Cookies Are LoveDecember 18th, 2012


Cookies are love. They are friendship, they are family. Cookies are simple: flour, sugar, maybe some salt, and definitely, definitely, chocolate. Made by small hands, they are misshapen bits of heaven. Made by experts, they are works of art. But above all, they are tokens of friendship, family and caring. Bake a batch to share this holiday season to remind your teacher, your elderly neighbors, your principal – anyone who makes a difference in your life – that they’re appreciated. Especially this holiday season, when for too many, memories are eclipsed by tragedy, cookies are a statement of caring.

Holiday cookies are a tradition that for many families extends for generations. In my family we actually have a cookie bar, the Congo Bar, a recipe featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune that comes from my grandmother. This year, I’m baking gluten-free for the first time, and so far, so good. Actually, so great. I whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies from Baking for Friends, the latest cookie book from Tate’s Bake Shop in Southampton, New York. I used their recipe but subbed in the flour from the Art of Gluten-Free Baking (scroll down once the new page opens for the flour recipe).

Baking for Friends is filled with traditional cookie recipes; there’s something for everyone. My family is addicted to chocolate chip cookies, and with Jeanne’s gluten-free all-purpose flour, they were a treat we all could share. Pick up an autographed copy of Baking for Friends at the Tate’s Bake Shop website, at a discounted price. It’s the perfect holiday gift (other than cookies).

If you’re wondering what to do on this rainy winter day, consider baking a batch of cookies. Allow them to cool, then package them in a shiny red box, walk next door and hand deliver a box of love. Happy holidays!

Disclaimer: Tate’s Bake Shop provided me with a copy of their cookbook to review, but opinions are my own.



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{recipe} Smoked Paprika Roast ChickenNovember 26th, 2012


Does the world really need another roast chicken recipe? Especially on the heels of Thanksgiving and the chicken’s famous cousin, the turkey? Once you try this recipe, your answer will be yes.

My classic go-to recipe for roast chicken might even be replaced by this recipe, developed by one of my favorite food writers, David Tanis for Bon Appetit. I didn’t have all the ingredients but even so, the meat is succulent and moist and so full of flavor that groaning at the first bite is inevitable. Jazz things up with Tanis’ addition of crispy potatoes, or go the lazy girl route (my favorite highway) and just mash some red potatoes and call it a day.

Print
{gluten-free} Smoked Paprika Roast Chicken




 


It’s worth the extra effort to prep the chicken the day before – this allows the flavors of the paprika and garlic to work their magic, ensuring a juicy, flavorful chicken. Plus, there’s no prep the next day – how great is that?
Ingredients
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 4-5 pound whole chickens
  • 2 bunches fresh thyme or rosemary
  • Head of garlic, cut in half


Instructions
The Day Before Cooking:
  1. Prepare the chicken: remove the giblets and wash the chicken inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels, then set in a shallow dish.
  2. Combine the garlic, salt, olive oil and smoked paprika in a small bowl, mixing to form a paste. Smear the paste all over the outside of the chicken. Stuff the herbs and garlic halves into the cavity of the chicken. Lightly cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
The Day of Cooking:
  1. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator one hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 500° – if your oven is anything like mine, this will also require an hour.
  2. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan or large cast iron skillet. Roast at 500° for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 425° and continue roasting for 20 to 30 minutes more, until the internal temperature reads at least 160°. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving.


Notes
Adapted from a recipe by David Tanis.


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Get ready: New blog coming soonNovember 12th, 2012


You may have noticed it’s been a bit quiet around here. But coming soon you’ll find a new blog on these pages – new design, new recipes and a new name. All gluten-free. And fabulously fun, I promise. So I hope you’ll stay tuned, and thanks for all of your support!




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My Heart Goes out to Sandy SufferersNovember 2nd, 2012


I’ve been thinking about the ocean a lot this week. I think we all have, this body of water that supports us and gives us life, energy and, most of the time, enjoyment. But this week it’s different; we watched in horror and fear at the wrath and destruction the ocean brought to the east coast. And like most of us, I have friends and family on the east coast who I think of every day. None are lost, thank goodness. But some don’t have power, and you begin to worry about them being cold, hungry and feeling a sense of being lost. My heart and thoughts go out to everyone who is suffering through these days, trying to rebuild what they’ve lost or at least hold onto what they can.

 




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Wedge SaladOctober 19th, 2012



Good friends of ours recently packed their entire lives into boxes and bags and moved to paradise. Literally. Named one of “nature’s little secrets” by the BVI Tourism Board, Virgin Gorda is now home to a wonderful family we miss already! We had our good-bye celebration at a local fish place, Fish 101. Fish 101 is an order-at-the-bar, find-your-own-seat kind of place: casual and fiercely guarded by locals. They’re on top of the whole gluten-free thing, too.

Even though I’d ordered a Caesar, the served plunked this baby in front of me instead. Bacon, creamy blue cheese dressing … what’s not to love? I’d devoured half of it before my friend’s husband pointed out, “Um, I think you’re eating my salad.” I gamely offered up my Caesar, which had arrived by this point, but he wasn’t having any of it.

Turns out, a great wedge salad beats a great Caesar any day of the week.

I’m going to try my hand at recreating this at home with one of these recipes:




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Paris with KidsOctober 1st, 2012


Paris with kids is easier than you think. Armed with an iPad and kid-friendly snacks, the flight from LAX to Paris flew by (it helped that Gigi and I sacked out for about four hours). And despite the fact that she had bronchitis the entire two weeks we were in France, she was a trooper.

We stayed in the apartment of a friend of a friend, in the heart of the Marais, across the street from a park and down the ways from a supermarket. Gigi loved Paris so much she wants to go back. Here’s why – a list of kid-approved Parisian activities, no museums required.



Paris with Kids

  • The Eiffel Tower: From Little Einsteins to Phineas & Ferb, if your kid watches the Disney channel, she knows the Eiffel Tower like the back of her hand. If you want to take the elevator without waiting in line, be sure to order your tickets online a few months in advance.
  • L’Aquarium de Paris: Gigi could have spent the entire trip here! She loved petting the fish (something she’s never allowed to do in the States). I loved the air conditioning. We even watched an American movie, dubbed in French. Combine this with a visit to the Eiffel Tower, they’re on the same (or close enough) metro stop.
  • Boat tour of the Seine: We used this company and it was fantastic. Board right below Notre Dame, and slowly tool around the river, basking in the glory of high-rent townhomes, spectacular views of the Orsay and the Eiffel Tower, and an all-around peaceful way to while away a few hours. Gigi was so relaxed (i.e., jet-lagged) that she slept the entire time!
  • Notre Dame: Easily Gigi’s second favorite (after the aquarium) sight of the week. She loved sneaking through the cathedral in search of gargoyles, and even knew enough of the Bible stories to tell us what was going on (which was the original intent of the artwork, I’m sure). Take your kids to the garden behind the cathedral for even more fun – twisty-turny saucers that go round and round, something kids never tire of.
  • The Pont Saint-Louis: This little bridge is filled with performance artists. The day we were there we saw roller-skating mimes, a jazz pianist and a guy who could make bubbles bigger than most kids. He also let the kids help out, which Gigi loved. The bridge connects the Île de la Cité and the charming Île Saint-Louis.
  • Berthillon Ice Cream: What kid doesn’t love ice cream? This place was a huge hit with Gigi and Mr. Gonzo alike. They both got extra-large scoops from the generous ice cream man, thanks to my limited but apparently welcome French.
  • The Metro: Any train, any station, any chance to glide up an escalator or shove a ticket into a ticket machine met with much glee.

What didn’t work?

  • Versailles: I thought for sure my little girlie tomboy would love going to a real queen’s castle; she even watched with me on the trip over. But, as I discovered, Versailles is not a castle, at least not to a kid. In Gigi’s own words, “Mommy, this is, like, a really big house.” Turns out, a castle is more like this one, with moats and turrets and knights in shining armor. It didn’t help that is was uncharacteristically cold and windy. The McDonald’s outside the train station was a big hit, however.
  • Walking: Bronchitis plus jet lag equals zero interest in walking. At least I stayed in shape carrying a 55-pound person through more than one metro station.

Afternoon boat cruise on the Seine – Gigi fell fast asleep


Behind Notre Dame is this incredible park, we found loads of kids for Gigi to play with! Kids = zero language barrier


Our apartment for the week




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Gluten-free Baking with KidsSeptember 12th, 2012



Last week I baked a gluten-free lemon chiffon cake for the Baking with Julia challenge. Turns out, this is a great recipe to bake with kids. What I love about baking is it’s a great activity to do with kids because it teaches them math, patience and teamwork. Gluten-free baking takes a little extra prep time on your part in terms of mixing the flours but once you’ve got that down to a science, you’ll find the workflow takes care of itself.


Here are my tips for seamlessly baking with kids:

  • Mix your dry ingredients ahead of time. Grab your scale, your flours, your starches and a sealable container, and weigh and mix. Especially if you’re just starting to bake gluten-free or use a scale, you’ll find having little ones around is a bit distracting (did I get exactly 10.25 ounces of sugar into the bowl?). I’ll do this in the morning or whenever I have 10 minutes to spare.
  • Prepare your wet ingredients. About an hour before the kids come home, separate your eggs, measure your water and your oil, drag out the measuring spoons for the lemon extract – then place everything onto a single baking sheet. Kids are visual creatures and are used to viewing lessons as a contained unit.
  • Think like a cooking teacher. Have multiples of everything: whisks, aprons, measuring spoons and cups.
  • Plot out the recipe steps per child. I had the six-year-old and eight-year-old whisking the designated wet ingredients into the dry ingredients – working together over a large bowl, they each had a whisk and therefore, equal time at the counter. Meanwhile the 10-year-old worked the stand mixer beating the egg whites.
  • Plan activities for baking time. An hour in the oven is like three kid hours, at least. The girls did their homework, played cards and built a massive tower out of plastic cups kept just for that occasion. By the end of playtime, they were ready for their treat!



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TWD: Gluten-free Chiffon CakeSeptember 7th, 2012



I’m convinced I lack the gene responsible for allowing one to successfully beat egg whites into a frenzy. Today was the second time in as many months that I dutifully watched Julia Child whip egg whites into peaks. I refused to move my eyes for even a moment, barely allowing myself the right to blink in case I missed the key, crucial moment when the whites went from soft to medium, peak-wise. Julia is effortless. My attempts require much effort. In short, I need to practice.

My practice today came in the form of a gluten-free chiffon cake, this week’s Tuesday’s with Dorie recipe that you can find at The Double Trouble Kitchen and Little French Bakery, our hosts for this challenge. I read through the recipe a few times and didn’t really know where to begin in terms of substituting gluten-free flours. This week’s recipe also involves a layer of oats and gluten-free or otherwise, oats are not my friend. Plus, the recipe’s headnote spoke of the cake’s gossamer lightness; oats weigh me down. Hoping Julia would appreciate my research, I turned to the Internet and found this recipe for a gluten-free chiffon cake.

Created by one of my favorite gluten-free bakers, Elizabeth Barbone, this recipe from Serious Eats includes white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch. She also wants bakers to use a tube pan. A tube pan?

Oh dear. After texting a few friends I found what I think is a bundt pan. I also had to borrow cream of tartar from a friend. My pantry disappointed in both the white rice flour and the vanilla extract department – I had to substitute sweet rice flour and lemon extract.


Which was fine by me. The cake, as you can see, turned out beautifully. Fluffy, light and the lemon extract turned out to be a perfect complement to the macerated strawberries.

I think I’m starting to get the hang of this gluten-free baking thing. My little bakers agreed too – the peanut gallery came back with these comments:

  • Wow!
  • I love this cake so much I’m going to marry it!
  • This is so good with strawberries!

Baking with Julia: Bake along with us! Learn more at Tuesdays with Dorie, and pick up a copy of .




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Grill More, Cook LessSeptember 4th, 2012



I continue to use the heat as an excuse to keep out of the kitchen, but nothing makes a girl want to grill like Labor Day weekend. Or at least, nothing makes a girl want to ask her guy to grill like Labor Day weekend. (After all, someone needs to be in the kitchen mixing up those V&T’s.)

Between giant porterhouse steaks one night and rosemary grilled chicken breasts the next, I have plenty of leftovers for the week ahead. Not to mention those ripe heirloom tomatoes and fresh corn you see here. Now if only I could get Mr. Gonzo to pick up a bit more tonic water on his way home, I could keep the weekend going right into next Saturday.




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End of Summer Farm Stand SaladsAugust 29th, 2012



This is not so much a recipe as it is a plea to enjoy the last heavenly days of summer. San Diego is heating up again but the breeze that sweeps in from the coast makes up for it. Little GG went back to school today, sparkling in sequins from skirt to shoes, with a pony shirt thrown in for good measure (she even – surprise! – matched her buddy – the power of shopping at Target!).

We spent the last Sunday at the beach with friends, body boarding, stealing snacks from each other and repeating to ourselves and each other, “This is the most gorgeous day ever.” Days like that beg for cold beer and easy-breezy dinners, which is what you see here. I spent $4.30 at the farm stand on the way home and picked up heirloom tomatoes, fresh corn and a juicy slab of watermelon. I’ve managed to not kill off the basil in the back forty, so I snipped a few leaves of that onto thick slices of tomato; feta and a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil finished the dish.

Later, after dinner outside and a cold gluten-free beer to boot, we snuggled up on the couch to watch Phineas & Ferb: Where’s Perry, Part 2. For the third time. Or maybe it was the fourth. But no matter, family movie night is more about cuddles than anything else.

Not a bad recipe, am I right?!




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