Topped with Coconut Cream and a spoonful of seasonal fruit this is a wonderful dessert for a summer seaside luncheon: easy, light, delicious, and pretty. It can also be served with coconut ice cream and bittersweet chocolate sauce or warm with a little papaya or passion fruit jam for a weekend breakfast treat. Any way you slice it, …
This recipe is an homage to Sarah with a nod to the Barefoot Contessa. Who knew that Ina Garten (M.B.A. George Washington University) worked for the U.S. Government as a nuclear energy budget analyst before (taking off her shoes) to own and operate a specialty foods shop? Last month Sarah, who moved to Maine from NYC seven years ago, …
Tested and enthusiastically approved by GF and non-GF friends and family, this is one of our new favorite scone recipes. We like the combination of sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors. They’re great for breakfast or as a side for salad or soup. 4 years ago we moved from Falmouth back to South Portland (SoPo) where …
It’s strawberry season in Maine, there’s a rain delay at Wimbledon, and I’m meeting Kari and Stephanie at 11:30 to walk around Back Cove before lunch: time to bake a cake! Fresh picked local organic strawberries are fragrant and delicious, but often delicate because they’re not bred to endure cross country shipping. When you think your berries …
This outstanding banana bread is more fun to make than any other and arguably more delicious than our favorite Kona Banana Bread. Roasting the bananas takes a little extra time, but the dimension it adds to the flavor is worth every minute. Using coconut oil and almond milk make it dairy free, however substitute butter for …
Just back from an island with an organic coconut field and organic banana field. Plus there is a LOT of coconut flour in the larder. So when I was sent a link to Empowered Sustanence’s I clicked on it. Easy, satisfying, healthy, and delicious, these may become a staple in your kitchen. Our recipe is …
Late Winter Carrot Soup (Serves 8 -12) This special hearty soup is tangy and thick enough to serve over pasta. Last week I used it on pizza under arugula, feta, caramelized onions, and fig jam. Nathaniel made a ragu for vegetable “noodles” from the Paderno Spiralizer. Served as a soup it can be garnished with pesto, or a drizzle of …
28 years ago four women each had their first child within a five week span. One of those babies will have her first child in two months. The three boys, errr… men aren’t there yet, following Daphne as they did growing up. This afternoon we’re hosting a baby shower. All that stuff about time and change goes without saying. The guests have various …
I am very good at what I do – just pulled a beautiful fragrant GF Citrus Olive Oil Cake out of the oven. But, BUT, yeast is not my friend, so our successful crusty, chewy bread recipes are few. I confess to not having cultivated the relationship carefully, preferring to spend time with cookies and scones. Those of …
Read somewhere (an airline magazine?) about popular chefs’ favorite sneaky, secret ingredients. One admitted to using powdered milk in his conventional cookie recipes because it adds chewiness. Since “chewy” is a rare descriptor when it comes to gluten free cookies I was determined to experiment. Finding Organic Valley Non Fat Dry Milk at Whole Foods cemented it. I’ve …
Tandem Coffee opened a second location: a cafe in a renovated service station on Portland’s Congress Street. Briana Holt is creating excellent sweet and savory baked goods. But fair warning: gluten-free offerings are occasional and the open kitchen precludes a GF environment. However, something I had last week was worth adapting: Briana’s Birds’ Nest Breakfast Muffins. A whole …
Delicious, nutritious, easy, fast, this savory dish is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Even if you splurge on the nicest free range eggs, organic cheddar, heirloom tomatoes and Vidalia onions, it’s an inexpensive way to satisfy the craving for a hearty meal. Traveling to Lake Tahoe to visit Gus who is working at Stanford …
Book Group met last night to discuss The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud. The link is to a (more positive) NPR review because I suggested the book and still think it’s work reading. Have some fun and Google the meanings of the names of Messud’s characters should you delve in. As hostess I made the …
I first experienced Pastry Chef Ben Spungin’s desserts at Marinus, in Carmel Valley, http://www.bernardus.com/. His mom must be extraordinarily proud. Ben’s sweets are some of the most creative, smart, irreverent and successful I’ve experienced. The entire meal was outstanding. Run don’t walk to Marinus for your next special occasion (make a reservation first.) My dinner selections were mostly vegetarian …
Nothing says “Spring” like the scent of Meyer Lemons! This combination of white chocolate mousse and lemon curd makes a beautiful and decadent dessert any time of year, but especially now when bunches of tulips greet one at the market and long stemmed branches of pussy willows aren’t far behind. I like keeping the …
Life has been busy and complicated. We’re cooking a lot, but serious toe dragging has put a crimp in recipe production. Three things conspired me to get back on the (horse). Years ago Gus’s brother, Nathaniel, asked me why granola couldn’t made of only the “good stuff.” We’ve been making semi-weekly variations of (paleo + … Continue reading
1. If you’ve been reading along you know that the U.N. declared 2015 The International Year of Dirt. OK, “Soils”, The International Year of Soils, which doesn’t sound as fun, but is important. 2. Last year Nathaniel purchased a Omega juicer for the house. He was making mostly prescriptive looking and tasting “green” juices, sometimes … Continue reading
One of the most satisfactory and least expensive tools in our kitchen is the humble dough scraper. Mine isn’t as nice as the one pictured above made by Allegheny Treeware. Wood is beautiful, but my plastic version is just as effective. I use it to clean up the flour left from kneading (scones) on a counter top or cutting board: scrape once … Continue reading
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Okay , that’s not exactly what I mean, but it’s memorable. And the idea that something big and important can come from something small and unassuming is essential. Franklin D. Roosevelt said it: “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are … Continue reading
Wouldn’t have written about this if I hadn’t hadn’t sampled Amazing Grass’s Super Food Energy Bars a couple of weeks ago. I’d rather drink some ginger tea or grab piece of fruit (okay, fresh chocolate chip cookie), but appreciate convenience, efficiency, and sometimes necessity of an energy bar. Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes share a high rate of comorbidity. … Continue reading
Arghhh! “Monsanto Makes Bid To Go Big In Pesticides”, offering $45 billion for Swiss rival Syngenta, the world’s largest seller of pesticides. Looks like initial overtures have been rebuffed, but big companies are still making big money on the production and sale of bug and weed killing chemical cocktails. Watch this short video illustrating findings by … Continue reading
Wrap your head around and practice one or two of these ideas a week and you’ll change your mind about food. Your body will go along for the ride. This list was inspired by one made by Healthy Holistic Living. Read theirs for other ideas and more in depth information. 1. Vegetable “pasta” instead of conventional Pasta. We’ve … Continue reading
A small portion of chilled pumpkin pudding at the end of a fall or late winter meal is pure comfort food. Flavoring the whipped cream garnish with rum or brandy makes it adult enough for a dinner party. Pumpkin Pudding is just as good for a family affair with vanilla whipped cream. There is debate about gluten-free … Continue reading
Last week I either called or used Open Table to make a reservation to eat at Lydia Shire’s Scampo in Boston. Whatever, I received an unsolicited email:”Scampo News & Message from Lydia!”, becoming an inadvertent subscriber. Ordinarily I’d scroll down to opt out, but Lydia’s note was a recipe for Irish Soda Bread, and St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th, and I’ve neglected Gluten Free … Continue reading
Our immediate family decided not to exchange gifts this holiday season. Stockings were filled, but there was no big shopping wrapping angst in the weeks prior to, and especially day of, Christmas. The joke amongst extended family when we thanked for what they gave was that of course “it was the best gift – it … Continue reading
Gluten Free Gus 