A note for celiacs.

My mother has pretty severe celiac disease, and in many years of learning to cook gluten-free, I've become very conscious of the gluten intolerant. Thus I have endeavored to keep this blog as celiac-friendly as possible by labeling my posts with the following keywords for easy lookup:

• Gluten-free: no wheat, rye, barley, or oats
• Gluten-friendly: easily adaptable for celiacs without sacrificing taste or quality.

That way, by clicking on the keyword, you can easily pull up all recipes I've tagged as gluten-free or friendly. Not every recipe will be, but I will make suggestions for suitable changes where appropriate.

Note that some externally linked recipes may not be gluten-free. This will be specified at the end of each post.

I really, really love soup.

I really do love soup. This one was originally intended to be something rather different, more of a pureed carrot soup with some of the stewed tomatoes, but it kind of evolved as I went and I'm quite happy with the results. The rice and mashed (instead of pureed) vegetables make it a little heartier, and the honey adds just a touch of flavor without adding sweetness. Also equally tasty without tomato. Gluten-free.

Roasted carrot and vegetable soup

1/2 pound baby carrots
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise
6 cloves of garlic, one end trimmed off
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon honey
scant 1/2 cup stewed tomatoes
1 cup cooked leftover rice (preferably jasmine)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine vegetables, garlic, and olive oil in a small roasting pan. Cover pan with foil; roast vegetables 45 minutes. Cool veggies until cool enough to handle; scoop zucchini and eggplant pulp from the skins. Remove garlic from its peel, and mash veggies and garlic together. Toss into pan, add chicken broth and honey, and simmer 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes and rice, and serve.

I love soup.

I've been very interested lately in the combination of sweet and savory, particularly in combining the two to create dishes that are uniquely both. This tomato nectarine bisque is a pretty solid example - savory chicken broth, white wine, roasted garlic, and sweet tomatoes and nectarines combine to create a soup that is beautifully, refreshingly sweet, while still maintaining just enough of a rich savory body. I use the term "Soup Nazi soup" for this recipe. I have long loved making unique soups and sandwiches (and will someday open a little cafe in Amsterdam or Haarlem to feed my creations to the world), and to date, this bisque is definitely my masterpiece. A rich red wine instead of white might make an interesting change of pace if I ever get bored with this. Completely celiac-friendly.

I really need a better camera and better dishes if I'm to make decent food porn.


Tomato and nectarine bisque with roasted garlic

1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 nectarine, quartered and finely sliced
1/3 c good German Riesling or other very sweet white wine
1 head roasted garlic, mashed
1 1/2 cups stewed tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup whole milk*

(note: I used milk and cream because I was low on cream; you could use 1/3 cup of cream instead of the combination)

Saute nectarine in olive oil on medium heat until soft. Mash nectarine in pot; add garlic and combine thoroughly. Add wine, simmer 5 minutes. Mixture should be thick and syrupy, and alcohol will have evaporated.Add tomatoes and broth; simmer 5 minutes on low heat (bisque should be barely simmering). Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes, and add half and half. Serve warm or cold (but never hot), with toasted baguette or Holland Rusk and good brie.

Oh, tomatoes...

This weekend a friend gave me a bunch of tomatoes from her garden to help get me through that withdrawal period between my own tomato crops (my beautiful Heartland reds are recovering from a couple days of neglect, which in the desert is much more severe than it sounds, during which I lost two of my plants and the small green tomatoes that were growing on them). Anyway, the Sweet 100's I ate that very afternoon with my daughter, who loves any kind or color of small tomato. They're absolute heaven, small and round and sweet, bursting with rich fresh flavor when you bite. The large reds, however, I had no idea what to do with. I'm tired of the ubiquitous "it's summer and it's hot" salads. Fast-forward to a few days later - they are very ripe and need to be eaten right away, so I decided to stew them.

Here's the lovely stewed tomato recipe I found. The author recommends eating them as a stew with homemade croutons, which I'll bet is very delicious, but I've come up with other uses, the best of which will wind up here for my adoring fan to try. On the list for tomorrow's cooking are:

• Sweet tomato-carrot soup
• Tomato and nectarine bisque with roasted garlic (I'm thinking this one has lots of promise; at any rate, it will make a nice change from my usual lazy-ass canned soup for lunch)

My kitchen is, at the moment, quite poorly stocked, but I think I can whip up a few good, simple recipes using what I've got.

Note that I've modified the stewed tomato recipe slightly. My changes are as follows:

5 cups cored, peeled, roughly chopped fresh ripe tomatoes
7 Tbsp good quality salted butter
7 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 large Genovese basil leaves, torn

Toss tomatoes in large pot; add butter, sugar, and pepper. Simmer 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and add basil.

Please note that, to suit my intentions for the tomatoes, I've omitted any salt (except the little bit in the butter). If you're preparing a more savory dish you'll want to add a teaspoon or so, depending on your tastes. Personally I'd rather have sweeter more versatile tomatoes - you can always add salt to your recipe later.

I miss food lately.

I'm a true foodie. There's nothing better than good (and sometimes junk) food. I don't quite live to eat, but I revel in the joys of cooking and eating. And now I'm pregnant with my second child, still in the first trimester, and thus am subjected daily to frequent incurable bouts of 'morning' sickness caused by just about anything I try to eat - except veggies, orange juice, tea, ham and cheddar sandwiches slathered in mustard, PBJs, and oddly enough, the much ranted-about Eggs Benedict. Sometimes kiwi-strawberry Slush Puppies help, too. I went through a brief phase where homemade hamburgers smothered in cheese, bacon, grilled onions, and various other fixings were the only cure for what ailed me. I also went through a phase where my favorite healthy cereals made me wish I hadn't eaten them. I'm not allowed to eat raw sushi or sashimi, and even lunchmeat is supposed to be off the menu. Caffiene and alcohol are a thing of the past as well. There's enough that's off limits, so why do the things that are left have to make me so sick? I haven't been able to touch, smell, or even look at chocolate since this pregnancy started (and I'm not kidding about looking at chocolate - my mother sent me a link to some chocolate website and I thought I was going to lose my already tenuous hold on lunch). Tonight we made Swiss cheese fondue with French bread for supper and that made me sick, despite having had a ferocious craving for it all day. My three year-old daughter enjoyed it immensley, however, and would shriek "I caught one!" every time she speared a piece of bread with her pink-tipped fondue fork. She likes to pat me on the hand and tell me she'll "look after me" and console me when I feel sick "because there's too much babies in your tummy." She has a funny but heartwarming approach to pregnancy, and I can't wait til the morning sickness goes away and I can enjoy it more with her.

What's with all the variations of Eggs Benedict?

At Eggs Benedict New York you can find a list of recipes that includes "Shortcut Eggs Benedict - With cream of chicken soup and milk substituting for eggs in hollandaise."

Do I understand this right? To me it sounds like cream of chicken soup on an english muffin. Just call it what it is, instead of trying to pass it off as something actually worth eating. Fortunately, the link to the recipe is now a dead one, and a Google search for it assures us that the world will never again be subjected to its horrors. Other B-movie-screamfest 'variations' include substituting everything from guaccamole mayonnaise to salsa for the Hollandaise, and another truly terrifying recipe uses "cholesterol-free egg product and evaporated milk to make the hollandaise to cover frozen waffles on which sit poached eggs." The title of this recipe is, in fact, "Eggs Benedict Without Real Eggs." Then what, pray tell, are the real poached eggs DOING on those waffles? (WAFFLES?!)

So what, some may ask, is REAL Eggs Benedict? To those who have never reveled in its creamy glory, Wikipedia has a great entry. While I sometimes omit the Canadian bacon (I've never been a huge fan of smoked pork products), I still adhere to the classic religiously. For those who have been told (or have simply feared) that real Hollandaise is too difficult to make, rest assured - it does take a little time and care, but it is nearly foolproof if you follow the instructions, and your efforts are well-rewarded in the end. Real Hollandaise sauce is so good that I always feel the need to make hash browns as well, simply as a vehicle for more sauce. If for some reason you just can't get the hang of it, Epicurious has a fairly good Blender Hollandaise recipe you should try.

For those with a gluten intolerance or wheat allergy, you can substitute homemade hash browns (recipe below) for the English muffins, unless you have a truly good gluten-free muffin on hand. The Hollandaise sauce is gluten-free by nature. For those who can eat regular English muffins, the hash browns make a nice accompaniment and serve to mop up extra sauce.

Sublime Hollandaise Sauce

(for about four portions of Eggs Benedict)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce, or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Boil vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, salt, and white pepper in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon water.

Whisk in yolks, then cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (but not scrambled), about 1 minute. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, lifting pan occasionally to cool sauce and adding each piece before previous one is completely melted.
Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, chili sauce or cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm; may be refrigerated for a few days if necessary.

Note: some might find the sauce too tangy - reduce the lemon juice from two tablespoons to one; it still makes an acceptable lemony sauce while keeping offended tastebuds happy. Also, please note that the egg yolks in this sauce are not fully cooked. If you have concerns about salmonella, you should not make this sauce.

Hash browns

(makes four patties)

1 large baking potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 large egg, beaten

Scrub and coarsley grate potato (do not peel); sprinkle with salt and let sit 5 minutes. Drain off excess liquid, then mix with egg and remaining spices. Let sit another 5 minutes, while oil heats in pan. Use enough oil to liberally coat the bottom of a nonstick skillet. Spoon potato mixture into hot oil in 4 piles, and pack into patties with spatula or spoon. Fry until both sides are browned (darker than golden-brown) and center is tender.

There's nothing like a real, fresh tomato.

I'm talking about the sort you walked out your back door to pick, doesn't need washing, and is still warm from the sun when you slice it open. The kind that actually has a smell, and ripened the way nature intended. Be they sweet or savory, fresh tomatoes are, in my opinion, the best fruit there is.

This summer marks something momentous - my first garden. My mother has grown things before, but I always hated helping take care of the plants and never much cared about what went on out there. It's an entirely different animal when it's your very own, when you love and nurture these plants from tiny seedlings (or seeds), watching them bloom and bear their first fruits. I have to admit that I love my little piece of the earth; I love that, with much care, I triumph over this desert climate and am rewarded with fresh, nutritious ingredients to nourish myself and my family with. I grow the most beautiful tomatoes (sweet heartland red and strong, savory yellow pear), Japanese eggplants, and herbs I've ever laid eyes on.

Today I was faced with a bowlful of colorful tomatoes, and again the nagging dilemma - eat them now, or wait for a couple more to come in and make salsa? In the end, my rumbling tummy, a loaf of homemade bread, and my craving for an old favorite won out. And while I try to stay as celiac-friendly as possible, my apologies fo the gluten intolerant: there is just no substituting here.

Bread salad
Prep time: less than 45 minutes
Easy to prepare while making other dishes

3 cups good white bread (preferably crusty), cubed
12 oz. fresh mixed tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup fresh torn basil leaves
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup plus 1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T hot chile oil (optional)
pinch salt
pinch pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Spread bread cubes out on cookie sheet; bake for 15 minutes. Place in large bowl to cool. Add tomatoes, basil and olives; toss and let stand. Combine vinegar, garlic, oils, salt, and pepper, and whisk til emulsified. Let stand 10 minutes; then toss with bread mixture, allow to stand another 10 minutes at room temperature. Serve immediately, and don't expect leftovers.