Low Fat, Fresh, Totally GF Clotted Cream

Ok, the Lass has learned something. I've always had Devonshire cream with my scones and it's actually a LITTLE bit different than traditional clotted cream. It's like Devon city's version of clotted cream. There's also a Cornish clotted cream and a Welsh clotted cream.



GO FIGURE!

ha!

Ok, so, the basics here will be easy for all of you parents out there- you take heavy cream (aka whipping cream) and you boil it, let it cool completely for 4 days in the frig, and mix together- including the skin on top. Yum, huh?

Well, the Devonshire version is a bit different, almost lemony, so I've got a great mock one for that, and it works well for people who are on a no-yeast diet, like my friend E. So, this one's for you, E!


Irish Clotted Cream

1 small carton of large chunk cottage cheese (8oz), drained in a strainer over the sink
1 small carton of sour cream (8oz)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4C white, granulated sugar

In a blender or food processor, mix together on low speed. Don't forget to drain the cottage cheese, or your cream will be too runny. Keep refrigerated when not in use. Serve with scones and jam or muffins and jam or even on crepes! (stay tuned!)
Enjoy the GF goodies!
The Irish Lass

From the Lass's Kitchen: GF, Egg-Free Scones!

Well, I thought that I would keep with the theme of sweet bread today. Sweet breads, by the way, are only called sweet breads if they use any sugar, which does not make them inherently sweet. found that out the hard way. BLECH (different story, sorry).

Today, we shall reach back into history and think of the Lass's first few years of having celiac disease. After the little, gritty bricks that I made with the brown rice flour and not understanding the conversions in bulk and taste (let me tell you, 1 1/2C of white, granulated sugar is NOT the same as 1 1/2C of white, powdered sugar, and is NOT the same as 1 1/2C of brown sugar), after going through the GF gauntlet, I began to feel comfortable with making my own recipes. And so, the story of the scones begins. I got a wee book from Ireland, with recipes for all things Irish.

But they were all glutenous.

Eh, I was young and willing, so I tried.

I learned that extra baking powder and baking soda have limits. BLECH
I learned that fresh berries have lots of fluid and make your dough extra sticky, which you compensate for by adding more flour and xanthan gum. BLECH BLECH
I learned that I'm still fascinated with how my Grandma can drink buttermilk. BLECH
I learned that, if you're using GF flour, you don't have preservatives. EWWWWWHHHH

And so, all of my pain and suffering have led to a great recipe, well, more than one. And it's actually easy! But before I give you the recipe, you need to know what a scone is. Scones originate from Scotland, actually, where there is a little town named...yes, Scone! Well, there used to be a town there, now I think it's just an Abbey. It was a long time ago (Medieval, really). It's traditionally a "quick bread", which means that it doesn't have any eggs! It's eaten mostly at High Tea (2-4pm in the afternoon), with Devonshire clotted cream (guess where that's from!) and jam. There are all types of scones, but mostly they are broken into two categories: sweet scones and savory scones. The recipe I have for you today is for sweet scones.



Irish Lass' Gluten Free Sweet Scones

2C glutinous rice flour
1/4C tapioca starch or potato starch
3 tsp Xanthan Gum
2 1/2tsp powdered buttermilk**
2 1/2tsp cream of tartar
4Tbsp Butter, melted
2/3C Orange blossom honey (any kind will do, but the orange is the BEST here!)
3/4C Milk
2Tbsp orange or lemon peel, grated (Penzey's has a great dried lemon peel....)
1C dried cranberries (if you get sweeten cranberries, decrease the honey to 1/2C)

DO NOT USE AN ELECTRIC MIXER FOR THIS RECIPE

1. Preheat oven to 375*F with a pan of water on the bottom rack, and grease two cookie sheets. If you're using baking stones, don't grease these. If you're using Silpat, good IDEA!
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients.
3. Add the butter and honey and mix well. Sometimes, it's easiest to mix the honey in when it has been warmed up a bit. It still should be stiff, though!
4. Add the Milk. At this point, you have a dough. It should be thick and pasty. If it's so sticky that it's all over your hands, add 1/4C rice flour until it's firm enough to handle.
5. Add the citrus peel and dried cranberries and mix well.
6. Pinch off 1/2C of dough and make into a ball. Place on the cookie sheet and press down with the bottom of a drinking glass until it is 1/2" thick. If it's too much taller, it won't bake completely, too thin, and it's burning.
7. Continue until your cookie sheets (or stones) have scones that are 2" apart. Roll the rest of the dough while this batch is baking.
8. Bake on the top rack of your oven (water's on the bottom) for about 8 minutes, or until the edges are browning.
9. Remove and cool on wire racks. If you like your scones a little mushier, then immediately wrap them in foil when they come out of the oven (before cooling). This traps the steam against the baked good. I, personally, like mine dried out and more willing to be cut.
10. Once cool, refrigerate these. No preservatives, remember?


**Powdered Buttermilk can be found in the baking aisle at your local grocery. If you drink buttermilk and don't want to use the powdered stuff, substitute 1/2C buttermilk and 1/4C milk for the milk above.

Oh, clotted cream? I have found it in the cheese section of the grocery- not the deli section, the cheese section. It's a little round, glass tub. If you want some that's cheaper, stay tuned for tomorrow!

Enjoy your GF goodies!
The Irish Lass

Something from Sierra Leone: EASY GF, Egg-less Banana Bread!

It's still freezing here in Minnesota. I don't mean cold, I mean FREEZING. Veterans of the Minnesota winters are wondering when the cold will end. But that's global warming for you (BTW, if you think global warming just makes things wrong, it doesn't. It creates drastically altered weather patterns. Thank Bush)

Ok, ok, no more soap box for today.

just walk somewhere today, ok?

Except for you in Minnesota and Wisconsin- you have a reprieve until May: park as close to the doors as you possibly can.

As I sit up here freezing, I think enviously about the people we call "snow birds" here. These people have vasts amount of liquid income (or savings) and they fly to some place warm during these cold winters. Like Arizona. Like Florida. Like Sierra Leone (you were wondering how I'd bring that around to a coastal country in Africa, weren't you). Sierra Leone (Lee-oh-n) IS a small, coastal country on the western edge of Africa (Africa is a continent....remember that). They speak French in Sierra Leone and are EXTREMELY educated. I had a class once with a girl from Sierra Leone; I'm an A++ student and I found we were competing pretty hard for the top grade. One day, my parents went to the Science Museum of Minnesota (eh, Exploratorium's better) and got a handout of a Rice-Based Banana Bread. I asked her. It's actually a trial, if you will, for brides-to-be to bake for their mother in-laws. This shows that they know how to bake, but also that they know how to make bread without "flour" or eggs. It's a rite. Which is cool, if you think about how all of us GFers are constantly undergoing this...like brides-to-be...

Or maybe it's just weird. Anyhoo, here's the recipe:

Sierra Leone's Rice Banana Bread

1 3/4C glutinous rice flour
2 1/2tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
2/3C white, granulated sugar
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp nutmeg
1/4C oil
1/2C luke-warm water
1 1/2C very ripe bananas, homogenized (that means totally mashed up, no chunks)

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. (rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg)
2. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, oil, water, and bananas together.
3. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients- do not just pour it all in at one. You can't have any lumps.
4. When completely mixed, the batter will be very stiff. Pour this into a 9", well-greased bread pan.
5. Bake at 350*F for about 50minutes, or until a toothpick inserted down to the middle comes out clean.

Hints:
Sugar dissolves so, it's not considered a dry ingredient. Eh- go figure.

Preheat your oven. Make sure that your bread is centered in the oven.

When opening and closing the oven, ease the door back into place. Don't shove it or let it bang.


Enjoy the GF goodies!
The Irish Lass

Gluten Free Pizza Soothes the Soul

For the best sister in the world:

Ok, so, yesterday, meine leiblings Schwester had a very bad day. Very bad. (everyone think hugs for her!) So, my man and I had her over and we had pizza rice. And she suggested I put it on the website. (well, she actually asked how come it wasn't up there, huh, here, already) It's one of my greatest inventions, I think, because it's the best of pizza, cheaper, easier, (and if the rice is already made), the fastest. It's something I wish they had in every diner, drive-in, dive, restaurant, and lunch counter around the world, because it's THAT EASY. So, here are some variations:


The Irish Lass's Gluten Free Pizza Rice

1-2C cooked medium grain white rice per person (4C of cooked rice makes plenty for 6 people)
1 quart/batch of gluten free pizza sauce (recipe below)
1-2C grated cheese per person
1Tbsp Penzey's Pizza sprinkle per person
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspizzaseas.html

Topping Options
Pepperoni (Hormel's Turkey pepperoni is deceptively tasty)
artichoke hearts
Italian sausage
Pineapple chunks, well drained
Canadian Bacon
Bacon
Linguisa (Fresno favorite- if you can eat gluten, check out Me N' Eds-OOOOOOH)
Spinach
BBQ chicken
Olives
etc, etc, etc,

WARNING: if your topping is raw when you buy it, you need to cook before putting it on the pizza rice.

1. On a microwaveable plate (one per person), pat the rice into a thin paddy shape against the plate. The better/tighter you squish it, the more like crust it tastes.
2. Top the rice with as much sauce as you like
3. Top with 2/3 of the cheese
4. Top with any toppings of your choice in size order (i.e. biggest circles on bottom, olives on top)
5. Top with the rest of the cheese and Pizza Sprinkle

Microwave until the cheese is melted in the middle (about 2min for a 6", 2 topping pizza). If you made a very thick pizza, reduce the microwave power to 70% or 80% and cook longer for a more even cooking.

Serve with Parmesan cheese and Crush red peppers.

Cooking options:
1. If you like your cheese and pepperoni crusty like a pizza, create the pizza on a boiler-safe pan (or foil) and broil for 5 min, or until hot throughout.

2. If you want to serve many, create a pizza rice layer casserole in a 9"X13" pan, with two complete pizza layers. Bake at 350*F for 30min, or until hot throughout (the sauce will be boiling up the middle and the cheese on top won't brown until is hot)


Easy Gluten Free Pizza Sauce

1 25oz can pureed tomatoes
4 Tbsp Penzey's Pizza Sprinkle
or
1/2 Tbsp Garlic powder, to taste
2 Tbsp Dry Basil, or to taste
2 Tbsp Dry Oregano, or to taste
2 Tbsp Dry Parsley
1 Tbsp Dry Marjoram
2 tsp onion powder, or to taste
salt, to taste
1/4C old red wine (something that's been open for a couple of weeks)

Heat all the ingredients in a sauce pan on medium heat for 20 minutes, or until near boiling. Use immediately, or saves in the refrigerator for 1 week, freezer for 1 month.


There you go, Sis!

Enjoy your goodies!
The Irish Lass

A friend indeed!

My dear friend A- (honey, you'll have to let me know if it's ok to say), well, my dear friend A- gave me this fantastic gift for my birthday and I thought I would share it with everyone.

Well, not really share it. It's mine. You'll have to go buy your own or have friends like A- buy them for you.

It's the Silpat silcone baking mat. I've been wanting one of these for the LONGEST time! It's fantastic. You place this on top of your baking stone or cookie sheet when you're baking and it does several things for you:

1. Less mess! If your cookies melt, it's on the mat!
2. Easier to get out of the pan- MAN! for GF bakers, this is IT, MAN! Usually, the sugars and oils in GF cooking make this really incredible seal with the cookie sheet. It's something that the Navy should use. But, it usually makes it rather difficult if you're trying to pry your cookie off the sheet instead of building submarines. With the mat, you put it down, cook it, and then you can PEEL the cookie off! INVEST IN THE STOCK!
3. If your cookie sheets or baking stones have been used for GF cooking the past, then there are probably discolorations or places where an SOS pad has been used to remove part of the pan to get it clean. This leads to uneven baking. But with the silicone mat, it evenly disperses the heat.

cool, huh?
Just don't put in the dishwasher. BIG NO NO!

Now, what is silicone?

(get your nylons out, ladies)

Silicone is a plastic polymer with a silicon base. Silicon is an element; specifically, a transition metal element, which means it has near magic properties, and which is why it is used in such magical devices as computer chips and whatnot. A polymer is a large string of subunits- think of a pearl necklace.


A pearl necklace, if it was a chemical solution, would be a polymer. All the individual pearls are the subunits. This is a good thing to imagine with a silicone polymer, except that in a silicone polymer, there are other elements, like other beads, that are between the silicon. Nylon thread is a different type of polymer. So are polyesters (notice the "poly", esters are a specific chemical compound).

If you want more info- take a chemistry course ;)

What's important to know is that you need to get a separate polymer mat (or polymer utensils) for gluten and gluten free cooking because the gluten molecules will be able to stick better to plastic than to metal (it's electric charges, it's why sugar jumps off of some plastic and on to others...it's chemistry!)

anyway, the stuff is great- love it, A!

BTW, A has requested scones for our monthly brunch, so I'll be whipping up a batch of those...and I just might share the recipe.


Enjoy your GF goodies!
The Irish Lass

Ahhh, but Laurel doesn't like chocolate!

One of my best friends doesn't like chocolate. Well, let me clarify that. She likes white chocolate. Vanilla. And my Halo Cake doesn't have just chocolate, but also vanilla layers. weeeeeeee! The GF white cake recipe is very unique- totally the Irish Lass's. And the reason is that chocolate is used to glue together the gluten free flours. That's why you only see chocolate cakes and carrot cakes (BLECH!) But I've found an incredibly delicious way of doing it:



















Gluten Free White Cake

1 block cream cheese, softened
3/4C sour cream
4 large eggs
1/4C shortening, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2C glutinous rice flour ** might need more if it's a humid day
1 C water
1/4C tapioca starch
1 1/2C powdered sugar
1 1/2tsp baking soda
1 1/2tsp glycerin (available at your cake stores!)
2 1/2tsp baking powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
3 tsp Xanthan gum


1. Beat the eggs and powdered sugar until medium peaks (it's harder than normal!)
2. Slowly add cubes of cream cheese- beat hard until throughly mixed.
3. Slowly add the sour cream, shortening, vanilla, and glycerin- mix throughly.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and xanthan gum.
5. slowly, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. This will get stiff- you can beat it hard!
6. On low speed, add the water. If this is too stiff, add more water. If it's too loose add more rice flour.
7. Bake in a preheated, 350*F oven for:

For 2 pans, 9" each: 30-33minutes
For 2 cupcake pans, 12 each: 20-25minutes
For rectangle pans: 30 minutes (watch the corners)

Or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
8. cool in the pans until they are cool enough to remove the cakes. Then remove the cakes- don't wait until completely cool, or you'll never get it out!



















This is also really great for raspberry jam cake (that's another story).

Enjoy your goodies!
The Irish Lass

Halo Party!

I know, I know. There's a new game in town. Xbox 360.

It's also still $600, including the 4 controllers and Halo3. I've played it. I'm unimpressed. They changed the controls on me! Grrr.

I digress. I love Halo. The original. Even Halo2 (but the boards are SO big). My beloved threw me a party this weekend (hence the delay in the column) and we played. Lots of us.

I won

Just a few, but mannnnnnnnn ;) LOL!
And during Halo, you need refreshments. You need something that is easy to eat, not sticky. We had cake. Oh, glorious cake. (I MIGHT have gone a LITTLE overboard:) This recipe is actually based off of a recipe that I found at MGIG, but theirs was dry, heavy, nasty. Here's the improved version:



Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cake

3/4C sour cream (make sure it's GF)
4 whole large eggs
1/4C shortening, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
60z Dutch cocoa powder (or Hershey's is fine)
1 1/2C glutinous rice flour
1C water
1/4C tapioca starch
1 1/3C white, granulated sugar
3 tsp Xanthan gum
1 1/2tsp baking soda
2 1/2tsp baking powder
1 1/2tsp glycerin (You can find this at Michaels or your local cake store)


1. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar to soft peaks.
2. Add sour cream and shortening, slowly, and mix well.
3. Mix in the vanilla, glycerin, and cocoa powder (I recommend sifting the cocoa first)
4. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the rice flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and baking powder. If you don't have a sifter, then just mix together with a fork.
5. Slowly mix in the flour mixture into the egg mixture. This will get stiff- it's fine to beat at high speed (no glutens will get stiff here!).
6. Slowly, mix in the water. You may have to add more water. To test: take a heaping spoonful of batter on a tablespoon, and allow to drip off. If the batter does not first drip off in 7 seconds, add more water, 1/4C at a time.
7. Bake as described, in well greased pans:

For Cupcakes (2 pans of 12 regular-sized) bake at 345*F for 20 to 25minutes.
For Cakes (2 pans, each 9" diameter) bake at 350*F for 30minutes

8. Be sure to release the cake/cupcakes while they are still warm, or they will stick to the pan.


The topping in the picture is fondant "frosting". It's actually more of a white taffy, than a real frosting. It's what you find on wedding cakes. (and Ace of Cakes- LOVE that show!). If you want to know how I did that, you'll have to check back!





















Enjoy the goodies!
The Irish Lass

Gluten Free Bismarck Holes (aka custard-filled donuts or Bavarian Creams)

When i was a little kid, I used to rate the different donut shops around our small, hick, CA farming town, based on one specific item:

Was there enough pudding in the middle of the Bismarcks for every bite in the donut.

And to my 4 year-old-mind, there was only one donut shop that accomplished this crucial task. I don't remember what it was called, but it was Pepto-Bismal pink, with blue lettering and it was a drive in (yes, where you pull up, and order at this little glass window and see everyone working in the back- pretty much reminding me of a clown car, come to think of it). And for those who want to know, I think Gemco was the worst (this was the late 70's version of the SuperTarget...but it did't survive).

But, ah, those Bismarcks were the BEST! The pudding wasn't too sweet. It was the right temperature...and there was enough of it for every bite of the donut (and I would know because I used to make sure that I ate all of the non-pudding donut and save the filling for last.

Oh, and the chocolate topping...this had to be just the right type of chocolate, because if it was too hard, then it flaked all over when you ate it (and the code word in our family was "neat". No kidding).

So, whilst reliving these pleasant childhood memories, I have searched and searched for a good filled donut recipe, that I could consume in mass quantities and remain faithful to my GF diet. I have developed many other donut and bagel recipes that are great, but, those are different stories. The most interesting facts about donuts, Bismarcks, in particular. Every culture has fried dumplings that they call donuts. It's AMAZING. Bismarcks, aka Bavarian Creams, were named after Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of Germany in the late 1800's. The donut, itself, when filled with raspberry jam or chocolate is called a Berliner, named for the Saxony region of Germany where this goodie was first invented. (For a laugh, if you don't know, think of the speach by JFK where he says that he's a Berliner...and in the context he used, it means, he was a jelly donut. For those of you in Germany, or who speak German, let me have my moment here).

Ok, ok, enough history. Here's the recipe ;)

Gluten free Bismark/gluten free custard filled donut

2 pound powdered sweet rice flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 batch of vanilla pudding, prepared, and frozen
1/2 bag of chocolate chips, melted in the microwave
Peanut, Vegetable, or Canola oil

1. In a 4 quart sauce pan, bring the water to a boil.
2. Dissolve the brown sugar in the boiling water and remove from heat. (or boil the water in the microwave in a microwavable bowl and add sugar). Let cool, or it will cook the eggs.
3. Place the flour in a separate bowl, making a divot, or well, in the middle. (this will help prevent uneven mixing in the next step).
4. Gradually mix in the sugar/water with the flour.
5. Mix in the eggs. The mixture will become very thick, like the play dough.
7. Make this dough into 2-3" balls (think golf ball). I recommend putting some rice flour on your hands.
8. With each ball, press one side into the ball, so that the dough makes a cup for the pudding.
9. Fill with custard and pinch the dough shut around it. (Be careful not to overfill with custard, or you'll have a big mess. Also, be careful to have enough dough on every "side"- if the dough is too thin, then it will burst when cooking).
10. In a Fry-Daddy or large chef's pan, heat the oil to about 350* (medium heat).
11. Place the balls at the bottom of the pan. Do not over crowd the the pan.
12. Constantly rotate the balls in the oil as they cook. Press them gently against the side of the pan as they cook, so that they grow.
13. Cook until golden brown.
14. remove from the oil and place on a wire cooling rack, with paper towels beneath (to catch the oil).
15. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips. Use immediately after melting.
16. After the donuts are cool (and still on the wire rack), pour/drizzle the melted chocolate.
17. Cool and eat!

Store these away from each other (not touching) in an open-air container.

Whipped Cream Variation:
If you don't want to make the custard, then use RediWhip or some other still whipping cream!

Jam-Filled Variation:
For jam-filled, fill the donuts with jam instead and after cooking, roll in powdered sugar!


Enjoy your goodies!
The Irish Lass

Death by (Gluten Free) Flourless Chocolate Torte

Ok, I'll be brief- I know you're all dying for the GF flourless chocolate cake recipe for your perfect Valentine's Day. I won't make you wait; here it is!:


Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Torte

7oz Natural cocoa + oil equivalent (you can use bittersweet baking chocolate, too, but you'll have to melt this in a double boiler, yada, yada, yada).
1 3/4 Sticks of Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp white, granulated sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp Dutch cocoa powder**
5 eggs, separated

1. Beat the eggs to soft peaks.
2. Add butter (and Oil, if using) and vanilla. Blend weell.
3. Add the sugar, slowly to not knock down the eggs.
(If you're using melted chocolate, add this slowly here)
4. Add all the salt and cocoa powder slowly (I recommend sifting the cocoa into the mixer).
5. Bake in a 9" spring form pan at 350*F for 20 minutes. Do NOT overcook. If a toothpick comes out clean, yank it out!

I recommend a blend of cocoa powders (such as bought at www.Penzeys.com ). You can feel free to just use Hershey's cocoa powder or Nestle's, but the flavor will suffer.


Also, if you want to bake in a rectangle pan, you will need to watch the corners very closely. If they start to burn, cover with foil. Also, if you use a smaller pan, you will need to reduce the temperature to 330*F and bake for 30minutes.


Enjoy your Gluten Free Valentine's Day Goodies!
The Irish Lass

Heart of (Gluten Free) Chocolate

Tomorrow is the biggest Hallmark Holiday in history- it's Valentine's Day. I think that this is the one holiday that GFers are happy about (or they think they are). Because what do you eat on this holiday? Chocolate. Truffles. Chocolate. Fudge. (I don't want to know where).

Just want to make sure that all the GFers and their beaus and dream girls are aware that just because it's chocolate, doesn't mean it's gluten free. Often times, the cheaper candy factories will use flour on the surfaces to keep the chocolate from sticking. They also might use flour or malt in different syrups and fillings; I actually saw some Jack Daniels truffles, for instance. The Praline topped (that's the brown sugar + chopped nuts) truffles are most suspect- what do you think they use to keep those nuts finely mixed? And cocoa doesn't mean pure cocoa powder- watch out!

To that point, the flourless chocolate cake is quite popular in restaurants and GFers as the perfect dessert...if it's actually GF. I have to say, I was disgusted to learn that the majority of restaurants in the Twin Cities use barley flour in their "flourless chocolate cake". The precise interpretation being used in most restaurants is "wheat/white flourless chocolate cake". Watch out.

But if you're interested in making some heart-shaped (no, it's actually a valentine, but you know what I mean here), if you want to make something sweet and heart-shaped, or something just gooey delicious, take your flourless chocolate cake and do one of the following:



Gluten Free Valentine Cakes


1. Pour the batter into a 9"X13" that is lined with wax paper and bake until done. Do not let this brown, or it will be dry.
2. Let cool 10min, then free from the edges with a child cheater (oh, I mean rubber spatula), and lift onto a cutting board.
3. With a 4" diameter heart-shaped, metal cookie cutter**, cut hearts out of the cake.
4. Place on a dessert plate, top with raspberry, caramel, or strawberry syrup (optional) and whipping cream.
Serve up!



**the cookie cutter, really a "pastry cutter', needs to be metal and very sharp. You can get these at bakery stores (locally: Sweet Celebrations) or a craft store (JoAnn ETC or Michaels).



OR


Gluten Free Mississippi Mud

1. Bake your flourless chocolate cake in a 9"X13" pan until done and remove from oven.
2. While hot, evenly spread 7oz marshmallow creme.
3. Allow to cool completely.
4. Top in Chocolate Frosting, completely covering the marshmallow creme.

Serve as 4" squares, drizzled with chocolate or fudge syrup (optional)



Oh, you want the recipe for the cake? You'll have to stay tuned until tomorrow!


Enjoy the Valentine Goodies!
the irish lass

Questions or comments?

If you find yourself unable to restrain the giggles of a comment or the ponderance of a question, click on the picture of the beakers (my profile) and feel free to send me a message. I always online (unless I'm in the kitchen, but, close enough)

happy eatings!
the irish lass

Bittersweet

As part of my duty to the gluten-free in Minnesota, I have evaluated Bittersweet in Eagan. When looking at the products, I asked myself, "WOW, how do they make those muffins rise like that?" and then I found the answer.

Their products are not completely gluten free. If you are buying these products based on their "gluten free" ness, I recommend you re-evaluate based on these items:

1. Millet is not a gluten free flour.
Millet is actually related to rye; it has molecules that your body will recognize as gluten and you will have a celiac reaction. In addition, if you have any type of thyroid disease, this is a toxic molecule for you. Furthermore, the fields where this grain grows are mixed with wheat, barley, and rye, so the grain, itself, might be contaminated with real gluten!

2. Quinoa is not a gluten free flour.
Quinoa is actually related to barley; it has molecules that your body will recognize as gluten and you will have a celiac reaction. In addition, the pearls, themselves, are filled with toxic saponins and oxalic acid, which is not guaranteed to be removed in the preparation. Furthermore, the fields where this grain grows are mixed with wheat, barley, and rye, so the grain, itself, might be contaminated with real gluten!

3. Spelt actually IS WHEAT! DO NOT EAT IT!

4. Triticale IS ALSO WHEAT! DO NOT EAT IT!

5. Teff is actually mini barley and IS NOT GLUTEN FREE! DO NOT EAT IT!

4. Amaranth is not a gluten free flour, for the same reasons!


This is my warning to the wise:
Just because they say it's gluten-free, doesn't mean it is. Don't trust other people with your baked goods or intestinal track!

Watch your goodies!
The Irish Lass

Happy Birthday, Mr Lincoln

Few people might now....Lincoln was a vegetarian. I often wonder how he survived as long as he did, since they didn't have protein shakes or imported produce from Ecuador in those days. And that brings me to the goodie topic of the day: veggie GFers.

I think that it's especially hard to be gluten free when you're a vegetarian, particularly a vegan. I, personally, am a borderline vegetarian, but it is difficult to eat when the only option for you is a gluten-loaded Boca Burger (please, don't tell me, I know- they're good).

So, what else can you do? Where do you get your nutrients when you're tired of eating beans every day? (BTW: I highly recommend Beano for gas prevention with beans and fresh veggies- shocking how well it works).

I think that rice of all types is a great source of carbs, so you don't need to worry there. My favorite meal of most days: rice with teriyaki, soba, yakitori sauce or rice soup. (those are other posts!). So, carbs= check.

Proteins are much harder. I've had Ensure and RiceDream- they're ok- reminds me of drinking the barium for the intestinal follow-through, though. Chalky- BLECH@! I've got an artist friend (mr chaos) has turned me on to BoltHouseFarms (bolthouse.com), which have 100% organic, protein-packed drinks. I personally like the vanilla chai: http://bolthouse.com/html/cs_nutrition_ppn.html

And you'll notice that these goodies are 100% gluten free!!!! (hey, they're from where I was born- I feel proud, for some reason). The Naked drinks have wheat grass as an ingredient for their protein drinks, so don't drink those!

Ok, carbs= check, proteins= check, fats= (well, do you really need to know where to get these? eat an avocado)= check, vegetables=

he he, ok, here's the best vegetarian dish I've EVER had (and I hate eggplant). If you're ever in Eden Prairie, MN, I highly, HIGHLY recommend the Garden Room for catering. They make this dish and you could JUST DIE!


















Eggplant Biriyani


1 15.5oz can coconut milk (asian grocery)
1 1/4C uncooked rice (basmati works GREAT here and is cheap at Costco)
3dry Aleppo or Sanaam red chilies (you can use the Ancho ones you find in the Ethnic section)
1 can chopped ortega chilis (green)
1 to 1/2 medium-sized, sweet red onion, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/4 tsp garam masala (this is a spice mix you can find at any Indian spice house)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 to 3Tbsp ginger garlic paste**
3 Tbsp peanut oil (or olive)
3 whole chinese egg plants, sliced into 1/2" cross-sections (through)
2 whole baby zucchini, sliced into 1/2" cross sections
1 32oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 C fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped (about 1 1/2" bundle)
2 Tbsp fresh basil or spearmint
1-2tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Wash the rice and soak in 1 3/4C water for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. In a large chef's pan, place the red chilis and roast, without oil until golden, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and blend/food process the red and green chilis together, along with the chopped onion.
4. Mix in ginger-garlic paste and dry spices and process until smooth and throughly mixed.
5. In the large chef's pan, heat the peanut oil and saute the eggplants and zucchini until they are golden.
6. Reduce heat to medium, add 1/2 C of the coconut milk and cover. Cook until the veggies are soft. And remove from the pan.
7. Using the now empty pan, add the remaining oil, tomatoes, cilantro, and mint and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes (sweating the leaves here).
8. Add the pre-soaked rice and water, salt and remaining coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost done (roughly 10-15minutes).
9. Add the pre-cooked veggies and drizzle with the lemon juice, cover, and continuing to cook until the rice is done (about another 5-10 minutes).




**You can make your own ginger-garlic paste with ginger, garlic, and olive oil or buy it from your local Asian grocery:
http://store.indianfoodsco.com/grocery/ProdDesc.cfm?itemid=IFDP84&Description=Ginger-Garlic%20Paste&countryid=&countryname=&countryorderid=



Happy Eating, Mr Lincoln!
The Irish Lass

Gluten Free Times

Where have I been? well, this Irish Lass has had a birthday- weee! that makes 13 years of gluten free! I'm shocked and happy, all at the same time- ha ha, those are other stories.

But today, I'd like to comment on the activities of Friday night- that going out to dance on my birthday, I got ill. Don't know for sure it was the gluten, could have just been the food. Every time we eat at the Times Bar and Cafe (Minneapolis) we come down with some sort of intestinal distress. So, I'm pretty sure it's not gluten, since everyone gets it. This is unfortunate because their meat and fondue is really quite good (it's the cream sauces that everyone gets sick from- anything that isn't piping hot when it comes to your table...hmmm...shocking, huh?).



Now, fondue is historically a cheese and wine dip that IS served piping hot, in fact, over a Sterno burner (those are fun, but on with the story), was super popular during the 70's, and it's origin is shared between the Swiss (for inventing the pot it's made it) and the french (who put the sauce together in the pot). The loose interpretation of this dish includes cooking meats in boiling oil in this pot (I actually got a forehead burn from that one birthday- at the Times, no less), and it also includes molten chocolate, where you did cakes.

Now, fondue is actually VERY easy to make GF because the only thing that's in the sauces are thickeners, like flour, which are easily substituted out. You also don't need a fondue pot or fondue forks (but it's SOOO much trendier to do it that way- go to the Good Will or a garage sale of people who lived in the 70's...or if you're younger, borrow your parents). Crockpots work great, as well. If you do use the Sterno, PLEASE be careful. The tins are incredibly hot.

Mom's Gluten Free (GF) Cheese Fondue

1 garlic clove, halved
2C white wine (something dry: sav blanc or sake or pinot grigio)
1lb swiss cheese or Jarlsburg or Gruyere, shredded
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp Kirsch brandy or cooking sherry
Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Rub the saucepan with the garlic clove halves
2. Pour the white wine in the pot and simmer over low heat- DO NOT BOIL. Just warm it up.
3. Stir in cheese.
4. In a cup or bowl, dissolve and mix the cornstarch into the brandy/sherry.
5. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cheese mixture, slowly. I recommend whisking this in.
6. Add the salt and pepper (start out with 1/4 tsp each and go from there).
7. Transfer to your heated fondue or crock pot- do not let cool.


Dipper Choices:
Boiled Potato Chunks (particularly red potatoes because they hold together better)
Broken Rice Cakes (oh, you don't know what you're missing!)
Salami
Sauteed Beef Cubes
Sauteed Chicken Cubes
Fresh Vegetables
Other cheese cubes (my personal favorite)




Irish Lass' Gluten Free (GF) Chocolate Fondue

1 1/2C white, granulated sugar
1/2C butter (or a high quality margarine)
1/3C evaporated milk
12oz (1pkg) of the chocolate chip of your choice (even white!)
7oz marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla ext (think penzey's!!!)


1. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the sugar and milk and bring to a full boil. Stir in only ONE direction (trust me).
2. Boil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, and vanilla, stirring in ONE direction.
4. Transfer to your warmed fondue pot or crockpot, or keep warm the in the saucepan you have. Once this chocolate cools, it will not be the same if you heat it back up.





Dipper Choices:
Marshmallows (YUMMMMMMMMM)
Stale Rice Bran Crackers (together with the marshmallow, makes a GF smore!!)
Stale GF cookies (make your own or such cookies like Pamela's)
Strawberries
Banana Cubes
Mango Cubes
Cherries
Caramel Cubes (like Milk Maids)
(I recommend all fruits EXCEPT pineapple and the orange family, as the citric acid in these just curdles the chocolate)


And that's the goodie of the day!

Happy Eatings!
The Irish Lass

Flooding, take 4

You wouldn't believe it if I told you.

Really

No, I'm serious

Ok, here goes:
The first house I bought had a sump pump in the basement, which was electrical with no battery back up; for those of you in CA, people have basements out here so that you can hide from the tornadoes. I always have been fascinated with basements because basements + earthquakes = tortilla. They have "full", which was the only kind I had ever seen (in Exeter- god help you) where it's a room with tiny windows at the top; they have "look outs", which is when the ground is at window level (cats LOVE this); and they have "walk-outs", which aren't really basements at all, but an entire floor of the house with patio that is tucked under the rest of the house (you use stairs inside the house, of course!). Oh, and they don't usually say "patio"....not sure why....but we have lots of "decks", which is the 2nd story patio where you do the "grilling" that I know as BBQ.

Anyway, anyway.
House 1: Flood due to loss of electricity during thunderstorm so that the sump pump stopped
House 2: Clean water tank on back of toilet broke upstairs and ran through the house (fun, huh?)
House 3 (current): flood due to weld breaking in water main= 28,000 gallons in the basement
House 3 (current): flood due to non-soldered pipe joint (professional plumber accident)

Now the funny thing is that I just got done re-dry walling, re-carpeting, replacing all the wood, cabinets, EVERYTHING. And the last thing to finish was the sink. I had a pro do it. Last day of construction, too. this was it.

And why do you care?

Well, besides being incredibly entertaining to laugh at and terribly theraputic for me to write all this out, I made a bit of a boo-boo in one of my recipes, left some things out, that kind of thing, as I was distracted by the sound of rushing water. It actually turned in to a really great rice pudding, but very smooth.


GF Puto Pudding

2C sushi-grade rice
1 1/2C water
1/2 C sugar
1 15.5oz can of coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix the rice in the water WITHOUT RINSING overnight.
2. Pour the rice and the water into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla extract, coconut milk, and sugar and puree again.
4. Pour into a glass 9"x9" baking pan (square).
5. Set this square dish in a 9"x13" glass baking pan, filled with water.
6. Bake at 250*F until set (approximately 30-40minutes).

The pudding is white, opaque and delicious!

Serve cold with honey or molasses. Or top with azuki beans, peaches, or raspberry jam!

You might also try making this with rose water.

After the parody of Super Tuesday...

So, I, like many thousands of others today, went to attend the caucus. Now, being from CA, I've never attended a caucus, only a formal primary. You actually vote confidentially, formally- LEGALLY. The rules of a caucus are that you show up. You don't have to be registered, you don't have to be legally able to vote, you just show up. No one checks. Over half the people that showed up for the caucus here in the southwestern suburbs of Minneapolis were not naturalized citizens (12-14 years, a test, pledges, etc, etc). That means that there votes were illegal. They were cheat votes. And all of them voted for the upstart, mud-slinging, doesn't-know-what-healthcare-is, please-let-the-GOP-win, democratic candidate.

I think you know who.

And what I don't understand is: people here in Minnesota vote for candidates not for lowering health care. We've got more concentrated populations of MS, MD, CF, etc, etc, etc, but especially celiac disease. Universal health care would allow more doctors to be attending to us. They would have more funding for clinical research, which would find us the cure that all of us know is out there.

So, that being said, please consider that when you vote next.

And now that I have ranted on about my miserable experience with the under-staffed, overrun, illegalities of the Minnesota caucuses, I'll give you the recipe for the meal that I craved to soothe my nerves.


GF California Roll Sushi Rice Salad

1 ripe Haas avocado, sliced
1 lb fish of your choice, cooked and chunked (I recommend crab, imitation crab, scallops, lox, or smoked salmon.)
2 sheets of roasted nori, torn into 1" strips (sushi-grade seaweed/kelp)
4C sushi-grade (medium grain) rice, cooked
1/2C white, granulated sugar
1/2C sake or rice cooking wine (cooking sherry will NOT work here)
1/4C rice vinegar
1/4C sesame oil

1. In a 2-3 quart saucepan, mix the sake/rice wine, sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes (you're making a glace' or glaze for the rice)
3. Allow this glaze to cool.
4. Mix in the cooked rice, throughly.
5. Toss in the avocado and fish.

I recommend serving this along with wasabi paste and soy sauce (stay tuned for how to make these goodies GF!) or with a ginger salad dressing like the one below, sesame goddess (ginger helps with digestion, particularly digesting bad news).



I also recommend hot or cold sake (this is Japanese rice wine) along side. My newest favorite is Fu-Ki sake. (BTW: it's pronounced "saw-kay")




Enjoy your goodies!
The Irish Lass

Fat Tuesday

So, for those of you non-Catholics out there, like myself, you might wonder, "what is 'Fat Tuesday'?". "What is Carnivale?" "What is Mardis Gras?"

Well, after watching "No Reservations", I wouldn't recommend going to New Orleans (pronounced "New Orlins") to find out. It's still, uh, recovering. Which I find, what you might call, ironic, seeing as how Mardis Gras is the creole/cajun celebration of the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins (which is when Catholics give up something precious to themselves to appreciate the suffering JC (or really just J or just C) at the hands of the Romans). It's basically the binger/frat party before you have to give it all up. So, funny, I think, that the city that has held this celebration got nailed, by what they would call, an act of G.

So, there you go. Irony. I tried to come up with something surprising, something, I don't know, ironic, for a recipe today, but you'll just have to settle for the obvious, the creole dish of choice in my family: Jambalaya.

Jambalaya is really creole (aka French/Latin) stew. Which means everyone makes it different. Fun, huh? There are a couple of critical ingredients, though: rice, chicken, shrimp, sausage, tomatoes, and chili sauce. Some people add vinegar, making it very much NOT Gluten Free, so eat at your risk.

Here's my gf goodie version:

Gluten Free Jambalaya


8C cooked white rice
1 medium to large sweet onion, chopped (remember how to choose one??)
1-2 tsp minced garlic (or about 3 cloves)
1/2 stick butter or 1/4C cooking oil (of your choice, I like canola)
1lb cajun sausage (or smoked sausage work fine, too)
1 fryer chicken, cut up into pieces, or 5lbs chicken pieces of your choice, cubed
1 32oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 small can Ortega chilis, chopped (optional)
1Tbsp dry thyme
2tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
cayenne pepper to taste (start with 1/4 tsp, then SLOWLY increase)
2lbs cooked salad shrimp (or any size, but you'll need more in weight)


1. In a large stock pot, brown the garlic and onion in the oil or butter.
2. Add the chicken pieces and brown (it is VERY important to THROUGHLY cook the chicken.)
3. Add the sausage and brown (it is VERY important to THROUGHLY cook any raw sausage).
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and spices (thyme, salt, peppers).
5. Add the cooked rice, and mix well.
6. Add the cooked shrimp and bring to at least 165*F, or until steaming all the way through.

You may add more spices, if this is mild.


Enjoy the goodies!
The Irish Lass

A Philadephia Story

And welcome to spring! In the old Irish calendar, Groundhog Day (aka Brigid's Day) was the day where the goddess of spring came back to the earth (yes, it DOES sound a like the story of Persephone!) And to celebrate, my family always watches Groundhog Day. It's not just about loving the comedy antics of Bill Murry, which are generally great, but it's about getting in the right mindset for spring. If you've seen it, you'll remember that weatherman is stuck in Punxsutawney, PA to cover the groundhog story. There are several scenes in the little coffee shop, one involving angel food cake and sticky buns (Andie McDowell: "Oh, these sticky buns are heaven"). So, I will share my recipe for GF Sticky Buns, which use...Philadephia Cream cheese ;) (Nice how things work out, isn't it?)



Gluten Free Sticky Buns

4 eggs
1/2 C white, granulated sugar
1 package cream cheese, or neufchatel
1 stick margarine
1 package rapid rise yeast
2 packages instant yeast (non-rapid)
1/2 C cold water
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 package (~2C) glutinous rice flour

1. Preheat oven to 350*F and place a 9"x13" pyrex pan on the bottom rack. Fill this pan full of water. DO NOT ADD COLD WATER TO THIS PAN AFTER IT IS HOT, or it might explode.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar together on high for 8 to 10 minutes, or until you have a mix that looks like meringue (hard, white peaks).
3. Add softened cream cheese and beat throughly.
4. Add margarine and beat throughly.
5. Add all three packets of yeast and mix throughly.
6. Add the cold water, and mix throughly.
7. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum, while mixing throughly.
8. Add the glutinous rice flour and mix throughly. The you should end up with a really thick, fairly sticky dough. If you you can't pick up the dough with a tablespoon to make a rounded lump, add 1 more tsp xanthan gum.
9. Set aside.




Caramel sauce:
1 1/2 sticks butter ( you can use margarine, but it will water down the caramel)
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar (dark has more molasses in it, so it tastes EVEN BETTER)
3 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
4-8oz walnuts, coarsely chopped (or pecans. DO NOT use almonds or cashews)

1. Melt the butter over medium heat
2. Add the brown sugar.
3. Stir in cinnamon.
4. Bring to a boil for 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat.




Assembly:
1. Grease a bunt pan with Crisco (I hear Pam works, too)
2. Sprinkle 1/3 of your chopped nuts into the bunt pan.
3. Pour enough of the caramel sauce into the bunt to cover the bottom, about 1/3 of the mix.
4. Drop tablespoons of dough onto the caramel sauce in the bunt pan. When you're dropping them in, don't move them after they're in. Try to drop them so that there is some space (about 1/2") between the balls. This should take about 1/3 to 1/2 of your dough.
5. After making one layer of dough in the pan, sprinkle with 1/2 of the nuts and 1/2 of the caramel sauce left.
6. Repeat dough dropping, using all the rest of the dough.
7. Top with the CARAMEL SAUCE, THEN the remaining nuts.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the rolls are set to touch (if you gently "thump" them with your finger, if sounds like a drum) and the caramel is boiling up in the middle.

IMPORTANT:
When you remove the bunt pan from the oven, put a plate over the top of the pan and flip the pan. LEAVE THIS SIT FOR 5 to 10 MINUTES. Then, remove the bunt pan.























Enjoy the goodies!
The Irish Lass

Seriously!

In preparation for the Superbowl, I want to ask the celiac patients out there a couple of questions:

1. Do you cheat?

2. If you answered no to the question above, do you live in a gluten free household? How about a gluten free workplace? Do you shake hands with people who eat gluten? Does the store you buy groceries in a store that sells gluten?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you should know that you have been exposed to gluten.

Matter of fact.

Yes.

Did you know that when you smell, you actually are inhaling the stuff you are smelling? Wild, huh? The molecules are in the air (well, they're actually encapsulated by the water vapor in the air, but let's not get technical, K?). So, as my cousin, when 4 years of knowledge said, so, that means you're actually inhaling someone else's farts?". Yes. That's what it means.

But it also means that you're inhaling gluten simply by being in a gluten-free world. When you inhale something, the "smell" is the first part of digestion. So, with a bit of leap in explanation here, you're actually eating gluten, just by smelling it (and yes, I do get up-close-and-personal with many people's food).

so, doesn't it stand to reason, then, that you're safer eating or drinking something that has been purified of the gluten?

It's a beautiful concept- what the doctors and gluten-free groups obsess about- that you should even buy a separate set of pans JUST FOR GLUTEN FREE- SERIOUSLY!


Happy Thinking
The Irish Lass

Gluten Free Superbowl!

It's Superbowl time again- BudBowl, for those of you how remember the teams of beer bottles (god, I'm a victim of commercials- favorite all time salesman: Pillsbury Doughboy- I own almost everything from the catalog...and that was after I found out I was GF).

so, yesss...superbowl. the day of snacking HE HE HE! ;D

How do you do it GF when you LOVEEEEE your gluten snacks? Here's some ideas:

1. Substitute rice crackers for pretzels and Ritz. Here's some that I find really tasty and they come in two sizes:
http://images.calorieking.com.au/branding/dc/runtime/portionsense/109.jpg

So, those are fun. And they taste great. You might also find the nut crackers at your local grocery, including Rainbow and Cub, for those of you in the land of ice and snow:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ofdvzh49L._AA280_PIbundle-12,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Diamond-Smokehouse-Almond-Crackers/dp/B000H11C6I&h=280&w=280&sz=23&hl=en&start=2&sig2=pIwWgMv8zbOZ1RBLo80vuA&um=1&tbnid=UcpehPVAmIJjjM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&ei=dgCiR4egI4_eigHaw8WlAQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddiamond%2Balmond%2Bcrackers%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

2. Substitute popcorn or taro chips for SunChips:
http://www.terrachips.com/products/terra-taro.php

3. If you really love those beans'n'wiennies, make your own Barbeque (BBQ) sauce in your crock pot:

GF Barbeque Sauce

1 32oz can of crushed tomatoes or 2 16oz cans of tomato sauce
3/4 cup honey or brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce (may add more to taste)
1 Tbsp liquid smoke (that's actually the name brand. Use either flavor).
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp horseradish or wasabi powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder (or more to taste)
3 tsps Xanthan Gum

if you like is spicy, add more horseradish or add some tabasco sauce

You will need to mix these ingredients in a sauce pan or crock pot, as the sauce will not thicken unless you have heat.

4. If you LOVE your chex mix, use the substitutions above and this recipe for gluten free worcestershire sauce:

Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce:

1/2 C apple cider vinegar (ahh, it's good for something other than descaling the coffee pot!)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp black pepper

Mix everything together in a sauce pan. Bring to boil and simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly. Cool and store in the refrigerator.

And where to get these spices, where, oh where?
Penzeys.com


Stay tuned for tomorrow when I talk about the easy gluten free grilled cheese sandwich.


Enjoy the goodies!
The Irish Lass

Drinks all around!

I LOVE a bargain. Must be the miserly Irish in me (or is that the German side...). And Happy Hour is all about a bargain.

I used to go to Friday's, but they up-ed the price of their drinks by a BUCK and they cut the size of their appetizers in 1/2! and they only offer certain appetizers. Seriously, if you do the price calculation, if you get 5 potato skins for $4 and you 10 potato skins for $7.49...uhhhhhh....

I've tried Champs- WHAT? wHAT? i'M SORRY, IT'S TOO LOUD IN HERE!

And the best one I've found is a little place called Woody's. They have $3 appetizers that are GF!!! And their 12oz margarhita is only $3.25. And it's not watered down like other places. And it's not so noisy. And they are really open to questions about what's GF and what's not.

Take their White Nachos for example. Delicious. Totally GF. ooooooooh, roasted chicken, cheese sauce (yessss GF!) and olives, scallions (most people call them green onions but they're really scallions), and fiesta chips (those are the red, white, and blue ones...I wonder which candidate will do spots for fiesta chips...)

But what I really love about happy hour is the drinks- it's a totally GF substance...usually, right?
Rum is made from sugar- check
Tequila is made from a cactus- check
Schnapps is made from sugar and berries- check
Brandy is aged, distilled wine- check
Wine is made from grapes- check

and then we come to the problem children:
Vodka- can be made of wheat or potatoes.
Beer- can be made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, or rice (yeesssss. Check Leinenkugel's)
Whiskey- can be made from barley, wheat, corn, and "malt" (which comes mainly from barley)

Now, I really like Bailey's, too. Bailey's was invented by Bailey, an Irish biochemist (SCORE!). It has Irish whiskey in it.

Irish whiskey. It's not Scotch (Scottish whiskey). It's not Crown Royal. It's not Johnny Walker. it's Irish whiskey. Why does that matter?

It matters because Irish whiskey is distilled 3 times, generally speaking, Bushmills in particular. Distillation is where the alcohol is basically boiled off into water vapor and recondenses in a different container. It is the distillation process that purifies the alcohol. Perhaps you have done this in chemistry lab. When I did this in chemistry lab, my recondensed alcohol was 99.9% pure. I was a student. These are professionals. They do it three times.

And why does that matter?

Well, the big TO DO about grain liquors and gluten intolerance is that there MIGHT be SOME gluten contamination.

MIGHT BE

after 3 times...

per batch which is then divided into 100s of containers...

and you smelling a delicious bagel or croissant will expose you to more gluten than anything in that bottle. (And that's a different story)

So, while Irish whiskey is not certified as gluten free, feel free to drink your Bailey's on occasion (but not on the road).

ok, PSA done

Sláinte Gaelach!
The Irish Lass

Cook was in the kitchen yesterday

Trying out new delicacies. And, after trying some of the different fillings for the Ma T'uan, I have a couple of items I'd really like to emphasize:

1. wait until the dough cools or it will be like ooblique
2. you MUST freeze the fillings into balls, otherwise, you can't make a ball. it makes an amoeba, which then explodes in your oil, which then pops all over because the fillings are full of water.


And now for dish duty...
the Irish Lass

What's in a name?

You might noice, that the URL has changed. Thanks for making the transition with me.

I've been working on Puto today- these are the jellish mooncakes that I mentioned from dim sum. It turns out that these are originally a glutenous Philipino recipe, that the Chinese have re-engineered for us. (dont' you love it when the work is done FOR you. ) and Centuries of trial kitchens that have really perfected the recipe. My food critics have said that this reminds of this of anything from cassava pudding to angel food cake!
So, here it is:

Puto
2 C sweet/glutinous rice soaked over night in 1 1/2C water.
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 c + 2 tbsp white, granulated sugar
4 egg whites
Optional: coconut or anise seeds for topping

1. Preheat oven to 220*, with a large pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree the rice and water until very mushy like baby food.
3. Add 1 1/2C sugar and the baking powder and mix well.
4. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and 2tbsp sugar until stiff peaks*
5. Fold in the egg whites into the pureed rice batter.
6. Either pour in a 9"x13" pan- spreading out evenly, or place in non-stick muffin pans. (if you want to use cupcake wrapers, make sure that they are waxed on the inside- this stays sticky).
7. Optional: if you want to put a couple of sprinkles of coconut or an anise star on the cupcakes, do so here.
8. Cook for 20 minutes or until the batter sets (it remains firm/solid when you shake the pan and is not sticky to the touch).

You may use a basket steamer over a pan of water, if you want.


Happy Eatings!
The Irish Lass

ma t'uan, zeen duy, deep fried mochi, and gluten free donuts

And it was my first time at dim som today. Amazing, huh? with the near scandalous joy with which I talk about Asian food. I was, well, very pleasantly surprised.

My friend recommended Mandarin Kitchen, which in in Bloomington, MN. Now, I know that all of you might not want to fly to Minneapolis every weekend, but if you're here, or if you do fly here, check out this restaurant.

As a young, savvy, 30something, I, of course, googled the reviews for this place (mostly in search for pictures, or better yet, a coupon). I saw mixed reviews- oh the food is good, but the tip is added into the price, get there early, etc, etc.

so, I get there at 9:45 and join the other 10 cars in the parking lot. They open at 10. Since it's a balmy 25 degrees out, I decide to queue up outside the door. Glad I did. By the time the door opened, there must have been 30 people in line. And some of them Asian. (It is my belief that when you go to an Ethnic restaurant of your choice, it is a good sign that people of that ethnicity are eating there as well- like, this is a non-verbal stamp of approval).

My first impression of the restaurant- busy. good. must be good.

Next: man, it's clean. very clean. And I got tea within 60 seconds of sitting down.

This is a good sign.

I then, embarrassingly, asked one of the numerous waiters "so, this is my first time to dim som; is it buffet or... ? ". He kindly told me that the food is brought past the table and you get to see what you order...right off the plate! it's like you're freakin' royalty or something!

So, I got to inspect the food before ordering. And since I'm looking for ingredients like flour, barley, oats, rye, I avoid the painful "uhm, could you ask the chef is there's gluten in this dish" scenario. The servers know exactly what's in it. And the best part is...it's mostly rice!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS
"noodles" are rice paper wrapped around a meat or vegetable stir fry. it's like cannaloni!

"dumplings" are rice paper with the meat inside. (meat being lobster, shrimp, crab...and the standard chicken, beef, or pork, as well).

"moon cakes" are slab rectangles of what looks like opaque sparkling jello, but tastes like a mix between Turkish Delight (yes, I've read C. S. Lewis) and Angel food cake. AND it's gluten-free.

"Zhijong", or sticky rice wraps, are bamboo or taro leaves surrounding rice and a variety of gluten-free ingredients. They refrigerate, they freeze, they are easy to heat up, they are filling, they are a different post ;)

"Deep Fried Taro Balls", or jah wu tao, are poi (taro) dumplings filled with a variety of savory and sweet goodies, and are also a different post ;)
YYEEEESSSS..

But that's not the best part. The best part was I found, yet another, source for deep-fried mochi. I also find out that they are called "ma t'uan" in Mandarin Chinese ("zeen duy" in Cantonese Chinese). Only here they put in lemon curd.

Needless to say, heaven.
Here's my recipe:

Deep Fried Mochi/Ma T'uan


























1 pound powdered sweet rice flour
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 cup sweet red bean paste, lemon curd, or seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup white or black sesame seeds (optional)
Peanut, Vegetable, or Canola oil

1. Open the can of jelly of your choice. Place into a freezer-safe bowl and place in the freezer for two hours until firm. This is not necessary if your paste if stiff enough to roll into a ball.
2. After the paste is firm, roll into 1" balls and place back into the freezer on a cookie sheet or plate.
3. In a 2 quart sauce pan, bring the water to a boil.
4. Dissolve the brown sugar in the boiling water and remove from heat. (or boil the water in the microwave in a microwavable bowl and add sugar).
5. Place the flour in a separate bowl, making a divot, or well, in the middle. (this will help prevent uneven mixing in the next step).
6. Gradually mix in the sugar/water with the flour. Remember, it is hot! The mixture will become very thick, like the play dough.
7. Make this dough into 2-3" balls (think golf ball). I recommend putting some rice flour on your hands.
8. With each ball, press one side into the ball, so that the dough makes a cup for the jelly or jam.
9. Place your jelly or paste of choice into the center of the dough "cups".
10. Gently pinch the opening closed and re-roll GENTLY in your hands to make completely round.
11. If you like sesame seeds, roll the balls in the seeds. These are optional.
12. Put about 3-4" of oil in the bottom of your wok, omelet pan, or chef's pan. (or, if you have a Fry Daddy, bring 'er out!). Heat on medium heat to 330 degrees.
13. Place balls into the oil and fry for 2 minutes (the sesame seeds will become golden).
14. Gently press the ball against the side of your pan- this will the "dough" inside to expand up to 3 times it size! Continue until golden brown.
15. Place on paper towels laid over a cooling rack (to drain excess oil away).
16. As soon as the balls are cool, transfer to waxed paper or Tupperware.


Happy Eatings!
The gluten free, irish lass, gourmand, and eater of dim som

The taco soup

ERRR....ok, here's the full recipe WITH the boullion cubes!

wow. Ok, I'm new at this


________________________________________________________

Taco Soup
5- 9Quart stock pot is needed.

2lbs Chicken, Beef, or Pork, cubed (1 plastic wrapped package)
2 tbls of oil or butter
2 cans of kidney beans, NOT drained! (light or dark, or, gasp, one of each!)
1 can of ortega green chilis, chopped
32oz can of hominy, NOT drained!
32oz can of crushed tomatoes
32oz can of diced tomatoes

2-3 knorr chicken, beef, or pork boullion cubes (if you have a water softener, add 2.)
1 medium red onion (the flatter theey are, the sweeter they are)
1 tbls minced garlic (you can buy this at your regular grocery)
4 tbls ancho, chitpotle, or blended chili powder
2 tbls oregano
1 tbls thyme
Corn Tortilla Chips

Optional:
Shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese for topping (it takes about 4 cups to top the entire pot worth)
chopped cilantro (it takes about 1 bunch to top the entire pot worth)

1. Brown the onions in the butter or oil, on high heat.
2. Once the onions are soft, add the cubed meat. Once the meat begins to get brown, turn the heat down to medium.
3. Add garlic and cook meat on medium heat until it is completely cooked.
4. Ceremoniously dump in kidney beans, green chilis, hominy, and tomatoes.
5. Add chili powder and the boullion cubes.
6. Bring to a boil, then maintain a GENTLE simmer on low heat**
7. Cook for AT LEAST 30 minutes. It tastes better if you cook it for at least an hour. If the soup begins to get too thick, then add some water. we don't want the soup to get too think, though. How you can tell is put some of the soup in a clear glass. if you look through the middle of the glass outward across the soup, you should NOT see a clearish edge on the soup. If you do, you need to keep cooking. :)
8. Add the oregano and the thyme right before serving. This is because if you boil these, you will only get a bitter flavor.
9. Serve topped with corn chips and the optional cheese and cilantro.

And it's still winter in Minnesota

I'll admit. I'm not a native Minnesotan. I didn't grow up with snow days and shoveling the walk and having a dad that never saw the family because it's ice fishing season. I grew up in the land of the "warm". Why the "quotes"? Because life in the Golden State isn't always sunny. That's why it lost to Florida for the title of Sunshine State.

Yes, winters where I grew up were humid, grey, and drab. The trees still lose their leaves. The humidity creates fog as thick as pea soup. Not kidding. We had Foggy Day Bus Schedule. Waits for the fog to burn off because it's too dangerous to cross a street (except for teachers, who had to be there on time for school- threw that one in there for you Mom!). It was cold. There are gaps in the walls around light sockets and windows and the walls are only 4" thick instead of the hearty 6" here in the land of the cold, even in the best of homes.

So, we used to have soup day.

Soup day was Sunday dinner. Mom would invent some of the GREATEST soups to keep you warm while you walked to the bus stop in the fog. (well, we walked the three blocks to the school, but you get my point)

And so, I shall impart my variations of Mom's best soup recipes. And they're all gluten free.

First one up:


Taco Soup
5- 9Quart stock pot is needed.

2lbs Chicken, Beef, or Pork, cubed (1 plastic wrapped package)
2 tbls of oil or butter
2 cans of kidney beans, NOT drained! (light or dark, or, gasp, one of each!)
1 can of ortega green chilis, chopped
32oz can of hominy, NOT drained!
32oz can of crushed tomatoes
32oz can of diced tomatoes

knorr chicken, beef, or pork boullion cubes
1 medium red onion*
1 tbls minced garlic (you can buy this at your regular grocery)
4 tbls ancho, chitpotle, or blended chili powder
2 tbls oregano
1 tbls thyme
Corn Tortilla Chips

Optional:
Shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese for topping (it takes about 4 cups to top the entire pot worth)
chopped cilantro (it takes about 1 bunch to top the entire pot worth)

1. Brown the onions in the butter or oil, on high heat.
2. Once the onions are soft, add the cubed meat. Once the meat begins to get brown, turn the heat down to medium.
3. Add garlic and cook meat on medium heat until it is completely cooked.
4. Ceremoniously dump in kidney beans, green chilis, hominy, and tomatoes.
5. Add chili powder
6. Bring to a boil, then maintain a GENTLE simmer on low heat**
7. Cook for AT LEAST 30 minutes. It tastes better if you cook it for at least an hour. If the soup begins to get too thick, then add some water. we don't want the soup to get too think, though. How you can tell is put some of the soup in a clear glass. if you look through the middle of the glass outward across the soup, you should NOT see a clearish edge on the soup. If you do, you need to keep cooking. :)
8. Add the oregano and the thyme right before serving. This is because if you boil these, you will only get a bitter flavor.
9. Serve topped with corn chips and the optional cheese and cilantro.

Happy eating!
The Irish Lass

Egg Nog Belgian Waffles

And welcome back!

So, because I'm a scientist, I have this insatible desire NOT to follow a recipe. This includes even Betty Crocker, back in the day, because, I found, that when I actually pay attention to the ingredients, it tastes SO much better. And it turns out that there are reasons for this. For instance, everyone of you probably has this little tub of red-brown powder in the kitchen that, when pressed, you would call cinnamon.

I've hated cinnamon for years.

....and the reason was that the red-brown powder has probably been in your cabinet for YEARS and it used to come in these little tins by McCormick (some of you will remember these...). Basically, it's not Cinnamon. No one else in the world would call this cinnamon. it's so old that all the flavor and aroma has turned to ash and bitterness. Personally, I recommend Pennzy's Spice Company (www.penzeys.com) It's what you'd call a spice merchant. After experiencing the full rainbow of spices from this merchant, I can understand what the whole Columbus this is about. Wow. I mean, wow! Did you know that the brown stuff in the tin, when fresh, is not even really cinnamon??? It's Cassia Cinnamon- which is a fake cinnamon. Something cheaper that was discovered and passed off as the real thing. Ceylon Cinnamon is the real deal. Try smelling some. try tasting some. wow.

But I digress. I'm talking about paying attention to your ingredients when you're making something. I'm talking about smelling your spices to know if they're fresh (because a tsp of that old, gacky brown stuff is NOT the same as a tsp of cinnamon) or if they are just milder than the flavor you want because there was a drought this year (remind me to talk about cilantro some time!)

well, I'm still in the "oh, my, well, I don't think that will taste as good as if I put this in, instead" phase. Hence, the waffles.

I didn't have any milk- I'm not a milk drinker. I used to be a milk drinker. I used to eat cereal. Milk used to be the cheapest beverage besides water. What can I say, I'm Irish. Being Irish, you can eat cheese, drink milk- all your life. You're a mutant (and happy for it!)

But what did I have? hmmm...well, it's getting to be the end of the winter holidays- the Vulcans are chasing off the Snow King, and I have my last container of egg nog. yessssssssss, who EVER developed this was AN ANGEL. or just a really good biochemist. Now, what I'm talking about is actually egg nog "batter"- it's sans alcohol. no brandy. just eggs, milk, spices. yum. and seeing as how spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, go really well in waffles, I decided- YES.


so, here's what I did (Egg Nog Belgian Waffles):
for 4-5 10" square waffles:

4 Cups powdered sweet rice flour
1 tsp powdered yeast
1/8 Cup tapioca starch
4 eggs
1/2 C sugar
2 Cups (1 pint) of egg nog
1 tsp double strength vanilla or 2 tsps regular vanilla extract.
3tsps Xanthan Gum

1) 4 Cups of FINELY powdered rice flour
1 tsp powdered yeast (not the granulated packet)
1/8 Cup powdered tapioca flour*

2) mix this together.

3) In a mixing bowl, beat 4 eggs and 1/2 C of white, granulated sugar, to soft peaks- with an electric mixer. **

4) While beating, add 1 tsp of Double Strength Vanilla, or 2 tsp of single strength Vanilla***

5) Beat in 1 Cup of Traditional Egg Nog (NOT SKIM!)***

6) Gradually, sift in the dry ingredients. If you don't have a sifter, slowly add the dry ingredients (or you'll knock your eggs down). The mixture will be getting stiff and thick.

7). Add the remaining 1 Cup Traditional Egg Nog. The mixture should be very runny now.

8). Add 3 teaspoons (tsps) of Xanthan Gum.

9). Heat up your iron. Spray the iron with a non-stick spray.

10). Spoon out your waffle batter onto the iron. I recommend a making a "tester" with just a little bit of batter so you can see how the batter behaves. (too thick- add more egg nog, too runny, add more Xanthan Gum).

11). If you have left overs, make sure you separate them with waxed paper before freezing, or you might have one very large waffle mass for your next meal.


*You can get these dry ingredients at your local Asian supermarket.

**Soft Peaks (Which means that you beat them past the white, foamy part to where, if you take the back of a spoon and touch the eggs, then lift up, you get something looking like mountains. If you go too far, it'll be fine for this recipe).

***The difference is how much liquid you'll end up adding to your mixture. In gluten free baking, you need to really minimize the amount of alcohol you mix with your eggs (which we will discuss later)


Happy eatings!
the irish lass

Eating Asian

Ok, so, my initial advice to people who just found out: change your diet. I don't mean use rice flour, I mean, CHANGE your diet.

I'm sorry, but it's really difficult to make pasta taste and feel like pasta when it's not semolina. You're going to spend a lot of money on "ready-made" or "boxed food" items that make 2 cups of food and still don't taste great.


So, think Asian. Think Mexican. Google countries where wheat cannot grow because of the climate and eat food from those countries. I have to say, I would never have tried Thai or Somalian if I could eat a pizza every night (Oh, don't worry- I have a pizza for your fix, too, but you'll have to check back).

What I'm saying here, is that, even with a good fake gluten- substance, there's nothing like the real thing. somethings can't be faked well. Like pasta. I know, there's actually some good pasta out there, but there's nothing like an udon noodle. Or lasagna. The greatest secret to not feeling like you have a disease but that you have a dietary condition, is to seek out food that you don't have to omit, substitute, or abstain from. My favorites are Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Really Asian. I would say that Thai is, too, but there's not a restaurant within walking distance. sorry. But I do LOVE phad thai. (this is a stir-fried rice noodle dish. it tastes like sin. oh my god).

Rules of Asian Restaurants for the GF seeker:
1. ask if they use flour or cornstarch or tapioca starch. Many cuisines from south-east Asia will use tapioca starch because flour is not natively available.
2. make sure they are using rice vinegar and not distilled- but again, this is usually the case because wheat (what "white distilled vinegar" is made from) is not grown in the jungles of south-east Asia or the desert.
3. Ask for mochi or pudding instead of the fortune cookie. Mochi are "moon cakes", found in, most commonly, Japanese restaurants, but they are found in Chinese restaurants, too. They are this little sweet rice dough ball with this red bean paste inside. No lactose, no yeast, no gluten. and if they are deep fried, the rice gets crispy like a donut. Ask for them at your local restaurants.
4. Glutinous Rice does not have gluten in it. another name for this is "sticky rice". It's perfectly safe. it's named AFTER the glutenious affect in wheat, but it HAS NOT GLUTEN IN IT.
5. Before putting sugar in your tea, make sure there's not a fortune cookie in the sugar shaker.


stay tuned for Indian, Pakastani, and Afgani

happy eatings!
the irish lass

Welcome to the world of the Irish

welcome to the gluten free (GF) goodness site- a site that discusses the pros and cons of different gluten free books, edibles, and recipes, as well as what it's like to live with celiac disease/gluten intolerance/celiac sprue.

I'm drafting this because, when I was diagnosed at 20, I went through just about every medical test imaginable, with a doctor who's bedside manner was prehistoric. One day, after the small intestinal biospy (if you want to know more about how celiac disease is diagnosed, stay tuned), I received a call from this doctor. He told me "you have celiac spruce" and was about to hang up. I'm not kidding. I panicked and asked him, "what is that? what do I do? what does that mean?" and in the very cryptic doctor language, he told me, "you can't eat gluten".

Whoa.

What the hell is gluten? So, I asked.

"it's in wheat and oats and rye and barley" (there goes my life as a baker).

"well, what do I do know? what am I supposed to eat? " To the reply of, "well, the dietitian will be meeting with you to talk about that. "

want to guess when the next appointment with the dietitian was?

so, 2 MONTHS later, I meet with the dietition. Would have died from this condition if I hadn't been willing to experiment. And cry. And experiment. And cry. And cry. And cry.

For those of you who have had this condition for quite some time, you'll know what I mean. Ever tried to make muffins with brown rice flour? (and since this was 12 years ago, that's just about what you could get around here at the co-ops). Oh, my god, and the EnerG Tapioca loaf. GAG!

So, I was resigned to a life of tapioca pudding (couldn't do instant Jello pudding because it had gluten in it) and rice cakes. Not the flavored ones. The coaster.

I have managed to survive this condition and "buck up", as they say. I continued to experiment with lots of different types of flours, recipes, techniques- all of that. But that's what I went to school for. Yes, I have two degrees in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry and Cell Biology. It basically means that I'm really good at trial and error in the wee hours of the morning. I've found some great combinations, which still take LOTS of work, but you can fake the gluten. (stay tuned for that in another blog). So, I'm journaling all of my heartache in this blog- it's theraputic. ha ha ha! Yes, recipes, yes, sob stories, yes, restaurants where you can order anything on the menu because they WILL make the substitution for you.

see you in the kitchen!
The irish lass