Gluten Free Cake: Shabtai Gourmet Swiss Chocolate Roll - Product Review #88

Gluten Free Cake: Shabtai Swiss Chocolate Roll

PRODUCT NAME:                           Swiss Chocolate Roll

BRAND:                                          Shabtai Gourmet

COST:                                            $7.29

SIZE:                                              12oz                      

COST PER OZ:                               $0.61/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:             NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:              N/A

ORGANIC:                                       NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:              N/A

VEGAN:                                          NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:               YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:               New York

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.   

         

REVIEW:

If you’re a fan of chocolate, you might be a fan of Shabtai Gourmet’s Swiss chocolate roll.  Shabtai sent this gluten free treat to us to try a few weeks back.  It comes sealed in plastic to keep it fresh and is placed in a recyclable plastic bakery container.  Opening it up, we couldn’t help but want to eat it right away with its chocolate goodness. 

Shabtai puts a lot of care and effort into their products.  This one is no exception.  Their Gluten Free Swiss Chocolate Roll is soy free, lactose free, casein free, peanut free, corn free and certified kosher.  To ensure that there is no contamination, they only let gluten free, casein free, lactose free, soy free and dairy free ingredients into their dedicated facility. 

Shabtai describes it as a devils food cake with vanilla crème filling.  Open it up and you will see something familiar.  It looks like a giant Hostess Ho Ho even down to the chocolate outer shell.  Taste it and it is similar too, although it isn’t as sweet probably because the outer chocolate shell is made of dark chocolate.  The texture of the devils food cake is a little powdery and dry which is a characteristic of the lack of gluten.  I would have preferred it to be a little moister because the dryness was making it flake off and break apart.  I’m not sure if it was because I left it out rather than refrigerating it, but the vanilla crème in the cake was very paste-like and grainy.  Overall, I found it to be a little artificial tasting. 

Seeing as how Shabtai Gourmet’s Gluten Free Swiss Chocolate Roll reminded me a lot of a Hostess Ho Ho, I decided to compare the nutrition facts of the two.   Shabtai Gourmet’s Swiss Chocolate Roll has 290 calories, 20 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, and 23 grams of sugar.  Comparing that with Hostess’s 380 calories, 17 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 30 mg of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, and 41 grams of sugar we see that Shabtai’s is much better in some categories and marginally worse in others.  While I’m not a nutritionist, I think I can safely say that neither of these is really good for you.

If you’ve been craving for a gluten free swiss chocolate roll, this is the one for you.  It might not be the best thing for you, but if you’re looking to indulge a little, this will do the trick.  Remember to practice moderation.  For a list of retail locations, go to Shabtai Gourmet’s website: www.shabtai-gourmet.com.      

Taste: This is a swiss chocolate roll that reminds me a lot of a Hostess Ho Ho.  If you’ve been craving one, this is your gluten free equivalent. 

Labeling:  The labeling was very simple, however the font was not very clear and a little small. 

Packaging:  Shrink wrapped roll placed in a plastic bakery container. 

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:                2             

Taste:                     3             

Value:                    2

OVERALL:              2.3

Reviewed 030911 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Cake: Shabtai Gourmet Raspberry Roll - Product Review #86

Gluten Free Cake: Shabtai Gourmet Raspberry Roll

PRODUCT NAME:                         Raspberry Roll

BRAND:                                        Shabtai Gourmet

COST:                                           $7.29

SIZE:                                             12oz                      

COST PER OZ:                              $0.61/oz        

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:            NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

ORGANIC:                                     NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

VEGAN:                                         NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:              YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:              New York

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.   

         

REVIEW:
Recently, Shabtai Gourmet sent us some treats to try.  One of them was their Gluten Free Raspberry Roll.  It came freshly baked sealed in plastic to keep it fresh.  Shabtai Gourmet’s Raspberry roll consists of yellow cake with raspberry filling which is then rolled in coconut. 

There is a lot going for this Raspberry roll.  It is gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, soy free, casein free, lactose free, corn free, certified kosher and contains no preservatives.  It’s just about all the things a health conscious person looks for in a product.  Those of you with severe allergies, you will be happy to hear that all the ingredients that enter their facility are gluten free, casein free, lactose free, soy free, and dairy free. 

When I think of a raspberry roll, I imagine a roll that is moist and spongy with a sweet filling.  Shabtai Gourmet did a great job with the filling.  It was sweet and sticky just like I expected it to be.  As for the cake, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.  It was powdery and flakey and just a tad dry.   

Shabtai has a lot to offer.  They have put a lot of care and effort into their baked goods.  If you have a sweet tooth and you like a healthy product you can count on, this is the product for you.  For a full list of retailers, visit Shabtai Gourmet’s website at: www.shabtai-gourmet.com

Taste: The filling was nice and sweet and the cake was powdery and flakey and just a little dry.  The moisture from the filling helped the overall texture to come together.  The coconut sprinkled over the outer layer was also a nice touch.  

Labeling:  The labeling was very simple however the font was not very clear and a little small. 

Packaging:  Shrink wrapped roll placed in a plastic bakery container. 

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:                 2             

Taste:                     3             

Value:                    2

OVERALL:              2.3

Reviewed 030911 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Snacks: Mareblu Naturals Crunch Bags - Product Review #84

Gluten Free Snacks: Mareblu Naturals Crunch Bags

PRODUCT NAME:                         Crunch Bags

BRAND:                                        Mareblu Naturals

COST:                                           $2.79

SIZE:                                             3oz                        

COST PER OZ:                              $0.93                                                    

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:            YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             GFCO

ORGANIC:                                     NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

VEGAN:                                        YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:              UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:              California

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.            

REVIEW:
 When Mareblu Naturals was developing their product line, aside from tasting good, there were 3 goals in mind.  They wanted everything locally grown and packaged, natural and healthy.  It looks like they succeeded with their Trail Mix Crunch.  Mareblu Naturals Crunch Bags comes in several varieties including almond, blueberry pomegranate, pistachio trail mix, and cashew among several others.  They are all natural, 100% vegan, Kosher, cholesterol free, dairy free, contain no preservatives and of course are certified gluten free.  With a long list of attributes like that, you have strong makings for a healthy snack.

Mareblu Naturals has a very nice variety of these Crunch Bags.  We had the Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch, Pistachio Trail Mix Crunch, Cashew Crunch and Almond Crunch varieties.  The one that appeals to you will all depend on what you like.  I’m a fan of almonds pistachios, and cashews so all of them appealed to me.  They all had a slightly sweet slightly salty flavor that was perfect.  The only complaint we had was that some of the pieces were saltier than others. 

The one that stood out the most was the Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch.  It contained cashews, almonds, pistachios, blueberries and was sweetened with a little pomegranate juice.  Mareblu Naturals says that it is their most popular flavor and with good reason.  The different nuts give it the perfect blend of crunchiness while the blueberry adds a pleasant chewiness.  The flavor is great too.  The blueberries add a lot of sweetness to the flavor and what you end up with is a flavor that reminds me of one of my favorite childhood cereals, Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries.

Mareblu Naturals have done a great job with this snack.     It is has a vegan certification, pareve certification and a gluten free certification.  If you are allergic to peanuts, rest assured because these snacks are peanut free and are produced in a facility that is peanut free.  All of these have about 150 calories, 11-12 grams of fat, 45-50 milligrams of sodium and 5 grams of sugar.  These numbers look pretty good and are definitely a healthier option that many of the other snacks out there.  Only thing to watch out for are people with sensitive teeth might want to pay attention when they are chewing as this will get stuck between your teeth. 

Taste: These crunch bags tasted great.  They had a nice balance of sweet and salty and a great blend of textures.   

Labeling:  The labeling on the packages was very easy to read.  The Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix 

Crunch had a join our E-club offer in place of the certification seals.  While I know joining their e-club is important, I think the certifications are more important.  They also do not say whether or not their facility is gluten free or not.    

Packaging:  Resealable plastic package which makes it convenient to eat on the go and in separate sittings.  

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Taste:                     4

Texture:                 4                             

Value:                    4

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed 3/8/11 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Sauces: Shiloh's All Natural Bearnaise - Product Review #58

Gluten Free Sauce: Shiloh's All Natural Bearnaise

PRODUCT NAME:                          Béarnaise Sauce

BRAND:                                         Shiloh’s All Natural

COST:                                           $7.40

SIZE:                                             11fl oz

COST PER OZ:                              $0.67/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:            YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             GFCO

ORGANIC:                                     NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

VEGAN:                                         NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:              UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:              California

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
The other day, we got some arctic char (a mix between a trout and a salmon) to cook up for lunch. As the resident chef here at the studio, I was looking for something to flavor it with. I had thought about flavoring it with some gluten free teriyaki sauce, but then I remembered that I had gotten some Béarnaise sauce from the nice people at Shiloh’s All Natural sauces at the Fancy Food Show. Béarnaise sauce is a French sauce that kind of looks like tartar sauce, but is flavored with lemon juice, tarragon, and shallots.

It all started when Shiloh’s Steakhouse, owned by Fabrice and Geoffrey Ghanem, opened up in Los Angeles, California. With a successful restaurant up and running, demand for their sauces and marinades grew. That’s when they decided to team up with their executive chef Katsuji Tanabe to create sauces they can bottle up to sell. They’ve gone to great length to ensure that these sauces are of the highest quality. You might be pleased to see that the entire line of sauces is certified parve as well as certified gluten free by GFCO.

Arctic Char with Shiloh's Gluten Free Bearnaise Sauce

Let me say that I was blown away by this sauce; it was the perfect complement to the fish. I pan fried the fish and at the last minute spread the sauce over it so that the sauce would melt into the fish. It added a nice buttery taste to the fish with just the right amount of herbs. At 190 calories and 21g of fat per 2 tablespoons of sauce it is more on the indulgent side of things, but you don’t really need to add too much of this sauce to infuse the fish with flavor. I think I only used about half a table spoon on each of the fillets of fish. On the plus side, the sodium is relatively low for such a flavorful sauce at 125mg per 2 tablespoon servings. My suggestion is to hold off on adding salt when using this sauce because you probably won’t even need it.

Overall, we loved this sauce and can’t wait to try it on some chicken and steak. At $0.67/oz, it’s not a bad value either for such a delicious sauce. The fact that it is has a parve certification and is certified gluten free is just the cherry on top. If you are interested in purchasing some Shiloh’s delicious sauces, right around now they should be available at your local Whole Foods or you can always find them on their website at: www.shilohsauces.com.

Taste: Delicious sauce that is the perfect flavor addition to your favorite fish, but seeing how much we enjoyed it, I’m sure it’ll go great on chicken or steak as well.

Labeling: This sauce is certified gluten free and parve and it’s nice to see those certification seals on this bottle. The nutrition facts are a little difficult to read. Due to the size of the bottle, it is in paragraph form rather than the traditional nutrition facts table.

Packaging: A very attractive glass jar that you can probably find another use for.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:
Texture:            5
Taste:                5
Value:               3
OVERALL:         4.3

Reviewed 012711 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Crackers: Mary's Gone Crackers Gluten Free Crackers - Product Review #14

Gluten Free Crackers: Mary's Gone Crackers Gluten Free Crackers

PRODUCT NAME:                   Seed Crackers

BRAND:                                  Mary’s Gone Crackers

COST:                                    $5.50

SIZE:                                       6.5oz

COST PER OZ:                        $0.85/oz                 

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:      NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       N/A

ORGANIC:                               YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       ICS, inc.

VEGAN:                                   YES

WHEAT FREE FACILITY:          YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:         USA                    

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.          

REVIEW:

Mary’s Gone Crackers…has Mary gone crackers or are her crackers so good that they’re gone?  No matter how you read the name, what really matters are the delicious gluten-free crackers in the box.  It has simple ingredients: brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds, sesame seeds, a little filtered water, and some flavoring like wheat free tamari soy sauce, salt and pepper for the salt and pepper variety.  Other flavors of course will have slightly different flavor ingredients.

So what is Mary’s story?  No backstory on the box, but a little digging on her website and I found that Mary has a gluten intolerance and when she found out, she set out to create snacks that she could enjoy and share with others.  What she came up with, were these delicious crackers that everybody loved no matter where she went.   

Taste: These crackers come in caraway, original, black pepper, herb, and onion.  We had the original, caraway and black pepper and enjoyed all of them.  While many other crackers have to load up on sodium to gain flavor, this cracker uses several different grains to give it flavor.  It’s not to say that these crackers don’t contain any sodium, but at 180mg for a serving size of 30g which is 13 crackers it is reasonable compared to other similar products.  Because this cracker is made up of several different grains, there are many different textures in this cracker, but overall it can be described as crunchy.  Some of the seeds are a little hard though and can spell trouble for people with sensitive teeth.  So if you have sensitive teeth, you might want to stay away. 

Labeling: Good labeling that covers pretty much all the bases; Organic, kosher, non-GMO, whole grain, made with love, vegan-dairy free, wheat-free, gluten-free, no hydrogenated oils, and no trans-fats.  All listed on the side are some of the reasons why you should buy this product.  Would we buy it again? Most Likely

Packaging: The packaging on these crackers is also very good even though it is essentially double packaged.  The crackers come in easy to tear plastic packaging to lock in the freshness and that is put into a 100% recycled paperboard box that is printed with 100% soy based ink.  It’s nice to see a company trying to be more environmentally friendly.   

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product..

RATING:

Texture:                 3             

Taste:                     5

Value:                    4

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed 11/17/10 by CC

Gluten Free Pasta: Tinkyada White Rice Spaghetti - Product Review #4

Gluten Free Pasta: Tinkyada White Rice Spaghett

BRAND:                                     Tinkyada

PRODUCT NAME:                      White Rice Pasta: Spaghetti Style

SOURCE:                                   The Pasta Shop

COST:                                       $4.50

SIZE:                                         16 oz

COST PER OZ:                          $0.28/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:         NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:          N/A

ORGANIC:                                  NO

VEGAN:                                      Unkown

WHEAT FREE FACILITY:            YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:           Canada

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:

Good texture for a rice pasta.  It was firm unlike many other rice noodles we have tested that came out mushy.  This pasta was a little chewy, but not so much that you would notice.  Cooking time was much longer than traditional pastas.  Most pastas cook in 6-8 minutes, this one calls for a 16-17 minute cooking time on the directions. 

Taste: Rice noodles are very good at absorbing flavor.  By themselves, they are bland, but with the right sauce rice noodles can be very tasty.  We served this with green onions and chicken.  It went very well with this pasta. 

Labeling: You will see right away that there is A LOT of writing on the packaging and the writing is in many different directions.  It is a little distracting and looks a lot more complicated than it needs to be.   

Packaging: Non recyclable packaging made of plastic. 

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product..

RATING:

Texture:                4             

Taste:                    3

Value:                    5

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed 10/18/10 by CC