I lived in the same house until I was 13 years old, and when we moved out it was an ordeal. Mom organized the troops, made rules, and gave everyone a job. All the furniture went into place on the main floor, and the miscellaneous boxes went to the basement, lined up in rows. Any time one of us went 'down below' we were not to come back empty-handed. She followed her own rule, and late that evening she climbed the basement stairs with various kitchen items and put them away in preparation for making us a good stick-to-your-ribs breakfast the next morning.
There was a good reason for the hearty breakfast. We had moved into the house my sister and her husband vacated and their belongings were loaded on a truck, waiting for us to accompany them to their new town and help offload and unpack. We would need the strength and longevity of a good meal.
Mom whipped up a batch of oat flour pancakes. Oatmeal is life-giving to the Scots, and her roots would allow her to eat nothing else on such an important day. We found the maple syrup and even fried up a little Canadian bacon for extra protein.
Normally, the first few pancakes are testers: too oily, too brown because the pan got too hot, or not quite cooked through ... you know how it takes one batch to get it right. Well, her first batch were beautiful! My brother Dave couldn't wait to dig in, and he downed them in a few minutes.
Dave mentioned that she might want to wipe out the electric skillet -- the pancakes were a little gritty. I could hear the sizzle of the next batch as she poured them into the pan and my mouth started watering. Dave might get the first pancakes, but we would be sharing the next ones to come to the table. The butter and syrup mingled perfectly, coating the golden cakes, and my first bite was delicious -- mostly because I expected it to be. With the next bite I realized the flavor was off, sort of chalky, and there was definitely a gritty texture reminiscent of eating sand. By this time Dave had noticed it too, and was beginning to look a little pale.
At that moment Mom realized she was not smelling that wonderful aroma of oats and wheat toasting as the pancakes cooked. What could be the problem? The skillet was clean, the baking soda, eggs, and milk were fresh, and the flour was ... the flour ... was ... not ... flour. Her shoulders started to shake as laughter took over. It was all she could do to choke out "Not flour. Plaster of Paris." We heard her laughter all the way down the hall as we raced to the bathroom.
She had followed her own rules the night before, as she hauled ingredients up from the basement. Only problem was, in her fatigue, she dumped a bag full of Plaster of Paris powder into the flour canister!
Throughout the day she would suddenly begin to laugh, then come up with a comment about unintentionally making us a real stick-to-your-ribs breakfast.
Yesterday I wanted to do the same for the Hawk and I, since we had an all-day fence-building job to finish. I pulled out my Maple Oat Scone recipe and got started, then realized we were out of maple syrup. What to do... We ended up with Bear Claw Almond Scones, made delicious and delicate with Jule's All Purpose Nearly Normal Gluten Free flour. www.nearlynormalkitchen.com
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
French Bread Cravings
In my calorie economy, even the most savory garlic bread isn't worth eating unless you start with a good baguette or French loaf. Likewise, some meals just aren't the same without a piece of crusty French bread to soak up the sauce. How many soup or stew recipes say "Serve with a tossed salad and a loaf of rustic bread for a simple meal."
If only it were that simple.
The following recipe has been my "go-to" since I discovered Carol Fenster's sorghum blend. I replaced some of the potato starch with Expandex Modified Tapioca Starch and found the shelf life and texture improved. (Expandex can be used to replace up to 40% of the main ingredient. To find out more about this amazing product, go to http://expandexglutenfree.com/consumers.)
I'm planning to experiment with using Jules' Nearly Normal All-Purpose Flour in this recipe, so watch for those results. In the meantime, here is the sorghum blend formula and the recipe.
Carol's Sorghum Blend
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour (35%)
1 1/2 cups potato starch/cornstarch (35%)
1 cup tapioca flour (30%)
Whisk the ingredients together until well blended. Store, tightly covered, in a dark dry place. You may refrigerate or freeze the blend, but bring to room temperature before using. Makes 4 cups. The recipe may be doubled or tripled.
French Yeast Bread
Makes 20 Servings
A crispy crust makes this loaf bread a delight to eat. It makes fantastic bruschette and crostini. Bake it in the 2-loaf French bread pan for regular French bread, or in the 3-loaf French baguette pan for baguettes (see below). Notice that the bread starts baking in a cold oven, an unusual but very effective method for this type of bread because it produces a crisper crust and airier texture.
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp sugar, divided
1 cup + 2 Tbsp warm (110*F) water
3 large egg whites (or 1/2 cup), at room temperature
2 cups potato starch (starch -- not flour)
1 cup Carol's Sorghum Blend Flour Mix (see below)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp guar gum
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter or buttery spread, such as Earth Balance, at room temperature, or canola oil
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp egg white whisked with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
1 tsp sesame seeds
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside to foam 5 minutes. (I heat the water in the microwave and check the temp with a candy thermometer to be sure it's warm enough.)
2. Grease French bread pan or line with parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine egg whites, potato starch, sorghum blend, xanthan gun, guar gun, salt, butter, and vinegar plus the remaining sugar and yeast-water mixture. Beat on low speed to blend. Beat on medium speed 30 seconds, stirring down sides with spatula. Dough will be soft.
4. Divide dough in half on prepared pan. Shape each half into a 10" log with a wet spatula, taking care to make each loaf the same length and equal thickness, with blunt rather than tapered ends. Brush with egg wash for glossier crust. With a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes (1/8" deep) in each loaf so steam can escape during baking. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Place immediately on middle rack in a cold oven. Set the oven to 425*F and bake approximately 30 to 35 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cover loaves with foil after 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning.
6. Remove bread from pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing with electric knife or serrated knife. Make 2 loaves.
French Baguettes: Make the dough as directed above, shaping dough into 3 loaves. Use a French baguette pan with 3 rather than 2 indentations. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 3 loaves.
From "1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes" by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.
If only it were that simple.
The following recipe has been my "go-to" since I discovered Carol Fenster's sorghum blend. I replaced some of the potato starch with Expandex Modified Tapioca Starch and found the shelf life and texture improved. (Expandex can be used to replace up to 40% of the main ingredient. To find out more about this amazing product, go to http://expandexglutenfree.com/consumers.)
I'm planning to experiment with using Jules' Nearly Normal All-Purpose Flour in this recipe, so watch for those results. In the meantime, here is the sorghum blend formula and the recipe.
Carol's Sorghum Blend
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour (35%)
1 1/2 cups potato starch/cornstarch (35%)
1 cup tapioca flour (30%)
Whisk the ingredients together until well blended. Store, tightly covered, in a dark dry place. You may refrigerate or freeze the blend, but bring to room temperature before using. Makes 4 cups. The recipe may be doubled or tripled.
French Yeast Bread
Makes 20 Servings
A crispy crust makes this loaf bread a delight to eat. It makes fantastic bruschette and crostini. Bake it in the 2-loaf French bread pan for regular French bread, or in the 3-loaf French baguette pan for baguettes (see below). Notice that the bread starts baking in a cold oven, an unusual but very effective method for this type of bread because it produces a crisper crust and airier texture.
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp sugar, divided
1 cup + 2 Tbsp warm (110*F) water
3 large egg whites (or 1/2 cup), at room temperature
2 cups potato starch (starch -- not flour)
1 cup Carol's Sorghum Blend Flour Mix (see below)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp guar gum
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter or buttery spread, such as Earth Balance, at room temperature, or canola oil
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp egg white whisked with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
1 tsp sesame seeds
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside to foam 5 minutes. (I heat the water in the microwave and check the temp with a candy thermometer to be sure it's warm enough.)
2. Grease French bread pan or line with parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine egg whites, potato starch, sorghum blend, xanthan gun, guar gun, salt, butter, and vinegar plus the remaining sugar and yeast-water mixture. Beat on low speed to blend. Beat on medium speed 30 seconds, stirring down sides with spatula. Dough will be soft.
4. Divide dough in half on prepared pan. Shape each half into a 10" log with a wet spatula, taking care to make each loaf the same length and equal thickness, with blunt rather than tapered ends. Brush with egg wash for glossier crust. With a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes (1/8" deep) in each loaf so steam can escape during baking. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Place immediately on middle rack in a cold oven. Set the oven to 425*F and bake approximately 30 to 35 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cover loaves with foil after 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning.
6. Remove bread from pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing with electric knife or serrated knife. Make 2 loaves.
French Baguettes: Make the dough as directed above, shaping dough into 3 loaves. Use a French baguette pan with 3 rather than 2 indentations. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 3 loaves.
From "1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes" by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The New Flour Adventure
Only those with food restricted diets would understand what a victory it is to find a flour mix that works for virtually everything, in new gluten-free recipes and in the old standbys. I think I've found such a flour.
Eating gluten-free means avoiding wheat in all its forms -- bread, thickening agents like "modified food starch," flavor enhancers like malt, even something called "hydrolyzed yeast extract." No rye or barley either. It's tricky, and the consequences of missing something in the list of ingredients and ingesting the wrong thing can mean days to weeks of pain and discomfort. It's just not worth it; but for most of the last ten years, gluten free also meant unappetizing.
In the last few years I have tried different combinations of flour in an effort to prepare food that people want to eat whether they are living gluten free or not. It's been an uphill battle, not without a few disasters, but there is finally news of an end to the war with flour. Someday I'll write about some of my own discoveries, but today I want to tell you about Jules Shephard and her little bag of flour.
A couple of weeks ago some friends and I attended a cooking demonstration at Savory Moment (chef prepared meals to go) in Redmond. The Seattle area is a mecca for foodies -- healthy food everywhere you look. The visiting cook was Jules Shephard and she was featuring her all-purpose flour mix. It was interesting to hear questions from other women, to talk about techniques and substitutions for eggs, dairy and sugar, and I was hopeful about the flour but still skeptical. I've tried many things that were touted as deliciously gluten-free; they were gluten-free, but that's all.
As we found our places, the enticing aroma of baking bread wafted through the warehouse / kitchen, stirring mixed feelings. There's nothing wrong with hoping the next slice of gluten free bread you try will actually taste like bread, but most of use have learned not to expect too much. Jules began mixing up scones, then cornbread, then biscuits...it was almost too much to expect it all to taste good. In the background her husband/assistant pulled bread from the convection oven, then cut thick, warm slices to pass around. The aroma delivered on it's promise -- the bread was amazing!
As Jules finished preparing each item it went into the oven and soon there was more food to taste. Our next sample was scones and they were ... well, they were awful. In the excitement of the day, the person who set out the ingredients for the five recipes Jules demonstrated confused the salt with the sugar. Talk about a classic mix up! And the biscuits! We didn't even taste them. Jules recommends using course salt in biscuits for texture and a bit of salty surprise. Unfortunately, she then added even more salt when she put in the "sugar," giving the biscuits more of a surprise than anticipated. Some day it will make a funny story, (maybe even today), that day ... that day it was confusing, then embarrassing as the discovery was made.
Once we got past the taste we realized we were looking at perfect scones, bread, and biscuits like no gluten free food we had ever seen before!! The texture was airy, moist but not gummy, with a crisp crust just as if she had used wheat flour. As long as the results didn't depend on the use of extra salt, we had a winner. I couldn't wait to get home and try recipes from the complimentary cookbook, using the flour that was included in the cost of admission.
Since then, thanks to "All Purpose Flour from the Nearly Normal Kitchen," we've had scones that remind me of my little Scottish Grandma's tea time, Flax Seed Banana Coconut Oatcakes to power up the morning, and breaded catfish to rival that served in Oklahoma and Texas. (I had to eat all the catfish because husband Hawk likes fish, but says catfish don't fall into a definable category. Not-a-cat, not-a-fish, not going in his mouth.)
Today my satisfaction with this flour mix became complete when I tackled the one thing I haven't been able to make with other flour combinations -- flour tortillas. Even delicious gluten free bread doesn't stand up well to sandwich contents, so I eat quesadillas instead -- and often. The brown rice tortillas available at the market make a passable quesadilla, but they don't have that delicate crunch factor that a wheat flour tortilla makes possible.
I tried three different variations on the recipe to see what turned out best. As a result, my kitchen is covered with flour and even the dogs have a light dusting on their ears ... but every batch is not only edible, but delicious! Guess what's in the bags that fall out when you open my freezer? We're going to have a quesadilla party!
Check out www.nearlynormalkitchen.com to find out more about this wonderful flour product. Tell Jules that Joyce sent you.
Eating gluten-free means avoiding wheat in all its forms -- bread, thickening agents like "modified food starch," flavor enhancers like malt, even something called "hydrolyzed yeast extract." No rye or barley either. It's tricky, and the consequences of missing something in the list of ingredients and ingesting the wrong thing can mean days to weeks of pain and discomfort. It's just not worth it; but for most of the last ten years, gluten free also meant unappetizing.
In the last few years I have tried different combinations of flour in an effort to prepare food that people want to eat whether they are living gluten free or not. It's been an uphill battle, not without a few disasters, but there is finally news of an end to the war with flour. Someday I'll write about some of my own discoveries, but today I want to tell you about Jules Shephard and her little bag of flour.
A couple of weeks ago some friends and I attended a cooking demonstration at Savory Moment (chef prepared meals to go) in Redmond. The Seattle area is a mecca for foodies -- healthy food everywhere you look. The visiting cook was Jules Shephard and she was featuring her all-purpose flour mix. It was interesting to hear questions from other women, to talk about techniques and substitutions for eggs, dairy and sugar, and I was hopeful about the flour but still skeptical. I've tried many things that were touted as deliciously gluten-free; they were gluten-free, but that's all.
As we found our places, the enticing aroma of baking bread wafted through the warehouse / kitchen, stirring mixed feelings. There's nothing wrong with hoping the next slice of gluten free bread you try will actually taste like bread, but most of use have learned not to expect too much. Jules began mixing up scones, then cornbread, then biscuits...it was almost too much to expect it all to taste good. In the background her husband/assistant pulled bread from the convection oven, then cut thick, warm slices to pass around. The aroma delivered on it's promise -- the bread was amazing!
As Jules finished preparing each item it went into the oven and soon there was more food to taste. Our next sample was scones and they were ... well, they were awful. In the excitement of the day, the person who set out the ingredients for the five recipes Jules demonstrated confused the salt with the sugar. Talk about a classic mix up! And the biscuits! We didn't even taste them. Jules recommends using course salt in biscuits for texture and a bit of salty surprise. Unfortunately, she then added even more salt when she put in the "sugar," giving the biscuits more of a surprise than anticipated. Some day it will make a funny story, (maybe even today), that day ... that day it was confusing, then embarrassing as the discovery was made.
Once we got past the taste we realized we were looking at perfect scones, bread, and biscuits like no gluten free food we had ever seen before!! The texture was airy, moist but not gummy, with a crisp crust just as if she had used wheat flour. As long as the results didn't depend on the use of extra salt, we had a winner. I couldn't wait to get home and try recipes from the complimentary cookbook, using the flour that was included in the cost of admission.
Since then, thanks to "All Purpose Flour from the Nearly Normal Kitchen," we've had scones that remind me of my little Scottish Grandma's tea time, Flax Seed Banana Coconut Oatcakes to power up the morning, and breaded catfish to rival that served in Oklahoma and Texas. (I had to eat all the catfish because husband Hawk likes fish, but says catfish don't fall into a definable category. Not-a-cat, not-a-fish, not going in his mouth.)
Today my satisfaction with this flour mix became complete when I tackled the one thing I haven't been able to make with other flour combinations -- flour tortillas. Even delicious gluten free bread doesn't stand up well to sandwich contents, so I eat quesadillas instead -- and often. The brown rice tortillas available at the market make a passable quesadilla, but they don't have that delicate crunch factor that a wheat flour tortilla makes possible.
I tried three different variations on the recipe to see what turned out best. As a result, my kitchen is covered with flour and even the dogs have a light dusting on their ears ... but every batch is not only edible, but delicious! Guess what's in the bags that fall out when you open my freezer? We're going to have a quesadilla party!
Check out www.nearlynormalkitchen.com to find out more about this wonderful flour product. Tell Jules that Joyce sent you.
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