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Showing posts from 2015

Dark Beer Lovers Must Try this Squash Beer

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You know that one thing that you keep missing, even though there are so many great GF products out there?  For those of us who love dark beer, finding a gluten-free version that satisfies our craving for that smoky, malty, liquid goodness is our personal search for the holy grail.  While I'm not saying that my search is over, I am saying that I have found a cup that looks an awful lot like that grail. Any dark beer lover would have already tried Green's Dubbel Dark Ale  knows that it's a solid choice for GF dark beer.  However, that light fruity Belgian style is just not the same thing as a lush, malty dark beer.   Ground Breaker Brewing's Dark Ale  comes a little closer to satisfying that craving.  However, this Seasonal Squash Ale is even better than the brand's Dark Ale.  Something about the squash in the recipe smooths it out and mellows the flavors. Maybe that's because of the process.  From the Ground Breaker press release : Ground Breaker

Holiday Recipe Roundup

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This is a re-post of my holiday recipe roundup from last year.  I hope you all enjoy your holidays! Gluten-free Gravy Dinner Rolls Gingerbread Cookies Traditional Stuffing Quick Bread Stuffing Butternut Squash Pie Pie Crust Turkey Soup Coq au Vin Baguettes

A Reader's Baking Success and the Questions He Asked to Get There

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I recently heard from a reader who is new to gluten-free bread baking and is really delving into it.  Eric from San Francisco had a lot of great questions for me about why I created some of my bread recipes the way I did.  He also asked me to flesh out some of the bread-making methods I use.  He had a couple of great photos he shared with me and he's been nice enough to let me show them to you! Eric: Your recipes and methods work well! I cannot believe how well. GF Bread that actually rises and that is workable, who knew?! Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge. I'm new to Celiac so this has been a really tough time. Baking calms me and your blog has really helped me accept my fate and inspires me to bake more! I have a few questions, if I may: 1. Regarding baked and uncut bread. How long would it stay "fresh" on a counter? Do I need to cut, wrap and freeze it if unused in the same day? I was hoping to store some baguettes out, uncut for a fe

Vegan Teff Sandwich Bread Recipe

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Years ago I posted the very popular Best Teff Sandwich Recipe.   That recipe uses xanthan gum and eggs, which some people can't do.  Here I have developed a recipe that's xanthan gum free, egg-free, and vegan.  Check out the Artisan Teff Bread Recipe if you'd like to use my bread flour blend . Vegan Teff Sandwich Bread Recipe Mix time: 10 minutes Rise time: 1.5-2 hours Bake time: 45-55 minutes In a medium bowl, mix together: 200g (1 1/4C) teff flour 100g (3/4 C) sorghum flour 75g (1/2 C) tapioca flour 75g (1/2 C) potato starch 24g (2 Tbsp) sugar 6g (1 tsp.) salt Set this mixture aside and in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer whisk together: 520g (2 1/3 C) warm water 30g (1/3 C) whole psyllium husk 2g (1 tsp.) yeast Set aside 50g (1/2 C) of the flour mixture and put the rest of the dry ingredients in the bowl with the wet ingredients.  Blend with a paddle or dough hook on your stand mixer, or blend with a wooden spoon, until the

Molten Mug Cakes in 30 Seconds

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Sometimes you just need a chocolate treat.  This recipe, adapted from a recipe on A Beach Cottage , was just what I was looking for: used ingredients I already had, was easy to whip up in one cup, and had single serving portions.  The molten center didn't hurt. To make it quick and easy, I have given the ingredients in volume measurements.  It mixes up really fast, then cooks even faster.  It's the perfect recipe for one or two people (full disclosure: I made one for my boyfriend, then ate both servings myself.  Then I made another one later that night.) Molten Mug Cake Recipe

Artisan Teff Bread Recipe

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One of the most popular recipes on this blog is The Best Teff Sandwich Bread Recipe .  This was one of the first bread recipes that I ever created.  I thought I'd follow that up with a recipe for a rustic, artisan loaf with teff flour using all the bread-making techniques I've learned since the beginning.  This bread is really soft and spongy.  It's a little more dense than the regular bread, but in a nice, substantial way as whole grain breads often are.  Check out the  boule bread recipe  for more tips and photos of the process. Artisan Teff Bread Recipe makes one 2-lb round loaf Mix time: 10 minutes Rise time: 2-3 hours Cook time: 35-45 minutes Mix in the bowl of your stand mixer or whisk together by hand: 520g (about 2 1/4 cups) warm water, 110-120 degrees 30g whole psyllium husk (or 20g ground psyllium husk)

I Love Book Lists!

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Did you know that Gluten-free Gourmand is a huge sci-fi fan?  I've been seeing a bunch of interesting book lists floating around the internet lately, and decided to create one of my own.  Enjoy my picks for Top 33 Science Fiction Classics!

5 Best New Gardening Tips

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These gardening ideas might not be strictly new - but they were new to me this year, and my garden is happier for them!  They save my soil, my back, and my time.  This year my garden is better than ever.  Here is what worked for me: 1. I got a  long-handled trowel .

The Earliest First Tomato of the Year!

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I try to record the first ripe tomato in my garden every year.  This year is a record - June 30th!  It's not even July yet, according to the calendar.  The thermostat on the other hand says differently.  It has been blazing hot in Portland, and it's not looking to let up any time soon. To put this recent heat wave in perspective, I'm usually craving some sun and a hot day on June 30th.  It's usually still reliably 65°f and rainy right about now.  Fourth of July weekend is the first moment a Portlander can expect to see the sun - and she really looks forward to it.

Cochinita Pibil in the Slow Cooker

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One of the things that I promised myself after returning from Hiatus 2015  was that I'd figure out how to make Cochinita Pibil.  It's kind of a regional specialty in the Yucatan and all the restaurants compete for the title of "Best Cochinita."  So I made it yesterday for the first time.  Here's the method: Chicken Pibil 1. Go to a cute Mexican store.  I chose Mercado Don Pancho on Alberta because it's like a portal to another world.  Why spend so much money on a plane ticket when you can just go to the Mercado and be instantly transported to another country?  There I purchased a small package of Achiote for

Deluxe Pastry Flour Blend

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Use this pastry flour blend for all pie crusts , pastries , and  waffles , or as an all-purpose flour. GF Pastry Flour Blend 150g white rice flour 50g sorghum flour 25g tapioca flour 25g potato starch 4g (1.5 tsp) xanthan gum Mix thoroughly. Total: 254g or a little less than 2 cups If you want a different amount of flour, you can multiply the amount or use these percentages:

Sourdough Pancakes

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When I was growing up, my dad loved cooking sourdough bread.  Every Sunday he'd make sourdough pancakes with some of the cast-off starter.  They were amazing - kind of tart, but still kid-friendly because I loved them.  My dad had gotten the sourdough recipes from some neighbors growing up in the country.  Here's the original recipe he got typed up from the List family: I had to change a few things for the gluten-free version, but they are just as light and fluffy and tangy as I remember from the old days back home.

One-Step Sourdough Bread Recipe

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I've been baking quite a bit of bread lately, and I thought it was high time to share some new bread recipes.  Almost a year ago I posted a very popular recipe for a traditional two-step, 24 hour sourdough bread .  I love that recipe, and I think that it makes a really delicious, sour bread.  However, sometimes I want my bread to come out less sour, or I just don't have the time to do the two-stage sourdough process.  This is the recipe I use for a bread that only takes one rise - then it's shaped and baked. 1-Step Sourdough Bread Recipe First mix: 10 minutes First rise: 6-12 hours Bake time: 45  minutes Whisk together until blended in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a fork:

Not-too-Slow Cinnamon Rolls with Ginger Frosting, Gluten Free

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These delicious and amazing cinnamon rolls are easily converted into a vegan recipe by subbing out the butter for coconut oil or other butter substitute of your choice.  The recipe is also easily doubled - just divide the dough into two parts before rolling out.  These are best eaten warm out of the oven, or if you want them next day you can spritz them all over with some water and re-heat them in the oven. Not-too-Slow Cinnamon Rolls Makes 4 large or up to 9 small cinnamon rolls Mix and assemble: 20 minutes Rise: 30-60 minutes Bake: 25-30 minutes In a large bowl, or the mixing bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk together:

I Took a Little Hiatus

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You may have wondered where the heck I've been for the last two months.  I certainly wasn't here, posting new recipes!  Well, after 20 years of soaking up the Portland winters in all their rainy, ice-storm glory, I finally decided to take a winter off.  It just so happened that my partner and I had breaks in our jobs at the right time, so we saved up and took off!  Here's some photos of our six weeks spent in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Mt. Hood, departure day