Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Salad

A little new business. You might've noticed this site has been through a little revamping. The layout has literally had a 180 degree swap, making it more readable and there's even a search bar to make ingredient / recipe / eatery inquires that much easier for you.

Course, that's not the exciting part. Okay, it's one of the exciting parts, but it's not the most exciting part. You see, I get lots of emails from people asking me where they can eat when they visit Cleveland. Which is very cool by me (thanks people!), and I always do my best to toss out some new ideas (or give them directions to one of those cross country, gluten-free friendly chains) in addition to sending them a direct link to the restaurant label on the this site. Admittedly, I feel a little silly doing this, but as my best source, most consolidated form of information, it's the most helpful...right? That plus the fact that sometime life intercedes and I miss responding to some of the nice people who want to know where to get a bite to eat made me realize this site was in need of a bit of an overhaul to be even more of a user friendly resource.

Ta da! The "Essential Gluten Free In Cleveland" was born (ie, that nifty list of links on your left). Hope this helps streamline things, folks, though don't think this is closing the door on emails, I'm still just a mouse click away.

Anyway, back to the food....

I know there's been a lot of talk of baking 'round here, but I eat actual food, really I do. Vegetable filled, good for you, savory dishes. In fact, in some circles, I'm known for 'em. ....And by circles, I mean anyone whose showed up to the same holiday pot luck I have, wrinkled their nose at my surprisingly unattractive dish, only to ask for the recipe by the time I catch them scraping the remnants from the emptied bowl.

With the perfect blend of lemony acidic tang, sharp garlic, and smooth olive oil complementing beautiful summer veggies, this roasted vegetable and chickpea salad is a crowd pleaser - even if those crowds include people who don't particularly love vegetables or chickpeas.

I came across it two Christmases ago - apparently trying to make the most Sephardic Jewish dish I could possibly bring to a decidedly non-Jewish occasion - while flipping through my favorite cookbook, the now out of print Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook. While, sadly, this book evaporated somewhere between post college pack up and moving back to Cleveland, this recipe, at least survived the move. Good thing, too, because from Christmases, Passovers, and Fourth of July barbecues, this recipe has served me in serving up a yummy dish. (There are used version of the book available on Amazon, and buying one is always on the bottom on my to do list. ...Though I suppose singing the virtues of this book and directing you all where to get it ought to inspire me to get my copy while I can....)

Because it yields so very much food, it really is a perfect bring-it-to-a-party dish. This salad is so good, you certainly don't need a special occasion to make it. Plus, it keeps in the fridge for a good three days. Besides, with it finally just now getting warm this summer, who couldn't use another amazing summer salad in their repertoire?

Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Salad

From The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook

1 lb butternut squash cubed
2 red pepper, halved

4 slender eggplant cut in half, lengthwise
4 zucchini cut in half, lengthwise
4 onions, quartered
1 Tablespoon olive oil (for brushing)

2 10 oz cans of chickpeas
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley, divided
1/3rd cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice, more or less as desired
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a baking tray with baking spray and arrange the vegetables evenly over the surface. Brush evenly with olive oil and bake for 40 minutes or until they are tender.
Brush baking tray w/ oil and arrange vegetables brushed with oil evenly. Bake 40min or until Remove from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/3rd cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and half of the parsley. Set dressing aside.

Remove the skin of the peppers and chop; chop remaining vegetables into bite-sized chunks. Mix into the chickpeas, toss with dressing, and let sit for 30 minutes. (This is actually super important, do not skimp on the time!) If bland, season to taste with an additional tablespoon of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper; the acidic zing will quickly spark your salad, honest. Sprinkle remaining parsley over the top before serving.

Eat as is, or enjoy over toast. (I prefer Whole Foods Gluten Free Bake House's Prairie Bread, how 'bout you?)

Tales of Gluten Free In Cleveland Greatness, # 1

If you haven't heard - and hey, maybe you haven't because you're living under a rock or are a gluten-free blog lovin' shut in who wears giant soundproof headphones 24/7,  after all, readers get the benefit of the doubt around here - Cleveland is 2 games away from being thrust on the national stage. That is if our winning streak, MVP, and one man basketball magician hasn't already helped us sail through the air landing safely there, already. 

While Cleveland hasn't had any kind of national sports championship since 1964 (The Browns, and before that the only other one was The Indians in 1948), anyone who's come within 30 miles of the greater Cleveland area on game day (any sport, any game, even T-ball) knows that Cleveland sports fans are such rabid fans of their teams, and so very ravenous for a win ....and yet so very complacent with their losses.  We shrug, we get drunk  anyway, we go to work grumbling about Chicago, New York, Dallas, and how nice it would be to live in a city with a valid sports team (but backing up our statements with a host of reasons why we would never, could never, don't want to move there). The whole love / apathy involving sports around here is so curious it even sparked a 1994 movie, Major League, with Charlie Sheen.  But you already knew that, didn't you sports fan?

And yet, with Lebron bringing his city center stage, I think we'd all agree it's better to step up and meet the national spotlight, lest it shine on things we'd rather hide (the fact that we're actually moving the Inner Belt bridge 4 to 5 inches, anyone?), and with that in mind, let's use this opportunity to highlight some of the great gluten-free goings on right here in Cleveland, Ohio. 

A few months ago, a nice bride-to-be, Tonia, emailed me in hopes that I'd know someone who could make her a gluten-free wedding cake. More than ready to go the nontraditional route, Tonia had already decided to hedge her bets and go for a GF wedding cheesecake, figuring a suitable crust would be easier to prepare, rather than altering a whole towering cake. She signed on with a baker, went about attending to other pre-wedding details, and was utterly dismayed when her baker pulled out just a little over 3 months before the weddings, saying she just wasn't comfortable assuming the risk. 

Tonia and I brainstormed - tossing out ideas like contacting Kathy of Kathy's Creations for a small bride & groom's cake, perhaps trying an online bakery one, like A Bountiful Harvest, or working with her bridal party to create a GF cupcake tower instead of one massive cake - but in the end, I think the girl had her heart set on cheesecake. And who wouldn't? Though it maybe nontraditional, it's creamy, dreamy texture, luxurious flavor, and beautiful off white hue certainly says elegant wedding to me.  Lucky for her, a great cake was in reach, thanks to Lydia of Celene's Cuisine, to make the cake of her dreams a reality. Tonia says: 

"Lydia blew me away when she told me she bought new baking pans, utensils, a new mixer, and she is even planning to have her stove professionally cleaned, all to make sure there is no chance of cross-contamination. She's new to the GF world of baking, but her aunt has many food allergies so she's aware of how difficult it can be. The sample cheesecake she created for me was amazing! It is everything I told her I wanted - down to the hint of lemon and the almond crust!" 

So congratulations to you Tonia, on your wedding, on your great GF find, and on your determination to make sure celiac disease doesn't stand in your way, not now, not ever! Lydia bakes out of her home, conveniently centrally located for Eastsiders and Westsiders alike in Cleveland, by CSU.  You can contact Lydia, and drool over her beautiful cakes, through her lovely Celene's Cuisine website. 

Though some erroneous information led me to report this same news in October (oops!), May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. While it's nice to be recognized, let's not forget that for those of us who live the gluten-free life day in and day out, every day is a chance to spread some awareness and some gluten-free goodness. As Tonia's story proves, a little GF persistence pays off, and even more importantly, there are members of the gluten-eating population perfectly ready, willing and able to help us out - we just have to find them (or help them find themselves). 

If you've made it this far and a bit miffed to discover this post is recipe-less, worry not! Just in time for Celiac Awareness Month, an article I wrote on Celiac Disease was featured on the cover of the Cleveland Jewish News' health section in early May. (Page 2 here.) Along with general facts and figures, the article also features a recipe for gluten-free mandelbrot adapted from one of my favorite Jewish cookbooks. Mandel bread, Jewish biscotti like cookies, are a perfect not too heavy, not too sweet, crunchy summertime treat. Grad a glass of milk (or Manishevitz if that's more your speed) and check 'em out.  

Matzo Brei

This is the bread of affliction...

For anyone with celiac disease, that phrase is somewhat redundant. When gluten causes an autoimmune reaction in your tummy, all bread is the bread of affliction. Pain, discomfort, misery, all these words go hand and hand with bread, gluten's favorite hide out. 

And yet, Jewish homes across the world, we annually lift up a piece of matzo from the table and brazenly name it the bread of affliction. Meshugana. 

Okay, sure, there's loads and loads of history, tradition, and midrash behind matzo being the bread of affliction, but I have to tell you, being gluten-free, one of the foods I truly do miss is matzo brei (or fried matzo, for the Yiddish challenged among you). Nutritiously vapid, completely heart unhealthy, childhood favorite. I love matzo brei. And who doesn't? It's fried. It's salty. It's crunchy. It's delicious. 

Matzo itself I miss, sure, but when I came upon Barkat's Matzo Crackers at the Raisin Rack my brain (and salivary glands) went straight to matzo brei. But would these little crackers stand up to the test? 

Yes and yes. While not quite as crunchy as I remember - something I blame more on my rusty fried matzo cooking and my reservations to use as much butter as my father did when he cooked this for us on Passover mornings - this matzo brei really, really hit the spot. 

Barkat's Matzo Crackers aren't kosher for passover, but if you want to make matzo brei for your family you can follow Carol Fenster's recipe for homemade matzo as posted by Gluten Free Steve or buy some gluten-free oat mazto from the Shemura Oat Matzo website or at Unger's Kosher Bakery on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. 

Bread of affliction? Feh! Surprisingly delicious crispy, fried goodness? Well, now you're on to something...

(If you're pre-planning your gluten-free passover, make sure you check out Manischewitz's Gluten Free Product List - how cool is that??!) 

Completely Unhealthy, Amazingly Delicious Matzo Brei

9 - 12 Barkat Matzo crackers, broken in half

1 egg

2 - 3 Tablespoons of butter

salt to taste

Soak matzo crackers in a hot water bath for 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, beat an egg in a separate bowl. Drain the matzo, pressing it down, squeezing as much moisture from the

crackers as possible. Mix the egg into the matzo until thoroughly combined and coated. 

In a medium pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once it's melted, spread the matzo mixture evenly and thinly in the pan. Sprinkle the top with salt. Let cook until it browns (about 3 -4 minutes) and flip the matzo cake, either as one large slab (nearly impossible) or by breaking it into smaller, more manageable pieces. Break the matzo into desired amount of pieces, as the other side cooks, becoming brown and crispy, and salt again. 

Serve with fruit and yogurt to assuage some of the fried fruit guilt and enjoy. 

Gluten Free Goodies from the Raisin Rack - Ravioli, Sub Buns, and Challah

Even though I'm a happily happy gluten-free girl, there are a few gluteneous items that I really do miss. I like to think of these as holy grail gluten-free items, things that exist as lovely dinner fantasies in my mind, but I doubt really exist. 

Well, until now. Thanks to the Raisin Rack and their insanely fantastic array of products, I recently had some of those foods I've spent so very many years missing. And if this is a dream, I don't wanna wake up. 

Conte's Cheese Ravioli 

Growing up, I remember my mom taking us to museums, enrolling us in music lessons, and making sure we knew basics of environmentalism and sustainability. With that busy of a day (plus her day job), cooking generally went by the wayside. But for a non-food allergy family like ours, easy dinners were never hard to come by. One of her favorite last-minute dinner standbys was frozen peas and frozen ravioli. There's something about that insanely easy freezer dinner that always said home to me. 

But ravioli are one of those too hard too make, too unlikely to find gluten-free goods, the kind you just kind of have to give up on in favor of a healthy, happy digestive system. But oh ravioli...

All nostalgia aside, who doesn't love ravioli? Those puffy cheese filled clouds float along beautifully in a hearty tomato sauce, sure, but I'll always prefer them aside a nice crunchy pea. However you like to dress up (or down) your ravioli, know that Conte's Gluten Free Pasta comes as close to gluten-free perfection as rice and potato flour can muster. Perfect texture, perfect chewy tenderness, perfect everything. 

Conte's makes all sorts of amazing pasta shapes -fusilli, spaghetti, elbows - and various stuffed pastas - raviolis, stuffed shells, and even pierogies. 

Kathy's Creations Sub Buns

I have yet to actually get myself out to Kathy's Creations bakery, but this sub bun might just convince me to make that hour plus drive. They look like bread. They feel like bread. And oh my goodness, they taste like bread. Not just bread - fresh bread. These buns don't have to be toasted to taste amazing, just ripping into one straight from the package was pure bread perfection. 

Allow me to repeat myself: without being toasted, this bread tastes just like bread. 

I can't tell you the last time I had a sub sandwich and the truth is, it probably wasn't all that memorable. But this one - piled high juicy, tender with oven roasted eggplant and sweet peppers, sprinkled with roasted garlic, smeared with cream cheese, and topped with ripped parsley - this is a sandwich I won't soon be forgetting. Served up with a side of grapes and a banana, this healthy, hearty alternative to anything Subway or Quizno's could mass produce and send down the line in crinkly paper wrapping. 

Kosher Naturals' Challah Muffin

I always assumed taste memory was like bike riding memory. Once you ate something, once it became a part of your sense memory, you couldn't possibly forget the way it tasted, right? Well, not right, as I found upon trying to explain the superiority of challah to all other breads to my gluten eating, non-Jewish boyfriend. While I knew in my heart that there is truly nothing like a chunk of it ripped straight from the round or a thick slice of it battered in egg washed and grilled to french toast greatness, the ability to explain just why this is so eluded me. It had been that long since my last challah crumb. 

Like the food itself, I thought the memory of challah was lost to me. 

But funny thing about sense memory, it doesn't go away, it just hides really, really well.  While my eyes didn't quite believe that puffy little ball of dough would taste anything like the bread passed out on Saturday mornings at Hebrew School, it took only one bite of Kosher Naturals' Challah Muffin for me to be absolutely sure this is challah. Moist, thick, slightly sweetened by brown sugar or honey, this was challah. And thank goodness they come 4 to a box - 3 for me and 1 to share. Well...maybe. 

Checking out their website, I discovered Kosher Naturals offers their muffins in 4 flavors - original and toasted onion  (both of which are kosher), as well as blueberry and chocolate chip. Chocolate chip challah? Yum.

Admit it, there are times you kind of love being gluten-free. Times when you eat a great meal and don't have a stomach ache. Times when people marvel at your dedication to your life and your health. Times when you discover some of your favorite foods really might be in reach and that having celiac doesn't really bar you from social or traditional activities. Thanks to great products like these, you can live those times breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  

Gluten Free PSA #9 - Raisin Rack: If You Haven't Been, GO

New York City was recently named the most gluten-free friendly city in the country. I admit, such a declaration left me a little heartbroken. 

I miss New York. I miss every person, every cab, every jewelry stand. I miss the 200 year old buildings and the great glass structures that sweep up to the sky. I miss the museums, the bridges, and the food. Dear god, I miss the food. Among its amazing gluten-filled establishments, NYC is home to S'mac, Slice, and the Rissottoria - just a few of the many restaurants that aren't just GF friendly, but GF focused. Even if the City weren't home to the Columbia Celiac Disease Center, New York would still top the list of ultimate places to lead your gluten-free life. 

That said, I wonder if those who bestowed such an honor on New York have ever been to Canton, Ohio. 

With it's quaint, country architecture and it's throngs of local businesses referencing the steel and rubber industries that once thrived in this part of the country, Canton is very much your typical town in the heartland. Flat and family oriented, it's is one of those places that are postcard perfect examples of Ohio - for further proof, look only to the fact that Canton is the home of The Football Hall of Fame. And while it may not have prada knock offs or punk rock roots, Canton, Ohio happens to have something New York City does not: gluten free heaven...otherwise known as The Raisin Rack. 

Sure it may look like any other health food specialty store, but as the shelves and shelves of vitamins and other familiar organic products give way to the designated gluten-free section, something absolutely magical happens, and you realize you're standing in the shadow of gluten-free greatness. Home to 3,500 gluten-free products, the Raisin Rack really is the place for gluten-free shopping. Need further proof? Ohioans don't just love the Raisin Rack, in fact, this gluten-free oasis regularly gets consumership from Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and even California! Take that, New York. 

But what really makes - and keeps - this place special is a lovely lady named Denise. A nurse diagnosed with Celiac Disease roughly eight years ago, Denise doesn't just work at the Raisin

Rack, she doesn't just order, personally test and approve all of the products sold, or keep a watchful eye on what sells and what doesn't (if it doesn't sell well in 3 months, the product is tossed, to make room for something better suited to the celiac communities' tastes and taste buds), she also regularly holds office hours at the store Monday thru Friday, personally counseling the newly diagnosed on their celiac lifestyle and helping them with their first (of many, I'm sure) gluten free shopping trips at the Raisin Rack. 

Denise came to meet me armed with a packet celiac disease information ranging from a basic blue print of the condition and it's statistics in the general population to coupons for the store, to a free copy of a new, beautiful gluten free magazine called Delight. Did I mention that Denise is also the founder of the Canton-Alliance Celiac Support Group (they meet the first Saturday of the month)? Unlike the ones in the Cleveland/Akron area,  Denise's group is

associated with the Gluten Intolerance Group, which is a great organization I happened to be somewhatfamiliar with, as they did a lot of the work in organizing such fantastic gluten-free information in New York City. 

While it may not have The Met, Central Park, or CBGBs, Canton, Ohio may just be on it's way to becoming a destination onto itself. (For those culture starved celiacs looking for a little art to go along with the gluten free NY style bagels or angel food cake the Raisin Rack offers, be sure to check out the Canton Cultural Center for the Arts and its ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING exhibit of Itchiku Kubota's Kimono's as Art. It's breath taking, really.) 

If weren't enough, let's not forget all of the celiac friendly events the Raisin Rack regularly hosts. Still upcoming events in March alone include workshops on celiac disease held at 1pm on Saturday the 21st and 28th on the topics of shopping and label reading, and dinning out at celiac-friendly restaurants, respectively. (Preregistration is required, please call 1-330-996-1515.) In addition, March 28th will also be home to an exciting gluten free donut hole sampling. I mean, gluten-free donut holes, do I really need to say more?

Easily accessible from the highway, home to approximately 30 gluten-free friendly restaurants (just ask Denise, she's got a list in her head!), and with perhaps the greatest gluten-free grocery store this side of the Atlantic (that, by the way, offers rewards points when you shop, resulting in gift certificates for you) that carries fresh breads, pies, and cookies from Kathy's Creation's Bakery in Alliance, Ohio AND has a number of KOSHER gluten-free selections (yes, they actually carry many Shabati Gourmet products throughout their in six over-stuffed freezer cases), it is fairly safe to say that if New York City is the number one city for gluten-free living, Canton, Ohio ranks as a pretty close runner up. 

We also don't have to tote our groceries back home by riding packed, smelly subways, which is always a plus. 

I Never Met a Potato My Boyfriend Didn't Like.... Or, (I Love) Latkes and Favorite Potato Kugel

In the past few weeks, I've made latkes and potato kugel. I've made a you-couldn't-tell-it's-gluten-free (and lower fat!) macaroni & cheese. I had an awesome dinner at Luchita's Mexican Restaurant. I've made two batches of everyone's favorite flourless peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. I've made a mixed berry pie. And I've taken pictures of it all. But for the past few weeks, my poor little blog has lain dormant and my food adventures have gone entirely unrecorded. Why? Four annoying little words: I. Have. A. Hernia. 

Seriously? A 22 year old girl with a hernia? I mean, if I was a champion weightlifter rather than an amature baker that might make some sense. Heck, I suppose I could've gotten a cooking related injury, if I was lifting some 50 lbs sack of (tapioca) flour, then at least there'd be a reason for this madness, but no such luck. Regardless of it's origin,  my mysterious hernia has left me somewhat bed bound, in serious pain, and much too frustrated to write about the joys of naturally gluten free Jewish cuisine or the difficulties of no bake fruit pies. 

But I'm sick of thinking about my hernia and you're not here for my gluten-free griping (I mention it simply for the "sorry I haven't updated in so long!" pity points), so on the good stuff, the food. 

I'd promised gluten-free Hanukkah recipes in time for the holiday and despite the leeway the lunar calendar provides, I missed my deadline. Sure, it's not technically Hanukkah anymore, but maybe you'd looking to extend your holiday to round nine days? Complete with a latke lunch? (Work with me people...)  And if you're questioning whether or not potato pancakes are midday food, I ask you to really question whether there's a time that you wouldn't eat a crispy, crunchy latke. Dig deep, be honest, you know there isn't. 

Despite my lack of timeliness as far as writing goes, I did make latkes on the Hanukkah's first night. 

 "So what....its fried potatoes and onions? What's the difference between the latke things and hash browns?"  my skeptical boyfriend asked. I couldn't quite answer the question. I mean...they're latkes, what more is there to say? Unable to verbally explain the difference between something that comes in an Ore-Ida bag in a local grocer's freezer case and a fried potato cake with 5770+ years of history behind it, I realized I'd just have to show him. Drat, latkes for us both. 

Though I generally use my dad's latke recipe, I googled latkes until I found a tempting looking version over at NYCnosh.com. Most recipes are basically the same potato-onion-egg-matzo meal mix, but this recipe was a departure from my father's in that 1) it subtracted an egg (my dad tends to use 3) and 2) you hand grate one half of the potatoes while pureeing the other half (contrary to convention, I grew up on latkes made solely of pureed potatoes and was pretty confused by the more popular grated potato cousin popular at delis the first time I saw them). 

I, of course, had to sub in all purpose GF flour mix for that traditional, Jewish matzo meal, but I changed nothing else - I mean, this recipe was offered up by New York Jews and was

 touted as mind blowing. Mind blowing. I mean, who knows Jewish food better than New Yorkers? No one, that's who. 

So latkes I made, and latkes we enjoyed - me with traditional low fat sour cream and cinnamon applesauce, him with a goyish topping I promised not to name. And how did the boyfriend like his introduction to Hanukkah food? "It's fried potatoes and onions, what's not to love?!" But upon asking if it tasted like hash browns, he answered a correct "definitely not". Well good, there may be hope for him yet. 

Having a little batter left over, and being too tired stand over the stove flipping and frying, the next night I baked the remaining mixture in a thin casserole pan and introduced my boyfriend to potato kugel. To my surprise, he liked it even better than the latkes, adding that if we kept eating like this, he'd be a Jewish convert in no time. A few days later, we were craving a home cooked meal and still had half a bag of potatoes left. I decided to try out the whole recipe as a kugel and I'm amazed to say that this produces the best potato kugel I've ever had. (Sorry Dad). 

(I Love) Latkes ...or Favorite Potato Kugel 

adapted from nycnosh.com

2.5 lbs of potatoes  (4 medium potatoes or about 8 smallish potatoes) 

1 large white onion

2 eggs

1.5 - 2 tablespoons of GF flour mix 

1/2 teaspoon of salt 

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/4 teaspoon of paprika (for kugel, though you could use it in the latkes)

 

vegetable oil for frying latkes (no olive oil please!!)

1/4 cup vegetable oil (for kugel only)

baking spray 

Peel potatoes. Cut half of the potatoes in to 1 inch chunks and boil for 20 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, grate the remaining potatoes and the onion in to a medium sized bowl. This mixture will be extremely soggy and you'll need to drain it as much as possible. I recommend straining it in a colander while pressing it down with paper towels. You may loose a few shreds of potato, but don't worry about it. If you have one, NYCnosh recommends placing the shredded vegetables in a cheesecloth and wringing it out (I don't think I know anyone who actually has a cheesecloth in their kitchen, but this sounds far easier than my strainer method, so perhaps its not a bad investment). Return the shredded onion/potato to a dry bowl.

Beat the two eggs in a separate bowl and mix them into the shredded vegetables. Stir in the spices as well. 

Drain the cooked potatoes and puree them in a blender or food processor. Sprinkle the mixture with the flour. Finally mix the puree into the shredded vegetables to complete your latke batter / kugel base. 

For The Latkes....

Cover your largest frying pan with vegetable oil,  1/4th to 1/2th inch thick (Oy! The oil! I know!). Grab a handful of your batter and make a palm sized patty about 3/4 of an inch thick. Gently - and carefully! - slide the patty into the oil and repeat until pan is filled. Cook for 5 -7 minutes on each side, flipping with a spatula and a fork, so as to prevent as much break

age as possible. 

When both sides have evenly cooked, place latkes on a plate covered in paper towels to drain the oil from them (patting the tops will also be necessary). Serve with applesauce, sour cream, or other favored topping. 

Latke Notes

* If your latkes are browning too quickly - 2 minutes or so on the first side - your oil is too hot. If your latkes seem like they're taking forever to cook, you'll need to turn up the heat. 

* Since you're using GF flour, the latkes are a little more fragile, so be careful when flipping them and make sure they're fully cooked before turning. 

* I didn't have any on hand, but a 1/4 teaspoon of xanthum gum may aid in firming the latkes up. 

For the kugel...

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch casserole dish with GF baking s

pray / canola oil (again, NOT olive oil). Pour kugel into the dish and bake for 45 minutes. 

At this point, the kugel will start getting crispy around the edges, but will still be quite white on top. Spray the stop of the kugel with the baking spray / canola oil and bake for an additional 20 -30 minutes, or until the top browns (looks crispy). 

Serve squares along side apple sauce, sour cream, or on it own. Enjoy! 

Thanksgiving Plate & A Call for Hanukkah Recipes!

Look at that plate of food. 

All gluten free. 

All vegetarian. 

All insanely yummy. 

Were smack in the middle of the Holiday season, with Thanksgiving just a few weeks back and Hanukkah and Christmas on our heels. It's times like these I'm pretty darn thankful that my particular holiday has symbolic food that converts easily to gluten free (you can make a good latke with out matzo meal, I promise, but more on that later), but as for the rest of the days, well rarely is there a time when we're more noticeable for our gluten free fare. 

But that plate, it doesn't look gluten free, it just looks delicious. 

And I'm bound and determined to recreate gluten free holiday goodness for my boyfriend's family's Christmas Eve dinner. I'm not sure what my main dish is going to be (and I'm open for suggestions!) but I have a feeling a pecan pie is in everyones' future...

So I offer up this, my thanksgiving plate full of food, as inspiration for holiday meal menus, yours and mine. 

On the plate: 

Apples and Acorn Squash

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Bangin' Cranberry Cornbread

Apple -Raisin Stuffing (with Whole Food GF breadcrumbs, adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe) 

Whole Foods GF canned cranberry sauce

Twice Baked Potatoes (My dad's holiday staple. He claims the secret is to bake/microwave the potatoes, scoop out the inside and then throw those away. Then you boil the insides of a separate set of potatoes for the mashed filling.) 

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole (Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe. However, I used Imagines GF cream of mushroom soup and didn't make my own fried onions for the top, using crumbled potato chips instead. Honestly, it was SO good...the next day. This is a dish that needs a few hours to marinate.) 

Garlic Sweet Potatoes 

4 large sweet potatoes

3 -4 cloves of garlic minced / crushed

3 tablespoons Smart Balance vegetable oil butter (or butter)

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and boil until soft (about 10 minutes). In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes and add the butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add more garlic if needed. It really is that easy. 

Oooh, was that a Thanksgiving meal to remember! In fact, I've been so full since then, only recently have I been able to button my pants and sit down to write about it. Well, that's an exaggeration, mostly. 

A final note, as I prep for my Christmas Eve dinner, I can't help but think about Hanukkah. Something tells me I'm not the only one; I've been fielding some emails about gluten free latke goodness and I couldn't be happier for it. 

Since Hanukkah is so close to Christmas, I'll be celebrating it at my boyfriend's too. Since it's his first Hanukkah, I've got to make a meal to remember so I'm pooling my knowledge and asking all of you. So gluten free bloggers and readers, have you got any great Hanukkah recipes? Any favorite nontraditional latkes? Other Hanukkah treats you can't get enough of? A preferred applesauce? 

I'll be posting a Hanukkah recipe roundup come December 23rd (the second actual day of Hanukkah, giving you all enough time to cook and capture your treats). So get cracking, get experimenting, and get eating! :) 

I came. I saw. I kugeled.

About a week and a half ago, I was at my local Whole Foods shopping for my usual gluten free suspects - peaches, greek yogurt, gluten free bread, ice cream, the building blocks of my life - when I spotted a flyer advertising a cooking contest. Not just any cooking contest, but a kugel contest. I picked up the flyer, and as I read the name of the contest I couldn't help but ask myself the same question: So You Think You Can Kugel? In the new tradition of making verbs out of nouns (ie, facebooked, friended) I couldn't help but wonder, could I kugel? And if I could, would anyone want to kugel - that is, gluten free style - along with me?

 A tiny bit of kugel background before we proceed. Pronounced "koogel", kugel is a favored traditional Jewish dish. There are two types, a potato variety and the the type in question, the lochshen kugel, or dairy noodle kugel, which is a kind of noodle pudding that can be made savory or sweet.  The sweet version, the one that classically springs to mind when someone says kugel, is made with egg noodles and baked in a bed of custard comprised of  sugar, cottage cheese, eggs, and milk with golden raisins mixed through. 

As with all traditional foods, lochshen kugel has a taste, a texture, and a consistency everyone is familiar with. Sure, you can make changes, personal touches, but adding something as unfamiliar as rice noodles? It was a gamble. But it's also the only way I can make or enjoy the dish. I decided to enter the contest, not caring if I won, but just hoping to make something that could pass for normal under intense kugel scrutiny. 

So for the next ten days, I researched kugels, wrote and rewrote my recipe, and turned my kitchen into full on  kugel-mania. My first kugel was made with de boles rice spirals and golden raisins. It good, but not great, I tried again. The next kugel incarnation involved more sugar, pumpkin pie spice, a medley of dried fruit, Tinkyada fusilli noodles, and a wider test audience: my mom's book club. Imagine my elation to come home to giant pan of half eaten kugel, consumed by a group of women who'd never heard of such a dish before, much less eaten rice noodles.  I'd passed my kugel off as normal, I'd been a success. Still adjustments were needed and with no more time to test, I hoped for the best.

With kugel day upon me, I made my casserole a final time. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn't able to deliver my dish in person - competing autoimmune conditions can be such a drag! - and my mom had to bring my kugel over to the contest. She spoke to the judges, explained my  celiac situation,  and the use of rice noodles.  

If your celiac, you can probably guess what happened. One judge was curious about the whole gluten free thing while the other wrinkled her nose before even trying it. Though we brought our own spatula, people put their forks right into my dish and other kugel bits found their way on top of mine; it was a cross contamination mess. And, unsurprisingly, I didn't win. 

But I didn't care. I made the kugel to share my gluten-freeness, to spread awareness. By the time I got there, I was able to see my submission to the contest being eaten by lots of people. People who didn't even know it was gluten free or what that meant. Silly as it sounds, every time someone put their fork back into my kugel for more, I celebrated a small victory. 

As I waited for the judging, I ended up sharing a table with a dietitian student and a girl with crohn's disease.  With more talking of being gluten free, more celiac awareness was spread. The whole exercise was worth it, regardless of where I placed in the competition. On the whole, I'm glad I entered the contest. I created a great kugel recipe, I spread some celiac awareness, and I passed as normal. In answer to the question,  "So you think you can kugel?", the answer is a resounding yes, yes I can. 

Mixed Berry Gluten Free Noodle Kugel

1 bag Tinkyada fusilli pasta 

3 cups cottage cheese - 1% milkfat is fine

1 to 1 and 1/2 cups sour cream - lowfat is fine

3 heaping table spoons of whipped cream cheese

1/4 cup of softened butter - or smart balance in my case

1/3rd cup lowfat milk 

4 eggs

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla 

1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 

3/4 cup of mixed dried fruit - cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and golden raisins

Topping: 

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

2 -3 teaspoons of white sugar

2 -3 tablespoons of almond meal

Cook pasta for about 7 and a half minutes, leaving it a little al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, and softened butter. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Combine the eggs with the brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. 

Pour the egg mixture into the large bowl and stir all of the ingredients together. Stir in the dried fruit. Transfer the pasta into a greased casserole dish, spreading them out evenly. Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta and mix it through until all the ingredients are combined evenly.

Place the dish in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Opening the oven (and turning down the heat!), sprinkle the cinnamon, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice over the top. Then spread the almond meal over the top as desired for optimum crunchy topping. 

Lower the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until the top is beginning to brown. Let cool, share with friends, and enjoy. 

(Note: if you like a creamier kugel, only use 3/4 of the pasta. I'm sure you can figure out something good for the left overs! )

Apples and Tom's Honey

If you're Jewish, then you already know, our holidays revolve around food. From matzo and charoset at Passover, to latkes and jelly donuts at Hanukkah, to well, nothing at Yom Kippur...that is until the traditional lox and bagel break-fast (what? is that just my family?), food is a very important part of our religion and our holidays. 

This isn't to say that the holiday meal isn't a facet of other religions, but the Jews have managed to pump symbolism into nearly everything that's placed at the dinner table. I suppose 5769 years gives you time to think about these things. 

Sundown on Monday night marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As far as food symbols go, I've always liked the Rosh Hashanah ones: a round challah to symbolize the perfect new year to come, apples dipped in honey and honey cake to symbolize a sweet new year. For a people who's holidays generally recount the tales of people trying to kill them, these traditions are, for lack of a better word, kind of sweet, right? 

Often times, holidays, and their associated food, remind me of what I can't have, keeping me - and my separate plate - at a noticeable distance from everyone else. No matzoball soup, no challah, no latkes (unless they're home made and maztomeal free). Though I'm not particularly (okay... at all) religious, the cultural traditions of my religion are important to me and it's frustrating that now, as a celiac, my ability to participate is compromised. (...Anyone who scoffs that I'm being melodramatic only needs to be reminded of the Jewish mother stereotype, and her insistence that everyone needs to be eating more, to realize just how important food is to our nearly 6000 year old people. )

But apples and honey are naturally gluten free. And delicious. And I think of any symbolic act, its nice to participate in one that ensures a sweet new year. 

For our mini holiday meal, we used the local honey bought at the Tremont Art and Cultural Fair. Tom keeps his own bees and has honey collected from each season. The fall honey is particularly dark while the spring honey (the one we got) tastes sweet, like really good honey you'd buy in the store - for like triple the price (our jar cost only $4). We also bought something called creamed honey. Spreadable with a butter like consistency, creamed honey is not a dairy product - its just very fine honey crystals blended together. Have you ever heard of such a thing? It was totally new to me, but I'm glad we tried something different. It's good too. 

If you didn't make it over to Tom Roth's stand at the Tremont Fair, you can get honey from him all year round at 709 N. Main Street in Amherst, Ohio or call 440-988-2725. Whether you use this cool local honey or not, why not try out this tradition, dip one of falls favorite fruits in some golden, syrupy honey, and hope for a sweet new year! 

Jack's Deli

Who doesn't love deli food? Jack's Deli has been a staple in the community, and thus in my family's dining out plan, for years and years, so when my mom suggested it for dinner, I figured, why not. Surely I could find something and if not, well I'd eat a plain bake potato and some salad and let her enjoy the knishes, or giant sandwiches made with thick rye bread, or the challah french toast, or the matzo ball soup, or the blintzes....

To begin with, as always, there were pickles, a bizarre complementary appetizer if ever there was one. The thing is though, growing up around it, the idea of pickles - particularly delicious, cold, crunchy dill pickles - as a pre-meal snack doesn't seem that odd at all. Maybe it's a Jewish thing. Now, there has been a lot of talk about whether or not pickles are safe, what with the vinegar and all. But I've been told personally by Dr. Peter Green that pickles are an acceptable part of a gluten free diet, so that's all I have to say about that. ...Oh. That and yum. I mean, look at them. 

Anyway, if there's one thing non-celiacs take for granted, it's their ability to open up the plasticy pages of any menu and order the first thing that catches their eye. It took my mom, who had decided to go gluten free this evening, several minutes to settle on the stuffed cabbage (stuffed with rice and meat, and smothered in a tomato sauce). The dinner came with two sides -  of the many side dishes, lots of them being naturally gluten free, she chose the cooked carrots and string beans - as well as a choice of soup and her choice of coffee or tea. Since the cabbage was that night's dinner special, her gluten free feast came to her at the incredibly affordable price of $10.99. 

This is especially note worthy as eating gluten free usually comes at a high price. Our breads and pastas are 3 times the price of everyone else's and for what we pay for flours, we might as well own bakeries. So being able to get a meal enough for two days at a reasonable price? It makes Jack's quite a find. 

I was able to order basically off the menu, too:  an omelet with spinach, avocado, and alpine Swiss cheese. My dinner came with two breakfast sides, too, but our adorable waitress Charisma, who was particularly food allergy sensitive, knew enough about how the food was prepared to steer me clear of the french fries and home fries. Instead, she offered to swap out the potatoes and toast in favor of a fresh fruit cup and sliced tomatoes. 

After dinner, I had a short conversation about the gluten free offerings on Jack's menu with one of the owners, Alvie. After a little who's on first type of "what is gluten" education, Alvie offered up several gluten free options - "you could eat a hamburger! or a hot dog! or...!" 

You're right, Alvie. There are lots of gluten free options available at Jack's. But it's more than that.  Jack's touts itself as authentic deli food, and I have to say that I judged every New York deli I ever went to on how it compared to the food I remembered from here. It's good, no, great, to know I can still get hearty meal here, celiac or not. Jack's Deli's easily adaptable menu, the knowledgeable and friendly staff, and the quality food makes it a place that really should be on your gluten-free restaurant Rolodex.