Gluten Free Taste Test at Celiac Support Group Meeting
Last night I attended a Celiac Support Group Meeting, just thought I would drop in with some of our new Astoria Mills GFCF pizza mix for people to try, along with a few mini tea sandwiches. I don’t like to attend a meeting and not bring a few goodies at least!
Little did I know that Catherine of Frugal Freebies would also be attending for the first time. She did not say anything at the meeting to me, but surprised me this morning with an email saying she had written about me in her blog! What a great article and I’m so glad Catherine tasted and liked!
I brought a GFCF Asparagus & Basil pizza made using the new, Astoria Mills Italian Breads & Pizza Mix #5 as well as miniature broccoli and cream cheese sandwiches on my Victorian Tea Bread, a light fluffy sandwich bread made using Astoria Mills Fine Flour Mix #3.
Thank goodness I brought the pizza, minus cheese, as one lady there could not have any dairy.
Here are the toppings I used for the dairy free pizza, it was so delicious, I made it a few times more at home, no one missed the cheese at all !
Gluten and Dairy Free Pizza
On top of the Astoria Mills Italian Breads & Pizza Mix #5 -made into a pizza. One 700g package makes 2- 14 inch pizzas ( I measured). place these layers.
Tomato Layer: Tomato Paste mixed with 1 clove chopped garlic, dash pepper, 1/8th teaspoon curry spice, freshly chopped basil leaves. (Mix all together well in a processor if you can)
Asparagus Layer: Place fresh asparagus stems on top. Or you can use any other vegetable you like, or jsut use more basil leaves.
Black Olives: Sprinkle with pitted sliced black olives
Drizzle with olive oil. About a tablespoon or two.
Place pizza in a 400 F oven on the bottom rung. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove from oven, slice, let cool slightly then enjoy.
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People at the event had lots of questions and I was glad to answer them. They love that the mixes are good everyday foods, with only a little sugar in the breads to feed the yeast, no sugar in the others and less or no added salt. It is our mission at Astoria Mills to create healthy gluten free mixes that are simple and quick to use as well as providing you with some creative scope with your own favorite recipes.
They were also thrilled to hear about the enrichment formula included in the mixes as so many are having a hard time assimilating and getting enough of the nutrients they need in their diets.
Everyone loved the pizza and the sandwiches. The recipes are in my latest book which Astoria Mills is including free with the purchase of mixes.
Catherine of Frugal Freebies and Born to Love, tells about the event so well, go have a look at Catherine's Frugal Freebies Blog and read what she says.
Thank you Catherine!
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Artisan Old World Pizza Pies –a demand on the rise
In a recent article by Steve Coomes in Nations Restaurant News, Coomes talks about the newly revived demand for artisan pizzas in North American restaurants.
“A growing number of consumers are catching on to pies born of long-fermented dough, hand-made cheeses and rustic toppings baked in fire-breathing 900-degree ovens,” Coomes says.
Just when you thought the big pizza chains had sewn up the market, here comes John Q. Public wanting something akin to what he thinks an Italian mama would make in an old fashioned wood fired pizza oven. Coomes goes on to state that “There are about 69,000 pizzerias in the United States, but sources estimate the number of truly artisan pizzerias is likely closer to 200. When legends like Dominic DeMarco of DiFara's in Brooklyn, N.Y., won't let anyone else make their pizzas, slow growth is understandable. Meanwhile, Chris Bianco frequently rejects offers to franchise his pizzeria, the James Beard Award-winning Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, where customers regularly wait two hours for a table. Another lone pizzaiolo, Anthony Mangieri, opened Una Pizza Napoletana in Manhattan five years ago to rave reviews from local press — and then sold the shop to pursue a new venture, reportedly in San Francisco.”
Watching a few Youtube videos of real pizza makers you come to appreciate more the skills involved, the hand made care given this amazingly memorable food.
It is memories like this that drive people on a gluten free diet in search of a perfect gluten free pizza. One that holds up like the real thing and doesn’t sag pathetically when you pick it up to eat it.
Now you can make your own gluten free artisan style pizza at home that will live up to those memories. At a couple of recent taste tests of Astoria Mills pizza made from Italian Breads & Pizza Mix #5 the raves were awesome! Wow, great pizza again. Even for gluten free folks.
