Carol's Culinary Cues - February, 2005

(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:

-Great Substitutes for Bread Crumbs

-Dairy-Free & Delicious--New Booklet Available

-Food for Life Tortillas in Pampered Chef Toaster Bags

-New Cookies from Nutballz

-Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus in Quality Paperback Book Club

-Food for Thought

-Where is the World is Carol?

Great Substitute for Bread Crumbs

It seems like we make a lot of dishes that require bread crumbs in the winter, such as the meat loaf pictured here or crab cakes, meatballs, and so on.

 You can always use gluten-free bread crumbs but there are many other choices that will help bind the ingredients together. Try using rice (baby food) cereal, instant potato flakes, crushed gluten-free corn flakes, rolled rice flakes, or quinoa flakes. I usually use the substitutes in roughly the same amount as the bread crumbs.  I've even used corn meal in a pinch and you could also use a gluten-free breading mix  if you like.

Dairy-Free & Delicious -- New  Booklet Available

Next to wheat, questions about dairy are most common in my business. In response, I've written a new booklet which is available at my web site, www.savorypalate.com  by e-mail download  for $6.95. The 28-page booklet, which is updated as often as I get new information, offers tips on selecting dairy-free milk, cheese, and substitutes for cream cheese, sour cream, and yogurt. There are ideas for making dairy-free food taste better and recipes for making your own nut or rice milks and yogurt. In fact, I've been making my own dairy-free yogurt a lot this winter, using my homemade almond  milk. I buy the dairy-free starter from www.customprobiotics.com  and use an inexpensive yogurt maker ($14.99) from Salton. If I want a thicker yogurt, then I drain it through a coffee filter. I stir in fruit, honey, and flaxseed to pump up the flavor and nutrients a bit. This way, I'm able to control the amount of sugar and other additives and still get the benefit of the probiotics usually found in yogurt.

Food for Life Tortillas in Pampered Chef Toaster Bags
I've told you about the new rice flour tortillas from Food for Life, but now they're packaged with liners between each tortilla to prevent sticking. Yeah!! I discovered that I could cut the tortillas in quarters and toast each quarter in a  Pampered Chef toaster bag that I mentioned a few months ago. The tortillas get warm and pliable and a little crispy on the outside.  Use your favorite sandwich filling such as tuna salad or chicken salad and you have a great sandwich. Also, I've cut the tortilla into quarters, put cheese between two quarters, and grilled it like two grilled cheese sandwiches. Great comfort food for these cold winter days!

New Cookies from Nutballz

"Snack yourself silly" is the motto on these new cookies from Nutballz, a fun, creative company out of Boulder, CO. The cookies come in a variety of flavors and are sweetened with xylitol, rather than sugar. They  make a great treat for someone who can't eat regular sugar.  See the website at www.nutballz.com.

Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus in Quality Paperback Book Club

My latest book, Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus--published by Avery--is now available through Quality Paperback Book Club at a fabulous price of $7.49 (regular price is $16.95. So, if you're a member you can get a terrific deal. Tell your friends!

Food for Thought

" Eat dessert first (especially on Valentine's Day) ."

---Carol Fenster, Ph.D.

Where in the World is Carol?
February is a no-travel month here at Savory Palate, but in March I hit the ground running. First stop is 10 days in Tokyo, Japan where I will be delivering seminars at the FoodEX trade show and working in the U.S. Grains Council booth. This is Asia's largest food show with 90,000 attendees from all over the world. It is really quite exciting to see foods from around the world in one location!

Immediately after I return, I'm at the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim CA for 3 days. Shelley Case, RD, and I will present "The Gluten-Free Boom: Understanding and Merchandising to this Growing Niche". This show, with 30,000 attendees, is for businesses only and I learn about lots of new gluten-free foods. Shelley and I are also doing book signings, including one at the Enjoy Life Foods booth.