The Shelter's Pumpkin Bread

There was this one time, after having a serious work out at the gym, I paid a visit to one of my favorite cafe in Bali, the Shelter, and had me a set of post-gym meal that could feed an entire village. I had me its' Soul Fuel Bowl, which I love so much for its' vibrant color and healthy ingredients, a couple slices of gluten-free Pumpkin Bread, and a heavy glass of Blue Moon Smoothie. All of them were delicious, though lacking of strong flavor because of the healthier seasonings that they use. 

My Soul Fuel Bowl tasted amazing and very fulfilling, like always, but my heart was captivated by the Pumpkin Bread, which I've never had before. I was in the mood for some bread at that time, yet I was on a diet program in which I'm not allowed to consume carbs and sugar, so I asked the waitress whether or not they have a selection of gluten-free item in stock and she gave me this slices of Pumpkin Bread. They were crunchy, chewy, quite compact, and super delicious! They truly fulfill my needs for some good bread. And, what I love most about the Shelter's Pumpkin Bread is the fact that I didn't feel guilty at all after devouring the whole thing because they were gluten-free! 

Shelter Cafe Bali
Jl. Drupadi No. 2B
Seminyak, Bali

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 8AM - 6PM

Contact:

+62 361 904 118

+62 813 3770 6471

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Made's Banana Flour Co.

I’ve been a keen fan of everything gluten-free ever since I undergo this certain diet program that would help me lose a few extra kilos. I wouldn’t say it being a keto diet specifically, but it revolves around the idea of it. And, I added a few twist of not consuming rice and sugar, and simply substitute them with Shirataki Rice, honey, fruits, and other food that contains natural sugar. I’m also trying out gluten-free food because, from what I know, gluten-free food doesn’t contain all-purpose flour - which can obviously make you gain some weight from all the carbs contained in it. 

I had my eyes for quite a while on this particular bakery at Bali that serves gluten-free products. All of the bread, cakes, and pastries that they make at their place are using banana flour as its’ main ingredients, which can help those who are on a diet program like me. Its’ name is Made’s Banana Flour Company and, I think, it’s my favorite bakery, yet! 

I made a quick stop one day at one of its’ branch in Ubud and got me a loaf of sourdough bread. Like the other products that they sell at the bakery, this particular bread is obviously gluten-free! The beautiful sight of the sourdough bread was quite questionable at first because I’ve never seen any sourdough that doesn’t use an all-purpose flour looking this good. It had this funny aroma of banana and cinnamon though, which made me a tad bit skeptical about its’ taste. The only way to find out was to try it out. 

Boy, I was awestruck. This sourdough bread tasted delicious and it tasted very much like any other sourdough I’ve ever tasted before, only better! The light and chewy insides of the bread was amazing and the crispy outer layer was simply orgasmic. There wasn’t any funny flavors despite it being made out of banana flour, and the flavor of the bread was sweet and simply fulfilling my need of a good sourdough bread. I love it!

This particular loaf costed me Ro52.000,00, which was the cheapest price of loaf bread that they sell at the bakery. They have other options, such as Multi Grain Bread, White Bread, Brown Bread, Green Spirulina Bread, but the one that was in stock on that day was the Sourdough Bread. Every baked products are made fresh everyday and I was lucky enough to be able to get my hands on one of their bread that just came out straight from the oven. What I notice from this sourdough bread was the fact that it was quite heavy. It was so heavy and stiff it could make a good weapon for self defense.

It took me three days to finish the whole thing. Not that I wasn’t capable of devouring the whole loaf in one day, but I have to save it because I’m on quarantine. I don’t have the freedom to go out anytime I want just because I want to. So, I have to make every slice counts. 

Made’s Banana Flour Company

Jl. Sri Wedari, Ubud

Kecamatan Tegallalang, Kabupaten Gianyar

Bali - 80571

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 8 AM - 6 PM

Contact:

+62 31 908 5354

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My Darling Dough Darlings

Ever since I knew Dough Darlings, there hasn’t been any single doughnuts that can top it. It was when I moved to Bali when I tried my first artisanal doughnut - the Salted Caramel Almond. With a single bite, I could taste how soft and moist the dough was. Fluffy, chewy, simply delightful are what best describe the dough. Then combined with the salted caramel glaze and the almond brittle on top, boy I went straight to heaven. Each bite contained the sweet and salty flavor combo, which was unforgettable. Though I want more, one was enough to fill that empty stomach of mine.

Then, when a friend of mine visited me for a short weekend getaway, we came back to the doughnut shop and ordered a different doughnut. This time, we had the Bacon Doughnut and the Ispahan. For those of you who fancy fruity flavor and rosy fragrance, Ispahan is your go-to doughnut. Unfortunately, I’m not that kind of gal. It was very challenging for me to finish my share of Ispahan because of how rose-like it tasted. 

On the other hand, I couldn’t help but to order another portion of the Bacon Doughnut because sweet glazed doughnuts when combined with the savory and greasy bacons are just bomb! Trust me, the flavor combination works perfectly with each other. At Dough Darlings, whenever you order a Bacon Doughnut, you’re only supposed to get one bacon strip on top. But, on that particular hot afternoon, the staff was kind enough to give me another strip on my second serving. 

On another day, I was at Beachwalk Kuta wondering around by myself. That was when I stumble upon a newly opened Dough Darlings on its’ third level. The name Gluten-free Bubble Doughnuts caught my attention and I immediately got me three pieces of it, which casted Rp16.500,00. Best decision ever!

Them gluten-free doughnuts were just fried as I ordered them. They were fresh and pipping hot. I got myself the chocolate one, which were chocolate in color and filled with a handful of chocolate cream, then coated in powdered sugar to finish it up. I almost teared up when I bite into them bubbles. It was crispy, it was super chocolaty, and it was slightly sweet - which was perfectly fine because I could eat a dozen of it without getting nauseous from sugar overload. 

If you think Dunkin Donuts, J.Co, and Krispy Kreme, are delicious, you have to give Dough Darlings a chance. You’ll be mind-blown! 

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Gluten-free Penne Bolognese

Gluten-free Penne Bolognese

Ingredients:

- gluten-free pasta (chose your pasta according to your preference. I was in the mood for some penne pasta today, so I settled with that baby)

- bolognese sauce (I got the one in a jar. I chose the one that has less preservatives, which is San Remo's Homestyle Pasta Sauce)

- minced beef

- pork sausage 

- 3 cloves of garlic

- water

How to Make: 

1. Boil your pasta with a boiling pan. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta gets into the texture that you like. I like mine al dente. 

2. Chop up some garlic, as well as the sausage, and fry them on a separate frying pan. Fry them sausages first because you don't want your garlic to be burnt from being fried too long.

3. When your sausage has changed its' color into brownish dark grey, put in the minced beef and fry 'em up nicely. 

4. When everything is well-fried, pour the bolognese sauce onto the frying pan, add some water, and stir well. I don't like runny sauce, so I only poured a bit of water and let the whole thing simmer until it thickens. 

5. Last, but not least, pour your al dente pasta onto the frying pan and mix until the whole thing gets covered by the meaty sauce. 

6. Y'all can add some garnish as you like. I added some gluten-free tortilla chips and some local chili flakes for that extra kick of spiciness.