“It's all about the food.” That pretty well sums up two glorious days of gluten-free tasting at the 4th Annual Gluten-Free Summit West, held at Johnson & Wales University last weekend. I was honored to be among the fabulous presenters and learned from all of them. Here are a few highlights from noted chefs:
We feasted on a wonderful Italian cake from Jacqueline Mallorca's latest book, Gluten-Free Italian, and sampled a wonderful cake from the book. She regaled us with delightful stories about Italian cuisine gleaned from her time while living in Italy.
Lori Sobelson of Bob's Red Mill showed us how easy it is to incorporate nutritious whole grains into the gluten-free diet. Did you know that quinoa and amaranth are complete proteins? Get lots of gluten-free grain recipes at www.bobsredmill.com.
Two chefs proved that gluten-free and vegetarian can make wonderful dishes. Chef Elise Wiggins of Panzano Restaurant in Denver, CO served us a vegan lasagna that used zucchini instead of pasta. She used pureed pine nuts for the cheese. Chef Michael Long of Opus Restaurant, also in Denver, CO, used thinly sliced Russet potatoes instead of pasta. Both dishes were delicious and no one missed the pasta.
Sprinkling bread dough with hulled millet (try Bob's Red Mill brand) before baking is how Chef Isabella Nicoletti from Paesano's in Detroit, MI made her French bread extra crunchy.
I demonstrated how one basic quick bread recipe can be made into loaves and muffins and dressed up or down, much like the “little black dress”. My recipe was Orange Pine-Nut Quick Bread, glazed with an Orange-Vanilla Syrup that was lightly infused with fresh thyme from my garden.
Several chefs, including me, used modified tapioca starch in their breads for a higher rise, better texture, and longer shelf life. See www.expandexglutenfree.com for more information.
Chef James Gallo served us afternoon tea with delightful gluten-free cakes and cookies typically served at Afternoon Tea at the historic Brown Palace in Denver, CO.
If you're interested in next year's Summit, go to www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com
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