You Can't Eat What?

Larchmont Bungalow- Yum!

2011-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else tired from cooking Thanksgiving? I have the perfect remedy to what ails you: get out of the kitchen! Well at least for one night.

Eating out can be very hard for allergics and specialty eaters like myself. At least I used to think that before I was invited to try the delicacies at Larchmont Bungalow. Oh yeah folks, I'm now a believer in the charming spot and all the magic it has to offer.

Upon entering the bungalow, you feel like you're in a more authentic version of Urth Cafe frequented by neighborhood fans and foodies alike. When the first bite of any dish tip-toes across your tongue, you'll know why. The casual atmosphere does not prepare you for the serious food you are about to eat. The quality is high and the ingredients are carefully chosen and mixed together for choice results. This is the kind of food you would expect to pay more for too. The prices are easy on the diner for Los Angeles, and that is always appreciated.

I was invited to try Larchmont Bungalow's new Vegan menu, which offers many choices from breakfast to dinner dishes for the hungry animal-lover, not animal eater. I love vegan food, but it usually presents a tricky ingredient list for me being allergic to nuts, several legumes and soy. As I had suspected, almost all of the items in said menu had soy in them including the Tofu Scramble Sensation, Vegan Cobb Salad, and "Chicken" Tostadas. But no matter! Larchmont Bungalow takes food allergies seriously and said they could work with it. Hallelujah!

They made me the wonderful Vegan Enchiladas (without the soyful meat sub) which was sparkling with flavor, yet milder than expected. The "cheese" was all allergy-free, melty, and delicious! The dish was hearty, packed with black beans and veggies. I'll go vegan for this dish any day of the week.

But just so I knew where the Bungalow stood, I did happen to order non-new menu items: the Bison Chili and the Mango, Papaya and Cucumber Salad. (Now I was assured that many things on the menu could be prepared GF, including these before I ate it.) This chili, which is so good that I might have to name my first born after it, is filling, bursting with flavor and just the right amount of heat. It felt like being at home, wrapped in a blanket while candles flicker in the background as you watch your favorite movie. This is a chili that creates sense memory.

The salad served as a refreshing counterpoint to the chili balancing its heat with juicy, fresh bright flavor. They worked well eating bites of each at the same time. This is certainly something that I want to repeat.

Full disclosure here folks: the kind people at Larchmont did invite me and so the meal was on them, but rest assured as always, I only write up places I truly recommend. And the only words that are left to say are go there. Now.

Larchmont Bungalow (107 North Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004, 323-461-1528)

YCEW Thanksgiving Round-Up 2011

2011-11-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! Thanksgiving is around the corner, and boy am I excited. I've been cooking up delicious fall meals for weeks in anticipation of my favorite holiday table, and now it's time to share possible recipes with you. In this year's round-up you'll find many vegetarian/vegan items for your specialty guests as well.

Please be safe whether you're dining at family member's and friends' homes or eating out at your favorite restaurant. Remember, if you've been invited somewhere, make sure that the host knows what your concerns are. If you feel hesitant about the kitchen or the food then bring your own Thanksgiving meal packaged for yourself. They invited you because they love your company, not because of what you eat!

Enjoy any one of these easy recipes and add them to your GF, allergy-friendly Turkey Day table. You'll stuff yourself more than the turkey!

First Course:
Butternut Squash Soup with Leeks

Quick Bread:
Savory Biscuits

Alternative Main (for veggies)
Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" Bake

Sides:
Thanksgiving Fruit & Vegetable Medley
Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower (within post)
Butternut Squash Fries
Cranberry-Apple Chutney

Desserts:
Cranberry Tart
Pumpkin Applesauce Bundt Cake

Drink:
Spiced, mulled wine (within post)

Leftover Ideas:
Chicken & Biscuits (sub turkey)
Turkey with Snow Peas & Pickled Ginger

So what am I cooking this year? Many of my past favorites and two new vegan desserts; if they succeed, they'll be up on the blog soon after.

A very hearty Thanksgiving to all my wonderful readers!

The Best Side to Fall For

2011-11-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

Genius blogger Cathy of What Would Cathy Eat? issued a Healthy Thanksgiving Challenge: use her 10 Tips for a Heart-Healthy Thanksgiving to cook/bake our own healthy creation.

Now while Cathy is indeed calling this a "challenge" I was overwhelmed with all of the things I could make for this. The tips which include ditching full fat dairies & meats, using whole grains, skimping on the salt, and using less sugar are tips I run my kitchen with on a daily basis. I certainly wasn't stuck for recipes.

The tip I decided to enforce with this post was "Go overboard on veggies." Considering my last two Thanksgivings had veggie only sides (no starch sides) I was ready to go crazy with the produce patch. I decided to share the very best veggie Thanksgiving side that I've made. It is full of flavor, color, and amazing fall staples, including fruit. What it's not full of is fat, salt or sugar. And though I do use oil, it's not a lot. Here's a great tip for using less oil when cooking/sauteing: put your oil in a spray bottle and that way you can lightly coat your pan without dousing it in tbs of oil.

Although this side requires a few steps and a good deal of chopping, it only takes 35 minutes from beginning to end (chopping included.) That's not bad for a Thanksgiving side dish! The speed of this dish is due to my use of what I call flash sauteing: sauteing for only a couple of minutes until warm.

I recommend this be the last thing you cook and serve it up instantly. I'd imagine the recipe below would be enough to act as sides for a family dinner. Feel free to double the recipe to satisfy the company that undoubtedly comes with a holiday meal. Also, you can mix the dish with green and serve up a hearty salad.

Thanksgiving Fruit & Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:

1/2 small butternut squash (You will only use half of 1 squash for this recipe. Save the other side for another side dish or for soup.)

1 lb green beans, snapped horizontally in half

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 large gala apple, (peeled, core and cut into 4 sides. Then length-wise, cut thin slices out of the sides)

3 oz pomegranate seeds

1/2 tbs lemon juice

herbs de provence to taste or fresh rosemary, thyme, sage blend

olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut butternut first in half horizontally, than each piece lengthwise to give you 4 pieces of squash.

Peel the two squash pieces without the guts. Be careful! Squash is hard to peel and must be done with a sharp knife!

Cut the peeled squash piece into 2 pieces of about 1/2"-1" thickness.

Then cut pieces into small cubes of squash. Repeat with other peeled squash pieces.

Spray/toss cubes lightly with olive oil and fold in a foil packet.

Place in oven for about 35 minutes.

In a large pan sprayed lightly with olive oil, saute green beans on medium heat until tender yet still al dente. This should only take minutes. Do not overcook!

Remove green beans from pan and set aside.

Saute red onion in same pan just until onions are sweating a bit and begin to get tender. Do not brown! You still want the onions to have tang and a bit of a crunch. Remove onions and mix with green beans, set aside.

Toss apple with lemon juice and flash saute until apples are just warmed. Do not overcook or you'll have another side dish- applesauce!

Remove apple and mix with other veggies, set aside.

Remove squash from oven when the 35 mins end (which should be around now.)

Add squash to other vegetables and toss with care. You don't want to squash the squash.

Sprinkle herbs and pomegranate seeds on top and toss again.

Finally you're done and ready to serve and enjoy! Trust me, everyone will love this side dish. It might even make you forget to reach for the stuffing first ;)

Breakaway Bakery

2011-11-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

After constantly yelping, googling, and scouring the internet for local Gluten-Free options, I thought I knew all of them (and lack of them.) This is why I am was in disbelief that I missed the gem that is Breakaway Bakery. I can't believe this Los Angeles wonder escaped my radar for so long!

There are so many things to love about this dedicated kitchen bakery. To name just a few: Gluten-Free, Organic and Kosher Pareve, no use of gums or transfats or preservatives. Not to mention the wide selection of Vegan baked goods, which turned out to be my favorite of them all. But most of all, I think the most lovable thing about Breakaway Bakery is the creator and baker, Janice. Passion and love clearly fuel Janice's labors and flavors. You can tell that she feels strongly about providing quality goods at respectable prices for a community of eaters that is more than often overlooked.

Janice, GF herself, is one of those outcast eaters having allergies to many of the normal GF flours you and I would use for baking, which is why her bakery only uses Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour. Only using one flour is a feat in itself, but then add all of the other omissions and I don't know how she does it! Further, it is a complete bakery also providing breads including loafs, bagels and challah.

(clockwise from top left: Lemon Bar, Apricot Pinch, Picasso Cookie, Brownie)

I tried many of the items the bakery produces over a several day/several trip period, and I have to say I didn't find one thing that I disliked. Some goods did jump out as my favorites though. I am in LOVE with two of the vegan cookies: The Apricot "Figaroll" and the Snowball. Good G-d! The Figaroll is play on what a Fig Newton would taste like if it were actually good. The handmade gem, at a perfect dough to filling ratio, really just makes me go mmmmmmmmmm.

("Figaroll" on the left, Snowball on the right)

Then there's the small vegan Snowball. Visually unassuming, a small dough ball with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. The second you bite into it, the sweetness and dough flavors combine perfectly for a foodgasmic result. I LOVE the first bite of a Snowball.

I'm also a huge fan of the Lemon Bars and Cranberry/Cherry Crumble Bars, which are not vegan. I enjoy the bagels which have been a treat when I take a break from baking my own bread or relying on Trader Joe's Brown Rice Wraps.

(I recommend refrigerating the breads before cutting for an easier slice)

So many positives exist about Breakaway Bakery that I hate to reveal my two almost negatives:

-Even though special orders can be placed/picked up Monday-Friday, currently the bakery is only open two days a week for a few hours each. Unless you working stiffs can skip out during lunchtime, you might miss out on the delicious goods that Janice is providing.

-I feel like the baked goods, albeit scrumptious, are on the sugary side for me. That's probably only because I don't use a lot of sugar when I bake, and I tend not to eat sweets on a daily basis. Also, my use of milder sweeteners (i.e. Coconut Sugar, honey) have further mellowed out my taste buds. I've shared the goods with several others who like the sweetness just where it is, so I think it's mostly my issue.

I'll keep returning to Breakaway Bakery as long as I live in Los Angeles. I encourage you to support such a loving endeavor by a conscientious baker who brings us delicious baked goods for almost every eater. Angelinos rejoice! This bakery will have you outcast eaters saying Hallelujah! in LA.

Breakaway Bakery (5264 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019, 310-968-9380)

Perfect Pumpkin Applesauce Bundt Cake

2011-10-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

More fall food, you say? Why yes! Readers, as you know, in the fall I'm all about the awesome autumn ingredients!

I'm going to get a little reminiscent here; this cake means a lot to me. When I was first leaping off the gluten train, I felt lost and overwhelmed. First I had to mourn the loss of conventional baked goods, then I had to figure out how to make GF baked goods. This led to much kitchen trauma. Gluten-free living wasn't as well publicized 5 years ago (forget about those poor people who had to go GF 20+ years ago! They had to search high and low for info.) Even in the last 2 years, I have seen leaps and bounds in availability in products and awareness in lifestyle.

So after much confusion regarding mixing flours and figuring out substitutions, I started baked away and failing. Not just failing- failing wildly! Unbaked cakes. Burned on the outside cakes, undone in the middle. Brick heavy baked goods. Tasteless. Odorless. Odor-full.

Frustrated, I reached out on message boards to experienced GF bakers for help and consolation. One genius baker suggested a fix to my unbaked cake debacle: She used bundt pans for cakes because there was no center, so everything baked fully and well. Looking back, I'm sure there was a scientific fix to this disaster, but I thought that was a brilliant idea! I bought a bundt pan and tried again. Success! Happiness flooded my tired, frustrated GF body, and I nearly cried. It was the moment I realized I could do this. I could bake GF, and it would be okay. Everything would be okay.

This Pumpkin-Applesauce Bundt Cake is the very first cake recipe I made-up (based on a basic regular cake recipe) and it not only baked beautifully, it tasted fantastic. In fact, it's my highest rated public posted recipe on Food.com. It was the first time I felt truly proud of making something from scratch. This cake defines the beginning of my GF journey.

As an added bonus, I recently had the opportunity of sharing this cake recipe on the brilliant site Eating Rules which marked another one of my firsts: a guest post.

So get ready to bake up and enjoy this moist, delicious superstar. Feel free to add some festive chocolate glazing for a fantastic Halloween treat!

NOTE: Do NOT try and make this cake in any regular pan. Because of its moisture level, it will only cook normally in a bundt pan.

Pumpkin Applesauce Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar (I've been using Coconut Sugar these days, but any will do)

2 cups cooked/canned pure pumpkin

1 cup unsweetened natural applesauce

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 eggs

2 cups any all purpose gluten-free flour mix (I like to use a sorghum mix, yay whole grains!)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder (corn-free, Hain Pure Foods is great)

2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy.

Blend in sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, and oil by hand or with a mixer on low just until combined. Do NOT overmix!

Add all dry ingredients, one at a time, blending together.

Pour batter into a greased, large bundt pan and bake for 1 hour.

Check with a toothpick/knife to make sure it's cooked through, cool, and enjoy!

Don't forget to freeze left-overs, wrapping in parchment paper before storing.

I hope this cake brings you as much joy as it brought me :)

Cranberries & Apples- A Perfect Match

2011-10-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

I can never get over the joys of fall produce; I nearly yelped when fresh cranberries lined the display of my local grocery. There is only one way to celebrate the arrival of cranberries: my Cranberry-Apple Chutney! Now it's not technically a chutney in the traditional sense, where vegetables are cooked down with spices, but it has the same consistency and would not pass as a sauce or jam. That's why I call it a chutney- don't hate ;)

There is so much to adore about this sumptuous side:

The color is vibrant and immediately jazzes up every plate.
The fragrance is to die for.
It's the perfect compliment to meats and veggies that need a little tang.
What better way to get loads of fiber and antioxidants?

As always, this chutney is an extremely easy fix. It takes at most about 30 minutes from start to finish, and the ingredients are affordable. A little also goes a long way.

The flavor is adjustable depending upon what your tastes are. I like this quite tart, quite. My recipe is based on those specific tastes. Please feel free to use more sugar to your tastes. The best way to do that is to add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach a preferred flavor. Same if you're a spice-a-holic: feel free to up the spices a teaspoon at a time. This recipe is mild-medium spiced. The cranberry has an overpowering flavor, so you may decide you need more spice for them to shine through.

Cranberry-Apple Chutney

Ingredients:
2 small gala apples, peeled and diced or rough chopped
12 oz cranberries, rinsed and dried
6 tbs desired sugar (I prefer Coconut Sugar, always try to use Fair Trade!)
1 tbs Earth Balance Soy-Free or comparable fat (butter, margarine etc...)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Melt the Earth Balance (or fat) low heat in a medium saucepan.

Add apple, and stir to coat, sauteing until the apples become slightly tender but not browned.

Add cranberries and all spices stirring to combine.

Raise to medium-high heat, stirring constantly to avoid sticking.
Add sugar 1 tbs at a time, while stirring.
The cranberries will begin to break down due to the heat. Give the pot a stir, wait about 30 seconds, and then re-stir, repeating so that the cranberries will break down evenly.
When all the cranberries are broken down and the mixture looks like this:

Taste the mixture. Too tart? Add more sugar one tbs at a time. Not spiced enough? Add more spices one tsp at a time. Stir constantly.

When desired flavor is reached, remove mixture from stove and transfer to serving dish. I like to let the dish cool to room temperature. Feel free to serve hot or chill for a colder dish.

Ta-da, you're done! Now didn't I tell you that was easy?

Fall's Here! Butternut Squash Fries Anyone?

2011-10-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's fall again which means it's time for yummy autumn produce to line the aisles of your favorite farmer's markets and grocery stores. I for one have been getting increasingly excited as the apples, squash, pumpkins and cranberries start rolling in. How many amazing things can you make with all of these delicious ingredients? Countless. But let's start with a personal favorite: Butternut Squash Fries.

This recipe is ridiculously easy; the only things you need are a super sharp knife and patients. Although I love these fries, I hate cutting up raw butternut. Probably because until this year, I didn't have a super sharp knife. Please make sure when you're cutting up the squash that you protect yourself by making sure the squash is stable against a cutting surface and that your fingers and body are kept away from the knife, because you will be pushing against the produce.

The end result is more than worth it! This is a super healthy, vegan-friendly and allergy-free alternative to the potato fry craving. You'll want to eat them all at once, so the only real problem with these fries is saving some for the next day ;)

Butternut Squash Fries

Ingredients:
1 medium/large Butternut Squash
1 small bunch fresh thyme (leaves detached from stems and chopped up)
1 small bunch fresh rosemary (leaves detached from stems and chopped up)
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Peel the squash.
Cut in half and scoop out seeds/pulp; throw seeds/pulp away.
Cut the butternut into thin fry shapes. Chunky steak fry shapes will need to cook longer.

Toss the fries in olive oil.
Transfer the fries to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in one layer (or two sheets if they don't fit on one.)

Sprinkle with salt/pepper to taste.
Bake for about 25 minutes, flip fries over, then return to oven.
Bake for 10 more minutes and then sprinkle thyme and rosemary over the fries and return to oven.
Check in 5-10 more minutes. When fries are soft (and they should be by then) remove from oven.
Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately. If you cover them or reheat them in a microwave they will get soggier, just like real potato fries.

These are a delicious side dish for guests of all kinds and a vibrant addition to any plate. It's also a great way to sneak in nutrients for picky eaters. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Cauliflower Fiesta!

2011-09-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

Since I've returned home, cooking has been one of the only things on my mind. Traveling can be fun, but after a while, restaurant food just isn't going to cut it. Not to mention that its sometimes just not as fun looking as what you can create at home.

Many people think that making healthy food appetizing is a labor intensive ordeal, or even worse, making healthy or Gluten Free/Allergy Free eats means putting nothing in the food at all. Plain meats, plain steamed veggies, plain depressing!

I disagree. Making healthy, GF and allergy-free foods can taste AMAZING only with the use of:

Colors
Textures
Spices & Herbs

Take today's recipe star ingredient for example: Cauliflower. Now I know many people who dislike poor cauliflower because they think its boring and tasteless and colorless. Well, of course if you don't dress up cauliflower you might get that impression, BUT what if you took it to a party. What if you said to the cauliflower, it's time to get jazzed up and have a little fun!

That's what I did today with my veggies. I added colors with sweet long red peppers, some purplish hued shallots, some green chives, and a little sprinkle or sweet paprika. Now I made my fiesta a little hot, hot, hot, because I like a spicy party in my mouth, but feel free to scale back on any ingredients or to saute the shallots and garlic first to calm them down a bit.

Although this requires some prep work, it is a super easy dish that packs a pow of flavors!

Cauliflower Fiesta

(Before its oven-baked)

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, steamed until soft but not mushy, about 30-40 minutes, then chopped

2 sweet long red peppers, diced

1 handfull of chives, finely chopped

1 large shallot, diced or chopped (depending how much pow you want)

2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

1 tbs Soy-Free Earth Balance, softened

sea salt to taste

sweet paprika to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix chopped, steamed cauliflower with all diced and chopped veggies, Earth Balance and seasoning.

Transfer mixture to a lightly olive-oil greased square pan.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes letting the ingredients get to know each other.

Serve it up!

If there's not enough crunch for you, think of sprinkling some GF bread crumbs on top or adding some sunflower seeds. This makes the perfect everyone friendly side dish and you can even add beans to make it a main affair.

Traveling is Nuts

2011-09-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

It feels like I've been anywhere but home this entire summer as I jumped from location to location for many different reasons. I've been to 6 states alone in the last couple of months, and now that I'm back in my own home and kitchen I am thankful. Traveling may be hard on the tummy, but that's just one problem.

It's nuts. It's those damn peanuts on planes.

I know, I know what you're thinking: Another whiner and complainer trying to take away my plane peanuts. Doesn't she know that those peanuts are the only reason that I get on a plane? If they switched to pretzels, I'd damn near drive everywhere!

It's not as if I truly care what anyone eats as long as I don't have to eat peanuts, but in such a small, confined space complete with re-circulated air, flying becomes a dangerous gamble. Depending on the amount of nut-eaters around me, I may have a very small reaction. Recently though, I've had several bad experiences on planes.

We'll start with a big problem I had flying Southwest- they gave every passenger about 3 or more packets of peanuts. There was such an overwhelming amount of peanut dust and smell flying through the air because of Southwest's "generosity" I couldn't breathe. When a passenger starts to turn green, has trouble clearing her airways, and feels like she's going to pass out, I think it's time to re-evaluate the worth of other passengers' beloved peanuts.

Now what would those peanut fanaticals say in response to my plight? Don't fly lady, if you're allergic! For some people who don't travel as much, that may be an option. But it's not for me. I wish those nut zealots would just consider that if they could just make peace with pretzels, I could breathe. Another human being could breathe normally.

I've signed countless petitions for airlines to fly nut-free throughout the years. Although some have definitely complied, others, like Southwest have not. I had no control over what airline I flew when I had to get on that Southwest flight (because of the location), but they had control of what they could have chosen to serve on the flight.

It's not just the people eating the peanuts that causes a problem either. I flew Delta as well during my months of travel, and when I boarded one of my flights there were peanuts all over the floor and riddled about everywhere. Because of tight airline schedules, companies don't really clean anymore between flights. So now, its not only the peanut air, it's the peanutty chairs, tables, and even windows. Getting rashes from sitting on a flight isn't any better than not being able to breathe.

Listen, whenever I can I fly peanut-free airlines, but it's not always an option. The economy has changed the competition and less airlines fly to less places. Sometimes, you only have nut airlines to choose from. It seems like an age-old complaint: stop serving peanuts on airplanes!

It's just too easy to not serve peanuts, and that's why I don't understand why they still do.

Taste with a Twist: Kim & Scott's GF Pretzels

2011-07-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

Do you miss soft pretzels?

I do too. Or I did, that is, until one magical day I heard that Kim & Scott's Cafe Twist in Chicago was serving up a mythical GF Soft Pretzel. Now anyone who has read my blog knows that mimicking specialty bread products to taste exactly like their gluten-filled counterparts is not my strong suit. Nor is it the strong suit of many companies that also attempt to mimic them.

Of course, when I read that Kim & Scott's was saying they made a Gluten Free Bavarian Pretzel at first I was skeptical. Then the reviews of visits to the cafe broke out into the blogosphere, and raves were traveling faster than you can say "hot mustard."

But I don't live in Chicago, and I hadn't actually planned a trip anytime soon to the area. And so I resolved sadly to take my salivating tongue and roll it back into my deprived mouth. I would have to wait until I could make it to Cafe Twist in person. Or would I...

About a year after hearing about Kim & Scott's, I nearly plotzed as I passed a Whole Foods Freezer case that had their fantastic GF pretzels. It seemed to be surrounded by a halo of light while angels sang a choral, but then I reasoned it was probably just the fluorescent lighting and the smooth adult contemporary and my excitement was playing tricks on me.

Then, I saw the price tag. $6.99 for two, yes TWO frozen pretzels?! Ouch! Well, I was no closer to Chicago than I was a year ago and decided if I wanted to taste the legend that was the real GF Bavarian Pretzel, I would choke down and swallow my bargain hunting pride, buying the expensive treat.

I opened the box and unwrapped the brown, twisty goodness and decided I would first try it microwaved. They do offer salt packets for the more ballpark inclined, but I like my pretzels without all the fuss. Don't worry though, if you skip the salt, the pretzels is anything but bland!

The consistency, smell, texture, and flavor nailed it, just NAILED it for those of us who have been waiting in vain for such a reminder of childhood outings to the city or ballpark. Of course, the oven heated version was a little bit better than the microwaved one, but only because whenever you microwave a bread product is has the occasional tendency to get harder in one part than another.

I also added a little Soy Free Earth Balance on one for a little extra flavor- and BAM- heaven from a freezer aisle. Who knew?

More importantly, Kim & Scott's is very allergy aware using a nut-free production facility and offering dairy-free, egg-free, and GF options in their cafe for those seeking alternatives for themselves and their loved ones.

The only downside of this whole review is that I really can't purchase the pretzels more regularly because of the price, but I entered this relationship with my eyes open and *sniff* I guess we'll just have to part until a special occasion pops up!

Look out for Kim & Scott's in your freezer aisle or if you're in Chicago, go to Cafe Twist (2218 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614.) But don't tell me about; I'll just get jealous ;)

True Food Kitchen: A Stomach's Best Friend

2011-05-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that one of my new favorite restaurants would be in a mall? Santa Monica Place, the completely new, gutted and remolded replacement for the old mall at the start of the 3rd Street promenade is a far more upscale experience than it previously was. High fashion stores, lots of bling, and much better restaurants.

I was fortunate enough to dine at one of these restaurants before it opened and let me just tell you- get there, get there fast! Also, so you know, my meal was complimentary, but that in no way colors my judgement of the restaurant. If I didn't enjoy my meal, you would not be hearing about it folks.

True Food Kitchen's concept was born from Dr. Andrew Weil, my new favorite culinary hero. Why is he such a cool guy? He's based his menu on the principle that food should be a nutritious, healthy, and an anti-inflammatory experience. "According to Dr. Weil: 'Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age. It is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on science that can help people achieve and maintain optimum health over their lifetime.'" (from the TFK website)

Personally, these are principles I take very seriously being an allergic & gluten-free eater living a healthy lifestyle. Eating out at True Food Kitchen makes dining an enjoyable experience, even for the most sensitive of us. I suspect that this has something to do with the extremely extensive training program that the staff was required to go through in order to work there. My unendingly helpful server, Gary, explained that all staff went through a couple of weeks (not hours, not days) but weeks of training. They learned all about food allergies, intolerances and food related diseases like Celiac, veganism, vegetarianism, food preparation, safety practices and so much more. Gary knew the answer to all of my questions instantly, and that's never happened in a regular restaurant before.

I started my meal with a Cucumber Refresher drink. It's a mixture of fresh cucumber & honey lemonade, all fresh from their fresh juice bar. Though I chose a pre-suggested drink from the menu, diners can make up their own juice combinations that delight them. The drink was very refreshing, a little sweet and very cucumbery! It was a nice way to wake my palate up before the meal.

As a starter, I ordered the soup of the day, Immunity Soup. This soup featured an ingredient I'd never heard of- astragules root- which when eaten regularly can help protect the body from stress, diabetes, and even cancers. All I was thinking about was how delicious it was! The root was complemented by an earthy, umami happy broth, mushrooms, broccoli, and carrot coins. The soup was very warming; the perfect remedy for any sick day.

I debated what I should choose as my main course. You see, the menu offers many, many Gluten Free choices, including pizzas. There were so many choices (which never happens when you go out) that I had to ask for the staff's advice. The several people who checked on me during my seating were all asked what their favorite meal was. Although each agreed they liked almost all the dishes, most raved particularly about the Panang Curry. Now, I have never been a huge curry fan, but how can that many people be wrong?

When the curry arrived, piping hot, the scent I breathed in was simply intoxicating. My first bite was foodgasmic. Did the chef sprinkle angel tears on this bad boy? I didn't want to speak. I didn't want to drink. I just wanted to eat this curry, possibly forever.

tell me that isn't gorgeous

The curry which sat in a creamy coconut broth could have very easily been too rich. But everything about it was perfectly balanced: spicy yet smooth, rich yet not too thick, perfectly sized vegetables to meat ratio. The brown rice buried below the broth was not soggy, instead absolutely perfect consistency. How'd they do that?! The rich coating of the curry would slide off my tongue and a touch of sizzle would linger politely on it to remind me that I wanted more. This is a curry you dream about. True Food Kitchen, I am now a curry convert.

When I had to choose a dessert, I was still mourning my empty bowl of curry. Could I do that course again? No, no. I had to be practical and move on. I looked at the dessert menu; again, several choices for the GF and Vegan eater.

I chose a very simple, light finish, a Low-Fat Lemon Ginger Frozen Yogurt, made fresh on premises. I'm such a whore for ginger, and the delicious and subtle fresh flavors of the yogurt adorned with blueberries was really the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

Now what was the best part. Was it the food? The friendly staff? The modern and clean atmosphere? Well all of that was great, but my favorite part is that I can go back to True Food Kitchen and try several other combinations of dishes over and over again because the menu is riddled with GF friendly fare! I don't feel trapped in a box at True Food Kitchen, and although I ate quite a substantial meal, I didn't feel gross when I left. I felt very full, but not heavy. I felt satisfied and clean, and my stomach did not hurt. I ate curry and had no stomach ache? Points again for you, True Food Kitchen.

When you visit the now open True Food Kitchen (and if you live in LA or near other locations, you really should,) you are likely to find me sitting at a table there, devouring whatever delicious delicacy I can.

True Food Kitchen (395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 172, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310-593-8300)

Grown Folks Bakesale & Lemon Meringue Cookies

2011-05-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from traveling some more and with mixer in hand(s) I was ready to start preparing my treat for today's Food Blogger Bakesale, raising money for the amazing organization Share Our Strength that dedicates itself to ending childhood hunger. SOS does amazing work, and I encourage you to either add them to your yearly donation list or volunteer to help in any way you can.

One of their fundraisers, the Great American Bakesale, translated last year to a local Food Blogger Bakesale in Los Angeles with others all over the country. Hopefully lots of hungry people will join us today, May 14th at 11:30a-2p at BLD restaurant (7450 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036.)

Last year I made some almost allergy-free apple muffins. They were delicious, but not a big seller compared to the delicious dripping goodies. It's hard to compete at a bakesale with a healthy product that scares some non-allergics. I thought I would try to appeal a little more to the masses this year by going in a completely different direction: Lemon Meringue Cookies.

Meringues happen to be one of my specialties (probably because they're not so hard) and I think they're a nice fat free palate cleansing opportunity next to the brownies. Fingers crossed people like them! Will you like them enough to make them at home? I would. The bright lemon flavor really meshes well with the sugary goodness of a meringue and adds a subtle back bite. And really, what's a better marriage than lemon & meringue?

I started with my basic recipe and went from there. Remember meringues are easy, but they are for the patient! Read my previous post before embarking so you can see why drying is an important step.

Lemon Meringue Cookies

Makes loads of cookies, half if desired

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites

1 tbs of fresh squeezed lemon juice

splash of vanilla (or 1 tsp if you're measuring)

a dash of salt (or about 1/4 tsp if you're measuring)

1 1/3 cups evaporated cane sugar (fairtrade if you can)

the zest of 1 medium sized lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, beat the first 4 ingredients together using an electric mixer on low-medium speed, until you reach a foamy, barely soft peak form.

Pour sugar in slowly while beating the mixture until the sugar is incorporated.

Beat carefully on medium-high until you get stiff peaks (if you remove the beater from the mixture you'll notice a peak that can stand on it's own). Go slower than faster. If you over-beat, the meringue will not come together.

Fold in lemon zest.
Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Either put meringue in pastry bag and pipe a million cookies OR use a tsp dropping cookies. Note: the smaller your cookies the less time they take to dry, and this becomes easier & faster for you.
Place cookies in oven on low and middle racks and immediately switch oven temperature to 200 F for 1 hour.
To make sure your oven is at an average temperature (and not a higher heat oven) watch your cookies (10, 15, 25 minute marks) and the second you see any golden goodness appearing or if you touch them and the cookies feel like they're firming, turn the oven back up to a high temperature for a moment, close the oven door, then SHUT OFF the oven.
If you've piped small cookies, dry for 1 hour with the oven door shut and test.
If it's ready take them out, if not, turn oven on to 250 for about 5 minutes (watching the cookies) and then shut oven off and dry for another hour.
Repeat drying as many hours as needed.

Meringues really are a delicious treat and they keep well so use leftover to decorate desserts or pack in bagged lunches.

Getting Campy

2011-05-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

Picture it: Angelus Oaks, 2011. 90 of the most gorgeous food bloggers you ever laid your eyes on deep in the mountains, all tweeting, blogging, and gabbing about food.

gorgeous right?

Where do I even begin? So much was packed into Camp Blogaway: panels on everything from vlogging to building a community to the pressures of blogging. Breakout sessions designed to answer everyone's burning blogging questions. Did I learn a lot at Camp Blogaway? Yes. Did I learn a lot at Camp Blogaway that also has nothing to do with blogging? Yes.

I was always a little scared to go to camp when I was younger. I was never the instantly popular kid, or the beautiful girl, or even the brainiac. Mostly I was just the awkwardly inappropriate loud kid, and that doesn't always earn you friends. Plus, other kids don't always understand your "sense of humor" and think you're weird.

But when you have the fortunate opportunity of being surrounded by adults of all ages, from all walks of life whom all share a common interest, a magical thing happens. You feel in your element. You also feel like you belong to a community of pretty interesting people. I appreciate meeting different bloggers at these retreats and conferences; this is perhaps always my favorite part.

Also, I think that some 10 year-old part of me always gets nervous in big social situations, especially surrounding the subject of food. I'm always worried that people will view me differently because of my diet restrictions and limitations. Food is a very social animal. Will I stand out as the freak of the crowd?

The one universal thing that always happens is that I learn intimate details about people and their loved ones upon meeting them. I think that people feel they can share with me because when I introduce myself, I'm laying all my medical food issues bare. I learn within seconds of Mr., Mrs. or Child X in their life who too faces food/medical difficulties. We are not alone out there. And I am not a freak. (Some of you who know me may still argue I'm a bit of a freak, but we can agree it's for different reasons other than this.)

Connecting with others is the main reason I began blogging. And attending a wonderful weekend like Camp Blogaway is the ultimate way to connect. When you reach out over the internet to other bloggers, you form online friendships. But what if you had the opportunity to make those real in-person friendships too? I think Camp Blogaway invites you to find this out while improving your food blogging knowledge.

Aside from all the warm & fuzzy people meeting I was doing, I enjoyed particular highlights of the weekend, and I will tell you why:

Presentation by the California Avocado Commission

I'm a bit of a whore for avocados, and in my opinion the only avocados worth eating come from California.
I learned a lot about the avocado's life, from conception to fruiting.
Tips and tricks regarding ripening and serving the fruit were flying left and right.
They gave us beautiful avocados to take home; I'm making ice cream with them!

Presentation on Cake Decorating by Wilton

People would probably assume that because I'm GF that I don't like cake decorating, they'd be wrong. I freaking love it.
My table doing the decorating was AWESOME! I can only imagine we were the table that other tables at camp wished they could be.
The presenters, Nancy & Gretchen, were extremely helpful in teaching decorating techniques to a room full of chatty food bloggers, some of whom avoid baking and decorating like the plague.
We didn't decorate on actual cakes, so I felt comfortable participating. (Side note: Wilton edible products are not labeled as GF; I hope one day they will be. Until then, I will look forward to continuing to use their baker's tools.)

The Panel on Building a Blogging Community

I know that everybody is always stressing about their scores & numbers, but let's remember we're blogging for people out there.
It was refreshing to go to a Blogger Conference and hear from bloggers like Cheryl at 5 Second Rule and Susan at Food Blogga talking about connection rather than just dollar signs.

Needless to say, the staff was quite friendly and organized (Big shot out to Patti-pictured right-at Worth the Whisk), the kitchen always had plenty of food for me to eat that was GF, and my roommates were pretty awesome. Wente Vineyards also provided all the wine for the weekend, and Andrew, their ambassador was well loved by all.

So if you feel like getting away into the mountains, with good food, good company and good learnin' sign up to go to Camp Blogaway next year. And remember, they're GF, vegan, vegetarian AND allergic friendly.

See? Look at that gorgeous plate of GF pasta and veggies.

Hey, Where'd My Blogger Go?

2011-04-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Camp Blogaway in a couple of hours, and I couldn't be more excited. Not only for the fun location in the San Bernardino Mountains, or the good company of other food bloggers, or the food (there will be GF options for me, yay.) All those things are great reasons to go, but I'm ready to learn a ton and bring back some knowledge for y'all and improve my blog.

But don't worry, I'll be back next week!

Have a great weekend; I know I will :)

Gluten Free NYC! Part 4: Risotteria

2011-04-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Gluten Free NYC Travel Series! Stay tuned for fantastic suggestions for GF and Allergic travelers :)

As I look through my photos documenting my meal at Risotteria, I am inclined to tell you it was the best GF and allergic dining experience I've ever had. So much so I even had a dream that I had returned to NYC to partake in it again. When restaurants that you've eaten in and meals that you have start to creep into your REM cycle, you know they're just that good.

Risotteria opens daily at 12p, and I had to be somewhere in the early afternoon, so my dining companion and I decided to arrive a little early and be the first ones in. We arrived in the West Village a little too early (11:30a) and walked around a bit until opening. When we returned at the restaurant's doorstep at 11:50a, we were third in line to enter. I guess I wasn't the only one eager to eat there that day! It was a good thing we had shown up early too; Risotteria is a small eatery and seats go fast in this GF oasis.

Once the family and couple in front of us sat, the restaurant was half full! We took up the other 25%. Now seated, I was eager to get underway in asking one of my millions of questions when I eat out: I see that you offer GF pizza. I'm allergic to some GF flours; what's in your pizza crust?... Without batting an eye the waitress put me at ease right away. She explained that the restaurant was fully aware of preparation issues and allergy concerns. She made sure that I knew she was going to take care of me, and I trusted her immediately. She knew her stuff and was so warm as she recounted the minimal ingredients in their pizza flour, and I was able to partake. This was good news as I had just planned on eating one of the many risottos the menu offered up.

My companion and I decided to do what we do best and ordered a lot of food. After much deliberation, we ordered the Gruyere & Green Onion risotto and the Parma Ham & Mozzarella pizza, both GF. She chomped away on breadsticks while we were waiting; only after the meal arrived did the waitress comment that all the sticks were GF and I should try them too, but by then I was too distracted by the beauty in front of me.

Isn't it pretty?

The risotto was perfect, creamy and very mild do to the qualities of the Gruyere. It was a good companion to the pizza we chose. The crispy, thin crust was perfectly NY style AND GF. I took a bite and *sigh* le happy tongue.

The flag denotes it's a GF pizza.

The risotto would have perhaps been a better match for a spicier pizza since it was rather mild, but no matter. I swear we had stopped talking once the food arrived and both of us began chowing down. Sitting in silence, I was so happy. This was the first time I had eaten pizza out in 3 years. And it was perfect. I missed pizza, and with each bite, I knew it was going to be harder and harder to leave Risotteria.

I stopped mid-scarf to look around the small yet buzzing hub. The small family with GF children had a one-stop shop to feed everyone so easily and in such a friendly environment. The couple next to us could both be happy: one GF pizza, one non-GF pizza. It was the perfect haven for GF patrons and their loved ones of all kinds. It was peaceful and easy. I wished more than anything we had a restaurant this understanding and helpful near me.

With our bellies full and my heart singing, the waitress returned to gather our spotless plates. Would we like dessert? Ah, dessert. I don't know why, but I had somehow assumed that I would have been allergic to dessert. I think that's because many commercially produced GF desserts include, nut, soy and legume flours. As my friend patiently waited to see if we could split something, I began to ask many questions, pointing to items and asking for ingredients. One second, the waitress left and came back with laminated sheets. Ingredient lists for everything on the dessert menu. Full disclosure! I don't know why, but it's sometimes very difficult to get full ingredient disclosure (which always makes me worry that there's something they're hiding.) I think that traditional restaurants/bakeries are worried that you're somehow going to take the ingredient list and magically duplicate the product they're selling. Real restaurants/bakeries that understand concerned eaters understand that full disclosure only makes us feel safer and happier about them.

Well with that list, I found I was spoiled with options! We finally choose the Tiramisu.

And yes, it tasted as good as it looked. Blissfully, we went up to pay the check and that's when I saw take-out bakery items. I admittedly went a little hog-wild and took away another small dessert, The Little Fudgie.

Aside from it's regrettable name, the mini chocolate chip cookies sandwiching the chocolate cream was decadent, delightful and the perfect size!

After begging everyone at Risotteria to relocate to Southern California, I left with only the memory of how eating out should always be for the GF and allergic individual- normal. If you're in NYC and don't make your way to the West Village for some Risotteria, you're just plain nuts!

Did you miss Parts 1, 2, or 3?

Risotteria (Open 7 days / Noon - 11pm, 270 Bleecker Street, between 6th / 7th aves, 212-924-6664. No reservations, and only parties of 6 or smaller.)

Gluten Free NYC! Part 3: Tu-Lu's Bakery

2011-04-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Gluten Free NYC Travel Series! Stay tuned for fantastic suggestions for GF and Allergic travelers :)

A stone's throw from one of my other favorite East Village eateries, S'MAC, a charming bakery resides. Tu-Lu's is clearly a labor of love from one Celiac to another. Tully, the friendly owner and creator, brings you in with a sweetly decorated case full of lots of tempting treasures. Row after row of sugary goodness, just waiting there for you and me.

Tu-Lu's has options for all kinds of eaters: You have several GF choices and you can bring your Vegan friends who have many choices too:

Tu-Lu's also whips up special treats for holidays and occasions, updating loyal customers via Twitter.

The most difficult part of visiting Tu-Lu's was certainly choosing what to sample, and how much to bring back. You see, my friend and I were traveling back with the goods on the subway in the hottest days of summer. This would certainly not only be a test of how good the treats were, but how well they stood up in the dismal, crushing NYC heat.

Challenge accepted.

We made it back to my hotel in one piece. The mini cupcakes did well, however, the frosting definitely drooped. No matter. My favorite was the Chocolate w/ Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting. I also tried the Vanilla w/ Chocolate frosting, Strawberry, and Red Velvet.

a little droopy, but delicious

The flavors were all there. In terms of full disclosure, I purchased a brownie which didn't make it back to the hotel. I got too excited on the way back and relished it accordingly. I would also like to mention that my non-GF friend was chowing down happily on all of her cupcakes (she tried the Peanut Butter one that I couldn't eat) remarking that they were quite good and she would gladly eat them again and again.

her box definitely had less frosting meltage

I have to apologize both to Tu-Lu's and to you, reader, as you'll notice these may be the worst pictures I've taken to date in terms of my horribly focused camera. Since then, I have corrected the problem as best as I can, but you'll notice the pictures are a bit blurry. Please note that Tu-Lu's baked goods are not blurry in person ;)

Make sure that if you want a GF sweet treat when you hit the big apple, that you don't miss Tu-Lu's. They're perfect for dessert after GF Mac & Cheese.

Stay Tuned for Part 4: Risotteria.
Did you miss Part 1 or 2?

Tu-Lu's Bakery (338 East 11th Street New York, NY 10003, Phone:212-777-2227,
tully@tu-lusbakery.com)

Gluten Free NYC! Part 2: People's Pops

2011-04-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Gluten Free NYC Travel Series! Stay tuned for fantastic suggestions for GF and Allergic travelers :)

As we near summer, tourists and city-dwellers alike are going to be looking for a sweet treat to cool them down while the sidewalks cook their feet. The perfect solution is People's Pops. Upon the suggestion of my brilliant friend who had "heard good things" I made a stop at People's Pops store space, also located in Chelsea Market.

A modest counter with a beautifully decorated chalkboard behind it and a very friendly, helpful worker; People's Pops creates temptations with the help of local and sustainable fruits and herbs.

The biggest problem by far with visiting PP is that it's only socially acceptable to eat one popsicle at a time. I was extremely tempted to order every flavor, which rotates depending on what is in season and available. I eventually, after much hemming & hawing, went with Plum & Tarragon.

A more perfect marriage couldn't be orchestrated by Hollywood. Delicious, in every way. This deceptively simple offering will please your palette accordingly. My friend opted for another flavor, I believe it was a Peach & Chamomile (this is definitely the drawback of blogging about places long after you visit.) They also offer shaved ice if that's more your bag. If I had my way, with no public stigma or calories attached, I would probably just stick around and eat all the flavors. Purely as a scientific experiment, to get the best overall impression ;)

Though it seemed silly for me to even ask, I did mention the Gluten Free of it all. I was assured, as I had imagined, that the popsicle ingredients were fine & fresh local produce (naturally GF of course.) And I don't worry about the possibilities of contamination in a setting where no gluten is used at all (personal choice.) Furthermore, the only feeling I had after my consumption was euphoria, so I'm going to say that it was definitely a safe treat!

Unfortunately for us, People's Pops seems to only be available seasonally as of now, so make sure to follow their website and blog to find out where they will be setting up shop and when. Don't forget to venture outside of the store-front (re-opening April 15th) to visit their market stops. The best way to enjoy these suckers is on a stroll. Do not, DO NOT miss out.

Stay tuned for Part 3: Tu-lu's Bakery. Did you miss Part 1?

People's Pops (locations vary, seasonally, people@peoplespops.com)

Gluten Free NYC! Part 1: Friedman's Lunch

2011-04-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Gluten Free NYC Travel Series! Stay tuned for fantastic suggestions for GF and Allergic travelers :)

Having been to New York City several times, I can tell you it is possibly my favorite place to eat in the United States and is arguably my favorite place I've eaten in my world travels (I've been to a few European countries.) This was true before I had gone GF, but it still holds up. There are plenty of eats and treats for the savvy NYC visitor and resident, starting with a stop at Chelsea Market.

Chelsea Market is a top foodie destination for any NYC traveler; it houses several bakeries, restaurants, specialty food retailers and yes, even the Food Network studio is located in the market building. Suggested to me as a great GF destination by Kristin of Gluten Free Crumpette, Friedman's Lunch is definitely what you're looking for when it comes to a hassle free breakfast or lunch.

Months before visiting, I emailed Friedman's to ask them about their GF goods: What ingredients were used? Would I feel safe eating there? They were extremely helpful and sent me a full ingredient list of all their GF breads. Not only did I notice I had choices of bread even despite all my allergies, I could eat their bagels!!!!

I hadn't eaten a bagel since 2007, and I certainly hadn't eaten a bagel in New York since then. Bagel eating in the city is a bit of a religion for me, so you can imagine my surprise at finding that I could partake safely in my favorite lost ritual. Be warned: Friedman's instructed me that bagels are only available on the weekends and go fast! Just in case, I was first in line on a Saturday morning to make sure I got one. This is when I received another pleasant surprise; I had a choice of flavors! So not only do they have bagels, they have different kinds of bagels. I ordered my favorite type, Everything w/shmear, and waited with the anticipation of a giddy girl getting waiting to meet her first puppy.

What was delivered to me was a toasty warm miracle for my mouth, neatly wrapped in foil, marked proudly with a GF.

Here we go! I unwrapped the bagel with cautious optimism. Would this be as good as I remembered? Surely it couldn't taste exactly like a gluteny bagel, but would it come close? Would I mysteriously get sick even though I triple checked the ingredients and stressed to the cashier that I was gluten free, making sure that the necessary safety measures were taken?

This bagel was great! It was a bit thinner than the traditional NYC bagel, but they certainly added the traditional amount of shmear (I removed a good amount of the cream cheese, less is more for me.) Although the "everything" wasn't covering the bagel, there was enough flavoring that I could grasp the Everything concept and flavor, even though it doesn't look it. It had the consistency of a slightly larger Lender's bagel, which being GF, soy free AND nut free, is high praise! You win Friedman's Lunch, you win.

I did eat breakfast there a second day, ordering the B.E.L.T. sandwich (bacon, over easy egg, lettuce, tomato & herb mayo) on GF white bread and it was DELICIOUS. In fact, it was so delicious, that I ate it all, forgetting to snap a picture of it for you. Sorry! But let that be a testament to Friedman's Lunch- So good, you'll forget all about your food blog picture-taking and just chow down.

Stay tuned for Part 2: People's Pops.

Friedman's Lunch (Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Ave, New York, NY 10011, Phone:212-929-7100, info@friedmanslunch.com)

Stay Tuned for Great Things!

2011-04-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I've been back to having stomach troubles and eating very interesting and very little food because of it. No recipes to share with you, so I'll be showing you some great travel, shopping, and product tips over the next few weeks. You will not want to miss this!

Hugs,
Suz
aka Stomach Drama Rama

Pass the Biscuits Please

2011-03-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

One of my least favorite things to make Gluten Free is bread. Sorry, but it's true. It's not that making GF bread is particularly difficult or that the results don't often turn out tasty, but working with GF bread dough is messy, sticky, and a pain in the butt.

I have tried all the expert tips, yet, I can't seem to get more bread in the loaf pan than what's stuck on my hands, in the mixer, on the mixing paddle, or in the rising bowl. Plus, bits of dough usually end up in my hair, on my face and stuck in between my fingers (which I've even needed to use a scrub pad on, in order to get dough off.)

That's why this recipe folks is GOLD. I wanted to make something quick and easy for an FBLA meeting I was attending. Since our meetings are usually potlucks at brunchtime, I wanted to make something more brunchy, easy to serve, and portable. For some reason, I figured that biscuits would really fit the bill. I wasn't really taking into account the fact that biscuits would be a bread of sorts. When I was searching for a great recipe, I picked one of the least complicated ones I could find. Sometimes, I worry when I see an uncomplicated GF bread/quick bread recipe that it won't work. As you'll find, that is not the case here!

Thank you Google for sending me to a Celiac.com article page highlighting biscuits and rolls. I found this wonderful recipe which you just know I had to change ever so slightly. If you stick to the original recipe though, you can make great biscuits entirely allergy free. That's right, entirely allergy free. I added some cheese (which of course is dairy) and I used dairy milk but you can add a cheese substitute like Daiya and any milk sub and make a fantastic allergy free and vegan biscuit.

These are not messy, easy to handle, quick cooking and delicious. I used a greased mini quiche pan to make the biscuits smaller for easy sharing. You can easily use an english muffin pan to make them a little larger. If you want, to free form, you can roll a ball of dough with your hands and press down to a circle on some parchment over a cookie sheet. I didn't cook them free form though, so I don't know if they'll keep their shape.

Alright, let's get southern up in here-

Savory Biscuits

with Cheddar, Garlic, and Thyme

as adapted from Liz Wolf's Southern Biscuit recipe posted on Celiac.com

Ingredients:

2 cups GF flour mix (I used my rice mix w/ guar gum. I tend to use rice mixes for non-GF ppl)

1/3 cup + 1 tbs Earth Balance Soy Free Spread

2 1/2 tsp baking powder (I use corn-free)

1 tsp Ener-G egg replacer

1 tsp salt

1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or non-dairy sub)

4 gloves sauted garlic or crushed garlic equivalent

1 tbs thyme or thyme to taste

3/4 cup milk (I use lactose and fat free; you can use a milk sub)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT for the milk in a mixer with paddle attachment or food processor and blend until mixture looks like the spread is cut up into pebbles giving the same sand effect as when you make pie crust.

Add milk and mix until it looks like a dough.

Form biscuits however you choose by hand, in pan, drop, or cut.

Bake for 10 minutes.

That's it. Trust me you'll love these. For the girl who hates to make GF bread and quick breads, this may just have made me a believer!

National Pancake Week! Or is it...?

2011-02-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

So I've been hearing rumblings and reading postings all about National Pancake Week, a holiday indeed that should be celebrated by all. Funny thing is, when I googled this auspicious holiday, I got at least 3 separate weeks designated as National Pancake Week: 2/14, 2/21, and the week of 3/1. The conclusion? You better eat pancakes for the next three weeks folks, because the internet wants you to. And hey, there are worse things you could have to do.

You may be thinking, Hey Suz, aren't you Gluten Free? Why yes I am, dear reader, but as you know, that doesn't stop me from making anything, especially not fluffy, moist, delicious pancakes. Pancakes! Sorry, but I just get so excited thinking about them ;)

Also different about my pancake habits, other than being GF, is that my favorite time of day to eat pancakes is at night. I am a huge fan of breakfast for dinner, and yes, even dinner for breakfast and I don't care who thinks it's weird. Breakfast just tastes better at night; it clearly has something to do with the lunar placement and the tides. But I digress...

There are many tricks and tips to good pancakes, but the number one thing you must remember is that if you want fluffy pancakes you absolutely CANNOT smush them with your spatula after you flip them. It's not meat- you're not trying to put a sear on it folks. When you push the plump pancake further down onto the griddle or pan, you are essentially squeezing out all the air. Air = fluff, and you now have a flat pancake, bringing you back to the painful memories of pre-pubescent times. Grow some, erm, pancakes and don't squish them. Be proud and let your fluff puff up.

Now for a personal pancake preference, I don't like to make big pancakes. I'm a petite pancake kind of girl. I find that they have more fluff, they're easier to flip, and you can have a couple more than if you're eating Uber Pancake, the distant and lesser known cousin of Sasquatch.

The below recipe is adapted from here and can easily be made dairy-free or even vegan with a couple of small substitutes (coconut milk would probably taste awesome in pancakes!)

Gluten-Free

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup GF sorghum mix (or any GF all purpose mix)

1 tbs evaporated cane sugar

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg (or egg replacer)

3/4 cup milk (or milk sub)

1/4 cup Earth Balance Soy Free, melted

Allergy-Free Chocolate Chips to taste (yay Enjoy Life!)

Directions:

Mix together all dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry slowly, and mix well (do not overmix!)

Fold in chocolate chips by hand.

Scoop desired size batter onto a greased hot griddle or pan.

When pancakes start to bubble on the edges, then all over, flip 'em.

Cook until slightly mushy or golden brown (whichever you prefer) and then put them on some plates or...
To package and freeze pancakes, let cool.

Arrange a large piece of foil and place a small rectangular cut of parchment down the middle.

Place as many pancakes as fit on parchment, layer with another piece of parchment and continue until all pancakes are gone. Close the foil around them and freeze.

The parchment keeps the pancakes from sticking to each other so you're not stuck trying to pull them apart in the morning before you dash out the door. Simply reheat in the oven, microwave or toaster oven and they're still delicious.

So whether it's National Pancake Week or not, do you really need an excuse to make these? I think not. Your turn now :)

Tortilla Pie Touchdown

2011-02-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

I kinda love Foodbuzz. Not only is the website a big ol' round-up of many of the best food blogs and foodie information on the web, but being a featured publisher often lends me some fun opportunities. As part of their Tastemaker program, I was able to receive 2 free jars of Pace Picante sauce to cook with, courtesy of Pace of course.

Now the fact that the jars were free in no way colors that the flavor is well-balanced yet robust, and it's one of the only commercially made picante sauces to declare its all natural ingredients and Gluten Free status, which is important to an allergic like me!

Perhaps the most fortuitous part of the Pace arriving at my door is that it is just in time for Super Bowl (somewhat of a religion for me.) And food-wise Super Bowl, to me, is not just about the finger foods- it's all about the main event. For years I was just like most Americans, ordering pizza on the best unofficial holiday, but once I couldn't do that, I had to come up with fun foods to serve in take-out pizza's absence. And what I found is that there are several Super Bowl worthy dishes we are all not making, and they all taste better than take-out pizza.

Thus comes a quick & easy and endlessly tasteful number that you can whip up and dish out during half-time or any other day of year. Though there may be some argument whether the below is a pie or a casserole, there's one thing you'll agree on: it's a touchdown!

Essentially, the recipe can be done however you want, with any ingredients you want, but I'm going to tell you how I assembled mine. All of the ingredients can be spread according to tastes, for example, if you LOVE cheese, use more cheese. There's no cheese police waiting on the other side of your oven ready to give you a ticket for unnatural love of a dairy product.

Tortilla Pie

Ingredients:

4 oz roasted green chiles

1 or 2 jars Pace Picante Sauce (I used mild)

1 cup or more of shredded cheese to taste (I used a 1/2 fat Mexican Blend from Trader Joe's)

8.5 oz refried pinto beans

4-6 sweet peppers, chopped or diced

5 large brown rice tortillas

fresh cilantro to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 9 inch, deep dish pie plate, place 1 brown rice tortilla, patting it down into the shape of the plate.

Sprinkle cheese to taste on top of the tortilla and then place another tortilla on top, pressing down again. (It is important your first layer just includes cheese like a glued base, because if the bottom gets too wet, your pie will fall apart while serving)

On top of the 2nd tortilla, spread Pace picante sauce, cheese, and half the sweet peppers, with some fresh cilantro.

Place a 3rd tortilla on top and press down into place.

Onto the 3rd tortilla, spread about 4 oz of refried beans, Pace picante sauce, half the roasted chiles, and cheese.

Place a 4th tortilla on top and press down into place.

Onto the 4th tortilla, pile everything on: the beans, the Pace picante sauce, the rest of the roasted chiles, the rest of the sweet peppers, cilantro and cheese.

Place a 5th tortilla on top and press down into place.

Top the 5th tortilla with Pace Picante, cheese and fresh cilantro.

Pop that sucker in the oven for about 35 minutes, watching, making sure those tortillas don't get too brown.

I served it with some roasted butternut squash sprinkled with chili powder, sweet paprika and a touch of cinnamon. It was the perfect healthy side "commercial" for a Super Bowl ready "main event."

I hope you enjoy it too!

Quinoa Foodgasm

2011-01-31T12:52:00.000-08:00

Now, I've been eating quinoa for quite some time since I was told to go Gluten Free. The high-protein, highly nutritious grain that's as tasty as it is satisfying is often a go-to quick side or vegetarian main base for me. And I've always been very happy with it. It's been a great companion and it's always made me feel good, but it's never given me that special something that every woman foodie wants- a Foodgasm (you know, the thing that puts you in instant heaven with no risk of communicable diseases.)

This Quinoa Foodgasm came as much as a surprise to me as it may to you dear reader. I mean quinoa's pretty fantastic, but it's usually the nice-guy food, not the Casanova of the kitchen. Well nice-guy no more! Even stranger, I found the recipe for this impactful dish on the Mayo Clinic recipe site. I'm not saying that the Mayo Clinic wouldn't promote tasty recipes, but normally when you find a recipe labeled "healthy" on a hospital website it's not quite up to a wicked caliber.

Of course, you know me. I see a recipe, and gosh darnit, I just can't stick to it! So I'm going to give you both options to achieving a palate plaything the original, and the oddly strange thing I did to it.

I would also like to explain that I found this recipe while looking for Quinoa Risotto. Though I believe the recipe is delicious, I'm not sure I would call it a risotto. This is probably because what I did to it left it a bit on the brothier side and almost made it like a fantastic half-soup/half-risotto creation which I LOVED, but also was not expecting. If you follow the original recipe, I would imagine you would get a better risotto texture, but I'm not sure since I disassembled it so. The mushrooms in the original recipe probably would sponge up some of the broth (I'm not a huge mushroom fan, so I usually omit.) I also used some random ingredients that you wouldn't necessarily have around the house but trust me- so worth it!

Here we go; are you ready?!

Quinoa ala Suz

(aka Quinoa Foodgasm Risotto Soup)

Altered from this recipe found on the Mayo Clinic website.

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, diced or minced
2 cups of quinoa (ready to cook version, if you buy it in bulk you may have to rinse first)

4 1/2 cups veggie broth (I LOVE Imagine broth. Use it and you won't regret it!)

5 oz of baby arugula, washed and dried or prewashed

6 oz pack of vacuum sealed steamed artichokes (no seasoning)/or 6 oz fresh-steamed

10-15 large black cherries, pitted, diced or sliced

2 finger full pulled pinches of dried daikon radish (easily found in Asian isle/market)

.31 lb grated Parmesan cheese

pinch or 2 of black truffle salt

1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a large (I mean large) and deep saute pan heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions and saute until translucent.

Add garlic and quinoa, cooking for 1 minute. Do not brown garlic.

Add veggie broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer until the quinoa is al dente texture, about 12 minutes.

One at a time, add arugula, artichokes, cherries, and dried daikon radish. Be careful to stir each ingredient in until incorporated before adding the next one.

Cook an additional 2-5 minutes. Taste quinoa for desired texture. If it's too hard, cook longer.

Transfer to serving deep serving dish/bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese, black pepper and the pinch of truffle salt.

Between the daikon radish and the truffle salt, this sucker is bursting with umami. But the cherry really adds an awesome kick of sweet to balance it out and the arugula and cheese add interest and depth. I wasn't actually expecting this to work (as you can tell by me saying it a million times) but I think this is a recipe that I will use for many, many years to come!

I invite you to lick the spoon of this warm and comforting bowl of hot lovin' quinoa. This makes a lot but I encourage you to have leftovers because when the flavors sit for at least a day, they mingle, marry and improve!

Do You Like My Feathers?

2011-01-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

I've always enjoyed the imagery of a phoenix. The mythology of it. It's a tale of hope really. Yes, also of reinvention. Of renewal. It gives itself a rebirth.

Life in many ways is like a phoenix; however, when our final time comes, we don't eternally regenerate. Too deep for a food blog readers? Too unrelated?

Perhaps, but I need to explain my time away from the eating/writing combo that I love so much. You see, I've been in a bit of an "ashes" state with my body and my health. Again. However, I am hopeful. I am ready to regenerate now, and I'm using every ounce of my strength to do so. I am determined to fight for a rebirth of sorts. I am ready to become myself again. Whether medical science can help me with this or not, is still unclear. And to explain everything would be too complicated. Oh no dear reader, I'm not dying or anything! But I am dealing with something chronic, and it's still a mystery to me.

And so I welcome you back to my blog. It's a new year, and I'm hopeful I can take flight this year. What have you got planned?

Mamma Mia

2010-11-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

Here I go again. My, my, how can I resist you Pizza!

I think that's how the song should have gone personally. It really should be re-recorded like that using one of those kid songs systems where the CD personalizes all of the music for your child. So that you have Abba singing, and then all of a sudden a deep, male voice comes on and growls PIZZA....*

*The above moment of insanity was brought to you by my utter and dire love of all things Pizza.

On Halloween, since I don't go trick-r-treating because 1) I'm too old and 2) It's too allergy dangerous, I made myself some treats at home. One being this delicious looking pizza!

Mmmmmmmmm. Tasty looking no?

This time, I made the pizza crust using my allergy-free Sorghum Crust (any all-purpose GF flour would do) for a yummy, healthier, whole wheat feel. I prepared the crust as directed, then I topped with soy-less tomato sauce, 1/4 lb lean ground beef, and part-skim mozzarella cheese. I seasoned the lovely with black truffle salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Result: Awesomeness personified!!!

It was just as good as my BLT pizza too. I'm thinking there's an awesome fall pizza in my future too, so stay tuned folks! For directions on how to make an almost allergy-free pizza crust (it does have yeast) go here.

On a final and cautionary note, I wouldn't go around adding the word "Pizza" to popular Abba songs. After all, "Dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17 Pizza" doesn't really work as well as the original ;)

There Is No Good Way to Photograph an Orange Popsicle

2010-11-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Feel free to try and prove me wrong people. I dare you! Because with the shape of my popsicle molds and the light orangey color to the popsicle I've created, there is no way to politely (um, how do I put this?) photograph it in which it does not look like an appendage of sorts.

But with this randomly hot weather in California right now (November 90's, what?) it's the perfect time for DIY popsicles. When you go to buy unprocessed, un-corn syruped, natural popsicles at the store, you're likely to pay anywhere between $3.50-$6.00 for a box of 4. That's a little expensive for something you can make 6 of at home with a minimal investment in both time and effort.

I know that the below is technically a recipe, but it's so easy I doubt that you'll think of it as one! With a few accessible ingredients like canned pumpkin and yogurt or milk all thrown in a blender, it's a fun and done way to stay cool and have a sweet treat. As always, you can adapt the recipe to suit your needs- Dairy Free? Use a substituted milk like rice, hemp or coconut. Lactose Free? Lactose free yogurt or milk are both readily available and work well. Be aware if you use milk or a milk substitute that the popsicles will be icier in consistency. If you use yogurt though, it tastes a little Pinkberry-esque and isn't too sweet (which I loved!)

Pumpkin Pie Popsicles

See, I told you! And this was the best one...

Ingredients:

1 cup canned/fresh cooked pumpkin

6 oz vanilla yogurt (I love Brown Cow,only yogurt that doesn't make me sick!) or milk or milk substitute

1/2 cup agave

nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger combo or pumpkin pie spice to taste (start at a tsp and add more if desired)

splash of vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

In a blender, combine all ingredients until well blended.

Pour into 6 popsicle molds and freeze for at least 5 hours (overnight freezing preferred.)

Go do something else. You're done! That was fast huh?

Fall or Nothing

2010-11-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

First off readers, I want to thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement during my little hiatus. I don't exactly feel better, but I certainly haven't stopped cooking!

I have been taking it easy though, making easy to put together dinners and actually using other people's recipes to bake things *gasp*, but I can't not cook during The Fall. Oh fall, how you are my favorite food-time of the year! Squash, pumpkin products, ciders, mulled wine, cranberries. Um, can you say yum?! And since I am obsessed with fall foods, the second Spaghetti Squash started popping up everywhere I had one in my cart faster than you can arrest Lindsay Lohan again. But I digress-

Spaghetti Squash is extremely, extremely easy to roast up. You give the outside a little wash, poke some holes in it, and roast it in the oven for about an hour and a half (for the big ones), and voila! Instant entree, side dish or ingredient. Nature, how'd you know I like my food so easy and tasty?

So because I'm taking it easy, I made a super easy dish with my squash: A Fake Pasta Bake. I can make a pasta bake in my sleep. Its a go-to whip together nutritious meal that will satisfy even the hungriest dinner guests. But every once and a while, even I need a break from rice (shocking I know) so I use spaghetti squash instead of rice pasta. To keep it lower in fat and cholesterol, I also substitute 1% cottage cheese for ricotta. When you're baking Italian food, you can't really taste the difference in the end product unless you are very much the authentic foodie. To the lay person's tongue cottage cheese for ricotta is a sneaky way of being satisfied without sacrificing your health at the same time. And once you see this thing, seriously, you'll forget to ask what's in it!

Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" Bake

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash (prepared plain; here's how to)

16 oz of low-fat/fat-free cottage cheese

1/4 cup-1 cup of part-skim mozzarella cheese

spaghetti sauce to taste (I don't use that much, but certainly you don't need more than a jar)

olive oil

basil, parsley, salt, pepper to taste

vegetables (optional)

egg (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take prepared spaghetti squash and mix in a bowl with drizzles of olive oil, sauce, cottage cheese, seasoning, and optional vegetables and/or egg or some mozzarella*

*The egg is to help the bake hold up however it is relatively easy to shape up with mozzarella mixed in instead if you have an egg allergy.

I mixed it in the pan because I'm lazy. This is before anything went in

Dump mixture into a lightly oiled 9x13 pan.

Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake lightly covered for 20 minutes, uncovered for 10-20 additional minutes.

Cut and serve; careful it's hot!

Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Enjoy this treat as much as you can before the fall foods disappear. You should see the stockpile of pumpkin I have going on!

Weather/Blanket

2010-09-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit under the weather again reader. It doesn't mean I'm not cooking, I'm just not cooking as fun and/or complicated dishes that require recipes. Sandwiches on Food for Life GF bread. Cereal. Pasta. Yogurts. Even Amy's frozen GF Mac&Cheese (I swear that stuff's so addictive it has crack in it!) Meat and rice dishes.

You see, I've been going through another rough spot with my tummy and energy quotient. I did get a little ambitious when I made a pot roast with honey, a savory onion noodle kugel (w/ tinkyada pasta), and a gluten-free, allergen free challah for Rosh Hashana, and I do promise to post them up as soon as I can :) I just had to go on break mode for a bit.

I hate taking breaks from my blog. Writing and sharing my cooking and baking experiments with you all gives me such joy, but sometimes I need to take a mini-break from my extra-curriculars. A life pause, if you will. I need to let myself be under the weather, and maybe even hide under a blanket for a while (metaphorical or literal.)

It's always been difficult for me to take these little life pauses. Once upon a time, I was very go, go, go! Active. Social. I'm still active, mostly because I'm too stubborn to give in to my endlessly fickle body, but it just requires more push through, more strength, and as a result- give me my blanket to hide under for an hour or two!

I think it's hardest sometimes to let yourself rest- to give yourself permission not to do anything. Especially when you're a workaholic, activity-aholic like me. I don't like saying to myself, today I have to place a limit or I have to say enough. But there can be another side to this. A break doesn't have to be a negative thing. It can be recognizing that you have a different kind of strength: the strength to just be. Just sit quietly with yourself. Just be under a blanket and heal up a little bit. And so dear reader, here I sit at my desk just being (okay, I'm working a little bit. I have a job you know! hehe.) I may not be the strongest in body as of late, but I am strong in mind and spirit. And hey, that can be good enough for me today.

Look forward to actually posting some great food soon. Please excuse my turtle-like pace ;)

Slow and steady...

Who Am I?

2010-08-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

No, this is not in reference to the movie Zoolander. This is a real question reader. Who am I?

I am a lot of things. People who know me, know this. So how do I make myself into a singular pie? That was our thought-provoking challenge this month for You Want Pies With That?, brought to us by the extremely talented Branny of Branny Boils Over. Technically we're to: "Choose a pie that best represents your personality and use your blog write-up to justify your choice."

This left me thinking, hmmmm, tricky... but in the best of ways. I mean there's so much to say about myself; it's not going to be easy to let the pie do the talking. And then I re-evaluated. The pie doesn't have to be a piece for company, it just has to be a piece of me. The result: I've made a pie I've always wanted to make, simple and quiet looking with a deliciously bold undertone: Chocolate Ginger Ganache Pie.

Why is this pie like me?
1) I look sweet and quiet from a distance, until you realize I'm subtly spicy and sassy.
2) It's gluten and soy free, just like me (that part was easy!)
3) Two of my favorite things are chocolate and ginger. Both are in the filling, yay.
4) It's hard to take in all at once. I admit that sometimes I can be a bit overwhelming, just like the rich and bold flavors in this pie. Small doses/slices may be better until a taste is acquired ;)

I wish I were smooth and rich like this pie, but sadly I cannot claim to be either. The pie is also super easy which is definitely not how I'd want to describe myself! (insert uncomfortable silence here, reader)

Chocolate Ginger

Ganache Pie

(no gluten, eggs or soy here)
(those little bubbles are the pieces of ginger, yum)

Ingredients:

Favorite single crust pie crust, add some dried ginger and bake. (I halved the recipe here)

2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled

24 oz chocolate (I use allergy-free Enjoy Life chips)

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

Cool baked pie crust, dust with sugar and set aside.

Place chocolate in a heat-safe mixing bowl (like a glass pyrex bowl).

In a saucepan, soak peeled ginger in cream for at least 30 minutes.

Bring the cream to a boil, careful not to scald the cream.

Remove from heat and remove ginger root quickly.

Pour the cream slowly over chocolate while mixing until chocolate has completely melted.
Grate some of the ginger root into the ganache, as much or as little as you'd like.

Pour ganache in cooled pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Now the metaphors get a little complicated when you start to slice the pie and give it away to co-workers and friends. Remind you of life a little? But I think I'm going a little too far with that ;) Let's just say I'm proud that this pie represents me, and I'm ready to eat my personality. (insert second uncomfortable silence here, reader)

When you're done feeling awkward about my last sentence, check out what the other amazing bakers did here.

I Roasted a Chicken and...

2010-08-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

I didn't set fire to my kitchen, char it to inedible, poison myself, or break anything. I know, I know- I'm pretty talented ;)

Why oh why as cooks are we intimated by random tasks? I have a friend who is terrified of learning knife skills; she thinks its impossible. I have another friend who never bakes because baking doesn't work for her. I have another friend who only bakes because she "can't make anything good that isn't made of sugar."

So what's my silly thing? I don't roast. I don't roast anything. On Thanksgiving I make everything on the menu- everything except the Turkey that is. I'm terrified of not cooking meat correctly in its whole state or as a large piece. I think this stems from very particular conversations that my mother used to have with me about cooking raw meat and all the germs and viruses that could kill you if you don't cook the meat enough. But then again we tended to eat slightly over-cooked meat because of this fact, and because I became used to slightly over-cooking meat, I never got used to the proper way to make it tender and juicy without stewing, braising, or baking with liquid. The result? Roastophobia. Well folks, Roastophobia ends now. My Schlemmertopf killed it.

Before you say, Gesundheit, I'm sure you've seen a Schlemmertopf before. Its those giant clay bakers lurking on the top shelves of cookware stores that you're never really quite sure of. They look like this

How did I meet my future friend? My aunt, a fantastic cook and gardener extraordinaire purchased one some years back. From the time I tasted the wonderful poultry she prepared for us in that crazy, clay oven, I knew one day I would have one too (thank you Sur La Table gift card.) My Schlemmertopf killed my fear of roasting because that sucker is fool-proof; the fool in this situation would be yours truly. Now it's true, I took the easy way out; I bought this giant clay thing because I was too chicken to roast a chicken without it BUT I would like to point out that its a very good investment. See, what makes the Schlemmertopf system so wonderful, is that it cooks through baking and steaming the meat in its own juices. That means you don't need oil, butter, cream or any liquids if you don't want to use them. Health conscious, dairy free and kosher cooks unite! This also eliminates the time-filled tradition known as the great baste walk: the walk one does every 15-20 minutes between the oven and other parts of their house in order to baste their meats while they roast for however many hours they roast for.

Why this sudden interest in roasting meat you may ask? Due to not being able to purchase chicken from any butcher in town because of a rise in soy feed (read all about my troubles here) I have found a couple of Grass-Fed chicken farms that sell at the local farmer's markets. Trouble is, they only sell whole chickens. I need to eat chicken reader; I can't only be eating red meat and cheese for protein, its just not healthy! And thus, let the roasting begin.

First, I rinsed the chicken, pulled the skin off of it, made she it was fully gutted (gross!) and then rinsed it again.

Then I stuffed it with one white onion (cut in half), several rosemary sprigs, and a couple cloves of garlic. I salted and lightly peppered the chicken, and covered with a combo of Herbs de Provence and sweet paprika.

I also cut two large turnips in half and threw them next the chicken so they could roast up.

Then I followed the directions recommended by the manufacturer, which is placing the covered baker (prepped with a pre-soaked top) in a cold oven. For 10 minutes, you put your oven on low. After those 10 minutes you bake at 425 F for 90 minutes.

When I removed the giant oven within an oven from my oven, I was very careful to open it away from my face, as it is propelled by a large amount of steam.

The veil of steam parted to reveal something I've never produced before:

A Perfectly Roast Chicken!!!!!

I took the turnips (which were delicious) and smashed them with some parmesan and garlic for a side dish. The chicken fell of the bone, juicy and tender in the best and most perfect way. I ate every part of this wonderful and simple dish. And I plan to make all my meat in it for years to come!

I Like to Hang Out with the Fungi in the Room

2010-07-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Because when it comes to the truffle, better known to some officially as "an edible body of a group of fungi in the genus," known to me as my g-d that tastes good, that's the only thing I need to be around at a party.

Luckily, genius fellow food blogger Erika of In Erika's Kitchen understands the truffle lovin' better than anyone and celebrated by holding her 2nd Annual Trufflepalooza. 13, count them, 13 courses of delectable, scrumptious truffle laced and braced dishes were passed along the milling guests in the crowd. With each new course from the Corn Veloute generously topped with Black Truffle, to the creamy and perfectly cooked Risotto with Truffles, to the Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter (to die!) I got closer to heaven. I couldn't pick a favorite dish; everything was spot-on!

Truffles are naturally gluten-free folks, and a good portion of the menu for Trufflepalooza also turned out to be GF (go Erika!) And man, do I love truffles. The scent, the flavor, hell I'll even take the look of them despite the fact that they resemble giant pieces of coal.

Winter Truffles, pictured courtesy of Sabatino Tartufi Website

The black summer truffles, which were in their prime, in addition to truffle products, were from Sabatino Tartufi. Having brought back truffle products from Italy, I can definitely say that Sabatino Tartufi provides products of that exact same high-quality, cravable, and lust-inducing spell that you would expect from the Italian gourmet around the corner. I am an especially big fan of their Truffle Honey; if I had it in my apartment, it would not last long.

In short, my truffle-induced coma was happily embraced. I can only hope that Erika continues to have these for the rest of our lives.

Please check out her blog, www.inerikaskitchen.com, for the recipes that were used for this and last year's Trufflepaloozas.

Peace, love, and truffles :)

Peaches & Cream Summer Dream

2010-07-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Another month has flown by which means Hello Pie! This month's You Want Pies With That challenge comes from the dangerously talented Erin of Milk & Honey: "'Summer Fruit Pies'- For July, how about we highlight summer fruits...berries, cherries, peaches, etc. All the goodies that are season now that we can enjoy before they're gone again."

Um, yes please. I love, love, l-o-v-e summer fruits, so this inspirational theme was a no-brainer for me. I decided to go with the amazing, the loyal, the lovely peach. One big reason is because they're insanely good right now; I picked up a few at the farmer's market and was hooked on this season's crop. The pie below is fairly easy, it just requires a step-by-step process. As long as you have good kitchen supplies, the different elements should come together seamlessly and hopefully with delightful results.

Peaches & Cream Summer Dream Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 c of GF cookie crumbs, (shortbreads put in a processor or blender until fine work nicely)

1/4-1/2 c butter or non-dairy spread, melted

cane sugar to taste

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c sour cream

splash vanilla (optional)

2 lbs fresh peaches, pitted and peeled

2 tbs tapioca flour/starch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix cookie crumbs, butter and sugar to taste together to form your crust; if the crumbs look too dry add more butter.

Press mixture firmly into pie plate or tart pan.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Cool.

Cream the powdered sugar, sour cream, and cream cheese until smooth.

Splash with a little vanilla extract for an extra hit of flavor, and/or set aside.

Puree peaches.

Pour puree into a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently to make sure the puree doesn't burn.

Add the tapioca flour/starch to puree and stir in until the puree thickens up a bit.

Set aside to cool.

Once crust is room temperature, pour cream layer into shell.

Layer peach puree layer on top.

Refrigerate for 4 hours-overnight.

Slice and decorate with other fruit purees, whipped cream, or fresh herbs.

Serve this twist on a summery creamsicle to guests with a smile on your face.

Among other things, this pie is surprisingly refreshing. You wouldn't necessarily think that's the case considering the layer of cream cheesy goodness tucked under that fantastic fruit puree, but it really does heighten and brighten the senses, just like summer does :)

I can't wait to see what the other pie mavens came up with! Can you? You don't have to if you visit YWPWT and check them out :)

Martha Stewart Made Me Lazy

2010-07-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends! I keep promising to post the back log I have, and what better way to get rid of the eyeball pie, then to tell you a very true and sad fact. Martha Stewart made me lazy. I know, I know, the crafty g-ddess herself should actually elevate you to new levels of domesticity. After all, she's quite the perfectionist. And she uses fancy things like doilies. Surely a woman of her caliber would only push me to work harder towards a culinary standard than anyone else. But nope. She made me lazy. And this is why:

I love risotto, which stands to reason as rice is my favorite food. I could probably eat risotto every day (I've occasionally tested this theory and know it to be true) and I welcome the bites of beautifully cooked arborio rice on my tongue. But I work. A lot. I usually only cook one day a week for the rest of my week, and I was feeling particularly useless at that moment when I looked up a recipe for a simple baked risotto. Yes, I was really so tired that stirring rice around for 25 minutes didn't sound doable, but I really wanted a fresh made risotto.

Enter a recipe I found on Martha Stewart Living here. As you know, its in my genetic make-up that I can't follow a recipe as is, so instead of onion I used lots of yummy shallots, and further added diced butternut squash and thyme to make a rich, fresh and bright flavor.

Result? It was okay. The flavors worked very nicely and it was beautifully fragrant, but I found the rice to be much softer than I prefer it. I don't like mushy risotto, and that's what happens when you oven bake it apparently (which I should have guessed.) Also, I think that in the end, it would've taken about the same amount of time for me to actually prep and stir regular risotto. I'm not sure this recipe saved me so much obvious time that I would go for this version instead of my regular go to. Especially when my go-to allows for a bit more of an al dente texture on the rice.

But, if you don't mind a softer rice and you need to step away from the stove for 30 minutes, by all means, be lazy. If Martha says it's okay, then it has to be ;)

Um, This is Embarrassing...

2010-06-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

What I'm about to share with you dear reader is a little secret that I know you'll keep just between us: sometimes, no matter how good your intentions are you occasionally make an eyeball.

Yes, I said eyeball. At this moment in time, you've stopped to say, Suz, what the hell are you talking about. Well I'll show you-

See. Eyeball.

This occular disaster is unfortunately my horrific contribution to this month's challenge for You Want Pies With That? Now I have no one good excuse, just a lot of little ones that really don't make up for the above picture. You see, I had the honor of choosing the theme with my wonderful co-winner Sara of Cupcake Muffin. We chose a pie inspired by your favorite frozen drink to sip at the beach. And even though I specifically threw in the clause that the pie itself did not have to be frozen, I did not heed my own warning.

You see, I made another frozen pie for one of these challenges, and it was probably the most annoying/trickiest pie I've ever made. Until now. I should just stop making frozen pies because really I have no knack for it!

I made a pie inspired by a blueberry margarita. Although not the first flavor of margarita you'd expect to find, I love the smooth sweetness with the tang of tequila. Plus I love freshly muddled blueberries in any cocktail really. And even though the result of my pie tastes really delicious, I tell you, what an ugly duckling it turned out to look like.

I made individual pies, because drinks come individually. The crust, you can't see because it froze in the glass recepticle its sitting in. Then the white layer is vanilla ice cream blended with salt and lime, to mimic the salted rim of a margarita and lime wedge. The inside is a homemade blueberry granita that mimics the texture of a frozen blended drink. Actually, I love the flavor combo and I LOVE the granita; I think I'll make it much more often than I do now.

Due to the fact that this didn't work at all in the process of making it even look that good and construct it, I'm not really going to instruct you on how to make it. Let's just say it involved an attempt at constructing a parchment paper structure to make the center freeze round (it didn't work), softening a lot of ice cream, cutting myself with a knife trying to pry out the crust, which just made a hole around the crust for the softened (ahem melted) ice cream to freeze over, ruining the entire structural integrity of said pie. Oh, and my fingers turned blue :) But that part didn't bother me, go figure!

So sometimes you aspire to greatness, and other times you make an eyeball. Oh well. Who doesn't like eyeballs?

Please be gentle with your comments ;)

Pizza, Pie?

2010-05-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'd like to start this post by saying WOOHOO! YOU WANT PIES WITH THAT IS BACK, BABY! You think I'm excited about that? That doesn't even compare to the excitement I harbored for this month's challenge: Pizza Pie. Now whether you believe a pizza is technically a pie or not is not the point here folks. The point is that Erin from Milk & Honey finally chose a theme that encourages the savory (though sweet and creative pizzas are also encouraged.) Some of my favorite pies are savory ones, so I welcomed this theme with open arms (and open mouth.) And I mean, I have an excuse to make pizza!!

Towards the end of April, I made a vow to start working on bread products with the two allergen free flour mixes I'v been perfecting. So far I've made rolls, a double-crust pie, and now, a pizza dough! I used the recipe that the genius Jeanne of Four Chickens adapted and it worked insanely well. I've been trying to find or make Gluten-Free pizza since 2007 folks, and this is the first time I really felt, damn, that's finally pizza, free of everything I can't eat.

But where would a pizza be without it's toppings? For this Pizza Pie Challenge, I decided to go all out and make a pizza that would make my toes curl, my eyes roll and my tongue dance with delight, and I have three letters for you all: B.L.T.

This B.L.T. pizza is a mix of the sweet, salty, and savory that I love so much. It's a twist on a classic, as instead of lettuce I used leeks (yum!) The fresh bacon, leeks, and tomatoes along with perfect spices on this amazingly stable and allergen free crust totally rocked my world. I can't wait to see what the other awesome creatives came up with here!

B.L.T. Pizza

(Bacon, Leek, and Tomato)

Ingredients:

1 allergen-free crust prepared via Four Chickens blog or your own favorite

2 slices bacon or turkey bacon

1/2 pint of fresh grape tomatoes, rinsed, drained, and cut into small circles

1 stalk of leeks, just the steam cut into slices and quartered

3 cloves of garlic chopped or diced (I like smelly pizza, feel free to reduce)

a few oz shaved fresh parmesan cheese

a few oz Kerrygold vintage cheddar cheese

thyme, basil, black truffle salt, pepper to taste

olive oil

Directions:

Prepare crust according to recipe.

While par-baking the crust prepare toppings as follows:

Fry bacon in olive oil until desired crispiness, remove and drain on paper towels. Tear bacon into pieces.

Throw leeks and garlic into bacony oil and saute until soft. Remove leeks/garlic and drain.

(stacking process)

Remove par-baked crust and brush lightly with olive oil.

Arrange grape tomatoes on crust followed by leeks/garlic, bacon, desired amount of parmesan and slices of cheddar.

Sprinkle to taste with fresh thyme, basil, black truffle salt and pepper.

Put in the oven and cook for 6-8 more minutes and remove.

Cry tears of joy in anticipation of eating something so good you may just foodgasm.

Of course, even though the crust is allergen free, the dairy and meat I chose to put on the pizza compromises the allergy status of it, but there's no reason you couldn't tailer it to your own needs. Now stop looking at my pizza and go be creative!

Food Allergy Awareness Week

2010-05-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Marked by the joyous celebration of Mother's Day, us food allergics rang in Food Allergy Awareness Week. FAAW which is taking place right now (5/9-5/15), is an opportunity to examine your communities in a different light. I'm guessing that some of you who already read my blog are allergics yourself. But what if you're not an allergic? Maybe an allergic-curious? There's an angle for you! The FAI's suggested giving up a food for the week. This sacrifice is I believe, is the FAI's way of getting you to feel what it might be like to be an allergic for a small portion of time. Maybe those who don't understand or can't imagine what it would be like without mentioned food will become more sympathetic to others.

I think that having people give up a food for a week in support of the allergic community is a good idea, but I would go one step further and suggest people give up one of the top 8 allergens instead. The top 8 allergens are: Wheat, Milk, Fish, Shellfish, Eggs, Soy, Tree Nuts, and Peanuts.

As someone who is not able to eat 6 of the top 8 allergens, and is now having to limit my intake of eggs (thanks to the chickens pumped full of soy), I feel I can comprehend a great deal on the topic of sacrificing a common food. Its not just the sacrifice of not eating a food though. For me, eating one of my allergens quickly becomes a dangerous situation. I've had horrifying allergic reactions, including losing consciousness. Last year, someone accidentally put a pine nut in my salad and I was deathly ill for 3 days straight with my body doing some very unpleasant things which I will spare you from reading the details of.

I love the idea of someone trying to give up one of the 8 allergens for one week's time. It encourages support and empathy and a special compassion for those suffering from food allergies. But if one of the participants are accidentally fed the ingredient they are avoiding, what will happen to them? Nothing. So on top of asking you readers to give up a top 8 allergens, I ask you to really get to know your allergic family members, friends, teachers, community leaders, and bloggers. Ask them what its really like to live with food allergies on a daily basis. Read about food allergies and try eating out once while trying to avoid one of the top 8. Educate yourselves and others and taper back from judging the mother of a peanut allergic child who is begging you not to pack a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for your child (a small inconvenience to you can save her child's life.) If you work in the restaurant industry, learn about proper allergy safety, cross contamination, and sanitation. Remember to be sensitive instead of snippy to those with special food needs.

As a very food allergic person, every day there's a sense of danger where there should be a sense of normalcy. Please take a moment to think about how a food allergy can affect someone's life this week. After all, awareness of each others' needs allows for the danger to turn into normalcy one day.

Keep Your Eyes on the Pies

2010-05-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

"Anyone can cook!" Perhaps my favorite line in a Pixar pic, said exuberantly by Chef Gusteau in the brilliant movie, Ratatouille. Those of you who think "cartoons" are for "children" might want to take a minute and stop strangling your inner child and examine that Ratatouille is a movie that shares the shear joy of cooking with everyone- big, small or rat. I've cheesily repeated that line to myself while meditating over quite a few experiments in the kitchen. In fact, I have a stuffed Little Chef in my kitchen to remind me to keep on keeping on, even when allergen free goods seem impossible to compose.

Now I'm no rat, but when I started baking Gluten Free, a lot of weird things started happening. Huge failings. Hard as rock rolls. Cookies and cakes that never cooked all the way through. I-guess-you-could-call-them-muffins muffins. I had given up on conventional, traditional baked goods for a time. I experimented with other baked goods and alternative ways of creating traditional goods. For example, I abandoned the usual pie crusts, and tried using fudge, cookie dough, GF crumbs, hash browns and mashed cauliflower (for the savory.)

I secretly missed double crusted pies. I mean, making pie was one of my favorite things to do pre-GF. My favorite was fresh apple pie in the fall, and without that regular crust, it just didn't taste the same. Well one day not too long ago, Shauna of the Gluten Free Girl tweeted about the amazing Jeanne at Four Chickens. I saw that Jeanne had made a pie crust, and not only did it look beautiful, it looked too easy to make. It seemed so simple to me that I figured, how can this possibly work? Well, it worked! And it worked like a charm. Jeanne actually has many recipes for all the bready, baked goods I haven't been able to crack yet with no recipe, including choux pastry and pizza crust. Her blog is amazing and I urge you to go check it out!

It's time to recognize that many talented bloggers have joined the ranks of Little Chef who inspires me to strive for greatness each time I set foot in my kitchen. If they can make magic in their GF kitchens, I can certainly make magic in mine. Remember, anyone can cook. And anyone means you too.

What's better than making inspiring food? How about making it for someone who inspires you? Like on Mother's Day. This would be the perfect, bright addition to any Mother's Day feast.

Double-Berry, Double-Crust Pie

No nuts, soy, gluten, eggs, or dairy-

can you believe it?

Crust Ingredients:
Pie Crust as prepared using Four Chickens blog (note: I used my own allergen free flour mix instead)

Filling Ingredients:
2 pints of blackberries, washed and drained well
1 pint of strawberries, washed, drained well and quartered
1/2 cup of fair trade sugar
2 tbs tapioca starch

Directions:
Click on the link above and follow Jeanne's directions.
When it's time to make the filling, combine all filling ingredients and set aside while making crust.

Complete pie crust according to directions. *Make sure when rolling it out use lots of tapioca starch so the dough does not stick to the rolling board, rolling pin, or you!
Before pouring the filling in the bottom crust, drain the extra liquid from the filling thats formed so your pie is not soupy.
Bake for about 35 minutes and let cool.
Refridgerate for a 30 minutes to set the fruit juices in the pie.
Remove and set to room temperature to serve.
Cut and serve, maybe even a la mode :)

Some notes about the above recipe:

It doesn't contain eggs unless you make an egg wash, and you can use a non-dairy shortening to make it egg and dairy free!
The pie crust had to be rolled very thin in order to cover my Emile Henry 9" pie plate. There was no leftover crust; it had to be used to cover everything.
The crust will be very sticky while you're rolling it out. I put the note above about using tapioca starch in order to reduce this. I covered my hands with the starch and the ball of crust that I was rolling out. I also rolled it out in between two pieces of parchment paper; this helped a lot.
The flour I used to make the crust was a combination of white rice, tapioca and arrowroot. This mix held up and I'm guessing any all purpose GF flour would too.
I sprinkled some extra sugar on top of the crust before I put the pie in the oven. The crust isn't really sweet or flavorful by itself, so make sure your filling is robust!
If you cut into a berry pie and see a soupy mess, cheat! Take a ladle and try to dry it up a bit. But I highly recommend drinking the soupy mess. It's usually delicious.

Soy Vey!

2010-04-18T14:31:00.001-07:00

How can I be getting sick from eating plain chicken and rice pasta? This question riddled me for the past 2 months. I paired down all of my eating and creative recipes (to the detriment of my blog, sorry followers) to lots of plain chicken, rice pasta, Food for Life english muffins (yum!), cheese, and turkey bacon. I did this to figure out how the heck I was still getting so ill. I kept thinking I was under-cooking the chicken, giving myself continuous food poisoning. Then I over-cooked the chicken on purpose and still got super sick. Then after one particularly awful night, I stopped cooking chicken completely. Had I become allergic to chicken all of a sudden? Oh no, please don't take away my chicken, body! But I wasn't always getting sick when I ordered chicken at a restaurant. What gives? So I checked with the butcher at my market. What are they feeding the chickens? Now they feed them soy, exclusively.

Oh.

Apparently I'm so allergic to soy these days that now I have to switch chicken providers somehow. While I search for a new way to find safe poultry that I can cook, I'll be trying to manage the fact that chicken's always been my safe and healthy choice. I have to except that if I choose to eat chicken out, that I'm rolling the dice depending on where the chicken is from.

Though this presents an obviously annoying challenge, new opportunity comes with it. Opportunities to try new things, things I might not have tried before. And after a lovely discussion with a very friendly butcher, I will be making my first buffalo burger tonight. I've never eaten, let alone cooked buffalo, though it can't be difficult as you cook it as you would beef, just subtract some time for the leanness.

I'm excited to try a new meat, but I know that its still red meat. And yes, its lower in cholesterol and naturally a better choice, but I still shouldn't eat red meat every day. In the meantime, the poultry products from Applegate Farms have not started bothering me yet, so I'll supplement some meals with turkey hot dogs and turkey bacon from them. Of course, I will be eating more dairy to keep my protein as high up there as I can. I'm not sure what will happen to my cholesterol in the long run. I can't imagine this will be very good for it, but I have to consciously and unfortunately make that choice now. I choose to make my calories so I can keep my energy up and hopefully my cholesterol won't get much higher in the process.

In the meantime, soy-free feed for chickens any one?

I don't know why this never occured to me before, reader. I'm so careful with my choice of foods. I know that not all feed translates into the meat that hits the table, so they must be feeding these chickens a crazy amount of soy. I guess this just teaches me that you have to think of everything. I must admit, since I cut out that chicken, I've been feeling 50% better. That's a big deal for someone like me who hasn't reached 100% in a few years. If you've been having mystery problems too, maybe you're just like me and this will help you too.

It makes me sad of course that this company is now pumping their chickens full of one of the top 8 allergens in the US. I'm not for canabalistic feeding, but there's probably other answers out there. I gather those answers aren't as cheap as soy nor as beneficial to American farmers. It's not that I don't see how great soy can be for non-allergics, but how can non-allergics not see what soy does to a big chunk of the population?

Soy vey indeed.

Suz's Guide to Sick Food

2010-03-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

While children believe in the Easter Bunny, Santa and the Tooth Fairy, I'd like to think there's a special imaginary being out there for those of us who suffer from digestive issues. I like to call this being, the Tummy Ache Fairy. Since getting back from London (which was both fantastic and uncomfortably cold), I have had another visit from the Tummy Ache Fairy. My fairy, like myself, is strong and forceful and so, my aches are of the aggressive nature.

You may be thinking, "Has our dear blogger Suz finally lost her mind? Has all this health hockey finally tossed her over the deep end, now that she's seeing imaginary creatures?"

I would answer to that, "I never said I saw them, silly!"

But it dawned on me that those who are plagued with their own Tummy Ache Fairies and Digestive Elves of all kinds might also have the common problems that come with feeling sick in that area: What do you eat? How do you eat? If you're constantly feeling this way, you can't avoid eating forever, can you? How can you get calories in you?

Now I'm not a nutritionist or a doctor or a nurse. I'm just a woman recommending 5 of my favorite calm, easy, and sensitive products that have helped me in times of sickness. After all whether your body wants to admit it or not, it needs food and the calories it provides to function.

1) Imagine Broth

What's the one thing you can always have when you're feeling crappy? That's right folks, soup. And even more simply, broth. Sometimes you need to start small and sip your way back into eating. And broth is also a clear liquid, for those of you having digestive related procedures that require you to ditch solid foods for a day.

Imagine, which makes soups and broths of all kinds, could possibly be one of those companies I couldn't live without. A wide variety (if not all) of their soups and broths are gluten-free. They also have several flavors that are vegetarian, Kosher, and even low sodium if you have multiple diet restrictions. I use their organic broths which have minimal, relevant ingredients, in several of my recipes to aid in the cooking of meat without adding unnecessary fats or marinades. Broth adds flavor to otherwise bland dishes. You can cook plain rice or quinoa in it instead of using water, and I sometimes use it as a substitute for tea (which I've been told to stay off of) when its cold outside and plain hot water won't cut it.

2)Tinkyada Pasta

I am very sad for you if your grocery store does not carry Tinkyada pasta, because it is the best substitution for glutenous pasta I've found. When you need to eat something plain and easy to digest, pasta or rice is definitely a good option. But when it's combined into rice pasta, you've got a winner! In addition to all the awesome qualities and abilities of Tinkyada pasta, it's super easy to cook.

If you're sick, the last thing you want to do is slave over a stove. With this pasta, all you have to do is boil water, then boil the pasta for 1-2 minutes and shut off the stove, keeping it covered for 20 mins. Nothing is easier than that! Result: you have a perfectly good option to feed yourself without your stomach revolting against you.

3)Lundberg Brown Rice Couscous

Those of you who knew me in college, know that for about 2 years of my life I ate nothing but couscous and cheese, beans or meat. I loved couscous. Aside from the fun of saying it, what isn't to love? It is a delicious little grain that is delicious plain or doctored. Plus it is cheap. Plus it takes no time to make. But alas, gluten lives in couscous, and so I said goodbye to it years ago.

Lundberg is another one of those companies that continuously impresses me with their GF, rice products. They make an excellent quick-fix boxed risotto, rice cakes, and a line of brown rice couscous! The brown rice couscous is as easy to prepare as regular couscous, and has the wonderful fluffy texture that I missed from eating regular couscous, but without that pesky gluten getting in the way. When the idea of eating is not making you happy, boil up some of this mild and easy to digest heaven. It's a food that's sure to bind some of your troubles away and settle your tummy.

4) Hansen's Naturals Soda

Now I'm not one for sodas usually. I've never loved carbonation, considering I'm usually already a little bloated myself. But there are times, especially when I'm feeling sick, that I really, really crave that can of ginger ale or sprite. Since I ditched corn for the most part a few months back, I haven't been partaking in soda, even when I've wanted it. That is, until I saw Hansen's hanging out on the store shelf. And then I instantly remembered- when I was a teenager, we bought Hansen's canned juice blends all the time (I think these blends have been discontinued but man they were good!). Recognizing the brand, I then saw something else. They use natural cane sugar instead of corn syrup to sweeten their sodas. Now, I know that sugar is sugar folks, and you can argue for the pros and cons of it all you want. But here's what I know. I know when I read the ingredients on a can of Hansen's sodas I'm going to find ingredients I recognize, can pronounce, and regularly occur in nature. I can't say the same for when I read any other soda label out there which is usually rife with corn syrup, 20 chemicals I don't recognize plus food coloring.

Hansen's doesn't have any preservatives, caffeine, or artificial elements to it. And so I trust when I'm sick, it will make me feel better instead of worse. Plus, the sugar really helps replace what you may be putting out, and helps with energy levels.

5)Applegate Farms Hot Dogs

Alright, up until now you probably thought I was giving really good suggestions for foods to eat when you don't feel well. But hot dogs? I may have lost you at hot dogs. For some reason, don't ask me why, I often feel I can handle hot dogs when I'm having tummy aches or sick issues. To me, there's something comforting about them. Maybe they take me back to my childhood. Whatever the reason, hot dogs are a good choice because they are a source of protein and fat which is good to get into your body when you're not eating a whole lot. Another plus, is that although not super salty, they do have a salty flair to them which is very good for the sick. Can't have saltines? Who cares! I'm having hot dogs.

Applegate Farms makes great organic beef, chicken and turkey dogs that are nitrate, casein, and gluten free. The taste, however, is fully there, and they're a fantastic meal solution for someone who can't cook because they don't feel well. Microwaves are not hard to operate even when you're not 100% folks.

I hope the above suggestions are helpful to any of my fellow frequently sickies and that you find they're also good suggestions for when you're well too. Just as all of these foods are good plain, they're also great doctored up for when you're not needing to see a doctor. And no, no one sent me free samples or paid me to tell you about how much I love these products and how much they help me when my diet is under construction. I did that all on my own.

Eat More Food

2010-02-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

"Eat more food?" I asked with my heart sinking into my poor, distended gut. "Eat more food," said the nutritionist who sat across from me.

Eat more food. Isn't that the kind of advice that everyone wants to hear? Eat more food. That sounds easy. Hell, I bet you most of America would agree it even sounds fun! But I almost cried.

I've been overweight for as long as I can remember. I was teased constantly growing up, and I had always thought that with proper diet and exercise, one day I could control my weight. What I didn't know is that my body wasn't, isn't, and may never be normal, so the normal principles of weight loss don't necessarily apply to me. As many of you know, I've been getting into fights with my body. I was hoping that it would cooperate after all the allergies, the gluten, and the vices were cut out of my lifestyle. My body decided it had other plans. Different plans. What I suspected to be thyroid related plans. And after several doctors over several years told me its not your thyroid, I tested positive for thyroid antibodies, which assures me that I'm not crazy after all. The presence of these antibody suckers does indicate that I am in fact experiencing some sort of autoimmune disfunction. Perhaps signs of early hypothyroid. The first thing I thought of, admittedly selfish mind you, was maybe my metabolism will finally kick into gear.

Because of me having been overweight for most of my life, I always thought my metabolism was extremely slow. I had one pediatrician tell me I had no metabolism, and that was that. Through sources such as articles, journals, and medical professionals, metabolism is another one of those things medical science doesn't know enough about. Which is why I was shocked to find out there was a metabolism test that I was going to take with a nutritionist, in order to see how many calories I was burning a day.

The metabolism test I took consisted of being at rest and breathing into a tube for 10 minutes. The breath goes through the tube into a small machine that looks like it came from the late 1980s, which then estimates about how many calories you're burning in a day. I expected a slow metabolism. After all, I can't lose weight so it only seemed to make sense. Why haven't I learned that my body doesn't make sense? My metabolism was a lot higher than I expected. So high that the nutritionist said I need to eat 800 more calories a day, which brings me to the eat more food above.

Lately, eating has been more difficult than usual. I think it's this weird new no appetite feeling my body's been showing up with. I tried to eat enough, at the right times of day, despite the fact I haven't really been into it. I guess I wasn't doing a very good job, because I wasn't eating enough according to the woman who was a size 0 telling me to eat more food. And so now I'm here, the opposite place I'd ever imagined myself to be as a mysteriously overweight woman: eating more food.

It's not the fun foods that you would want to add to your diet like chocolate or butter, or more chocolate (hey I like chocolate!) It's more like, eat more protein, more dairy, and more caloric vegetables and fruits without adding a lot more fat. This is super hard with my food restrictions as everything I happen to eat is naturally low in calories. I like chicken and turkey, peas, apples, bananas, and romaine lettuce. I like baking with agave and applesauce, and eating pudding or yogurt for dessert. So sue me! But eating them in what I always thought were appropriate quantities is not helping my crazy-ass metabolism (aka C.A.M) so now I have to just eat more of them.

At this point, I'm willing to try just about anything to see if it works. This is week 2 of my eating more food. I'm not going to lie, I feel miserable about it. It's not my favorite thing in the world to force myself to eat, especially when I'm not hungry. But like everything else, this will take time to get used to. I just hope it really works eventually, because I'm running out of other ideas.

I hope you don't mind me sharing these things with you reader. To me, coping with these problems seems to go hand in hand with pre-Celiac, Celiac, or hyper-allergic individuals who still experience further symptoms despite altering their diets. All of these things relate back to our autoimmune systems, an all encompassing storm of crazy that seems to rain down if one tiny thing gets of kilter.

I also hope this will explain why I may not post recipes for a few weeks, as I'm eating a lot of baked chicken, chicken/turkey/beef burgers, fruits, veggies, tinkyada pasta, and yogurt. I'll find other upbeat things to write about though, don't you fear! I'm actually going back to the UK for a couple weeks of work and hope to try out some awesome gluten-free foods while I'm in town. I promise to tell you all about it!

Math+Science+Crying=Experimental Baking

2010-02-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

So as you can imagine, when I first faced my one serving of sugary or medium-oxalate carb a day, I didn't quite follow all the rules. I would sometimes conveniently forget that a cookie was made with rice flour, or think it's only a small amount compared to eating a cup of rice. I justify sometimes. Don't we all?

But I'm a determined person. I'm a willful, ambitious woman and I apply that directly to any challenge that faces me (as long as you give me from 1 hour-1 day to be frustrated with said challenge, wherein I may possibly cry.) After justifying, the determined person in me woke up and thought, I don't have to bake with rice flour just because it works. I can bake with other mixes of flour too. And thus began my journey into a haze of alternative flours, poofing up before my very eyes.

When I'm experimenting with Gluten-Free baking, I find I get a lot of fails before I hit my successes. I've seen train wrecks, rocks, and mush come out of my oven time and time again. And I've learned the age-old, visual disclaimer the hard way: just because it looks good, does NOT mean it tastes good. I've thrown away some really valiant tries, and I've frozen some interesting products to be eaten with courage at a later date. For the better part of 2-3 months, I've been divining what will be my new flour mix: a rice free, corn free, soy free, nut free, bean free mixture that will work well with regular recipes, with substitutions, and with different types of baked goods. Seems like a lot to ask for, doesn't it?

Now let me take you back to school with me for a moment. Remember when you sat in class and muttered those famous groans, When am I EVER going to use this stuff?! Oh, I remember very clearly because I was always very vocal regarding school lessons and practical life applications. The only hope I had for my future, grown self was that I would in fact never use mathematical sciences daily as a part of my career. To say I never excelled at mathematical science would be the understatement of the century. I'll be the first to stand up and tell you I was all for biology and anatomy, but was destroyed by chemistry and physics. Ironically so, experimental baking is ALL chemistry and physics. Oh, cruel fates!

Since my brain doesn't function with numbers (I was so much more of an English kid), I'd rather think of baking experiments as logic puzzles which haven't been solved yet. For all you middle-school science fair attendees, I approach the trials with informal if/then statements (hypotheses) and solve them through trial and error. Of course numbers are involved with baking no matter what because you find you need more of this or less of that, but if you only look at measurements and do equations on recipes first, you'll end up with a mess on your hands. My first flour mix used 6 different flours; I ended up with a mix that uses just 3 flours (nice and economical.) I could take you through all the tedious reasons why mixes 1-5 didn't work, but I'd rather not "show my work" and dwell on past failures. Instead, I'd like to celebrate mix 6, which did work. I've used mix 6 on three separate weekends now, altering the same recipe (my control) checking to make sure that the substitutions didn't disturb the ability of the mix to absorb or not absorb what I was doing to it. This weekend I'm running trials on how the mix functions in an originally gluttened recipe and how it functions as a vegan mix, but I'm confident that both trials will hold up nicely. I'm not quite ready to share mix 6 with you yet, but it's not far off in the distance.

So class, what have we learned?

1) Don't quit if your experiment backfires, literally or figuratively.
2) You may occasionally cry during this process. Have tissues handy. Wash hands. Try again.
3) Don't be afraid of experimenting with baking because it's just like a middle school science fair project, and we've all been forced to do one of those.
4) If a dunce like me can apply the principles of school to life and make delicious baked goods, I guess mathematical science isn't 100% evil (maybe just 98.5% evil.)

Class dismissed. Go make a mess in your kitchen :)

Tip: When testing baked goods, make smaller batches of smaller goods. I tested wholesome cakes with muffins. Check out the blueberry!

If anyone would like to buy me a new camera,

well please do...

How Did I Get High Cholesterol?

2010-01-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

If you've ever watched a health report on TV, an informercial regarding health, or a show exploring health epidemics in America, they usually have at least one or two interviews with an ordinary citizen who has said malady that is being discussed. We'll call this citizen Joe. Poor Joe has this or that, but never saw the signs before it was too late. I secretly always thought to myself, Come on Joe. You really didn't know you had high cholesterol when you ate rare steaks, burgers, bacon and cheese at every meal? It doesn't take a dietician to know where that one was headed. But the truth is, what was very obvious to me about Joe's diet was not obvious to him. Furthermore, what was never obvious to me just became a problem of my own.

I never thought I would have high cholesterol: I eat a healthy diet, I exercise regularly, I don't eat a ton of read meat... Wait. Didn't I start eating cheese with much more regularity about 2 years ago? Didn't I stop using egg whites for baking instead using whole eggs in recipes? Didn't I get down with dairy on a serious regular basis 2 years ago too? I was focusing on all the goods things I was feeding my body that I never bothered to check that many of my healthy, organic dairy products were coming with a decent amount of cholesterol. Tricky...

My good cholesterol is actually extremely good, which is due to my love of olive oil and avocados but that bad cholesterol is definitely creeping up on me and I'm still under 30. Dammit... Part of this is also due to family history. I come from a long line of cholesterol factories so I guess it was bound to happen, but on top of all my other restrictions I really REALLY don't want to add another.

Funny enough, eating a low-cholesterol diet isn't that hard to do. Especially if you're cooking for yourself. Partly, you have to read labels (which I happen to be excellent at), check portions, and add more fiber to your diet. Be conscious of what you're putting into your body. You're also supposed to exercise a ton and lose some weight, but we all know I'm working on that.

Switching to egg whites is easy. Eating pudding or yogurt instead of ice cream is doable. I am having issues with the cheese though.

Which brings me to dinner two weeks ago. Noodle-less lasagnas are a favorite of mine. Mostly because when I make a noodle-less lasagna it's a giant unbreaded eggplant parm. Yum... Eggplant parm... But I digress. I so wanted that a few weeks back but I couldn't help but think to myself, You should really limit your cheese now. Maybe a lasagna isn't the best dinner to start with.

Bullshit! my mind cried. When have I EVER let a restriction tell me I can't make something? That's right, the answer is NEVER and so lasagna shall be no exception. I had to skimp. I had to substitute. I had to be frugal with the cheese. But you know what? It wasn't as cheesy, but it was just as tasty. I love the flavor of eggplant and I don't need to drown it in cheese to trick myself into eating it. Know your limitations before you try this. I'm not claiming it tastes just like real lasagna, or that it will fool your neighbors and friends into thinking you got it from a restaurant. This is a lower-cholesterol, lower-fat, noodle-less lasagna. Try it, but it may not be your thing.

Eggplant Lasagna

Lower-Cholesterol, Lower-Fat

Fills a 9x13 dish, half if desired

Ingredients:

3 medium/large eggplants, sliced length-wise or in thin circles (I like to keep the skin on, cut in circles)

1 jar (25.5 oz) pasta sauce divided; have another jar on hand if you're a lots-o-sauce person, I'm not

1.5 lbs ground organic dark meat chicken, cooked until browned (optional)

16 oz nonfat cottage cheese (aka fake ricotta)

2 cups part-skim, low-cholesterol mozzarella

2 tbs crushed, packed garlic ( or several raw clove equivalent)

basil, oregano, salt and pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes) to taste

olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Arrange sliced eggplant on large cookie sheets.

Optional: For softer noodle like consistency, brush eggplant with olive oil.

Salt and pepper eggplant.

Cook eggplant 5 minutes on each side.

Remove eggplant from oven.

Take optional ground chicken, which you've browned, and place in a large bowl or skip if you aren't using meat.

In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, mozzarella, garlic, salt/pepper to taste.

In a greased 9x13 dish, plop a small amount of sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the dish.

Add the rest of the sauce to the cheese mixture, reserving about 2 tsb to dot top on lasagna.

Layering Process:

Layer eggplant slices over the bottom, slightly overlapping to crate the bottom "noodle."

Top lightly with cheese or cheese/meat mixture, spreading evenly.

Sprinkle mixture with basil and oregano to taste.

Camera's on crack. I apologize.

Repeat layering process until you run out of filling and eggplant. This will most likely occur after about 3 layers.

Top the last layer with any remaining filling (I had a bit more filling then eggplant), very lightly sprinkle with a bit of mozzarella, and dot with sauce.

Place covered lasagna in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Lower temperature to 325 F for another 30 minutes.

Uncover lasagna and cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how hot your oven gets or how wet your lasagna is.

The cottage cheese is a little trick I learned from a non-fat lasagna that my mom used to make. I'm not a huge fan of it from the tub, but when it's cooked in things it really is a very good fake for ricotta in anything, i.e. GF Italian cheesecake. You'll notice the filling only contains two cheeses (instead of the four types I would normally use: ricotta, asiago, parm, mozzarella) and no egg. Like I said, if you're watching out for your sneaky cholesterol too, you may want to give this a go. You can also use it as a template to pump it up for a full-fat, noodle-less lasagna. As always, I substitute as I see fit; you should do the same.

I Love... Perky's Crunchy Flax (an Enjoy Life cereal)

2010-01-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

I kind of worship the folks at Enjoy Life. I think I've said it a few times before on my blog, but I feel like the company is somehow a good friend of mine due to the way I mention it often in casual conversation. "But there is a soy-free chocolate that bakes well. Have you tried Enjoy Life?" "No, there's a totally safe allergen-free trail mix. Have you tried Enjoy Life." I speak of Enjoy Life the same way that other women my age casually mention their significant others or their children. I however in no way have any intention of dating, marrying, or reproducing with an allergy-free institution. Go ahead, call me pathetic. But before you do, have you tried Enjoy Life?

I don't have to rattle off my list of allergies and diet restrictions for you readers as they're on the right-hand side of the page, but those of you who read my blog with any regularity know that I've got a lot going on. Finding a portable breakfast food easily assembled at the office that requires no special cooking surfaces or equipment is a challenge. When I knew I had to jump off corn, there went my cornflakes. When I decided I wanted my one serving of complex carbs a day to be at lunch or dinner, I had to chuck my wonderful rice cereal in the morning. After being told by my doc that I had a high bad cholesterol (thanks cheese) and that I needed more fiber in my diet, I did some research about Flax. Flax is a seed, it is approved for low carb diets, it and does not naturally have a significant amount of vitamin C. Okay, 3 good things. Then I saw some articles saying for some it's a little difficult to digest (boo) and heard that the flavor was an acquired, sometimes overwhelming taste (that sounded ew to me.)

Then I started to see a lot of press (traditional + bloggers and tweets) that Enjoy Life had re-packaged/re-named one of their products: a Flax cereal that I may never have considered eating before so many restrictions were in place. I thought, What the hell, I love Enjoy Life, let's find this cereal.

I found the box at the Venice Whole Foods, and looked at the cover. Perky's Crunchy Flax. I love the word "crunchy" on products. Unfortunately for many allergy-free products, that claim tends to fall soft (pardon the pun.) Did I dare to dream? Then I read some of the nutritional details: 6g dietary fiber, 7g protein and 425mg Omega-3's per serving. This is a coup for someone like me who can only get her protein through meat, cheese, and the occasional quinoa. Such a high content of dietary fiber, and it's Gluten-Free? And Omega-3's for all that fish I'm not eating. The label passed the test with flying colors.

I was still a little nervous when I got it home. I know I eat a lot of healthy foods, but I've never been way into the super-food movement and to be honest, I thought of Flax as a possible gross health food. There I said it. I, who have very few choices, was judging a food before I tried it. What an uber-snob I was being! So I poured a small amount of the cereal into a bowl. The little balls reminded me of grape nuts. I know this is going to sound weird, but the cereal looks cute. I cut up a banana on top of it; I thought it would cut the Flaxy flavor I was bracing for. I added a splash of Lactaid milk for just a bit of moisture. The spoon rose to my mouth, my lips parted, my eyes closed, and I silently prayed for a foodgasm.

Success! Where's this awful acquired taste I'm supposed to be afraid of? It's not here. The balls are mild and have a slight positive aftertaste that reminds me of when I was a child eating dried chow mein noodles out of bowls in Chinese restaurants. The banana matched the small sense of nuttiness perfectly with its smooth flavor and texture. And was the cereal crunchy? Hell, yes. Even when the milk tenderized it a bit, the texture was still on the crispier side and really made me feel like I was chewing my food instead of just squishing it around in my mouth. The best part? Because of the fiber and nutrition packed into the cereal, my stomach didn't start growling an hour before lunch like it usually does. This kept me full until I was supposed to eat again.

So once again I find myself saying, I love you Enjoy Life. You make an allergic girl facing the world happier product by product. And even better, now I have a non-complex carb alternative to use when making portable snacks like cereal bars. Keep testing, creating, and putting out new products. I'm a greedy bastard ;)

Meringue Madness

2010-01-20T23:37:00.000-08:00

Meringue cookies are just about one of the easiest naturally GF snacks/desserts that one can whip up. All you need is an electric mixer of sorts (unless you want to beat egg whites by hand vigorously until said hand falls off) and a lot of patience.

The first time I made meringue, it wasn't exactly amazing. I didn't really understand why, but it was kind of squishy inside. It wasn't until I read more about the wonderful world of stiff-whipped egg whites that I learned about a little thing called "drying time" that is absolutely necessary to achieve desired meringue texture. This is also where that patience comes in.

In order to whip up perfect meringue cookies, in my humble opinion, I recommend at least 8 hours of drying time. Yeah, I know 8 hours sounds like a long time, but think of the last time you made an icebox pie or a gelatin or anything frozen that required 4, 6, or sometimes a day's worth of time to hang out and achieve greatness. So indulge me the 8 hours. I promise you, you'll find it's worth it.

The other little note about cooking large quantaties of meringue cookies is that you have to watch them. Normally, recipes call for low temperatures for small amounts of time, but with this method I find that the meringues are too under-cooked to ever firm up no matter how long you dry them for. I raised my temperature slightly and increased my time, but I watched them like the tricky bastards they are. The second those puppies got a hint of gold on them and were mostly firm to the touch (like a soft baked cookie) I shut that oven off and let the drying begin folks.

The funny thing about the below recipe is you'll notice I used banana extract. It's because originally I wanted chocolate-chip banana meringue cookies. The cookies never had a hint of banana flavor to them, but I never removed the ingredient for fear it was some magical X factor.

Alright, your turn now:

Chocolate-Chip Meringues

aka I Can't Believe It Smells Like Tollhouse Cookies

Ingredients:

(makes around 50 cookies)

4 egg whites from X-Large, organic eggs

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp GF vanilla extract

2 tsp banana extract

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane sugar (fairtrade if you can)

6 oz of mini chocolate chips (my favorite is Enjoy Life!!!)

Directions:

Preheat oven on a high temperature, i.e. 400 or 450 F.

In a large bowl, beat the first 5 ingredients together using an electric mixer on low-medium speed, until you reach a soft peak form.

Pour sugar in slowly while beating the mixture until the sugar is incorporated.

Beat carefully until you get stiff peaks (if you remove the beater from the mixture you'll notice a peak that can stand on it's own). Go slower than faster. If you over-beat, the meringue will not come together.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Using a tbs, drop meringues on two large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (use the parchment, trust me)
Place the cookies in the oven reducing the heat to somewhere between 275-350 F, depending on how hot your oven gets. Remember we want to cook them slowly but not at a glacial pace.
Watch your cookies (10, 15, 25 minute marks) and the second you see any golden goodness appearing or if you touch them and the cookies feel like they're firming, turn the oven back up to a high temperature for a moment, close the oven door, then SHUT OFF the oven.
IMPORTANT: If you leave the oven at a high temperature for 8 hours, you will not only burn the meringues, but you will likely burn down your house too.
Let the cookies dry for 8 hours. If after 8 hours for some reason you touch the cookies and they're supersoft, rebake at low heat for 15-30 minutes more and dry for a couple of hours. Repeat until they're complete. The amount of time it takes depends entirely on your oven. Once you make the cookies once, you'll know how to run the show next time.

Even though I try not to eat too much sugar, I do love these little yummies. They're great for portable snacks or to share with friends. Just don't forget to store them in a tight, closed container. Go ahead; dry something else besides your clothes for once.

The Greatest Mystery of Them All

2010-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not feeling well... again. This seems to be a recurring thing with me, but now I'm seeing even more that its a recurring thing with most Celiacs who are also allergics.

Digestive issues (gotta love the vagueness of that symptom) seem to be tied into every auto-immune disease that exists and of course the issues can also be the cornerstone of figuring if gluten is making you miserable or if perhaps you're allergic to something(s). For some, eliminating allergens and/or gluten from the diet solves everything. I am apparently not one of those people. For me, it's always been a combination of all the above. I chucked the gluten per the doctor's orders, I eliminated my allergens, and in return I expected to never feel ill again.

I share this with you dear reader because I hear every day the reported mystery miseries that seem to plague us all with digestive issues. For example, most people I have met with Celiac don't just have that, but also have auto-immune complications/symptoms that are indicative of something else or something greater. And a good 50% of those people have been tested for everything under the sun unsuccessfully. No one knows what's wrong with them (don't even suggest IBS, which is just code name for we don't actually know what's causing your problems so we'll call it IBS so you feel better about it.) It's driven many of us to read countless books or take to the internet and try to diagnose ourselves (this will drive you nuts by the way. I don't recommend it though I won't say I haven't done it at length.)

Medicine has made leaps and bounds over the years, and with the aid of quickly budding technologies, we're learning more and more every day about all sorts of internal functions that we didn't understand before. But still, I'm being told, we just don't know enough yet...

The things that are making my life difficult right now fall into the category of "we just don't know enough yet." As I sit here trying to keep a positive outlook on things I ask myself, when will we know? When will I know how to feel better and function like a normal person would? When will I have metabolism again and why is there nothing out there that's safe to jumpstart it? When will I gain my energy back? When will my digestive system stop declaring war on my body? The list goes on and on.

I've been to doctors. I've been to specialists. And all that I know is that we just don't know enough yet. I know how hard it is to be patient when you're feeling crappy, but you're not the only one. It's not your fault, and maybe you're doing everything that you know can be done. Just hold on, because one day we will know enough. And I can't wait for that day to come.

*I'm going to a new Gastro next week. Fingers crossed folks. I'm going to try and solve this bad boy one symptom at a time, if it's the last thing I do!

Has It Really Been Almost a Month?!

2010-01-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

Yikes! I guess it has been almost a month since my last post. You know, the holidays should be the time when bloggers hunker down and share all their amazing holiday cooking with the world. But apparently, I did the opposite. I went completely M.I.A. and tried to enjoy a little down time this holiday season, once again at my blog's expense. I totally missed my blog-a-versary for one. I've never written consistently in any one format for over a year, so I'm pretty jazzed about that milestone. I guess I feel compelled. The power of cooking has compelled you. That's as funny as I'm going to get on a Monday folks. Stay tuned for more hilarity as the week continues.

In the meantime, why don't I post some of these recipes I've been holding hostage from y'all.

One super duper, easy side to make is Spaghetti Squash. My dear friend and one-time college roommate introduced me to the amazing world of squash, and she showed me how incredibly easy it is to produce full and fall-rich flavors. When I was in college in upstate NY, we could go out and pick our own apples, pumpkins, and squash and nothing tastes better than fresh from the farm. Naturally, I fell in love.

Since I eat only one serving of complex carbs a day, usually in the form of quinoa, rice or rice products, I have to get creative with my side dishes. There's only so many vegetables that are low-medium oxalate, and there's only so many ways to cook them. Spaghetti Squash makes the best fake carb side dish ever: it's filling, full of flavor, and has the look and feel of a nice starch. Ready to see how easy this is?

Quick & Easy:

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 medium to large Spaghetti Squash

olive oil

sea salt

pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the outside of the squash.

With a fork, make puncture vents piercing the skin of the squash. Vent all sides of the squash.

Place squash in a pan, then pour about an inch of water into the pan.

Throw that pan in the oven, uncovered for about an hour (al dente) to an 1.5 hours (mushy.)

Remove from oven.

Carefully, cut the hot squash in half, length-wise, and scoop out/trash the guts.

Using a fork, grate the flesh of the squash. You'll notice spaghetti-like strands emerge. Grate until the entire squash is used.

Carefully put the grated squash into a big bowl and dress with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. If you prefer to get grand with it, use sauce and cheese. Me, I'm a simple girl :)

Quick, easy, and cheap. You can't beat fake spaghetti with a great source of vitamin A, potassium, and folic acid.

Give A Little

2009-12-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Go on; it'll make a difference in some one's life.

Charity is always a popular concept around the holiday season. I still contend we need that spirit all year round. People don't stop needing just because December's over you know. But for our lazier personalities who live inside our generous ones, many opportunities present themselves over the holiday season for which you can volunteer your time and/or money to good causes.

I wanted to post about two easy ways to give this season and to challenge yourself to help those who may be in need:

1) The fabulous and always hysterical Jen who runs Cake Wrecks has decided to give to a different charity every day for two weeks. She's already started, but has urged all her readers to donate just $1 a day to the charities her and the hubby have chosen. I say, catch up with her and donate-a-long. It's a total of $14 by the end of two weeks from you, but if all of her readers did it... Start now, it's fun and hey if you've got more than $1, that's good too. For the full explanation and first day of givings, check out her post.

2) The amazing and sweet-as-pie Chez Pim is co-hosting Menu for Hope 6, a fantastic fundraiser that's gathering monies via raffling off unbelievable, I mean UNBELIEVABLE, prizes. Each electronic raffle ticket is only $1o and for what bloggers world-wide have donated, that's really not that much to fork over. For full explanations of the beneficiaries, the prizes, and anything else you need to know, visit Chez Pim's blogpost.

Giving is sometimes hard in hard economic times, but I was always told if you can only give a penny, give that penny. It's a penny someone else doesn't have. I also encourage everyone to keep feeling charitable throughout the year. Remember the whole people/organizations still need help after December thing? Well, keep remembering that.

As a side note, I promise to post some actual recipes soon (as I've been cooking up quite a storm, successful or not) but since we're approaching the holiday season I thought I'd take a moment to say, give a little.

I Love... Earth Balance Soy-Free Spread

2009-12-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

I knew I was allergic to soy at about the age of 12 or so when I ate some Tofutti at a Bar Mitzvah, and things did not go so well for me. This had never happened before with Tofutti. It was the same reaction I had gotten when I had tried to continue to eat fish at the age of 9 like I always had, but the Tofutti reaction was worse. From then on, I stayed away from tofu and isolated soy protein, but I let myself live in a fantasy world thinking that soy oils, soy lecithin, and soy sauce were different than soy protein. That is until two years ago when I took an actual allergy test (blood-test) as opposed to the oh so intuitive body-is-rejecting-it test and I learned just how allergic to soy I was. And it was a high number. I couldn't pretend it was okay to enjoy products laced with soy, and I now accept the risks when I occasionally ingest it, usually in the form of oil or lecithin. I'll admit it. It's the one allergy I have a hard time avoiding all-together because in the US, soy is in everything (especially commercial gluten-free baked goods/mixes.) It's as American as corn. Corn is also in just about everything. Hell, they're making cups, plates and silverware out of it now. According to most sources, soy is an excellent source of this and that, but it's also one of the top 8 allergens, and we can't ignore that what may be healthy for one individual is dangerous for another. I also believe this big conspiracy theory when it comes to price points, agriculture lobbying and the FDA and what ends up in our food or being praised as being good for you, but that's just my own brand of crazy.

When I was growing up, my family was totally into the health-food thing. When the sprays came out to replace greasers, we were all over that. When spreads came out to replace margarine, we were all over that too. Butter was a four letter word in my house. In fact, I'm pretty sure at one point in my little-girl mind I thought one bite of butter could give you a heart attack. I had to break my pre-conceived notions of butter about three or four years ago when I stopped to notice that vegetable oil had gone from blends to just being soy oil (in most cases) and spreads had all become soy oil-based. The soy was making me too ill to ignore it anymore. And thus I've learned how good fats in olive oil and yes even some organic butters and cheeses won't kill you; they might even improve your health.

I went home for Thanksgiving to cook a gluten, soy, corn and dairy free meal for the family. Wait, no dairy? What do you mean no dairy? This was a challenge for me. My parents are not meat/dairy mixers and I had to find another way of flavoring and greasing my dishes. I had olive oil and veggie broth at my disposal, but I really wanted the butter there too. THANK GOODNESS Earth Balance, a fantastic company producing buttery spreads to fill just about anyone's needs, recently came out with a soy-free spread. The spread is vegan and soy-free and can be used to do anything you would use normal butter for. The nutritional facts are comparable to that of 365 organic unsalted butter; however Earth Balance Soy-Free has less saturated fat and instead replaces it with some good fats. Earth Balance Soy-Free also does contain some sodium which obviously unsalted butter does not contain. All in all, this is a revelation for allergic bakers and cooks I think. I can attempt dairy-free baked goods easier than before and certainly without any concern for soy being present.

I thank Earth Balance for noticing that they had a gap in their massive product line and continuing to strive to serve all consumers, whatever their needs. Every time I bake with you when I'm home in December, I'll smile.

*Fantastic allergy chart on their website too showing they care about you and disclose info!

I'm Sick so it must be November or December

2009-12-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Without fail I become ill the first chance my body has to rest. This usually takes place during holiday breaks from work either around Thanksgiving or December break (which you non-Jews call the Christmas holidays.) I think this is because I'm a go, go, go kind of person, within reason. I work full days, I have hobbies that I exercise in the evenings and I tend to pack my weekends with errands and seeing friends. I can't get sick when I'm so busy all the time; it's just inconvenient. But well, because my sleep schedule got all messed up between the red-eye home for Thanksgiving, Black Friday madness and never really adjusting. It also didn't help that my office has become a bit rife with sickness itself, and since I'm at work, I'm sure I'm just perpetuating the problem.

Thanksgiving was a great success though, and I can't wait to tell you all about it. I'd just like to wait until this very tiny, evil man in my head stops hitting my brain repeatedly with a very large mallet. Then I might be able to focus long enough to write something a bit more useful than this whine-fest.

See you soon!

Let's Get Ready to Gobble!!!!

2009-11-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

You got me again Mr. Holiday, you tricky tricky beast. Here you are, and here comes my need to share a social food-based gathering with the loved ones. Why am I not worried about this though? Because I insisted on cooking Thanksgiving. If you have an amazing, supportive family like I do, they're down for letting you make Thanksgiving your way.

I'd like to take a moment to thank my mother, just about a Saint, who has to shop/prep for the Thanksgiving meal since I arrive home early on Thursday morning (yay redeye flights.) I was on the phone with her for a total of 2-3 hours this weekend explaining ingredients to her and then having her read ingredients to me while at the supermarket when she was unsure if a product was safe. This was after a detailed email. There was a lot of preparation for this since I haven't really been home all that much since I've had to give up eating the "normal" way. She remarked to me about how challenging it must be for me to shop for food; she was exhausted from running between 3 grocery stores and frustrated from being unsure what was 100% safe or good to consume. She also saw, maybe for the first time, how unnecessarily random ingredients were thrown into certain foods when we tried to find me a balsamic vinaigrette without gluten or soy (you'd be surprised.) So Mom, one of the things I'm definitely thankful for is you and how hard you've worked to let me make you a meal that could be safe for all of us, and how hard you always work to help your kids out (and anyone else who may need help on the way.)

Now that we can stop cuing the violins, I'll continue. I hate to say it, but I feel most comfortable eating when I can control how it's made. This makes me sound like a control freak, but when you're trying to stay away from sooooooooo many ingredients it really just puts your mind at ease. That's probably why a lot of allergic and intolerant folks dread going to restaurants and social occasions such as dinner parties for fear of either getting sick or being the allergic one who sticks out like a sore thumb. Sure it's fun to be on the other end of gentle teasing, "Geez, Suz, you can't eat anything!" but it's only so much fun until it starts giving you a complex. If I couldn't eat anything, I would have nothing to blog about ;) I love cooking. And I love cooking Thanksgiving. It's definitely my favorite holiday to make!

I'm going to be experimenting with a mostly grain-free menu this year, the exception being a fantastic stuffing I'm trying for the first time courtesy of the genius Shauna at glutenfreegirl and her blog. Because I will be doing the other recipes from scratch and on the fly, I will post them after Thanksgiving. After all, I'm not going to post anything I haven't tested. The other challenge is my parents are kosher. We're eating turkey so no that means no dairy. Me adding cheese or butter for enhanced flavoring are out. I take this as a welcome challenge and am surprised that I was able to find a soy-free, dairy-free butter substitute (thank you Earth Balance.) I will use that substitute, veggie broth, or olive oil plus seasonings to make the flavors shine through. I have a good feeling about it :)

I went through my blog and found some recipes that could be a welcome alternative addition to a Thanksgiving table. Good luck for good cookin' all ;)

Soup:

Butternut Squash Soup w/Leeks

Side:

Quinoa w/Cranberries

Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower (within post)

Dessert:

Cranberry Tart

Pumpkin-Applesauce Bundt Cake

Beverage:

Spiced, mulled wine (within post)

Leftover Ideas:

Chicken & Biscuit Casserole (sub turkey)

Turkey & Snow Peas w/Pickled Ginger

Turkey Cheese Roll-Ups w/Tangy Slaw (within post)

Comforty Comfort Food

2009-11-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

After coming back from the amazing Foodbuzz festival (which I have yet to blog about, I know, bad blogger) and seeing all this gourmet and fantastically choreographed food presentation I wanted down-home country comfort food. Don't ask me why. This should prove my questionable foodie status: I ate all this fouffy, high-fashion food and all I could think when I came home is I could really go for some Cracker Barrel. I'm a bit of a disgrace, aren't I?

My best friend used to go to Cracker Barrel a lot growing up, and I often joined her and her family on said outings. Cracker Barrel is most certainly one of the least GF, perhaps allergy friendly, restaurants on the planet I'd imagine. There's flour, dough, and gravy at every turn and being someone who likes comfort food, I sopped it all up with a biscuit every time. When I think back to what I was actually ingesting, I get a little sick thinking of all the lard and chemicals I was throwing into my body. But I digress...

My favorite dish at Cracker Barrel was Chicken & Dumplings. You couldn't visually tell the chicken from the dumplings because it was all buried in some creamy gravy of some sort, but I loved that dish. And add a biscuit on the side and I was in heaven! I really wanted that dish when I returned home. I really wanted that dish and knew I couldn't have it. So how can I re-create this dish to be a comfort food for my restrictions? I'm glad I asked.

What I did was make a Chicken & Biscuits Casserole. It could also be a mock pot pie if you used a double crust (I suppose) but I enjoy making casseroles. This was generally easy to prepare and an EXCELLENT dish to create with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, which I hear is coming up pretty soon. To make the biscuits, I used the GF Waffle & Pancake Mix from The Cravings Place which makes all sorts of GF, allergy free mixes. This particular mix was free of just about everything, except for corn (think of it as a last hurrah.) I did choose to use butter instead of shortening, which adds back dairy as well. If you're using this mix, I would also suggest adding seasoning or cheese perhaps, because although the mix holds up very well, it tends to taste a little doughy. If you want to make your own biscuit dough from scratch, go for it! Just make sure you start with at least 2 cups of dry mix in your recipe so you have enough to cover the whole dish. Ready for some fake country cookin' y'all?

Chicken & Biscuits Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs (or 2 lbs leftover poultry cooked)

1 cup 365 Garlic Chicken Broth divided (or Cream of ___ Soup, this soup had no soy so it won)

2 cups veggies, defrosted from frozen or fresh (I used organic peas, green beans)

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped or diced

2 cups Cravings Place All Purpose Waffe & Pancake Mix

1 cup water

6 tbsp butter or shortening

salt & pepper to taste

Herbes de Provence or Poultry Seasoning to taste

olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown chicken in large pan greased with olive oil over medium heat (if you're using leftover meat, obviously skip this step.)

Grease a 9x13 dish with olive oil and spread 1/2 cup broth on the bottom of the dish.

When chicken is browned, remove from pan and arrange on broth in dish.

Salt and Pepper chicken to taste (I used some awesome truffle salt I brought back from Italy)

In the same pan you were browning the chicken, saute veggies and onion until tender.

Add veggies over and around chicken.

Season to taste with Herbes de Provence or Poultry Seasoning, and another round of salt/pepper.

Pour 1/2 cup of broth over the mixture and cover with foil.

Cook mixture in the oven at 350 degrees covered for 25 minutes.

While that's cooking, prepare biscuit topping by combing the Cravings Place mix with water and butter.

Optional: Season biscuit batter with cheese (parmesan or cheddar), savory herbs, salt/pepper, and/or crushed garlic.

After 25 minutes, remove the chicken mixture from the oven.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Take biscuit batter and use your palms to form flat circles about the size of your palms.

Layer flat circles to cover the entire 9x13 dish of chicken mixture, edge to edge.

Place biscuit covered dish back in the oven uncovered for 20 minutes.

Shut oven off and let casserole sit in oven 10-15 minutes.

Remove, eat, and wonder why you ever missed gravy-slathered junk food from a truck stop diner.

Tacolicious- Foodbuzz Street Food Fare Find

2009-11-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

Hey there again. I know I have lots of blogging to do about the Foodbuzz Festival (true, true) so why not start here?

Tacolicious is a fantastic creation and a labor of love for all who are involved, and it can be gluten-free friendly (beware of beer braised chicken GF friends.) Anyways, aside from them making delicious, and I do mean delicious tacos, they are starting up "T-Lish Tuesdays" at the Laïola restaurant in San Francisco.

If any of you are in the San Francisco area tonight, you should definitely check them out! For more info check their blog.

Tested: Betty Crocker GF Yellow Cake Mix

2009-11-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

I got back from the UK at the end of August and since then, I have this box of Betty Crocker GF Yellow Cake Mix staring me in the face. I don't know why I've been putting off trying it. Bloggers left and right were trying the mix, apprehensive as we all were that it would truly be GF, but none of us got sick (from what I've read.)

When I went back to re-read the ingredients, I was happily surprised to notice there were no corn products, as I'm largely cutting back on/phasing out my corn consumption for a time. This made it easier for me to crack open the cardboard and ready the mix for a trial run. Let's discuss how I feel about the mix, noting that I am ECSTATIC a mainstream baking enterprise like Betty Crocker got involved in being aware of the gluten-free growing population, though I may be less enthusiastic about this particular mix.

Pros:

1) The mix is relatively easy to make, just as a mix is supposed to be.

2) The product looked like regular cake product when produced, fooling any non-GF person you may be trying to trick into tasting a GF good.

3) I added some pumpkin and chocolate chips like I would into a regular mix and it came out fine.

Cons:

1) Although the mix is easy to make with a few additions, it calls for an entire stick of butter and 3 full eggs. Now I didn't try substituting applesauce/oil for butter or egg whites for eggs because I didn't want to throw the chemistry completely off. The no butter recipe on the BC website calls for shortening, none of which I could find without soy. If I could find a way to cut the butter down, I'd be a bigger fan.

2) The consistency of the cake wasn't quite what I'd expected. BC mixes produce moist, light, fluffy results. I figured that the GF of it all would make the cake denser or perhaps a tad gritty. There was no grit in the final taste, however the cake was dense. But like really dense. Like I felt I was eating a dense cake donut dense; I had to jump up for a glass of lactaid milk. Now I love cake donuts, don't misunderstand, but I expected it to be more birthday cake than dense donut. Although, I might have found a good baked donut mix ;)

Not really bad/Not really good:

1) I thought the batter looked weird. You could see a lot of the gritty textured granules staring you right in the face which led me to be prepared for a gritty texture. Since there wasn't a gritty texture I was both pleasantly surprised and equally annoyed I had expected it because of the batter.

So all and all, the mix was pretty good, but I have to say I've had better. And I might have even made better. Again, I'm more than excited that Betty Crocker took the time and effort to acknowledge there is a market out there for GF products, however, I just wish the product had been something of a Betty Crocker non-GF caliber.

Fall Filling

2009-11-09T10:35:00.001-08:00

I just got back from Foodbuzz's 1st Annual Blogger Festival in San Francisco and I can't wait to post about all the amazing foods and beverages I got to taste and learn about. I'm still buzzin' high off of the sensory overload of eating and drinking for about 2 days straight. But first things first- a recipe for you dear reader.

A couple weeks back, I was finally ready to experiment with doing rice paper raviolis. I was ready. However, the markets were not. It was a particularly busy weekend and even though I tried to plan out my shopping well, I ended up with all of my filling ingredients and none of the rice paper. You see, everywhere I went (and I went to about 4 Asian markets and 2 grocery stores) they were out of true rice paper, the kind without glutinous flour. I still don't even understand where all the rice paper went because there were no major holidays that weekend that could have caused a shortage. But I digress...

Plan B was going to use the filling for a veggie lasagna with eggplant, but the eggplants did not look good at the store I was at when I came up with that solution. By the time I decided I could make it with zucchini (we'll call this Plan C,) I was in a grocery store that didn't have zucchini and while I'd like to say I drove to another store, I was beat, and returned home. I knew I had some quinoa pasta in the house and I figured I'd do a baked pasta with the filling (Plan D.) One day, I will make you raviolis. One day...

The important moral of this Plan A-D story is not to give up. When you're working off your own mental recipes, which I do a lot, you often have to let what's available alter the course of the meals you make. Was Plan D my intended use of this filling? No. But was Plan D just as good with this filling? The answer is yes.

The filling turned out delicious. My tongue would say it's a celebration of the sweet fall flavoring of it's star- butternut squash. Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall flavors, and in my opinion, is absolutely classic to American autumnal cooking. This is a super easy and quick filling to make and you can go semi-homemade by using some store bought sauce if you're having a hectic week. And although the filling is nice and gluten-free for me, it can be used for manicotti, ravioli, lasagna, or baked ziti be it GF or non-GF.

Fall Filling

for Pastas of all Kinds

Ingredients:

15 oz ricotta cheese, part skim or regular

1-1.25 lb butternut squash, cubed

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tbs dried basil

2 tsp crushed garlic (I use Trader Joe's jar of crushed garlic)

1 cup Quattro Formaggio cheese blend (Trader Joe's has my fave)

1 cup tomato sauce, homemade or store bought

1 lb ground turkey, optional

Directions:

Place squash in a steaming basket of a large pot, filled with about an inch of water.

Steam squash covered for about 20-25 minutes until soft.

*If you choose to add the meat, brown ground turkey with olive oil in a large pan.

*During the browning, add salt, pepper, basil and garlic.

*If you choose not to add the meat, we'll just add the spices to the mixture later...

When squash is done, mash in a large bowl with a masher or fork.

Add ricotta, seasoning, cheese, and sauce and stir until well incorporated.

Taste. If the seasoning or sauce in the mix is less than you'd like, play with the balance and find what does!! I tend to like a little less sauce and a little more garlic myself ;)

This makes a nice amount of filling. I think it will fill a medium lasagna, especially if you're adding more cheese, and would make a tray of stuffed shells or manicotti. Let's just say I had baked pasta for a while. A long while. But a tasty long while.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)

I Love... Hint Water

2009-11-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Tell me why did it take me going to a Whole Foods in the UK to find a bottled water manufactured in San Francisco? One that is actually flavored but I still love?! If you don't know about Hint Waters, you have to immediately, and here's why:

Being someone who has passed her fair share of kidney stones, I can't begin to relay the amount of water I'm supposed to drink on a daily basis. But we're talking liters here. Liters of water. Though I am very lucky to actually enjoy water over most other common beverages one would choose to drink with meals or in between, there comes a point where you really wish you were drinking something else. For me, I always crave fruit juice next after craving water. Unfortunately for me, I'm supposed to stay low on vitamin C and it remains extremely difficult to find natural juices that haven't been "enhanced" with 100% of your daily dose of C. Especially for under $10. So what's a girl to do when she wants fruit juice but needs to satisfy her water requirements?

Naturally I jumped right into finding a flavored water. But I can't have vitamin water. They all have unnecessary amounts of vitamin C. And other popular "fruit" waters have tons of sugar and chemicals to boot. Who wants to drink that?

The first time I saw Hint, I was skeptical. Great, another fruit-flavored water I can't drink! I thought. And I was very, very wrong. The company uses essences of fruit to naturally flavor and fragrance their waters with no significant nutritional side effects. Hint has no sugars or chemicals, no enhanced vitamin levels, and no preservatives. Hint does have A-MAZ-ING flavor.

And so I'm sharing my love of Hint with you. Two of my favorite flavors of those I've tried are Watermelon and Honeydew Hibiscus because their mild sweetness pairs well with whatever you may be eating without interfering too much with the flavors, and they are super refreshing after a work-out.

Hint doesn't know of my passion for them, but now maybe they will! And maybe all of you will go out and try their water because I think it may just rock your world like it rocked mine ;)

Quick & Easy Side: Quinoa w/Cranberries

2009-11-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Oh fall. Your flavors, your colors, your products... how I love thee? I tell you how I love thee. I put some of your flavors into my quinoa. Well, mostly one flavor. Hello Mr. Cranberry. How'd you like to be a part of my Q&E dinner this week? Oh, you would?! I'm ecstatic!

Okay, enough with the crazy. My Quick & Easy dinner this week is truly enjoyable. Quinoa, my Q&E side, is a star super-food (one I'm not allergic to either.) With about 8 grams of protein per serving, your side isn't just a starchy, sugary, grainy mess. Nope, this bad boy is going to give you energy and fuel your brain, and Lord knows I need brain-fuel when I get home from a long day at work. Don't you?

Good thing this side dish takes at most 30 minutes to make including chopping efforts, and things can be accomplished while the quinoa is cooking. Multi-tasking in the kitchen is a sure-fire way to keep things Quick & Easy!

Now I'm giving you flavor options with the below recipe and here's why: every one's tastes are different. If you like your cranberries more sour with a punch, you'll probably want to add less agave to your mix. If you like only sweet cranberries, you'll want to add more. Remember, taste as you go to make sure the recipe is incorporating what pleases your flavor palate. Same goes for any time I put salt and pepper to taste. If you're not sure how much to use, simply add 1/4 or 1/2 tsp at a time until you find a balance that you're at peace with.

Quinoa with Cranberries

picture coming and it's pretty

Ingredients:

1 cup dry red quinoa

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2-3 handfuls of organic fresh cranberries (I have small hands so I used 3)

1 medium/large zucchini (diced or chopped into long slivers)

2 big slices of white onion (diced or chopped into long slivers)

1-2 tbs agave nectar

1/2 tbs rosemary

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

sea salt

black pepper

olive oil

Directions:

In a medium pot, combine the quinoa and broth.

Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until broth is absorbed.

In a large pan coated with olive oil, add cranberries and coat with agave over low heat

**As cranberries heat, they split open. If you keep your pan over medium to high heat, you'll force them to burst open which is a bit more messy.

When all the cranberries have split and seem to be cooking nicely, add zucchini and onions and raise the heat to medium, making sure you saute/stir the combo regularly.

Add garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste when the vegetables start to get tender.

When the mixture looks nice and incorporated (the veggies are tender and the cranberries cooked down a bit) remove from heat. By this time, the quinoa will be ready.

Combine the quinoa and cranberry mixture in whatever bowl you plan to serve/store it in and enjoy!

Tip: You may notice that I cooked my quinoa in broth for this recipe. It's true, quinoa is a super food, however, it doesn't have all that much flavor on it's own. For me quinoa alone is a cooking base, a sponge if you will, that will absorb the flavors you throw in there. In order to enhance the flavors of the dish while attempting to keep a balance, I try to cook the quinoa in a little something that will add a dimension to the dish. For example, if you try to add extra cranberries for flavor instead, what would probably happen is you would overpower all the other flavors in the dish. Yes, it would be more full of flavor, but it'd be full of only one flavor. Using the broth is a subtle way of bringing the quinoa alive, before you start to doctor it. So if you're bored with quinoa or you've never found it all that appealing, try cooking it with broth instead of water and see if you like it better. Good luck!

YWPWT: Masquerade Pie

2009-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Boo!

Did I scare you? Did I?

I didn't?!

Oh, come on...

So here's the theme for this month's You Want Pies With That challenge, brought to us by the deliciously creative minds of Mary at alpineberry and Jeanette of Jeanette's Mommy Musings.

You can conceal your pie's secret identity (with a robe of dark chocolate, maybe?) or disguise your pie as one thing when it's really something else (like a mock apple pie deceptively made with Ritz crackers instead of apples). You can use a mysterious, unusual or surprising ingredient in your pie or if you're more inclined to step out from behind the mask, you can reveal a secret recipe or technique.

I was really not sure what to do for this pie. My pie has a secret identity? What is it? And why isn't telling me what it's supposed to be dammit!! My head was twirling with all the possibilities the pie could be, and not be. I ended up with a pie actually wearing a costume, thus wearing a mask. It's also hiding a secret filling/crust combo and using an unusual/surprising ingredient. So I guess being confused made me take all the guidelines and suggestions for this pie and put them to use. I think that my result is hauntingly delicious and frighteningly adorable. I hope you like it too.

Ghostly Good Pie

Isn't it Boo-Tiful?

1) Crust

Ingredients:

GF Brownie Mix or GF Brownie Recipe

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a deep dish pie plate.

Prepare mix or recipe as directed and spread into pie plate, shaping into a crust.

Bake for 15-25 minutes.

Set aside and cool.

2) Filling

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen (defrosted) strawberries, hulled and cut in half length-wise.

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbs cornstarch

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat.

Bring to a boil while shmushing the strawberries down. (yes, shmushing is a technical term)

Simmer and stir for 2-5 more minutes until nice and gelled together.

Pour over crust and set aside to cool.

3) Ghost Face Mask

Ingredients:

Fondant, pre-bought or homemade (tons of recipes online)

Directions:

Roll out white fondant and cut into a circular shape to cover your pie.

Cut out a cute ghost face.

Carefully lay the fondant on top of the cooled filling.

Make a cute pinched skirt for the ghost face to make it look like its floating through the air.

Admire how adorable your pie is!

So from looking at my ghost face pie, can you tell it's hiding a chocolate brownie crust? Can you tell that my ghost is hiding a secret evil interior (aka red strawberry filling)? Can you tell that I used fondant which defies all logic when pie-making since fondant is typically a cake and candy accoutrement? Can you tell that my pie is in fact a pie and not a ghost?

Most of all though, can you tell that my pie is allergy friendly? Nope, you can't! Because it tastes like awesome pie, gluten and soy be damned!!

Please check out what the other A-MAZ-ING bloggers did here.

**Note, apparently this is a pie far cuter than it is tasty. The filling/crust combo is great, but I think there's a reason we don't eat fondant with pie hehe. Just being honest if you're trying this at home!

Happy Halloween!! Who wants brownies?!

2009-10-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

In the great spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd make a super easy treat to bring in for my office mates. I really like Halloween, whatever it may be that you associate it. If your thing is scary movies, you have your fill playing 24 hours a day. If you like dressing like a monster, or slutty fill-in-the-blank, or any excuse to wear face paint, you have your perfect day. If you are a secret hoarder of mini candy bars, get ready to unabashedly indulge your sugar rush.

I like all of the above. Well, that's almost true. I actually get way too scared when watching horror flicks and abhor face paint, but I do love zombie flicks, Rocky Horror, and chocolate :)

Back to the recipe then. You can decide how far you want to take this. It can either be a semi-homemade treat that takes no longer than 45 mins to an hour to complete prep to cool, or a fully from scratch ordeal. Whatever you choose, it's a sure crowd-pleaser. Are you ready witches and warlocks?

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients:

GF Brownie Mix or GF Brownie Recipe

8 oz light cream cheese

3/4 cup organic pumpkin

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg or egg sub

splash of vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease an 8x8 square pan.

Prepare GF Brownie Mix or GF Brownie Recipe following directions, and pour into pan.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, egg and vanilla with a mixer until well blended.

Pour cheesecake mixture over brownie batter.

Cook for 30-50 minutes (depending on your oven.)

Cool and try not to eat them all at once okay?

Love the orange and black goodies and so will your allergic/non-allergic counterparts. Have a Happy Halloween and stay safe folks!

I Love... Kinnikinnick

2009-10-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, before I left the country several months ago, I had never seen Kinnikinnick products in my Whole Foods. In fact, I had never even heard of their products. As I reacquainted myself with the grocery store upon my return to the USA, I did my due diligence searching high and low for new GF products that I could eat.

One thing I had noticed being in the UK, there was an overwhelming amount of GF and allergy-free food available. I had gotten particularly attached to Dietary Specials Deep Dish GF Pizza which became a Friday night staple with my hectic work schedule. I guess I complain about missing Chinese take-out a lot, but the other big ticket item I miss is pizza. I sooooo miss pizza. Yeah, cake was good, but so is GF cake. Pizza just has this thing, this crispy-warm-chewy thing that's hard to reinvent as GF. The GF pizza that's available in the frozen food section usually uses one of the 3 no no's for me: soy flour, chickpea flour, or almond meal. I kind of gave in to the fact that unless I got down with my own cornmeal crust, I should just forget frozen pizza all together.

And that's when I saw you Kinnikinnick pizza crusts. I figured, what the hell? I'll try something new. Well worth it folks; well worth it. The edges crisp up crunchy, the slightly sweet crust dusted with cornmeal really compliments any sauce/tomato combination you have going on, and though the middle tends to be a bit soft and at times dare I say a tad soggy, I have to say the overall flavor is wonderful. It reminds me of the square slices of pizza I used to get in the roller skating rink years ago when they still had those. You know, the ones where people skated on four wheels, in a rectangular shape on the bottom of the skate?

Basically, Kinnikinnick returned me to the bliss of topping my own pizza crust and thus started my journey into their products. I have to say, Montana's Chocolate Chip Cookies are insanely good and I eat them frozen (because they're not that hard) and they taste like chips ahoy! I must warn that those do have soy lecithin in them, but sometimes I just have to suffer because they're amazing. Their muffins are good breakfasts in a jam if you don't bake your own ( I do bake my own, but just had to try them) and I've heard raves of their hamburger and hotdog buns.

When I went to their website today though, I saw the other thing that I miss since going GF. My top 3: Chinese take-out, Pizza, and Doughnuts. The trifecta of healthy eating right? I'm starting to think it was good I went GF if for no other reason than the sake of my hips ;)

Yes, that's right. Kinnikinnick are making Maple Glazed Donuts and they're not only GF, but they're Dairy and Soy free too!!!! I think I just jumped out of my skin there for a moment. I'm going to my local Whole Foods this weekend and begging them to stock a couple of shelves of those bad boys.

I only wish we had the full line of Kinnikinnick products in my store, but please check them out. They're making delicious allergy conscious foods convenient for those of us who cook for the weekdays but like easy weekends (who me?).

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Kinnikinnick,

Feel free to spoil me with your products anytime you want!

Love,

Suz

Call to Action: Spelt Is Not Gluten Free

2009-10-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are either Celiac, Pre-Celiac, or have been warned to stay away from gluten or else probably already know that Spelt is not gluten free. Let me say that again: Spelt is NOT gluten free.

When I first went GF, people offered me things made with spelt. I said no thank you because I had done my research and found that spelt is not okay to eat on a gluten free diet. "Oh come on," they would say. "It's not wheat flour!" Oh no dear friends; it's derived from wheat. This brings me to another point: Just because a flour is an alternative flour does not mean it is a gluten free flour.

These seem like basic things to say. Especially if my readers are allergic readers, so let me explain what's causing me to post this reminder.

Every now and then, I do a quick keyword search for gluten free food in my area, usually on Yelp or Google. Since more and more people have been diagnosed with Celiac or have become gluten intolerant, there are more options popping up every day for allergic eaters. But dear reader while clicking on some of the restaurant reviews and glowing recommendations for these "new options," I was shocked and dismayed. People were raving about gluten free pastries, crepes, and breads all made from Spelt. How can this be folks if Spelt is NOT gluten free?

I don't know if it's just a matter of poor self-education/research, or misdirection of the proprietors of these establishments (and I hope it's not the latter) but somehow people are not understanding that they could be putting themselves in danger by eating Spelt. These were different reviewers, attending countless different shops, and yet they all were eating their "gluten free" spelt goods (which as covered, were not gluten free.)

So what does this mean? What does it mean that out of every 10 or 20 places at least 35%-50% of the reviewers marked Spelt goods as gluten-free?

It means we need to do a better job. We as people, we as allergics, we as retailers and restaurateurs, we as mothers, teachers, friends, advisers and nutritionists. We need to do a better job and be active in our research, diligent in our knowledge of what is okay and not okay to ingest, and we need to be friends to our allergics (even if we're not allergic ourselves) and not offer them Spelt goods which are not, NOT gluten free because we've done the research.

It's so easy to be lazy nowadays. G-d, I'm so guilty of that sometimes! But we can't get lazy with our health. If we get lazy with our health, you know what happens? We don't have us anymore. We have sick us. And we all know that sick us is not fun or happy us.

Today, I urge you to be an educator. It can be as easy as when someone asks you why you can't eat something, you telling them specifically why. Maybe me just saying no thank you wasn't enough. Maybe me saying instead, thanks, but spelt isn't gluten free and I can't have gluten would have stopped them from trying to serve spelt as a gluten free alternative. We're taught it's not polite to question the host or hostess of a dinner party or get together, but what's more important: being safe and healthy or being polite? I say give details! Tell people what you can't eat, but more importantly why you can't eat it. Maybe then I won't see so many people ecstatic over erroneously gluten free goods.

Thanks for listening to my rant and continue eating safely :)

I Feel Like I Write These Posts A Lot...

2009-10-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's me again. After a bit of an absence. I feel like I've been writing these "apologies for not blogging" blogs at least once a month. Ahhh, the life of a working stiff. But this time I do have a good reason, albeit a rather repetitive one.

I'm moving!

What? How can I be moving again you ask? Well, I came back from the wonderful UK and my tiny studio with my tiny, tiny kitchen just felt- well, tiny. I need more space. I need a bigger kitchen. And ta-da folks, I am getting one!!!

I'm moving next weekend (not this weekend) and I'm very excited about it. I'm so excited that I even started pre-packing when I signed the lease a week ago. And that's not all. Instead of a galley kitchen I will now have a U-shaped kitchen with a beautiful, one-year old, almost never used digital oven.

Now those of you who have been living in modern times for years may snicker at this ovation for a new appliance, but those of us who rent in the perils of Southern California know all too well you will often get crappy used appliances from the 1970s and they won't function well. Experimental cooking is hard enough without having an oven that doesn't heat evenly or a stove that either cooks on high heat or nothing at all.

I'm hoping that with actual counter space I can now try out recipes that involve *gasp* rolling things out or copious amounts of chopped goods. I have thoughts swirling through my head and I cannot wait to christen that baby.

What am I doing for food as I hopelessly try to empty out my fridge so I can unplug it? The easy nutritious way out for me is corn tortilla quesadillas aka Mexican grilled cheese. How can there be anything easier in this world than heating up two corn tortillas with shredded light cheese inside? There isn't. In less than 5 minutes I have dinner, and have successfully avoided buying new groceries for this week and next.

In the meantime, I'm trying to dwindle down what is left in my fridge that would perish if taken out. I've come to the conclusion that I unnecessarily refrigerate all sorts of things like spices, salt, pepper, flour, and sugars. I think it's because my mom used to do this, possibly fearing the wrath of South Florida ants. Does anyone else do this too?

I can't wait to share with you dear reader the joys of experimental, low-allergy cooking in a bigger environment. But I do still have a backlogged recipe to post. I must be taking my lazy pills... It's coming I swear!

Fall is my very favorite season to cook in, so best you believe I have some stellar recipes coming your way. Just give me two more weeks :)

S'MAC me, I must be dreaming!

2009-09-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

I really need to stop with the puns. I think in the long run, it just makes me look a tad ridiculous.

Well all, I'm back from NY, and though I didn't have much time to gallivant around the city (you gotta work when you gotta work) I was able to try a couple of restaurants that were new to me and GF friendly.

The first place I tried was Lili's 57, an Asian restaurant with an entirely separate GF menu. Well how exciting is that! You have read my many desires to recreate the flavors of certain Asian foods, Chinese take-out especially, and here is my very own menu guide to the bliss I have been searching for. Here's the good news: the manager and waiter that were answering all my questions at the register really understood my concerns and answered all of my questions without one iota of irritation. Here's the bad news: the menu was GF, but they used GF soy sauce. Now, I'm still allergic to soy, so soy sauce is a no go for me. They said they could make a few items without it though.

I ordered Saigon Rolls as an appetizer: avocado, mango, cucumber, rice noodles, and mint wrapped in a rice wonton skin. That could have been my meal alone. It was a good thing I hadn't eaten lunch that day and I was starving because the roll, cut into 5 nice sized chunks, was a lot to handle. All the ingredients tasted very fresh and delicious, and I wasn't sad to forgo the soy-laced sauce.

Next, I had Chicken Fried Rice which they said they could whip up without soy sauce for me. Sometimes without the soy sauce, you'll notice Chicken Fried Rice doesn't always taste like itself. In this case however, it tasted just like how I remembered it, only better! I don't know what it was (maybe the fact I wasn't making it low-fat at home) but it was just heavenly for me.

Also, there are a few Asian restaurants like this sprinkled around the city with oddly enough the same GF menu, so if you're not in the neighborhood, you're not out of luck! Now if only they'd had a GF fortune cookie. Sigh, you can't have everything...

The second place I was able to try is not a new or unknown joint to New Yorkers: S'MAC, the glory of an all mac n' cheese establishment. Now I know what you're thinking. It's not hard to make mac n' cheese at home. Hell, there's GF pasta, GF cheese, GF breadcrumbs. Yes, that's all true. But I'm not an expert in mac n' cheese. And I don't own an iron skillet. These two things make a big, big difference when craving the proper mac n' cheese experience. Plus, I had my awesome friend with me, who I do not normally have at home!

I ordered the Napoletana, which is fresh mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, and fresh basil all with brown rice macaroni. After one bite I knew that this is what dreams were made of folks. My mac n' cheese was sensational!! Each burst of creamy goodness mixed with just the right spicing never once gave away I was eating brown rice pasta (I prefer quinoa usually.) I only wish (daily) that I could take the good folks of S'MAC and convince them to open a store in Southern California. If only...

If you are out there S'MAC, we need you!! And we're sunnier ;)

So that's what I got to try on my very, very brief trip to NYC. I hope to be back within the year for some heavy tasting, but for now this will have to do.

I only wish that restaurants here regularly recognized allergies as well as they seem to now be doing in places like NYC and Chicago. I know we'll get there one day...

I'm going to NY! And in the near future...

2009-09-08T17:30:00.001-07:00

It's for a quick business trip, but don't worry dear reader. I've mapped out tons of yummy GF and regular restaurant options that I hope to fully review (if they're worthy) in an upcoming I still love eating in NY blog.

I just wanted to share my happiness with you as its one of my favorite cities to eat in on the planet!

I'm also looking forward to throwing out my two-cents on a couple of GF products I've discovered now that I'm back in the states. There are a few more options than when I left, so I know we're making progress people. And like everyone else, I've got an upcoming GF Betty Crocker cake mix review.

Get ready folks; I'm about to get my criti-sizzle on.

Yes, I just typed criti-sizzle.

YWPWT: Holy Cannoli!!

2009-09-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Helloooooooo USA!! It's good to be back in the good ol' country of pie plates and readily available baking ingredients. And what better way to celebrate my homecoming than with September's entry for You Want Pies With That! This month's theme comes from my dear friend and genius cook at Piccante Dolce. Vacation Pie. This one's super easy and fun, just bake a pie that is "inspired by a vacation you have taken or hope to take."

Uh, did someone say vacation? Because the last vacation I took was in Florence, Italy. Yep, you heard me. And you can read all about the best meal I've ever had in my life here. I had the most amazing time in Florence. I saw The David and illegally took a non-flash photo of it (what? everyone else was too) I strolled the bridges in the glow of dusk, I nearly killed myself on a 26 mile bike ride that was supposed to be a "leisurely" tour of the Chianti region, and I accidentally bought a leather jacket. I also got asked out by several Italian men from age 16 to age 60 and got proposed to twice. Don't you just love it ;)

So Italy in general is known for amazing food, classically beautiful marriages of flavors, and nothing but the most outrageous desserts. I swear I ate gelati every single day I was there. Okay, maybe twice a day. Hey, I was on vacation. I struggled for a bit when I had to come up with just one Italian dessert to inspire my pie, but then I took a breather. I cleared my head. "What is the first dessert that comes to your mind?" Cannoli. Cannoli. Without a doubt. Now granted because of my wonderful allergic self I didn't eat any cannolis while I was in Italy; however, I did look at them and they were beautiful. The best cannoli I've ever had in the US is located at Mike's Pastries in Boston, which I highly recommend to any person with a stomach.

I baked a cannoli inspired pie using a simple sugar cookie crust dusted with cinnamon to mimic the shell of the yummy tubular treat and filled it with a unique ricotta mixture, all topped off with some delicious allergen free chocolate chips from the company Enjoy Life (one of my favorite allergy free companies; so darn good!) I think this will have to be a repeat in my kitchen sometime soon.

Cannoli Pie

Ingredients:
GF cookie dough, either homemade or store bought (flavor of your choosing)
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
1 cup of powdered sugar, divided
1 cup of boiling water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup of allergy-free (or regular) chocolate chips
cinnamon

Directions:

Crust:
Prepare cookie dough according to directions or recipe and spread in a pie plate.
Bake as directed.
Dust with cinnamon and set aside to cool.

Filling:
Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar and one envelope of gelatin, mixing well.
Add 1 cup of boiling water and mix until the sugar and gelatin dissolve; set aside.
In another bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, the remaining powdered sugar, and the vanilla.
Slowly pour the gelatin mixture over the cheese mixture and combine.
Pour the filling into the cookie dough crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the pie making it just like a chocolate chip cannoli!

Let's be frank. This recipe is really, really easy and really, really good. I used the gelatin to help the ricotta stand up. With the help of the gelatin, it's able to be sliced as a pie without having to add eggs (and calories) and without baking the filling. It's a nice icebox pie for the hot end of summer days and it makes me want to go right back on vacation.

Yum, a cannoli and a pie. Now if they could only move Italy a little closer to California...
Check out the other amazing bloggers on the YWPWT blogroll here.

Apologies... Be Back Soon!

2009-08-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hi all of you 8 or 9 people that read my blog! As you know from my ranting, I've been living in the UK for the past 6 months. Now, I'm heading back to the good ol' USA, and my life is a bit hectic. Once I'm back to the tiny, tiny kitchen I call my lab, you can expect tons of new great dishes, yummy desserts, and maybe even a few life lessons.

Thanks for being patient with me, and I can't wait to show you what I've been up to very soon!

You Scream, I Scream

2009-07-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, that's right. We all scream for Ice Cream, which means there's a lot of screaming going on. This month's You Want Pies With That challenge is for a pie that exemplifies summer to each and every one of the talented bakers involved. The suggestion comes from two of our very talented multi-winners, Mary and Rebecca.

Now, my last month's entry for YWPWT droned on and on about how my childhood was summer and how my memories were summery, and how my pie was basically in honor of summer. Ouch. Looks like I should've saved it for a summery category! But never fear, because I dug deep for my inspiration and I likey what I found.

It's hot out. Naturally, you want something cold. Iced tea? No, something with more character. Lemonade? Something sweeter maybe. Wait, do you hear those bells? Is that the Ice Cream Van? Maybe you'd like some to go with your scorching sun...

And I always did and still do. I love a good ice cream, and to me that really tops a summer day off with a sweet, lovely, and tantalizing sensation. When the ice cream van stopped by and all the kids would run away from jumping through the sprinklers or dock their bikes on their driveways, I would run along too. My favorite was the Chipwich.

A Chipwich is an ice cream sandwich that is composed of vanilla ice cream rolled in chocolate chips in between two chocolate chip cookies. And it's awesome. It's so good you want to name your first child Chipwich, or Chip for short. So a second to my summery thoughts last month, I shall propose that summer equals my favorite ice cream sandwich.

But making the sandwich into a pie with just vanilla ice cream was too easy for me. I had to spruce it up a bit for my more adult palate. So, between two crusts resembling giant chocolate chip cookies, I layered Hagen Das Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream first, then placed fresh sliced strawberries on top, finished off with Hagen Das Vanilla Ice Cream. Sort of Neopolitan, if you will.

Neopolitan Chipwich Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 packages GF shortbreads or cookie of choice

soy-free chocolate chips to sprinkle

Directions:

Crush 3 packages of GF shortbreads to make about 2 cups of crumbs.

Pour 1 cup of crumbs into the base of a tart pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips to resemble a giant cookie.

Pour softened chocolate ice cream on top, carefully layering it over the crumbs, and freeze until par-frozen (30 mins-2 hours depending on freezer)

Press sliced strawberries into par-frozen ice cream and re-free until frozen.

Pour softened vanilla ice cream on top, and free until par-frozen.

Pour 1 cup of crumbs onto the vanilla and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Freeze until ready to serve.

Note: The engineering of this pie is kind of tricky. Here's what I would do to avoid the problems I had. I would use strawberry ice cream instead of fresh frozen strawberries, because the real strawberries are very difficult to cut through. I would also wait 20 minutes with the pie out of the freezer before attempting to saw through it. I was trying to get a picture so I rushed, and it was nearly impossible.

So that's all folks. Almost didn't make it as I had to detour to the hospital tonight, but all is mostly well so don't worry too much about me :) Can't wait to see what the other fabulous creatives on the blogroll came up with. You should check it out too!

Mmmm.... That Looks Gross!

2009-06-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

But it tastes good, and that's the most important part of the equation folks. Since my oven here isn't conducive to cooking meat, I've been doing a lot of stove-top cookery (you may have noticed.) The reason my oven isn't up for roasting, baking or broiling is because when it gets too hot (aka is on for more than 25-30 mins) it shuts itself off and does not allow itself to be awakened again until it is ice cold. An oven that gets too hot? I ask you, where is the sense in this country? Anyhow, back to my stove-top adventures...

I like to slow cook meat in sauces frequently if I'm stove-top cooking because that tender, fall-away, juicy deliciousness is just such a perfect exploration of the marriage of flavors be it smokey, sweet or savory. Alas, when you stew meat in a sauce for say, over an hour, it sometimes can start to look a little less than gorgeous. I mean, the meat will taste amazing but it won't be the prom queen. As is the case with a very good recipe I threw together a couple of weeks back. Inspired by the wonderful flavors of Latin cuisine and my insane love of black beans, I made a Chicken Thighs Stewed in a Black Bean Sauce. Oops! Wait, there's no black beans readily available in the UK stores? Oh, well then, how about refried black beans? Okay, I'm sold. It also cuts out the whole washing and cooking of raw black beans; I like any way that reduces the amount of steps it takes to make dinner.

Positives about this dish: flavorful, lots of protein, tender, and juicy.

Negatives about this dish: time is takes, and the whole beans, beans the magical fruit theory...

The sauce that I threw together covered the chicken, but it might have been too much to serve the chicken with. It kind of looked like black bean soup with large hunks of chicken. And a bowl of black bean sauce doesn't exactly look appetizing; I'm warning you so you don't have high expectations of the photograph. I can tell you that what it lacked in presentation it definitely made up for in yummyness. Try it. You may like it. Or at least you'll get rid of your unwanted house guests with your new-found gas issues.

Chicken Thighs Stewed in Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

12-14 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 12-16 oz can of refried black beans (standard size)

4 oz can of mild green chiles, roasted and chopped

3/4 cup thick salsa

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp garlic paste

pepper to taste

Directions:

In a hot skillet coated with oil, brown chicken thighs.

In a large pot, cook all other ingredients together and bring to a medium boil, keeping the mixture covered.

When the thighs are browned, transfer them to the large pot and cover them with sauce.

Reduce heat to a low boil, simmer and cover for 2-3 hours.

Remove and serve with rice or over a salad or just as is!

Super easy right? I would make it a Q & E recipe except for the fact that it stews for 3 hours, and even though you're not attending to it, the cooking is not quick. It's just being ignored.

PS. Dear Reader, you know my food doesn't usually look like the above, so don't judge me will ya? I have some beautiful GF pasta I'm waiting to post so don't think I've gone off the deep end on you!

YWPWT: Childhood Memories Pie

2009-06-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

It's raining in the UK. It's been raining all weekend. I can't help to transport myself back to how summer was for me when I was growing up in sunny, hot South Florida. This is convenient because this month's You Want Pies With That Challenge brought to us by the amazing Ellen at Kittymama is to "bake a pie or tart inspired by a favorite childhood memory."

Most of my childhood memories involve me eating fruit- a lot of fruit. This was mostly two-fold considering I lived in the land of produce/easily importable produce and the fact that my mother often liked to give us fruit as desserts or snacks. Often before or after meals we would have a slice of melon, some grapes, or her favorite and mine: those tiny mandarin oranges that came in a can. I loved those little cans of mandarin oranges, and if it were purely based on a sole memory, yes I would have made a mandarin orange tart. However, I am not allowed to eat any type of orange right now, so I am going to the next best flavors to marry my memories.

To me, summer was my childhood. I grew up in a tropical summer climate all year round. Every time I eat a mango, guava, pineapple, passion fruit etc... I am instantly transported to feeling like I'm home, like everything is right in the universe. It brings me back to family summer trips to Marco Island or Naples, or just going to Miami Beach for the day. Going shopping in Coconut Grove or Las Olas with my mom and getting lunch, usually a salad with fresh fruit in it. Every time I taste a smoothie or margarita, I can smell the sunscreen and feel my toes crunching into the baking sand. I miss Florida very much sometimes; it was a fantastic place to grow up.

So in honor of all these memories, I've made Mango & Lime Tropical Tartlets. These little darlings are made up of my typical tart shortbread crust, a mango puree, a lime custard, topped with fresh mango. They're also small, like me as a child and now, the same height as a child. With each bite, I can smell the sunscreen now. Can you?

Mango & Lime Tropical Tartlets

Ingredients:

Crust:

3 1/2 cups GF shortbread crumbs

200 grams butter, melted

Mango Puree:

2 mangoes, pureed

1 tbs agave

Lime Custard:

2 cups milk (I use fat-free, lactose free)

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup GF flour mix

1 dash salt

2 tsps vanilla extract w/seeds

1/2 grated lime rind

1 tbs butter

the juice of 2 limes or key limes, squeezed (use 1 if you want the fragrance but not the flavor)

Optional Topping:

Chopped mango, nectarine, pineapple, lime

Whipped Cream

Mango Puree

Directions:

Although it's a bit of a process, it's not hard. Just step by step folks...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine crust ingredients and pat into a 12 muffin tin lined with parchment paper cups.

Bake crusts for about 6-12 minutes depending on your oven yield.

When light brown, remove and cool, placing tin on wire rack.

Make custard in the following steps:

Mix sugar, flour, and salt together.

Combine beaten eggs into sugar mixture slowly until well combined.

Scald milk on stove top; do not burn, do not boil!

Add sugar mixture to milk slowly, whisking constantly until thick (it takes a few minutes)

Remove from heat.

Add vanilla, lime rind, lime juice and butter and whisk together until combined. Set aside.

Coat the bottom of each tartlet with mango puree.

Top that with a huge dollop of the lime custard.

Refrigerate until slightly set.

Assemble as artistically as you would like and voila! You're done. Time to eat those suckers.

What I liked most about these (besides the obvious fragrance/flavor) is that they weren't too sweet. They were still very rich (the custard is thick and you will have about a cup leftover), but they didn't leave me feeling like my teeth were rotting. See that's what's so great about fruit. It's light, fresh and leaves you feeling fantastic. Now if it weren't for all that butter in the crust... ;)

Quick & Easy: Turkey Snow Peas with Pickled Ginger

2009-05-30T04:47:00.000-07:00

I've been a little quiet lately. Okay, I've been a lot quiet lately but that doesn't mean I've slowed down in the kitchen. Each week I've spent my time cooking up a storm and man oh man it's time for me to post some of these suckers. Let's start with this one, shall we?

From a previous post, you will notice that it's pretty difficult for me to eat most types of Asian cuisines (at least authentically,) and though at one time it was my favorite type of food, it has taken a back-burner to some of my other favorites with more allergy friendly fare. But I was jonesing a couple of weeks back so I had to try my hand at some more fake Asian fusion food!

One of my favorite Chinese dishes has always been chicken and snow peas. I loved it! I wanted it. Badly. Since I had ordered some veggie sushi to the flat a couple of nights before (I love me some avocado rolls folks) I had a ton of leftover pickled ginger.

I have to fly off the path for a minute to take a minute to explain how fully I absolutely go head over heals for pickled ginger. Sometimes, there's more ginger on my sushi than there is actual sushi, but to me, it brings it all together. Pickled ginger is sweet and spicy and bold and smells insanely good. And though it seems to show up in Japanese cuisine more readily than in others, I wish it was a part of day to day eating. It's complexity, not to mention its health benefits, are second to none. But I digress...

Back to the meal: I had a ton of leftover pickled ginger and there was a good deal on turkey at the market so I decided to make turkey, snow peas, and you guessed it, pickled ginger. It was warm, and delicious, and didn't really taste like the restaurants would make it, but hey, you do the best with what you've got folks! Enjoy my mish-mash fake fusion folks. It's cheaper than take-out. Though I can't promise it's easier than picking up the phone ;)

Turkey Snow Peas with Pickled Ginger

aka

Fake Asian Fusion

Ingredients:

1 pound lean boneless, skinless turkey thigh, chopped up

3 oz snow pea pods, washed

2 tbs +1 tsp of gluten-free, soy free Worcester sauce

1 tbs + 1 tsp of garlic paste

3 takeaway packets + 1 small serving of pickled ginger*

sesame oil

cracked black pepper to taste

*Note: Since I was using leftover takeout ginger, it came in a small cup like salad dressing would with 3 ketchup sized packets. Use as much or as little as you like. And if you don't like pickled ginger, than use fresh or ginger powder. I'm not going to judge you ;)

Directions:

Coat a large skillet/saute pan with sesame oil and heat on medium to high

And turkey and brown.

Add snow peas, salt, pepper, and Worcester sauce.

Keep sauteing over medium to high heat for 5-10 minutes making sure to keep stirring so nothing burns.

Add ginger, garlic paste and a touch more oil and incorporate until you are happy with the flavor.

Serve up a helping over easy microwave white, brown or basmati rice OR serve with even more veggies. Yum!

This was quick, healthy, easy and cheap. I hope all you allergics and non-allergics can enjoy it as much as I did. Hopefully one day they'll discover a way of making GF, soy-free fake soy sauce. That will really be the day I can live it up, but this ain't so bad in the meantime :)

Pumpkin Muffins Trial 2: Success!!

2009-05-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

I tried these a couple of weeks after the disaster that was the first PM trial. The texture is still a little spongy but I have a feeling that's because there's no actual sugar or oil in these bad boys. I know that a muffin without many traditional muffin ingredients can seem boring or gross, but I'm used to the whole eating without traditional ingredients thing at this point. And really, it's not that bad. I kind of even like them!

Very important: these muffins should never be served cold. You can store them in the fridge or freezer and they keep well, but without heating them up in the microwave or oven it's not a good idea. They're hard as rocks when they settle. Again, these aren't sounding like the most appetizing of treats but they're a good substitute when trying to eliminate certain ingredients. Here's what I tried this time around:

Nearly Free From Everything (including awesome texture)

Pumpkin Muffins, Trial #2

Adapted from 1Steve at Recipezaar:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup GF rice flour blend

1/3 cup + 2 tbs agave

2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp spice blend

1 egg

1/2 cup milk (I use lactose free skim milk)

3/4 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup apple puree

Directions:

Preheat oven to 35o degrees F.

Place parchment paper liners in a 12 muffin pan. Do not grease; it's parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift all dry ingredients together.

Add all wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well, careful to not over-mix.

Drop sticky batter into 12 liners and bake, watching carefully until muffins brown (about 6-12 minutes in the crazy oven I'm using.)

Remove and cool.

Since this trial, I've also tried replacing the pumpkin with 1 1/2 cups mushed banana. Those were quite yummy as well with nice, big chunks of squished banana. Even the saddest of muffins can sometimes make an allergic girl quite happy. Plus they're honestly easy, quick, and cheap to produce. Who doesn't like that?

Tradition Tastes Good

2009-05-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

I'm certainly over the weather here in the UK; it's put me under the weather again I'm afraid. And even though I'm sickly, traveling for work, and haven't slept in a day, I refuse to let that stop me from posting a quick bit about this month's You Want Pies With That challenge. Chosen by the ever fantastic Natalie of Oven Love, all of the talented bloggers had to put forth a pie that was either a family favorite or inspired by a family favorite. What a great theme right?

I chose to close my eyes and go with one of my first taste memories: butterscotch. Often associated with grandparents for one reason or another, butterscotch is a rich and deliciously decadent flavor derived from butter and brown sugar (among other things.) Since butterscotch pudding, cakes or otherwise has always been a family favorite, I decided to go with that.

To compliment the smooth and sweet flavor of the brown goo, I chose to bake a fake amaretti, gluten free cookie crust. I found a wonderful brand that makes a fake nutty cookie (no nuts used in the factory) and is free of almost every other major allergen you can think of.

Since this challenge recognizes that some family favorites need to remain in the family, I am choosing not to post my filling recipe. It'll just have to be my little secret!

Go check out YWPWT to see all the other amazing creations~

Il Latini

2009-04-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

On a small side street on your way to the bridges that connect Florence to its Tuscan countryside, you will find a slice of heaven here on Earth. I can't believe I lived all my life without tasting the immense pleasure that is the cuisine of Il Latini.

My genius friend and fellow blogger at Piccante Dolce had the great privilege of once living in this gem of a city, so naturally I asked for some suggestions of where to eat. Let's be honest, that's my first question when I'm planning to go anywhere. You can call me obsessed if you'd like, but I want to explore other worlds through food. Doesn't that sound more fun than a museum? (I did go to several of those too.)

Jen gave me a great list of restaurants and sites, but something about Il Latini jumped off the page and into my brain. I saved it for my last full meal in Florence and what a finale it provided! When I arrived casually strolling up to the restaurant for lunch, I noticed about 35-40 people were waiting outside of it. I must be in the right place, I thought. Immediately followed by panic, Oh no! Do they only take reservations?

Side Note: In Florence, several restaurants take reservations only. The restaurants are usually small and often it is difficult to secure a reservation for dining out unless you've made it weeks in advance for some of the more sought after less touristy places. My hotel wasn't exactly great at securing reservations either, so I thought that maybe Il Latini and I would never meet.

I waited with the others, hoping against hope that I too could take part. Then, they opened the doors, and shattered my dreams. A man with a piece of paper in his hands began checking off names. I knew that this was the end...

I sighed a deep sigh and walked around the area for about 15 minutes trying to find some comparable fare but nothing even came close to what was drawing the mob of hungry patrons. Something inside me told me to go back to the restaurant and at least ask if I could wait a couple of hours. I went back; the mob had disappeared, now being satisfied by slices of salami and ham.

Scusi? Inglese? Which was the most overused phrase of my trip by far. The waiter spoke English. Sigh of relief number one. Do you have any room for me? Sola? Of course, he said. Of course! I sat at a table with eight chairs, all of them full but one. That was my chair in the corner, across from a delightful local who very clearly loved two things: food and talking. Next to me and next to him, a lovely couple from Venice. Everyone spoke Italian, as expected, and I listened politely understanding a good 40% of what was being said. The waiter spoke to me in English (I guess I was easy to spot among the true Italians) and I ordered a caprese salad and a fillet of beef, senza glutine (GF.)

The gentleman across from me kept gesturing to everything he was eating trying to get me to have some, which in half Italian, half-Spanish I tried to explain I couldn't eat most of what he was eating. He began to understand, then shoved the large bottle of red table wine towards me, and my journey to greatness continued.

Two glasses in, my caprese arrived, fresh and bright and delicious, as a caprese should be.

While each piece of mozzarella dissolved on my tongue, I really gave the restaurant a good look. It was warm and full of people, the bustling waitstaff running frenetically with plates of sliced meats and cheeses and bowls of pasta. Locals who clearly dined here regularly playfully yelled at the staff and the owners from across the room, getting the same banter returned to them. I was in a large room full of boisterous strangers, but I felt like I was with family.

That's when the Florentine Steak that my neighbor ordered arrived. I actually gasped. It was probably the size of a grown man's torso, and it was about 5 inches thick. Up until that day, when I saw the special Florentine steak ordered at other restaurants, sure a large steak came out, but nothing like the cow that was spilling over one of the largest plates I've ever seen. After my gasp, my neighbor laughed and introduced herself. Lo and behold, she spoke the inglese. She was very nice, very thin and ate her huge 1/2 of the steak with triumphant aplomb. Oh Europe, I don't think I would ever see someone that thin back in California dig into that steak. That person would be sucking on lettuce...

She told me about her life and her travels, every now and then the gentleman would chime in, in Italian of course, and we would all speak (me in English, he in Italian) and all sort of understand each other. And with another glass of wine, we may just have understood.

Four glasses in and my steak arrives; it's huge. It's probably the largest steak I've ever ordered; how many ounces was it anyways? These are things Italians don't bother themselves with.

Manga my stomach growled. And I did. I manga-ed the hell out of that steak. It was cooked about rare to medium rare, which normally I would never order, but I like to try food as it's typically prepared when I go to other places. It was delicious. With every bite, the steak wasn't even disappearing. I had to take breaks folks. Me, take breaks. That's when the waiter put down a bowl of roasted potatoes for me. Oh g-d, I get those too? On a steak break, I tried a potato. Now reader, there was nothing in that potato except butter, oil, salt and parsley, but that was the best damned potato I have EVER had. Simple, robust, flavorful and something I will dream about for years to come.

I think I need a new camera. Focus anyone?

Alternating the steak and potato and sometimes combining the two, I was in an edible marathon. Maybe another glass of wine would help? That's when the gentleman across from me got his steak. The same Florentine steak my neighbor was sharing was his alone. I was floored. I had just seen him eat 3 courses previously. How in the world was this thin, older man going to eat that entire cow too? Impossible I thought, until I saw it with my own eyes.

I finally made it through my own meal, savoring the lingering dancing on my tongue as I swallowed the very last bite.

My new Italian buddy across from me finished his steak the same time and proceeded to take matters into his own hands by ordering all four of us coffees and after meal spirits. Yes, this is where I cheated and had a tiny cup of espresso. I miss coffee and tea so much; that might be my least favorite thing about trying to keep to low-oxalate foods. That and the potatoes were a bit of a cheat. Come on; I'm on vacation here!

When I eventually left the restaurant, I was glowing, happy and full. I had even made friends with the owner too. He gave me the two kisses and told me to enjoy my last day as if we had known each other for years. Three hours later, I left that restaurant with friends and a new perspective on life. I love Italians. I love their appetite for food, their appetite for life and the love that they bring in their hearts and share with everyone they meet. Some may say, you spent three hours of your last day in Florence eating? But I say those people don't understand, may never understand, until they experience the simple elegance and warmth that engulfs you when eating in Florence. Or that may just be the wine talking ;)

For the best meal of your life, go to Il Latini, via dei Palchetti, 6/R, tel: +39055210916, email: info@illatini.com.

My Blogger Went To Italy And All I Got Was This Stupid Post

2009-04-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Buon Giorgno! Yes it's true; I went to Italy. Florence to be exact. And I loved many if not almost all of my moments there with the exception of accidentally buying an unnecessary leather jacket. But I digress. I wanted to tell you that I once had a great fear, dear reader. A fear that Italian food was all pasta. A really irrational, illogical pasta thought process that was most likely cultivated from only ordering the pasta dishes at the Olive Garden when I was a little girl. In fact, I now find Italian and especially Tuscan cuisine to be extremely friendly to the gluten-free diner. I had one of the best meals of my life in Florence.

To the Italians (and several nationalities really) food is an experience. It is a joyful celebration of the robust nature and fragile splendor that is life, all presented perfectly on a plate or in a wine glass. I myself never like how Americans are an eat on the go people. An I'll just grab a bite in between my work and some more work people. To me, food has always been special. A delight. Not to be rushed. I want to eat how I live, savouring each moment/bite.

Unfortunately I don't often get to practice what I preach (I usually have to eat and run) but I was allowed to linger in Italy. Some of my meals while I was in town lasted 2 or 3 hours. No, I did not order 10 courses. On the contrary, I often ordered wine, a main meal and occasionally a light dessert. But with several restaurants doing family style seating and me traveling alone, I got to meet new people at every dining experience. I was privileged to be introduced to a new dish while getting introduced to someone else's life. Funny enough, I met a lot of people from California. Go figure. I go to Italy and meet people from my own state!

All in all it was a fantastic experience, eating in Florence. I hope to do it again, sometime very soon. I will be posting about some of my favorite food experiences while I was there. After all, I didn't take pictures at all of my meals like some crazed foodie for nothing!

And a note to all you allergic travelers: there is hope. If they'll love you in Italy, they'll love you other places too ;)