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Wheat Free Meat Free Blog
Cooking gluten-free with the garden and the seasons.
Updated: 8 hours 24 min ago
Thinking Spring with Pasta, Peas and Smoked Salmon
Happy Anniversary to Ruth at Presto Pasta Nights for three years of celebrating the glories of our elbow macaroni, rotini, lasagne, pierogies, glass noodles, bow-ties and all the other shapes, sizes and types of pasta. This week Ruth is rounding up what might be a record-breaking number of pasta entries from cooks around the globe and I had to come up with a recipe to offer to the celebration.I was honored to host Pasta Presto Nights #130 last September and have sent in some pasta entries to various other editions of this fun weekly event. Each Friday Ruth or a guest host rounds up the pastas and we all get a carbo-loaded feast for the eyes.
For my contribution to the party, I wanted to augur in Spring (actually Season #5, Mud Season, in these parts) with a delicately spiced and colored pasta. Some leftover smoked salmon was the inspiration for this pasta dish. We really like sushi in this house and we make it at least a couple of times a month in our kitchen.
Youngest daughter is the Sushi Chef: she has the best rolling techniques and the most patience for cutting cucumbers and carrots into thin sticks for the sushi innards. We like making smoked salmon and cream cheese sushi rolls, and for this I buy packages of smoked salmon trimmed from the more expensive Nova packages in the smoked fish section of the supermarket's fish counter. A one pound bag will give us at least two sushi dinner platters, leaving the more sinewy, chewy bits of smoked salmon for grinding up in the food processor with cream cheese for an appetizer spread or for schmearing our breadstuffs.
This last time we had leftover smoked salmon bits I thought about chopping them up and sauteeing them in a butter and wine sauce for pasta and the resulting creation was well-received by the Crispy Crew. Here then is my recipe for the Presto Pasta Nights Anniversary Party:
Rotini with Smoked Salmon and Peas
1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained (we used Pasta d'Oro corn rotini)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup white wine
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup smoked salmon, broken up into chunks or chopped coarsely
2 Tbsp. snipped dill (we used garden dill from our freezer)
Melt butter in large heavy skillet. When it starts to foam, pour in wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half.
Add smoked salmon and peas and saute until salmon turns light pink and firm. Sprinkle with dill and serve hot.
Serves 6.
Congratulations again Ruth for 3 wonderful years of Presto Pasta Nights. Looking forward to the roundup party!
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
My Legume Love Affair #20 Roundup
So many legumes, so little time.....
I knew I was taking on a popular event when I offered to host My Legume Love Affair #20, but the number and range of leguminous submissions was truly astounding. Two years ago, Susan, the Well-Seasoned Cook, created this wonderful monthly food blogging event that educates us all about the world of legumes and how to cook them.
For this 20th helping of MLLA there were a fantastic number of entries from many different countries and my hat's off to all the bloggers who introduced me to various aspects of Indian cuisine and cooking techniques. I have bookmarked at least a month's worth of recipes to cook up in my own kitchen sometime soon.
As far as a favorite legume, chickpeas (garbanzos, ceci beans, etc.) seem to have won the popularity contest. I counted 26 recipes containing this favored legume out of the 62 different posts from 44 bloggers for this event. The legume spectrum included green beans, red kidney beans, variously colored lentils and chickpeas, lima beans, pinto beans, pigeon peas, soybeans, peanuts, mung beans, black beans, adzuki beans, cranberry beans, horsegram, green peas, black-eyed peas, hyacinth or field beans, and split peas.
Without further ado, let's dive in and see what we all cooked up:
Coming to us from her home in the United Arab Emirates, Priya sent in three recipes from her blog Enveetu's Kitchen: a recipe for Oats-Fiber Adai , one for Minty Peas Rice and one for Sprouted Green Gram Pakoda. Priya also maintains a second blog to chart her healthier eating habits, A Healthier Me, and sent in a third recipe for Mixed Bean Salad.
Here's a legume I never heard of before: Horsegram. Asha at Foodie's Hope in North Carolina tells us how to cook up a South Indian kurma using this unusual legume, which also goes by the name of Kollu, Kulith, Uluvalu and also Hurulikalu, and can be sought out at Indian markets.
Cranberry beans make an appearance here at MLLA #20 in Ginny of Just Get Floury's warming pot of Pasta e Fagioli (pronounced Pasta Fazool by my Eye-talian-American friends and family). Just the ticket on a cold winter's night.
MLLA Founder Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, made an alternate version of this classic soup, adapted from a recipe from Italian cooking legend Marcella Hazan.
Nithu was very busy in her kitchen this month. She cooked up some Hot n' Sour Field Beans, also known as Mochai or Hyacinth Beans, on her lovely blog, Nithu's Kitchen. She also submitted four other artistically presented dishes of Spicy Chickpea, Tomato, Carrot & Peas Soup , a Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach and Lima Bean Soup and Mixed Vegetables and Fruits Salad.
Kits Chow in Vancouver, Canada tried out a new veggie burger recipe using split peas and some Vietnamese and Korean influences in her Veggie Sandwich. She made a huge batch; some burgers to eat now and some to freeze for later use as appetizers and sandwiches.
Azuki beans are the mainstay of this tasty salad which Brii serves as an appetizer or in larger portions as a main dish. Her Briiblog in English is not only a wonderful source of herbal information and recipes, but she shares her awesome photography of the Italian mountains around Lake Garda throughout the seasons.
Red Lentils shine in Andrea's Gorgeous Tarka Dhal submitted by Food Matters: Maninas. Scrumptious!
Darker Bengal gram was used in a similar spicy, yummy curry recipe on Denufood's blog. She tells us that the Bengal gram variety comes in a few more colors than regular gram or chickpeas, and has more fiber to boot.
Coming to us from her kitchen and garden in Italy, Graziana of Erbe in Cucina made a tempting batch of Baked Hot Tortillas.
Inspired by a restaurant dinner, Food and Laughter cooked up a colorful pot of Zuni Stew for her family.
Jagruti sent in bowls of Black Eye Bean and Bell Pepper Soup and Creamy Daal Makhni from her UK-based blog, Joy of Cooking.
Here at the Crispy Cook, I baked a batch of Chickpea Buns, spiced up with some whole cumin seeds.
Kamala of Cook at Ease took a traditional South Indian stir-fry recipe but prepared her Green Beans Poriyal in a very modern and healthy way using her microwave.
Sadhana made a batch of Spicy Baked Peanuts on her blog A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine and then sent in a second MLLA entry of Mixed Beans and Rice. One can never have too many recipes for rice and beans, I say!
Lentils star in A Tutta Cucina's pasta dish, Pasticcio di Lenticchie e Pancetta. If you brush up on your Italian you will enjoy this recipe coming to us from a fine home cook living on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy.
Zesty South Indian Kitchen chose red kidney beans for her most-loved legume this month and teaches us how to make Rajma Curry.
Smitha offers culinary history insights on an ancient dessert, Gattakki Payasa, a porridge of broken rice, channa dal (split chickpeas), jaggery, cardamom, coconut and ghee. Her blog, Kannada Cuisine, focuses on the cooking of the Southern Indian state of Karnataka.
Be sure to check in at the Veggie Hut In Dublin, Ireland for recipes for Chana Dal Dilpasand and Chola Bhatura. I just want to dive into her stunning blog header photo of a bounty of fresh vegetables.
Elisabeth of With Jam and Bread was inspired by North African cooking for her Chickpea Stew with Flatbread. This contribution to MLLA #20 is her first blogging event. Welcome and well done, Elisabeth!
Blogging from France, Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes sent along two pretty, leguminous offerings: Avocado Hummus and these wonderful heart-shaped Baked Red Kidney Bean & Brown Rice Patties:
We can enjoy some dessert with Asankhana's Moong Dal Halwa and enjoy some photos of her family's trip to the Surajkund Mela, a traditional Indian arts and crafts festival held each Spring. She also sent in a recipe for Spiced Vegetable Couscous so we had a savory legume entry too!
Chickpeas are the highlighted legume in Relishing Recipes' refreshing and beautifully presented meal featuring her version of Punjabi Chole.
Deepti sent in three glorious MLLA submissions from her North Carolina-based blog A Hint of Spice. We can all revel in her Falafel Inspired Soup (chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic and spices), Aloo Chana Chaat (potato-chickpea curry) and Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad.
The Desi Soccer Mom, Jaya, introduces us to cooking with carrot greens in her creation of moong dal (split yellow lentils).
You can't help but smile when you see Padhu's Kitchen's take on Red Beans Rice, Indian Style. She has some other whimsical presentations on her blog, which is all about easy to cook recipes, served up with style!
Nayna offered up a spicy bowl of Black Eyed Beans in Tomato Gravy also known as Lobia, as her contribution from her blog Simply.Food.
Ruchikacooks teaches us how to make Navarathna Korma, an Indian gravy, made of nine nuts and legumes and vegetables, giving different tastes with each bite.
A Punjabi dal from Northwestern India was on the menu at One Hot Stove. Nupur used black urad dal (split black lentils) and chana dal (split chick peas) for this homey dish.
Lakshmi provided a whole meal with three legume recipes for us to savor from her new blog Palate Desires: Easy, Pea-sy, Feta-Rotini, Crunchy Green Beans (the crunch comes from grated coconut), and Sweet Red Bean Porridge.
Sra of When My Soup Came Alive created a tempting couscous dish topped with spicy chickpeas in tomato sauce.
Yellow lentils, or moong dal, play a starring role in eCurry's Dal Palak, or Lentils with Spinach. This one pot dish is perfect with roti or rice according to eCurry blogger Soma.
Coming to us from her kitchen in China, PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds teaches us how to make Soya Crisps. These healthy nibbles are made of soaked soybeans, tossed with oil and turmeric and then crisped up in the microwave. I tried this recipe out myself with a thawed package of frozen, blanched green soybeans from our summer garden and they were very good, though my old microwave needed a little longer cooking time to make them crispy.
Sayantani of A Homemaker's Diary in India tried out a new recipe for her family, Moroccan Harira Soup with Harissa Paste. She managed to fit two legumes in this spicy Middle Eastern soup, red lentils and chick peas!
Brand new blogger Kiran of Sumadhura brings us a recipe for Khatta Meetha Chana Daal Rasam, or Sweet and Sour Chickpea Soup. Welcome to the world of blogging and to My Legume Love Affair, Kiran!
Another new blogger entered MLLA #20 as her first blogging event with a recipe for Chickpea Salad with Feta. Welcome Aileen from New Jersey, USA with her blog 400 Calories or Less!
Nisha's Kitchen offers up a different take on Fresh Chickpea Salad using freshly shelled chickpeas cooked up with grated coconut, curry leaves, and other seasonings. Sounds delicious!
Annarasa cooked up some dried pinto beans for Home Made Refried Beans and then put them to work as her base layer in her Festive Seven Layer Dip. Bean heaven!
Lisa's Kitchen in Toronto cooked up Chickpeas, Kidney Beans and Lentils in a Spicy Tomato Sauce. Her vegetarian blog is the cohost of the monthly No Croutons Required Soup and Salad event which is a lot of culinary fun.
Usha Nandini's Recipes sent in three dishes to tempt us with: Black-Eyed Peas, Pasta and Tofu Soup (2 legumes nestling in one pot!), Peanut & Tomato Chutney and Baked Falafel in Pita Sandwich. Thank you three times Usha!
Suma sprouted up some greengram (also known as mung beans) and made a scrumptious Greengram Sprouts Salad on her blog Veggie Platter.
As her contribution to our tasty virtual feast of legumes, Salt and Spice made up a pot of Mixed Vegetables with Dal, using toor dal (pigeon peas) from her no doubt heavenly-smelling kitchen.
Saveur lets us know about her favorite spread, Peanut Butter Hummus, on her Canadian blog The TasteSpace.
Rounding out our leguminous love, Usha from My Spicy Kitchen chose to divulge her ninth-month affair with a new love (hold your breath, here it comes) Mr. Chickpea! (now, exhale and relax). She made a spicy, garlicky salad with the new found object of her desire.
It was so inspiring to host this wonderful 20th helping of My Legume Love Affair. So many people allowed us to sample their home cooking and I am sincerely grateful to each participant who took the time to cook, fuss over their photo and blog about their sweet and savory dishes. Thank you all for joining in this 20th helping of MLLA. And thanks to our wonderful founder, Susan, of The Well-Seasoned Cook, for starting us on this path to share our recipes and findings about our shared passion for legumes.
And now to announce the winner of Susan's prize of The Pasta Bible, the randomly generated winner is: Kiran of Sumadhura. She will also receive the Hurst Bean Package. Congratulations Kiran!
I think I got everyone included in this MLLA roundup, but if I inadvertently left anyone out, please leave a comment below and I'll amend this post to fit you in. And now I pass the MLLA torch on to Superchef at Mirch Masala who will be our gracious hostess for the 21st helping of My Legume Love Affair during the month of March 2010.
I knew I was taking on a popular event when I offered to host My Legume Love Affair #20, but the number and range of leguminous submissions was truly astounding. Two years ago, Susan, the Well-Seasoned Cook, created this wonderful monthly food blogging event that educates us all about the world of legumes and how to cook them.
For this 20th helping of MLLA there were a fantastic number of entries from many different countries and my hat's off to all the bloggers who introduced me to various aspects of Indian cuisine and cooking techniques. I have bookmarked at least a month's worth of recipes to cook up in my own kitchen sometime soon.As far as a favorite legume, chickpeas (garbanzos, ceci beans, etc.) seem to have won the popularity contest. I counted 26 recipes containing this favored legume out of the 62 different posts from 44 bloggers for this event. The legume spectrum included green beans, red kidney beans, variously colored lentils and chickpeas, lima beans, pinto beans, pigeon peas, soybeans, peanuts, mung beans, black beans, adzuki beans, cranberry beans, horsegram, green peas, black-eyed peas, hyacinth or field beans, and split peas.
Without further ado, let's dive in and see what we all cooked up:
Coming to us from her home in the United Arab Emirates, Priya sent in three recipes from her blog Enveetu's Kitchen: a recipe for Oats-Fiber Adai , one for Minty Peas Rice and one for Sprouted Green Gram Pakoda. Priya also maintains a second blog to chart her healthier eating habits, A Healthier Me, and sent in a third recipe for Mixed Bean Salad.
Here's a legume I never heard of before: Horsegram. Asha at Foodie's Hope in North Carolina tells us how to cook up a South Indian kurma using this unusual legume, which also goes by the name of Kollu, Kulith, Uluvalu and also Hurulikalu, and can be sought out at Indian markets.
Cranberry beans make an appearance here at MLLA #20 in Ginny of Just Get Floury's warming pot of Pasta e Fagioli (pronounced Pasta Fazool by my Eye-talian-American friends and family). Just the ticket on a cold winter's night.
MLLA Founder Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, made an alternate version of this classic soup, adapted from a recipe from Italian cooking legend Marcella Hazan.
Nithu was very busy in her kitchen this month. She cooked up some Hot n' Sour Field Beans, also known as Mochai or Hyacinth Beans, on her lovely blog, Nithu's Kitchen. She also submitted four other artistically presented dishes of Spicy Chickpea, Tomato, Carrot & Peas Soup , a Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach and Lima Bean Soup and Mixed Vegetables and Fruits Salad.
Kits Chow in Vancouver, Canada tried out a new veggie burger recipe using split peas and some Vietnamese and Korean influences in her Veggie Sandwich. She made a huge batch; some burgers to eat now and some to freeze for later use as appetizers and sandwiches.
Azuki beans are the mainstay of this tasty salad which Brii serves as an appetizer or in larger portions as a main dish. Her Briiblog in English is not only a wonderful source of herbal information and recipes, but she shares her awesome photography of the Italian mountains around Lake Garda throughout the seasons. 
Red Lentils shine in Andrea's Gorgeous Tarka Dhal submitted by Food Matters: Maninas. Scrumptious!
Darker Bengal gram was used in a similar spicy, yummy curry recipe on Denufood's blog. She tells us that the Bengal gram variety comes in a few more colors than regular gram or chickpeas, and has more fiber to boot.
Coming to us from her kitchen and garden in Italy, Graziana of Erbe in Cucina made a tempting batch of Baked Hot Tortillas.
Inspired by a restaurant dinner, Food and Laughter cooked up a colorful pot of Zuni Stew for her family.
Jagruti sent in bowls of Black Eye Bean and Bell Pepper Soup and Creamy Daal Makhni from her UK-based blog, Joy of Cooking.
Here at the Crispy Cook, I baked a batch of Chickpea Buns, spiced up with some whole cumin seeds.
Kamala of Cook at Ease took a traditional South Indian stir-fry recipe but prepared her Green Beans Poriyal in a very modern and healthy way using her microwave.
Sadhana made a batch of Spicy Baked Peanuts on her blog A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine and then sent in a second MLLA entry of Mixed Beans and Rice. One can never have too many recipes for rice and beans, I say!
Lentils star in A Tutta Cucina's pasta dish, Pasticcio di Lenticchie e Pancetta. If you brush up on your Italian you will enjoy this recipe coming to us from a fine home cook living on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy.
Zesty South Indian Kitchen chose red kidney beans for her most-loved legume this month and teaches us how to make Rajma Curry.
Smitha offers culinary history insights on an ancient dessert, Gattakki Payasa, a porridge of broken rice, channa dal (split chickpeas), jaggery, cardamom, coconut and ghee. Her blog, Kannada Cuisine, focuses on the cooking of the Southern Indian state of Karnataka.
Be sure to check in at the Veggie Hut In Dublin, Ireland for recipes for Chana Dal Dilpasand and Chola Bhatura. I just want to dive into her stunning blog header photo of a bounty of fresh vegetables.
Elisabeth of With Jam and Bread was inspired by North African cooking for her Chickpea Stew with Flatbread. This contribution to MLLA #20 is her first blogging event. Welcome and well done, Elisabeth!
Blogging from France, Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes sent along two pretty, leguminous offerings: Avocado Hummus and these wonderful heart-shaped Baked Red Kidney Bean & Brown Rice Patties:
We can enjoy some dessert with Asankhana's Moong Dal Halwa and enjoy some photos of her family's trip to the Surajkund Mela, a traditional Indian arts and crafts festival held each Spring. She also sent in a recipe for Spiced Vegetable Couscous so we had a savory legume entry too!
Chickpeas are the highlighted legume in Relishing Recipes' refreshing and beautifully presented meal featuring her version of Punjabi Chole.
Deepti sent in three glorious MLLA submissions from her North Carolina-based blog A Hint of Spice. We can all revel in her Falafel Inspired Soup (chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic and spices), Aloo Chana Chaat (potato-chickpea curry) and Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad.
The Desi Soccer Mom, Jaya, introduces us to cooking with carrot greens in her creation of moong dal (split yellow lentils).
You can't help but smile when you see Padhu's Kitchen's take on Red Beans Rice, Indian Style. She has some other whimsical presentations on her blog, which is all about easy to cook recipes, served up with style!
Nayna offered up a spicy bowl of Black Eyed Beans in Tomato Gravy also known as Lobia, as her contribution from her blog Simply.Food.
Ruchikacooks teaches us how to make Navarathna Korma, an Indian gravy, made of nine nuts and legumes and vegetables, giving different tastes with each bite.
A Punjabi dal from Northwestern India was on the menu at One Hot Stove. Nupur used black urad dal (split black lentils) and chana dal (split chick peas) for this homey dish.
Lakshmi provided a whole meal with three legume recipes for us to savor from her new blog Palate Desires: Easy, Pea-sy, Feta-Rotini, Crunchy Green Beans (the crunch comes from grated coconut), and Sweet Red Bean Porridge.
Sra of When My Soup Came Alive created a tempting couscous dish topped with spicy chickpeas in tomato sauce.
Yellow lentils, or moong dal, play a starring role in eCurry's Dal Palak, or Lentils with Spinach. This one pot dish is perfect with roti or rice according to eCurry blogger Soma.
Coming to us from her kitchen in China, PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds teaches us how to make Soya Crisps. These healthy nibbles are made of soaked soybeans, tossed with oil and turmeric and then crisped up in the microwave. I tried this recipe out myself with a thawed package of frozen, blanched green soybeans from our summer garden and they were very good, though my old microwave needed a little longer cooking time to make them crispy.
Sayantani of A Homemaker's Diary in India tried out a new recipe for her family, Moroccan Harira Soup with Harissa Paste. She managed to fit two legumes in this spicy Middle Eastern soup, red lentils and chick peas!
Brand new blogger Kiran of Sumadhura brings us a recipe for Khatta Meetha Chana Daal Rasam, or Sweet and Sour Chickpea Soup. Welcome to the world of blogging and to My Legume Love Affair, Kiran!
Another new blogger entered MLLA #20 as her first blogging event with a recipe for Chickpea Salad with Feta. Welcome Aileen from New Jersey, USA with her blog 400 Calories or Less!
Nisha's Kitchen offers up a different take on Fresh Chickpea Salad using freshly shelled chickpeas cooked up with grated coconut, curry leaves, and other seasonings. Sounds delicious!
Annarasa cooked up some dried pinto beans for Home Made Refried Beans and then put them to work as her base layer in her Festive Seven Layer Dip. Bean heaven!
Lisa's Kitchen in Toronto cooked up Chickpeas, Kidney Beans and Lentils in a Spicy Tomato Sauce. Her vegetarian blog is the cohost of the monthly No Croutons Required Soup and Salad event which is a lot of culinary fun.
Usha Nandini's Recipes sent in three dishes to tempt us with: Black-Eyed Peas, Pasta and Tofu Soup (2 legumes nestling in one pot!), Peanut & Tomato Chutney and Baked Falafel in Pita Sandwich. Thank you three times Usha!
Suma sprouted up some greengram (also known as mung beans) and made a scrumptious Greengram Sprouts Salad on her blog Veggie Platter.
As her contribution to our tasty virtual feast of legumes, Salt and Spice made up a pot of Mixed Vegetables with Dal, using toor dal (pigeon peas) from her no doubt heavenly-smelling kitchen.
Saveur lets us know about her favorite spread, Peanut Butter Hummus, on her Canadian blog The TasteSpace.
Rounding out our leguminous love, Usha from My Spicy Kitchen chose to divulge her ninth-month affair with a new love (hold your breath, here it comes) Mr. Chickpea! (now, exhale and relax). She made a spicy, garlicky salad with the new found object of her desire.
It was so inspiring to host this wonderful 20th helping of My Legume Love Affair. So many people allowed us to sample their home cooking and I am sincerely grateful to each participant who took the time to cook, fuss over their photo and blog about their sweet and savory dishes. Thank you all for joining in this 20th helping of MLLA. And thanks to our wonderful founder, Susan, of The Well-Seasoned Cook, for starting us on this path to share our recipes and findings about our shared passion for legumes.And now to announce the winner of Susan's prize of The Pasta Bible, the randomly generated winner is: Kiran of Sumadhura. She will also receive the Hurst Bean Package. Congratulations Kiran!
I think I got everyone included in this MLLA roundup, but if I inadvertently left anyone out, please leave a comment below and I'll amend this post to fit you in. And now I pass the MLLA torch on to Superchef at Mirch Masala who will be our gracious hostess for the 21st helping of My Legume Love Affair during the month of March 2010.
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
A Little Crispy Housekeeping
A reminder that today is the last day to submit a post for My Legume Love Affair #20, which is the monthly celebration of legume posts and recipes that I am guest hosting for founder Susan the Well-Seasoned Cook. You can find out more details in this previous post here. I have already received a mountain of submissions (we all particularly love chickpeas it seems) and have been getting them ready for a fun roundup tomorrow or the next day.
I also have been organizing a recipe index for the Crispy Cook and have gotten all my previous recipe posts listed by subject. You can find these links on the right hand side of the blog (below the string bean photo for MLLA #20). Please let me know if there are any broken or incorrect links by leaving a comment below.
And I've also been busy updating the list of Gluten-Free Blogs, which I posted yesterday, so that about does it for Spring Cleaning of the blog around these parts.
I also have been organizing a recipe index for the Crispy Cook and have gotten all my previous recipe posts listed by subject. You can find these links on the right hand side of the blog (below the string bean photo for MLLA #20). Please let me know if there are any broken or incorrect links by leaving a comment below.
And I've also been busy updating the list of Gluten-Free Blogs, which I posted yesterday, so that about does it for Spring Cleaning of the blog around these parts.
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
It's been a year since I posted this
It's been a year since I posted this summary of gluten-free blogs on this website. When I started blogging here three years ago, there were only a handful of gluten-free blogs and websites and I was grateful for each and every one of them as I explored the Brave New World of Gluten-Free Cooking. Thankfully, the public has become more aware of gluten-free needs and there are more people getting tested for celiac disease and gluten-intolerance than ever, so the GF blogging community has exploded.
Below is a smorgasbord of over 100 gluten-free blogs that I have visited. Bloggers are listed alphabetically and are actively blogging away as I type this. I have deleted some blogs from last year's list that have not been updated in over a year and updated many blog addresses. I haven't added some that are brand new but if you would like to add your blog to this list please leave a comment below and I'll visit you soon.
I do maintain this list over at The Crispy Cook 2 in between updating it here on the original Crispy Cook, so feel free to hop over to my right hand links and visit it when you need GF inspiration. It's the link title "List of 100+ Gluten Free Blogs".
There is probably a gluten-free blogger that shares your cooking style, whether you are an adventurous cook who likes to dip into a variety of international cuisines; a mom in need of kid-friendly recipes; a budget-conscious gourmand; someone who loves to bake and is in need of retooling for the gluten-free kitchen. I hope this list and summary helps ease you into the GF lifestyle. I know I am grateful for all the camaraderie, recipes and information I have gleaned from the fantastic and supportive Gluten-Free blogging community.
Absolutely Not Martha - Jackie blogs about La Vida Gluten-Free, fashion, recipes, and GF celebrities. She also runs Vanilla Spoons, a GF gift basket company.
Angela's Kitchen - There's a lot of scrumptiousness going on at this gluten-free and dairy free cooking blog. Angela's also got lots of tips for dining out safely in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area and a spectacular GF Lemon Layer Cake recipe.
Aprovechar - Sally's got lots of healthy, gluten and other allergen-free recipes and meal plans, along with a dollop of contemplative essays about women's health and the importance of nurturing one's self.
Asparagus Thin - Manda is a Philadelphian and gluten-free, vegetarian blogger. Baking is her passion.
The Baking Beauties - Jeannine is a Manitoba Mom who knows her way around the kitchen and is navigating a new gluten-free lifestyle just, well, beautifully! Great baking recipes and photos.
Baking for John - A non-celiac wife learning how to bake gluten-free for her celiac husband. Hmmm. That sounds familiar!
Blackbird Bakery - This Texas custom gluten-free bakeshop is run by Karen Morgan, and you'll find many delicious GF dessert recipes and a lovely side of art on her creative blog.
Book of Yum - Vegetarian with some fish and seafood recipes added, this blog features a lot of Asian recipes and recipes that are not only gluten-free, but dairy and egg free. Book of Yum also has a lot of raw food and vegan recipes to try and is the home of the monthly Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event.
Bowl of Soul - Aimee is the adventurous and positive soul blogging about La Vida Gluten-Free at this stylish blog.
Brazen's Culinary Adventures - Brazen is an Aussie mom with lots of gluten-free and child-pleasing recipes on her blog.
Celiac Chicks - These New York City gals know where all the good gluten-free restaurants, delis, pizzerias and foodie havens are and also dish out good gluten-free advice about travel. If you sign up for their email newsletter you can also enter contests for free gluten-free products.
Celiac Princess - Vanessa's blog is full of news, links and tips for leading a happy, healthy GF life. She is the author of "Beyond Rice Cakes", about living with celiac disease and a new cookbook "Gloriously Gluten-Free".
Celiac Snack - Bill's blog covers news, food, and insights into living Gluten Free in the U.S.
Celiacs in the House - A thrifty mom of two teenagers (now that sounds familiar!) in Columbus, Ohio reports on her gluten-free home cooking experiments and thrifty meal ideas.
Celiac Teen - Lauren's a Canadian teenager interested in good food and fashion and she is one fabulous baker!
Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog - Chaya is a New York mom, teacher and bubbe (grandma)who cooks gluten-free and kosher. You'll find lots of great home cooking here, but no chocolate recipes since her husband doesn't touch the stuff. Fortunately, Chaya gets her chocolate fix baking for her non-GF family and students.
Cinnamon Quill - The Cinnamon Quill is a wonderfully talented baker (not to mention an awesome food photographer). All her recipes are vegetarian or vegan, in addition to being gluten free of course.
The Crispy Cook - Hey, that's my blog! Gluten-free and mostly vegetarian recipes, with the occasional fish and seafood recipe. Some product reviews, gardening posts and other fun stuff.
Daring to Thrive - Lauren's finishing up her PhD in social psychology in the Portland, Oregon area and reports of gluten-free recipes and doings in the Portland area.
Delightfully Gluten Free - Cassandra is actively involved with the North Texas Gluten Intolerance Group and shares her recipes, posts about celiac disease and product/restaurant reviews.
Die Hard Foodie - Kitschen recently eliminated wheat from her diet and gives out great recipes, travel tips and restaurant reviews on her blog.
Diet, Dessert and Dogs - Ricki's the author of "Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar" and has a great vegan and gluten-free blog with lots of baking and healthy recipes. And the occasional canine photo op.
Don't Need No Stinkin' Wheat - This California grad student dishes up lots of fabulous food that is gluten- and lactose-free.
Eat This - Whole grains, natural ingredients, and sugar-free recipes are the focus of this Michigan blogger. You'll find plenty of vegetables and plenty of flavor and some gorgeous food photography to boot!
Elana's Pantry - Elana's a Little League baseball coach and Boulder, Colorado businesswoman whose elegant site promotes gluten-free cooking, healthy homemaking and environmentally-friendly information.
Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen - While not a gluten-free blog per se, there is a wonderful archive of gluten-free recipes on this popular food blog.
Faking it Gluten Free Style - Who can resist a blog with Betty Boop as the mascot? Great recipes abound on this excellent blog.
Fidgety Budgie - Lots of great recipes, knitting info, book reviews and ruminations from the life of this Portland, Oregon home cook.
Flour Arrangements - Sophie's got a sweet tooth, and you'll find plenty of gorgeous photographs of her gluten-free baked goods with mouthwatering recipes.
For the Love of Food - Noosh is the host of this gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and soy-free blog with excellent recipes, including Persian culinary delights.
Free From - Lucy is a U.K. mother of three, one of whom is a celiac, and has years of experience documented in this blog about the gluten-free lifestyle, product reviews, and resource links.
Fresh Ginger - Ginger is a wheat-free, but not totally gluten-free blog (she can tolerate spelt) with loads of fabulous farm-fresh and international recipes. Look for her Appetizer and Cocktail Recipes of the Week. Awesome photography to boot!
The GFCF Experience - Blog host Thomas is a Montana father of four who feeds his family a gluten-free, casein-free diet. You'll find lots of great recipes, information about Autism Spectrum Disorder and parenting anecdotes.
Giddy Up Gluten Free - Dorothy's the artistic soul behind this Seattle-based GF and casein-free blog. Look for lots of adapted baking recipes and tips.
Gluten-Free Baking 101 - Elizabeth Barbone, author of the awesome "Easy Gluten-Free Baking" cookbook maintains this blog about baking tips and updates on her gluten-free baking classes and other information.
Gluten Free Philly - Get the scoop on new GF products, events and restaurants in the Philadelphia area.
Ginger Lemon Girl - Carrie is from North Carolina and has a particular penchant for gluten-free baking. She also hosts a Gluten-Free Girl interview feature which showcases other gluten-free bloggers and a Kid-Friendly Fridays event for gluten-free goodness that kids will lap up.
Gluten A Go Go - Sheltie Girl is a Westchester County, New York baker extraordinaire whose experiments with various wheat-free flours, thickeners and binders are inspirational and beautiful.
Gluten Free Anna - Anna is a young Hollywood actress who gives out the skinny on GF products recipes and traveling GF.
Gluten-Free Bay - Isaiah in upstate New York cooks up wonderful kosher, gluten-free food with an emphasis on heart-healthy recipes and food that is Ashkenazi Jewish, Ethiopian and Indian. Awesome stuff.
Gluten Free Cooking for a Busy Mom - I would agree that being the mom of four boys might tend to make one busy! Jen is a Wisconsin mom with lots of homestyle recipes to share.
Gluten Free Cooking School - Mary Frances has a tasty blog of recipes and wonderfully detailed cooking lessons for the beginning or advanced gluten-free cook.
A Gluten-Free Day - Wonderful gluten-free recipes and ethereal photography from Finland.
Gluten-Free Discoveries! - This Boston-area teen blogs about restaurants and recipes and is one of those cool Daring Bakers, who produces beautiful and tasty GF delights each month.
Gluten Free Frenzy! - This Utah gal has plenty of recipes and health tips for the GF community and some great photos to boot!
Gluten Free for Good - Melissa is a nutritional therapist who blogs about the healthiest gluten-free recipes. Wonderful advice and information with the added bonus of lovely food photography.
Gluten Free Frugal - Here's a budget-conscious mom chronicling the gluten-free life with little kids in South Dakota.
Gluten-Free Fun - Erin is a New York City resident who has lived gluten-free with gusto for 25 years! You can find product and restaurant reviews, recipes, and other information.
Gluten-Free Girl - Shauna James Ahern married the Chef, published a book and had a perfect baby girl, all in one year. Her blog is more essay than recipe heavy, but when the recipes come, they are perfect and seasonally fresh. Make sure to buy her book, "Gluten-Free Girl" and make your local library buy it.
Gluten Free Gobsmacked - This girl Cheekalina can cook! Lots of great recipes for everyday comfort foods to the wildly exotic to all kinds of baking.
Gluten Free Goodness - Cheryl is an Alexandria, Virginia dietician whose blog features her tasty experiments in gluten-free and other allergen-free cooking.
Gluten-Free Greenie - Wendy is an artist from North Carolina who provides delicious GF recipes and information about gluten-free dining and products in the Raleigh-Durham region.
Gluten-Free Guide - A stylish blog about life as a celiac with lots of recipes, travel tips, essential posts about Thanksgiving and cupcakes, and product/restaurant reviews.
Gluten-Free Guidebook - Hilary Davidson is a professional travel writer who was diagnosed with celiac disease five years ago. Her blog has information about celiac-safe dining in cities across North America, as well as Spain, Turkey, Peru and other countries.
Gluten-Free Hippie - Lyra's beautiful blog is gluten-free and features scrumptious vegan and raw recipes.
Gluten-Free Homemaker - Linda is a Maryland Mom homeschooling her three boys and cooking up delicious gf foods for her family.
Gluten Free in Cleveland - Dana's started a new blog about gluten-free dining options in the Cleveland, Ohio area and dispenses some tasty recipes and photos.
Gluten Free in Georgia (and Florida)- I guess I can't say it any better than Ginger in describing her blog, "Adventures in Gluten Freedom with a Crazy Southern Blogger Chick". Decadently good gluten-free and sugar-free recipes, witty writing and lots of fun and useful GF information from this Mass Communications Professor.
Gluten-Free in the Greens - Follow this blog by a Vermont school teacher now living in the Republic of Georgia for great eats and gluten-free travel advice.
Gluten-free is Life - Kim is the GF mom of two kids, one who needs to eat gluten-free as well, and she provides lots of healthy and kid-friendly recipes on her blog.
Gluten Free Journey - Dianne in the U.K. dishes about cooking gluten-free and experiments with lots of international cuisines.
Gluten-Free Kathy - The accent is on healthy eating for an active lifestyle on Kathy's blog.
Gluten Free Kay - She's a gardener, cook and excellent food photographer. Kay's gluten-free and has other food allergies, so check out this blog for lots of beautiful, tasty options if you or someone you cook for has a restricted diet.
Gluten Free LA - Jennifer shares gluten-free recipes and dining opportunities in the Los Angeles, California area.
Gluten-Free Maui - Amanda is "eating gluten-free on a rock in the sea", Maui, and has a fantastic, easy Southern Hot Pepper Sauce recipe you won't want to miss.
Gluten Free Mommy - Natalie is the North Carolina mom of two cute young sons and has lots of great, family-friendly recipes to share. She is also an incredible baker and the founder of the weekly Gluten-Free Menu Swap.
Gluten Free Momsense - Great parenting tips, recipes and resources from this Frederick, Maryland mom.
Gluten-Free Monkey - This mom cooks for her celiac son with diabetes, so look for lots of family-friendly, GF and sugar-free recipes.
Gluten Free Optimist - This Maryland blogger provides lots of GF product information, health news and a healthy dose of humor to wash it all down.
Gluten Free Portland - Dave provides the dish on gluten-free products, eateries and news in the Portland, Oregon area.
Gluten Free Raleigh - Zach is the dynamo behind this blog about celiac and wheat-free dining, meetings and shopping around the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area and has lots of other great health and other news of interest to the larger GF community.
Gluten Free Saratoga - Suzanne in Saratoga Springs, New York, dishes out great recipes, tips on gluten-free eateries and groceries in Saratoga County and other interesting tips.
Gluten Free South Africa - Irish-born Aylena lives in South Africa and blogs about the gluten-free life in the Southern Hemisphere with lots of tasty recipes.
Gluten Free Sox Fan - She's a lawyer married to an Aussie and has some really great recipes, including a homemade mushroom ravioli with pesto.
Gluten Free Steve - Steve gives out the skinny on gluten-free products, recipes, and restaurant/eatery reviews for those in the Denver, Colorado area.
Glutenfreeville - Lots of great information about gluten-free products, restaurants and other GF lifestyle information from California mom Nancy's blog.
Gluten Freeway - Navigating a gluten free life in Los Angeles is the focus of Stephen's new blog, with lots of product and restaurant reviews.
Gluten Hates Me, But I'm Surviving -Marlow is a Southern gal who's having way to much fun in the kitchen cooking great gluten free foods and inventing cool new kinds of martinis.
The Gluti Girls - A mother-daughter blogging team with lots of luscious recipes.
The Good Eatah - Life with this Massachusetts native involves gluten-free, dairy-free cooking, in between skydiving and biking trips.
Good Without Gluten - Jeff in North Carolina appreciates good food and has a great recipe blog. The polenta recipes are my favorites.
Grain Damaged - A Portland, Oregon gluten-free support group with great information on area restaurants, bakeries and gluten-free hot spots.
Happy to Be Gluten Free - Selina's new blog offers delicious, home-tested, family approved, gluten-free recipes. Most recipes are casein-free as well.
Hey, That Tastes Good!- Jill lives in Philadelphia and blogs about local gluten-free eateries and has some excellent recipes, as well as the occasional gluten-free travel report from Slovakia.
Hold the Gluten - Maureen is a New Jersey mom with lots of witty information and mouthwatering recipes about life on planet celiac. She even does podcasts...whoa!
I Am Gluten Free - Ellen is a musician and excellent cook, judging from the delectable range of gluten-free recipes on her popular blog.
It's Just Not Dinner Without Cat Hair -Sheri concocts some wonderful gluten-free recipes, particularly for baked goods, interspersed with cute pix of her cat and dog menagerie.
Jeena's Kitchen - Jeena is a U.K. food blogger with a ton of gluten-free recipes in her index. Her focus is healthy and fresh food, with an emphasis on Indian recipes. My family is hooked on her Onion Bhajis recipe and all the variations with other vegetables that we cook up.
Jennifer Gluten Free in Georgia - Jennifer has been living for years with celiac disease and is very knowledgeable about gluten-free foods and products and dining opportunities in the Georgia area.
Karina's Kitchen - Karina is the Gluten-Free Goddess, whose blog reflects her background as an artist and writer, with lots of gorgeous food photography. Karina's gluten-free and other allergy-friendly recipes have a Southwestern flavor and a focus on fresh and natural ingredients.
Kat's GF Kitchen - Albany, New Yorker Kat has a husband who has recently gone gluten-free and this blog chronicles her cooking adaptations and experiments.
Kill.the.gluten - Two sisters in law cook gluten-free in a stylish and tasty manner and also offer good gluten-free product reviews.
Lea is Gluten-Free - Lea lives in Western New York on a farm with lots of animals of all kinds and cooks up some wonderful things to eat. I've bookmarked quite a few of her recipes.
Life Gluten Free - A gluten-free blogger mom with an emphasis on sugar-free and healthy cooking and eco-friendly lifestyle tips.
Lilac Kitchen - A blogger over in the U.K. whose lovely pastel purple kitchen inspires her to bake up scrumptious and Daring things.
Li Loves David - Somewhere in the Southeastern U.S., Li blogs about her gluten-free world as a celiac, with the occasional scrumptious recipe.
Life After Gluten - Denver, Colorado pastry chef Tiffany learns to live La Vida Gluten Free after a celiac disease diagnosis. Great recipes and travel tips on dining safely in Mexico.
Living Without Wheat - Babyfro is the American hostess of this fun blog which explores recipes, products, and books for GF eaters.
Make Mine Gluten-Free - Another Coloradan named Tiffany has good information about gluten-free products and eateries.
Maple N' Cornbread - Jennifer is the Mississippi Maple lover who cooks up a storm for her gluten-free husband, with a particular passion for baking.
Modern Day Celiac Hippie - Celiac Mama is new to the gluten-free life, but her blog shows how she's coping, cooking and raising two kids with grace and style.
More Gluten-Free Options - Blogging from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Stacey provides lots of information about GF dining, product reviews, bakeries and the occasional gluten-free recipe.
Mrs. G.F. - Lots of great recipes for kids and for easy, tasty meals from the Slacker Mom.
No Gluten, No Problem - Kelli and Peter Bronski blog about recipes and gf living and are the authors of "Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking."
Only Sometimes Clever - An Arizona homeschooling mom who blogs about the gluten-free lifestyle, books, GF products and hiking.
Pig in the Kitchen - This U.K. pig is one of the funniest food writers out there and her recipes for her family of many allergies are great to boot. Throw in some great food photos and it's a blog party!
Please Don't Pass the Nuts - This New York City psychotherapist and social worker shares recipes and lifestyle advice for gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, sugar-free, lactose-free and other -free diets.
Rachel's Recipe Box - This New England homeschooling mommy's blog contains a wealth of gluten-free, dairy-free recipes and advice about healthy living.
Radish Boy - A mom's blog about trying out recipes to feed her multiply-allergic son.
So Familiar a Gleam - This Rochester, New York lady was raised in a bake shop and dreams about opening an allergen-free bakery some day. Until then, feast your eyes on her great recipes.
Sorry I Can't Eat That - Allie in Western Massachusetts gives out advice on gluten-free groceries, restaurants and other places.
The Spunky Coconut - A Colorado mom and food coach/personal cook that specializes in gluten-free, casein-free and sugar-free cooking dishes out some great, healthy recipes. She is also the author of the new "Spunky Coconut Cookbook".
Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried - Naomi over in England is a homeopath and her recipes for lovely, healthy and kid-friendly treats are spectacular. She also started the blogging event, Go Ahead, Honey, It's Gluten-Free, to inspire theme-based gluten-free recipe roundups.
Strawberries are Gluten Free - A Canadian mom of three young kids and a celiac husband who shares her family-friendly recipes and menus.
Sugar and Spice - A Boston girl who likes to cook, read nonfiction, kick box and watch the Red Sox.
Sure Foods Living - Alison, a California mom, maintain a excellent informational blog about living gluten-free and avoiding other food allergens.
Tasty Eats at Home - This Texas mom knows how to put a great meal on the table quickly, even when it's gluten-free and from scratch.
La Tartine Gourmande - French ex-pat Bea (accent aigue in there over the e) is a food and travel writer/photographer, whose blog is achingly beautiful. Find over 100 gluten-free recipes in her recipe index.
Trav's Gone Gluten-Free - Philadelphian Travis explores the gluten-free world, with many recipes and reviews of gluten-free beers and other products.
Triumph Dining - The publishers of the "Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide" and Grocery Guide have a blog packed with tips about finding gluten-free food throughout the U.S.
Wasabimon - Culinary Wordsmith Stephanie Stiavetti blogs about gluten-free food, photography, organic cooking, and health issues from her computer in San Francisco.
Wheat Free Meat Free - Kalinda cooks for her vegetarian celiac husband in Chicago and this blog features her great recipes and wonderful food photos.
Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen - Husband and wife nutritionists and cookbook authors Ali and Tom have a wonderful blog about healthy, gluten-free eating coming to us from Bellingham, Washington.
A Year of Crockpotting - Stephanie is the hilarious, gluten-free chef who has a strong attraction to her herd of crock pots--but she's OK with that. A funny and tasty food blog which started on January 1, 2008 with a new crock pot recipe each day.
This list is just an appetizer, there are so many other great gluten-free food bloggers out there that I haven't had time to taste and more sprout each day. If you have a gluten-free food blog that you would me to sample and add to this blogroll, feel free to leave a comment and I'll get to it.
Below is a smorgasbord of over 100 gluten-free blogs that I have visited. Bloggers are listed alphabetically and are actively blogging away as I type this. I have deleted some blogs from last year's list that have not been updated in over a year and updated many blog addresses. I haven't added some that are brand new but if you would like to add your blog to this list please leave a comment below and I'll visit you soon.
I do maintain this list over at The Crispy Cook 2 in between updating it here on the original Crispy Cook, so feel free to hop over to my right hand links and visit it when you need GF inspiration. It's the link title "List of 100+ Gluten Free Blogs".
There is probably a gluten-free blogger that shares your cooking style, whether you are an adventurous cook who likes to dip into a variety of international cuisines; a mom in need of kid-friendly recipes; a budget-conscious gourmand; someone who loves to bake and is in need of retooling for the gluten-free kitchen. I hope this list and summary helps ease you into the GF lifestyle. I know I am grateful for all the camaraderie, recipes and information I have gleaned from the fantastic and supportive Gluten-Free blogging community.
Absolutely Not Martha - Jackie blogs about La Vida Gluten-Free, fashion, recipes, and GF celebrities. She also runs Vanilla Spoons, a GF gift basket company.
Angela's Kitchen - There's a lot of scrumptiousness going on at this gluten-free and dairy free cooking blog. Angela's also got lots of tips for dining out safely in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area and a spectacular GF Lemon Layer Cake recipe.
Aprovechar - Sally's got lots of healthy, gluten and other allergen-free recipes and meal plans, along with a dollop of contemplative essays about women's health and the importance of nurturing one's self.
Asparagus Thin - Manda is a Philadelphian and gluten-free, vegetarian blogger. Baking is her passion.
The Baking Beauties - Jeannine is a Manitoba Mom who knows her way around the kitchen and is navigating a new gluten-free lifestyle just, well, beautifully! Great baking recipes and photos.
Baking for John - A non-celiac wife learning how to bake gluten-free for her celiac husband. Hmmm. That sounds familiar!
Blackbird Bakery - This Texas custom gluten-free bakeshop is run by Karen Morgan, and you'll find many delicious GF dessert recipes and a lovely side of art on her creative blog.
Book of Yum - Vegetarian with some fish and seafood recipes added, this blog features a lot of Asian recipes and recipes that are not only gluten-free, but dairy and egg free. Book of Yum also has a lot of raw food and vegan recipes to try and is the home of the monthly Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event.
Bowl of Soul - Aimee is the adventurous and positive soul blogging about La Vida Gluten-Free at this stylish blog.
Brazen's Culinary Adventures - Brazen is an Aussie mom with lots of gluten-free and child-pleasing recipes on her blog.
Celiac Chicks - These New York City gals know where all the good gluten-free restaurants, delis, pizzerias and foodie havens are and also dish out good gluten-free advice about travel. If you sign up for their email newsletter you can also enter contests for free gluten-free products.
Celiac Princess - Vanessa's blog is full of news, links and tips for leading a happy, healthy GF life. She is the author of "Beyond Rice Cakes", about living with celiac disease and a new cookbook "Gloriously Gluten-Free".
Celiac Snack - Bill's blog covers news, food, and insights into living Gluten Free in the U.S.
Celiacs in the House - A thrifty mom of two teenagers (now that sounds familiar!) in Columbus, Ohio reports on her gluten-free home cooking experiments and thrifty meal ideas.
Celiac Teen - Lauren's a Canadian teenager interested in good food and fashion and she is one fabulous baker!
Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog - Chaya is a New York mom, teacher and bubbe (grandma)who cooks gluten-free and kosher. You'll find lots of great home cooking here, but no chocolate recipes since her husband doesn't touch the stuff. Fortunately, Chaya gets her chocolate fix baking for her non-GF family and students.
Cinnamon Quill - The Cinnamon Quill is a wonderfully talented baker (not to mention an awesome food photographer). All her recipes are vegetarian or vegan, in addition to being gluten free of course.
The Crispy Cook - Hey, that's my blog! Gluten-free and mostly vegetarian recipes, with the occasional fish and seafood recipe. Some product reviews, gardening posts and other fun stuff.
Daring to Thrive - Lauren's finishing up her PhD in social psychology in the Portland, Oregon area and reports of gluten-free recipes and doings in the Portland area.
Delightfully Gluten Free - Cassandra is actively involved with the North Texas Gluten Intolerance Group and shares her recipes, posts about celiac disease and product/restaurant reviews.
Die Hard Foodie - Kitschen recently eliminated wheat from her diet and gives out great recipes, travel tips and restaurant reviews on her blog.
Diet, Dessert and Dogs - Ricki's the author of "Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar" and has a great vegan and gluten-free blog with lots of baking and healthy recipes. And the occasional canine photo op.
Don't Need No Stinkin' Wheat - This California grad student dishes up lots of fabulous food that is gluten- and lactose-free.
Eat This - Whole grains, natural ingredients, and sugar-free recipes are the focus of this Michigan blogger. You'll find plenty of vegetables and plenty of flavor and some gorgeous food photography to boot!
Elana's Pantry - Elana's a Little League baseball coach and Boulder, Colorado businesswoman whose elegant site promotes gluten-free cooking, healthy homemaking and environmentally-friendly information.
Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen - While not a gluten-free blog per se, there is a wonderful archive of gluten-free recipes on this popular food blog.
Faking it Gluten Free Style - Who can resist a blog with Betty Boop as the mascot? Great recipes abound on this excellent blog.
Fidgety Budgie - Lots of great recipes, knitting info, book reviews and ruminations from the life of this Portland, Oregon home cook.
Flour Arrangements - Sophie's got a sweet tooth, and you'll find plenty of gorgeous photographs of her gluten-free baked goods with mouthwatering recipes.
For the Love of Food - Noosh is the host of this gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and soy-free blog with excellent recipes, including Persian culinary delights.
Free From - Lucy is a U.K. mother of three, one of whom is a celiac, and has years of experience documented in this blog about the gluten-free lifestyle, product reviews, and resource links.
Fresh Ginger - Ginger is a wheat-free, but not totally gluten-free blog (she can tolerate spelt) with loads of fabulous farm-fresh and international recipes. Look for her Appetizer and Cocktail Recipes of the Week. Awesome photography to boot!
The GFCF Experience - Blog host Thomas is a Montana father of four who feeds his family a gluten-free, casein-free diet. You'll find lots of great recipes, information about Autism Spectrum Disorder and parenting anecdotes.
Giddy Up Gluten Free - Dorothy's the artistic soul behind this Seattle-based GF and casein-free blog. Look for lots of adapted baking recipes and tips.
Gluten-Free Baking 101 - Elizabeth Barbone, author of the awesome "Easy Gluten-Free Baking" cookbook maintains this blog about baking tips and updates on her gluten-free baking classes and other information.
Gluten Free Philly - Get the scoop on new GF products, events and restaurants in the Philadelphia area.
Ginger Lemon Girl - Carrie is from North Carolina and has a particular penchant for gluten-free baking. She also hosts a Gluten-Free Girl interview feature which showcases other gluten-free bloggers and a Kid-Friendly Fridays event for gluten-free goodness that kids will lap up.
Gluten A Go Go - Sheltie Girl is a Westchester County, New York baker extraordinaire whose experiments with various wheat-free flours, thickeners and binders are inspirational and beautiful.
Gluten Free Anna - Anna is a young Hollywood actress who gives out the skinny on GF products recipes and traveling GF.
Gluten-Free Bay - Isaiah in upstate New York cooks up wonderful kosher, gluten-free food with an emphasis on heart-healthy recipes and food that is Ashkenazi Jewish, Ethiopian and Indian. Awesome stuff.
Gluten Free Cooking for a Busy Mom - I would agree that being the mom of four boys might tend to make one busy! Jen is a Wisconsin mom with lots of homestyle recipes to share.
Gluten Free Cooking School - Mary Frances has a tasty blog of recipes and wonderfully detailed cooking lessons for the beginning or advanced gluten-free cook.
A Gluten-Free Day - Wonderful gluten-free recipes and ethereal photography from Finland.
Gluten-Free Discoveries! - This Boston-area teen blogs about restaurants and recipes and is one of those cool Daring Bakers, who produces beautiful and tasty GF delights each month.
Gluten Free Frenzy! - This Utah gal has plenty of recipes and health tips for the GF community and some great photos to boot!
Gluten Free for Good - Melissa is a nutritional therapist who blogs about the healthiest gluten-free recipes. Wonderful advice and information with the added bonus of lovely food photography.
Gluten Free Frugal - Here's a budget-conscious mom chronicling the gluten-free life with little kids in South Dakota.
Gluten-Free Fun - Erin is a New York City resident who has lived gluten-free with gusto for 25 years! You can find product and restaurant reviews, recipes, and other information.
Gluten-Free Girl - Shauna James Ahern married the Chef, published a book and had a perfect baby girl, all in one year. Her blog is more essay than recipe heavy, but when the recipes come, they are perfect and seasonally fresh. Make sure to buy her book, "Gluten-Free Girl" and make your local library buy it.
Gluten Free Gobsmacked - This girl Cheekalina can cook! Lots of great recipes for everyday comfort foods to the wildly exotic to all kinds of baking.
Gluten Free Goodness - Cheryl is an Alexandria, Virginia dietician whose blog features her tasty experiments in gluten-free and other allergen-free cooking.
Gluten-Free Greenie - Wendy is an artist from North Carolina who provides delicious GF recipes and information about gluten-free dining and products in the Raleigh-Durham region.
Gluten-Free Guide - A stylish blog about life as a celiac with lots of recipes, travel tips, essential posts about Thanksgiving and cupcakes, and product/restaurant reviews.
Gluten-Free Guidebook - Hilary Davidson is a professional travel writer who was diagnosed with celiac disease five years ago. Her blog has information about celiac-safe dining in cities across North America, as well as Spain, Turkey, Peru and other countries.
Gluten-Free Hippie - Lyra's beautiful blog is gluten-free and features scrumptious vegan and raw recipes.
Gluten-Free Homemaker - Linda is a Maryland Mom homeschooling her three boys and cooking up delicious gf foods for her family.
Gluten Free in Cleveland - Dana's started a new blog about gluten-free dining options in the Cleveland, Ohio area and dispenses some tasty recipes and photos.
Gluten Free in Georgia (and Florida)- I guess I can't say it any better than Ginger in describing her blog, "Adventures in Gluten Freedom with a Crazy Southern Blogger Chick". Decadently good gluten-free and sugar-free recipes, witty writing and lots of fun and useful GF information from this Mass Communications Professor.
Gluten-Free in the Greens - Follow this blog by a Vermont school teacher now living in the Republic of Georgia for great eats and gluten-free travel advice.
Gluten-free is Life - Kim is the GF mom of two kids, one who needs to eat gluten-free as well, and she provides lots of healthy and kid-friendly recipes on her blog.
Gluten Free Journey - Dianne in the U.K. dishes about cooking gluten-free and experiments with lots of international cuisines.
Gluten-Free Kathy - The accent is on healthy eating for an active lifestyle on Kathy's blog.
Gluten Free Kay - She's a gardener, cook and excellent food photographer. Kay's gluten-free and has other food allergies, so check out this blog for lots of beautiful, tasty options if you or someone you cook for has a restricted diet.
Gluten Free LA - Jennifer shares gluten-free recipes and dining opportunities in the Los Angeles, California area.
Gluten-Free Maui - Amanda is "eating gluten-free on a rock in the sea", Maui, and has a fantastic, easy Southern Hot Pepper Sauce recipe you won't want to miss.
Gluten Free Mommy - Natalie is the North Carolina mom of two cute young sons and has lots of great, family-friendly recipes to share. She is also an incredible baker and the founder of the weekly Gluten-Free Menu Swap.
Gluten Free Momsense - Great parenting tips, recipes and resources from this Frederick, Maryland mom.
Gluten-Free Monkey - This mom cooks for her celiac son with diabetes, so look for lots of family-friendly, GF and sugar-free recipes.
Gluten Free Optimist - This Maryland blogger provides lots of GF product information, health news and a healthy dose of humor to wash it all down.
Gluten Free Portland - Dave provides the dish on gluten-free products, eateries and news in the Portland, Oregon area.
Gluten Free Raleigh - Zach is the dynamo behind this blog about celiac and wheat-free dining, meetings and shopping around the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area and has lots of other great health and other news of interest to the larger GF community.
Gluten Free Saratoga - Suzanne in Saratoga Springs, New York, dishes out great recipes, tips on gluten-free eateries and groceries in Saratoga County and other interesting tips.
Gluten Free South Africa - Irish-born Aylena lives in South Africa and blogs about the gluten-free life in the Southern Hemisphere with lots of tasty recipes.
Gluten Free Sox Fan - She's a lawyer married to an Aussie and has some really great recipes, including a homemade mushroom ravioli with pesto.
Gluten Free Steve - Steve gives out the skinny on gluten-free products, recipes, and restaurant/eatery reviews for those in the Denver, Colorado area.
Glutenfreeville - Lots of great information about gluten-free products, restaurants and other GF lifestyle information from California mom Nancy's blog.
Gluten Freeway - Navigating a gluten free life in Los Angeles is the focus of Stephen's new blog, with lots of product and restaurant reviews.
Gluten Hates Me, But I'm Surviving -Marlow is a Southern gal who's having way to much fun in the kitchen cooking great gluten free foods and inventing cool new kinds of martinis.
The Gluti Girls - A mother-daughter blogging team with lots of luscious recipes.
The Good Eatah - Life with this Massachusetts native involves gluten-free, dairy-free cooking, in between skydiving and biking trips.
Good Without Gluten - Jeff in North Carolina appreciates good food and has a great recipe blog. The polenta recipes are my favorites.
Grain Damaged - A Portland, Oregon gluten-free support group with great information on area restaurants, bakeries and gluten-free hot spots.
Happy to Be Gluten Free - Selina's new blog offers delicious, home-tested, family approved, gluten-free recipes. Most recipes are casein-free as well.
Hey, That Tastes Good!- Jill lives in Philadelphia and blogs about local gluten-free eateries and has some excellent recipes, as well as the occasional gluten-free travel report from Slovakia.
Hold the Gluten - Maureen is a New Jersey mom with lots of witty information and mouthwatering recipes about life on planet celiac. She even does podcasts...whoa!
I Am Gluten Free - Ellen is a musician and excellent cook, judging from the delectable range of gluten-free recipes on her popular blog.
It's Just Not Dinner Without Cat Hair -Sheri concocts some wonderful gluten-free recipes, particularly for baked goods, interspersed with cute pix of her cat and dog menagerie.
Jeena's Kitchen - Jeena is a U.K. food blogger with a ton of gluten-free recipes in her index. Her focus is healthy and fresh food, with an emphasis on Indian recipes. My family is hooked on her Onion Bhajis recipe and all the variations with other vegetables that we cook up.
Jennifer Gluten Free in Georgia - Jennifer has been living for years with celiac disease and is very knowledgeable about gluten-free foods and products and dining opportunities in the Georgia area.
Karina's Kitchen - Karina is the Gluten-Free Goddess, whose blog reflects her background as an artist and writer, with lots of gorgeous food photography. Karina's gluten-free and other allergy-friendly recipes have a Southwestern flavor and a focus on fresh and natural ingredients.
Kat's GF Kitchen - Albany, New Yorker Kat has a husband who has recently gone gluten-free and this blog chronicles her cooking adaptations and experiments.
Kill.the.gluten - Two sisters in law cook gluten-free in a stylish and tasty manner and also offer good gluten-free product reviews.
Lea is Gluten-Free - Lea lives in Western New York on a farm with lots of animals of all kinds and cooks up some wonderful things to eat. I've bookmarked quite a few of her recipes.
Life Gluten Free - A gluten-free blogger mom with an emphasis on sugar-free and healthy cooking and eco-friendly lifestyle tips.
Lilac Kitchen - A blogger over in the U.K. whose lovely pastel purple kitchen inspires her to bake up scrumptious and Daring things.
Li Loves David - Somewhere in the Southeastern U.S., Li blogs about her gluten-free world as a celiac, with the occasional scrumptious recipe.
Life After Gluten - Denver, Colorado pastry chef Tiffany learns to live La Vida Gluten Free after a celiac disease diagnosis. Great recipes and travel tips on dining safely in Mexico.
Living Without Wheat - Babyfro is the American hostess of this fun blog which explores recipes, products, and books for GF eaters.
Make Mine Gluten-Free - Another Coloradan named Tiffany has good information about gluten-free products and eateries.
Maple N' Cornbread - Jennifer is the Mississippi Maple lover who cooks up a storm for her gluten-free husband, with a particular passion for baking.
Modern Day Celiac Hippie - Celiac Mama is new to the gluten-free life, but her blog shows how she's coping, cooking and raising two kids with grace and style.
More Gluten-Free Options - Blogging from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Stacey provides lots of information about GF dining, product reviews, bakeries and the occasional gluten-free recipe.
Mrs. G.F. - Lots of great recipes for kids and for easy, tasty meals from the Slacker Mom.
No Gluten, No Problem - Kelli and Peter Bronski blog about recipes and gf living and are the authors of "Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking."
Only Sometimes Clever - An Arizona homeschooling mom who blogs about the gluten-free lifestyle, books, GF products and hiking.
Pig in the Kitchen - This U.K. pig is one of the funniest food writers out there and her recipes for her family of many allergies are great to boot. Throw in some great food photos and it's a blog party!
Please Don't Pass the Nuts - This New York City psychotherapist and social worker shares recipes and lifestyle advice for gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, sugar-free, lactose-free and other -free diets.
Rachel's Recipe Box - This New England homeschooling mommy's blog contains a wealth of gluten-free, dairy-free recipes and advice about healthy living.
Radish Boy - A mom's blog about trying out recipes to feed her multiply-allergic son.
So Familiar a Gleam - This Rochester, New York lady was raised in a bake shop and dreams about opening an allergen-free bakery some day. Until then, feast your eyes on her great recipes.
Sorry I Can't Eat That - Allie in Western Massachusetts gives out advice on gluten-free groceries, restaurants and other places.
The Spunky Coconut - A Colorado mom and food coach/personal cook that specializes in gluten-free, casein-free and sugar-free cooking dishes out some great, healthy recipes. She is also the author of the new "Spunky Coconut Cookbook".
Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried - Naomi over in England is a homeopath and her recipes for lovely, healthy and kid-friendly treats are spectacular. She also started the blogging event, Go Ahead, Honey, It's Gluten-Free, to inspire theme-based gluten-free recipe roundups.
Strawberries are Gluten Free - A Canadian mom of three young kids and a celiac husband who shares her family-friendly recipes and menus.
Sugar and Spice - A Boston girl who likes to cook, read nonfiction, kick box and watch the Red Sox.
Sure Foods Living - Alison, a California mom, maintain a excellent informational blog about living gluten-free and avoiding other food allergens.
Tasty Eats at Home - This Texas mom knows how to put a great meal on the table quickly, even when it's gluten-free and from scratch.
La Tartine Gourmande - French ex-pat Bea (accent aigue in there over the e) is a food and travel writer/photographer, whose blog is achingly beautiful. Find over 100 gluten-free recipes in her recipe index.
Trav's Gone Gluten-Free - Philadelphian Travis explores the gluten-free world, with many recipes and reviews of gluten-free beers and other products.
Triumph Dining - The publishers of the "Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide" and Grocery Guide have a blog packed with tips about finding gluten-free food throughout the U.S.
Wasabimon - Culinary Wordsmith Stephanie Stiavetti blogs about gluten-free food, photography, organic cooking, and health issues from her computer in San Francisco.
Wheat Free Meat Free - Kalinda cooks for her vegetarian celiac husband in Chicago and this blog features her great recipes and wonderful food photos.
Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen - Husband and wife nutritionists and cookbook authors Ali and Tom have a wonderful blog about healthy, gluten-free eating coming to us from Bellingham, Washington.
A Year of Crockpotting - Stephanie is the hilarious, gluten-free chef who has a strong attraction to her herd of crock pots--but she's OK with that. A funny and tasty food blog which started on January 1, 2008 with a new crock pot recipe each day.
This list is just an appetizer, there are so many other great gluten-free food bloggers out there that I haven't had time to taste and more sprout each day. If you have a gluten-free food blog that you would me to sample and add to this blogroll, feel free to leave a comment and I'll get to it.
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
In Which the Crispy Cook Wonders, What the Heck is a Jicama?
There are many beautiful vegetables and fruits in the world but the jicama is not one of them. This tawny root vegetable (pronounced hick-uh-muh) is a boring brown blob that looks like something you'd whack off a gigantic witch's chin. Or perhaps a cow plop. Unfortunate visual associations aside, however, there is hidden inside the humble jicama a juicy, crunchy flesh that tastes to me like a turnip without the bitterness or a slightly sweet potato without the starch. Refreshing is about the best adjective for this humble tuber and I am delighted to have discovered its delights this past week.
The Cook the Books Club is currently reading Laura Esquivel's bestselling foodie novel "Like Water for Chocolate", and I wanted to explore Mexican cuisine a bit before blogging up my post. My local library had a copy of Diane Kennedy's classic cookbook "The Art of Mexican Cooking", so I had a lovely couple of hours escaping to Mexico's more gentle climate while the snow and wind blew against my windows the other day. I have a number of recipes I am interested in trying out, but first I wanted to experiment with a jicama.
Jicama is the root of a native Mexican vine, Pachyrhizus erosus. The leaves and seeds are poisonous and the seeds even contain rotenone, a common insecticide ingredient, but the tuberous root is entirely edible. It has become a popular vegetable in Southeast Asia and China, going under a variety of other names, and is enjoyed both raw and cooked.
Kennedy's book had two recipes for snacks, or botanas, using jicamas. In the first, sliced jicama is topped with finely chopped onion, lime juice, toasted peanuts, chiles and crumbled queso anejo cheese. The second recipe for a Jicama Pico de Gallo was a recipe from the western Mexican region of Jalisco on the Pacific Ocean and called for a mixture of cubed jicama mixed with oranges and a spicy lime dressing. According to Kennedy, this second recipe is traditionally served with little toothpicks and a side of beer or tequila but I had plans to pair it with a rice, beans and corn tortilla casserole I had popped in the oven for our evening meal. I had to substitute some ingredients around but the result was a very refreshing, citrusy accompaniment to our meal and I offer my adapted recipe from Kennedy's book below:
Jicama and Orange Salad
2 cups jicama, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes (this used 1/2 of a 2 lb. jicama)
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin orange segments in light syrup, drained (juice reserved for fruit salad dressing later in the week)
1/4 cup lime juice (1-1/2 limes)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
Dash cayenne
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
Mix lime juice, salt, paprika and cayenne pepper together.
Mix jicama and oranges gently in glass bowl. Pour dressing over and toss gently. Let stand at least 1-2 hours to mingle flavors. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
If you are interested in joining our little virtual foodie book club, Cook the Books, please do check out the book. It's a great read and then we all cook up something inspired by our reading by the deadline of March 26, 2010.
In the meantime, I am sending over this jicama post to Weekend Herb Blogging, an weekly blog event about the magical Vegetable Kingdom which is headquartered at Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once and guest hosted this week by Dhanggit's Kitchen.
The Cook the Books Club is currently reading Laura Esquivel's bestselling foodie novel "Like Water for Chocolate", and I wanted to explore Mexican cuisine a bit before blogging up my post. My local library had a copy of Diane Kennedy's classic cookbook "The Art of Mexican Cooking", so I had a lovely couple of hours escaping to Mexico's more gentle climate while the snow and wind blew against my windows the other day. I have a number of recipes I am interested in trying out, but first I wanted to experiment with a jicama.
Jicama is the root of a native Mexican vine, Pachyrhizus erosus. The leaves and seeds are poisonous and the seeds even contain rotenone, a common insecticide ingredient, but the tuberous root is entirely edible. It has become a popular vegetable in Southeast Asia and China, going under a variety of other names, and is enjoyed both raw and cooked.
Kennedy's book had two recipes for snacks, or botanas, using jicamas. In the first, sliced jicama is topped with finely chopped onion, lime juice, toasted peanuts, chiles and crumbled queso anejo cheese. The second recipe for a Jicama Pico de Gallo was a recipe from the western Mexican region of Jalisco on the Pacific Ocean and called for a mixture of cubed jicama mixed with oranges and a spicy lime dressing. According to Kennedy, this second recipe is traditionally served with little toothpicks and a side of beer or tequila but I had plans to pair it with a rice, beans and corn tortilla casserole I had popped in the oven for our evening meal. I had to substitute some ingredients around but the result was a very refreshing, citrusy accompaniment to our meal and I offer my adapted recipe from Kennedy's book below:
Jicama and Orange Salad
2 cups jicama, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes (this used 1/2 of a 2 lb. jicama)
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin orange segments in light syrup, drained (juice reserved for fruit salad dressing later in the week)
1/4 cup lime juice (1-1/2 limes)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
Dash cayenne
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
Mix lime juice, salt, paprika and cayenne pepper together.
Mix jicama and oranges gently in glass bowl. Pour dressing over and toss gently. Let stand at least 1-2 hours to mingle flavors. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
If you are interested in joining our little virtual foodie book club, Cook the Books, please do check out the book. It's a great read and then we all cook up something inspired by our reading by the deadline of March 26, 2010.
In the meantime, I am sending over this jicama post to Weekend Herb Blogging, an weekly blog event about the magical Vegetable Kingdom which is headquartered at Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once and guest hosted this week by Dhanggit's Kitchen.
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
A Japanese New Year's Treat of Pumpkin Mochi
Investigating naturally gluten-free foods is one way of dispensing with the frustrations of a GF diet. In Japan, there is a tradition of making mochi (pronounced mo-chee) during New Year's festivities, with families and neighbors gathering together to pound steamed glutinous rice (glutinous as in sticky, not full of gluten) in special stone mortars to make a mochi dough paste. This mochi dough is then rolled, molded and decorated into little cakes to eat and offer at Buddhist or Shinto altars.
Mochi has become wildly popular in Hawai'i as well, and there are a seemingly infinite ways of blending in various fruits, flavorings and other additions to make a beautiful rainbow of mochi. It is easy to make mochi using a box of sweet rice flour, which I have found locally in natural foods stores and Asian markets marketed as Mochiko by Koda Farms. I first saw mention of mochi when I read Victoria Abbott Riccardi's book "Untangling My Chopsticks: a Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto" and then checked out blueberry and cherry mochi recipes on The Food Librarian's blog, as well as this cool Pumpkin Mochi variation on Kirbie's Cravings.
Since I have lots of pumpkin puree in my freezer from the mammoth harvest of Rouge Vif d'Etampes pumpkins from our 2009 garden, I thawed some out and made up a big batch of these moist little rice cakes. I spiced them up with some allspice, nutmeg and cloves and they were a hit with the family. They made such a big batch, that I froze some. They are very moist and have sugar in them, so be careful to eat them quickly (I had a few that got moldy by the third day and the dog enjoyed them).
This Pumpkin Mochi is my submission to Grow Your Own, a blog event started by Andrea's Recipes and hosted this month by House of Annie, which celebrates home grown and foraged foods from around the world.
I am delighted to have discovered this Japanese delicacy and will be experimenting with other flavors in the future for sure.
Mochi has become wildly popular in Hawai'i as well, and there are a seemingly infinite ways of blending in various fruits, flavorings and other additions to make a beautiful rainbow of mochi. It is easy to make mochi using a box of sweet rice flour, which I have found locally in natural foods stores and Asian markets marketed as Mochiko by Koda Farms. I first saw mention of mochi when I read Victoria Abbott Riccardi's book "Untangling My Chopsticks: a Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto" and then checked out blueberry and cherry mochi recipes on The Food Librarian's blog, as well as this cool Pumpkin Mochi variation on Kirbie's Cravings.
Since I have lots of pumpkin puree in my freezer from the mammoth harvest of Rouge Vif d'Etampes pumpkins from our 2009 garden, I thawed some out and made up a big batch of these moist little rice cakes. I spiced them up with some allspice, nutmeg and cloves and they were a hit with the family. They made such a big batch, that I froze some. They are very moist and have sugar in them, so be careful to eat them quickly (I had a few that got moldy by the third day and the dog enjoyed them).
This Pumpkin Mochi is my submission to Grow Your Own, a blog event started by Andrea's Recipes and hosted this month by House of Annie, which celebrates home grown and foraged foods from around the world. I am delighted to have discovered this Japanese delicacy and will be experimenting with other flavors in the future for sure.
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
Peanut Butter and Jelly Together in a Cookie: Pass the Milk!
Hubby had the hankering for some peanut butter cookies and I was happy to oblige my sweetheart on Valentine's Day. I used the recipe for gluten-free peanut butter cookies from Elizabeth Barbone's wonderful Easy Gluten-Free Baking cookbook (you can test drive some of her recipes at her website but this PBJ cookie recipe is from her book) and decided on the variation she noted at the bottom of the recipe page to make a thumbprint in the middle of each cookie and fill with a smidgen of jelly (I used strawberry jam). What I didn't notice with the first hot batch was her admonition that the hot jammy centers can cause burns, so if you make this luscious cookies, don't shove one in your mouth before it thoroughly cools!I made my batch of PBJ valentines using some of the products seen below for my baking, courtesy of samples sent by the Earth Balance company. The peanut butters and butter substitutes worked perfectly in the cookie recipe and it was nice to make a sweet indulgence with a light hand on the indulgence part. The Earth Balance products are not only gluten-free, but vegan, lactose-free, and casein-free, so you can use them to cook for all your friends and family with special dietary needs. Here in Saratoga County, New York, I could only find the Earth Balance buttery sticks and spread in my local markets, but hopefully the creamy and chunky peanut butters will be on local shelves soon.
I am not as fancy a dessert chef as I would like, but those of you with mad pastry chef skills might like to try the Earth Balance recipes for Vegan Espresso Brownie Sundaes with Fudge Sauce and Vegan Lemon Cheesecake with Agave Glazed Berries.
The Earth Balance Peanut Butters get a thumbs up from the Crispy Crew in our peanut butter sandwiches (and straight from the spoon too). The peanut butters are lightly sweetened with agave, rather than sugar or corn syrup, like some other brands, so the mother in me approves heartily. I have bought the Earth Balance buttery spread before because we like it as an alternative to butter for our bread, but it was nice to play around with the other Earth Balance products and I would recommend them to others.
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
Some Tips for Baking Gluten Free Buns
It is particularly ironic that the most bread-lovin' member of our household is my celiac husband Dan. He inherited his bread lust from his father, who always considered a meal incomplete if it didn't include rolls or slices of buttered bread. Several years ago, when Dan was waiting for the results of his blood test to see if celiac disease was the result, he had a "last meal" of beer (verboten barley malt), pizza (wheat crust) and several slices of crusty, luscious homemade bread (extra, extra gluteny!).
I do not, alas, have a large reservoir of patience for baking. I like to riff in the kitchen; to cook without exact measuring, and I like to try lots of new recipes and variations thereof, which are not qualities which make for a good baker. And Gluten-Free baking presents its own challenges. Wheat gluten does so many alchemical things in the oven that require several different substitute flours, thickeners and binding agents, so I get a little frustrated.
But my sweetie must have his carbs, and he particularly likes buns rather than bread for his veggie burgers and sandwiches, so I have come up with some strategies for working with the sticky GF bread doughs which I will pass along to you here. I have used them fairly successfully to adapt many different gluten-free bread recipes to the making of buns.
Most gluten-free bread doughs are too soft, wet and sticky to knead or shape by hand, so what has worked best in my Crispy Kitchen is to make up a batch of bread dough and then divide the dough into six portions (a wet knife works well) and plop each into a greased and white rice floured egg ring which is sitting on a cookie sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper. I got my egg rings at a restaurant supply store for about $2 each as I recall. They are meant for making perfect circlets of cooked egg on the griddle, but I like them for keeping my GF rolls from spreading out .
Then I let my rolls rise in a warm oven for an hour, having previously heated up the oven to its lowest temperature (170 degrees F in my case), leaving the oven door open just a crack.
After the rolls have risen, I either leave them free form on the tops, or smooth them down with an egg or milk wash. I sometimes sprinkle on cheese, salt or spices. The egg wash will leave your bun tops nice and shiny and it helps the sprinklings adhere better. Below are some herb bread buns which I made from a bread recipe from Carol Fenster's sorghum flour-lovin' compendium, "1001 Gluten Free Recipes".
I have used this bun baking technique to adapt many different gluten-free bread recipes for Dan's bun consumption. You just have to greatly reduce the baking times, so be sure to keep an eye on your oven.
Here are a couple of other gluten-free baking tips which I have found helpful:
1) Thoroughly blend dry ingredients. The gluten-free flours are so finely milled that they billow about and you want to make sure that if you use xanthan gum or guar gum in your recipes that they are well incorporated so you don't end up with sticky little gum pockets in your final product.
2) Getting all ingredients room temperature takes a bit of fore-thought. I usually forget to take out the butter and eggs ahead of time. I use my microwave for a few seconds to warm up the butter. Chilled eggs from the refrigerator can be warmed up by soaking in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes or so.
3) Once buns have cooled, store in a plastic bag in the freezer, as GF baked goods seem to be very crumbly and will go stale very quickly. I then thaw out individuals items as needed.
I have found inspiration, solace and a healthy attitude towards GF cooking in many of the posts at Gluten Free Goddess and this post about GF Baking is particularly full of good advice. I was happy to see lots of gluten-free bread recipes and baking tips at the Red Star Yeast website and used their GF Chick-Pea Bread recipe to make into individual buns. They came out beautifully after a cooking time of 25 minutes. I threw in 2 tsp. of cumin seeds for a little flavor boost and they got rave reviews from Bunzilla, aka Dan, so this recipe will go into our files.
Chickpea flour (also known as besan) is sometimes found in the supermarket, but you can certainly seek it out at a natural foods or health food store or Asian market. The cooked flour has a delightful, warm taste and makes for a fluffy bun.
I hope you will be able to have success with my GF bun baking tips. They have produced some great buns for our pantry and I would love to hear about tips others may like to share about baking their buns. I recently compiled a list of my baking recipes here if you would like to check out these other baked goods. I left out the links to my many other less successful baking misadventures!
This post about Chickpea Buns is my submission for the 20th helping of My Legume Love Affair, a monthly event started by Susan the Well-Seasoned Cook to celebrate the deliciousness of the world of legumes. I have the honor of being this month's guest host for MLLA #20 and I welcome your submissions until February 28, 2010. You can check out the cute green bean logo at the right sidebar or this post for more MLLA details.
Happy Baking!
I do not, alas, have a large reservoir of patience for baking. I like to riff in the kitchen; to cook without exact measuring, and I like to try lots of new recipes and variations thereof, which are not qualities which make for a good baker. And Gluten-Free baking presents its own challenges. Wheat gluten does so many alchemical things in the oven that require several different substitute flours, thickeners and binding agents, so I get a little frustrated.
But my sweetie must have his carbs, and he particularly likes buns rather than bread for his veggie burgers and sandwiches, so I have come up with some strategies for working with the sticky GF bread doughs which I will pass along to you here. I have used them fairly successfully to adapt many different gluten-free bread recipes to the making of buns.
Most gluten-free bread doughs are too soft, wet and sticky to knead or shape by hand, so what has worked best in my Crispy Kitchen is to make up a batch of bread dough and then divide the dough into six portions (a wet knife works well) and plop each into a greased and white rice floured egg ring which is sitting on a cookie sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper. I got my egg rings at a restaurant supply store for about $2 each as I recall. They are meant for making perfect circlets of cooked egg on the griddle, but I like them for keeping my GF rolls from spreading out .
Then I let my rolls rise in a warm oven for an hour, having previously heated up the oven to its lowest temperature (170 degrees F in my case), leaving the oven door open just a crack.
After the rolls have risen, I either leave them free form on the tops, or smooth them down with an egg or milk wash. I sometimes sprinkle on cheese, salt or spices. The egg wash will leave your bun tops nice and shiny and it helps the sprinklings adhere better. Below are some herb bread buns which I made from a bread recipe from Carol Fenster's sorghum flour-lovin' compendium, "1001 Gluten Free Recipes".
I have used this bun baking technique to adapt many different gluten-free bread recipes for Dan's bun consumption. You just have to greatly reduce the baking times, so be sure to keep an eye on your oven.
Here are a couple of other gluten-free baking tips which I have found helpful:
1) Thoroughly blend dry ingredients. The gluten-free flours are so finely milled that they billow about and you want to make sure that if you use xanthan gum or guar gum in your recipes that they are well incorporated so you don't end up with sticky little gum pockets in your final product.
2) Getting all ingredients room temperature takes a bit of fore-thought. I usually forget to take out the butter and eggs ahead of time. I use my microwave for a few seconds to warm up the butter. Chilled eggs from the refrigerator can be warmed up by soaking in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes or so.
3) Once buns have cooled, store in a plastic bag in the freezer, as GF baked goods seem to be very crumbly and will go stale very quickly. I then thaw out individuals items as needed.
I have found inspiration, solace and a healthy attitude towards GF cooking in many of the posts at Gluten Free Goddess and this post about GF Baking is particularly full of good advice. I was happy to see lots of gluten-free bread recipes and baking tips at the Red Star Yeast website and used their GF Chick-Pea Bread recipe to make into individual buns. They came out beautifully after a cooking time of 25 minutes. I threw in 2 tsp. of cumin seeds for a little flavor boost and they got rave reviews from Bunzilla, aka Dan, so this recipe will go into our files.
Chickpea flour (also known as besan) is sometimes found in the supermarket, but you can certainly seek it out at a natural foods or health food store or Asian market. The cooked flour has a delightful, warm taste and makes for a fluffy bun.
I hope you will be able to have success with my GF bun baking tips. They have produced some great buns for our pantry and I would love to hear about tips others may like to share about baking their buns. I recently compiled a list of my baking recipes here if you would like to check out these other baked goods. I left out the links to my many other less successful baking misadventures!
This post about Chickpea Buns is my submission for the 20th helping of My Legume Love Affair, a monthly event started by Susan the Well-Seasoned Cook to celebrate the deliciousness of the world of legumes. I have the honor of being this month's guest host for MLLA #20 and I welcome your submissions until February 28, 2010. You can check out the cute green bean logo at the right sidebar or this post for more MLLA details.
Happy Baking!
Categories: Gluten Free Recipes
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