Some Blogs I'm Digging Right Now

This is just a list of what I am reading right now. Some of these are food blogs, and some of these are not (but they are separated for your convenience!). I really don't like blogs with obnoxious advertising or (worst of all!) music, and I do like blogs that update often! So this list may change from month to month. Don't see yourself on here? I'm always looking for great new blogs to read, and I might like to read yours! Shoot me a message introducing yourself and I would love to read you too, or, leave a comment linking back to your blog. I've found some of my favorite writers that way!


Food Blogs I'm Digging Right Now
101 Cookbooks
Canelle et Vanille
Cate's World Kitchen
Dave Lebovitz
Gluten Free Girl
La Tartine Gourmand
Matt Bites
Simply Recipes
Smitten Kitchen
Tartelette
The Pioneer Woman Cooks!


Non-Food Blogs
Be Wordy
Tom and Lorenzo: Fabulous and Opinionated
Dooce
Fertile Hope
Laundry and Lullabys
Little Wonders
Our Little Pebbles
Paper N' Stitch
Passionate Homemaking
Post Secret
The Spohrs Are Multiplying

Recipe Archives

Apples, Pears, and other Fall Fruits
• Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Barbecue
• Classic Homemade Barbecue Sauce
• Juicy tender Oven Roasted Barbecue Baby Back Ribs
• Summer Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• The Best Grilled Chicken with big Bob Gibson's White Barbecue Sauce

Beef
• Lighter Beef Stroganoff
• The Little Owl's Italian Meatball's

Cakes and Pastries
• Grandmommy's Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake
• Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Candy
• Candied Citrus Peel

Chicken and Other Poultry
• Best Grilled Chicken with big Bob Gibson's White Barbecue Sauce
• Practically Perfect Oven Roasted Chicken
• Rustic Basque Chicken Stew with Potatoes, Tomatoes, and other Yummy Things
• Stacked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde


Chocolate
• Crispy Chewy White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (gluten free! or not)
• Deep Dark Decadent Chocolate Mousse
• Fat Tuesday Indulgence: Gooey Toffee Chocolate Cookies (gluten free! Or not)
• Gluten Free Girl-Scout Cookies: Thin Mints


Cookies
• Crispy Chewy White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (gluten free! or not)
• Fat Tuesday Indulgence: Gooey Toffee Chocolate Cookies (gluten free! Or not)
• Gluten Free Girl-Scout Cookies: Thin Mints

Creamy Desserts and Puddings
• Creamy Banana Caramel Cheesecake with Macadamia Nut Crust and Caramel Rum Sauce
• Deep Dark Decadent Chocolate Mousse
• Fresh Strawberry Fool and Ruby Port Tart
• Meyer Lemon Budino

Crisps and Crumbles
• Brown Sugar, Oat, and Blueberry Crisp
• Peach Crisp with Blueberries and Oats

Disasters
• Deep Fried Oreos
• Lemon Cheesecake Disaster
• Martha Stewarts Endives and Ham with Gruyere

Drinks
• Homemade Lemon Verbena and Mint Lemonade
• Iced Sun Tea with Spiced Simple Syrup
• Raspberry Zinger Iced Tea with Lemon Simple Syrup

Eggs
• Easy Peasy Blender Hollandaise Sauce
• Egg Salad Sandwich with Spinach
• Nate's Favorite Bacon egg Salad

Fish and Seafood
• Giada's Salmon Al Cartocchio, or, Salmon Baked in Foil
• Grilled Keta Salmon with Mango Cucumber Salsa

Fruit
• Brown Sugar, Oat, and Blueberry Crisp
• Fresh Strawberry Fool and Ruby Port Tart
• Homemade Fresh Strawberry Jam
• Peach Crisp with Blueberries and Oats
• Peach Pie Perfection: Fresh Peach Pie With Créme Fraiche and Streusal
• Raspberry Créme Fraiche Tart

Ice Creams and Sorbets
• Meyer Lemon Semifreddo

Jams, Jellies, and Preserves
• Homemade Fresh Strawberry Jam
• Half Sour Fermented Pickles

Mexican and Tex mex
• Authentic Mexican Salsa Verde, or, the Best Salsa Verde a Gringa Can Make
• Chicken Tortilla Soup with Lime and Sundried Tomatoes
• Stacked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Pork and Bacon
• Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon and Asparagus
• Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon
• Nate's Favorite Bacon Egg Salad
• Summer Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Juicy tender Oven Roasted Barbecue Baby Back Ribs
• Warm White Bean Salad with Asparagus, Bacon, and Feta


Salads and Slaws
• Four Pepper Black Bean Salad with Tangy Lime Vinaigrette
• Ina Garten's Basil Green Goddess Dressing with Butterhead Lettuce and Sun-ripened Garden Tomatoes
• Nate's Favorite Bacon Egg Salad
• Roasted Golden Beet and Asparagus Pasta Salad with Spinach
• Spicy Summer Slaw with Carrots and Cilantro
• Warm White Bean Salad with Asparagus and Bacon

Sauces, Syrups, and Condiments
• Authentic Mexican Salsa Verde, or, the Best Salsa Verde a Gringa Can Make
• Best Grilled Chicken With Big Bob Gibson's White Barbecue Sauce and Apple Brine
• Classic Homemade Barbecue Sauce
• Easy Peasy Blender Hollandaise Sauce
• Giada's Garden Pesto with Basil, Baby Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan
• Ina Garten's Basil Green Goddess Dressing with Butterhead Lettuce and Sun-ripened Garden Tomatoes

Soups and Stews
• Chicken and Tortilla Soup with Lime and Sundried Tomatoes
• Creamy Asparagus Soup
• Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Two Ways
• Rustic Basque Chicken Stew with Tomatoes, Potatoes, and other Yummy Things"

Pies and Tarts
• Raspberry Créme Fraiche Tart
• Peach Pie Perfection: Fresh Peach Pie with Créme Fraiche and Streusal
• Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Crust with Coconut flakes
• Key Lime Tart that Loves you Back

Vegetables and Vegetarian
• Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Creamy Asparagus Soup
• Crispy Homemade Buttermilk Cornmeal Onion Rings
• Giada's Garden Pesto with Basil, Baby Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan
• Midsummer Zucchini Latkes or Zucchini Pancakes (gluten free! Or not)
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Two Ways
• Roasted Golden Beet and Asparagus Pasta Salad with Spinach

Lime Tart That Loves You Back

So.

It's been awhile. I was feeling so discouraged about blogging. I went through a I hate gluten-free, life-hates-me kind of slump. I was in SUCH a slump I actually missed meeting Gluten-Free Girl while she was down here in LA (doh!), so I wasn't able to get my book signed. That is how grey I was feeling about life without good pasta, sugar-glazed maple doughnuts, crackers and cheese.



You know, I have never really been much of a lover of bakery confections. Cupcakes and cinnamon buns and yes, even Krispy Kreme, have never tempted me past endurance. (Now give me a bowl of rocky road or some Medjool dates, and that's another story!). But oh! Internet. I. MISS. PASTA. SO. MUCH. :::grooooooaaaaan::: I can still taste perfectly al dente, extra thick De Cecco brand pasta with homemade, fresh tomato sauce in my mouth, and it makes me tear up, because I miss it SO much. And rice pasta? I don't care how many people sing the praises of Tinkyada and whatever else. It is NOT the same, and no, it is not even that good as a substitute. For the love of good spaghetti, I think we should just stop pretending. Lets call a spade a spade - gluten-free pasta just will never be an adequate replacement for the good stuff.

I know it seems like this doesn't have anything to do with lime bars. When are we getting to the lime bars?? Soon, I promise.



Lucky for me, I now have about 20 different kinds of flour to work with, and ye gods! It's fun! All of them have their own taste, aroma, and texture. Anything else I want to eat, besides pasta that is, can be created in mad scientist fashion by mixing this and that together until it feels and tastes right. In a way, I have actually found gluten-free baking very freeing: Instead of feeling like I have to stick religiously to a recipe, I can play around and do my own thing until I find something I like. Wheat flour baking has been perfected by more than enough posh French people, to the point where it seems like every possible combination of ingredients has a very long name and an even longer history. But gluten-free baking is virgin, uncharted territory, where anything is possible, and internet, I am eating it up.





A few days ago the Philosopher and I had a friend over for carne asada (::groan:: sooo good), and I thought some lime bars would be great with it. The problem is, my lime bar recipe calls for a graham cracker crust. I tried looking around the internet for some kind of substitute but came up dry, and finally I just said screw it! Let's experiment! This recipe is the result of that experiment, and folks? If I say so myself, it is really good. Graham cracker crust is good, but this crust has so much more dimension. It tastes a bit more like a dense, carmelly shortbread than that thin graham cracker crust. If you are not on a restricted diet and you can eat gluten, make this recipe anyway - it is so much better than processed graham crackers, I promise!



This recipe yields enough dough to fill a 10" tart pan with removable bottom. If you want, you can halve the recipe and put it in a 6" x 6" square cake pan.


for the crust

1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup almond flour
t tbs xanthum gum
1/4 cup packed, light brown cane sugar
1/4 cup blonde cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (one stick) melted butter
zest from 2-3 limes

for the filling

4 large egg yolks
2 cans (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh kime Juice (6-9 lemons)
zest from 1-2 limes



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flours, sugars, and xanthum gum. Add butter, mixing by hand until butter is incorporated, and mixture forms loose clumps.

2. Press mixture into tart shell, pressing firmly so that mixture is tightly packed on the bottom and up the sides.

3. Bake 15 - 20, or until crust is golden. Remove from oven for filling.

4. While crust is baking, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk. Add lemon and zest, stirring gently until incorporated.

5. Pour filling into crust. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Chill at least one hour. enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Budino

As I read more and more in the blogosphere and the food "world", the more I hear this mantra of "eat fresh, eat local!" The whole idea of eating fresh, seasonal, local food is so foundational to contemporary food culture that David Lebovitz wanted to toss the term in 2008, he is so sick of it. He said "If people haven't gotten the message to cook seasonally by now, it's a lost cause, folks. Let's drop it."

I disagree.

Not a year ago, I did all my shopping at my local megamart, and I couldn't have told you when cherries, lemons, or asparagus were naturally in season. I couldn't tell you where the ones I bought were grown. I certainly didn't know a thing about the difference between organic and conventional produce. All I knew was that sometimes cherries were on sale, my oranges probably came from California, and organic produce costs more. I am not a stupid person. I'm not a poor person. I'm not an uneducated person. I read the news, I stay abreast of world events, I'm reasonably in the know. So how is it that I have lived 24 years of my life on this planet never having even heard about this idea of eating fresh, local, seasonal?



Somewhere between the food world, which is really it's own little niche universe, and the rest of the world, the message has gotten lost. There's like this little subculture dedicated to really fine culinary dining, the freshest fruits and vegetables, gourmet oils and vinegars, obscure varieties of grains and produce, and the highest in quality meats and cheeses. For them the message of "Fresh! Local! Seasonal!" seems as old as the hills, so old, in fact, that "it's a lost cause." Meanwhile the rest of the America is stuffing Ding Dongs, Pringles, and frozen "Hearty Meals" and wondering why they are so fat. They haven't gotten the message. The little realm of foodies is just that; a little realm. If you are not a chef or, apparently, a New Yorker, if you are just an average Jane like me, you have to break into that world and learn the language. A year ago, I thought I had no other options than megamart and what megamart had to give to me. I had never heard of Chez Panisse or the food revolution, I didn't have the Food Network to bring celebrity chefs into my living room, I had never heard of Whole Foods Market. All I had was a battered Julia Child cookbook, a shiny new red recipe book, and a deep-seated love for things that tasted good.

Over the course of the year I have been slowly digging my way into the literature of the culinary world. It started with one great food blog and one thing led to another and suddenly I was reading 50 great food blogs. Then I started subscribing to lots and lots of good magazines and reading culinary histories. Slowly the things I was reading about and hearing about started to become real to me. I found my local Trader Joe's, I located a farmer's market, even made the 30 mile trek to the nearest Whole Foods Market (and then went back twice before I could get over just gawking at it). The thing is, it was really hard work! No-one just lays it all out easy for you and says "look, you want to eat really extraordinary, really healthy food? You want to be a foodie? Here's how." It was hard for me to do, and I'm smarter than the average bear.

Eating fresh, eating local, eating seasonal is not a lost cause. Maybe the little food universe is just preaching to the wrong audience. A chef claims to be seasonal but still uses raspberries in January? Ok, take him out in the back and shoot him. He ought to know better. But would somebody high up there, one of you demagogue foodies, would you please write a book for Americans called the "eat healthy food that tastes good" diet? Because we little plain Janes down here are the bottom, we are the ones who need to hear it. It's still fresh gospel news to we common folk down here. Ok, philosophizing over. Lets get on to the food!

In my attempts to eat seasonally as well as gluten-free, I have run into a little snag. You see, today I made this luscious Mayer Lemon Budino you see here, but got stuck when it called for flour. I am realizing more and more that wheat flour is like a wonder product - it's so, so soft. Yet it's so sticky too. It's everything you want when you are working with a flour - no wonder it is in everything! I tried substituting a mixture of white rice flour and quinoa flour, which seems to done a good job giving the Budino the right chemistry and consistency. However, it definitely left something wanting as far as texture goes, because the grains are just too hard and gritty, unlike wheat. Does anyone have a suggestion for a gluten-free flour that is soft and light, and could be substituted in cases where you need a more creamy texture? I would really appreciate it!

Otherwise, this budino, which is an Italian pudding, was just amazing. It was really easy to make, light and soft, and a perfect showcase for the delicate mayer lemon flavors. The top half was angelically light (except for the grainy flour I used), and the bottom was a creamy, mild lemon curd. It was just amazing!



Mayer Lemon Budino - Adapted from this recipe at Epicurious.com

1/3 cup + 2 tbs golden cane sugar
3 large eggs, separated
2 tbs white rice flour
2 tbs quinoa flour
1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
2 tbs fresh regular lemon juice
zest of one Meyer lemon, finely chopped (or grated)
3/4 cup + 2 tbs whole milk
1/4 tsp salt
whipped cream (optional)

preheat oven to 350 degrees, Butter 6 small ramekins

1. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a large bowl; whisk until well blended. Whisk in milk.

2. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy and increased in volume. Slowly add 2 tbs sugar to whisking, until soft peaks form. Fold into lemon mixture in two parts. Divide mixture among prepared ramekins. Place custard cups in roasting pan.

3. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake pudding until tops are golden and spring back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Remove cups from water. Serve warm or cold, topped with whipped cream. enjoy!



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