I once again enter into the world of the living

School's out!!!!!!

That means I finally have time for...everything. I can start cooking again. Yay! The farmers markets have started up this month. I can spend hours trolling through my cookbooks for "must try" recipes. Fresh fruit and veggies can once again become a staple in my diet. (I have been eating horribly for the past month or two!)

Now that I have some time, and I am out at my parents' place where they have a great big kitchen, I decided to bake this morning. I had blueberries and wanted to use them. What to make? Blueberry-Cardamom Coffee Cake!

In theory this was a great idea. Juicy blueberries, spicy cardamom. Yum! The result? Not good. My idea was not the problem, the flour was. I decided to try the Trader Joes GF Pancake and Waffle mix. On the side of the bag is a recipe for coffee cake. Simple. I would just doctor it up a bit.

After this morning's efforts I have decided that Trader Joes needs to keep working on their baking mix formulas. I have now tried both of their mixes (the other being the brownie mix.) Both have resulted in extremely dense, oddly textured baked goods. I am not pleased. This makes me sad. I was really hopeful that these mixes would be good. Alas, not so much. Oh well, they have so many other great products. Guess I will just stick to Pamela's for a quick fix and Kinnikinnick pastry mix for other baking endeavors.

Live and learn, I guess.

Holiday comfort

There is nothing that is more indicative of the holiday season than the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. The aroma permeating the air, wafting from a freshly baked pie or loaf of bread. The scents wrap themselves around you like a thick down blanket. Warmth, security, contentment.

At this moment my kitchen is a mess. It is in a bad way. I was sick for nearly two weeks. This is the fallout that occurs: too much garbage, piles of unwashed dishes, lots of yuck. But my appetite has returned with a vengeance. What to do? Slow cooker! Someone over on livejournal posted a rough sketch of a recipe the other day that had snagged my interest. Yesterday I wiped out the slow cooker and dug out the Pumpkin Pie Spice. Mmmmmm... Pumpkin Pie Spice. After playing around with seasoning amounts, here is the result:

(Picture coming soon...as soon as blogger quits being a punk!)

Pumpkin Rice Porridge

8-9 cups milk
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 T pumpkin pie spice
1 can pumpkin puree
3 cups rice

Put the first 4 ingredients in your slow cooker. Mix to blend completely. Add in the rice. Cover and cook. (I set it on high for 6 hours.) Occasionally mix to ensure even cooking.

Hint: I used a Reynold's Slow Cooker Liner. These things are lifesavers! Cleanup is a breeze. I can't imagine how horrible it would have been without the liner. Some much scraping! Instead you just lift it out and throw it away.

This is truly a porridge. Thick, dense, slightly sweet. Yum! It has a consistency similar to a bread pudding. The only problem is that it makes a HUGE batch. I am going to have to try making it much smaller. I may try it with a slightly higher ratio of wet ingredients. If you play around with it, please let me know the results. Hmmm...I wonder how it would taste warm and topped with maple syrup?

In love with Joe

I am in love. With Joe. He has everything I want and need. He provides for me. He fills me up. He makes me feel as though I am unique, not weird. I am in love with Joe. Trader Joe.

It seems that, more and more, Trader Joe's is becoming the leader in gluten free retail marketing. Every time I walk in that store I see new products. Products proudly displaying the label "gluten free". Here is a list of some new faves:

Gluten Free Granola
Gluten Free Black Forest Cake (freezer section)
Gluten Ginger Snaps (OMG, so good!!!)
Chicken Gorgonzola (freezer section)
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus


I also bought the Gluten Free tiramisu. I am saving for this weekend. I am hosting an Urban Family Thanksgiving. Eeek! I will be cooking a turkey by myself FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! I am planning on making gf stuffing out of Kinnikinnick bread. Anyone use that bread for stuffing a bird before? How did that work for you?

It has been so long and so much has happened in the past month that I won't even try to fill you in on all of it. I will, however, try to hit the high points.

- Today I made a long overdue stop at Trader Joe's. All month I have been hearing great things about their new gluten free granola. I bought one bag (they have three flavors) and the verdict? OMG fantastic!!! Crunchy, great texture, slightly sweet. I can't wait to try it over yogurt.

- A couple of weeks ago I attended a gluten free and food allergy fair at a local hospital. There were so many great vendors. I had the opportunity to try so many gf products. Here is a list of some must-buy treats I tried: Pamela's Chocolate Cake mix, 123 Gluten Free pound cake mix (it tasted better than most "regular" pound cake), chocolate K-Toos, some local gf bakeries, gf Full Flavor cheese sauce (for fast mac & cheese) and turkey gravy, and some spice and dip mixes from a company called Cali. There was an amazing biscotti, but I can not remember the name of the company. Oh! Also, I tried Pamela's PB Chocolate Chip cookies. So delicious!

- I am really starting to get into wine. My friends and I have been trying new wines each month during my movie nights. I went to Sam's (a HUGE wine and liquor store near my place). There are so many wines there that it is a bit overwhelming. Luckily, there were some reps available conducting tastings. I have never really done a side-by-side-by-side tasting before. It was really neat to taste a variety of wines and to be able recognize differences between them. I'm looking forward to the next movies and wine night.

- Speaking of the next movies and wine night...it is a week away. I am hosting an Urban Family Thanksgiving Feast. For the first time ever, I will be making the holiday turkey. EeeeeKkkKKk!!! I'm so nervous about this. I want it to turn out juicy and tasty (duh). I want to succeed at making gf stuffing. I am thinking of using Kinnikinnick bread and my mom's stuffing recipe. Have any of you used that beard for stuffing? How did it turn out?

- I got glutened earlier in the week. My poor tummy has been sensitive ever since. Even food that I know is completely safe has been bothering me. Hopefully this won't last much longer.

- I will be trying some chicken mango sausages this weekend. I bought them at Trader Joe's. GF is right there on the label. They sounds interesting. I need to think about how and with what I will serve them.


I think that covers quite a bit for now. Hope all of you are doing well. Hugs and GF kisses!

Choclolagasm

OH. MY. GOD.

That is all I can really say. Seriously. OK, I am a typical girl. I love chocolate in nearly every form (although not chocolate ice cream so much.) About a week ago (during a fairly emotionally trying time) my best friend and I got together for some girl time. We ran over to Whole Foods to pick up some munchies that I could partake of. I bought many treats. Many. I finally got around to trying one of them today. Again, an emotionally draining day. (I swear my fellow teachers are worse than the students!) Anyhow, I busted into my emergency chocolate supply. OH MY GOD! Vosges Haut-Chocolate. I love it. It is one of their exotic candy bars: Naga Bar. "Sweet Indian curry powder, coconut flakes, deep milk chocolate". It is heaven. It melts on your tongue. Smooth, creamy, decadent. The chocolate itself is divine, the "exotic" ingredients put it over the top. They have a bunch of different flavors (all gluten free!) I can't wait to try more!

Now, I go eat more chocolate.

My new toy

I am a gadget person. I love gadgets and electronic toys. Music gadgets, PDAs, kitchen gadgets, schools organizing tools...they all make me a bit giddy. They don't have to be high tech. I don't own a video game system like Wii. Low tech is fun, too. For example, a new microplane grater or a candy thermometer. The big, hefty gadget are a blast, as well. I love my Kitchenaid stand mixer (goodness the thing is heavy!). But right now the gadget that I completely adore is my brand new rice cooker.

I have been cooking my rice on the stove. The stove method works just fine, but it does require a certain amount of attention. My new Aroma rice cooker is wonderful. I am sure most of you have owned a rice cooker for years, but this great machine is still a novelty to me. I love that you can just put everything into it, push a button and walk away. I suppose it is a bit like a slow cooker in that way...except much faster. So far I have made plain white rice and a rather tasty Cherry-Pomegranate Rice. I need more ideas! Those of you veteran rice cooker users who are out there, I implore you! What are your favorite rice cooker recipes? Either post it here or give me the link. I can put it all together in a "Rice Cooker Round Up" (totally stealing the idea from ByTheBay.)

In the mean time, here is my first installment. I use the measuring cup that came with the machine and the fill lines marked on the inside of the pot:

Cherry-Pomegranate Sticky Rice

In your rice cooker combine:

2 level cups (the cup that came with your machine) sushi rice

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cherries, diced

pomegranate juice (fill to the 2 line for a drier rice, to the 4 line for a more saucy rice)

Close the lid of your rice cooker. Press start. If you have different settings on your machine you can press "white rice" or "steam cook". (I used "steam cook".) When your rice cooker indicates it is done cooking, open the lid and stir the rice. You may need to taste the rice to determine if it is finished cooking. (I find that some rice takes longer if you use juice instead of water or stock. The sugar content perhaps?) You can eat as is or sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

My rice came out slightly tart and sticky. I was very pleased. It is best right out of the cooker, freshly made. Leftovers aren't too shabby, though. I need to experiment a bit more. I want to make sure I used this gadget often. I have to say, Costco is becoming my go to place to purchase small kitchen appliances: stand mixer, blender, rice cooker. I think next on the list to purchase will be a food processor. Hmmm...soup anyone?

A Rhapsody On Zucchini

During the summer between 6th and 7th grades, my family moved into a new house. We were living in Oregon at the time. My parents had rented a house upon first moving to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. But that summer we moved into our brand new, custom built home. Our house was one of the first in the subdivision. It was so new that the forest grew right up against the neighboring lots. There was many an occasion when a mama deer and her babies would take a stroll down our cul-de-sac. This house will live forever in my mind as "the best house ever!" It was the first time I could remember living in a house with two floors. I had a HUGE bedroom. We could see Mt Hood from our front step. The kitchen was spacious with a beautiful butcher block island. Then...there was the garden. While gardens may not be rare to some of you, this was special for us. You see, we had moved to Oregon from Arizona. Aside from the grapefruit tree in our backyard there was no garden. The climate was not hospitable enough. At the new house Dad created this amazing multi-tiered garden. We grew everything (it seemed). Potatoes, swiss chard, green beans, snap peas, tomatoes, onions, and (best of all) zucchini. Ah, that zucchini. How I loved that zucchini. We would have tiny baby zucchini and great big giant overgrown zucchini. My dad and brother had this idea that they were going to let one of the green buggers grow for as long as possible to see if they could beat the Guinness Book of World Records. Alas, the final fruit fell short. That being said, we had to find a variety of ways to cook all the zucchini. We cooked it in casseroles and roasts. We sauteed and grilled it. I wish we had known about this fantastic recipe for stuffed zucchini that Mom and I made for the first time last night (with zucchini from their current garden). Now, while I have only tried a few recipe's from Elise's site, they have all been winners.

I have to say, though, that my absolute favorite is still zucchini bread. What??!!?!? You say you have never had it? That you think it sounds icky? Scandalous!!! Never speak ill of my beloved 'chini! Zucchini bread does not, in fact, taste like zucchini. The shredded green stuff gives the bread a great moist texture, and some wonderful healthy vitamins. (Makes it easy to justify eating an entire mini loaf by yourself in 24 hours.) We have been using the same recipe for my whole life. After doing a bit of research it looks as though most of the recipes out there are variations of the same one. So with four ginormous zuchs sitting on the counter, Mom and I began the Zucchini Cooking Royale. Ok, maybe it wasn't so grand as all that, but it sure turned out tasty. We started with the Zucchini Stuffed with Ham and Cheese (the recipe linked above.) I used Ener-G Bread Crumbs for the first time and thought they were pretty good. Even Dad thought they were the real thing. Next we tackled zucchini bread with Kinnikinnick flour. I only had the Pastry and Pie crust flour mix at my parents' house. It turned out fine, I just omitted the salt (since it is in the mix.) Mom then made a "regular" batch so that I could have the GF loaves all to myself. Yay Mom! Sadly, I do not have my camera with me. No pictures for you! But I do have the recipe. Enjoy!

Pineapple-Zucchini Loaf

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

3 T vanilla (yes it calls for 3 T, but you can use far less)

2 cups peeled, grated and well drained zucchini

3 cups Kinnikinnick GF Pastry and Pie Crust Mix

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9x5" loaf pans. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar, oil, and vanilla and blend well. Add zucchini. Sift together flour, baking powder, and soda and add to batter. Stir in pineapple and nuts and mix well. Turn into pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on wire rack before removing from pans. Wrap and store overnight to develop flavors before slicing. (Note: If using another GF flour mix, add 1 t of salt with flour.)

If you are like me and my father you will love topping this bread with butter or, better yet, cream cheese.

Happy tummy = Yummy food

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A cup of probiotic kefir and a Bentyl before meals keeps the bloating away.

Knock on wood, but it seems that those tiny blue pills my doctor gave me are actually working. For the past few days my belly has been feeling better. Not perfect (although that may have something to do with the fact I have been eating foods a bit high in fat) but scads better. Even while my body is reminding me that I am female I have very little bloating. (Hmmm...where is my heating pad?) This gives me hope. This gives me energy. This gives me the urge to cook! It is amazing how, when my belly is being friendly, I want to cook up a storm. I want to bake, broil, grill, saute, and slow cook. The only problem is that I have no one to share these recipes with. No one to help eat up the leftovers. No one to wash all the dishes for me. I love to cook, I hate to clean. Sadly, they go hand in hand. This is the down side to living alone. Never mind needing a boy around for love and comfort, I need one to help eat food and hand wash dishes!

Luckily, I have been out at my parents' house alot lately. Their big, beautiful kitchen inspires me. All those bare granite counter tops just beg to be used for food prep. One of these days I shall post a pic of my sad little kitchen so you can see the challenge I face when it comes to cooking. My next apartment WILL have a better kitchen: more counters, more cupboards, a dish washer, laundry, a/c... Ehem, sorry. Kitchens. That's right. So I was at mom and dad's using their kitchen. The time their was fruitful. So much so, that I have a gift for you: product reviews!

Namaste Pizza Dough Mix: I must say that I was leery about trying this. I have had two GF pizzas in the past 5-6 months. Not good. I am sorry to those of you who like Amy's gf frozen pizza. I just did not like it. Da Lucianos (an incredibly GF friendly restaurant in the Chicago-land area) offers GF pizza on their menu. Four of the owners children have Celiac, so they have developed an extensive GF menu. Their pasta dishes are divine. Their pizza is not. I did not like the texture of the crust. Ew. So I did not have much hope for the mix from Namaste, but figured it was worth a try. Dad has been on a homemade pizza kick lately. Well, semi-homemade (dough purchased from Trader Joes). So I mixed up a batch of Namaste dough. Since Dad was making grilled pizza I shaped my dough and slapped it on the grill (they left an area just for me so there would be no cross-contamination). We topped the pizza with grilled eggplant, onion, zucchini, roasted garlic, cheese....Yum! And you know what? Best GF pizza I have had. No, it was not quite like the pizzas of my past, but it was darn good. Crusty, chewy, not that crumbly, grainy texture so many GF products can get. It may not look like the prettiest pizza around, but it was tasty! I am going to make some more later. A bit of a warning, though. Use your Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, this dough is thick! A hand mixer barely gets the job done and you may burn out the motor on it.

Breads From Anna: While at Fruitful Yield I picked up a package of banana bread mix. I miss bread liek whoa! Sweet, savory, yeasty, you name it. I am a bread girl. There was many a night that Dad and I polished off a loaf of crusty french bread topped with olive oil and parm, a good stinky brie, or smothered with Nutella. I was a breadaholic. Sometimes I could not wait until arriving home from the store before tearing into a warm, fresh loaf. Driving with one hand on the wheel and the other breaking off hunks of french bread is a tricky maneuver. Hmmm...perhaps Chicago drivers are safer now that I am GF. I eagerly mixed up a batch of banana bread. My bananas were not as ripe as I wished, but they were good enough. Super quick and easy to make the batter, much longer to bake. One hour!!! So long to wait. I wasn't sure how well the bread would raise up, but boy howdy! did it look good. The pan was full to the top with a nicely browned, fragrant loaf. Fast forward to the taste test (it was still piping hot from the oven, I could not wait). Lightly sweet, moist, yum! I will definitely get this again. Two days later the bread is still good, but (typical) is better when toasted and buttered. I am at this moment enjoying two slices with a cup of peppermint tea. The perfect Sunday morning nosh.

One last quick review: Mrs Leeper's Tuna Noodle...thing (can't remember the exact name.) This is one of those tuna mac/hamburger helper type deals. I have to say, not bad. With the added tomato and green onion I threw in I was actually quite good. Easy, too. It made enough for me to have dinner (and Dad to try it), lunch and dinner the next day. Basically, it would make enough for a family meal if you had a veggie on the side. If you need a quick, easy, tasty, low fuss meal...this is it.

OK, now that I have gone on and on about food...I want to cook more. Menu planning time, then grocery shopping. I'm on Spring Break, baby! I actually have the time to cook, bake, broil, and slow cook. Oh yeah!

Gluten Free Product Review

One of the items that I have missed the most since going gluten free would have to be cookies. Sure I could bake some, but I don't always have the time or energy. Sometimes I just want to open a box or bag and start munching. Oh lord, the oreo cravings are bad! I tried some Glutino chocolate sandwich cookies, but that are just not the same. I suppose they are fine cookies, but...where is the crunch? Where is that indefinable quality that makes you eat half the package of oreos with a tall glass of milk even though you know you will be queasy in an hour? Sadly, I fear I will never find it in a gluten free cookie.

As for chocolate chip...homemade is still best. A couple of weeks ago I tried the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were ok. Completely soft. Iffy texture. Passable flavor. I have to admit to being a Toll House girl.

Today I decided to brave the Enjoy Life and their cookies again. This time I tried their snickerdoodles. Now these are tasty. They probably have the same texture, but I am used to my snickerdoodles being soft. The flavor is sweet and strong. Yum! I finished the two-cookie snack pack and wished I had more. My only beef is that they are tiny! Tiny, I say! But oh so good.

I am a geek

A food geek to be precise. Seriously! I'm not kidding. I know it may not come as a surprise to learn that, but let's just say this was a bit of a revelation to me. It's not that I used to hate cooking. I would never go that far. But there was once a time where I would have killed to have someone else cook for me.

Today I get excited by the smallest culinary moment. This morning I walked into the office at school. On the bench sat a shipping envelop. It was big, obviously holding a large, rectangular object. I rushed over to read the shipping label. Clutching it to my breast I danced around the office. It had arrived!!! What could cause such excitement, you ask? Why the copy of Starting With Ingredients that I ordered from Amazon. It is this enormous tome organized by...you guessed it, ingredients. You purchased some quince when it was on sale at the veggie market and have no idea how to prepare them? No problem, look up the chapter on quince. You get a section that includes information about the ingredient, hints/tips on everything from purchasing to preparing, and about 3-8 recipes. The page count comes in at just over 1050. This sucker is hefty.

You would think that would be enough excitement. Oh no, more was to come. My Kinnikinnick order was delivered! Bread mix, 4 bags of pastry/pie crust mix, and a package of GF bagels. As soon as I arrived home I busted out the bagels. Toasted and slathered in cream cheese...so...darn...good. Perhaps not like the New York bagels they claim to emulate, but these suckers are good. My dietitian recommended the pastry/pie crust mix for making kolachi cookies (a staple in the Mueller family Christmas baking.) Mom and I have a baking date planned.

No all of that excitement is understandable. The average foodie would be thrilled by both deliveries. The two things that tip me over the line into geek territory are thus: 1) I still have the forthcoming excitement of a delivery from Gluten Free Pantry and additional cookbook, and 2) I am having to seriously talk myself out of being a bad friend. I bought a book for one of my friends for Christmas. It is a food related book. I want to read it. I could buy myself a copy or borrow it from the library. OR...I could read the copy I bought him before Christmas. I can be careful with the book. He would never know it had been read. But that would be bad. Not a good friend. Damn. Must exert self control.

One thing that became clear to me is that in the midst of geeking out, finding new recipes, try new techniques, we often forget an important rule: KISS. Keep it Simple Stupid. Fancy is not always better. Of course it is fun, fulfilling, and compelling to challenge ourselves with complex recipes. I think in all that complexity, we forget how amazing the simple seasoning of a basic ingredient can be. Tonight I made pan seared tuna. Sounds fancy, but could not be more simple.

Rub tuna with olive oil. Rub with a coating of salt and Argyle Street Asian Spice Blend from the Spice House. (It is premixed. All you do is sprinkle and rub.) Pour 2 T of olive oil into a hot pan. Place seasoned tuna in the pan and sear until the edge begins to turn opaque. Flip tuna. Sear for another 1-3 minutes (depending on how rare you like you tuna). Move tuna to a plate. Eat. You basically season the fish and fry it up. EASY!



Ok, I made a rice dish that was slightly less simple.

Mandarin Almond Rice

In a medium sauce pan combine:

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup brown rice

2 t. Argyle St. Asian Spice Mix

1 t. salt

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. When rice is cooked and render mix in:

1 can Mandarin oranges

1/2 cup slivered almonds

I can't stop cooking!!!

I know I go in phases with my cooking. One week I could not be bothered to open my pantry, the next I am stopping at the grocery store every day to pick up new ingredients. I am in the latter phase of the cycle right now. I cook. As soon as I finish I want to try making another recipe. Never mind that I am disgustingly full. Forget about the fact that I have multiple containers of leftovers in the fridge. A new dish beckons me.

Today I was lazy all morning. I couldn't even be bothered to put together a bowl of cereal. This afternoon I more than made up for it. I was hungry and wanted something tasty to warm my belly. Leftovers, shmeftovers. Warm, creamy, fragrant. I put that frozen shrimp to use. I had a recipe. Then I realized my tomato paste had roasted garlic and herbs in it. Good for Italian, not so good for Indian. Ew. I improvised with fresh tomatoes, threw in some spinach, doubled the coconut milk, ignored the whole "grilling" portion of the directions and came up with this:

Easy (Fake) Jheenga Chat Diva Style

oil for your pan

1 1/2 t. curry powder

1 t. Garam Masala

2 cloves garlic, minced

handful of fresh spinach

1 medium tomato, diced

1/2 cup coconut milk

10-20 shrimp, tails off

salt to taste

In a medium pan, saute curry powder, Garam Masala, and garlic in the oil over med-high heat until fragrant. Add in the spinach and tomato. Saute until veggies begin to wilt. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and add shrimp. Cook until shrimp is cooked/heated through. Season with salt to taste. Serve over rice or quinoa.

I had bought the Garam Masala at The Spice House a few weeks back and have been dying to use it. This dish smells amazing! Tastes pretty good, too. It is by no means an authentic Indian dish, but it hits the spot for me.

Now the big question was what to do with all of the leftover coconut milk. I refuse to dump it. It is too good to just throw away. If I simply put it in the fridge nothing will be done. Eventually the coconut would end up in the garbage. I had made a small batch of quinoa for my meal. Why not make some more? This time I could cook it with the coconut milk. (1 1/4 cups coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, and a hearty splash or three of half-and-half) I seasoned it with vanilla, ground cardamom and two star anise. I had a little spilling issue so I had to adjust the spices on the fly. I'm not quite sure how much went in, so I won't even bother to type out the actual recipe. I added about 4 spoonfuls of sugar and cooked it all on the stove. YUM!!! After I threw in some raisins it resembled rice pudding a bit. The leftovers will make a great breakfast this week.

You would think I was done at this point. NO WAY!!! I was on a roll. When I made the Blackberry Upside Down Cake there was still a bunch of berries left behind. They too have been taunting me. I knew if I did not use them today they would start to develop an unattractive, fuzzy wardrobe. I could use them in a sauce or salad, but that would be healthy. My sweet tooth has been raging lately, so healthy was not going to happen. I looked in my cookbooks and online, but nothing was quite right. Then I peeked into my cupboard. Ah-ha! There sat a bag of Bob's Red Mill Brownie Mix. Hmmm...berries and chocolate? Hell, yeah! Uh-oh! Another problem...I ran out of vanilla. Well, how about orange extract? Chocolate and orange have always been a favorite combination of mine. So...Blackberry Orange Brownies? Sure. I followed the directions on the bag of mix, substituting orange for vanilla extract. I threw in an additional egg white and folded in the berries after mixing. The result? Wait, let me go cut my first piece and see...

moist, cakey, chocolatey, definite orange flavor (too much perhaps?), the random bite of berry. The edges are fantastic. Damn, I need that Baker's Edge pan Mike mentioned on his blog. Considering these are my first GF brownies I would have to say they are pretty darn good. I am going to have to wrap up a bunch of brownies and put them in the freezer. Save them for a rainy day, chocolate attack, or future girls' night.

(Ok, the more I eat the brownie, the more I like it. My tastebuds are screaming for a glass of milk. That's a pretty good sign.)

Do as I say, AND as I do!

How often have you been sitting in a doctors office and you have wanted to ask, "And you would know this how? From personal experience? I thought not." Yes, our doctors are experts in their field. They studied long and hard, have worked with countless patients. The thing is, nothing is more illuminating than personal experience. This was made hugely evident to me in the last month. My GI, upon delivering my official diagnosis, said "Just avoid wheat, malt, barley, and rye. Don't worry, corn and rice are safe." That's it. No elaboration. Let's just say, this is a man who has not had to live a gluten free lifestyle for even a single day of his life. Today I had quite a different experience. I had an appointment this afternoon with a dietitian. The University of Chicago has one of only two research programs in the nation focused on Celiac Disease. They have a well established support program. I figured if anyone would have good resources for the newly diagnosed it would be them. I gave a call and was given a name of a dietitian at Rush Hospital (their dietitian is completely booked.) So this afternoon at 3:30 I had my initial appointment with the recommended woman. Now here is the difference between knowing and living what you preach. My doctor said to avoid gluten filled ingredients, my dietitian told me which company makes the best chocolate cake mix (she likes Namaste.) She has Celiac. She lives gluten free every day of her life. She isn't just telling me what she has heard from patients or learned at the recent Celiac conference, she shares that first hand knowledge of a fellow gluten free-er. So I though I would share my new, expensive knowledge (darn insurance won't cover the appointment!) Here are her recommendations:

-Namaste Chocolate Cake Mix

-Namaste Pizza Dough Mix
-Breads from Anna (especially the pupmkin bread mix)
-Ener G pretzels

-Nature Made vitamins
-Tinkyada Pasta (well, duh!)

-quinoa

-a bread company in Brooklyn is supposed to make amazing bread (gotta look into that)

-Gluten Free Living magazine

She had a few medical recommendations for me, as well. In addition to taking a good multivitamin, she said to make sure I am getting B12, folate, iron, and calcium. I should get my iron levels screened and have a DEXA-scan (bone density test) to make sure I don't have osteopenia or osteoporosis. Yikes! Since it has only been about a month into my gluten free diet she said I should not worry about my weight. I was advised to increase my caloric , protein, and (good) fat intake. More nuts. Slightly larger portion sizes. If near the end of January (after all the crazy holiday eating) I have not gained weight or (worse) lost more weight, I need to get my thyroid checked. Apparently, hyperthyroid can be triggered by, or connected to, other autoimmune disorders. Joy. We are going to work on the assumption that I have just been eating healthy and therefore have simply maintained my current weight. (I know, I know, shut up you skinny twit.) So yeah, eat more good food.

She was happy to see I had started a food log. I think this put us way ahead in this process. Actually, she said that in the six years she has been counseling individuals with Celiac, I have the most varied and healthy diet she has seen. I give props to all of you for this. You have given me so many ideas and a wealth of inspiration. Thank you to all of you for you support and excellent recipes!

One of the coolest things I got out of my appointment was the care package. U of C puts together a care package for the newly diagnosed. It is great. My fav from it so far is the Ener G pretzels. YUM! These suckers are great. At least as good as "normal" pretzels. Now I want to make Pretzel Jello with these crispy, crunchie jewels. I can't wait to try the Namaste Spice Cake, Bread from Anna, and one other baking mix I had never heard of. Here, take a peek!

Some of the items are questionable (Kraft dressing), but the rest will be used. Oh yes, free GF food stuff will always be used.

Venturing into foreign territory

Today was a day of many pit stops. I embarked on a shopping trip that ended up including stops at four different stores. I have long been the type of person who buys her produce at a veggie market (you can't beat the prices!) and purchases the remaining food stuffs at the local Dominicks. Now I have to add a stop at Whole Foods (or Trader Joe's) for those more specialty type items. While a lengthy journey, it was a productive one.

My first stop was at a local spice shop. I had never been there before, but had heard many good things. Man, was my aunt right when she raves about The Spice House! It was amazing. Pure spices, blends, you name it they have it. Upon telling the helpful employee I am gluten free she (after quickly conferring with the manager/owner?) informed me that the only item I could not eat is the taco seasoning. Woo hoo!!! A whole store full of amazing spices that I can eat. Of course, I had actually gone in there looking for taco seasoning. The girl was extremely helpful in suggesting an alternate blend for my planned tacos. I ended up leaving with Sweet Curry Powder, Thai Red Curry, Herbs de Provence, Pilsen Latino Seasoning, Hot Cocoa Mix, Mulling Spices, and Argyle Street Asian Blend. There was so much more that I wanted to pick up, but felt that was enough for now. It was great. You can buy a shaker bottle full (usually about 2 oz) or you can buy a bag with 1, 4, 8, or 16oz of a spice. If you already have the shaker jar and just need a refill it costs $1 less. The best news (for all of you) is that you can order online and they will ship the spices to you. I can say firsthand that the two curries are excellent. The hot cocoa is ok. I prefer it stronger and sweeter. I think I need to start experimenting and make my own hot cocoa mix. Any suggestions?

After all of that shopping (I was gone for nearly four hours!) I came home and started cooking. I was dying to bust into my spices. Yesterday I found a couple of recipes I wanted to try. Have you even been so full you felt ready to burst, but you just want to keep eating because it tastes so good? Yep, that's me. I made Thai-Spiced Winter Squash Soup and Curried Apple Quinoa. Both dishes are adaptations of recipes I found on the site 101 Cookbooks. I was beyond happy with the results. This was the first time I had used quinoa. The recipe actually called for couscous, but a substitution had to be made. This was exactly the right grain to use. It was lovely. So I give you two flavorful, aromatic dishes. Enjoy!

Curried Apple Quinoa

4 T butter

1 T curry powder

kosher salt

1 large apple, chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins

3 green onions, washed, trimmed, and sliced

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Small handful of mint, chopped

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat add 4 tablespoons of the butter, the curry powder, and a couple generous pinches of salt, and cook for a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Stir in the chopped apples and raisins, and cook for about 3 minutes, enough time for the apples to soften up a bit and absorb some of the curry. Scoop the apples and raisins from the pan and set aside in a separate bowl.

In the same pan, again over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir in the green onions, let them soften up a bit and then add the water, salt, and quinoa. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and use a fork to fluff up the quinoa. Stir in the apples, pine nuts, and chopped mint. Season with more salt and curry powder to taste.

Along with the quinoa dish I made this robustly seasoned soup:

Thai-spiced Winter Squash Soup

1 acorn squash

1 small pumpkin

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste

1-2 cups GF chicken stock (Pacific Organics)

2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)
Plain yogurt

ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the oven racks in the middle. Carefully cut each squash/pumpkin into halves (or quarters). Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and place in the oven. Roast for about an hour or until the squash is tender throughout.

When the pumpkin/squash are cool enough to handle scoop it into a large pot over medium high heat. Add the coconut milk and curry paste and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree in a blender, you should have a very thick base at this point. Slowly add chicken stock a cup at a time to the blender as it is running, until the soup is the consistency you prefer (a vegetable stock could work here as well). Bring up to a simmer again and add the salt (and more curry paste if you like). Garnish individual bowls with plain yogurt and a dash of nutmeg.

I had never made squash soup before. I had never used Thai red curry paste. It was a new adventure. It actually turned out a bit too spicy for me. I used a good spice blend from The Spice House, so it may have been stronger than what you would find at your local supermarket. (Although, I could be wrong.) I needed to cut the heat and went looking for some sour cream. I did not have any, but figured the plain yogurt should be ok. Boy howdy! It was perfect! Yogurt and curry should have been the obvious pairing. It was exactly what was needed to complete the rich creamy soup.

Now I need to try an idea I have buzzing around my head for a breakfast quinoa dish. Hmm...

Love affair

I have to admit it. I am in love. Tinkyada pasta and I are having a torrid love affair. Seriously! When I was first told I might have Celiac the very first thought that popped into my head was "NNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I can't give up pasta!" I truly despaired. I am the pasta queen. I will put anything on pasta. It is a staple in my diet. Tinkyada has guaranteed that it will remain so. A couple days ago I made a quick easy pasta dish. I cooked up some gf pasta. Once it was done and drained I threw in frozen artichokes, cherry tomatoes (halved), pine nuts, and goat cheese. I tossed it with a generous helping of EVOO, balsamic vinegar, and kosher salt. So simple and so good. The best part? It is goo hot and cold. Great contrasting flavors: sweet tomatoes, tangy cheese and vinegar. Yum!

Did I mention I bought a blender? I love using it. Smoothies, baby! Frozen mango is the best ingredient ever. Not only is it mango (the fruit of heaven), but it adds the slushiness a smoothie needs. After a quick trip to the grocery store tomorrow I plan to make some Thai Coconut Squash Soup. The blender will be put to use for that. I found the recipe at a newly discovered site: 101 Cookbooks. I looks so good.

Speaking of cookbooks, I have a severe addiction. I see a cookbook and I am overcome with the compulsion to buy it. I can't wait to get the Gluten Free Dessert Cookbook that Mike (of Gluten-Free-Blog) has written. (I saw the pic of Lynn with her copy of the book. I am uber jealous!!!!) To stave off the craving for the book (which I need for holiday baking!) I bought a book tonight. I already own The Best Recipe (America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated). It is fantastic. Unfortunately, a friend borrowed it and I have not seen it in over a year. I bought their new book America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. It is in a 3-ring binder, reminiscent of the old Betty Crocker (I think). Beautiful photos, great basic recipes. So many things we can eat and many more that are begging to be modified. The thing that I love about their books is that each recipe has been tweaked and tested 20-50 times before it makes it into a book. These are truly the best version. I think we should all start harassing them to publish a gluten free book. It would be fantastic!

So now I am going to eat the last of my leftover pasta, put in a movie, and start earmarking recipes. Yay! (Wow, what a lame Friday night. Lame, yet super cozy.)

I was out at my parents house this weekend. I love them. They are so supportive about my new diet. Dad keeps picking up different kinds of flours and other GF items at the store. Apparently he tries making french bread the other day. He just tried to use his standard recipe and substituted Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Mix for the flour. He said the dough was like cement. See, this is what happens when you don't do your research. :) I love him, but he never follows a recipe. While this can work with cooking, baking is too precise for his style of winging it.

Anyhow, this weekend Mom and I headed to Costco where I bought WAY too much stuff. I am now stocked up on frozen chicken tenders, shrimp, frozen berries, a blender (woo hoo!), GF chicken stock and tomato soup, and so much more. I even picked up a copy of The Lake House. I adore this movie.

When we returned it was time to make some dinner. Usually, when I am at home, I plan out my meals ahead of time. I have purchased ingredients specifically for a set menu. Cooking at my parents' house is an adventure. Last time I made a stir fry, but it didn't turn out as I had hoped (no GF soy sauce to be had.) This time I was far more successful.

Shrimp and Capers with GF Pasta

Olive oil to coat pan
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
I can (14.5 oz) Quartered Artichoke Hearts
1/2 jar of Capers
1/2-1 bag of spinach (as much as you personally like)
1-2 cups cooked shrimp
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Toss in garlic, saute briefly (don't let it turn brown!) Add tomatoes, artichokes, and capers. Saute until juices reduce. Add spinach. When it begins to wilt add shrimp and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta and top with cheese.

My parents did not have any Tinkyada pasta. Sadness. Instead they had a package of corn pasta (I can't remember the name right now.) The taste was fine. The texture was ok. The longer it was out of the water the softer it got. You would need to make it very al dente. It was decent, though. If I had not already tried Tinkyada I would probably have liked it better.

Today I decided to put all of the GF flours in my parents' pantry to use. This was my first foray into GF baking. And? Success!!! So good. I have to send huge thanks to Karina at Gluten Free Goddess (who truly is a goddess). I used her recipe for Pumpkin Bars. We did not have Pamela's Baking Mix, so I followed her directions so that I could use the Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Flour mix (with additional xantham gun, baking powder, and baking soda.) The bars, themselves, are great. The frosting is to die for. Yum! I love spices, especially cinnamon and nutmeg (the two in the frosting.) As I'm typing this I am craving another piece. I think I need to cut myself another slice. Must assuage my sweet tooth craving!

Fast Food Nation

Today I experienced one of the big inconveniences of Celiac Disease and living gluten free. I had to stay late at school because we were having a Local School Council (our local board) meeting. I was scheduled to give a brief presentation about our fine arts program. (It all went very well, thanks for asking!) Anyhow, since I had to stay late I needed to grab some food. I did not plan ahead. That was dumb. I ran to the best local grocery store. I knew I would never find food at a fast food joint that I could eat. Even if the item was inherently a gluten free meal, the risk of cross-contamination was just too high. I know myself. I need to start off very strict. If I let little things slide now, it will be a disaster later on down the road. So over the river and through the woods, I ended up at Dominicks. They have an amazing selection of GF foods. I was very impressed considering it is a regular chain grocery store, not a specialty store. That being said, I did not find a quick meal. Oh well. Lesson learned: plan ahead!

The trip to the store was not a loss. I found two products that I will definitely be purchasing again.

1) Genisoy makes a snack called Potato Soy Crisps. OMG, yum! I bought the Sea Salt and Black Pepper crisps. So. Tasty. You have to really like black pepper, though. I need to head back and purchase the other flavors (they were on sale).

2) Pamela's Products Ginger Cookies. This was my first foray into gluten free baked goods. I have to say, I was braced for the worst. These were pretty darn good. If I hadn't known they were GF I never would have guessed they weren't just soft cookies. Very gingery.

Maybe I lucked out and bought two of the top products on my first outing. If so, yay! If there are other better product...well, hot damn! I can still snack away and assuage my sweet tooth.