The GFCF Experience

Mom's Vegetable Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:19:54 PST

If only I had known the reaction in advance...

Home made vegetable soup was one of our wintertime staple foods growing up. Either my mom or my grandmother ("Little" Grandmom) would make it - a big pot of wonderful vegetable beef soup, served with a loaf of fresh sourdough rye bread from the lady at the Trenton Farmer's Market. There was always a huge cut of beef that would simmer with the stock and vegetables all day until it was super tender. I can still see "Little" Grandmom carefully eating the broth spoonful by spoonful, until all that was left in her bowl was a piece of beef and the vegetables.

As for me? I usually took as few vegetables as possibles and held out for the beef...

Seriously, it was a meal I looked forward to, and one that I have been dying to try and make. And this past weekend I finally did.

If only I had known the reaction in advance...

This is a really simple soup to make, from the stock all the way down. It is time consuming in that both the stock and the soup simmer for several hours, but not time consuming in that you are constantly watching over it - just bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and let it go. Or, as I did, let the slow cooker do all the work.

And consider this recipe a jumping off point for you; one of the great things about soup is that you can make it to suit your own tastes. I used stew beef, but you can do like mom and "Little" Grandmom did and use a piece of chuck roast. Don't like beef? Use chicken. Or turkey. Or seafood. Just make sure you make the appropriate home made stock. For a vegan variation just use a vegetable stock. Once your stock is made, just add your favorite veggies (and meat if you desire), and your favorite herbs and seasonings, and let it go. It's that simple.

I thought the soup turned out great IMHO.

If only I had known the reaction in advance...

MOM'S VEGETABLE SOUP
Adapted from a recipe by Mom

Ingredients

Okay, I am going to forego the traditional ingredient list here, because success to me is not so much the ingredients as it is the process. So here is the process, based on how I made it with a beef stock.

1. Make the Stock.

To a stock pot or your slow cooker add a beef soup bone (available from most grocery stores or butcher shops). To that add 16 cups (one gallon) of water, one medium size onion (quartered), two stalks celery (cut into three to four pieces), two carrots (peeled and cut into two to three pieces), and one or two bay leaves. If using a stock pot, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 - 6 hours. If using a slow cover, cook on low for 12 hours or overnight.

The trick is to extract as much flavor from the marrow of the bone as possible to maximize flavor.

If you don't want to use meat just make your favorite stock - chicken, veggie, mushroom, seafood...

2. Strain and Skim.

When the stock has finished cooking pour the stock through a collander into a second pot to remove all the veggies and bay leaves. Cover and let the stock cool, then place in a refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

After cooling, use a slotted spoon to skim the fat from the top of the stock. Pour the stock through a fine mesh strainer (to remove any remaining solids) into a slow cooker or stock pot.

3. Make the Soup.

Now comes the fun part - add what you like to your stock!

For vegetable beef, I use about 1.5 pounds of stew beef, though I wish I had used a piece of chuck roast.

Then I added veggies:

2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, snapped and cut into 1 inch pieces
about 1/2 cup diced cabbage
1 medium onion, diced
1 (15 oz. can) diced tomatoes, with juice

I also added some basil - about 1 tbsp dried. Then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Of course, add whatever veggies you like - corn, lima beans, cauliflower, broccoli...

Not using beef? No problem! Use chicken, seafood, or just veggies, depending on the stock you made and your own personal taste.

Anyway, once you've added your veggies, cover and start cooking! For a stock pot, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until the vegetables and meat are tender. For the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, then increase the heat to high and cook for another 2 hours, or unitl the meat and veggies are tender.

4. Serve and Enjoy!

I hope you like it if you try it. I know I did. But my family? Well, if only I had known the reaction in advance...

- one looked at the the tomatoes and said "Ugh!"
- one saw the onion and refused to eat it, but blamed it on the soup being cooked in the slow cooker.
- one just looked at it and said it didn't look appealing.
- one is 5 years old who has never liked soup, so she had a sandwich instead.

Then there was my daughter Helena, who matter-of-factly proclaimed, "Seems good to me."

Thank you Helena, for the vote of confidence. As for the rest of them, here is what I have to say:

:-)

Adopt a GF Blogger - Cassidy from Cooking Gluten (& Dairy) Free

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:22:51 PST

In my last post I mentioned that I was going to adopt Cassidy from Cooking Gluten (& Dairy) Free, and here it is!

Cassidy's blog is a recent discovery for me, and a welcome one. In addition to some wonderful recipes she also features the main products she uses - she primarily uses almond flour and coconut flour for example - and she also has great sections on dairy and cheese substitutes and dining out - short summaries of what can and cannot be had at several restaurants.

My discovery of her blog came at the right time. I had, since before Christmas, been craving a pineapple upside down cake - funny in that I had not even had one in probably over 20 years. But, as they say, it must be kismet, because low and behold that was one of the first recipes I saw on her blog! Here is a link to Cassidy's version, and here is my version:

Now admittedly, I had to make a few adjustments - most importantly, her recipe called for a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and I only had a 12-inch skillet. So I took a chance and upped every ingredient by roughly a third. I also subbed out the flour - I used 1/2 cup each Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose flour, tapioca flour, and brown rice flour. Much like the ranch dip, I used canola mayo instead of Vegenaise and used about a cup instead of upping that by a third.

It was my lucky day at first, since it managed to barely stay in the skillet while baking. But then...

...since it was a 12-inch skillet I could not just flip it onto a regular plate so I had to try and flip it out onto a charger which would have worked fine except that thos 12-inch iron skillets are kind of awkward and when it flipped it never quite made it all the way over and some of it fell off the side...

..and that's why you see a slice instead of the whole cake!

This cake was fabulous. So much so that my kids and I (well, mostly the kids) devoured the whole thing before the day was done! It also led to my Sister-in-Law (after sharing the link to Cassidy's recipe on Facebook) to create her own version which subbed flax meal (I think) for the eggs, which she said was fabulous as well. Have to get that recipe...

So you see Cassidy, your recipe inspired more than just me! Thanks for sharing so many wonderful recipes and information on your blog - I can't wait to try more!

GFCF Ranch Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:04:49 PST

"Broccoli, celery, gotta be, Veggietales..."

That's what my daughters were singing as they devoured this veggie plate with a GFCF ranch dip on New Year's Day!

This was the second time I had made this dip - the first was actually back around Thanksgiving. Making a ranch dip was something I had always wanted to try - I just never new how easy it was!

The recipe I used can be found here:

http://cassidys.hubpages.com/hub/Dairy-Free-Ranch-Dip

Cassidy, the person to developed this recipe, actually blogs now at Cooking Gluten (& Dairy) Free. This blog is a new discovery for me - and a welcome one. I think I may have a late entry for the latest Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger event...

I have never used Vegenaise before - normally I use canola mayo. When I made this recipe the first time I just followed Cassidy's instructions and directly substituted the canola mayo for the Vegenaise. While good, there was a really distinct mayo taste that took away from everything else in the dip. So this second time, I cut the mayo to 1/2 cup - same as the CF sour cream. I don't know if the difference is actually due to using canola mayo instead of Vegenaise or just my palate, but it definitely tasted better the second time around.

My advice: start with a half cup mayo or Vegenaise and then simply add more if you feel it is needed.

My version of Cassidy's recipe is below. I think you will really like this one...

Oh, and one other benefit. That veggie plate above? It was devoured in 15 minutes. And my kids don't normally like to eat broccoli, cauliflower, and green peppers!

GFCF RANCH DIP
Adapted from a Recipe by CassidyS

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola mayonnaise
1/2 cup CF sour cream (I used Tofutti's)
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp GFCF Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp paprika
pepper to taste

Place the salt and garlic in a small bowl. Using the back of a spoon , mash the salt and garlic together until they form a paste.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined. Adjust the seasonings as needed.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Three steps - that's it!!!

A couple of final notes:

First, this is one recipe where the longer you let it sit, the better it gets.

Second, the Worcestershire sauce is optional, but I felt it really added great flavor to the dip.

I hope you try this - please let me know what you think!

A Year of Transition

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:09:16 PST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

http://mytrainmaster.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/road-less-traveled.jpg

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

~Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Happy New Year Everyone! Welcome to 2012!

It's interesting how much difference a day makes. Really, when you think about it, there is not much difference between December 31st and January 1 - they are just two days out of 365 (or 366) on the calendar. And yet, there is a great deal of difference. For one is the end, and the other is a new beginning. One causes us to look back on the year just past, while the other causes us to look forward to the year ahead.

2011 was filled with many ups and downs. I made some wonderful new friends and even renewed some old friendships from my childhood (thank you Facebook!). I discovered some wonderful food bloggers and hopefully shared some recipes and tips that helped all of you too. I got to see Grand Teton National Park and Craters of the Moon National Monument - fulfilling a couple of items on my bucket list. But I also broke my leg, had to deal with school issues, and on and off bouts with insomnia, among other things.

But now it's 2012 - the new year, and a new beginning, a time to look ahead with hope. The slate has been wiped clean!

I mentioned in my last post that I am not really big on resolutions, but I did make one for this year...

...to make it to 2013.

I know it's a bit broad, but unlike a lot of resolutions, it should be readily achievable barring a major trajedy (God forbid!) or the Mayans being right all along. In which case none of this really matters...

The real challenge with my resolution is not in the achievement, but in the path I take to get there.

One of my friends from high school decided that the word for 2012 is - conniption. Given that I'm a parent that will probably be an appropriate word on several occasions.

My word for 2012 is transition.

On a grand scale, it's difficult to explain this without getting into a long, drawn out dissertation on life. But I think many of you have been there before. Things happen and circumstances change to the point where you realize that decision needs to be made - do I stay on the same path I'm on, or do I change and plot a new course? Well, the choice has been made - by January 1, 2013, be it the Will of God, or the Mayans, I expect to be in a different place than I am right now.

The real fun of 2012 is deciding which path to take to get there. That's why my 2012 will be one of transition.

Part of the 2012 transition will occur with this blog as well. At least that is my hope. It's hard to believe that I have been blogging for almost 4 1/2 years. I have learned so much in that time, met wonderful new people including some of my best friends, and I'd like to believe that my writing as well as my cooking has matured since I started back in August 2007. I began this blog with the goal of helping those getting started on the GFCF lifestyle, knowing how challenging it was for my family. And that continues to be my primary goal. But I think it could be so much more. I do have a visiion, and I hope it is one that will be embraced by all of you, my dear readers. And 2012 will hopefully see that vision bceome reality.

In the meantime, my short term goal is hopefully begin blogging again more frequently, and focusing on providing you with recipes, tips, links, information, and anything else I can to enhance and improve your GFCF experience.

Thanks for reading - and Happy New Year!

Creamy GFCF Turkey and Rice Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:05:44 PST

I am not one who normally makes New Year's resolutions, but there are a lot of things I want to try and do in 2012. One of those is to be better prepared. What I mean by that is I want to try and get things done ahead of time, especially in terms of food preparation. How much easier life would be if all that needed to be done during the week was to heat something premade or just put a few precooked ingredients together for a quick dinner!

There are certain things that easily lend themselves to this - it's easy to whip up a batch of pasta or start something in the crock pot in the morning and have it ready by dinner time. Casseroles can be premade as well and frozen - to be simply reheated and served.

Or you can just combine already cooked ingredients and make the casserole fresh. Like this rice casserole.

Rice is one of those great foods that you can make a bunch of at once (how hard is it to boil water, add rice, reduce to simmer, cover and let cook) and then just reheat as needed. It is the perfect base for this casserole I made with some leftover ground turkey used for making tacos. The casserole is based on this chicken rice casserole recipe I found surfing the web. What's nice about this dish is it's versatility - the base ingredients are cooked rice (whichever you prefer), some sort of GFCF broth, and CF sour cream. After that, it's up to your imagination, or whatever you have on hand. You can use white rice, or brwon rice, or wild rice. You can do what I did and add ground turkey. You can use cooked chicken, like in the linked recipe, or beef strips even. You can use carrots like I did, or mushrooms like in the linked recipe, or other veggies you like. If you want a vegan version, just use some sort of vegetable or mushroom broth and add your favorite beans. Or lentils. Or just veggies. You can stick with thyme and paprika like I did, or use your own favorite herbs and spices, even kick it up with some chili powder or hot sauce. The possibilities truly are endless.

Most important of all, it comes together quickly and easily and is delicious. My children devoured the entire casserole practically by themselves.

This one will defintiely be made more often.

GROUND TURKEY AND RICE CASSEROLE
Adapted from a recipe found on the blog Bay Area Bites

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice ( I used white rice)
1 1/2 - 2 cups GFCF chicken broth
1/2 cup CF sour cream (I used Tofutti)

2 cups cooked ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 - 2 carrots, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp CF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
1 Tbsp GF flour
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 cup GF breadcrumbs (I used the end pieces from a loaf of Rudis GF multigrain bread, processed in a food chopper)

Add the oil to a large saucepan that's been heated over medium heat. Add the carrots and saute until they begin to soften. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften. Incorporate the butter, then add the turkey, flour, thyme and paprika. Once those have been combined, add the chicken broth. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the mixture is simmering, preheat the oven to 400 °.

After 10 minutes, incorporate the sour cream into the mixture and add the rice. Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

If your saucepan is oven-safe, you can just cover the top of the mixture in the saucepan with the bread crumbs. If not, the transfer the misture to a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, then cover the mixture with bread crumbs.

Place the dish in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes at 400°. Serve immediately.

NOTE One thing I would recommend (and I didn't do), is to start by using 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. After simmering and adding the sour cream and rice, if the mixture seems to thick then add additional chicken broth until the desired consistency is reached. I added 2 cups from the beginning and had to add in some additional rice to thicken. Either way, it was still delicious!

GFCF Blueberry Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:11:35 PST

The fulfillment of a request.

Today is the last day of school before the holidays, which of course means the kids will be doing next to nothing except having parties and watching movies. My fourth grader was having a brunch today, and she asked if I would make scones for her to share. Sure, why not!!!

It was the perfect opportunity to try an adapt a recipe I wanted to try from the folks at America's Test Kitchen (when you go to their website click on the blueberry scone recipe. You will need to have an account with them to view it). The beauty of this recipe is that it can probably be used for more than just scones - I'm thinking cinnamon buns potentially too.

But today it's blueberry scones. Aside from the necessary GFCF adjustments, the only change from the Test Kitchen recipe is that I didn't grate frozen butter, but rather just incorporated chilled butter with a pastry blender like you would making biscuits.

They really turned out well. I hope Olivia's class enjoyed them. And if you try them, I hope you will too.

BLUEBERRY SCONES
Adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

8 tbsp CF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
1 to 1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen)
1/2 cup CF milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 cup CF sour cream (I used Tofutti)
1 cup GF all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF Blend)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon or orange zest
2 tbsp CF butter, melted.

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray, or line the sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the milk and sour cream. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and zest. Whisk together to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk/sour cream mixture and, using a spatula, mix until just combined into a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 6 - 8 times until smooth. Roll the dough out into a 12" by 12" square. Using a pastry scraper or a spatula, carefully fold 1/3 of the dough over onto the middle third, followed by the last third on top of that. Repeat the process with the short end of the dough until you have about a 4" square. Transfer the dough to a floured dish and place in the freezer for five minutes.

Remove the dough from the freezer and transfer back to the floured surface. Roll the dough out again into a 12" by 12" square. Arrange the blueberries evenly on the dough, gently pressing them into the dough. Using a dough scraper or a spatula, loosen the dough from the surface and carefully roll into a tight log. Lay the seam side down and press the dough out into a 4" by 12" rectangle. Using a floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into four equal pieces, then cut each piece diagonally into two triangles.

Transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet and brush the top of each triangle with melted butter (you can also sprinkle the tops with sugar if you like). Bake at 425° for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes before serving.

The Luminarias - A Christmas Story

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:51:24 PST

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

~Norman Vincent Peale

Photo: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/victor/hereandthere/2008/12/christmas-eve-in-albuquerque.html

Christmas is such a magical time of year. As a child, it was a day filled with anticipation - what would be waiting for me under the Christmas tree? As a Father, it is the joy of watching my children scream with glee as they open each present. Christmas is a day of happiness and peace, as if the world stops, if only for a day. Even Walmart closes...

But Christmas is more than just a day. It is a season, a magical season. It is a season that has expanded throughout the years - when my parents were children, everything seemed to happen on Christmas Eve. That progressed to the week before Christmas, then two. Now it seems like the Christmas season starts right after Halloween, if not before in some retail stores. Me? It begins the day after Thanksgiving, when the trees are put up and the decorating begins. And we do it all - the lights, the ornaments, the wreaths, inside and out. While I don't go all out like some people, I do love to have some lights and decorations outside to celebrate the season.

And some people DO go all out! When I lived in Columbia, SC, there was one street where everyone, I mean everyone, had their entire yards decorated with lights. Every night there was a line of cars going up and down the road taking in each display. I had even heard that when people moved off the street, they left the Christmas lights behind for the next homeowner to use. I also remember a church in Tallahassee FL, right next to the Florida State University campus, where they put up an amazing light display in their parking lot, along with loudspeakers playing Christmas hymns.

Nowadays, people not only put up lights, but synchronize them to music. And the lights have gone from the old big bulbs to the miniature bulbs to now LEDs that are brighter and more vibrant. And I really do love them all...

...but sometimes, real Christmas magic lies in the simplicity of a candle, inside a bag weighed down by sand...and a stick of gum...

The tradition of luminarias began centuries ago. The Spanish tradition was to light little bonfires, or luminarias, on the roads and in churchyards to guide people into midnight Mass on the final night of the celebration of Las Posadas. The celebration of Las Posadas (the Spanish word for lodging or inn) commemorates Mary and Joseph's search for an inn to stay at on the eve of Christ's birth in Bethlehem. The Spanish missionaries brought this tradition to Mexico. Over time, the bonfires were replaced by farolitos, the little paper bags filled with sand containing a lit candle, or what we know today as luminarias. But the tradition of lighting them on the last day of Las Posadas, or Christmas Eve, continues. And while most associate this tradition with the Southwest, especially New Mexico (like the picture from Olde Town Albuquerque above), it has also migrated to other parts of the United States, including a little neighborhood I lived in as a child...

I have talked before about the wonderful neighborhood where I lived in Allison Park, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh. I posted earlier this year about our 4th of July block parties, and the Heatherton Heights Musical Mob. But in the winter, at Christmas, there was another wonderful tradition where most everyone in ther neighborhood took part - the luminarias. Every family received their farolitos, and on Christmas Eve, each family would line them on the curb in front of their house. At dusk, the farolitos were lit, bathing the neighborhood streets in their soft light. It was a magical display, far more beautiful to me than any Christmas light display I have ever seen. Everyone in the neighborhood walked the streets, laughing, singing Christmas Carols. and sharing Christmas cheer. It was happiness. It was peace. It was joy.

And maybe it was that soft light, the feeling of happiness and peace, and the joyful feeling, that on a particular Christmas Eve led one to ask another for a stick of gum. A simple question. An innocent request...

Which kindled the flame within two hearts.

Which a short time later led to those two hearts becoming united as one.

In 2011, my sister and my brother-in-law celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. Shortly after they were married, they moved to Albuquerque, where they saw the farolitos lining the streets in the Olde Town firsthand.

But it all began in a little neighborhood in a suburb of Pittsbugh PA, one Christmas Eve, bathed by the soft and beautiful luminaria light. It was that night when Christmas waved it's magic wand, and a lifetime of love was born.

With a little help from a stick of gum.

Happy Holidays everyone, from the GFCF Experience.

The GFCF Thanksgiving Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:06:57 PST

Well, I wish I could say I was on a two month vacation, but in reality I just had other issues to deal with and had to take a break from blogging for a while. I am glad to be back, and just in time for Thanksgiving!

Do you have any special foods you make for Thanksgiving? Of course, there are the traditional foods, like turkey and dressing and sweet potatoes/yams and pumpkin pie, but do you have any others? In our house, things are pretty much traditional, though of course everything is made with a GFCF touch.

Here is how our Thanksgiving looks:

The Turkey

Once again this year we are looking at getting a fresh, free, range turkey, courtesy of the Hutterite colonies in Montana. As for what we do with it after we get it, here is our plan, bases on a recipe from America's Test Kitchen:

Instead of brining (because we don't have a pot big enough to fit the large bird we need), we are just going to use salt. After carefully loosening the sking around the breast, leg, and thigh, rub a tablespoon of salt under each breast, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt under each leg and thigh, and two tablespoons of salt inside the cavity. Cover the bird tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours.

Rinse the excess salt off the turkey (be sure to rinse under the skin) and pat dry. Make a paste consisting of CF Butter (I use Earthbalance Buttery sticks), cracked pepper, rubbed sage, and fresh or dried thyme. Rub this paste under the skin of the breasts, thighs, and legs of the turkey.

Fill three quart zippered storage bags with ice and place the turkey, breast side down, on the ice in a bowl or roasting pan, making sure that the ice is only touching the turkey breasts. Use one ice bag for each breast, and place the third inside the cavity of the turkey. Leave the turkey and ice at room temperature for 1 hour. Doing this cools the turkey breasts so that they will cook longer and be done approximately the same time as the dark meat.

Preheat the oven to 425° and place the oven rack on the lowest level. Place the turkey, breast side down, on foiled covered rack (with drip holes cut into the foil for the juices) inside a roasting pan. Put 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white wine in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the bird at 425° for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Remove the bird, reduce the oven temperature to 325°, and carefully flip the bird over so it is breast-side up in the roasting pan. Cover and cook at 325°, basting periodically with the pan juices, until the breast meat is at 160° and the dark meat is at 175°. Let the turkey rest for 30 minuntes before serving.

One other thing: if your turkey comes with a pop up thermometer, remove it and throw it away. They are not too accurate...

Side Dishes

So what do you like with your turkey? Here are a few of my favorites:

Our must have side dish is this GFCF cornbread stuffing. I will actually be making a double recipe this year because my family likes it so much!

Another great dish is this GFCF wild rice casserole. About the only change I would make to it is that I would pre-melt the GFCF cheese in the microwave (in 30-second intervals with stirring in between) before pouring on top of the casserole to bake.

I am about the only one in my house that likes cranberries, and I am definitely beyond that canned, jellied stuff of my youth. My favorite cranberry dish is this Cranberry Cobbler created by my dear friend Carrie (aka the Ginger Lemon Girl). Just make sure you use CF butter. I also think I may try the agave nectar instead of sugar, as Carrie suggests.

Dessert

Thanksgiving is not complete without dessert. And Thanksgiving dessert usually revolves around pumpkin. Here are my three favorites.

This is the recipe I use for pumpkin pie. It is a happy marriage between several different recipes that makes about the best pumpkin pie I have ever had. My daughter and I are the only ones that eat pumpkin pie in our house, but that's ok - that means more for us!

Our other go-to dessert are Carrie's pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. This is one of my favorite recipes that I have already made several times this fall.

Finally, this is my other favorite pumpkin recipe, courtesy of my dear freind Katherine (aka GFCF Mommy). Her marbled pumpkin cheesecake, made with CF cream cheese and coconut (or almond) milk, is absolutely fantastic.

Other Delicious Thanksgiving Links

Here are some other tasty links to great GF and GFCF Thanksgiving goodies!

If you are doing a vegetarian Thanksgiving, then head over and see Sea at Book of Yum, who is currently doing a blog event featuring vegetarian Thanksgiving options from a variety of bloggers. Here is a link to her post announcing the event.

Back to Carrie - here is a list of the Ginger Lemon Girl's favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Here are some great Thanksgiving ideas from Jenn at Jenn Cuisine.

And finally, here are some great Thanksgiving recipes and tips from Karina Allrich, the Gluten Free Goddess.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful (and GFCF) Thanksgiving with family and friends. If you are traveling next week, please be safe!

The GFCF Experience Product Review: Oregon Cracker Company Harvest Bounty Crackers

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:19:16 PDT

I have to admit, I am a little jealous.

I had a chance to try the Harvest Bounty crackers made by Oregon Cracker Company, and they are really good.

Harvest Bounty is one of three varieties offered by the company, the others being Garden Vegetable and Sharp Cheddar. All are gluten free; obviously the sharp cheddar is not casein free, but the other two varieties are CF. All three varieties are also soy free and corn free.

Did I mention they are really good?

So why am I jealous?

I'm jealous because they are only sold in stores in and around the Willamette Valley in Oregon - from Vancouver, WA down to Eugene. And they are not sold online.

I only managed to try these because a relative of the company's owners happens to go to school with my son. And knowing that my son was GFCF, he gave Nic a bag, which Nic ~~reluctantly~~ gladly shared with the rest of his family.

So if you live in the Willamette Valley, look for Oregon Cracker Company crackers in one of these stores.

And enjoy.

Just remember who tipped you off on how good they are.

You can also follow the Oregon Cracker Company on Facebook.

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:38:30 PDT

I don't know about you, but Labor Day, in some ways, is an oxymoron. It's a holiday, yet the one thing many people seem to do on Labor Day is work! If they are not working at their jobs, they are, like I did yesterday, working around the house, doing end of summer yard work and prepping for Fall, or other household chores.

Then again, it is called Labor Day...

At least one of the things I did on Labor Day was a true labor of love - making cookies for my family. And these Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies were a definite hit. They are based on a recipe a I published back in 2009 for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Quinoa cookies, mainly subbing GFCF rolled oats for the quinoa flakes, but with a couple of other changes as well.

I wish all my labors of love tasted this good!

OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
An Original GFCF Experience Creation

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups GF rolled oats
3/4 cup GF all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) CF Butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
1 cup honey
1 cup peanut butter (I used freshly ground peanut butter)
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup GFCF semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, or lightly spray with GFCF cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients (flours,oats, baking soda, and salt). Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat the butter and dark brown sugar at medium speed until they form a grainy paste. Add the honey, peanut butter, and vanilla, beating at medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredient mixture until thoroughly combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet (they don't spread too much). Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the tray 180° halfway through the cooking time. Let the cookies stand on the cookie sheet for one minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Makes around 6 dozen delicious cookies!

The GFCF Experience Back to School Guide: Part III - Communications

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:33:11 PDT

I talked about the food in Part I. I talked about art projects in Part II. Now, in the final part of the GFCF Experience Back to School Guide, I'll talk about what ties this all together - communications.

Making people aware of your child's GFCF needs at school may be the most important thing you do. You can make their lunches for them and provide GFCF art supplies, but what about special occasions, or what if there is a substitute who may not be aware of your child's needs? These and other situations make communications essential. Here are four ways you can communicate.

The IEP

If your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with the school, make sure that your child's special dietary needs are explicitly written into that document. This is your contract with the school, and adhering to your child's diet is one of the services that the school provides. In our daughter's IEP, we not only have language outlining her dietary needs, but when she was younger we also put in a requirement that she takes two snack breaks a day, as at the time this helped her in school. Now in middle school, there are no "official" snack times, but we still provide a box of GFCF cereal bars or a bag of GFCF treats for when unexpected situations arise. And GFCF is still a part of her IEP.

The Letter

When our oldest was diagnosed with autism, and we started the GFCF lifestyle, we made a conscious decision to makeall of our children GFCF as well. We believe that this holds benefits for all of them. Since our oldest is the only one of our ~~three~~ four in school that requires an IEP, we needed another way to communicate our dietary requests for the other ~~two~~ three.

What we do is draft a letter each year to our children's teachers, outlining their dietary needs and addressing any special request issues. Here is what our letter looks like in general:

Dear [Teacher],

Here is some information concerning [child], including dietary needs and contact information. Please share this with all who may work with [child] in the classroom, including parent helpers and substitutes.

[Child]'s is gluten free, casein free, which means no food or other things (such as Play Doh) made from gluten-containing grains, and no milk-based (cow, goat, etc) dairy products. The list of unacceptable products is quite long, but there are also a lot of acceptable foods. A good resource for this diet is http://www.gfcfdiet.com/. They have lengthy lists of acceptable and unacceptable items.

We will provide all snacks for [child], as well as any treats for birthday parties. We will also provide substitutes for Play Doh and any food that is used in arts and crafts projects. We request at least 24-48 hours notice so we can prepare what is needed.

If you would like to keep something on hand that [child] can have, here are some suggestions:

· Any fresh fruits and vegetables
· Skittles or Starburst
· Sorbet, or 100% fruit popsicles (with the exception of Haagen Daz)
· Envirokids Berry cereal bars
· 100% fruit leather
· Marshmallows
· Corn or rice-based pasta (for use in crafts)

In terms of drinks, water is preferred, but we also do 100% fruit juice. Obviously, no cow or goat milk, but rice, soy, and almond milk are acceptable substitutes.

We also request that you make our child's dietary restrictions known to the other students (and parents of students) in the classroom, and emphasize the importance of not sharing their food with [child] unless specifically permitted to do so.

If you have any questions concerning a particular product, please do not hesitate to contact us. [insert your contact information here].

We are looking forward to working with you this school year.

Sincerely

This letter is important because it is written instruction that can be included in the information provided to substitutes and others who may work with your child. We have had success working with all of our children's teachers concerning the diet.

Labelling

Bec at Mainely Musings, the person who compiled the terrific list of GFCF art supplies that I used as a reference in Part II, also posted some tips she uses in her GFCF school situation. You can read her post here.

One of Bec's great suggestions is the use of labels. She labels her son's lunch box and backpack to let people know that her sons is gluten free/egg free. She places the labels in several places, just to make sure people get the message. In Bec's words, "I figure it is okay to hit people over the head with the fact that he has a special diet as long as it means he stays healthy."

Make Your Children Aware of Their Diet

Finally, make sure your children understand their dietary restrictions, and the importance of only eating the food specifically provided for them. This will hopefully lessen the desire to share food or accept unacceptable foods from others.

This is definitely not easy, though, especially with younger kids. On more than one occasion over the years, our now 9-year old would come to us crying because a few days earlier she had eaten some food her friend had brought which was not GFCF. She knew the food was not on her diet, but she did it anyway.

One thing that helps is to provide specific GFCF substitutes for what the other kids are having. If a child is bringing cupcakes to school for a birthday party, send a cupcake with your child too. If kids are making pizza for a class party, then make sure you send a pizza for your child. If they are having an ice cream party, be sure you send GFCF ice cream and not popsicles. In this way, they are having the "same" thing as the rest of the class.

_____________________

I would like to close this series with a couple of tidbits:

Collectively, my children have spent 19 years in school. Over that period of time, we have had only one parent who has actively taken an interest in the diet, and has actually gone out of her way to make sure that when it was her child's snack day or birthday, she provided a snack that our child could eat. So please don't expect other parents to be mindful of your child's GFCF needs.

One of my best memories was when our oldest was 4 years old and was invited to a birthday party at a classmate's house. We always call ahead and alert the parents about our children's dietary needs, and they are usually more than understanding. But on this occasion, the father was unaware, and was giving out non-GFCF candy to the kids. When he went to give some to Helena, the rest of her classmates screamed "NO!" as loud as they could. That's the power of telling classmates about the diet.

I hope you have enjoyed this series, and have found the tips I presented to be useful. I would love to hear from you! Please leave your comments on this series, as well as any tips of your own you are willing to share.

As always, thanks for reading!

The GFCf Experience Back to School Guide: Part II - Art Class

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:59:56 PDT

In Part I of this series I talked about the obvious - school lunches and snacks. Here, in Part II, I talk about the insidious - school art.

My rude GFCF awakening when it comes to school art occured when my oldest was four years old. It was an IEP meeting, and the teachers were showing me some of her work. One of her art projects was a design made by gluing pretzel sticks to some construction paper. When I asked why pretzels were used, since they knew she was GFCF, they replied that it was ok because she wasn't eating them.

It never occured to them that my daughter, like many young children, like to put their fingers in her mouth. And after touching pretzels and getting some of the crumbs on her hands, well...

This is not the only instance of food being used as part of art projects. Every year, at least one of my children makes a "gingerbread house" around Christmastime. They do this by gluing graham crackers around a (cleaned) single-serving milk carton and then decorating with different candies. Not exactly a GFCF paradise.

I'll talk more about the use of food in art later, but first, let's look at the more common way gluten and casein may make their way into school art - through art supplies.

All About the D'oh

How do you keep Kindergartners and 1st graders occupied at school? Give them some Play D'oh! At least, that's what they do at my children's school. Play Doh is the teachers best friend. At the beginning of the day, during art time, at open houses, etc. Play Doh seems to be the craft of choice to keep children occupied. What's not to like about Play D'oh!

Well, Play D'oh is not gluten free. It's made with wheat flour.

Fortunately, there are a couple of options. Crayola Model Magic is GFCF and can be used in place of Play Doh (be careful...Crayola dough is NOT GFCF...make sure you get the right product!). Moon Dough is also GFCF, and a company called Colorations markets a GF dough (another company, Lakeshore, has discontinuted their GF dough line).

Or, have some fun and make your own Play Doh! It's easy! Here is the recipe:

GFCF Playdough Recipe
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tsp. cooking oil
food coloring

Place all the ingredients in a pot and cook on low heat, constantly stirring, until a ball is formed. Remove from heat. When cool, pat until smooth. Store in a plastic bag.

Note that doughs made by common art suppliers Ross and Rose Art are NOT GFCF.

But Silly Putty is GFCF...

A Sticky Situation

Now that we've tackled Play Doh, let's look at another sticky product - glue. There are some glues that can be made from wheat flour (the simplest glue recipes are just a mixture of flour and water). But fortunately, the most common glue products available - Elmer's glue and glue sticks - are GFCF. Ross glue products are also GFCF.

There are other adhesives that are used in art class as well, like stickers and tape. All have the potential to contain gluten, but there are some that are certified gluten free:

3M brand tapes, including Post-It notes and Scotch tape
RoseArt brand stickers
Sandylion brand stickers
Smilemakers brand stickers

Paints for the Little Picassos

On our school supply list every year we are asked to buy paints. For the most part, paints are gluten free, EXCEPT for finger paints manufactured by Elmers and Ross.

Companies with acceptable paints include:

Crayola - all paints (including the finger paints)
Palmer (all paints)
Prang (all paints)
Ross (EXCEPT finger paints)
Elmers (EXCEPT finger paints)

Mark(er) it Down

Of course, what would art class be without pencils, pens, markers, and crayons? Fortunately, pretty much all common brands are GFCF, so draw away!!!

Paper Mache

I can remember doing paper mache when I was in school in the 1970s. But I had never included it before in this list, simply because my kids have not done it in school. Nonetheless, paper mache usually uses some sort of wallpaper paste, which contains gluten. And given how messy it is, it would be easy to get that paste all over you and inadvertantly ingest it.

Fortunately, Alison at Sure Foods Living published a recipe a few years ago to make your own paper mache paste - mix 2 parts GF white glue with one part warm water. Then dip your paper pieces in this. Alison also mentions a company called Claycrete that sells a recycled newspaper product you just mix with water and mix like clay.

Food Art

One time, I saw an art museum display which was an entire living room suite made from cheese puffs. The flies loved it...

Seriously, food is commonly used in school art projects, whether it be milk cartons to be used as bases for gingerbread houses (not to mention the gingerbread), or macaroni to make necklaces, or even pretzels used as tree limbs. So how does one get around these obstacles in a GFCF manner?

Milk Cartons. You need to make sure the cartons are thoroughly rinsed before use. Even better: provide a carton from home that had your favorite GFCF substitute (like soy milk). I am not sure if you can purchase unused milk cartons - does anyone know?
Macaroni. Corn or rice macaroni is (at least here in Missoula) readily available, even in regular supermarkets.
Pretzels. You could substitute Glutino pretzel sticks, but that's costly. Alternatively, slice carrots into little sticks and use them instead. It gives the little masterpiece a terrific splash of color.

As for the Gingerbread house, please check out Karen at Only Sometimes Clever's Gingerbread cookie recipe. She made a GFCF gingerbread house using this recipe that won first prize in a local competition a few years ago!

If All Else Fails

So what if there is no way around your child using a GFCF product in art class? Here are two suggestions:

Wear gloves. A set of latex or rubber gloves will allow the child to do the art project without having the GFCF product touch them.
Participate! If you know your child is going to be doing a special art project at school involving a GFCF item, ask if you can come in and help. I did this when my daughter made a gingerbread house and we had a great time building it together.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do, though, is communicate, and communications will be the subject of Part III of this series.

As always, thanks for reading!

I would like to acknowledge Bec at Mainely Musings; she has a terrific post listing many GFCF art supplies, and where I found much of my information. Please visit her post here for a complete list.

Do you have a special hint or tip for having a GFCF school year? I would love to hear about it! Please leave a comment to this or any of the posts in this series.

The GFCF Experience Back to School Guide - Part I: BYOF

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:32:32 PDT

Is it that time of year again? It seems like the school year just finished last week! Yet here we are, three weeks away from the start of another school year. This year, my youngest finally gets her chance - she has been waiting two years to start kindergarten. But she's already disappointed...her teacher is a man...

For GFCF parents, the new school year can be a source of trebidation. Schools, in my experience, don't seem to understand the needs of the GFCF lifestyle. While I cannot attest to the way public schools were when I was a child (I went to parochial schools), it seems like these days more emphasis is placed on schools to provide food for the kids. And this goes beyond lunches - my children's school offers breakfast and snacks as well. Not to mention that teachers like to use food as rewards for good behavior or other achievements - ice cream party anyone? And while schools may place certain restrictions on food, like the ban on nuts in the classroom at my chindren's school, that doesn't seem to apply to GF or GFCF foods.

This three part series is designed to help parents make decisions to help their kids have a wonderful GFCF school year. I originally posted this in 2008, and have done some updating since then. In this first part, I will tackle the obvious, actual food for your child. And in my mind, that means one thing - provide everything.

Don't trust the school to accommodate your child. BYOF (Bring Your Own Food).

Most, if not all, public schools, as well as some private schools, offer some sort of school lunch program (our school also offers a school breakfast program). As part of the National School Lunch Program, schools can receive reimbursements from USDA for providing what USDA considers a "nutritious meal" for children. USDA has even published guidelines to help schools plan healthy breakfasts and lunches.

The catch to all this is that in order for schools to receive their reimbursement, meals have to offer the following four components at each meal:

meat/meat alternates
grains/breads
fruits/vegetables
milk

This is not good for the GFCF experience, as the grains will almost assuredly have gluten, and of course milk violates every principle of CF living (although, to be fair, my children's school does offer Silk soy milk).

That is why it is most important that you provide lunch every day for your child. Doing so allows you to have control over what they eat, which, at least for me, provides great peace of mind. The typical lunch we send for our kids looks like this:

Some form of meat or other protein (my oldest loves peanut butter on GFCF bread or celery, and the school does allow nuts in the lunchroom)
GFCF chips or pretzels
fruit and/or veggies
an occasional "trail mix" (GFCF cereal, raisins, and GFCF chocolate chips)
a drink (we have used water bottles, 100% fruit juice boxes, and Silk soy milk single serving boxes.).

Another area where it is important to provide food for your children is snacks. At our school, Kindergartners and 1st graders take turns providing snacks for the entire class every day. Now these are supposed to be healthy snacks, but healthy snacks can include crackers, pretzels, and goldfish. Rather than have all the other parents worry about an exclusive snack just for our child, we just send a snack every day (plus, our experience is that very few parents will knowingly provide snacks our children can have.). When it's our turn to send snacks for the class, we send a GFCF snack for all to enjoy! Some snacks we have sent in the past include:

the aforementioned trail mix
popcorn
freshly baked GFCF banana bread
fresh fruit or veggies
Envirokidz Cereal bars

For our older children, we have worked with the teacher to keep a box of GFCF cereal bars or a bag of treats on hand for time when the teacher wishes to reward the class or some unexpected situation arises.

For special occasions, such as birthday parties, we have requested a 24-hour notice so we can prepare a special treat for our child in lieu of the class treat. Often, we can find out what the parent is planning on serving, and we can make a GFCF version for our kids.

Finally, back to our school's nut free classroom policy - it's important to verify if your school has any food restrictions like that so that you can plan appropriately for your child.

As you can see, with a little bit of planning, you can have a successful GFCF school year - in terms of food. In Part II of this series, I will talk about a more insidious area where the GFCF diet comes into play - art.

As always, thanks for reading!

Do you have a special hint or tip for having a GFCF school year? I would love to hear about it! Please leave a comment to this or any of the posts in this series.

Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger - Gluten Free Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:07:44 PDT

I have a niece named Cathy, whom I have called Cat for years. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that Gluten Free Cat wasn't a Cat at all, but a Heather!!!

But she is definitely cat-like; as she says, she's a "curious girl in a gluten free world."

I've known Cat, er, Heather, for a few months now. She has been gluten free since 2004. Like most of us, it was challenging at the beginning trying to figure out what foods were ok to eat, and realizing that at the time gluten free food options (at least in terms of replacing the foods you love) were limited.

Now seven years later, she is healthier and happier. As she says, "There is a world of foods out there that God created for us to enjoy. If not for my gluten-intolerance diagnosis, I would never have discovered them."

I completely agree Heather!

Heather has a vast array of recipes covering all aspects of the gluten free spectrum. So what to choose? Well, I really wanted to try the ravioli, and I will some day when I have a little more time. But this time I chose something that sounded like an intriguing combination - her Wild Rice and Blueberry Salad.

Yum. Just the side dish for the grilled chicken I made.

It's definitely and adult taste, at least in that my kids aren't fans of the vinegar. But that just means more for me! Heather made this as part of a something called the SOS Challenge, and I'd say she was up to the challenge!

If you are looking for something a little different as really easy to make, then I'd encourage you to try this salad - a little sweet, a little savory, a lot delicious!

Thanks for a great recipe Heather! And, as always, thanks Sea for creating and hosting Adopt a GF Blogger!

Looking Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:29:34 PDT

When I think about it, it's amazing how much I've experienced the past 46 years...

Nine different people have been president of the US, though only eight were actually elected to the office.

In 1965 you used a rotary phone attached to a cord. In a house. Now you can call people from the middle of nowhere on a phone the size of a credit card. No cord required.

Books were written using a manual typewriter. I wonder if kids today even know what that is...

In 1965, a gallon of gas cost on average 31 cents. And it was full of lead...

A 1965 Ford Mustang cost about $2500 brand new. The 2012 model starts at $22,000.

Oh, and today, you can get that 1965 Mustang used - for about $25,000.

The #1 song in the US on July 27, 1965 was (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, by the Rolling Stones.

There have been 4 Popes, and numerous Saints...

Some amazing events have happened too...

The past 46 years have seen NASA's greatest triumph (the lunar landing), and it's greatest tragedies (Challenger and Columbia).

We witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of The Cold War, and the end of apartheid...

...and the horror of 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombings, Columbine, and now Norway.

There was Charles and Di, and now William and Kate, with many other royal weddings in between.

There were many teams that have won the World Series the past 46 years, including my beloved Phillies twice...

...but Cubs and Indians fans are still waiting.

Us Eagles fans are waiting too...

We've gone from Pong to Wii and xBox and Playstation.

And you can now "talk" to someone anywhere in the world with a click of a button.

All this, and so much more, has happened since the day I was born.

I can't wait to see what the next 46 years will bring.

The GFCF Experience Product Review: Food Should Taste Good Snack Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:35:08 PDT

I was at the Good Food Store in Missoula yesterday (our local "Whole Foods") and picked up some of the Food Should Taste Good snack chips, which conveniently they had on sale. I had never heard of these products so it was nice to be able to try something new.

The company was started in 2006 with a simple purpose - create, as the website says, a "unique new snack with great taste, healthy ingredients, and sophisticated flavor." All Food Should Taste Good snack chips are gluten free and certified Kosher, and are also low in sodium and cholesterol and high in dietary fiber. They are NOT all casein free, so there is definitely some label reading that needs to be done (which, of course, should always be done anyway...). It does seem, however, that the only ones which would contain casein are the cheddar varieties...

There are 16 different varieties of chips available. The chips are corn tortilla chips with an interesting variety of other ingredients depending on the chip. You have your standard tortilla chips (blue corn, white corn, Cantina), but then you add things like hemp seeds, olives, sweet potatoes, chocolate...it is an interesting product line with ingredients that I personally don't normally associate with a tortilla chip.

I chose three varieties for the family to try - multigrain (with soy, GF oat fiber, flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds, and quinoa), sweet potato (self-explanatory) and chocolate (featuring semi-sweet chocolate powder and Dutch cocoa powder). The most unusual of these three was the chocolate - chocolate and corn tortilla seems like an odd combination. But it works. It was also the favorite of the kids - who want me to run back to the store and buy them out. The sweet potato was to me very subtle - I didn't really notice it at first but then after a couple more chips I could beging to taste it. To me that's a good thing since the chip is not overwhelmed by the sweet potato. The multigrain was my favorite. I really like the taste of seeds, and this chip had just the right smount of saltiness.

These chips are light and crispy- they are baked first, then lightly cooked in high oleic oil (no trans fats) so they are not greasy. They are also firm and not crumbly, which makes them perfect for dipping. In fact, if you go to the Food Should Taste Good website and click on a specific variety, you will get recipes for spreads and salsas that go well with that variety. At the website, you can also register and receive a $1 off coupon.

I cannot remember what the regular retail price at Good Foods is, but you can get them online for as low as $2.45 per bag. If you buy direct from Food Should Taste Good, you have to buy a minimum of 12 bags (5.5 oz each) at $3.29 per bag. This is about the price you can get them on Amazon.com (for a case of 12) with free shipping. This seems a bit high in comparison with other "natural" snack chips. I paid $1.69 per bag, which to me is a fair price.

Honestly, I like the chips, as did the kids. But I don't think I like them enough to pay retail price for them - That's just a lot of money despite how good they are. That being said, when they are on sale they are well worth the buy.

Have you tried these chips? Please leave a comment and I will link to your review.

The GFCF Experience Product Review: Rice Krispies Gluten Free

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:47:24 PDT

I was shopping in SuperWalmart earlier this week and came upon a box of the new Rice Krispies Gluten Free - have you tried them yet?

There was a fair bit of hype surrounding the introduction of Rice Krispies Gluten Free - the original Rice Krispies is an iconic cereal that has been around for decades. I grew up with Snap! Crackle! Pop! and the always popular Rice Krispies marshmallow treats. But my kids, being GFCF, have never had the opportunity to try the original. Which, on the surface, doesn't make sense - I mean, this is rice-based cereal, and rice is GF, so why not Rice Krispies?

The answer - barley malt.

Barley of course is one of the grains that contains gluten. But why barley malt in cereal? Well, the malting process helps the grain develop enzymes that better convert starches into sugars. They also add color and flavor, which is how they are used in original Rice Krispies. Barley malt is the most popular malt additive used in the United States.

Rice Krispies Gluten Free eliminates the barley malt from the process. They also are made with whole grain brown rice. Kelloggs also uses a dedicated gluten free facility to make Rice Krispies Gluten Free.

That's good.

But how do they taste?

I tried them two ways - both with and without soy milk. I could never eat the original Rice Krispies with milk - they always seemed to get soggy too fast. But I loved eating them dry by the bowlful. So I tried some of the Rice Krispies this way. And they tasted, well, rather tasteless. And the texture was...ummm...how can I say this delicately...seemingly stale.

I was going to say like cardboard or styrofoam, but that seems a bit harsh...

A little soy milk improved things somewhat. It was nice to hear Snap! Crackle! Pop! again. And the milk seemed to help soften the texture. But there was still a matter of the lack of taste. Adding fresh blueberries did the trick - you got the flavor of the fruit masking the blandness of the cereal.

The four harshest critics in the house - my children - all gave pretty much the same review - the lack of taste was a distinctive and significant drawback. A couple added honey and that did the trick for them.

We didn't try making Rice Krispie Treats with them, and I am curious how that would work out. The lack of taste would be masked by the sweetness of the marshmallows, but I wonder about the texture...

Here are some more reviews of the product:

The Saavy Celiac

The Gluten Free Optimist

GFCF Mommy

Li Loves David

The Final Verdict

I have mixed feelings about this product. On one hand, it's great that Kelloggs has ventured into the gluten free arena, and I hope that they will explore gluten free alternatives for their other cereals too. The retail price is pretty much the same as for original Rice Krispies, so us GFers and GFCFers are not being penalized in the wallet for needing a specialized product.

The nostalgia factor is huge too. Those of us who grew up on Snap! Crackle! Pop! will derive satisfaction just from being able to hear those sounds again. Even my son got a kick out of hearing his cereal "talk."

But then there's the taste, or rather, the lack of taste. It is really noticible unless you mask it by eating something with the cereal, like I did with the blueberries. And to me the texture was off if you were eating the cereal without milk.

This is a gluten free cereal that you will likely find, much like GF Chex cereals, in the regular cereal aisle in most supermarkets, which is wonderful for those who have limited places in their area to get specialty/organic GF cereals, like Erewhon or Barbara's.

I have another personal bias though - Envirokidz Koala Crisp. There are other GFCF brown rice crispy cereals on the market - Erewhon for example - that I cannot do a real comparison as we have rarely bought them. But Koala Crisp is another story. They are more akin to Cocoa Krispies as they are chocolate flavored, and they are more crunchy than crispy like Rice Krispies. But they taste great, and they make a great "Rice Krispie" treat.

While I paid $3.15 at SuperWalmart for the Rice Krispies Gluten Free (the suggested retail is $3.99), I can get Koala Crisp for about that price, especially in the larger ECO-pack (between $3.50 and $4.00 per 12 oz. but frequently on sale). And I personally like the texture and the taste (mmm...chocolate!) better. But again, that's my personal bias.

Have you tried Rice Krispies gluten free? Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think! Or, if you wrote your own review, please leave me a link - I will add it to this post.

And hopefully Kelloggs will continue to explore gluten free options for their other cereals. Some sort of GF Raisin Bran would be nice...

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Italian Sausage with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:42:20 PDT

Looking for something to grill this weekend? How about this simple Italian sausage recipe!!!

If you search for Italian sausage recipes online, you will find many different versions of a base recipe using peppers and onions. It is a classic recipe, either served on a plate or nestled in a (GFCF) hoagie roll.

Here is my version, which also brings mushrooms into the equation. My parents made something similar to this often while I was growing up, and it was always a hit with me.

One thing - as with all prepackaged meast like sausage, please read labels and do research to make sure the sausage is GFCF before purchasing. A quick look on Johnsonville's site reveals that their Sweet Italian Sausage is GFCF, as is their hot and mild Italian sausage. Four cheese, of course, is not...

This is a simple recipe that is essentially a "one pot" meal. While I grilled my sausage first, if you don't have a grill - no problem! Just brown your sausage in the saucepan prior to cooking the peppers, onions, and mushrooms, then return to the pan to simmer. Easy!

And delicious...

ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS, ONIONS, AND MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

1.5 - 2 lbs. (6 - 8) Italian sausage links
1 medium-size white onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced in to 1 - 2" strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1 - 2" strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 (6oz.) can tomato paste
olive oil

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add about 1 tbsp olive oil, then add the onions and peppers and saute for about 4 - 5 minute or until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms, and continue to saute until all the vegetables are softened. Reduce the heat to low/medium-low.

Preheat your grill.

Add the tomato paste to a bowl. Add two tomato paste cans worth of water (about 1 1/2 cups) and stir to combine. Add the tomato paste mixture to the peppers, onions, and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the saucepan and let the mixture simmer.

When the grill is hot, use the "rules of Raichlen" - clean the grates with your grill brush, then oil the grates using tongs and a wadded paper towel dipped in oil. Add the sausage directly over the flames (or coals if using charcoal)and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides - about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the sausage from the grill and nestle the links into the peppers, onions, and mushroom mixture. Recover and simmer the sausage for about 20 minutes, turning every so often, or until the sausage is cooked through.

Enjoy!!!

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Grilled Pork Ribs with Dry Mustard Rub and Grilled Corn on the Cob

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:03:47 PDT

Grilling is, in my house, a year round affair, although it is certainly more associated with the lazy days of summer (and tailgate parties, but that's another story...). And the nice thing about summer holidays is that many grocery stores will put cookout foods on sale to bring you in. Which is how I ended up with a package of nice, thick country style pork ribs ($1.99 per lb.) and ears of corn (33 cents an ear).

It was just a matter of grilling them up and eating!!!

When I bought the ribs I had this vision of a mustard-based dry rub - it hearkens back to my days living in South Carolina, where mustard-based barbeque rules. After a bit of research on the web I came upon a recipe at www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com that was a good basis for adaptation. Combine this with some other techniques on the web, and grilling tips from the head Professor at BBQ University and master of the Primal Grill, Steven Raichlen, and I was ready to go!

First, a word about mustard. Dry mustard is one spice that is commonly mentioned as not being gluten free. But the McCormick's dry mustard I used, as well as all their single ingredient spices, are gluten free, as indicated on their web site. The French's yellow mustard I used is also, according to their website, gluten free. And of course both are casein free as well.

With some grilled corn on the cob and a side of coleslaw, these ribs make a great summer meal. Or any time of the year, if your grilling season is year round like mine.

GRILLED COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS WITH DRY MUSTARD RUB AND GRILLED CORN ON THE COB
Adapted from soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com and other sources

Dry Rub Ingredients

7 tbsp dry mustard
3 tbsp dry oregano
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder

Make the rub. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl (Raichlen's tip - use your fingers to combine to make it easier to remove any lumps).

Prepare the ribs. I used country style pork ribs, which really aren't ribs but thick shoulder cuts of pork. This rub in my estimation would work with any pork you wish to grill.

Arrange the ribs on a plate and, using a pastry brush, apply a thin coating of wet yellow mustard to each rib (as I mentioned, I used French's). The mustard helps the dry rub adhere to the meat, and the vinegar in the mustard helps the rub penetrate the meat.

Sprinkle each rib with the dry rub mixture. Be generous, but not too liberal. Pat (or rub) the spice mixture into the meat.

Turn the ribs over and repeat the entire process.

Place the ribs in a sealed airtight container and refrigerate for a few hours, or preferably overnight.

Store any leftover rub in a tightly sealed container.

Prepare the grill. I own a gas grill, but of course this could also be done on a charcoal grill as well.

For the gas grill, preheat the grill with all the burners on. After preheating, turn off enough burners on the grill to create an indirect heating zone big enough to accomodate all the ribs. The follow the grilling rules of Raichlen - keep it clean, and keep it lubricated. Use your grill brush to clean the grates, then dip a wad of paper towels in oil and, using tongs, wipe the towels across the grill grates one or two times.

If you are using a charcoal grill, heat up your coals until white hot, then arrange the coals on either side of the grill, leaving an empty space in the middle for indirect cooking. As with the gas grill, apply the grilling rules of Raichlen.

Cooking the meat. Arrange the ribs on the grill in the indirect heating zone. Cover the grill and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, flip the meat and cook, covered, an additional 30 minutes to one hour (I cooked mine an additional hour). Use this same process for the charcoal grill, but make sure the vent holes on the cover are open and over top the meat.

After cooking, remove the ribs to a plate or cutting board and place an aluminum foil tent over the meat for about 10 minutes before serving.

Grilling the corn. Grilled corn on the cob is my favorite way to eat corn. It's easy and it really brings out the sweetness in the corn.

The first thing to do is shuck the corn. You can just peel the husks back (but not remove them), or you can, as Olivia did for me and shown in the picture, remove the husks but make sure you have a good 3 to 4 inches of the stalk left on the end of the corn. This makes for a great handle to help you turn the corn on the grill. If you leave the husks on be sure you tie them back with some butcher's twine.

Prepare the grill for direct grilling ie. have all your gas burners on. If you are using a charcoal grill, spread the charcoal evenly throughout the grill, but leave a space near the edge empty for a cool zone. Cover this space with aluminum foil. As with the ribs, follow the rules of Raichlen - clean the grill grates and lubricate them with oil.

I grill my corn a little differently than Steven Raichlen does. I prepare my corn by smearing CF butter (I use Earthbalance Buttery Sticks) over each ear, and then I salt and pepper each ear. Raichlen bastes the corn with butter as it cooks, and then seasons it afterward. His way is likely better - he is, after all, a professional. But mine does taste pretty good...

Anyway.

Arrange the corn on the grill with the "handles" hanging over the edge or over the safety zone. Grill with the lid open for about 10 -12 minutes, turning frequently, until browned and tender. And enjoy!

Oh...be sure you grill a couple of extra ears - they taste great the next day too - hot or cold!

Coleslaw. I'd be remiss without mentioning the last thing on my plate - coleslaw. Coleslaw is one of Olivia's favorite foods, and while you can get it from the deli - and take your chances on it not being GFCF - it's real easy end cheaper to make it yourself.

I don't have a recipe for the coleslaw dressing, I use Litehouse coleslaw dressing, which is GFCF. Just buy a pack of shredded cabbage (or buy a head and shred it yourself) and add dressing to obtain the consistency you desire. It's that easy!

One thing I have found is that, with the Litehouse dressing, it's best to make ahead and refrigerate at least a couple of hours before serving.

Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger - Jenn Cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:32:49 PDT

For this month's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger event - hosted by Wendy at Celiacs in the House, I chose Jenn from Jenn Cuisine. Jenn and her gluten-free husband currently reside in Switzerland, which is a bonus, because not only do you get great gluten free recipes, you also get amazing photos of Switzerland and Europe, like these.

Jenn started food blogging in 2008. On her About page, Jenn talks about how cooking gluten free is not necessarily a handicap when it comes to making delicious food, and how cooking gluten free has enhanced her creativity:

"Learning and discovering the main concepts behind making gluten free food has been surprisingly freeing. Always I am still learning, but the more and more experienced I become, the more and more my creativity is able to come out and I am able to just play and experiment. And that’s where all the fun of cooking and creating food comes back."

Jenn has an impressive list of recipes on her blog. But for this adoption, I chose probably the simplest - buckeyes. Not only does it combine two important food groups - chocolate and peanut butter - but it also is the perfect recipe to make in your kitchen with your 9-year old daughter. Which is exactly what I did.

Unfortunately, ours came out looking more like turtles than buckeyes...

We actually started out dipping our peanut butter and confectioner's sugar creations in the melted chocolate but quickly found it was easier to just put our creations on a pan lined with parchment paper and just spoon the chocolate over top. And in the end, we ended up covering them entirely in chocolate anyway.

But our intentions were pure. And they tasted divine.

And the added bonus of this recipe - a couple of beautiful pictures of Beaune France in Jenn's post!

The next time we make these (and there will be a next time), I am going to use freshly ground peanut butter instead of the Natural Jif that we used. I think a lot of the additives in the "natural" Jif (sugar, molasses, palm oil), may have contributed to the more runny texture we had (even after several hours in the fridge). Besides, you really can't get more natural that freshly ground peanuts...

And I will be back to try more of Jenn's recipes, and enjoy the pictures of the beautiful country where she lives.

Thanks for sharing your recipes Jenn. And thanks Wendy for hosting Adopt a GF Blogger this month!

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Chocolate Meringue Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:47:25 PDT

It's party time! Or, more specifically, it's pie party time!

Shauna Ahern, aka Gluten Free Girl, had a great idea to host a pie party today on both Facebook and Twitter. The "invitation" was simple - make a pie. And then share a picture and/or blog about it. Over 1000 people signed up for the party on Facebook - you can check out everyone's creations here. Or, if you are on Twitter, just search #pieparty. Fruit pies, pizza pies, even drinks ike martinis and wine coolers - all are being shared!

Here is my contribution - a GFCF chocolate meringue pie.

This pie is based on the recipe for Margaret's Southern Chocolate Pie at www.allrecipes.com. The crust is my adaptation of Carol Fenster's pie crust recipe in her 1000 Gluten Free Recipes cookbook, which you can find here.

One of the pie ingredients in the original recipe is evaporated milk. I have to admit I am not familiar with a commercially available GFCF evaporated milk. But no matter - it's easy to make your own. Just heat some CF milk (I used almond milk in this case) in a saucepan over medium to medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the volume is reduced by half. And that's it!

Admittedly, the texture on the pie was a little runny, and I need to figure out a way to make the pie firmer next time. But the flavor was spot on, at least in the eyes of my children, who proclaimed it was the best pie ever.

It always feels good to satisfy my harshest and most important critics!

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE PIE
Adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe

Ingredients

1 prepared 9 inch pie shell (click here for recipe)

1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup GF all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
12 oz. CF evaporated milk (see narrative above for directions)
3 tbsp CF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
6 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Place 1 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder and GF flour in a medium saucepan. Combine the egg yolks and the evaporated milk and add to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted and combined. Pour into the prepared pie shell.

Preheat the oven to 325°.

The make the meringue topping, beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar and cream of tartar and beat until combined. Spread the meringue over the top of the chocolate filling.

Bake at 325° until the meringue peaks are browned.

The Heatherton Heights Musical Mob

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:14:24 PDT

July 4 has always been one of my favorite holidays. Spending most of the first 20 years of my life in Trenton, New Jersey, one grows up surrounded by the birth of the United States as a nation; Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell were just a short drive away in Philadelphia, the site where Washington famously crossed the Delaware just 5 minutes away.

But my fondest memory of Independence Day took place 6 hours up the Pennsylvania Turnpike, in a suburb of Pittsburgh known as Allison Park.

In 1972, a little after my 7th birthday, my Father lost his job at RCA, where he had worked for many years. After months of searching, he finally landed a new job with a chemical company located just outside of Pittsburgh. And in November 1972, we packed up the house and moved to Allison Park.

The neighborhood, especially for a kid, was amazing. We lived at the bottom of a large cul-de-sac; another large cul-de-sac was at the other end of the street. The road leading into the neighborhood ended at a vacant lot full of dirt mounds, the perfect playground for games of war, or digging up snakes or creepy crawlies under the rocks. Adjacent to the neighborhood was a field with a large hill that was perfect for sledding in the winter. On my cul-de-sac, our next door neighbor had painted bases, and impromptu baseball games were a common occurrence in summer. It was a great place to be a kid.

But what realy set the neighborhood apart were the neighbors. Never before or since have I lived in a neighborhood where the neighbors did so many things together. They bowled together in bowling leagues. They held occasional dinners where each course was held at a different house. And none of today's fancy Christmas light displays hold a candle to the simplicity of every neighbor in Allison Park putting luminarias along their curb on Christmas Eve. But July 4 was special, because that was the day of the annual neighborhood block party.

Every July 4, the neighborhood gathered at the field next door (atop the great sledding hill) for a full day of food, fun and games. The adult men would play game after game of softball, at least until Mr. Westrick inevitably hit the ball across Babcock Boulevard. A numbered grid was set up, and you could purchase one of the numbered squares. In the early afternoon, parachutists would jump into the party, and whoever had the square the man landed on would win the money. The kids played tag or climbed trees or did whatever. It was just a great day. And July 4, 1976 was the most special day of all.

Living behind us was a wonderful retired gentleman named Al Gressler and his wife. I never knew what Al had done for a living, but I knew that he had a soft spot in his heart for us kids. I, for one, spent many summer afternoons at Mr. Gressler's house. He had two things in there that were fascinating to me - a short wave radio and a darkroom. Looking back, it's funny to think that my 10 year old son can use a computer to instantaneously talk to someone on the other side of the world without the need for call letters and a fine tuner to reduce the static, and he has no real concept of what a darkroom is in this age of Photoshop. But for a 10 year old boy in 1976, those things were magical.

July 4, 1976 was a special day - it was the Bicentennial. This special day called for more than just a neighborhood block party - it required a celebration. Al Gressler had the vision for this celebration; bringing the neighborhood kids together to produce a neighborhood variety show.

The Heatherton Heights Musical Mob was born.

Here we are posing for our "cast" photo* - that's me in the front with the Liberty Bell shirt on doing the Fonz...Aaay!

*Yes, this photo was developed in Mr. Gressler's dark room...

We modeled our show after the "Donny and Marie" variety show popular back then, except we had "Donny and Leigh." All of us kids either performed or worked behind the scenes at the show, any we spent many hours rehearsing. The Nelson's driveway was the perfect stage, with the small hill in their backyard the perfect amphitheater.

On July 4, 1976, the festivities began early. Each house on my side of the neighborhood had a banner representing one of the original 13 colonies (naturally we had New Jersey). The kids all decorated their bikes patriotically, and the best won prizes. Then my next door neighbor, Jamie, appeared on a horse as Paul Revere, and us kids, dressed in our tricorn hats and with our toy muskets, reenacted the first battles of the Revolution. Finally, the Declaration of Independence was read. Time to celebrate!

We gathered in the field, just like every July 4, and had a wonderfully good time. The beer was flowing for the adults, and soda and juice for the kids. Hamburgers and hot dogs and chips and salad were consumed in mass quantities. Mr. Westrick hit yet another softball across Babcock Boulevard. The parachutist missed the square my parents bought, but no matter. It was the 200th birthday of America!!!

And then, as the daylight began to fade, the Heatherton Heights Musical Mob took the stage.

35 years later, I still have many memories from the show. I remember Barb Cox breaking down while singing a beautiful anniversary song to her parents, and her little brother Greg, no older than my Julia at the time, being too shy to sing his song about his tricorn hat. I remember Donnie and Leigh being "a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll." And I remember that I was to hide behind the crowd and walk through them to the stage singing Home on the Range, but my dog snuffed me out.

Most of all, I remember what a wonderful time we had at the show, and over the course of the whole day. It was the best possible way a little neighborhood in Allison Park PA could celebrate the Bicentennial of America, thanks in no small part to a man named Al Gressler.

What made it special too, though I didn't know it at the time, was that it was the last July 4 block party for my family. In September 1976, my sister would marry that boy next door who posed as Paul Revere, and Jamie became my brother in law. Shortly thereafter, my Father, sensing we had fulfilled our purpose for moving to Pittsburgh, took a new job in a small town near Philadelphia. And we moved back to New Jersey, settling in a neighborhood just a couple of miles from where we had lived before. It was a lovely house, with great neighbors, and a creek running through the backyard where I wiled away many a summer day. I had great friends who would play pickup games of basketball no matter what time of year, or football on the lawn of the church nearby. It was good to be back in Jersey; good to be home.

But Allison Park was good too. 35 years later, thanks to the magic of the internet and Facebook, I reconnected with two of my best friends from the Heatherton Heights Musical Mob. And thanks to the miracle of digitalization, I was able to share our group picture, one I don't think either of them had seen in, well, about 35 years. One developed in a dark room in the house of the kindly man with the short wave radio that fascinated me all those years ago.

Happy 235th birthday America.

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Buttermilk White Bread (Bread Machine)

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:49:23 PDT

When we got our first bread machine many years ago, I went out and bought the book "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger. On the cover, the book proclaims it is "A Master Baker's 300 Favorite Recipes for Prefect-Every-Time Bread." But that's not what motivated me at the time to buy the book. What motivated me was the fact that it included a collection of gluten free recipes.

All 7 of them.

The other irony is that, in the many years I have owned this book, I have never tried any of those 7 recipes. Until now.

Now I have touted the virtues of this new bread machine we bought a few months ago and using the gluten free cycle that it has. And also the honey white bread (see bread machine link for recipe) that is (or should I say was) the staple yeast bread I have made. But I wanted to try something different. So I looked into my bread machine cookbook, figuring I would find a gluten-based recipe that I could simply adapt to make gluten free. But on page 175, in the gluten free section, the book features a recipe for gluten-free buttermilk white bread.

Perfect!

What was really nice about this recipe was that I really did not have to do much in the way of adaptation - just make CF Buttermilk and use the standard 3 cup flour mix I have been using. Other than that, the recipe is pretty much as outlined in the book.

And if you don't have a bread machine, I think that you could try this in a loaf pan - just mix and knead all the ingredients for about 15 minutes with a stand mixer, pour into a greased standard-sized loaf pan, let the dough rest in the pan for 10 - 15 minutes (it will rise as it bakes) and bake in a preheated oven on a low temp (say, 325°) for 45 minutes to and hour, or until the bread is done. If someone tries to make it this way, please let me know.

I hope you will try this one - this is some of the most delicious GFCF bread I have ever tasted. And if you want proof, look no further than this: I made a loaf yesterday afternoon, then had to take my daughter to piano practice just before it was finished. When we returned (about an hour later), and after we each had one slice, this was all that was left:

BUTTERMILK WHITE BREAD
Adapted from a recipe in The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

INGREDIENTS

1 cup CF Buttermilk
1/2 cup water at room temperature
1 tsp. rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
4 tbsp CF butter, cut into pieces (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
4 large egg whites, beaten until foamy
1/2 tbsp. salt
3 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 3/4 cup GF all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp quick rise yeast

Whisk the flours and xanthan gum together in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

Add the first seven ingredients to the bread machine, followed by the flour mixture, and finally the yeast. Set your machine for the gluten free cycle (or the quick yeast cycle), and press Start.

When the machine begins the final rise (rest) cycle, I like to pause the machine and remove the mixing flapper, scraping as much of the dough as possible back into the machine. By doing this you won't have the flapper making a big gap in the bottom of your bread. After removal, restart the machine and let it continue through the rest and baking cycle.

When the machine is finished, check the bread for doneness and bake for additional time as necessary - this loaf baked an additional 15 minutes.

After baking remove the pan from the bread machine and place it on a rack to cool. After 10 minutes, remove the bread from the machine and place the loaf on the rack to finish cooling. Let the loaf cool to room temperature before slicing (if you can wait that long!!).

The GFCF Experience Recipe Review - Ginger Lemon Girl's Boston Baked Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:35:07 PDT

I have been a fan of Carrie aka the Ginger Lemon Girl ever since I started blogging - in fact, we both started blogging about the same time back in 2007. Over these last 4 years, I have tried and enjoyed many of Carrie's recipes - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins (a family favorite), Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies, Cranberry Cobbler...and these are just some of the ones I've blogged about!

Which reminds me, it's getting time to make some more sweet tea goodness!

The best part is that I have come to know Carrie these past 4 years, and I am proud and honored to call her friend.

Which brings me to the most recent of Carrie's creations I have fallen in love with - her Gluten Free Boston Baked Beans:

Don't these look great?

Carrie published her recipe a few days before Memorial Day. So naturally, I had to try them as part of my Memorial Day cooking adventures. And, like most everything else made that day, it turned out to be an epic fail. Maybe not on the scale of the jelly doughnut muffins or the burger and hot dog buns, but they still didn't turn out the way they should. The bacon and especially the onions were not well cooked, and the onion in particular overpowered the dish.

This left me baffled - go back and look at Carrie's recipe. I made them in the slow cooker - how hard is it to put a bunch of stuff in a slow cooker, put the lid on, and let it cook for several hours?

It's not hard, as long as you use the right equipment.

What I did on Memorial Day was use a small crock pot - 3 to 4 quarts I think is the size. I made the recipe exactly as Carrie wrote, but this filled my small crock pot almost to the top. With the end result that, six hours later, the bacon and onions weren't cooked well enough. I could have solved this by cooking the beans an extra 2 or 3 hours, but by then the kids would have been in bed...

I talked to Carrie about it, and there were two things we agreed should be tried. First was, as I said, cook the beans longer. And the second was to use a larger crock pot. And, on Helena's birthday, it was time for yet another food redemption.

This time, I used the big six quart crock pot. And I planned on letting everything cook for about 8 hours. I made Carrie's recipe again, exactly as written. And it was magic. The beans were actually done after about 7 hours of cooking, but that was ok as my cooker has a warm setting built in.

This is so simple. And it makes a lot of beans.

If you choose to make this recipe for your next cookout (and you should!) here are some suggestions:

As I mentioned, make sure you use a 5 or 6 quart crock pot, and plan on 6 - 8 hours of cooking - start checking for doneness after 6 hours. I also gave everything a stir after about 3 hours.

I have made this with both white beans and great northern beans, and both work really well. My personal preference, admittedly, is the white beans.

I really like using thick-sliced bacon in this recipe - a half pound worked out to about 6 strips. I also used dark brown sugar as opposed to light brown sugar for that extra molasses kick.

Finally, heed Carrie's advice and use as little water as possible - just enough to cover the beans. You don't want your sauce too watered down.

I cannot say enough about this recipe.

It's simple.
Try it.
You will love it.

You will never buy baked beans ever again.

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Dzomba) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:21:07 PDT

My GFCF Memorial Day "epic fail" redemption tour continues!

I have always wanted to make some homemade GFCF hamburger and hot dog buns. And I figured I had a foolproof way to make them - in the bread machine! The instructions for the bread machine I bought recently talked about how you could use the machine to make pull-apart dinner rolls, so why not hamburger and hot dog buns?

So on Memorial Day, I had planned to follow the dinner roll instructions - let the machine do the mixing and kneading, and then, right before the final rise cycle, remove the dough and the mixing flapper from the machine, then divide the dough into six pieces and shape each piece into whatever I was making, be it hamburger or hot dog buns. Return them to the machine, stacking them on top of each other, and then let the buns rise and bake in the machine. Simple, right?

Yeah, right...

First, I needed a recipe, and I found this recipe for GF buns at About.com. I made some modifications, and placed the ingredients in the bread machine and set it for the gluten free cycle. Just before the final rise, I went to remove the dough and shape it into buns...and it was way too thin - no way you could shape it into much of anything except a blob! So, instead of throwing it away and starting over...I restarted the machine and made bread. And when the bread was done, I let it cool, then cut it into eight "hot dog" buns.

I tried again, cutting the amount of liquid used, and came up with a dough that I divided into six pieces and shaped into hamburger buns. I returned the dough to the bread machine and let it complete the gluten free cycle. They turned out ok, but they were so big my kids were overwhelmed!!!

But they tasted good, so at least I had proof of concept.

The following Saturday, my daughter's birthday, I tried again. I used the bread machine to mix and knead the dough, but this time, instead of stacking the buns and baking them in the bread machine, I divided the dough into eight pieces, shaped each into a hamgurger bun, and then placed them on a baking sheet and baked them in the oven.

Success!! Finally, a bun worthy of a hamburger.

GFCF HAMBURGER AND HOT DOG BUNS
Adapted from a recipe found at About.com

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill GF All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cups tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
**or use 3 cups of your favorite GF flour blend**

3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp yeast
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp rice or cider vinegar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
egg whites from 2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup water, at room temperature

Combine flours and xanthan gum together; set aside.

Bread Machine Directions: Place all the ingredients except the flour and the yeast in the bread machine. Add the flour, then add the yeast on top of the flour. Set the machine to the gluten free cycle, or to the knead only cycle, and knead for 15 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface (I used brown rice flour for this).

Stand Mixer directions: Use the dough hook attachment. Place all the ingredients except the flour mixture in the mixing bowl and begin mixing on medium speed. Gradually add the flour and knead for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a floured surface.

NOTE: Regardless of how you mix and knead the dough, be mindful of the amount of water being used. The 2/3 cup water works for the flour mix I use - your mix may vary. If you use a different mix than the one above I would start with 1/2 cup water and gradually add more water until the correct dough consistency is achieved. You want a dough that is sticky but shapable.

Once the dough has been turned out, divide the dough into eight pieces. For hamburger buns, shape the dough into a ball and press down into a 1/2 inch thick circle. for hot dog buns, roll each piece into a 5 - 6 inch log, then press down until 1/2 inches thick.

Place each bun onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, sides touching. Brush the tops with olive oil. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

After 10 minutes, place the buns in the preheated oven and bake at 350° for 15 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Begin checking after 15 minutes to make sure they do not overcook - you should hear a hollow thud if you tap the top of the bun when they are done.

Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. Once cooled, either use immediately or place in a zippered bag or airtight container until ready to use.

Then grill up some burgers and hot dogs, and enjoy!!!