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Welcome to Fancy Food & Culinary Products' blog, your place to read reviews of the great fancy and gourmet products we find in the marketplace.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Editor's Choice: Lesley Stowe





Like I guess many office workers, more and more I find myself eating on the move and snacking throughout the day. Thanks to the kindness of a variety of companies and agencies finding something here usually isn’t a problem.

That’s how I came upon this week’s Editor’s Choice, Lesley Stowe (lesleystowe.com) Raincoast Crisps. Made in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the crisps in a variety of flavors have been a gourmet choice for years.

And now the company has introduced gluten-free crisps in flavors of Oat & Seed and Oat & Rosemary Raisin. I have to admit that for me bread (which usually contains gluten) is literally the staff of life. In addition, up until the 1990s I had no idea what gluten even was. I know it is a problem for some people and that other people are choosing to cut it out of their diet for other reasons. I'm not one of them, but I'm open to trying new things.

I wondered how the crisps would taste. A co-worker who wandered into our area in search of food answered that question. He declared the Oat & Seed crisps “pretty tasty” and was happy to also discover reading the box as he munched away that they are good for you. The crisps provide whole grains, fiber and calcium.

My choice for tasting later that day was the Oat & Rosemary Raisin. It was a tasty combination as the sweetness of the raisins combined with rosemary in a chewy good snack. I could see it with cream cheese, brie and other cheeses. The website also suggests melted chocolate — a delightful concept.

I also tried the Oat & Seed crisps. They had a more hearty taste, but again were a satisfying snack and could accept many topping choices.

For retailers, these crisps would be a welcome addition to a gluten-free section or even in a basket of gluten free products. And with the holidays coming, these crisps would be great to sample in a store as another good alternative for the upcoming gatherings.

Barbara