Product Review: Tate's Bake Shop GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every so often, I'll run across a product that I have to share.
As with gluten free Italian food (see my previous post), gluten free cookies and baked goods in general are always on my radar.
Over the past year or so, I've run across a fair amount of gluten free cookies. My reaction largely has been lukewarm. Some have been flavorful but pasty. Others have been crumbly to the point of being sawdust-like. And, finally, there have been the cardboard hockey pucks masquerading as cookies.
Last week, we spotted Tate's Bake Shop Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies on the Fresh Direct site and decided, what the hell, we'd try 'em.
I'm not usually one for crisp chocolate chip cookies. I tend to like mine more on the chewy side. So, when we tore into the Tate's bag and the first cookie I bit into crunched, I prepared myself to be hugely disappointed.
Then this toffee-like flavor exploded in my mouth with bursts of semi-sweet chocolate in every bite. The flavor was more like a Heath Bar with a crunchy cookie texture than a chocolate chip cookie.
Of course, I had a second one, just to make sure the first one wasn't a fluke...
My mom would probably kill me for saying this, but it was better than her chocolate chip cookies.
Anyway, there are 14 in a bag. They're satisfyingly sized at about 3-4 inches in diameter, so it definitely is more than a bite. Each cookie is 80 calories; but, who ever expected chocolate chip cookies to be health food?
Highly recommended!

Order them here!

Oh! SoHo Dosas

So, I have a new obsession: Dosas. But not just any dosas. I like--no, scratch that--CRAVE the ones at Hampton Chutney Co. on Prince Street in SoHo.

Like so many of the restaurants I try nowadays, Hampton Chutney was a find via Google search (It is result #3 when you search "gluten free SoHo NYC.") And, as the Google Local (or Google Places or Google Whatever-the-hell-they're-calling-it-this-week) reviews attest, its menu is filled with tasty dishes made with fresh, organic ingredients, many of which are inherently gluten free, or can be altered ever so slightly to render them completely gluten free.

What you'll also glean from these reviews is that the cuisine is not exactly "authentic." Although, I wouldn't go so far as the bitchy reviewer who deemed it "faux Indian made by yuppies." (Ouch. Harsh much?) In reality, Hampton Chutney takes big cues from traditional Indian food and then throws in Americanized touches, occasionally dialing down the heat for Western palates without sacrificing a lot of flavor. For me, this equals a perfect marriage and perfect lunch fare.

First time visiting Hampton Chutney in SoHo (they also have an outpost on Amsterdam Ave on the UWS), I went around 2pm on a Saturday. Even at this late lunch hour, there was a sizable line poking out the front door and down the sidewalk. A great sign at any time of day.

Also, I have to mention how cool it was to see everyone from elderly grandparents with rugrats in tow to gay couples standing in line for the place. Granted, it has to do with the neighborhood it's in, but it's the vibe of the place itself.

Inside, the décor is trendy in a nondescript way, but the atmosphere is cozy. Tables are huddled together in a communal kind of way. I found myself sharing a tiny tray table with a chatty Australian couple.

For an extra touch of hipness, menu items are written in chalk on a blackboard that dangles precariously from the ceiling above the cashiers.

On that note, nothing strikes fear in my gut like walking into a restaurant that claims to accommodate gluten-intolerant patrons, only to notice that nothing on the menu is labeled to indicate the presence of allergens. I did, however, spot a sign at the counter that blithely stated: “Have Questions? Ask!”

Ask? As in, hold up the line of thirty hungry New Yorkers behind me to quiz the college kids behind the counter about their knowledge of gluten?

I envisioned myself being hogtied and ridden out on a rail.

Approaching the counter, I apprehensively asked the skater punk kid taking orders what was safe for me to eat. Without hesitation, he gestured to the chalkboard.

“Everything on our menu is gluten free, except for our deli-style sandwiches, and those are prepared on a separate grill.”

It might as well as have been Puccini coming out of his mouth. He even knew that gluten-free foods prepared on the same grill as foods containing gluten can result in cross-contamination. A+ for the skater punk and for Hampton Chutney Co. for properly prepping its wait staff.

After a few more questions—and no one throttled me for my inquisitiveness, by the way—he recommended I order a seasonal specialty of theirs: A butternut squash, mushroom, spinach, and cheddar-filled dosa—which for the uninitiated is a crêpe-like pancake made from lentil flour and water, and grilled golden brown.

The satisfying and flavorful dosa was savory but not spicy, which, as I noted above, might have disappointed someone seeking Calcutta-in-August-type heat; however, it was perfect for my palate.

The one thing that the skater punk and the eatery’s many web reviewers neglected to mention is the sheer size of the dosas at Hampton Chutney Co. They are more than a foot long. They overhang your plate and the orange plastic cafeteria tray beneath. They tastily invade the space of others sitting next to you and tempt them to steal stealth bites of its cricket bat-sized goodness.

They’re pretty big, in other words.

Despite my dosa’s eye-popping dimensions, its deliciously light consistency made wolfing down the entire thing (yeah, I ate the whole damn thing), accompanied by an equally tasty side of subtly sweet pumpkin chutney, feel not so gluttonous.

Gluten free food bigger than your head and sharing a table with a pleasant couple from Australia, all for under $10?

Win.


Hampton Chutney Co.
68 Prince Street
(212) 226-9996
www.hamptonchutney.com

GF Panini=NOM NOM NOM

I love Italian food. In fact, it's probably my favorite cuisine on the planet.

Trust me, the irony isn't lost on me that I'm in love with food that is largely based around bread and pasta.

That's why one of my constant quests is to find formidable gluten free Italian.

It's not that gluten free Italian doesn't exist; it is not impossible to find. Run a Google search for the "gluten free Italian" + NYC, and you'll get at least a dozen results, probably within delivery distance to your front door.

But it is hard to find GF Italian done right. In my experience, if the taste is right, then the texture is all wrong. Or, if the texture is close, then someone screws it up by tossing vegan cheese or some similar abomination into the mix.

On that note, I've been craving panini for a while. To me, there's nothing quite like one of these grilled Italian sandwiches to fill the cavity and tempt the tastebuds. When done right, they're the perfect combo of crunchiness and gooeyness and savoriness. I haven't had one in over a year, simply because I haven't found a place that could do GF panini justice.

Tragic, I know.

So, I'm out in Long Beach at a friend's place a few days ago, and I run across a place along the strip on Park Avenue touting "GLUTEN FREE PANINI."

My inner skeptic immediately thought, "Yeah, right. How good could this be?"

Then I read the menu posted on the door of La Bottega Italian Gourmet and witnessed the cavalcade of ingredients: Prosciutto, figs, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, speck... They even had roast suckling pig as a choice, for crying out loud.

So, I ordered a "Prosciutto e Pere": Thinly-sliced Prosciutto, sliced red pears, and Gorgonzola on gluten free ciabatta bread. And I was not disappointed. In fact, I was blown the hell away.

Granted, the ciabatta was not exactly like its glutenous cousin--it definitely was more dense--the exterior crunch and the mouthfeel overall were fantastic. And, the ingredients inside were a perfect marriage of salty, sweet, and tangy. Kudos to whoever decided that these three ingredients would work well together. (Honestly, I'd suggest changing the name of the sandwich to "Menage a Trois" if it weren't a family establishment.)

Speaking of being a family establishment, the restaurant was founded by Giuseppe & Marisa Ruta, a young couple who originally hail from Italy. A New York story in every way, Giuseppe arrived in Long Island in 1993, started out as a busboy at a restaurant, worked his way up to manager, then decided to realize his dream of opening his own place in 2003 with wife Marisa in the kitchen. Today, they have--are you ready for this?--18 restaurants across Long Island and Queens!

But, I wondered where the passion for Gluten Free came from, because their menu literally has more items that can be prepared sans gluten than can't.
According to the restaurant staff, Giuseppe is himself allergic to gluten and wanted to make sure others who love Italian food could have authentic, good-tasting options.

Awesome, right?

So, if you happen to be in Queens or Long Island, find your nearest location. It will restore your faith in gluten free Italian food, like it did for me.

Mangia!


La Bottega Italian Gourmet - Long Beach
36 East Park Avenue
Long Beach, NY 11561-3501
(516) 442-0982
www.labottegagourmet.com