I’m reading Spoon Fed, the memoir by the New York Times food editor, Kim Severson. I just finished the part where she is writing an article on Alice Waters, the famed head of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, CA. The two shop at a green market in New York City (farmer’s market to us here in Colorado) and then go to Kim’s home to prepare a luncheon and do the interview. This gave me an idea.

This Friday, a dear friend arrives for the weekend and---- since she loves food as much as I do----our plan is to eat our way through Denver, hitting as many GF restaurants as we can in 36 hours. Sounds formidable, doesn’t it! We have lots of choices here in Denver, so the problem is narrowing them down to just a few. For example, we’ll go to Fruition (which I just visited this past weekend) and found many gluten-free choices on the menu and a waiter who was very comfortable with a gluten-free diner. The Flourless Chocolate Cake was the best, complete with Caramel Sauce, garnished with bits of peanut brittle. You may have read about the chef, Alex Seidel, in Food & Wine magazine since he was one of the magazines Best New Chefs in 2010.

And, we’ll definitely have brunch at Elise Wiggins’ Panzano at the Hotel Monaco. This is one of my most favorite restaurants in Denver and I know we’ll have GF bread, plus lots of delectable choices. I’m still pondering which other restaurants we’ll hit, although we’ll have breakfast at my home (Chez Carol), with two quick breads from my just-released new book, 100  Best Gluten-Free: Cranberry-Orange Scones with Orange Glaze one morning and probably Chocolate Chip Muffins with White Chocolate Drizzle another morning, along with GF granola from the same book. I love baking for GF guests, since we so seldom get to eat baked goods when traveling.

This eating-extravaganza through Denver will be so much fun, but here is the idea I got from Spoon Fed. My guest and I could go to a nearby Farmer’s Market and buy whatever is freshest and cook something together in my kitchen for lunch. For example, we might do a Farmer’s Market Soup (if you’re a subscriber, see the GfreeCuisine.com menu for the recipe). If our famous Colorado peaches are ready, we may make Herb Grilled Chicken with Peach Relish, also from GfreeCuisine.com. Or, if we simply want to eat lightly, we might buy fresh beets and make a beet-orange salad with breaded goat cheese rounds (Kim says that Alice Waters started the goat-cheese-round craze way back when…..) The recipe for these rounds appears later in August in GfreeCuisine.com.

I’ll let you know how our eating-extravaganza goes. In the meantime, if you want to make your own version of the Flourless Chocolate Cake, look for the recipe at GfreeCuisine.com or in any of my other cookbooks, including the new 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes. It is super-simple. The Homemade Dairy-free Caramel Sauce was a dessert “special” at GfreeCuisine.com a few weeks ago. You can find a peanut brittle recipe in many standard cookbooks.

There is something really satisfying about the joy of cooking with someone you like and who also enjoys cooking. So get in the kitchen, start cooking, and let me know how it turns out.

 

 

 I was a little late in getting herbs potted this year, but now I’m enjoying them in large pots growing outdoors for the summer. There’s something really special about snipping fresh rosemary or fresh basil or any of the other wonderful herbs and then cooking with them immediately, without having to open a plastic bag. And, it’s much less expensive.

I use herbs in everything: rosemary sprinkled on potatoes, basil in homemade pesto, mint in Mojitos, dill in potato salad and homemade pickles, oregano and marjoram in Mexican stews, parsley in Chimichurri, chives in chive oil…the list goes on. I give herbs to my son, my neighbors, my friends, yet there’s always more than I can use. And with our lovely Colorado fall, I will be snipping fresh herbs well into October.

I hate to throw anything away, so here are some tips for preserving summer’s herb bounty: If I have more than I need now, I clip the stems at a 45-degree angle, and keep them fresh longer by refrigerating them in a glass of water.  I shroud them in a plastic bag to lock in moisture and protect them from absorbing other flavors from the fridge. Then I can just reach in the fridge for a snippet of whatever herbs I need. This works especially well with parsley and basil, the herbs I probably use the most. If the water gets murky, replace it.

If you want to preserve your own herbs, here a few thoughts. If the herbs are “hardy” like thyme, oregano, rosemary, or bay leaves, try this easy way of drying them. Wash and dry them thoroughly. I sometimes spin them dry in a lettuce spinner, then blot with paper towels. Arrange them in a single layer on a dry paper towel and microwave them in 30-second intervals, turning the leaves over for even drying. Keep doing this until the herbs are crisp and brittle. The whole process should not take more than 2 to 3 minutes, maximum and watch carefully so you don’t burn the herbs.

You can also freeze what we call “soft” herbs such as dill, mint, parsley, basil, and chives. Place whole sprigs in a plastic bag (one herb type per bag), label the bag, and freeze for up to 6 months. You can remove as many sprigs as you wish. Break off the leaves and add to whatever you’re cooking. The leaves may look a little bruised or somewhat darker, but the flavor will still be there.  

If you didn’t grow your own herbs this year, make a note on your calendar to do it next year. Here in Colorado, we can start putting out herb pots by the end of May (any earlier and we run the risk of frost) and you can often find herb plants at grocery stores, but certainly in nurseries. You’ll love growing your own herbs, I guarantee!

Don’t you just love summer! We have glorious summers here in Colorado, crisp cool nights and sunny warm days. Each day beckons us to the outdoors to enjoy walking, hiking, tennis, golf, swimming, mountain-climbing or whatever sports are popular in your area.

But that brings up the question of what to eat when we’re out there in the great outdoors. I make my own granola and transform it into Trail Mix with dried fruits and nuts. It travels well and can stand extreme temperatures. I also carry nutrition bars such as PureFit, which were voted the number #1 nutrition bar in the country.

The bars come in a variety of delicious flavors: Granola Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch, Berry Almond Crunch, Chocolate Brownie, and Almond Crunch. I’m addicted to the Chocolate Brownie flavor and after much scientific research I learned that they are especially good when left in the sun on your car dash or a friendly, flat rock for a few minutes, especially in our hot Colorado summertime sun. They become very soft and gooey, and totally yummy.
But don’t let their good taste fool you. Check it out at www.PureFit.com and you’ll find that these bars are also healthy, boasting:
•    NO Hydrogenated Oils
•    NO Animal Products - Vegan
•    NO Cholesterol or Trans Fatty Acids
•    NO Wheat or Gluten
•    NO Artificial Sweeteners
•    NO Hidden Carbohydrates
•    NO Sugar Alcohol
There is a place on their website where they even help you decide which bar is right for you whether you’re a soccer mom or a high-performance athlete.
So, we have teamed up with Purefit to make you an offer you can’t refuse. All new subscribers in July to www.GfreeCuisine will receive a free sample kit of Purefit bars. Share them with your friends or eat them all yourself. They are yours and it’s up to you to decide.  

Speaking of exercise and health and what to eat, an excellent website to visit is one by my friend Melissa McLean Jory at www.glutenfreeforgood.com.  She is an avid Colorado outdoors woman and knows about exercise science so check out her site.

If you’ve been thinking about subscribing to www.GfreeCuisine.com, now’s the time. Hurry, July will be over before you know it!

 

I held my second “Cook for the Cure” Dinner Party last week. These are mini-fundraisers, organized around a meal, and the idea is to raise funds for breast cancer --- a topic near and dear to my heart since my own bout last year.

 I invited five delightful gluten-free ladies to join me for dinner in my home. The donations went to a local charity known as Sense of Security , which has provided over 1.2 Million Dollars  toward housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, COBRA or insurance premiums and other basic living expenses of breast cancer patients in treatment. To date, they have assisted over 650 Colorado breast cancer patients.

I always appreciate a challenge in the kitchen and this evening was no exception. Among the six of us, we had numerous sensitivities, so the gluten-free menu was also devoid of beef, bison, fish, dairy, eggs, soy, cane sugar, quinoa, beans, and cumin. How’s that for a challenge?

But that still left lots of delicious choices so we had a great time dining on the following menu:

Ancho-Spiced Pecans
Warmed Olives in Herbs
Herb-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa
Long Grain and Wild Rice
Steamed Asparagus Bundles, Tied with Chives
Baby Greens in Vinaigrette
French Bread (using my Ready-to-Bake Technique)
Warm Apricot Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Mousse Parfaits with Chocolate Wafer Cookies (shown in the photo below)
Baby Guinness After-Dinner Drinks (layers of Kahlua and Bailey’s and absolutely addictive)

The temperature in Denver that day was 102 degrees, so my plans for an outdoor event were scrubbed. Instead, we pretty much stayed in my kitchen and dining room, enjoying each other’s company and rejoicing that we didn’t have to explain our food sensitivities to a waiter.

The pictures below show the group, starting on the left side of the table: Katy Martin, Melissa McLean Jory, Karen Cranford, Mary Anderies, Gina Meagher (who brought the baby Guinness), and me.  We decided to keep the evening as “girls-only” although, who knows, I may host a couples party sometime in the future.

I have always loved a good massage, but never had time to go to a destination spa where you stay for days, rather than just an hour. When I wrote two cookbooks simultaneously (1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes and Gluten-Free Quick & Easy) and needed internal motivation, I promised myself a spa visit for each book. Except… life intervened and there never seemed to be a good time (or the right spa) for those visits.

And, then a professional colleague introduced me to Rancho La Puerta in Baja California. Well-known as one of the premier resorts in the world (and founded by the same woman who brought us the Golden Door Spa in southern California), Rancho La Puerta is everything I like in a destination spa. The food is excellent, the accommodations are a mix of Santa Fe-Old Mexico, and the staff anticipates your every need warmly and graciously.  All set on 3,000 lovely acres, right on the U.S.-Mexico border, about an hour from San Diego. We lovingly call it “The Ranch.”

The Ranch celebrates its 70th anniversary this year and continues to thrive. Despite what you hear about Mexico, this area is completely safe; in fact, some guests have visited for 40 successive years and wouldn’t dream of giving up their annual visit. Most people fly in to San Diego and either take the Ranch’s free shuttle from the airport or hire a taxi. Once you drive in through the Ranch’s lovely gates, you’re enveloped in gracious warmth and hospitality and the rest of your world waits while you enjoy yourself.

I have blissfully visited the Ranch twice and truly enjoyed the food, which is very fresh, much of it from the Ranch’s own 6-acre organic garden. I enjoyed the full menu with everyone else, the staff easily and seamlessly transforming my dishes to be gluten-free.  But, while most of the dishes we prepared in the “hands” on cooking classes were gluten-free, there were a few dishes I couldn’t eat.

So, I was delighted to learn that Rancho La Puerta will offer gluten-free cooking classes this Fall as part of its celebrity line-up (e.g, Rick Bayless, Joanna Weir, Pam Anderson, to name just a few). And, I will be the first teacher to offer these cooking classes. The inaugural class will be held during the week of September 18, 2010, in the Ranch’s new, 4500 square foot, hacienda-style cooking school. The building is absolutely gorgeous; in fact, I want a house just like it. You’ll learn all about gluten-free cooking and that includes breads and other baked goods, the foods we miss the most. We will also use produce from their garden, which is a fascinating tour in itself.

We don’t have all the logistics on the cooking classes worked out yet, but I wanted you to know in advance so you can plan ahead. Watch the website at www.RanchoLaPuerta.com for details. You can sign up for notices about the Ranch’s events, too, on the home page. Hope to see you there. In the meantime, gaze at the lovely food from the Ranch in the photo below.

White rice is lovely to look at, nice and white and pristine, but brown rice is better for you. You may have heard this before, but here’s why:

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) estimated that replacing 50 grams of white rice (just one-third of a typical daily serving) with the same amount of brown rice would lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16 percent.  

The study is the first to specifically examine white rice and brown rice in relation to diabetes risk among Americans. "Rice consumption in the U.S. has dramatically increased in recent decades. We believe replacing white rice and other refined grains with whole grains, including brown rice, would help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes," Qi Sun, who did the research while at HSPH and is now an instructor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, was quoted as saying.

Brown rice is superior to white rice when it comes to fiber content, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals, and it does not generate as large an increase in blood sugar levels after a meal. Milling and polishing rice removes most vitamins and minerals. In addition, milling strips away most of its fiber, which helps deter diabetes by slowing the rush of sugar (glucose) into the bloodstream.

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released by the U.S. government, identifies grains, including rice, as one of the primary sources of carbohydrates and recommends that at least half come from whole grains. The Whole Grains Council recommends that you eat from 3 to 5 servings of whole grains daily. For more information on gluten-free whole grains, go to http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/gluten-free-whole-grains.

Here at www.GfreeCuisine, we try to use brown rice as much as possible and you’ll also find quinoa on the menu, as well as gluten-free oats from time to time. Whenever you see white rice, remember that you can replace it with brown rice. Yes, brown rice takes longer to cook but it is so much better for you. And, just ½ cup of cooked brown rice is considered a serving. If you’re like me, I  eat at least 1 cup at a meal so that’s two servings. Yeah!!

I have a special way of cooking brown rice that isn’t necessarily any shorter, but the grains stay separate and whole (rather than smushed together) so it looks prettier and stores better in the fridge. I cook up a big batch and refrigerate it, then eat whatever I want during the week.

Add 1 cup brown rice to lots of boiling, salted water. Bring to a boil again, reduce the heat enough to let the rice stay at a low boil for 35 to 40 minutes. Don’t put a lid on it. This is a great way to get a facial (hah!). When done, drain the rice through a sieve, but leave it in the pot. Cover the pot tightly, then set the pot off the heat for 10 minutes so the rice can steam and finish cooking. Your reward is lovely brown rice with individual grains. Try it; you’ll like it!

For a long time we have focused on celiac disease, the best known gluten-free condition. Experts are finally accepting the fact that there are possibly many more people who can’t eat gluten, but don’t have celiac disease.

I  spent 3 days at the Gluten Intolerance Group annual conference in Minneapolis and was overjoyed to hear speakers talk about non-celiac gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. That is what I have (I have neither of the pre-requisite celiac genes) and Dr. Alessio Fasano says that folks like me may outnumber the celiac population by 6 or 7 times.

Many speakers emphasized the increasing prevalence of gluten intolerance. Dr. Joseph Murray of the Mayo Clinic called it “a public health issue.”  Tom O’Bryan says gluten affects our brain, calling it a “dimmer switch” and discussed gluten’s wide influence on our entire bodies, not just on the gut. Dr. Stephen Wangen thinks about 10% of the U.S. has gluten intolerance. Dr. Rodney Ford (our delightful banquet speaker) from New Zealand quoted a March, 2010 Lancet/Neurology article saying “To improve diagnosis rates, the perception of physicians that gluten sensitivity is solely a disease of the gut must be changed.”  Dr. Daniel Leffler of Harvard updated us on the status of celiac disease research. There were many other great speakers as well.

There were somewhere between 50 and 60 vendors at the event, and I’m proud of our two new GF bread companies, Udi’s and Rudi’s, both Colorado-based. There were also other wonderful breads, including Breads from Anna and Whole Foods. My, our breads have come a long way!! And, check out the new flour called Timtana from the same folks who brought us Montina. I am anxious to try it in my bread baking.

Speaking of breads, I was a speaker and demonstrated how to make artisan-style French baguettes. I served them as Crostini (an Italian term for toast) topped with Nutella (a chocolate-hazelnut spread popular in Europe and now in the U.S.). My technique involves making the dough, refrigerating it, and baking as much as you need throughout the week. See page 99 in 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes for a recipe using this method.

Next year’s conference is in Orlando, FL so watch the web site at www.gluten.net for more information. These conferences are an excellent way to stay abreast of new findings. As the experts say, if the information in your file cabinet is older than two years (some say one year) then toss it because the research is pouring in and many of the “truisms’ we once accepted are no longer true.

Finally special thanks to Cynthia Kupper and her staff and the volunteers who made this a wonderful conference. Chef Aaron Flores (who was once the chef at DisneyLand) coordinated the food so we ate very well. That’s Aaron with me in the photo below. Thanks to you all!!

The news is full these days of companies doing disgraceful things to its customers, employees, shareholders, and the public in general. So, it is so nice to see a company that does good things for its employees and provides a product that is basically good for us.

I’m talking about Bob’s Red Mill. In case you don’t know the story. Last February, the owners …Bob and Charlee Moore…gave their $80 million dollar company to their employees by setting up an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program). It was Bob’s 81st birthday when he gave his 209 employees this unexpected gift.

Many of you know that I have worked with Bob’s Red Mill for the last 10 years in a variety of capacities. Bob’s generosity is legendary. And, anyone who has known Bob has stories to tell.

I remember the first time I met Bob. He met me at the airport and drove me to our meeting at the mill. Later that day it was decided that I would stay with Bob and Charlee in their home that night. As we drove to his house, I remember Bob telling me about their new puppy, a darling little beagle, and about her keen sense of smell.

Whenever I travel, I usually take a few gluten-free muffins with me on the plane. This time, I had one left in my briefcase, but forgot that it was there. I put my briefcase in the bedroom where I was to stay and immediately went outdoors to tour their new garden. A few seconds later, Charlee met us at the door with a very concerned look on her face.

It turns out that their new puppy (remember the keen sense of smell?) had immediately found the muffin in my briefcase and ate it, foil wrapper and all. Luckily, she survived and I remember telling Bob, “Well, at least it was made with Bob’s Red Mill pea flour!” We still laugh about this incident 10 years later.

If you would like to read more about Bob’s Red Mill, see the May 24 issue of People magazine or check out the following link at Inc Magazine.
 http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100501/how-i-did-it-bob-moore-bobs-red-mill.html

Or, follow the Bob’s Red Mill blog at
http://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/2010/02/19/bob-interviews-on-esop/

Congratulations to Bob, Charlee, and their employees. I wish we had more happy stories like this, don’t you?

I have used the dairy-free cheeses available on the market for a long time, but always felt that they leave much to be desired. Despite their claims, these cheeses don’t melt very well and the taste is unremarkable.

Well, last month while I was teaching at Bob’s Red Mill cooking school in Portland, OR, the staff introduced me to a new vegan, gluten-free cheese with the brand name of Daiya Cheese. I was blown away by the cheese-like flavor. Last week, I found this marvelous cheese at my local Whole Foods store.

Here’s the story behind the cheese: Vegan for 20 years, inventor Andre Kroecher put his savvy behind developing a meltable vegan cheese back in 2005, then joined with business partner Greg Blake two years later, and rolled out Daiya, a revolutionary non-dairy cheese made from ground cassava and arrowroot that stretches, melts, and is quickly changing the world.

Daiya Cheese comes in two flavors: cheddar and mozzarella and both are shredded, which means you have greater versatility in using them for pizza or sandwiches (instead of the flat bricks that other dairy-free cheese comes in). I find it best to freeze those blocks of cheese because they are easier to grate, due to their naturally soft texture.

You can learn more about this new cheese at www.daiyafoods.com. The  recipes in www.GfreeCuisine.com  have recommended dairy-free cheeses by Follow Your Heart  Vegan Gourmet and now that we have Daiya Cheese you can also use that cheese instead, in the same amount.

It tastes great (although I prefer the mozzarella flavor) and it melts nicely  for pizza, vegetables, grilled cheese sandwiches…..anything that uses cheese. Most dairy-free cheeses are soy-based, but Daiya is soy-free, which is good news for those who avoid soy products.

As you might expect, it comes with a price tag. A small bag is $5, but I think it’s worth it if you use the cheese wisely (maybe one-half cup will do instead of a full cup in certain recipes) and store it correctly. I keep mine frozen to maintain its freshness.
Remember... if you don't see this new cheese in your store, ask the manager about it. I think you’ll like it.

A few years ago, the Mother’s Day weekend I’m about to describe would not (make that “could not”) have happened. I should also tell you that part of my Mother’s Day gift was to eat wherever I wanted throughout the weekend here in Denver.

It started Friday night with dinner at a local pizza restaurant called The Oven. This isn’t just ANY restaurant, but one owned by a chef whose Phoenix restaurant (Tarbell) was a candidate for a James Beard award (one of the highest awards a restaurant or chef can garner in the world of food) and this chef also appeared on the Food Network.

But what makes this restaurant most interesting to me is that I can order a delicious gluten-free pizza. They use Udi’s frozen pizza crusts (available in grocery stores and natural food stores) and cook them over a wood-fire. The 9-inch pizza is delicious and they have gluten-free beer!

For lunch on Saturday, I chose a Mediterranean restaurant called Olivea, whose chef was also a James Beard nominee and whose recipes recently appeared in Fine Cooking magazine. Not only were there several gluten-free entrees on the menu, but this chef bakes gluten-free bread on site. So, I had gluten-free toast with my Poached Eggs on Creamy Polenta. I was in heaven!

Saturday night dinner found us back at another Tarbell restaurant called Home, which like its name implies, offers homey, comfort food. Again, I had many gluten-free entrée choices (and even more if I called ahead to let them know I’m coming). But I was quite happy with huge pork chops sitting atop the restaurant’s special applesauce.

What makes this all so fabulous is that these are top-notch chefs whose restaurants would undoubtedly do quite well without any gluten-free patrons. But they’ve chosen to extend their hospitality to those of us with gluten intolerance and I, for one, am extremely grateful.

But wait…. I haven’t told you about my favorite chef. That would be my son. Like all mothers, I am extremely proud of my son, my only child, for many reasons. In addition, he is also a terrific cook. My present from him was Sunday morning brunch at his house. We had a delicious Frittata packed with mushrooms, black olives, roasted red pepper, shallots, and goat cheese.

Then there was his signature brunch dish, his version of an Eggs Benedict…a slice of toast (Udi’s), topped with a strip of prosciutto, then a poached egg, and the whole thing drizzled with Chive Oil (which he makes by simply blending fresh chives and oil in the blender until smooth). Along with that, we had a long-grain wild rice dish which contained a little bit of crumbled sausage. Add to that some killer-good bacon and fresh berries and again, I was in heaven. (See the plate below in the photo.)

I hope your Mother’s Day was as wonderful as mine, that you spent it with those you love, and that you dined like a queen. I certainly did.