuring.  No chemicals, mixed with care and love, and winning over the gluten-free (and even non-gluten-free) hearts and stomachs nationwide.

This bread is fantastic on its own.  Fresh from the bag.  It’s soft and rich.  But toast it up in the oven or the toaster and you really set your senses on fire.  This bread smells amazing as it toasts.  It reminds me a lot of the holidays, when the scent of cinnamon hangs in the air as cinnamon rolls are baked fresh in the oven.  Except…I can’t eat just any cinnamon rolls anymore…but this bread gives that burst of cinnamon flavor with an added kick of the sweet raisins.  And Rudi’s doesn’t skimp on the raisins either.  We’re talking plump, big raisins throughout the bread.  I didn’t expect that…but I’ve come to learn that Rudi’s puts a lot of care and consideration into their products and that is one of many reasons I continue to buy their line of food.

Rudi’s Cinnamon Raisin bread is great on its own, but I’ve found on race days, smearing it with a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter does amazing things for my energy levels pre-race and throughout.  It’s become a tradition now.  It pairs well with apple butter, or just plain butter.  It’s fun to dress up for Halloween (see my recipe section for Ghost Toast) with confectioners sugar and bits of candy.  It is so full of flavor that it mixes well with anything you put on it.

And…the best part is the size of the slices of bread.  While not quite at regular bread size, Rudi’s comes close.  I feel like I’m eating an entire piece of bread, because it looks like a full-size piece of bread.  It’s a bit of a comfort.

Rudi’s Cinnamon Raisin bread is substantial in size, in flavor, in spice.  The cinnamon is prevalent throughout each bite.  The raisins compliment the natural flavors of the bread.  And, overall, this product is one of my favorite things to buy when I’m treating myself to something gluten-free.  I mean, it now powers my runs on race days.  When you have to run on gluten-free carbs, do yourself right with the ones you choose.  For me, I will always be fueled by Rudi’s.

Love cinnamon and raisins?  Then you’ll love to give this bread a try.  Dress it up or keep it simple.  It doesn’t matter.  It’s delicious any way you slice it.

Product: Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread – $5.99+

Udi’s Whole Grain Bread has the distinct honor of being the first gluten-free bread I ever tried.  Seriously.  I had gone gluten-free a couple months before I actually tried it, but had avoided buying any bread (basically, I had cut it out of my diet completely) due to the high cost of the shrunken loaves offered in grocery stores.  Let’s face it…the gluten-free bread loaves contain about half the bread of a normal loaf, and the size of the slices…about half that of normal bread.  It’s frustrating from a budget standpoint…so I just wasn’t going to have it.

And then…I made my annual trip out to Denver, Colorado for a convention.  And in order to stay in a budget, my roommate and I shop the local grocery store for food, allowing one meal out a day.  So, as we were shopping, we spotted a display of Udi’s bread at a very reasonable price.  This shouldn’t be a shock, as we were in Denver – where Udi’s is based out of.  So, we picked up a loaf, grabbed a jar of peanut butter, and called it a mission successful.

But we didn’t get to try the bread right away.  We had other plans the following morning, including a drive to Boulder, Colorado to tour the Celestial Seasonings factory and then…brunch at The Buff.  It just so happened that at The Buff, the menu includes the option for your toast to be gluten-free.  And what kind of gluten-free bread does The Buff use?  Udi’s.

So, my first taste of Udi’s bread was in an plain toast form…served up with my giant (and delicious) omelet.  And, it was good.  REALLY good.  This meant the stuff back at the hotel room wasn’t as scary as I was making it in my head, right?  Absolutely right!

The following day our breakfast consisted of a peanut butter sandwich, with said peanut butter smeared and smooshed between two slices of Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread.  It was so full of flavor, so soft, and it reminded me of what real bread tasted like.  I was so worried that the gluten-free products would lack texture, or flavor…but not Udi’s.  The texture was spot-on for bread – soft, but sturdy.  You know, able to at least contain what gets sandwiched in between without going soggy and falling apart.  The flavor was amazing.  If I didn’t know I was eating gluten-free bread, I’d never suspect it.  Fantastic flavor.  It won over my bread-loving heart.  In fact, I vowed that the high price was now worth it when it came to gluten-free bread…as long as it was Udi’s.  Bread was back in my diet again.

And so…the gluten-free bread snob in me was born.  I admit it.  Nothing else would do.  I couldn’t buy any other type of gluten-free bread.  Udi’s was it.  When something is done so well, why risk your budget on something that may not be as satisfying.  Stick with what you know and what you love.

Yes, the slices of bread are rather small, but they still fill you up.  I promise.  My only complaint is that in more loaves than not, the slices have large holes in them.  I can work around that when eating a peanut butter sandwich, but when I do up my grilled cheese, holy bread isn’t really an option.  So, be mindful that your loaf may not be as “whole” as you like.  But the taste will amaze you and you’ll fall madly in love with the Udi’s brand…just as I did.  When it comes to choosing gluten-free products, I have yet to be let down by Udi’s.  And while I have blogged about other products, this type of bread still remains the reason I fell in love with Udi’s in the first place.

Toast it.  Grill it.  Eat it straight out of the bag.  Brush it with olive oil and some seasonings and make garlic toast (yes…I’ve done this!) to have with gluten-free pasta.  Whatever your wish.  Whatever suits your fancy…this bread holds up to anything you can do to it.  However you enjoy your gluten-free bread, enjoy it with Udi’s.

Fall in love with bread again.  Fall in love with Udi’s.