More Gluten-Free Goodies - Gingersnap Molasses Cookies

Ginger has always been a favorite spice in my family, especially in sweet treats like gingerbread and gingersnaps. In high school I devised a recipe for what I liked to call Gingersnap Molasses Cookies. Not quite a gingersnap, because I prefer a softer, chewier cookie, but not quite a molasses cookie due to all the spices. I became famous for them amongst friend and family -- the perfect balance of spicy, salty and sweet. People argued over whether they taste best warm from the oven, cooled later on or even three days later. They truly are a favorite of nearly everyone who tries them. I have even been told I could start a business just selling those cookies, that's how delicious they were. My techniques in baking these cookies are very specific; my brother has tried several times to bake them since I moved out of my family's house and he can never get it quite right.

My new, obviously gluten free as well as vegan, recipe has gotten rave reviews from two of my best friends and I have not been able to stop eating them as well, so they are definitely another big hit. Tonight my dear friend Liz and I enjoyed the cookies as ice cream sandwiches filled with local Salted Caramel Batch Ice Cream and a bottle of Malbec. Combined with our delightful conversation, it was a perfect pairing. Follow my directions exactly and you will be quite pleased with the results!

Gina's Gluten Free Vegan Gingersnap Molasses Cookies
adapted from BabyCakes Bakery

3/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups cane sugar
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup flax meal
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking sooda
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

In medium bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, salt, molasses, vanilla and cane sugar. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, spices, baking soda and xanthan gum. Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Chill dough in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Roll spoonfuls of dough in palms of hands until 1.5 inch diameter round ball is formed. Place cookie dough balls on greased cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each cookie dough ball with the heel of your hand (to ease in spreading while baking). Bake for 12-14 minutes, until dough begins to crisp along edges but center does not nearly look done. Allow cookies to cool on hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then gently place on large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper to further cool. Do not use a regular cooling rack or the hot cookies will become misshapen! Cookies will keep 3-4 days in airtight container and also freeze well.

Note: Do not double this recipe! The ratios need to be adjusted. I had my first baking blunder in years attempting to double them this weekend.

Nutrition Goal - Week of August 15, 2010

Don't think I forgot about my new weekly nutrition goal although I did not post yesterday! Last week's goal of replacing almond milk in my breakfast cereal was very successful. I actually prefer the extra nutty flavor the almond milk adds to the meal -- this will be a very easy transition to continue going forward.

This week's goal is to eat more greens. I could just say eat more vegetables, but I am particularly interested in eating more leafy, green vegetables such as spinach, kale and arugula. I's not that I do not enjoy eating these types of vegetables, I just never seem to crave them despite their fantastic nutritional properties and delicious taste. But the produce section at Whole Foods Market is filled with so many varieties right now and I am very much looking forward to experimenting with them in my kitchen this week. I will be sure to share recipes I deem worthy of sharing.

Nutrition Goal - Week of August 9, 2010

I recently had the brilliant idea that each week I am going to create a nutrition goal for myself in order to improve my overall diet, health and wellbeing. Each week's goal will carry over into the next and therefore become a standard of my daily life. This means by the end of 2010 I will have made 21 changes in my life! Making small changes transitions into making big changes. I hope you may also be inspired to analyze your diet and do the same.




My goal for this week is to replace skim milk with almond milk in my breakfast cereal. I love milk more than most adults and don't understand why so many people stop drinking milk when they grow up. From reading books like The Kind Diet plus articles and blog posts, as well as ongoing stomach discomfort, I am beginning to question my body's ability to process lactose. I already used almond milk when making smoothies, so it's not a new food being added to my diet, but rather a substitution. We'll see if I notice any difference in my body after making this adjustment.

I have been purchasing Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, which is in shelf-stable packing for $1.99 at both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Only 40 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein and 0 grams of sugar in each serving of this lactose free, low glycemic and gluten free beverage. Try it out! There are even coupons $1 off coupons available on their website.

Gluten-Free Recipe: Mascarpone Polenta

My life has been quite a rollercoaster the past few months. So many unexpected, drastic changes have set me on a path I never imagined, but feel very blessed to have found myself on. Each day I experience such a wide range of emotions while reflecting upon past events and anticipating my exciting new endeavors -- happiness, anxiety, passion, hope, fear, pride, regret, enthusiasm, love, frustration, anger, excitement -- it's all there to make an overall confused but very much alive Gina.

Obviously a huge part of my quarterlife crisis has been navigating the challenges of my new gluten-free diet. But just because I stopped eating gluten and felt better does not mean my stomach issues have vanished entirely. Unfortunately, it's very far from it. Determining what symptoms are caused by stress and anxiety vs. something I ate vs. something I didn't eat vs. natural occasional stomach discomfort everyone suffers has been daunting. I'm keenly aware I have eaten far too many cookies in the past few days (they are seriously so incredibly good), but am also very cognizant of my varied diet the past few days. Ever since the incident at Treat Cupcake Bar, I just have not felt the same. Certainly having my body "poisoned" with gluten can and did have very negative ramifications, but I should have been able to bounce back, and I have not. I've been further researching making other adjustments to my diet (dairy-free, vegetarian, etc) to continue my quest for health and will undoubtedly share my discoveries and experiments in future posts.

Saturday afternoon after catching up with my wonderful friend Jessica over smoothies and cookies in Davis Square's Statue Park, I stopped at Whole Foods Market in Cambridge to buy ingredients for dinner. Unsure of my menu, only knowing I wanted to prepare a delicious, satisfying meal in my kitchen, I ended up purchasing a beautiful sockeye salmon fillet and mascarpone cheese (from Vermont Creamery - it is indisputably the best I have ever had). All the other necessary ingredients for my simple menu were already in my pantry at home.



Chef Barbara Lynch has always been one of my favorite Boston chefs. A true embodiment of the American dream, she has established a culinary empire in Boston rivaled by no one, male or female (this Inc. Magazine profile in her words is terrific, as is this Boston Magazine piece). Her cookbook, Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition, is filled with fantastic French and Italian inspired dishes for the accomplished home cook. On Valentine's Day this year, I prepared her Seared Duck Breast with Spiced Cherries, Braised Kale and Mascarpone Polenta, and it was without a doubt the best meal I have ever prepared. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Although I don't often have reasons to prepare duck breast (one of my absolute favorite indulgences), the polenta is a dish I have continued to include in my cooking. Still being able to eat corn, rice and potatoes has been such a lifesaver in my transition into gluten-free living. You will be shocked what a little cornmeal, butter, milk and cheese can become in this simple, hearty and delicious recipe. I paired the polenta with the salmon (seasoned with lemon juice and spices, baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, foil covering the baking dish) and a glass of cabernet sauvignon (I am not a follower of the "white wine with fish" belief) and I was more than content.

Creamy Mascarpone Polenta
adapted from Stir

2 cups milk (I always use skim)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (I use Arrowhead Mills Organic)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (I use Vermont Creamery)
Salt and pepper

In large saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Pour the cornmeal slowly into the milk, whisking all the while to prevent clumping. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add 1.5 tablespoons of the butter, season with two teaspoons salt and a few good grinds of pepper, and let the polenta cook gently, stirring occasionally, until its thick and the cornmeal is tender (about 20-30 minutes). Stir in the remaining 1.5 tablespoons butter and then add the mascarpone and cook an additional 5-8 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed and serve immediately. Serves 2-3 as side dish and 1-2 as main course. Bon appetit!

Gluten-Free Goodies - Chocolate Chip Cookies

For a girl who has wanted to be a pastry chef her entire life, I haven't been doing much baking lately. The heat of summer combined with a bit of resentment toward my new gluten-free lifestyle has kept me out of the kitchen much more. But something in me clicked yesterday and my usual constant desire to cook and bake up a storm resurfaced full force (as you can see from the pictures below, I love any excuse to use my Cooknook Cookbook Holder, one of my best purchases ever).

Perhaps it had something to do with finally being able to check the BabyCakes cookbook out of the library after weeks of waiting. BabyCakes: Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery is the cookbook of a (you guessed it) hip allergen and special diets friendly bakery in Manhattan. Everyone absolutely raves about their insanely delicious baked goods, even those without dietary restrictions; celebrities and civilians alike flock to BabyCakes to appease their sweet tooth. Top Chef head judge and James Beard Award winning chef Tom Colicchio (who I creepily dream about sometimes and therefore often feel is my friend in real life) wrote the forward; Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel and Jason Schwartzman all profess their love of BabyCakes in print! Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of eating at BabyCakes (despite being a Yankees fan, I don't get to Manhattan very often) but thankfully with the publication of their cookbook I can at least attempt to replicate their gluten-free goodies at home.

Deciding exactly which recipe to try first from the cookbook was no easy task -- Ginger Peach Corn Muffins, Chocolate Shortbread Scones with Carmelized Bananas, Red Velvet Cupcakes and even Almond Palmer recipes are included in this gorgeous book, which also features an extensive glossary of ingredients and tools, list of resources and purveyors and helpful guides on technique. Eventually I determined my first real foray into gluten-free baking should be simple. Chocolate Chip Cookies immediately came to mind, and the gorgeous image accompanying the recipe solidified my choice.

Despite knowing I am a talented aspiring pastry chef, baking something not only gluten-free but also vegan made me a bit nervous; baking without eggs, butter or wheat flour can go oh so very wrong. Some of my fears were quieted when after mixing coconut oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla and evaporated cane juice together, the mixture looked (and tasted) nearly exactly like mixing butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla. It was quite amazing actually! Combined with flour, flax meal, baking soda and xanthan gum, the resulting batter looked normal and tasted just as delicious as any other cookie dough (without worrying about salmonella poisoning as a plus).

After approximately 15 minutes in the oven, my apartment was filled with the glorious smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, which looked divine. I patiently waited for them to cool down a bit, then took my first bite. A thin cookie with crispy edges and a chewy center, as well as a subtle hint of coconut. I was in love - and so proud of myself! I truly could not believe the end result of mixing such seemingly random ingredients together to achieve such fantastic results.

The cookies have since been approved by my roommates and my dear friend/aspiring vegan Jessica, and have also been continuously taste-tested by the baker herself. I'm so in love with these cookies! Next time I am going to experiment with adding a touch of cinnamon and also some crystallized ginger, or perhaps some walnuts.

In this recipe, I was most intrigued by the use of coconut oil in place of butter. As the author, Erin McKenna, states in the cookbook "Coconut oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, is packed with lauric acid, stores in your body as energy and not fat, and supports the proper function of the thyroid, thus stimulating the metabolism" - wow! I remember my mother, who did an amazing job raising her four children on healthy foods, having a list of the Top 10 Foods You Should Avoid posted on our refrigerator when I was growing up. Coconut oil was on this list, so I've been surprised to learn how good it really is for you, and intrigued by changes in nutrition research (can you tell I am getting really excited to start school this fall?). I also love how applesauce and flax seed meal, both highly nutritious foods, combine to seamlessly replicate eggs.

So after all this hype, I am sure you are all dying for the recipe! Please note that I have acquired the ingredients for these cookies over several weeks; if one does not already have gluten-free, vegan products on hand already, these could very well end up being a $50+ batch of cookies. Enjoy and if you do bake them, please let me know what you think!

I also started a Tumblr page to keep my Facebook and Twitter pages less cluttered, so definitely check it out to see news stories, videos, quotes and other randomness I find worthy of sharing.


BabyCakes Gluten-Free, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
(modified from BabyCakes cookbook)

1 cup coconut oil (you can also use canola oil)
6 tablespoons unsweetened/natural applesauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups cane sugar (not white granulated sugar)
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
1/4 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (note: I used regular chocolate chips so my cookies were not truly vegan - and I also used about 1 1/4 cups!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix together coconut oil, applesauce salt, vanilla and cane sugar. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until evenly combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the resulting dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing portions at least one inch apart. Gently press with the heel of each hand to help them spread. Bake cookies on center rack for 15 minutes, rotating pan 180 degrees about halfway through baking. Cookies are ready to be removed from the oven when the edges are crispy and center is still soft.

Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. Allow cookies to cool completely before covering. They will store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days (if they last that long!). I also froze some right away (3 cookies per sandwich bag) to save for friends and rainy days.

Lingering Questions of My Gluten-Free Existence

An article in the San Francisco Gate caught my attention this week. "I'll have the BLT - no bacon, lettuce or tomato" touches upon restaurant diners with specific dietary preferences and if/when chefs are required to meet their requests.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, adjusting to dining out has perhaps been the most difficult aspect of my new gluten-free lifestyle. Granted becoming unemployed around the same time as my diagnosis definitely helped me quit my habit of $30+ entrees at Boston's best restaurants pretty much cold turkey, but it's still been a challenge. Meeting friends for a quick, cheap meal like a burrito or sandwich is no longer possible; even salad dressing often has gluten in it. I've taken to suggesting ice cream or coffee (which I do not drink) instead. In case of emergencies (or snack attacks) I bring food with me everywhere I go (I even chowed down on a LaraBar while rocking out to Wolf Parade at the House of Blues earlier this month).


As a passionate foodie and aspiring chef, I have the utmost respect for chefs with the talent, skill and stamina to work 18 hour days in tiny, windowless sweatbox kitchens. So even though I am paying good money to dine at their respected establishments, I find myself feeling terrible when inquiring about the gluten status of menu items. For the most part, my servers have been attentive to my dietary needs and I have not had any issues. But not wanting to inconvenience anyone in any way, I still wonder how servers and chefs truly feel about needs of their patrons. So much preparation is done long before a diner even sits down at the table that many modifications are not possible. The SF Gate article combined with a Reader's Digest article (shared with me by my dear friend Jessica) titled "20 Secrets Your Waiter Won't Tell You" (sorry, industry folks, apparently RD does not like the term 'server') has me in quite a untrustworthy tizzy. I already knew quite a few of these so-called secrets (one not mentioned: don't order pasta after 9pm - the water has been used for dozens of other patrons and is quite nasty). It's apparent blatant lying to diners is quite rampant.

When debating these issues in my head, my first thoughts relate to people who make choices about their dietary restrictions vs. people told by a doctor to restrict certain foods and ingredients. For example, I know a great number of vegetarians and vegans who choose not to eat animal products. I also know many people who are lactose or gluten intolerant, or have medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease which affect their ability to consume certain foods; they have no choice but to restrain. But this is the United States of America and we live in a modern world where people have the freedom to elect special diets; we also have amazing medical care which is helping people lead longer, healthier lives than previous generations. So whether by choice or by fate, what rights do we have to request special treatment when dining out?


I don't really have the answer to this question, but absolutely agree with Chef Charlie Hallowell's statement "When people come to Pizzaiolo and say, 'I don't eat wheat or cheese,' I'm like, 'Why did you come to a pizzeria?'". As much as I miss ordering delivery from The Upper Crust, I understand there is absolutely nothing they can do to create a pizza I can eat. So I make my own pizza at home and try to forget about the perfection that is Upper Crust thin crust. (Expect me to soon trek to Cambridge to try gluten-free pizzas at Zing! Pizza and Stone Hearth Pizza). So for someone allergic to shellfish, wheat and dairy to attempt to eat an upscale restaurant with a busy kitchen, then get angry about the restaurant's inability to accommodate them, is mind-boggling to me. Accept the dietary hand you have been dealt and find ways to enjoy foods you can still eat.

The other issue these questions brings up is the responsibilities of food service establishments who are boldly and kindly offering allergen-friendly options on their menus. While many places I have been take extreme care to prevent error, we're all human and mistakes are made. Unfortunately, I appear to have been mistakenly "glutened" yesterday when visiting the very new, very hip Treat Cupcake Bar in Needham. Treat is not just another cupcake shop popping up on the corner; Treat is a cupcake BAR, where customers can either order pre-made cupcakes or create their own flavor combination at the bar (a sort of Coldstone Creamery for cupcakes). They also very thoughtfully offer a gluten-free cupcake variety every day which can be customized with their gluten-free, dairy-free vanilla buttercream frosting. Obviously, it was worth a trip to adorable Needham Center for this cupcake queen. The bakery is gorgeous, the staff is friendly and the cupcake was divine. Too divine.


My midnight snack after a wonderful evening at the DCR Hatch Shell for a free performance by the Boston Landmark Orchestra and Boston Lyric Opera, I was blown away by how much like a 'regular' cupcake it tasted. It was not granular or heavy, but moist and light. I thought to myself "This can't be gluten-free." And sure enough, my stomach agreed with me this morning. And all day long. My terrible headache, shaky hands, achy body and exhaustion further proved to me that there was a mix-up at Treat and I got my wish for a 'real' cupcake. Be careful what you wish for, as they say. As the cupcake from Treat was the only food I ate yesterday not prepared by me in my kitchen and I was feeling completely fine earlier, I have to attribute my illness to the cupcake (oh, how it pains me to write that).

I contacted Treat via email and received a very apologetic response within hours. I will absolutely go back to Treat again soon and give them another chance (anyone want to tag along?) but the incident only fuels the fire of my distrust of food service establishments and their inability to accommodate patrons with special dietary needs (especially when advertising they can do so). But despite my concerns, I am not going to let it impede my appetite for life, and gluten-free food. And I'm very curious what others with self-imposed or medically diagnosed dietary restrictions think about these issues - please comment!

Quinoa Lime Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Black Beans

Last night I participated in my first Somerville Road Runners Cook-Off. My running club does these contests seasonally and this summer's theme was "Summer Side-Off" -- entrants must prepare a cold side dish suitable for a summertime barbecue. My thoughts immediately turned to a cold quinoa salad. Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wah') is a flower/seed similar to couscous and has been popular in South America since ancient times (it was the meal of choice for Incan armies). A very versitile superfood with a nutty flavor, quinoa is a complete protein containing all eight essential amino acids, is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and lucky for me, is naturally gluten-free. I consulted many recipes and brainstormed flavor combinations to achieve maximum refreshment and satisfaction (it was being judged by hot and hungry runners, after all). Although my recipe was good enough to place third in the contest (yay me!), feel free to adapt/adjust ratios and ingredients to your preferences or what's on hand -- also tastes great with feta cheese, peppers, onions or scallions in place of shallots, garlic, lemon, shrimp and so on. Happy eating!



Quinoa Lime Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Black Beans

• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked to package directions
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 medium ears of corn, cooked and off the cob
  
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup shallots, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Whisk together lime zest, lime juice, butter, oil, sugar with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Cook quinoa on stovetop according to package directions. Add cooked quinoa to lime dressing until fully absorbed, then mix in remaining vegetable ingredients. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold.