Buen Provecho Sin Gluten!! Enjoy Your Gluten Free Food!

Barbecued St. Louis Style Ribs

2010-06-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

When I went to the butcher looking for some ribs, since I was not familiar with bbq’ing ribs, I was not exactly sure what I was looking for. Something stood out for me with the St. Louis Style ribs. They looked lean and a very clean cut. I had no idea what I was working with until I did a little research and found that these were pork ribs and not beef. Being the pork lovers that our family is it was a perfect match. Apparently a St. Louis Style Rib is the way the ribs are cut and cleaned.

With any ribs just make sure to allow enough time to make them to perfection; it will be well worth the wait. The flavor is all in the rub so find one or make one that you like. You can purchase your favorite b.b.q. sauce or just make one from scratch. That’s what we do in our home; we use our Abuela’s old recipe with some modifications. It really is easy, less expensive than most b.b.q sauces on the market and it really does not take very long to make. Plus the key here is that you are in control of what goes into your b.b.q. sauce.

Last but certainly not least, cook the ribs low and slow for optimum tenderness and juiciness.

How to BBQ St Louis Ribs

• BBQ It's about the rub (See recipe below). Great BBQ tastes great without sauce. The sauce is the finishing touch.

• Buy pure meat nothing added. Certain percentage of anything added such as brine or salt water is not desirable.

• Apply a BBQ spice "Rub" no less than 2 hours before cooking.

• Use wood smoke. Be very careful with oak and mesquite they can easily over power pork ribs. You only want thin blue smoke coming from your smoker, not thick white smoke. Cherry is our favorite choice for ribs. If using coals or gas just add some pre-soaked mesquite or cherry wood to the fire. You can find this at most local grocery stores.

• Place all of the coals on ½ of the barbeque. Cook the meat with indirect heat, not directly over the charcoal or propane burner.

• The meat is done when a toothpick goes throw the meat like it was warm butter. Internal Temperature will be 190°f to 200°f .

• Don't sauce until the ribs are cooked, apply one or two coats of sauce in the last 15 to 30 minutes on the cooker. For a sweeter glaze add some honey to you BBQ sauce.

How to BBQ Ribs so they are falling off the bone tender

The secret of how to barbecue ribs until they are falling of the bone tender is foil. Cook the ribs until they have a nice crust. Wrap in foil with a little apple juice and cook to 200f internal temp. They will be cooked and falling apart tender. If you want to sauce your ribs roll back the foil but leave it under the rack for support, sauce and put back with indirect heat for 15 minutes.

BBQ Do's & Don'ts

Do's:

Use a dry rub for no less than 2 hours before cooking
Use a light coat of mustard before applying the rub for a more complex flavor.
Marinate for flavor
Cook Low & Slow or Indirect
Use the oven if your grill won't cook low and slow to finish after getting a nice crust
Use a charcoal chimney
Sauce only for the last 15-30 minutes once the meat is cooked and tender
Use an internal thermometer for food safety

Don't's:

Don't use Lighter Fluid
Don't use match light charcoal
Don't boil your meat (you are making stock and the flavor is in the water)
Don't put sauce on the meat Before Cooking
Don't guess if the meat is done, use a thermometer
Don't tell people burnt is perfect caramelization
Don't Cook Tofu
Don't believe that there is only one way to cook great BBQ

Wet Rub or Paste

1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano, crushed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon onion flakes
1 head of garlic, mashed or grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons Guldens brown mustard

Combine all of the ingredients minus the mustard. Slather the ribs with the mustard and then add a nice layer of rub to all sides of the ribs. Use the entire mixture. It may seem like a lot, but it is worth it. Wrap the rubbed ribs in foil no less than two hours prior to cooking. It is preferable to allow them to marinade in the rub for 24 hours.

B.B.Q. the ribs according to above directions. Do not brush the b.b.q. sauce on the ribs until last the 15 minutes.

Abuelitas B.B.Q. Sauce

1 head of garlic, finely minced
1onion, finely minced

1 stick of butter

4 cups of ketchup

1 cup of molasses

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the garlic and onions in butter until they are translucent; do not allow to burn. Add ketchup and molasses and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in the fridge for the summer.

King Arthur gluten-free muffin mix

2010-06-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

The King Arthur gluten-free muffin mix was easy to make, and required similar ingredients as most boxed mixes. It mixed well, transferred well into the muffin tins and only baked for about 20 minutes.

Their muffin mix features a hint of vanilla, a touch of nutmeg. It says it makes a dozen light, tender, high-rising muffins, but I found I got a few more muffins if I did not over fill the muffin tins. It is just the muffin mix and you are encouraged to add in your own fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips.

These muffins were light and fluffy and riddled with blueberries that we had added. They were fantastic right out of the oven, but just as good the following day for breakfast. I was really impressed with the texture and the flavor of King Arthur's gluten-free muffin mix. King Arthur gluten-free mixes were given to our family to review. I was very skeptical with the mixes before I tried using them, but so far have loved each one that I have tried. I still prefer to make my muffins from scratch, but in a pinch they really seem to hit the spot.

If you can not find King Arthur gluten-free mixes in your local grocer click here for a letter to give to them.

To purchase King Arthur gluten-free mixes

King Arthur Gluten Free Recipes

List of all their gluten-free baking ingredients

Step-by-step instructions on how to bake with King Arthur GF flour mixes

Questions about gluten-free baking

B.J.’s Restaurant and Brewhouse offers a new gluten-free menu

2010-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Special thanks goes out to a friend, fellow Celiac, and local blogger, Janel Berchielli, “Unlimited Thinking” for the heads up on BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse’s new gluten-free menu which began on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010. It is my feeling that B.J.’s must have had this in the works for quite some time, as awhile back while researching for local gluten-free alcohol in December 2009 I had contacted the General Manager at B.J.’s in Natomas as to their gluten-free offerings and this is what he had said then: “Our restaurants can provide information for guests who have food and allergen sensitivities or an intolerance to gluten. Please ask your server for a copy of our Food and Allergen Sensitivities Menu and Gluten-Free Selections.”

So it is my understanding that B.J.’s has always had some gluten-free selections to choose from, but not a complete menu. They are thrilled to be introducing their new gluten-free pizza.

Director of Operations, Curt Siverling states: “We are very proud to launch our Gluten-Free Pizza on our new menu. We have been educating our management teams and team members on the gluten procedures and are ready to launch it at our locations on May 26. We are also introducing Red Bridge Beer on our menus; which is a popular gluten-free beer.”

Since it was my birthday, my husband decided to surprise me and take our family to B.J.’s Restuarant and Brewhouse on Monday, May 31st. After we were seated we asked for Gluten-free menu’s and the staff seemed to know what we were talking about right away. Their gluten-free menu’s were a little confusing at first, but once we figured it out it was really rather straight forward. The beginning of the menu lists off 10 allergens for each item on their menu. While this is great information for folks to have, since many folks have more than just Celiac, but we feel that it would better serve the menu on the back, rather than the front.

After you get through the first 5 pages of the menu you will get to the actual section of gluten-free selections. In the salad sections alone there are 8 salads to choose from (Prices range from $5.00 to $12.00). There are two soups to choose from Tuscan Tomato Bisque and Broccoli Cheddar (Prices: $5.00 to $7.00). There is a section of giant stuffed potatoes and proffer four offerings in this category ($10.00 to $15.00). The next section of the menu is the Specialty Entrees in which they offer 3 options (Steak, fish and chicken priced from $12.00 to $20.00). The next section they suggest Culinary Creations and have only one item in this category: Balsamic Glazed Chicken. Last but certainly not least is their section on Gluten-free Pizza. In this category they have one gluten-free thin crust pizza, but you can customize it to your liking with the many gluten-free toppings that they offer minus their meatballs. These are 10 inch pizzas that range from $8.95 for no toppings other than cheese, and you can design your own pizza with any of their many toppings (add $1.00 per topping). In the section for non-alcoholic beverages they offer 25 different options that are gluten-free. In the alcohol section there is currently only two options: Redbridge Beer ($5.50 per 12 oz. bottle), and their Berry Burst Cider ($5.75 per pint). They are waiting to see how popular this section can become before adding it to it, and also whether they will even keep Redbridge Beer on their menu.

As it was our first time at B.J.’s with their new gluten-free menu we were a bit leery so we questioned the waitress to see how familiar she was with this new menu. She did not know much about it and so we asked for someone who was completely familiar with the menu, and she brought us the manager, Cliff who stood by as she too our complete order, and then assured us that he was by each item being prepared for us to ensure it not be cross-contaminated. This helped us to relax and enjoy the ambience.

The manager, Cliff assured us that there is a separate prep area, that all pizza ingredients except for the meatballs are gluten-free. We were told that those working on gluten-free menu items must change out all of their gloves on the line and that they use tools specific to gluten-free and the cooks in the kitchen were trained in how to handle everything to avoid cross-contamination. Cliff said their entire staff was able to see how the gluten-free food was prepared and to taste them as well. This allowed staff to tell us from their own experience; what their encounters with the gluten-free selections were and what they liked about them. Once the pizza was delivered, Cliff came out to assure us that all went according to plan and the food was handled properly. He also assured us that he would be back to see how we enjoyed the meal. He tols us he was pretty confident that we would enjoy their menu, but most especially the gluten-free pizza.

While BJ’s is known for their pizza, we were not entirely excited to order it since there are many gluten-free pizzas on the market that have left a lot to desire in flavor, texture, and most importantly in price. But we were pleasantly surprised at how large the pizza was, how incredible the flavor and texture were and the close resemblance to regular pizza. Cliff told us that they buy the crust frozen from Venice Bakery in El Segundo, CA (there’s less chance for cross-contamination if they are not mixing up the dough in the restaurant kitchen.) It is a medium thin, crispy “herb infused” crust. He also explained that when the large quantities for cheese, sauce, and other pizza toppings are freshly opened, they take off the amount that they think they will need for the gluten-free pizzas for the day; thereby, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination. The station for prep on gluten-free menu items is constantly wiped down before and after each use. Cliff says that since they started their new gluten-free menu they have had many folks coming in requesting it.

Being the foodies that we are we tried to order one item from each category. In other words we ordered one Tuscan Tomato Bisque, one Italian Market Salad, one gluten-free pizza with mushrooms and Italian sausage, and the Balsamic Glazed Chicken served over baby greens, caramelized onions, and white cheddar mashed potatoes, drizzles with a sweet balsamic glaze. Make sure when ordering the Tuscan Tomato Bisque to request NO croutons, and on the balsamic glazed chicken NO onion strings. With all of the food that we sampled our absolute favorite was the pizza. There was no funny gritty texture, and no funky bean aftertaste, and yet the texture of the pizza was exquisite. The second favorite item was the Tuscan Tomato Bisque. It was creamy, and tasted of fresh tomatoes, sweet basil and cheese. We could take or leave the salad, and the balsamic glazed chicken was a little dry. Once we requested extra balsamic glaze it was fine. The white cheddar mashed potatoes were to die for. Overall our experience with B.J.’s Restaurant and Brewery were exceptional. We not only loved the variety of items on the menu, and the delicious food, but we greatly appreciated the time and effort that was presented to us while obtaining the details on how they provide and ensure a gluten-free menu. Please make sure to ask for Nick Walker, General Manager at the Natomas Restaurant.

For More Information:

Sacramento Area B.J.’s Restaurant and Brewhouse

NATOMAS
3531 N. Freeway Blvd
916.570.1327
ELK GROVE
9237 Laguna Springs Dr.
916.753.1500

FOLSOM
2730 E. Bidwell St.
916.404.2000
ROSEVILLE
1200 Roseville Pkwy.
916.580.2100

Facts about B.J.’s

Take out menu

Click here for locations

For more on gluten-free foods and gluten-free dining

Raving reviews on the Celiac Disease Foundation's Education and Food Fair

2010-05-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

The CDF Education and Food Fair was absolutely fantastic. So many people to meet, so much new information, a plethora of GF vendors with samples, who could go wrong with that? In addition, we were provided with a delicious gluten-free breakfast provided by General Mills; more specifically one of their new GF products that they revealed at the CDF Conference “Bisquick” made GF pancakes with maple syrup. Not to mention, a scrumptious GF luncheon. It was very delicious and filling. The favorite was the mango sorbet with fresh berries on top served with GF cupcakes by Betty Crocker . The Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles was spectacular, but was unfortunately unable to provide the amount of space that was required by this huge event. Who knew so many people with Celiac and vendors sampling gluten-free products would show up for this event?!

Aside from the venue being a bit too small and rather cramped, the conference was a complete success. We had such dynamic speakers as Dr. Peter Green author of “Celiac Disease: The Hidden Epidemic” from Columbia University. Dr. Green’s studies have revealed that 30 to 40 % of Americans can get Celiac simply due to their genes. As many strides as the U.S. is making in Celiac Awareness, and producing new gluten-free products, we are still behind the ball when it comes to diagnosing. Apparently, still only 1% in the U.S. are being diagnosed with Celiac. Whereas in other countries such as Finland and Sweden they are diagnosing at a rate of 70%, while Australia and Italy are only diagnosing 20 to 30 %.

They have discovered that HLA DQ2 or 8 only accounts for 50 % of the genes that are involved with the diagnosis of Celiac. There are many other genes involved and they are just beginning to determine them. Another interesting fact is that all women who have a c-section during childbirth increase the risk of their children getting Celiac.

Shocking but true, most folks are getting diagnosed from physicians with other specialties other than a gastroenterologist. They are seeing a huge amount of diagnosis from Urologist. Nowadays 50% of all diagnosis in the U.S. present with diarrhea.

Thyroid cancer is 23 times more common in those with Celiac than once thought. 30% of Celiac’s have at least 1 autoimmune disease. But on a good note, the earlier a person is diagnosed (20 years old and under) the lower the chance of them developing another autoimmune disorder.

The best Celiac panel to have taken on an annual basis is the tTg + IgA + DGP. There are still false negatives in testing, and while biopsies are the gold standard in diagnosing Celiac, Dr. Green requires during a biopsy 4 to 6 pieces should be taken to be absolutely certain. And these should be interpreted by an experienced pathologist. If you are told that you did not come up positive for Celiac and are still symptomatic you should request a 2nd opinion from another experienced pathologist using the original biopsy.

Dr. Green says that those with gluten sensitivity, DH, IBS are responding to a gluten-free diet. Even people with severe psychiatric disorders have positive antibodies for gluten-sensitivity; such as:

Schizophrenia
Depression
ADHD

Daniel C. Adelman M.D. is the Senior VP and Chief Medical Officer for Alvine Pharmaceuticals explained their new medication that is in the works called ALV003. This medication is no means a substitute for a gluten-free diet, it is to be taken in addition to a gluten-free diet.

We had a visit from the lovely Kari Gai who is currently Miss Kansas City , and she herself has Celiac in addition to her sister, and is now a strong advocate for Celiac as well. She has a strong platform to increase awareness.

Then we hear from Sheila Crowe M.D. who is a Professor of Medicine, Gastroenterology/Hepatology and Researcher, University of Virginia Health Care System, and also the author of “Celiac Disease for Dummies” . She spoke about how she is the wife of a Celiac and how she came to write this book for the For Dummies series. She and her husband have two children and only their daughter has Celiac. Nevertheless she still worries that her son may develop it at another time.

No shock here, but first and second degree family members should be tested for Celiac.

There were several notable speakers such as: Shelley Case, RD , and Anne Lee RD, and the favorite of the day was Frank Baldassare from “The Missing Ingredient”. Shelley and Anne gave out great guidelines for maintaining the gluten-free diet and some myth busters for example: ALL distilled alcohol is o.k. to drink on a gluten-free diet as long as it has been distilled. Rice malt is the only kind of malt that is o.k. And commercial sushi with a substitute fish product in it has wheat in it. They broke down 20 PPM (parts per million) as the following: 20 ppm = 20 mg. = 2 mg. or 1 oz. of food. So never let any one tell you a dish only has a little wheat or gluten in it because it only takes 1/8 th of a teaspoon of wheat and or gluten to make you sick. On a sad note, no pun intended, but a Columbia study was conducted by Dr. Green where they found that 70% of folks on a gluten-free diet feel blue all of the time. While only 9% of folks on a regular diet feel blue all of the time. One of the main issues is that gluten-free food is 2 to 3 times more expensive than mainstream food. They also found that compliance was a major issue and that one of the top reasons to not comply was in social situations. They found that 90 % of people on a gluten-free diet cheated in social settings. The highest number of cheaters found were in the teen to young man category; namely on their first date. Further research will be done to see about how to lower the number of folks feeling blue on a gluten-free diet.

With that being said, the good news is that while the economy is at an all time low, with slumps in the market; yet the gluten-free food industry in on the rise. They found gluten-free foods industry rising 25% each year even during the recession.

Frank Baldassare woke everyone up with his enthusiasm, vigor, humor, postivity and his complete knowledge of a gluten-free diet and life style. He hosts his own show on the internet called “The Missing Ingredient” by Cody Boy Entertainment ; coming soon to a cable channel. Franks’ cooking show is the first of it’s kind for a step-by-step of gluten-free cooking, baking and all other allergens as well. One of the messages that Frank wanted us all to hear was that while it is fantastic that gluten-free food is going main stream, we should still beware. “Just because it is gluten-free does not mean it is good for you!” We should remember what got us here in the first place and that we should continue to eat healthily not out of a box. We should honor our bodies by trying to only feed it healthy, locally grown and organic food whenever possible. As a teacher Frank promotes overhauling the food system in our children’s schools. He feels that it is important to support getting better food for our children in schools, and that we really need to support children and teens through this gluten-free life style.

As for the highlight of the event; enough cannot be said about the gluten-free vendors. There were over 90 gluten-free vendors, some old timers and some new. So many samples and so little time to taste them all; fortunately the majority of the vendors had their items prepackaged. General Mills unveiled two new products GF Bisquick, and GF Hamburger Helper. Many of these samples were the larger sizes you’d find in your local stores. Mary’s Gone Crackers introduced their Mary’s Gone Cookies , One of their newest products was Mary’s Gone Crackers bread crumbs, which is made from all of their leftover cracker crumbs . Glutino gave out samples of their new yogurt covered pretzels, and their chocolate covered pretzels. Zojirushi America Corporation magnanimously donated two bread machines for the CDF raffle. We sampled Kettle Cuisine soups. Chicken noodle was a favorite made with all organic ingredients and rice noodles. We had the pleasure of sampling Bards Tale Beer and Greens Beer which was preferred by those loving a rich, thick, dark beer. There were many pizzas to sample but a few that stand out are the ones by Clean Cravings and Almond Glory . Almond Glory are gluten and soy-free, have a low glycemic level, and are absolutely delicious!! Smooze is completely preservative-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, GM-free, 100% Vegan. Plus it has 40% less sugar than most frozen treats on the market. They are made from coconut milk and are incredibly refreshing and tasty. Fresh and Easy handed out their 100% recycled cotton shopping bags which complemented the goodie bags handed out by CDF that were filled with lots of gluten-free treats and literature. Overall an extraordinary time was had by all! Look forward to more photos posted soon.

SPONSORS FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT INCLUDE:

General Mills LiveGlutenFreely, Mary's Gone Crackers, Growing Naturals, Glutino Food Group, Crunchmaster®Crackers, Bob’s Red Mill, Zojirushi America Corporation, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, King Arthur Flours, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, The Pure Pantry, Bard's Tale Beer Company, Attune Foods, Clean Cravings, Alvine Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Eat what you want today

2010-05-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

May 11th is National “Eat What You Want Day”. Doesn’t it astonish you that we have an entire day dedicated to eating whatever we want?! Wait isn’t that what we do every day? If it isn't, shouldn't it be? You may think that concept sounds much easier than it really is. The sad truth is that on any given day 100 million Americans are on diets. Why is it then. that America is still plagued with obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease which are still on the rise? Doesn’t it seem we’ve been on diets forever or at least since the 80’s? Well now is your chance to ignore the scale today and eat whatever you want. For those with Celiac it can present a challenge, but it need not. You can still eat whatever you desire; it just needs to be gluten-free. With a little research you can either find a place that can make your gluten-free specialties for you, or find the recipe to create it yourself.

Interesting enough May 6th is International “No Diet Day”; a celebration of body acceptance and body shape diversity. This day, originated in 1992, is also dedicated to raising awareness of the dangers of restrictive diets and the health risks of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. This concept is admirable; unfortunately folks find themselves bewildered by its name. Naturally, when some hear those words, the assumption is over-indulgence. But there is an unspoken clause attached: “in moderation”. Even the health-conscious sustainable food guru and author Michael Pollan of "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food" has a favorite saying: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” He is advises us to avoid edible food-like substances, he never implies that we should eat everything in sight. Sampling from each of the food groups is the thought behind his words.

Good advice is to eat when you are hungry, don’t eat just because everyone else says to, and when you feel full, stop. A great quote by Julia Childs is, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” Julia Childs was amazing and had such incredible genes that she ate pretty much anything she desired and lived to be 92. Maybe it was her happy-go-lucky attitude, her Energizer-bunny-like vigor or maybe it was the fact that she never was on a diet. Any way you look at it she was a force to be reckoned with and she sure knew how to enjoy food and life!

Today should be a gift to your self. Think about what you truly love to eat, and either find a restaurant that can make it gluten-free, or get the recipe and fix it your self. Once you try it you will be surprised how that feeling of deprivation goes away. Knowing how to make these special dishes yourself puts you in the driver seat, and gives you a sense of control. Feeling in control is the key to not feeling deprived.

In spite of all of the warnings if you should over-indulge and purchase too many groceries for that recipe, don’t feel compelled to consume all of your choices at once; cut yourself some slack and either freeze the left-over’s, share them with friends, or remember that every November 15th is “National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day”.

In Sacramento you can check out Urbanspoon a website for neighborhood restaurants. When you get to the main page click on Sacramento and then scroll down to the section with the specific types of food and you will find everything including a section for gluten-free friendly with 88 different restaurants listed alone. With that in mind

and scroll down to the section with the specific types of food and you will find everything including a section for gluten-free friendly with 88 different restaurants listed. With that being said, there is no excuse for you to eat what you want today. Now you too can celebrate this national day, gluten-free and guilt-free!

Black Forest cake for Mother's Day

2010-05-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

My husband, Michael made a wonderful Black Forest Cake for me for Mother's Day this year. My absolute favorite is chocolate, tart cherries, and whipped cream. So how can you go wrong with that combination?! Instead of making the chocolate cake from scratch though, Michael made the cake from a box mix from King Arthur Gluten-free Flour Mix.

We were all so surprised at incredibly easy it was to make. All he had to do was add 4 eggs, water, vanilla, and oil and combine these ingredients with the mix. We were shocked at how wonderfully moist, and smooth textured this cake was. No gritty texture and no funky after taste of beans. It had an amazing deep chocolate flavor to it.

If my husband can make a cake from this mix, so can anyone. The chocolate cake rose quite nicely and was easy to frost. Michael filled the cake with a tart cherry preserves, and our daughter Autumn helped him to decorate the cake with freshly whipped cream.

This is one of the gluten-free mixes that was sent to me from King Arthur Flour Mix for a review. I usually make my chocolate cakes from scratch, and I am very picky about how my chocolate cake turns out. It has to be moist, smooth, not dense, not gritty, extremely chocolately, and unable for folks to tell it is gluten-free cake.

I will say that King Arthur's Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix is a very close second. Aside from having to melt my own chocolate, and add warm butter and milk you can barely tell the difference. From now on, in pinch I would gladly resort to King Arthur's Gluten- Free Chocolate Cake Mix. That's not easy for me to say since I pride myself on making all of my cakes from scratch.

I was greatly surprised and pleased to have such an delectable gluten-free Black Forest Cake Mother's Day, that I did not have to make myself. I was very happy to have the break, and very proud of my husband and daughter.

A Perfect Mother’s Day Dessert; Gluten-Free Chocolate Soufflé Bites

2010-05-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

It is easy to have the impulse to want to ignore the sappy commercials, diamond and red rose sales, and desire something much more unique for your wife, or mother. Are you looking for something chocolate and decadent, yet semi-healthy, and easy to prepare with little to no clean-up for Mother's Day?

Did you know that cocoa is full of antioxidants that promote low blood pressure and good heart health? Three Senses Gourmet who had previously launched a ready to bake, all natural, no trans-fat, gluten-free, frozen chocolate soufflé in 2006; has recently launched new Chocolate Soufflé Bites.

The chocolate soufflé bites are tiny, bite-sized chocolate soufflés. The soufflé bites are the perfect size for all of the folks who found it a challenge to finish one of the original chocolate soufflés due to their utter richness and immense size. With Chocolate Soufflé Bites instead of two large soufflés to a package, you now will get 12 tart cups. No need for tart pans, no pouring, mixing and scooping. Just pop the ready-to-bake pan in the oven and in 20 minutes or less you have dessert. Clean-up is a whiz as well.

As you bite into the chocolate soufflé bites you feel a nice slightly crisp texture on the outside rim and a softer, chewier texture in the inner ring (much like a tender and moist chocolate cake) until you reach the soft, warm and gooey center. Like heaven in every single bite. Three Senses Gourmet's motto is "Eat one a day to keep the cravings away!" After trying them you may have to adopt their motto.

Chocolate soufflés, because they aren't as commonly made as other types of desserts, always seem to be extraordinary; perfect for sharing with that special someone. There is no need to pay exorbitant prices to purchase chocolate soufflés in a restaurant or bakery, or expend a great deal of time to create and clean-up a decadent soufflé from scratch either. Why put yourself through this when life can be so much easier? Your search for the perfect tasting gluten-free chocolate soufflé for Mother's Day is over. Just step into one of your local grocery store chains and grab a Three Senses Gourmet chocolate soufflé or the new Chocolate Soufflé Bites. It is sure to make a unique and distinctive Mother's Day or any day for that matter.

Three Senses Gourmet products are available in most Northern California locations of Whole Foods , Costco, Nugget Stores , Woodland Market ,Bristol Farms ,Gelsons , Andronico's , Lunardi's , Draeger's Markets , Raley's , Nob Hill , Berkeley Bowl , PW Markets , and Mollie Stones Markets . Also on QVC .

I was requested to review Three Senses Gourmet Chocolate Soufflé Bites and sent a free package of them. I was thrilled and delighted to review this item.

For More Information:

Amy Phillips
Three Senses Gourmet, Inc.
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3 Senses Gourmet

Shredded beef tacos, guacamole and margarita recipes that are simple and gluten-free

2010-05-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

If you do not know where to go out to eat gluten-free Mexican Cuisine, or you just want to economize, try making it homemade. It is relatively easy and you can be in control of the ingredients. Not to mention, that what you would spend out at a restaurant on one meal may be what you would spend for a dinner, and some really great left-over's.

Shredded Beef Tacos

1 organic beef roast (ask your butcher for the best cut)
1 onion, sliced
1 head of garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 teaspoon oregano
1 to 2 teaspoon cumin
1 to 2 teaspoon chili pepper
1 teaspoon chilies
4 cups of beef broth
1 12 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
olive oil, enough to coat bottom of Dutch oven

Season roast. Heat Dutch oven, and add oil. Brown roast on all sides in Dutch oven. About 5 minutes on each side. Remove roast from Dutch oven and add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 3 minutes more. Return roast to Dutch oven and add broth and tomatoes. Cover and cook at 300 degrees for 4 to 6 hours. Remove roast from Dutch oven and allow to cool. When cooled shred the roast with two forks. Return to liquid.

Serve with warmed corn tortillas, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, pico de gallo, chopped avocadoes, salsa, and sour cream.

Pico de Gallo

2 to 4 tomatoes, chopped

½ red onion, chopped

¼ cilantro bunch, chopped

1 jalapeño, chopped

Combine all ingredients.

Guacamole
4 ripe avocadoes

½ small red onion, finely chopped

1 small tomato, finely chopped
¼ cilantro bunch, chopped
1 small lime, squeezed
1 clove garlic, finely grated (micro plane)
*optional: 2 tbsp. salsa, or hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Halve the avocadoes, and using a knife score the avocado into bite sized pieces. Squeeze lime juice on the avocado so that it does not turn black. Add other ingredients and gently combine. To store place one avocado pit in the center; this will prevent the guacamole from blackening. Place a sprig of cilantro on the top of the guacamole. Serve with warm corn tortilla chips.

Margaritas Basic

Limeade concentrate 2 oz. (shots)

Triple sec ½ oz. (shot)

Tequila 1 oz. (shot)

Lime, fresh squeezed, and a thin slice for garnish
*optional: Margarita salt to garnish margarita glass

Note: 1 oz. equals 1 shot. For flavored margarita 2 oz. of juice or fresh fruit, and ½ oz. Rose’s limeade.

"National Pecan Day", how to celebrate it gluten-free

2010-04-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 14th is “National Pecan Day!” In celebrating pecans we should first understand their greatness. Pecans are incredibly versatile whether they are eaten fresh as a snack, or toasted and put into a salad, spiced and candied, or in desserts. It's good to know that pecans are naturally gluten-free and can usually can be found year round. Pecans play a huge role not only in flavor but in health benefits as well.

I found it interesting that pecans were the only native tree nut in America, and have been a tasty favorite for centuries. Not only are pecans delicious, but they are very nutrient dense.

New research, published in the August 2006 issue of Nutrition Research, shows that adding just a handful of pecans to your diet each day may help inhibit unwanted oxidation of blood lipids, thus helping prevent coronary heart disease. The researchers suggest that this positive effect was in part due to the pecans’ significant content of vitamin E – a natural antioxidant.

In addition, landmark research published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (June 2004) found that pecans rank highest among all nuts and are among the top category of foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity, meaning pecans may decrease the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Pecans also play a role in lowering cholesterol. Research conducted by Dr. Ronald Eitenmiller at the University of Georgia has also confirmed that pecans contain plant sterols, which are known for their cholesterol-lowering ability. The results showed the pecan-enriched diet lowered total cholesterol by 11.3 percent and LDL “bad” cholesterol levels by 16.5 percent.

A review of pecan and other nut research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (September 2003), suggests that nuts like pecans may aid in weight loss and maintenance. The review cited studies indicating that nut consumption may increase metabolic rates and enhance satiety. When used in conjunction with a healthy low-fat diet, nuts also offer increased flavor, palatability and texture that can lead to greater dietary compliance, according to the review.

A one-ounce serving of pecans (approximately 20 halves) contains 196 calories, 20.4 grams total fat (1.8 saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 0 grams sodium, 2.7 grams dietary fiber and over 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, several B vitamins and zinc. Pecans are also a good source of oleic acid, vitamin B1, thiamin, magnesium and protein. One ounce of pecans provides 10 percent of the recommended Daily Value for fiber. Pecans are also a natural, high-quality source of protein that contains very few carbohydrates and no cholesterol. Pecans are also naturally sodium-free, making them an excellent choice for those on a salt- or sodium-restricted diet.

Pecan meal or flour, are great naturally gluten-free ingredients to bake with. Check your sources first though to ensure that they are processed and manufactured in a dedicated facility. You can find sources of where to purchase pecan meal on-line. True Foods Market

What is nut flour and nut meal?
Nut flour = Nut flours are ground from the cake that remains after oils are pressed from nuts. They're great for breading fish or chicken, and they add a rich flavor to baked goods. Nut flour lacks the gluten that baked goods need to rise, so in those recipes substitute no more than 1/4 of the flour with nut flour. Nut flours go stale quickly, so store them in the refrigerator or freezer, and use them up quickly. Substitutes: nut meal (gives baked goods a coarser texture)

Nut meal = ground nuts Notes: Nut meals are ground from whole nuts, and are grittier and oilier than nut flours, which are ground from the cake that remains after the oils are pressed from nuts. To make your own nut meals, grind toasted nuts in a nut mill until the meal has the consistency of cornmeal. Store nut meals in the refrigerator or freezer, and use them soon after you buy or make them. Substitutes: nut meal (gives baked goods a finer texture)

To make your own pecan meal = ground pecans:

Grind toasted pecans in a nut mill until the meal has the consistency of cornmeal. You can also use a food processor fitted with a steel blade to do this, but it's hard to keep the nut meal from turning into nut butter. It helps to freeze the nuts before grinding, to use the pulse setting on the processor, and to add any sugar in the recipe to the nuts to help absorb the oils. Store nut meals in the refrigerator or freezer, and use them soon after you buy or make them. (1/4 pound of whole nuts yields about 1 cup nut meal.)

Pecan Tassies

Recipe from a prior post in December 2009.

Dough

1 –3 oz cream cheese – soften
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
¼ cup powder sugar
Mix well and chill while mixing filling

Filling

1 egg
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
about 2/3 cup pecans

Beat together all ingredients except pecans.
When ready to bake; press dough against the bottom and sides of a small muffin pan. Sprinkle pecans in bottom and place filling on top. (Not over half full).

Bake in slow oven - 325 degrees for 25 mins. Or until filling is set and dough light brown.
*Note: Double this and use 1- 8 oz. Pack cream cheese. Dough can be made a day ahead.

You can find shelled pecans at any major local grocery stores, at the local Farmer’s Market (in season), Costco, Sam’s Club and Smart and Final.

Source for nutritional information on pecans was through the NPSA, National Pecans Shellers Association.

Gluten-Free sour cream coffee cake for "National Coffee Cake Day"

2010-04-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

As a writer for the Examiner.com we get these monthly updates with up and coming news and all of the National celbrations for the month. That being said, I thought I would acquire new inspiration for cooking, baking and recipes in general. So far this week I have been able to complete three out of the seven days. Not sure if it is me, my computer, my camera, or my lack of computer skills, not to mention, my lack of enthusiasm this week. So bare with me as I struggle through this time.

"National Coffee Cake Day" is normally celebrated on April 7th. I actually baked the coffee cake on Wednesday, the 7th of April, but was unable to get to my blog until today. the 9th. There just does not seem to be enough time in a day.

The gluten-free sour cream coffee cake I made was a recipe handed down to me by my dear friend Amy Radbill at the Davis Food Co-op. It is pfairly easy to bake and it tastes absolutely delicious. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can take this flour recipe or Amy's cake flour recipe and use it on ANY coffee cake recipe that you have. All you do is trade out the regualr flour for this mix, and add a little xanthan gum and WA-LA! You have wonderful coffee cake to go along with your delciously fragrant pot of coffee!! Now one of the things that amy and I always laugh about is the fact that so many folks want to make cakes super healthy, and let's be honest, a cake is cake. It is not meant to be super healthy, and on the same token you should not be eating cake all of the time. But cake should not be heavy or dense, nor crumbly, it should be light and fluffy. The nice thing about this recipe is that the lightness and fluffiness can be accomplished with either of the following flour mix recipes.

Bette Hagman’s Featherlight Rice Flour Mix:

1 part white or brown rice flour
1 part tapioca flour
1 part cornstarch
Potato flour (not starch), 1 tsp. for each cup the other flours

*For exchange purposes 1 cup of wheat flour = 1 cup of featherlight mix.
*If you would like to purchase baking flour pre-mixed, Authentic Foods sells Bette Hagman’s Featherlight Rice Flour Mix, but it is much less expensive to mix your own.

Add all ingredients and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

Amy's Cake Flour

For 3 cups:

1 cup white or brown rice flour
1 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon potato flour
For 9 cups:
3 cups rice flour
3 cups cornstarch or arrowroot
2 cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca starch
3 tablespoons potato flour

Add all ingredients and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
*For exchange purposes 1 cup of wheat flour = 1 cup of Amy's cake flour in ANY cake recipe.

Sour Cream Crumb Cake

Crumb cake is a great morning sweet with coffee or tea. This recipe was adapted from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion; a book filled with recipes just waiting for gluten-free adaptations. Nothing in the ingredient list has been changed except for the flour and the xanthan gum.

For the Crumb
Dry Ingredients only:
2 1/2 cups featherlight rice flour mix
1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Wet Ingredients only:
2 sticks butter (or butter subsitute), melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Thoroughly combine the dry ingredients. Add the extracts to the melted butter. Stir the butter into the dry ingredients until all of the dry ingredients are moist, and the mixture breaks into large clumps. Set this crumb mixture aside.

For the cake
Dry Ingredients only:
2 cups featherlight rice flour mix
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients only:1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream (or yogurt or substitute for sour cream or yogurt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9" X 13" pan.

Thoroughly combine the dry ingredients, and set them aside. In a seperate bowl, cream together butter and sugar for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is fluffy. Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and the sour cream. Stir in dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the mixtures are well combined.

The batter will be thick; scoop it into the prepared pan, then wet your hands thoroughly, and pat the batter out to the edges of the pan. When the batter is evenly spread, sprinkle the entire surface thickly with the crumb mixture. Be sure NOT to break the crumbs up too small!!

Bake the cake for about 30 to 35 minutes. it may still seem a little soft, but the cake tester should come out clean when the center is poked.

King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Pancake Mix

2010-04-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, King Arthur Flour, which has been around for 200 years, is now offering a gluten-free line of baking products. This is exciting for avid bakers around the globe. King Arthur has been touted for their excellent baking flours due to for its consistent baking performance and lack of chemical additives, high quality baking ingredients, and baking equipment.

I will say that I was very skeptical of their gluten-free pancake mix. Not because I had my doubts about King Arthur, but mainly because not all gluten-free flour mixes are created equal. Many times you will try a new gluten-free mix with great anticipation only to fond that is a complete flop. Flops in the gluten-free baking community are not rare, but are very expensive. So when you happen upon a great gluten-free mix, you hang on to it. I believe that this will be one such gluten-free mix. The mix is easy to prepare, with only three additional ingredients required, and no whipping of any ingredients. The batter if allowed to rest for a while (10 to 20 minutes) thickens up on its own and produces light, fluffy pancakes with the exact same texture of non-gluten-free pancakes. They smell and taste just like the ones that we may remember prior to diagnosis. I was quite pleased with the performance of this new gluten-free pancake mix; they puffed up properly, but were not too dense, and they flipped easily. No oohey-gooey sticky mess. Not to mention, that they browned quite nicely as well. There was no gritty texture, and no funky after taste.

While the box says it only yields 16 - 4 inch pancakes. I found that it yielded far more than that. My suggestion to consumers is to only make half of the box, split the recipe in two; thereby yielding a smaller batch, saving additional gluten-free pancake mix for another day, and cutting the expense in half. My only suggestion to King Arthur Flour is that they make their gluten-free pancake mix in a package that allowed for multiple uses.

King Arthur also has a wide assortment of other gluten-free baking ingredients to assist you in all of your gluten-free baking needs. Check here for a complete listing. Their passion is sharing the joy of baking and inspiring bakers worldwide.

King Arthur Flours are now available on-line and coming soon to a store near you. If you don't see King Arthur gluten-free mixes where you shop, please ask the store manager to add them. Click here for a convenient letter to send or give to the stores where you would like to see them. Please also visit their website and sign-up for a free e-newsletter, and catalogue. They frequently offer weekly sales, coupons, and often free shipping. Take 15% off mixes when you buy 5 or more baking mixes.

Check this blog Buen Provecho Sin Gluten, Enjoy Your Gluten-Free Food for a weekly review with photos on each of the 9 King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour Mixes.

*King Arthur Flour sent me free samples of their new gluten-free line upon my request to try them and review them.

For more information:

Sacramento Gluten Free Food Examiner on King Arthur Gluten-Free Flours

Sacramento Gluten Free Food Examiner

King Arthur’s Baker’s Companion Cookbook

King Arthur’s Catalogue

King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flours

Gluten-Free Recipes from King Arthur Flour

Baking Banter Blog

Info on Baking Gluten-Free

National Fresh Tomato Day

2010-04-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

The Heirloom Tomato Cookbook

April 6th, 2010 was "National Fresh Tomato Day", so I thought I would talk about some of their health benefits and give out some fantstic recipes as well. Sacramento is known as "The Big Tomato" since it is almost always knee deep in tomatoes, but not usually until late June, July, and August. Now with organic hot houses cropping up, we can have excellent, organic tomatoes year round. The organic hot house tomatoes can be a bit pricier, but the flavor, texture and health benefits far outweigh the cost. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you purchase local tomatoes, they can be vine ripened instead of picked green and tend to be friendlier to the earth since they are not shipped from half way around the world.

Tomatoes are low in calories and are packed with nutrition, especially when they are fully ripe. For example, red tomatoes contain up to four times the amount of beta-carotene as green tomatoes. Tomatoes provide an excellent source of vitamins C and K, carotenes (especially lycopene), and biotin. They are also a very good source of vitamin B6, niacin, folic acid, fiber, and pantothenic acid. Studies have shown that the red carotene (lycopene) is extremely protective against breast, lung, colon, prostate, and skin cancers. Studies also found that tomatoes lower the risk of heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration. The way lycopene works, is it helps to prevent those diseases and others by neutralizing harmful oxygen free radicals before they can do any damage to cellular structures. The vitamins A, C, and E in tomatoes also act as antioxidants, neutralizing the damage of free radicals and providing anti-aging benefits.

The research findings on the health benefits of eating tomatoes have greatly increased and they are receiving a lot of attention as a health food. Tomatoes are not only low in calories, but they are low in sugar, sodium, and fat and are an excellent source of many essential vitamins and minerals. Among those vitamins and minerals are:

• vitamins A, C, E, K, and B complex

• potassium
• manganese
• copper
• iron
• chromium
• beta-carotene
• fiber
• tryptophan

The lycopene in tomatoes acts as a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the body from free radical damage.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin K, a vitamin important to bone health. The fiber in tomatoes aids healthy digestion, helps to improve constipation, lower cholesterol, and aids in weight loss. Tomatoes also contain lutein which is needed for healthy eyes and may help prevent macular degeneration and to improve vision. Research suggests the liquid around the seeds of the tomato has anti-clotting properties much like aspirin, thereby reducing the risk of blood clots and stroke.

Tomatoes are very low in calories, with one medium-sized tomato containing only 22 calories. Since the tomato is low in glycemic load and low on the glycemic Index, tomatoes do not cause spikes in insulin in the body and help to keep blood sugar balanced.

So as you can see there are a ton of reasons to eat fresh, organic tomatoes. here are a few ways to add them into your repetoire. Happy Tomato Day!

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cartons ripe grape tomatoes, quartered
• 8 oz. Perlini, fresh mozzerella

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/8 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 oz. 3 Cheese Blend, shredded (Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan)

• 1 gluten-free baguette French bread (Iused the Natural Food Works baguette)
• 1/4 cup olive oil

METHOD
Chop the tomatoes in quarters. Put tomatoes, Perlini fresh mozzerella, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil and Italian flat leaf parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on panini grill and grill until golden and crispy. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

Align the bread on a serving platter. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy. You can also place all of the topped bread slices in an oven to broil for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt (does make gluten-free bread much soggier, but pleassant to eat with a fork and knife).

Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch

Breadless Bruschetta

4 medium organic vine ripened tomatoes, sliced

2 to 3 fresh Mozzerella balls, medium or large sized, sliced

sweet basil leaves, large, 1 for each slice of tomato

balsamic vinegar, lightly drizzled

extra virgin olive oil, lightly drizzled

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes, and fresh mozzerella into 1/4 inch slices. Salt and pepper each side, and then stack with sweet basil leaf in the middle. Place all stacks on a platter and them lightly drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil.

This breadless bruschetta was made with Whole foods Fresh Mozzerella Vegetarian Farmstead Cheese - Ovoline. It was absolutely delicious and you could not tell the difference with it being vegeatrian cheese. it was smooth and melted in your mouth.

Sources:

Murray , Michael N.D.. The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods.

New York: Atria Books, 2005.

Centers For Disease Control And Prevention-5 A Day.

National Agricultural Library-USDA. usda.gov.

Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia

Dandelions and their health benefits

2010-04-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 5th, 2010 was "National Dandelion Day". As lovely as the flowers are, the dandelion gets a bad rap as an obnoxious and insidious weed. But ancient curanderas, or healers, and herbalist knew that dandelions had many, many healing qualities. Recipes on how to cook dandelions follow below.

My father used to harvest dandelion greens in our own yard and would have my mother add them to soups, casseroles, but mainly fresh in salads. They are very tasty and have a plethora of health benefits to boot. But as a child, I thought my dad was a bit crazy picking weeds from our backyard to eat. My mom would call him a cabra, or goat because he loved to eat fresh greens. I know better now and greatly appreciate my father's attempts to feed me healthy foods. But aside from the wonderful flavor and textureof the dandelion greens, and flowers, I love the fact that dandelions have so much to offer our bodies.

The health benefits touted on dandelions include relief from liver disorders, diabetes, urinary disorders, acne, jaundice, cancer and anemia. It also helps in maintaining bone health, skin care and weight loss. There are many varieties of dandelion, but the common dandelion is scientifically known as Taraxacum Officinale. Dandelion plants have very high vitamin and mineral content. These include high levels of vitamin A, as well as decent amounts of various B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, manganese, silicon and zinc, calcium and detoxifiers which explains its use in medicines.

Apart from using dandelions to make flower necklaces, table top decorations, or to make wishes on when they have gone to seed, there are many benefits and uses for them.

The health benefits of dandelion include the following:

• Bone Health: Dandelion is rich in calcium, which is essential for growth and strength of bones, and is rich is anti oxidants like vitamin-C and Luteolin, which protect bones from age related damages due to free radicals, such as weakening and loss in density.

• Liver Disorders: Dandelion can help liver in many ways. While its anti oxidants such as vitamin-C and Luteolin keeps it functioning in full gear and protect it from aging, other compounds in it help treating hemorrhage in liver, maintaining proper flow of bile etc. It also stimulates liver and promotes digestion.

• Diabetes: Dandelion juice can help diabetic patients by stimulating production of insulin from pancreas and thus help keeping low the blood sugar level. Since it diuretic in nature, it makes the diabetic patients urinate frequently which too helps remove the extra sugar from the body. Moreover, diabetics are prone to renal problems. The diuretic properties of dandelion can help removing the sugar deposition in the kidneys through urine. Moreover, dandelion juice is slightly bitter to taste, which also effectively lowers sugar level in the blood, as all bitter substances do.

• Urinary Disorders: Dandelion is highly diuretic in nature. In fact, its French name literally means “urinate in bed”. Thereby it helps clean deposits of toxic substances in the kidneys and the urinary system. Moreover, its disinfectant properties inhibit microbial growth in the urinary system.

• Skin Care: Dandelion sap, also known as dandelion milk, is useful in treating skin diseases which are caused due to microbial and fungal infection, as this sap is highly alkaline and have germicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties. Care should be taken while using this sap as to avoid its contact with eyes. This sap can be used on itches, ringworm, eczema etc. without risk.

• Acne: Dandelion juice is a good detoxifier, diuretic, stimulant and anti oxidant. These four properties make it a good treatment for acne. Before we know how it treats acne, we must know what causes it. Acne is caused mainly during teens, when the body undergoes many physiological and hormonal changes. The hormones, which bring about changes in the body, if do not maintain proper ratio among themselves or are not regulated properly, tend to deposit as toxic substances in the body which tend to come out with sweat through the sweat glands or sebaceous glands on the skin. Now, during these changes, these glands secret more oils which, mixed with dead skin, block the pores and the secretion is obstructed. Due to this, these toxic substances cannot escape and result in acne. This is further worsened by the microbial infections on the effected places. Dandelion juice, being a stimulant, diuretic and detoxifier in nature, can help regulate proper secretion of hormones, increases sweating and widens up the pores facilitating removal of toxics through sweat and also through urine, as it is diuretic too. Its sap, if externally applied on acne, can inhibit microbial infection.

• Weight Loss: Our urine contains up to 4% of fats. So, more we urinate, more water and fats are lost from the body. Dandelion, being diuretic in nature, promotes urinating and thereby helping lose weight without side effects.

• Cancer: Dandelion is high in anti oxidants such as vitamin-C and Luteolin which reduce the free radicals (very much responsible for causing cancer) in the body, thereby reducing the risk of cancer. It also detoxifies the body, which also helps protect from cancer.

• Jaundice: Jaundice is primarily a disorder of the liver in which it starts over producing bile, which ultimately gets into the blood stream damaging the whole metabolism. The excess of bile is also reflected through color of the skin, eyes etc. The treatment of jaundice includes three main steps. First, checking production of bile; second, removal of excess bile from the body and third, fighting the viral infection. Dandelion is very helpful in all of these. It promotes liver health and regulates bile production. Being diuretic in nature, it promotes urination through which the excess bile is removed. Finally, being anti oxidant and disinfectant in nature due to presence of vitamin-C and Luteolin, it fights viral infection too. It is more beneficial if taken with sugarcane juice, since it replaces the sugar in the body which is very much lowered due to action of bile, causing extreme fatigue and weakness.

• Gall Bladder Disorders: Dandelion is very beneficial for gall bladder and liver, as it improves their functioning, protects them from ill effects of oxidants and infections and regulates secretions from them.

• Anemia: Dandelion has pretty good iron, vitamin and protein content. While iron is the integral part of hemoglobin in the blood, vitamins (particularly vitamin-B) and protein are essential for formation of red blood cells and certain other components of the blood. This way dandelion can help anemic people.

• High Blood Pressure: Urinating is an effective way of lowering blood pressure. In fact, most of the modern drugs for lowering blood pressure are based on this phenomenon. Dandelion juice, being diuretic in nature, increases urinating, both in quantity and frequency and thus helps lower high blood pressure. The fiber in dandelion is also helpful in reducing cholesterol and thereby assists lowering of blood pressure, since cholesterol is one of the factors which make blood pressure high. Then there is potassium, which is in plenty in dandelion juice and is very effective in lowering blood pressure by replacing sodium.

• Anti-Inflammatory: Tests of dandelion root's possible anti-inflammatory properties have been promising in preliminary studies with animals, according to the National Institutes of Health. As of 2009, no human trials had been conducted; and there was not enough evidence to reach a conclusion.

• Other Benefits: Dandelion can also be used as a vegetable and is a good source of fiber. It promotes digestion. In old days it was also used to treat scurvy, due to presence of vitamin-C in it. It also has healing effects on dyspepsia, infections in the stomach, intestines and urinary system.

Dandelions can be used in many dishes raw or cooked. The flower can be dried and put into salads, soups, and teas. The fresh greens can be used in salads, soups, casseroles, stir-fries, or sauteed.

Sauteed Dandelion Greens with Carmelized Onions and Garlic

1 to 2 bunches of dandelion greens, chopped into big chunks
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic (or more), minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Place olive oil in heated saute pan, and add in
onion slices. Cook until onions have almost carmelized (about 10 to 20 minutes) and add in minced garlic. Saite for another 5 minutes on low to medium heat. Add in chopped greens and stir-fry gently, lifting the onions and garlic from the bottom of the pan to the top. Season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly wilted (the greens should have a fair amount of crunch left in them).

Fried Dandies
Recipe adapted to gluten-free from the blog -
Fat of the Land

36-48 large** dandelion blossoms

1 cup featherlight flour

1 cup ice water

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

Remove as much of the dandelion stem and greenery as possible without damaging the blossom itself. Heat oil in a skillet on medium high. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Add ice water and stir. Blend in egg. Use tongs to submerge dandelion blossoms in batter and drop in hot oil. Fry in shifts. Serve with gluten-free beer.

** The biggest and best dandelions can be found in abandoned lots and field margins—places that see neither mowing nor herbicides. When allowed to grow freely, dandelions can reach impressive size, with blossoms a few inches across.

Chocoflan

2010-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

This recipe is by a new addition to the Food Network, Marcela Valladolid from "Mexican Made Easy". All I did was transform it into gluten-free. Flan is such a rich part of my Puerto Rican culture. Adding a chocolate cake to the mix was genius. My sister's love chocolate and I thought it would be a perfect dessert for this years Valentine's Day. We lost our father on the 13th and so for the first time since we were children we were spending Valentine's Day together. My mother was an expert flan maker and it was always one of those dishes that I would not even gander trying because I thought it would be too difficult, and that I could not live up to the legendary flan making of my mother. Making this flan was a sort of tribute to my mother and father. As sad as this Valentine's Day was for our family, it was also bitter sweet for we knew our mother was waiting for our father in heaven with her dancing shoes. Now they could finally be together after 6 years apart. We know that they are happy and shining their love down on us. Their memories and many of their traditions will live on through their children and grand children. Thank you mamí y papí! Feliz dia de San Valentín. Que los gozan!! (Happy St. Valentine's Day! Enjoy!).

Chocoflan
Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid from the Food Network's "Mexican Made Easy"

Serves:10 servings

Ingredients

• 12-cup capacity Bundt pan

• Softened butter, to coat pan

• 1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce (see recipe below)

For the cake:

• 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg, room temperature

• 1 3/4 cups Amy's gluten-free cake flour (see recipe below)

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

* 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the flan:

• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 3 eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish:

• 1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Coat a Bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)

For the cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.

For the flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds.

Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spreading evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.

Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, giggle a little and flip over. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake, garnish with chopped pecans and serve!

Cook's Notes: The batters may appear to mix when you pour them into the pan, but they completely separate while baking, with the flan ending up on the bottom when it's inverted. I like eating it warm, but traditionally, it is chilled 24 hours before serving.

Flan is a rich, creamy, cooked egg custard. It is often flavored with vanilla and baked in a water bath to retain its delicacy.

Cajeta is a thick and creamy spread or paste made with caramelized sugar and milk. It is used as a desert on its own or as a topping. Also known as "dulce de leche," it is sold in many supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online. It can be substituted with a thick caramel sauce.

Amy’s Gluten-Free Cake Flour

My dear friend Amy Radbill, a teacher for many gluten free classes at the Davis Food Co-op. She became my inspiration for gluten-free baking. Prior to being diagnosed with Celiac I was considered the family baker. I would create all of the baked goods for all of our family gatherings. Once diagnosed it took two years before I was able to taste a piece (mind you an excellent piece!) of cake. With this recipe you cannot taste the difference between regular and gluten-free cakes. In fact in many ways it is even more delicious. The color, flavor and texture are phenomenal. My first class with Amy was “Gluten Free Cakes and Breakfast Breads”. It opened a new world for me and for my family. Life has not been the same.

For 3 cups:

1 cup rice flour

1 cup cornstarch or arrowroot

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1 tablespoon potato flour

For 9 cups:

3 cups rice flour

3 cups cornstarch or arrowroot

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca starch

3 tablespoons potato flour

*If you would like to purchase baking flour pre-mixed, Authentic Foods sells Bette Hagman’s Featherlight Rice Flour Mix, but it’s not as good as Amy’s. The differences are slight but enough to make the difference in the smooth texture of your cake.

Caramel Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup of sugar

6 tablespoons butter

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Method

1. First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go – the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don’t work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first – make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts: the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water.

2. Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2 quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wodden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note: This recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. If you find that you end up burning some of the sugar before the rest is melted, the next time you attempt it, add a ½ cup of water tot he sugar at the beginning of the process, this will help the sugar to cook more evenly, though it will take longer as the water will need to evaporate before the sugar will caramelize.

3. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

4. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note: When you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2 quarts (preferably 3 quarts) big.

5. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders whn handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.

• Makes a little over one cup of caramel sauce.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2010-01-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

In the late 1980's, I went on a trip to Tennesse in my pre-diagnosis of celiac. While there my favorite thing besides the wonderfully hospitable people, their slow way of life, and the beautiful surroundings, was their pulled pork sandwiches. Oh my gosh they were to die for delicious!

Traveling around Memphis, Shilo and Lake Pickwick there were tons of little roadside dinners with barbeque. You could literally smell it just about anywhere you drove. Their pulled pork sandwiches were boiled to make the meat tender and then slow roasted or smoked for what seemed like days. But the aroma came wafting about and would draw you in.

The pulled pork sandwiches were stacked

high with pulled pork and there was always

a huge side of cole slaw. While there I was

instructed to place the cloe slaw on the

pulled pork. It sounded weird, but tasted

incredible. There was just enough sweet-

ness and crunch to balance out the spciey,

smokey pork.

Unfortunately, these delectable masterpieces were also loaded with gluten. I had longed for those sandwiches for many years, and finally decided that no task was to great, nor any recipe. So I went to my on-line resources to research recipes that sounded plausible for me to attempt. I found hundreds, but settled on two different versions. Either way the results are similar. Since it was too cold and rainy we opted not to try the b.b.q. recipe; that will have to wait for summer.

Being that I am not one to leave a recipe well enough alone, I added lots of onions and garlic, a little oregano, and bay leaves to the crock pot, while the meat was simmering.

When I drained off all of the liquid, I added more garlic, onions, and Bone Sucking Sauce (which is gluten-free), and put it in a pan to raost in the oven for hours. It sure brought back memories of Tennesse. The aroma was amazing! I had to fight my daughter and husband off so that they wouldn't sneak the pulled pork before it was time. The crock pot recipe came from About Southern Food and the recipe for the oven roasted one came from Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Network. You deicde which one is your favorite recipe. I served mine with cole slaw on Udi's whole grain bread as we have yet to find any decent gluten-free buns. This is the perfect recipe to make for a crowd. If you serve this for your Super Bowl Party it will surely be an instant hit!! All of the products used in this recipe were purchased by me and are our personal favorites.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

Delicious pork shoulder, cooked with barbecue sauce and onion, then shredded.

Ingredients:

pork shoulder roast, about 4 pounds
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups water
1 bottle (16 ounces) barbecue sauce, or 2 cups homemade sauce
1 cup chopped onion

Preparation:

Place half of the thinly sliced onions in bottom of slow cooker; add pork and water, along with remaining onion slices. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH heat setting. Drain liquid from slow cooker; chop the meat coarsely and discard excess fat. Put the pork back in the slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce and chopped onion. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours longer. Stir occasionally. Serve with warm split buns and coleslaw.

Serves 8 to 10.

Oven Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard

3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 hamburger buns

Directions

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F.

To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hamburger bun, and top with the spicy slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

Gluten-free lemon bars

2010-01-26T13:25:00.000-08:00

Recipe and photos by Autumn.

My mother got this recipe from one of her favorite websites The Joy Of Baking and then translated it into gluten-free. There isn't alot of flour in this recipe so it is pretty easy.

If you love lemon then this is the perfect recipe. Our neigbors down the street have a lemon tree in their front yard and every day that we drove by it, my mom would say that she wanted to rescue the lemons and make some sweet and savory dishes with them. And if nothing else she was just going to zest and squeeze them, and put them in the freezer for dishes down the road. So my dad and I finally went over and asked the neighbors if we could have some. It was so funny because they said they had picked a bunch and made lemonade with them but had no clue what else they could do with the lemons. Everyone in our house, minus my dad, love lemons and tart things. This recipe is actually a fine balance between buttery, sweet, and tart. The zest is the best part of the lemons.

CRUST:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup confectioner's (powdered or icing) sugar

1 cup all purpose flour - Featherlight flour (see recipe below)

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/8 teaspoon salt

FILLING:

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately two large lemons)

1 tablespoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour-Featherlight flour

TOPPING:

Confectioner's (powdered or icing) sugar

Lemon Zest - The yellow outer rind of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor and perfume.

These smelled so delicious and so we cut them way too early. If you wait until they are completely cooled they will have a better cut line to them. Either way they are yummy!

TIP: Always remove the zest first before halving and squeezing the lemon. Use a fine strainer to remove the seeds from the juice.

Risotto

2010-01-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

I began making risotto as an additon to our repetoire of side dishes to accompany b.b.q.'d, or roasted meats. It was something that was naturally gluten-free and does not cost a whole lot, and can serve a good amount of people. Once your prep work is completed the risotto only takes about 20 to 30 minutes to make. You do need to baby it a bit, but the results are so worth it.
I love the creamy texture of risotto, and how it can be a stand alone meal or at the very least an impressive side dish. To make this a main course you can add more vegetables and meat.

Basic Risotto

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a side dish

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion , peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Arborio rice
4 to 6 cups chicken broth, heated
1/2 cup dry white wine
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon parsley, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese , or grated Asiago, plus extra for passing

1. Heat oil in a large skillet, 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Add onions and garlic; sauté, stirring occastionally, until they soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Stir in rice and 1 teaspoon salt or to taste. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add 1 1/2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until pan bottom is dry when rice is pulled back with spoon, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Then add 1/2 cup of the broth at a time, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed; cook until rice is creamy but still somewhat firm in center 10 to 12 minutes longer.

4. Stir in cheese and mix in parsley. Serve on a wide platter or individual plates with additional cheese passed separately.

Pollo guisado sin gluten estilo puertoriqueno

2010-01-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Pollo guisado sin gluten is really just a gluten-free stewed chicken. This is a Puerto Rican mainstay that is often served as a side dish and not a main course. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it is naturally gluten-free. When teaching my gluten-free cooking classes this is a concept that I try to instill in my students, that cooking from scratch is very often glute-free. It is not rocket scence and the dishes can have basic ingredients, be simple to make, taste great and still be gluten-free. Most folks have the misconception that gluten-free food has to be lack luster and that is just not true. You should never have to suffer color, texture, variety or flavor just becasue your food is gluten-free. The only real qualifications for a dish to be gluten-free is that it does not contain wheat, rye barley and sometimes oats. So think outside of the box and be creative.

This is a recipe that my mother would fix throughout my life. Just the aroma of this dish made me feel so warm and fuzzy all over. I remember smelling this dish and thinking all is well with the world right now. My mother loved to cook and it was such a labor of love that she would prepare for her husband, children, and grandchildren. I love chicken and this is one of my favorite ways to fix it in the winter. It is a very hardy, delicous and nuritious meal. Be sure to serve it nice and warm over rice.

I have seen this recipe with white wine instead of the chicken broth or 1/2 and 1/2, or just water instead of the broth. Any way you prepare it, it is bound to please. It's not quite a Coq au vin, but it is just as delicious, just from a different culture.

3 lbs. chicken pieces, seasoned with adobo

3 tsps. adobo (minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil)

1 cup sofrito (see recipe below)
1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth, or water

4 potatoes, diced

4 carrots, chopped

4 celery ribs, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Sofrito

1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 head of garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper

*4 - 6 ajíes dulces (Optional. If in Puerto Rico easier to find)
1 tbsp. capers

1/4 cup green olives stuffed with pimento
1 teaspoon.oregano, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

If you would like to prepare a bunch of sofrito and reserve it for dishes down the road, one way is to - peel, wash, seed, chop, and mince what you need and just dump it all in the in a bowl and mix well. Freeze in ice-cube trays, then dump in a double freezer bag. I have seen this recipe where they just put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor, but my family likes the whole olives and capers.

Season the chicken ahead of time (at least 1 hour) and refrigerate until needed.

In a medium sized sauce pan heat olive oil, add chicken and cook until it is brown on both sides. Remove from oil and drain. In the same pan add the sofrito and cook for 3 minutes or so. Add the chicken and the rest of the ingredients, season to taste, cover and cook over medium heat for 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are fork tender. Add the celery about 5 minutes before serving. Serve over rice.

Gluten free black bottom cupcakes

2010-01-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

I have been making this recipe since the 1980's. My two older children Daniel and Caitlyn, now in their 20's were 1 and 5 years old. At the time we participated in a playgroup at the La Sierra Park in Arden Park, Sacramento, California. At our playgroups after our children had played for some time we would eat lunch together. Often we would share what food we had brought and have a sort of potluck. of course this pre-celiac days for our family. Not one to shy away from asking for recipes, I acquired this recipe from one of the mom's, who I believe was Jenny. Our playgroup disbanded as soon as all of our oldest child started Kindergarten. With everyone off to different schools and different schedules it just seemed right at the time. How amazing is that, that I still have this recipe and can still create it even though we are gluten-free?! It's funny to me how many recipes I have acquired over the years, and have fortunately been able translate them into gluten-free recipes. I appreciate all of the recipes that I have gotten and will continue to look for more.

I made this recipe this weekend for my 12 year old daughter, Autumn who was going on a trip to Bodega Bay. She doesn't like brownies all that much so I wanted to make something with just enough chocolate in it. This recipe was right on the money. Autumn's friend, Lydia also has celiac, and so I made this treat for them to share and enjoy. Even the non-celiac's that went on this trip loved the cupcakes. Autumn reported that they could not tell that they were even gluten-free. As always make sure to keep all of your dry ingredients seperate from your wet ingredients until you are completely ready to combine them. otherwise your xanthan gum tends to gum up and the recipe will cease up.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups Amy's cake flour (see recipe below)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon vinegar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup white sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, oil and water until blended. Stir in the vinegar and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with chocolate batter, then top with a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until done.

*Note: I make double of the chocolate mixture to be able to incorporate all of the cream cheese mixture.

Amy’s Gluten-Free Cake Flour

For 3 cups:

1 cup rice flour

1 cup cornstarch or arrowroot

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1 tablespoon potato flour

For 9 cups:

3 cups rice flour

3 cups cornstarch or arrowroot

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca starch

3 tablespoons potato flour

*If you would like to purchase baking flour pre-mixed, Authentic Foods sells Bette Hagman’s Featherlight Rice Flour Mix, but it’s not as good as Amy’s. The differences are slight but enough to make the difference in the smooth texture of your cake.

Don’t forget ½ tsp xanthun gum per cup of flour used.

It’s Cloudy with a chance of soup

2010-01-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

It is officially soup weather! In Sacramento, when autumn hits, a signal is sent to my family’s brains that it is time to have more quiet, calm and hot meals together. Winter usually is just an extension of that, but this year of all year’s winter has hit us hard. When I say hard, I mean it has been cold (below 60 degrees), wet, overcast and kind of dreary. Since it is freezing (under 40 degrees) in most parts of the United States, a nice hot soup really hits the spot. usually by January my family are craving soups, but now it is the time to turn up the repetoire a notch.

To us there is nothing more comforting and nourishing than homemade soup. For many folks soup is just something they pour out of a can and they usually only have it when they are under the weather. Canned soup for my family has never been an option. Something about that tinny taste, and the pallor and lack of texture of the vegetables that make it so easy for us to not even consider. From an early age my mother taught us that homemade soup was the best thing next to antibiotics. She was convinced that a nice bowl of soup could revive even those near death; a quick pick you up, through and through, right down to your soul. To this day, when I get sick I crave a nice bowl of homemade soup.

Soups do not need to take long to make and they do not have to be expensive. Fresh and organic ingredients are a good start. If you are in a crunch for time, then you can cheat a little by buying store bought organic broths to help. Then all you need to do is add the fresh vegetables and meat if you so desire and wulah, you have soup. Start with a few basics such as fresh onions, garlic, celery, carrots and potatoes. Fresh herbs are a wonderful bonus to your soups, especially if they are vegan, because they add so much flavor. What you need to know is that there is no right way to make soup. Remember to be creative and I think you will find that when you begin making your own homemade broths and soups how cost effective it can be, how much better the flavor is, and how much better it is for you. Don't forget the additional bonus, that making soups from scratch puts you in control of the ingredients that go into it, and soups are naturally gluten-free!

Corn Chowder
(Recipe courtesy of my NEW hardback Fanny Farmer Cookbook I received for Christmas!)
You can use frozen or canned corn for this recipe but fresh summer corn tastes the best. Cut the kernels from the ears of corn and then freeze them until you are ready to make this chowder. I used a mixture of white corn and yellow corn.

This recipe has been adjusted a bit to a former recipe that I vaguely remeber from when I was in high school. While in high school I worked at a natural foods ice cream, sandwich and sald shop called Vicky Maries. We were required to make this soup from scratch once per week. Up until that point, I had never had corn chowder. I love corn and this was the perfect marriage for a thick and hearty soup. While this version is made with cream, you can use rice, soy, or nut milk. Although, this recipe has meat in it, it is not necessary to make it with meat. You can just start out with your arromatics and a good quality olive oil. Also the carrots and the potatoes are just added for color, texture, and as a natural thickening agent. Other corn chowder recipes I looked up used flour and butter in the beginning as a thickening agent. So as you can see the possiblities are endless.

4 slices of bacon, pancetta, or ham
1 onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 thin carrots, finely chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups of liquid (water, chicken broth, or vegetable stock)
2 cups corn kernels
3 cups of cream
sea salt and fresh ground peper to taste

Cook the the bacon slowly in a deep pan until the fat has melted and the pieces are brown and crisp. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, and add the onion, carrots, celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and liquid, cover and cook until the potatoes are just tender. Add the corn, and cream and cook for 5 minutes more. Before serving add the salt and pepper to taste.

Cream of Carrot Soup or Potage de Crécy
(Recipe courtesy of Easy French Food)
• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped finely

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled if needed and sliced thinly

• 1 large potato, peeled and sliced thinly

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 cup whipping cream

• salt to taste

• chives, chopped

In a large sturdy soup pot (or Dutch oven), melt the butter on medium heat. Cook the onions, carrots, potato, and garlic in the butter for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and pepper and bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down so that the soup is just barely bubbling. Cover the pot and cook the soup for 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool enough so you can comfortably puree it, using either a food processor or blender. Work in small batches and watch out for hot splashing soup! Once it is pureed return the soup to a pot. You can also puree this soup using a stainless steel food mill for a very smooth soup.

When you are done pureeing all the soup, stir in the whipping cream and season to taste with salt and additional pepper. You can further season this soup with such things as powdered dry ginger, cumin, and curry. All of these flavors go very nicely with carrots. I also like a pinch of cayenne.
Heat the soup to serve. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped chives.

Makes about 6 - 1 cup servings.

For more ideas on soups:

Homemade chicken and vegetable soup

Homemade tomato soup

Vegan cream of celery soup

Vegan cashew cream for soups

Cream of carrot soup

Alcapurrias, gluten free Puerto Rican yuca balls

2010-01-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

Alcapurrias have become our new holiday tradition. This is a time consuming dish to make and so my mother would only make this on request for special occasions and birthdays. Since they are round and made of yuca, the family coined the phrase "Yuca Balls" in order to make them comprehensible to our non-Puerto Rican friends. Joy of all joys, they are naturally gluten-free. While growing up alcapurrias were largely guarded in our home, as they would get stolen right off of our plate. If you weren't watching and holding onto your alcapurria, it was free game. I think this was the only type of meal where there was horseplay allowed, so it brings back such fond memories for me. If you requested this dish for your birthday, then you would get the largest amount of alcapurrias to eat, and even some to take home. Alcapurrias are crunchy on the outside, and warm and fluffy on the inside. They are filled with a mouthful of flavor. Picadillo - the meat mixture is garlicky and savory. While the yuca is a little sweeter, this totally fits the bill for my favorite sweet and savory combinations. The pork is tender and has layers of garlic, cilantro, and oregano. For our family an alcapurria is a complete meal.

Yuca pronounced YOO-ka is also known as manioc or cassava. It is mostly found in the Carribean, Latin America, Asia and Afirca. It grows year-round, which makes it convenient to cook with. It is a root and is naturally low in sodium, high in iron, and very high in Vitamin C. It also offers some protein, some dietary fiber but is counted as high in carbs. Yuca root provides some niacin and calcium as well. One-half cup of cooked yuca contains about 40 calories.

Although my mother used to make pasteles (another Puerto Rican dish similar to a tamale but made with a mixture of plantains, green bananas, yuatia, potato, and a green pumpkin-like squash and wrapped in plantain leaves instead of corn husk)) for Christmas Eve dinner, it was never our favorite. We always loved the alcapurrias and would relish the few times per year my mother would make it. As we make our alcapurrias we play my mother's favorite Puerto Rican Christmas music all the while thinking of her. As we form each yuca ball, it is our greatest hope that we are creating them with equal amount of love and passion those made by mami.

Recipe - La receta

4 to 5 yuca, pieces

1 small onion

1 small bell pepper, chopped

4 tbsp. oil with achiote (annato seeds)
1 garlic, head
20 olives,green pimento stuffed
1 tbsp. Capers
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
¼ lb. ground pork
1 tomato sauce, small can

Meat Mixture - Picadillo: Heat about 1 tbsp. of oil and sauté chopped garlic, onion, and pepper. Add ground pork and cook until browned. Add capers and olives to the meat. Season to taste with salt and peeper, add in oregano. Cook on medium heat until meat is tender add in tomato sauce.

Alcapurrias - Yuca Balls

Step 1. Peel the yuca. Then cup it into manageable pieces to place in your food processor.

Step 2. Grate the Yuca fine in food processor.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3. Squeeze yuca through cheese cloth to release the starch liquid.

Note: Make sure to reserve this liquid in case the yuca is too dry when putting together the alcapurrias.

Step 4. Make achiote oil by placing achiote in oil and simmering on low until the oil becomes orangey red.

Step 5. Add the oil with achiote into the grated yuca and mix well. Set aside.

Step 6. Place ½ cup to ¾ cup yucca masa in the palm of your hand and spread over the entire hand about ¼ inch thick (enough to cover the meat).

Step 7. Put meat mixture in the center and bring edges of the dough together. Shape as a ball.

Step 8. Fry in plenty of oil until an orange-golden brown. Do not allow the oil to get too hot or too cold.

Step 9. Drain on paper towel.

Step 10. Serve hot and eat immediately!!

This particular recipe yielded about 34 alcapurrias with masa leftover for even more alcapurrias!!

Ringing in the New Year with Gluten free alcohol

2010-01-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

It’s time to celebrate the New Year coming in and if you have celiac, you may feel as though your options are limited. That is no longer true; especially for beer drinkers. There are many options of hard alcohol, wine, champagne, not to mention, ciders, and beer as well.The list keeps increasing each year; so be wary as some manufacturers are no longer making their gluten-free versions and others have added gluten-free options. A good rule of thumb is to always check before purchasing, and to also be mindful when you decide to try a new selection by making sure that they are labeled gluten-free and are made in a plant that is well aware of the cross-contamination issues that are such a dilemma for celiac’s. To stay informed, feel free to check out their websites and to contact them via e-mail or phone. Here is a comprised list of gluten-free ciders and beer from around the world. To be clear, I myself have not tried all of these beers and ciders, but I am very excited that we do have so many options now. I am very excited to start trying them all and as I do try them I will update you with my own honest unbiased opinion on them. Which goes without saying, as I find these new options of gluten-free cider and beer I will update this post. As it is, I set out to when I set out to write this article for the Sacramento Gluten-Free Food Examiner, each day I would research and find new options. It was actually exhausting, but quite eye opening. I loved the fact thatthere were so many varieties, and that many of them can be found right in our own backyard. So check this post periodically for updates. And always remember whenever traveling, keep your list handy.

Here is a list of gluten-free ciders and beers:

1. The California Cider Company

Ace Cider is California’s first commercially produced and distributed cider, is taking advantage of the blossoming national “hard” cider market with a distinctive California cider made in a specially-designed micro cider mill in Graton, just outside Sebastopol. The California Cider Company (CCC) is benefiting from Sonoma;s tradition of providing high quality Gravenstein and other varities of apple juice. Ace Apple, CCC’s flagship brand is made with 100% pure, local apple juice giving it a fresh, natural taste, and setting it apart from most other brands (not using 100% juice). Ace Cider is gluten-free!

Ace Perry Cider is a new premium fermented cider. It is made from a base of 100% local apple juice. Pear juice is added to give the cider it’s distinctive pear taste.
Ace Apple Honey is made with 5% Sonoma wildflower honey and 95% pure Sonoma County apple juice. Ace Apple Honey has a pronounced honey bouquet with a smooth texture, a rich brown color and dry finish.
Ace Berry Cider is a mixture of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry juice added into their fermented apple cider. The resulting cider has a delicious fruity taste. It is extremely refreshing, lightly carbonated and a healthy, exhilarating alternative to the heaviness of beer or the high alcohol content of wine.
Ace Joker Cider is a new premium champagne like cider. It is light in color with a 8% alcohol content.

2. Fox Barrel

Our award winning ciders are hand crafted from freshly pressed apple juice in California’s Sierra Foothills. We hand blend each batch, ensuring the highest quality product that bridges the gap between craft beer and fine wine.

Our 100% natural ciders are gluten free with no artificial colors or flavors. Whether it’s our natural ingredients, our attention to detail or the great taste, you'll favor Fox Barrel ciders.

3. Green Mountain Beverage Company

Woodchuck Draft Cider All varieties of Woodchuck are naturally gluten free. Since Woodchuck has always—and only—been made from apples (not wheat, barley or rye) we’ve never had gluten in any of our ciders. We take Celiac Disease seriously and have had all our ciders tested by an independent lab and are careful to maintain a completely gluten-free facility. America’s #1 Selling Premium Draft Cider, is the perfect accompaniment when friends get together to have fun. Crisp, light and refreshing, each Woodchuck style combines the tradition of English and Irish hard ciders with an All-American spirit of refreshment which delivers maximum drinkability.

Cider Jack is a bold, crisp, hard cider. It’s a refreshing change and perfect for any occasion year round. Made from fermented apple juice it has a bold taste that’s easy to drink. It has a crisp, refreshing edge that’s lighter than beer. Cider Jack® is available in the original Apple style and Raspberry. Naturally Gluten Free.

4. Fish Brewing Company - Spire Mountain Ciders

Apple Cider from the natural sweetness of famed Washington apples comes this delightful hard cider. Pleasant, light and with a snap of champagne effervescence, each glass is like a bite of crisp liquid apple; perfectly balanced with the right tartness

Spire Mountain Pear Cider is festive and light, Spire Mountain Pear Cider is alive with delicate flavor. A blend of Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou pears gives this hard cider a gentle zest. Complimented by a soft sprightly sparkle, the scent of sunny orchard beckons from every glass.

Spire Mountain Dark & Dry Apple Cider

Savor this refreshing glass of complexity. Dark & Dry Apple Cider’s assertive tartness is pleasingly balanced by a hint of molasses and brown sugar. More rounded and intricate than it’s sister ciders, this potion will appeal to beer aficionados, wine devotees, and cider enthusiast alike.

5. Doc's Draft® Hard Apple Cider

This cider is semi-dry and wonderfully effervescent with a remarkably fresh apple nose. Its crisp, fruit forward taste and a clean, refreshing finish, have won our cider countless awards and praise.

Doc's Draft® Hard Pear Cider

A traditional cider hand crafted from a select blend of apples and pears. Intense aromas of ripened pear dance from the glass. The taste is light and crisp with a clean, dry finish. (5.5% alcohol). Winner: Silver Medal - Hudson Valley Wine Competition
Doc's Draft® Framboise
Fresh raspberries are added to Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider and re-fermented to create a delicious spin on traditional cider. We think you’ll agree that you can really taste the fresh fruit used in making this cider.

6. Original Sin
Is a 6% alcohol cider, made from domestic Granny Smith Apples. Light and crisp with a smooth finish. Original Sin contains no artificial flavors or colors, and is sorbate, and gluten-free. They offer Original and Pear ciders.

GLUTEN-FREE BEER IN THE UNITED STATES

1. Bards tale:
Dragon’s Gold – Bard’s Tale Beer, USA – Golden amber with light white head, with the aroma and taste characteristics of a satisfying, finely crafted wheat beer. This beer is crafted with pure water, premium sorghum, hops and yeast, combined with buckwheat, natural honey, corn and rice. This is Real Beer for Real People.
Tavern Ale – Bard’s Tale Beer, USA – Soon to be on the market, another finely crafted offering from the makers of Dragon’s Gold.
Seasonals are in the preliminary stages – keep your eyes open for these!

2. Redbridge Beer (Anheuser-Busch)

Redbridge is a rich, full-bodied lager brewed from sorghum for a well-balanced, moderately hopped taste. Redbridge pours a deep honey gold, with a creamy, eggshell head that settles like a gauzy veil over the surface. Effervescent bubbles rise through the glass in a constant stream. Initial aromas are of light malt and a tempered, gentle nuttiness. Some florals rise in the nose. The tongue interprets flavors that echo as a softened pale ale, without the characteristic grassy, earthy flavors of more intense cultivars of sorghum. Cascade hops are not initially prominent in the foreground, but provide a lingering, bitter presence at the back en

Redbridge and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) will partner to increase awareness of the Celiac Disease. Please check back again later for more information about this exciting and important partnership.

9. Lakefront Brewery - New Grist

Lakefront Brewery's New Grist, brewed from sorghum, hops, water, rice and gluten-free yeast grown on molasses, won an award for "Most Promising New Option and Excellence in its Range of Flavors" at the 2006 Gluten Free Beer Festival.

10. Sprecher Brewery

This award-winning Milwaukee microbrewery now offers two gluten-free beers: Mbege Ale and Shakparo Ale. Both are African-style beers brewed with sorghum and millet, originally conceived in an effort to provide a traditional African-style beer for Milwaukee's African World Festival.

11. Ramapo Valley Brewery

Did you know that Ramapo Valley Brewery is the only Kosher brewery in the United States and the only brewery certified Kosher for Passover. Ramapo has several excellent and unusual beers, our "Gluten Free" is one of the countries only truly Gluten Free beers, making it possible for people with Celiac's to drink safely.

Brewed in its own brew house, there is no chance of "Cross Contamination".

Our blue ribbon Honey Beer, the Passover Honey Lager is a unique honey-based, gluten free, brew using dedicated equipment that insures the integrity of the beer. People with celiac sprue who normally cannot tolerate glutens in their diet can enjoy this brew without any risk of discomfort. Nevertheless, the great, refreshing flavor can be enjoyed by anyone. This innovative brew is made with neither barley, nor wheat. The main fermentable is amber honey. Molasses is used for flavor, nutrients and color. Bright golden in color, the taste naturally has notes of honey and hop. Noble hops add a touch of bitterness to balance the honey sweetness. This beer is Kosher certified for Passover. Ramapo Valley Brewery's gluten-free honey lager took first prize in the 2006 Gluten Free Beer Festival. The gluten-free beer is brewed in its own house, ensuring freedom from cross-contamination. Six-packs are available online (for shipping within the U.S.) at Internet Wines.

12. Old Hat Brewery in Lawton, MI – Bee’s Knees – Dry honey taste with a Pilsner Hop Finish. Very light head, similar to a Vienna but with honey. Try this one with a lime on those hot summer days. Gluten-free. Hops - Saaz A.B.V. 5.2%

13. New Planet Beer Company – Boulder, CO. Made in small batches by great beer meisters, it has all the character and none of the drawbacks. Plus, a portion of our proceeds goes to ecosystem conservation.

IMPORT GLUTEN-FREE BEER

1. Steinke Beer (Argentina) Cream Ale style made with corn. It is soft and full bodied. It has the characteristic sediment craft beers fermented in the bottle, achieving a natural gasification of fine bubbles. Persistent foam.

Bock style beer bright brown. Its aroma reveals the roasted corn which is conferred by its coloration. Steinike Bock with 5% vol. alcoholic beer is a soft foam.

2. Billabong Brewing Company – (Australia) With the assistance of the WA Department for Agriculture and Food, and under the guidance of the WA and Australian Coeliac Societies, we have developed a starting range of three Certified Gluten Free beers – a “Blonde” (4.5% abv), a Ginger Beer (4.5%) and an Apple Beer (5.0%). And most recently our Australia's Pale ale (5.1% abv) Further beer styles are in development, including a Mid Strength and a dark Ale , next year should see some darker, richer beer styles being added to our list.

3. O'Brien Brewing (Australia)

Gluten Free does not mean taste free. Our beers are full-bodied, naturally brewed beers, using traditional craft brewing techniques. They are preservative free with no artificial colourings.

Our Beers have been described by Beer Judges and Master Brewers as:

• offering "a real choice, and the non-coeliac may not even notice it is a gluten-free beer";

• being "A classic Australian lager....anyone can enjoy this!";

• having "clean, dry fermentation character" and "pleasant hop character"; and

• offering "very good drinking"

O'Brien Brewing' proud manufacturer of Australia's first Gluten Free Beer. O'Brien Brewing is a producer of premium beers for the Australian and international markets.

4. Glutaner (Netherlands) is a premium beer with an alcohol content of 5.2%. It can be compared to a premium lager. This brew is based on sorghum and Teff is an important ingredient as well. 100% gluten-free. It is brewed in a gluten-free environment using only gluten-free ingredients. After the beer is brewed one of the things

5. Green's (U.K.)

Inspired by strong European beers and developed to a closely guarded secret recipe, the specialist beers are brewed with a strong body, crisp taste and a refreshing flavour, losing none of the taste but all of the allergens.

Where as most conventional brewing practices employ either Isinglass or gelatine based products in the clearing process, Green’s only uses natural tannins, which as well as giving them an attractive hazy body, makes them suitable for both Vegetarian and Vegan diets. Green’s beers DO NOT contain any of the following allergens or products thereof: Gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soya beans, Milk, Lactose, Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame seeds, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites.

6. BiAglut (Italy)

Americans prefer their beer freezing, the British prefer it at any time of socialization, Spaniards prefer it as an aperitif and, in Italy, is a classic with pizza. Many traditions for a single passion: BiAglut together with experienced master brewers beer made 76, a clear gluten for real connoisseur.

7. Nick Stafford's Hambleton (U.K.)
GFA and GFL - the best selling British brewed gluten free beers in the world!Hambleton Ales' GFA and GFL deliver the full flavour and satisfaction expected from British ales in a gluten and wheat free formulation. A tawny ale with aromas of Cascade, Liberty and Challenger hops and specially prepared dark sugars providing full bodied initial sweetness giving way to pronounced fruit and hop character with a strong citrus finish.

A Pale lager style beer with an initial fullness complemeted by a fruit character, dervived from East Kent Goldings and Continental Styrian hops, finishing with bitterness and citrus notes. Uniquely balanced and best served chilled.

8. Fine Ale Club - Against the Grain (U.K.) - Britain's favorite Gluten -free Bitter (certified well below Codex standard 20ppm) smooth, creamy, good head and full flavoured. Indistinguishable from normal beer. Supplied to Harrods for their "Truly British" promotion in Autumn 2005 and blue rosette winner for taste at the Chesterfield CAMRA festival February 2006. Against the Grain won GOLD in the speciality bottled beers section at North of England "Oscars" organised by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

9. St. Peter’s Brewery Co. Ltd. G-Free (U.K.) G-Free™ was launched in August 2007. A clean, crisp, gluten free ale with a pilsner lager style finish and aromas of citrus and mandarin from American Amarillo hops. ABV: 4.2%

10. Strongbow (U.K.)

is a crisp, premium imported cider from the U.K. which delivers maximum refreshment in an authentic, traditional English recipe.

11. B.C.’s Gluten-free Pilsner Beer – (U.K.) Aroma is light and citrusy, with a sweetish note, some green apple, a touch of tropical fruit and possibly a little sweetcorn. In the mouth it is clean and smooth, with relatively low carbonation. Flavours are again surprisingly fruity - pineapple, apricot and passionfruit, plus a little lemon. Again there is a touch of green apple but nothing too serious. Hop content is enough to give it a reasonable but comfortable level of bitterness. It also has a syrup-like sweet note, though the body is otherwise fairly thin. Finish is fruity, leaving a slightly cloying, bittersweet aftertaste

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE GLUTEN-FREE BEER?

Have you had a chance to try some gluten-free beer? Did you like it? Share your gluten-free beer experiences and advice.

Gluten free rum balls for the holidays

2009-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

My sister, Joyce Lucich, a fellow Sacramentan, always attempts to create gluten-free treats for me, although she herself is not celiac. When you are celiac or have family members or friends that are celiac you must become resourceful. Taking any recipe and coming up with a plan to make it gluten-free is a must. It isn’t rocket science, but when newly diagnosed this is unfamiliar territory; so tread lightly and yet tread endlessly and fearlessly. I try to teach this skill to my daughter, Autumn (also a celiac) and to folks in my gluten-free cooking/baking classes. This is often their only way of not feeling deprived, feeling hopeful and to learn that a gluten-free diet is not such a horrible thing. Not that I want to make every single thing, every single day from scratch; for me it's half the battle just knowing that I CAN! That is enough to help me to feel priveleged and not deprived.

My sister, Joyce, pictured here on the right, took her regular recipe for rum balls and transformed it into a gluten-free recipe simply by changing the type of cookies she used. She also slightly adjusted the recipe to accommodate the fact that the gluten-free animal crackers that she bought came in a 10 oz. box while the vanilla wafers she normally uses come in 12 oz.

Did I mention how yummy these rum balls are?! As far as I can tell you cannot taste the difference between the gluten-free rum balls and the regular ones. They are moist, chocolaty, and oh so rummy! It's as if you are taking a bite of a truffle. My sister, Joyce did an excellent job not only making the rum balls but converting the recipe to gluten-free, of course she always does. She has been aptly nicknamed "The Puerto Rican Martha Stewart". Joyce is extremely talented and artistic; not only is she an exceptional cook, her table setting are always unique and spectacular!

Ingredients:

1 (10oz) box of gluten-free cookies ( any cookie similar to vanilla wafers)

1/3 cp powdered sugar

3/4 cp. chopped walnuts

6 oz. of chocolate chips

4 heaping tbsp. Karo Syrup

3/4 cp rum

powdered sugar, additional for rolling

Directions:

Crush cookies in food processor until fine. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add nuts and stir.

Melt chocolate chips until creamy and stir in Karo Syrup. Mix well. Add in rum and stir well.

Combine chocolate mixture with cookie mixture. Blend well to make sure all of cookie absorbs the liquid.

Refrigerate for at least an hour or more to let the mixture set.

When ready to roll, take out tablespoon-size portions, dust with powdered sugar and roll into a ball. Roll in powdered sugar, one more time. Keep stored in an airtight container.

*Note: Can be kept for a month or more if stored properly.

Festive Gluten Free Cheese Ball

2009-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

This recipe is based on a Food Network recipe from Paula Deen. I added Gruyere Cheese to make it a bit more cheesy. Some of the things I learned while making this dip were to one read your directions a couple days prior to making your recipe. Two is to assemble it at home. I had not refrigerated this dip overnight so it was not as solid as it should have been. Last, I put the the dip I had made at home together at my friend Carla's house and unfortunately I had not brought enough almonds. It still looked like a pine cone, and it tasted phenomial, but it would have so much less stressful if I had followed the direstions I just listed. Well, there is always next time.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups whole natural almonds

• 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese

* 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise

• 3 crispy cooked bacon slices, crumbled

• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion

* 1/3 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

• Sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place and spread all the almonds on a cookie sheet or in a shallow pan, pushing the almonds around until they turn color, about 20 minutes.

Mix together the cream cheese and the mayonnaise. Add the bacon, salt and pepper, dill, and onion. Chill overnight.

On a serving platter, make 2 pine cone shapes with the cheese. Begin to press the almonds at a slight angle into the cheese, starting at the narrow end of the pine cone shape.

Do this in rows, continuing to overlap rows until all the cheese is covered. Garnish with fake sprigs, or real ones, or with rosemary.

Serve at room temperature and spread on crackers.

Coquito, the Puerto Rican version of egg nog

2009-12-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

Many of our holiday traditions are based around food and drinks. One of my favorites is Coquito. Coquito is a popular Christmas beverage in Puerto Rico. Coquito, which literally means small coconut, is considered the Caribbean version of American eggnog. It has similarities to American eggnog, but the use of creme de coco or coconut milk gives it a unique island flavor.

My mother never made homemade coquito that I can remember. She had to depend on aunts, cousins, and friends to send her the heady concoction from New York, Florida, and even as far way as Puerto Rico. These coveted bottles were only served on "Nochebuena", Christmas Eve; and only to those fortunate enough to be invited to my mom's house for her special Puerto Rican Nochebuena - Christmas Eve dinner.

The bottles were any cast off bottles of wine, vinegar, or other alcohol, that have been washed and sanitized. These bottles would come with all types of decorations hand painted on them. Often they would have poinstettia's, or the Puerto Rican flag, a coqui which is the islands native tree frog that sings "coqui" instead of a ribbit.

Although the tradition in Puerto Rico is to make Coquito to serve to people who come and bring a parranda. The “parrandas”or “asaltos navideños” especially on Christmas Eve and “Los Tres Reyes." Las Parrandas” are a unique tradition where a group of friends or family known as the “trulla,” goes unannounced over a neighbor’s house very late at night to sing traditional Puerto Rican Christmas carols composed of six–syllable verse lines. The songs they sing are called “aguinaldos” or gifts. The “trulla” or carolers continue until they are invited inside the home to share in delicious Christmas treats like marzipan, papaya sweets, rice with coconut, and Coquito. After a while, the “trulla” has even more people in the party and moves on to another block or another home where they eat and party some more. This keeps on repeating until the early hours of the next day. The “asaltos navideños” remain a tradition of Christmas in Puerto Rico but to a lesser degree, and it is definitely more common in Puerto Rico than among Puerto Ricans in the U.S.

Although we do not go on any parrandas or receive any parrandas at our home in California, my family started a tradition of making Coquito for Christmas. We make it and hand out small bottles to our friends. it has now become a reuested item for our friend's holiday celebrations.

8 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 can coconut milk

1 can cocnut cream

2 cans evaporated milk

2 cans condensed milk

fresh grated coconut (coco rallado)

1 liter white Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi)

cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt

In a bowl add egg yolks, sugar, milk, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and mix well. Add evaporated and condensed milks, rum, and coconut cream and coconut milk. Add grated coconut and mix well. You may mix all of the ingredients in a blender. Pour coquito into clean bottles with sealable tops and add the cinnamon sticks to each bottle. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Coquito must be kept refrigerated until served. Serve as a cocktail in a shot glass.