Food
or cooking related articles:
Leeora's
Gourmet Kitchen : vegetarian wheat free and gluten free
food
by
Hub-UK
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Whether
you are a vegetarian or you are looking to change your
diet because you are wheat sensitive or whether you
are one of the 250,000 people in the UK who suffers
from Coeliac disease then you are just a short read
away from finding the answer to your eating problems
- wheat free and gluten free food and ready made wheat
free and gluten free dishes.
If
you have never met Leeora you should . . . and if you
have not tasted the food she creates then you need to
do something about it.
Leeora's
Gourmet Kitchen
So
who is Leeora and what is her Gourmet Kitchen?
 Leeora
is married to Eddie and together with their son Tal
they run Leeora's Gourmet Kitchen which produces the
most wonderful tasting dips, pates and other dishes
which reflect the Middle Eastern style of cooking.
What
is now known as Leeora's Gourmet Kitchen did not of
course happen overnight. It is something that has grown
from years of experience gained by both Eddie and Leeora
in advising people about what and how to eat as well
as preparing food that they could eat . . . and enjoy!
Of
course none of this would have happened without Leeora's
passion for food and her great desire to see people
enjoy the food she prepares.
Leeora
started cooking as a young girl. Her parents owned a
famous restaurant. The restaurant was on the ground
floor with the family living above. Leeora has been
passionate about cooking ever since she was a child
and started doing chores in her parent’s restaurant
at the age of nine.
 Her
lifelong passion for cooking was first ignited when
as a young girl she decided, unknown to her parents
who were working downstairs in the restaurant, to prepare
her own chicken soup for the family lunch. Being so
small she needed to stand on a chair to reach the top
of the cooker. It was here her parents found her giving
a final stir to the finished soup . . . parental anxieties
were soon overcome when the family sat down to eat their
lunch. The soup was a huge success and from then on
there was no holding Leeora back. She is still as passionate
today about her cooking and her own grown up son Tal
now helps her in the kitchen.
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Coeliac
Disease
 Coeliac
disease is found in people who are sensitive to
gluten. Gluten is found in wheat and other cereals.
What this means for sufferers is that gluten causes
damage to the lining of the small intestine which
then leads to problems absorbing the nutrients
and vitamins from food. The treatment for the
disease is quite simple . . . remove all sources
of gluten from the diet - wheat free and gluten
free diet.
Most
doctors believe that Coeliac disease is genetic
and therefore there is nothing you can do to avoid
it if it is in your family genes. The treatment
for the disease is to avoid eating any food which
contains gluten because it is the gluten which
causes the problem. If you suspect you may have
Coeliac disease you should consult your doctor
who will, if his diagnosis confirms your fears,
recommend sticking to a gluten-free diet which
also means a wheat free diet. If you need help
he will also recommend you to a dietitian who
can advise you about which foods contain gluten
and how to maintain a balanced diet without wheat
and the other cereals you must avoid.
Gluten
is a protein that is found in flour made from
wheat and is also present in rye and barley. Gluten
is the reason flour can be formed into dough and
then rises during baking. Because flour is used
in so many food manufacturing processes (some
which would probably surprise you) gluten can
be found in many foods although the most obvious
are bread and pastry. For example flour is used
as a thickener in many food products.
If
you follow a gluten-free diet you will feel healthier
and more energetic, as well as reducing the risk
of developing future problems. Your Coeliac disease
will never go away so sticking to a gluten free
diet is important for your health. Finding wheat
free and gluten free products has never been easy
and although many food manufacturers now make
alternative products for people with Coeliac disease
many of them are fairly bland and tasteless. To
enable you to stick to a controlled diet you need
to find alternative foods which are both tasty
as well as nourishing.
All
Leeora's Gourmet Kitchen products are wheat free
and gluten free - more importantly they are full
of taste.
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Passionate
about Flavour
Leeora
is passionate about flavour, in fact she is passionate
with everything to do with food from its preparation
to its presentation. The philosophy at Leeora's Gourmet
Kitchen is to produce good healthy, tasty food.
The
spices used are all freshly ground for each batch of
dishes produced. This ensures the spices are fresh and
retain their full flavour. It is also necessary because
many companies that supply pre-prepared spices bulk
them out with things like flour. This is a very necessary
part of the process as all products are guaranteed gluten
free and wheat free.
No
sugar is used in any of the products and all the ingredients
are freshly prepared. No nuts are used in any of the
food although a nut warning has to be added to the packaging
because Leeora does not have control over outside sources
of supply. Only olive oil or sunflower oil is used in
producing the dishes and, for example, the Thai Curry
does not make use of coconut.
 The
products are of such a high quality that none of the
flavour is lost in the freezing, and blast chilling
as soon as the products are cooked ensures that it is
freshly frozen. Everything is cooked to order and everything
is done from fresh so there is no long term refrigerated
stock.
When
ordered over the telephone or online, the goods are
shipped in insulated boxes covered in ice which will
keep them frozen long after the guaranteed 24 hour delivery
service.
From
Delicatessen to Custom Built Kitchen
 Leeora
and Eddie first started running a health food shop with
its own delicatessen. There was a purpose built kitchen
attached to the delicatessen which enabled Leeora to
provide their customers with very popular freshly produced
food.
A
natural progression, with the popularity of Leeora's
cooking, was to open what turned out to be a highly
successful vegan restaurant in London from where they
also produced and supplied many products to health food
shops and delicatessens. But the strain of trying to
run a restaurant, where everything was prepared fresh
daily, and supply the various outlets with their products
became too much and it was with regret that Leeora and
Eddie decided to close the restaurant to enable them
to concentrate on producing their food products for
the home consumer.
In
January 2005 the business moved into new premises in
Stanway (near Colchester) where a new custom built kitchen
had been designed to maximise production of the different
dishes whilst ensuring the same quality and standards
were preserved. Based on a fruit farm on the outskirts
of Colchester it will soon be possible for people to
visit Leeora’ Gourmet Food and buy the products
direct.
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Preparing
a Wrap
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This
is the Family Wrap Pack for four which comes
with:
Moroccan style Matbucha, Humous, Falafel
and wraps.
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Some
of the Products
(these
are just some of the products available)
- Mushroom
and Garlic Pate
 A
mushroom and garlic flavoured vegetarian pate. Can
be served as a starter or as a sandwich spread.
“A
light mushroom flavour with a definite taste of
garlic. Very enjoyable on a piece of bread or an
oatmeal biscuit. Definitely a family favourite for
flavour and taste.” - adult taster
“I
find this pate really nice. I like the way the mushroom
tastes.” - child taster
“It
is very tasty and you can really taste the mushroom.
The garlic is there to flavour it and is not a strong
taste.” - child taster
- Greek
Style Aubergine Dip
 A
dip made with aubergines, garlic, vinegar and olive
oil. Can be eaten as a starter with warm bread or
with a main meal.
“Moist
and tasty dip with a mild garlic presence. Excellent
on a piece of pitta bread or as an accompaniment.”
- adult taster
“This
dip is very sweet. I can taste and smell peppers
in it and the tomatoes.” - child taster
“It
is very tasty.” - child taster
- Babaganush
 This
is a very popular Middle Eastern dish made from the
flesh of roasted aubergine which is pureed with garlic,
tahini, lemon juice and black pepper. It can be eaten
in a variety of ways, including being used as a dip
with whole wheat bread or crackers, spread on a pitta,
or put into numerous dishes.
“Full
of flavour with a hint of pepper. Leaves you wanting
more. Can be eaten alone or as an accompaniment.
Has been described as having a woodland flavour!”
- adult taster
“This
is one dip I will never forget. I love this one.
Great spicy flavour.” - child taster
- Koobe
 This
is Leeora's vegetarian interpretation of Koobe, a
spicy African sausage from Sudan.
“This
has a light spicy flavour. It can be served as part
of a main course or as a buffet style snack. Nice
firm texture and good flavour.” - adult
taster
“I
think this would be great with salads. It tastes
good. I think I can taste some peppers and chilies–
it has a good smell.” - child taster
“The
Koobe is very tasty. I can taste black pepper and
red chili.” - child taster
- Tunisian
Style Harissa
 This
is a medium hot traditional Tunisian style relish
which is made with peppers and chili. Harissa is popular
in Tunisia and other countries of North Africa and
the Near East.
“If
you like the flavour of roasted red peppers then
this is for you. Wonderful flavour of peppers with
a hint of chili. This can be eaten on its own or
as an accompaniment . . . it is excellent on French
bread!” - adult taster
“I
like the chilies in it and I like the smell of it
. . . and the taste. I won’t forget this for
a long time.” - child taster
- Green
Lentil Pate
 A
smooth pate with onion and lemon. Can be served as
a starter or as a sandwich spread.
“Wonderful
peppery flavour . . . very morish!” - adult
taster
“This
pate is quite spicy. I can’t really taste the
lentils but it was not what I was expecting. I thought
it would have been horrible but it is nice.”
- child taster
- Sundried
Tomato Pate
 A
soya bean paste flavoured with sundried tomatoes.
Can be served as a starter or as a sandwich spread.
“Instant
mouth watering taste of tomato with the tang of
warm spices. Has a slight sweetness which goes extremely
well with the hint of lemon and the fresh spices.”
- adult taster
“This
would in my opinion be great on pizza. I like this
pate and I can really taste the tomatoes –
it is lovely.” - child taster
“A
light delicious taste of tomato and you can smell
the black pepper. I think it would go well with
cheese.” - child taster
- Vegetarian
Italian Style Ragu
 Usually
a meaty slow-cooked tomato sauce, Leeora's Vegetarian
Italian style Ragu is made with Soya mince and Kidney
Beans instead of meat. It is ideal with lasagne, ravioli
and other fresh pasta.
“The
wonderful combination of flavours and texture made
this an ideal sauce to serve with the pasta of your
choice. You would not complain if you were served
this in a restaurant.” - adult taster
“This
sauce is full of flavour and spicy. It tastes good.”
- child taster
“It
smells freshly made. Although it is a vegetarian
sauce I found it very tasty. It would go well with
past or rice.” - child taster
- Spicy
Pate
 This
flavoursome pate is best served as a filling for a
jacket potato or with rice or pasta. Can be served
as a starter or as a sandwich spread.
“With
a drier texture than some of the other pates this
has a wonderful burst of flavours. Although spicy
it is not hot.” - adult taster
“The
pate is not hot at all but it is very tasty.”
- child taster
- Thai
Curry
 This
is a vegetable Thai curry which is cooked in a spiced
sauce. Thai curries are more aromatic than their Indian
counterparts.
“Good,
in fact very good. With a wonderful flavour and
different texture this makes a great meal served
with rice. Only mildly hot.” - adult taster
“I
love this one . . . it is wonderful.” - child
taster
Aslo
ideal for BBQs, picnics, when organising a party or
preparing a buffet.
All
dishes are suitable for a vegan diet
(The
two children doing the tasting were girls aged twelve
and eleven)
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Wheat
allergy or wheat Intolerance?
There
is a lot of confusion about the terms food allergy
and intolerance. This has led many people to think,
wrongly, that they are allergic to certain foods
including wheat. True wheat allergy is extremely
rare.
People
often confuse the terms food allergy and food
intolerance as being the same. They are of course
not the same.
A
food allergy is described as an abnormal response
to a food brought about by the body's immune system
and, without going into great biological detail,
causes the release of histamine which is responsible
for inflammation and the other symptoms of an
allergic reaction.
Food
intolerance will not trigger such a response but
it may cause symptoms such as migraines, bloating
or skin rashes, and in some cases can worsen the
effects of conditions such as asthma, eczema or
migraines.
True
food allergies, such as an allergy to wheat, often
produce quite violent reactions, from swelling
of the lips and tongue or a red rash to the worst
case scenario where the reaction can be fatal.
Numerous
studies have shown that around 1% to 2% of the
population suffer from a food intolerance (excluding
those who suffer from Coeliac disease). This equates
to between 650,000 and 1,300,000 people.
If
you think you have a wheat allergy you should
consult your doctor.
All
Leeora's Gourmet Kitchen products are wheat and
gluten free - more importantly they are full of
taste.
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A
Middle Eastern specialty made up of small, deep-fried
croquettes or balls made of highly spiced, ground
chickpeas. They can be served inside pitta bread,
sandwich style, but can also be served as appetizers.
Humous or Matbucha are often served with falafel.
A
carrot and chive flavoured vegetarian pate where the
vegetables blend to give this pate its own unique
flavour.
Can be served as a starter or as a sandwich spread.
Originating
in the Middle East, humous is a thick spread made
from mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic
which is often eaten with pitta bread. Normally served
with falafel or a salad.
A
combination of ingredients and seasonings produce
a mixture which is then formed into small balls and
sautéed until brown. Delicious as a main dish
served with past or as a snack.
