Top Tips

If you were diagnosed with celiac disease, a gluten allergy or gluten intolerance six or more years ago, you may have thought pasta was off your plate for good. Now, there are all kinds of dried and refrigerated gluten free pasta varieties at the grocery. They are made from corn or rice or quinoa or black beans, and many of them are quite good. I always have a box on hand for those "Ran late, need dinner now" emergencies. In fact, it is considered a basic staple in my well-stocked gluten free pantry post.

You may be asking yourself, "What is gluten free flour made of?" And the answer is, "It depends on which one you buy." There are now more gluten free all-purpose flour blends than ever. In addition, many single ingredient gluten free flours/starches such as teff, tapioca, garbanzo, coconut, and banana have emerged in the market. In some ways, it can all be too much. How do you choose which is the best gluten free flour? And more importantly, how do you use them in your recipes?

Every time I buy chicken, I am amazed at the number of steps taken to remove ourselves from the actual product. The parts and pieces are skinless, boneless, wrapped in layers upon layers of packaging and look nothing like the animal they came from. We do this under the guise of convenience, efficiency and healthfulness. We willingly pay more for less and we should stop.

You have your recipe. You are ready to separate, whip, fold, create. Here are a few tips to ensure your egg white whipping gets off on the right foot.

For me, a well-stocked, gluten free kitchen means being able whip up a snack, treat or dinner without having to run to the grocery every time I want to cook. That is a momentum killer, the grocery, I mean. I get all excited to make something new and then realize I have to go shopping first. By keeping a good assortment of staples on hand, I am more able to have fun in the kitchen and cook things when I am inspired. Of course, this chart does not include the obvious meats, fish, poultry and veggies that are often the backbone of meals. 

Why do I love soup? Let me count the ways:

Bottled salad dressings can be convenient, but they are expensive and often full of sugar, weird chemical additives and may not be gluten free. The dressing never seems to cling to the greens the way I want, and because they are not "seasoned" my way, I end up using far more than I might otherwise need. The solution, I make my own!

A few years ago, macarons were the next big thing. I ask you, how is something that has been around for over 150 years the next big thing? At this point, aren't they the tried and true - a classic not a fad? Yet from that craze, the beloved macaron has become something more. People approach the topic of macarons and macaron-making with a reverence, mythology, fervor and zeal almost exclusively seen in cults.

We recently attended the Italco Food Show in Vail and got to interact with a large variety of chefs, business owners and salespeople. Invariably, these customers had questions, lots of questions. Kathy and I relish the chance to answer questions face to face because of the dialog, interaction and understanding that ensues. However, that is not always possible and sometimes you just need a quick refresher. So here goes - the top 6 questions from food service folks heard at the food show.

Ravioli is my kind of food. Playful, utilitarian, delicious......The key to great homemade gluten free ravioli is the dough! No wait, the filling! Lemme think, the sauce! No, that's not quite right. It is the proportion between all three! Truly, balance is key here. If the dough is rolled too thickly, then when it get sandwiched together it overwhelms the filling. If you put too much filling in, you ain't never going get that sucker to seal. If it doesn't come apart right then and there, it certainly will fall apart will when you boil it.