There is a lot of buzz going on about gluten these days. According to wikipedia, only 1 in 105 people in the U.S. are affected by celiac's disease, however, it seems to be that people who aren't necessarily allergic to gluten are following a gluten free diet. Due to the large number of requests to make my pizzas gluten free, I decided to do some experimenting in attempt to make a glutenless pizza.
Gluten itself is a protein that gives dough its elasticity. As a baker, that elasticity in my pizza dough is vital to achieving a nice puffy crust, especially since I work entirely with whole grains and not refined white flour. Making my pizza dough gluten free has proven itself a challenge. Furthermore, since I grind my own flour, my entire kitchen is "contaminated" with gluten. In order for me to make pizza that would actually be "gluten-free," I would have to purchase all new equipment, and probably even find a new kitchen space.
Since it seems that most people who are following a gluten free diet may not necessarily have celiac's disease, I decided to make a crust that is "low-gluten", but not totally gluten free. This should be suitable for people who are avoiding gluten for health benefits, NOT for those who have gluten allergies.
This is a unique pizza crust in that it doesn't use yeast as a rising agent (yeast reacts with gluten in wheat, so wheat-free flour + yeast= flat hard bricks-at least in my experimenting.) Instead, this is a baking powder & butter crust made with a mixture of rye, spelt, and corn. While both rye and spelt do still contain gluten, it is significantly lower in content: rye has only about 2% gluten, corn is totally void of gluten, and spelt has a fragile gluten content, which makes it easier to digest than gluten in wheat.
Here are some good links. For those of you who are going gluten free because of the supposed health benefits, I encourage you to read up first.
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/gluten_free_diet/should_you_go_gluten_free
http://www.wheat-free.org/wheat-free-flour.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet
http://www.ochef.com/108.htm
This week I will be featuring the new rye crust pizza, topped German-style with sauteed onions, sauerkraut, mushrooms, and swiss cheese. This particular pizza is fabulous with any good beer, and any person of true German heritage like myself will love it!
P.S. This pizza needs a name. Got any ideas? send me an email. If I like the name you'll also get a free pizza.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Fair Trade Pizza
Our pizzas just got even better! In addition to fair trade sugar, we are now using fair trade, organic olive oil in our pizza crusts! Not only are these olive oils making a better life for farmers and the environment, they're also making our pizzas taste even more delicious. Canaan Fair Trade and Higher Grounds Trading Company both offer a nice selection of some of the best tasting olive oils you can find, made from the ancient olive trees of Palestine
You can also pick up a fabulous bottle of these olive oils at any Global Gallery store, located at:
in Clintonville
in the Short North.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
HELP WANTED!
Part-time position currently available @Krazy Monkey Juicebar:
Shifts available: Thurs, Fri, Sat mornings/ early afternoons. Shorter shifts, 8-12 hours/week. Monday shifts may also be a possibility.
Qualifications:
Must love all things healthy & juicy!
Reliable, self-motivated, hard working, able to multi-task
Some previous kitchen/foodservice experience required.
General knowledge of food safety/food handling procedures
Good customer service skills
Must be 18 or older, and able to work unsupervised.
***This position will start part time but can grow to full time as early as April/ May.***
What I'm looking for is someone that I can train to run the juicebar a few days a week so I can handle other aspects of the business (i.e. bookkeeping). In the near future, this can grow to a full time position- when weather gets warmer I'll be bringing the foodcart/foodtruck back to the streets!
Job Duties would include:
prepping veggies & fruits for juicing
preparing & serving fresh pressed juices & smoothies
working with the Global Gallery Staff & volunteers
cleaning, dishwashing, sweeping, etc.
Some light baking (follow simple recipes)
Pay is $8-$9 per hour plus tips & free juice!!
Apply in person, at 3535 N. High St,
Tues-Thur 11a-6p, Fri-Sat 10a-5pm, or Sun 11a-2p.
Call for more info: 614.440.9885
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