Louise Sans Gluten Free Review

DO YOU SEE THE WONDER OF THAT PECAN PIE????? I shall reveal all but first, let us start at the beginning of this delightful, stumbled upon, pecan pie adventure.
Hold onto your taste buds lovelies because I have a treat for you!
We recently made a trip into town, to stop at this little bakery on St.Laurent that does this gluten-free bread my mom likes for her toast. Since having read some books, she has decided to go gluten-free and I am really proud of her because she has taken it seriously, and is sticking to it. Or as the Aussie's would say, "Good on yah mate!"
Back to our gluten-free fairy-tale.
Well, the bakery was closed for vacation, so it was kind of a bust. However, we had recently seen an ad for a place in Dorval that we had never heard of, that specializes in all things gluten-free. It's called: Louise SANS GLUTEN FREE, I managed to find a photo of Louise, this is the brilliant woman who came up with an awesome concept:

In the next picture you will see her delightful place, that I must say is a God-send for us gluten related sufferers.
When we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised because I had not realized that the entire grocery store and bakery were 100% dedicated to all things gluten-free!
I think I may have heard Hallelujah in the background as I was struck with this wonderous revelation.
Finally, a place where I could wander all the aisles, pick-up any item, look through fridges, freezers, bakery displays, and even the impulse items by the cash, knowing all were safe and gluten-free!!!!!!!
Ha ha! Look out gluten-free world, I have arrived!
Yes, a haven in the storm of gluten protein disasters, lurking at every bakery and grocery store I have ever been to in the past. It was a really delightful little gem, all fresh with it's very patriotic red and white bubbly colour/design scheme. (Although, I think the ode to Canada was more of a happy coincidence.)
It felt super clean, organized, smelled great, friendly staff, and best of all, very inviting. I think I should show you, here are some pictures. I know, so thoughtful Kiki, hehheh.
This is when you first walk into the shop:

This was a marvelous aisle that had products from many companies, even those I have seen posted on some American blogs but never come across, great selection of flours, mixes, baking items, and chocolates. Prices varied from item to item, but were reasonable and comparable with what one finds in most gluten-free aisles.

 This is the freezer section, I was delighted and quite impressed with the amount of choice available to us. There were a few people in the shop.  We all seemed overjoyed to have found under one roof, what us gluten-free hunters usually end up going to 2-4 stores to find. You know exactly what I mean if this is your life. Example: "This health food store has my bread but not my crackers, my local grocers has my almond milk, jams, and stock but not the dessert I need for this last minute supper tonight. Wait, I still don't know where I am going to find gluten-free perogies for the so-and-so." (Sound familiar kiddies? Aaargh!!!!)
Well, rest assured that Louise has changed all this. You can find it all under one roof, they have perogies, desserts, sweets, savoury, snacks, cold cuts, grab and go's, and a wonderful selection of fresh baked, house made, tantalizing delights!

 The little section in the back is where baking is done and there was something so exciting about discovering fresh, still warm, gluten-free crusty bread. Mom bought two types of bread, Italian and a crusty. I bought a Molly B's pumpernickel because it had been far too long since I had last found this particular bread that I adore. (I will do a review on this bread soon). What I would like to make mention of, is the fact that behind the baked goods section, where the kitchen is, the staff I saw seemed happy & genuinely enjoying their work. As a Chef with 20 years experience in so many different types of establishments, I can tell you that nothing speaks volumes quite as loudly to me, as cleanliness and genuine staff satisfaction, exhibited during work hours. One special note of mention, my mother was really impressed with the racks of gluten-free magazines and cookbooks that were available. Being new to the gluten-free scene, this was great for her because she could bring something home that would help her transition and give her info.
Okay, so now what you really want to know about.
Keep scrolling for the good stuff!

This was the bomb! It cost $7.59, (at the time of writing this).
  I was done my shopping when I spied with my little eye, this beautiful, nut laden, cute, mini, maple pecan pie. It was cleverly placed by the cash and I could not deny it's pecan-y goodness, it called to me. AHHHHHHHHHHHH, is that Angel's singing? Ahem. Back to the pie.
I picked it up and had a moment's hesitation, after my last experience, I was less enthusiastic and very wary. You can read the review for that sad pie from another Qc. company here:
http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2015/07/maison-cannelle-pecan-pie.html

Another shopper was there with her daughter, I think she could see the internal struggle. I had been taken in by the external beauty of another pecan pie before and did not relish a repeat of said experience. She looked at me and let me know (en Francais), "It's a reeeeeally good pecan pie. It's too good, try it, you are going to like it." To which I replied, "Really? I am afraid, the last one I ate was so bad."
She nodded in understanding.
Oh! How we suffah for our gluten-free guilty pleasures and genuine needs, don't we?
She repeated what she said, told me I would not regret it, and then the lovely lady at the cash chimed in, "Yeah, but this is Louise's special recipe. You have not a gluten-free pecan pie like this."
Ding, ding, ding, SOLD! (I really don't need much prompting when it comes to pecan pie)
Julie, at the cash was kind enough to put up with our gushing and prattling, answered all our questions, and even gave us some testers.
Over-all, a lovely experience.

This is my gift to me, pecan yowzah!



This was the Maple, Pecan Pie in all it's glory. I was extra happy about this because my Pecan Pie recipe has maple in it and I find it adds this wonderful depth of flavour that I always notice is lacking in regular pecan pies.
So, review time.
I was not disappointed, I had a hard time holding myself back and I must say, this pie is dangerous. Dangerously delicious!!!!!
I am glad I bought the smaller version of this pie, because I would have shamefully eaten a whole one and then secretly wondered, when I could have more. I know, it's awful but it was that good and such a pleasure to not have to make it myself. The colour was beautiful, the texture was that perfect silky sugar pie richness, with delightful, browned in the oven, pecan bite. It had that real food, whole ingredients taste, nothing artificial, all sweet seduction.
The crust was flaky, light, buttery, and did not over power the actual flavour of the pie.
This can be a problem with gluten-free flour mixes for pies, people play as best they can to get the consistency they want but end up with harsh flavours that detract from the pie.
Louise has gotten this on fleek (On point for those who don't know what that means) because she uses a milder flour mix, lard, along with the right starch mix.
It works very well, the only little thing I need to say about it, is that it has a very slight touch of grittiness. I am not being difficult, it's a review and I want to be honest. Truthfully, it was negligible. It all melded in almost perfect balance with the taste and ingredients of the filling. It is a crust that is more tender and flakes very easily. This means be careful when traveling with it, to be sure it arrives in one piece. I prefer a slightly crisper pie crust, especially for gluten-free pies but this is a personal thing. I know that most people are looking for that flaky boom-boom crust. You will find it in Louise's pie.

Then the crusty bread!
Whaaaaaaat??????? Real crusty bread? Whohooooooo!!!!!
She's pretty isn't she?

So fluffy on the inside, nice chew, great consistency, and went wonderfully with everything and anything we put on it. Butter? Check. Vegan margarine? Check. Pate? Check. Cold cuts? Check. Jam? Check. Almond butter? Yummy! Hahahaha.
Yes, we sacrificed ourselves for you, I know, all we do is give. You're so welcome. (Teehee.)




The only 4 things I want to say about this bread are:
1-Delicious, you need this in your life. Not overly yeasty or tasting strongly of an eggie mess, which I have miserably lived through in the past. This one is not going to let you down.
2-It has a bit of a Yorkshire pudding consistency when very fresh, it was a bit wet. Odd but not off-putting, rather, addictive.
3-Yorkie consistency greatly diminished after several hours, flavours settled, and the bread was even better as the day grew late. How awesome is that?
4-I would have liked to give you a next morning review of it but there was none left, I believe we have a crusty bread loving troll infestation, morning arrived and they left with the last of our glorious gluten-free crusty bread. So tragic, I know. Anyone have a number for troll exterminators?

All kidding aside, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, recommend this sweet oasis of goodness. Be happy knowing that in the desert of disappointing gluten-free fare, Louise has created something truly special, worthy of praise, and worth the trip.
Here is a link to her site, where you can get more info and below is her flier I took a pic of.
http://louisesansgluten.com/

Located at: 475, avenue Dumont, suite 109
Dorval QC H9S 5W2
(She's in a little strip mall, which is not too far from the airport but a little ways past it. Google maps got us there with no problems.)

Business hours are:
Monday-         Closed
Tuseday-         09:00-18:00
Wednesday-    09:00-18:00
Thursday-       09:00-20:00
Friday-            09:00-20:00
Saturday-        09:00-17:00
Sunday-          11:00-16:00

Why are you still here? Get out there and go to this cocoa nib of delight!
Leave your comments or experiences down below, I love to hear from you, and don't forget to subscribe!

Vanilla Bean Cherry Chia Pudding rawfood

Oh boy! Do I like this recipe, I mean, I liiiiiiiike it! It's so close to tapioca without the reactions and it tastes even more fresh and creamy thanks to the homemade vanilla bean almond milk, a recipe you need, to make this properly; which I linked twice down below.
And no, you cannot substitute if you want the same results that I got. Trust me, it's worth the effort.
I used dark cherries because they are in season, are one of my all time favourite fruits, they meld well with vanilla and almonds, as well as helping to fight inflammation. Winning!
Plus, it's cherries, nothing else needs to be said. If for some sad reason they are not your thing, (For shame, but I forgive you) here are perfect subs:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Mango
Lychee
Apples
Banana
Nectarines
Peaches
Blackberries
Raspberries

If you use banana, add it just before serving so they stay pretty.

Without further ado, here is the delightful recipe.

Vanilla Bean Cherry Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup White Chia seed
1 1/2 Cups Vanilla bean almond milk, (Link for recipe follows down below before method) use cheesecloth if you don't have a nut-milk bag.
1-2 Tbsp Maple syrup
1/8 tsp Pink sea salt
1/2 Real Vanilla Bean scraped (Step by step how to, with pics is explained in the almond milk recipe which is linked down below).
10-15 Black cherries halved & pit removed, or fruit of your choice.

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2015/07/vanilla-bean-almond-milk-rawfood.html

Method:

-In a bowl add all ingredients and stir then whisk until well combined.
-Pour into container with sealed lid, refrigerate for 30 minutes, stir or shake container once or twice while refrigerating.
-Serve in beautiful bowls topped with a mint leaf, (Once chilled to your preferred temperature. I like mine very cold.)

Remember to share with a loved one. Leave comments or questions down below, I love to hear from you.








http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2015/07/vanilla-bean-almond-milk-rawfood.html




Enjoy the fruits of your labours! Pun intended.

Maison Cannelle Pecan Pie

Helloodles lovelies! I am so excited about this new product reviews section of the Kinky Coconut blog and I had to start with an all time favourite, pecan pie.
I adore a good pecan pie, as it is very sweet, time consuming to make from scratch, and rather high cost on the ingredients level, I decided that we would buy this pie from the health food store.
This pie was my birthday splurge item and let me tell you it was expensive, like almost $20 but luckily for us it had been ticketed wrongly so we got it for $14.99 plus tax instead of the usual $17.99 plus tax. Score!
Maison Cannelle is a Québec based business and they have some wonderful breads, particularly good are the quinoa kaiser buns and whole grain loaves-quinoa bread makes great breakfast toast.
Seeing as I have eaten quite a variety of their delicious products, including their yummy carrot cake, I had high hopes and expectations for this pecan pie.
Got home, took it out of the box right away, didn't even do the birthday wishes candle thing, just oooh'd at how pretty it was as I cut it. See for yourself:

So, I served myself a slice. It looked like a pretty standard, well made, pecan pie filling with a generous amount of pecans-although they were very small pecans compared to what I am used to. Nonetheless, it was promising and I was celebrating inside because I was going to actually enjoy a birthday dessert I didn't have to make, for a change. Whooohoooo!

I ate it and then had a second slice, which I warmed up to be sure of my verdict.
Let me be very clear, I super duper uber wanted to like this pie, I wanted to marvel at how delightful and satisfying it was to the moon and pecan pie sky with unicorn sprinkles on top! That's how badly I wanted to like this pie.
Truth?
Big fat NOPE!
Pecans were rubbery, this was not a total surprise as the pie had been frozen, mine never turn out this rubbery when I make them and freeze them though, but I digress. The filling was alright but kind of boring, it lacked oomph in its lala, was typically sweet but nothing outstanding. These two things could have been overlooked if not for the one pie sin that all good pie baker's know must never be committed.
Horrible crust! Ahhhhhhhhhhh, I'm melting, Oh what a world what a world what a world...
Okay, seriously though, it was baaaaaaaaaad.
Like, tasted so pasty, flat, burnt, and had a strange lardy nasty flavour that hung out in your mouth, detracting from any of the good this pie had to offer. It was so terrible that I scraped the filling out and threw away all the crust.
Oh yeah, it was that awful and disgusting.
Not only was the taste horrid but it was mealy, gritty, and totally fell apart. Before I even got it out the box it was falling off and when you touched it, it disintegrated. Weird.
Don't get me started on the funky smell.

So, unfortunately, I cannot recommend this pie and the price is certainly not justified for such a sad end product.
However, I must reiterate that this company has slamming breads, buns, rolls, and lovely cakes. So stick with those and you'll be fine. No, seriously, the cinnamon raisin bread is boom!
Let me know what you think about it, if this was helpful, and leave any suggestions for gluten-free somethings you would like for me to review.
Don't forget to subscribe!