black forrest gingerbread hearts

I love gingerbread. I've always liked dark, spiced cookies. The ones that heat you up from the inside after cold winter outings. Even before I had any dietary restrictions I was seeking the perfect gingerbread.

I made these first as a loaf to share with the Trainer, but he thought it was a little to spiced to suite him so I tweaked it again and made a batch just for me. Instead of making a loaf, I spread the batter out in a backing pan. After it was baked I descided to try out my new heart cookie cutter.

Of course, after seeing me enjoy my gingerbread heart and cup of tea every evening the Trainer finally decided he wanted to try one. After one, two, three little hearts popped into his mouth, he decided that they weren't too bad. In fact, "they're pretty good" he declared before finishing off my stash. Luckily, before this happened both S and C had a chance to try them and I got their votes of approval too. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.Black Forrest Gingerbread

1/2 c. (15pc) prunes
1/2 c. water
1 small tangerine or 4oz applesauce and zest of 1 orange
3 eggs
2 Tbsp honey
6oz (2 c.) blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 Tbsp ground allspice
1/2 Tbsp ground nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. dried cherries

Preheat oven to 325°F and line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Soak prunes in 1/2 c. water in a covered container in a warm location. Blanch tangerine: in a small, heavy sauce pan cover the tangerine in cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute, drain and repeat two more times. Cover tangerine with water once more and boil for 1 hour. In a blander or food processor puree the prunes, water, tangerine, honey and eggs. In another bowl mix almond flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Blend dry ingredients with prunes and mix well, then stir in cherries. Pour into prepared pan and spread to edges with back of a spatula and Bake for 25-35 minutes, until firm to the touch. Cool for at least 30 minutes and cut into squares, or any other shape with a cookie cutter.

valentine pomegranate heart tarts

This month Kelly at The Spunky Coconut is hosting Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free and in honor of Valentine's day this month's theme is Sweets For Your Sweetheart. I really wanted to make something very special for the Trainer and myself so I asked him to think about what he might want. His answer was "that thing you made when we were first dating."

Very helpful, sweetheart. I can barely remember what I made last month, let alone two and a half years ago. So I decided that I wanted to make something pink and shaped like a heart. The Trainer agreed to pomegranate and I was off. I borrowed a silicon mold with 8 little hearts from S and decided to make tarts.

I wanted to make something like a pomegranate cheesecake so I did some research and brainstorming. Last night I tried my grand experiment and came up with these pomegranate heart tarts for my valentine. This is by no means a finished recipe, but I present it now, and I will continue to work on it for a future, more polished, offering.

Today, the Trainer and I slept in, all the way until 7:30 and headed to separate gyms. I worked out, he worked and we met up to see Coraline at one of our local theaters, followed by lunch at one of our old haunts, a Colombian restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue. When we got home we shared two of these and decided that they were very satisfying. The Trainer didn't even realize that they were made from yogurt (although he was in the kitchen the whole time I was making them last night).

Pomegranate Yogurt Tart makes 8 small heart shaped tarts

Crust:
3oz (1 cup) blanched almond meal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil, other vegetable oil or butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 cup thick yogurt
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 300°F. In a small bowl mix the almond meal, egg white, honey, oil and salt. Mix until a thick, pasty dough forms and there are no clumps left. Using a small spoon or your finger, press the dough into tart forms, filling in any holes, the layer of dough does not have to be to thick, since it will puff up a little as it bakes. Bake for 12-18 minutes, until edges are golden and no raw areas are apparent.

In a small dish bloom gelatin in the water. In small sauce pan gently heat the yogurt. Slowly whisk in the pomegranate molasses and honey until everything is blended. Keeping the heat low, whisk in the bloomed gelatin until it is all dissolved. Pour yogurt into cooled tart shells and place in the refrigerator over night to set.

mini mincemeat tarts

I made this mincemeat before Christmas. In his younger days Dad spent time in Europe, living in England and the Netherlands, where he picked up some habits that never quite left him. Growing up I used to listen to Sherlock Holmes books on tape and I later read any number of "the classics", including but not limited to, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Chaucer and of course, Harry Potter. All this literature left with me with a fascination with Victorian English culture, food included.

I've always wondered about mincemeat, figgy pudding and bubble and squeak. This year I decided to do some research and try my hand at mincemeat. Inspired, of course, by David and others. The first hurdle was the mincemeat, and the second was the method of delivery from plate to mouth. Mom gave me these great little silicon mini-muffin baking cups from Williams Sonoma that are sturdy enough to stand without any other pan so I settles on teeny little tarts, three bites each. Unless you're the Trainer, who popped the whole thing in his mouth at once.

Mini Mincemeat Tarts

Makes 16 mini mincemeat tarts

SCD Mincemeat

2/3 c. chopped raisins, black and golden mixed
1/2 c. chopped apricots, about 8pc
1 tbsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
1/4c. water or SCD legal alcohol
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Chop all the fruits and mix well with the vanilla, zest, spices and liquid. Store in an airtight container for several days to allow flavors to meld. If you use alcohol, container can be left out, otherwise refrigeration is a good idea. Mincemeat can be added to fruit pies or as a condiment or filling for breads or biscuits as well as in tarts and pies.

Pecan Tart Shells

1/2 c. pecan meal (or any other nut meal)
2 tbsp butter
1 egg white
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300° F. With a spoon or fork mix the pecan meal, butter, egg and salt until everything is incorporated. Fill small tart molds (this will make fewer, larger tarts) or mini muffins cups (I got a set of silicon mini-muffin cups from Mom for Christmas) with the dough. Using your fingers, press the dough into an even layer inside the molds. Prick a few holes in the bottom of each shell with a fork to allow air to escape. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and allow to cool on a rack for a few minutes before filling.

To make tarts, fill each mini muffin sized shell with tablespoon sized amounts of mincemeat and tamp down. Bake in a 350° F oven for 10-15 minutes to dry out the mincemeat slightly. When the tarts are cool, flip the silicon muffin molds over and tap from the bottom until they fall out.

vanishing cranberry orange cake

Work was exceptionally busy this past week. It was my week to shine, or work really hard, to send my bosses off to a trade show. I barely had a moment of rest from 9:30 Monday morning until the armored truck guys came at 4:30 Thursday afternoon. Then I gusted a huge sigh of relief and decided to focus on fending off the last of this never ending cold that's been pestering me since the beginning of the year.

I've been having Mom's turkey soup with greens and lots of roasted garlic, the final thing I needed was a good dose of good 'ole vitamin C. In addition to my grapefruit a day habit I had a big bag of little tangerines, or mandarin oranges (I'm still not sure which), hanging around from my last grocery delivery.

There's a great company called FreshDirect that delivers groceries to the New York metro area, and after doing the math I decided to try them. Their product is great and their prices are good, and I'm much more comfortable with the quality of the meat than I am with what I can get in my neighborhood. And having the food delivered means I don't have to take an entire afternoon to pack ten or more pounds of food home from Whole Foods in the city.

Several of my past deliveries included a sample of 'peak produce' and these tangerines were sent as part of that program. As one who doesn't eat oranges very often I was at a loss what to do with so many tiny oranges. With this cake I found a great way to use them up, and to get everyone to eat a little more vitamin C. The Trainer and I took the fresh cake into our room and did a number on it last Saturday evening. I put what was left in the kitchen and several hours later I found a lonely sliver left on the plate. Of course, I wasn't completely satisfied with the first version and I whipped up the second one, which the Trainer agreed was better, and we managed to make that one last a week.

Cranberry Orange Cake

4 mandarin oranges (or 3 tangerines, 2 oranges)
3 eggs
1/2 c. honey
9oz (3c.) blanched almond meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. chopped cranberries

Wash the oranges well, place in a sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat and drain water. Cover with cold water and repeat two more times. After draining the water the third time, fill the pot with water and boil the oranges for about an hour, until they are very soft. (boiling, or blanching, the oranges reduces some of the bitterness, allowing you to use less honey in the cake) After the oranges are boiled, drain them and preheat the oven to 325° F and prepare a 8 inch round cake pan, either grease is or line it with parchment paper. In a blender or food processor puree the oranges. Add the eggs and honey and puree again. In a a separate bowl make sure all the clumps are out of the almond meal, baking soda and salt. Stir in the cranberries. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until center is firm and edges are just browning.

trainer's choice apricot almond bread

I may have mentioned that I make a variety of breads for the Trainer and I. The dark date & pecan spice bread was my first version. With a little tinkering I found a very successfull base and with each loaf I try something a little bit different, trying to find combinations that are especially good.

After our trip to Alaska, Mom liked the bread so much that she started making it for herself, Dad and just about anyone else she could give it to. Dad is very particular about his snacks and meals, he used the have 8 or 9 apricots and 8 or 9 ginger snaps as his evening snack, but somewhere along the line he switched to Mom's granola and apple crisp. This left Mom with a surplus of dried apricots and she decided to try the bread with apricots instead of prunes. For Christmas she sent a small loaf to the Trainer's family and gave us a larger loaf.

The Trainer liked her version and asked me to make my next loaf with apricots. When he had his first slice of this one he said that it was the best. Now, he says that about each loaf I put in front of him, except the gingerbread I'm working on, but he has continued to request this loaf "just the way it is".

Apricot Almond Bread

6oz (2c.) blanched almond meal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4oz (1/2c., 15pc) dried apricots stewed in 1/2c. water
4oz applesauce
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp vinegar
2 tsp almond extract
1/2c (10pc) chopped dates or golden raisin
1/2c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350° F and line a 9x3" loaf pan with parchment paper. Stew apricots in water. ( I discovered a neat trick to this, I put the fruit and water in a jar and leave it on the radiator for several hours) In a blender or food processor puree apricots, with water, egg yolks, applesauce and almond extract. In a separate bowl, combine almond meal, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and 1/8 tsp salt. Wipe down the inside of the bowl of an electric mixer with cider vinegar, place egg whites and 1/8 tsp salt in the bowl and beat to stiff peaks. Mix apricot puree and and almond meal. With a spatula carefully fold egg whites, dates and pecans into batter. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Alow to cool for 1 hour before removing from pan and cooling on a wire rack.

quinoa raisin cookies

As I mentioned before, my parents were here over the Christmas holiday. And, if I haven't mentioned, I am a daddy's girl. My father's daughter through and through. His favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin and his favorite pie is apple. I got VERY good at making apple crisps and oatmeal rainsin cookies.

Dad is one of those guys who already has everything, the ones that are impossible to shop for. Whenever he wants something he gets it for himself before anyone can get it for him. So, whenever I'm with Dad I try to make something special for him.

I put these cookies together with what I had in the apartment, quinoa that I can no longer eat, teff that I keep for the Trainer's pancakes and honey, the only sweetener I use. Of course I wasn't able to sample these but I am assured from the cookie connousour himself that they hit the spot. Mom agrees, and the Trainer wouldn't share the ones I saved for him with any one.

Quinoa Raisin Cookies

1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. honey
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. Teff flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 c. quinoa flakes
2 c. mixed black and golden raisins

Preheat oven to 325°F. In one bowl cream the butter, honey and eggs. Mix in the teff flour and baking soda. Slowly add the quinoa until it is all mixed in. Stir in raisins. Form into 2 tbsp size balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack.

go ahead honey, it's gluten free! lucky foods

This month Heather at Life Gluten Free is hosting a new years lucky food edition of "Go ahead honey, it's gluten free". She wants us to prepare foods that are traditionally thought to bring luck in the year to come.

Now, when it comes to religious holidays and Western observances the Trainer and I are conscientious abstainers. We will be joining my parents and extended family on Thursday, but we will light the candles, bring in the evergreen bough and serve our lucky food today, on the shortest day of the year. The Winter Solstice.

Every native culture recognizes the winter solstice. Many Northern cultures display evergreens and burn lights to welcome back the sun and symbolize the eternal life of the sun. In the Trainer's country the Quechua, like their Inca forbears, are celebrating the inti rayme, a harvest festival celebrating the longest day of the year.

In ancient Rome both the Saturnalia and the festival of Sol Invictus fell on or near the shortest day of the year. They celebrated with a day or more of feasting and social role reversals. Decorating homes and cities with lights and evergreens. Customary gifts of good luck were dates, figs and nuts and the feast often centered around a stuffed suckling pig. The Romans were very fond of stuffing things, so this year we've prepared stuffed figs and dates.

Fructus Troianum*
Stuffed Fruits

1/2c. almonds
1/2tsp almond extract
1/2tsp cinnamon
20 dates
1/2c. walnuts
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
15 figs
water

Soak the almonds and walnuts for several hours and then rinse well. In a blender, grind the almonds, almond extract and cinnamon, adding water a tablespoon at a time until a paste forms. Slice dates on one side only, remove pit at fill with almond paste. Make a paste with the walnuts in the same way. Steam the figs over boiling water for 5-6 minutes to plump them. Cut the stems from the figs and cut a cross in the top half to open them. Fill figs with walnut paste. If you want the fruit a little dryer heat the oven to 350° then turn it off and place the fruit inside for several hours.

*This is a whole other story, but the Romans believed that they were descended from Aeneas, a prince of Troy and a group of Torjan who escaped to Italy after the war. Romans called stuffed suckling pig porcum troianum as a reference to the Trojan Horse.

scd carrot cake and cream cheese frosting

It's been such wicked weather here. All in all a very blah week. I've felt run down and tired all week. Something about the drastically changing temperatures and the constant clouds and rain just does not agree with me.

I'm tired and achy and my skin has not been it's happiest. Yesterday, rather than go to the gym, I decided to try to run a few errands. In the few blocks I had to travel from the subway to the store my tights were soaked from the knees down and I had submerged my right foot in a puddle. After getting what I needed I met the Trainer tat Grand Central so we could make the last leg of our trip home to Queens.

We bought a second umbrella at the station, and it was turned inside out and broken several blocks before we made it home. As I stood in the mercifully hot shower, contemplating my pruned toes, I knew just what would cheer us up. A big, fat slice of Mom's good old carrot cake. The one I finally figured out.

This version turned out nice and moist, not to sweet with rich cream cheese frosting. It's no wonder this is Dad's favorite, and I'm sure he'll approve of this version too. The Trainer had to agree that it was great, even after his initial disgust when he saw that I was putting celery in the cake.

Carrot Cake

9 oz (3 cups) blanched almond meal
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs (or 5 whites)
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 1/2 c. grated carrot
1 c. finely chopped celery
8 oz crushed pineapple, well drained
12 dates, soaked, drained and pureed
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F, grease and flour a 9 inch spring form pan. In one bowl blend the dry ingredients, being sure to get rid of any lumps. In a second, large bowl beat the eggs until they are light yellow. Add the coconut oil, grated carrot, celery, pineapple, dates, vanilla and cider vineger and mix thoroughly. Mix in the dry ingredients and the then stir in the pecans. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, cake should appear dry on top and soild when pressed

SCD Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz strained yogurt, from 1 quart yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
1 tsp almond extract

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Frost cake when it's cool.

clafoutis

I hit the jackpot last Friday. All the fruits came into alignment, you could say. The gentleman of indistinguishable yet decidedly ethnic background who often has his table on the corner of 42nd Street and 3rd Avenue had a fantastic selection.

I know that non of the fruit I bought was grown locally, but I also believe in supporting local business (or fruit stands, as the case may be). He knows me, and knows that I know my fruit. And since I buy so much from him, usually when he's getting ready to pack up, he always gives me a great deal, and extra fruit too.

So this is how I find myself sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by pomegranates, quinces, blueberries, pears and cherries. Almost banging my head to figure out what to do with all of this bounty before it goes bad. The blueberries get frozen, to go with my yogurt, and the pears and pomegranates can keep for a bit. But the cherries, those wine red fruits, won't last forever.

I remembered a dessert that I had seen posted several other places. One that I had never heard of, and probably don't even say correctly either. Clafoutis. I researched the clafoutis a while ago, and even had a tentative recipe in my note book. It seemed like my overfull bag of cherries were going to provide a perfect opportunity to try this new dessert.

According to my buddy wikpedia, clafouti is a custard like French dessert traditionally made with cherries. At The Joy of Baking it said that the original clafouti was baked with the cherry pits in, which gave the custard an almond-y flavor. This seemed like the perfect dessert to use almond flour in, since it would mimic the flavor of the cherry pits.

As I said, I've never had clafouti before, but what I got was a superb cherry custard that was a great dessert fresh and a great breakfast the next morning. And it looked an awful lot like the picture on wikipedia. The Trainer restrained himself from eating more than one piece because he insisted it was MY treat.

Clafoutis
serves 8 or more

1/2 c. blanched almond meal
1 c. yogurt
3 eggs
2 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 Lb cherries, fresh or frozen, pitted

Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yogurt and honey until smooth, add the almond meal and beat some more. Evenly spread cherries in the bottom of a pie pan or 6inch square baking dish. Pour batter over cherries. Bake for about 55 minutes, it should be golden and a little puffed in the center.

scd whipped cream

Since Thanksgiving is a special holiday, and I wasn't planning to make a huge spread, I decided that I wanted to try making something really special for myself. What I really wanted was whipped cream. And I was determined to have it.

Those of us who are gluten free know that many recipes, especially the really special ones usually require advance planning. Special recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet require even more, and often advance preparation as well. Making SCD whipped cream is one of those recipes, but is absolutely worth the wait.

After my first attempt, which produced the goat's milk sweet cream, I conferred with S. I decided that the best way to go would be to actually make yogurt from heavy cream and she told me that it needed to culture for 48 hours, rather than a mere 24. So that's what I did. (When S tells me something, I know she's done her research) I owe this recipe entirely to S for her guidance, even if I did the 'work'.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I had the Trainer all to myself for the whole day. He accompanied me around Queens on my errands. We rode our bikes through a cool, clear blue day from the library to the bike shop, to Trader Joe's and back again, and then with wide eyed wonder through the holiday market at Union Square. We went to three pet stores looking for the perfect clear plastic balls for the gerbils. At the end of the day, we came home to have David Lebivotz's rosy poached quince* with a dollop of whipped cream. Absolute heaven for the end of a heavenly day.

* I used three quince, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 lemon and 3 1/2 cups water

SCD Whipped Cream

12 oz heavy cream
3 1/2 oz yogurt or yogurt starter for 1 quart yogurt (right now I'm using Fage fat free yogurt)
3 oz (about 1/4 cup) honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Three days before you want to serve thee whipped cream, start culturing the yogurt. In a medium size sauce pan heat the cream, while stirring, almost to boiling. Allow cream to cool to 100-110° F. Mix a small amount of cream with yogurt started until smooth with no lumps. Add starter mixture to remaining cream and mix thoroughly. Pour cream into three yogurt cups and culture in yogurt maker for 48 hours. When done culturing, chill in refrigerator over night. Mix cultured cream, honey and vanilla in a medium bowl. Begin beating with electric mixer on low speed until honey and vanilla are mixed through. Continue beating at a higher speed until whipped cream forms. Store in a jar or container in fridge. This will last up to a week (if you don't eat it all first) but it will start to separate just a little after the first two days.

cranberry apple crisp

One could say, in fact several have, that my living circumstances are very New York. Sometimes life here, in this apartment in Queens, with the Trainer and his family can be difficult. Trying, busy, crowded. Often the morning bathroom schedule gets thrown of and one or all of us are late. Sometimes have such awful misunderstandings with his mother, who doesn't speak English.

And most of all, the kitchen is not my own. I don't have the set of dishes I want. Things don't get stored the way I'd like. I have limited space for the tools I have or want to get. (Not to mention those slices of bread I'm always terrified will get passed over my food or plate) For a girl who grew up as an only child in a house in the Midwest, this is quite an adjustment. It's still an adjustment after almost a year and a half.

Often times when things get intense I retreat to our room and I tell the Trainer that I he has no idea how much I love him. This is my way of telling him how much I deal with for him. Because I do dearly love him. And part of what I love about him is how much he cares for his family, how much responsibility he feels for them, especially his brother. If he didn't insist that we think of his family he wouldn't be my Trainer and I wouldn't love him so much.

I woke at 7am to start and had the turkey in the oven by 7:30. In keeping with my minor obsession with cranberries I wanted to make something special with them for the trainer and I. At home, the crisp is king, and I thought that individual cranberry apple crisps would be perfect. I had them all ready to go into the oven when the turkey came out, and they were just cooled enough when we were done eating.

For once, everyone was home to eat at the same time. After demolishing the bird the Trainer and I were ready for dessert. He turned to me and told me to go ahead and have mine, he would only have a bite of his so that his family could all taste that one. Of course I told him that we could share one and his family could share the other. They're not big on desserts, but this one was hit, served up with a dollop of SCD whipped cream (coming soon). I'm going to have to make two more tomorrow.

These moments when the whole family is together, and the Trainer's father is being charming, and I can give his mom a break in the kitchen. When we really are a happy family. These moments make everything else seem so trivial. These moments are the ones that count. The ones we simply must hold close to our hearts.

And now the turkey's been eaten, the bones are simmering for soup and the Trainer and I have been to the gym and back. On this day of giving thanks I am thankful for my family, my Trainer and my health, which I am steadily regaining through gluten free and SCD eating. Oh, and I'm thankful that the gym is open today too, even if it's only until 3pm.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

makes 4 8oz ramekin crisps
4 apples
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup apple or orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

6 oz (2 cups) blanched almond meal
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Wash, peel and chop the apples into medium size pieces. Coursely chop the cranberries. Mix together in a small bowl with vanilla, juice and cinnamon, stirring to distribute evenly.

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a second bowl mix the almond meal, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the almond meal. Add the honey and mash mixture with the back of a spoon untill it forms a crumbly mixture. Spoon apples into four 8 oz ramekins. Sprinkle crumb mixture over top. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Serve warm, maybe with a dollop of SCD whipped cream.

dark date & pecan spice bread

There is a distinct chill in the air, it almost smells of snow. Here in the city we have left fall behind us and are careening towards winter. All the signs are out. The huge Norway spruce has been selected and brought to Rockefeller Center, still shrouded in scaffolding as they swag it with lights.

Cold weather means many things, but one in particular, this girl and her Trainer reach for a nice warm loaf of bread. It has become our evening ritual, a slice of bread and cup of tea and a little quite time before bed. I have been parading a variety of experimental loaves under his nose, all met with enthusiasm, but it all started when I was preparing for my trip to Alaska.

In the short time I was home I worked myself into a frenzy in Mom’s kitchen. What a joy it was to have all the space and tools I grew accustomed to in childhood. This is the kitchen of my childhood, full of love and fond memories, the room in our house where our small family of three most frequently congregated.

I danced around Mom at the stove and Dad in his seat reading the paper, brandishing my spatula and referring to two cookbooks and a recipe downloaded onto my iPhone. I experimented with various things I wanted to take with me to have as emergency food. I settled on one of Raman Prasad’s breads and one of Naomi’s

Evidently, all that recipe searching rubbed something off on me. In the fewer than 24 hours that I was in Michigan before my return to New York I was determined to make something new, my very own. I must give a nod to Naomi, Carol and Raman whose methods I have followed and incorporated into my own baking and recipe.

Now that I have recreated my original success, as has Mom, I am ready to share this recipe

Dark Date & Pecan Spice Bread

3 eggs, separated
3/4tsp cider vinegar
pinch salt

½ c. (15pc) prunes stewed in ½ c. water
4oz additive free apples sauce
2c. almond meal
1/4c. cashew butter
1tsp. baking soda
1/2c. dates, chopped
1/2c. pecans, chopped
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2tsp. cloves
1/4tsp. ginger
1/4tsp. anise extract

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper

Puree the prunes and water in a blender.

Mix prune puree, apple sauce, egg yolks, almond meal, cashew butter and baking soda.

Add dates and pecans.

In a separate, large, dry bowl let egg whites warm to room temperature and add a pinch of salt.

Begin beating the egg whites with an electric mixer.

When egg whites have doubled in volume drizzle vinegar while continuing to beat.

When egg whites achieve soft peaks mix the prune puree mixture into the egg whites.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, when a knife or toothpick comes out clean.

cook the books: La Cucina

When Rachel first mentioned Cook the Books I had to run out and get La Cucina, A Novel of Rapture by Lily Prior. Actually, I went online and requested that it be transferred to my local library branch and then, about a week and a half later I picked it up. The idea of reading a book about food and then cooking was more than I could pass up. I love to read, love to cook and often find my cravings and food choices influenced by what I read. (My desire to cook indigenous foods came from reading about how the stampeders of the gold rush had to live off the land)

I toted La Cucina around with me for a few days while finished gluten-free girl. It is apropose, I believe, to say that I devoured this book, three days I think. Reading about the rich foods and culture of Sicily made me ache for the culture of my own Italian family, very little of which has survived to be passed down to me.

I keenly felt the story of Rosa's awakening to love through her cooking. It mirrors my own revitalization after going gluten free and finding the SCD and having the love and support of my like minded Trainer.

Every food discribed in loving detail made me pause, leaving little bookmarks to revisit sections. I really shouldn't read books like this at the gym. Pasticcio di Sostanza (I have a chicken heart and liver waiting in the fridge), 'strattu, caponata (which I've filled away for eggplant season) and the "little oranges", but the description of one treat in particular sounded like perfection.

Had I been too hasty in offering to give l'Inglese lessons? I asked myself, as I ground green almonds with my pestle. The power of my wrist uickly turned the almonds to powder. If only I could grind my worries away so easily.
I beat the ricotta, egg yolks, honey, sugar, lemon juice, and rind into the almonds...I whisked the egg whites into peaks in a matter of seconds... When the torta had baked to a golden, angels-scented crust, and after waiting impatiently for it to cool, I helped myself to a large slice with a thick dollop of cream. Ooh it was good.

And so I made a torta de ricotta. For my first batch I made five little tortas for two. The Trainer and the family loved them. This evening I made one large torta and the Trainer was on pins and needles until I told him it was cool enough to eat. Perfect with, or without lemon and topped with pomegranate molasses, raspberry preserves or cream. The Trainer's mother says I should open a bakery to sell these and some of my other recipes

Torta de Ricotta

8oz ricotta or "mock ricotta"★
5oz light honey
2 eggs seperated
Zest of 1 lemon
6 oz almond flour✲
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda✵
butter and flour for pan

Preheat oven to 325° F

Butter and flour an 8 inch round pan or five 8oz ramekins

Sift almond flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl

Beat ricotta and honey until smooth, continue beating and add yolks one at a time, add lemon zest

Mix the dry ingredients into the ricotta

Whisk the egg whites and carefully fold into the batter

Turn out into prepared pan, or pans, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until set and golden brown

Turn onto a wire rack to cool

★following the advice of S I made my own SCD "mock ricotta" by mixing 5oz farmer cheese with 3oz slightly strained yogurt. I have found that both 0% and 1% fat yogurt works for this

✲ for this recipe I used finely ground, blanched almond flour from Digestive Wellness

✵ if you are using real ricotta use baking powder. The combination of the baking soda and the yogurt in the "mock ricotta" acts as a substitute for the baking powder

besos de novia (golden blossom marshmallows)

Yesterday the Trainer had four clients and headed of early, fortified with a breakfast of apple pancakes (a first run). I packed myself up and went to visit S. She's got a great kitchen full of gadgets that I have no room for AND a washer and drier in her apartment. In New York this is the height of luxury.

Though we're still new friends, S and I clicked the moment we met and I adore her. We both are dealing with celiac disease and are following the SCD. She is such a wealth of knowledge and I soak it up like a sponge whenever we're together.

I wanted to make Kendall Conrad's cashew bread and the recipe is huge and makes three loaves of bread. I only have one loaf pan so I thought I could do it there. Can't complain about the company either.

I also wanted to try making SCD marshmallows and if anyone had any suggestions I knew S would. We were both a little blitzed, or we might have realized that trying to whip eggs to hard peaks on a rainy day isn't the easiest thing, but we persevered and ended up with some very tasty little treats to show for it.

I found the original recipe posted to SCDrecipe by Maria and we modified it using the tools and knowledge that S possesses.

When I gave one to the Trainer's mother she thought they were great. "Rico sta!" she dubbed them. In Ecuador marshmallows are called besos de novia, or bride's kisses. Sweet and romantic, don't you think?

This is my first ever attempt at making marshmallows, or even candy for that matter, and without S it never would have worked, but it's really not as scary as it sounds. I will continue to tweak this to create a more precise recipe, but I've decided to post it for those who are hankering for an SCD marshmallow. (If you really don't think you can face it, let me know and we'll see what can be done)

Golden Blossom Marshmallows

2 envelopes or 5 tsp unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup water
3 egg whites or 6tbsp egg whites (1 egg white if you're using a hand mixer)
Almond flour or toasted coconut for dusting

Soften the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. In a 3 quart sauce pan (we used non-stick) combine the honey and 1/3 cup water. Cook on low heat until the mixture reaches soft ball stage, 260. If you don't have a candy thermometer, soft ball stage is when they honey forms a distinct ball when dropped in a cup of water. The mixture will foam up, this is to be expected.

Remove pot from heat and skim of the bubbles and film on top. Stir in the gelatin until it dissolved. Let cool for 10 or 15 minutes.

Wipe the bowl of a stand mixer with cider vinegar and whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Skim off the stiffest whites, about half the volume, and discard the wetter eggs.

Continue beating at high speed and pour in the syrup in a steady stream. Beat until the candy stands in soft peaks.

Prepare a 9x13 pan with parchment well dusted with almond meal or toasted coconut. Carefully pour into the pan. With a slightly wet spatula or spoon back smooth the marshmallow evenly around the pan.

Let stand overnight.

When the marshmallows are set, cut them into pieces. Dust all edges in almond flour or coconut.


Sent from my iPhone

the ice dream cookbook

Just as I was headed for Alaska, I was offered a chance to review Chef Rachel Matesz's new dessert cookbook The Ice Dream Cookbook. I was intrigued by the concept of making frozen desserts from coconut milk using agave and stevia rather than sugar. It sounded like the recipes would be very close to SCD compliance than many others.

I was very excited when the book arrived and set out to read it right away. Despite the fact that it is a dessert book, the Trainer was impressed by it as well. Chef Rachel does a wonderful job explaining everything. She gives detailed information about all of her ingredients, their uses and nutritional benefits. She writes a very informative section on gluten free grains alone which is probably the most comprehensive and useful I have seen in one place.

After reading the book I was presented with a challange: while I could easily make the base 'custard', slightly modified for SCD, I don't have an ice cream maker. This is not a kitchen tool that I can buy and hide easily. I am running out of places to store tools, and the Trainer would surely figure out what it was. In stepped by wonderful new friend S along with her kitchen and ice cream maker.

On my day off I was able to prepare the base on the sly, without the Trainer poking his nose in and asking questions. I wanted to start with a simple recipe before trying anything too fancy. As much as I love vanilla, I decided that I really wanted cinnamon. After spending my whole afternoon preparing burgers and other foods I was about to sit down and relax when I realized I had completely forgotten to prepare the Ice Dream. I dashed around the kitchen, expecting the Trainer to walk in at any moment, and prepared the vanilla recipe with some added cinnamon. I finished just in time, tucking the container of base safely into the back of the fridge just as the Trainer walked in the door.

Saturday, with S, we set the Ice Dream to churning before we heated up the kitchen with our little bake-a-thon. The result was a creamy, delicious icy treat. I could definitly taste the coconut, but the flavor was mild. My result was a bit icy, but S and I think we left it to churn to long. The only change I made to make the recipe SCD was to use a little extra honey instead of stevia (which is not permitted)

I left some of the Ice Dream with S, brought some to my coworker whose son is lactose intollerant and managed to make my remaining portion last several days.
I will be making this again, although I think it was a little early for me to introduce coconut into my diet. When the weather warns up again I will try making my own SCD coconut milk to try more flavors. I was unable to try any of Chef Rachel's gluten free desserts, since they are so carefully balanced various blends of gluten free flours I did not want to arbitrarily substitute almond meal for everything.

Gluten-Free Pantry Old Fashioned Cake and Cookie Mix

Since it was my first time preparing the Gluten-Free Pantry’s Old Fashioned Cake & Cookies Mix I decided to follow the directions on the box, as written. Since I don’t have a cookie sheet I made it as a cake, besides the one on the box looked so good, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had real cake.

The directions were easy enough to follow; I guess that’s the point of a cake mix to begin with. I am a chronic batter taster and an unabashed bowl liker, and this batter looked and tasted delicious. I managed to leave enough to fill my spring form pan and put it in the oven to bake.

Now, my oven is a little shifty, it doesn’t have any numbers on the dial and I have to rely on an oven thermometer and monitor it constantly. Even with the temperature variations the cake baked beautifully. I think it rose in the middle a little more than it was supposed to, but who cares? It looked so good I had trouble leaving it to cool over night.

Soft and moist this cake tasted like heaven to me. My memory may be a bit foggy but I would say this is one of the best cakes I’ve had, gluten free or not. It was a big hit in this house; always curious of my cooking my boyfriend’s mother tried a sliver. She declared she liked it, “mas rico” and not to sweet. Since everything in this household is share and share alike, she gave our two gerbils some of the treat as well.

My boyfriend and his brother and father are planning to have some for breakfast tomorrow. I don’t know if cake for breakfast is such a good idea, but this one is so good I just might have some too. If I don’t, I might not get another piece!

I prepared a sugar free chai spiced glaze for the cake, but it didn’t need it. I think it would also go very well with a cream cheese frosting or a chocolate glaze. This is a great base for whenever you need a yellow cake, it can stand up to some spice or to fruit, like a coffee cake or an upside down cake.

***I would like to give special thanks to Glutino and the Gluten-Free Mall for providing samples for me to try***

Beth's Farm Kitchen, Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly

At the Union Square Greenmarket there’s a jam and chutney vendor called Beth’s Farm Kitchen. I always pass by, as much as I love jam, and samples, they have a plate of bread and little wooden tongue depressors to serve the jams on the bread.

The women who work the table, one of whom I believe to be Beth herself, are always very nice to their customers so one day when I was there and the table was quite I stopped to take a look at the jams. They have lots of yummy looking flavors, with very simple recipes; fruit, sugar, pectin, vinegar.

I asked if they knew if the vinegar they used was gluten free, and although she wasn’t sure Beth (I think it was Beth) took my card and said she would check when she got home and emails me. And she did. As it turns out the vinegars that they use are gluten free.

The next weekend I went back and sampled some of the jams, the ladies were kind enough to open fresh bottle of jam so that I could taste without fear of contamination. I have been fixated on getting jalapeño jelly ever since I had some at a Mexican fusion place several years ago and Beth’s has two; Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly and Habañero Jelly. I decided to start with the hot pepper jelly, which I pair with my evening slice of cheesecake and cup of tea. The sweetness of the cake cuts the heat of the jalapeños.

All the jams and chutneys have little bits of fruit and seeds, so you know they’re the real things. I’ll have to try some of my other favorite flavors when I finish this jar. Perhaps I’ll make jam filled cookies.

Low-fat, Gluten Free Cheesecake

Despite the name of this recipe it's really very good. I'm used to modifying recipes to meet my needs and I found the base of this one in a women's magazine. I tweaked around so that one 1/12th of a cake slice is only about 200 calories. It's perfect for my end of the day, after my workout sweet craving. I'm putting down the basic recipe, but lately I've been preoccupied with jalapeno jelly, and I found a gluten free variety at the Union Square Greenmarket from Beth's Farm Kitchen. Both the Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly and the Habenero Jelly are gluten free. This cake is great with just a little bit of the jelly on top.

Note: To see the entire ordeal of making the first cake check out my LiveJournal post

Crust:
1/4 cup chopped pecans and walnuts
dash cinnamon
dash salt

Filling:
15 oz part-skim ricotta
8 oz 1% fat Whipped Cottage Cheese
1 cup sugar, more or less
½ cup fat free sour cream
4.5 tsp Ener-G egg replacer powder
3 Tbsp warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract (or more)
2 tsp Bob's Red Mill GF all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt


Heat oven to 350. Toast nuts with a little salt and cinnamon in the bottom of an 8" spring form pan for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 325. Wrap outside of pan in foil to prevent seepage. Filling; puree ricotta in a food processor until smooth, about 1 min. Add cottage cheese, sugar, sour cream, egg replacer, water, almond extract, flour and salt; puree until smooth. Pour filling into pan. Add 1-inch hot water to a shallow baking pan; place spring form pan in baking pan. Bake until cheesecake is firm around the edge and slightly soft in the center, 45-50 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan. Remove foil; let cool on rack. Chill 6 hours or overnight before removing sides of pan.

If you want experiment with marbling the cake mix 1 cup of plain filling with your additional ingredients and drizzle it on top.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

It's not actually my birthday, that was in September, but I really wanted to post my mom's carrot cake recipe. When I went home to visit for my birthday, my mom tweaked our family's old standby carrot cake-cum-birthday cake recipe (my dad won't touch chocolate with a ten foot pole, don't ask) to be gluten free for me, and heart healthy for my dad, who had open heart surgery in May. It turned out great! Here's the recipe:

Vegetable Nut Torte aka Carrot Cake
Modification for gluten free, low fat

3 c gluten free flour (we like Bob's Red Mill)
1.5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1.5 c sugar

egg replacer for 4 eggs (Ener-G)
1.5 c apple sauce (no additives) in place of oil
1.5 c grated carrots
0.5 c finely chopped celery
1.0 c finely chopped rhubarb
8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
0.5 c chopped pecans

(apple sauce, carrots, celery could have been increased from her original recipe to provide more
moisture)

Sift dry ingredients. Beat or mix eggs, add applesauce, veggies, then
dry ingredients. (When using Ener-G egg replacer, I usually just use the powder with out additional water)

Bake in a greased and floured spring form pan (or other of your choice)
at 350 for 45-50 min or until tooth pick comes out clean.

When fully cooled frost

Modified cream cheese frosting:
8 oz rice cream cheese
0.5 c sifted powdered sugar (could use less)
2-3 oz Smart Balance spread
1 tsp almond extract

Enjoy!