Sunday, 17 October 2010

Report: 2010 Irresistible Gluten Free Food Show

October 1 & 2 was a busy weekend in Melbourne with the AFL Grand Final Replay at the MCG and the 2010 Irresistible Gluten Free Food Show at Jeffs Shed in Melbourne.
We visited on the Sunday and the show looked as popular as ever, with a slightly different layout to previous years.

Here are some of our highlights:
  • Coles - Major Sponsor
    Once again, Coles were present and a major sponsor of the show with a large display of the gluten free products that they stock.
    The goodie bag given to all show attendees, this year included a booklet of discount coupons for gluten free products from Coles.
    www.coles.com.au

  • F.G. Roberts
    We have seen F.G.Roberts at every gluten free show we have attended and they have been very active in producing gluten free flour alternatives; soy products and bread mixes in Victoria since the 1930s.
    Their hands on demonstrations of their Cottage Bread Mix was exactly what we like to see at these events, along with plenty of samples. We look forward to trying this new mix out ourselves. They had a day old loaf for tasting which was still quite good for gluten free bread.
    www.GlutenFreeHealth.com.au

  • Chang's Authentic Asian Cooking
    We were very impressed by the extensive range of Chang's Asian cooking sauces that are gluten free. Our cupboards always have a few of these ready for our next stir fry.
    From their flyer:
    In the manufacture of Changs Soy based sauces, gluten is first completely removed from the wheat flour. This leaves wheat starch, which is the extract of wheat named as an ingredient. Both sauces have been tested and found to contain NO detectable GLUTEN. which explains why wheat is mentioned on the ingredients list. Good to know.
    http://www.changs.com

  • Bayview Gluten Free Products
    Bayview produce a range of frozen foods that are gluten free, dairy free, yeast free with no artificial flavours, colours, preservatives or GM ingredients. Most of these are also fructose friendly.
    • Crumbed Chicken Tenderloins (Our favourites)
    • Crumbed Flounder Fillets
    • Crumbed Fish Bites
    • Crumbed Salmon & Vegetable Patties
    • Crumbed Chicken Breast Nuggets
    • Crumbed Vegetable Patties

    www.bayviewseafoods.com.au
    A suggestion to Bayview: Their website has nutrition information for each product but no ingredients list. I like to know what is in something before I buy it. Reading ingredients lists of products in the freezer section of the supermarket is not my favourite hobby.

  • Well and Good - Crusty Bread Mix
    Well & Good continue to come out with some excellent products, many of which we have tasted for the first time at these shows.
    This year we were very impressed by the samples of bread made using their new Crusty Bread Mix. Very Tasty.
    Since the show, we have made our own bread using this mix. See the results here.
    Check out all their products on their website:
    www.wellandgood.com.au

  • Simply Wize
    Simply Wize are another Victorian company with a history of quality gluten free products.
    This year they presented their Crusty Bread and French Stick mixes along with thier prepackaged Gnocchi.
    We are yet to try these products.
    www.momentumfoods.com.au

  • San Remo
    San Remo gluten free pasta is a staple in our house and it is great to see them active in the gluten free marketplace and events like this.
    They were one of a very few of the manufacturers to have a Suggestion Box at their stand and I think it was getting plenty of use. What a great idea! Events like this put gluten free product manufacturers face to face with their end customers. A perfect opportunity to see what is working/not working with their products. Well Done San Remo!
    www.sanremo.com.au
    Suggestion: Ingredients list on your website please

  • Kez's Free
    Kez's continue to produce a very high quality range of biscotti, biscuits and breads, all of which are are gluten free and some are dairy free.
    I always have a packet of the Melting Moments in the cupboard.
    New products from Kez are:
    • Chocolate Chip Indulgent Biscuits - Gluten Free
    • Cranberry Choc Chip with Chia - Gluten & Dairy Free

    The cranberry biscuits contain honey, so those of you with fructose malabsorption will need to be careful.
    www.kezs.com.au

  • Boscastle Pies
    Boscastle is a well known name in the world of gourmet pies which now includes a gluten free range. The excellent allergen information available on their website indicates that these pies are also dairy free. They do contain onion & garlic so fructose malabsorption sufferers, be careful.
    We asked if they would ever produce a pie without onion? Their answer: No.
    www.boscastle.com.au

  • Peppercorn Food Company Sausages
    Peppercorn Food Company had a great display of their many gluten free products and with plenty of samples being tasted.
    We were very pleased to find out that several of their sausages do not contain any onion. We went home with several packets of the Chicken Sausages with Fresh Lime and Spices; the Extra Lean Sausage Italian Style and Extra Lean Beef Sausage with Fresh Aisan Herbs and Spices.
    www.peppercornfood.com.au

  • Eskal Noble Choice Dairy Free Chocolate
    It can be hard to find good quality dairy free chocolate. After a quick taste test of Eskals Noble Choice Dairy free chocolate with Mint, we'll be looking out for this one on the shelves.
    www.eskalfoods.com

  • Orgran
    Orgran are a very well known brand in the gluten free market with an extensive and growing range of products.
    To make life easier for their customers, they have produced a quick reference guide that easily shows allergen information for each of their many products.
    A great idea from Orgran
    www.orgran.com

  • Patties.....Missing
    Patties were a noticable absentee from the show this year. Patties Sausage Rolls; Meat Pies and especially the Lamingtons are items that I always have in my freezer.
    www.pattiesglutenfree.com

  • Fox In The Box
    The Foxy Ladies from our much loved Fox in The Box restaurant in Brighton were present promoting their excellent allergy aware dining experience along with some new products: Foxy Hot Chocolate and Turkish Delight.
    www.foxinthebox.com

  • Mamasita
    Mamasita is an authentic Mexican restaurant in Collins St with a menu that is entirely gluten free. They were serving up plenty of very interesting looking food throughout the show which we didn't get to taste.
    We will be trying out this restaurant soon.
    www.mamasita.com

It was great to see the two restaurants above at the show promoting themselves and we hope to see more like this next year.

Congratulations to the organisers on another excellent show!

Usual disclaimer, we have no connection with any of the producers listed. We look forward to seeing these products on local shelves and to next years show. See you there!

Saturday, 16 October 2010

Well & Good - Crusty Bread Mix - Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free


At the 2010 Irresistible Gluten Free Food Show, one of the many items we sampled, was some bread made using a new product from Well & Good, called Crusty Bread Mix.

We were immediately impressed by the taste and texture of this bread including an excellent crust. It tasted almost like "real" bread.
We left the show with a box of this mix in our bag.

What's in the box?
  • Sachet of yeast
  • Packet of bread mix
  • Sachet of dusting flour (used when kneading)

You must provide some warm water, oil and elbow grease for the mixing. (We chose the Hand Mix method rather than Electric Mixer).

The method to make this bread is very easy and our 10 year old daughter did most of the mixing, kneading and shaping. This was made even easier by being able to watch the many videos that Well & Good have on their website showing in detail how to make their mix into various kinds of bread.

Here is the result of our first attempt:

Tips
Even thought this was our very first loaf using this mix, below are some things we might do differently.
All ovens are different. Ours is a fan forced oven and we cooked the loaves for the 28-34 minutes suggested on the box at 200 degrees Celsius. The plaited loaf was a bit doughy so we cooked the other for a further 10 minutes or so. This turned out much nicer.

If you haven't tried a gluten & dairy free bread lately, then it is time you did, as things have certainly improved. Making this bread was very easy and the results are very close to "real" bread.

We look forward to making more loaves with this and other bread mixes currently on the market very soon.

Ingredients
Corn starch, rice flour, dextrose monohydrate, potato flour, tapioca starch, thickeners (464,466), psyllium husk, modified maize starch, iodised salt, pea protein, vegetable gums (xanthan, carrageenan, tara)

Made right here in Melbourne.

http://www.wellandgood.com.au/