REVIEW: Crave Bake Shop (Let's move to Oregon)

 

The Box Arrives

When I interviewed Kyra Bussanich, the owner of Crave Gluten Free Bake Shop, I laughed when she said that her shipping boxes were tightly wrapped and covered with bright orange "fragile" stickers.  But she wasn't kidding.  My box arrived like it was going to war.  But when I opened it, a few tasty little friends were happily looking up at me from their crisp white bakery box.  Unbroken.  Unharmed.  Waiting to be devoured.

Those little friends were called Peanut Butter Ring Ding Swiss Rolls and Grasshopper Mint Brownies.  My inner kid was clapping. 

Last December, Kyra and I discussed the bake shop's process to prevent cross contamination.  Kyra knows what she is doing.  There is no spelt, rye, wheat, triticale in the bakery.  She sources from tested gluten-free manufacturers.  I had also sent her my allergen list, so I was confident that these treats would be safe for me to eat. As I speak to more restaurant and bakery owners, I"m finding that when the owner of a foodie establishment has serious food restrictions themselves, they tend to be much more knowledgeable about food allergy practices.

 Peanut Butter Ring Dings

Peanut Butter Ring Dings (forefront); Grasshopper Mint Brownie (back)

I tried the Peanut Butter Ring Dings first, partly because brownies are my favorite food of all time (wait.... no, they are pretty much my favorite food of all time) and I wanted to save them for last.  I also enlisted a few non-food-allergic taste testers:  my mom and my friend Val.  Kyra was the first gluten-free baker to ever win Cupcake Wars, so this tasting responsibility was not to be done alone. 

My mom took the first bite and exclaimed, "Oh these are amazing!  These are gluten-free?"  When I replied yes, she had another question, "Where are these from?"  When I responded with "Oregon", she said with finality, "Oh, we are moving to Oregon." 

What I appreciated most about the ring ding was that the cake was really light and fluffy.  Even with the advances in gluten-free baking lately, these are two rare qualities in a gluten-free cake. 

The cake and filling had also retained their moisture, even though the intended arrival was a day late (thanks Postmaster).  The hard chocolate shells that surrounded each ring ding may have had something to do with that.  The peanut butter, dairy-free "cream" was also light and the peanut butter taste was surprisingly delicate.  I'm not used to peanut butter anything being delicate, and I liked it.  The chocolate shell, however, was a little too thick to let you truly recognize the lightness of the cake and filling, so I removed half of the chocolate shell.  When I did so, I could better appreciate the talent that went into the cake and the filling. Please note that this is more of an observation rather than a complaint.  The peanut butter ring dings are delish.

I saved a second set of treats for the next day.  They were still surprisingly fresh.   I asked my friend Val stop by to get another opinion.  She grew up with a celiac sister, so she has tasted many a gluten-free item, plus her taste buds are accustomed to wheat.   I left off part of the shell for her first bite and she started raving and repeating the, "This is really gluten-free?" question over and over.   Then she said, "Hey, where's the rest of the chocolate?  Hand it over.  That's mine."  The ring ding, plus complete chocolate coating, was her favorite.

Grasshopper Mint Brownies

 Grasshopper Mint Brownie

I have been searching for the world's best brownie ever since I popped forth from the womb.  For nearly 10 years, I had also made it my mission to find the best 2 am. grilled cheese and bacon sandwich in Manhattan.  With the onset of my allergies I've had to give up one search (seriously, a gluten-free, dairy-free grilled cheese is possible?), but not my quest for the best brownie. 

Wheatless or not, my standards remain high.  I still want the perfect mix of chewy, moist and only slightly cakey.  I still want the chocolate to have depth and a nice finish.  Yes, I'm serious.  Chocolate is like wine.  You don't want your brownie to leave you hanging.

I've tasted some very good gluten-free brownies within the last decade.  BabyCakes Bakery in New York City serves a lovely brownie bite.  My own brownie tart recipe, though quite rich, is one of my favorites, too.  Until now.

Crave makes the best brownies I've ever tasted.  The texture of the brownie itself was heavenly.  Chewy, moist, just a hint of  cakey - all there.  The mint "cream" was a nice surprise.  At first, I was unsure.  There was a lot of it and I wanted just a little more brownie.  So I tried the brownie alone.  Perfect.   I tried the mint cream alone and I was amazed at the perfect balance of fresh mint flavor.  I absolutely loved the two layers together.   I wanted more.  Usually mint flavored baked goods have a rather fake taste to them, which I find offputting.  Crave's mint, however, was fresh and satisfying.  I miss that grasshopper mint brownie. 

In fact, my annual birthday brownies are coming from Crave this year, and I"m going to order a bunch. 

Find Crave

www.cravebakeshop.com

LOCATION: 460 5TH STREET, LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034

PHONE: 503.212.2979 | FAX: 503.212.2978

EMAIL: INFO@CRAVEBAKESHOP.COM

HOURS: TUE-FRI 8am - 5pm, SAT 8am - 4pm

 Full length view: Grasshopper Mint Brownie

Recipe: Brownie Tart (Dairy- & Gluten-Free)

Backstory

My love for brownies led me to try every gluten- and dairy-free brownie mix on the shelves.  Not floored (although there are some great mixes out there now), I started making my own from scratch.  Then with alternative flour in my hair and coconut oil on my shirt, I looked for a brownie-like cake that I could take to parties and have people ask, "Who made this?"  To achieve this lofty goal, I thought it wise to start with a recipe from one of the brownie masters, The Barefoot Contessa.  I adapted her recipe so that I could safely and joyfully consume, but also have "normal" guests demand a repeat performance.  This recipe is rich (you don't need big pieces), chocolatey, chewey - all of the different textures that you want in a brownie. 

And this tart gets people to make naughty sounds. 

 Just out of the oven. It smells so, so good.

Ingredients

6 TBS of coconut oil

20 oz. (3.25 cups) of Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (or bittersweet chunks if you are really in a decadent mood)

1 cup of sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp. of gluten-free vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. of GF coffee extract (rounds out the flavor of the chocolate)

1/4 c. GF brown rice flour (I find white rice flour too sweet) - I use Bob's Red Mill

1/4 c. GF tapioca flour -- I use Bob's Red Mill

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea or kosher salt

2-3 TBS of rice, almond, coconut (or other alternative) milk

Put it Together

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With coconut oil (or safflower, grape seed), grease a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides.  Then flour the pan with brown rice flour.

Wet Ingredients:  Melt the 6 TBS of coconut oil in a bowl over simmering water.  Make sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.  Add 2 cups of the chocolate chips to the bowl with the oil, then remove from heat until the chocolate melts.  If you need more heat, put the bowl of back on the simmering water for a few seconds.  (Chocolate burns easily, hence this method.)  Let chocolate cool completely.

In a bowl of an electric mixer (use the paddle attachment) beat the eggs, sugar, GF coffee extract and GF Vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate.

Dry Ingredients:  In a medium bowl, combine the tapioca and brown rice flours, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of chocolate chips.  Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined.

Bake:  Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the center is puffy.  Don't overbake - if the center puffs up and possibly cracks, it is good to go.  The inside will still be very soft, but the outer rim will be perfectly chewy. 

Dress Up:  Melt the remaining chocolate chips with the 2-3 TBS of rice milk (or other alternative milk).  You can do this right in the double boiler you used for the first melted chocolate.  Drizzle over the top of the tart in whatever pattern floats your boat.

Cool to room temperature before removing the tart pan sides.

 The End.

My Chat with Crave – First Gluten-free Bakery to Win "Cupcake Wars"

Cupcake Wars Goes Gluten-Free

I’ve been following Crave Bake Shop's progress on Facebook, intrigued by their emphasis on gluten-free integrity, exacting pastry standards, vegan Thursdays, and multiple allergy sensitivity.  So when owner Kyra Bussanich contacted me and asked, “Can we send you some treats to try?”  I was pleased, but had no idea that she was about to be named the first gluten-free baker to ever win the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”.

Kyra and I chatted on December 16 (Doughnut Friday).  At that time she couldn’t even discuss the win, let alone reveal on what show she would be appearing.  She was also the first gluten-free baker to ever show up on Cupcake Wars in 2010, so I assumed the secret involved said show again.  Needless to say, I rushed home that following Sunday just in time to see her grab the prize away from heavy hitting bakers who used traditional flours. 

See Kyra's winning, gluten-free Boston Cream Pie Cupcake Recipe here.

Because of my somewhat complex allergies, I’ll be receiving Crave treats to review in 2012 – after the holiday rush.  Perhaps then, I’ll coax Kyra into for an inside look at her experience with other cupcake warriors, that intimidating-looking panel of experts, and her introduction to namesake (and one of my fave actresses), Kyra Sedgwick.  

 Pictured: Jackie, Kyra Bussanich, Kyra Sedgwick. The episode let Kyra have a chance to cater a Hollywood party on the set of "The Closer" starring Emmy award winning Kyra Sedgwick.

Online Bakery to Retail Yum Store

In the meantime, let’s focus on what we could discuss:  her journey from online baker to a retail store with lines out the door and down the block on opening day.

I didn’t anticipate such a crowd.  I thought that it would be six months before I’d hire my first employee, but I had to hire someone the first day!

Kyra first launched Crave’s online presence in 2008, but on May 13, 2011, she opened “a whole different ballgame” in Lake Oswego, Oregon.  Kyra said that this open-minded, small business community, located just outside of Portland, was committed to helping her grow.  

As we chatted up the artsy quality of Lake Oswego, it reminded me of Saugatuck, MI – a town near my current state of repose, Grand Rapids.  As small worlds would have it, Kyra’s grandfather was born in Grand Rapids before ending up in San Diego.  Six Degrees.

I found it wise that Crave learned from the online business before opening the retail storefront.  One important lesson was that neither the size nor the brightness of multiple orange “fragile” stickers could keep your precious cupcakes from being dropkicked on their journey to your door.  So Crave packages accordingly and offers limited items available for shipment, like 3 kinds of cupcakes, ring dings, and the scones of the day.  Sweet.

In store, they create beautiful special order wedding cakes, and have a pretty large menu of gluten-free yummi-ness from which to choose.

Passion, Sacrifice and Le Cordon Bleu

Custom Birthday CakeKyra received her training at the famous culinary arts institute, Le Cordon Bleu.  As we chatted, it was clear that she measures her gluten-free pastries against the best, and that she will not compromise taste, texture and flavor simply to make a treat.

We love requests.  But it’s difficult when people expect us to serve sugar-free, vegan and dairy-free every day.  My heart always sinks, because it’s so hard for me to say, “I can’t do that for you today”. Our goal is to do amazing tasting gluten-free things.  There is no reason that gluten-free shouldn’t taste just as good.  I don’t want to compromise our standards.

Thinking of her in a roomful of wheat flour, however, I thought of her health and she graciously let me inquire.  Kyra has Crohn’s, and her mother has been recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease, so given her own diagnosis and the genetic propensity for CD, she was putting herself in front of a gluten-toting firing squad every day during her training.  

I was sick a lot in pastry school and missed about 1 day every other week because I was too sick to go to class.  Some of my professors understood, but others were not very sympathetic.

I thought of my tour of the bakery at The Secchia Culinary Institute in Grand Rapids, which I took earlier this year.  I had a clear picture of what Kyra’s experience might have been like.  Secchia’s bakery had huge bins marked “wheat”, “rye”, and “barley”.  During my tour there was no class in action, yet the empty bakery was clouded with flour nonetheless.  I could only imagine the sacrifice Kyra made to learn her craft.  My respect for this chick climbed even higher as we spoke.   

On Gluten-free Laws, GMO’s and Health

Wedding CakeWhenever I interview a baker, researcher, doctor or flour manufacturer, I ask their opinion about the pending gluten-free law.  Is 20 parts per million too much?  Could the law go any further?

20 ppm is too much.   I think it should be zero ppm, but that 20 ppm is realistic.  You can’t control everything and mistakes do happen.  The law itself will be primarily driven by consumers and their choices.  Eight years ago no one knew about gluten, but consumers and their health drove changes in the market.  Before I cut gluten out of my diet entirely, I had no appetite, was losing weight, not sleeping well and operating on a 30% gas tank.  After only 3 days on a gluten-free diet I felt tons better. My mom, however, took a lot longer to heal.  Even painkillers for my mom were formulated with gluten.  It’s so important to have products that are labeled correctly.

As for modern day GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), she is one of the growing number of people who believe that GMO’s are one big reason behind the huge spike in gluten allergies – that and the fact that we are eating so many processed foods loaded with gluten protein.  

If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.  If you are sick, the only thing you can focus on is how you feel.  Today, we often reach for a quick fix in the medicine cabinet.  But that doesn’t get to the root of the problem, and just layers one medication on to the next.  And it all could come down to taking care of ourselves through diet.

I think the answer is so simple.  If you have celiac (or other inflammatory problems) – get off gluten.  

Like so many people today, Kyra suffered for most of her life and had several misdiagnoses slapped on her forehead.  On a gluten-free diet, however, she is thriving.   We can all learn from experiences like Kyra’s, and garner hope, as well.

Advice for Tender Foodies

Kyra Bussanich, Owner and Creator of Crave Bake ShopI asked Kyra for some advice for the Tender Foodie population.  Here is what she said.

Experiment!  I used to be one of those people who liked to draw inside of the lines.  I didn’t want to try a recipe unless it came out perfectly.  But this is not a way to start an alternative bakery.
 
Once, I made grilled nectarines with a tapioca and soy pudding for my dairy-free husband.   The pudding did not set, so I served him Grilled Nectarines and Vanilla Soup!  He looked up at me and said, “This is really good!”  So the lesson is, If it tastes good, serve it.  It’s all about how you present what you create.  

Bake Shop Practices

I respect bakers and restaurants who not only have strict, trained practices in place, but who also know their limits.  Here are a few highlights of Crave’s practices:
 

Soy 

The only soy used is the soy lecithin that is already processed in the Callebaut bittersweet Chocolate (which is also dairy-free) and in their dark chocolate sprinkles.

Cleaning Practices & Dairy-Free:

• Between each cupcake batch they clean extensively with sanitizing solution and the racks are wiped down every day.
• The most restrictive batch, like dairy-free cupcakes, go first into the oven.
• They change parchment paper with every batch.

Ingredient Sourcing, GMO, Organic, Local:

• They use only certified gluten-free ingredients.  No gluten makes it into the bakery.  (They love Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flours)
• Crave uses no oat flour, and only use gluten-free oats (from Bob’s and Naked Oats) that are from farms that do not rotate their oats with gluten crops.
• Crave use organic, non-GMO, and local ingredients wherever possible.
• Prefer to make flavors using produce and products in season whenever possible.

Crave is a Kosher Certified Bake Shop

Special orders

Special orders can be accommodated if planned ahead.  For instance, Crave recently fulfilled an order for a “gal who had a fatal peanut allergy”.  But they had to do it during a week when other special orders could be made that didn’t require peanuts.  Crave didn’t use peanuts in any items for a week prior to fulfilling this non-peanut order.  Crave knows that gluten and nut particles can linger in the air for quite some time.  They respect that bit of physics.  I respect that.  And look forward to my taste test.  Bring it on, Kyra!

Find Crave

LOCATION: 460 5TH STREET, LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034

PHONE: 503.212.2979 | FAX: 503.212.2978

EMAIL: INFO@CRAVEBAKESHOP.COM

HOURS: TUE-FRI 8am - 5pm, SAT 8am - 4pm

Recipe: Crane Dance Lamb Chops with Rosemary

I found this recipe in an unlikely place - About.com (here's the original recipe).  I didn't make any real changes to it, except that I don't use black pepper, and only used 4 lamb chops for this marinade (you could use 8) when the recipe called for 10-12, which seems excessive.  The only other change is that I slowly drizzled and simultaneously whisked the olive oil into the other marinade ingredients so that the vinaigrette did not separate.  I loved what this recipe did to the lamb.  It mellowed but kept the wonderful game flavor of the lamb, and then deepened the flavor just enough. 

As with all good recipes - quality ingredients are key.  I got my grass fed lamb chops from Crane Dance Farm.  Grass fed lamb is higher in nutrients, including Omega 3 (yep, lamb has 50% of the OM3's of fish), Vitamins B12 and B3, tryptophan, and thyroid and immune system-loving selenium.  Grass fed meat also digests more easily.  I found the Crane Dance Lamb Chops to be top notch meat.  Loved them.

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

• 4-8 loin lamb chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Preparation:

Combinethe vinegar, rosemary, garlic and salt  in a large glass bowl (or an 8x8 shallow pan).  Slowly drizzle and simultaneously which in the olive oil.   Place chops in bowl and turn repeatedly to coat well.  You could put all of the contents into a ziplock bag, too.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours. Once marinated, remove chops from fridge and allow to come to room temperature (20 minutes). Preheat grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Remove chops from marinade and place on a lightly oiled grill rack. Cook for 8 minutes on each side. Remove from heat, allow to rest for 3-5 minutes, and serve.

Parents: How to Talk Turkey (and Food Allergies) at Thanksgiving

This guest article continues our series on Thanksgiving with social tips to help dicuss food allergies with family and friends.

Next!

Phew!  Halloween has come and gone and you managed to  A) Keep you child with food allergies safe and sound while  B) actually enjoying the Halloween events – the class party, perhaps some Trick or Treating, and maybe a spooky Haunted House too!

Now, it’s November, and just as you find an allergen-laced Snickers™ bar hiding under the living room couch, the phone rings and it’s Aunt Apathy.  You know, the one who doesn’t seem to care about your kid’s life threatening food allergies?  “Allergies?” she questions you.  “Can’t you just give your kid a pill for that?” 

UGH!  You were dreading this call.  The entire extended family is gathering for the traditional Thanksgiving feast at Aunt Apathy’s.  Here we go – another holiday and another celebration with the potential to hurt your child, little Elsa, who is severely allergic to peanuts and intolerant to several other common foods.  

In this three part series, we will be addressing how to  1) Prepare your relatives for the cautions necessary to keep your child safe, 2) deal with the emotions when other adults just don’t “get it” and3.) Enjoy the big day while focusing on what Thanksgiving is really all about:  Gathering together with thankful hearts.

Here’s what you know for sure:
1.    You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
2.    You don’t want to skip Thanksgiving or the memories.
3.    You need to keep your child safe.
4.    Again, you need to keep your child safe.

Accept the invitation, thank her and hang up.  Review 1, 2, 3 and 4.  Those three points are what you want to accomplish when you call her back.  So, write a script and call her back within the next 24 hours.  Open the conversation with “Have I caught you at a busy time?” so you are assured she is present and truly listening, then smile the entire time you are chatting with her on the phone.  People can hear you smile.  Be calm, yet friendly  – pretend you are in Mr. Roger’s neighborhood.  There’s never ever family drama there.

Here are a few scripts that might fit into your personal scenario:

The key phase here is “Would that be helpful?”

Everyone in our family is so excited to be coming to your house for Thanksgiving!  Elsa can’t stop taking about it! (This points out how important it is to Elsa and makes Auntie feel important in Elsa’s life, which she is.) I know it’s tricky to plan such a big event when someone with a food allergy is attending, so I wanted to offer to help in any way. (Keep talking so she can’t insert a “Oh No DEAR, that won’t be necessary”)  I would be happy to make a side dish or two that everyone could enjoy and Elsa could eat easily.  Would that be helpful so that you can prepare all the traditional dishes that you do so well?  

Now…onto the cross contamination topic…

Your concern (Open with this, even if she never seems concerned) about Elsa accidently being exposed to an allergen is always appreciated.  You don’t have to worry about her touching dairy products – she just can’t eat them or she will get pretty sick.  But, she can’t touch peanuts.  That’s the one you need to worry about the most, but it’s okay, I can be helpful with that.  Gosh, I can’t think of anything that you might be serving with peanuts though, can you?  OH, I just thought of one –my neighbors fry their turkey in the gigantic turkey fryer in the back yard – and I just learned they use peanut oil.  I would never had thought of that – peanuts in turkey!  There are so many hidden sources.  This might be helpful, save me the wrappers from any food and I’ll look over the ingredient list and we can decide then if Elsa can have it.   Or, would you like me to come and help the night before or early that morning?  (Now you have given her options to accept your help.  She maintains some power over her big event while you keep your child safe.)

When a traditional dish is ALWAYS part of the feast in your family, but your kid is allergic to it.

One of the things I am looking forward to are your famous sweet potatoes with that amazing buttery, maple sugar sauce!  It’s such a wonderful memory from my childhood! I know it won’t be a yummy as the one that you will make that day, but how about I bring a similar dish of sweet potatoes for Elsa?  That way, we can still have the tradition of your dish that means so much to all of us, and Elsa can have her own version too.  It is just really important to me that Elsa shares that memory with you.

Try these recipes for squash,  and for sweet potatoes.

When your child has a new or unanticipated dietary restriction...

I just wanted to give you the heads up that we took Nicholas off sugar 3 month ago.  It’s the first time that his immune system has done its job!  He didn’t catch any of those nasty start-of-school bugs that kept him home for weeks last year.  His doctor has encouraged us to keep it up (always good to insert an authority figure, like a doctor), even through the holidays.  I didn’t want to hurt your feelings if we bring him something sugar-free for dessert.  Or, would it be helpful if I brought  two or three of those fabulous sugar-free pumpkin pies from Molly’s Allergen-Free Bakery?
 
These conversations aren’t always easy: Aunt Apathy just isn’t going to see life the way you do, because food allergies are a new phenomenon for her generation.  But, deep down, we all have the same purpose for Thanksgiving.  It’s about gathering family and friends together, creating memories and establishing traditions.  If the two of you focus on those intentions, you have a common goal.  That means you care about the same thing.  Next thing you know, you’ll have to start calling her by her real name.  But for now, just call her “Auntie” and send her flowers the next day to thank her for all of her hard work and  for creating memories for your child will always cherish.

More Article for Parents

For more tips on dealing with schools, read:  How to Feel Less Stress With a Food Allergic Child in School.

Read Aimee's Story:   Second Thoughts About Thanksgiving.

About The Author

Melanie Potock, M.A., CCC-SLP of My MunchbugMelanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, of www.mymunchbug.com.  Melanie is speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding.  Her work brings her into the homes and schools of her clients, kids, who for various reasons have difficulty with food or with eating. She works with kids and their parents to develop effective strategies that help children become “more adventurous eaters”.  At least 50% of her clients have food allergies or intolerances, and for them, “adventurous eating” takes on a special meaning.