Archive for the ‘Gluten Free’ Category
Good evening, Dear Readers:
Happy Monday! I know, Mondays are awful, right? No, not necessarily, but we’ve been conditioned to believe that they are. It’s just that for a great number of Americans, the work week starts on Monday, and the fun ends until Friday. However, I’ve had enough fantastic Mondays and bloody awful Fridays to be able to tell you that you shouldn’t hang a label on either one.
No, not yet.
I’ve completed watching all 7 seasons of the USA Network super-spy TV show Burn Notice thanks to the free DVDs I get from the library. No, it’s not instant gratification, since you have to order them and wait for them to arrive, but if you’re patient, you can watch a whole lot of stuff for free. Been doing that for 20 years now. I’ve moved on to a BBC program that our Houston PBS station was running but stopped, called New Tricks. It’s about a group of retired police officers under the supervision of a somewhat disgraced Detective Superintendent who is assigned the UCOS, or Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad. I’m on Season One, which I’ve never seen, and I’m waiting on Season 9, which is where the TV station stopped broadcasting it. Season 10 will be out on DVD soon, and I’ll be putting my request in for the library to get it to me when it’s my turn. Smart, well written and impeccably acted by a skilled British cast, there is nothing on American television like it.
One day, when things get a little better, I’m going to have SO many DVDs!! My next DVD player will be region free so I can buy the shows from overseas and watch them. Yes, I already have a few in mind.
So I’ve got a little good news about the HeatCageKitchen garden. First, what’s growing is growing well. Last week’s drought-busting rain helped, even though I do water regularly. However, I’m still fighting off the slugs. Somehow, the darn things are still getting at my basil and pepper plant leaves, although I can’t figure out how. I have discovered that some are finding ways around the eggshells, particularly on the basil. GRRRRRR.
The beleaguered basil
Still hoping for a bumper crop for pesto later this year. If not. . .it’s off to Trader Joe’s for big clam shells full of fresh basil! One way or the other, I’ll have lots of pesto in my freezer this winter.
I haven’t done anything with the garlic scapes,which, as you can see, are happy. I’ve gone through some parsley, though.
But the big news is the little strawberry plant that I transplanted into a hanging planter. I think it’s about 3 years old, and last year it got parked in a paint bucket for a while. It’s now producing berries! Right now there are 13 of them in various stages of development, and one is turning red as of this morning:
See it?
I don’t know if it will fully develop, or what, but it’s trying to. There is one berry that’s developed into the proper shape, but will likely get bigger,and not changing color just yet.
The perfectly shaped berry. I can’t wait to eat it.
Oh, boy, I love strawberries, and if this little plants starts putting them out. . .I’ll be one happy foodie.
Week before last, I told you about a replacement book I bought, The 20-Minute Natural Foods Cookbook by Sharon Claessens. I’ve looked through it a few more times and remembered some good food I’d made a long time ago. I think I finally ditched the beat-up copy I had maybe seven, eight years ago, but I remember using it last about the late 1990s, maybe. I remember the ex-husband coming home to my favorite Spaghetti with Garlic Salmon Sauce (page 48), and complaining about the kitchen smelling like “stinky cat food.” No, he wouldn’t eat it, but that’s what he gets for coming home early.
This weekend, feeling a bit nostalgic (and thawing out more chicken than I needed) I decided to make the dish on the back cover of this book, Pineapple Chicken Mozambique. The dish calls for a quarter of a small, ripe pineapple, but all Food Town had was big ones–so I’ve got a lot of chopped up pineapple in the fridge. I’m thinking about putting it on a small baking sheet and freezing it, because I just didn’t intend to have that much left.
Admittedly, I do like pineapple, but not a whole one at once. Yes, I would, in a prior life, occasionally have pizza with pineapple on it, along with ham, sausage, pineapple or some other kind of meat, olives, bell peppers, and whatever else I could remember. I have to say pineapple on pizza might seem weird. . .but it was REALLY good.
I was also out of onions, so I got some, and wouldn’t you know it? No turmeric! I ALWAYS have that orange-looking powder around, but not this time, so I had to get some. And raisins–a six-pack of those little lunch-box sized boxes. I only needed 2 tablespoons, and that’s what one of those boxes provides. I nibbled on a couple, then the rest went into my briefcase and my weekend/non-work bag. Along with a couple of small packets of peanuts, I might be able to survive a long drive home from town without stopping for a bite somewhere.
Now, while this book is all about 20-minute cooking, what they didn’t do in 1982 was mention the prep time. I had to gather up some parsley and chop that, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then deal with the huge pineapple. I think the whole thing took about 30 minutes, maybe 35, including prep time, which is still not bad for a quick meal for two people. (or one, if you’re that hungry.).
BTW, you can now buy pineapple already peeled, cubed and and dealt with in most produce sections, as much or as little as you want. THAT’s a time saver we didn’t have back then, too, and why didn’t I think of it yesterday? Next time, I’ll get the pre-cut pineapple instead.
One alteration I made was to use olive oil, not corn oil, since most corn oil (to my knowledge) is hydrogenated. Grapeseed oil, as faithful reader Kanani mentioned last month, might be a good substitute, since it’s a flavorless oil, and would let the good taste of the food come through; however, grapeseed oil can be expensive. While I didn’t have a problem with the olive oil, I may try the grapeseed one day and see if it makes a difference.
Oh, and because they are nearly the same thing, instead of tamari, I used regular soy sauce, the kind you find in packets in nearly every Chinese restaurant in America. (If you are gluten-intolerant, you’ll need to find that kind.) Soy sauce is fermented, so I don’t have a problem with it, and it provides pretty much all the salt you’ll need anyway.
Also, this dish is intended to “serve with brown rice or whole wheat noodles,” but I bet a little quinoa would work too, or some gluten-free pasta, if you have some. Then again, you could just eat it by itself like I did and have more veg on the side, a salad, or some home-made gluten free bread. Otherwise, without the noodles, it’s what I like to call “gluten free by default.”
Remember, this was an “exotic flavor” back in 1982. So how do you make this golden oldie? Like this.
Pineapple Chicken Mozambique
2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1 medium onion
2 teaspoons oil (corn is specified, but I used olive)
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 small, ripe pineapple
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (I grow the Italian flat-leaf kind)
2 teaspoons tamari (I used soy sauce)
2 tablespoons lime juice
- Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Chop the onion.
- Heat a medium skillet and add 1 teaspoon oil. Add the butter, then the onion. Stir over medium heat, adding the cinnamon and turmeric. While the onion is cooking, peel the pineapple section and remove the tough inner-core fibers. Cube. Yield should be about 1 cup of pineapple cubes.
- When the onion is translucent and slightly tender, remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining oil. Heat the skillet until quite hot, but not smoking, and quickly add the chicken. Stir to brown all sides of the chicken.
- When the chicken is just nearly cooked throughout, after 3 to 4 minutes, add the onion, pineapple cubes, raisins, parsley, tamari and lime juice. Heat through and serve.
What you end up with looks like this:
Pineapple Chicken Mozambique! (The cat food just sits there, honest.)
Want a closer look?
I do love my Splayds.
The combination of cinnamon and turmeric adds a nice color to the onion and chicken without being overpowering. I do think I should have measured the lime juice instead of just eyeballing it, because it was a bit tart. That, of course, was MY fault.
For a quick and easy meal for two, this is a good one, and you can get the needed ingredients on a quick trip through the express lane, assuming you have none of the onion, the spices, soy sauce, oil and butter, that makes for a supermarket drop-by on the way home. For four people (or more), just a little math is involved, and maybe a bigger pot.
For a busy Monday, or anytime you want something fast, you won’t go wrong with this recipe.
Happy Dining!
Happy Wednesday, Dear Readers:
As I mentioned previously, I get emails from other bloggers, many of them food bloggers, a number of them devoted to the gluten-free lifestyle. One, Nicole Hunn, writes a blog called Gluten Free on a Shoestring, and has even published three books devoted to it (I don’t have those yet, but I will, soon.)
Today, Nicole has out-done herself with a recipe for chocolate gluten free donuts made with a CAKE MIX:
Picture from Gluten Free on a Shoestring website (they’re not mine!)
No kidding, she has a little plug-it-in-the-wall doughnut maker, one of those newer specialty appliances similar to a waffle iron or countertop grill. I don’t have one of those, and I probably never will unless I find myself married to a man with children. (Don’t hold your breath on that one.)
She also has a simple frosting for these donuts, which makes me start to want some today.
Oh, I’ve got pictures of the breakfast sandwich maker to show you, but I won’t be buying one. They’re really neat, especially if you like breakfast sandwiches. Unfortunately, that thing makes me wish I’d never read Wheat Belly. Don’t worry, I’m not fallin’ off any wagon over a machine. I’ll keep looking for a suitable English muffin recipe–probably in one of Nicole’s books.
Arrowhead Mills, a great purveyor of gluten free stuff, makes the gluten free chocolate cake mix Nicole uses, which I may have passed last week during my info trip to Fresh Market. If I get some, I’ll be sure to report on it.
This is the cake mix Nicole used, and although I haven’t tried it yet myself. . .now I’m tempted. And who wouldn’t want chocolate cake? (Maybe when I get ready to start working again. That will be a good reason to make chocolate cake, won’t it?)
Nicole also points out that Arrowhead Mills gluten free mixes are lower in sugar than their regular mixes–a good thing indeed, especially if you have children or want to cut down on it. Yes, it’s some sugar, but not as much as you might normally get.
Anyway, I’ve had two interviews this week, and two more scheduled for next week, so I’m racking them up. Cross your fingers that I’m not driving 100 miles a day–but that would put me around The Woodlands, where Frost Bake Shoppe is! Then I could buy one of their delicious gluten-free cupcakes every day! I’d have it on the way home every day, because I won’t get home until 8:00 pm, and need the sugar in order to survive the traffic. Nah. . .don’t think so.
Just thought you might be interested in seeing this one on a lovely Wednesday morning.
Enjoy!
The Fresh Market is Clear Lake’s newest gourmet grocery store, open now.
Good evening, Dear Readers:
Well, I’ve had a little good blogging news this week–I have a number of new followers on WordPress! Welcome to my humble little blog, which I do little to promote at the moment. It consists of opinions, observations, recipes, and a whole lot of what I think of as wisdom. You, however, may call it something else–but please, keep it clean. This is a family blog. Swearing is reserved for driving around Houston, particularly during our long, hot summers.
The Fresh Market In Clear Lake
So today our Fresh Market opened up, and finally, we get a little more gourmet in the Houston area known as Clear Lake. We’re near the NASA facility, and up until recently, was a thriving space community. The space program is, for the most part, winding down, and the population is doing the same thing. While space program people are mostly moving away to jobs in other parts of the city, for some reason there is some serious building going on. Fresh Market is part of that. Although we have Kroger, Randall’s, and some very nice HEB stores, we have a hard time finding some gourmet items in this part of Houston–despite our diverse population.
And now, we have Fresh Market. Woo hoo! I hope they stick around.
Not The First Fresh Market
There are a couple more of these stores in Houston. Namely, the one in the Post Oak area that I have forgotten to stop into when I have been in town. It’s not exactly near the Montrose Trader Joe’s, but I could have gone once or twice. Now that ours is open, I’m glad I stopped by. I went at 8:00 pm, because I figured all the free samples would be gone and I wouldn’t be tempted, and I was right. It’s because I am trying to avoid sugar all week, in fact, completely. Well, I had some coffee and a small cup of orange juice (which I normally only drink on airplanes.)
Let me iterate that I didn’t spend a lot of money this evening. I have gone to Half Price Books this week three times to sell some books, so I had some cash on me. It wasn’t a fortune, but then again, I didn’t spend too much, either–even though I could have easily spent $100 more. (Ask Neighbor K, she knows!) When I start working again, I might buzz over and drop $100. But I’m not in need of that much of anything right now.
Coffee, anyone?
First up: you can get a cup of coffee for $1, all day, any day. (This is great since the GER won’t go into Starbucks, and he can stop there if he wants some good coffee, not the rotgut from his local petrol station.) I had a sample of their decaf Kona, which was wonderful, but before that, a sample cup of hazelnut–which, unfortunately, was not decaf. Oops! Good thing I didn’t drink a whole 8-ounce cup. So it’s a nice place to stop for a coffee if you’re not near Starbucks or don’t want to go in with the crowd.
Fresh Market also sells their own brand of bulk coffee for $11.99 a pound, every day. The hazelnut was wonderful, and so was the Kona. They also have almond amaretto, which I think I saw in decaf. I’ve got plenty of coffee for now, and I hardly drink it, mostly I drink tea these days. But a half pound of decaf hazelnut might be on my first big trip over there.
Oh, but this is one I’m not sure I’d be trying even if I was on the regular:
And look–it’s on sale!
My favorite flavored coffee is, not surprisingly, chocolate raspberry. Non-flavored, Kenya AA and Sumatra coffees. Caramel Pear? Oh, I don’t know about that. But hey, what I think smells like Raid is going to smell like heaven to the lady standing next to me.
PG Tips And Other Teas
Speaking of tea–you’ve probably seen PG Tips tea in your local grocery store, but have you ever seen PG Tips in decaf in your grocery store? Me either, until now.
Um, no, I don’t belong to the Cuppa Club.
Fresh Market has 40-bag boxes of PG Tips Decaf tea in their regular tea section, along with most other teas you can find most places. YES!! I’ve been ordering it for 3 years now from Amazon.com. It’s so good. I grew up with Lipton tea. But I bought a box at HEB after a British lady introduced me to it. It’s very delicious tea, #1 in Britain, but the regular has so much caffeine. The decaf has all the flavor and none of the caffeine, thank heavens. Now I can get it in Clear Lake.
Salt
Another thing I got is another box of Maldon Salt, the flaky stuff from the UK that’s also enjoyed by many chefs and foodies. The box I bought three or four years ago is nearly empty, but if you go to Williams Sonoma to buy it, it’s expensive. Right now on their website, it’s $10.95 a box, but I think it’s like $12 or $13 in the store. In Fresh Market, it’s $3.99. Of course I bought some! I’ll use more of it too.
Ordinary frozen veg, but good enough for today. And nice wooden floors, too.
Limes are 2 for $1 there, but they’re high everywhere; I’ll try HEB or Food Town soon. I did get a couple of super-sized lemons and two nice grapefruit, as well as a small container of their store-brand half and half for coffee and tea. Their milk products are not treated with rBGH, but not all organic; HEB does the same thing. There is a fair amount of USDA-certified organic product, but there are also containers of Cool Whip in the freezer next to the organic frozen fruit.
I know, they have to appeal to a wide range of folks, but anybody who puts Cool Whip on organic fruit of any kind just needs to head over to Wal-Mart and stay there. (That was my snarky opinion coming out.)
Oh, and speaking of dairy, they also have their own store brand of refrigerated almond milk! I’ll try that another day.
Gluten-Free
You know I was looking for this, and sure enough, they do gluten-free.
A good selection of gluten-free products, not only here, but in the freezer case as well.
They’ve even got their own house brand of gluten-free products, and as you can see, they’re marked as such so it’s easy to find, and there are many products located in different parts of the store. However, as Dr. William Davis warns in Wheat Belly, much of it is made from corn flour, rice flour, tapioca flour, and other ingredients that have a high carb content and can give you an insulin spike. So, that’s something to take into consideration; you must read the labels.
Condiments
If you like chutney and fancier versions of peanut butter and jelly, you’re in luck, they’ve got lots of it:
Whatever your heart desires here.
And then inspiration struck (or maybe it was the coffee.) There’s a recipe called Rapid Ragu in Nigella Express that I put off making until recently because I couldn’t find something called onion confit. I did find it a few months ago, in Central Market, but at $10 a jar, this imported French stuff that doesn’t last in the fridge too long isn’t practical to keep around (and it’s more on Amazon!) However, while I didn’t buy it this time, I wonder if this will do the trick, and I can get it at Fresh Market for a lot less:
A possible replacement for hard-to-find Onion Confit?
I’ll get it when I start working and I can drop the occasional $100 at the grocery store again. Not today–the recipe also calls for ground lamb, which is, shall we say, more than ground beef. I can wait for it, as well as another gluten-free cupcake from Frost Bake Shoppe.
And for the “I don’t have time to cook” crowd, a little shortcut:
Wash the jars and get rid of the labels and no one will ever know. . . .
The International Section
In addition to many familiar products, they also have a fair amount of stuff you might not see in your regular grocery store, unless your regular grocery store is Korean:
I have never had a Korean mother-in-law.
Again, as wide of a range as you can get. I think I’ve had it once, and like sushi, was quite enough. I’m not slamming anyone’s cuisine–but I’ll pass on this kind of thing. I grew up in New Orleans, lived in California in the 80’s and acquired a taste for Mexican food. I’ve been in Texas for 15 years, and love the varied cuisine, especially barbeque.
I’m just reporting it today.
Other Essentials
Don’t judge me, I only took a picture and didn’t purchase any:
I have no idea what they will do, and I don’t wanna flunk a drug test.
Another section nearby this one has olive oils left and right. But I just know everyone is waiting on pins and needles to find this.
Just in case you really, really, need to know about this stuff.
No, I didn’t buy any of this, either. Heck, I didn’t even pick it up to see if it was imported from Italy, France, Greece or Croatia. Maybe if I invite a sophisticated gentleman for dinner.
The GER couldn’t care less if it was this stuff or Wesson. He’s nice like that.
Bagging It At Fresh Market
Now, folks who know me know about my grocery bag collection–I’ve got several from East Coast chain Publix, HEB, Central Market, import store Phoenicia, Safeway, Trader Joe’s,and a bunch of other places in between. Fresh Market has some insulated tote bags like the one I got from Trader Joe’s a while back, but not as big. I passed on theirs as well as these, but I almost gave in.
Aren’t these cute?
This is, obviously, for buying bulk goods so you don’t need the plastic bags. Again, I passed on them, but there will be a day where I get a few. Not only are they reusable for shopping, there’s probably a few things I can use them for at home.
The Cat’s Gifts
Even Jezebel the step-kitty got a little something:
OK, she didn’t get any of the salt.
I’ve never bought Newman’s Own cat food. In fact, I didn’t know they had it, and I’ve never seen it. That one, as you can see on the far left of the picture, is USDA certified organic. The one on the right isn’t, not that I saw, but since it was a rabbit, I bought it as a treat for Jezebel. I put out half a can, and she went after it. I’ll give her the other half tomorrow, and save the Newman’s Own for another day.
Both, as you can see, are also grain-free, which I try to buy much as I can. I’ve also given her some cat food from Trader Joe’s that she likes, but this stuff is grain-free. Normally, it’s Fancy Feast; the vet’s office feeds that to their boarded cats.
Wish I could have given some of this to Catmandu, but he did get Blue Buffalo duck a few times. On the other hand, as fussy as he was, he might not have eaten the rabbit. Jezebel appreciates the good food. But she’s now enjoyed samples of my cooking to the point where I can’t make tea without her demanding something. She nearly climbed in my lap the other day when I was eating some chicken. My bad.
As You Check Out
Now, this is an interesting site at the checkout lane:
What a good idea for at-the-checkout!
Although Fresh Market has a collection of natural toiletries like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods does, this is a great idea. Well priced and convenient, I like this the best out of all the stores I’ve been in. I have plenty of lip balm and hand sanitizer at the moment, so I didn’t get any. But when I run low, I know where to go, because I try to keep hand cream and hand sanitizer in all my bags, including my purse, just in case. And the lip balm is less than Burt’s Bees–good, since summer isn’t waiting for anyone. Except way up north, where some of my friends report a wind chill factor this week.
More Great Things From Fresh Market
Oh, I forgot to mention the deli, bakery, meat department, and the dining area at the front of the store! DUH–and I didn’t take any pictures of those, either. Sorry about that–I should have at least glanced at their takeout. (I did see sushi.) You can get some lunch or coffee and have it at a table and chairs, much like Central Market in Houston. It’s a smaller area than Central Market’s but quite nice.
The only bad thing I can say about Fresh Market is they don’t carry those Mynts that I love from Trader Joe’s, but I think I can live with that. I’m stocked up for a while, and I’m sure I’ll be at Trader Joe’s again one day. Plus, I can order them from Amazon if I really need some.
Verdict: a pretty good gourmet place to shop!
Not A Big Store
Their store is about the size of Trader Joe’s, not really big like Central Market or Publix. Fresh Market has a fair amount of store-brand products. But they also carry a fair amount of national brands, too, along with some imported things. I can see myself spending some money in there and saving money on petrol in the future. Or at least in for some takeout or a forgotten item one day.
If you’re lucky enough to get one of these, go during their grand opening if you want to sample delicious things. If not, do what I did and wait until 8:00 pm (they close at 9:00 pm.)
Note: even The Woodlands doesn’t have one of these, although they have Trader Joe’s. But even the New Orleans area has four of them, one on St. Charles Avenue. Traffic must be a bear.
Our Fresh Market is next to the Lifeway Christian Store across from Baybrook Mall, just behind Zoe’s Kitchen. That’s another new addition to our area, which I should write a review for soon. I’ve enjoyed food from Zoe’s a few times, although not in a while. Neighbor K likes them too; she visited the one in San Antonio when they opened a couple of years ago. Heck, if you’ve got a Zoe’s in your neighborhood, you’re lucky on that one as well.
Happy Dining!!
Good morning, Dear Readers:
I know it’s been a couple of weeks, but I have to step away from blogging for a little longer while I job hunt. I have a few topics in mind, but right now, I don’t feel like writing. The words escape me.
I haven’t yet written about the grocery chain Aldi, which is growing by leaps and bounds. We have several new stores in the Houston area, including two close to me. Their new flyer indicates that they now have their own gluten free line of products. More on that later.
Also haven’t mentioned Fresh Market, another grocery chain moving into Houston. I keep forgetting to go into the one in town, but we have one opening up this week in my little neighborhood. Report when I get over there.
My garden is also doing pretty well; I’ll be getting some Meyer lemons soon, and if all goes well, limes. I buy and use them all the time–and now they cost a fortune! You’d think that a country would protect one of their cash cows, but I guess limes aren’t Mexico’s most profitable export.
So I’ll give you this picture of Jezebel the step-kitty in the garden, where I found her hanging out in the nice weather this weekend.
The new lime tree is on the left, and the Meyer lemon tree is on the right. The little green orbs will become a crop for me to pick and enjoy. Won’t be a bumper crop, but it’s a start from a paint bucket, right?
Yesterday I made Nigella Lawson’s Corsican Omelette for breakfast, and look what I got!
That rarely happens to me, but it’s nice when it does. Also used up some of the productive mint from the garden.
That’s Texas style–because I can’t fold it into thirds and end up with anything other than scrambled eggs. Then again. I didn’t learn to cook in Europe. I learned in New Orleans.
Well, anyway, I hope to be back blogging a little more soon. Cross your fingers.
Happy Dining!
Good evening, Dear Readers:
It’s a typical spring day in Houston today. Started out about 75 degrees, and by the time I went to get the mail about 2:30, it was about 55 degrees. No, I went out in my shorts. I don’t care. But I did wash the duvet again, and of course, put it back in the closet for the summer. Oh, well.
I’m still at it, and still looking for a “real” job, but haven’t found one yet. I’ve been concentrating on that, so I haven’t done much in the way of foodie adventuring. However, I have come across three books that aren’t new, but are fabulous–and do not involve celebrity chefs. (Plus a couple of other things to tell you about.)
Now, celebrity chefs are great–they’re actually famous for something they do or have done, not for getting arrested or some other thing you hope your kids don’t find out about. Except that one guy. . .oh, nevermind. There’s one or two in every group.
I found a neat tool I want. Doesn’t mean I’m actually going to ever have it, but I want one. Then again, I want a high-end stove and maybe a Vitamix. Not shopping for those yet. However, I think this little breakfast sandwich maker from Hamilton Beach is just awesome. Of course, for that to work for me, I’d need to be making my own gluten free English muffins, and I need a pan for whoopie pies so I can make the one out of the newest Wheat Belly cookbook. . .well, that’s for another day, right?
At one point I was fascinated with counter top breakfast makers, and was going to buy one for a boyfriend’s Christmas present. I used to see 4-in-one, but now they’re 3-in-one, with no popup toaster. He was adamant that he didn’t want one, so I got him a tie or something. (And he’s gone now.) That one is so cute–reminds me of Suzy Homemaker stuff and Easy-Bake Ovens! But no, I’m not getting one of those, either.
Incidentally, last week I had the opportunity to make Crosissant Bread Pudding, and boy was that a mistake. I don’t have the picture, but be forewarned–this is an incredibly delicious dessert to use up some leftover croissants. Holy Shish Kebab!! Make SURE there are plenty of people around when you serve it, OK? It makes a large amount, filling a lasagne pan with a rich, sweet custard and raisins. Great dessert for Easter, just use some day-old stale croissants for best results.
And don’t say I didn’t warn you, either.
It’s a long story as to how I came across these four cookbooks, but I can tell you that they’re now on my Amazon wish list. Yeah, like I need another cookbook, let alone four! But there are reasons I like these books, and this is from the first one:
This involves cream, coffee, chocolate, egg whites, and sugar. Any questions?
The recipe is called Mocha Tortoni Mousse, very quick and easy, from a book called Dish Entertains by Trish Magwood. She’s a personal chef and talks about catering a party for the actor Martin Short and his family; Tom Hanks was also in attendance at one activity. In addition to categorizing these chapters by subject (breakfast, dinner, dessert) she also breaks the chapters down in further by ease and occasion. In other words, the Mocha Tortoni Mousse is a simple dessert that’s great for everyday, and easy enough to do. Put those in fancy dishes or martini glasses, and even kids will enjoy them (although they’re not boozy.) There are other desserts that are a little more complicated when you want something a little more upscale. It’s an enjoyable book, and styled much like Australia’s Donna Hay. Ms. Magwood has a second book as well: In My Mother’s Kitchen, which I’ve also added to my Wish List but haven’t yet seen.
The second book is one that I haven’t cooked from yet, but it sure is interesting. Chicken And Egg by Janice Cole doesn’t ask the question, but she does talk about what it’s like to start raising your own chickens for eggs when you’re not familiar with it. That would be me, although I’m not in a position to have chickens. I have enough with the cat, and, well, I can just see this beastly little tabby, a former street kitty who would take on small dogs, chasing around chickens and trying to catch them! The author doesn’t glamorize the topic, and she manages to get some good eggs from her three hens, but there are some setbacks as well. However, there is no discussion of “from pet to pot” as you might expect.
A couple of years ago, I saw a short review of this book in (of all places) The Houston Chronicle, and bought it. Similar in scope, but not all about chickens, Made From Scratch was one of the first books I picked up on the subject of modern homesteading and self-sufficiency. Bonus: there are good recipes in this little book, too.
I’m not sure how I missed The Homesteader’s Kitchen, especially since I’m a fan (and now a subscriber) of Urban Farm magazine. Every month they highlight new books on the subject of, well, city and urban farming. But it, too, is on my Amazon Wish List, along with Def Leppard’s newly released deluxe edition of Slang. They’re all there for the day I get another job and get caught up, or for the next time I need something (which is soon, but the books and CD will wait.) I didn’t cook from that one either, but from what I saw, the recipes are wonderful uses of home-grown or farmer’s market foods. However, reading the reviews on Amazon, there are some misprints, so I’ll have to consider that before I actually buy the book.
Last week I was on the north side of Houston, and since I had the time, you can probably guess where I went.
Only the most awesome bakery anywhere–Frost!!
Might be my last chance to visit Frost Bake Shoppe for a while, so I took advantage. I also went to Sweet Tomatoes FIRST for a healthy and delicious grazing of green stuff and Joan’s Broccoli Madness. The only place I’ve ever had broccoli, bacon and raisins in one place, and it WORKS. This particular day saw two gluten free cupcake flavors, and one of them was Red Velvet.
The most amazing, delicious, heavenly delicious gluten free thing there is.
I enjoyed every bite. And while this is probably not gluten free, I really enjoyed the looks of this amazing cake:
Is it gluten free? Who cares?
I wanted THAT kind of cake in 1996. You couldn’t get anyone to do that for you, anywhere in New Orleans. Nobody knew what that was or how to do it, and “wedding cake” meant lots of frilly piping, no matter where you went. Eighteen years on, nobody cares anyway (the divorce was final in 2001.)
Oh, and I tried making some sugar-free/gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with a thick icing. New recipe, and guess what? They were awful–AND they kept putting me to sleep. I tossed the last three. Oh, well.
Well, since winter didn’t get the memo that it’s spring yet, I’m headed into the kitchen to tidy up and to make some Pea Pesto Soup tonight as well as put together the kind of meatloaf where you toss a bunch of things into a bowl and throw it into the oven for an hour and it comes out somewhat tasty. I don’t feel like doing much cooking this week, but if things get better, I might try a new recipe or two and pass it along. I’ve also got to reconfigure a resume for someone and get it to her by this evening.
Tomorrow, one, maybe two phone interviews, and I MUST get my taxes done, darnit! I got stuck on something a while back and now it’s stalled. Oh, well, let the I-R-S give me a hand on the phone then.
Stay warm and Happy Dining!
