The Kentucky Derby absolutely lives up to all the hype. And speaking of, did you see the Preakness today? It looks like we may have witnessed the first Triple Crown winner in 34 years. We’ll know 3 weeks from now!

So what made Derby Day so amazing? Well of course there was hat-watching, and viewing/speculating/pretend betting on all the other races that day, standing with 165,000 people as the horses leaped out of the gate, but truthfully, the experience of drinking a Julep at the Derby, enjoying a little Kettle Corn and a fancy lunch from The Streetside Lounge (Where the buns were kept in a separate chafing dish from the BBQ and brats thank you very much!) and experiencing a slow, sweet meal from De la Torre’s Spanish restaurant will remain with me long after the multitude of hats, people, and races blur in my memory.

De la Torre’s is located on Bardstown Road, a few (long) blocks down from Avalon. It shares a kitchen and management with its sister tapas bar, La Bodega, located immediately next door. We were really torn between sampling a variety of small plates, and trying the paella offered in the restaurant. The paella won. Although, I have to say, we very nearly threw it over for the roast suckling pig that was the chef’s special that night. If only Louisville was a tiny bit closer!

While we were waiting for the paella to arrive we nibbled on a beautiful plate of Spanish cheeses, and sampled the grilled calamari. I love calamari, but rarely enjoy it outside of my kitchen because most restaurants prepare it with flour. This calamari was not only beautifully presented, it was grilled over a tiny charcoal brazier. It never would have occurred to me to prepare calamari on my backyard grill, but after tasting this appetizer I’m definitely going to try! Calamari has the perfect consistency to stand up to the heat of a charcoal grill, and the smoky flavor it gets from that application made me want to ask for seconds.

The paella was a traditional seafood paella complete with lobster tails, shrimp, scallops and more calamari. The rice was the perfect consistency and deeply flavored with saffron. It was a true pleasure.

A word about paella: Like most traditional dishes, paella varies from region to region, restaurant to restaurant. In España, seafood paella is usually considered Paella Valenciana- or Valencian Paella. Valencia is a beautiful city on the Mediterranean, and their regional dishes are filled with fresh seafood. Traditional paella from Madrid includes chorizo, chicken wings, pork, and shrimp. Clearly a landlubbing dish for a landlocked city. But one that is no less delicious.

If you make paella at home, you don’t need a fancy paella pan- although a good cast iron skillet might come in handy. You don’t even need to spend a fortune on fancy ingredients. Use what you have on hand and spend your money on good saffron and paprika.

As fabulous as our previous courses were, it was dessert that knocked me out.  Normally I would have chosen the chocolate dessert, but I was intrigued by the preparation of the banana…I was delighted and surprised with the flavor, and texture. And even though I was full, I couldn’t put down my fork!

De la Torre’s is a wonderful, low-key restaurant with a wonderful old-world, intimate setting. It the perfect landing spot after the crazy crush of humanity that was the Derby. They even offer gluten-free Spanish beer (yay!) I’m only sorry I couldn’t try more of the menu.

As our trip wound down and I packed the car to head home, I had one last stop to make before hitting the road. A locally owned coffee shop called Quills. I’m grateful for Starbucks and all when I’m on the road- especially because I have fond memories of frequenting the original Starbucks at Pike Market in Seattle, where I attended college. However, I prefer the ambience and coffee of a locally owned establishment.

Quills is right off of I-64 on Market Street in New Albany- if you’re driving cross country and you need a pick-me-up- here’s your chance! Not only do they have free wi-fi, their own brand of coffee, and a case full of goodies, some of those goodies are gluten-free! And the coffee?? Best cup I had in Louisville!

Derby Day Mint Julep

Now for that Julep Recipe I promised- there are several variations of a Julep- below are a few

Recipe A:

One shot of Kentucky Bourbon 

1 tbs mint infused simple syrup

Pour over a cup of crushed ice and serve with several mint sprigs- enjoy!

Recipe B:

One shot of Kentucky Bourbon

1 tsp powdered sugar

6 sprigs mint

Dissolve powdered sugar in a bit of the bourbon, add crushed ice and the rest of the bourbon, add the mint- enjoy.

Recipe C:

Muddle 1 tbs sugar and 1 tbs chopped mint

add a bit of bourbon to dissolve the sugar

add crushed ice

pour 1 shot of Kentucky Bourbon over the top

Add mint sprigs- enjoy!

Yes, you are looking at a shot of Churchill Downs, site of the famed Kentucky Derby. I checked off a major bucket-list wish this past weekend when I met my mother-in-law in Louisville, Kentucky to experience everything Derby Weekend had to offer. It was all hats, horses, and deliciously gluten-free!

We stayed at the charming Admiral Bicknell Inn just outside the mayhem in New Albany, Indiana. New Albany sits on the north side of the Ohio River and is 15 minutes from everything you’d want to experience in Louisville. Like many small towns, it has definitely struggled during the recession. But, its downtown corridor is still bustling and filled with local coffee shops and several locally owned restaurants. None of which I tried this time (well I did try the coffee and you’ll read about that in a later post), as my focus was on Louisville. However, the lovely Valla Ann, who runs Admiral Bicknell was such a delightful host, and was so great about making me delicious gluten-free breakfasts, I’ll definitely be spending more time in New Albany in the future!  

Our first evening in Louisville was spent on Bardstown Road, a bustling, eclectic area of the city known for its art galleries, specialty clothing shops, and multitude of locally owned restaurants. We visited Avalon, a boisterous restaurant that is a strange cross between sports bar and posh dining. However, I’d read they make a mean gluten-free lobster mac ‘n cheese, and that’s what I was there to try. It was pretty fabulous- a generous portion with a super-creamy sauce and tons of lobster. However, I did find myself wishing for some acid to cut through the richness- either in the form of lemon, zest, or even some salad greens with vinaigrette.

My mother-in-law ordered one of the best pieces of salmon I’ve ever tasted. I don’t think I’ve ever had a piece of salmon that was downright juicy- but this one was. It was prepared with a beurre-blanc sauce and served with whipped lima beans,  pea shoots, and fresh asparagus. The flavor combinations made experiencing this dish a true pleasure.

 

The next morning it was all about the horses and the hats. We enjoyed an early morning backstretch tour before returning later in the day dressed for Kentucky Oaks. Oaks day is all about the ladies and the fillies. The grandstands were a sea of pink, and the main race of the day, The Kentucky Oaks, is a race entirely comprised of fillies. The signature drink is nothing less than a pink cocktail named the Oaks Lily. They tasted a bit like vodka and fruit punch, although I learned later that they’re more like cosmos with a twist. I didn’t have the presence of mind to photograph these refreshing beauties, but I will tell you how to make my version at home.

Kentucky Oaks Lily

Place 1 oz vodka in a rocks glass filled with ice. Add 1 tbs simple syrup, 1 tbs cherry syrup (I use the juice from my Morelo Cherries) fill to the top with cranberry juice, add a splash of Grand Marnier, and garnish with a healthy sprig of mint. Best enjoyed while watching a horse race!

My favorite meal of the weekend was at the L & N Wine Bar and Bistro, a lively and friendly restaurant just south of the river and east of downtown Louisville. L & N has a cosy neighborhood atmosphere, super-friendly service, and an incredible kitchen. This meal was the highlight of our weekend. They were very gluten-free aware, and nearly everything on the pre-fixe Derby menu that night was naturally gluten-free.

I also appreciated the very reasonably priced aperitifs, and tasting sized options on the wine list. I love pairing wine with food, and to have the option of a tasting portion of wine with each course was delightful! Our server really knew his wines and suggested the perfect pairings with each of my courses. Below are pictures from two of my courses: A beautifully prepared pair of pan seared scallops accompanied by a wild mushroom ragout and tomato confit, and Gulf Shrimp paired with smoked tomato chutney and served atop locally sourced cheddar cheese grits. Both dishes were outstanding and paired beautifully with an Italian varietal called Falanghina and a phenomenal Sangiovese, respectively.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L&N Wine Bar & Bistro is the kind of place I’d visit regularly if I lived in Louisville. They are committed to sourcing locally grown, seasonal food wherever possible, and the staff seems to be the kind of people that would remember your name after a few visits. I certainly felt welcomed into their fold for the few hours I was at the restaurant and hope to return again.

I’ll leave you with a montage of just some of the lovely hats I saw, and the promise of a Derby wrap-up post that includes another great restaurant I enjoyed on Bardstown Road, as well as a recipe for the ultimate mint julep!

 

 

 

 

As I travel the world, I’m continually amazed at how easy it is to have an enjoyable gluten-free food experience.  It does require a little bit of homework and advanced planning; but in general,  I have to say it’s waaaaaaay easier than when I got diagnosed 15 years ago when nobody even knew what was, let alone how to prepare something delicious without it.

As you know we just spent four days in St. Louis attending and participating in the FIRST Lego League World Festival. This festival brings together 85 middle school teams from around the world to compete in the areas of Robotics, Research, and Teamwork, and celebrates all that they have accomplished. Simultaneously, there are international High School competitions as well. In all, over 35,000 people descended on St. Louis to celebrate and compete last week.

I brought lots of gluten-free snacks to keep the Kitchen Divas In Training going during their long days, but was surprised at a few of the delicious meals I had outside the arena. Here are 3 locally owned places you must put on your list the next time you visit St. Louis. In addition to being locally owned, all of the restaurants note on their menus that they source local ingredients wherever possible. This makes me so happy!  There is wonderful food to be had here in this part of the Midwest, and anytime we can support our local growers and ranchers, it’s better for all of us. Just click on the restaurant name in each section to visit the restaurant websites and look over their menus.

ROOSTER

This was our first stop when we arrived in St. Louis.  Known for their gluten-free/vegan crepes, and just down the street from the America Center, this seemed to be the perfect place to begin our St. Louis Adventure.

The food did not disappoint. They have an extensive mimosa and bloody mary list- I enjoyed the “Mimo” a mimosa flavored with pomegranate. At first, I thought I had been brought the wrong drink, as I was expecting bright red pomegranate juice. However, this restaurant specializes in local/organic, and if you’ve ever had non-POM pomegranate juice, you know it’s more brown than red. Whatever the color, the end result was delicious, and I only wish I could have enjoyed two.

The crepe selection was enormous, and I could have stayed for days trying all the different kinds of crepes. The ladies both enjoyed a German Sausage #2, which contained a locally made, somewhat spicy (and very flavorful!) sausage, apples, cinnamon, and lots of gruyere.  I enjoyed a sirloin crepe with bleu cheese, sundried tomatoes and arugula, while my husband enjoyed a pulled pork crepe that was accompanied by a cinnamon syrup. He was nice enough to order a GF crepe so I could try it.

The crepes were a huge hit, both in flavor and portion. They were enormous, and fortunately we were very hungry. The crepe itself was remarkable. It was large, thin, and strechy- just like a good crepe should be. I asked how the chef made them, and got a few hints, but then the server said the chef started to get nervous. I completely understand not wanting to give away your secret recipe!  Three cheers to the chef for making a fabulous, satisfying crepe!

I must mention that the service is very laid back here. Almost to the point of being annoyingly slow. I enjoyed our server very much, but the restaurant was mostly empty when we arrived, and it felt like we had to beg for attention. I’m willing to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt- maybe the server was new, maybe there was a shift change and we got lost in the shuffle. Whatever the case, I’d be willing to try The Rooster again, at the very least to enjoy a new mimosa and another fabulously constructed crepe.

PW PIZZA

This gem of a pizzeria was right around the corner from our hotel, and our group ended up ordering 26 (yes 26!!!!!) pies from them. I had the pleasure of working with Linda on our big order, and she was a dream!

They brought us one salad with all the accoutrement on the side to accommodate the variety of food allergies/dietary needs in our group, and made several GF pizzas for us. Linda even called the next day to see how I enjoyed the GF Pizzas! That’s taking customer service to another level.

While I didn’t get to enjoy the ambience of the restaurant, I did read they have an extensive beer selection on tap, and a nice upper patio that I bet would be perfect for evenings al-fresco.

Everyone was very happy with the pizza. I ordered a number of their specialty pies on GF crust- both so I could try the crust, but also to experience some of the flavor combinations in action. They were great!!

At first, I felt mediocre about the GF crust. My gluten-eating taste testers enjoyed it, but I felt that it was a little grainy. In hindsight, I think that may have more to do with the size of our order and the cooking/waiting time than the quality of the crust itself. We snacked on leftover GF pizza for most of the 4 days we were in St. Louis, and the crust was great. It held up well in the ‘fridge, and reheated beautifully. We even enjoyed a GF sausage pizza with vegan cheese. I was a little concerned the girls wouldn’t enjoy the cheese, but they loved it, and spoke highly of the sausage.  

Hands down, the favorite pizza was the roasted veggie pizza with goat cheese. The pizza was absolutely loaded with vegetables that had been roasted to perfection. Often a roasted veggie pizza can get a little soggy because of the olive oil, but this was just right- and you could taste each individual vegetable.

One of the other pizzas we really enjoyed was the candied bacon and pear pizza. This was a winner in a contest they held, and I can see why- of all the specialty pizzas, this one went the fastest.

I can honestly say that you can’t go wrong visiting PW Pizza. We tried many of their pizzas and were happy with all of them. It did not occur to me to see if they carry GF beer. You can look on their site, and if they don’t, perhaps with a little prodding, they will soon!

MOSAIC 

Mosaic was a delightful surprise on every level, and quite honestly the best meal I’ve had in ages. Mosaic is located on Washington, just up from the America’s Center, and is a beautifully designed and executed tapas restaurant. I was a little hesitant to enter, as we saw the lovely white tablecloths through the window, and asked the hostess and servers if we were too underdressed for their establishment. Keep in mind, all of us were sporting light-up bunny ears and painted on whiskers! They cheerfully said “Of Course Not!” and welcomed us in.

I was also surprised and delighted at how knowledgeable our server, Ben, was about the food preparation in the kitchen. I cornered him almost immediately while the others were getting settled to discuss what might work on the menu. He took his time with me and went over nearly every dish available, explaining the ingredients and exactly how it was prepared. On the few items in question, he consulted with the chef, just to make sure. This is the kind of service that makes a foodie downright giddy.

I have a soft-spot for tapas. I learned how to eat well and cook well when I lived in Madrid. Although this menu takes tapas beyond the traditional to a new level of food experience, I love the concept of little tastes.  Especially when there are so many delicious things on the menu.

The roasted butternut soup infused with vanilla was the best I’ve tasted. And the creamiest- it was so smooth it was almost like pudding. The lobster bisque, which my adventurous younger daughter decided to order was presented beautifully, and poured over a lemongrass-shitake foam. When they poured it, and the aroma of the lobster filled the table, I thought I would faint with joy.  Seriously. It smelled that heavenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also enjoyed a watermelon gazpacho, a surprise in that the traditional flavors of tomato gazpacho were present, just softened and sweetened with the watermelon. The lobster-crawfish risotto was creamy and saucy, and nearly every bite contained a succulent bit of shellfish.

 

My favorite though, was the watermelon salad served with baby greens, thin radish slices on the watermelon cubes, and a science beaker of balsamic vinaigrette, all on a schmear of foamed herbed goatcheese. It was incredible. The combination of color, texture, flavor and whimsy practically had me singing in my seat.

 

Dessert was the perfect end. The chef kindly served a flight of mini gelatos in tiny cups for the girls since they couldn’t do the cones. We also enjoyed a beautifully presented carmelized panna cotta with fresh berries marinated in Grand Marnier. I was so satisfied I didn’t even need a post dinner espresso.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a meal this lovely. I would seriously stop in St. Louis again just to return to Mosaic. I heartily recommend you do the same!

And as for the robotics tournament- how did my amazing kiddos do? Their team took home the 1^st Place Award in the category of Inspiration!!

 

No, it’s not Lembas Bread, although we very well may decide that it is later this week when we’re at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis with 35,000 other people and not a gluten-free morsel in sight. The Kitchen Divas in Training are off on an exciting adventure of their own this week- their Robotics Team, The Rock’n Robo Rabbits, will be competing in the SuperBowl of Robotics- FIRST World Festival. Nine months ago, none of us had any idea you could put a bunch of fancy Legos together and turn them into a robot. I’ve learned words like “chassis”- yes people- I am an artist- until this year, that kind of stuff was foreign to me! I’ve watched my daughter learn to program, conduct research, and stand in front of a room of engineers and articulately talk about and demonstrate the qualities of her team’s robot. Pretty Impressive.

This week, we get to celebrate all that learning at a competition that will bring together 80 of the best teams (from a field of 15,000!) from around the world. I could not be more proud of my children- I get all weepy thinking about how incredible they are!

However- this week will not just be full of robotics challenges- we have to eat. And, when you’re in an entertainment arena full of junky food- 99% of it gluten-full- you’ve gotta be resourceful. We’ve baked bacon/egg/cheese/veggie muffins, we’ll be baking energy cookies, and taking a lot of fruit and string cheese with us…oh- and these cute little items as well. Who knew there was a gluten-free goldfish in the shape of a duck??

I didn’t, until about a week ago when this awesome blogger, Ryan, who’s part of a really great collaborative blog called Let’s Get Basted, found them for me. This blog is managed by four college students from James Madison University, and it’s well-written, fun, and engaging! The blog is directed to the college students on campus and is filled with easy cooking tips ranging covering a wide variety of subject matter- from eating on a budget, to one pan cooking, to what to cook to impress your date. Their commentary on college life is fascinating, and at times downright hilarious.

Why would an old lady like me follow a blog like this? These students developed their passion for food and cooking while on an adventure abroad- as did I, or were raised by foodie parents- like I’m trying to raise my girls. I can’t help but wonder if I would have started something like had the internet existed waaaay back in the dark ages of the late 80′s/early 90′s when I was in college. And, as I watch them write and grow, it gives me hope that my daughters won’t run to the nearest McDonald’s the moment they step foot on a college campus.

Ryan’s post “Goldfish Nachos” caught my eye and triggered my curiosity. While I may be a food snob most of the time, I do appreciate some good junkfood..namely Sonic chili cheese fries…and the idea of putting goldfish on nachos really struck my funny bone. It’s an easy recipe and definitely one we’ll try for a snack some night now that I have these GF equivalents to Goldfish. Ryan was kind enough to do some hunting around the internet based on a comment I’d left and sent me the link to purchase the Qwackers.

Knowing that we were headed to World Festival, I thought this would be the perfect time to try them out. At this time they only come in individual sizes, which is perfect for our traveling. They are also very reasonably priced.

The best thing about Qwackers is that they are not filled with a laundry list of preservatives and it shows in the flavor. They use real ingredients- including a sharp cheddar cheese. They are slightly denser than the Goldfish I remember, and my husband verified this. However, the flavor was spot on. All four of us sampled them last night and were thrilled with the taste- a nice sharp cheddar flavor and just the perfect amount of salt. We’ll be keeping them in our pockets at WorldFestival and purchasing more for the roadtrips to come. Thanks Ryan and the rest of the writers at Let’s Get Basted- keep up the great work.

As for me, I’m hoping to scout out the gluten-free scene in St. Louis- if you know of someplace we have to try, post a comment! And, if you’re in St. Louis later this week- stop by the Edward Jones Dome and cheer us on- we’ll be the ones wearing the bunny ears!

On that note- today I close with a link to a cool video the robotics team and I put together to showcase Kansas City and their research project, which was about….Food Safety…How fitting!

Taco Tuesday, a school lunch tradition for many of us who grew up in the 70′s and 80′s, has occurred with semi-regular frequency at our home, thanks to the imaginations of The Kitchen Divas in Training.  Each incarnation of Taco Tuesday is unique and based on what’s in the fridge, what’s leftover, and what flavors the girls would like to enjoy. Black beans are always served in some form, as are copious amounts of cilantro, lime, and New Mexico Red Chile sauce. The rest is entirely up for grabs.

What I love about Taco Tuesday is that everyone in the house contributes to the decision-making process and the creation of the meal. The girls shred cheese and veggies, select and add the spices, while my husband and I brown or reheat the meat and do the heavy knife-work. The girls do some knife work, but I don’t let them handle my precious chef’s knives just yet. All meals contain fresh vegetables- gotta get those greens! In fact, I like to call my tacos Hand-Salads!

This is as quick and easy as it gets around here- usually we’re ready to eat in less than 30 Minutes- take THAT Rachael Ray! We serve buffet-style so that everyone gets to choose what goes into their taco and in what proportions. If you’d like to try Taco Tuesday at your house, please take inspiration from the brief ingredient lists below, and remember the possibilities are endless. Enjoy, and have fun cooking with your family!

Meat Base

Although I don’t call for this in the recipe below- we have used additional spices like cumin, mexican oregano, garlic powder or fresh garlic, sometimes salt & pepper. Use your imagination!

1 lb of meat (could be ground beef, ground turkey, chicken, pork, shrimp)

1 onion

1 small can of tomatoes (sometimes we use the ones with green chile)

1 chopped bell peppers (if you have them on hand)

1 can of diced green chile

1 tsp (or more) of chile powder- we like New Mexico Red or Chipotle

Directions: Saute the onions, add meat and other stuff, heat through until meat is cooked, remove to a serving bowl.

Black Beans

This changes each time we serve it, but here’s what we did this week. This proportion serves 4-barely. If you like lots of beans or want leftovers add an additional can.

2 cans of black beans (if you soak your own, about 2 cups soaked)

1/2 cup shredded cheese (we’ve used all kinds, but Jack Cheese is our preference)

1 generous tablespoon of Cumin

1 generous tablespoon of Garlic Powder (We used Herbed Garlic Powder)

Directions: Drain beans, place all ingredients in a small pan and heat through on medium.

Slaw

Again, this is just what we made this week. The fresh greens change constantly. We’ve used kale, Napa cabbage, arugula, fresh lettuce (not the tasteless iceburg- blech!) spinach, thinly sliced bell peppers etc…

1/2 purple cabbage, thinly sliced into ribbons and chopped fine

4 small carrots- shredded

1 large bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 tbs cider vinegar (other vinegars will work just fine too, maybe not balsamic..)

juice of 1/2 lime (small)

Directions: Mix in a bowl and serve

Garnish Plate

1 or 2 sliced avocados

fresh cilantro (chopped or not)

lime quarters

New Mexico Spicy Goodness (could be red chile sauce, enchilada sauce, green chile sauce, salsa etc.)

Shredded cheese

See? I told you this was easy!! Did I mention it’s delicious and nutritious too?

Bonjour! It is SO nice to be back writing again! My deepest and sincerest thanks to  all of you who have sent me notes of encouragement over the last 11 (yikes!) months. For those of you who are new readers, or who have wondered why I dropped off the face of the earth last summer, here’s a little re-cap:

Last year I embarked on the most rewarding and challenging adventure of my life- homeschooling my two beautiful daughters. After a year, we’ve all agreed it’s been the best thing we’ve ever done as a family; but the Kitchen Divas in Training were not the only ones to learn. I learned too…. a lot! I’ve had the hardest lesson ever in the realization that I cannot do it all. I’ve had to prioritize, take on, let go of, develop a sense of humor about, look the other way, worry about, and not worry about pretty much every aspect of my life.

Through it all, food has been the constant. We’re obviously still eating. And quite well, I might add. It was this realization that led me back to writing again: I cannot be the only Gluten-Free Food obsessed foodie who struggles with balancing all the demands of parenting, self-care, house-care, significant other-care, career-care (whatever that looks like), with food discovery, styling, photography and recipe development.  However, just looking at that list gives me an anxiety attack!

And so, for the last 11 months, I have ruminated, struggled, and made some significant changes:

• Recipe development, which I love, pretty much flew out the window. Most of my creative time and energy now goes into teaching, although I do have the occasional flash of creative kitchen inspiration.
• Food styling- I no longer have time for hours of styling and photo editing. I want to get a big flood light for my kitchen- light boxes and I do not do well.
• The crock-pot and leftovers have become my best friends.
• The Kitchen Divas in Training, and my awesome husband have cooked more this year, and come up with some delicious originals on their own.
• We have eaten more simply, using herbs and spices over techniques, and eaten more locally/seasonally than ever.

I think, in my efforts to maintain a creative and original blog- and because I had lots of time on my hands, I’d forgotten that many folks eat simply prepared fare as a matter of necessity. Simple food in no way equals ‘blah’ food, and in fact, it is often the simplest preparations that highlight the inherent beauty and flavor of the food presented.

So, moving forward, most of the recipes featured here will be simple, delicious, easy to prepare, and ideal for families who, like us, find themselves scrambling for dinner at 6:30pm. I also plan to highlight many of the wonderful new gluten-free eating opportunities that have sprung up around Kansas City, and in other areas across the Continent as we travel regionally and nationally in the coming months.

I’d like to claim I’ll be regular about blogging- but I refuse to make an empty promise. However,  I will state it’s my goal to post something at least monthly, if not more frequently. For now, it’s good to be back. Please do stop by and say hello, or share what easy fare is simmering on your stove-top or growing in your garden. Life is a celebration and meant to be enjoyed around a table!

Easy Asparagus & Spring Parsleyed Potatoes

Spring arrived early here in Kansas City, after a non-existent winter. The farmer’s markets never closed this year, and thanks to the hoop houses, we’re already seeing early summer fare . My May and June flowers started blooming before Easter, and we’ve already had one 90-degree day! We even pulled out the patio furniture in March this year- a first. Easter took me by surprise this year. The week before Easter was filled with filming a music video for my daughter’s robotics team (more to come on that front!), planning a surprise party for my husband (more to come on that front too!) and a multitude of Holy Week rehearsals and services to sing.

By the time I staggered home after my last service on Easter Sunday, I was greeted with a mimosa and the smell of locally raised and cured ham in the oven!  While the ham was finishing, we whipped up a batch of asparagus, and spring potatoes with parsley- all locally grown, and a fabulous al-fresco Easter feast was borne in less than 30 minutes!

Easy Asparagus

This new way of cooking asparagus happened quite by accident several weeks ago when I turned on the burner, but forgot to watch the heat in the pan, and made it too hot. I threw in the butter which sizzled and browned, tossed in the asparagus, covered it,  and immediately pulled it off the heat. I shook the pan a few times to coat the asparagus, and when we were ready to eat, discovered perfectly cooked, al-dente asparagus inside! Yes, necessity is the mother of invention!

Directions:

Slice (or snap) the woody ends of 1 or 2 bunches of asparagus, and set aside. Place a medium saute pan that has a lid on a burner and turn the heat to medium. When the pan is good and hot, add 2 tbs butter and one tbs extra virgin olive oil -this is not an exact science- just add a blob of butter that is sized to your liking, and a swish of olive oil. The olive oil helps prevent the butter from burning.

Add the asparagus, cover and turn off the burner. Shake the pan vigorously to help coat the asparagus. Remove the pan from the burner after 2-3 minutes.If you have a gas burner, you can leave the pan in its place.When you are ready to eat, plate the asparagus and season with truffle salt, fleur de sel, lemon pepper, or a squeeze of lemon.

Spring Parsleyed Potatoes

These aren’t really mashed potatoes, they are more rustic, and some of the pieces are larger. The point is to taste the fresh flavor of the new potatoes and the parsley, not to drown them in butter and salt.

1-2 lbs small new potatoes (usually about 12-16) 

1 cup chopped parsley – more or less if you prefer

2 tbs butter- or more to taste

salt to taste

Directions

Boil potatoes until the skins split-about 20 minutes. Drain, remove to a bowl. Break the potatoes apart with a large fork. Add parsley and stir to incorporate. Add butter. Season with your favorite salt. We used truffle salt.

It’s 5 Star Makeover time again, and this month’s subject was Gourmet Picnic food. This subject is near and dear to my heart, as I love nothing more than dining al fresco. My inspiration? The movie Anne of Avonlea (renamed Anne of Green Gables, the Sequel)- a sweet, albeit somewhat cheesy and not very accurate adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of the Island and Anne of Windy Poplars….but my favorite scene involves a picnic that is simply inspiring. Not only do the blankets and picnic baskets come out, but so does the porcelain, the silver, and of course, delicious food. I have enjoyed some pretty epic picnics in my time, and had high hopes that this evening would be another one for the annals of picnic lore……… of course the weather had other ideas.

Today was a day that I hope not to repeat for years to come, if ever. Tornadoes and Spring go hand in hand in this part of the country. If you’ve been following the news at all over the past few days, you know what I mean. In some ways, the frequency of the sirens creates an attitude of nonchalance. Of course, as we have witnessed in the tragedy of Joplin, Missouri- a few hours to my south- some who chose to ignore the sirens and go about their business did not survive. This has weighed heavily on my mind this week, as the other night I had to wake my children up at 11:30 pm and get them down to the basement. As usual, at least until today, the area of concern- while still in our county- was miles away. Nothing to worry about. And so we let the girls fall asleep in the basement in front of our favorite weatherman, and went about our business.

Today was supposed to be a day for celebration- and indeed, it turned out to be- but not in the way we intended. The big girl lost another tooth today- her last that the tooth fairy will visit for- and we were to have a beautiful picnic outside to celebrate a dear friend who is moving across the country this week (complete with pictures of a resplendent table for this post!). While we were out and about this morning, we heard the radio mention more tornado warnings for the area. But, as we didn’t hear any sirens in the vicinity, we decided to make a last stop at our local Lowe’s to grab rabbit repellent for the veggie garden.  The bunnies and squirrels have been having entirely too much fun with my beets and strawberries, and need to be redirected to the other plants in my garden set aside for them. Not long after we arrived- about 45 seconds actually- the sirens blew. My first reaction was to get home as we were less than 5 minutes away, but the big girl was very anxious due to all the tornado activities over the past few days, and so we decided to stay. Honestly, I didn’t think much about it because every time the sirens have blown in the last 8 years the storms have been in a far corner of our county.

As the training room began to fill up with customers and shortly after, employees, it became clear to everyone present that this was the real deal. The sirens really were for us this time. Tables were broken down and moved to the far wall, chairs were pushed to the corner, head counts were taken, and we sat down on the floor against a wall to wait and hope we’d be missed. I thought about the Home Depot in Joplin that had been flattened, and tried to reach Jack to let him know where I was and that we were safe. But apparently everyone in the metro area had the same idea and the phone lines were completely jammed. There would be no contact with my husband until this event was over. The radar showed circulation over my neighborhood and I realized that if I was at home, the girls would be in the bathtub in the basement wearing their bicycle helmets. This was a day we had practiced for. This is why, even with homeschool, we go over our tornado protocols once a month. Thirty minutes slowly ticked by as the sirens cycled off an on. We could hear the rain pick up, then the wind, and then calm. The girls were scared, and I was scared for them. The last thing you want to see as a parent is your children terrified, knowing you’ve done everything you can to protect them, and realizing that against the forces of nature, it’s not very much.

We were lucky today. I am grateful for my 85 year old house, and the 100+ year old houses a block away. They stand as a reminder to me that the chances of my house getting flattened by a tornado are astronomically small- even in an area like Kansas City. I’m grateful for Spring- even with the threat of tornadoes lurking in the back of my mind- for fresh strawberries, mint, and arugula, and for picnics with porcelain, delicious food, and dear friends- today the indoor kind because of the ongoing rain. You can’t tell from the pictures, but it’s actually raining quite steadily in them!

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

This month’s inspiration came from one of the best meals I’ve had in my life. I honeymooned on Prince Edward Island, and enjoyed a stellar meal at the Inn at Bay Fortune, a beautiful estate once owned by Colleen Dewhurst who played Marilla in the aforementioned Anne of Green Gable Movies. The inn specializes in producing incredible meals using as much locally sourced food as possible, and a different version of this (in one of my favorite cookbooks), using balsamic vinegar and strawberry salsa, was one of the most memorable components of our meal there. I changed the recipe and used champagne instead of vinegar, and paired it with an arugula salad and a champagne-mint vinaigrette. I love the contrast of the slightly bitter arugula against the sweet acid of the strawberry. The mint brings a freshness and brightness to both. For transportation purposes, place the gazpacho in a mason jar, and pour into bowls, or even glasses. I often picnic with glass and porcelain- unless I have to hike a distance- then I use acrylic. Good food deserves good dishes. These recipes are simple and easy to prepare, and their flavor will leave you asking for seconds. You can use the salad as a garnish to the soup, or serve it on its own. If you are uncomfortable using alcohol that’s not going to be cooked out, you are welcome to substitute champagne vinegar. You will get a similar brightness and delicacy from the vinegar. Enjoy, and may your picnics be sunny and warm!

Be sure to stop by Lazaro Cooks and Five Star Foodie this Friday, for a complete round-up. You’ll be sure to discover some fabulous picnic food!

Strawberry Champagne Gazpacho

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 lb strawberries, cleaned with the stems removed

1/2 cup champagne, or champagne vinegar

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

Directions

Puree ingredients in a food processor for 3-4 minutes; until soup is glossy and smooth. Remove to a pitcher or jar and refrigerate until serving.

Arugula Salad with Champagne-Mint Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 cups arugula, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped

2 tbs  grapeseed oil

1/4 cup champagne, or champagne vinaigrette

juice from 1 lemon

2 tsp sugar

Directions

Place arugula in a bowl. Place remaining ingredients in a small jar. Cover and shake vigorously. Just prior to serving coat arugula with dressing and toss. Serve as a garnish to the gazpacho, or on its own.

Greetings from Toronto!!

The Adventuresome Kitchen has been up here on a whirlwind 48-hour Gluten-Free tour. We have eaten our way across the city and only scratched the surface of the delicious gluten-free opportunities here. I will be posting on our Toronto experience later this week, but for now- here’s a photo teaser.

And yes….for those of you who are “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” fans, you may recognize one of these photos!

And now, let’s talk Pie!!!

This month’s Burwell General Store Recipe Swap features a recipe called “Ozarkian Taffy Apples”.

There was some conversation in our group about why this recipe was called “Ozarkian”. Now, I can’t say for sure, but I do have a few ideas. I live just west of the Ozarks, and I do know that apples have played a big part in their history. It is said that Johnny Appleseed came through the Ozarks in the early 1800′s, introducing apples to the region. However they got here, by the late 1800′s pioneers from the Dakotas frustrated by drought and the brutal conditions of farming in the high plains were backtracking to the Ozarks ready to try their hand at raising apples. Laura Ingalls Wilder, her husband Almanzo, and their daughter Rose were among those seeking to improve their fortunes by raising apples (among other things)in the Ozarks.

During apple season, our local farmer’s markets are filled with many varieties of heirloom apples and I thought it would be great to learn what kind of apples Laura cooked with on her farm. I contacted the very kind people at the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, Missouri to find out what kind of apples Laura and Almanzo grew, and was told that the two varieties on Rocky Ridge farm were Ben Davis and Missouri Pippin. I’ve had Pippins before and they are a great pie apple. For me, the idea of making a pie with apples that may have been grown on Laura’s farm was irresistible, and the Caramel Apple Pie was born. I started working on this recipe last fall, in the hopes of making a nice apple post, but wasn’t happy with the results, and was happy to give it another try. I used Braeburns for this pie and felt their slightly tart flavor worked nicely against the sweet of the caramel-type filling. I also added lots of pecans- because for me- when I have a candied apple, it always has to have nuts.

The Kitchen Divas in Training had to get in on this adventure as well, and did a great job of making their own pie. You can bet I’ll be making this again during apple season and looking for Laura’s apples at the farmer’s market!

Be sure to visit the recipe swap page at Burwell General Store and check out the links to my fellow blogger’s sites- you will be in for some delicious apple treats this month!

Gluten Free Caramel Apple Pie

Makes One 8-9 inch pie

Ingredients

Pie Crust (my Gluten-Free recipe here)

5-6 apples (enough to make about 6 cups, chopped)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tbs corn starch

1 tbs lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Caramel Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 stick (8oz) butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tbs cornstarch

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 and move oven rack to the bottom third of the oven.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped apples, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch, and set aside.

Roll out half of the pie crust and place it on the pie pan. Cover with 1/2 cup of the pecan pieces. Set aside.

In a second bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar, butter, cornstarch and pecans.

Roll out the top crust for the pie and cut out any decorations you may like.

Add the apple mixture to the pie pan. Place the caramel topping over the apples, covering the apples completely.

Pour the heavy cream over the mixture and cover with the top crust.

Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, then turn the oven to 350 and bake for another 30-45 minutes- until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling out of the holes. You may need to cover the crust with aluminum or a pie ring if the outside of the crust browns too quickly.

If you can- wait at least 4 hours before eating. This allows the juices to firm up. You are certainly welcome to enjoy immediately, but your pie will be a bit more crumbly. This pie tastes absolutely fabulous for breakfast!!

It’s 5-Star Makeover time again! This month our subject was white asparagus! White asparagus makes a brief appearance in early spring, and is prized for its tender, delicate flavor. There are places in Europe that go crazy over white asparagus this time of year, but this was the first time I’d ever worked with it. I grew up with an asparagus bed in my backyard, and absolutely love the green stuff, but for me- asparagus has always been a component of a larger dish, not necessarily the star.

White Asparagus gets its color- or lack thereof- by covering the asparagus tips with mulch as they sprout, denying them the opportunity to experience photosynthesis (you know – the process of plants turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugars which produce chlorphyll (the green stuff) and oxygen (O2). No sunlight=no green stuff. But, if you store your asparagus on the counter and not in the fridge like I did, beware, the tips will start to turn green!

I think I went through about six pounds of asparagus before landing on my dish. I found the flavor challenging to work with, simply because it’s so delicate, and therefore very easy to overpower with other ingredients.  The evolution of my dish went something like this:

I started off thinking about asparagus custard, tarts, maybe even icecream? I landed on what I hoped would become an asparagus tart with a hazelnut crust…the end result was a really nice, creamy quiche….but wasn’t what I was after..

Then, I thought about eggs Benedict, and how I love it when asparagus is paired with ham and hollandaise… So, what if I came up with something that had asparagus in all the components, but looked like an eggs Benedict? I went back to the kitchen and came up with something that looked like this:

So while the colors may be reminiscent of eggs Benedict, in reality it tasted more like an asparagus soup with asparagus tips in hollandaise…sort of…. I was definitely getting closer, but wasn’t there yet. I liked the asparagus in the hollandaise, and I loved the pairing with morels. Morels are a classic spring offering that work beautifully with asparagus of any color. More on those in a moment….

Fast forward a few days… The leftover soup mixture was in the fridge looking creamy and thick, and not unlike leftover crepe batter. What if…….I added some flour and an egg and made a crepe? Then I could fill it with the hollandaise/asparagus/morel mixture, and top with a nice roasted spear…..Now that sounded good. And it was! I ended up saving the hollandaise for the top, and just putting the morels and asparagus inside the crepe with a little gruyere, but the flavor depth I was after was there.

Now a brief digression on Morels. Like any concerned parent who lives in a wet climate, I have repeatedly warned my children to never even touch, let alone consume mushrooms that they didn’t get from the store. They know that while some mushrooms are okay, many are not, and in the wild some deadly mushrooms look exactly like their edible counterparts.

Then I learned that we live in prime Morel country. And, that a friend of mine is an avid morel hunter. AND, that right now is Morel season!! Fortunately, there is no deadly look alike for a morel. There is something that looks similar- a false morel- but is in truth, very different. So- this is why I’m homeschooling my children, right? To take spur of the moment opportunities to spend a day in the woods learning all sorts of botany and biology….and how timely since my asparagus dish is paired with morels!

Off we went to spend a day in the woods. Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, the kids were able to ‘find’ a few precious morels. We also identified blackberries (we’ll be back in June for those!) wild ginger (Thanks Susan!) plenty of poison ivy, and other cool fungi. But mostly, they learned that the woods are their friend; a place to run and explore, and an entity not to fear.

While wild asparagus also grows around here, the challenge is that you don’t really notice it until it has reached the ferny stage, and therefore I have yet to harvest any. And with that, let’s return to the yummy asparagus dish. This dish does take more time to properly prepare than some of the others I’ve posted, but the end result is worth the flavor. This uses just under three pounds of asparagus. Fresh white asparagus is pretty fragile, and ideally should be consumed the day of purchase. If you can’t do that, stand the stems in a little water and let them sit in the fridge. You will notice that the bottoms will begin to turn pink, and that part will have to be removed prior to cooking. The longer you wait after purchase, the less asparagus you’ll be able to use in your dish. That said, three pounds should give you enough for leftovers. Wherever you are, may the flavors of Spring find their way to your table!

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Be sure to stop by Lazaro Cooks! and 5 Star Foodie to get the complete rundown on all of this month’s white asparagus dishes!

White Asparagus Crepes filled with White asparagus and Morels

Serves 6-8 with leftovers

Ingredients

For the Crepes:

1 lb white asparagus, chopped into 1/2-inch lengths

4 tbs butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup water (or chicken stock)

2 bouillon cubes (if not using stock)

salt/pepper to taste (if using stock)

5-6 egg whites

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

For the Filling: 

4 tbs butter

2 medium garlic cloves, finely diced

1/2-1 lb of white asparagus, chopped into 1/2-inch lengths

1/2-1 cup of diced morels

6 oz gruyere cheese, sliced thinly

For the Hollandaise: (adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2 tbs cold water

1/2 cup ghee, melted but not hot

3 tsp lemon juice

For the Spears:

1 slice of prosciutto or serrano ham for every 2 asparagus

enough pairs of spears for 1-2 per crepe (I made 8 total)

Directions:

Begin by making the crepe batter. Melt butter in a medium saute pan and add asparagus. Saute for about 2 minutes. When you can smell the asparagus, add the heavy cream, water and the bouillon cubes. Bring to a simmer and turn to low. Cook for 10 minutes- the point is to really infuse the liquid with the asparagus flavor. I chose bouillon over stock this time because I didn’t want the heavy cream to dilute the stock flavor.

Remove mixture to a food processor or a blender. Once the mixer has started, remove the ‘pusher lid’ (where you add extra ingredients while it’s running) This will allow the steam to release. Mix for about 1 minute before adding additional ingredients. While the mixture is still blending, slowly add the flours, xanthan gum, and lastly, the egg whites. (I opted to use just whites so that the crepe color was as white as possible, if you use full eggs- reduce the amount to 2 or 3) Blend an additional minute and set aside. Remove the processor lid to allow the mixture to cool while you are preparing the other ingredients.

Next- Make the filling and hollandaise. The creation of hollandaise requires the use of a double boiler. For this recipe, the double boiler will be the filling. There’s enough heat coming off the cooking of the filling that you can just place your hollandaise bowl right on top.

In a small pan, melt butter. Add garlic and morels. When you can smell the garlic, add the asparagus tips. In a medium bowl (something large enough to rest on top of the filling pan) whisk egg yolks and water until frothy. Place bowl on top of the filling pan. Continue whisking until egg mixture has begun to thicken- about 2-4 minutes. When mixture thickens, remove from heat and slowly add melted ghee while continuing to whisk. Add lemon juice and taste. For the purposes of this dish I opted for no salt/pepper. You may choose to add if you like. Set aside for plate preparation.

To make the spears: Using a pastry brush, coat 2 asparagus spears with the oil mixture from the filling. Next, wrap them with prosciutto, serrano ham, or other cured meat. Place on a toaster oven tray. When you’ve assembled the desired number, set toaster oven to 350 and roast for 10-15 minutes. The meat will have crisped up and shrunk around the spears, and the tops of the spears will have just started to crisp, but not discolor.

To assemble: Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet. Add a dollop of butter- about 1 tbs and allow it to cover the bottom- it should be sizzling. Ladle a generous scoop of the crepe batter into the pan and swirl it around until it has covered most of the bottom. Allow it to cook until you see little bubbles. Gently flip. Place 2-3 slices of gruyere on the crepe, and 1-2 spoonfulls of the filling. Flip the sides of the crepe onto itself- like an envelope. Remove to a plate. Drizzle with a little hollandaise and top with a prosciutto covered spear. Enjoy!!

Well Hello Again!! It’s Royal Wedding Week, and while many of you are scurrying around making last minute egg and bunny preparations, my eye’s been on a certain Princess-to-Be whose pending nuptials are just around the corner.

We have been very busy around here over the last few weeks. Mother Nature waits for no one, and in between the rain, snow, and generally yucky weather we’ve been having this spring, the Kitchen Divas in Training and I suspended regular schooling for a week to put in a square-foot garden. It’s amazing how much practical learning can be packed into one backyard kitchen garden project! When I debriefed the experience with the girls, here’s just some of what they said they learned:

Geometry, volume, money management, reading, chemistry, patience, ‘that it’s hard to co-operate sometimes’, flexibility when your project goes wrong, ‘bossy’ leadership vs. ‘real’ leadership (don’t you love that?!?), that big projects take longer and cost more money than you think, a sense of humor makes the hard work more fun, delayed gratification, that sometimes you just have to stop and play (I’ll admit- it was me who had to learn that!) the list goes on, but you get the idea…. what a rich experience for all of us! Future lessons will include the enjoyment and preparation of our food (arguably the best part- right?) and then preserving the bounty of the harvest- so keep your eyes peeled in future months for posts regarding pickling, freezing and other types of preserving!

When the rains began again, I found myself digging in a box of old photos for a picture that my grandmother took of me holding a badly decorated ‘wedding’ cake in front of the TV, where Prince Charles and the new Princess Di were in a carriage leaving St. Paul’s Cathedral. I was 10 years old. (Alas, the picture was not to be found.) I’d like to say that my cake decorating ability has improved significantly in 30 years time, but it hasn’t. So I compensate with whipped cream and flowers.

Now, if you’re a true Anglophile, you know the proper wedding cake for an event such as this is a fruit cake. Not the nasty stuff we all received in red tins from various grandparents, aunts, and uncles in the day, but real fruitcake. Such as soon t0 be Princess Kate- or is it Lady?- will be having next Friday. Now, I know absolutely nothing about the proper making of a fruitcake, but Fiona at Life on Nanchang Lu has an incredible fruitcake recipe that’s been a part of her family for some time. While I haven’t attempted a GF version, one look at her picture is enough to make a fruitcake lover out of anybody.

Thinking of the Royal Wedding Cake naturally got me thinking of my own wedding some years ago. My wedding cake was the last gluten-bomb I enjoyed. Six weeks later I was handed my life-changing celiac diagnosis. But, I do remember my cakes fondly- an antique rose cake and a mandarin orange cake. Both high on flavor, but low on fuss and frosting. So this week I set out to create a gluten-free hybrid of what I remember enjoying on my big day.

There are two places I go when I need to convert a recipe, The Joy of Cooking, and Mastering the Art of French Cooking. First, the technical cooking information is very comprehensive, so it helps me figure out the cooking chemistry. Second, who needs anything else? You’ve seen the picture of my beat-up Joy in a previous post, and my Mastering is quickly taking on the same look. This time, Julia did not disappoint. I converted her recipe for a basic butter spongecake with a handful of tweaks and only one hiccup. First go-round I was supervising the Kitchen Divas in Training in a chemistry lab, and as soon as I turned around from popping my fluffy cakes in the oven I noticed this: (melted butter sitting on the counter)

Which resulted in this:(funky looking cake)

In case you’re looking at these pictures a bit mystified- let me explain. Spongecakes get their sponginess from eggwhites whipped into stiff peaks. This provides structure, air bubbles,  and even a bit of elasticity to a gluten-free pastry. This is key for the pastry to not have that tell-tale ‘gluten-free’ texture. But, fat has a role to play too. Think of the egg whites as very excited children on a sugar high. They get all huge and out of control and then- phfszzzzz- they collapse. Adding fat to your spongecake is like insisting your child eat a turkey sandwich prior to the candy. It keeps everything manageable, and results in a cake that looks like this: (normal looking cake)

Much better, yes? More stable and cake-like. With the addition of the fat- in this case melted butter- the batter also behaved more like regular batter. It flowed nicely, and spread easily in the pan.

Now, if you look closely at both versions of the cake, you’ll see that the first cake- while not as attractive, does have a little more volume- this is because the eggs expanded unhampered by the fat. I would absolutely consider this recipe without the use of fat if I were spreading it on a sheet and making a buche de noel. The texture was very nice and definitely spongy- but too spongy for what I wanted for this cake.

The second cake is a bit denser, but ended up having a lovely crumb, and worked well with the mandarin orange curd I made. While I used rose water to flavor the cake this time, this is a very basic recipe that could easily take on any flavoring you desired. There will definitely be different incarnations of this in my future.

As for the decorating- in this life I will never win any awards for a beautiful cake. I content myself with simple frosting or whipped cream. The girls had the idea of picking the violets and the mint- both are rampant in our yard at the moment, and since we don’t use chemicals in our yard- they’re also edible. So in the mist and drizzle this afternoon, we ran in and out of the kitchen collecting pretty edibles and decorating a cake fit for a princess…or two!

Gluten Free Rose Cake with Mandarin Orange Filling

Makes 2 8-inch rounds

Ingredients

4 tbs ghee or grapeseed oil (ghee is clarified butter)

2/3 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tsp rose water (or other extract or flavoring of your choice)

6 egg whites

generous pinch of salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbs sugar

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup white rice flour (could also use brown)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch cake plans and flour using sorghum flour. Melt the ghee and set aside. You want this tepid- but not yet solidifying again- it should be clear. Sift flours into a small bowl. Sifting here is important because it’s adding air to the mix.

If possible, use a stand mixer and a hand mixer for this next section- you can have the yolks mixing in the stand mixer while you whip the whites. If you don’t have both; do the yolks first, then whip the whites.

Place yolks in the bottom of the stand mixing bowl. For optimum leavening, have all ingredients at room temperature, or about 70 degrees if you’re in a hot climate. In a separate bowl place the egg whites. Turn the stand mixer on medium high and begin to whip the yolks. After about 20 seconds add the rose water and gradually pour in 2/3 cup of sugar. Mix until the eggs are fluffy and very pale yellow and make ‘the ribbon’. See this post for an explanation of ‘the ribbon’.

Begin to whip the egg whites with a hand mixer on the lowest setting. When the eggs start to get a bit foamy add the salt and cream of tartar. When the whites reach the ‘soft peak’ stage, add the 2 tbs of sugar, and beat until the peaks are just stiff. Remember, at the stiff peak stage the whites are glossy and stand up when you scoop them with the beaters. The tops may flop over a bit- that’s ok. If your whites become dull and uneven you’ve overwhipped. I’ve read this can be remedied by adding another egg white, but I’ve never tried it myself.

Scoop 1/4 of the whites into the yolk mixture and begin to fold them together. Next, sift (yes, this is the second time you’ve sifted) 1/3 of the flour mixture into the yolk mixture. Then add another 1/4 of the eggwhites and fold, followed by another 1/3rd of the flour, continuing to fold.  Add another 1/4 of the egg whites, fold, and sift the last of the flour. Fold again, and finish by folding the last of the eggwhites into the batter. Pour 1/2 of the butter mixture into the batter and fold. The butter will drop straight to the bottom of the bowl, so it’s important to fold from the very bottom up. Fold in the last part of the butter and pour into the pans.

Cook in the lower third of the oven for about 25 minutes. The color should be golden and a cake stick should come out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the side of the pan and flip over onto a cake rack to cool. It may take a little effort to get the cake out, but gravity will win- just be patient and don’t force it.

While the cake is cooling, make the filling.

Mandarin Orange Curd

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

zest of 2 clementines

1/2 cup clementine or orange juice- strained (about 3 clementines)

8 tbs butter, cut into 1 tbs segments

Directions

Place egg yolks, sugar and zest in a medium saucepan and whisk briefly until yolks have just started to lighten (be carefeul not to over-whisk as this results in grainy curd)

Add orange juice and butter. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until butter has melted and mixture has thickened. This will be a little runnier than lemon curd, but will thicken in the refrigerator if left overnight.

To Assemble Cake

When the cake has cooled and you are ready to assemble, place one layer on a tray or large plate. Using a bread knife, gently remove the crusty top part of the cake- this facilitates the absorption of the filling. Scoop the filling into the center of the cake and using a spatula spread outward within 1/2-3/4 inch from the side. The weight of the top layer will push the filling all the way to the sides.

Next, use a bread knife to remove the crusty top part of the second layer. Gently flip this exposed side down onto the filling and using your hands, gently center the cake. Place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to allow the filling to firm up. While the cake is chilling, make your frosting or whipped cream.

For this recipe, I used 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 tsp of rose water, and 4 tbs sugar. Beat on high in a cold bowl until cream makes soft peaks. If you over beat the cream it will turn to butter. Spread evenly around the top and sides of the cake. Decorate as you wish. Edible flowers are always lovely!