Carol's Culinary Cues - October 2003

(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:

-Enjoy Beef Ragu --- Under the Tuscan Sun

-Try This Fabulous Focaccia Idea

-Get Involved in the American Celiac Task Force

-Thanks to a Thoughtful Hostess

-Buckwheat and Sorghum are Nutritious and Gluten-Free

-Happy Halloween Cookies

-Where in the World is Carol?

-Food for Thought


Enjoy Beef Ragu' --- Under the Tuscan Sun
I just saw the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" and it transported me back to two wonderful trips to Tuscany, about this same time of year. Although the movie only loosely follows the book by Frances Mayes, I recalled the wonderful northern Italian food. 

If you want to try a fabulous Tuscan dish, go to  www.CarolFenstercom, click on Recipes, then on Beef Ragu.  I've served it often, including large dinner parties. They loved it! You will, too. While you're at my web site, click on Tuscany  Travelog to take your own trip (vicariously, of course) to Tuscany.

 

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Try This Fabulous Focaccia Idea

Do I seem to be focused on Italian food? Perhaps... At any rate, try this fantastic idea that Andrea Levario shared with me (more on Andrea later).  

 

When she bakes Focaccia (see my web site for recipe), here's what she does. "I place a sheet of foil in the pan. Then half way through the baking, lift the bread out (thanks to the  foil) flip it over onto a baking stone, then bake for the remaining time. It gets the bread nice and brown on the  other side, too. Then we slice it open and use for sandwiches." She says to spray the foil with cooking spray and preheat the baking stone when you're preheating the oven. I've often used the  Focaccia bread for sandwiches, but this is definitely a new twist.

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Get Involved in the American Celiac Task Force

Andrea Levario is the Co-Chair of the Legislative Project, American Celiac Task Force. This group was initiated by Dr. Alessio Fasano, Director of the Celiac Research Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine AND a many leading experts in the gluten-free community. 

 

You probably read about this group, but they're responsible for getting the celiac segment on the TODAY show in August. You can help by going to www.celiaccenter.org/taskforce.asp  and sign up to get updates. Use the web site to communicate with your elected representatives and let them know we want better food labeling and recognition of celiac disease. If you want to e-mail Andrea directly: actf@fogworks.net

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Thanks for a Thoughtful Hostess

A wonderfully thoughtful hostess prepared this dinner for my husband and I recently: Appetizers, served on the patio, were rice crackers with goat cheese rolled in fresh, chopped rosemary. Dinner was grilled salmon and a baked potato. The salad was pickled beets sprinkled with chopped fresh herbs from her garden. The vegetable was buttered green peas with pearl onions. Dessert was incredible:  Panna Cotta with lots of fresh raspberries and blueberries. To make the evening more enchanting, our hosts' home is in the foothills of the Rockies and foxes kept approaching the patio to curiously watch us and beg for food. Altogether a memorable evening!

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Buckwheat and Sorghum are Nutritious and Gluten-Free

Despite what you may read elsewhere, we learned at the  Gluten-Free Living conference that all five of the major buckwheat manufacturers in the U.S. use dedicated facilities. That's great news for those of us who love buckwheat and appreciate it's nutrients. Sorghum is another nutritious gluten-free grain and its four main manufacturers also assure us of its safety. I am a big fan of sorghum because it's light in color and neutral in flavor and makes my baked goods come the closest to wheat-baked as possible. 

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Happy Halloween Cookies

For some really cute ideas for cookies,  see my book  Gluten-Free Celebrations. There are several recipes for kid's cookies in the shape of spiders or bugs  that might work really well for Halloween parties.

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Where in the World is Carol?

This month, many of the gluten-free vendors are exhibiting at the national conference of the American Dietetics Association in San Antonio, TX on October 25-28, 2003.  In fact, most of us are located in the same aisle so the dietitians can find us easily. We're also holding a special educational session on the gluten-free diet, and I'm going to demonstrate preparation of gluten-free foods. I'll tell you more about it next month.

 

On November, 2, 2003, I'll have a table at the Celiac Disease Foundation Annual Educational Conference and Food Faire. For more information on the conference, go to  www.celiac.org or call 818.990.2354.

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Food for Thought

As someone who believes "Eat dessert first. Life is uncertain" ,  this is interesting: Did you know that Americans are eating fewer desserts in restaurants? Apparently, larger main-dish portions mean we're too full for dessert.

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