Corn meal griddle cakes

What I am about to say will probably cost a number of people money in bets they've laid down against me, but tough: I don't always want something sweet. I know, hard to believe, but there it is and that was my predicament earlier today. Breakfast was some coffee and a persimon, and then after some faffing about, the next thing I know and it's about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. This would not have been a problem, today is my day off afterall, except that by then I was hungry. So, options..... Not many. One that I did sort of seriously entertain was seeing what I could find at the store, as I needed to go pick up groceries, but the rational part of me nixed that quick. Shopping while hungry is the Worst thing I can do, because then I come home with half the ingredients for about 5 different meals and not a single thing I actually went for. So back to looking at my cupboards and wondering what I could put together on the quick as the longer I looked, the hungrier I got. I debated making up some cream of rice, which I usually like and is fast, but for all that I wasn't sure what I wanted I knew it wasn't that. I just didn't want anything sweet. Pancakes were out for the same reason, but then I remembered what we would have some Saturday mornings when I had spent the night at my friend Megan's house when we were kids.

For all that Megan and I practically lived in each others back pockets, there are to this day a number of people who still can't believe that we were ever friends to begin with. I was loud, she was quiet; I was the oldest, she was the youngest; I was round, she was thin; long story short, on the surface we seemed to be complete opposites. I guess we were, but we never really thought about it. We were friends, and we didn't need a reason! So we spent a ridiculous amount of time at each others houses, and not coincidentally, eating each other's food.

The way her family cooked was incredibly different from the way my family cooked; I am convinced some of the dishes they would have on a regular basis, and since I was over me too, helped to form my love of all kinds of food. Curried white fish over rice with diced granny smith apples and bananas (is amazing!), Bird's custard (which I can still have, score!) and so many other things that I have simply incorporated that I don't even remember the specifics. The way they did french toast, however, is not something I could forget.

You know french toast, right? Bread, dipped into beaten egg, usually mixed with some milk and sometimes spices, then fried up on both sides till crisp and golden and hot. For most of us, we would then slather it in honey butter or maple syrup or some jewel toned fruit preserve or jam and it was a little slice of heaven on a weekend morning. Well, not them. French toast was eaten with ketchup. I actually asked her why once, when we were about university stage, and she told me it was because her mum didn't want them to be starting their day off with too much sugar. We both appreciated the irony of that, at least as adults.

So today I remembered eating french toast with ketchup and it reminded me of corn cakes. These are amazing if you want to bulk them up a bit by adding some corn kernals to the batter, or for a really nice kick, toss in some diced jalapeno. Or both! I went with simple, basic recipe (this is modified from one in Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone; have I mentioned that this is a great book?) that is just topped with a little mayo, some sliced tomato and then some lemon-dill-salt and pepper.

Corn meal griddle cakes
Makes: Lots! About 20

• 1 1/4 cups "milk"
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup GF Flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs at room temp, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

First, stir together the milk and the vinegar. Next, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add the milk mixture, the beaten eggs and the oil to the flour and stir till combined. I do suggest using a spoon as the batter is a little heavy for a whisk and you don't really want lumps.

 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and lighty grease (spray, a little oil, whatever you prefer). Pour the batter about 1/4 cup at a time, and cook until the pancakes are golden, about 2 minutes per side. You might wish to regrease or oil your pan between every second or third set of cakes, also.

 

 

This really does make about 20 cakes! They keep fairly well, and can be reheated easily in the toaster. They also do taste really good with syrup on them, so since you'll have a few, you can switch it up as you wish. They might even taste good with ketchup!





Highly Improbably Birthday Dinner = )

My husband and I split the cooking fairly evenly between the two of us. No hardship, as we both love to cook and our schdules are such that one of us will usually be home before the other, so it ends up being split fairly evenly. He tends to do more of the cooking on the weekends, where we will have a proper roast dinner or he'll get creative and put something together that is as architecturally stunning as it is tasty. Yesterday, however, he out did himself.

Sometimes, when neither of us has planned anything, he'll ask me what I'd like for dinner and I'll answer "Bacon double cheeseburgers with onion rings, rootbeer and cheesecake!" just to tease him. Guess what I got for my birthday dinner??

I was supposed to be off work today, but due to some scheduling conflicts got called in, so even though today is my birthday, he pulled this together for me last night. He acually started making it on Monday! The hamburger buns are actually a foccacia recipe that he made in some small cast iron skillets we have, and frankly they turned out amazing!

We had all the fixings, fried mushrooms, "cheese", tomatoes, letuce and pickles.And did I mention onion rings??? I'm not sure where he got the recipe, though I do intend to find out, but they are a baked ring that uses panko-like GF bread crumbs for the coating. I loved this as they turned out very like A&W onion rings, which were always my favourite, though these were way less salty and not at all greasy!

For dessert, he picked up an Espresso Cheesecake from Sweets from the Earth that I really quite like and strongly recommend. Not only is it a company based in Toronto, but they are (among other things) vegan, GMO free, fair trade, and have 2 facilities - one dedicated nut free and the other dedicated gluten free. They also have lots of tasty things (though not all is gluten free)! Highly recommended, but I already said that.

Needless to say, I was super full once dinner was done, and this after only actually eating half my hamburger! (damn plague...) I'm going to have to come up with some other highly improbably dinner to tease him about now and as his birthday is in 4 months, I had better start thinking what I'm going to do now. Not sure I will ever be able to top this!

Russian Vodka and Local Eating

I have the plague. Really, what I have is a nasty cold/flu, but I'm feeling about as pathetic as if I had the plague. It started on Saturday, though I mistook it for being seriously hungover (because I was), but by that evening, the scratchy throat, ear aches, sniffles and coughing had truly set in, and yeah... Insult to (self-inflicted) injury. *sigh*

My kitten, Eva, helping me read
 

I really want to do a proper review of the restaurant we went to on Friday, Rasputin, but I don't think I can currently do it justice. For now, I will simply say that a very good time was had, the food was lovely and the service was too. With a party of 16, they were able to accomodate my dietary restrictions and still managed to get us all fed at close to the same time. I have also learned, without a shadow of a doubt, that everyone is Russian with enough Vodka! Oy. 

I really shouldn't be too upset about being unwell, all things considered. This is, for all intents and purposes, the first full on cold I've had all winter, and this after my husband spent almost a month trying to cough up a lung with a really nasty bug he picked up right around the holidays. I honestly believe that the way we eat, cutting out foods that affect my immune system has kept me from getting all the colds and stuff that have been floating around. I've noticed for some time that I also haven't had nearly as many Lupus flare ups as I used to, and when I do, they aren't as bad. Works for me!

When you start thinking about how one thing affects another, and how that can lead to other ideas and places, and connections, it can take you through some very interesting thought processes. How does the way we eat affect us physically can lead to questions like how does it affect us socially, economically, culturally, and environmentally. Deep thoughts for being stuck in bed with the sniffles, I know, but not new thoughts. For a number of years, I have taken advantage of the Farmers Baskets programes offered locally, and love that I can support a local farmer and get some phenomenally fresh produce all summer long without having to support large box grocery stores. I truly believe that eating well is one of the most subversive acts of rebellion we have available to us, that really can have a far reaching impact. So, with that in mind, I have been terrifying my husband with the concepts behind the 100 Mile Diet.

I have only just started reading up on this, though the name pretty much explains it. You only eat/injest what comes from within a 100 mile radius of where you are. When I started talking about this as an idea, he almost cried (I think he'd take his coffee intravenously if he could, and I am fairly certain coffee doesn't grow in Quebec), and really, with all of the changes he has made to his diet for me (without complaint!!), we have agreed to a compromise. The 100 Mile Dinner. So, on the last Tuesday of every month, we will put together a meal that can be sourced from either 100 miles (in a circle on a map, that allows for some cross boarder into Ontario and maybe the tip of Vermont even) or from Quebec. So, for now, I am reading The 100-Mile Diet: A year of local eating by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon.  This should be interesting!

Birthday Dinner =)

Okay, so simply put, we are having my birthday dinner tonight and seeing that I have already started "celebrating", I am going to simply wish everyone a wonderful weekend, and I will post up a review of the restaurant we are going to. Rus!!!

Breakfast Bars over cereal any day!

So today was my day off, in theory, but with one thing or another, and all the running around I needed to do today I didn't manage to get home when I had hoped to. Not that big a deal, as part of my running around had me going to a book store (gasp!) and the market (oh, the horror). I wasn't able to enjoy it quite as much as I would have liked, because just as I was getting to Atwater, I realized that the sole of my Doc Marten had come unglued, to where it now resembles a flip flop more than a boot. Really useful that, with fresh and slushy snow on the ground. *sigh* It did mean that I made my choices a little more expeditiously than I might have otherwise, however, so I wasn't that late getting home. I had just enough time to take out some of my footware frustrations in my favourite way: baking.

I love breakfast. I can no longer fathom leaving the house in the morning without (unless it is for the purpose of procuring) breakfast. However, I hate cereal. I think it was because as a kid, growing up we had 2 choices for weekday breakfasts: honey nut cheerios or shredded wheat. I actually liked shredded wheat, but cheerios should be reserved for necklaces or kindergarden art, as far as I'm concerned. (Sorry Mum! We did on weekends get other stuff, and there is a family legend about a sourdough muffin starter-thingy we named Fred, but there it is.)

In the summer, I will often make myself a smoothie, which I can take with me, but during the colder months, I really like a cooked breakfast, something hot. I also like to sleep, which sometimes (often) means I haven't much time to put something together. Enter the breakfast bar. There are a number of companies that make these; I think that it is almost safe to say that there is an entire industry devoted to the "on the go" breakfast. Some of these even cater to the gluten and dairy free community! I have as yet to find one that I like though. If they are fruit filled, there isn't much of it, and more often than not the "dough" bears a closer resemblance to cardboard than something I purposefully want to eat. I do take them on treks and camping, but those are already situations where I'm supposed to be proving how tough I am, so they just fit the situation.

The bars that I made today are based on Grace Cheetham's "Fig and Date Fruit Bars"; they haven't got much to them in terms of what you need, they go together quickly and you can easily make substitutions. I like that the recipe makes 8 servings, so you don't get stuck eating the same thing for ages, but the 8 pieces are substancial enough that a nice cup of tea or coffee to go with and it actually counts as breakfast. So this is the way I did them today:

Fruity Breakfast Bars

• 2/3 cup chopped dried figs
• 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 3/4 cup chopped dried (pitted) dates
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup *This can be found where you get North African/Morrocan food stuffs. I use Clic brand.
• 2 tablespoons Agave syrup
• Heaped 1 cup Quinoa flakes (though if you like a milder flavour go with rice flakes)
• Sprinkle of chia seeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and then lay parchement paper into either 2 - 8" X 4" bread pans or an 8" X 6" baking dish and set aside. Cut up the fruit and place into a sauce pot with the water; bring to a boil on high, then reduce the heat to just under medium and cook until the fruit has absorbed the water and you end up with a compote, about 15 minutes.

While the fruit is stewing (and this smells amazing, by the bye) toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until browned; careful as they will burn quickly! Once the pine nuts are toasted and the fruit has absorbed all the water, combine them in a bowl with the pomegranate and agave syrups, mixing well. If you want to add in any spices (ie cinnamon or cardamom) mix it in with the fruit, but it tastes fine without. Mix in the quinoa flakes, stirring well and then press into the prepared pan.

 

 

Sprinkle some chia seeds on the top (as many as you'd like, but remember they absorb a lot of liquid and can lead to cramps and gas; you could also go with about a tablespoon of hemp seeds) and then bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. They will firm up a bit more as they cool, so once they can be safely removed from the pan by the parchement paper, allow to cool comepletely on a wire rack before cutting into 8 pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge till gone.

 

Enjoy!

Gnocchi!! (Product Review)

Growing up, we never used prepackaged food products, so everthing was always cooked from scratch. At the time, we always figured that we were getting cheated somehow and would on occasion insist on being fed wonderful gourmet meals like Kraft Dinner or Hamburger Helper. Ahem. It is somewhat telling that now my siblings and I all cook and all cook pretty much from, you guessed it, scratch. In truth, not relying on preprocessed foods in the first place made switching over to a gluten and dairy free diet a hell of a lot simpler. All I have to do is switch a few basic things over instead of having to try to find replacements for most of the recipe. However, when one gets home at almost 9pm and is very hungry because lunch was at 2, pulling up a from scratch meal can seriously suck. I don't really want to start peeling veggies, and in the summer all I would do is throw together a salad with a quick protein (beans or an egg or something) but it is February in Montreal, and it is currently snowing and I don't want a salad, thank you. This is where keeping a few staple ingredients on hand that can be whipped up to a hearty meal (in less than 20 minutes) comes in handy. Say hello to my go to: gnocchi.

Gnocchi, when done right, are little balls of pillowy goodness, best served pipping hot and smothered in some sort of (in my opinion) runny sauce. When done incorrectly, feed them to someone you don't like as they are more akin to little rocks. They use potatoes as the base, so technically aren't pasta, though they will more often than not contain a flour of some kind as a binder, and sometimes also egg. They are generally to be found in with the pastas at your grocer, however, though not always. There are a number of different companies who do produce them commercially, though the only one that I have found consistently with gluten free options is the Aurora brand. They actually produce five different varieties of gnocchi: whole wheat, potato, spelt, corn and rice. The first three all contain wheat flour or gluten (in the form of the spelt), so that leaves the corn and the rice kinds. I will be very honest, I do not like the corn variety. The flavour is fine, it's the texture that gets me. Gritty, much in the same way that corn meal is, which really isn't all that surprising. I just can't get over the mouth feel of it to really enjoy it. The rice gnocchi, however, does not suffer from that problem and the flavour is such that it's as much a vehicle for whatever sauce you put on it as anything.

 

 

 

So, tonights dinner: rice gnocchi with a bacon carbonara sauce. Easy enough. Cut up the bacon strips into 1 inch pieces and fry up in a large skillet while bringing a pot of salted and lightly oiled water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add the gnocchi to the boiling water very carefully! They are hard little nubbins and will splash into the pot if you aren't careful. I usually cheat and spoon them in with the slotted spoon I take them out with. Leave them to boil until they float, at which time they are cooked. Try not to let them boil over long as the longer they cook the denser they get and they are best light and fluffy. While the gnocchi are cooking, add about 2/3 of a cup of cream (we used the MimicCream that we had left) and a jar of pasta sauce to the bacon. For us that meant using the last jar of the tomato sauce I put up last summer, about 2 cups worth. As soon as the gnocchi are cooked and floating, spoon them directly into the sauce and stir to coat. Serve immediately with vegan parmesan and enjoy!

I guess you could say that I sort of cheated tonight, since this is not a new product to me, but something that I keep on hand for quick and easy dinners. Knowing that I can incorporate something this versatile that is also gluten/dairy free though makes this something that I would certainly recommend as a pantry staple, especially if you on occasion need something quick. Enjoy!

Shopping: Aliments Merci!

A friend of mine asked me the other day how many shops I have to go to to be able to make anything and the truth is that I usually have to hit up at least 2 places. However, that is about the same as it was before I was gluten and dairy free! I love the way I can shop here in Montreal - to the butcher for meat, a fishmonger for seafood,ethnic foods from ethnic markets, and fruit and veg from another vendor all together. Don't get me wrong, there are days when having a Metro grocer on the way home from work means the difference between something cooked and take out or delivery. I would simply prefer supporting small businesses and purchasing from shops dedicated to whatever it is I am wanting to buy. That I am also able to do that with shops that cater to gluten and dairy free options, and not just one shop or even one chain, makes my life so much easier!

One of the first shops I ever found and then turned to after having changed everything over was Aliments Merci. Open since 1995, they are dedicated to bringing healthy foods and products from both local and global sources to their clients, with an outlook on health and well being for both humans and the planet we are on.

The website says that they only have 4 shops plus the warehouse (which is open to the public) but I don't think that they've updated it in a while (and it is only in French) because one of the 2 shops I go to regularly isn't listed. Both the Jean Talon and the Atwater markets have outlets, though the Jean Talon is a larger retail space and carries more products. NOTE: I have recently learned that the place I visit in the Atwater market is Not an Aliments Merci, but Le Marche du Vrac. Sorry for any confusion, and it looks like I'll get to talk about them a bit, later!

I prefer to purchase my flours in bulk when I can, and while they carry bags already measured out, you can order larger (!) quantities from the warehouse which you can then pick up either directly or from one of the shops. They have a fairly impressive selection of dairy free alternatives, as well as meat-free choices, spices, cereals, dried legumes and bean, oils, vinegars, teas, snacks, pastas..... Really, the list is fairly extensive! They also carry a nice aray of cleaning supplies as well as beauty products and they also bring in new products fairly regularly, or at least it seems so to me with the little one at the Atwater Market, which seems to have a somewhat larger selection of higher ticket items (like imported oils and vinegars, spices and gourmet treats).

 

Aliments Merci is able to offer to its clients a wide range of products, for those with and without food restrictions alike, at pretty reasonable prices. Even though I now know of many other shops where I can find what I am looking for, I still go back every time I hit up the market, if only to go look at all the pretty packages, and just to see what I can find.

 



Through new eyes

My not-sister went back to Texas today, and while I am sad she's gone, having her here even only for a few days was so worth it. She did find it a bit on the cold side (Ha!) but she still thought being able to hit up the markets was worth it! We got in some pretty amazing cooking, some fantastic restaurants - and my husband was thrilled to have someone he could eat  real cheese with! - plus got to just spend time with her and visit. Alright, there was a Little bit of drinking involved, but she started it (by bringing up  beautiful bottle of a mead/merlot from a place not far from where she lives) and I'm sticking with that story.


Mimolette Cheese

I think that one of the things I enjoyed the most was taking her around and showing her places we enjoy and getting that sense of New again. It is so easy to start taking for granted what we have ready access too, but showing it off can get you excited about it all over again. Being able to go to not one but two different, all year markets that can provide local fare, in season (if wild mushrooms are your thing, they are starting to show up already!) and some not so in season products to create just about anything you want is not something she gets to do at home. When I think about how she lives in Central Texas, but she is constantly telling me about how horrible the produce she has access to it, I'm actually a little humbled.So, we cooked! For her birthday dinner, we had a bone-in roast beef, with roasted root vegetables and butternut squash and steamed green beans followed by the parsnip cake with a cream cheese frosting, which she and I have decided really could simply be eaten of a spoon without any problems.

 



 The next day, since I was working, had my hubby and not-sister headed back to the market (as I had to work) to pick up stuff for dinner for Sunday: grilled pork chops with mashed sweet potatoes and pan seared brussel sprouts with a honey mustard sauce. They also got themselves some $78/kilo French cheese, just for fun! Both of them maintain that is was worth it, even though it looks like lava rock before it's cut from the round.

There are days when I look at what we eat and where we shop and to be very honest, I actually feel lucky that I eat the way I do, because I am. Being able to show it to someone like my not-sister who doesn't have any food intollerances and have her ask us for recipes makes me happy, but also reassured. In part because we could introduce her to something new, but also because that just means it tastes good and I'm not simply trying to fool myself.

So, while I'm sad that she's gone home, I'm already on the lookout for new stuff and places to show her the next time she's up, an grateful that I can.

Play dates

I love being an adult, some days. Bills suck, yes, but frankly we Do have better toys  and now that I live in my own house, I get to have dessert for breakfast. Though, Bananas Foster Waffles kinda counts as breakfast; there were waffles!

My not-sister made it a condtion of her visit that we feed her Bananas Foster, so what with all the plans we had, the only option was for breakfast. Funny thing, not one complaint was heard. Go figure.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the Jean Talon Market,where we got to discover new shops (La Grange), new products, including gluten and dairy free pepperoni sticks (so far, the honey garlic one was wonderful but more on that later), and getting stuff for dinner, including a beautiful bone in roast beef to go with the most amazing spice rub I have ever had (also, more on that later) to be followed by the parsnip cake, made upon request.

Almost Flintstone worthy!

 



 Dinner is almost ready, roast beef with roasted root vegetables and steamed green beans, and then we are heading out for an evening of dancing. Or more accurately, a bit of drinking and watching other people dance, but really, same thing.

Provided we don't just stay home and eat the cake, of course!

Happy Birthday Visits!

My not-sister from Texas is flying in today!!! I am stupidly excited about this, as it is her birthday today and mine in less than 2 weeks, and she decided (on Monday!) that this was going to be our presents. She asked me if I minded; *snort*.

She's come up to visit a couple of times, so we have a few things that we want to do, though really this trip is going to be all about food, booze, coffee and hanging out with friends. When I say food, I really do mean food, but she is all about the Jean Talon market. We're going to go out for dinner tonight as I have to work till 9 (and I really want to introduce her to Kiss Japanese Grill, though that is also as much about getting her to drink Sake), but tomorrow is going to be all about home cooking.

A couple of years ago, we got her a copy of The Market Chronicles by Susan Semanak for Christmas. She had come up the previous spring and fallen in love with Jean Talon and since she loves to cook, we thought she'd like it. Great little bits of history, with beautiful photos, and really good recipes. I had a hard time mailing out the book (it's pretty!!) so my husband got me one for Christmas too. Wasn't that nice?! What I love is going up there now to shop and seeing the people who have made their lives in bringing fresh, local (and sometimes not so local) and seasonal produce to Montrealers. and guests; knowing a bit about their stories makes shopping there somehow a little more like family.

Okay, so I am going to put the finishing touches on to the parsnip cake I made for her, and then off to work, then sake!!!

Pizza!!!!

Once upon a time, I ate more than my fair share of pizza. And didn't really think much of it. The one time I went out and bought a slice for breakfast had me questioning myself a little, but beyond that, it was quick, cheap and readily accessible (I work right down town, practically smack in the middle of a university campus. There are, off the top of my head, 5 by-the-slice pizza joints within a 7 minute radius of the shop!). Well, yeah. About that. I'm fairly sure that my health has improved since then, but some days are harder than others! A number of my friends find it highly amusing that I get all starry eyed when I say we're making pizza for dinner when that's something they'll pick up because they haven't got the time or can't be bothered to cook. I will say, however, we made damn fine pizza.

People will argue about what makes for the best pizza; for some, the crust is nothing more than a delivery system for mounds of oozy cheese and rich sauce, while for others there is no point if the crust isn't soft/crunchy/thick/thin, just the way they like it. I can be swayed to both sides of that argument, frankly, because what I am looking for is the overall taste and texture. Hot, rich and flavourful. It almost sounds like I'm talking about a romance novel or something, but let's face it: that first bite, when you crunch into the crispy underside of steaming hot crust and get your first taste of a thick, savoury tomato sauce, spicy sausage or roasted veggies, dripping with melted 'cheese' will make most of us roll our eyes closed and exclaim in some way "This is gooooood!". Provided you haven't just burnt the roof of your mouth off, of course. And that reaction is why it is worth making your own pizza.

Organic Porc sausage, crispy kale and caremelized onion pizza. Yes, I know I made the pizza into a heart, but it's Valentine's day. I know I don't really worry about Valentine's day, either. Deal with it.

The recipe that I use for my crusts comes out quite thin, almost more cracker like, but that is because I roll it out thinner than the 8" round that is suggested. This will work as a deep dish (oil a cast iron skillet and just press it into the bottom instead of rolling it before letting it rise) so if you prefer your crusts more bread like, this will still work! I got it from "Cooking for Isaiah: Gluen-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals" by Silvana Nardone. Excellent book!!! Totally worth it and very much a go to for me, but more about that another day. The only thing that I do differently from her is I always proof my yeast before adding it to the dry ingredients where she doesn't. Also, if you haven't got a baking stone, they really are worth it for a crispy crust and I believe that we paid about $25 for ours, so they aren't even much of an investement.

Totally worth it!!

Pizza Crusts Makes 2  8" Rounds

• 2 cups flour mix, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package active dry yeast*
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 large egg whites at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

*NOTE: I don't buy the prepackaged yeast, since I use quite a bit of it. 1 package = 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast, BUT I always put in 3 teaspoons (15 mls or 1 Canadian Tablespoon) as gluten free breads are notorious for not rising well and needing a little bit of extra help. Also why I proof the yeast in this recipe, and you will notice that I've changed it around a bit if you get this book (which you should because it's wonderful!).

Combine the flour and the salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Add the sugar to the warm water, then add in the yeast, setting it aside to proof for about 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, separate your eggs, reserving the yolks for something else, and lightly beating the egg whites. Once the yeast has proofed, add it, the egg whites and the olive oil to the flour, mixing just till combined. Try not to over work it; once it's all moist, you're good to go.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces, and on a piece of parchement paper dusted with a bit more flour, roll it out to about an 8+ inch round (or more like I do if you prefer it more cracker like). Set it aside, lightly covered with plastic wrap to rest/rise for about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 F with the baking stone (if using) on the bottom rack. Once hot, bake the crusts on the parchement paper one at a time for about 8 minutes, until puffy. Let cool on a wire rack while second crust is baking.

.

From there, top as desired. My husband doesn't really like pepperoni, so if we aren't doing a veggie pizza, whatever meat is going on it is generally already cooked. For that matter, most of anything we put on pizza is usually cooked before it goes on top. We will also just broil it long enough for the 'cheese' to melt and to ensure that everything is hot all the way through. Ms. Nardone suggests brushing the tops with some olive oil before adding your toppings, but we don't and it comes out just fine!

Here you go, Madison! Happy Valentine's, everyone. Enjoy = )

Happy Chocolate Heart Day!

I honestly couldn't care less about Valentine's Day. The most fun I ever had on a February 14th, I was a waitress at a night club, and there were more staff than customers that night, so we got drunk and ended up dancing on the bar. The few clients who were there thought it was great! At least I think so...  At any rate, I will acknowledge that I can at least appreciate a holiday that emphasizes chocolate.

I am so lucky that I've never been a milk chocolate fan; give me dark chocolate any day! My personal favourite is about 80 - 85%, more than that is a bit too bitter for me (I have a very good friend who thinks that 95% is just about right), and less than that I actually find a bit on the sweet side. Go figure. I will happily smear peanut butter on a square though, and I can most definitely be bribed with chocolate covered cherries. Chocolate lava cakes though.... Now there's a thing of beauty. Chocolate cake and chocolate "sauce" combined into one: Heaven!

One of the first cookbooks that was specifically gluten and dairy free that I bought myself was "Simply Fluten-Free & Dairy-Free" by Grace Cheetham. She uses chickpea flour in a lot of her mixes, and I can't stand the taste of it, so I will be honest in that I didn't use this book as much as some of my other ones, but now that I've been playing around with some of the flour mixes and substitutions, I am going to back to it more (especially for her savoury dishes). Having said that, this recipe really does work best using the chickpea flour, and really doesn't have much of a residual flavour to it, so it's worth it. Really, really worth it!

 

 

Chocolate Fondant

• 6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons dairy free margarine plus extra for greasing
• 7 ounces dairy free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or in pieces
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup fruit sugar or granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 2 heaping tablespoons chickpea flour

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease four 3/4 cup ramekins or puddng molds with the extra margarine (I use Earth Balance). Melt the chocolate over a double boiler (or you could really cheat and melt it in the microwave, stirring after every 20 seconds, but don't tell anyone), remove from the heat and stir in the margarine until blended. Set aside and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

 

 

 

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl; add the sugar and beat until thick and frothy. Carefully fold in the melted chocolate, and then mix in the sifted flours.

 

Divide the mixture between the 4 ramekins (I always put them on a baking tray to make it a bit easier) and bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Serve immediately.

 

 



 May every one of you enjoy!