Celiac Princess

The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook Review in Publisher's Weekly

My new book, The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing Up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes is about to hit store shelves! And, Publisher's Weekly just published a stellar first review of the book! 

They say the book is a "breezy, friendly, and straightforward volume from the food and lifestyle editor at Delight Gluten-Free Magazine. It’s full of no-nonsense advice (“cheating on the diet is not an option and can lead to long-term complications, so resist temptation to cheat!”) and—better yet—flavor."

The book is filled with amazing recipes from around the world that prove that people with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance can give up gluten without giving up flavor and passion for food. There are over 125 recipes inspired by the flavors of Italy, Asia and Mexico and tons of advice for living a fabulous gluten-free lifestyle.

The book also includes culinary advice from top notch chefs including Chef Keith Brunel of Maggianos, Chef Katie Chin of Thai Kitchen and Chef Edgar Steele of Cafe Atlantico. And, the forward of the book is written by former CNN Newsroom Anchor Heidi Collins. 

You can pre-order the book now from any of your favorite retailers!

Gluten-Free Hard Cider & Woodchuck Day

It's groundhog day and well, if there are going to be six more weeks of winter then at least the gluten-free consumer can keep warm with Woodchuck Hard Cider and if you're up for it partake in the Woodchuck Day Celebrations. These celebrations happen annually on groundhog and take place nationwide, so be sure to find a location near you. 

The cider is available in four varieties, Amber, Granny Smith, Pear and Dark & Dry and all are naturally gluten-free. All of the ciders are made from apples and Woodchuck takes the gluten-free diet so seriously that they even have all of their ciders tested by an independent lab. Additionally the company is very  careful to always maintain a gluten-free facility to process the ciders.

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Gluten-Free Panini Bread

For the last six years that I've been on a gluten-free diet, I've been searching for the perfect bread. Most commercial gluten-free breads are much too dense for my liking, so I've been searching far and wide for a great recipe. I'm proud to say that throughout my experience of culinary school, the best lesson I've 
learned is how to make this bread. Of course we learned the regular gluten-containing method in class, so this is my gluten-free adaptation, but I promise you that there is no difference in taste, texture, or smell. 

The bread recipe was originally for Indian Naan bread, but I actually think it works even better as a gluten-free panini bread. It's thin, light and airy and fabulous room temperature or toasted. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Naan/Panini Bread

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
¾ cup warm water
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup melted butter
2 teaspoons salt
3½ cups Whole Foods Baking Mix

1. In a stainless steel bowl, mix together yeast, sugar and water and allow the mixture to bloom.
2. After the mixture has bloomed, add in the yogurt, egg, butter and salt.
3. Add flour to a large bowl and create a well. Pour wet ingredients into the well and slowly incorporate the flour.
4. Once a dough has formed, move to a counter top workspace and knead about 8 minutes. Cover and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.
5. Cut dough into tennis ball size balls and roll out into thin ovals.
6. Cook the bread on a pizza stone or grill pan until lightly browned and crispy, about 5 minutes per side.

Celiac, Gluten-Free & Healthy New Years' Resolution in Washington Post

Check out yet another great column in the Washington Post by Jennifer LaRue Huget. It's a collection of New Years' Resolutions from health experts in the Washington, DC area. 

You'll see me quote as follows:

"Vanessa Maltin, food and lifestyle editor for Delight magazine: Store-bought gluten-free baked goods are packed with sugar and calories. My goal for 2010 is to figure out healthier homemade alternatives to my favorite sugary treats to cut down on fat and bulk up on nutrients. With a gluten-free wedding coming up, I've got to fit into the dress of my dreams!"

Check it out at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011103246_pf.html

Gluten-Free Quinoa Cheese Puffs

This recipe for Gluten-Free Quinoa Cheese Puffs will make you totally forget that quinoa is "healthy!" Known as a super grain, quinoa is packed with essential amino acids. These muffin-like puffs are perfect for a dinner party or just to keep on hand for an everyday snack.

Quinoa Cheese Puffs

1 cup raw quinoa, made into a meal
1 3/4 cups milk or cream
1/4 pound butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn meal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Put quinoa into into a food processor or grinder and grind until a fine powder forms.  Put into a mixing bowl and reserve.
3. In a standing mixer, combine milk, eggs, and butter.
4. Add  salt, corn meal,  and baking powder to the quinoa meal and mix together well. Slowly add into the wet ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
5. Pour into greased muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes or until puffs are set.

Washington Post Newspaper Says Celiac Disease is "IN!"

If you mention celiac disease to someone, you're likely to get a response of "oh yeah! I know someone with that!" And, today, the first day of 2010, you know celiac disease is finally becoming mainstream because the Washington Post newspaper lists celiac disease on the What's In list for 2010!

Thanks to the entire celiac community for constantly raising awareness, mainstream newspapers, grocery stores and food manufacturers are taking notice and are hard at work to improve the lives of everyone with celiac disease. But there's still plenty of work to do! So, make it your 2010 New Year's Resolution to help all of the other people out there with celiac disease get an accurate diagnosis this year! Go out and tell 5 friends about celiac and who knows, you might change their life.

Check out the What's In list at www.WashingtonPost.com.

If you mention celiac disease to someone, you're likely to get a response of "oh yeah! I know someone with that!" And, today, the first day of 2010, you know celiac disease is finally becoming mainstream because the Washington Post newspaper lists celiac disease on the What's In list for 2010!

Thanks to the entire celiac community for constantly raising awareness, mainstream newspapers, grocery stores and food manufacturers are taking notice and are hard at work to improve the lives of everyone with celiac disease. But there's still plenty of work to do! So, make it your 2010 New Year's Resolution to help all of the other people out there with celiac disease get an accurate diagnosis this year! Go out and tell 5 friends about celiac and who knows, you might change their life.

Check out the What's In list at www.WashingtonPost.com.

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Gluten-Free Gorgonzola Risotto

When it's cooked correctly, risotto is hands down one of my top  favorite things in the world to eat. You can make an infinite number of variations of a simple risotto recipe and add in any vegetables or proteins that you enjoy. But the key to making risotto is all in the methodology for making it. There's little room for error and if you overcook or undercook the rice, you've got either a pile of mush or rice that's crunchy not in a good way! 

This recipe is for a risotto with a Gorgonzola cream in it, but you can substitute any cheeses you'd like or even try using milk instead of cream for a lower-calorie risotto. Dice up some broccoli or carrots and add them in with the onions. Just use your imagination for a delicious and hearty risotto! Just be sure to follow the instructions carefully and taste the risotto often for seasoning and texture.

Creamy Gorgonzola Risotto

2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely minced
1 cup Carnaroli or Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
5-6 cups chicken stock
2 fl ounces heavy cream
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, minced
Salt

1. Heat a heavy saucepan and melt the butter.
2. Sweat the shallots in butter until soft. Add the rice and coat with the butter, stirring for several minutes.
3. Add the wine and stir into the rice until absorbed.
4. Add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed. This should take about 18-20 minutes.
5. While the risotto is cooking, heat the heavy cream, add the Gorgonzola cheese and cook until the cheese melts.
6. When the rice is almost cooked, add the cheese mixture and the parsley. Continue cooking for another two minutes. The rice should have a creamy consistency and may be adjusted with a little extra stock if necessary.
7. Season with salt.

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Gluten-Free Parmesan Cheese Souffles

Well, I've been pretty lucky during the past three months of culinary school. Everyone has been incredibly supportive of my gluten-free diet and my group has always been willing to test out a gluten-free alternative to every recipe. I'm so grateful for all of my fabulous chef instructors who have embraced the gluten-free diet and even more grateful for Emma, Chrissy and Jen, the fabulous gal pals I've made who have come in to class early and make every effort to help me make all of the recipes gluten-free.

However, this week I finally had my first experience in culinary school where a fellow student did not want to try a recipe gluten-free because he felt it would compromise the integrity of the dish. The dish was a Parmesan Cheese Souffle with a milk and flour base. Now, having done my homework and planned ahead, I knew that the purpose of the flour was to act as a roux, so there's no reason why I couldn't substitute cornstarch and have a souffle that tasted exactly the same. 

Obviously I didn't want to seem like a mean student, so even though I was somewhat hurt by the other student's comment, I suggested that we make 2 separate batches of the souffles to compare them and see if one really tasted different. So with Emma by my side, we set off to make double the recipe for the day!  

You'll be pleased to know that once all three groups presented their souffles (about 18 in total), the teacher actually picked out my gluten-free souffle as the most beautiful and structured! It was cooked perfectly and stood up in a perfect souffle shape. And, she even commented that the texture of my souffle was more creamy and light than the others. We attribute this to the extremely fine consistency of the cornstarch. So, there ya go! Gluten-free souffles can be better than their gluten-containing counterparts!

Here's my adapted recipe for the souffles. It may seem like a lot of work, but I promise it really isn't and the taste is absolutely worth the effort!

Gluten-Free Parmesan Cheese Souffles (yield 6 souffles)

Souffles
Butter, softened as needed
5-6 aluminum cups
3/4 oz cornstarch
5 fl oz milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Nutmeg, grated to taste
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1 oz parmesan cheese, grated
 
Duxelle/Sauce
1/2 fl oz canola oil
1 tablespoons shallots, chopped
4 oz mushrooms chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoons parsley, minced
8 fl oz heavy cream
2 tablespoons tarragon, finely chopped
 

1. Butter the aluminum cups and chill.
2. Prepare the bouillie by placing the flour in a saucepan and gradually whisking in the cold milk to create a smooth paste.  Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
4. Remove from the heat and cool for a minute or two.
5. Whisk in the egg yolks and transfer to a mixing bowl.
6. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, but not dry.
7. Fold the egg whites into the base, alternating with the grated cheese.  Be careful not to over-mix.
8. Fill the prepared molds to the inside lip with the appareil and place the molds into a bain marie.
9. Bake in a 400 degree oven for approx 15 minutes or until the souffles have risen about an inch above the top of the molds.  Remove the souffles from the oven but do not un-mold.
10. Heat the canola oil in a saute pan and add the shallots, cooking them so they soften but do not brown.
11. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with the salt and pepper.  Cook until the moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated and add the chopped parsley.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
12. Add the heavy cream and the chopped tarragon and simmer for several minutes to infuse the cream, tarragon, shallots, and mushrooms.
13. Grease a gratin dish with the softened butter and un-mold the souffles upside down into the dish.
14. Pour the tarragon sauce over and around the souffles and return them to the oven for 10-12 minutes.  The souffles should swell and absorb most of the sauce.

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

Today was heaven in my mouth at the Institute of Culinary Education. Not only did we make Wild  Mushroom Risotto (you'll see that recipe later), but I also learned a fantastic new way to prepare spaghetti squash. Usually I make it by baking it, pulling out the beautiful strands of squash and serving it with a marinara sauce. This is a wonderful, low-calorie dinner that tastes amazing. Today, I learned how to make the squash into pancakes, sort of like potato latkes. They are crispy, bursting with flavor and perfect for a twist on a Jewish holiday favorite.

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but don't freak out about it. If you want to omit the prosciutto and pine nuts, that's totally fine! The pancakes will still come out great!

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

 

1 spaghetti squash

1/2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1.5 oz pine nuts

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 oz prosciutto, sliced and then finely chopped

1 1/4 oz flour (use Whole Foods All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 egg

1 egg yolk

4 fl oz heavy cream

Canola oil for pan-frying

 

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half.  Season with salt and pepper and bake in a 350F degree oven for 30 minutes.  Scrape the cooked squash from the shell with a fork.  Reserve and cool.

2. Heat a saute pan and add the olive oil.  Saute the pine nuts until just golden.

3. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute.

4. Add the proscuitto and saute for another minute. 

5. Toss the cooled squash with the flour, pine nuts, shallots, garlic and prosciutto mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Mix the egg, egg yolk and heavy cream.  Combine with the squash mixture, stirring well as you pour in the egg mixture.

7. Heat a large saute pan and add the canola oil for pan-frying.  Add the squash to the oil by large spoonfuls, flattening the mixture slightly to form a pancake.  Pan-fry on each side until golden brown.

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Goat Cheese Timbales with Parmesan Crisps & Beet Vinaigrette

One of my major culinary vices is goat cheese. I love it on rice crackers, in sauces, as a flavor enhancement in risotto and pretty much even by itself on a spoon. I love the texture, the flavor and the creaminess. So I was thrilled at school today when I found out we were making a fabulous appetizer that showcases goat cheese both in the base and dressing. The recipe is Roasted Vegetables Timbales with Goat Cheese, Parmesan Tuiles and a Beet Vinaigrette.

At this particular moment, you're probably sitting there wondering what on earth a Timbale and a Tuiles are. Well, they are basically fancy culinary words to describe the food item. A Timbale actually refers to the shape of the food item. In this case, it's shaped like a large thimble that you'd use when you're sewing. For this recipe, we're going to stack roasted vegetables layered with a goat cheese mixture into a mold and then cook them. We'll top them with a delicate beet vinaigrette that is bright pink! (don't be afraid of the color! The taste is amazing!)

A Tuiles is basically a parmesan crisp. The originally recipe called for 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. To make these gluten-free, I substituted 1/2 cup of my famous All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix. It worked perfectly and my chef instructor even said she couldn't tell the difference. If you don't feel like making the flour mixture, just use the Whole Foods Brand Gluten-Free AP Flour. It works very well! 

I know this recipe sounds complicated, but when you actually break it down into steps, it doesn't really take very long. The taste is well worth the effort!

Roasted Vegetable Timbales with Goat Cheese, Parmesan Tuiles, and Beet Vinaigrette- 4 servings

Timbales

8 plum tomatoes

3 Japanese eggplants, cut in 1/4" thick slices

3 zucchini, cut in 1/4" thick slices

3 yellow squash, cut in 1/4" thick slices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) as needed

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 log of goat cheese (for added flavor, mix in minced chives, shallots and thyme)

1. Slice the tomatoes into 1/4" rounds.  Place on a sheet pan, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are semi-dry.  Repeat with the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash, roasting until they are lightly brown, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Soften the goat cheese by pulsing in a food processor.  Add a drizzle of EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

3. Assemble the timbales by placing a layer of roasted tomatoes in an aluminum cup or small corning ware dish.  Follow with a layer of the softened goat cheese, eggplant, goat cheeses, and zucchini.  Continue layering until the cup is nearly full.  Repeat for 6 timbales, reserve.

 

Tuiles

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 ounces butter softened

2 teaspoons sugar

2 egg whites

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup AP gluten-free flour

2 oz parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons rosemary, minced

 

1. Blanch the garlic cloves until very tender, and drain.

2. Puree the garlic and butter in a food processor until smooth. Add the sugar, egg whites, salt, flour, and parmesan cheese and pulse to incorporate the ingredients.  Do not over-mix or the butter will begin to melt.

3. Pipe 1/2" circles of the batter onto Silpat baking mats and using a small offselt spatula, spread each drop of batter into 2" circles.  Sprinkle the tops of each tuile with some minced rosemary.

4. Bake in a 325 degree oven for approximately 6-8 minutes; be sure the tuiles have browned around the edges.  Remove from the Silpat, place on a paper towel and cool. Serve as a garnish with the Timbales.

 

 Vinaigrette

3 beets juiced

1 fl ounce red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 fl ounces EVOO

1/4 bunch chives, minced

1. Reduce the beet juice to 6 fl oz.  Add the vinegar and mustard.  Emulsify in the olive oil, using an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the chives. Reserve.

2. Reheat the timbales in the oven.  Place the timbales on a plate and drizzle some of the vinaigrette around. Garnish with the parmesan tuiles and minced chives.