|
Each DVD is accompanied by a
cookbook with all the
recipes that Jean
demonstrates on that DVD and
her recipes are free of
gluten, dairy, and eggs and
are low-cholesterol as well.
The foods on the Kids' DVD
emphasize dishes that kids
love such as pizza, hotdogs,
macaroni and cheese, etc.
The recipe that Jean uses is
from my newest book,
Gluten-Free Quick and Easy,
and we use this basic
chocolate cake to make
delightful,
marshmallow-filled cupcakes.
Here is what Jean says about
the Kids' Meals DVD on her
web site:
"Carol joins Jean to show how to make an all purpose gluten free flour, turn
that into an all-purpose cake mix and then make it into Vegan Chocolate
Cupcakes. We will fill the cupcakes with marshmallow cream and top them with a
Candy Bar icing. They look great, are fun and easy to make with your children.
But that is not all... We will serve them with ice cream made from cashews! Your
kids will love these innovative treats."
We ate the cupcakes and ice
cream for lunch, I took some
home to my family, and we
all agreed that they were
absolutely delicious. If you
would like more information
about this DVD or the other
DVDs by Jean, go to
www.alternativecook.com.
NEW BOOK: Gluten-Free Quick
and Easy (Available for
Pre-Order at Amazon.com)
Although it won't be in
bookstores until August 2,
my new book can be
pre-ordered at Amazon, so go
there to check it out. I'm
especially proud of this
book because it brings our
gluten-free cooking much
closer to other
cookbooks that emphasize
quick, easy meals. The
emphasis is on minimizing
your efforts in the kitchen,
maximizing the ingredients
by using as many flavorful
versions as you can, and
using mindful food
preparation techniques such
as making extra and freezing
it for another meal (many
call these "leftovers" but
we call them "planned-overs."
The book also shows your how
to make your own mixes for
yeast breads, quick breads,
cakes, and cookies. Many of
the recipes also use
ready-made foods which save
time. Now that the Food
Allergen Labeling and
Consumer Protection Act of
2004 is in place (it started
in January, 2006) we can
read the label to see which
foods contain wheat and
avoid them. I used the
Celiac Food SmartList at
www.clanthompson.com to
verify which ingredients are
gluten-free. But even though
I suggest brands that have
been verified by
ClanThompson you must always
read labels of anything you
buy.
Dining
At Friend's Homes
I am so fortunate to have
wonderful friends here in
Denver. One couple, business
associates of my husband,
Larry, invited us and
another couple, who happen
to follow a kosher diet, for
dinner. Our hosts purchased
the entire meal from a
caterer who specializes in
special diets and we had a
fabulous dinner of salmon,
salad, vegetables, and
delectable brownies with
sorbet. If you didn't know
the food was both
gluten-free and kosher, you
would never have guessed.
Another friend, this one
with the foxes who join us
for drinks on the patio
during the summertime,
served baked ham, sweet
potatoes, asparagus, and
frozen ice cream desserts.
We had rice crackers with
wonderful cheese as an
appetizer. It was a fabulous
meal, and again, one that no
one would have guessed was
gluten-free.
A
Tip for Your Bread-Baking
Experts believe that one of
the reasons our bread
doesn't rise well when it
bakes in the oven is that the crust may
dry out too soon during the
baking period---especially
in dry climates, such as
Denver where I live, or in
the winter when our homes
are drier. To combat that
problem, put a baking dish
filled with ice cubes in the
bottom shelf of your oven.
As the bread bakes, the ice
cubes melt and give off
steam, thus keeping a crust
from forming until the bread
is fully risen and the
baking period is almost
done.
Food
for Thought
“If you chase two rabbits, you won't catch either
one.”---Unknown
Where
in the World is Carol?
My only
trip in April was the International Association of Culinary Professionals where
I presented a session with Penny Eisenberg (an expert on dairy-free cooking) and Annie Khuntia, MD
(an allergist at the University of Chicago) on "Catering to
the Niches." Our goal was to inform them about food allergies in general,
and then to discuss gluten-free and dairy-free baking. This was the first time
that a special-diet session food allergens had been held at this meeting.
It
was fun to see many famous chefs that we see on the Food Network, PBS, and
Martha Stewart show. I listened to panels involving people such as Robert
Scharffenberger who brings us the wonderful gluten-free, dairy-free chocolates.
In fact, I spoke with him afterwards and thanked him--on behalf of the
gluten-free community--for their wonderful chocolate. (No explanation about why
his chocolate's name is two words, but his last name is only one word.) I
listened to Rick Bayless (who appears on PBS TV) talk about eating grasshopper tacos in Mexico. I met a
U.S. author who owns a house in Provence and offers cooking classes there. I
watched Charlie Trotter (whose restaurant in Chicago is one of the top 50
restaurants in the world) prepare an ordinary Caesar Salad, and then prepare a
second version with a whole new slant. The romaine lettuce was a puree. The
black pepper became a tuille (a crispy wafer), the Parmesan cheese was rolled in
bread crumbs and deep-fried. Well, you get the idea--the entire salad had all
the flavors of the traditional Caesar salad but looked totally different. Of
course, I couldn't taste it but it gave me lots of ideas, as did many of the
other sessions I attended. I also attended a fundraiser at a local Chicago
eatery and had fantastic lamb shanks, chocolate fondue, steamed asparagus, etc.
I had lunch with my editor at Wiley, who will shepherd my next book, 1000
Gluten-Free Recipes, to its publication in Fall, 2008.
|