Gluten Free Cake at Starbucks

I wrapped my excitement in skepticism as I approached Starbucks. The gluten free rumblings had put me onto the release of a new product: Valencia Orange Cake, that's gluten free. While cleaning my desk, I found a gift card from two years ago - don't judge, we all procrastinate - and was giddy to see if a gluten free treat could be mine!

I tempered myself, conjuring up all the not-so-great and down-right horrible ____-free products I have tasted. Its not fair to set the bar too high, especially on a company's first try.

Upon reaching the counter I thought I had been thwarted, no orange cake in sight. The barista informed me that they do carry the Valencia Orange Cake, they are tucked behind the counter and individually wrapped for safety. The same cheery fellow commented on how moist and delicious the cake was. I let my enthusiasm shine through a bit and commented: "I am just excited that you even have it!"

The cake was not only moist, it had a small, even crumb. I was afraid it would be overly sweet, but the orange flavor was light; the orange oil flavor much more strongly pronounced than the orange peel or juice. The almond flavor was not very strong either, and without the few sliced almonds dotting the top, I am not sure their contribution would be easily recognized.

VERDICT: Would eat again. More importantly - and increasingly becoming my new measuring stick - it was good enough that I would share this with a gluten-eating friend.

New Ideas

So in the past two weeks at least 4 people have mentioned visiting this blog. (Normally this calls for an exclamation point, maybe even two, but hold on for just a moment.)
It has come to my attention that the nod to Phil Collins' 1985 Grammy Award Winning No Jacket Required is not being picked up by visitors, rather "oh I have seen your blog, its the one with the, uh, giant scary head, right?" is the general response and vibe.

So perhaps the time has come for a bit of a redesign. (This is me reluctantly getting "it")

I am open to suggestions. What would you rather see than my "giant orange face"?

Support H.Con.Res.110!

I know that with swine flu in the air, non-communicable diseases aren't really at the forefront of anyone's mind, especially law makers. Hopefully, the need for adequate health care for all and paid sick days will become national issues - if your neighbor is sick and cannot afford to go to the doctor or stay home, that is your issue too.

If you, friend or loved one has had to battle with insurance or doctors to get properly diagnosed, or even find safe food to eat, you know how importance awareness is, and how it effects access to services. That is why I urge you to support H.Con.Res.110. This bill is proposing recognition, education and funding for celiac disease.

The American Celiac Awareness Alliance has made it easy to contact your House Rep. by filling out this form. It will email your rep asking for them to support H.Con.Res. 110: Supporting the goals and ideals of National Celiac Awareness Month, and for other purposes
You can also go to the House of Representatives website and type in your zip code (upper left) and it will let you know who your Rep is.

On average it takes 7 years in the US for adults to be properly diagnosed with celiac disease. This is too long for people to be in pain. It is costing far too much money in dealing with the complications from untreated celiac disease.

Ok, I am stepping off my soapbox and going back to pondering how to make fluffier gluten free pancakes - I am thinking folding in whipped egg whites might be the key.

Pasta & Artichokes

I love artichokes more than I have words for. When these crazy thistles go on sale its hard for me to stay away. (Market Basket had them for $0.79 each this weekend!)

4 artichokes (this was excessive, but delicious)
1/2 lb rice pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot diced (optional)
3 cloves garlic minced
1 can chick peas rinsed
2 tbsp capers+
1/2 lemon

1. Clean, quarter and de-choke the artichokes. (Place in acidulated water till cooking time)
2. Wash off the artichokes, place in clean water, add salt and bring to a boil, then throw in the pasta.
3. In a separate pan over medium-low heat, sweat the shallot and garlic in olive oil. Add the chick peas to warm through.
4. Drain the pasta and artichokes once both are cooked through. (You might need to rinse the pasta - check the directions)
5. Add the garlic, shallots, oil and chick peas to the pasta and artichokes. Add in the capers and squeeze half a lemon over top. Toss and salt to taste.

I ate substantially more than this portion suggests. It was good!

Chex Mix: A new take on an old favorite

I have a problem with following directions and buying ingredients that I probably will not use for anything else. Cue me futzing with the Original Chex Mix Recipe and coming up with something new.

Gluten Free Chex Mix
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
3 tbsp butter (or margarine if you need it dairy-free)
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (FYI some types contain anchovies, L&P does)
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
dashes of cayenne pepper

1. Place the butter, sauce and seasonings in a microwaveable bowl. Heat over medium till everything is melted.
2. Add in the cereal, stirring well to coat.
3. Cook the mixture on High for 5 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes. *
4. Cool the mixture on a cookie sheet and store in air tight container.
*I found that the microwave I used this was way way way too much time and the Chex started burning. Keep an eye on the little guys.

So I unintentionally used much more Worcestershire than expected, but since I wasn't using the Seasoned Salt, I thought it would be ok. It turned out really well.

(A more realistic visualization of my munching demands.)

Things that would make this better: Gluten Free Pretzels

I Spy Gluten Free Chex!

The word on the street was that the newly reformulated Chex were coming in June 2009, Corn and Honey Nut flavors joining Gluten-Free Rice Chex. Much to my surprise I saw Gluten-Free Corn Chex last night at the corner market! (The Inman Square Supermarket to be exact. They are home to the hands-down nicest, most friendly staff ever.)

I have visions of weekend Chex Mix dancing through my head!

Time to scream

A hint of warm weather and a birthday party means ice cream.
I saw David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream recipe and tinkered with it a bit.

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream w/Greek Yogurt
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup of half and half
3/4 cup sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, split & scraped
pinch of kosher salt
4 egg yolks
10oz. strained Greek yogurt (I used Fage 5%)
pitted cherries, chopped

1. Place the cream, half and half, sugar, vanilla bean and pulp and salt into a sauce pain. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to bubble. DO NOT BOIL
2. Turn the heat off and in a separate bowl, whisk the yolks together. Very slowly, add a spoonful of the hot cream mixture to the eggs yolks, whisking constantly. Once you have added about half of the cream mixture, poor the yolk mixture into the remaining cream in the pot, stir while adding.
3. Over medium-low heat, while constantly stirring, cook the mixture until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. REALLY REALLY DO NOT BOIL THIS
4. Allow the mixture to cool and stir in the yogurt.
5. Place the mixture into an ice cream machine and let it go until its just past the soft serve stage and beginning to build up on the sides and paddles.
6. Add the cherries and place mixture into freezer to set up.*
7. Freeze over night... or as long as you possibly have. (Mine set up in 10 hours)

*You can add the cherries while its in the ice cream machine, but they will get banged up and change the color of your ice cream. I layered the cherries into the ice cream as I scooped it into the container destined for the freezer.


I also made some salted caramel almonds for crushing and putting on top. (1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp salt, boiled till dark. Throw in nuts, pour out on to SilPat, cool and then chop up)



This was a lot richer than I expected it to be, but in a good way.

May is National Celiac Awareness Month... in New Hampshire

So there is some debate [or overlap] over when National Celiac Awareness Month is. Some say April, some May and others October.

This just in from the American Celiac Disease Alliance: Governor John H. Lynch of New Hampshire has declared May National Celiac Awareness Month in New Hampshire.

There seems to be a shift underway with organizations and countries moving towards recognizing May as the month for acknowledging Celiac Disease awareness in the US and abroad. My internal compass says north is the way to head, so May is when I shall be celebrating.

Coconut Fish Curry

Coconut fish curry is a recipe that my friend Kim and I wrote for the Globe, but never ran. It was inspired by her travels in Kerala, India, where fresh fish curries are very popular along the coast. While I rarely follow this recipe to a T, it is something I go back to often. I have thrown in okra and spinach instead of green beans, or swamped out the fish for black eyed peas making the dish vegan. Its really versatile and reheating doesn't leave a fishy smell in the kitchen. (Coworkers, roommates and family members rejoice!)

Coconut Fish Curry
Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon powdered coriander
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (option)
1/2 pound green beans, cleaned & halved
1 red pepper, large dice
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
14 oz can coconut milk
1 pound Tilapia
4 cups cooked rice

1. In a heavy, wide, large pot toast mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander, in oil for one minute or until mustard seeds begin popping. Add the onions and fry for five minutes.

2. Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms and continue to cook over medium heat for eight minutes.

3. Add garlic, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, salt, and red pepper flakes and fry for one minute until it releases its smell, but does not burn.

4. Add green beans, red pepper, tomatoes, and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering on medium low heat for ten minutes. Add the fish, making sure pieces are submerged in the sauce. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

Serve over rice.

This version was made with carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, onions fresh ginger and tilapia.

New traditions

Last year I attended my first Passover meal; it wasn't a Seder, but we made all kosher for Passover foods. (My newly honed label reading techniques and knowledge of cross-contamination was an added bonus in the kitchen.) We made coconut encrusted tilapia, quinoa and mango salad and had an almond tart with fresh fruit for dessert.
This year, I did not make it to a friend's for Passover, but did co-host Easter at my place and the memory of the almond tart inspired an on-the-fly addition to Easter dinner. (SmittenKitchen posted a flurry of Passover-friendly dessert ideas this year, many gluten free)

In the midst of keeping an eye on the ham* and greeting fellow diners, I through together what I thought would be a pastry crust: almond meal, chopped pecans, sugar, butter, potato starch flour, millet flour and some salt. The finished product came out more like a lacy-oatmeal-tasting cookie... but in a good way.

One person just came back from a trip to New Orleans and was inspired to attempt calas, a rice-based fritter, and maque choux, a corn and vegetable dish cooked in bacon grease. Chives just starting coming up in her gardern, so they were part of the inspiration for the maque chos that included okra, shrimp, corn, bell peppers, onions and bacon, served over grits. The calas are a creole tradition, where cooked rice is mixed into a sweet batter and fried then topped with powdered sugar. I was really unsure about these. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of how they would hold together or taste, but I showed her I housed the gluten-free flours and with a sprinkling of potato starch and a good dose of millet flour mixed together with eggs, cooked jasmine rice, nutmeg, vanilla and sugar... well these fried treats were amazing.

The evening started off with Scotch eggs, hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and deep fried. Hands-down the best egg-shaped thing I have ever eaten. It tasted, as one dinner put it, "like eating breakfast." We boiled the eggs, let them cool, peeled them and then rolled them in millet flour so the sausage would adhere better. Then the eggs were covered in a combination of breakfast and sweet Italian sausage (removed from the casings and mixed together). The sausage covered eggs were then rolled in a raw egg mixture then in gluten free breadcrumbs. The oval jewels then took a 5 minute bath in 350F oil till they were golden brown and delicious. Quartered and served as the pre-meal appetiser, Scotch eggs started the meal off right.

While noshing on Scottland's finest creation, the ham was cooling while red-eye gravy (pan drippings and strong coffee cooked down with cornstarch) was being made to top the mashed potatoes and green beans were tossed with lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil.
The meal came together fantastically because of good cooks and great friends.

Scotch eggs:
Scotch eggs quartered:

Lemon Green Beans & Cheese w/Pears:


Red-eye Gravy tops the whole meal:

Calas, Tart and Fresh Berries:


*The ham is a bit of a funny story.
I have never cooked a ham before, and considering I had hoped to grill lamb for Easter (the weather choosing not to cooperate prevented that from going through) I was at first not thrilled about the idea. The walk home in the pouring rain carrying a 17lbs ham in my backpack... well lets call it a bit delicious salt in the wound. Sunday morning was a new day and I started out by spiking the cola (yes, I am adapting more Alton Brown recipes) with allspice berries, cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, and a dash of ground celery seeds. I poured the mixture into the bottom of the pan containing the scored ham, and tented aluminum foil over the ham and let it cook slowly. For the last hour of cooking, I removed most of the excess fat off the top of the ham, and covering it with a spiced mustard paste (brown mustard, honey, cloves, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar) and then topping that with dark brown sugar and returned the ham to the over to cook uncovered.

The verdict: the best ham I have ever eaten. It only gets better knowing that in addition to left overs, I have a giant bone to flavor soups and greens for the rest of the week!