Carol's Culinary Cues - April, 2008

(c) Carol Fenster, Ph.D. - President, Savory Palate, Inc.

8174 South Holly St., #404, Centennial, CO  80122

800.741.5418

ISSN 14244


IN THIS ISSUE:

-Gluten-Free Baking Invitational at Johnson & Wales University

-Bread Machine Review in current issue of Gluten-Free Living magazine


Tips from Chefs at the First Annual Gluten-Free Baking Invitational, offered by Gluten-Free Culinary Productions and Johnson & Wales University

This event brought together leading local chefs to offer presentations to attendees (homemakers  who came from all around the nation, and Canada.) In addition, there was a baking competition. Students from Johnson & Wales University vied for $500 scholarships in the categories of cookies, muffins, and yeast breads.

Today's culinary students are tomorrow's chefs in bakeries, restaurants, and manufacturing so we hope they will carry this new knowledge forward. In addition, six chefs vied for acclaim in the professional division, but did not offer presentations.  Here is a brief summary of what each presenter taught us. I was judge for this first (and I hope) annual event. It was coordinated by Suzanne Bowland of Gluten-Free Culinary Productions and Marleen Swanson of Johnson & Wales University, with sponsorship by Bob's Red Mill and Expandex (Corn Products). Please thank these companies for their support. For more information on the event and other gluten-free events, go to www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com. .

Carol Fenster, author of Gluten-Free Quick & Easy (www.glutenfreequickandeasy.com) improves the rice-flour bread of 20 years ago by using sorghum flour and adding Expandex, ground nuts, hot cereals (such as buckwheat or quinoa flakes) or seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds to yeast or quick breads for added nutrients

Monica Poole, owner of Deby's Gluten-Free, Inc.(www.debyglutenfree.com) chills pastry dough for at least an hour to let the flours expand and then letting dough come to room temperature before rolling it out for rugelach.

Left to right, Marleen Swanson, Suzanne Bowland, and Carol Fenster

Rice-flour loaf (l); Sorghum-flour loaf (r)

Deanna Scimio, of Fruition Restaurant (www.fruitionrestaurant.com) uses a wide variety of flavors to enhance the chocolate in her chocolate cookies:  coffee, brown sugar, and vanilla and she adds that salt is critical to enhancing the chocolate flavor.

 

Chadwick White, Certified Master Baker in Castle Rock, CO, delighted us with yeast breads using modified starches that lent a wonderful suppleness to the dough. He likes to let bread rise at 85 degrees and believes that freezing yeast bread dough kills about 1/3 of the yeast cells.

 

Melissa McLean Jory, Certified Nutrition Therapist (www.glutenfreeforgood.com) offered ideas for a healthier gluten-free diet, including the fact that palm oil is better for us than palm kernel oil. She says that Ethiopian runners use teff as a high-energy food.

 

Melissa Degan, Sweet Escape Pastries, (www.sweetescpatries.com) and her adorable 7-year-old sous chef (daughter) taught us to make biscuits in a jumbo (Texas) nonstick muffin pan for easier baking (rather than rolling out the dough and cutting it). She sometimes uses Thai Kitchen original coconut milk in place of heavy cream for baking dairy-free.

 

Jessica Rayfield (www.watercoursefoods.com) demonstrated a vegan apple cake that proves you can eat well on gluten-free diet that is also free of eggs and dairy. She likes using the same proportions of brown rice flour and tapioca in her baking for good texture.

 

Mary Capone, author of The Gluten-Free Italian Cookbook (www.wheatfreegourmet.com) makes her own almond paste in a food processor and puts lemon peel in her pastry crust to make an almond pear crostata.

 

Marcia Kramer, assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University (www.jwu.edu) made chocolate brownies using no flours, but rather pureed garbanzo beans. She uses an ingredient converter at www.gourmetsleuth.com/cookingconversions.asp to adjust ingredients depending on recipe size.

 

Keith Theodore, sous chef at the Broadmoor Hotel (www.broadmoor.com) adds just a pinch of xanthan gun to crepes for better texture.

 


Bread Machine Review

If you're considering buying a bread machine, look at the 1/2008  issue (page 22) of Gluten-Free Living magazine (an excellent magazine for many reasons) to find an excellent review of three current models---Breadman TR 875, Cuisinart CBK-200, and Zojirushi BBCC-X20. www.gltuenfreelivng.com  I have 5 models and often turn to my Breadman because it is familiar to me. But others really like the Zojirush (which I also have) and the Cuisinart because it is easy to operate (I don't have one of these) so read the article before making your choice.


Food for Thought

"Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it." ---George Santayana, philosopher, poet


Where in the World is Carol?

If you live in Denver, don't miss the Food Fair on June 14, sponsored by the local Celiac Sprue Association. Last year's event was a huge success with nearly 400 attendees visiting the booths of local gluten-free companies with lots of foods to taste. It is from 10 AM to 12:30 PM at El Jebel Oasis, 4625 West 40th Avenue, Just west of Tennyson on 50th Avenue. Enter on the southeast side and down the stairs or at the Northeast corner, lower level, off the parking lot.

 

I've been invited back to film more segments for "Creating Living with Sheryl Borden", a PBS show aired in 118 markets across 40 states. If you don't get the show in your area, ask your local PBS station about that. I'm always grateful when educational giants such as PBS acknowledge the importance of gluten-free education.  I will let you know when the taping takes place, although actual airing won't be until the 2008-2009 year.

 

I'm the keynote speaker at the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) Annual Conference in Dallas, TX on June 6 and 7. This is always a wonderfully educational conference, so go to www.gluten.net now to register and learn more. I will be talking about how to get more whole grains in your diet.

 

Although it's months away, I will be speaking at the Gluten-Free Lecture Series "Art and Science of Gluten-Free Gastronomy" at the final lecture on November 11 at the Phipps Mansion in Denver, CO. For more information, go to www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com.