|
Top 10 Most Giftable Kitchen
Electrics
According to market researcher NPD Group, here are the top 10 kitchen electrics
purchased as a gift. Next to it are my ideas for how to use them in a
gluten-free kitchen---just in case Santa Claus decides to bring you one of them
or you already have one but don't know what to do with it.
1. Stand Mixer - indispensable for mixing heavy dough such as bread
dough or thick cookie dough. I love my 4 1/2 quart KitchenAid stand mixer and
wouldn't part with it. Use it for the breads in any of my cookbooks. It is also
great for recipes where the beaters have to mix something for a long time,
perhaps 5 minutes. You don't have to stand there holding the mixer; it does the
work for you.
2. Waffle Iron - waffle irons make great waffles, of course, but
have you tried baking cookie dough on them to make "boot" cookies (the
impression looks like the sole of a boot). The cookie idea works best with a
regular waffle iron, not a Belgian waffle iron but the Belgian kind makes
wonderful waffles. And, the cookie dough should be fairly stiff so it doesn't
run out the sides.
3. Slow Cooker - let tonight's supper cook all day so it's ready
when you get home from work. There are several slow cooker recipes in Gluten-Free
Quick & Easy. You can also make mulled wine in a slow cooker, or keep mashed
potatoes hot for hours, or cook tomorrow morning's hot porridge overnight. Most
units come with removable bowls that go in the dishwasher or line the bowl with
a disposable liner for easy clean-up.
4. Electric Grill - Sometimes a ridged grill is combined in the
same appliance with a flat griddle. If you don't want to go the expense of
another electric appliance (and
can't grill outdoors during the winter) a less expensive, low-tech approach is
to use a grill pan on a burner on the stovetop. This is simply a skillet or
griddle with ridges which make pretty grill lines on meat or vegetables.
Another take on this type of
appliance is the panini grill or sandwich maker. This appliance is especially
good for our gluten-free sandwiches. If your bread is hard it is important to
revive it; simply warm it gently on Low power in the microwave until it is
pliable so it won't break when you press the two slices together. Then create
your favorite panini sandwich and following manufacturer's directions, grill the
sandwich pressed between the two sides of the appliance. If you don't want to
invest in a panini grill, simply use another heavy skillet to weigh down your
sandwich as you cook it in the skillet, much like a grilled cheese sandwich.
5. Food Processor - every gluten-free kitchen should have a food
processor to
quickly mix up cookie dough, chop nuts for a Flourless Chocolate Cake, or make
dips. It blends ingredients more thoroughly and evenly than the beaters of
a mixer. I also like my little Bullet that is perfect for small jobs like
blending salad dressing or chopping small amounts..
6. Espresso Maker - probably not a "must" unless you like coffee.
At our house, we're addicted to coffee and drink lattes made in our own machine every day.
In fact, my husband makes so many lattes that he's called "Latte Larry." Try
pouring freshly-brewed espresso over ice cream or frozen yogurt or use it in
baked goods such as chocolate cakes, cookies, and brownies.
7. Electric Skillet - I no longer have an electric skillet since
mine went to the that great appliance outlet in the sky, but I once used it
extensively for frying chicken since I knew it would maintain a consistent
temperature and it was nonstick, making cleanup easier.
8. Rice Cooker - cook rice or whole grains without having to tend
or stir them while they cook. I have an old-fashioned Black & Decker rice cooker
that serves me well, but many of my chef friends love rice cookers with the
Fuzzy Logic technology because it makes perfect rice.
9. Hand Mixer - perfect for small jobs, especially those where you
have to hold the mixer in a certain place---for example, beating egg whites over
simmering water to make the Fluffy White Frosting in many of my cookbooks..
10. Deep Fryer - I often use a deep saucepan for deep-frying, but
the beauty of a deep fryer is that it maintains a constant temperature. This assures that your foods fry evenly and as quickly as possible (without burning)
so they don't absorb any more oil than necessary.
Cook for the Cure
Gluten-Free Dinner Party
To raise funds for the Susan
G. Komen foundation, I
hosted a gluten-free dinner
party for four gluten-free
colleagues. The event is
called "Cook for the Cure"
and the Komen foundation
provides an entire party kit
to guide the hostess,
including recipes by famous
chefs such as Sara Moulton
and Bobby Flay of the Food
Network. But, of course,
many of their recipes
weren't suitable for us plus
many of my guests had
additional food
sensitivities such as dairy,
soy, fish, coconut,
synthetic iodine, and palm
oil.
So, I decided to design my
own menu. Following a
Spanish theme (since I
recently visited Spain), we
dined on appetizers of fried
almonds, olives, endive
leaves stuffed with a lentil
salad and we drank sangria
(wine flavored with fruit).
The first course was almond
soup, which is traditionally
thickened with bread in
Spain. I thickened the soup
with a little cornstarch
instead and it worked just
fine. Almonds are a major
product of Spain so it was
important to have this soup
on the menu.
The main course was paella,
which is actually a very
simple Spanish dish despite
its reputation of elegance.
It is simply rice cooked
with a variety of
vegetables, meats, or
seafood. I also served my
French bread and a mixed
greens salad.
For dessert, we had
chocolate souffles are which
amazingly easy to make. They
can even be assembled before
your guests arrive and then
baked while you dine. They
should be served immediately
after they come out of the
oven because they soon
collapse. In case anyone
wasn't in love with
chocolate, I also prepared a
bing cherry clafouti, which
is a European dish of fruit
baked baked in a pancake
batter. But, as one of my
guests said, "If it's not
chocolate, why bother?"
Food
for Thought
"To give without any reward, or
any notice, has a special quality of its own."---Anne Morrow Lindbergh,
writer and aviation pioneer
Where
in the World is Carol?
No travel in December, but I
taught a class on holiday
cookies at my local Whole
Foods on December 8. We made
an easy, no-bake cookie/ball
that stores well and
everyone is sure to love.
Although it's months away,
here are some of my upcoming
speaking engagements. I will
be speaking at the first
Gluten-Free Invitational
Bake-Off at Johnson & Wales
University in Denver on a
date to be announced this
spring. The event is
sponsored by the Gluten-Free
Culinary productions. For
more information, go to
www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com.
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.
|