with an eye towards turkey pot pie for dinner tonight, i made a double batch of pie dough yesterday. for thanksgiving dessert, i filled the dough with fresh cranberries, maple syrup, dried cherries, butter and a generous glug of cherry marnier liqueur. the finished pie was served with a dollop of creme fraiche.
for a couple of years, i have been trying to remember my nana’s plain cornbread recipe, but have not quite managed to recall it completely. for the time being, i have settled on my own adaptation of ms edna lewis’ cornbread, as interpreted by chef scott peacock.
the other day, i spent more time fiddling with my pizza crust recipe, in hopes of making it easier to handle. i’m getting close, so more on that later. i stored the leftover dough in the fridge for a couple days and totally forgot about it. when i saw it languishing on the shelf, this morning, i kind of panicked.
for lunch yesterday i made mushroom ravioli with the fresh pasta dough. the filling is mushrooms sauteed in butter finished with madeira and grated parmesan cheese and topped with same and some added evoo.
after weeks of waiting, my kitchenaid pasta roller finally arrived. it’s been years since i’ve made fresh pasta and in the past i’d always rolled it and cut it by hand. in an attempt to limit my challenges on a first try with fresh gluten free pasta i tweaked the Cup4Cup recipe from gilt taste, based on my pre-gluten free preferences. since, i firmly believe that more is more, i used half & half instead of whole milk in the dough. so far, i’ve made some flat noodles, which i ate with butter and cheese for dinner and mushroom ravioli, which is shown in the next post. i am one happy camper!
using the leftover C4C pizza dough from yesterday’s pizza adventure, i made crackers sprinkled with herbes de provence and grated grana padano cheese. they come out very much like water crackers and have a nice crisp texture and are just perfect for everyday snacking or used as a base for canapés.
a couple of weeks ago, i attended martha stewart’s “american made workshop” at grand central terminal in nyc. it was a nice chance to tryout some some new craft products, see some demonstrations and bring home some cool stuff. 
but the main reason that i wanted to go, was to attend a master class in gluten free baking featuring lena kwak, r&d chef for the thomas keller restaurant group and co-founder of Cup4Cup and one of the american made honorees.
it’s cabinet organization day and as i work through the shelves, i realize that i have like 20 kinds of beans on hand and i’m not using them anywhere near often enough. the small red beans are the first up at bat. i think the borlotti beans or the good mother stallards will be next. red beans & rice seems like the perfect dish for this slightly chilly day and the cooked red beans will freeze well, for later. my preferred recipe is adapted from The Buster Holmes Restaurant Cookbook, it’s a very simple recipe: beans, water, onions, green pepper, garlic, smoked meat, salt, pepper and margarine. instead of ham hocks, i use bacon ends. i also add finely diced celery and use butter instead of margarine to finish.
Red Beans
Ingredients
1 lb. dried red beans
1/2 lb. smoked ham hocks or bacon ends
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped finely
1 rib celery, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) sweet butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Sort the beans and remove any debris (rocks, etc.). Wash the beans and place in a heavy bottomed pot. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, meat and garlic. Add enough water to the pot to cover. Simmer uncovered on a medium low heat for about three to four hours (if you use canned small red beans you can cook this in just about one hour), stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat to compensate for the amount of cooking liquid lost, add liquid if you need to. You’ll want to have enough liquid for the beans to have a nice consistency at the end of the cooking time.
When the beans are a good texture, (you can puree 1/2 of the beans and return to the pot if you like a creamier texture) add salt, pepper and butter. Cook 5 minutes more. Serve on white rice with Louisiana hot sauce
in the aftermath of the hurricane, i was feeling the need for some comfort food and waffles and bacon can always fill that hole for me. comfort on a plate with warm grade b maple syrup poured over the top.
nirvana!
Waffles
Ingredients
2 large eggs
2 cups Cup4Cup gluten free flour
1 3/4 cups milk (I have been known to use half & half)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon raw or white granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
it’s a dull dark lazy rainy afternoon and boredom sent me looking for adventure in the kitchen. what do i spy, but a can of dried egg whites. angel food cake, that’s the ticket. i’ve tried baking with the dried egg whites before but still haven’t settled on the best method of reconstitution before whipping. today i dissolved them in warm water and let the whole mess sit for while before stir them up. while i waited for the egg whites to soak, i measured up my flour, superfine sugar, salt, almond extract and cream of tartar. the egg whites whipped up nicely into stiff peaks in the kitchenaid, but it is harder to gauge when they are in danger of getting grainy. the cake’s all done but i forgot to make a topping. looks like a nice chocolate cherry marnier sauce and homemade chocolate chocolate chip ice cream will fit the bill nicely.
Traditional Angel Food Cake
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
128g (1cup/4.25 ounces) Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour blend
300g (1 1/2 cups/10.5 ounces) superfine sugar
12 (approx. 1 ½ cups) large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, or a combination
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Method
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, salt and extract. Beat until the mixture is just frothy, then sprinkle the cream of tartar on top and continue beating until they form stiff, glossy peaks. Add the remaining sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, then gradually fold in the dry ingredients.
Spoon the batter into an ungreased angel food pan, and bake the cake in a preheated 325°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove the cake from the oven, and place it upside down on a bottle or metal funnel to keep from crushing the top. Let the cake cool for 1 1/2 hours. This cooling period sets the structure, and keeps the cake from collapsing.
Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife, and remove it from the pan. Frost with Seven Minute Frosting, flavored whipped cream, or chocolate sauce.
kiss my gluten free buns 