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 …
Nate harvested over 25 cucumbers from the garden last week: minted cucumber soup, diced cucumber in Mexican Salad, and Tzatsiki Sauce. We had enough left over to bundle with a copy of our recipe and give them as gifts to guests at an impromptu gathering. No one licked the Tzatsiki bowl clean, but it didn’t need … Continue reading
Turmeric , with its history of use in China and India as a powerful anti-inflammatory, is featured in this power “bowl”, a new favorite on our breakfast table. This may become a standard in your weekly breakfast repertoire, especially during the fall and winter months. Happily foggy summer mornings in Maine give us the excuse to indulge during … Continue reading
Couple of things about Angel Food Cake: 1. It can be the cake base for Crunch Cake (though many prefer “butter” or “sponge”.) 2. Peter is an excellent cook, but not a baker. However at age 8 he started practicing Angel Food Cake with his grandmother, Mimi, and went solo at 13. 3. I made … Continue reading
The 5 pounds of organic native Maine blueberries Nate ordered were harvested last week: blueberry salsa, scones, pancakes, smoothies, pie, cobbler. Actually a five pound box isn’t that big; couple of pies and you’re out. But enough were saved for doughnuts! Continue reading
The day Gus came home from the hospital, having been double-whammied with Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes, I went to our local independent health food store for prepared GF “snacks” one could pack for First Grade School Lunch. Resources were slim, but in addition my perspective was limited by post-diagnosis shock. (I wasn’t exactly … Continue reading
A collection of sandwich ideas inspired by the 50 United States is brilliant! The author has almost competed an illustrated state by state list. Don’t want to step on toes, but it since Maine is missing this seems like the perfect time to share our recipe for lobster rolls. The least expensive way to enjoy this traditional … Continue reading
We serve our GF version of The Good Table’s french toast for dessert during the summer. Fresh Maine blueberries, a loaf of Udi’s White, organic maple syrup from New Hampshire, dollops of whipped cream, and you’re set to go! Blueberry “Pain Dessert” or Le Cape French Toast – Serves 6-12 depending on how generous you make the … Continue reading
One of our favorite ways to use the Paderno Vegetable Pasta Gizmo is for a south-or-the-border version of pasta. Try it once and you’ll be hooked. Black Bean Soup is the sauce, but a more traditional mexican meat sauce with chicken or ground beef would be just as delicious. Nothing however, is more satisfying than spinning fresh … Continue reading
Fresh local organic corn is finally joining blueberries in neighborhood markets and farm stands. We bought some beautiful ears last week during a trip to Keene, New Hampshire. More on that later. Got it in my mind that raw pureed corn kernels could provide enough body and richness to substitute for some, perhaps all, the … Continue reading
Jen began a yoga practice a year or so ago by asking “What if (it) is as easy as breathing?” Humans learn some complicated things without being taught and incorporate them unconsciously into daily lives. Our most natural and perhaps best methods of learning are by imitation and trial and error. Most of us walk … Continue reading
Gluten Free Gus 