The Perils of Eating Out…

Everyone loves to eat out.  So nice to have someone cook for you, no dishes, right?  Well, if you have celiac disease you must avoid even tiny amounts of gluten. So eating out is sadly a huge problem in this geographic area as there are very few restaurants that have a real gluten free menu.  If we were in California, that’s another story; most every restaurant there has a gf menu and they know what they are doing.  Here in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania it is not like that.  Most of the times I get glutened I am eating in a restaurant, food that was allegedly prepared for me knowing I have celiac.  And yet I get sick sometimes. Why is that I wonder?

I was glutened just recently and since this place has a gluten free menu I felt it shouldn’t have happened. I have eaten there several times safely in the past three years. Great food generally. I know the chef was in so it wasn’t like someone was subbing for him.  I have asked and am told they have separate pots for gluten free pasta.  I didn’t get desperately ill; call it medium sick so I know it’s not like they served me regular pasta.  But there must have been some form of definite contamination. Bummer.  The thing is, when restaurants go to the trouble of having a gf menu and serving great safe gluten free foods they are providing an important service.  People with celiac celebrate birthdays, events, anniversaries, have dates or just get sick of eating at home. There are so few places one can eat dinner out; it would be a shame to no longer go to my once favorite restaurant.  It took me six days to get over this moderate illness from my dinner out.  Six days of tummy pain and not feeling myself.  It is something I take seriously as the problem is not just the pain, it is the damage to my digestive system.  It can cause cancer and a whole host of diseases when you get glutened again and again.

So, I want to go over a few basic facts to remind folks who say they serve gf food what that should be like.  Maybe that place will read it and take some notes!

Pasta: If you have gf pasta on your menu you need a separate pot for boiling the pasta, separate strainer, separate colander and separate spoons.  You can NOT use the same water for gf pasta that you were making regular pasta in.  You can not use the same colander or strainer; tiny gummy bits of pasta stick in the holes and it is incredibly difficult to get them completely clean.  You can’t use the same baking dishes to make gf baked goods like muffins or cake; the tiny crumbs that remain even after a good washing are a major source of contamination.  Twenty parts per million, yes I said Million are considered contaminated food that a person with celiac disease cannot tolerate.  We are not exaggerating, we really, really need you to be careful.

Spices and Herbs: You can’t use spice blends as they often have flour in them.  But you can use single spices like cinnamon, paprika, ginger, etc.  I find much gf menu choices to be incredibly bland and lacking in any spices or herbs.  How drab.fresh herbs All fresh herbs are safe, so are typical dried ones like basil, oregano, thyme, sage, etc. Just skip the blends, or make your own, I do. All single McCormack spices are all safely gluten free.  I have  made gf homemade taco seasoning, garam masala and other blends.  Garlic is safe and adds a lot of flavor. Sometimes I am served a bone plain tomato sauce with not a single kind of herb or garlic.  That is just not appetizing. For anyone.  Why should folks with celiac have to eat drab boring bland food? Shouldn’t!  mcCormick spices

Misc. Ingredients: You can’t use butter from a common stick or dish; the knife that dips there might have touched regular bread.  Not safe for anyone with celiac. You can’t use the same mayo or mustard jar for the same reason.

Meats and more : Avoid meats that are sold in a marinade solution.  Ditto for poultry like whole turkeys or chickens. Unless the label says gf don’t get any meat in a marinade as they are more often than not unsafe for someone with celiac.

breadcrumbsMisc. Stuff: No regular bread crumbs; they sell gf ones, get some or grind up dry gf bread.  The canned broth stores sell is a contamination issue; wheat is in them for some darn reason.  But, there are safe brands; find one and stick to it. Or make your own which is far cheaper and there is no real reason for wheat flour in broth.

Okay, Restaurant Chefs: now that I have covered the basics; you know what you need to do.  Just stick to these simple rules for cooking your gluten free menu items. And do it every single day you are open.  So I don’t get sick again. Plus, you will be rewarded with repeat gluten free customers who tell all their gf friends to come to your place for a safe gluten free meal.  I know I share great eating places with others on social media and so do others.   Just please make it actually safe if you say it is gluten free on your menu.

I feel like sending a copy of this post to every restaurant within 40 miles of Hellertown.  Maybe I will!

 

Berry Berry Tart

Sunday supper, wanting a pie to serve, no seasonal fruit available. Not interested in stone fruit imported from Chile or California/Florida berries.  So I turned to the partial bag of mixed berries in my freezer.  What I had wasn’t quite enough so I added a half cup frozen peaches chopped up.  T hey didn’t change the flavor much but added a bit more volume and a different color. The tart with the crumb and almond topping was delightful and yet subtle.  Not hugely sweet and quite pretty with the berries all cooked up. Winner!

I used Annalise Robert’s crust recipe and flour mixture. I think this crust tastes terrific and has a wonderful texture.  If it is chilled it is easy to handle and I like the pie bag for rolling it out thin and even.

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Taken as I sprinkled the almond crumb topping over the raw fruit. 

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Ready for the oven!

Berry Berry Tart

Crust:

1 c plus 2 tbsp brown rice flour mix (at bottom of recipe)

2 tbsp sweet rice flour

1 Tbps. granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

6 Tbps. cold butter cut into 6 chunks

1 lg egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Crust directions: Mix dry ingredients in bowl of stand electric mixer.  Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.  Add egg and juice.  Mix until it comes together into big chunks.  Shape into a ball with your hands. Put it on a crust sized piece of wax paper (14 x 14 inches more or less), flatten the crust ball some; put on top of it another piece of wax paper and chill it all in your fridge 15-20 minutes.

Roll out ball of crust into a circle; I use my pie bag or between the two sheets of wax paper, try to get the thickness even, no thick middle! Peel off one side of paper and place in 9 inch tart pan, centered.  Remove other slice of wax paper.  Crimp edges all around.

Filling:

2 1/2 cups mixed berries, mine were black sweet and sour red cherries, black berries, raspberries and blue berries if frozen let them defrost half way before using. I also chopped up the blackberries and bigger cherries.

1/2 cup peaches (or more berries)  defrost these too if frozen and chop into small pieces

Mix in a large bowl with:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp. minute tapioca

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Crumb topping

Put all four ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until crumbs form.

¾ c brown rice flour mix

½ c granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks

Use one cup crumbs mixed with ½ tsp. cinnamon and ¼ cup thin sliced almonds.

I keep the rest of my crumbs in a tupperware in the fridge; keeps a month for sure.

Assembly and baking:

Put the berries which have been mixed with tapioca, cinnamon and sugar into the pie shell, peaches too if used. It will just cover the bottom of the crust. Top with crumb mixture

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35 minutes until bubbly and the crust is light brown.  Cool at least 2 hours before serving warm or at room temperature. pulled pork tacos and berry berry tart 007

Note: I bake pies in my bottom heat pizza oven and it gives me a great browned crust.  If your oven isn’t bottom heat you might want to pre-bake the crust 10 minutes before filling and topping the fruit.

Great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. pulled pork tacos and berry berry tart 009

Brown Rice Flour Mix– (same as King Arthur gf basic flour blend)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

Delightful Daffodil Cake

I know I promised to write about pie every week this whole year but sometimes it is all about using the ingredients you got.  I had some egg whites in the freezer and had to use them up. Defrost and I had everything else in the fridge or pantry: go cake. This post is an exception to my pie a week for 2016 rule; ‘cause it is so freaking delish. Looks mostly like an angel food cake but it is an old fashioned confection known as a daffodil cake.  I found the recipe in my 1970s Betty Crocker, a great standard of a cookbook.  Was making it for many years before my diagnosis with celiac so once I got comfy baking gf I figured I could make it gf and it is perhaps even better than it was with gluten based flour.

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I made one this weekend, it turned out perfect and I dropped by with two slices for my mom, suddenly she started talking about how I should learn to make gf cake so I can have some too! Apparently this cake (and ones in the past) have been so incredibly good she can’t believe any of them are gluten free!! I assured her, again, that I only bake and cook gluten free. Not sure she believed my words; a measure of how incredibly good this cake is as I’m generally known for my honesty.

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So all you gluten free disbelievers, this cake will change your mind. It is tender, moist and delicately flavored, not to mention very pretty and perfect in spring.  It is after all, a daffodil cake and spring is the only time in the year they bloom. Make some now folks! It makes a wonderful birthday or party cake; you could put a thin vanilla powdered sugar glaze on top to make it fancy for such an occasion.

Notes: I save egg whites; in a Tupperware container in the freezer, until I have a cup of them.  Then I am ready to put this beauty together. Or just use enough eggs to make a cup of whites. If you don’t have guar gum you can use xanthan gum.

A few words on separating eggs: this can be tricky and I have learned via bad experiences not to separate directly into the measuring cup full of whites; do it into a small bowl and dump. You can NOT get ANY egg yolk in the whites or they won’t beat properly.  Best to set any egg that breaks or becomes contaminated with even a speck of yolk aside and make an omelet for supper! I crack each egg on the edge of my counter, split its shell in half and dump it over one cupped hand. The white flows through into the bowl underneath and I drop the yolk into the mixing bowl. Be gentle so the yolk does not break  Don’t use old tired eggs or the yolks are more likely to break; fresh is best but they need to come to room temperature before cracking so the whites beat to a high volume.  FYI: When baking gf all ingredients should be room temperature unless the recipe tells you otherwise.

Put the yolks in the medium mixing bowl and add those six whites in with the other cup of whites: 1 ½ cup total egg whites.  I know, a crazy lot of eggs in this but remember, no fat what-so-ever! Angel food cake is a good choice for your diabetic friends, or so they say. I just think those folks love a good angel food cake. This cake is even better, a masterpiece of delicate melt in your mouth cakey delight.

 

Angie’s I Can’t Believe it’s GF Daffodil Cake

1 cup egg whites (room temp)

6 whole large eggs (room temp)  separated

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

1 cup brown rice flour blend (recipe below)

½ tsp guar gum

1 ½ tsp. cream of tarter

¼ tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Put baking rack on second slot from the bottom.  You need a ten inch tube pan with removable bottom, do not spray.

Mix well and sift the powdered sugar, flour, guar gum into a bowl, at least once. Or twice.

Pour the egg whites (should add up to 1 ½ cups) into a stand mixer bowl, add cream of tarter and salt.  Start at medium speed.  Beat until foamy, increase speed until high, wait for soft peaks and add the cup of granulated sugar a tbsp or two at a time as it beats.  No bowl scraping or stopping.  Beat at highest speed until you have stiff peaks.  Beat briefly after adding the two flavoring extracts. Set aside.

In small bowl beat the 6 egg yolks about 4 minutes until thick and lemon yellow colored.

Fold the flour mixture into the egg whites, I do about a quarter cup at a time sprinkled all over the top and I fold it with a spatula or spoonula.  A spoonula is a rounded spatula, great for lifting up stuff in a mixing bowl and scraping it clean. Be gentle and smooth; don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly smoothly mixed.  Put about half of the mixture into a separate large mixing bowl.  Add the beaten egg yolks; gently fold until it is pretty well blended.

Put big glops of the plain mixture into the baking tube pan; I like 3 big ones.  Put three big glops of the yellow blended mix between them. Top with more glops of the mixes, using it all up.  Gently stir through the pan with your spoonula to swirl it a bit and smooth the top with the spoonula.

Put into preheated oven, bake 35 minutes, until when you press gently on the top it springs back.

Remove from oven, turn it over and hang on an empty wine bottle neck or a big funnel. Let cool totally in this upside down state before cutting it out of the pan. I use a sharp serrated bread knife, cut around the outside edge and the center tube. Lift it out and then slice under the cake all around.  Place a cake plate over the top and gently flip it.

I store it in a plastic cake saver or just in the microwave away from breezes and hungry folks.  You could wrap it in plastic wrap too. It is best eaten within 3 days.  It generally doesn’t last that long around here.

Brown Rice Flour Mix base mix 

(This mix is the same as King Arthur’s basic gf blend)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

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This recipe is a variant of the angel food cake you will find in Annalise Roberts’ Gluten-Free Baking Classics cookbook.

 

Josh’s Giant Muffin

In the interest of friendship and my natural curiosity I finally baked a very special muffin for my friend Josh, lover of the giant muffin!  I know some of you folks are fans of huge muffins. It was a gigantic banana nut chocolate chip muffin and it took enough batter for two regular muffins to fill each giant muffin portion: that’s a lot of batter! They were baked them in this oversized muffin tin someone gave me years ago, never used, so no worries on gluten filled crumbs in crevices.

I used my regular recipe with no alterations and baked them a few minutes longer.  Success!  Moist flavorful muffins with perfect texture.  And they were gorgeous, bakery worthy looks. Still, I was only able to eat half at a time.

Not sure I will be always making giant muffins, I tend to like small snacks but for you big muffin lovers; just know that you will get half as many muffins and I suggest you bake it 5 extra minutes, test it with a skinny cake tester and let it cool about 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to finish cooling on a cake rack.

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The giant muffin is on the left; two small ones on the right.  All tasty!

I ate a giant one the day after baking, it was still so fresh and tasty.  I froze Josh’s muffin so it would be fresh for him.  I did tell him that it was frozen a few days and that he should plan to eat it that day.  He misunderstood and waited a day more. It was getting crumbly but he said the flavors were fantastic, especially the chocolate chips.  Gluten free baked goods has a shorter shelf life plus mine have no preservatives.  That’s why I freeze them and defrost the day I am consuming.

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In conclusion, giant muffins are no big deal; no more work, just need that honking big muffin pan and you are set to go.  Bake them 5 to 7 minutes extra; I put in my cake tester and eye balled them just to be sure; they looked done, tester said done. Done.

Tasty.  But, that big muffin was too much food for my normal snack size.  Still, for company; they might be just the ticket for breakfast.  If you love giant muffins; feel free to use any of my multitude of muffin recipes for those big boys.  Test for doneness and let them cool longer in the metal pan as they are so big they will take longer to be ready to safely lift out of the pan. Enjoy!

Buckwheat Gnocchi with Clams and Rabe

Anyone who eats at my house knows my deep love of authentic Italian food.  I love many different dishes from spaghetti with meatballs to risotto to homemade pasta and sauce.  This post is about gnocchi. Specifically gnocchi made with ricotta cheese rather than potato.  I love their delicate flavor, light texture and how much easier they are to make than the potato version. I make plain ones with rice flour and will share that recipe some other post. Just don’t ask me how to pronounce gnocchi!

These are buckwheat gnocchi and are served with clams and broccoli rabe.  Yeah buckwheat.  No wheat in it; buckwheat is a relative of rhubarb and it has a homey flavor that somehow matches perfectly with the clams and bitter greens.  I have been making this dish for more than ten years; gf the past three years.  It is a traditional spring dish at my house and much loved by my daughter. Not that tricky, I promise you can make it, no fancy pasta machine required. No long process.  Roll, cut, press with fork and briefly boil.

It is a spring dish as broccoli rabe is best right now, bright green, snappy flavor and so good for you.  I cook it a few minutes in boiling water before draining and sautéing briefly in olive oil and garlic. Yumm!

You could use fresh clams but I never bother; if you do – please get tiny ones and save a bit of the cooking water to add to the sauce.  If you want to make it not gf; just use all purpose flour for the white rice flour. Most grocery stores now carry buckwheat flour; store the bag in your freezer please so it keeps longer.

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Gnocchi in my mini wok and ready to serve.

Buckwheat Gnocchi with Clams and Rabe

For the gnocchi

1/3 cup buckwheat flour mixed with

½ cup white rice flour or any blend

1 15 ounce jar of ricotta (whole milk is best)

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese; fine grater side

1 ½ tsp. sea salt

Sauce:

1 lb broccoli rabe

1 large can tiny whole clams or 2 small cans chopped/minced clams

¼ cup EVOL

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions: Heat a big pot of salted water.  While it heats, rinse the broccoli rabe and remove any yellowed leaves.  Cut the very bottom of the stems off and discard.  Cut the stems into 1 inch lengths. Do the same for the rest of the rabe; I set aside the stems and cook them one minute extra.  Throw the rabe stems in the boiling water, cook one minute and add the rest.  Cook maybe 3-4 more minutes; you don’t want it overcooked but not firm either.  Drain and set aside.

Mix all the gnocchi ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Turn out onto a rice floured bread board, knead briefly to form a dough. Do not add a lot of flour or your gnocchi will not be light and pillowy. Take a half cup or so at a time and roll it out on a rice flour dusted bread board; as thick as your middle finger (read ¾-1 inch).  I usually only roll out 5-6 inch lengths at a time.  They don’t have to be perfect looking, a bit irregular is just fine. Cut into 1 inch lengths (one knuckle long).  Using two forks press gently on the top and bottom to form small ridges.  This will somewhat flatten the gnocchi but the ridges are to hold sauce. Lay on cutting board that you dusted with rice flour. Don’t pile them on top of each other; one layer so they don’t stick together. Form all the dough while a big pot of salted (1 tsp) water heats.  I like a wide pan so I can easily fish out the gnocchi with my flat skimmer.  Put ¼ of the gnocchi in the bubbling water.  Let them slowly rise to the top; I leave them in about 3 minutes. I put them into a glass mixing bowl as I do the batches.

While they are cooking, heat the olive oil in a big sauce pan. I like to use my mini wok for this.  It is great for finishing a lot of pasta dishes.  Add the garlic and stir, cook 1 minute.  Add the drained greens, cook 1-2 minutes, adding the clams as it cooks, all the can juices too. Add the cooked gnocchi, the butter and if they seem dry; add a bit of the pot water; maybe ¼ cup. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

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They warm up nicely for a meal the next day, keeps 1-2 days in the fridge.

The original recipe is from Italy Al Dente by Bibi Caggiano; adapted to be gf by me. I love this cookbook, use it often; my fav Italian cookbook.  SO many good recipes; has risotto in it as well as homemade pastas and sauces and recipes that use factory pasta.  It works quite well with gf pastas.