Cooking for the People

Gluten-Free Mashup: Toll House Cookies

2010-03-27T20:36:00.003-04:00

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease, which came out of left field on a personal level, but since I have cooked for clients with Celiac or gluten intolerance, I was at least a little bit prepared.

I've been resisting the urge to reinvent the wheel and start dumping flours into a bowl. Instead what I've been doing is a lot of reading and testing recipes I already love with the great flour blend recipe from Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking by Kelli Bronski and Peter Bronski. My first triumph: Gluten Free Toll House Cookies which are indistinguishable from Toll House Cookies made with all-purpose wheat flour.

Here is my adaptation:

Gluten-Free Toll House Cookies
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup potato starch
1 tbsp potato flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups chocolate chip
1 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Whisk together flours, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until very light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or foil.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Next up: the flakiest buttermilk biscuits.

Wine Moron Wednesday: 7 Deadly Zins

2010-03-10T19:54:00.001-05:00

I think I could love a Zinfandel, but I don't like to taste oak, which to me tastes like a headache in the making. The search for a less-oaky Zin led me to Lodi Vineyards 7 Deadly Zins. Left to my own devices, I wouldn't have selected it because the label and name makes it seem like it is trying too hard to be cool, but that might be just me.

The scent: fiery, boozy and rich.
Then the first taste: LOTS of peppery and fruity flavor all at once. Once it mellows, it tastes meaty and fruity. There is a little bit of tannic puckeriness at first, which then subsides.
Could taste good with: chocolate or Mexican food like mole enchiladas
The price: $11.99 at my local liquor store.
If it was a person it would be a: Jock in a Misfits t-shirt.

Eating More Veggies, Part 2: Spice-Roasting

2010-02-28T21:31:00.001-05:00

Spice-roasting is one of the most delicious ways to bring more veggies into your life. Once you know the (ridiculously easy) technique, the flavor combinations are pretty much endless.

First, select a spice-veggie combination, like cumin-cauliflower, garam masala-brussels sprouts, or paprika-green beans. Use your imagination and follow your taste. Start with a pound of vegetables which you have washed, peeled if necessary, and chopped into a manageable size. The spice you are using should be fairly fresh. If you can't smell it, you probably won't be able to taste it and it is time for a new jar. A lot of health food stores sell bulk spices, so you can get just the amount you need.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Dump your vegetables onto the foil, then sprinkle with your spice, starting with a tablespoon or so. You may want to add more, depending on the intensity of the spice and your taste. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over the spiced vegetables, sprinkle with salt, and toss the whole mixture with your hands until all the vegetables are well covered with the oil, spice and salt. Pop the baking sheet into the oven and let the vegetables roast, pulling them out a couple of times to toss, until they are softened and golden at the edges. If the vegetables seem to be drying out before they are fully cooked, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over them. A squeeze of citrus juice just before serving improves almost any spice-veggie combo.

If you don't eat them right away, spice-roasted vegetables will keep well in a covered container in the fridge for a few days. Use them up in a salad or an omelet, or eat them as a snack.

Eating More Veggies, Part 1: Raw. Or almost raw.

2010-02-24T20:25:00.000-05:00

The first step to eating more vegetables is simple: have them available. This will involve a trip to the grocery store. In your zeal to bring more veggies into your life you may feel compelled to grab sacks and sacks of jicama, horseradish and jerusalem artichokes because they look cute.

Take it easy.

Your mission is to choose three vegetables that you already know you like and are palatable at a raw or nearly raw state. Having three different colors is a good idea. For the sake of argument, lets say carrots, snow peas, and red peppers. Or cauliflower, radishes and green beans. Or jicama, grape tomatoes, and asparagus. Whatever you like.

Bring the veggie trio home and give them a good wash. (Even if they are organic. Just because they are organic doesn't mean they don't have dirt and stuff on them.) If the veggie you have chosen is great for eating raw, just the way it is, like snow peas or grape tomatoes, then just dry it well. If it needs to be peeled and/or chopped for it to be easy to eat, do that. If it is a vegetable that benefits from a little cooking, like green beans or asparagus, you can blanch it. Blanching, just means submerging a vegetable in briskly boiling water for a short time (for our purposes here, not more than 30-60 seconds), then draining and dropping it into ice water. I often don't bother with the ice and just use really cold tap water, but classically it is done with ice water. As a bonus, this makes green vegetables a really bright appetizing green which will make you want to eat them even more.

Once you have prepped and dried your veggie selection well, put them in a storage container in the fridge. For storing fresh or blanched veggies I really like Rubbermaid Produce Savers.

So now you have a selection of perfectly prepped veggies to eat whenever you want. Grap a handful on your way out of the house so you have something to snack on, toss them with lettuce, a little cheese and chopped nuts to make a salad. Or dip them in this addictively delicious vinaigrette:

Addictively Delicious Vinaigrette

1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup maple syrup

Whisk all the ingredients together until they emulsify into a thick delicious sauce.