Share this:

In the 8th Arrondissement, just beyond Haussmann Boulevard and Place St. Augustin is Bio Sphère Café. Its charming owner Sylvie, opened the organic (Bio is french slang for organic) cafe in 2010, but at first it wasn’t 100% gluten free.

” From the beginning, I wanted to open an organic bakery. I wasn’t aware about coeliac decease. As I propose the galette bretonne with buckwheat flour which is gluten free, I have customers that were asking me for gluten free cakes. I did some research about the disease and recipes.  I started to make one cake : it was a success. Another one and so on. Then the baguettes & the pizza.”

 

Les Baguettes Sans Gluten

 

 

Yes, you read that right…. Gluten-Free Baguettes. And can I tell you they are sublime? Just what you’d expect a baguette to be- crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. A slightly pliable crust that crunches when you squeeze it.

And I have to say, walking around Paris with a baguette in my bag like a real Parisian made me feel somehow like I…. belonged…..like the best of Paris was accessible to me too!

Zucchini Soup w/ Gluten Free Baguette

 

 

 

 

 

But there’s more to Bio Sphère Café than phenomenal baguettes. Oh yes, there are delicious galettes sarrasin (the buckwheat galettes mentioned above), creamy fresh soups, creative pastas, quiches, salads..and oh yes- pizza. According to the Kitchen Divas in Training (and I happen to agree) the best gluten free pizza crust they’ve enjoyed to date!

Gluten Free Pizza!

 

 

 

One of the big challenges in creating a gluten free pizza crust is keeping a consistent texture. Too often the crust is chewy on the outside, but mushy on the inside, and that’s just not enjoyable. Or, if it’s a good texture on the inside, it can be overcooked at the edge. Sylvie’s pizza crust was perfect! A lovely texture- not too thick, and evenly cooked from crust to center. The Kitchen Divas in Training simply could not get enough!

 

Lastly, there were the desserts! A whole case of gorgeous patisserie. In addition to singlehandedly running her restaurant, somehow Sylvie manages to have the time to make great patisserie too! We enjoyed creamy lemon tarts, an array of macarons (she learned from the fine folks at Laduree no less!) eclairs, little cakes, and lighter than air tiramisu! Seriously, it was like eating a cloud- I could have eaten 10! I did actually, by the time you count all the desserts we sampled!

 

 

 

 

 

More often than not, in commercial venues gluten-free=not so good. So to find an organic & certified gluten-free restaurant like Bio Sphère Café which also happens to offer delicious, excellently prepared meals, and pastries, and gluten free baguettes? Oh yes, let’s not forget a pretty tasty gluten-free beer to accompany your pizza!

C’est un miracle!

Merci Sylvie, pour votre généreuse hospitalité, votre charmant restaurant, et vos baguettes incroyables! Nous sommes très heureux de vous avoir rencontré!

If you don’t have time to enjoy a meal at the restaurant, but would like to try a baguette- they are available a emporter (for take away) by reservation. You may contact Sylvie via her website here.

Share this:

Just off the Canal St. Martin in the 10th arrondissement, is one of Paris’s best gluten-free patisseries (pastry shops- and yes, there’s more than one!), Helmut Newcake.

Helmut Newcake is one of 3 dedicated (and certified) gluten-free eateries in Paris. In addition to the incredible patisserie they make, they also have a daily lunch special and offer brunch on Sundays. Brunch is very popular here- in fact the first time I called to reserve a spot- 2 days in advance- they were already booked up! After reserving 4 days in advance so I wouldn’t miss out, I can see why!

The space is warm, friendly, and eclectic. Mismatched furniture, interesting art, and cosy tables are tucked into corners alongside a mini grocery area & bookshelves filled with Marie Taglioferro’s personal cookbooks.

Who is Marie Tagliaferro? The inspiration behind Helmut Newcake. Her husband, François, runs the front of the house while she makes magic in a tiny kitchen 1/2 the size of my own! Several years ago she was working for Lenôtre, one of the best pastry establishments in Paris, when she was diagnosed with Celiac. Imagine being a pastry chef diagnosed with celiac- it’s like being an opera singer who’s told she can never sing again.

Like many of us who’ve struggled with a transition to a completely gluten-free diet, François agreed the transition was not easy. “Marie gave up cooking. For awhile we both managed restaurants in London.” Thankfully for us, she couldn’t stay away.

“At first, she started experimenting, and at first it was a disaster.” smiled François. (sound familiar home chefs??) “But eventually it got better and she started working on specifics- percentages and writing down exact measures. Then in December, 2011 they took the plunge and moved back to Paris to open Helmut Newcake.

Since then, they’ve been taking the gluten-free world by storm. They’ve been featured on David Lebovitz’s blog, the New York Times Magazine, The global news agency AFP (see their video about Helmut Newcake here), and many other well respected European publications.

We visited on several occasions- enough times to enjoy nearly everything in the pastry case. While everything we tried was delicious and beautifully presented, the stars were the eclairs. *Hands Down*, these are the lightest, most perfectly balanced eclairs I’ve ever enjoyed. The filling is creamy and a delicious contrast to the light and airy pâte à choux. And, for those of you who can still eat gluten- I guarantee in a blind taste test you could not tell which one has no gluten- and in fact, I bet you’d prefer Marie’s eclairs. They’re that good.

From a pastry standpoint, I know that gluten-free pâte à choux can be a challenge. Too often it gets tough and stringy, and then it won’t puff in the oven- or it will collapse. Marie has elevated gluten-free pâte à choux to an art form, and if you only have time to stop by for one pastry- get an eclair, or another treat made with pâte à choux. Gluten-free paradise indeed.

As for that brunch we enjoyed? Heavenly. Think baskets of fresh gluten-free bread, smoked salmon, bacon, pancakes, savory tarts, and perfectly coddled eggs. And dessert? Let’s just say the sign on the counter about gluten-free paradise is correct.

I think the next time we visit Paris, we may need to stay in the 10th, just so we can stop by every day!

Merci Beaucoup Madame (et Monsieur) Tagliaferro! Vous êtes une source d’inspiration pour les chefs sans gluten partout. Nous vous remercions de votre persévérance, de dévouement et de passion.

Share this:

Chef Erica’s Shrimp & Grits (MAX’s Wine Dive)

Gluten-Free Paris posts will return soon, but today I want to tell you about what’s happening in the Austin food scene. I’ve been in Austin for the last 4 days at a conference and have had the chance to experience some great gluten-free food.

Like any city with a thriving local restaurant scene- Austin is pretty easy to navigate if you eat ‘sans gluten’. (Yes, I can’t help the French references at the moment!) Restaurants in Austin are committed to supporting their local growers. It has been absolutely delightful to repeatedly see long lists of growers whose food is used across the city. I was very fortunate to have a conversation about this with up and coming chef Erica Beneke- executive chef at MAX’s Wine Dive (207 San Jacinto Blvd.). Erica is super talented and after enjoying one of her creations- a flavor packed, fresh take on grits with spicy butter broth, shrimp, bacon, scallions, parsley and jalapenos- I know her career is going to rocket to the moon and beyond. Of Course, appearing on this Sunday’s episode of Chopped is going to help too! Chopped is on The Food Network, and will air tonight (June 2) at 7pm Central. I suggest tuning in to watch this talented young lady make food magic. You can watch online after its first airing- the episode is called Fry Fry Again.

Kitchen Goddess Chef Erica of MAX’s Wine Dive (& me..on the left, in awe..)

Half of MAX’s menu is all about gourmet comfort food. Think pork stuffed piquillo peppers, burgers made from brisket, chuck and beef belly, and ‘Haute’ Dogs made from Wagyu beef. The other half of the menu is a celebration of seasonal, local ingredients and changes about 5 times a year. Right now you can find creative items like a raw kale, avocado, and beet salad; or seared scallops with sweet corn, purple potato and rainbow carrot succotash. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to eat my way through the whole menu!

Other delicious finds have been at Cedar Door, one block south of MAX’s. The quinoa salad came with an enormous hunk of peppered avocado, and a carrot habanero reduction. The pulled pork and green chile tacos they serve are easily the best outside of Albuquerque. I was also thrilled to see that they use beef that is antibiotic and hormone free, and that they grind their own beef in house for burgers etc., to keep the flavor as fresh as possible.

Quinoa Salad- Cedar Door

Pulled pork & green chile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was also really impressed with the kitchen staff at Old School Bar & Grill in the heart of 6th street. They cooked me up a salmon filet that was to die for. For those of you who’ve never been to Austin- 6th Street is lined with bars- all sporting their own band, hawker bouncers who shout out the evening’s specials, and signature drinks. It’s also the mecca for all things weird about Austin. Great fun- especially if you’re looking to step outside of your comfort zone, or dive into local flavor!

Best Popcorn Ever at Moonshine

Moonshine, immediately south of the Hilton Hotel on Red River, was also a great find. Housed in a building from the 1850′s, the site has been a domino parlor, saloon, and general store. They make an incredible popcorn appetizer that was so good I couldn’t stop eating it. I was ready to beg the chef for the recipe. Imagine popcorn with paprika, celery salt, a bit of cayenne, and a little bit of Texas Magic. I’ll be attempting to recreate this at home very soon. Like the other local restaurants mentioned, Moonshine held its own with green chile grits and super fresh salads.

Twin Liquors on 7th & Red River also has a great selection of gluten-free beers, as well as a knowledgeable wine staff.

Basically, if you’re gluten-free in Austin, throw a dart and wherever it lands- you’ll be golden. Everywhere I went,  I discovered waitstaff and chefs who were happy to work with my gluten-freeness! There were so many good choices, I didn’t begin to scratch the surface. If you go- you are certain to enjoy yourself, and eat well- what more could you ask for?

Share this:

Marche D’Aligre

My favorite time of day in Paris is early Sunday morning between 8-10am. The city seems to take a deep breath and exhale. And for a moment- all is calm. There are few people on the streets, save for a couple tourists hurrying to catch the train to the airport, a garbage man or two, and perhaps the random shop owner who opens to sell a breakfast café or croissant. You can walk through the old cobblestone streets, watch the sun peeping over the buildings, and hear yourself think. For a very brief time, I feel like I have this glorious city all to myself.

Of course, there’s another reason to get out early, especially on the weekend, and that is to hit the Marchés (Markets). Just like our farmer’s markets domestically, the marchés are filled with every kind of fruit and vegetable imaginable- this time of year grown primarily in Southern France or Spain. You will also find pop up fromageries (Cheese Shops), boucheries (butchers), boulangeries (bread shops), vendors of soaps, table cloths, cool kitchen gadgets, fresh eggs, jams, honeys, and the like. And the beautiful thing? If you’re willing to walk a distance or ride the metro- you can find a plein air (open air) market every day of the week.

Petite Marche- Rue du Seine

The Marché d’Aligre is probably one of my favorite markets, and one of the most unique. It’s enormous and takes place nearly every day. What sets this market apart is that all of the vendors loudly call out to you and the other shoppers as you walk down the rows, offering samples of produces and claiming the best price. It’s all good, really. We purchased food from many different vendors, and enjoyed all of it. But, it does make marketing more of an exciting experience.

 

Marche Bio- Raspail

There are two marchés biologique (organic markets) marchés bio for short, where everything- including the take away food (cuisine a emporter) is certified organic. I found the produce prices there to be a bit out of my league (trop cher), but I felt the dairy, eggs, and meat were on par with what I’d expect to pay elsewhere. I worry less about organic produce in Europe thanks to the EU’s much more stringent policies on which pesticides are allowed to be used on crops designated for human consumption. In fact, 2 weeks ago they banned neonicotinoids, a group of pesticides known to be toxic to honey bees. Of course at the same time the USDA approved a new toxic pesticide already shown to be incredibly harmful to honeybees. Way to go USDA. Makes me wonder who’s back pocket you’re in. It doesn’t appear to be the honey bees’.

Miel d’Acacia

For those of you who don’t know, honey bee populations in the US and around the world are in a freefall thanks to colony collapse disorder. This winter, honey bee farmers sustained record hive deaths. So much so, that California almond growers are concerned that they might not have enough honey bees to pollinate the entire crop this year. Almond trees are exclusively pollinated by bees. Over 25% of America’s food crops need bees to pollinate them. If we lose our fuzzy buzzy friends, our food supply is in serious jeopardy.

Petite Saucisson

In Paris, they are doing something about this. Chemical sprays are banned within the city limits, and all of the major gardens- the Tuileries, Luxumbourg, etc., have bee hives and fruit trees planted. Once a year, the honey collected goes on sale.

Unlike the US, the marchés take place year round. And thanks to the Gulf Stream Waters, even though Paris is super-far North, it’s possible to get fresh produce that was grown close by. Just like in the US, it varies seasonally, and if you want to eat locally, you still have to eat what’s in season- but you definitely have options.

 

Purchasing food at the marchés is also a great way to eat gluten-free or on a budget. I was very surprised to see the sign on the left regarding the charcuterie. You’ll also notice the prices. Meat in general, is very expensive. I believe their prices actually reflect the true cost of raising quality meat. But as a consequence, only the very rich eat fresh meat every day. Most folks will regularly enjoy a little cured meat, paté, or foie gras, and then a few times a week, perhaps a steak or a roast chicken. Roast chickens are available at most of the markets and at most bucheries, are delicious, and very affordable. Even the farm-raised ones (fermier).

 

 

I’ve included a link here to a complete run-down of the Paris markets. Each market, just like each arrondissement, has a unique personality. Why not enjoy them all? Oh yes, and Les Baguettes pictured below….. Gluten Free and Delicious! I’ll be writing about them soon!

Les Baguettes: Gluten Free & Delicious!

Special thanks to my daughter, the elder Kitchen Diva in Training, for taking the photos you see in this post. She’s getting quite good with a camera, don’t you think?

Donkey Milk Soap- very good for the complexion.

Marche d’Aligre

 

Share this:

Jim Haynes and our evening’s Chef- Evgenia

Jim Haynes has fed over 150,000 people.  For Jim, like many of us, a shared meal is a means for breaking down barriers, sharing a story, and recognizing our common humanity.

For over 30 years Jim has been hosting Sunday night dinners and introducing people to people in his Paris apartment.  It all began when Jim was hosting a guest who he realized he didn’t know very well. This guest loved to cook and offered to cook dinner for Jim and a few friends. Out of this was born a tradition that has spanned the globe. When Jim goes to the Edinburgh festival every August, the dinners go with him. People who’ve attended Jim’s Paris dinners have started their own Sunday dinners on nearly every continent.

Handmade desserts- the white ones were gluten free!

Last night, we were fortunate enough to be on the guest list. Dinner was cooked by Jim’s friend Evgenia, who is Macedonian. We enjoyed traditional Macedonian stews and desserts. A salad of shredded carrots, beets and cabbage, a stew of roasted peppers which were then fried in olive oil until they were so tender they fell apart. A green salad of spinach, onion, & yogurt. And desserts- a tray of hundreds- all hand-made by Evgenia. And, because the Kitchen Divas in Training and I are gluten-free- she also prepared a special meat dish for us, as the main course was made with Filo. Talk about hospitality. Talk about delicious.

People from all over the world find Jim. We met local Parisians, students, folks from Houston & Austin, Australia, England, Ireland, Germany, Mexico, and left with contact information for many newly made friends. When you arrive at Jim’s, he separates you and asks you to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. Rather than this being an awkward experience, everybody is enthusiastic about talking to someone they don’t know and discovering something unexpected.  The best part for me? Seeing Jim beaming at all the happy people and all the connections being made. For those of us who believe world peace can be achieved over a meal, it’s nights like this that provide the proof.

Seamus, from Ireland, who helps with the serving every week.

Jim and his guests

If you know you are going to be in Paris on a Sunday night, or at the Edinburgh Festival in August- contact Jim and get on his guest list. The people will surprise and delight you, and no matter how far away you live, for a moment, Paris will feel like home.

Share this:

This- is Monsier Le Garrec- a Celtic Frenchman, formerly of Le Dorac, now living in Paris. How is it, you might ask, that an American family comes to spend time with such a gentleman? It is thanks to the miracle of the universe and the help of our neighborhood watering hole- L’Express Bar (23 Rue du Roule, 75001).

Every arrondissement in Paris has a gathering place like this. Some more than one. I very nearly wrote about another- Le Rubis, only to be scooped by David Lebovitz just the other day. I guarantee you- in every neighborhood bar there is a story as riveting as Monsieur Le Garrec’s waiting to be told. The story just needs a listener. This conversation took place entirely in French, and if the details aren’t 100% accurate, it is because of my faulty comprehension.

Monsieur Le Garrec- Marcel- was 8 years old in 1943 when the Gestapo marched into his village of Le Dorac- a small village not quite halfway between Limoges and Poitiers that was right on the dividing line between Occupied and Vichy France. Eight years old. Not much older than my younger daughter. The fear he said he felt was unimaginable, untranslatable. His parents were both active in the Resistance.

The elder Le Garrec’s Carte d’Resistance- still carried by Monsieur Le Garrec

Often he was left home alone all night to sleep by himself, while his parents risked their lives for the sake of a free France. His mother, like many women of The Resistance, carried messages. His father, part of the Maquisard- the men of The Resistance; guerrilla fighters located primarily in Vichy France, was involved in more dangerous activities: Radio transmittals to Britain that moved every night, smuggling downed Allied paratroupers to Spain using Russian papers, distributing weapons or sabotaging German stations in advance of the Allied Invasion.

Marcel told us with great emotion that when he was 10- his mother brought him to Normandy- to Sainte-Mère-Église – the site of a violent battle during the D-Day invasion, where many Allied paratroopers were killed. She showed him the tomb of a fallen American soldier, instructed him to say a prayer for the young man, and in a Private Ryan-esque moment, told him to  “earn this”. These men died so that young Marcel, young Arianwen & Katerina could live in a world free from the worst type of evil and prejudice. That same year, his father- also Marcel- introduced him to an American General at a reunion of Resistance fighters and rescuees in La Doret. This general shook the hand of the elder Marcl and thanked him for resisting. ‘Without the Resistance, we could not have succeeded.’ The highest accolades for a gentleman who refused all decoration from the French government in the years to come.

Marcel- now 78, is an artiste- a singer with a lovely tenor voice, who will be traveling to Bologna for 2 months next summer to better study opera. He calls himself a ‘comédien’. In France that means an entertainer/actor  of song, poetry, and writing. His wife has passed, his daughters remain, and still he sings and reaches out. We spent the better part of the evening discussing the finer points of movies, music, art and food.

Ouefs Mayonnaise- typical wine bar fare. Delicious

The first night we met him he was enjoying an excellently prepared steak frite at our Bar. He heard us speaking English to the girls and asked if we were American. He thanked Jack for the aid of the Americans in WWII. Neither of us has ever had that experience. Jack responded that we still remember the aid of the French in our own Revolution.

It is encounters like these that make me happy I’m an artist and a writer. Stories like Marcel’s need to be shared- alongside the wine, l’eau mineral, and planchettes (charcuterie planks) that are part and parcel of a neighborhood gathering place.

I hope to meet Monsieur Marcel again for a verre du vin, or perhaps ‘ouefs mayonnaise’. before we hop a plane to come home. I hope we can spend the evening talking about the finer points of Gershwin, Cole Porter, George Brassens, and the importance of making music and sharing food- wherever we are…because artists naturally seem to find each other.

Wherever you are- I encourage you to find your local watering hole- and for a moment, put aside all preconceived notions about who people are and just listen to the story of the person sitting next to you. It’s likely you’ll be amazed.

Share this:

 

 

Bonjour a tous! The Adventuresome Kitchen is on the road again- back to Paris where we are working on an exciting project to be unveiled later in the year.

Paris in spring is much different than Paris in December. I have to say I’m just as enchanted. Flowers are peeping out everywhere, and on the sunnier days, the cafes are filled to bursting with people watchers.

 

 

One pleasant discovery has been Le Bistrot St. Germain. On a little side street, just off St. Germain de Pres, I stopped to read the menu, and Monsieur Alex, immediately invited us in. I confess it was a bit of an awkward moment- we had intended to eat at a creperie a few doors down (we later found out it was closed that day!), but I like to stop and read the menus and look at the prices. The menu looked good, and the restaurant looked really cosy, and after a few moments of hemming and hawing, I explained that the Kitchen Divas in Training and I must eat meals ‘sans gluten’. “Pas de problem” (no problem) he said. “I will take care of you!” And so adventuring we went.

Monsieur Alex certainly did take care of us. I asked him about a number of ingredients and he even brought out onion soup sans bread, and clarified it was not thickened with ‘farine’ or ‘ble’. Those words mean flour, and can be used interchangeably.

He brought the girls veal steaks perfectly grilled and seasoned without sauce. I enjoyed a tender lamb chop, and Mr. Kitchen Diva had the best meal of the day- a starter of plump, sweet mussels cooked in wine and shallots, and a juicy chateaubriand (a porterhouse steak). It was cooked to perfection, and not too big. The pomme frites and haricourt verts were perfectly seasoned and appropriately crispy. The ladies were in french fry heaven!  I realize I have just used the word ‘perfect’ about 6 times, but it was really, really good. There were several gluten-free desserts on the menu, and we settled for mousse au chocolate and creme caramel. Creme caramel is just like creme brulee, only the sugar hasn’t been crisped. Brulee means to burn. All this for a mere 12.50 euro per person! A price that for the quality, would be hard to beat in any neighborhood in Paris! I noticed after we sat down, that they also have a slightly more expansive menu for 17.50 euro, and we intend to return to sample some of the more adventurous options.

The restaurant is tiny- only 10 tables or so on the ground floor, with exposed beams and a lovely old wooden bar in the back towards the kitchen. The walls are covered with old pots and pans, artwork, and even a pair of skis. It definitely has the feel of a cosy mountain chalet. The cuisine here is hearty, and they claim to make ‘Savoyarde’ (Swiss) cuisine as well, namely fondue. I don’t know if they serve fondue in spring, but if they do, that might have to be on our next menu as well!

 

 

Of course, all work and no play makes everyone a bit grumpy. And given that there’s so much food to try, we need to walk and run to build up hearty appetites. In spring, this means multiple visits to the Jardin du Luxumbourg, where they have one of the best play areas I’ve ever encountered. The Jardin du Luxumbourg isn’t just for children. There are plenty of play areas for adults as well. We noticed lots of tennis courts, but our favorite was the Boules area. These men and women take their Boules seriously- including trash talk and commenting to the watchers. Seriously fun entertainment.

 

 

 

 

 

Share this:

There is nothing attractive about meatloaf…..except the taste. To be honest, until last week, I’d never made meatloaf. It’s not on my list of favorites. My impressions of it from childhood are less than positive.

But after repeated requests from Mr. Kitchen Diva- it’s his favorite after all, I took the plunge. Only in my case, because I can’t stomach the thought of cooking an enormous lump of ground beef with only eggs and breadcrumbs, I ‘hippiefied’ it with the addition of carrots and kale. Then I “Kansas Citified” it with the addition of our favorite locally produced BBQ sauce, Oklahoma Joe’s Cowtown Bar-B-Q Sauce. Oklahoma Joe’s is a barbeque joint in a gas station at the confluence of KCK and KCMO. They have the reputation of being the best barbeque in the world. Seriously. People wait in a line that wraps around the gas station for hours for this stuff, it’s that good. We locals know better than waiting and just call it in. Their sauce is gluten free (yay!) and it’s also without that other nasty ingredient- high fructose corn syrup. Oklahoma Joe’s has a thriving mail order business which I linked to above- if you’re curious or just plain love good barbeque sauce, head over and order a few bottles. I promise you, your tastebuds will thank you! And when you get your jar in the mail, you can make this meatloaf and think about making Kansas City your next vacation destination!

Gluten-Free Hippie Meatloaf, Kansas City Style

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef (I recommend grass-fed, grass-finished)

2 carrots finely shredded

1/2 onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 cups julienned kale (about 1/4 of a bunch, stems removed)

2 slices gluten-free bread, made into breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 jar of Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ Sauce (or your favorite)- about 1 cup, with extra for garnish

1 tbs oregano

1 tbs garlic powder

12 twists of pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Mush all this stuff together with your hands. Yes it’s kind of gnarly, but it’s the easiest way to mix it!  When the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and the meat holds together on its own. Lift out and pat into a 9×9 pan and drizzle more BBQ sauce on the top. Bake at 375 for about an hour, or until internal temperature reaches 165. (If you bake this in a loaf pan, cooking time will likely be longer).

 

Share this:

Asparagus with Saffron Sauce

For the last 9 months, the Kitchen Divas in Training and I have been studying the Middle Ages. This has included the creation of timelines, multiple art projects, reading kid-lit versions of the great Medieval tales like Robin Hood, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which takes place in the Middle Ages) The Cantebury Tales, and Sir Gawain and the Green Dragon.

Gluten Free Cheese Gnocchi

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the most fun we had was researching food of the Middle Ages. It was completely eye-opening to all of us. Here are just some of the facts we learned:

Roasted Carrots in Almond Milk

• Almond milk was a dominant ingredient. In the Middle Ages, dairy and meats were not consumed during Lent. Almond milk was used in everything from pastries, to soups and stews.
• Fusion cuisine had its advent in the Middle Ages, thanks to the burgeoning  spice-trade brought on by the Crusades.
• The Middle Ages was the first time that cooking was elevated to an art form.
• The introduction of sugar into the diet caused early tooth decay, frustrating dentists for generations to come. Study of skeletons from the early Middle Ages shows that most people had their teeth into their later years- until sugar became a sought after ingredient. Go figure.
• Far from being a time period of bland, tasteless gruel, food in the Middle Ages was richly spiced with saffron, cinnamon, cloves, roasted meats and vegetables, fruit pies and puddings- a veritable feast.
• Italians ate lasagne and gnocchi in the Middle Ages- different than today’s recipes, but no less tasty.
• Blanc Mange, Blamage- Literally “White Eating” was a staple across all regions, and the forerunner of chicken and rice.  Each country had their own twist on this casserole type dish.

Our culminating activity was a Medieval Feast, complete with costumes, project presentations, candlelight, and company.

Weaving Demonstration

 

Viola da Gamba

Timeline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipes came from the following cookbooks: The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black, The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France & Italy by Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi, and Medieval Cooking Today by Moira Buxton.

I’m telling you- our ancestors knew how to eat! That was the biggest surprise of the evening- everything was delicious!

Our Menu:

Gluten Free Beer Bread

• Sauteed Asparagus with Saffron Sauce
• Roasted Carrots in Almond Milk
• Lamb Chops braised in red wine & cherries
• Blamangez (Chicken & Rice with Almond Milk & Pancetta)
• Cheese Gnocchi
• Rice Pudding with Almond Milk & Rosewater
• Cherry Pottage  (Cherry Pudding cooked with red wine- delish!)
• Bread made with Ale (Adapted to be gluten-free, and quite tasty)

 

 

 

There were several recipes I wanted to try, but ran out of time- my favorite of these: “Orange Omelette for Harlots and Ruffians“- a simple dessert type recipe with the comment that “(it) can be tasted without running the risk of moral turpitude.”

 

Share this:

Today’s post was to have been a frothy round-up about eating gluten-free in Omaha, Nebraska, where I spent the weekend. Yet again my heart is saddened by a horrific act of violence that leaves me once again explaining to the Kitchen Divas in Training that the world IS a beautiful, wonderful, and largely safe place. That most people are good, generous, and kind-hearted. And that Love does win. It must win. But explain that to the parents who lost their 8 year-old son tonight. Or to the person who in a moment of joy lost their leg. I am raw. I have deep ties to Boston, and tonight I keep looking at the many threads of my life that tie me to that beautiful city.

I typically have two responses to tragedy- I make music, or I cook. Tonight I don’t have the energy for either. Like you, I am questioning the madness of a person or people who could behave so hatefully and with such lack of regard for human life and the ties that bind us to one another.

My friend Elke posted this great quote from Leonard Bernstein- one of my all time favorite composers and conductors: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” When I went hunting around for that quote, I discovered that it was part of a larger statement he made in response to the assassination of President Kennedy. What he said then still resonates now- especially in light of today’s events. I hope that the following words will give you sustenance and food for thought in the coming days. (you may find the original site here)

 

“from Tribute to John F. Kennedy
Speech made at United Jewish Appeal benefit
Madison Square Garden, New York – 25 November 1963

My dear friends:
Last night the New York Philharmonic and I performed Mahler’s Second Symphony — “The Resurrection” —in tribute to the memory of our beloved late President. There were those who asked: Why the “Resurrection” Symphony, with its visionary concept of hope and triumph over worldly pain, instead of a Requiem, or the customary Funeral March from the “Eroica”? Why indeed? We played the Mahler symphony not only in terms of resurrection for the soul of one we love, but also for the resurrection of hope in all of us who mourn him. In spite of our shock, our shame, and our despair at the diminution of man that follows from this death, we must somehow gather strength for the increase of man, strength to go on striving for those goals he cherished. In mourning him, we must be worthy of him.

I know of no musician in this country who did not love John F. Kennedy. American artists have for three years looked to the White House with unaccustomed confidence and warmth. We loved him for the honor in which he held art, in which he held every creative impulse of the human mind, whether it was expressed in words, or notes, or paints, or mathematical symbols. This reverence for the life of the mind was apparent even in his last speech, which he was to have made a few hours after his death. He was to have said: “America’s leadership must be guided by learning and reason.” Learning and reason: precisely the two elements that were necessarily missing from the mind of anyone who could have fired that impossible bullet. Learning and reason: the two basic precepts of all Judaistic tradition, the twin sources from which every Jewish mind from Abraham and Moses to Freud and Einstein has drawn its living power. Learning and Reason: the motto we here tonight must continue to uphold with redoubled tenacity, and must continue, at any price, to make the basis of all our actions.

It is obvious that the grievous nature of our loss is immensely aggravated by the element of violence involved in it. And where does this violence spring from? From ignorance and hatred —the exact antonyms of Learning and Reason. Learning and Reason: those two words of John Kennedy’s were not uttered in time to save his own life; but every man can pick them up where they fell, and make them part of himself, the seed of that rational intelligence without which our world can no longer survive. This must be the mission of every man of goodwill: to insist, unflaggingly, at risk of becoming a repetitive bore, but to insist on the achievement of a world in which the mind will have triumphed over violence.

We musicians, like everyone else, are numb with sorrow at this murder, and with rage at the senselessness of the crime. But this sorrow and rage will not inflame us to seek retribution; rather they will inflame our art. Our music will never again be quite the same. This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before. And with each note we will honor the spirit of John Kennedy, commemorate his courage, and reaffirm his faith in the Triumph of the Mind.

printed in FINDINGS by Leonard Bernstein © 1982, Amberson Holdings LLC.“