Food4thought

Permission to Play With Your Food

These days, as winter rages on here in New England, sometimes I just can't go out one more time to pick up a missing ingredient for an inspired recipe.  So I have given myself permission to improvise a little in both savory and baked goods and have been pleasantly surprised.  Who knew that olive oil would be so yummy in brownies and that mashed red lentils work nicely as a potato type of binder!  Gluten free cooking is not so challenging, but the baking still is as the quest for fine texture and rich taste has me sifting 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the gluten free baking mix and using vegetable oil instead of butter or one of the dairy free substitutes in cookies.  We are getting so close to a perfect cookie over here that all the "regular" eaters are raiding my freezer and loving the goodies.  Better them than me, actually!

So I am hereby giving you all permission to play with your food... Look at a recipe as a guideline of proportion of ingredients, like a template, but create your own product by adapting it to what you have on hand.  Obviously you cannot turn lamb chops into bouillabaisse, but I think you get my drift.

Been a Wafer So Long!

That is the punch-line to "why did the cookie crumble..." Not that it makes any more sense than why I haven't kept up to date!

Not at Haley House any longer, but still a good place to eat and stop in for baked goods. 
Back at Miss Jeannies here and there for my innermost party animal.
Teaching teens at the Brighton YMCA how to cook and eat more healthfully.
Working with adults with disabilities at Brookline Adult Ed imparting kitchen skills.
And...for those of you who are dairy free... get over to Blacker's Bakeshop on Commonwealth Ave. in Newton Center!  Strictly kosher, pareve, nut-free, fresh baked goodies you don't want to miss.  You might even see me there on Sunday mornings with my BFF from Cambridge Culinary, Karen Blacker, former Cookie Queen of Cookie Express and who doesn't love cookies!

So much personal cheffing happening, very fun clients!  Weekly soups with seasonal ingredients, parsnip and squash, roasted red pepper, spicey tomato.  Always grainy in my kitchen, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, lentils, topped with roasted vegetables and mushroom ragus.  We are fishing weekly at the freshest markets, and sticking with local wild catches when we can.  Still gluten free, who knew it could be so good!

Want to join the fun?  I can always fit in another food friend.... so give me a buzzz...we'll have an adventure.

THE HEAT IS ON AND THE ROOF DECK IS OPEN

What tastes better than food hot off the grill eaten outside under the changing sky as the sun goes down and the heat abates?  Well, I suppose that depends on what is on the menu and here it is always lots of protein and the BIG salad.  If there are any carbs to be found they are sweet potatoes or buckwheat noodle salads and the salad is always filled with serious veggies such as snap peas, juicy red peppers, cauliflower, broccoli or spinach.  They are topped with a variety of fresh herbs cut straight out of the garden such as mint, basil, oregano and chives.  A little lemon and olive oil and fresh ground pepper and dinner is served. 
Another delicious dressing for a spinach salad with strawberries and blue cheese can be had by adding fresh strawberries to your basil pesto....hmmm, good idea.
For the proteins, I allow generous portions for the working folk and the guys, since there are no carbs on the table and then I am always happy if there are leftovers to have for lunch the next day.  I marinate early in the day in moisturizing tastes such as coconut milk, buttermilk, and olive oil/citrus or wine and then pile on the spices.  Dry herbs work well for grilling, they don't burn and crumble off, and in combinations they make a great rub which also helps with searing and juiciness.  Don't forget to use those cedar planks you got on sale last year and stored away!
Dessert is easy, fruit, fruit, fruit....seize the melon..and you can't feel too guilty even with a little frozen soy ice cream, sorbet or yogurt.
So get out there and eat!

A TASTE OF SPRING

So, here in New England it is officially spring and though the cold weather endures, the palate need not stick to the winter bounty.  I do have a strong feeling for locally grown produce, but it is a hard principle to stick by at this time of year when we see beautiful asparagus, new peas, spring onions, tender baby carrots and the huge assortment that is now available at most grocers.  The fresh taste of the season is truly apparent in the new asparagus, for example, compared to what you paid much more for in January and its character makes it suitable for some creative uses, like a vegetable terrine or a simple topping with lemon and thyme over fresh pasta. 
Here's a simple terrine recipe to try; you can use a standard 1-2 quart terrine or for fun you can make them in small loaves or ramekins.  I like to chop lots of fresh parsley and chive to dock the top and sides with when I serve this.

• 10 asparagus spears
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 cup baby peas
• 3 1/2 oz red pepper diced
• 3 1/2 oz new carrots, diced
• 1 cup diced spring onion
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4  cups heavy cream
• 4 oz goat or feta cheese
• 2 T fresh tarragon chopped
• 2T fresh basil chopped
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF
2. Bring a pan of water to the boil, stir in the cooking salt, add the petits pois red pepper and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove from the pan, refresh in iced water and drain.
3. Add the asparagus and onion to the water and blanch for 1 minute and remove from pan and refresh in iced water.
4. Add the carrots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and refresh under cold water.
5. Whisk the eggs,the cheese and the cream in a bowl and add fold in the peas, carrots, onion, red pepper tarragon and basil. Season with salt and pepper.  Reserve the asparagus spears.
6. Line a terrine with plastic wrap, allowing it to overhang the sides. Spoon in 1/3 of the the vegetable mixture. Lay down a bed of asparagus spears in a single layer and cover with another1/3 of the mixture.  Then repeat the asparagus layer and top with the last 1/3 of the vegetable mixture.
7. Wrap the overhanging cling film over the top to seal and put the terrine into a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the terrine and bake for 30-40 minutes, (less time for ramekins) or until the tip of a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out and remove the cling film before serving. Serve warm or cold.

ENJOY AND HAPPY SPRING!

Back to Reality Bites

25 days, 75 meals or snacks and many bottles of wine...it kinda flew by.  But it was an amazing journey through a variety of climates, cultures, natural wonders and very good food.  From the Great Barrier Reef to the outback dessert, the tropical rainforest to the city skyscrapers we found great meals and healthy food everywhere we went.  The local wines in Australia and New Zealand were inexpensive and somehow tastier there than at home and our bicycle excursion in the vineyards introduced us to some new favorites.  Eating gluten-free was pretty easy and satisfying almost everywhere we went.  High end restaurants are well prepared for special diets and accomodate quite nicely,  I was even served a basket of gluten-free bread!  I did get some new ideas for soups...like roasted parsnip and garlic, snacks...roasted chick peas, and appetizers...tropical grubs, in high demand for the Wild Food Festival in Hokitika.  I am sure you can guess which 2 of these I ate. 

So, I am back in town and ready to go back to work.  I am scheduling clients now for the spring, let me help you plan your Passover and Easter so you can enjoy it stressfree.

Follow Me Over the Rainbow

http://wheresnormanow.blogspot.com/

Of Koalas and Kiwis

I am off to Australia and New Zealand until the end of February.  My mind is open to experience new places, different tastes and a range of activities that we can only hope my body is ready for.  I am travelling with my husband and meeting my daughter and her boyfriend (a New Zealander) for our adventure and will keep a journal of our experiences along the way, particularly culinary. 

Check the blog for updates and I will see you in March.

Out and About

There is nothing harder than being out and about for the day and being hungry.  The challenge to find the right snack you can easily grab that is healthy and wise is one I face frequently, especially when I am least able to run into a market to buy something.  When you are gluten-free there is always a bagel available, ironically.  The best case scenario for me is to pack my own snack.  It is safe to eat and readily available but I don't always plan ahead and then I get caught short in fast-food land, or banished from shops with my dog in tow, and start combing the bottom of my purse for dried fruit morsels!  So my goal is to start planning better and avoiding those hungry moments when my blood sugar plummets and my thinking gets slow.  I grab fresh fruit when I have it and throw dried fruit in a zip-loc as a second choice.  If you eat nuts, they are a great option, as are rice crackers and popcorn.  Plus, they make great crumbs for those days you have to go rummaging!

How Does This Work?

Send me an email to give me an overview of what your needs are for meals, food choices, restrictions and likes and dislikes.  Let me know how many you are feeding and how often and let's work together to make your life in the kitchen incredibly rewarding.  We can organize and plan, we can cook together to put you in the comfort zone, or if you really don't want to cook at all, I can prepare meals for you on a bi-weekly basis for freezing and reheating.  Whatever your needs are, from research to meal preparation, help is just a click away.

Think Inside the Box

Try it you, may like it!  Those pre-packaged baking mixes take the mystery out of gluten-free and dairy-free baking, but all are not created equal.  I am a big fan of the Namaste Foods brand mixes when I want a baked good and don't feel like assembling the ingredients myself. It is a natural product and the ones I have tried are quite tasty and have good textures.  They also work well with embellishments added to the mix to "pimp" your treat! Find out about them @ www.namastefoods.com.