Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Sauce isn't one of those things that you'd immediately imagine was full of wheat, but given there are some varieties of gluten-free sauce on the market today, that must mean that the general bottle of marinara that you might find off the shelf at the grocery store could indeed have some wheat or gluten in it, even if the label doesn't seem to include anything glutenous in its description.

As a fairly versatile heavy condiment, sauce in all its variations can have many different herbs, spices and small additions (like vegetables or meat) added for flavor and often it's the source of a lot of the flavor that might appear in a simple bowl of spaghetti or a plate of baked mostaccioli. 

Often, the sauce is going to be the element of swiftly made pasta that will give it a little kick and it's pretty simple to serve up an interesting dish made of nothing more than pasta, Parmesan and sauce if there's some fun herbs or vegetables in the sauce.

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

And because sauce can be made in so many different ways with so many variable ingredients, it's likely that a fair portion of those sauces are going to include some elements of gluten, so it's nice that Monte Bene has come out with a tomato sauce that's specifically labeled as gluten-free so that individuals who have a severe allergy will have an option.

Of course, whether a pasta sauce is made with gluten or not, there are a number of things about it that need to be right with the overall recipe otherwise its gluten-free status isn't going to matter much. And regarding pasta, usually one of the most important elements of that taste scale is going to be the overall consistency or thickness along with the general aroma and taste provided by the herbs or spices.

This particular type of pasta sauce is such that it would be appropriate for a number of different sauce-covered meals such as pizza and various types of pasta. The sauce isn't too smooth and watery, but nor is it too thick where it might cause unnecessary bumps on a pizza. The herbs are also well planned out and offer a nice aroma with a nice combination of basil and pepper and the company's tomato selection seems solid as well.

So far this author has tried the pasta sauce on spaghetti, pizza and . While the nutritional content seems a little sketchy (it does have some fat in it, so beware of overloading on it), the taste is everything you'd expect from a jar of pasta sauce.

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce Report Card

The Good Stuff:

Tastes like pasta sauce and has a nice aroma. A pleasing consistency that's not too thin yet not too overloaded with chunks of vegetables either. Overall a nice choice for anyone interested in making sure that their pasta sauce is indeed gluten free.

What Could be Better:

This pasta sauce is just pasta sauce. The fact that it tastes just like pasta sauce should and is also gluten free is a nice bonus. It won't win the Nobel Prize, but it does its job well as a gluten free pasta sauce. Definitely worth a try, especially when paired with a gluten-free pizza crust.

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

There are many ways that pizza can be enjoyed by the general public, but when it comes to gluten free pizza, it's a magic trick as to whether the final product is going to be worth the invariable bags of money required. It doesn't seem to matter whether one orders a pizza from a restaurant that delivers pizza, if a person decides to visit the freezer section of their local grocery store or whether a budding chef decides that making a pizza from scratch is the way to go, the final result is going to be something that is going to cost a pretty penny.

A pizza that is gluten free and actually tastes good is definitely going to cost at least ten dollars for a very modestly sized pizza and likely much more if it's obtained from a restaurant that delivers pizza. While it is fortunate that so many gluten free food makers have recognized the need for a pizza that doesn't have wheat and gluten in it, the fact that someone will usually have to pony up a fair chunk of change means that trying such delicacies isn't going to be that common unless someone's been lucky with the Powerball numbers lately.

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Regarding the Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts, a pair of crusts will range from a little over seven dollars to around ten dollars as they always come in a pair in a box. They're also individually wrapped, which means they can be eaten at very different times without issue. They also don't need to be frozen, which means they can sit in a cupboard for a while and be just fine.

Regarding the calorie content and nutritional value of the crusts, like most pizza that tastes good, the crusts are going to be rather caloric and the traditional toppings put on the pizza are probably going to add a few hefty calories of their own, especially if there are things like chicken or pepperoni added on top of cheese and sauce (I am suddenly rather hungry writing this...). When prepared correctly, these crusts do turn out very well, so it's important to have an active lifestyle if an entire pizza is on the menu for a single meal. They're not the sort of food that would rest well in the refrigerator either, so if you're not aiming to eat the whole pizza, having a friend who might be interested would probably be a good idea.

Without a doubt, pizza is this writer's favorite food and so if there's a pizza on the market somewhere that has the words "gluten-free" in it, you can bet it's going to end up in this blog. And since the wrong decision with cooking times, toppings and the finished product can provide wildly different results, experimentation can certainly be expensive.

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For anyone seeking the best way to prepare this pizza, it's definitely recommended that a nice coating of oil accompany the bread-like disc into the oven as this will provide a much better finished pie with a nicely browned crust. It's also recommended that the pizza be cooked on a very high temperature in the middle of the oven. This provides a crust that isn't burned and a nicely charred bit of cheese on the top.

This crust can certainly come out a winner, but only if it's prepared correctly and some experimentation might actually need to take place depending on the likes and dislikes of the person making the pizza. Generally, such a crust is going to come out rather dry and even crumbly if it's placed into the oven without oil and likewise, if the crust is cooked for too long, it could tend to roll up somewhat and start to crack along the edges. To avoid the potential for an improperly prepared crust, a person is going to need to know his or her oven and how it likes to treat food. It's probably a good thing that there are two pizza crusts in every box because the first one always turns out weird if you don't know what you're doing beforehand.

The bottom line regarding this gluten free pizza option is that it's not going to be any cheaper than the other pizzas out there, but it can turn out to be a very good meal. The result is going to offer a pizza that is a little thicker than some of the other gluten free pizza crusts out there and this is why it's important to cook the pizza only as long as it takes to brown the crust and cook it thoroughly. It's not easy to burn it, but it is easy to dry it out (hence the suggestion on the oil).

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Schär Gluten Free Wheat Free Pizza Crusts Report Card

The Good Stuff:

If you're willing to work with the crust and make a few of these pizzas with various toppings and types of sauce, this pizza can come out tasting pretty terrific. Definitely worth a try, especially if you like pizza and would like to make one on your own.

This pizza crust also conceals fairly well the fact that it's a gluten-free option and anyone who might be eating the pizza with someone who can otherwise indulge freely with wheat and all sorts of nefarious ingredients, it shouldn't be a big deal. The crust is a little denser than one might find of a general wheat type crust, but taste-wise it's a great option.

What Could Improve:

The pizza crust does indeed require some special treatment so as to make sure that it doesn't turn out dried and cracked. Not everyone is willing to put this sort of time and effort into a pizza crust, even if they are promised a terrific result. But whether that is truly something that is worth a check in the negative column is probably up for debate.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For years rice cakes and similar airy foods that are often meant as a food that people trying to lose weight might try and often they were derided for being nothing more than crunchy air. But through the years a lot of different flavoring techniques have come about along with some modifications and experiments regarding the texture of the cakes.

Today's rice cakes often have a lot of salt, high calories and even some fat in them and while this can certainly make them taste better, it does sort of remove the food from the column that marks them as a food meant for low calorie diets. One of the first things anyone should do these days is make sure that if they're looking for a low calorie food that they always take a look at the nutritional facts on the back of the package.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For many gluten-free foods, this is especially important because the removal of gluten often spells the addition of many more calories than one might suspect would otherwise be offered in a particular food. For Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes, one of the most attractive features of the food is that it's organic and gluten-free, so if you're looking for an organic snack that's not too terrible on the wallet, these cakes are a decent investment.

As for the nutritional facts on these cakes, they're definitely well within the bounds of what could be considered a diet food or low-calorie snack and munching on a half bag of these likely wouldn't put anyone's diet off the tracks. They also happen to taste exactly like one might expect a cinnamon flavored rice cake to taste. The addition of "toast" to the name though probably isn't required. They don't really resemble a piece of toast or taste like one. They just taste like cinnamon and rice pieces.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Generally the biggest complaint someone might have with these suckers is the fact that all that's required is a light breeze and they look like the debris from an explosion of Rice Krispies. Which might be great if you're going to try these rice cakes in a bowl of milk, but might be a problem if you're eating them with one hand while driving. The picture to the right is simply the result of tossing a few of these things on my counter.

Fortunately the fact that these little things break apart easily doesn't make them taste any less cinnamon-like and the overall taste and consistency is to be expected of how a rice cake might taste. They're likely a great option for anyone who is trying a low-calorie or reduced calorie diet and they a great option for people who want an organic snack. So many foods today simply say "natural" on them, but still seem to include questionable ingredients. Most of the foods that Lundberg manufacturers are organic. 

They also have a lot of information on their website about sustainable farming and eco-friendly farming, which definitely makes it worth checking out their other items as well. They're a great example of a company that is committed to organic food and isn't trying to play the "natural" game with their customers.

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Lundberg Cinnamon Toast Organic Rice Cakes Report Card

The Good Stuff

These rice cakes taste good, are great on nutritional content and have the added bonus of being crafted from organic ingredients. Certainly a trifecta for a healthy gluten-free snack. Definitely worth a try.

What Could Be Better

Clearly, the potential for these rice cakes to disintegrate into rice pellets is a problem and when I bought a bag of these things, it's not like I experienced an earthquake before opening them. It's probably a good idea to eat all the rice cakes that are intact first and then just pour all the rice crumbs out of the bag into a bowl and eat them like little bits of candy (tossing the plastic bag back like you're a bachelor with a carton of milk is also acceptable).