REVIEW: Zizzi

I have been meaning to do a review of Zizzi for a while now, and after eating there last night, there's no time like the present!

Zizzi is a nationwide chain of Italian restaurants similar to Strada, Prezzo and Carluccio's. They boast an impressive gluten free menu which isn't just limited to a couple of pasta dishes and salad. Their website has a separate 'special diets' menu, which lists all the food safe to eat for vegetarians and various allergies. I find this really helpful as you can plan in advance what you might have to eat, and it is particularly useful if you have trouble trusting the knowledge of the staff. They have copies of this menu within the restaurant, so make sure you ask for it when you're seated. Admittedly, when I asked to see it last night, I was told "oh you can have the pasta dishes, we just use gluten free pasta."  This isn't true. Some of the sauces contain gluten and are not safe, and there are more choices than just pasta, so be persistent in asking for the menu if you aren't offered it!

Having eaten at Zizzi before, I already knew what I wanted to order - the Strozzapreti Pesto Rosso. I love chicken pasta dishes and this one is gorgeous. Spiced creme fraiche sauce with spring onions and torn chicken breast. I am slightly confused by their special diets menu, as this dish is not listed as safe for coeliacs anymore, yet it does say it's fine in the allergen table at the back, providing the pasta is substituted.  I asked my server, and again had to ask twice as initially she said "oh it's probably not gluten free anymore then," and only sought confirmation when I explained about the table in the back of the menu. When she returned, I was told it was still fine and must be a printing error, so I'm going to raise this issue with Zizzi and ask them to recheck their menus. It would be a shame to miss out on my favourite meal because of a printing error.  Needless to say, I did order that and was fine the next day, so I'm confident it's still safe.

  My Strozzapreti Pesto Rosso. (Admittedly, it was hard not to
    divert my eyes towards my boyfriend's Rustica Pizza in the background!

Service aside, the meal was really nice. Ironically, I know I'm eating good gluten free pasta, when every mouthful has me doubting whether or not it is actually gluten free! Even my boyfriend couldn't tell the difference, but I was assured by two separate servers that it definitely was. The pasta they use is Doves Farm, and to my knowledge, I've never bought it before but I might have to add it to my trolley next time!

As with most of the gluten free menus at mainstream Italian restaurants, the only thing missing is pizza/bread options. It is understandable why they don't feature, with cross-contamination concerns etc, but it's still a shame as it would be lovely to have some garlic bread with my pasta. Perhaps they will look into some frozen/premade bread as gluten free options continue to expand and improve? I imagine that with Zizzi, it would be difficult, as their pizzas are cooked in a stone fired oven so I would rather know that what I'm eating was cooked separately and definitely safe. Lack of bread aside, the menu at Zizzi is brilliant for coeliacs. Various pasta and risotto dishes, starters (albeit only olives and prawns!), mains, sides and a couple of nice desserts are all safe, so if you like Italian food, you're bound to find something you like!

Maybe I could sneak a couple of slices of bread in my handbag next time?

REVIEW: The No Gluten Baker

Run from their home in Southport, the No Gluten Baker is a family business created by husband and wife team, Richard and Di. They are a relative newcomer to the gluten free market, but they already have an impressive range of cakes, pasties, pies and other delights to choose from. I have met them a couple of times at the Wirral Farmer's Market and the Gluten Free Food Fair in Ellesmere Port and have sampled a few of their products. My personal favourite is their cheesebread. It's like nothing I've ever tasted before and it's delicious!

'Bread' is not really what I'd describe it as to be honest, it comes in a little cardboard loaf tray, but the texture is not really 'bread-like' and it contains no yeast. It's quite difficult to describe the texture, but it's more like a cross between a scone, a dumpling and a crumpet! Quite dense and so full of flavour from the locally sourced cheese that's packed into it.

As such, although the loaf is quite small, two or three slices would be enough for a filling snack. The bread can be frozen in case you can't get through the whole loaf, so I slice it beforehand and freeze it. That way, whenever I fancy some, I can put it straight under the grill from frozen!  You can eat it cold, but I would recommend toasting it and eating hot with a generous spread of butter.

This is definitely going to be a staple snack for me! You can order direct from the No Gluten Baker (check out their Facebook page, as yet they do not have a website) or you can see them at various markets around the North West. I am delighted to hear* that they will be a regular stallholder at the Wirral Farmer's Market until October as it is very close to where I live!




*I am also getting slightly concerned about the effect this is going to have on my waistline..

REVIEW: Penny's Puds

I recently got in touch with Penny from The Litton Larder to enquire about 'Penny's Puds' and she very kindly sent me a sample to review for my blog. I had heard good reviews about them, so I was really excited to try one!

Firstly, a word of warning. Do not save these puddings for a dessert after a large meal unless you're planning to share one, they're very generous portions! They are packaged in a little cardboard tub, with reheating instructions printed on the side which couldn't be easier. Simply place in the microwave for 60 seconds, turn out onto a plate et voila! 

The first thing I noticed was the sauce. I love sticky toffee sauce, and I've been disappointed in the past by other puddings which seem to soak up the sauce and leave none to drizzle. As you can see, there was plenty of sauce on this pudding! And it's amazing; buttery and silky like liquid fudge. The pudding itself is divine. So moist and sticky, while also retaining a light, soft texture, and not crumbly like other gluten free puddings I've tried. I had mine with some vanilla ice cream and half a pudding was more than enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Penny's Puds can be stored in the fridge until their use by date, printed on the carton. They can also be frozen and reheated without the need to be defrosted, so they're perfect to hide away for when you just need a nice, comforting pudding!

The puddings can be ordered direct from the Litton Larder website. They are £14 for a box of four, with free delivery. They are also stocked in various shops and cafes in and around the Peak District. Take a look at their website for stockists. Penny and her puds also visit various food fairs and Coeliac UK events around the country.

Hands down, this is the nicest sticky toffee pudding I have EVER tried, even before my Coeliac days, and it's clear to see why Penny's Puds are so popular whether you're gluten free or not. I will definitely be ordering more in future!

False Economy Gluten Free Products

Since I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in May 2010, gluten free foods have become more popular and diverse. Even three years ago, I couldn't find any fresh bread, and instead had to make do with the postage-stamp sized, vacuum packed loaves that were readily available in large supermarkets. There didn't seem to be much variety in snacks you could buy, which is why I relied, and still rely on my own baking.

Supermarket ranges have now vastly improved. Our local Sainsburys has an entire aisle dedicated to free from alternatives, for example.

Unfortunately, I've also noticed foods cropping up that are a bit of a false economy. Tomato and Basil soup, Tikka cooking sauce and Chilli Con Carne cooking sauces are just a few of the examples I've found while browsing Free From aisles. While it's important for coeliacs to check allergy advice and ingredients on everything we purchase, these products should be gluten free anyway! I had a look at some of these products in other parts of the supermarket that weren't specifically targeted at the gluten free consumer and noted that they were fine for coeliacs! I'm sure SOME of them might have the 'may contain:' warning on them, but for the most of them will be safe.  The specific 'free from' branded pouches are smaller and more expensive. Why take advantage and con money out of people just by placing a 'free from' brand on a product? It's expensive enough as it is.

You may have heard of Sweet Mandarin, a restaurant in Manchester. Featured on Dragon's Den, they now have a successful selection of dipping sauces. At first, I was skeptical because one of their products is a sweet chilli sauce, which again, should be naturally gluten free. I've just done a quick search on a supermarket's website for sweet chilli dipping sauces - all 8 results are gluten free and between 50p and £1.55 cheaper than Sweet Mandarin sauces.

However, having researched the company more, my mind has been changed. Not only are they gluten free, they are also vegan accredited, contain no artifical flavourings (most of the others do) and no MSG. More importantly, as well as sweet chilli and sweet and sour sauces, they also do a barbecue dipping sauce. It's not often I've found gluten free barbecue sauce! Sweet Mandarin restaurant was also voted best restaurant in Manchester by Gordon Ramsay.

To me, Sweet Mandarin's approach is different to supermarkets cashing in on gluten free customers.  They bring something new to the market and are clearly passionate about what they do. You can read about their sauces and the history of their family-run business here.

Have you tried these sauces? Have you visited their restaurant? Let me  know what you think!

Toad in the Hole

The first of my recipes isn't really a recipe as such as I used prepared ingredients, purchased at the Gluten Free Food Fair in Ellesmere Port on Saturday! Easy and delicious.

The ingredients are as follows:

50g Foodamentalists Yorkshire Pudding Mix
6 Bramley Bangers sausages from Pig & co.
2 eggs
water
3 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Arrange sausages on a deep baking tray with two teaspoons of vegetable oil. Bake on the top shelf for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare yorkshire pudding mix as packet states.  Take the sausages out of the oven once browned, and pour batter mix over immediately.  Place back in the centre of the oven for half an hour or so, until the yorkshire pudding is risen and golden. (As you can tell from my picture, my oven was too hot, resulting in the sides burning a little.  Still tasted good, though!)

I've tried the Foodamentalists yorkshire pudding mix before.  You cannot go wrong if you follow the packet instructions (and don't have your oven too high - doh!) and they taste delicious.  I can't tell the difference between these and non-gluten free ones! I've never had much success making my own gluten free yorkshire puddings, they always seem to come out looking like muffins! I would definitely rely on this mix for future use.  Look out for further posts on the Foodamentalists range of products.  I bought various products on Saturday from them, and will at some point visit their shop in Middlewich.  Meanwhile, check out their website, where you can purchase a variety of their products.

The sausages were lovely! Pig & co. make their sausages from rare breed, free range pigs, bred on their farm.  They contain no artificial flavours, use at least 85% pork and are gluten free.  Their sausages have even won awards in Cheshire. They cost £4.50 for 6 sausages, which is more than I would usually pay for sausages and they are a little smaller.  However, having tasted them, you are definitely paying for quality! I got their 'Bramley Bangers' which are flavoured with apple, cider and thyme.  They had a delicately sweet flavour, subtley seasoned with thyme, which complemented the pork beautifully.  The texture was crumbly and not greasy at all. I will definitely be buying these again!

Check out their online shop to see their range of flavours and other products for sale.

Gluten Free Food Fair - Ellesmere Port

On Saturday morning, I went to the Gluten Free Food Fair in Ellesmere Port Civic Centre. This is a once a year event created by Coeliac UK and the Wirral Coeliac Society, showcasing regional and national producers of gluten free foods, coeliac-friendly B&Bs, information about the disease and much more!

Some of the companies present were:

The Foodamentalists
Juvela
Pig & co.
Glutafin
Mummy's Yummys
Orgran
..and many, many more!

Needless to say, I spent a fortune and also got some good freebies of things I'd never tried before. The next few posts are going to be reviewing some of the products, and posting recipes made with some of the ingredients I purchased there.

The next big event like this is the Allergy Show in Liverpool in October. Visit the website here for more information: http://www.allergyshow.co.uk/liverpool/liverpool-home/ 

Meanwhile, take a look at my haul!

 

If there's anything specific that catches your eye you would like a review of, please leave me a comment below. I'm off to have some breakfast - what to choose!