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WEEKLYPRESS.COM · UCREVIEW.COM · FEBRUARY 22 · 2012 Gluten-Free Granola continued from page 1


to have Metropolitan on my corner until I moved, and my new corner didn’t have one. On a cool, crisp cool morning there was nothing better than walking into that tiny, crowded store indulg- ing in the aromas of yeast and dough, chocolate and sweet spice while I waited for my turn to order; I of- ten felt as if I were a tourist in France. My favorites: the milliet muffin, the canele, brioche buns, and crunchy granola. I consumed them all in great quantity and of- ten thought if I had worked there I would easily gain 30 or 40 pounds in my first week. What I never thought about was the fact that I was ac- tually lucky my system not only tolerated, but loved the wheat-baked goodness in every bite. I say tolerated because today we’ve seen so many food allergies be- come more prevalent. Sure there’s the more usual: pea- nuts, nuts in general actu- ally, dairy, and even fruits like strawberries. But lately the most talked about food allergy has been gluten in- tolerance. When a friend of ours was diagnosed with celiac disease (an au- toimmune disorder of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages), I really felt for him. He sat across the table from us during dinner and rattled off the


categories of foods that were now on the “do not eat list” a list mandated by his doctor. This list consist- ed of anything made of, or with, wheat or any grains containing gluten. So in a sense, no more bread, no pasta, no beer, no pies with crusts, no granola, and no croissant’s or any other delectable baked goods for that matter. I thought to myself, I don’t know if I would have anything left to eat if I were in his shoes. In fact, I wondered what he was going to order for din- ner, and was glad we were at a steak house (more choices for him). Those of us, who are lucky enough to eat whatever we want, usually take it for granted. We go about our day without even thinking twice about what we spoon into our mouths. So when I got an e-mail that Metropolitan Bakery was now offering its custom- ers some gluten-free prod- ucts, I decided to take this opportunity to learn more about gluten free foods and find out all the steps that Metropolitan Bakery was taking to ensure the prod- ucts are safe for those with the gluten intolerance. Metropolitan decided to start the gluten-free line by launching its flavorful gra- nola in a gluten-free ver- sion. Metropolitan’s regu- lar granola is a hand-made, national award-winning recipe. It’s offered in three


Cafe Nola is all about Spring Dining


varieties — original, coffee chocolate chip (my favor- ite), and nut-free cinnamon pomegranate — and all are healthy and delicious because the mixes are cre- ated with 100% pure fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, oats and spices. I had a chance to sit down with head baker/co- owner James Bar- rett, to talk about all t h e


Those


nation was extremely im- portant. A farm and facil- ity in Wyoming, called GF Harvest, turned out to be their choice. GF Harvest takes the production of their oats seriously; they personally know the severe reaction one can have from cross-contamination occurs of compromised products (from equipment that pro- cesses wheat based prod- ucts). Three generations of their own fam- ily has dealt with Ce- l i a c


of us, who


are lucky enough to eat whatever we want, usually take it for granted.


chang- es


d i s - that


had to be made to the recipe in order to make it safe for consumers on a gluten free diet. James told me it is the oats that are the most controver- sial factor. While investigat- ing different oats it was im- portant to find a source that they could trust when buy- ing oats. To find a company that would take precau- tions limiting any chances of possible gluten contami-


ease and have been on a gluten-free


diet since 1990; with the celiac connection in their family, James knew that GF Harvest would guarantee their product as a trustwor- thy commodity. Once he had the base for the granola figured out, he had to work on the other ingredients. Noted for their labels of us- ing “pure” ingredients, it was important that James continue to use the grade B pure maple syrup from the same company that he has been using for over 15 years as a sweetening agent along with the pure-grade honey, in this granola reci- pe as well. The next step to figure out was how to get that “crunch factor” which makes the


original flavor so famous, to which James says “I’m still tweaking it, but it’s still quite good”. He added, “we also soak the oats and the grains overnight just like we do for our breads, to help them be more di- gestible...but also because it really helps get that crunch consistency”. A little secret to try from James for those of you who do your own baking at home! After test- ing, tweaking, and multiple trials (8-10) James feels he is finally, really happy with the new product and as a company, Metropolitan is thrilled to be able to offer the gluten-free version. An idea suggested by many of their customers. Metropoli- tan prides itself on the fact that they love their cus- tomers as much as their customers love them. They expect feedback and hope for requests and when they can deliver on those


requests, they feel they are really fulfilling the needs of the community. I asked James if there was one thing he would like to see in the gluten-free ver- sion that they have not been able to achieve because of the lack of wheat, and his answer was “clusters”, stat- ing: “I’d like to see more clump-factor in the bag”. But his customers are not complaining about the lack of clusters, “they are lov- ing it”, and I agree. When I put any granola on my yo- gurt in the morning, I pur- posely breakup the clumps, or throw them back in the bag. Apparently there are two types of granola eaters: those who like clusters, and those who are non-cluster crunchers. I mentioned that maybe creating a ‘cluster’ and ‘cluster free’ version might be the next addition for their granola brand. The granola is made in their Fishtown baking fa- cility, where they make


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all of their baked goods by hand, but to keep this batch free of any possible wheat contamination, one day a month is set aside for making the gluten free gra- nola. Different utensils and equipment are used, and all equipment is washed and sanitized before the process begins. Then samples are shipped to a bio-diagnostic lab in Vermont to test for gluten, certifying that the product is less than 5 parts per million and meeting the strictest standard in the in- dustry. James has a background in culinary arts. He attended the Culinary Institute of America and also spent time learning at the Ecole Francaise de Boulangerie d’Aurillac in France fur- thering the old-world bak- ing skills he first learned in the kitchen from his Italian grandmother. Luck- ily James doesn’t have any food allergies himself, but he knows that in this day with so many allergies, of- fering a variety of items is key to the success of his business. Even if you are a wheat eater, I highly recommend the gluten free variety of granola. It really tastes great! The addition of dried coconut shavings gives it a subtle hint of toasted tropi- cal sweetness, yet there are only 9 grams of sugar per serving. Plus it is dairy-free too, making it acceptable for those with lactose intoler- ance. And the best part? It’s lower in fat than the regular granola with just 2grams per one ounce serving com- pared to the 7 grams of fat in the original flavor. Now that I moved into the neigh- borhood again, I’m back to buying my regular good- ies which now includes the All Natural Gluten Free & Dairy Free Granola. What else to look for as Metro Bakery begins to expand on the gluten fee line-up of baked goodies? Gluten Free cookies: Or- ange-Almond is the flavor of the moment; made with cornmeal they are light, crisp and delicious! Gluten Free Dairy Free Granola 12 oz Bag - $8.25 Ingredients: gluten-free oats, honey, canola oil, ma- ple syrup, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, dried cranberries, pecans, almonds, dried cherries, dried blueber- ries, unsweetened coconut, dried strawberries, cin- namon, pure vanilla, and ground cloves.


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