It was just about a year ago that I decided to go gluten free. I had been suffering for months with random ailments that together didn't make any sense and was at my wits end. As I was sitting in my living room exhausted after twelve hours of sleep and sore with aches and pains, I flipped the station to my stand-by, the Food Network. Some sort of cooking competition in which the contestants were asked to prepare a meal for a gluten-free client was on and as the client began to describe the woes of gluten intolerance, my ears perked. This was me! Exactly in that moment! As she spoke of the sore joints and grogginess I was sore and groggy!
After doing some internet research (as always) I called up my boyfriend and declared that I was going gluten-free. His reply basically summed up what was to become my struggle: "Okay," he said, "but we have so much fun cooking together. And what about pizza?" I craved bread for the first week (and everyone of my facebook friends knew it), and then I got over it. Sadly, the lament for pizza didn't go away. I think that most everyone who lives GF would agree that the standard for GF pizza remains pretty low.
I've been to pizzerias with GF owners that exude passion but serve up crust that's somehow both soggy and hard as a rock. I've tried mealy frozen crusts that cost me well over $15 for a meal for two after basic ingredients and I've experimented with most everything far and in-between. What I wanted was a soft, fluffy, hearty crust that would support both sauce and cheese and fill me up without breaking the bank. Recently the pizza gods have smiled down on me and I feel that I've made a few breakthroughs. This post is designed to provide you with my newest findings and open up a discussion on what REALLY works and what simply doesn't. Feel free to email us at eatfreetrio@gmail.com with your opinions!
Best Make at Home Crust:
Chebe Bread Pizza Crust found here
and in bulk on Amazon here
This amazing little product is very affordable and can easily be made vegan (just use egg replacer and almond milk!) or dairy free (almond milk works well). It has delicious Italian seasonings in it and sustains a whole load of toppings. To stay vegan or dairy free, try almond cheese shredded or thin sliced. it got the seal of approval from my boyfriend, who loves delivery pizza and he declared it the best GF so far.
Pictured below is the Chebe crust with Ragu pizza sauce, mozzarella, half roasted red peppers and half black olives all sprinkled with minced garlic and olive oil.
Best Take-out or Restaurant Pizza:
Mellow Mushroom!
Mellow Mushroom just started serving GF pizza and so far theirs flies high above the competition. Eating in a pizzeria used to be torture for me- watching diners indulge in cheesy gooey pizza while I ate a salad or crunchy GF alternative wasn't exactly my idea of fun. Thanks to MM I can go enjoy the experience and not feel left out at all. The only downfall is that as of now there is only one size provided (I'm guessing that they order pre-made crusts) and it's just big enough to share a meal with my boyfriend. If one of us has a really hungry day, we have to splurge on an appetizer to feel full.
Pizza is delicious and can be healthy, and I believe that the opportunity to enjoy a good pie is a natural born right. So go ahead, eat some pizza, and let me know what you think :)
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