Christmas Dinner

With the addition of my nephew Jack and Dolls (the pup), Christmas had a little bit more excitement than years past. I mean, don't get me wrong...a day of eating, drinking and gifts is always fantastic. But, after a while you need something new to spice things up.

With all the extra hoopla, Mom decided to keep the menu simple for Christmas dinner. You know meat & potatoes and a salad. Sounds standard right? No so. Even when my Mom is simplifying things...she knocks it out of the park.

Christmas Dinner 2009

Beef Tenderloin:
3 Lb Tenderloin
3-5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup fresh Thyme (chopped)
1/2 cup fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parsley (chopped)
Salt/Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Rub tenderloin with olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh thyme and parsley
3. Place in a large roasting pan (with a V shaped rack insert preferably)
4. Roast for roughly 25 minutes (until internal temp is 125 degrees)
5. Let rest of 5 minutes then slice

Sauteed Mushrooms:
1 Container Baby Portobellos
1 Large container of Button
1 Container of Shitake
1 Package of Porcini (rehydrate with warm water)
3/4 Stick butter
1 Clove Garlic (chopped)
1/4 Cup Red Wine
1 Tbsp Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
Salt/Pepper

1. Saute mushrooms, garlic and 1/2 stick of butter on medium-high heat until mushrooms are tender (roughly 5-10 minutes)
2. Add red wine and reduce for a few minutes
3. Salt and pepper to taste
4. Toss in parsley and 1/4 stick of butter to finish off the dish


Mashed Potatoes:
3 Lb Yukon Gold Potatoes
1/4 Cup Chive (chopped)
2 Tbsp Horseradish
1/2 Cup Whole Milk (or cream)
1/2 Stick Butter

1. Boil potatoes until fork tender (roughly half hour) and drain
2. Add in chives, horseradish, cream and butter and mash

Salad:
1/2 Container Mache lettuce
1/2 Container Spinach
1 Pomegranate
1 Container crumbled Goat Cheese
5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Grey Poupon Mustard
Fresh Ground Pepper

1. On the bottom of a large bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegars, mustard, and pepper
2. Add lettuce on top of dressing
3. Seed the pomegranate and add to salad
4. Add goat cheese
5. Toss and serve

Wine:
Hartley Ostini Hitching Post 2007 Pinot Noir

Purchased at this great little wine shop on Armitage in Lincoln Park called The Poison Cup.

Christmas Morning: Cinnamon Rolls

For the past month, I had been reading the Gluten-Free girls posts on her efforts to achieve the perfect cinnamon roll. She had multiple posts and pictures of her trial and error...and finally right before Christmas she posted her final recipe.

I had been looking for a good recipe for waffles, but was really unimpressed by what I was finding. So, when she posted the recipe on December 22nd... I was like this is fate. I must make these cinnamon rolls. It would be something out of the ordinary for my family to eat, so it would be different and special.

The one hang-up was that the recipe and instructions were four pages long! I mean 23 ingredients...yikes. But I wasn't going to let that get me down. It isn't the first time I've baked. I'm actually starting to get used to using multiple flours for everything that I make.

So, on Christmas morning, I was up bright and early at 6am (to take the dog out of course). Instead of heading back to bed I decided to get started on the rolls. In hindsight, I really had no concept of how long these suckers were going to take me to make.

Round 1 was making the dough. I found that the recipe called for too much water. If you decide to conquer this recipe as well, you should pour the 1 cup of yeast water in first prior to adding the extra 1/2 cup of water. That way your dough will get all the yeast, but you can manage the water content. After you make the dough, you need to let it sit for an hour. So I took that opportunity to nap for an hour. This was needed as Christmas eve (after family sushi dinner) entails multiple glasses of wine at my best friends parents annual party.

Round 2 was rolling out the dough and adding the sugar and cinnamon mixtures. The recipe makes 16 rolls, so you have to go through the process twice. After the rolls are cut and placed in the pie plates, you need to cover and let sit for another hour. This hiatus I showered and got ready for church.

Round 3 was baking and making the frosting. This part was painless. The frosting is a straight forward cream cheese frosting. Baking takes about 25 minutes and then you need to let rest for 10.

Round 4 was eating. Oh my god were they good. I can't remember the last time I had a cinnamon rolls... but I will tell you I won't be going years before having another. I highly recommend eating with a perfect cup of Peet's Coffee.

All in all, it took about 5 hours from start to finish (since you have 2 pie plates of rolls, you have 2 rounds of baking).

If you have a craving for cinnamon rolls and 5 hours to spare...I highly recommend this recipe. Since the recipe is 4 pages long, it's better if I just provide the link to Shauna's recipe:

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/gluten-free-cinnamon-rolls.html

Good luck.

Christmas Eve

This will probably be my shortest post to date. Every year my Mom, my Dad and I order sushi. When I know that I am going to have a big meal the next day, I like to enter the day feeling light. Unlike Thanksgiving, I don't run a race the morning of. I ran a Reindeer Race once when I lived in Minnesota. That was a mistake.

I wish I could say the sushi was great...it wasn't. It was good. It's what we like to call "suburban sushi". It's good and satisfies a craving...but you will not talk about it later (except maybe if you have a food blog).

E|P|I|C

A lot of thought goes into each and every meal that I eat. It's a little bit of a sickness. When you eat 6-7 times a day, carefully planning each food experience...it can get a little time consuming. Then if you are disappointed by your meal, depression can set in.

Beyond all gut instincts, I chose to eat at a restaurant with only knowing 2 facts: Metromix said it was new and their website had nice food photography. When we first arrived at Epic (on Hubbard) the place was fairly empty. I was like "oh god" way to go Vanessa, couldn't you have at least read some reviews?

Turns out it literally was the first week it opened (you could still smell the fresh paint), or as the waitress let us know, it was the "soft launch." The space was pretty cool...dark, modern and big. Epic is one of those restaurants that turns into a club type place late night.

I started with the Hamachi (pictured left). I loved the combo of the raw seafood and blood orange...however it was paired with a cream sauce of sorts which I thought weighed it down a bit. Then I had the the lamb shank. Oh my god was it to die for. The only thing that I felt bad about while eating it was the fact that I stole this entree choice from my dinner partner...who so graciously chose something different. The lamb shank was almost as big as my head and had some of the most tender meat I have ever had. The sauce was rich but not goppy or heavy. The meat paired with Yukon mash couldn't have been more satisfying. As always had to finish off with something sweet. I ordered the mint ice cream...which to my surprise was made out of actual mint!

This risk turned out to be well worth it. Well done Epic in your first week. I'll be back for sure.

NAHA

On the corner of Clark and Illinois in River North you can find a small gem of a restaurant called NAHA. With a name like NAHA, you would think that you would be in for some type of international cuisine, but the name comes from the cousin duo that created this restaurant...Carrie and Michael Nahabedien. According to their website, they describe their menu as American cuisine with Mediterreanian influences (I'd say 90/10).

From start to finish, the meal was superb. Our waiter was this sweet man who was so attentive that it almost freaked me out a bit. I say almost because now that I need my waiter to be conscious about my gluten allergy...I'll take a little too much attention.

For me, the perfect meal starts with a light fish appetizer and a glass of white wine. Then I like to move on to something more bold...some type of red meat paired with red wine. My Dad joked the other day that cows start to weep when they find out I'm heading out to dinner. And lastly, I have never ended a meal with out something sweet. Becoming gluten free has limited my dessert choices, but that has not discouraged my habit one bit.

Appetizer:
Large Scallops from the Gulf of Maine roasted with Vanilla Bean, Citrus and Spices, La Quercia Prosciutto "Americano", Glazed Belgian Endive and Seckel Pears, Candied Grapefruit Rind and Spearmint

Entree: (had the Farro removed since they contain gluten)
Roast Loin of Ranch Venison, Golden Chanterelles, Italian Farro and Crosnes, garnet Yam Puree and Huckleberries

Dessert:
Candy Cane Ice Cream

Beyond the great staff, food, and interior design...I loved that the place was full. With the current state of the economy, it's not often that you experience a meal in packed restaurant on a weekday. The energy can really make a meal.

MK

When my Dad and I started our monthly Chicago dinner ritual in May of 2008, we started with MK. This contemporary American restaurant has become a Chicago staple. The modern space opened in 2004 has stayed true to its roots by continually introducing unique flavors... without forgetting the importance of the "local farmer." And the quality is just outstanding.

In thinking about the structure of our restaurant exploration, we decided that it may be a good idea to repeat a great dinner ever year or so...so for our December 2009 monthly dinner, it made sense to re-visit MK.

Upon meeting our waitress, my Dad prompted me to share my gluten allergy (which still slightly embarrasses me). The waitress, to my surprise, starting rattling off all the things that she and the Chef would do to insure that I did not have any gluten in any of my dishes in addition to making sure that the food was not cross contaminated as well.

I ended up ordering all my dishes off the special menu. I had a superb pumpkin soup, venison (very lean, perfect medium rare) w/ chocolate sauce and a trio of creme brulee's (cinnamon, dark chocolate, maple syrup). With the meal we enjoyed a Burgundy that complemented both my venison and my Dad's white fish.

And, finally, I can't forget to mention dessert #2. MK likes to end everyone's meal with dessert, regardless of if you had just finished your actual dessert 5 minutes before. My meal was successfully gluten free, but they really stepped it up a notch when they delivered my gluten-free dessert #2. Pure joy and love was pouring out of me when I received this amazing gift of sugar.

Another successful monthly dinner. Great food. Great conversation. Thank you MK...and Dad.

Mercadito & Chilam Balam

When a normal person is thinking about picking out a restaurant that won't upset their stomach...Mexican would most likely not make the list. On the contrary, for the gluten intolerant, Mexican is a tasty savior. Corn is naturally gluten-free, so if you choose either an authentic or upscale Mexican restaurant, they typically offer flour free corn tortillas.

This is the case with two new Mexican places that are swiftly making a name for themselves in Chicago. Mercadito is in River North on Kinzie and Chilam Balam is in Lakeview on Broadway.

The best things about Mercadito were the fun atmosphere (pictured left) and the Carnitas tacos (Michoacan style braised berkshire pork, chile de arbol coleslaw, toasted peanuts).

What made Chilam Balam great was the super attentive waitstaff and the Corn masa memeles w/ smokey black bean puree, goat cheese, and arbol chile salsa.

On top of all that, both places are very affordable.

Van's Natural Foods

One of my favorite foods to eat for breakfast before I became gluten-free was Eggo waffles. I have a sweet tooth, so I loved all flavors of them...cinnamon, blueberry, nutrigrain, etc. When I went on the SPENT program, I had to give up my beloved Eggo waffles for six weeks, which ended up turning into indefinitely when I realized that I was gluten intolerant.

So, for months I had my breakfast smoothies every single day for breakfast, which don't get me wrong I still love and stand behind. The problem arose when it got cold. I mean as much as I appreciate the taste and energy of the smoothie, some days I just want coffee and a waffle.

Van's Natural Foods saved me from my breakfast conundrum with their tasty frozen breakfast waffles, pancakes and french toast. This natural foods company offers a variety of gluten-free breakfast options. My favorite is the french toast sticks. The sweet, cinnamon, buttery taste absolutely satisfies my winter weather cravings.

Birthday Cake

The nice thing about your birthday is that you typically don't need to worry about feeding yourself. Either your friends and family take you out or they cook for you. In my case, tradition is Mom having the family over for your favorite foods. In my case, my favorite dishes that I order every year are Baked Ziti and some type of chocolate cake (Carvel ice cream cakes are a particular favorite). So, for my first annual gluten-free birthday, Mom once again made the extra effort to fulfill my birthday wishes...without making me sick.

Although I can't say that I had a Carvel cake, I had a Betty Crocker chocolate devil's food cake that was damn good. General Mills is a company that has definitely stepped up to the plate in terms of gluten-free products and information. Believe it or not, they actually have a microsite for it www.liveglutenfreely.com. I was excited to see some cereal and soup options to try...because really, you can't cook or bake for every meal!

Chriskrindlmarket Chicago

I just realized that so far in my blog, I have left out information about 50% of who I am. My mom Ingrid is from Deggendorf, Germany. She and my grandparents came over to the United States after the war when she was about 6 months to start a new life in the land of the free. They settled in New York and the rest is history.

Inspired by her German roots, my Mom became a linguist. She studied French and German, and ended up becoming a German teacher. This brings me to the point of my post. Every year my Mom brings her students downtown to the Chriskrindlmarket. They spend the afternoon eating German food and checking out all the booths of handmade German crafts.

I can't say that I eat German food often, but when I do...it is decadent and delicious. This year I had Leberkaese (which is essentially bologna) with sauerkraut and German mustard...without the bun of course.

Red Wine Sunday 12/6/09

There is no doubt about the fact that it has become freezing in Chicago the past couple weeks. I have realized it more so than ever this year, since I made the intelligent choice of getting a puppy right before winter. Thank god she is cutest dog on the planet, because bundling up to take her outside 10 times a day is not fun. Lucky for me, my Mom made the most delicious comforting meal yesterday that thawed out all the chill from the week.

Pasta with Red Wine Veal sauce is a staple for our winter Red Wine Sunday's. This year, due to my gluten allergy, my Mom mixed it up and served the sauce with polenta instead. Wow, it was fantastic. On top of it, my Dad took out a bottle of red wine that he had been holding on to for a while that knocked our socks off (a '98 Silver Oak Cabernet).

Red Wine Veal Sauce:

1 lb veal cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large red onions (chopped)
1 can San Marzano tomatoes (chopped)
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 whole cloves

1. Brown veal in a medium to deep sauce pan with a little bit of the olive oil on medium heat. Once browned on all sides remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add the remaining olive oil and onions to the pan. Cook the onions for about 10 minutes until onions are translucent.
3. Stir in cooked veal, tomatoes, red wine, red pepper flakes and cloves. Lower heat to low and cover. Cook for 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.
4. Serve over polenta (see recipe below) or your favorite pasta.

Chive Polenta:

6 cups water
1 3/4 cups yellow corn meal
1/2 cup chives (chopped)
3 tbsp of unsalted butter (cut in 3 pieces)
2 tsp of salt

1. Boil 6 cups of water with the salt.
2. Add cornmeal and whisk continuously for about 15 minutes.
3. Add butter and chives until evenly incorporated.
4. Take off heat and pour into a serving bowl.

Silly Yak Bakery

My best friend, the Chef, shared with me that Madison, WI has a gluten-free bakery! It's called Silly Yak Bakery. She was so excited about it that she literally came home over Thanksgiving break with a bag full of goodies like rice bread, scones, cheese bread and coffee cake.

The great thing about her embracing my gluten allergy is that prior to me finding out about my issue, she couldn't stand people that were gluten-free. She just thought that they were picky eaters who didn't appreciate good food. I don't blame her, being a foodie myself I would have probably felt the same way (if I had even know what a gluten allergy was). Since it was my family that really introduced her to the foodie world, she had to believe that my gluten allergy wasn't bs.

Acceptance and a yummy blueberry scone...love that.

Pumpkin Pie

My absolute favorite Thanksgiving dessert is Pumpkin Pie. So, Gluten-free Thanksgiving 2009 was not going to be without. The scary part about tackling the gluten-free version of this pie was that a) I have never made a regular pumpkin pie before and b) I have never made pie before. Not a problem...I am always trying new things, I can do this.

Yeah...not a problem, until I found out that the night I was planning on making the pie crust (which happens the night before you bake it) I had to participate in a 3 hours conference call from 7-10pm. So, I literally flew through Whole Foods in about 15 minutes after work to gather all my ingredients and then when I got home I tossed all the ingredients in a food processor in about 10 minutes...and you know what? The pie, gluten-free crust and all, was awesome. It was a huge hit. So much so that there was only 1 piece left for the next day, in which I called dibs in about 2 minutes after dessert was over.

Pie Crust: (adapted from Gluten Free Girl)

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
3 tablespoons sweet rice flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick cold butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 ice-cold water

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients, including the sugar and cinnamon. Add to food processor along with the butter (cut into ½ inch pieces). Pulse until butter has turned into small granules. 2. Add the egg and apple cider vinegar and pulse again until incorporated. Then slowly add in water and pulse until dough sticks together (shouldn't be too wet).
3. Drop dough on a big sheet of parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment. Then with a roller, roll out to form a circle the size of a pie plate.
4. Refrigerate the dough overnight.
5. Next day roll out dough a little bit larger than the pie plate. Then peel off top of parchment; flip over onto the pie plate. Smush the pie dough into the pie plate. Then remove other piece of parchment and with your fingers mold the dough to the exact size of the plate (crust will shrink a bit).




Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
12 oz can evaporated milk

1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
2. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool and serve or refrigerate and serve next day.

Cranberry Sauce: Keep it Simple!

Thanksgiving is a crazy food event with hundreds of ingredients and flavors. Every year we fill our plates with 6-10 food items not counting appetizers and desserts.My favorite of those 6-10 items is Cranberry sauce. I know that there are about a million recipes out there that doctor up the sauce with things like vanilla, oranges or nuts, but I like to keep things simple. This sauce is supposed to complement the turkey not overpower the turkey flavor.

Here is my way of keeping it simple:

Ingredients:
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

1. Boil water and sugar until sugar has dissolved and water has a rolling boil.
2. Toss in rinsed cranberries (be sure to check for stems)
3. Return to boil and stir occasionally until all cranberries have popped and the water takes on a reddish color (about 3-5 minutes)
4. Take the pan of the heat and let sit until cooled
5. Put sauce in a container to refrigerate (ideally you would do this the day before the big event)
6. Serve slightly chilled

Peet's Coffee

With my Dad spending many years working in California for the Software industry, our family was exposed to many West Coast delicacies. From wine to flat bread pizzas made on the grill, the great state of California has fueled many of our foodie experiences. One treasure that has been imported into Chicago is Peet's Coffee. Unlike Starbucks, you can only find 2 Peet's in the Chicagoland area. Lucky for me, one happens to be 2 blocks away from my house.

Peet's coffee is so much better than Starbucks, that I feel it necessary to share the difference in a pro/con list:

Peet's Pros:
1. The quality of coffee is out of this world. Every cup, whether you brew at home or pick-up that day, is rich and bold and unlike anything you have ever drank before.
2. The staff is knowledgeable, consistent and friendly. They know about the beans because they care about their product and believe in it. The same staff has been working there for years. They always have a smile on their face and are extremely helpful.
3. Every time you pick up fresh beans, they ask if you want a small coffee on the house. If you are not in the mood for coffee that minute, they give you a card for a free cup for the next time you are in.
4. Like most coffee places, they provide pastries, but they offer about 30 of the best looking pasties I have ever seen (no gluten-free options, yet). They are smart. They are in the business of making great coffee, not food. They get their fresh pasties delivered from local bakeries every morning.

Peet's Cons:
1. There are only 2 in Chicago.

Starbucks Pros:
1. You can find one on every corner.
2. Their peppermint mocha is yummy.
3. They sell mini pelligrino bottled waters.

Starbucks Cons:
1. Their drip coffee tastes like burnt rusty water.
2. The shops are always crowded. Often with screaming kids ordering their frozen drinks or hot cocoa.
3. You have like 3 different people help you which can get confusing.
4. The staff is typically young and unfriendly.
5. There pastries are prepackaged soggy and filled with fake chemical ingredients.
6. They toast breakfast sandwiches which causes the smell to stick to your clothes, which is really annoying if you aren't the one ordering it. On top of that, this toasting holds up the line.
7. They claim that their Starbucks Via tastes like their drip coffee. So, what they are saying is that their coffee is really no better than Sanka.

Case in point, if you have a Peet's Coffee near you, please make the switch. When Starbucks first launched, yes they were the best option. That is no longer the case.

You can see that I enjoyed my Peet's coffee this morning (used a free cup card) paired with my Gluten-free pumpkin bread w/ chocolate chips (pictured below). The loaf recipe is adapted from my pumpkin muffin recipe. Just add in a 1/2 cup of bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate chips and bake in a loaf pan for 1 hour and 10 minutes at 325 degrees.

Blueberry-Polenta Pancakes

If you haven't noticed already that I absolutely love breakfast...you will know now by the fact that I went out of my way to make a special trip to Whole Foods to make breakfast for dinner on a work night to test out a new Gluten-free recipe so that I can vouch for it Thanksgiving morning. On major holiday's my Dad is the breakfast man and has made endless delicious variations of waffles, pancakes and french toast's. My mom dabbles as well and will make moonstruck eggs once in a while.

My dry-run turned out to be a great success. So, for the Mackey family Gluten-free Thanksgiving 2009, we will be indulging in Gluten-free Blueberry-Polenta pancakes (after the Dan Gibbon's Turkey Trot of course). This recipe is courtesy of who else, but the Gluten-free Girl (altered slightly).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of GF flour (Bob's Red Mill All purpose)

1/2 cup of GF cornmeal (Again, Bob's Red Mill)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

2 eggs (organic)

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (organic)

1 pint of blueberries

Directions:

1. Mix together all dry ingredients with a whisk.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add in the melted butter and buttermilk.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just blended. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Melt some butter in a skillet on medium (lower if things get too hot). Drop an ice cream scoop amount of batter on skillet (using an old-school ice cream scooper is great). Once you see about 10-20 bubbles appear on top of pancake check to see if bottom is golden brown and then flip (wait a little longer if not browned enough). Once flipped, cook for another 2 minutes or until that side is browned nicely as well (will not take as long as 1st side).

5. Serve with warm 100% real maple syrup and sausage (I served with "The Original Brat Hans" chicken breakfast sausage that I found at Whole Foods).

Steel Cut Oats

Chicago is not known for good weather. For a good chunk of the year the weather is one or more of the following: cold, freezing cold, rainy, icy, snowy, windy or again freezing cold. To combat this weather we not only purchase the appropriate winter gear, we also indulge in comfort foods. For example, in the winter, I often trade in cereal for oatmeal.

When I was a kid, my grandma used to make me Old Fashioned Quaker Oats with milk, honey and butter (my brother claims a stick of butter). As I grew older and didn't have access to grandma's cooking, I replaced her homemade oatmeal with Quaker Oats instant oatmeal (low sugar ones to keep things a little healthy). In addition, my Dad often made McCann's Irish Oatmeal and complements it with fresh or frozen fruit and maple syrup. All of the above were great options before I found out that I had to have a gluten-free diet.

Luckily, Bob's Red Mill (the manufacturer that practically has a monopoly on gluten-free flours and grains) has a Gluten-free Steel Cut Oat product (pictured above). I cook them on a stove-top per the instructions however I've altered it slightly:

1. Boil 2 cups water and 1/8 teaspoon of Kosher Salt on High Heat
2. Add 1 cup Steel cut Oats and stir
3. Turn stove down to low covered for 20 minutes (stirring every 5 minutes)
4. Let sit for 10 minutes
5. Scoop out a serving and add a little milk, raw honey and a dash of cinnamon (or whatever you like best)

Pumpkin Cupcakes

More pumpkin? Yes more pumpkin baked goods. I just can't help myself. When I was researching recipes for my pumpkin muffins, I also stumbled on a gluten-free pumpkin cupcake recipe that I just had to try.

Although the core of this recipe is pumpkin puree like the muffins, the brown sugar in the batter and the cream cheese and maple syrup frosting really bring this recipe to the next level. The cupcakes were so moist and the frosting so decadent...that you will have to try them even if you are not gluten-intolerant.

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar, packed


2 Tbsp honey


2 large eggs


1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1 15oz can pumpkin puree


2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder


1 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 teaspoon salt


3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup buttermilk

Frosting ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature


1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature


1/4 cup maple syrup


1 ½-2 cups confectioner's powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and place rack in the center of the oven.

2. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and honey, until as light and fluffy as it will be, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the pumpkin batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

4. Set paper cupcake holders in a muffin tin. Spoon the batter into the cupcake paper cups, close to the top of the cups. Bake approximately 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

5. Using an electric mixer, mix together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add maple syrup and confectioners' sugar and mix to combine. Once cupcakes have cooled, apply frosting.

Makes 16 cupcakes.

RWS 11/15/09: The go-to dish

One of my family's favorite go-to dishes is Linguine with Clam Sauce. Uncharacteristic of my foodie family, we have traditionally made it using a can of Progresso White Clam Sauce (not the creamy one) and added our own spin with extra clams and a little crushed red pepper. It's tasty and fast.

Today though, in light of my new eating regime, my Dad and I took a look at the ingredients and cringed in horror that one of them was MSG. Yikes! But no worries, we had Giada to come to the rescue. Giada De Laurentiis, if you don't already know, is the most amazing Italian Chef on the Food Network. I could probably talk about her for an entire blog post, so I'll spare you the details of my love for her and get back to the meal.

I whipped up the following Giada recipe (altered a bit to make extra saucy and a kick of spice) for my Dad, brother and sister-in law (Mom was out of town) and by the end of the meal everyone was very satisfied and chemical free.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried linguine (I used Bionaturae G-free pasta)
  
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 pounds Manila clams, scrubbed clean (or 3 cans of baby clams in water)
  
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, zested, for garnish

Directions

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes (or one minute less than package calls for).

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes or until most clams have opened.

Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly. Sprinkle in red pepper.

Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water - this will remove the pasta's natural starches. Place pasta into the clam saute pan and mix thoroughly. Check seasoning.

Pour pasta into large serving bowl. Zest lemon over the dish, being careful not to zest the white part of the lemon, which is bitter. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

The restaurant without a sign

For the past year or so my Dad and I have been trying new restaurants monthly around Chicago. It is a great and fun tradition that has opened up our world to an endless amount of new culinary experiences available in the city.

On tap this past week was Bonsoiree. It is a tiny restaurant in Logan Square that offers seasonal foods by course menus only (4, 7 or 13). The funny thing about this restaurant is not only do they not have a sign on the restaurant, they also serve all their dishes in crazy plates & bento boxes (see picture above). Random, but I guess with the competition in Chicago you will do anything to be unique. Other unique things include the fact that they have a pricey course menu set-up, but is BYOB and they accommodate for food allergies. If you are gluten-free, you must call ahead and share this when you are booking your reservation ($25 deposit for all reservations). The place only has about 10 tables, so reservations are pretty much mandatory.

So, on to the food. I must say, for all the unique things about this restaurant, only 1 of 4 of our courses really stood out (from a taste perspective). I won't even mention the 3 that I didn't like or thought were average...I will just mention the soup. This Kabocha squash with Marigolds & Honey Crisp Bisque, Belgion White Chocolate Swirl, Fennel and finished with a paprika oil was just fantastic. It really made the meal. This soup filled my body with warmth and a comforting feeling that lasted for hours.

I found out about this restaurant from a friend who has quite a sophisticated tongue, so I will definitely go back to give it another go...and maybe try the 7 course menu. The ladies next to us had these short ribs that looked to die for.

Swirlz Cupcakes

With the holiday's approaching, it's time to start planning what you are going to bring to all the festivities and dinner parties that you plan on attending. For the Gluten-free or Vegan, you worry that you won't be able to indulge in all the fun foods that everyone else is eating. Also, with the craziness of this time of year, you may not be able to slave by your oven for days at a time to prepare homemade delicious treats.

Although my first Chicago cupcake love was Sweet Mandy B's, I have found are great substitute in Swirlz Cupcakes. This Lincoln Park bakery specializes in Gluten-free and Vegan cupcakes that are beautifully designed and absolutely delicious. I bought some for a family get together recently and they were a huge hit. You wouldn't have the slightest clue that they had alternative ingredients unless someone told you. In addition to traditional size cupcakes, they offer mini cupcakes as well. You can choose up to 4 flavors for a box of 20 for $20. My favorite was a chocolate marshmallow cupcake that was the special of the day. Next stop will be on a Friday for G-free Red Velvet cupcakes...

Faking it

Some people are just not naturally cooking inclined. They either don't know how to cook, are not interested in cooking or may just be lazy. You can spot this type of person pretty quickly by what they bring for lunch. You have 3 types of lunch eaters: The Sandwiches (Subway, Potbelly, Chipotle, McD's, etc.), The Lean Cuisines (frozen/microwavable entree) and the Tupperware's (homemade food). I am of course a Tupperware, however my roommate is a Lean Cuisine.

Last week, with the help of her Mom's guidance and the prepared food section at Whole Foods my roommate made me the best dinner (and Gluten-free!). This was seriously shocking since for the 2 years we have lived together she hasn't cooked one thing...let alone a great meal.

So, how did she "fake it"? Easy. She picked up the following items at Whole Foods:

Appetizer:
Nicole's Gluten Free Crackers (cracker aisle) with Herbed Goat Cheese (Fresh Cheese section)

Entree:
Lemon Chicken (From the butcher, with directions provided to bake at 350 for 45 minutes)

Sides:
Spiced Butternut Squash (From the prepared veggie section already oiled, salted and seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg along with directions to bake for 2o minutes at 400 or 30 min at 350)
Salad (I helped out a little and made my traditional salad with nuts, goat cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette)

Wine:
She just picked up a random wine wine a Whole Foods that was around $20-25. They have a small but good collection of wines.

Congrats Erin!

Red Wine Sunday 11/1/09

If you live in Chicago, you know that our weather is completely random. It can be 40 degrees in September then 60 degrees in November. When the weather is on your side, you have to take the opportunity to grill. This Sunday's RWS was one of those days.

Mom fired up the grill and made my Dad and I some steaks (medium rare of course). Along with the steak, we had a mixed green salad with dried cranberries and candied walnuts, oven roasted rosemary sweet potatoes, and wine of course. We had a French Cotes du Rhone wine (Hermitage) which was delicious. This wine didn't need an aerator, but we used it anyway and once again it made the wine that much better.

For dessert, we had my brownies with a little Haagen Dazs.

Brownies: Good for the Soul

"Are these brownies really bad for you?" -a co-workers reaction upon tasting my brownies.

Should that question even be allowed when you are talking about baked goods? How do you answer that? The trinity of good baking is butter, sugar and eggs. I can understand if you are a Vegan and like to substitute eggs with things like applesauce...but if not, accept good baking for what it is. Fake eggs, fake sugar, and fake butter do not result in the kind of dessert that makes you want to close your eyes and just say "mmmmmm."

So, without further ado, gluten-free brownies compliments of Shauna James Ahern:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut in 8 pieces)
4 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate (chopped or chips)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sorghum flour*
1/4 cup tapioca flour*
*sift or whisk together in separate bowl

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and grease.
2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and then turn it down to a simmer. Place a large metal or glass bowl over the top of the saucepan. Put the chocolate and butter into the bowl and stir until they fully melt together.
3. In your mixer, combine sugar and eggs and mix until they cream together. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix. Add in the gluten-free flours 1/3 at a time until mixed. Finally, pour in the melted chocolate-butter mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.
5. When brownies are done, cool them by placing in an ice bath (in larger tray or sink and careful not to splash).
5. Refrigerate overnight as these fudgy brownies taste better the next day after they have settled.

GOOP: Nourish the Inner Aspect

I'm not sure if you all remember last year when GOOP came out...but it was considered a little bit of a joke. Not just because of the silly name, but because people thought that Gwyneth Paltrow wanted to be the next Oprah or Martha Stewart.

What is GOOP? It is a website that Gwyneth Paltrow created to share her thoughts on everything from travel to food to fashion to relationship advice. She names them in 6 categories: Make. Go. Get. Do. Be. See. The website is purely a portal to sign-up for the GOOP email newsletter and to post past newsletters.

I signed up a couple months ago and I am quite pleased with the content, specifically with the newsletters concentrating on "Make."

Gwyneth has always been progressive with trying Veganism, macrobiotic diets and such...but what I didn't know is how much of a foodie she was. When she was younger, she spent a lot of time in Spain with an exchange program and later went on a culinary journey through Spain with Mario Batali in Spain - On the Road Again (a pretty good PBS miniseries, I've watched).

With her well to do upbringing (born into a Hollywood family), her A-list celebrity status, her progressive health trials and culinary adventures with professional chefs...she has put together quite an interesting set of newsletters. A taste of some of the topics she highlights in her "Make" newsletters are: Babycakes, a Vegan Lunch, Mario Batali, Antipasti, The Cookie and so on.

Try it out before you make fun.

The "Second Breakfast"

Not only am I a huge advocate for breakfast, I am a strong believer in the concept of eating 5-6 small meals a day rather than 2-3 big ones. Although I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, I'm convinced that eating this way speeds up your metabolism and in general just makes you feel more energetic and light. Lastly, this helps you avoid overeating/indulging at lunch.

So how does one prepare and eat all these meals? Take 15 minutes out of your day in the morning or evening and prepare fresh healthy snacks. Since this topic can be endless, I'll concentrate on my favorite"Second Breakfast" items:

1. Big Juicy Red Grapes: I keep them in the fridge prior to eating so that when I eat them they are cold, refreshing and bursting with flavor.
2. Dried Fruit & Nuts: The Bulk Foods section at Whole Foods is great. It has great variety and is completely affordable (vs. the packaged dried fruits/nuts). I recommend buying dried fruits that do not have sugar added and Raw nuts. Buy a bunch a mix them. I like mixing raisins and sliced almonds.
3. Fruit & Yogurt: Goat yogurt is delicious and good for you. If goats milk is not your thing (it's a little tangy), try to buy plain organic yogurt without sugar added. Most yogurts contain a lot of chemicals and sweeteners. If you need a little sweetness, I recommend adding a tsp of Raw Honey. Pair with some sliced strawberries and/or blueberries and you are all set.
4. Cantaloupe: I know this is one of those fruits that you either love or hate...but I love it. I like to buy whole and cut up at home and keep fresh in Tupperware containers. I think that cantaloupe is such a great sweet treat that is also satisfying to fend off that mid-morning hunger.

Fall Fruit Cobbler minus the Cobbler

In dessert eating, I believe their are 2 groups of people: The rich dessert people and the fruit dessert people.

I happen to fall in the rich dessert category of dessert eating: red velvet cake, cupcakes, pumpkin pie, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, chocolate mousse, etc. I also happen to be one of those people who cannot end a meal without something sweet (even if it's just a bite of dark chocolate).

My Mom however is a fruit person: fruit cobblers, fruit tarts, and fruit pies. When I became gluten-free, she immediately began to research how to create gluten-free dessert options. Even though it was incredibly nice of her, I wasn't necessarily jumping for joy. I wasn't missing Cobbler. I wanted Sweet Mandy B cupcakes. Disregarding my craving, I bit my tongue and watched her work. When I tasted the sweet tender bite of caramelized apple on melting vanilla ice cream, it turned out I wasn't missing a thing. Thanks Mom.

Fall Fruit Cobbler minus the Cobbler

1 Apple, cored and sliced (honeycrips are great)
2 Pears, cored and sliced
Handful of Cranberries (optional)
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Butter
2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Lemon (juiced and zested)
Splash of Amaretto (optional)

1. On medium heat, add sugar and butter to a stainless steel saute pan. Continually stir until the sugar has caramelized and turned a nice golden brown (watch closely to avoid burning). About 4-6 minutes.
2. Add in the apple, pears and vanilla and stir with sugar/butter mixture for 3-5 minutes to coat all sides.

3. Add in the cranberries, lemon and zest and continue to stir until fruit has softened and caramelized. About 4-5 minutes (reduce heat if things get too hot).
4. Add the splash of Amaretto (alcohol is flammable, so be careful), cook and stir until fruit is fully caramelized (not burnt or too mushy). About 1 minute.
5. Let cool a bit, then serve with Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (or whatever ice cream you like).

*Since this recipe was completely made up, I unfortunately do not have exact times for each step, but I do know that this took about 15-20 minutes to complete. Biggest tip is to watch and stir until golden brown and avoid burning!

The Power of the Breakfast Smoothie

Thanks to Dr. Frank Lipman, and his book SPENT, I have completely changed my morning routine. I used to start my day with a cup of coffee w/ skim milk & raw sugar and a low fat Nutrigrain Eggo waffle w/ natural peanut butter & jelly. As usual, I thought I was being healthy, but it turns out not only was I eating poisonous gluten, I was making myself SPENT with cow dairy, sugar and processed food chemicals.

What is SPENT? SPENT is feeling exhausted during the day and tossing and turning unable to sleep at night. Dr. Lipman's book will lead you through a day by day six week journey to rid your body of the bad (caffeine, sugar, dairy, processed foods) and fill your body with the good (fruits, veggies, whole grains, vitamins, etc.). And that's just one part of it, he also gives you guidance on how to change a lot of things in your daily routine (exercise, stretching, when to turn off the TV, etc.) but I will have to save that for another day.

Back to the food, one of the most critical things that I added to my diet was the breakfast smoothie. This delicious breakfast option gives me an amazing amount of energy (enough to give up coffee!) and is very easy for the system to digest.

Here is my favorite smoothie, but please experiment and create your own:

1/2 Cup Frozen Pineapple
1/2 Cup Frozen Mango
1/4 Frozen Banana (I buy fresh, then once ripe I freeze in chunks)
1/2 Cup Coconut Water (can be found in Whole Foods)
1/2 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Goat Yogurt (optional)
1 tsp Coconut Oil (optional)
1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein
2 Ice Cubes
Throw them all in a blender and blend. Easy!

Sweet Ali's: A Gluten-free Bakery

If you are gluten-free, you have probably been super jealous that cities like New York City, Los Angeles and even Madison, WI have Gluten-free bakeries. I mean, have you seen the BabyCakes website? Yum!

Chicago is a little bit behind on the gluten-free movement, however I have come upon a new bakery that is delivering a few gluten-free baked goods to Supermarkets in the suburbs. My Mom found a Gluten-free brownie made by Sweet Ali's in Kramer Foods in Hinsdale. They also distribute to a couple other stores which are listed out on their website.

Their current list of products is as follows:
- Muffins
- Brownies
- Cookies
- Flour mix

Give 'em a try and help them grow!

Red Wine Sunday 10/25/09

Red Wine Sunday's have been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. The definition of a Red Wine Sunday is as follows:
1. It takes place on a Sunday
2. The family gathers at my parents house
3. Italian tomato sauce is bubbling on the stove
4. Depending on the season either Golf, Baseball or Football in on the Living Room TV
5. Red Wine is opened in enough time to let it breathe
6. Pre-meal beverage is usually 1 glass of white wine served with some nuts
7. My Mom prepares and serves a phenomenal Italian meal (with Red Wine of course)

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, onto yesterday's meal. It's fitting that yesterday's RWS was very traditional. We had Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce (with Sausage) and a Salad. In the photo above, you will notice that their are 2 bowls of pasta (1 gluten-free, 1 traditional).

The RWS tradition stemmed from my Dad's side of the family. My grandmother Louise and great-grandmother Antoinette were both 100% Italian and great cooks to boot. The traditional recipe for Red sauce has been adapted a bit over the years, but every bit as delicious.

Red Sauce:

Ingredients:
3 Cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes (Buy San Marzano tomatoes from Italy)
1 Can Tomato Puree
1/2 Yellow Onion (diced)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1/2- 1 Tbsp Oregano
5 Basil leaves (optional)
1 lb Mix of Sweet and Hot Italian Sausage (links)
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Heat a large soup pot on medium and add olive oil. Add onions and cook until almost translucent. Add Garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
2. Add in the 4 cans of tomato (break up the whole tomatoes with a knife, potato masher or your hands prior to putting them in the pot).
3. Sear Italian sausage in a saute pan for a couple minutes on each side until brown. This seals in the juices. Once complete, add sausage to pot (pick up with a metal tongs and drop in one by one).
3. Add oregano, salt & pepper to the pot. A little goes along way.
4. Bring the sauce back to a boil then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 4 hours or so. If sauce gets too thick, you can add a little water.
5. At the end, you can throw in the basil leaves for a couple minutes to add some freshness to the pot.
6. Serve with your favorite pasta.