Beyond Celery

Pine Nut Oatcakes

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, my mother made oatcakes according to her own recipe every week. These were our breakfast, accompanied by tea, every morning for my entire childhood. Sometimes we'd come home from school to sheets of oatcakes fresh out of the oven; then, my mother would cover a few in chocolate chips and spread the chocolate all over as they melted.

Pine nuts are my own addition, inspired by the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin. They add an earthy, savory element, redolent of rocky paths through mossy forests. It isn’t hard to imagine an epic trek over a wintry landscape, fueled by these hearty oatcakes. They certainly make a morning bus commute more fantastical.

Pine Nut Oatcakes

Makes about 2 dozen

60g (1/2 cup) sweet rice flour

60g (1/2 cup) sorghum, amaranth, or brown rice flour

110g (1 cup) gluten-free rolled oats

60g (1/2 cup) rice bran

60g (1/2 cup) almond meal, pecan meal, or other ground nuts*

30g (1/4 cup) ground flaxseeds

65g (1/2 cup) cane sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup shortening, palm oil, OR vegan butter (145g vegan butter)

1/4 cup boiling water, more as needed

50g (1/3 cup) raw pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together flours, oats, bran, almond meal, sugar, salt, baking soda, and ground flaxseeds.

Cut in shortening or palm oil or butter until dough resembles coarse meal. Add pine nuts if using. Pour boiling water over dough and mix in thoroughly, adding more as needed to form a solid dough that is damp but not too sticky to work with. (I usually add between 1/8 - 1/4 cup more, depending on the moisture in the air.) Add more amaranth flour if you make it too wet.

Dust a large flat surface with sweet rice flour. Split dough in half and roll out one section at a time till thin (about 1/8 - 1/4 inch). Cut into rectangles and arrange on a cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until oatcakes are lightly browned on edges.

Serve plain or with peanut butter, jam, Nutella, vegetable spread, cheese, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They keep well at room temperature up to 5 days or so.

Notes: If your dough is too dry, the oatcakes will be very delicate and crumbly. If it’s too wet, you’ll have a hard time working with it and they’ll bake very tough. You want the dough to be like pie crust. Don’t worry if the texture is off the first time you make them; they’ll still be enjoyable.

*If you want to make this recipe nut-free, add about 1/3 cup of another gluten-free flour in place of the almond meal: buckwheat, millet, and soy will all work. I’ve found teff to be too delicate for this recipe.

Focaccia

2012-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Snow in Seattle means muted footfalls and tire-swishing in the early morning. Buses sloosh cautiously along the streets: late, indifferent, and half full. The city stays home, eats soup, and plays board games.

We remember what it’s like to feel winter closing in around the walls.

I know. It’s a little silly. But to be fair, Seattle doesn’t have the equipment or preparations in place to function properly in snow the way other cities do. Last year, I had a job that wouldn’t let me be snowed in, even for a day. I had to push my way out, bundled and grumpy as an interrupted bear. This year I’m privileged.

So I allowed the snow to shut my door and my kitchen kept me warm.

There’s something luxurious and expansive about baking yeasted bread when there’s snow outside. I’m in no hurry and a slow hour of rising is pleasant as that fresh malty scent searches out every corner of the apartment. And with my good buttery olive oil? I swear I smelled the olive trees baking in their foreign heat.

Focaccia*

Makes 1 9x12-inch pan, about 8 slices

2 eggs

1 egg white

40g (1/3 cup) tapioca starch

20g (3 Tbls) potato starch

20g (3 Tbls) potato flour

50g (1/2 cup) sweet rice flour

60g (1/2 cup) sorghum or brown rice flour

1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried basil, crushed

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

2 tsp brown sugar

2 Tbls golden flaxseeds, ground

2 Tbls good olive oil, additional for pan

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water (no warmer than 120F)

Warm oven slightly, then turn it off to provide a warm place for the bread to rise. Alternatively, prepare a warm space in your kitchen where it can rise undisturbed. Pour 1-2 Tbls olive oil into 9x12-inch pan and rub it all around, letting excess pool on the bottom. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer), combine eggs and egg white. Start on a low setting for about 1 minute, then move it to medium, then run on high speed for 4-5 minutes, until eggs are airy and have doubled in volume.

While the eggs beat, combine flours, yeast, salt, herbs, and brown sugar in a separate bowl. In a small dish, stir together ground flaxseeds, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.

When eggs are ready, turn mixer down to low and pour in olive oil mixture. While it runs, spoon in flour mixture and pour in some of the warm water. Depending on the moisture in your kitchen, you may use barely 1/2 cup water or a full 3/4 cup. You want the dough to be very wet and sticky, but not runny.

Scrape dough into oiled pan and gently nudge it out to the edges. It’s okay if it doesn’t quite make it to all the edges; as it rises, it’ll fill out. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel that can be secured so it doesn’t touch the top of the dough. Let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour or a little more.

When dough is ready, turn oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the focaccia, then sprinkle with a dusting of sea salt and/or more herbs. You can also set halved olives into the dough at this stage. When oven has heated, bake focaccia 20-30 minutes, until golden on top and browned on the edges. Serve warm or keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.

This makes a spectacular grilled cheese sandwich.

*Adapted from Avec Baking’s Focaccia Bread

Pepparkakor, Portal 2 Style

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

You should know I like to play games. All types of video or board games. Portal 2 is one of my very favorites because it’s full of what I love: puzzles, lasers, a deranged robotic enemy, and

cooperative play. Games are more fun when you share them with other people.

Baking is a game. It has rules to follow (or break), puzzles to solve, sweet rewards, and it’s more fun when you share.

My good friend, Matt, gave me Portal 2 cookie cutters for Christmas. (I mean, seriously, how cool is that?) It doesn’t matter that the holidays have passed. There’s always room for one more batch of Pepparkakor when I have Portal 2 cookie cutters to use. Pepparkakor is the best cookie to make with these because the black pepper bites back—not unlike GLaDOS. Spicy and not too sweet, they’re a perfect post-holiday combination to pass around.

Pepparkakor

Makes 2-3 dozen

1/3 cup butter, real or vegan

120g brown sugar

75g white sugar (vanilla, if you have it)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 small egg

1/4 cup (100g) molasses

120g sorghum flour

100g sweet rice flour

60g tapioca flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Day 1

Cream together butter, sugars, and lemon zest. Beat in egg until smooth. Stir in molasses. Add all the dry ingredients and mix well into a uniform dough. It will be soft and sticky. Scoop out onto waxed paper, roll into a log, and refrigerate to roll out the next day. You may also freeze it; try to use the dough within about a month of making it.

Day 2

If your dough is frozen, let it rest at room temperature at least 1 hour before working with it. You may use it immediately from the fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dust a smooth surface with sweet rice flour. Cut off about 1/4 – 1/3 of the dough to work with at a time. Form into a disk, dust with more sweet rice flour, and roll out very thin, about 1/8-inch. Cut into shapes and arrange on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. You may reform and roll out the scraps one time, but after that it’ll be too stiff with flour to bake a good cookie. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to brown at the edges. Cool completely before decorating with colored frosting or glaze.

Basic Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tsp lemon juice, Grand Marnier, or coconut milk (more as needed, depending on desired consistency)

Food coloring (optional)

Mix together powdered sugar and some liquid, stirring and adding liquid until all powdered sugar is incorporated and glaze is desired thickness. Drizzle from a fork or scoop into a plastic bag and snip off the tip to give a more controlled line.

Hummus Deviled Eggs

2011-12-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

I don’t like mayonnaise.

Aioli isn’t bad. There are all sorts of amazing things you can do with a good homemade aioli. But store-bought mayonnaise and I stare suspiciously across the kitchen at one another and we’re seldom on eating terms.

A number of years ago, after a particularly ugly stare-down with the mayo jar, I decided deviled eggs didn’t need the stuff and used homemade hummus instead. Now there’s hardly a holiday without some request or excuse to make Hummus Deviled Eggs. I’ll tolerate the mayonnaise jar, but tahini and chickpeas forever retain places of honor in my kitchen.

Make the hummus first, up to 2 days ahead. I’ve included the quantities for a full batch of hummus, though to use all of it you’d have to hard boil at least 18 eggs. Use some of the hummus for the eggs, then keep the rest for a quick healthy snack or dip for vegetables or crackers. These make an excellent New Year's hors d'oeuvre.

Hummus Deviled Eggs

Makes 24

1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup cold water

Dash good dark olive oil

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

12 eggs, hardboiled

Fresh parsley, washed, and finely chopped for garnish (about 1/4 cup)

Smoked paprika for garnish (optional)

Put rinsed chickpeas into a food processor, along with garlic and salt. Pour tahini onto chickpeas in a separate area from the garlic. Add half the lemon juice. Turn on the food processor and add remaining lemon juice and the water gradually as it grinds.

While it is still grinding, pour in a small dash of olive oil (no more than 2-3 tsp). Run it for at least 5 minutes; you want it to be very smooth. Add coriander and cumin. Stop it periodically to scrape sides down, taste, adjust for salt, lemon juice, etc. When it tastes perfect, stop blending. Scoop out about half the hummus and put it in the fridge (this is extra). Leave the rest in the food processor.

Carefully peel hardboiled eggs, slice them in half neatly lengthwise, and reserve yolks to a bowl on one side. Arrange whites together on a platter.

Blend about 8 hardboiled yolk halves (4 whole yolks) into hummus. Taste. Add more yolk halves if needed, but be careful to keep it from going too yellow or tasting too rich. Add more salt if needed. If yolks make hummus too dry, add more water or a dash more olive oil.

When the hummus and egg yolks are blended and tasting delicious, scoop hummus into a pastry bag with a large decorating tip. Pump hummus into egg white halves, being careful to fill the hollows well. Do not overfill; you want these to be easy to pick up.

After all eggs are filled with hummus, finish by tossing chopped parsley over all eggs as garnish. You want a good scattering, so it looks festive, but not as covered as a mossy forest floor. Alternatively, you may use smoked paprika as a garnish.

These keep overnight wrapped carefully in plastic, but they are best made within a couple hours of serving. Be careful to keep plastic from touching the eggs or they’ll smear and look messy when the plastic is removed.

Dodee Cookies

2011-12-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

My great great grandmother, Dodee, would sit out on the porch and drink a beer with my grandfather. She taught my grandmother how to cook meat and kept a sharp wooden three-pronged fork for turning pork chops, which she’d serve with homemade applesauce and sauerkraut. Around her memory hover little unsubstantiated tales involving occasional cigars and outright profanity. She was the best of all idealized grandmothers and even if the facts are a little stretched, her character remains a family legend of love.

I think we would’ve gotten along swimmingly.

Dodee’s cookies are a Christmas tradition for my family. The holiday isn’t right until these emerge golden from the oven, topped with their shining maraschino jewels. I don’t know how long her recipe took to perfect. It probably suffered pinches and prods in her kitchen for years until she honed it into flawlessness. My gluten-free version took ten Decembers.

When a cookie is mostly butter, the slightest tweak to gluten-free flours and starches shakes the recipe to its core. These cookies have been responsible for more oven cleanups than any other recipe I’ve ever created or converted. Now I can’t stop smiling as I write this, having eaten four perfect Dodee cookies that each hold the flavor I remember from way back in my gluten-filled childhood.

I like to think I know a part of Dodee through her cookies. It’s been a long decade of baking chats with her as I change starches, add or subtract ingredients, and strive towards her cookie’s simple genius. This is a flavor meant for sharing.

Happy Baking!

Dodee Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

1 stick real butter or vegan butter (1/2 cup)

85g brown sugar

50g sweet rice flour

45g amaranth flour

55g tapioca starch

raw pecans or maraschino or amarena cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Cream together butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in flours until dough forms and everything is well-mixed. Scoop out about 1 tsp of dough at a time and roll it into balls. Arrange on cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Press a fork into each ball just once, then top with either a pecan piece or half a cherry.

Bake about 10-12 minutes, until cookies are golden and just beginning to brown on the edges. Cool at least 5 minutes before removing from sheet. Cookies will be soft when just baked, but will become crunchy as they cool. Cookies with cherries will turn soft again the next day. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Note: Using vegan butter in these cookies works, though their edges will be feathery instead of smooth.

Grammie and me, during a past holiday season

Gingerbread

2011-11-30T18:02:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread.

Everyone always thinks about the sassy little man who prances around in fairy tales, running from the baker or little old lady. They forget about the walls of the witch’s house. That thin crispy cookie couldn’t hold up a roof if his raisin-dotted buttons depended on it.

Fairy tale houses require thick molasses-dark slabs of hearty sweet cake. Dense, moist, and soaked with rich vanilla glaze, it’ll keep the deep woods lonely outside and your holiday fire burning bright against the night as you savor each bite. Even if the mini cakes are cute as a gingerbread man’s buttons.

Step into a vegan gluten-free fairy tale with me this holiday season. We shall feast.

Hot Frosted Gingerbread

Makes 2 dozen mini cakes

100g (½ cup) white sugar

50g sweet rice flour

30g sorghum flour

50g brown rice flour

20g potato flour

60g tapioca starch

2 tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp sea salt

½ cup canola oil

½ cup strong coffee

1/3 cup molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ Tbls apple cider vinegar

Grated fresh ginger (1-inch long, 1.5-inch wide)

Glaze:

55g (½ cup) powdered sugar

1 Tbls coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 mini muffin tins with coconut oil, canola oil, or vegetable shortening. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together sugar, flours, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine oil, coffee, molasses, vanilla, vinegar, and grated fresh ginger. Stir wet into dry until thoroughly mixed and molasses is fully incorporated. Quickly spoon into prepared tins and pop into the hot oven.

Bake about 15-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. While they bake, stir together glaze and set aside. When gingerbread is done, remove from oven and immediately drizzle

Grammie's Apple Cake

2011-11-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

My grandmother died yesterday.

She spent the last 10 years grieving for my grandfather in a constant state of Alzheimer’s-induced confusion. This is her release.

But I miss her.

Grammie loved to bake. Even these past few years, she still hovered in the kitchen, lost but trying to help. Maybe she thought she could bake her way back: muffin crumbs illuminating for her the path of lost memories. It was a hard thing to keep her fingers from my batter. Sometimes, on good days, she could sit on her stool and lick the spoon with that wicked mischievous grin lighting her face. I think on those days she remembered what it was like to be young.

I remember baking muffins in her kitchen, green with the forest’s morning light, with the blue jays yakking beyond the window and the soap that smelled like sap. She always produced an extra wooden spoon for me to lick while she filled the tin.

She taught me a lot about baking in that kitchen. We made applesauce every autumn while Granddad pressed apples on the cedar deck just outside. Her sweet tooth sugared the sauce as if she were making apple candy, not a topping for oatmeal or side for pork chops. On Thanksgiving, we always made two types of pie: pumpkin and mincemeat. I learned how to roll the crusts round enough and how to fudge it when they came out oblong. She’d charge me with beating the pumpkin filling while she put the final touches on the mincemeat. Yams, turkey, cranberries, and green beans can wait. You make dessert first.

Her apple cake starred at many family gatherings. Though the original recipe came from a magazine, she made this cake her own through years of use. When I found I couldn’t eat gluten, her apple cake was one of the first recipes I tried to replicate. That delicate crispy top and dense moist body eluded me for years. Just a couple of weeks ago, I finally perfected it.

This is my eulogy for her, the last of my grandparents. She loved people through her baking and never grew too tired to make cookies with her granddaughter. Here is her apple cake made safe from gluten. Bake. Share with your friends and family. Love. There is always time for dessert.

Grammie’s Apple Cake

Makes 9x9-inch pan

65g (1/2 cup) brown rice or sorghum flour

40g (1/3 cup) sweet rice flour

30g (4 Tbls) tapioca starch

60g (1/2 cup) gluten-free quick or rolled oats

200g (1 cup) brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp molasses

2 cups skinned and chopped apple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil and flour a 9x9-inch glass pan.

In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Mash out any brown sugar or baking soda lumps. Toss chopped apple with dry ingredients then set aside.

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, beat egg into oil with vanilla extract and molasses. Stir into dry ingredients, mixing just until everything is saturated. Batter will be very thick. Spread out evenly in prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes. Cool before cutting.

At my wedding: Aunt Charlotte, Grammie, Uncle Stan, Mom

Apple Spice Cookies

2011-11-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of apples.

My father-in-law brought me an entire box full of Liberties and Spartans, all harvested from his backyard trees, and declared I should use what I could and bring the rest back to him when we pressed apple cider (see last week’s post). Well, my week turned busier than I anticipated and I hadn’t touched the apples by the time he wanted to press. So I emptied a drawer in my fridge, lined it with a bag, and piled in a reasonable amount of apples.

Now I have a drawer full of possibilities.

I made apple cake three times and finally have it perfected. You’ll see that recipe soon. Then I wondered how apple cookies would taste and the flour really started flying.

You see, these cookies were meant for the Food52 cookbook release party at Delancey in Seattle last night. (Which was excellent—filled with friendly home cooks eager to talk ratios and spices.)

I always do this: start off making a tried-and-true recipe for an event, then detour off into playful creativity. Sometimes the experiments don’t work and I go empty-handed. Fortunately, these emerged from the oven chewy, moist, and delicious.

Fresh apple is the secret to these cookies. It releases its stores of moisture into the cookies as they bake, locking in the soft chewy texture for days. They’re actually better the next day, after they’ve had time to absorb the spices. Not unlike apple cake, in fact; though easier to serve at a potluck!

Apple Spice Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

1 stick vegan or real butter

100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

120g (1 cup) quick cooking gluten-free oats

60g (1/2 cup) brown rice or sorghum flour

60g (1/2 cup) sweet rice flour

15g (2 Tbls) tapioca starch

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 - 3/4 cup apple, finely chopped

1/4 cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla until creamy texture forms. Add oats, flours, baking soda, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Fold in apple and currants until they’re uniformly distributed throughout the dough.

Spoon out onto parchment about 1 Tbls at a time, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. You can freeze the dough at this step and store the frozen cookie dough to be baked off later. Bake about 12-15 minutes, until cookies are browned and edges are just beginning to look dry. Cool at least 5 minutes before removing from tray.

Ginger Apple Cider

2011-11-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I pressed apples with my father-in-law. He’s devoted to his apple trees and the whole family benefits. Fresh apple cider featured prominently at the annual Halloween party and we all look forward to the cork cheerfully popping off his homemade hard apple cider in a few months.

His apples are a taste of history itself. Roxbury Russet, Ashmead’s Kernel, Liberty, and Spartan all nestle happily in the backyard orchard. I’ve never see these varieties outside of his yard. They’re uncommon to find grown in commercial orchards because their appearance makes them less likely to sell. It’s interesting how much of the apple’s history was written by its outside appearance. (Read The Botany of Desire, by Michael Pollan, if you’re curious.)

Oh, and his cider press? It’ll top your head with a mob cap and drop you in colonial Boston if you look at it askance.

Apples and cider hark back to the American frontier, when families came together for the harvest and stayed to celebrate its finish with a mug of the best. I suppose that’s what I love so much about cider: it brings people together and encourages conversation. Put down the iphones and computers for a moment to sip and talk. Laugh with each other. The work for today is done. Laugh.

Ginger Apple Cider

Makes enough for everyone

In a large pot, heat a gallon or so fresh apple cider over medium heat. As it warms, add a lemon sliced into rounds, as much fresh ginger as you think you can handle (skinned and sliced), 10-15 allspice berries, 5 black peppercorns, 5 whole cloves, 4 crushed pods green cardamom, and 1 cup (or more) orange juice. Hold it at a near simmer for a half hour, then keep it warm on low as you ladle it into mugs for your guests. Drink it plain or add a splash of brandy on those chilly nights.

Pumpkin Caramel Sauce

2011-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

I first saw Cheese1227's recipe last year on Food52: Salted Pumpkin Caramels. Doesn’t it just glow with the possibilities of autumn? Every year, my parents-in-law throw a huge Halloween party and this year I’m going to bring these caramels. The only problem is the cream. I can’t eat it and neither will the vegans.

Coconut milk to the rescue! At least, that’s what I was thinking a few days ago.

I made this recipe, substituting a heavy-fat coconut milk for the cream, then proceeded to cook it without a candy thermometer. I have the most spectacular pumpkin caramel sauce, but not firmly set caramels.

May I recommend that when a recipe asks you to use a candy thermometer, you follow their instructions? The author usually knows what they’re talking about.

I have since acquired a candy thermometer and I’ll be trying this again. In the meantime, that spectacular pumpkin caramel sauce is excellent on Coconut Bliss Vanilla island ice cream. It also makes a delicious dip for apples, fresh from the tree, in the center of a circle of friends playing board games.

That’s what autumn’s all about anyway: circling up with friends for toasty snacks and games.

Apple Harvest

2011-10-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

It’s amazing what you can glean from an apple.

Every time I peel a Gravenstein, its scent reminds me of my grandparent’s Bonny Doon house in the Santa Cruz Mountains. With the cupboard full of spam and the rocking chairs in front of the wood stove. The cedar and lightly mildewy scents on the back deck. The damp early morning grass and the bluejays who'd call you out to confront you about the state of the weather and their trees.

Apples in Bonny Doon started outside with Granddad, a ladder, and his applepicker stick. He’d fastened an old tin can onto the end of a long pole and would lift the can high, nestle a likely apple into it, and give it a lift and twist. The apples plucked neatly into the can to be lowered and set in the bucket. Granddad was an engineer. He ran the cider press on the back deck, cranking buckets of apples through the old wooden contraption and serving us more mugs of fresh apple juice than was strictly wise to drink.

Grammie ruled the Apple Kitchen. I helped her peel bowls upon bowls as we mounded them into homemade pie crusts and stirred enough sugar into the applesauce to make it dessert. We drank her hot instant flavored coffee, sitting on stools, racing to see who could make the longest single peel.

I still hate to break the peel’s journey around an apple. It’s like tearing a roadmap.

Apple Harvest Salad

Serves 10-12

1 small butternut squash (2-3lb)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp ground chipotle

1/2 - 1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground allspice

9 apples, preferably Braeburn or Gravenstein

2 1/2 cup pecans

1/2 - 3/4 cup dried currants (to preference)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Halve butternut squash, scoop out seeds, skin, and chop into 1-inch cubes. Arrange on a baking sheet, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, and roast in hot oven until tender (about 20 - 30 minutes).

In a large bowl, make the dressing by combining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chipotle, salt, ginger, and allspice. Set aside.

While squash is roasting, spread pecans out on baking sheet and toast them in the same oven until fragrant. Keep an eye on them; they'll be done in about 5 - 8 minutes. Toss hot roasted pecans directly into dressing and listen to the delightful sizzle (this will cook off some of the vinegar so it doesn't get too strong).

Cut apples into quarters, remove the cores, and slice lengthwise into moderately thin slices (about 1/8-inch). Add apple slices and toss into dressing as you go to prevent them from discoloring. Toss in currants with the apples.

When butternut squash is tender, remove from oven and let it rest about 10 minutes. Toss it in with the rest of the salad and serve warm or cold, depending on preference. This salad will be best if you allow the apples, nuts, and spices to cure together at least 20 minutes while the squash is roasting.

Taste PCC & Avec Baking

2011-10-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

I attended Taste PCC in Issaquah a few weeks ago. It’s a fun little fair where local vendors who sell their products at PCC Natural Markets can hand out samples directly to customers. I came for work (we ran the Tony’s Coffees &Teas booth), but I took a little time out in the day to chat with vendors and taste some new gluten-free products. Here are the two products you shouldn’t miss.

Zing Nutrition Bar

5/5 Spoons

These deserve some attention. Wheat-, gluten-, and soy-free, many of the flavors are also dairy-free. I’ve never had a nutrition bar that is so well-suited to my dietary needs and tastes so delicious! They’re relatively high in protein and prove an ideal airplane travel meal. You know: the food stash those of us with allergies generally bring along on our travels. Add it to your list.

Avec Baking Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Mix

5/5 Spoons

This is one of the best gluten-free all-purpose flour mixes I’ve tried. Denise Cooley, the creator, explained to me herself that she uses freshly ground flours from a mill in Bellingham, WA, and how this makes a huge difference in the flavor and function of the mix. It tastes wonderful, plus it includes whole grains such as sorghum and brown rice.

It passed my Fannie Farmer Biscuit Challenge. One of my favorite cookbooks is The Original Boston Cooking School Cook Book, published in 1896 by Fannie Merritt Farmer. I love seeing how recipes used to function closer to their original form. There are over 56,700,000 Google results for “biscuits,” but Fannie has only 3. They’re simple recipes—a great starting place for gluten-free experimentation. Making her biscuits gluten-free requires a truly stellar gluten-free flour mix. I change very little about the recipe, but use the weight equivalent of gluten-free mix where the recipe calls for regular flour. (I also sub vegan butter for the butter and lard, and replace the milk with soymilk and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to curdle it like buttermilk.) Only King Arthur Flour’s gluten-free mix passed it before. And I like the biscuits from Avec Baking’s mix better.

On the back of the Avec Baking mix, you’ll find a recipe for focaccia bread. This recipe includes xanthan and guar gums, but these are optional. You don’t need the gums, just some ground flaxseed. I’ve included the original Avec Baking focaccia recipe below, along with my own variation. I made it twice in a week and still can’t seem to keep it around more than a day. My husband, who digests gluten just fine, snatches it up the minute it emerges from the oven. Delicious.

Avec Baking Focaccia Bread

Makes 1 9x11-inch pan

1 ¼ tsp yeast

1 ½ cups Avec Baking Gluten Free Flour mix

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp guar gum

2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

½ tsp good salt

¼ cup apple juice

½ cup water less 2 Tbls

2 large eggs + 1 egg white

2 Tbls olive oil

½ tsp cider vinegar

Topping

2 Tbls olive oil, 1 12 tsp dried rosemary, sprinkle of good salt, kalamata olives cut in half. Optional: sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Prepare a 9x11 baking dish with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkling of Avec Baking Gluten Free Flour Mix and set aside. Put eggs and egg white in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the balloon whisk attachment. Begin on low and whip the eggs. As the eggs start to break down, slowly increase the speed up to high and continue for 3-5 minutes or until the eggs double in volume and become frothy and pale yellow. While the eggs are whisking, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and the remaining wet ingredients into another bowl. Once the eggs are done, turn mixer down to low and incorporate your wet and dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated and no lumps remain. Turn dough out to prepared pan. Using an offset spatula spread the dough evenly. The dough will be sticky so work quickly as to not lose the air you have work to incorporate. Cover with aluminum foil and let rise for about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 400F while dough is rising. Once dough has risen, remove foil and sprinkle with toppings. If using olives, place them gently on the surface without pressing them in too firmly. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack and enjoy!

Beyond Celery Variation on Avec’s Focaccia

Makes 1 9x11-inch pan

1 ¼ tsp yeast

190g (1 ½ cups) Avec Baking Gluten Free Flour mix

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried rosemary

Slightly less than ¾ cup water

2 tsp brown sugar

2 eggs

1 egg white

2 Tbls olive oil

½ tsp cider vinegar

2 Tbls ground golden flaxseed

Follow directions as above, stirring the ground flaxseed and brown sugar into the wet ingredients. I find plastic wrap works better than aluminum foil when the dough is rising.

How to Starter Zucchini Sourdough Rolls

2011-09-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

A good starter is the opening chapter to a book, the story of how bread came to sit on your table. It’s one of the oldest kitchen tales, full of science, yes, but also a hefty measure of whimsy. You’re building an edible net to catch wild yeast from the air—what isn’t rather fey about that?

A gluten-free sourdough starter just has to rewrite the magic a little.

I’ve been making “experiments” in the kitchen since I was two years old—old enough to be up to my elbows in bread dough alongside my mother. When my gluten allergy kicked in years later, sourdough seemed a lovely mirage on a horizon I’d never touch again. Regardless, I’ve been walking towards it ever since. This year, I finally set foot in its field once again. This year, we’re working on my own terms.

It’s a good idea to read this recipe through all the way before you jump in. Remember: there’s science behind the whimsy and science likes its methods to be followed. The first time I tried this starter, I sealed the plastic bag completely and it raised one of the shelves in my cupboard with its gasses, knocking over cans and jars alike. The second time I tried this, I filled the jars too full and my husband got that worried note in his voice as he asked what was growing over the refrigerator shelves. It’s okay to be rusty.

These Zucchini Sourdough Rolls belong between summer and autumn. Use up the last of your late summer zucchini surplus and curl up to a warm roll as evenings grow chilly. Make a batch of Tomato Jam and lather it on. Enjoy the quiet way these rolls fill every corner of your kitchen with their scent, a secret whispered to an ever-earlier sunset.

Gluten-free Sourdough Starter

Makes enough for 2-4 quart jars

.8oz active dry yeast

12oz water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit

115g sweet rice flour

115g millet flour

110g brown rice flour

110g amaranth flour

1 yellow onion, skinned and cut in half

Heat 12oz water to 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer to measure it with, the water should be warm if touched to the inside of your wrist, but shouldn’t feel much warmer than your skin. If it burns, it’s too hot. You must be very careful about the temperature of your water because if it’s too hot, it’ll kill the yeast and your starter will never live.

Dissolve yeast in warmed water and set aside to proof. After a few minutes, it should form bubbles and foam up. If it does nothing, throw it out and get new yeast.

Sift together all flours in a large bowl. Whisk in water and yeast mixture until all flour pockets are incorporated. Either pour into a clean new bowl or a gallon plastic bag. Push onion halves partway into starter. Cover loosely with plastic or a towel, or partially close the plastic bag. Set in a corner of your kitchen where it won’t be disturbed and leave it for 24 hours. I use a dark cupboard by the stove, so it stays somewhat warm. Do not completely seal bag or tightly wrap your bowl! You want to leave room for the gasses to escape.

After 24 hours, bring out the starter and remove onion halves. Wash glass quart jars very well. Scoop starter into jars, filling about 1/3 full. Leave plenty of room for the starter to grow because it’s going to do just that. At this point, you have a choice. Fill 2 jars and throw the rest away. Or, fill 4 jars and keep it all. Keep in mind that every time you feed your starter it will grow. This quickly becomes a losing battle if you try to use all of it every time, so either get used to some waste or find a lot of friends who want your endless supply of gluten-free starter. (I’ve found that I don’t like to use the first leftover from the starter for recipes; it’s a little young and needs a week or so to develop its perfect sourdough flavors.)

Cover the mouths of your jars loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit out on the counter for 2-4 hours. This gives them some time to grow and also to pull wild yeast from the air. Wild yeast will change the flavor profile of your starter, so it’s nice to set it out to catch some wild yeast every few weeks. After the starter has set for a couple of hours (and grown considerably), wrap the mouths tightly and store them in the fridge. You may notice your starter separating a little while it’s stored in the fridge. This is normal, but you want to pour off the water from the top before using. Don’t mix it in. It’s a good idea to use and feed the starter at least once a week. You can feed it every day if you prefer. Take care of it and it’ll last you a lifetime.

Feed your starter with 1 part flour, 1 part water. My recipe below is broken down into the flour mix I use specifically for my starter.

Starter Food

50g sweet rice flour

50g brown rice flour

50g amaranth flour

50g millet flour

1 ½ cup water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit

Sift flours together. Whisk in warm water until thoroughly mixed. Whisk in your starter, divide among clean jars, leave out for wild yeast, and store in the fridge. Repeat at least once a week for a healthy starter.

Zucchini Sourdough Rolls

Makes 10-12 muffin size

40g (1/3 cup) tapioca starch

60g (1/2 cup) gluten-free oat or quinoa flour

30g (1/4 cup) gluten-free rolled oats

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ tsp sea salt

2 tsp brown sugar

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

45g (1/4 cup) flaxseeds, ground

1 cup loosely packed grated zucchini

250g (1 cup) gluten-free sourdough starter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

Sift together flours, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar into a large bowl. Add oats and set aside. Measure olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice together. Stir in ground flaxseeds until the oil is thick and gooey.

Add grated zucchini to flours and toss to coat. Stir in oil mixture, slowly adding sourdough starter as you go. When everything is incorporated, scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. Fill either ¾ full or all the way to the top, depending on how large you want your rolls.

Bake at 375F for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with butter, honey, maple syrup, or tomato jam.

And the winner is…

2011-09-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

The WINNER of our Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery giveaway is Jazmin, with her goat cheese, leeks, pine nuts and dabs of fig jam pizza topping! This sounds like a cheese plate with the surprising addition of leeks. I don’t often see leeks on pizza, but for this they work. Their oniony side plays up the pine nuts and goat cheese while their sweet side kisses the fig jam. It’s both creative and skillfully arranged.

Congratulations, Jazmin! Please send me an email (syronai [at] gmail.com) with your full name and mailing address. I’ll pass it along to Rudi’s Gluten-free Bakery and they will mail you your prizes.

Thank you to everyone who posted their creative pizza toppings. You’ve all got some great ideas and I can’t wait to try some of them on my next gluten-free pizza.

Toppings of particular note:

- Tuna and banana (kairanie)

- Provolone cheese, sweet onions, pear, prosciutto, walnuts, arugula, sherry vinegar, black pepper (Birdy)

Rudi's Hot Dog Rolls & Hamburger Buns

2011-09-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Rudi’s Multigrain Hot Dog Rolls

4/5 spoons

Rudi’s Multigrain Hamburger Buns

4/5 spoons

September begins the slow slide into autumn, as apples ripen, tomatoes burst their seams, and peppermint plants make their play for garden domination. There’s an evening chill in the air and the scent of small wood fires replaces the blue smoke of barbeques.

But I don’t want to put the barbeque away just yet and the beautiful Gravenstein apples on my counter will wait another week as I ponder their destiny. Summer lingers in Seattle.

My husband’s birthday was yesterday and I promised him bacon-wrapped hot dogs. You won’t find meat featured on this site very often, but here they are, nestled in Rudi’s Gluten-Free Multigrain Hot Dog Rolls in all their greasy glory.

Rudi’s hot dog rolls and hamburger buns are spot-on. Hearty and full of multigrain flavor, these gluten-free goods hold up to piled-on toppings for dinner or quietly accept simple melted cheese as an afternoon snack. I love the chewy texture—it’s exactly what you’d hope for in a multigrain bun, never mind that it happens to be gluten-free. The only drawback to these rolls and buns is they seem a little on the dry side. That’s easily fixed by microwaving instead of toasting, though, and you’ll hardly miss the toasting. Give it a little brush over the grill’s flames. That’s what I did and they were delicious.

Note the buns and rolls both contain xanthan gum, a drawback for me, but this fortunately doesn’t affect everyone.

Interested in trying Rudi’s products yourself? I’m hosting a CONTEST with a free giveaway for one winner. The winner will receive two FREE loaf coupons and two Rudi’s sandwich boxes! To enter, please comment on this or my Pizza Crusts post with your most creative and delicious pizza topping. What pizza really makes your taste buds sing? Contest ENDS Tuesday, September 20, 2011, at 9pm Seattle (Pacific) time. I will judge the winner on the creative and skillful pairing of their flavor combinations.

Pizza Crusts

2011-09-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Rudi's pizza crust, topped with fresh peaches, basil, chevre, lemon zest, and drizzles of honey and olive oil.

Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s the one thing every newly gluten-free person bemoans: “But then I can’t have pizza!” Fortunately, there are a lot of options for gluten-free pizza nowadays.

I remember even five years ago how difficult it was to find good gluten-free pizza without making it myself. I prefer making pizza from scratch, but it isn’t always the easiest thing to throw together at the whim of a craving.

There are two particular companies that make excellent premade gluten-free pizza crusts: Udi’s Gluten Free Foods and Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery. I’ve used Udi’s pizza crusts for about a year. Rudi’s recently developed their own gluten-free pizza crust and sent me a sample, so I decided it was time for a comparison review. Rudi’s was also kind enough to send me samples of their hot dog and hamburger buns so you can expect reviews of those soon.

And no, Udi’s and Rudi’s are not related companies, despite the similarity between their names. I’ve been watching their tug-of-war over the gluten-free bread market for awhile. Their products are similar and they seem to be taking cues from each other as they develop better and better recipes. It’s a bit like a game of Jenga—which company will create the best gluten-free products and which will collapse the tower trying? Gluten-free consumers are the true winners in this contest. Both companies make spectacular products. (I already made it clear in this review a few months ago that I prefer Rudi’s Multigrain Bread to Udi’s counterpart.)

Interested in trying Rudi’s products yourself? I’m hosting a CONTEST with a prize for one winner. The winner will receive two FREE loaf coupons and two Rudi’s sandwich boxes! To enter, please comment on this post with your most creative and delicious pizza topping. What pizza really makes your taste buds sing? Contest ENDS Tuesday, September 20, 2011, at 9pm Seattle (Pacific) time. I will judge the winner on the creative and skillful pairing of their flavor combinations.

Udi’s Gluten-free Pizza Crusts

4/5 spoons

Overall, an excellent, easy to use frozen pizza crust with good flavor.

Pros:

Bakes up crispy on the bottom with an appealing chewy, bready texture.
Browns beautifully, especially when rubbed with a bit of olive oil before topping and baking.
Holds together well, even when piled with extra toppings.

Cons:

Mild flavor doesn’t interfere with the rest of your pizza, though it doesn't enhance it either. I’d look for a more robust, yeasty flavor, if they were to improve the crust.
Contains xanthan gum, which bothers some people’s digestion.

Rudi’s Gluten-free Pizza Crusts

3/5 spoons

Overall, a good frozen pizza crust: easy to use, decent flavor, quick to prepare. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up Rudis Pizza Crusts in a pinch. But I'd love it if Rudi's would make a multigrain crust; therein lies their true bread genius.

Pros:

Bakes up crispy all over with some slight chewiness where the toppings sit.
It’s a bit more like a cracker than it is a pizza crust; that texture may appeal more to lovers of very thin crust pizzas.
Holds together well.

Cons:

Mild flavor, a bit too salty for my taste.
Contains guar and xanthan gums, which bother some people’s digestion.

Brownies

2011-08-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve been making these brownies a long time. I cut my gluten-free teeth on them 9 years ago; they were my first true gluten-free baking success. (I mean, really, what’s life without gluten-free brownies?)

There are a number of reasons why this recipe didn’t make it onto my blog years ago, but the main one is I find brownies boring. They’re brownies! Delicious, quick, and simple? Yes. But exotic, adventurous, and challenging? No.

I know. I like to make things difficult. I like adventures. I may not have the finances to travel in foreign lands and taste their cultural delicacies, but I will always have a passport to my kitchen.

My brownies have one truly adventurous quality: they map out a new flavor with every batch. You can use any type of jam in these—or none at all if you’re a chocolate purist. I used my homemade blueberry maple jam in the latest batch. Cherry, blackberry, and strawberry have all enjoyed their turn. Lemon curd. Cream cheese. Orange frosting. Peanut butter. All delicious. Fresh raspberries are gold, when well-dried first. (Too much liquid from fresh fruit will mess with the batter’s ability to bake properly.) Dried blueberries create little bursting pockets of flavor. Your possibilities are endless.

Next I plan to try fresh basil: maybe a basil-infused ganache or sweet almond pesto. Mmm.

Brownies

Makes 1 9x9-inch pan

¼ cup (30g) brown rice, sorghum, or amaranth flour

¼ cup (40g) sweet rice flour

2 Tbls (15g) tapioca starch

½ cup (45g) Dutch process baking cocoa

1 cup (185g) vanilla or plain white sugar

3oz chopped Theo chocolate bar or about ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup canola oil

1 Tbls molasses

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbls seedless raspberry jam (or other fruit jam)

½ tsp warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a glass pan (8x8 or 9x9 inch).

In a medium bowl, sift together flours, starch, baking cocoa, and sugar. Blend until all the baking cocoa is incorporated and the mixture appears uniform. You may need to break up a few baking cocoa lumps. Add the chopped chocolate and set aside.

In a separate bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, combine oil, molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat until well-mixed and set aside.

In a small dish, mix together raspberry jam with the warm water until the jam is slightly runny. Set aside.

Combine the egg mixture with the dry ingredients, stirring until all dry pockets are gone and batter is very gooey. Add 2-3 teaspoons of raspberry sauce to the batter and mix in well.

Pour batter into greased glass pan. Spread with the back of your spoon until even.

Take remaining raspberry sauce and dribble onto the top of the batter, making 3-4 rows evenly spaced across the surface. Run a butter knife down the center of each raspberry row, poking it down into the batter. Then use the knife to draw lines across the raspberry rows at least four or five times, making a wave-like pattern.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until brownies just begin to pull away from the edge of the pan and look solid. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting. Cut the whole pan into squares before chilling or the chocolate chunks sometimes make that difficult later.

Blackberry Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-08-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Gluten-free vegan dark chocolate cupcakes frosted in blackberry cashew cream, laced with a bit of white chocolate ganache. One of my good friends is getting married next month and I’m making the cupcakes for the gluten-free and vegan guests.

What fun, right?

I love to bring out my pastry bag, mound up the frosting, and dream of the day I’ll have a café and make my living once more in the kitchen. This is where every bad day or frustration grows into dried cherry oatmeal cookies, blueberry lemon madeleines, jerk-roasted carrots, berbere lentils, sunset shepherd’s pies, and dark chocolate cupcakes. This is where I belong.

Cocoa butter is an amazing ingredient. During our weekend in Vancouver, B.C. a few weeks ago, I found pure cocoa butter in a grocery store. I’m a sucker for untried ingredients. It jumped from my cupboard a couple days ago and worked its way into my first attempt at vegan white chocolate ganache. Not bad. It mixed well with the frosting, but I know it could be better. I’ll be working on this again soon.

The blackberry cashew cream frosting makes these dark chocolate cupcakes stand up straighter, as proud of their royal purple caps as a child is of her berry-stained picking fingers. Does it replace butter cream frosting? Well, no. But no one will miss it.

The trick to this frosting is to blend the cashews till they’re completely smooth. Don’t stop too soon the way I did with my first batch. You want cream, and the fat in the cashews will give it to you if you’re patient. Turn on the food processor and dream a little. Hum a tune. Conjure up the smiles you’ll see when your friends taste these cupcakes.

Build your café on a magical little corner of the city.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes*

Makes 12 cupcakes or 1 9” round

50g sweet rice flour

80g brown rice flour

20g potato flour

60g tapioca starch

50g baking cocoa

1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

150g cane sugar or vanilla sugar

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup coffee or coconut milk

¾ cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp molasses

1 ½ Tbls apple cider vinegar

12 whole fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin tin with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, sift together flours, cocoa, baking soda, sea salt, and sugar. Mix well and break up any clumps of cocoa. In a separate measuring cup or bowl, beat together oil, coffee, water, vanilla, molasses, and apple cider vinegar. Thoroughly and quickly mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full. Push a single whole blackberry down into the center of each cupcake so just the top of it is visible. Bake immediately, about 25 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing from tin. Chill in refrigerator at least ½ hour before frosting with Blackberry Cashew Cream Frosting.

*Recipe inspired by Moosewood Restaurant's Vegan Chocolate Cake

Blackberry Cashew Cream Frosting

Makes about 3 cups

2 cups raw unsalted cashews

½ cup high-fat coconut milk

½ cup vanilla sugar

24 blackberries

¼ cup maple syrup

Arrange cashews in a deep bowl and fill the bowl with water till about 2 inches above the surface of the cashews. Soak 3 hours or more.

Drain water from cashews and put them in a food processor or blender. Pulse 5-6 times to break up the cashews, then push all the pieces back down towards the blades. Stir together coconut milk, vanilla sugar, and maple syrup. While blending on medium speed, pour this mixture in a steady stream into the cashews. Stop once midway through to push cashew pieces back down towards the blades. When all the liquid is gone, add the blackberries while the food processor continues to run. Keep blending, stopping every now and then to push larger pieces back down, about 5-10 minutes. You want the cream to be silky smooth without any bits of nuts detectable in the texture.

Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pushing it onto the surface of the frosting. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before using.

Injera 1

2011-08-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

Adventures in the kitchen don’t always turn out as you expect or hope. Such was the case with my first attempt at injera, the tangy fermented Ethiopian flatbread.

Wild yeast from the air took up residence in my batter as it was supposed to.

Bubbles formed, the batter poofed up, and it smelled tangy and fermented as it was supposed to.

It held together and cooked on the skillet till bubbles appeared all over its surface as they were supposed to.

But it ended up oddly stretchy and doughy. Almost—but not quite—edible. Too much sweet rice flour. Alas! I go back to the recipe, tweak here tuck there, and try again. Next time will be better.

This is how beautiful recipes are born: through trial, error, and the washing of dishes and ovens. It’s why I love the kitchen. Every recipe is a new map to follow and you never know quite where it’ll lead you. Injera took me back to the Yeasted Bread Road. I’ve made two batches of sourdough English muffins in the last two days. One nearly worked. And my sourdough starter makes divine sourdough pancakes. My best discovery in the last week is that sourdough pancakes, when made without sugar, fried in olive oil, and dusted in sea salt, become a convincing quick skillet focaccia bread.

Who would have thought that focaccia could be a 15 minute process?

Z Pickles

2011-08-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

I’m late to the #pickleparty, but that’s okay.

Friends gave us some zucchinis from their garden the other day and I’ve been dying to do something fun with them. When I realized today was #pickleparty, I knew it was time for the zucchini to shine.

I’ve never pickled zucchini before. So I made this up, basing it on Gluten-free Girl’s recipe for carrot pickles. That’s kind of similar to zucchini, right?

I don’t usually post a recipe here that I haven’t tasted yet. These zucchini pickles might not be as delicious as I think they are. Alas, it’ll be a few days before I can taste them it's #pickleparty now. So I break one of my rules and post it here. I’ll let you know how they turn out.

Now? I wait.

[update] These pickles turned out pretty darn good!

Z Pickles

Makes 2 half pint jars

5oz zucchini slices, in crinkles if you like

1 cup white vinegar

½ cup white wine vinegar

1 ½ cup water

1 Tbls salt

1 tsp black peppercorns

½ tsp whole mustard seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

3 allspice berries

2 dried tart cherries

1 tsp lemon juice

Boil your jars in your canning pot at least 10 minutes.

Combine all but the zucchini slices in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a small simmer to hold hot while you get your jars ready. Remove your hot jars from the canning water and stuff with zucchini slices, about 2 ½ ounces per jar. Pour canning liquid over the zucchini up to ¼ inch from the top. Spoon in some of the whole spices. Put 1 dried cherry in each jar. Make sure zucchini slices are completely submerged.

Screw your lids down tight, then back them off ever so slightly. Process 20 minutes. Remove from water and wait for the pop to tell you your canning has been successful. If the lids are sealed tight (no give in the center), you can keep them unrefrigerated. If not, just keep in the refrigerator and eat within about 1 month.

Wait at least 3 days to open Z Pickles.

Oh goodness

2011-08-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to do lately: life is good.

I meant to post this week about my gluten-free chocolate madeleines, but I lost my madeleine pan last time I moved and I want to make this recipe just once more before I show it to you. It's nearly perfect.

Then I meant to post this week about the campari syrup I used when I canned Rainier cherries and how they're a little like maraschinos and a lot like a late summer evening. But work at the coffee warehouse went late and I haven't written the method yet.

Now my cousin and his girlfriend are in town from Texas and I intend to make all manner of deliciousness this week and weekend. Alas, this does not include a blog entry with a recipe! Instead, consider this a preview of good things to come.

Good Gluten-free Things in my kitchen's future:

Sourdough English Muffins
Injera
Blueberry Lemon Madeleines
Baklava
Blueberry Lime Tart
Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cake

Blueberry Maple Jam

2011-07-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

I’m a blueberry fiend. Blueberry muffins, scones, bread, cookies; blueberry glaze on salmon; blueberries and sunflower seeds on a wilted green salad or scattered over a smiling plate of lime curd tart. This is a good season.

Besides, they’re blue(ish). As if nature looked around at all the luscious golds, greens, reds, and oranges and smirked: why not?

Last weekend, I bought 4 pints of this season’s ripe blue orbs from a seller at my local farmer’s market. I promised myself 1 pint to eat, 1 pint to freeze, and 2 pints for play. That’s just for this week; after next Saturday’s foray into the market, I should have enough for more eating, more freezing, and a blueberry lime tart or blueberry thyme scones. But my 2 pints this week went towards jam. I wanted to test a new idea, born out of The Flavor Bible’s conviction that maple and blueberries can sing harmonies worthy of Madama Butterfly.

A visit with my parents in Vermont last March left me with a lot of good maple syrup. One of their friends’ neighbors operates a sugaring house that he allowed us to tour while we were there. The process is fascinating! I didn’t realize until then that different grades of maple syrup reflect only qualities in the sap from the trees; there’s nothing in the process that can in any way guarantee or influence one grade or another. I already knew Grade B appealed to me most, but I learned that such dark, richly flavored syrup comes from sap either at the beginning or end of the day’s run—if it appears at all.

I used Grade B maple syrup in my jam. It isn’t the only sweetener, but gives a delightfully rich background to the blueberries. It adds the flats while lemon adds the sharps as the blueberries sing the main melody.

This recipe doesn’t need pectin; the blueberries contain enough natural pectin to make a decently firm jam by themselves, though it won’t be quite as jelled as a store-bought jam. (My vegan sister-in-law will be pleased.) Spread it over homemade oatcakes or cornbread for a heavenly breakfast.

Blueberry Maple Jam

Makes 1 pint

4 cups fresh whole blueberries

zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tbls)

2 Tbls vanilla sugar

2 Tbls maple syrup

210g (1 cup) loosely packed dark brown sugar

85g (1/4 cup) maple syrup

2 Tbls fresh lemon juice

Combine whole blueberries, lemon zest, vanilla sugar, and 2 Tbls maple syrup in a pot and cover. Let macerate at room temperature about 2 hours. Stir twice during this time.

After 2 hours, uncover pot and add brown sugar and ¼ cup maple syrup. Mash blueberries with a potato masher until many but not all berries are broken. (You can mash more thoroughly if you like a smoother jam.) Mix well and heat over medium high heat until boiling.

Turn down heat to medium low and simmer uncovered about 35-45 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Near the end of cooking, add 2 Tbls fresh lemon juice and let it finish (about 10 minutes). You want the jam to be nicely thickened, but be careful it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

When jam is done, transfer immediately to a clean and warm sterilized glass jar. Process 10 minutes for canning or store in refrigerator.

Maple syrup grading kit

Measuring the density of the syrup

Straining the impurities from the syrup

Raspberry Multigrain Muffins

2011-07-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

I always want a fast, healthy, delicious breakfast during the week. Do I sometimes thaw out some store-bought gluten-free bread, slather it in peanut butter, and eat while getting ready to catch my bus? Of course I do. But when I have the time, I make a week's batch of healthy, gum-free, delicious breakfast muffins. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s infinitely variable: put in whatever fruit or nuts you happen to have sitting around and watch them bake to light tender clouds of breakfast heaven.

I love teff flour. When I met Shauna Ahern a few weeks ago at the Whole Foods cooking class, she asked me what my favorite new discovery was since going gluten-free ten years ago. I had trouble answering. You see, I grew up with parents who love food. Moroccan stews, bisteeya, baklava, homemade dill bread rolls, tabooli, and hummus graced our table. I already knew what quinoa, buckwheat, and teff were. But I didn’t really know teff. I’d tasted injera, the Ethiopian flat bread, but I didn’t start to bake with teff until the last few years.

It’s delicious. The fine flour nearly melts in your mouth while it lends a hearty nutty flavor to the muffins without attempting to overpower the rest of the ingredients. These wouldn’t have the same multigrain flavor and mouthfeel without teff. So I will amend my answer of a few weeks ago. My favorite new discovery since going gluten-free is teff flour.

Did I mention it makes love to fresh raspberries? Try it.

Raspberry Multigrain Muffins

Makes 1 dozen

110g (3/4 cup) sweet rice flour

30g (1/4 cup) amaranth flour

30g (1/4 cup) teff flour

30g (1/4 cup) almond meal

40g (1/3 cup) tapioca starch

1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

30g (1/4 cup) gluten-free rolled oats

100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

1 tsp whole chia seeds

½ cup canola oil

2 eggs

½ cup unsweetened soymilk or almond milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

¾ cup fresh washed whole raspberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease your muffin tin with coconut oil or shortening. Bring out your eggs so they’re room temperature when you use them.

Measure dry ingredients into a large bowl (use grams if possible!). Break up baking soda and brown sugar lumps, mixing flours well. In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, measure out liquids and lemon zest. Beat in eggs very thoroughly.

Mix wet ingredients into dry. Gently fold in fresh raspberries. Fill muffin cups nearly to the top, dust each with a few whole oats, and put them into the oven immediately. They’re rise higher the faster you’re able to do this.

Bake about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool at least 10 minutes before moving them from the tin. Store in a sealed container for 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Beer-Battered Mesquite Onion Rings

2011-07-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

I have a new toy: mesquite flour. A little sweet, a little nutty, and a little smoky, the moment I tasted it, I knew I’d make onion rings. Mesquite flour and onions gazed at each other across the kitchen and started to dance.

So what if they’re not the healthiest snack? I try not to deny my ingredients their whims. These make a wonderful spontaneous addition to a summer afternoon spent with friends in the sun.

This recipe is great with a yellow onion, but it’s awesome with a Walla Walla sweet onion. Try it. They’re in season right now. I also like to add a little coconut oil to my frying oil, in about a 1:4 ratio, coconut oil to canola oil. The coconut oil gives the onion rings just a hint of coconut, a sort of ghost in the background.

I’ve used Redbridge Sorghum beer with this recipe, but most recently made it with Estrella Damm Daura. (My husband surprised me with it one evening!) Any gluten-free beer will work, but Daura certainly gave the best flavor. Daura seems to be a little controversial among celiacs in the States, mainly because it’s made from barley and states on the bottle “Less Than 6 PPM Gluten.” We aren’t used to seeing gluten-free products claim to contain any amount of gluten, let alone be made from barley (usually off-limits), but the reality is that most gluten-free products are simply meeting guidelines for 20 ppm or less. Daura is significantly below that. Its brewing process strips the gluten protein from the barley, but leaves that true beer taste. Here's a review on celiac-disease.com, for more information. It’s delicious and I had no trouble whatsoever tolerating one. Individual reactions to gluten vary; however, Estrella Damm has done some very thorough research into this process to make their beer safe for celiacs. I encourage you to give it a chance.

Beer-Battered Mesquite Onion Rings

Makes about 30

1 yellow onion (Walla Walla or yellow)

60g (1/2 cup) sweet rice flour

60g (1/2 cup) mesquite flour

30g (1/4 cup) tapioca starch

30g (1/4 cup) amaranth flour, plus more as needed

1 Tbls brown sugar

1 tsp salt

dash black pepper (about 4-5 turns of a grinder)

12oz gluten-free beer

Canola and coconut oil for frying

Slice onion into 4-5 sections, depending on how thick you want the rings. Separate rings and set aside, discarding the onion center. Heat canola and coconut oil in a deep pot to medium-high heat. You'll need about 3 inches of oil.

In a medium bowl, combine all flours with sugar and salt. Gradually whisk in beer until the batter is the consistency of pancake batter. Add more amaranth flour as needed to create that consistency. The last inch or so of the beer is for the cook (you probably won’t quite use it all).

When oil is fully heated, dip onion rings in batter to coat and fry about 2 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. You don't want them to touch and stick together. Turn once while frying. Fry about 3 minutes total, or until rings are a deep golden brown. Lift out of the oil, shake off excess, and arrange on a plate covered in 1-2 paper towels. Dust with sea salt. Serve hot, while they're still crispy. The longer they sit, the more likely they are to get soggy.

Cherry Lime Pie (Party)

2011-07-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

Cherry Lime Pie

I’m a sloppy cook and a risky baker. I like to follow the Creativity Trail, even if that means straying rather far from a recipe’s sure path. There’s a unique thrill to bringing ingredients together in new ways or methods. Or simply tasting something I’ve never before tasted.

Call it Kitchen Cliff-Jumping.

When I heard about Gluten-free Girl’s #pieparty, I knew I’d soon be standing in the kitchen with some grand idea, hoping it would turn out delicious. Fortunately, pies are forgiving.

Most cooks and bakers will caution you against using the pith—that white part just beneath the zest—of citrus. However, a recent recipe post to Food52.com got me thinking about its possibilities. I love pie, but so many recipes pile on sweetness and ignore the fruit within. I wanted a way to kick the cherry flavor of my pie up a notch without disguising it in sugar. The blended whole limes in this recipe give the pie a lovely tartness that buoys up the cherries. It’s almost savory, if you use two limes as I did.

I admit the tartness here is a bit much for some people. I love it, as did a number of my friends; however, not everyone was quite as enthused. If you like your pies very sweet, use one lime. If you’re adventurous, kick the flavor up a notch with two. You’ll find the pie at the bottom of the cliff is delicious.

For this pie, I used Gluten-free Girl’s recipe for pie crust. I highly recommend it.

Cherry Lime Pie

Makes 1 pie

Crust:

175g Aherns’ all-purpose flour mix (see my version below)

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick vegan butter

1/4 cup ice water, more as needed

Filling:

2 cups (320g/12oz) pitted and chopped Rainier cherries

1 nectarine, chopped

1-2 limes (100g-200g), depending on how tart you like it

1 cup (220g) white sugar

1/2 cup (90g) brown sugar

1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch salt

Topping:

1/2 cup (60g) gluten-free oats

1/4 cup (30g) Aherns’ all-purpose flour

3 Tbls (40g) vegan butter

1/3 cup (50g) brown sugar

If your oven takes a half hour to heat up like mine does, start it preheating now to 425F.

Sift flour and salt into food processor. Pulse twice to aerate. Cut very cold butter into small cubes. Add butter to the food processor and pulse 10 times. Add ice water and pulse 5 times. Add more ice water as needed to make the texture somewhat like cottage cheese (with large lumps of butter still throughout the dough). Form quickly into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes while you make the filling. For Gluten-free Girl’s full instructions, see the link here.

Chop whole lime(s), removing tops and any seeds, and whirl in blender or food processor about 2 minutes, or until it blends like a smoothie. In a large bowl, toss chopped and pitted cherries, nectarine, and lime pulp together. Add sugars, cornstarch, spices, and salt, and mix well. Set aside.

Roll out pie crust on a piece of parchment paper dusted with sweet rice flour. When it's the proper size for your pie dish, slide a cookie sheet beneath it, place your pie dish upside down on top, then flip in one smooth motion. Settle crust into pie dish, repairing as needed. Flute edges as desired. Store in fridge until ready to fill.

For the topping, mix together all ingredients and cut in cold butter until it's nice and crumbly.

Pour filling into crust, then top with crumble topping. Bake for 10 minutes at 425F, then lower heat to 375F. Bake for another 45-60 minutes, or until crust's edges are browned and pie has set. (It's okay if it's still a bit wiggly.) Cool at least 1 hour before serving so pie enough time to fully set up.

My version of Aherns’ all-purpose flour mix:

150g brown rice flour

100g sorghum flour

50g potato flour

250g sweet rice flour

50g amaranth flour

50g millet flour

150g potato starch

55g cornstarch

145g tapioca starch

#pieparty

2011-06-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Did your mom ever do this? You know--roll out the pie crust scraps, brush them with butter, dust them with sugar (cinnamon or vanilla), bake them while the pie bubbles in the oven, then munch them with you while you both watch the oven impatiently?

My mom did.

I'm attending the Pie Party on July 5, and today I made my pie. I won't tell you what it is until Tuesday, but I will tell you I used Gluten-Free Girl's pie crust recipe this time. Wow, it's good. Especially when it's cut into strips, brushed with butter, dusted with sugar, baked, and munched on while watching the oven impatiently.

Cucumber Summer

2011-06-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Seattle’s weather finally caught up with the rest of the country! Summer is streaming through the trees outside our apartment, bouncing all shades of green and gold down to the street. The snap peas birthed plump 3-inch pods overnight, the jalapeno has tiny nubs of sets, and the fennel is mimicking the trees across the way.

It’s time to taste the green.

This drink can be made as either a cocktail or a refreshing afternoon soda. The frozen blueberries will keep it colder longer, adding their sweetness gradually to the drink as they thaw. They make a fun crunch to nibble when you're finished! I prefer this more savory, with club soda, but ginger ale adds a nice sweetness.

Cucumber-Fennel Fizz

Makes 2 tall glasses

1 English cucumber

1/4 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce unfiltered apple cider vinegar

4 ice cubes

1 inch fresh fennel (more as desired)

2 ounces gin (optional)

1 can club soda or ginger ale

2 short stalks fresh fennel for garnish

10 frozen blueberries

Skin cucumber, cut into 4 chunks, and toss into blender. Add lime juice, apple cider vinegar, ice, and 1-inch stalk fresh fennel. Add gin if desired. Blend until smooth and foamy, about 2 minutes. Don't be tempted to add more liquid unless your cucumber is exceptionally dry and it refuses to blend. (In which case add a dash of soda.)

Share the cucumber mix between two glasses, adding either club soda or ginger ale in a 1:1 ratio. Add 5 frozen blueberries to each glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh fennel.

Portland

2011-06-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, B.C.: my husband and I were all ready to drive up for the weekend when I discovered, to my utter astonishment, that my passport had recently expired. I felt stupid. All our plans, from visiting a gluten-free bakery to him showing me his old university campus (peppered with pointed hints about a certain nude beach), suddenly stopped.

I don't do well with plans that stop.

Though I was all ready to stay home and "save money" (pout), my excellent husband announced we'd go to Portland instead. I have nothing against Portland, but it's not Out of the Country. Still: we went to Portland.

This story has a predictable ending. Of course we had an incredible time! We love to travel together because once we get on the road, anything goes. We don't have to have a plan--just excellent smart phones. (But this isn't a phone commercial.)

At Bushwhacker Cider

Our trips usually focus on one or both of two things: gaming and food. In Portland, we ate. We started at Bushwhacker Cider, which housed more varieties of hard cider than I've ever seen in a single shop. They had a number of ciders on tap as well, so we shared a sampler between us while sitting in the sun discussing which bottles to buy. These three were the highlights of our tasting:

Blue Mountain's Dry Creek: So dry, it's almost champagne; but this champagne twinkles with apples.

Blue Mountain's Cherry: Bright red and juicy, this cider's only sweetness comes from the fruit; it isn't syrupy by any means. I bought a bottle that has a dark chocolate torte in its pairing future.

Tieton's Apricot Cider: My favorite, this is utterly refreshing with a perfect balance between sweet and dry. When this is available in the bottle, I'll be hard-pressed to avoid buying a case.

After wandering around the old town area, drifting through Powell's for a quick graphic novel, and ducking under the eaves from a Spontaneous Northwest Shower, we got a table at Deschutes Brewery. Normally at a brewery, I expect to dine on French fries and--if I'm lucky--not feel the effects of gluten cross-contamination. This brewery got me in the door by promising a gluten-free menu, which they delivered along with the announcement that they now make gluten-free beer. I didn't stop smiling the entire evening.

Deshutes' Gluten-free Menu

Deschutes' gluten-free menu is one of the best I've seen (if a mite unhealthy). They didn't force me to eat salad while hungrily eyeing my husband's plate. I had an excellent gluten-free grilled cheese sandwich with sweet potato fries, which they happily made low-dairy at my request. Delicious!

Their gluten-free beer is also the best I've tasted. It actually tastes like beer--even my husband agreed and he's the first one to look at me askance when I insist on trying some new gluten-free product I didn't make myself. But the best part? I didn't feel even slightly ill later.

We went back for lunch the next day. Portland may not be Out of the Country, but it knows good gluten-free food when it has it. We'll be back soon, I hope.

I'm still getting my passport renewed.

Sunflower Cakes

2011-06-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

Usually I love Seattle’s weather. Cold, grey, rainy days are perfect for baking and listening to Bon Iver or the Fleet Foxes, sipping a hot cup of coffee as I turn the pages of my recipes. But it’s June: I want the sun’s heat to ripen the little buds on my tomatoes, to kiss my jalapeño plant hello, and to tell my cilantro, “It’s okay, don’t fret, I’m here now.”

It’s been a long cold spring.

After work today, all I really wanted was to bake up something warm and sunny—to turn on the oven and cozy up my apartment with Concentrated Summer. It had to be yellow, edible, and new. Cornmeal is the right color and my latest favorite ingredient is sunflower seeds… et voilà! Sunflower Cakes.

They just happen to go perfectly alongside my Asparagus Sunflower Soup. And as I write, the evening sun has poked out and turned my tomatoes and snap peas a summery shade of chartreuse. The weather here really is perfect for baking.

Sunflower Cakes, hanging out in the garden

Sunflower Cakes

Makes 8-12 muffins, depending on size

1 cup (145g) yellow cornmeal

1 Tbls baking powder

½ cup (75g) sweet rice flour

¼ cup (30g) amaranth flour

2 Tbls (15g) tapioca starch

¼ cup (35g) brown sugar

¼ cup roasted salted sunflower seeds, shelled and ground

½ tsp sea salt

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

½ cup vegetable broth or soymilk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin tin or crumpet rings. If using crumpet rings, arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal and baking powder so there are no lump of baking powder. Add the other flours, tapioca starch, and brown sugar. Stir in ground sunflower seeds and salt.

In a separate bowl, measure out oil, vinegar, and broth or soymilk. Beat in egg. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix quickly but well. Spoon batter into muffin tin or crumpet rings. Sprinkle over with more roasted salted sunflower seeds.

Bake about 15-20 minutes, until lightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes before removing from rings.

Coconut Macaroons

2011-05-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve been playing with a new favorite flour lately: amaranth. It’s high in protein and iron, with a slightly nutty flavor, which makes it both healthy and fun for experiments. I love how amaranth lends a multigrain aspect to breads and cookies without becoming intrusively flavorful, like buckwheat or quinoa. This means it’s perfect for even lighter baked goods, such as macaroons. If you serve buckwheat macaroons to guests who lack a health food background, they’re probably not going to like them. Amaranth is Stealth Health.

These macaroons don’t contain enough amaranth flour to really claim they’re “healthy.” However, they are gluten-free, vegan, and chewy, and will be snatched up by your guests quicker than you can elaborate on any of their other qualities. The amaranth contrasts light nuttiness to the vanilla and coconut, providing these macaroons with a gorgeous flavor both basic and complex.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

Makes about 40

3/4 cup vanilla sugar

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 Tbls maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp sea salt

3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup amaranth flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Coconut oil parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Mix together sugar, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt. Stir in coconut until well-coated. Add flours and mix very well, using your hands if needed. Mix until uniform.

Using a 1-inch scoop or 1 Tbls measuring spoon, scoop macaroons into small domes, forming with your hands if needed. Be sure to pack the coconut mixture into the scoop hard or the macaroons may crumble later after baking.

Arrange on cookie sheet closely together, but not touching. They grow only slightly. Bake about 15-20 minutes, rotating cookie sheet once halfway through. Macaroons are done when they're golden all over. Be careful not to burn the bottoms.

Serve warm or room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Warka and the Quest for Baklava

2011-04-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Baklava was my favorite dessert when I was a child and I grew up learning how to butter and fold the thin phyllo leaves with my mom, scattering some layers with nuts, while my dad concocted his Special Baklava Syrup. In the more than 10 years since I became gluten-free, baklava and I have shared only wistful glances at each other. Who makes gluten-free phyllo dough? I looked everywhere and found no one.

So it became my quest to make it myself. I tried the Greek method of rolling out the dough to paper-thin sheets, but nothing I made came even close to the real thing. Besides, my arms were tired! But what other method could I use?

One of the first. Note that it's a bit thick in areas.

A few days ago, my dad pointed out this recipe for warka from his favorite cookbook author, Paula Wolfert. Warka is the traditional Moroccan version of paper-thin pastry leaves used like phyllo dough. The method is quite different from Greek phyllo; instead of rolling out the pastry, you dab or brush a thin crêpe-like batter onto a hot skillet that's heated evenly by a pot of boiling water beneath it. (It's a bit like Filipino lumpia, but even thinner.) When the pastry is cooked on one side, pluck it off the hot skillet with your fingers and brush it all over with olive oil, layering them between pieces of parchment paper.

Time-consuming? Certainly. Worth it? YES.

Improvement!

I made two gluten-free batters, using Wolfert's recipe as a base. One worked spectacularly well. So well, in fact, I immediately used the pastry sheets for a spontaneous batch of baklava. Even so, this recipe is still under development and I'll wait to post it here until I'm satisfied with both the recipe and the method. I know there are a few improvements still to be made.

In the meantime, if you strike out on your own, I'll leave you with the lessons I learned while making warka:

1: Don't use a silicone brush. The "bristles" don't catch or spread the batter in a gentle enough fashion and you'll end up with cooked splatter instead of thin pastry sheets. (I used a wad of cheesecloth soaked in the batter and dabbed on gently all over in a circle; this is the Method in Development.)

2: Don't mix up the cooked side with the uncooked side!

3: Use your fingers to pluck the cooked pastry off the hot griddle. You may burn yourself, but no spatula will be gentle enough to get it off in one piece. It needs to be your fingers.

4: Use plenty of olive oil to coat both the sheets and the parchment paper between them. Being skimpy here leads to sticking.

5: Since plenty of olive oil was used to prevent sticking during storage, use less butter in the baklava than normal or it'll get a bit greasy.

6: Sit on a bench or tall chair while working or your feet will holler later.

Finished Baklava

Ginger Caramel Banana Pudding

2011-03-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite websites, www.food52.com, recently picked Coconut Cajeta Chocolate Fondue as a winner in a recipe contest. For good reason. This recipe is fantastic. The plain coconut milk cajeta became a quick staple in my kitchen the last few weeks, but no use for it has inspired me so thoroughly as adding it to my banana pudding. Ginger Caramel Banana Pudding is born: gluten-free, dairy-free, and all-delicious.

I like to make my own ginger snaps, but Trader Joe’s also has a great gluten-free ginger snap that’s a good substitute if you don’t have the time or resources to make them homemade. I’ve also included my recipe for vanilla wafers, which are what I used in this recipe originally.

But it’s hard to go back, once you’ve gingered this pudding!

Ginger Caramel Banana Pudding

Makes 8 servings

Pudding:

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/8 teas sea salt

1 whole egg

3 eggs, separated (reserve egg whites for the meringue)

3 cups soy milk, regular milk, or other non-dairy substitute

Trader Joe's ginger snaps

3/4 teas vanilla

1 batch coconut milk cajeta (see below)

2-3 dozen ginger snaps (see below)

3 large bananas, peeled, threaded, and sliced

Meringue:

3 egg whites (reserved from the pudding)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Separate the top and bottom parts of a double boiler. Fill the bottom part with water to its fill line. Heat the water to boiling, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water to form a thick liquid. In the top of the double boiler, combine the sugar and salt, mixing well. Stir in the whole egg, the 3 egg yolks, and the soy milk. Add the cornstarch mixture. Mix well.

Place the top of the double boiler over the bottom and bring the pudding to a simmer over low heat, stirring almost constantly, for 10 to 15 minutes. When the mixture is smooth and thickened, remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and coconut caramel.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the pudding in an ovenproof casserole dish. Arrange a dozen ginger snaps on top of the pudding. Place a third of the sliced bananas on top of the wafers. Cover the bananas with pudding and repeat the layering process until all the pudding, bananas, and ginger snaps have been used.

Layer of pudding, layer of ginger snaps

Layer of sliced banana

Layer of pudding, keep going!

Preheat the oven to 350F. To make the meringue, place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed for 1 minute until the mixture is foamy. Slowly add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and all the sugar is dissolved (2 to 4 minutes). Do not underbeat. Beat in the vanilla. Spoon the meringue over the pudding, spreading the meringue to the edges of the casserole dish to completely cover all of the pudding. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meringue is a light golden-brown on the peaks.

Pile on meringue, then bake

Coconut Caramel (cajeta)

1 can coconut milk (14 fluid oz.)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine coconut milk, sugar, and sea salt in a sauce pot. Warm until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat up to medium high and simmer about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until significantly reduced and thickened. Sauce should be a deep fawn color and easily coat a spoon. Cool before using. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

(from hardlikearmour’s recipe: http://www.food52.com/recipes/9557_coconut_cajeta_chocolate_fondue)

Ginger Snaps

Makes 4 dozen

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup vegan butter, softened

1 egg

1/4 cup dark molasses

2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum or white rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Vanilla sugar for dipping

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg, molasses, and fresh ginger.

Pile flours on top of wet ingredients, mashing in baking soda and spices to prevent lumps. Mix together until dough is uniform.

Cover cookie sheets in parchment paper. Form dough into 1-inch balls, dip one side into vanilla sugar, and place sugar-side up on parchment. Use your palm or the bottom of a glass to flatten into rounds. Allow ample room on sheet for growth. Bake 6-8 minutes, until cookies are crisp at edges. Cool on wire racks.

Vanilla Wafers

Makes 4 dozen

1/2 cup real salted or vegan butter, softened

1 cup vanilla sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (splash more if desired)

3/4 cup brown rice flour

3/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in vanilla, then beat in the egg. Combine dry ingredients, mashing out any lumps in baking powder. Stir into wet mixture until dough is uniform and moderately stiff. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches of room between cookies, as they will grow a fair bit.

Bake at 350F for 8 minutes. Edges will be golden brown, but tops will be light in color (unlike the store-bought cookies). Be careful not to over-bake. Cook on a wire rack before using in banana pudding, or dipping in melted dark chocolate.

Bread Sticks Detour

2011-01-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

I love Pocky. You know, those crispy cookie sticks dipped in chocolate and sold at every Asian foods market you’ll ever encounter. They’re delicious! And also poison for people with a gluten allergy. Yesterday, I decided I’d had enough years without Pocky and it was time to make it myself.

I detour easily.

In the midst of looking for a suitable Pocky dough recipe base, I somehow ended up making bread sticks instead. Rolled in chocolate, these bread sticks do make a rather convincing Pocky substitute; however, they’re absolutely perfect as plain breadsticks for all your savory dipping, munching, and crunching needs. Dust them in salt and black pepper before baking and they’re even better. The same dough, rolled out flat and brushed with olive oil and herbs or cheese, also yields delicious flat bread.

The real gluten-free Pocky recipe will have to wait. I’m too busy munching on bread sticks.

Bread Sticks

Makes about 40

1 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup amaranth flour

1/2 cup potato flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

3/4 tsp salt

1 packet quick rise yeast

3 eggs

1/2 cup warm water (more as needed)

1 Tbls olive oil

Mix together all flours, tapioca starch, salt, and yeast. Warm water to about 120 - 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat eggs and olive oil together well. Add warm water to flour mixture and mix till crumbly. Add egg mixture and mix till dough forms mostly into a ball. (Use more warm water as needed to clump dough.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dust cookie sheet with coarse cornmeal. Working with about 2 tsp of dough at a time, roll into long 1/4-inch thick snakes. Arrange on cookie sheet so they aren’t touching. Bend into shapes if so desired. Dip finger tips into olive oil and run them lightly down the surface of each bread stick. Bake about 20 minutes, or until well-browned and crisp.

Oatmeal Bread

2011-01-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

Yeasted gluten-free bread has eluded me for a long while, but I finally broke the code on the first of this year. (A lot of jumping and bouncing ensued!) This homemade bread is chewy, soft, and delicious with a perfect balance of oats and molasses. It’s dairy-free as well as gluten-free and enthusiastically disappears when set in front of anyone on a gluten-free diet or not. A soy-free version should be possible by using rice milk or fruit juice instead of soymilk, though I have yet to try it. Egg whites are what give this bread its beautiful elasticity, so a vegan version may be long in coming.

Gluten-free Oatmeal Rolls

I grew this recipe out of one I saw on food52.com: Heavenly Oatmeal-Molasses Rolls, posted by monkeymom. They sounded so good, I just couldn’t help but make another yeasted bread attempt. You’ll see a lot of similarities between our recipes, though the methods take a sharp turn from each other when dealing with rising. Gluten-free bread does not like to rise twice; if you punch it down, it will stay down. I find I have the best results with quick rise yeast, since it quickly attains a good height and will remain so when baked at its peak.

I love the combination of molasses and oats for this bread. It yields a slightly sweet bread that still pairs well with soup or other savory meals. Though the loaf is hearty and dense, it makes good sandwiches and excellent toast.

Gluten-free Oatmeal Bread

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 rolls

1 packet quick rise yeast

1 Tbls brown sugar

1/4 cup lukewarm water

3/4 cup soymilk

3/4 cup rolled GF oats

1/2 cup canola oil

2 Tbls molasses

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 whole egg

2 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

1 cup sweet rice flour

1 1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 tsp guar gum

coconut oil for top

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water with ¼ tsp brown sugar. Let it proof about 5 minutes till it foams up. Warm oven slightly, then turn off heat. This will be where you’ll let the bread rise (unless you have a favorite warm place in your house for this purpose). Grease a loaf pan or 12 muffin cups with coconut oil and set aside. (Rub a little coconut oil on your hands too!)

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, canola oil, molasses, and salt. Scald soymilk in a saucepot, mix with the oats, then cool till lukewarm.

While the mixture is cooling, combine flours, tapioca starch, and guar gum in a separate bowl. In another bowl, separate 2 egg whites from yolks and beat egg whites to stiff peaks. You won’t use the yolks in the bread, so set them aside and add them to your next kitchen project.

When mixture is lukewarm, beat in whole egg and yeast. Stir in egg whites, but do not over-mix. Add flours and stir or knead in standing mixer with dough hook about 1-2 minutes, until uniform. Dough will be sticky, but not goopy. Spoon into prepared loaf pan or muffin tin, cover with plastic wrap, drape with cotton towel, and set in a warm dry place to rise for 1 hour. (This is where the warmed, but NOT ON, oven is useful.) Leave it alone for 1 hour and don’t peek.

After 1 hour, unwrap bread and set on counter. It should have risen to the lip of the loaf pan or above the edges of the muffin cups. If it’s not there yet, wrap it back up and give it a little more time (15 minutes or so).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime, brush top of bread with coconut oil and scatter a few whole oats on the top. Bake about 35 minutes for a loaf, or 15-20 minutes for rolls. When it’s done, bread should pull away from the sides of the pan, appear slightly browned on top, and yield a clean toothpick when probed in the center. Cool on a rack. Wrap in a couple layers of plastic when completely cool and keep for 2-3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the fridge. This can also be sliced and frozen for future use.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

Ring in the new year with gluten-free rum balls! The extra dark Theo chocolate in these makes them a perfect addition to a party table—they’re rich, decadent, and just strong enough. Recently, I made a new variation of these by grinding up gluten-free Gingersnaps from Trader Joe’s. That added a nice spicy undercurrent that paired well with the chocolate and rum. I’ve also included my recipe for gluten-free vanilla wafers, but really any dry gluten-free cookie will do the trick.

Have a fun and rummy New Year’s!

Rum Balls

Rum Balls (GF, DF)

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen

1.5 – 2oz Theo chocolate (74% Madagascar is best)

1 cup powdered sugar

28-30 vanilla wafers

3/4 cup blanched, toasted almonds

3 Tbls light corn syrup

2-4 Tbls dark rum, more as desired

In a food processor, grid together chocolate and powdered sugar until well-blended and chocolate is no longer in identifiable pieces. Add vanilla wafers and almonds, grinding until mixture seems like semi-fine crumbs.

Mix in corn syrup and rum until it holds together, but is not too wet or dry. Mixture should hold together in a ball when formed, but should not require a lot of pressing for it to hold together. Neither should the mixture be so wet that it is sticky or goopy. Add more rum if it is too dry; add more powdered sugar, almonds, or vanilla wafers if it is too wet.

Form mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar to coat. (If powdered sugar melts quickly into the balls, your mixture is too wet.) If you are making both strong rum balls and light rum balls, roll the light in powdered sugar and the strong in cocoa powder. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.

Note: If you are making the vanilla wafers fresh for your rum balls, be sure to allow them to cool thoroughly before grinding to crumbs. If they are hot, they will melt the chocolate and ruin the consistency.

Vanilla Wafers (GF, DF)

Makes about 5 dozen

1/2 cup DF butter, softened

1 cup white sugar (vanilla sugar if available)

1 egg

1 Tbls vanilla extract

3/4 cup sorghum flour

3/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flours, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Space them about 2 inches apart, as they will grow a bit.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes or until edges are just golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in sealed bags in freezer for up to 8 months.

Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

2010-12-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

Blueberries and cornmeal just work well together. I discovered this beautiful combination when I stumbled across an old Native American dish called Sautauthig. During colonial times, the Native Americans shared it with the settlers, who then began making their own variations of it. The Native Americans knew what they were doing; these flavors sing in beautiful harmony together. I wanted something a bit more portable than a pudding, so I created these muffins. Serve them hot out of the oven drizzled with maple syrup, for breakfast Christmas morning, or tucked into your lunch. You’ll smile with the first bite.

Blueberry Cornbread Muffins (GF, DF)

Makes 1 generous dozen

1 cup yellow cornmeal

Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

1 Tbls baking powder

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup sweet rice flour

2 Tbls tapioca flour

1/2 cup white sugar

2 Tbls brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tsp molasses

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup soymilk or apple juice

2 eggs

1 tsp maple syrup or extract, optional

1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, mostly thawed wild blueberries)

Brown sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the cups of your muffin tin. In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal and baking powder, mashing out baking powder lumps. Add flours, sugars, and salt.

In a glass measuring cup or separate bowl, measure out canola oil. Add soymilk, cider vinegar, molasses, and lemon juice. Beat in eggs and maple syrup.

Quickly mix the wet ingredients into dry, well enough so there are no dry pockets in the batter. Fold in blueberries and fill muffin cups about ¾ full. Sprinkle with a dusting of brown sugar if desired. Bake about 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into a center muffin comes out clean. Pop out of tin to cool.

Espresso Toffee

2010-12-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

I make Almond Toffee every Christmas for friends and family. This year, I wanted to make it for one of my friends who can't have nuts, so I was puzzling over what I could add that would give it a satisfactory crunch. I work for Tony's Coffees and Teas and it dawned on me that crushed espresso beans might do the trick. Indeed, it's delicious! It's also stronger than regular toffee and will please those people who don't like candy super sweet.

In this batch, I used Espresso Noir beans. I think a dark roast balances best with the toffee's sweetness, though I imagine a medium roast would be delicious as well. I wouldn't use anything as dark as French, or you may run the risk of overpowering the toffee completely.

Espresso Toffee

Espresso Toffee
Makes about 50 small pieces

1/2 cup espresso beans, coarsely crushed
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar or vanilla sugar
3 tablespoons very hot water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 ounces 74% dark chocolate
(Theo's Madagascar is best)

Crush espresso bean with a mortar and pestle. You don't want any to be whole, but be careful not to grind to a powder or the toffee will become sandy. Chill in freezer about 1/2 hour before using. Grease a sided cookie sheet about 10.5" x 15.5" with butter.

Crushed Espresso Noir Beans

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, slowly melt the butter over very low heat (lowest setting or no higher than 2 on an electric stove). Do not allow it to discolor. Then add the sugar over low heat, stirring every few seconds until it is all dissolved and you see no separation between butter and sugar.

Once the butter and sugar have not bubbled but are completely incorporated, mix together the hot water and corn syrup, then pour it into the butter slowly, stirring just once or twice.

Keep cooking on moderately low heat. Do not stir, but gently cut through it occasionally. Cook until about 300 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer or until a small portion dropped into ice water is brittle and not quite tacky on the teeth. It will be brown and bubbly, fawn-colored. If it smokes, stop cooking immediately as it will burn very fast. When you think it's close to done, start tasting pieces from the ice water. This takes practice to find just the right color and consistency.

Once it's cooked, quickly remove from heat and fold in crushed espresso beans. Be gentle, do not stir, and mix as little as possible while still incorporating beans. The more you work it, the more likely it is to separate as it cools. Pour out into greased cookie sheet and allow to set at room temperature about 1/2 hour. Move to fridge and let it harden at least 2 hours before continuing.

When toffee is cold and hard, melt the chocolate over low heat. Spread in a thin layer over hard toffee. You may want to allow the toffee to rest at room temperature for 1/2 hour before doing the chocolate, so it warms up slightly and doesn't harden the chocolate too quickly. This depends on your method; if you work fast, you can put the chocolate on directly from the fridge. Refrigerate until very cold and hard, a minimum of 2 hours.

Break cold toffee into pieces and store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Serve cold or just at room temperature. If it gets too warm, the chocolate will begin to melt. It's just as tasty that way too!

Breakfast: Can it be done without eggs?

2010-11-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast. At least, that’s the way it is in my house. This particular tradition got a bit complicated when I went gluten-free. Then it got more complicated when I started cutting dairy from my diet. This year, with a vegan sister-in-law, I thought it might be insurmountable. But my baking genes kicked in, I bought a can of coconut milk, and this pie is the result. When I served it at Thanksgiving dinner, it took me a half hour to get back to my seat because everyone had to ask what I’d done to make it so delicious. No one believed it was gluten-free and vegan.

You’ll likely encounter the same result when you make it. The texture is slightly more solid than traditional pumpkin custard, but no one ever cares because they love the delicate flavor of coconut milk paired with the pumpkin. This recipe also works with butternut squash, which yields a slightly more savory pie.

And yes; I got my piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast this year!

Pumpkin Pie (vegan & GF)

Makes 1 8”-9” pie

Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

3/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup white rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp cornstarch

pinch salt

2 Tbls white sugar

2 Tbls dry soymilk

1/2 cup vegan butter or shortening

1/4 cup soymilk, more as needed

Filling:

1 can pumpkin (15oz) or 2 cups fresh

1 cup coconut milk

1 Tbls dark rum

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

If you’re using fresh pumpkin or butternut squash, mash it and hang it to drain in cheesecloth for about 4 hours before you use it. Otherwise, it may hold too much liquid for the pie to set correctly.

For the crust, mix dry ingredients together very well, then cut in butter, adding soymilk in small amounts as you go. You want it to hold together, but avoid adding so much soymilk that it becomes sticky. Usually, 1/4 - 1/3 cup will do it. Roll out on a piece of parchment paper using sweet rice flour. Slide a cookie sheet or flat board underneath the crust, position the pie plate upside-down on top, then hold it all and carefully but quickly flip it right-side up. Repair any breaks in the crust, cut off excess, and flute edges. Refrigerate until ready to fill. Crust can be made 1 to 2 days in advance and kept in fridge, wrapped in plastic so it won’t dry out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients together well, mashing cornstarch into brown sugar to be sure there are no lumps. Mix together coconut milk and rum separately. Add pumpkin to dry ingredients, then beat with electric mixer while you gradually add coconut milk. Beat at least 5 minutes, until very well-mixed, no lumps appear, and you see air bubbles incorporated into the filling. The more air you beat into the filling, the lighter your pie filling will be, so make sure to get some air in there.

Immediately pour filling into prepared pie shell and bake 45 minutes – 1 hour. Pie is done when the filling surface appears smooth and mostly set. Center may be slightly soft when you remove it from the oven, but will set up in the fridge in about 1 hour. Serve hot or cold, plain or with vanilla coconut milk ice cream. Pie keeps in fridge 3-4 days.

Butter ‘em up

2010-11-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I decided to make gnocchi (an Italian cross between pasta and dumplings). They’re traditionally made with potatoes, but my husband adores potatoes and I have trouble keeping them in plentiful stock. I had a butternut squash and figured, “why not?” The best recipes often emerge from making do with what’s available. Gluten-free Butternut Squash Gnocchi have a smooth texture, bright flavor, and a vibrancy that compliments any well-laid table.

This is the basic pasta recipe. They can be served all sorts of ways, so don’t be afraid to try out interesting combinations. Gorgonzola and sage. Roasted almond pesto. White beans and marinara. But my favorite is the simplest: sautéed in butter with nutmeg, parmesan, and fresh basil or garlic.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Makes about 4 cups

1 2-lb. butternut squash (about 2 cups mashed)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup potato flour

1 cup potato starch

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

sweet rice flour

Halve butternut squash, scoop out seeds, and place face-down in a baking pan in 1 inch of water. Cook in 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven about 45 minutes or until a fork easily penetrates the thickest part. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 15 minutes. Scoop out steamed squash, being careful not to take any skin with it, and mash or whip until smooth. Measure out 2 cups, draining out excess water.

In a standing mixer or bowl, beat egg into 2 cups mashed squash. Add salt and nutmeg, blending well. Add potato flour and potato starch, mixing and kneading until dough is uniform and smooth. It will be slightly sticky.

Dust a surface with sweet rice flour and flour your hands. Working with small amounts of dough at a time, roll into a snake about ½-inch thick. Cut snake at 1-inch intervals. Roll each gnocchi gently between your index finger and a fork so it marks one side and drops to the surface. Repeat until all dough is formed into gnocchi. At this stage, gnocchi can be frozen on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and transferred to bags or containers to keep in the freezer long-term.

To cook fresh, drop gnocchi into boiling water and cook until they float to the surface. Skim the floating gnocchi off the top and sauté briefly in butter with nutmeg, parmesan, and fresh basil or garlic. Frozen gnocchi can be cooked directly from the freezer and will boil longer than fresh gnocchi.

Note: This recipe can be made vegan, substituting Ener-G Egg Replacer for the egg.

Apple Pie

2010-10-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

My autumn-provoked restlessness reached a head last weekend and launched my husband and me out of Seattle onto one of Washington’s northern highways. The city’s multicolored harvests, overflowing in farmer’s markets beneath the changing trees, exhibit a unique charm; but somehow I’m just not satisfied with autumn until I’ve been out in the back country, in forests that weren’t planned as rows. We went for a short hike, then stopped at an apple orchard on the way back. It’s too late in the season for Gravensteins, my favorite baking apples, but I picked up some delicious Jonagolds and Hawaiis (a cross between Golden Delicious and Gravenstein). Soon I had a pie in the oven and applesauce burbling on the stove.

Gluten-Free Apple Pie with Tart Cherries

Apple pie is one of those quintessentially American desserts for which everyone has a recipe: their own, their grandmother’s, a neighbor’s, or wheedled out of the baker at that place on 1^st street. You might never have baked one in your life, but you probably know all the main ingredients by heart. The rarity of gluten-free apple pie is a true shame. I’ve been working on my recipe for a few years now, making the crust flakey enough and the filling that delicate balance between gooey and solid, sweet and tart. I finally got it: the perfect gluten-free apple pie recipe, complete with crumble topping and dried tart cherries to spot the filling. I made it for my friend, Jeff, for his birthday party a few weeks ago and received this response from his wife, Anne:

“As we dug into the pie last night, there was an awed silence, accompanied by the occasional tink of a fork. Then Danny pauses, rests his plate on his lap and says, with great reverence, ‘THAT'S good pie.’”

None of these friends is on a gluten-free diet.

This pie yields the best results with good apples. Gravensteins are my favorite, but in their absence, I recommend a combination of Jonagold and Hawaii, or Jonagold and Granny Smith. You’re looking for a good mixture of tart and sweet apples, so trust your taste buds and work with the apples in season.

Apple Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Crust:

3/4 cup sweet rice flour

3/4 cup white rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

pinch salt

1/2 cup real or vegan butter or shortening

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

Filling:

6 peeled & cored apples (about 6 cups chopped)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tbls corn starch

3 Tbls dark rum

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

Crumble topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup GF rolled oats

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/3 cup real or vegan butter at room temperature

For crust, combine butter, egg, and sugar in food processor or mixer with paddle. Blend till well-mixed. Add dry ingredients and mix until just holding together. Form dough into flat round with hands and sweet rice flour a piece of parchment paper. Roll out large enough for pie dish. Set pie dish on it upside-down, slide a flat board or cookie sheet under it and turn right-side up all at once. Crust may break in some places, but can be gently pressed back together. Flute edges as desired and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cherries, and spices. Peel and core apples, slicing into dry mixture and stirring occasionally to mix. When all apples are sliced and coated, add rum and stir in. Pour into pie crust.

For topping, mix together all dry ingredients and cut in butter until topping has the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Some small butter lumps are just fine. Pour over filled pie, spreading to edges but not pressing down.

Bake about 30-40 minutes or until topping is well-browned and apples are able to be pierced easily with a fork. Serve hot or cold. Vanilla coconut milk ice cream (Coconut Bliss) is optional. Cover well and store in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Rudi’s Multigrain Miracle

2010-10-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

My perfect apple pie has been made and eaten twice before I could get pictures of it, so instead I want to share the incredible new gluten-free bread now gracing my cupboard.

Rudi’s is an organic bakery based in Boulder, Colorado, that’s been making wholesome loaves since 1976. Their recent venture into the gluten-free world is nothing short of miraculous. The slices are thick, spongy and delicious. Rich with sorghum, cornmeal, millet, flaxseed, and sunflower seeds, this is a gluten-free bread that actually tastes like a Multigrain bread. They also have Original and Cinnamon Raisin loaves, but I’m a fiend for Multigrain. I grew up on hearty multigrain and whole wheat breads and it’s been ten gluten-free years since I tasted anything like this.

For the past year or so, I’ve been a Udi’s girl. Their Whole Grain bread is awesome—soft, spongy, and real in taste enough to convert my gluten-loving husband to eat it instead of “regular” bread. They also carry a number of other gluten-free products: pizza crusts (addiction), bagels (oh man), muffins, and granola. But “whole grain” to me should be dark, chewy, and full of pick-them-out-of-your-teeth bits. Udi’s isn’t that type of whole grain. It’s good, but it’s not Rudi’s. Rudi’s has the texture and flavor that I missed.

According to Rudi’s website, their gluten-free breads are available at PCC, Ken’s Market, and Madison Market in Seattle. I also found it at Whole Foods.

Time for Cranberry Bread

2010-10-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

There’s bite and chill to the air as I wander in the local farmer’s market, probing like a squirrel for my winter provisions: squash, apples, potatoes, pecans, green beans, garlic. Anything capable of being frozen or canned for future use (friends have told me they’d like to be stuck at my house should a zombie apocalypse occur). I round a corner, peeking between people at booths overflowing with the autumn harvest, and see them: fresh cranberries. Those of you who have read my website’s archives know how excited I get about fresh cranberries. These aren’t the Ocean Spray variety that pops up in grocery stores, unripe and suspiciously large. Grown in a local bog by a family with 7 acres, they’re harvested when ripe and sold here practically at my doorstep!

I’m teaching myself new lessons in time and recipes this year. Usually, I journey north to buy apples by the box, cart them home, and spend weeks making pies, crisps, sauces, and butter. Usually, I pull on my wellies and make an expedition to a bog to pick my own cranberries; however, a new husband and a full-time job have made these treks regrettably unrealistic. So I make time for what I can do: buy excellent cranberries from a local farmer, support them in their own endeavors, and celebrate with Cranberry Bread, Carcassonne, and friends when I get home. Food tastes better in community. That’s why my kitchen looks out on the rest of our apartment, and why you can always pop over for a game and end up with a piece of cranberry bread, hot from the oven.

Cranberry Pecan Bread (gluten-free & dairy-free)

Cranberry Pecan Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces (lightly chopped)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

dash allspice

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup soymilk or orange juice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp orange zest

1 cup fresh cranberries, washed well

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and sweet rice flour loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate measuring cup or bowl, mix together oil, soymilk, vinegar, lemon juice and orange zest. Beat eggs in well.

Add fresh cranberries to dry ingredients, stirring to coat with flour. Add wet ingredients and mix together quickly but very well so no pockets of flour remain. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake about 30-45 minutes, or until top of loaf is browned and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Recipe was created by Adrienne Kerrigan. Please give credit if reposted or copied.

Stay tuned for recipes and new posts!

2010-10-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Beyond Celery posts have moved to this blog for the near future. My website, www.beyondcelery.net, will still run, but it will not house my most current updates due to time constraints and general persnicketiness. (I’d rather be in the kitchen than rebuilding the website from scratch and teaching myself html.) Thank you for your patience!