ARTICHOKE CHEESE SQUARES, retro '80s - great holiday potluck or canape

This is a quick, easy, moderately priced dish that lends itself well to holiday potlucks, company canapes, and is easily portable and packable lunches. It also uses standard staples that you may have in your kitchen for quick fixing when necessary or desired.

2-6 1/2 oz. jars of marinated artichoke hearts
3/4 cups white onion, small dice
2 stripes of gluten-free bacon (crumbled) or 1/4 cup gluten free ham (minced)
1/4 gluten-free breadcrumbs
4 large omega-three eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon gluten-free Italian seasoning (try Penzey's)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, best quality you can afford
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed and chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce*
Salt and Pepper to taste

Drain the marinating liquid from the jars of artichokes. Pour it into a saute pan and saute the onion and garlic in it. Cool.

When the onions and garlic are cool. Mix them together with the rest of the ingredients and poor into a greased pan, 11" x 7".  Bake for half-an-hour in an 325 degree F oven that has been preheated for at least fifteen minutes. It should be firm, but don't let it dry out.  Cool. Cut into squares and serve cold or at room temperature.

*Originally this recipe called for Worcestershire Sauce, which is made with malt vinegar. Malt vinegar is made from barley and therefor unsuitable for people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.  Since Worcestershire Sauce is made with anchovy, we thought Asian Fish Sauce might be a reasonable substitute. We found Thai Kitchen has a number of gluten-free products that are marked as such.

A gluten-free holiday recipe.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

MINEST, classic Brooklyn-Italian winter soup of greens

Photograph of fresh Greens via Wikipedia under GNU Free Documentation License

* * * * * * * * * *

Minest: It's unlikely that you will find this recipe in a cookbook or even on-line.  It's classic Brooklyn-Italian, great winter comfort food, a soup lush with mixed greens and rich with flavor.  If your kids generally don't like to eat greens, there's a good chance they will eat them this way. 

Serve the minest with warm slices of a quality gluten-free bread that you have made or purchased at Whole Foods.

A salad of fresh herbs, grape tomatoes, and cubes of fresh mozzarella. Dress the salad with a savory vinaigrette. You can substitute extra-firm tofu for mozzarella if you are vegan. Just cube and marinate the tofu for about an hour in some vinaigrette first. 

Follow the soup and salad with a light dessert such as fresh orange sections drizzled with Amaretto and topped with a sprinkle of chopped almonds or shredded coconut. Wind it all up with a cup of smokey, black China tea like Russian Caravan Tea from Peet's.  

Traditionally minest was made by first boiling a prosciutto bone in water for a broth and then adding the other ingredients after several hours.  I always used to make the broth and then refrigerate it so that I could skim the fat and proceed after that. I have not included it here for a few reasons: 1.) Given the times, it just won't be budget-wise for many folks.  It used to be you could get a prosciutto bone from the Italian Pork Store for nothing.  I'm sure they come dear these days.  2.) I don't know if they are gluten-free. 3.) Many of us are cutting back on or forgoing meat for reasons of health, and/or ethics, and/or compassion.  I don't think the recipe suffers from this modification.  I have enriched the veggie broth with a base of sauted minced vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and the addition of pesto (for those who have no nut or cheese allergies) or pistou for those who do.  Although some folks add cheese to pistou, the traditional version does not include it. 

If you must have meat and can't afford or don't have access to prosciutto, you could substitute smoked turkey legs or a hunk of gluten-free American ham. Whatever you use, check the packages or contact the manufacturer to be sure that whatever you buy is gluten-free.  Other variations:  you could add polpetti (tiny meatballs) or take a page out of the French cookbook and top each serving of minest with a fried egg.

This post includes recipes for minest, pesto, pistou, and vinaigrette salad dressing. 

GLUTEN-FREE MINEST

The Recipe

Serves six as a main course

1 large onion, peeled and minced

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 carrot, shredded

1 celery stalk, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, minced

4 mushrooms, minced

Olive Oil (doesn't have to be first press)

1 small head of savoy cabbage, washed, cored and cut into wedges

1 bunch of escarole, washed and torn into small pieces

1 bunch of swiss chard, washed and torn into small pieces

1 - 32 ounce container of  Imagine gluten-free vegetable broth

1 cup of cold, filtered water

1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the best you can afford

Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Saute the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and mushroom in the olive oil in a pot large enough to accommodate all the greens. When they are lightly browned and beginning to soften, add the both to the pot and follow with the greens.  Simmer until the greens are tender.  Add the extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir.

After you dish out the soup, pass around the pesto or the pistou so that each person can add what they would like to flavor their own bowl of soup.

Pesto: Process the following in your food processor, everything but the basil leaves at first.  Once the rest is processed, add the basil.

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
• 1/2 cup freshly grated sheep's milk pecorino romano
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, best you can afford
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pistou: Process the following in your food processor, everything but the basil leaves at first. Once the rest is processed, add the basil.

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, best you can afford
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

GLUTEN-FREE VINAIGRETTE, adapted from Charles Virion's French Country Cookbook
The recipe
Makes 1 1/2 cups
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best you can afford
1 tablespoon Annie's Gluten-free Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh chives, minced or 3/4 teaspoon dried chives
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Place all the ingredients except any fresh herbs into a mixing bowl and beat vigorously with a wire whisk until well mixed.  Add fresh herbs just before dressing the salad.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

THAI PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

The recipe

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 shallots, minced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
• 1 red chili pepper, minced
• 1 small red bell pepper, minced
• 1 large omega-3 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of cold water
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons Thai Fish Sauce  or gluten-free tamari
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup of fresh pineapple, cut into medium dice
• 8 medium-sized fresh, raw shrimp, peeled and devained, leave the tail on
• 1 chicken breast, cut into large dice
• 1/4 cup frozen, organic baby peas
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a pan large enough for all the ingredients.  Add the shallots, garlic, peppers, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant and tender, just a minute or two.  Set aside.

Heat the other tablespoon of oil in the pan and pour in the egg mixture.  Let it cook through.  Do not stir.  You can gently flip it to lightly brown both sides.  Slip it into a plate and cut it into slender lengths. Set aside.

Put the meat and seafood into the pan and cook gently until they are almost cooked through.  Then add the broth, fish sauce and other seasonings, reserving the cilantro until later.  Continue to stir fry.  Add the peas.

Next add the brown rice and the pineapple and continue to stir-fry to mix all and heat through.

Plate the Thai Pineapple Fried Rice and sprinkle it with the fresh cilantro before serving.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE with cinnamon-streusel topping

On some Thanksgivings through the years, we would make Pumpkin Cheesecake instead of Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving.  A nice change of pace, and we New Yorkers love our cheesecake. This one combines the best of cheesecake with the best of pumpkin pie.  Be prepared though, making cheese cake is expensive and bit labor intensive. Plan ahead. You can't make it at the last minute. You must do it at least a day ahead of when you want it.

Streusel-topped Pumpkin Cheesecake

Twelve Servings

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

The Ginger-Pecan Crust:

• 1 1/4 c crushed Mi-Del Ginger Snaps
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• ½ c finely chopped pecans
• 4 T unsalted butter, melted

Mix all four ingredients well and pour into the bottom of a nine-inch, non-stick spring-form pan.  Using the back of a tablespoon, pat the crust down firmly.  Bake for ten minutes. Remove the pan and place it on a cookie tray.  Leave the oven on.

The Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

• 4 pkgs. 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, leave out of the refrigerator to soften
• 1 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 3 T Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1 c canned pumpkin puree
• ½ t each ground nutmeg
 and ground cinnamon
• ¼  t each ground cloves and powdered ginger
• 1 T gluten-free vanilla extract
• ½ t salt
• 4 large omega-3 eggs at room temperature

Beat the cream cheese and sugar on the lowest setting of an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth.  Slowly incorporate the flour being careful not to over do it.  Add the puree, spices, vanilla and salt and mix gently until smooth.  Incorporate the eggs one at a time.

Pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan on top of the crust.  Place in the center of the oven on the cookie tray and reduce the heat to 300 degrees after you close the oven door.  Do not open the oven after this until the cheesecake is done.  Bake for 45 minutes at 300 degrees and then turn off the oven, leaving the cake in it for two hours. Again, be sure not to open the oven.

After two hours, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool complete.  When it is completely cool, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least four-to-five hours, but overnight is best. When ready to serve prepare the streusel.

The Streusel Topping:

• 1 ½ c finely chopped pecans
• 6 T ice cold butter
• ¼ t each cinnamon and powdered ginger

Put the sugar and butter in a bowl and with a fork mash it working it until it looks like meal.  Add the pecans and toss.  Add the cinnamon and ginger and toss.  To serve, remove the outer ring of the spring-from the cheesecake.  Gently spread the streusel over the top.

Optional:  Create a decorative edge with home-made whipped cream and, about an inch apart on the outer circumfrance of the cake, place pecan halves, plain or sugared. 


Gluten-free Mi-Del Ginger Snaps:

The Mi-Del company has a line of gluten-free cookies. The only ones we've tried are the ginger snaps. They're pretty flavorful, and nice and crispy. They make for a pleasant snack and are dunkable. We crush them for cookie crusts in a number of dessert recipes.  Among the advantages are that they are dairy free.  They are not, however, free of potato flour nor are they processed in a dedicated facility. They are not organic.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

CILANTRO HAPPINESS, Moroccan Carrot Salad with Cilantro and Cilantro Pisto

We love cilantro.  We find it refreshing and often use it where we once might have used parsley.  Here we've added it to good effect to an otherwise traditional recipe for Moroccan Carrot Salad.  We've also used it for a Cilantro Pistou, a nice change-of-pace from basil and a good alternative for those who don't particularly care for basil.


Moroccan Carrot Salad with Cilantro
This is based on a recipe in Paula Wofert's Couscous and Other Good Foods from Morocco.

Serves four as a side
The recipe

• 1/2 pound fresh carrots, grated large
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from Meyer lemons if you can get them
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, best quality you can afford
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced
• Orange Flower Water, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons organic sugar
• sea salt, to taste

Place all the ingredients in a bowl except the carrots and mix well.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Add carrots and mix them in well.  Chill before serving.
Tip: If you purchase flower waters - Orange and/or Rose - at ethnic groceries, you will find they are considerably less expensive there than the regular grocery or  gourmet food specialty shops.


Gluten-free Cilantro Pistou
Use on sandwiches, pasta, or to flavor soups.
The recipe
Process the following in your food processor, everything but the basil leaves at first. Once the rest is processed, add the cilantro.

• 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, washed and dried
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, best you can afford
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

SHAKSHUKA, Israeli Breakfast

Peter Griffin, PDPictures.net

Properly turned out, shakshuka hits sweet, fiery, and filling notes all at once.
"Shakshuka, A Tel Aviv Mainstay," Ted Weesner, Jr., The Boston Globe

Shakshuka! Isn't it a wonderful word?  It means "all mixed up" or "all mixed together,"  something to that effect.  Essentially, it is eggs cooked in tomatoes.  Our instinct is, however, that like such dishes all around the world, good cooks vary the ingredients depending on what supplies they have in the larder or are able to get.  Even the name hints at that. The Boston Globe article quoted above is interesting and discusses regional variations for this delicious, budget-wise dish.

One of the things we like about this dish is that it doesn't have to involve bread or other wheat products, and  it gets us going on my veggies first thing.  On the other hand, it can, of course, be eaten any time of day. It has few ingredients and is quick and easy to make, so it's a fine choice for dinner after a long work day.  It lends itself well to adaption as a vegan option.  We prepared it Sunday morning for a friend; but, while his portion was made with eggs, ours was made with tofu.

We were inspired to make shakshuka on Sunday because we were a little too enthusiastic at one of the farmers' markets last week and had an overabundance of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic, which we needed to use up.  We also had an amazingly wonderful and fresh batch of za'atarزعتر‎, a fragrant Arabic spice-blend of sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, and salt, which I was anxious to use.

The recipe:

For each person you will need:

• one-half of a white onion,
• one bell pepper,
• one large tomato,
• one tablespoon of tomato paste,
• one large omega-three egg or a serving of firm tofu,
• Aleppo pepper to taste, and
• about a half-teaspoon or so of za'atar, depending on taste.
• and one tablespoon quality olive oil for the pan.

Chop the vegetables and proceed with the recipe as in the video.  If you are using tofu, cut a few slices and brown them before adding them to the pan of vegetables. Add the Aleppo pepper during the cooking process.When the shakshuka is ready, sprinkle each serving with some za'atar.

POMEGRANATES, Starting to show up in stores and national pomegranate month coming up

Illustration from Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885, Gera, Germany courtesy of Wikipedia.

When we eat pomegranates, we eat food fit for a goddess. In Greek mythology Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was abducted and taken to the underworld by Hades. Zeus demanded that she be returned to earth. Hades had to relent, but Persephone ate four pomegranate seeds and for that she was doomed to return to the underworld for several months (winter time when fields and trees are dormant) each year. 

We, on the other hand, eat pomegranates and are "doomed" to good health. High in antioxidants and ellagic acid, they are believed to mitigate cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and potential for various cancers including breast and prostate. Pomegrantes are, however, contraindicated for those taking certain medications.  So, if you are on cholesterol lowering or blood pressure lowering medications, it's best to check with your doctor or pharmacist before indulging.

Persians put out big bowls of pomegranates at weddings for fortunate and fruitful marriages. In Persian (Iranian) cuisine - a largely undiscovered wonder in the U.S. - it is used in many delicious ways including their tantalizing walnut, bell pepper, and pomegranate dip, muhamarra.  It's quite easy to prepare: In a blender combine

• two large red peppers, seeded and cut in chunks
• 1/2 cups of raw walnuts
• 3 teaspoons of fresh pomegranate juice
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper
• sea salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best quality you can afford

Blend well.  Taste and adjust salt, lemon and olive oil and give it another whirl in the blender.  Pour into a bowl and serve with crudités.  (Great dish for raw foodists.)

Among modern-day Greeks on New Year's Day, pomegranates are taken outside the house and smashed on the ground to disperse the seeds for good luck. The further the seeds travel, the better the luck. More practically speaking, the pomegranates are used in drinks, salad dressings, fruit salads, and just by itself. To get at the seeds, cut the pomegranate in half.  Hold the halves over a bowl of cold water and tap the shell.  The seed and the pith will fall into the water. The seeds will float to the bottom and the pith to the top, making it easy to separate them.  Drain off the water and pith and eat the whole seed.  The flavor is in the juicy outer part, but the fiber is in the inner kernel, so eat the whole thing for maximum delight and health benefit.

Pomegranate molasses can be combined with the seeds and juice of the fruit to make a delicious Greek salad:

• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best you can afford
• 2 teaspoons Annie's Dijon mustard (gluten-free)
• Freshly ground sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 cups of mesclun salad mix
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta
• 1 cup of pomegranate seeds

For the vinaigrette, combine the juice, molasses, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk.  To make the salad, combine the greens and the apple in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and mix.  Divide the dressed greens among eight salad dishes. Top with the crumbled feta and the pomegranate seeds.  Spoon some more of the vinaigrette over each portion, and you're ready to go.
In Lebanese cuisine pomegranate seeds are sprinkled on bowls of leban (yogurt) and on hummus bi tahini, chickpeas with sesame seed paste, and baba ghanouz, tahini with eggplant. There is also a popular pomegrante drink - Americans would call it a "mocktail."  Combine the following ingredients in a pitcher and serve over ice:

• 2 1/2 cups fresh pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Meyers preferred when you can get them
• 1 teaspoon orange-blossom water*
• honey or sugar to taste
• 4 cups mineral water

* Orange blossom water and rose-water are used frequently in Middle Eastern cooking.  It may be a bit of an acquired taste.  Hard for me to tell since I grew up with it.  However, we can give you a good budget tip.  If you have a Mediterranean or Indian grocer near you, these waters will be half or even one-third the price of the same product in other stores.  And, a beauty tip: rose-water makes a great and very soothing toner for mature skin.


For the holidays, drop a few pomegranate seeds in glasses of champagne for the grown-ups and sparkling apple juice for the kids and watch with delight as the lovely garnet gems dance.  Or for the kids a soda with grenadine. Grenadine is a sweet syrup made from pomegranates and something with which most people are familiar since it is often used in mixed drinks. Most of  my generation got introduced to it as kids in Shirley Temple and Roy Rodger drinks, ginger ale and grenadine on ice.  They might be fun drinks for your kids during holiday season, but probably need to be renamed.  Maybe Hanna Montana and Spider Man, or something like that.

Enjoy fresh pomegranate now. The season will pass quickly.

PUTTING THE NY SPIN ON BROWNIES

PDphoto.org

There are few things more New York than coffee and a cannoli . . . so forget dinner . . . How about a good, hot Cafe Americano and a luscious gluten-free chocolate brownie topped with snow-white cannoli cream and slivers of red-ripe strawberries macerated in golden rum?  Are you smiling yet? Drooling? Making gluten-free cannoli shells is a bit of a project and doesn't lend itself to spontaneity. I've taken to topping brownies or filling figs with cannoli cream and that does it for me.


Cafe Americano
1 espresso added to six ounces of hot water

Chocolate Brownie with Cannoli Cream and Macerated Strawberries
BROWNIE RECIPE - Note: The brownie recipe is adapted from the highly recommended The Gluten-Free Kitchen by Roben Ryberg.


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit

• 1 1/3 cups of organic granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup gluten-free, trans-fat free shortening, Spectrum
• 3 omega-3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Singing Dog Organic Vanilla Extract
• 1 tablespoon white rum
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup Dagoba Organic Chocolate, pure cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons guar gum
• 1 cup Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease a 9" x 13" glass baking pan with some Spectrum and dust with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free All-purpose Flour

Cream the sugar and Spectrum together.  Lightly beat the eggs and add along with the vanilla and rum to the creamed sugar mixture. Mix well and add the remaining ingredients.  Make sure the batter is lump-free.  An old-fashioned hand-held mixer or an immersion blender work well for this. Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool on a rack before cutting and removing to serving dishes.

Top each serving with Cannoli Cream and Macerated Strawberries (below).  Serve with a hot Cafe Americano.

Cannoli Cream
When I found out I had Celiac Disease and would have to make wheat-and-gluten-free cannoli shells from scratch all the time, I realized that the outside of the cannoli wasn't as important to me as the cannoli cream filling.  I found other ways to use the filling when there is not enough time or energy to make the shells.

Traditionally, cannoli cream is made with goat's milk ricotta cheese, which is not readily available. Some clever person came up with the idea of adding goat's milk cheese to the ricotta for a more authentic taste.  Should you prefer to do without the goat's milk cheese, it is optional. The result will still be delicious.  Just add a bit more ricotta.  I have left out the candied fruits and cinnamon since in this dessert the Cream is pared with fruit and brownies, quite rich enough without those additions. This is a favorite at my house.  I'm sure it will be at yours as well.

CANNOLI CREAM RECIPE:

• 1 pound fresh whole-milk ricotta
• 2 ounces soft and mild goat's milk cheese
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Combine all ingredients in one bowl and mix well.

MACERATED STRAWBERRIES
You can prepare these while the brownies are baking so that they can macerated at room temperature for a while before you serve them.

• 2 small baskets of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced thin
• 3 tablespoons organic granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons white rum

Combine in one bowl and mix well.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

CONTE'S MUSHROOM FLORENTINE PIZZA, product review

Conte's Mushroom Lorentine Pizza
with Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil

This is the best and most palatable packaged gluten-free pizza we've yet to taste.  The aroma is heavenly. There is plenty of cheese and veggies in the flavorful topping. Our only complaint - minor - we would have enjoyed a bit more sauce. We are heavy-duty tomato-sauce lovers. If your mouth is set for the taste and texture of a wheat crust, you'll be disappointed. Having said that, as GF crusts go, it is not bad. It's a bit like a doughy cracker and some might object to that doughiness, but we were okay with it. 


If you are allergic to the gluten in potato, this curst is not made with any potato flour. The cheeses are dairy cheeses. 


This pizza bakes nicely in the middle of the oven and takes 10-12 minutes. With preheat that means you can have it on the table in half-an-hour with time to prepare a salad while it's baking. The package says it serves four. We are little (or not so little!) piglets, so it served two.


The downside is that the pizza is not organic and Conte's plant is not a dedicated plant.

Wheat Free/Gluten Free Ingredients: CRUST: Rice flour, Water, Corn Starch, Tapioca Dextrin, Non-Fat Milk, Whole Eggs, Sugar, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Baking Powder, Soybean Oil, Yeast. TOPPING: Chopped Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, culture, salt, enzymes), Asiago Cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Fresh Sliced White Mushrooms, Baby Leaf Spinach, Olive Oil, Romano Cheese (pasteurized sheep's milk, rennet, bacterial culture, salt) Roasted Garlic.  Contains: Milk, Eggs Good manufacturing practices are used to segregate ingredients in a facility that also processes wheat. NUTRITION FACTS Serving Size 1 slice (113g) Servings Per Container 4 Amount per Serving Calories 240  Calories from fat 90 %Daily Value Total Fat 10g - 16%  Saturated Fat 4.5g - 22%  Trans Fat 0g  Polyunsaturated Fat 0g  Monounsaturated Fat 3.5g Cholesterol 40mg - 14% Sodium 610mg - 25% Total Carbohydrates 27g - 9%  Dietary Fiber 1g - 4%  Sugars 3g  Sugar Alcohol 0g Protein 9g Vitamin A 6% Vitamin 4 2% Calcium 25% Iron 2% COOKING DIRECTIONS: DO NOT MICROWAVE. Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Remove pizza from plastic wrapper and place on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product.

ORANGE & OLIVE SALAD, Portokalia me elies

Naxos Taverna, Wikipedia, license

This classic Greek salad is quickly and easily assembled and services four.

The recipe

2 large oranges, peeled and separated into slices, be sure to remove seeds and pith

20 pitted calamata olives

1/2 small red onion, sliced as thinly as possible

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

spinach leaves, washed

Assemble the salad by mixing all the ingredients - with the exception of the spinach - in one bowl.  Cover and chill for at least two hours. Serve the salad on individual plates that have been lined with the spinach leaves.

Actual product ingredients may contain more and different information than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

GF CINNAMON SUGAR DONUTS, Truly Good

As I write this, these donuts - delicious - are on sale for a dollar off at Whole Foods. They usually run about six dollars. There are six to a package. This might then be the time to try them if you never have before.


Kinnikinnick Foods' Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are probably as close to a cake-like wheat donut as we're likely to get.  They're addictive. I even take one in a plastic bag when I meet friends for coffee. (None of our local cafes offer gluten-free baked goods yet. One does continue to hope... ) You'll find these GF donuts in the frozen food case at select groceries. Link here to find a store in your area.

Kinnikinnick also manufactures chocolate and vanilla iced donuts. I didn't eat iced donuts before I was diagnosed, so I'm not inclined to try them now. However, I suspect that if you liked iced donuts before your dietary restrictions, you might very well enjoy these.


The donuts are wheat-and-gluten, soy, and dairy free.  There is an allergy warning for nuts and sesame.  They are manufactured in a dedicated facility*.


Dedicated facility: one that produces only wheat-and-gluten free products, thus eliminating the potential for cross contamination.


Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

ROMAN EGG DROP SOUP, La Straciatella

Yet another luxurious farmers’ market haul with a few veggies from a friend’s garden, providing a wealth of vegetables to flavor the soup and nourish the body.

Picture it:  Brooklyn, New York, early 50s and my first intro to Roman Egg Drop Soup (La Stracciatella, i.e., torn or ragged, which is the way the eggs look) came courtesy of my Aunt Mildred, a world-class cook and a world-class lady.  Though she made all the usual Brooklyn Italian dishes from scratch and the best-ever meat sauce, for this particular recipe she actually used Lipton soup. It made an ersatz but quick and kid-friendly version.  The recipe that follows, though, is the real deal.

Note: If the broth is purchased not homemade, be sure that it’s gluten free.

Roman Egg  Drop Soup

Serves six

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups of rich wheat-and-gluten free broth, vegetable or chicken, homemade or packaged
• 2 celery stalks including leaves, minced
• 2 small hot (mince) or sweet peppers (rough chop)
• 2 green squash, shredded
• 6 cups of baby spinach
• 1 cup of fresh parsley, minced
• 2 omega-3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, best quality you can find and afford
• Sea salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste

Put the oil into the stock pot and then sauté the onion.  When it begins to get golden add the garlic.  Sauté both to golden brown, being careful not to burn the garlic or it will be bitter.  Add broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the celery, simmering for two or three minutes. Add the rest of vegetables, except the spinach and parsley. They can be added after about five minutes. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about ten minutes. Meanwhile, whip the two eggs with the tablespoon of water, the nutmeg, and the Parmesan cheese. When the vegetables are almost tender, bring the soup to a boil and slowly poor in the egg mixture while stirring the soup with a fork.  This will break up the egg mixture so that it cooks in pieces (i.e., little rags).

The finished product, La Stracciatella (Roman Egg Drop Soup), wheat-and-gluten free and chock full of vegetables.

This is a very free-form, very forgiving soup.  You can be quite creative with it.  You can use any combination of vegetables that appeals to you or added cooked diced, chicken or turkey or tofu. You can top each serving with a basil chiffonade or some pesto or pistou or even a dollop of top-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

GARIDES SAGANAKI, Shrimp baked with feta and tomatoes

Photograph courtesy of Barbara Stone.

"How simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. All that is required to feel that here and now is happiness, is a simple heart." Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

Ah, well . . . We can't hear the sea from my little apartment. We can catch its scent though in the plump, sweet shrimp I got on sale at Whole Foods. That's the only time I buy shrimp - if at all - when it's on sale. Sweet coral-colored shrimp, deep red tomatoes, and salty white feta. What could be better than this classic Greek dish, garides saganaki, a glass of cool white wine for my guest, some briny black olives, a simple salad, and a simple heart? Happiness. Heaven.

GARIDES SAGANAKI, Wheat-and-Gluten Free
This recipe
Serves 2-3 people

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, rough chop
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound of medium-to-large sized shrimp, shell and devein, rinse and pat dry
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3/4 box of gluten-free pasta shells
• 3/4 pound of feta, crumble
• 1/4 fresh Italian parsley, minced

Brown the onions in the oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Add the garlic when the onions are almost ready and then add the shrimp. Stir to the shrimp begins to turn color and is almost cooked through. Pour on the brandy - carefully - light it and burn it off. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set it aside.

Add the crushed tomatoes, the tomato paste, white wine, the oregano, and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir to mix well.  Allow to simmer and thicken for about 25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425° while the sauce is thickening. Prepare the pasta al dente and drain. Set aside. You can mix it with a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking together.

When the sauce is ready, spoon some into the bottom of a 8" x 8" baking pan. Mix the shrimp and past and place the mixture in the pan. Top with the sauce and then the feta and sprinkle with the minced parsley.

Bake for 25 minutes until it is heated through. Allow to sit for five minutes or so before serving.

Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

NY CHEESECAKE a la JUNIOR'S...made GF

 The World-Famous Junior's at Dusk

The traditional Juniors recipe calls for a sponge cake base. For this gluten-free version, I do a cookie and nut crust, which is my preference. The recommended products are wheat-and-gluten free at the time of this writing. However, if you have celiac disease, you should always double-check when making a purchase. Product formulations change frequently and without warning. No assumptions please.

The recipe

Serves 12

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare the cookie crust:

• 1 1/4 c gluten-free pecan shorties, or other gluten-free packaged or homemade cookie of your choice, made into crumbs
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• ½ c finely chopped pecans
• 4 T unsalted butter, melted

Mix all four ingredients well and pour into the bottom of a nine-inch, non-stick spring-form pan.  Using the back of a tablespoon, pat the crust down firmly.  Bake for ten minutes. Remove the pan.  Wrap the bottom with foil. Place the pan on a cookie tray.  Leave the oven on.

The filling:

• Four 8 oz. pkgs. Organic Valley cream cheese, room temperature
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill corn starch
• 1 tablespoon Singing Dog Organic Vanilla Extract (gluten-free)
• 2 extra-large Omega-3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Mix, assemble, bake, and chill:

Put one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, half of the sugar and the starch in a large mixing bowl. Beat at the lowest speed on your mixing, scraping the bowl from time to time to make sure that the ingredients mix well.  Beat in the remaining three package of cheese and the remaining sugar in increments.  Blend in the vanilla. Add the eggs in two increments.  Beat at high-speed for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream, beating at low until just blended, taking care not to over mix the filling. 


Spoon the filling into the pan, gently. Place the spring-form pan in a bain Marie, a large shallow pan with enough hot water to come up one-inch on the spring-form pan.

Bake the cheesecake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour/10 minutes. Do not open the oven when the cake is baking.  At the end of the baking time, the cheesecake should be firm around the edges and have a slight jiggle in the middle.  Remove it from the oven. Cool on a wire rack. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Once chilled, remove the sides of the spring-form pan. You can leave the cake on the spring-form bottom and just place it on an attractive serving dish. Refrigerate left-overs . . . if there are any!