Book Review and Free Kindle Cookbooks!

In honor of National Celiac’s Awareness month I have decided to look back on when I started cooking gluten free foods a little more than two years ago. Converting my recipes gluten free became an obsession.  A close family member was diagnosed with celiac's disease, then I sought to alter my lifestyle so that anything I made could taste good without adding gluten. My journey towards gluten freedom began with buying an endless array of gluten free cookbooks. Now that I have some experience with gluten free cooking, I make alterations to existing recipes rather than pick up a new cookbook. However, every once in a while I come across a good gluten free cookbook with unique ideas worth purchasing.

This morning I opened up some of my mom’s old cook books.  I perused them for some of my favorite recipes.  I wondered, what cook books would my daughter thumb through, with fond memories of the meals we shared together?

Recently I obtained a copy of a great gluten free cookbook from a chef in New Zealand. I have made some of the recipes from the New Zealand Gluten-Free Cookbook and the food tastes great. The chef, Jim Boswell, doesn’t just take regular recipes and make them gluten free… he found recipes for dishes that contain no gluten ingredients and compiled them into one edition. This book is published by Penguin and is available here. You can also find many of his recipes free on his facebook page. I keep coming back to Mr. Boswell’s book for ideas of dishes to bring to parties.

Also, if you type in gluten free in the kindle reader section on Amazon.com you will see a host free gluten free books. You can also follow the Gluten Freely Frugal blog for a daily list of free kindle books on gluten free cooking.

Three Days of Pasta

I prepared three gluten free pasta dishes made from RP's Fresh Pasta, the best gluten free pasta I ever tasted. Using the pasta crafted by award winning Chef Peter Robertson, I prepared these dishes and no one could tell they were gluten free. Moreover, these pastas can last in the fridge for months and taste just as fresh.

Day One: Buttery Spinach Fettuccini

The spinach pasta I received from RP’s Fresh Pasta came out firm and delicious after cooking. I prepared the noodles slightly al dente. For the sauce I combined half a stick of butter and some walnut oil in a shallow saucepan to make a butter sauce. I added a stalk of green onion, minced, to the sauce and then added two splashes of Sancerre wine. After adding some salt and pepper I shared it with my family. Everyone, including those without gluten allergies, was amazed that the pasta was gluten free. These pastas were created by a pasta chef and use brown rice, tapioca flour, and potato starch to make the perfect consistency. Looking forward to day two!

Day Two: Angry Fussilli Pasta

An ode to the arrabiata, I took a sweet twist on the spicy tomato sauce. I caramelized some onions in black truffle oil. When the onions were caramelized I added some prepared tomato sauce. The “angry” addition was three tablespoons of the Tunisian chili sauce called Harissa. After the sauce cooked to my liking I poured it over one package of cooked RP’s fusilli pasta.  Spicy and delicious.

Day Three: Roye’s Linguini

My brother decided to help me prepare this batch of linguini right before going out for NYE. I had some leftover oyster mushrooms and had read that sautéing them in butter gives them the flavor of shrimp. My brother decided to take charge and prepared the mushrooms, threw in the fungus with some pine nuts and kept them on medium heat until they browned. Then he added some garlic and salt to give it flavor. Finally, we added the al dente linguini to the sauce and sautéed it with some parmesan cheese. I plated the dish with some extra parmesan on top. Benissimo. 

Burbank's Gluten Free Market, Pam MacD's

After seeing Pam MacD’s Gluten Free Market featured in Los Angeles Magazine’s article of gluten free places to check out in Los Angeles, I decided to do just that! I had been in this Burbank store before but the sparse shelves seemed sad and empty. Since it was featured in the magazine along with two other gluten free stores I figured, maybe it was worth a second look.

I learned that Los Angeles Magazine is not the only ones giving Pam MacD’s attention. Tia Mowry dropped by to pick up some ingredients to make her son Cree a gluten free birthday cake for his first birthday. The Cake Divas in Beverly Hills were used to craft baby Cree’s amazing gluten free vanilla cake adorned with a real sized Elmo on top.

The idea behind the store:

When I paid Pam MacD’s a visit, I had a chance to speak with the proprietor Pam Macdonald and her staff. A main hope behind the store is to normalize the shopping experience for people with food allergies. This store allows people with gluten intolerance and celiac to have everything, from cakes to cookies to prepared meals. There is nothing that people with food allergies cannot find.  

Samples of some of the products to try

To assure the safety of all her products, Pam and her staff puts each one through a strict “illicit test.” Pam MacDonald explains that much of the gluten free products sold in stores are junk. The labeling laws for gluten free products in the United States fail to require a low level of gluten. Countries across Europe have stricter labeling laws because gluten intolerance and celiac disease are more prevalent. Most notably, in the United Kingdom all manufacturers have to comply with the labeling laws passed. The labeling law in the UK had a grace period which expired two weeks ago. Now all residents of the UK with gluten intolerance and celiac can enjoy products labeled gluten free without the worry that they will experience repercussions of hidden gluten in their products later on. Products certified as gluten free in the UK can contain up to 20mg of gluten per kg of a product, which is a tolerable amount for celiacs according to studies.

Megan recommends the
almond cookies 

Until the United States finalizes its gluten labeling laws, Pam provides her shoppers with some pointers for taste and safety. She said to avoid chips that can have gluten in the flavoring and other cookies and breads. When asked which bread she prefers flavorwise, she said without hesitation, Kinnikinnik. I picked up a loaf of this Canadian company and found that it is better than the Udi’s brand that I prefer. The loaf is actually a normal size and suitable for making sandwiches that look like regular sandwiches.

Gluten free gift baskets are a great
gift for the holidays 

What to look for in the future:

Pam MacD’s will make access to gluten free products all over Los Angeles more available. She plans on expanding to locations including Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, northern San Diego, and possibly southern Orange County. Also, there is talk of branding special Pam MacD’s products. Now that they have a good idea of the product mix that is tasty and safe they plan on picking it up and dropping it into the other locations across southern California.

In March Pam MacDonald will be speaking with Robyn O’Brien, the author of “The Unhealthy Truth” at the Natural Foods Expo West. Robyn received a Fulbright grant for her work and her exciting studies featured in a Ted Talks Forum. Look for her and Pam MacDonald at the convention in Anaheim. It is one of the largest conventions for natural food in the country.

Pam MacD’s is a great place for nutritionists to meet with their clients or browse through the aisles and recommend a food regimen. A comfortable lounge in the front provides a location to hang out and read current literature on celiac’s disease. The community bulletin board in the entrance of the store is also full of useful information.  

Goat Cheese and Chive Latkes

Last year, I made these gluten free latkes for a friend’s holiday party. I barely got to eat one and they all disappeared. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

I have tried a few iterations of this delicious Hanukah treat, including a zucchini strings version, and found that this is the tastiest one so far.

Goat Cheese and Chive Latkes

-          3 large potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold

-          2 large egg whites

-          ½ cup rice flour

-          ½ cup crumbled fresh goat cheese

-          2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

-          1 teaspoon salt

-          ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-          Grapeseed oil for frying

Fry latkes until just golden brown

Grate the potatoes and rinse them until the water running through it is clear. Squeeze the potatoes dry and pat down with a kitchen towel. Put the potatoes in a large bowl and add the egg whites, rice flour, goat cheese, chives, salt and pepper.

Heat grapeseed oil in a pan on medium-high. Scoop ½ cup of the potato mixture and drop into the pan. Flatten the potato mixture with whatever you used to scoop it. Repeat spacing the cakes but filling the pan as much as possible. Fry the cakes until golden brown, three to four minutes. Flip and fry on the other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. 

Sweet Broom of the Intestines

The broom of the intestines, otherwise known as shirataki noodles in the US seem to have swept the gluten free diet community. What are these “miracle noodles”?

My sister recently made a batch of clear noodles with some soy sauce and splenda. She says she has been eating it all the time while she is away at school. With zero calories, it’s satisfying effects fit right into her low calorie diet. I have to give her credit for her ability to keep the calories down, but now I know her secret. These noodles are great!

I experimented with some recipes [1]and this is what I came across. Replacing the soy sauce with tamari sauce makes the dish gluten free.

Shirataki noodles are high in a soluble fiber called glucomannan[2]. The noodles come from a vegetable called a Japanese yam or kannyaku in Japanese. They have been used for centuries in Japan for weight loss and constipation. You can find these noodles at Asian markets or in the tofu aisles of most super markets for around $1.29. Make sure to choose the pure yam noodles and not the variety with tofu if you want to make a zero calorie meal.

Sweet Shirataki Noodles

-          1 cup cloud ear mushrooms

-          ¾ cup tamari sauce

-          4 tbsp brown sugar

-          1 tbsp pepper

-          7 oz shirataki noodles

-          A stalk of chives

The noodles out of the bag will have a fishy smell. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them for two minutes in cold water.

Dry fry the shirataki noodles in a frying pan. Add the tamari sauce and cloud ear mushrooms. Allow the soy sauce to evaporate as you finish dry frying the noodles. Add the sugar to the mixture and allow the crystals to melt.

Dice the chives and mix half into the noodles. The other half can be used to garnish the dish.

Easy as pie and delicious. Serve while hot. Can be reheated.

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[1] http://www.livestrong.com/article/279267-are-shirataki-noodles-gluten-free/

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucomannan

Halloween Goodies 2012

Here are some fun Halloween treats that I made for my Halloween party.

Graveyard Brownie

Multicolored Modeling Chocolate
Bob's Red Mill gluten free brownie mix
One chocolate cookie (for headstone)
Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Black and purple decorating sugar

Sculpt a skeleton, mouse, mushrooms, and pumpkins from modeling chocolate. Place modeling chocolate in the refrigerator to harden.

Bake the brownie cake according to the package instructions. Let cool for half an hour. Frost with fudge frosting. Sprinkle black and purple sugar to make the frosting look like earth.



Remove modeling chocolate from refrigerator and assemble atop the cake to look like a grave.
Enjoy!

Scare Cakes
Gluten-free Cake Mix
8 oz. Cream Cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
2 sticks butter
Halloween themed candy sprinkles
Halloween decorations on toothpicks

Prepare cake mix in cupcake wrappers according to baking instructions. Let cool for half an hour.

Cream cheese frosting: Add the cream cheese, sugar, and butter to a bowl. Mix until even and creamy in texture.

Using a spatula, spread the frosting over the cupcakes. Decorate with Halloween themed candies. Push the toothpicks into the top of the cupcakes for the finishing touch.











Dried Zombie Skins

This one is simple. Buy some dried sea weed and put it on a plate with a sign marked dried zombie skins. It looks cool, is easy to prepare, and people can wrap cheese and veggies inside.

Gluten Free Turkey Day

Having failed the bar exam, I am back at it again. So, no road trips on the horizon. But that does leave time for a lot of cooking. I often take out my frustration on the kitchen, which leads to less tension in my house because the result is often a nice dinner for my family.

I was responsible for much of the thanksgiving cooking this year because we went to a friend’s house and brought most of the guests over.

Thanksgiving 2011 Menu:

• Acorn squash stuffed with quinoa
• Potatoes au gratin
• Cornbread in mini thanksgiving shapes
• Sweet potato pie

Acorn squash quinoa recipe:

Ingredients:

4 acorn squashes
2 stalks of celery
1 sweet onion
1 ½ stick of butter
¾ cup of cranberries
salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

1. Dice up celery and onion. Melt one stick of butter and sauté celery and onion in a large pot. Add cranberries to the mixture once it has browned. Season to taste.
2. Add two cups of quinoa and four cups of water. Let it cook for 20 minutes or until the quinoa seeds have absorbed all of the water. Set the quinoa stuffing aside.
3. 

   

   Acorn squash is hard to slice so I
   had to enlist a helper in the kitchen

   Cut squashes in half and remove seeds. Melt ½ stick of butter in the microwave until soft.
4. Preheat your oven to 375 °F. Take butter and smooth over the surface of the squash halves. Place squash facing down on a nonstick baking sheet and let cook for 20 minutes. Flip squash to opposite side and let cook for another 15 minutes. Remove squash halves.
5. Stuff squash halves with the quinoa mixture and place back on the nonstick baking sheet. Replace squash halves in the oven for another 40 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!