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Review: Angry Orchard Hard Cider

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The dog days of summer have arrived. I find myself looking for ways to cool down and what better way than with an ice-cold Angry Orchard hard cider?

Blending Italian culinary apples from the Alpine foothills with French bittersweet apples from Normandy, Angry Orchard cider makers have crafted the perfect flavor profiles through a lengthy fermentation process, including wood-aging for optimal complexity and balance.  Unlike ordinary apples, bittersweet apples are described as “angry” because of the tart and tannic characteristics they impart.  Culinary apples produce a fruit with a juicy, ripe apple character that, when combined with the bittersweet apples, results in an exceptional blend that contributes to the complex flavor profile of each Angry Orchard cider style.

The apple crop is harvested at the peak of flavor and ripeness.  Because every crop has its own personality, Angry Orchard cider makers taste every batch of juice, blending varieties to achieve the signature Angry Orchard flavor.

“The apples in Angry Orchard are not ordinary apples that you would buy in the grocery store,” Sipes explains.  “Our cider apples are grown specifically for cider-making to ensure only the best quality apples make it into every barrel of Angry Orchard.”

According to research from SymphonyIRI, hard cider sales grew 27 percent in 2011, making cider one of the fastest-growing alcoholic beverage categories in the U.S. Angry Orchard was released earlier this year in New England, Colorado, Maryland and New York.  As a result of the overwhelmingly positive response, it is hitting shelves nationwide this month. Angry Orchard Crisp Apple is already the best-selling cider package in the northeast states where it is available.

There are three varieties of Angry Orchard hard cider:

Apple Ginger – (5.0%ABV), combines the ideal blend of fresh Nigerian ginger and apples for a sweet, yet slightly tart taste, distinct ginger aroma and warm finish; and for those looking for a traditional European cider.

Crisp Apple – (5.0% ABV), balances natural apple sweetness with a subtle dryness for a hard to resist crisp and refreshing, fruit-forward taste.

Traditional Dry – (5.5%ABV), made in the style of English draft ciders, imparts bittersweet and slightly spicy flavors with a bright apple aroma. Its dry body makes mouths pucker and look forward to another sip.

I sampled all three of these ciders much in the way that one would sample wine at a wine tasting.  I poured a small glass of each cider and began my sampling.  I sampled the Traditional Dry first.  It reminded me a lot of some of the other ciders that I have tried and yes, it does make the mouth pucker!  The Crisp Apple was next.  This cider reminded me of the perfect Granny Smith apple!  I loved the flavor and I couldn’t help but go back for another sip.  The Apple Ginger was the most unique of the three samples.  It has a very distinct ginger undertone along with a tart taste.  This cider would be perfect for pairing with a Thai or Chinese meal.  My favorite of the three samples is the Crisp Apple!  There is a really cool recipe page full of creative ideas using the Angry Orchard ciders.

Angry Orchard hard cider is now available in the US in 6-packs with a suggested retail price of $8.99.   The cider is also available on draft in select restaurants throughout the US.  To find the closest retailer or restaurant near you, check out the “Find the Orchard” page on the website.

Have you tried Angry Orchard hard cider?  If so, what did you think?

Recipe: Gluten-Free Turkey Avocado Sliders

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I have been wanting to use these cute little ciabatta rolls from Schar for a while now but hadn’t really come up with a good use for them until last night. Sure, they are great for garlic bread or even toasted bread dipped in herbed olive oil, but I wanted to be a little more creative. When I went to make a turkey burger and found I was out of hamburger buns, it suddenly came to me to use the Schar ciabatta parbaked rolls.

The ciabatta rolls are not only free of gluten, but they are also free of milk, eggs and preservatives.  The ingredients are:

water, corn starch, corn flour, psyllium seed husk powder (vegetable fiber), yeast, rice flour, dextrose, soy protein isolate, palm oil, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, salt, tartaric acid, citric acid.
CONTAINS SOY.

Each roll contains 100 calories, 1 gram fat, 2 grams protein, 4 grams fiber.  The rolls ended up being the perfect for sliders (small hamburgers).  I simply cut my turkey burger in half and placed each half on a roll.  This was one of the best meals I have had in a long time!

IMG_2016

Turkey Avocado Sliders

serves 1 – can easily be multiplied to make more

  • 2 Schar ciabatta parbaked rolls
  • 1 burger patty (I used turkey, but beef, bison or veggie would just fine)
  • 1/4 large Hass avocado
  • Mixed greens
  • Spicy brown mustard

1.  Slice rolls and place in the toaster oven for 5 – 10 minutes or desired doneness.

2.  Cook the burger according to your liking.  If cooking turkey, make sure that it is cooked through.

3.  Slice avocado.

4.  Assemble sliders and enjoy!

Schar’s ciabatta parbaked rolls can be purchased in stores across the US.  There is a coupon out this week for $40 worth of groceries from gluten-freely for only $25 on the gluten-free Saver website, so now is the time to take advantage of a great deal!

Have you tried Schar’s ciabatta parbaked rolls?  How did you serve them?

Are You Prepared?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

I don’t know if you have been affected by the devastating wild fires in Colorado or the strong storms that swept across 11 states leaving, 2 million customers without power, but it reminded me that it was time to review how to be prepared for an emergency when you are gluten-free.  We were fortunate enough not to lose power, but I can’t say the same for many in our area.  We were hit with 80 mph winds on Friday evening during rush hour.  Hannah warned me that we shouldn’t go out, that we should cancel our dinner with a friend.  I assured her that it was only a thunderstorm and that they are usually very short in the summer.   While I was right about one part, it was much more than a simple thunderstorm.  According to the news, the type of storm that hit us, and several states to the East of us, is called a “Derecho”.

I was unaware as we ventured out that we would soon be hit with strong winds and hurricane-like rains.  Hannah begged me to turn the van around, but I opted instead to pull into the parking lot of a fire station and ride it out.  I wanted to make sure we were not in the line of any falling trees or power lines.  To be completely honest, it was one of the scariest moments, where I was definitely questioning what in the heck I had been thinking when we went out.  Of course I had to put on a brave face for Hannah, which was not easy.

After the storm was over, we went on our way to meet my friend for dinner.  We had planned on going to Mimi’s Café, but upon arriving they had no power.  Plan B was to try Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro, which happened to be right around the corner.  They, too, had no power.  It seems that most establishments in the area were without power, including the shopping mall.  We did finally find one restaurant, Marcella’s, that had power and they were able to seat us right away.  I informed them that they were about to get really busy, as it didn’t appear that anyone else had power and the streets were filled with cars that were going no where fast.

As it turns out, there are still hundreds of thousands of people without power here in Ohio and across some of the Eastern states.  While some residents in larger cities may be able to depend on restaurants that have power to feed them, those in smaller towns without power may be getting to a point where they could be in trouble.

The events of the past week bring up some very important things to remember, especially if you have to follow a special diet.  I wrote an article two years ago about about emergency kits, but will outline some of the most important items below:

There are checklists available here to outline the most important items to have on hand. Included in the link above are basic lists and then suggested additions. A three day supply is suggested for food and water. Make sure to take into account that water is per person. If you have pets, do not forget to plan ahead for them.

Here are some basic gluten-free food items that can be included in an emergency kit:

  • Lara Bars, Pure Bars, Zing Bars or other fruit/nut bar
  • Canned meat – tuna and salmon are good choices
  • Canned beans – good source of protein/carbs
  • Nuts
  • Non-perishable, pasteurized milk (Horizon Organic makes individual boxes)
  • Vitamins
  • Gluten-free crackers
  • Gluten-free cereal
  • Peanut Butter (other nut butters are good, too, but some need to be kept in the refrigerator)
  • Dried fruit
  • Go Picnic meals

If you have any tips that you would like to add, or questions that we can help with, please use the comments form below.

Review: Kinnikinnick Foods Soft Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 1 Comment

When I talk to people who are just first diagnosed one of the first things they mention to me is”how am I going to live without bread?” A huge staple in the diet for many families, bread is one of those items that are on the top of the ‘oh no I can’t eat’ list. It is one of the harder-to-mimic gluten-free items too and gluten-free bread, historically, has been picky, cardboard-like, and not close to the texture of regular wheat bread.

That’s all changed over the last few years as more companies strive to have the best gluten-free bread. The market has been filled with some great options for gluten-free bread that has a very similar texture, is a good sized loaf, healthy and affordable. The same is said for other bread products like hotdogs and hamburger buns — both important when you have kids and even more now when it’s peak BBQ season and everyone else will be enjoying burgers and dogs.

Kinnikinnick Foods released its new product line a few months ago that has really upped the market for gluten-free bread products. The new “Soft” bread and buns hit the market and people have been buzzing ever since. Kinnikinnick Foods believe that you can have good food that is also good for you — keeping that in mind when developing these products.

To highlight each product’s nutritional benefits, Kinnikinnick Foods provided an easy-to-read and understandable Nutritional Summary on the front of each package.

  • At least 5 g of Fiber per serving
  • Zero Cholesterol
  • Zero Trans Fat
  • 1 g or less sugar per serving
  • Fortified with 5 essential nutrients
  • Lower in sodium than our existing bread products and many other bread products on the market (even non-gluten-free bread)
  • No Artificial Colours, Flavours, or Preservatives
  • first gluten-free Bakery Products to qualify for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada TMHealth Check TM Program.

But how do they taste?:

I tried both the hamburger and hot dog buns and if you know me, you know that I am very picky about the texture of gluten-free foods. Both the hamburger and hot dog buns passed my texture test with flying colors. They are soft on the inside — do not need to be toasted, and the outside texture reminds me a lot of gluten-containing products. The buns did not fall apart and crumble which happens with some other gluten-free products and they were both the perfect size.

:: Have you tried their new soft bread yet? What do you think? ::

Review: King Arthur Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 3 Comments

King Arthur launched their line of gluten-free baking mixes in 2010. I was pleased to hear that they now have a yellow cake mix joining the gluten-free line-up!

The new yellow cake mix is not only gluten-free, but free of the top 8 allergens as well.  Read below for the press release:

King Arthur Flour Adds Award Winning Yellow Cake to Premium Line of gluten-free Baking Mixes

May 8, 2012 – Norwich, Vt. – King Arthur Flour has expanded its line of premium gluten-free baking mixes with a new, much-anticipated gluten-free Yellow Cake Mix. The new mix, which is free of not only gluten but the top eight allergens, is available now in grocery stores nationwide and on kingarthurflour.com. It is also a sofi Silver Finalist, a recognition given by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade for outstanding innovation in specialty foods.

“Our new gluten-free Yellow Cake Mix is held to the same high standards we apply to all of our products in terms of flavor and texture and, like the rest of our gluten-free line, also reflects the highest standards of gluten- and allergen-free certification,” says King Arthur Flour Marketing Director Tom Payne. “Customers have enthusiastically praised our other gluten-free mixes and have been asking for a yellow cake mix since we launched the line two years ago. Now that we’ve perfected the formula, we’re confident consumers will enjoy our new gluten-free Yellow Cake Mix just as much as they’ve enjoyed our other products.”

King Arthur Flour’s gluten-free baking mixes are the only major brand to be third-party certified by the gluten-free Certification Organization, with standards twice as stringent as those set by the Food and Drug Administration. In addition, they are produced in a dedicated allergen-free facility, guaranteed to be free of the top eight most common food allergens. They are also certified Kosher by the Chicago Rabbinical Council.

King Arthur Flour’s gluten-free Yellow Cake Mix is available in grocery stores nationwide at a suggested retail price of $5.99. The mix can be used for layer cakes or cupcakes, and with variations (found at kingarthurflour.com) can be turned into specialties ranging from pineapple upside-down cake to gingerbread.

King Arthur Flour is America’s oldest flour company and a premier baking resource. A variety of King Arthur’s unbleached flours and baking mixes is sold in supermarkets nationwide, with a complete selection of high-quality baking ingredients, mixes and tools available through King Arthur Flour – the Baker’s Catalogue and at kingarthurflour.com. King Arthur Flour’s fundamental mission is to be the highest-quality product, education and information resource for, and inspiration to, bakers worldwide. More information and a roundup of King Arthur Flour’s baking resources are available at kingarthurflour.com/flours. King Arthur Flour is a 100% employee-owned company.

IMG_1939Since Jon was coming home from hockey camp for the weekend, I took the opportunity to make some cupcakes so he could take some back with him.  I love that the King Arthur yellow cake mix makes 24 cupcakes, as opposed to 12, leaving some here for the rest of us, too!  The mix was easy to prepare calling for room temperature butter and milk, 4 eggs and oil.  I chose to frost the cupcakes with Betty Crocker’s Caramel Frosting (marked gluten-free).  The yellow cake mix package label and ingredient list can be viewed here.

I sat down with a cupcake for dessert and couldn’t believe how moist and flavorful they were!  Even my non-gluten-free daughter has fallen in love with these cupcakes!  The caramel icing was a nice compliment to the yellow cake mix – the combination almost tasted like butterscotch!  Jon was thrilled to have a nice, sweet treat to enjoy when he arrived home from camp – so much so that there weren’t enough for him to take back with him!

Have you tried King Arthur’s yellow cake mix?  What about the other King Arthur mixes? King Arthur has a nice collection of gluten-free recipes on their website.