tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74228426132419619932024-02-07T00:08:00.765-05:00Gluten Free in the GreensLiving and eating gluten free in the Green Mountain State and beyondGluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-27089168555493926942009-05-29T13:32:00.003-04:002009-06-02T08:23:12.756-04:00Desert Island Cookbook ListI bought the Science Teacher <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Culinary-Artistry-Andrew-Dornenburg/dp/0471287857">Culinary Artistry</a> for Christmas one year. Towards the end, the chefs featured in the book rattle off their desert island lists, the ten or so ingredients they would choose to spend eternity with if stranded on a desert island. I seem to remember that olive oil recurs the most.<br /><br />Enter the desert island cookbook list.<br /><br />With our impending move to Tbilisi, we're in the position of drastically downsizing our cookbook collection, which, while not huge, contains well-used books. Unlike Foreign Service families, we don't get over a 1000 lbs of freight; instead, we'll fly with everything and pay for a few additional duffles for the extras. Space for books is at a premium and has to be divvied out among cookbooks, teaching books, and fun books.<br /><br />The question is what to take. I'm leaning towards <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0764524836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243619219&sr=1-1">How to Cook Everything Vegetarian</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243619251&sr=1-1">Joy of Cooking</a> (new edition). But my beloved Jane Brody cookbooks (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Brodys-Good-Food-Book/dp/0393022102/ref=ed_oe_p">Good Food Book</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Brodys-Good-Food-Gourmet/dp/0553352954/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243619408&sr=1-1">Good Food Gourmet</a>) and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Daily-Special-Recipes/dp/0609802429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243619455&sr=1-1">Moosewood Daily Special</a> are clammering to come along--and I use them all of the time. And there are the books like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Book-Desserts-Collection/dp/0517884933/ref=pd_sim_b_6">Moosewood Book of Desserts</a>, which I use for inspiration and just love reading. We're definitely planning on copying a bunch of recipes from our other cookbooks and taking them along.<br /><br />What two or three cookbooks would you take with you?Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-6518678786167799122009-04-14T07:10:00.011-04:002009-05-23T17:26:24.126-04:00Date-Hazelnut Balls Dipped in Chocolate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeuvt_IJ0iaUnjAa-mkTtlZFU29Uxe5trEYfZAL59qsL1VWNIRNq83AYDUlzDxyTprcZRWhRNsQEUfMJ56oOQuLP-4GWT7OApO7DF-nelTPrjFlsPM-F9Zesg68eqiYlWsPu1ntnmErc/s1600-h/IMGP2830.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeuvt_IJ0iaUnjAa-mkTtlZFU29Uxe5trEYfZAL59qsL1VWNIRNq83AYDUlzDxyTprcZRWhRNsQEUfMJ56oOQuLP-4GWT7OApO7DF-nelTPrjFlsPM-F9Zesg68eqiYlWsPu1ntnmErc/s400/IMGP2830.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339133666026449202" border="0" /></a><br />Better (way) late than never.<br /><br />For a holiday that's infamous for a week without bread, Passover sure involves a heck of a lot of food that contains matzo. Everyone has an odd favorite food to eat while being afflicted--<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matzah_brei">matzo brie</a>, for instance--and there are whole cookbooks devoted to soaking, pounding, and grinding matzo into food that's meant to be more interesting than plain buttered matzo. During Passover this year, I watched a mom spend a half hour turning matzo into pancakes in hopes that her son wouldn't beg for Cherrios. The result? Kid wrinkles his nose and says "they taste like matzo." Well, yeah.<br /><br />The most ironic concoction I've come across this year is matzo cake meal--flour that's been baked into matzo then ground into flour. Oh I understand why the process is necessary (you might unintentionally consume something leavened if the "flour" you use isn't made from matzo, which has only been baked for a short amount of time and is certified by a rabbi). But if you really think about it, matzo cake meal isn't ironic at all. Passover is all about recreating the Exodus story and revising it to be relevant to our lives year after year. That's why we always list modern plagues (like hunger) alongside the ancient plagues (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murrain">murrain</a>, anyone?).<br /><br />While Passover should be a gluten-free smorgasbord, you still have to be really careful. Matzo shows up in just about as many things as flour does during the rest of the year, though there do tend to be more meringues around than usual. This year, I took chocolate-dipped dried pineapple, dates, and apricots to my first seder. While I was dipping the dates, I slit a few, dabbed hazelnut butter into the cavity, closed it up, and dipped them in chocolate. Wow, yum. There's a reason why Nutella sells.<br /><br />So for our seder, I wanted to expand on that idea a bit. I soaked dried dates in hot water then pureed them in the blender, added ground hazelnuts, and tasted. The concoction lacked the intense hazelnut flavor that I wanted so I add a big spoonful of hazelnut butter and a little salt. That really did the trick so if you're experimenting, definitely add some nut butter. I mixed it all up, rolled the glob into balls, dipped the balls in melted chocolate, and had dessert. Eat your heart out Ferrero Rocher. These are even good for you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Date-Hazelnut Balls Dipped in Chocolate</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Makes 18-20.</span><br /><br />1/2 lb dried dates<br />1 c. ground toasted hazelnuts<br />2-3 tbsp. hazelnut butter<br />1/8 tsp. salt<br />3/4-1 c. chopped chocolate for melting<br /><br />Soak the dates in hot water (especially if, like me, you don't own a Vitamix--I've already killed one mini chopper this year) for 10-15 min. Puree them in a food processor. Scrap into a bowl. Add the ground hazelnuts, salt, and hazelnut butter. Mix it all into a paste and roll into golf ball-sized balls.<br /><br />Melt the chocolate (I generally microwave the chocolate for 30 sec., stir, then microwave for 15 sec. at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is fully melted). Coat the balls in chocolate by dropping each ball into the melted chocolate, rolling it around until fully covered, and lifting it out with a fork, allowing the excess to drip off. You can thin the chocolate with a little milk (cow, soy, coconut, whatever's your pleasure) if it's too thick by itself. Allow the balls to cool fully on wax paper.<br /><br />Enjoy!Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-62832203045003800142009-04-05T11:06:00.003-04:002009-04-05T11:31:20.541-04:00Millet: Bring On the Bird Seed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5BcRsBui9_gEp1UdGjO5SmYcGqTeCedipDMIWuS8ZURgO5hoW21HNUsJ-6qc4S8QqBxua63GHEVJ84iZHYgSQTaAUTBekPfF6nY4z9cFL_36RTAQVugIEO9OysMcMrxYy1569vE-J0Q/s1600-h/IMGP2801.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5BcRsBui9_gEp1UdGjO5SmYcGqTeCedipDMIWuS8ZURgO5hoW21HNUsJ-6qc4S8QqBxua63GHEVJ84iZHYgSQTaAUTBekPfF6nY4z9cFL_36RTAQVugIEO9OysMcMrxYy1569vE-J0Q/s400/IMGP2801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321222867692239890" border="0" /></a>I probably used millet for the first time in preschool. Remember those pinecone bird feeders smeared with peanut butter and rolled in birdseed? I've never been particularly interested in birds or the composition of their food, which means I didn't actually learn that millet is a key component of ordinary birdseed until I was an adult.<br /><br />My first encounter with millet as a food source was in Russia. My host dad, Zhenya, brought some home in a little 2 lb. sack. I looked at it, and he said, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Eta prosa</span>." <span style="font-style: italic;">Prosa</span>, of course, what was I thinking and where was my dictionary? I deduced it must be couscous and thought it might be good for breakfast. I cooked my <span style="font-style: italic;">prosa</span> in water, topped it with jam, and ate a deeply unsatisfying meal. So ended my relationship with millet for quite a while.<br /><br />I decided to give it another shot after my celiac diagnosis. I mean, why limit myself even further by turning up my nose at a grain after one bad experience? I check millet out on wikipedia and found out that millet is a fairly common staple grain in many semi-arid and arid countries, including India and many African nations. Check out this <a href="http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch29.html">website</a> for more information about millet.<br /><br />Millet was actually one of the first grains we fed the Little Potamus, and he loves it, especially millet-cauliflower mash, which has the surprising texture of mashed potatoes (see below for a recipe). Millet seems to pair particularly well with tahini, so lately I've been eating it for breakfast with that and a little soy milk.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Basic Millet </span><br /><br />1 cup millet<br />2-3 cups water<br />pinch of salt<br /><br />Heat a little olive oil in a pan. Add the millet and cook until the grains smell toasty. Add 2-2 1/2 cups of water and cook for about 20 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. You might need to add more water if you want very soft grains. Add salt and pepper for a very simple dish, but millet is also excellent with nut butters, cheese, scallions, toasted nuts, etc. (though perhaps not all at the same time!).<br /><br />Here are some ideas for cooking with millet:<br /><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/mark-bittmans-autumn-millet-bake-recipe.html">Mark Bittman's Autumn Millet Bake</a> at 101 Cookbooks<br />Gluten-Free Mommy's <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://glutenfreemommy.com/baking-gluten-free-bread-millet-oatmeal-bread/">Millet Oatmeal Bread</a><br /><a href="http://www.shape.com/healthy_eating/recipes/5505">Millet-Quinoa-Cashew Kugel</a><br /><a href="http://www.hungrymag.com/2008/03/31/mulling-over-millet/">Spicy Millet-Chickpea Pancakes</a><br /><a href="http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2009/02/do-millet-mash.html">Millet-Cauliflower Mash</a> (add cheese, tahini, or miso to the mash at the end for a great variation)<br />Karina's <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/03/gluten-free-irish-soda-bread-recipe.html">Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread</a> (made with millet)Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-8982618249448517852009-03-27T07:39:00.003-04:002009-03-27T08:32:46.877-04:00High-Protein Breakfast Smoothies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmcA3u7BvYTZmiIGa5GKCTCADzvv4QfYCaCfA-Mdy75dUcmF1U4vAzAnd8FGlxEFfCPEOqfqLsTq9wlFTijlue78N_UsvF2lJAaDrrkHC4lMKy6Aa-A0Ob-kWo-32Jk4_j-ZLn8ScERc/s1600-h/IMGP2788_2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmcA3u7BvYTZmiIGa5GKCTCADzvv4QfYCaCfA-Mdy75dUcmF1U4vAzAnd8FGlxEFfCPEOqfqLsTq9wlFTijlue78N_UsvF2lJAaDrrkHC4lMKy6Aa-A0Ob-kWo-32Jk4_j-ZLn8ScERc/s400/IMGP2788_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317832127570200082" border="0" /></a>The Little Potamus sucking down a pint of smoothie.<br /><br />I've never thought of a smoothie as a meal in itself. A great addition to a weekend breakfast maybe. A good use for last-summer's berries. A reminder that it won't snow forever. But smoothies never seem to have the staying power or the chew factor that I usually deem necessary in my breakfasts. Probably the ones I've made in the past involve too much sugar and not enough protein.<br /><br />When we went to the Yucatan last month, though, I found myself wanting a light and cool lunch in the middle of the day--I just couldn't face a plate of enchiladas in 80 degree heat. We stayed a few days in this little town south of Cancun called Puerto Morelos that had a smoothie-coffee-sandwich shop on the corner (Le Cafe d'Amancia--check it out <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahfairb/3220333613/">here</a>). The smoothies were good with fresh fruit and milk (you could also get fresh juices for those of you who are dairy-free) though not mind-blowing. For that I would have to go back a few days to the tumblers of strawberry-pineapple-orange juice we ordered and reordered in Valledolid, but that's a whole other post.<br /><br />When we came back, I found myself craving smoothies for breakfast. I wanted a recipe without sugar so that I could feed it to myself and to the 18-month-old Little Potamus sans guilt. When I found a one that contained dates, I knew I was on the right track. I'm always totally amazed at the ability of dates to make more conventional sugars totally unneccessary. Add some peanut butter, and it's starting to get more substantial. I've become totally addicted to the following recipe, though it's taken some adjustment to my banana buying habits. I have to buy far more than I'm used to so they don't all get eaten up before they ripen enough to freeze!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Protein-Packed Breakfast Smoothie</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Makes 1 pint glass.</span><br /><br />1 chopped frozen banana<br />1/2 c. plain yogurt<br />1/2 c. milk of choice<br />4 chopped dates (rehydrated, if neccessary to make them soft)<br />1 tbsp. nut butter<br /><br />Dump all of the ingredients into the blender, and blend until your smoothie is smooth, creamy, and, well, smoothie-like.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Check out these protein-packed smoothies for more ideas:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Karina's <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/06/blueberry-smoothie-veganluscious.html">Vegan Blueberry Smoothie</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ginger Lemon Girl's <a href="http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2009/02/healthy-chocolate-peanut-butter.html">Chocolate-Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie</a><br />Naomi's <a href="http://milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com/2008/05/breakfast-go-ahead-honey-its-gluten.html">Pure Banana "Ice Cream"</a><br /></div>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-28670452046846730392009-03-20T14:29:00.002-04:002009-03-20T14:41:20.520-04:00Go Michelle O!When I saw Michelle Obama on the cover of O Magazine with Oprah, I winced then yanked open the magazine to the interview. Like a lot of people, I think I get my American royalty fix from reading about their lives but I also hate feeling like this incredibly professionally experienced woman is reduced to a great pair of arms, nice clothes, and sound mom-skills.<br /><br />On the other hand, maybe she's also just very politically saavy and determined not to go the way of Hillary. She does seem to be taking a small but firm and public stand on family and food issues.<br /><br />Regardless, I never really expected that they would have a White House garden. Gee, a reasonable request from the American public actually being implemented? I guess I'm still a little cynical, despite the Obama-infused euphoria. <br /><br />Check out the NYT article on our new <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19garden-web.html?_r=1&em">White House farming operation</a>!<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19garden-web.html?_r=1&em"></a>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-41900677685595272942009-02-10T11:45:00.007-05:002009-02-17T17:47:02.911-05:00Gluten Free in the Greens is Moving...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1kM83BUhoaRIdsjjorJLo7kMMIECv1FP3YHZDSZpTyNNYdgz2TBlOE9GSGRsuv9AZziyQ10099May05f8bR7LCZJmL63nB-WdoDkL9PUrSHEMCNMxxtV1OlAYdgUPPb0l0J3FtCxDnc/s1600-h/Tbilis_view11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1kM83BUhoaRIdsjjorJLo7kMMIECv1FP3YHZDSZpTyNNYdgz2TBlOE9GSGRsuv9AZziyQ10099May05f8bR7LCZJmL63nB-WdoDkL9PUrSHEMCNMxxtV1OlAYdgUPPb0l0J3FtCxDnc/s400/Tbilis_view11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303889177184188338" border="0" /></a>Physically but not virtually. The Science Teacher and I just accepted teaching positions in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tbilisi">Tbilisi, Georgia,</a> for the next two years. Wow.<br /><br />There's a back story here that needs to be told. Once upon a time there lived an undiagnosed celiac girl who loved all things Slavic. She discovered Russian in high school, majored in Russian in college, spent a year in college rumbling around St. Petersburg, worked in Odesa, and finally ended up in Sofia to jump start her Bulgarian. After that long travel bender, she landed back in Virginia without a job.<br /><br />She fixed on Vermont for her new destination. Vermont featured an ex-boyfriend, who wasn't quite ex enough, and, man, was it a gorgeous state (yup, I'm one of those people who moved to Vermont after having spent a summer there--quite a shock when those -25 degree F January days rolled around). She got an Americorps VISTA position at Middlebury College, rented a U-Haul, and drove north. Hello life.<br /><br />Middlebury was only supposed to be a pause between trips. She went to the Peace Corps info sessions that fall on campus and put together her Fulbright application to study Bulgarian poetry. Everything was going according to schedule.<br /><br />Then came Thanksgiving. She'd met a girl from Middlebury during the summer who was coming home from grad school for the holidays and who invited her to dinner. Sounded close and familial, so she accepted. She rang the doorbell and was ushered by her friend's mom into the kitchen with her mushy Granny Smith apple pie (I still have no idea what happened to that pie). And there stood the Science Teacher in a plaid shirt. He got her a glass of wine, they sat down beside each other on the couch and discovered their Swarthmore (her)-Haverford (him) connection, and the rest is history.<br /><br />Within a weekend a half, we'd been on a snowboarding date. Within two weeks, we were pretty much inseparable. Within seven months, we were engaged, and a year later we got married in a Quaker ceremony in his parents' backyard.<br /><br />But in the midst of this lovefest came my Fulbright letter--I'd gotten my grant. There wasn't ever really a question that I'd go without him, but our relationship wasn't quite advanced enough to see him quit his job and us married within a year of knowing each other--that's what we would have had to do if I had decided to take the Fulbright. But I saw where our relationship was heading, and I liked the trajectory. As most of my relationships have shown, whether one works has a good deal to do with timing. I've dated some wonderful men, but I never found someone who was in the same relationship head space as me until I met the Science Teacher. I knew enough to not reject that connection lightly.<br /><br />In the end, I sent the letter and gave up my grant. The Science Teacher has always felt pretty guilty, especially when I'm going through a tough period. I don't really dwell on it--my decision has given me a partner who I love and who can communicate; the opportunity to go to grad school, discover that I like teaching, and figure out that teaching could be an interesting way to live abroad; and have a supurb Little Pottamus.<br /><br />One of the things that brought the Science Teacher and I together is our desire to see the world by travelling but also by living abroad. As teachers, we have a better shot at actually doing that than most--there are hundreds of international schools that employ certified (and non-certified) teachers to enlighten kids from all sorts of countries. When I decided to give up the Fulbright, we shook on the fact that we would live abroad together someday. We've been talking about ever since, but there has always been something to stop us: grad school, student teaching, the Little Pottamus. This year, however, we decided to get serious.<br /><br />Turns out this year isn't a great year to get a job anywhere, much less in an international school. The job fair we went to had many more candidates than jobs. After a fraught weekend, however, we managed to come away with an offer to teach at the <a href="http://www1.qsi.org/grg/">QSI International School of Tbilisi</a>. I won't say much about Georgia here since I'm sure there will be much more in the future. Check it out on wikipedia.<br /><br />Of course, moving to a developing country brings up all sorts of issues when you're trying to follow a special diet. When I lived in Russia, I was trying to be vegan, but after a while, I just got tired of lentils and kidney beans and rice. Thankfully, I can and am willing to eat dairy products this time around, but I know this adventure is going to force me into adaptation mode again. I've been thinking a lot recently, especially when I was reading <a href="http://milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com/">Straight Out of Bed Cakefree and Dried</a> for the <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2009/01/adopt-gluten-free-blogger-healthy.html">Adopt-A-Blogger event</a>, about how much a lot of us have had to give up in terms of our diets and how much resilence and creativity we keep showing no matter what we--voluntarily or not--take away. After reading Sally's recent <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Faprovechar.danandsally.com%2F%3Ffeed%3Drss2">post</a>, I'm guessing that we're all constantly adapting, getting comfortable, and then having to push ourselves to change again.<br /><br />In past posts, I've talked about how frustrating it can be for me to feel the need to take a suitcase full of food every time I travel. Of course, I love having my favorite cereal in the mornings and Larabars when my blood sugar dips. But I also think longingly to the days of me, a small backpack, and six weeks of train hopping (of course, with the Little Pottamus, those days are long gone, regardless of my diet). In some ways, this move will be the next big push for me--I won't be able to order special gluten-free food, so I'll be limited to what I can carry with me and to what I can convince people to bring me.<br /><br />I have my hand grinder so I'll be able to grind nut butters as well as flour from whatever whole grains I can buy (probably millet, white rice, and kasha). Dried fruit and nuts will be readily available, as will all sorts of yummy dairy products, some kinds of dried beans, and probably root veggies in the winter. In season, I'll be able to buy all sorts of fresh veggies and fruits.<br /><br />I'm also excited about the changes this will obviously bring to this blog. I'll probably blog fewer recipes and more about my experiences finding food in Georgia and explaining celiac to strangers in Russian.<br /><br />If you've read this far, thanks! Here are a few questions. If you were moving to a foreign country, would you try to bring as much special food with you as possible? Would you accept that you'll have to give up certain foods--like my favorite quinoa--and adapt to what's available? Would you compromise and eat questionable foods, such as oats, in the name of nutrition (I should note that I don't have immediate or severe symptoms when I've eaten gluten)?Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-48386138137982708762009-02-10T11:07:00.003-05:002009-02-10T11:15:23.944-05:00Great Gluten-Free ResourceGreat blogs are partly about creating new and interesting content and partly about gathering and disseminating information. Rachel over at <a href="http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/">The Crispy Cook</a> does both. She always has great recipes, but now she's compiled a <a href="http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/2009/02/101-gluten-free-food-blogs.html">list</a><a href="http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/2009/02/101-gluten-free-food-blogs.html"> of 101 gluten-free blogs</a>. If you haven't branched out recently into new gluten-free blogs, head on over to see what new thoughts are afield. Thanks to Rachel and to everyone who rounds-up recipes and organizes blogging events!Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-80307537351208224852009-01-31T09:59:00.006-05:002009-02-10T11:16:08.623-05:00Gluten-Free Herbed Cheese Bread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3urcIXKN_dwdDviaF0QwtUwyPX2wy4rSktibdOLM7w80FJeqLsQgFS9daDG-K-DrBvEjk5XdaCFUtmIQ7wwse2NFuQhKEegyL05_c9SjrOjH0IU873_2b2x5-HliKSOzEOkCTcxE2JC4/s1600-h/IMGP2377.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3urcIXKN_dwdDviaF0QwtUwyPX2wy4rSktibdOLM7w80FJeqLsQgFS9daDG-K-DrBvEjk5XdaCFUtmIQ7wwse2NFuQhKEegyL05_c9SjrOjH0IU873_2b2x5-HliKSOzEOkCTcxE2JC4/s400/IMGP2377.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297476031271043122" border="0" /></a>The snow is piled up to the window sill after the storm last week (and the Science Teacher still didn't have a snow day!) and the forecast calls for the temperature to sink to 10 or 20 below night. We're hunkered down with cups of coffee, Car Talk, and the blessed quiet of the Little Pottamus's nap time. What better time to bake a loaf of bread?<br /><br />Yeasted bread has become less and less a part of my life since I gave up gluten. I don't eat sandwiches anymore, and when I want something on which to spread my nut butter for breakfast, I'm happy with a rice cake or corn thin or slice of gluten-free frozen bread. In the beginning, I spent quite a bit of time trying out various gluten-free mixes and invariably ended up eating something that tasted like cornstarch. Dislike really doesn't describe my feelings toward the taste of cornstarch.<br /><br />Quick breads, on the other hand, I make far more than I used to. Pre-celiac, I wouldn't really have considered quick bread "bread." Corn bread, ok, and maybe the beer bread from <span style="font-style: italic;">Joy of Cooking</span>, but otherwise I thought of quick bread as dessert. Now a warm quick bread with a bowl of soup takes me back to the days when I took for granted the luxury of cleaning that bowl with a crust of bread. Bread is less a set of ingredients than a state of mind.<br /><br />I've been wanting to try a gluten-free version of Herbed Cheese Quick Bread from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special for some time. One reason that I prefer quick breads to yeasted breads is that they need no refined starches or flours to make them taste good. I have yet to discover any good yeasted bread recipe that isn't at least one-quarter starch. I would also say that I haven't decided for myself how much starch is too much, an attitude that gets in the way of my yeasted bread enjoyment. What is your attitude towards starch? I'd love to hear what other people think. In any case, here's a yummy starch-free recipe, perfect for the upcoming football "holiday." If you like this one, you might want to try my <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-england-comfort-foodwith-gluten.html">Brown Bread</a> recipe.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gluten-Free Herbed Cheese Bread</span> (adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special)<br /><br />2 c. of gluten-free flour (I used 1/2 c. brown rice, 1/2 c. sorghum, 1/2 c. teff, and 1/2 c. GF oat flours)<br />2 tsp. baking powder<br />1 tsp. xanthum gum<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />1 tbsp. brown sugar<br />1/3 c. fresh, chopped scallions or chives<br />1/2 tsp. fresh, chopped thyme (1/4 tsp. dried)<br />1 1/2 c. crumbled (not shredded) sharp cheddar cheese (low-fat cheese works fine)<br />1 lightly beaten egg<br />1 c. milk<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 375 and oil a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt, and stir well. Add the herbs and cheese, and mix. Combine the egg and milk in a bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir to mix. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45 min to an hour or more. Don't underbake quick breads! Just keep checking it until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-6815813503071430692009-01-16T14:29:00.011-05:002009-01-31T10:51:05.920-05:00Adopt-a-Gluten-Free-Blogger Healthy Resolution Edition: Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE4cAhOShGGO6vV3v3lrLN3xICTUFTzSvIRHLB3NXdUYzaTHqwh32CGES2OzLiU0_sDWwUJ23xJl1aUSZ3LzjWIJBWiG9vBD7mw42jvbIIej-X0tcgsXMa2ikb2XlPEN6EalwFx7uDyE/s1600-h/IMGP2367.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE4cAhOShGGO6vV3v3lrLN3xICTUFTzSvIRHLB3NXdUYzaTHqwh32CGES2OzLiU0_sDWwUJ23xJl1aUSZ3LzjWIJBWiG9vBD7mw42jvbIIej-X0tcgsXMa2ikb2XlPEN6EalwFx7uDyE/s400/IMGP2367.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292286258804743490" border="0" /></a>I've wanted to participate in one of the Adopt-a-Gluten-Free-Blogger events--conceived of and sponsored by <a href="http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/">Book of Yum</a>--for quite a while. It's such a great idea--giving us bloggers an opportunity to interact with each other on a somewhat deeper level than the normal reading and commenting. When I saw this month's theme (<a href="http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/adopt-a-gluten-free-blogger-event-january-healthy-resolution-edition-2515.html">Healthy Gluten-Free Recipes</a>), I knew I needed to get baking so I actually could create something on the web instead of just spending (way) too much time surfing. It feels healthy to be writing instead of only reading.<br /><br />One of the reasons that I chose Naomi of <a href="http://milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com/">Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried</a> is that her dietary constraints and subsequent recipes really demand that we confront the question "What is bread?" The more I cook and bake gluten-free food and talk to other people about eating gluten free, the more I've been thinking about this question. Is bread a set of ingredients or an experience? If your "whole-grain" bread is half cornstarch, does that make it equivalent to the wholesome whole wheat of our past breakfasts? What if there's no flour at all? Who would call that bread, and who wouldn't? These aren't meant to be rhetorical questions; they are questions that increasingly intrigue me.<br /><br />It always comes back to Shakespeare! Juliet, of course, said "What's in a name. That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." But then remember Anne of Green Gables. She said "I don't believe a rose would be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage." At least where bread is concerned, I think I agree with Anne. Eating "bread" is somehow different than eating "rice cakes."<br /><br />In the past, Naomi has posted more conventional gluten-free recipes that I've made, adapted, and riffed off of: her <a href="http://milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com/2008/02/teff-pitta-breads.html">Teff Pita Breads</a> were the basis for one of my first gluten-free Middle Eastern meals. Currently, Naomi's following a much more restrictive diet in the hopes of getting her digestion back on track (no pun intended). <a href="http://www.scdiet.org/1about/scdwhatis.html">The Specific Carbohydrate Diet</a> (SCD) eliminates all grains, including gluten-free ones; processed foods; most dairy; all refined sugar; and other foods. I'm tempted to say, wow, that sounds terrible, but I won't. I know how adaptable we are to new diets and how restriction often sparks our culinary creativity. Come to think of it, that bit about restriction breeding creativity is true about a lot of life.<br /><br />Another reason I won't say, wow, that's terrible, is the recipe I made for this Adopt-a-Blogger event. I chose Naomi's <a href="http://milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com/2008/05/nuts-at-breakfast-me-hazelnut-pan-bread.html">Hazelnut Pan Bread</a> for a few reasons. First of all, it looks fabulous. Naomi takes beautiful pictures of her food. Second, with 1-2 eggs, enough butter to grease the pan, and no refined starches, it is definitely a "healthy" recipe. Third, since I don't have ready access to hazelnut butter in a jar, this recipe was a great excuse to use my new <a href="http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=219&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=701&iSubCat=708&iProductID=219">hand-turned grain/nut mill</a>!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_skLIfHdgco4dslOeuRaluusddBX8pmZikFkcV3vinW9O1xXctu_IRyS2LX5iPW_8DdkXKz1U8xSRSOjKy7BH0SzaeGsIxSHYymON7K6zFDDmRhGFX-oYMai3qosNxBD77LE-1G5jbi0/s1600-h/IMGP2365.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_skLIfHdgco4dslOeuRaluusddBX8pmZikFkcV3vinW9O1xXctu_IRyS2LX5iPW_8DdkXKz1U8xSRSOjKy7BH0SzaeGsIxSHYymON7K6zFDDmRhGFX-oYMai3qosNxBD77LE-1G5jbi0/s400/IMGP2365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292286008230883858" border="0" /></a>Fourth, she definitely has a good sense of food is what you call it. Here's a quote from her Hazelnut Pan Bread post:<br /><br />"'Is that cake?' asked Fin incredulously as he was drawn in nose first, on a ribbon of hazelnut scent.<br /><br />'Cake?' I chortled indulgently, 'of course it's not cake - who has cake for breakfast? It's hazelnut pan bread Fin, sit down and have a slice.'<br /><br />And Fin sat down and ate two slices of not-cake..."<br /><br />I made Naomi's recipe as written, except that I used one egg (I only had one on hand) and a very modest pat of butter in my small cast iron skillet (maybe 1-1.5 tsp.). The first time, I finished it under my broiler for 10 min and the top completely charred. So I scraped off the top and ate the rest--not pretty but definitely yummy. The second time, I finished it in a preheated 450-degree oven for 10 minutes. It still slightly charred around the edges. For a third try I might try 400 degree for 8-10 minutes, checking it every few minutes.<br /><br />In any case, the Pan Bread was filling, moist, and rich. But in spite of that I didn't feel like I was being indulgent--it's a very healthy recipe and makes good use of a small amount of fat and natural sweetener. Seemed like bread to me.Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-19055726117993199752008-12-19T14:48:00.003-05:002008-12-19T15:32:59.935-05:00Gluten-Free Homemade Grape Nuts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiVBV4PZMq2GsKpc3893jPSXK-dlVdSxlTZ7wb_VUzVNKElf8Hz_MaF1kZdWclPqGv7FNfeTkBEZx-mJ-1yUBryPruw9kSBLZRpkGoYYs9FzhfrLhH5maNu_QWyaIvP5xv0gqeZg0FPM/s1600-h/IMGP2294.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiVBV4PZMq2GsKpc3893jPSXK-dlVdSxlTZ7wb_VUzVNKElf8Hz_MaF1kZdWclPqGv7FNfeTkBEZx-mJ-1yUBryPruw9kSBLZRpkGoYYs9FzhfrLhH5maNu_QWyaIvP5xv0gqeZg0FPM/s400/IMGP2294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281601146993496434" border="0" /></a>I got pregnant a month after going gluten free. All I wanted was to wake up to starchy comfort food, but being new to the world of GF buying and cooking, I had a hard time finding anything I wanted to eat. I wrote an entire <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2008/02/gluten-free-breakfasts.html">post</a> a while back on gluten-free breakfast ideas hoping to help newbies out. I have found quite a few hot breakfast cereals that I love: Bob Red Mill's GF Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal and Creamy Buckwheat Cereal. I also eat a lot of quinoa and popped amaranth and the occasional bowl of oatmeal.<br /><br />But I've really missed cold cereal since going gluten-free. I used to start every day with wheat flakes, Cheerios, and Grape Nuts all mixed together with raisins and chopped almonds. Yum. I've been less successful in finding satisfying gluten-free cold cereals. Perky O's sort of taste like Cheerios but not really. Nutty Rice and Nutty Flax similarly sort of approximate the consistency of Grape Nuts but not really. And all the Peanut Butter Panda Puffs-type cereals? They all have tons of sugar and/or no fiber. I have nothing against sugary cereals, but I at least want a healthy option.<br /><br />Flakes are a little beyond the home baker, but I've discovered that people do make their own Grape Nuts (and, of course, load them down with sugar). Since Grape Nuts in the box are pretty simple--just flour, salt, and water--I decided to just leave out the sugar in my own recipe. You do have to bake them twice (once as a cake and once as crumbles to dry them out), but you could double the recipe easily. I had a bowl with raisins and almonds the next morning, and they really do taste just like Grape Nuts!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grape Nuts</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />This recipe makes one quart.</span><br /><br />3 1/2 c. whole-grain gluten free flours (I used 1 c. GF oat flour, 1 c. sorghum flour, 3/4 c. brown rice flour, 3/4 c. teff flour)<br />1 tsp. salt<br />2 tsp. baking powder<br />2 c. milk<br /><br />Combine the dry ingredients and mix in the milk. The mixture should be something like cookie dough (not the pudding consistency of GF yeast bread). Spread it 3/4-1" thick on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 20-25 min. Remove the tray from the oven and cool for 20-30 min.<br /><br />Break up the baked bread into large chunks and pulse in food processor until the pieces are the size of Grape Nuts. Spread over two jelly roll pans and bake at 300 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 min. Let them cool before eating or storing.Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-68376816702124870262008-11-12T14:40:00.009-05:002008-11-16T20:25:23.739-05:00Menus for Nov. 17 and Election Thoughts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAOLZs7ntwVD2xvMr7xONOUffvS9veLgtGQnw6eycUmZCkO5PdaIR1VDgaqa56S5Yi5Nx7-SUWYm2Y587eoKngMOp7vCmh81JvyTrYZamcS3jFTwbUa-IBmHbpuNk5NEte33VG0maJik/s1600-h/obama_change_poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAOLZs7ntwVD2xvMr7xONOUffvS9veLgtGQnw6eycUmZCkO5PdaIR1VDgaqa56S5Yi5Nx7-SUWYm2Y587eoKngMOp7vCmh81JvyTrYZamcS3jFTwbUa-IBmHbpuNk5NEte33VG0maJik/s320/obama_change_poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269428627315667922" border="0" /></a><br />After a long absence, I'm back to the Gluten-Free in the Greens. Thanks to those of you who wrote asking if all was well. Your emails made me feel part of a community, not just a lone voice talking to the void. My last post at the end of June came just as we embarked on a lonnnggg road trip to see family and friends (a great reason that I wasn't posting). Then came weeks of debilitating seasonal allergies culminating in a nasty sinus infection (an unfortunate reason I wasn't posting). Then came the weeks of catch up. But I'm finally back, juggling blogging between freelance writing, a 14-month-old, and life. It's nice to feel normal again.<br /><br />Gluten-Free in the Greens is decidedly an apolitical blog, but I am a decidedly political being. On election night I sat up watching CNN, listening to Democracy Now! and NPR, and monitoring www.fivethirtyeight.com. I am definitely a news junkie. I can't not talk about how over the moon I am that Obama has been elected. I can't not talk about it especially because this election symbolizes for me something like what this blog symbolizes for me. (BTW, Check out my friend Laura's <a href="http://mymagicbean.blogspot.com/2008/11/guest-blogger-view-from-grant-park.html">report</a> about Grant Park on election night!)<br /><br />As much as I like Obama and want to sit back while he fixes everything that's bad (Universal health care! No more war! Peace in the Middle East! Global warming stopped!), I know that's not going to happen. Hopefully he will pursue a progressive political agenda and pass some of his legislative priorities, but that's not the point. For me, the point of his campaign and election has been that I, along with a lot of other people in this country, can change something, can accomplish something I believe in.<br /><br />Change isn't the property of politicians. I started this blog because I needed to make a change and embrace the fact that I'll never eat gluten again. And all of you gluten-free bloggers out there have done the same thing. I can't count the number of times I've met someone with celiac, sent them to my blog, and heard back that reading what I've written and discovering other blogs has really helped her make the transition to gluten-free eating.<br /><br />After so long without blogging, I was a little a afraid that I'd just give up. It would be so easy. I've gotten out of the habit of reading my favorite gluten-free blogs. I haven't been cooking as much. I haven't been taking pictures of my food. But this forum is important to me, so I'm using this post as a recommittment to myself that I will keep blogging. This week I had a rather painful interaction with someone I love that touches the root of what celiac disease can cause: social isolation. In the wake of that, I realize that I have to keep blogging. It's my responsibility to raise awareness about issues that are important to me. People do listen if you keep talking about something that needs to be talked about. That's what I've learned from this blog, and that's what I've learned from Obama.<br /><br />So....here's what I'm eating. The Gluten Free Menu Swap is being hosted by Esther at <a href="http://lilackitchen.blogspot.com/">The Lilac Kitchen</a> this week. Head on over there to find out what other gluten-free bloggers are cooking!<br /><br />Sunday: Broccoli Quiche with the Gluten-Free Girl's <a href="http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2006/11/who-needs-gluten-when-there-is-pumpkin.html">crust</a> (sans sugar and cinnamon), <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mash_sweet_potato.html">mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk</a><br />Monday: baked beans, applesauce, sauerkraut, <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-england-comfort-foodwith-gluten.html">brown bread</a><br />Tuesday: Laotian feast at book club (we're reading <a href="http://www.spiritcatchesyou.com/">The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down</a>)<br />Wednesday: baked beans again!<br />Thursday: tomato soup with home-canned tomatoes (!) and grilled cheese<br />Friday: <a href="http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2006/10/joy-of-socca.html">socca</a> and chard<br />Saturday: tomato soup and grilled cheeseGluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-27923203179241894262008-06-19T10:32:00.007-04:002008-06-25T16:35:11.676-04:00My One-Pot Meal: Tamale Pie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CD5ivUyrCkyXl7QxAX4jUGLuGSkF0oSyNrVIkWPOthaUJAnQrv5Pof-r54cp2NHQ1FfvN1zdGxvUQSGOupfWKDZ8zW1R17VE_BF5nVUqipsW90CSzIOIj2s4x74PEJ0htE5HykuM794/s1600-h/go+ahead+its+gluten+free.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CD5ivUyrCkyXl7QxAX4jUGLuGSkF0oSyNrVIkWPOthaUJAnQrv5Pof-r54cp2NHQ1FfvN1zdGxvUQSGOupfWKDZ8zW1R17VE_BF5nVUqipsW90CSzIOIj2s4x74PEJ0htE5HykuM794/s320/go+ahead+its+gluten+free.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213609430981259138" border="0" /></a>I'm participating in the <a href="http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2008/06/reminder-go-ahead-honey-its-gluten-free.html">"Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free" Blogging Event</a> for the first time! The theme is "One-Pot Meals." Maybe soon I'll actually get around to hosting an event...<br /><br />In any case, tamale pie is my one-pot entry. It's a natural one-pot meal. You get your veggies, protein, and grain all in one whack. It's also versatile: I've made this recipe with meat, without meat, and vegan.<br /><br />If you've never encountered a tamale pie, which I hadn't until I married the Science Teacher, it's not a "pie" in the crimped pan of flaky dough sense. There's a layer of chili on the bottom and a layer of cornbread on top. Of course, this is where your preferences come in--how do you like your chili? Beany? Meaty? Vegetarian? Lots of veggies? Just tomatoes and onions? So hot you may as well have rubbed a habenero all over your tongue?<br /><br />The cornbread part is a whole other debate. Our tamale pies tend to have thicker cornbread crusts, but the Science Teacher's mom's version is of a thin-crust variety. And then the question of what kind of cornbread to make arises. Cornbread is a funny creature. Whenever I mention to anyone around here that I've made cornbread, I tend to end up in conversations like this:<br /><br />Me: "I made cornbread last night--it was totally rainy-day comfort food!"<br /><br />Other Person (surprised): "Cornbread? Really? How do you make it gluten-free?"<br /><br />Me (somewhat bemused): "The same way you make watermelon gluten-free--it just is."<br /><br />OP (persistently): "But how do you make it without flour....."<br /><br />Sigh. I'm considering getting tee-shirts printed with the recipe. This is what I get for moving north to Vermont, the place where no one says "y'all" (except, of course, the Science Teacher, and he attempts to use it in the singular, as in when he addresses me with "Whatta y'all want for breakfast"--I don't even dignify such grammatical frippery with an answer) and all cornbread contains flour.<br /><br />You see, I grew up with all-cornmeal cornbread. I have since discovered that there exists "Northern" cornbread, which is usually at least half flour and contains more sugar than its southern cousin, and "Southern" cornbread of the type I ate growing up (case in point, even the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special refers to their cornbread recipe as "Southern Wheat-Free Cornbread"). Check out the wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornbread#Regional_tastes">entry</a> on the regional differences in cornbread recipes.<br /><br />Before I give you the recipe I use--which does change every time I make it--let me give some tips for tamale pie customization.<br /><br />The Crust:<br />For the crust, you can basically use your favorite cornbread recipe. One cup of cornmeal/flour (not including the other ingredients) will yield a fairly thin crust; two cups a nice thick crust. You can simply adjust your favorite recipe for the amount of cornmeal/flour you need. The batter must be thin in order to cover the entire pie so you might need to add a little liquid to achieve the right consistency. Don't worry too much about it--cornbread is forgiving.<br /><br />If you prefer lighter, cakier cornbread, use half cornmeal half gluten-free flour (brown rice, sorghum, or whatever you have on hand) plus a 1/2 tsp. of xanthum gum. Use 3-4 tbsp. of sugar, honey, or maple syrup per two cups of cornmeal/flour for a sweeter cornbread, or 1 tbsp. (or none) for a more savory cornbread.<br /><br />You can also add shredded cheddar and chopped jalapenos, if you like.<br /><br />The Chili:<br />Since you probably have your own favorite chili recipe (at least, I hope you do!), I won't make suggestions here. Just make sure that you have enough filling to balance out the crust you've chosen. Three cups of beans or a pound of meat plus veggies is probably enough for a 1-cup-of-cornmeal crust but not enough for the thicker crust.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLb29jIg6D6g6aJ1seqFqi2k_xQy_eP4tRFuFeVczWLmlI4X9q7yokGiWelaYDfDkrhHzfH_quLLopw9njPMPipXI3E5BG5vlY8m8gWq7wzh4kVVPySyxtS_8-GVURyfRWu8VubqXTHlM/s1600-h/IMGP1740.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLb29jIg6D6g6aJ1seqFqi2k_xQy_eP4tRFuFeVczWLmlI4X9q7yokGiWelaYDfDkrhHzfH_quLLopw9njPMPipXI3E5BG5vlY8m8gWq7wzh4kVVPySyxtS_8-GVURyfRWu8VubqXTHlM/s400/IMGP1740.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215920209967667362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tamale Pie</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">As you can probably tell, tamale pie can be highly improvisational. Here's a starting place for your experiments! These recipes are inspired by those in Jane Brody's fabulous Good Food Book and Good Food Gourmet.<br /><br /></span>Crust:<br />2 c. cornmeal<br />1/2 c. boiling water<br />1 tsp. salt<br />2 tsp. baking powder<br />1 tsp. baking soda<br />1 tbsp. honey<br />1 egg<br />2 tbsp. oil<br />1 1/4-1 1/2 c. buttermilk or yogurt<br /><br />Chili Filling:<br />1 lb. ground buffalo<br />1 tbsp. oil<br />1 large onion, chopped<br />1 c. green pepper, chopped<br />2 cloves garlic, minced<br />3 c. kidney beans<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>1/2 c. black or green pitted olives<br />1 can of diced tomatoes<br />2-3 tbsp. tomato paste<br />1 bottle gluten-free beer or 12 oz. water<br />1 tbsp. gluten-free worchestershire sauce<br />2 tsp. cumin<br />2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder<br />1 heaping tbsp. chili powder<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />generous pinch of cinnamon or allspice<br /><br />Mix 1/2 c. of the cornmeal with the boiling water. Stir until combined. Mix with the other liquid ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl. Set aside until you're ready to pop the pie in the oven.<br /><br />Brown the meat--if you're using it--rinse it in cold water (this gets rid of any grease), and set it aside. Heat the oil and saute the onion, green pepper, and garlic until soft. Add the cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon or allspice, and cook for about a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, and cook for 20-30 min.<br /><br />Transfer the chili mixture to a greased 2-3 qt. casserole dish (deeper is better as the cornbread will rise). Stir the wet crust ingredients into the dry ingredients, and pour over the chili filling. Bake at 350 for 30 min.Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-90310990505564320262008-06-07T14:25:00.004-04:002008-06-12T09:18:45.592-04:00Asian-Style Tofu Loaf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifEWPtBVL3_biDL-8lIQmS3u_94DoFnDOsIolVemnx28StyFYk3kHFP8utVabPDLoB5u6XQDnDFBQpF-yHIWXYi4hwSpoJF5am2vzgi5GinXJG_5bypbAQx_Ihyphenhyphen43ELkFDCSCv23sIdY/s1600-h/IMGP1764.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifEWPtBVL3_biDL-8lIQmS3u_94DoFnDOsIolVemnx28StyFYk3kHFP8utVabPDLoB5u6XQDnDFBQpF-yHIWXYi4hwSpoJF5am2vzgi5GinXJG_5bypbAQx_Ihyphenhyphen43ELkFDCSCv23sIdY/s400/IMGP1764.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210976331869774962" border="0" /></a>I grew up pretty much unaware of tofu as food that I might actually want to eat. Most of the meals I remember centered around meat: chicken casserole, hamburger goulash, baked flounder, etc. Not terribly unusual for someone whose grandparents grew up on farms.<br /><br />I first encountered tofu on a regular basis in college, where firm tofu was ubiquitous on the salad bar and, for the first time, I had friends who were vegetarian. I ate it then, but I can't say I loved it. Even when I experimented with my food identity, first becoming vegetarian and later going through a vegan phase for 8 months, I never really got the hang of tofu.<br /><br />In the past few years I've found new techniques for cooking tofu though. I have a killer baked soy-sesame tofu recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. I learned about stir-frying tofu from a mini-tutorial in <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collections/healthy_tofu_recipes.html">EatingWell</a>. In general, I feel more confident in my abilities with tofu now. So last Friday, when I needed to either invent dinner from our larder or go shopping, I opted to stay home and do a little experimental tofu cookery. Enter Project Tofu Loaf.<br /><br />I've never made a loaf out of anything but flour, turkey, or ground beef. So I did what most internet-addicts do--I googled it. A Google search for tofu loaf turns up a bunch of results for a recipe called Tip Top Tofu Loaf. At first, I thought someone had just discovered the nirvana of tofu loaves. After reading a few <a href="http://vegandream.blogspot.com/2007/02/tested-recipe-tip-top-tofu-loaf.html">negative recipe reviews</a>, however, I realized that they were all test-driving a particular recipe from La Dolce Vegan. The message I got was: whatever you do, don't make it bland.<br /><br />Most tofu loaves call for tofu, some bread crumbs or oatmeal, spices, ketchup, and maybe some tahini. I couldn't find any "this was fabulous!" reviews for this breed of loaf so I decided to base my flavor principle on one of my favorite condiments: spicy peanut sauce.<br /><br />When the Science Teacher came home, the loaf was already baking and I was upstairs playing with the Little Pottamus. He walked into the room, and we started talking. Casually, I said, "Guess what's for dinner, honey?"<br /><br />"Soup from the soup restaurant?" he answered, half hopefully. "No," I said, "even better." He gave me the dubious look he reserves for my announcement that I've snuck vegetables into the dessert again and asked, "Okay, what then?"<br /><br />"Tofu loaf!" I said brightly. Then a forlorn expression of horror and disbelief crossed his face. I laughed so hard I fell over on the floor and cried. "Is it shaped like a turkey?" he asked as I continued to cry.<br /><br />When dinner time arrive, he poked skeptically at the loaf and said, "You should have called it tofu bake. 'Bake' doesn't conjure images of lentil pate and other hippie delicacies." Then he took a bite. And another. And another. After consuming the bigger part of a large hunk of tofu loaf, he asked, "Next time will you put some chopped up peanuts in it, too?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian-Style Tofu Loaf</span><br /><br />1 14-oz container firm tofu<br />1/2 c. TVP<br />1 c. GF bread crumbs<br />2 tsp. olive oil<br />1 small onion, chopped<br />2 medium carrots, chopped<br />1-2 tsp. chili-garlic paste (sriracha)<br />2-3 tbsp. peanut butter<br />2-3 tbsp. soy sauce<br />1 tsp. tumeric<br />1 tbsp. lime juice<br /><br />Place the TVP in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over the TVP until it's covered. Put a lid or plate over the bowl, and allow to sit.<br /><br />Saute the onion and carrots in the olive oil until the carrots are tender (maybe 10 min.). Add the chili-garlic paste in the last few minutes of cooking.<br /><br />Crumble the tofu in a large bowl. Add the TVP. Add the sauted veggies. Add the peanut butter and stir well to distribute. Add the soy sauce, tumeric, and lime juice, and stir well. Press the mixture into a greased 8x8 dish, and bake for 50 min. at 350 in a preheated oven. Allow to cool before cutting.Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-47438108178288708422008-05-31T14:22:00.006-04:002008-06-03T19:21:11.412-04:00Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Icing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_GRSRs5ssn_YD6Q4fqON279KpnROyaftmG9UE_VQ8Dc_gPrGZ0zUF0fO_767ngrBVKnAISrjmEOcuHs4ZBMzuMk3YHHWiFb9Aeze7Yrw4X0L3Frm1EvC2-f5_eEtDcu7mzL0Zx7zSbc/s1600-h/IMGP1709.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_GRSRs5ssn_YD6Q4fqON279KpnROyaftmG9UE_VQ8Dc_gPrGZ0zUF0fO_767ngrBVKnAISrjmEOcuHs4ZBMzuMk3YHHWiFb9Aeze7Yrw4X0L3Frm1EvC2-f5_eEtDcu7mzL0Zx7zSbc/s400/IMGP1709.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206630836813476434" border="0" /></a>I'm back after a two-week hiatus! I've just started a new part-time job and am still juggling my old part-time job (as well as my full-time+ job as a stay-at-home mommy). All of that has led to not as much cooking experimentation. We've been eating some old favorites and emptying out the freezer--after all, it's almost blueberry season here, and I need to make room!<br /><br />As some of you might remember, I went to my cousin's wedding two weeks ago. I felt pretty good about how my gustatory experiences panned out: I think all the food I ate was safe, and I managed to eat more than just the salad (though I'm definitely going to take <a href="http://aprovechar.danandsally.com/">Sally's</a> advice next time and take salad add-ins for a more substantial dish!).<br /><br />I couldn't eat the dessert at the wedding, of course. They served cupcakes that you ice yourself. Apparently, the caterer thought allowing guests to ice their own cupcakes was a terrible idea. My opinion is that you can do what you want at your own wedding and that it's no better or worse of an idea than the current trend in wedding appetizers: the mashed potato bar. Think ice cream sundae meets mashed potatoes, chives, and bacon. There were even sundae-style dishes. Suspecting lurking gluten, I skipped it.<br /><br />Missing out on ice-your-own-cupcake fun wasn't a terrible hardship. I've never been much of a dessert person when I eat out. Not that I don't love dessert. I once attempted to fast for Lent (don't ask me why) only to fail when I encountered a chocolate chip cookie for the first time in months at Bohemia Bagel in Prague. But I have found that my waistline and my general well-being both appreciate it when I consume very moderate amounts of high-sugar desserts. I'm much more likely to eat a small piece of dark chocolate or a few spoonfuls of ice cream partnered with squishy Medjool date than a whole piece of cheesecake.<br /><br />Enter mini-cupcakes. I bought two mini-cupcake pans last summer when I was experimenting with gluten-free cake recipes and didn't want to have to eat a whole piece of cake just to try out the recipe. I'd get to try a few bites of a new recipe and not have to feel like I was splurging. So all summer, I made cupcakes, tried them out, and then took them to picnics to share with my friends.<br /><br />This is the beauty of the cupcake. Think about it: when you make a whole cake, there are no "tastings." You bake the cake, you ice the cake, you refrigerate the cake until serving time. With cupcakes, you bake the cupcakes, you ice the cupcakes, and if one or two get eaten between then and the party, no one's the wiser.<br /><br />I tried a few of Brendan's recipes at Something in Season before he decided to stop blogging: the caradmom-date cake and the ginger cake with dark chocolate glaze stand out. I wish he still maintained his archive so that I could link to them. I hadn't tried a chocolate cake, though.<br /><br />Having a solid chocolate cake recipe in your repertoire is key. The flourless chocolate cake--a blessing to us gluten-free folks--is not what I'm talking about here. Don't get me wrong, the flourless cake is heavenly--smooth, decadent, and super-chocolaty. But it's also expensive, relying on lots of eggs, butter, and good-quality melted chocolate, and fancier than what I have in mind.<br /><br />I'm talking about an old-fashioned, layer cake type of recipe. With that, you can always make a great birthday cake. Before going gluten-free, I used the thrifty Moosewood chocolate cake with no eggs or butter (it uses oil and is leavened by a reaction between baking soda and vinegar--remember those volcano demonstrations in elementary school science?).<br /><br />Making a gluten-free version turned out to be easy. I started with the Moosewood, threw in a pinch of Brendan's ginger cake and some cinnamon, and voila! Chocolate cake, or rather, mini cupcakes. I iced them with an old-fashioned caramel icing that my grandmother taught me how to make. The only substantial change I made to her icing was to add sea salt for a salted caramel taste. Yum!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Icing<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">This recipe will make 1 8-in cake, 12 cupcakes, or 24 mini cupcakes (plus a ramekin of batter for the cupcakes).</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>1 1/2 c. brown rice flour<br />1/3 c. cocoa powder<br />1 c. dark brown sugar<br />1 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />1/2 tsp. xanthum gum<br />1/4-1/2 tsp. salt<br />a generous pinch of cinnamon<br />2 eggs<br />1/4 c. oil<br />1/4 c. pureed prunes<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />10 tbsp. brewed coffee (or water)<br /><br />As simple as it gets. Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients. Mix them together. Spoon into your prepared pan of choice. Bake at 350 for 15 min. (mini cupcakes), 20-25 min. (cupcakes), or 30-35 min. (8-in cake), until a knife comes out smooth.<br /><br />Salted Caramel Icing<br /><br />1 c. brown sugar<br />2 tbsp. butter<br />1/2 c. milk (any kind)<br />1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />1 3/4-2 c. powdered sugar<br /><br />Mix the sugar, butter, milk, and salt in a heavy pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 min. Add the vanilla. Cool the mixture to room temperature and beat in the powdered sugar a bit at a time with your mixer. (The cooler the caramel when you add the powdered sugar, the less you'll have to add to get it to a spreadable consistancy. Alternatively, you can mix in the powdered sugar and refrigerate it--the icing will stiffen as it sits.) Ice your cupcakes and refrigerate!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-54796294602357642472008-05-12T09:12:00.005-04:002008-05-13T10:34:20.661-04:00Weekly Menus: May 11Our menu this week comes mostly from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. Recently, he's inspired me to cook my own beans instead of buying canned. I never realized how easy it is. With a 12-hr soak, the beans are usually cooked in less than an hour. I plan to use them in a few meals and freeze the rest. For the price of two cans of Progresso chickpeas (about $2.50), I get 2 lbs of cooked beans, or over nine cups. And their taste is immeasurably better than canned.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tips for cooking dried beans: </span>When cooking your own beans, add 5 inches or so of kombu to make the beans easier to digest. Don't add salt until the beans start to become tender.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimrEosfNd41Guae-wuKCPw9X2C82LjTjZ5GquyiDx1HRdBaTurM0TKSb9dqYWtuH2bk_4yIcjkJUptEP7aMj9YwwDQme7NFuSFRy2yUFTkn5wauh6Hos9_v6jfuz56ozp0cNTcXf_iE4/s1600-h/IMGP1659.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimrEosfNd41Guae-wuKCPw9X2C82LjTjZ5GquyiDx1HRdBaTurM0TKSb9dqYWtuH2bk_4yIcjkJUptEP7aMj9YwwDQme7NFuSFRy2yUFTkn5wauh6Hos9_v6jfuz56ozp0cNTcXf_iE4/s400/IMGP1659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199828510892050418" border="0" /></a>Our Mother's Day meal--sushi bowls--consists of brown rice topped with pickles (in the small bowl), Japanese omelets, braised veggies, and avocado. Mmm! What more could a first-time mom want? I've included the recipe for spicy 2-hour pickles. Don't be too scared by the amount of sriracha called for--my palate doesn't tolerate very hot chiles, but I don't have a problem with these.<br /><br />The Gluten-Free Menu Swap is being hosted by <a href="http://fakingitgfstyle.blogspot.com/">Faking It Gluten-Free Style</a> this week so head on over there to check out what other GF bloggers are eating.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Question of the Week:</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> What do you do when you're invited to a wedding (or similar event)?<br />Take your own food? Call the restaurant ahead of time? Talk to the caterer?<br /></div><br />Sunday: sushi bowls with Japanese egg crepes, pickled daikon (see recipe below), and braised carrots and parsnips<br /><br />Monday: stewed chickpeas in their own broth with tahini and bread crumbs, kale<br /><br />Tuesday: chicken soup, yet-t0-be-determined veggie<br /><br />Wednesday: chickpea redux<br /><br />Thursday: Dinner at my in-laws'<br /><br />Friday: my cousin's rehearsal dinner<br /><br />Saturday: my cousin's wedding<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spicy Quick-Pickled Daikon</span> (a variation on Bittman's Asian-Style Quick Pickles)<br /><br />1.5 lb. daikon sliced into quarter circles<br />1 tbsp. salt<br />2 tbsp. dark sesame oil<br />1 tsp. sugar<br />2 tbsp. soy sauce<br />3-4 tbsp. chili-garlic sauce (sriracha)<br /><br />Place the daikon in a colander. Sprinkle the salt over it and rub it around with your hands. Put a plate over the salted daikon (still in the colander and in the sink or over a plate to catch the liquid) and a weight on the plate (I use my iron tea pot). Let it sit for 30 min. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Put the daikon in a bowl and pour the chili sauce over it. Let it still for at least one hour before eating.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /></div>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-2326073453132355262008-05-01T14:35:00.004-04:002008-05-01T15:50:25.245-04:00Eating Out and Gluten-Free in D.C. Part II: Java Green<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIyp9MfTK1zfxAr0Yfhlz_JPskgP5iH5wfxLgxlBkx0NBiHX8G9qAprAIXVSZTUcacfvmPLODvF7vEmA6nq73RmmBi04tCAyX_bk9E0g_07VC_fApuYmyZZcBTUfQvIPRyWkTMr3RHkk/s1600-h/IMGP1637.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIyp9MfTK1zfxAr0Yfhlz_JPskgP5iH5wfxLgxlBkx0NBiHX8G9qAprAIXVSZTUcacfvmPLODvF7vEmA6nq73RmmBi04tCAyX_bk9E0g_07VC_fApuYmyZZcBTUfQvIPRyWkTMr3RHkk/s400/IMGP1637.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195491758358309458" border="0" /></a>The last time I was in Washington, D.C., I discovered <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/search/label/restaurants">Teaism and their gluten-free menu</a>. We just returned from another visit--and, oh, were the azaleas gorgeous! No Teaism this time, as delicious as it was during my last trip. I was hunting for new gluten-free territory, and I found it at <a href="http://www.javagreen.net/">Java Green</a>, a downtown cafe on 19th, near K St.<br /><br />After a morning at the National Portrait Gallery, we headed over to Java Green. The Science Teacher raised his eyebrows when I told him, somewhat sheepishly, that it was a (mostly) vegan cafe. He has nothing against vegan food, but having worked summers at a camp with a not-terribly-good macrobiotic chef, he maintains a healthy skepticism towards it. However, he loves to eat out and loves it even more when I get excited about eating out, so he was game.<br /><br />We arrived and the place was fairly busy, but it was around 1 p.m. so we were able to order and find seats without waiting too long. The menu is large and consists of paninis, wraps, noodle and rice bowls, salads, and huge selection of blended juices and smoothies. They also only use wheat-free soy sauce! Kaveat: nothing on the menu is designated "gluten-free," but there are a number of items labeled "wheat-free" (their online menu doesn't indicate the wheat-free options, but you can download their new menu, which does show the wheat-free dishes, at the bottom of their homepage). From what I can tell, beyond the obvious fact that a panini isn't gluten-free, some of the fake meat products or the sauces used on them contain wheat and some don't. The Science Teacher ordered sweet potato noodles with spicy mock chicken, which was not wheat-free; however, if he'd ordered it with the regular mock chicken, it would have been wheat-free.<br /><br />I ordered the Silk Road (pictured above), a plate of baby spinach, steamed silken tofu, mock chicken in a sesame-soy dressing, carrots, cucumbers, and roasted nori. I was a little worried about the mock chicken, thinking about my favorite vegetarian sausage that I had to give up when I went gluten-free (isn't all of that stuff made with seitan??). I questioned the woman who took my order, and she went back to the kitchen to check. When she returned, she said it was only made of soy products. I was good to go! As you can see, the food was beautiful and fresh. It was also very tasty. I usually don't finish my restaurant meals, but I kept nibbling at the mock chicken until nothing was left on my plate. It was a pleasure to be able to order something "as is" from the menu.<br /><br />Java Green also bills itself as an "eco" cafe. They compost the food waste and recycle their utensils, glass, and paper products. They use china dishes instead of disposable and biodegradable carry-out containers. They buy wind power to offset their carbon footprint and support a variety of eco-conscious, fair-trade organizations. You can eat gluten-free and support a business that's trying to act in an ecologically responsible manner!<br /><br />The Science Teacher's sister told me that Java Green is also one of the few places that her kosher-keeping friends can eat downtown. Another plus!<br /><br />Also, check out the DCGluties' <a href="http://www.dcgluties.com/2008/03/20/tgigf-we-heart-vegans-too/">post</a> on Java Green and other information on their website about eating out gluten-free and finding gluten-free food in the D.C. area.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stay tuned for reviews of gluten-free eating (in non-chain restaurants) in Vermont: </span><br /><br /><a href="http://kismetkitchen.com/default.aspx">Kismet</a> in Montpelier serves up gluten-free buckwheat crepes, wheat-free tamari, rice bowls, tamales, gluten-free bagels, and more. The owner's son has celiac so she knows what she's doing.<br /><a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/search/label/soup"><br />That's Life Soup</a> in Montpelier always has gluten-free options, and they're labeled on the menu. They also usually have vegetarian and dairy-free soups. Call ahead though because the menu changes daily and sometimes they run out of some soups by dinner time.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.skinnypancake.com/">The Skinny Pancake</a> in Burlington offers up a complete menu of gluten-free crepes to nosh on as you listen to their great line up of musicians.<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-7290787789810067272008-04-22T10:10:00.009-04:002008-04-24T10:29:15.295-04:00Quinoa-Almond Butter Cookies (Kosher for Passover)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35BRgDHqdHZqZ43-YTjoVTK1eBxqX8w8EUFcQiAiSMGyv7FqHP-WM_Opfk1yW8JUQQ1r-yfLdyPwtFV8q5WmHxFr698jYijvWW00JFvOGKnqEYLl40u6GpI3fRnP6jXUq7StopTN4CGk/s1600-h/IMGP1619.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35BRgDHqdHZqZ43-YTjoVTK1eBxqX8w8EUFcQiAiSMGyv7FqHP-WM_Opfk1yW8JUQQ1r-yfLdyPwtFV8q5WmHxFr698jYijvWW00JFvOGKnqEYLl40u6GpI3fRnP6jXUq7StopTN4CGk/s400/IMGP1619.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192818476223998530" border="0" /></a>Passover's almost over, and I'm surrounded by people who are sighing over their matzo and guiltily buying non-kosher-for-Passover food because they're starving and can't find any other food. I could feel bitter. After all, when Passover ends, I don't get to return to wheat, barley, oats, rye, and spelt. Instead, I listen with bemused detachment and a smidge of pity.<br /><br />Every year those eschewing chametz spend a week in gluten-free boot camp. They're never there long enough to become accustomed to <span style="font-weight: bold;">always </span>carrying food they can eat and to not feel somewhat deprived without gluten (given, there are other foods restricted by Passover, such as legumes, but giving up black beans for a week isn't the same for most people as not eating bread).<br /><br />Having been gluten-free for a year and a half, I also know that life without wheat isn't that bad. It's not bad at all, in fact. When the Science Teacher told me that he and his friends used to eat matzo pizza in desperation, I thought <span style="font-style: italic;">Who needs matzo pizza when you've got a quinoa crust?</span> I made quinoa porridge this morning for breakfast, which very few non-gluten-free people would think of eating, and it was delicious. Nutty and a bit sweet with cinnamon and nutmeg. I have a huge advantage because I have all of this culinary know-how at my disposal. I think of trying quinoa for breakfast as a part of my endless search for new great breakfast cereals whereas it probably wouldn't occur to a gluten-eating person. Of course, part of the point of Passover might be feeling some deprivation. If so, I guess the gluten-free folks get an easy out for once!<br /><br />In any case, it's great to be able to share some goodies, savory or sweet, with those who are feeling deprived without chametz and kitniyot. I whipped these up in moment of anti-macaroon sentiment...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Passover-Friendly Quinoa-Almond Butter Cookies<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">These cookies are a version of my peanut butter-oatmeal cookies. The banana flavor is pronounced so if you don't like banana just leave it out and add a little more liquid (for the coconut milk to soak up). The almond butter flavor, however, is much less pronounced than the peanut butter flavor is in the original version so you might add either some almond extract (1/2-1 tsp.) or more almond butter.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>1 c. quinoa flakes<br />1/4 c. quinoa flour<br />1/4 c. coconut flour<br />1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp. salt<br />1/3 c. almond butter<br />1/3 c. honey<br />1/3 c. brown sugar<br />1 egg<br />1/4 c. mushed banana<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />1/2 c. (or more!) chocolate chips<br /><br />Preheat the over to 350. Mix the flakes, flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Mix the almond butter, honey, brown sugar, egg, banana, and vanilla in a large bowl. In several parts, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes--until the tops just start to brown--for soft cookies. Cool for a minute or two on the baking sheet and transfer to wire racks to cool.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Similar Recipes</span> (not necessarily kosher-for-passover as written)<br /><a href="http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/2007/01/quinoa-almond-butter-cookies-i-wasnt.html"><br />Gluten-Free Quinoa Almond-Butter Cookies</a><br /><a href="http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/monster-gluten-free-quinoa-peanut-butter-cookie-recipe-552.html">Monster Qunioa Peanut Butter Cookies</a><br /><a href="http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2006/10/almond-butter-cookies-choocolate-chips.html">Almond Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies</a><br /><a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/05/peanut-butter-banana-cake.html">Peanut Butter Banana Cake</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-9080768056290901132008-04-17T21:02:00.009-04:002008-04-24T09:10:30.271-04:00Homemade Yogurt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJqi8WyikZ_EqNbxNG9lIt8L-fCACoJ55CFNS_VRnS5Tx2eCVELU1pAlUgJ-ti_1NVHioHCG-1NnOhceBAPiC4tO4UmprFsSh0mi0pNkkkkEyWVNilx1q-z_15evCRAHwV8X4bPtzYlE/s1600-h/IMGP1610.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJqi8WyikZ_EqNbxNG9lIt8L-fCACoJ55CFNS_VRnS5Tx2eCVELU1pAlUgJ-ti_1NVHioHCG-1NnOhceBAPiC4tO4UmprFsSh0mi0pNkkkkEyWVNilx1q-z_15evCRAHwV8X4bPtzYlE/s400/IMGP1610.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191708822908934210" border="0" /></a>I've been eating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogurt">yogurt</a> for years, but until I lived in Russia, my yogurt consumption was limited to Dannon and Yoplait. I hated dumping Dannon Fruit on the Bottom yogurt into a bowl and watching it hold its cup-like, gelatinous shape. Reminded me of cranberry sauce from the can (which, I admit, I love, but the can ridges are a bit scary).<br /><br />In Russia and later in Ukraine, I discovered yogurt made from 1%, 2%, and even whole milk. Suddenly I could get any kind of yogurt I wanted and in all sorts of surprising flavors, like prune and pineapple. After growing up on the ubiquitous berry concoctions, I was hooked. Later I lived in Bulgaria, the home of yogurt, and discovered tarator (see below for recipe) as well as the joys of a good-quality plain yogurt.<br /><br />Yogurt flavors and companies have multiplied since I was a kid eating from a conical Yoplait container. Dannon sells their Activa brand, which claims to help your digestion (though I'm not clear how it differs from any other yogurt with active cultures), in fun flavors, like fig. A recent perusal of my dairy aisle turned up whole, 1%, and several kinds of Greek-style yogurt. I'm not, however, terribly excited about the amount of sugar or, worse, artificial sweeteners used in them. And now that the Little Pottamus is eating yogurt, I need to be able to find organic whole milk yogurt for him. Shame on Dannon, Yoplait, and even Stonyfield's for putting so much sugar in their yogurts marketed at kids!<br /><br />So why not make my own? Turns out it's super easy and far cheaper than buying yogurt from the store (even with the most expensive organic milk our coop has on offer homemade yogurt is half the cost of the commerical yogurt I would normally buy). And homemade yogurt tastes better than anything you can buy in a store--it's creamy and you can make it as rich as you like. Making yogurt doesn't take much time. I usually put the yogurt on as I'm cleaning up the kitchen or prepping dinner. Give it a try!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Homemade Yogurt</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Some recipes call for added powdered milk to make it thicker. I've never had a problem with homemade yogurt not being thick enough, but you might experiment. I like my yogurt plain or with a little maple syrup or tahini and, of course, with plenty of add-ins!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_16u2NvYdiq68PrmeoINpVzPmYc2jOf97p0RF3djo0d2MWn5nuYIFvZcXVkT-CUd37YodElLsBXyX1HSxgK8PAUa0Xs3LYsLxN9Yb3_JpoMUeY-xRwzHZyf1mJwJmf1cvOM_mBOwRJUk/s1600-h/IMGP1596.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_16u2NvYdiq68PrmeoINpVzPmYc2jOf97p0RF3djo0d2MWn5nuYIFvZcXVkT-CUd37YodElLsBXyX1HSxgK8PAUa0Xs3LYsLxN9Yb3_JpoMUeY-xRwzHZyf1mJwJmf1cvOM_mBOwRJUk/s320/IMGP1596.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191709535873505362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />1/2 gallon milk (2% is my favorite, but you could use any kind of cow/goat milk--see below for non-dairy tips)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup plain yogurt with active cultures (a carton of Dannon or Stonyfield's will do)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Equipment</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">candy thermometer</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />2 quart-sized glass jars with lids</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />1 8-oz. glass jar with lid</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">large pot with lid (for sterilizing the jars)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">pot with heavy bottom (for heating the milk)<br />small cooler or pot (for keeping the milk warm as it becomes )<br /></span></div><br />Step 1--Sterilize the jars: Put two glass quart jars, their lids, and a small (8-10 oz.) jar and lid into a large pot (I use my pasta pot) with a few inches of water. Put a lid on the pot, bring the water to a boil, and boil for about 10 min.<br /><br />Step 2--Scald the milk: While the jars are sterilizing, heat a 1/2 gallon of milk in a large pot with a heavy bottom. Hook a candy thermometer on the side. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk reaches 85-90 deg. Celsius.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBNZOnnDXF-A3jTIwAot5nGK1BV2BPQFsCuE10fgZfWPGM2W6IDCvT4IAAw4c-MMKFSHhUOjQX3eosiEygluax92IYodJhNAfPWTUuKpBXgYoqcp7-I_-NsweLXURX0ZO_pJbadTPG4c/s1600-h/IMGP1602.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBNZOnnDXF-A3jTIwAot5nGK1BV2BPQFsCuE10fgZfWPGM2W6IDCvT4IAAw4c-MMKFSHhUOjQX3eosiEygluax92IYodJhNAfPWTUuKpBXgYoqcp7-I_-NsweLXURX0ZO_pJbadTPG4c/s320/IMGP1602.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191710051269580898" border="0" /></a>Step 3--Cool the milk: Remove the scalded milk from the heat and cool until the milk reaches 50 deg. Celsius. I partially fill the sink with cold water, plunk the pot in the sink, and stir to speed up the cooling process.<br /><br />Step 4--Inoculate the milk: Put 1/2 cup of plain yogurt with active cultures (I've used Dannon, Stonyfield's, and homemade yogurt from a previous batch successfully) in a 1-cup measuring cup. Add 1/2 cup of the cooled milk and stir to remove all of the lumps. Pour the yogurt-milk into the rest of the cooled milk and stir to combine.<br /><br />Step 5--Pour the milk into the jars and cap them. Place the jars in a small cooler or deep pot. Add enough hot water until the jars are 3/4 submerged (you may need to place the smallest jar on top of an upside-down cup to make it tall enough). The idea is to keep the milk at around 50 deg. Celsius. At this temperature, you should have yogurt in about 3 hrs. (don't test the jars until 3 hrs have passed, or you risk losing heat each time you check on them). If the milk has gelled, congratulations--you've made yogurt! If not, just leave it a little longer, until it gels. Stick it in the fridge and enjoy. You can also freeze yogurt, just don't fill the glass jars too full or they will break (yep, one of my nice Mason jars broke yesterday).<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yogurt Recipes and Resources</span><br /></div><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000176.html">Homemade Yogurt</a> at 101 Cookbooks<br /><a href="http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/yogurt_making/YOGURT2000.htm">A Comprehensive Yogurt-Making Tutorial</a> (a more in-depth version of my instructions)<br /><a href="http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/1999382.htm">Homemade Soy Yogurt</a><br /><a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/01/making-soy-yogurt.html">Homemade Soy Yogurt</a> at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen<br /><a href="http://stephensrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/01/homemade-coconut-yogurt.html">Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt</a> at Stephen's Recipes<br /><a href="http://www.customprobiotics.com/index.htm">Buy a GF, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free Yogurt Starter!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarator">Tarator (Balkan Cucumber-Yogurt Soup)</a><br /><a href="http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Making_Laban/Labneh.htm">Labneh (Yogurt Cheese)</a><br /><a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/09/greek-style-soy-yogurt-or-soy-yogurt.html">Greek-Style Soy Yogurt or Soy Yogurt Cheese</a>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-74536720454154356612008-04-14T20:43:00.004-04:002008-04-14T21:23:32.853-04:00Gluten-Free Menus: April 14The Gluten-Free Menu Swap is being hosted this week by <a href="http://glutenfreesoxfan.wordpress.com/">Gluten-Free Sox</a>, so head on over for some great menu-planning ideas...<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover">Passover</a> starts next Sunday. In our household, we celebrate Shabbat on Fridays and major holidays, but, not being Jewish, I don't fast on Yom Kippur and don't purge my house of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chametz">chametz</a> (which does actually include some things that the gluten-free do eat) before Passover. We don't, however, serve ham at our seders--all the food there is above board and kosher for Passover. Gluten-Free Bay's <a href="http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2007/03/gluten-free-passover-recipe-roundup.html">Passover Roundup 2007</a> has great resources and recipes whether or not you'll be heading to a seder soon!<br /><br />This year, we're going to a record number of seders: three! To all three, I'll take <a href="http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2007/03/mission-possible-gluten-free-mock-matzo.html">gluten-free mock matzo</a>, and I'll take the tzimmes dish below to the first one. I'm on the list for a dessert for seder #2, and I'm looking for a yummy, not-t00-bad-for-you dessert that TRAVELS. We'll be driving 10 hours the day of the seder. Any ideas?<br /><br />Sunday: turkey chili, apples and kale, cornbread<br />Monday: <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=671466">Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese</a>, salad<br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons">Tuesday: <a href="http://www.justhungry.com/black-bean-vegan-miniburgers">Black Bean Burgers</a>, mashed butternut squash, kasha and onions<br />Wednesday: mac n' cheese redux<br />Thursday: more bean burgers!<br />Friday: pizza, salad<br />Saturday: We're taking <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/squash_chicken_tzimmes.html">Winter Squash-Chicken Tzimmes</a> to a pre-seder <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder">seder</a><br /></span>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-84851102422453060272008-04-07T20:24:00.003-04:002008-04-07T20:46:23.502-04:00Gluten-Free Menus: April 6In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0764524836">How to Cook Everything Vegetarian</a>, Mark Bittman suggests that one strategy to preparing vegetarian meals--that might involve many "side" dishes rather than one main dish with a few sides--is to prepare a big pot of beans and/or grains early in the week and find ways to incorporate them differently into several meals. This week I'm trying this menu-planning tip out with kidney beans. I bought two pounds at the co-op. I'll use some in the kidney bean-apple dish, some in the chili, some in a quinoa salad for lunches. I might even make some lobio, a classic Georgian (the country, not the state) dish. If so, I'll definitely blog about it--such a tasty salad is not to be missed!<br /><br />This week we're eating...<br /><br />Sunday: broiled rainbow trout, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes<br /><br />Monday: broiled crab cakes (Virginia-style, not Maryland, for you crab cake aficionados), steamed broccoli, <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/index.php?action=showdetails&product_ID=152">creamy buckwheat cereal</a> with pesto<br /><br />Tuesday: sauteed kidney beans with apples, braised cabbage, cheese<br /><br />Wednesday: turkey chili, corn tortillas<br /><br />Thursday: pizza with a <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2008/03/quinoa-pizza-crust.html">quinoa crust</a><br /><br />Friday: kidney bean night redux, <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2007/11/gluten-free-challah.html">challah</a><br /><br />Saturday: turkey chili for friends, cornbreadGluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-4645285518920709082008-03-26T15:51:00.012-04:002008-04-07T21:10:10.852-04:00Quinoa Pizza CrustI've always loved pizza. Pizza for sleepovers. Pizza for end-of-season elementary school basketball team parties. Pizza nearly every night in college (remember someone knocking on doors around 11 or 12 trying to get together enough people to buy pizza at $1/slice?).<br /><br />I grew up on Pizza Hut and Little Caesar's, usually on Friday nights. Those days, after my ballet lessons, we'd pick up a pizza and eat the breadsticks on the car ride home. That pizza was always much more edible hot than the day after. I remember discovering "gourmet" wood oven pizzas in high school with "exotic" toppings, like BBQ chicken, and the idea that everyone could order their own.<br /><br />When I moved to Vermont, I discovered <a href="http://www.americanflatbread.com/">American Flatbread</a>. My favorite was the Punctuated Equilibrium, a combo of red sauce, mozzarella, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and local goat cheese. When I was in graduate school, the Science Teacher and I had weekly date nights at Flatbread after my late seminar. We'd order pizza--half with sausage half without--split a salad of local greens and talk about Slavoj Zizek. Then came my diagnosis...<br /><br />The first gluten-free bread I made post-diagnosis was a pizza crust. As bummed as I was never to eat another Moonshadow (red sauce, mozzarella, feta, artichoke hearts, spinach, roasted red peppers, and <span style="font-style: italic;">walnuts</span>) at <a href="http://www.positivepie.com/">Positive Pie</a>, I was comforted to know I didn't have to give up pizza altogether. I've tweaked the first <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipe/detail.php?rid=387">recipe</a> I ever tried here and there, subbing quinoa flour for some of the brown rice flour and starch, but having found a recipe that worked, I didn't really experiment with other recipes.<br /><br />Until this week. We had plans for dinner and Euchre with friends on Friday. Our friend asked the Science Teacher whether we could order pizza. "Great," the Science Teacher said, "except Kara won't be able to eat it. How about we'll bring the crust and you supply the toppings?" I was feeling a little experimental so I looked through some cookbooks for inspiration. I ended up perusing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Brodys-Good-Food-High-Carbohydrate/dp/0553346180">Jane Brody's Good Food Book</a>. She's a science writer for The New York Times, and her cookbooks all revolve around the premise that whole grains are good for you and sugar/refined grains aren't. She's also the anti-Atkins--you should read her praising the nutritional qualities of the potato. The Good Food Book also is half nutritional information, making it a great cookbook for people who love to read about the food you're eating. I've been cooking and eating from her cookbooks since I was a kid.<br /><br />She gives a recipe for a brown rice pizza crust. Not brown rice flour, the whole grain, mixed with mozzarella. I thought it sounded somewhat strange, but I'm used to weird ingredients turning into phenomenally tasty food (my chickpea brownies come to mind) by now. I googled the recipe to see whether others had tried it and came up with a few hits describing a similar-sounding crust in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-Ultimate-Isa-Chandra-Moskowitz/dp/156924264X">Veganomicon</a>. In fact, Fat Free Vegan Kitchen just used a brown-rice crust in a <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/03/asparagus-and-mushroom-quiche-with.html">quiche</a>. Sounded promising.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaoEs4I94-PwDli0BxRZw3xFoLV-Hltnrlm1xKinqqbYGGET0Z82NeGJc_7HbHQ5zxt5q9XvUTBGBKF5RDNLrMIZGJIDMxT9Qw3mLsBJ2rFw_xjl6nSqmeGEhmUDLXB2u2TGgc0peP7I/s1600-h/IMGP1564.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaoEs4I94-PwDli0BxRZw3xFoLV-Hltnrlm1xKinqqbYGGET0Z82NeGJc_7HbHQ5zxt5q9XvUTBGBKF5RDNLrMIZGJIDMxT9Qw3mLsBJ2rFw_xjl6nSqmeGEhmUDLXB2u2TGgc0peP7I/s320/IMGP1564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186154187826126162" border="0" /></a>Here's the two mini-pizzas from brown rice I made for lunch to try out the recipe. I mixed shredded mozzarella into one crust and a parmesan/nutritional yeast combo into the other. I liked the parm/nutritional yeast crust though the Science Teacher thought the mozzarella crust had a better texture. Neither particularly tasted ricey, which I found surprising. The crust was also solid with a nice crunch--you could pick it up without fear of disintegration. I made a rice crust and a "regular" crust for our Euchre night--both were a hit (well, at least they were all eaten)!<br /><br />Last night, when we were having a take-out food night (a very rare occasion in our house) with friends, I decided to make myself a quinoa crust using the same technique instead of ordering out. If you're new to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa">quinoa</a>, definitely give it a try. It has a ton of protein, a nutty flavor, and a consistency similar to that of couscous--and it cooks up in about 15 min.<br /><br />I liked the quinoa crust as much as the rice version though it took a bit more egg to make the grains stick together. The crust was crunchy with no detectable sogginess and substantial--I could pick it up and eat it. I topped my pizza with red sauce, mozzarella, feta, walnuts, chicken sausage, caramelized onions, and sauerkraut. Yum!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quinoa Pizza Crust</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This recipe could easily work with any whole grain. If the grain is sufficiently glutinous (i.e. a sticker rice), I think you could omit the eggs (and cheese) for a vegan crust.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMi3TAa3vmkHcPiFQYua1Lw1KayOeXJejMXRchDh1kKW0CHrGBpjaUrxfMSIr3j712VUKG0kMOO3w_tsHadNzBp9qfXxZd8s3yKxt1i853tCl-6CRUQU3QTlAepN3tFNPvPUgAjDYKf0/s1600-h/IMGP1582.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMi3TAa3vmkHcPiFQYua1Lw1KayOeXJejMXRchDh1kKW0CHrGBpjaUrxfMSIr3j712VUKG0kMOO3w_tsHadNzBp9qfXxZd8s3yKxt1i853tCl-6CRUQU3QTlAepN3tFNPvPUgAjDYKf0/s400/IMGP1582.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186152950875544898" border="0" /></a>2 1/2-3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup raw quinoa--I like to toast my quinoa before adding water)<br />1 whole egg plus 1 white<br />1/2 tsp. dried basil<br />1/2 tsp. dried oregano<br /><br />1/4 cup parmasan<br />2 tbsp. nutritional yeast.<br />(or try a 1 cup of shredded mozzarella instead of the parm/nutritional yeast combo)<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 450. Mix all of the ingredients into the quinoa thoroughly. Oil a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with cornmeal. Press the quinoa into a pizza-like shape on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 min. Create your dream pizza--don't forget the walnuts--and bake for about more 10 min.Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-54535709876795177332008-03-23T14:31:00.005-04:002008-03-23T16:48:59.931-04:00Gluten-Free Menus: March 24<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFLVFLUGi5FDtKKswfIoOxgy8AnePMWmPBuj4dxrkEe1QXWf5wsdHcJxDA6fTMkJLK1ow766-TdiKiTPuwnS3JtcUJKxs0t8_RLlT123XmfYTx9ZO8INqFDp9eYnyBGmYEbSx-BY4X8A/s1600-h/IMGP1535.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFLVFLUGi5FDtKKswfIoOxgy8AnePMWmPBuj4dxrkEe1QXWf5wsdHcJxDA6fTMkJLK1ow766-TdiKiTPuwnS3JtcUJKxs0t8_RLlT123XmfYTx9ZO8INqFDp9eYnyBGmYEbSx-BY4X8A/s320/IMGP1535.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181041664915397938" border="0" /></a>Thanks, food bloggers, for the fabulous food we made last week! I didn't post my menus so I'll let you know how they turned out:<br /><ul><li>The Science Teacher made Ginger-Lemon Girl's <a href="http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2007/11/cheesy-affair.html">Cheddar Baked Hominy</a> (see photo above). We added 10 oz. of spinach and some cottage cheese and used Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar to great success!</li><li>I cooked up Gluten-Free Bay's <a href="http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2008/01/spicy-black-eyed-peas-and-collard.html">Spicy Black-Eyed Peas and Collards</a> with some brown rice (I first sauteed it with a little olive oil and some spices before adding water).<br /></li><li>On Saturday, we tried Book of Yum's <a href="http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/gluten-free-dairy-free-green-goddess-buckwheat-fries-and-vegan-onion-or-basil-pizza-recipe-1664.html">pesto-buckwheat fries</a> (except that we used Bob Red Mill's Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal)...they sort of melted into a flat pile of pesto-corn goo in the oven (I think we didn't cool the cereal long enough). Tasted fantastic, though the aesthetics were lacking. We'll try again this week.<br /></li><li>Lastly, I jumped out of bed on Easter morning to bake some of Gluten A Go Go's <a href="http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/2008/03/irish-soda-farls.html">Irish soda bread</a>. As always when a bread calls for lots of starch, I subbed in some more protein- and fiber-rich flours. I used 1 c. GF oat flour, 2/3 c. brown rice flour, 2/3 c. corn flour, 1/4 c. sorhgum flour, 6 tbsp. tapioca flour, 2 tbsp. white rice flour. Lovely!<br /></li></ul><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span>Here's what we're eating this week...<br /><br />Sunday: <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pulled_pork.html">pulled pork</a>, slaw, cornbread<br />Monday: <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cranberry_herb_burgers.html">Turkey-Quinoa Balls</a> (subbing quinoa for the couscous), polenta fries, salad<br />Tuesday: beer-marinated tempeh tacos (inspired by Sea's <a href="http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/menu-of-the-week-menu-plan-monday-and-gluten-free-menu-swap-10-1682.html">menu</a> last week), slaw<br />Wednesday: stuffed mushrooms, <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2008/03/homemade-kimchi.html">kimchi</a>, buckwheat pilaf<br />Thursday: Wednesday redux<br />Friday: Tacos redux<br />Saturday: out to dinner!Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-14394386586962025352008-03-19T09:30:00.009-04:002008-03-22T13:03:32.050-04:00Homemade Kimchi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vHAwZ_-ftyyLyn70F_ulxMPgWvqwpnBhnCRSuo2snQwtPUGHscGPgT_cwOdkT40EIGXys4bXcp7MzaADcTlhS-UTRAo-Ygu30WZkwzjpsm9W9tXn3TUN9gGEOWp1lGuXgFRWJiatONI/s1600-h/IMGP1548.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vHAwZ_-ftyyLyn70F_ulxMPgWvqwpnBhnCRSuo2snQwtPUGHscGPgT_cwOdkT40EIGXys4bXcp7MzaADcTlhS-UTRAo-Ygu30WZkwzjpsm9W9tXn3TUN9gGEOWp1lGuXgFRWJiatONI/s400/IMGP1548.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180611459516194082" border="0" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi">Kimchi</a>, a fermented cabbage dish, is a staple of Korean cooking. "Staple" might be a bit of a misnomer since when I think of staples, I think of eggs, cheese, raisins, and oatmeal--all ingredients that show up fairly regularly in the foods I eat each week. But I don't include all of them in most meals, which seems to be how kimchi figures into the Korean diet. The only analogous food I can think of for myself is peanut butter.<br /><br />Kimchi's importance to the Korean diet has recently propelled it into the world of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/world/asia/24kimchi.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin">big media</a>. (As a political aside, I find it absurd that The New York Times covers the kimchi beat but has ignored the testimony of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in <a href="http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier">Winter Soldier II</a>.) Kimchi, which on Earth is a live food teeming with good bacteria, could apparently turn evil in space. Sort of like Spawn infesting Spidey. Yes, scientists are worried about mutant kimchi (taking over the space station?) and exploding kimchi (getting all over the equipment). The last point I understand: only last week I was making sauerkraut-apple-millet soup when I opened a fresh jar of sauerkraut and suddenly had bubbling, fermented cabbage juice spewing all over me.<br /><br />I recently attended a kimchi workshop at our local co-op. Cramped into the small conference room that barely passes for a workshop space, we talked a lot about the friendly bacteria in fermented, "live" foods and how healthy they are for your digestion. What a bonus for those of us with sensitive innards! She had already completed steps 1-3 (see below) so we were left to add our choice of spices and pack it all into our jars. I went home with a happy little jar of kimchi ready to do its thing on my counter.<br /><br />I put it into the fridge after about a week. I was worried that I hadn't let it ferment enough because it didn't particularly smell bad to me. It turns out my concerns were groundless: the Science Teacher took some in his bento dinner to his weekly snowboarding trip with his middle school students. Their comment? "Woah, it smells like my locker..." Sounds (smells?) like kimchi success to me!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Homemade Kimchi</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />This recipe was adapted by Sandra Lory, a Vermont herbalist, from Sandor Katz's Wild Fermentation.<br /><br /></span>Makes: 1 quart<br />Prep Time: 20 min.<br />Fermentation Time: 1 week or more, depending on room temp and how fermented you want it<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br />Brine:<br />4-5 tbsp. sea salt (not iodized table salt)<br />non-chlorinated water (boiled and cooled water)<br /><br />Veggies:<br />1 lb. green cabbage (any kind)<br />1 med. daikon radish, sliced or grated<br />1 med. carrot, sliced or grated<br /><br />Spices:<br />1 med. onion, finely chopped<br />1 bulb garlic, peeled and minced<br />3 tbsp. ginger, minced<br />fresh and minced hot pepper or cayenne, to taste<br /><br />1. Make a brine: mix 3-4 tbsp. sea salt with 3-4 c. non-chlorinated water until dissolved.<br /><br />2. Mix the veggies together and pour the brine over them. Cover with a plate (or something with a little weight) and leave for a few hours or overnight. This step allows the veggies to soften by themselves.<br /><br />3. After the veggies have softened, drain off and save the brine. The veggies should taste salty. If they don't, add some salt--up to a spoonful (note: adding too much salt will slow down the fermentation).<br /><br />4. Mix together the onions, garlic, ginger, and hot pepper in a separate bowl. Add to the softened veggies. Use your hands to crush them, which will help release the juices.<br /><br />5. Pack the kimchi tightly into a quart jar with a wide mouth. Press down on the kimchi and try to get all of the air bubbles to rise to the top. The brined juices should cover the veggies when you're done. Add a little brine if necessary.<br /><br />6. Place a small jar filled with water on top of the kimchi (which is left open to the air) to weight it down and make sure the brine continues to cover the veggies. This step prevents spoiling.<br /><br />7. Allow the mixture to sit for at least a week unrefrigerated. Press the kimchi down each day to make sure it stays submerged in the brine. You can adjust the seasonings at any point. The longer the kimchi ferments, the sourer it becomes. The more salt, the slower it ferments. You'll smell it beginning to ferment. Allow it to ferment until you achieve the flavor you like (1-3 weeks).<br /><br />8. Cap the jar and place it in the fridge. It will last for months if kept cool. Mold and discoloration on the top is normal; just skim it off. Don't tighten the jar too much or you'll end up with an exciting kimchi eruption.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-34935214962741276032008-03-15T14:37:00.002-04:002008-03-15T14:38:51.837-04:00Gluten-Free Vacation: South Carolina and Beyond<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CiqF0VyNo_zRzX0XX8vBOHtdT96mPXpOcSqemza2YG3S0qqvu99RWQAtmb_Z9XGOSAAxHxeXPopjwZiqgJsiyFF6xoXsLX-VlRWf15l8qFGqwkqTSCrJaU2yPakwNK4mC-xFGx6GO2s/s1600-h/Europe+summer+tour+05+138.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CiqF0VyNo_zRzX0XX8vBOHtdT96mPXpOcSqemza2YG3S0qqvu99RWQAtmb_Z9XGOSAAxHxeXPopjwZiqgJsiyFF6xoXsLX-VlRWf15l8qFGqwkqTSCrJaU2yPakwNK4mC-xFGx6GO2s/s200/Europe+summer+tour+05+138.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178039643669828770" border="0" /></a><br />I love to travel. After I finished my MA in English a few years ago, the Science Teacher and I took off for 5 weeks of sightseeing, training, swimming, and eating through the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, and Bosnia. We had a blast. One of our more amusing post-trip jokes came when we realized that in practically every picture I'm toting a little plastic bag that carried yogurt, fruit, and muesli. Ahh, muesli. Muesli was my travel staple before I went gluten-free. Either it or the ingredients for it have been available practically everywhere I've traveled. I carried bags of it around that summer and ate it for breakfast with yogurt practically every morning. Now that I'm gluten-free, though, most commercial muesli is out. What's a gluten-free girl to do for food when she can't carry it all with her?<br /><br />I mentioned previously that my first gluten-free trip took us to Istanbul and that I was somewhat disheartened at the large suitcase of food I ended up taking. In the past, I have prided myself on my ability to pack light. For our previous 5-week trip, I schlepped all my stuff in a daypack. My 22 in. suitcase felt like a <a href="ttp://www.handbagdesigner101.com/images/img_celebrity/39/HUGE_kimberly_stewart.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.handbagdesigner101.com/celebrity/39/kimberly_stewart_bon_voyage_miss_stewart-vuitton&h=360&w=360&sz=94&hl=en&start=2&sig2=rInsCgPz4NfwCdGsvD2kaw&um=1&tbnid=dTDMesVzCOV13M:&tbnh=121&tbnw=121&ei=thHcR7u3DozsgQLWgrnlAQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlouis%2Bvuitton%2Bluggage%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1GGLQ_ENUS260%26sa%3DN">Louis Vuitton trunk set</a>.<br /><br />In hopes of lightening my load, I've come up with some gluten-free travel tips. As my bits of advice are completely dependent on the kind of trip you're taking, check out Book of Yum's <a href="http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/planning-a-gluten-free-vacation-a-condo-and-kitchen-in-florida-1584.html">account</a> of her recent Florida trip for another take on gluten-free travel. I take lots of road trips and pack tons of food. For such a trip, the challenge is in eating out, not figuring out what to eat for breakfast. And my South Carolina trip was a hybrid--I definitely made room for some unnecessary favorites. It's the I'm-carrying-my-life-in-my-backpack travel that's more challenging for the gluten-free packer. So before thinking, "but I want my GF pancakes in the morning," consider whether you're taking:<br /><ul><li>a car trip (i.e. you're taking the Subaru wagon and the big coolers): read my advice and laugh as you enjoy your Cardamon-Date Muffins (aka <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2008/02/gluten-free-breakfasts.html">Not-Too-Sweet Midnight Muffins</a>), your sandwiches on <a href="http://glutenfreemommy.com/baking-gluten-free-bread-millet-oatmeal-bread/">millet-oatmeal bread</a>, and your <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/02/mint-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies</a>.<br /></li><li>a plane trip to single destination (i.e. you're taking a suitcase and won't have to carry it around except in the airport): read and decide how much of your suitcase will go to clothes and how much to food. You might find you don't have to fill it half with food...<br /></li><li>a plane trip to multiple destinations (i.e. you may have to run 1/4 mile with your luggage to make your train): I'm really talking to you!<br /></li></ul>I've realized that successful gluten-free travel for light packers depends on a few points:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't rely on specialty GF products for most meals. </span>I'm not saying don't bring your Bumble Bars or homemade granola bars or GF chocolate. Those are more for treats and emergencies than for providing regular meals. But do figure out what you would be happy eating for breakfast that doesn't involve access to Bob's Red Mill products. Rice porridge? Millet? Kasha? Baked sweet potato? Eggs? Yogurt? Choose food that can be purchased at your run-of-the-mill Food Lion where maybe you'll find a new GF product to try (the Food Lion on Lady's Island, SC, had a surprising GF shelf--I wouldn't call it abundant, but there was cereal, flour, and snacks). Choose staples to take that use space efficiently: a bag of cooked cereal, some fruit and nuts, energy bars, etc. (Did I really need those rice cakes that took up so much room in suitcase on our Turkey trip?)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Staples I Packed for SC:</span><br /><a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/02/mint-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies</a> (I'm addicted...)<br />6 <a href="http://glutenfreeinthegreens.blogspot.com/2008/02/gluten-free-breakfasts.html">Cardamom-Date Muffins</a><br />natural peanut butter<br />millet<br />energy bars<br />Dagoba's dark chocolate<br />roasted almonds<br />dried figs<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Light Packer Rating (1-5):</span> 3 (I definitely took several space-suckers, but the muffins were great!)<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Do your research.</span> Where are the grocery stores? Are there natural foods stores? Visit the local celiac association website and/or email a contact for advice. Be confident: if you can find a grocery store, you will be able to buy rice, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, etc. There are worse things than eating a lot of stir fries.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Research for SC:</span><br />My research turned up Whole Foods in SC but none in the areas where we'd be. A few web searches turned up a chain called <a href="http://www.earthfare.com/">Earth Fare</a>. I found Bob's Red Mill GF Gluten-Free Oats, which I thought were sold out all over the country, and millet flour. My aunt also recommended a store in Columbia called <a href="http://www.thefreshmarket.com/">The Fresh Market</a>. Other web searches for restaurants turned up your regular chain restaurants with GF menus (sorry, but I'm not an Outback Steakhouse girl) but nothing that sounds interesting enough to check out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Light Packer Rating: </span>5 (I knew exactly where I needed to go to find my food the day after we arrived.)<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Make sure you have food for the plane, for when you first arrive, and for emergencies.</span> There's nothing worse than looking for a grocery store in a country where you don't speak the language when you're hungry and jetlagged. Traveling light on food requires energy for foraging.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Food I Took For Traveling:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Science Teacher and I stopped by our local co-op on the way out of town for lunch and dinner supplies, though after reading Biggie's post on </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://lunchinabox.net/2008/01/03/avoid-airplane-food-pack-your-own-bento-lunch/">airplane bentos</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, I can't believe I didn't pack bentos for the both of us.</span><br /><br />1/8 lb. nitrate-free smoked turkey<br />small chunk of asiago cheese<br />avocado<br />1/8 lb. nitrate-free roast beef<br />small chunk of provolone<br />Mary's Gone Crackers crackers<br />1 container Greek-style yogurt<br />1 banana<br />1 apple<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Light Packer Rating: </span>3 (The food took up a lot of space in my backpack. A bento would have allowed me to condense everything much more with the added aesthetically-pleasing factor.)<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Find a kitchen</span>. Surprisingly, this usually means staying either high or low on the room rate scale. "High" might mean condo, suite, or house. "Low" probably means friends/relatives or hostels. It's hard to cook that rice if you don't have a heating implement.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Our SC Kitchens:</span><br />Our aunt and uncle's kitchen in Columbia, and the family beach house kitchen in the low country. The Science Teacher made paella and pasta arrabiatta....mmmm.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Light Packer Rating:</span> 5 (We always had a place to cook...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xeKIPwdER00/R9wWAhnUlII/AAAAAAAAADs/MNLoa2ZkrJw/s1600-h/IMGP1486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xeKIPwdER00/R9wWAhnUlII/AAAAAAAAADs/MNLoa2ZkrJw/s200/IMGP1486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178037869848335490" border="0" /></a>Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422842613241961993.post-5536554626286219412008-03-10T21:51:00.002-04:002008-03-10T22:20:55.304-04:00Gluten-Free Menus: March 10It's taken me longer to get back in the real-life groove than I thought. We had a great off-line, trip to South Carolina: no computers, no iPods, no blogs (for me), no video games (for the Science Teacher). We played the Settlers of Catan Card Game, and the Science Teacher cooked up lots of gluten-free seafood dishes (think: paella and pasta arrabbiata). I'll be up with a debrief soon.<br /><br />One of the reasons I've had a hard time getting back online is our new attempt at convincing our almost six-month-old to fall sleep without nursing. Breastfeeding is one thing (and I'm in no way weaning him), but using me as a human pacifier is quite another. It's been more emotionally exhausting than I would have thought. First, there's been the crying (yes, we are pursuing the controversial cry-it-out strategy). Second, there's the realization that my baby's taking little steps away from being completely dependent on me. Both have been hard for me, but as I see our kiddo be more well-rested, I'm feeling less emotional (and more able to blog!).<br /><br />The good things that have come from our new sleeping plan? I get to see a beautiful new relationship evolving between the Science Teacher and the pottamus as he gets to take an equal role in the putting-to-bed of the baby. The Science Teacher and I have reclaimed our bed and room. And the pottamus is learning to comfort himself and be okay playing by himself a bit in his crib. He's gone from waking up every 2-3 hrs. to sleeping 8:30 p.m.-7 a.m. with maybe one feeding. Everyone's sleeping better!<br /><br />Here are my menus for the week sans any 5 a.m. experimental baking:<br /><br />Sunday: mushroom-onion pizza, baked sweet potatoes<br />Monday:Chicken Cacciatore, polenta, sauteed asparagus<br />Tuesday:falafel, pita, veggies, olives<br />Wednesday:baked beans and sauerkraut-apple casserole<br />Thursday: the Science Teacher's off snowboarding, and the pottamus and I will have dinner with friends<br />Friday: more beans and kraut...yum<br />Saturday: still up for grabs...Gluten Free In the Greenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955938797607654114noreply@blogger.com1