Giving thanks in 2015!

Unroasted pumpkin pie made with coco milk yogurt 

I just checked in and realized I hadn't posted in months...unfortunately my other job (running a startup) has been sucking up both my time and my brain, so that I can barely even think about cooking for my food allergies....but wait. It's Thanksgiving, the bestest cooking holiday of the year, yay!

Due to a nasty flu last time it was my turn to cook, it's been a while since I have had time to think deeply about a turkey day menu. And you know what? It's so RELAXING for me...all the preparation and planning makes me feel comfortable and safe knowing that I'll have a lovely meal that meets my needs for my food allergies. I know it's stressful for others, but for me, the kitchen is my happy place.

I'm having a pescatarian friend over this year, so she's bringing salmon and a veg. My first time seeing fish at the table for Thanksgiving! So I'll be adjusting my cornbread stuffing to be meat-free, and instead add more roasted nuts and fruit for flavor. And my Cranberry, shallot and cherry compote  recipe will go most excellently with both her fish and my turkey. She just doesn't know it yet!

The menu:

Salmon
Turkey
Brussel sprouts
Cranberry-cherry compote
Potatoes of some sort--players to be determined later
Roasted pumpkin pie

I haven't made turkey in a while, so I almost forgot that I need three days to dry brine the turkey ala the late, celebrated Judy Rodgers of the Zuni Cafe. Since it's just me for the turkey (and for all of the glorious leftovers), I'm buying a few legs instead of the whole bird since I like the dark meat best. And I get to feel like Henry the 8th, waving them around.

The main thing I feel grateful for is that mentally, emotionally and physically, I am feeling like all is right in the universe. In reality, I'm pinching every penny and stressed about money as my partner and I are getting our business rolling--but the weird thing is that I feel like the cosmic tumblers are clicking into the right place, regardless. Do you get that feeling? I hope so--and wish that for everyone this holiday. There is so much disgusting, and mind-numbing fear and hate going on right now that I sorta can't wait to hide out in the kitchen for a while and think only about pie. BTW, Ruth Reichl roasts her pumpkin first! Wouldn't that be lovely if everyone could take a break from being horrible for a while and be grateful for all the blessings and loved ones they have in their lives?

Hope yours is wonderful,

The Food Allergy Queen

Love is...gluten-free, dairy free chocolate from Amore

Happy New Year everyone! The holidays for me were a little crazier than usual--my family came to visit and stay with me for Christmas in my new home in Seattle for the first time, and let's just say it took quite a bit of time, energy and more than a few trips to IKEA to make it guest-worthy in time.  Luckily, we agreed NOT to stay in and do a big meal for Christmas (so it turned ok in the end that the dining room was the least-finished room in the house). Whew!

One evening after Christmas, my mom and I were taking a nice walk after dinner, and we ran across two chocolate shops on Main Street in Bellevue (which is a neighborhood east of Seattle proper).  One was Fran's--which is local to Seattle and now famous nationwide, especially for their seasalt caramels. However, personally I feel that their product quality is not what is used to be (perhaps due to their global expansion), so was lukewarm about going in. Also, I prefer to support local retailers whenever possible, so was thrilled to pieces to find Amore Chocolates right across the street from Fran's! It is the TEENIEST shop I've ever been in in the US (there were tiny ones in Europe like this), but here was the kicker--they had a sign on the door that said "Vegan truffles--dairy free" and "Gluten-free".  How could I resist?  I practically dragged my mom into the store behind me.

Once inside, I overheard one of the employees ask, then repeated the question, to someone as to whether she had touched some products because he was working with peanuts and he didn't want cross-contamination.  Bingo--I was with my kind of people! I got even more excited, if that's possible.  We started chatting, and it turns out that that young man who was concerned about cross-contamination also had food allergies himself. Of course, we began sharing our food allergy lists, and once again, this Food Allergy Queen reigned supreme.  (Insert crowd cheers here.) He then goodnaturedly assigned himself the title of Food Allergy Court Jester. So cute!

On to the chocolates! So, it turns out that ALL the dark chocolates in the store are dairy-free and made with coconut milk instead. No cream in the chocolate, or the ganache (usually made with chocolate and cream) fillings. No butter either. Anything with a creamy texture was made with coconut milk! (See picture with bite out of it to see the texture--please ignore the bite mark.) And knowing that dipping chocolates by hand is difficult and a tempermental process in the first place, and also considering the extra challenge of the natural humidity in the Pacific Northwest, I was especially impressed by the hand-dipped chocolate texture and the intense European-style flavors of Amore Chocolates.  The owner, Brenda, was on the premises so I was able to ask her directly about how she assembled her products and the ingredients of everything.  She was tickled to help me work my way through the choices.

My favorites were the truffles, which had intense and complex flavors: Seriously Dark, Espresso and Raspberry. I also loved the Haystacks (coconut) and her new one, Potato Chip Haystacks, made with Ruffles! And the marzipan (made with almonds) ones were lovely and chewy, with just the right balance of sweetness.


A followup email confirmed that Amore uses chocolate from Guittard which is gluten-, dairy-free and peanut-free. However, they share equipment that may use dairy or almonds. They use soy lectithin, so those of you with soy allergies unfortunately need to skip these.  Also, when I asked, Brenda was not able to confirm that her sugar was vegan, and I'm guessing neither can Guittard. So I think we're safe to say they're vegetarian, but may not be 100% vegan for those who avoid all animal products.

Best of all, Amore Chocolates can be shipped across the U.S.! Since it's still winter, there's little chance that your chocolates will melt on route, but call and check if you live in a warm state and are concerned.  These are hand-dipped, and handmade, so they are labor intensive and a bit pricey. Expect to pay about what you would for Godiva chocolates...I think I purchased 12 pieces and they were $28. A special occasion treat. Try them, and let me know what you think. Be sure to tell Brenda that the Food Allergy Queen sent you, she'll love supporting our community. And you get amazing chocolates. What's not to love?

http://www.amorechocolatesonmain.com/vegan/

...The aftermath

A post-Thanksgiving check-in of things I have learned:

- I planned lots of options for leftovers since I am still eating turkey (I bought a 16-lb bird and already planned to freeze a good portion of it ).With it, I've made Vietnamese style sandwiches on gf bread, turkey omelette, and turkey noodle soup. Good to have these ready.

- Need to plan to pig out on desserts. I ate 3/4 of a pumpkin pie by myself, although spread out over a few days.  Thank goodness I didn't make two!  My mom is diabetic and only took a few bites, which she ate with her hands -- it was so yummy she couldn't/wouldn't wait for a plate and fork.

- Look for the turkey baster BEFORE you turn the oven on.  Needless to say, I only found half of it.  Not helpful.

- I discovered that when the connector on the wire for the roasting thermometer is loose, the temperature can be inaccurate. Argh.

- Earth Balance margarine (soy free in my case) massaged into the bird prior to roasting adds beautiful color and texture to the skin.  Almost as good as butter!

- I opened a bottle of Fre alcohol-free wine...a merlot.  My mom loved it...esp since she's given up alcohol for her health.  Now she can get it back!

- The #GF soft rolls recipe http://bit.ly/rQNEUR.  are best eaten within a day.  Will let you know how they freeze.

All in all, a lovely cooking holiday.  Hope yours was delicious, safe and fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy safe Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope that everyone gets #foodallergy support fm loved ones on a foodcentric holiday. And please don't forget your Epi today, just in case!

Here's the gf pie crust recipe I used this yearL  http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes.php?recipe=1126 

and here's the classic Libby's pie recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx I switched out the evaporated milk and replaced it with So Delicious Coconut milk plain yogurt.

Peace and blessings, the FAQ

'via Blog this'

The FAQ Thanksgiving menu 2011

Okay, after much thinking, here's what I'm going with this year.  On one hand, I look forward to having my favorites, on the other hand, I'm always looking to improve what can be better!  I may venture out to try a new #gf pie crust.  Dare I?

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  The FAQ

1. Turkey
I purchase free-range and organic Mary's turkey from Whole Foods.  This year, about $2.50/lb. I've been making this turkey for a few years now, and am always pleased with the moistness and extra flavor of the turkey.  The gravy is hearty and is perfect with the gf cornbread stuffing I prefer.

The key thing I alter is that I dry brine the turkey this two days before Thanksgiving, and bring it up to room temperature before roasting.

Here's the recipe for Turkey with Sage and Sherried Cider Giblet Gravy from Epicurious

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Turkey-with-Sage-and-Sherried-Cider-Giblet-Gravy-13419

My FAQ Subs:
Eliminate lemon
Gluten-free Glutino bread for whole wheat
Earth Balance soyfree margarine for butter
Cornstarch for flour in gravy

2. #GF cornbread and sausage stuffing from Roben Ryberg/James Beard
Make the cornbread a day ahead and save yourself a headache!

http://www.foodallergyqueen.com/2008/11/faq-cornbread-stuffing-recipe.html

3. Cranberry and cherry compote from Gourmet magazine
http://www.foodallergyqueen.com/2006/11/faq-thanksgiving.html

4. Green vegetable to be determined!  May add a #gf dinner roll recipe depending on how ambitious I feel on Wednesday.

5. #GF and dairy-free pumpkin pie.
Pie filling from the Libby's recipe on the can, see link below.  FAQ sub: So Delicious plain or vanilla yogurt for the evaporated milk

Flaky Pastry adapted from Rebecca Reilly
Double Crust (use for two pies or cut recipe in half)

Equipment you'll need: 9" heavy aluminum pie pan (don't use glass or it won't brown!)
rolling pin
pastry cutter (or two forks)
waxed paper

Ingredients: 
1-1/2 cups gluten-free mix (I used Bob's Red Mill Multipurpose GF flour since it has no rice)
If you can have rice, you can also use 1-1/2 cups of Rebecca's gf mixture: 2 c. brown rice flour+ 2/3 c. potato starch, + 1/3 c. tapioca starch and save the rest.
3 Tablespoons sweet rice flour (I used sorghum flour instead)
2 tsp. sugar (omit if using for savory filling)
1/4 tsp. salt
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (I used Spectrum organic vegetable shortening instead)
1 jumbo egg
1-1/2 Tablespoon cider vinegar or lemon juice

Mix together the gf mix, sweet rice flour (or sorghum flour), sugar and salt.  Cut the butter into chunks, and use a pastry cutter (or two forks) to work the butter into the dry ingredients to form a coarse meal.  Once thoroughly mixed, make a well in the dry ingredients and break the egg into the well.  Add the vinegar or lemon juice.  Use a fork to stir from the center, working the flour into the egg to form a soft dough.  Shape into a flat cake, cover and refrigerate if it's too soft to roll out.  You'll want the dough to hold a shape, but not be so stiff that it cracks.  You'll want the texture to be like Play-doh.

Cut two large pieces of waxed paper, about 3"-4" wider than your pie plate.  On one piece of paper, sprinkle a little of the gf mix (or cornstarch) onto the paper to keep the dough from sticking to the paper.  Take out your dough, and flatten it a bit with your hand to make it sorta round.  Sprinkle the top with a little more mix or cornstarch, then put the second piece of waxed paper on top.   The you can use your rolling pin to roll out the dough.  Start from the center and roll outwards.  Because of the waxed paper, you can flip it over and adjust as you go along if it becomes uneven.  (When it gets really unruly, I also pin one corner of the paper with my hip against the counter to keep it from moving.  Hey, whatever works, right?)  Roll the crust to be about 2" wider than your pie pan (measure using the pan itself!). 

When it's the size you want, peel off one side of the paper, put the pan upside down on top and flip it over into the pan, and adjust.  Then peel off the other paper, tada!  Then cut another two pieces of waxed paper and roll out another circle for the top crust, Cover the rolled out dough and put them both in the fridge while you make the filling.

Libby's pie filling recipe

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx

More holiday baking: Chocolate cake (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free)

I made another recipe from Rebecca Reilly's awesome cookbook Gluten-free Baking -- her recipes ALWAYS work.  This time, it was a Chocolate Applesauce cake -- I wanted something closer to a "normal" cake, light and fluffy, to bring to a group who are not foodies so I didn't want to go too far off the reservation, if you will.  :)

This cake turned out wonderfully.  It tasted great, with a nice texture that was moist, light, fluffy -- my only complaint was that it didn't look as nice as it tasted.  I suck at decorating cakes!  (For this version, I made a fake "mousse" for the middle filling layer from Cool Whip and a few tablespoons of cocoa.  NOTE: Cool Whip is not 100% dairy-free, but the label says it's less than 2%...a filling is totally optional, especially if you want to keep this purely dairy-free.  You could also use a raspberry jam or other filling, I just happened to have this handy.)  I get lots of requests for gluten-free cakes for birthdays, this would be a good one.  I'm still working to find a good recipe with this kind of texture without using eggs and will let you know when I find one.

This recipe calls for Rebecca's gluten-free flour mix, you have a few different ways to put it together:

Option 1:   2 c. brown rice flour or garbanzo flour, 2/3 c. potato starch and 1/3 c. tapioca starch; OR
Option 2:   1 c. garbanzo flour or garfava flour, 1 c. brown rice flour, 2/3 c. potato starch, 1/3 c. tapioca starch; OR
Option 3:  Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour mix


Double this recipe for a two-layer 9" cake like the one I made!

Chocolate Applesauce Cake (Makes 1 (11x7-square or 9x2 round) cake)
From Rebecca Reilly's Gluten-Free Baking

3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 c. cornstarch
1 tsp baking gluten-free powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 egg whites
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. warm milk of your choice (I used almond milk)
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

ICING
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 Tbsp. milk of your choice

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease baking pan and line with parchment paper.  Lightly grease the paper. (Don't used waxed paper if you don't have parchment.  Just be sure to grease and flour the pan well instead!)

Mix togther the gluten-free mix, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and xanthan gum.  Sift cocoa powder into bowl.  Whisk until blended.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy.  Add the sugar slowly.  Pour in the milk, corn syrup, applesauce, and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes or until done when cake pulls away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let rest 10 minutes in pan before inverting onto a cooling rack.  Let cake completely cool before icing.

To make the icing, whisk the powdered sugar and cocoa, adding just enough milk to make an icing thin enough to spread over the cake.  It dries quickly and loses its shine, so make this right before you are ready to frost the cake.

I cut a pattern out of paper to make the flower design on my cake, and used mini candy canes I broke up for the bottom of the cake -- mostly to hide my bad frosting skills!

Happy holidays!

Chocolate Sparkle cookies for the holidays (gluten-free, dairy-free)!

I am madly baking for the holidays, are you?  I love to have a few homemade sweets ready to take to a party hostess, to reciprocate for the friend who gives you an unexpected gift, or just to get me into a holiday mood!

These Chocolate Sparkle cookies were shared with me at a holiday party, so I'm sharing in turn.  They're gluten-free, almost soy-free (a small amount of soy lecithin is in chocolate) and dairy-free (sorry, they're not egg-free or nut-free) and simple to make. Chocolaty delicious and rich-tasting, they're crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and oh so pretty on a holiday table!  NOTE: the dough needs to rest in the fridge for at LEAST 8 hours, so make the dough the night before you want to serve them.  Also, because there are few ingredients, the quality of the chocolate is key to the taste.  Use the best chocolate available to you, Belgian (Callebaut) and French (Valrhona) are best.  If European chocolate is unavailable in your area, you can of course use Nestle's semisweet chips.  Please just don't use Baker's chocolate, that stuff will produce a flat-tasting cookie.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Sparkle Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen 1-1/2" cookies

8 oz. (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate (I use Callebaut)
3 Tablespoons shortening (I use Spectrum organic, but you can use butter or margarine if your diet allows it)
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup sugar for rolling
powdered sugar for garnish

1. Melt the chocolate and shortening in a double boiler over simmering water.  Set aside to cool.
2. In an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on a medium speed, then gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar while increasing the mixing speed.   Beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow and thickens, and drops into ribbons.  This should take about 3 minutes at high speed.  Fold in the chocolate mixture.
3. Gently fold in ground almonds and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are combined thoroughly.  Put the dough in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at LEAST 8 hours, or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (do NOT use waxed paper, it will melt!  Grease the pan if you don't have parchment).
5. Put the 1/4 granulated sugar into a pie pan or plate.  Scoop out small spoonfuls of dough, rolling between your palms to form 1" balls and drop them into the granulated sugar.  (Your hands will melt the dough a little, don't be alarmed!)  Make enough to fill one baking sheet at a time.  If you need to take a break, put the dough back into the fridge.
6. Bake until the center of the cookies is no longer wet, 9-12 minutes.  Test cookies for doneness once the tops crack, but don't let them bake too long or they'll be dry.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
7. When slightly cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

Save in an airtight container.
Recipe from the LA Times

Happy holidays from the Food Allergy Queen!

Happy holidays

Hi everyone, so sorry I've been out of touch, been in seven cities in the past two months. I feel like an elf on speed!

I'll leave you with a picture of my holiday table from Thanksgiving, and a Christmas picture from my travels (Whitefish, Montana). I'll share my recipe for gluten-free cornbread stuffing that we had this year in a later post.

Happy Holidays (healthy and allergy-free!) to you and yours.

The FAQ

An FAQ Thanksgiving

"Victory is mine", she said loudly, surveying the field of battle with grim satisfaction and a rather grand hand gesture. "It is indeed possible for the Food Allergy Queen to partake in a traditional Thanksgiving with the trimmings. Bow down, treacherous wheat stuffing! Make way for delicious dairy-free gravy! Wander freely amidst the pecan chocolate pie! And behold, a new Thankgiving cranberry sauce that will make the gods weep with joy...."

Okay, you get the general idea. I finally figured out a way to get the most important part of the Thanksgiving meal, the STUFFING -- to be at least hospitable to the FAQ. It was crunchy, but downright tasty. I fixed it a little later with some turkey broth.

The menu:

Turkey with Sage and Sherry/Cider Gravy from Sara Moulton
Cornbread and sausage stuffing from James Beard
Cranberry and shallot compote from Gourmet Magazine
Roasted Kabocha squash from Sunday Suppers with Lucques
Grilled asparagus
Kentucky pecan pie with chocolate chips

Here is the recipe for the cranberry compote, passed onto me by a customer. Insanely good. Savory and sweet, tender and chewy and bright tasting. It needs to be shared with the universe.

Cranberry, shallot and dried cherry compote from Gourmet magazine
1/2 lb small (1-inch-wide) shallots or pearl onions (preferably red), left unpeeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white-wine vinegar
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried sour cherries (5 oz)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (8 oz; not thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup water

Blanch shallots in a 3-quart saucepan of boiling water 1 minute, then drain. Peel shallots and separate into cloves if necessary.
Cook shallots in butter in 3-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar mixture turns a golden caramel, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully add remaining vinegar, wine, and salt and boil, stirring, 1 minute (use caution, as mixture will bubble up). Add cherries and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender and liquid is syrupy, about 45 minutes.
Add cranberries and water and gently boil over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst, about 10 minutes. Transfer compote to a bowl and cool completely.
Cooks' note:
Compote keeps, chilled in an airtight container, 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings (about 3 cups).

I miss butter

Being the Food Allergy Queen sometimes makes for a woeful existence, especially during the holidays. I wistfully passed by rows and rows of cookies, candy, caramel corn, and homemade shortbread lined up at work...all out of my reach. My joke was that I could only eat a packet of sugar that was parked next to the coffee!

Reminder to self: be sure to bake dairy-free treats to have in the office while others gorge on the off-the-rack goodies coming in by the boatload. Found a dairy-free coconut macaroon at Jerry's Deli this evening, but it was a little late in coming. I'll work out a recipe and post it if I can figure out how to duplicate it.