I Cook Pasta – A resource for gluten free living.

July 10, 2011June 15, 2020

Grace’s Peach Cake

When I was just 13 years old, my family visited Grace, a friend of my Nana’s in upstate New York. Grace, a very warm and charming lady, prepared a tasty dinner from scratch for all of us. I truly do not remember the dinner, but I do remember the dessert!

After dinner, she stood in her kitchen for several moments pondering a dessert idea for her guests. I followed her outside to her backyard, where beautiful plum trees stood full of fruit. She filled her apron with plums, carried them into the house, and, in about 10 minutes flat, put together the most wonderful and memorable plum cake. I wrote the recipe down as best as I could since she did not use any measuring cups or measuring spoons. Grace informed me that I could use any fresh summer fruit, such as peaches or blueberries for this quick cake.

I’ve been making this peach and blueberry rendition ever since and want to share this delicious memory with all of you. Here is her cake, just as she put it together, and then below, I have provided some guidelines to create a just as delicious “gluten free” version.

Thank you, Grace. Thank you, Nana. Each time I bake this cake, I am 13 years old standing in a beautiful arbor of fruit trees and surrounded by many people who love me. Good reason to bake this cake over and over again!!!

Ingredients:

3 medium ripe peaches
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 cups flour ***gluten free tips below
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 stick butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or to taste
Butter flavored Spray Margarine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10 inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray. Slice peaches, leaving skin on. Toss with lemon juice and set aside. Wash and drain blueberries and set aside. Mix flour with baking powder and set aside.

In a large bowl, use electric mixer at low speed to beat butter and 1/2 sugar together. Add eggs and beat until light and creamy. Add milk, flour mixture, and vanilla; mix at low speed for one minute, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange peaches and blueberries on top in decorative design. Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon. Dot the top of the cake with pieces of butter.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When cool, cut into 10 servings. Yummy served warm with vanilla ice cream.

***Gluten-Free Modifications: I use a good gluten free yellow cake mix, such as Pamela’s or Gluten Free Pantry. Cream butter in bowl, the add eggs and vanilla. Pamela’s uses some water. Then pour batter into a deep dish pie plate that has been sprayed with cooking spray and proceed with the rest of the recipe. The house will smell heavenly!

January 23, 2011June 11, 2020

Why I Love January

It is a brisk and sunny Sunday afternoon in Orlando. I am sitting on my patio dressed in a sweater. These are the days I savor. I must say that January, February and March are my favorite months of the year here in Florida. Those living in the North right now would beg to differ with me, but geographically, these months come bearing a plethora of lovely gifts from Mother Nature. It’s not too hot. It’s not too cold. Spring is tangible. I can envision my lawn coming back to life. I look forward to planting new pots of herbs with my husband, Wayne, to replace what the harsh cold has taken.

So why do I love January? Because January here is Summer up North with it’s horn of plenty of locally grown fruits and vegetables. I visited my favorite produce stand, Clemons, last week and was greeted by more than 20 varieties of locally grown produce and fruit. Of course, citrus is plentiful right now. But rarely, does one think of Florida as a “garden state”. The Florida connotation is usually beaches, palm trees, and Disney World. Surprisingly, however we grow a lot of wonderful produce in the winter months. I bought fresh Romaine, cucumbers, and beefsteak tomatoes all grown just an hour or two from my door. Clemons is one of the only places I know that brings the produce from farmer to your door without the middle man.

The salad pictured here is one I made for Wayne and I for lunch yesterday. It is Florida fresh. It tasted fresh and perhaps, it is my imagination, but it looks a lot fresher as well. It thrills me to know that I am eating something that did not travel very far to reach my plate. And the lemon pictured here is from our lemon tree in the back of our house.

The breeze just kicked up as I sit on the patio on this wondrous January afternoon. I love the combination of the warmth of the sun on my skin and the cool breeze on my face. I suppose, in many ways, I share the same sentiments as my optimistic Northern friends who peer out the window at the snow piled high and hold onto their dreams of the first harbingers of Spring. January arrives with its counterpart of a new year and a unique joy from thoughts of rebirth and renewal and fresh starts. January fills our hearts with new perspectives and new attitudes. January is one of those months that grabs your attention in the moment, but at the same time, taps you on the shoulder to remind you of all the things your heart will be rejoicing about…..very, very soon.

June 7, 2010June 11, 2020

Summer: Comfort Food

Most people think “winter” when it comes to comfort foods. Everyone just feels all fuzzy inside at the thought of a big pot of simmering soup on the stove or the smell of freshly baked apple pie in the oven on a chilly winter afternoon. Those foods comfort us. They bring us back to the loving memories of Mom, Grandma and our favorite Aunt. She cooked. She baked. She hugged us. The simmering soup was overflowing with love. I like those foods and memories as well.

However, I must admit that I find great comfort in Summer’s bounty! I was washing some red chard this evening for dinner, and immediately I was transported back to New Jersey and those wonderful vegetable stands on every road and every corner in the summer months. Your car would automatically brake for vegetable stands! Summer’s bounty in New Jersey is a cherished memory engraved forever in my heart and on my palate. I remember my Mom getting all excited about fresh zucchini and huge bunches of basil. I see her standing at the sink, as I did this evening, with her hands washing the chard, transferring the beautiful leaves from one side of the sink to the other to rinse off all the sand.

I remember a dear friend of my grandmother’s, Grace. She had a plum tree in her backyard. We went to visit her when I was just 13 years old. She took me outside and picked plums fresh off the tree. She piled them in her apron like a carrying sack. Then in just 10 minutes flat, she made the most amazing plum coffee cake you have ever seen. The smell was heavenly. I can still see her standing there in her apron filled with fresh plums and a big smile on her face. She was a summer Kodak moment.

I bought this wonderful red chard from a produce market down the road from me called Clemons. It is a family run business. There is a real Mr. Clemons too. It is nothing fancy, but they have the freshest produce starting this time of year.

My chard happened to be from New Jersey, where else? The tag attached to it said, ‘Consalo Farms’. No wonder my mind took me on a trip back to my roots.

I love living in Florida. I love Ruskin tomatoes. Better than Ruskins, I love a tomato from Immokalee, Florida. I love Florida corn. It’s all good. Clemons is ten times better than the supermarket, and as close as I can get to Jersey fresh.

But I must admit I am faithful to the Jersey tomato. There is nothing on the planet like a Jersey Beefsteak tomato! I miss them so much. When the heat of summer makes your steering wheel so hot you can’t touch it here in the South, I find myself longing for Jersey’s Summer bounty and all the deep down comforting feelings that go along with it.

The entire memory just reels me in like the giant arms of Mother Earth embracing me. Winding country roads with gardens everywhere. A small stand offering you green beans, squash, cucumbers that were just picked that very morning. My Mom’s hands cleaning the garlic and washing the vegetables. The smile of farmer when he hands you your purchase. So comforting. Indeed, so comforting.

Yet, I find myself a little jealous right now, and I am not a jealous person. Some special someone gets to eat a Jersey tomato this Summer, and it won’t be me.

March 13, 2010June 11, 2020

I’m Back with Lucy’s Cookies

I’M BACK! I apologize that I have been away for a long time now and haven’t been blogging or visiting your blogs. I missed all of you! Thank you for all of your wonderful comments and interest in my blog.

Lucy’s Gluten Free Cookies are my latest great find. Once you taste them, you will want to tell the world. I stumbled upon them one evening on the way home from work at Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks! I am happy to say that Starbucks offers a nice little assortment of “gluten-free snacks” for the so inclined. A Starbucks latte is my little reward at the end of my work week. As I near home after my hour-long drive, I pass a Starbucks and my car is on autopilot for a coffee treat. As I waited for my latte to be prepared, I checked out a basket next to the register filled with snacks, and it was then that I discovered Lucy’s Cinnamon Thins.

I had no expectations. I opened the small package. It contained 4 small thin cookies with a light fragrance of cinnamon. I bit into one and it was at that moment that I fell in love. They melt in your mouth! I am hooked.

Turns out that these delectable cookies were formulated by a doctor and mother named Dr. Lucy Gibney. She came up with these cookie recipes for her child who has serious food allergies. Check out her website: http://www.drlucys.com. They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but in this case this wonderful, loving mother was inspired to invention.

Thank you, Dr. Lucy!

May 29, 2009June 11, 2020

No Gluten Free Pastas Today

I did not cook gluten free pasta today. In fact, I did not cook at all today. Quite frankly, I have been quite exhausted lately, and I proclaimed a day of rest. My sister, Grace, endorsed me on my decision to take a day to nurture mind, body, and soul. It was rainy all morning, but by early afternoon, the sun was shining, and it turned out to be a lovely Florida spring day.

Wayne and I are enjoying the fruits of our labor from last weekend. Last Sunday, we planted flowers in pots, wild flower seeds, some small basil plants as well as sweet basil seeds. The flowers received a good soaking from mother nature, and they just looked so radiantly beautiful in the freshly washed sunshine. Here I am holding my dish of “naturally gluten free” fresh fruit (fresh papaya and raspberries, to be precise) in front of our daisies.

Below are snaps of our other flowers and our basil and wildflower seedlings. It is fun to go out on the patio each day and watch them grow inch by inch out of the soil.

It was good to tend the garden of my heart today. The day is closing and I do feel a deep sense of peace both physically and mentally.

Sometimes you just have to stop the cooking……………and smell the flowers!

May 25, 2009June 11, 2020

Osteria St. Ana, Roma

There are many, many restaurants in Rome. Every street has a variety of osterias, trattorias, bars (where you can have a coffee, cappucino, or a snack) and sometimes even a pizzaria. However, Osteria St. Ana is not just a restaurant, but an experience that one does not forget. So many restaurants have delicious food that you will swoon over, but it is the combination of ambience, staff. and food that leaves an lasting impression.

For months before our trip, I enjoyed researching places to eat. I also emailed many restaurants inquiring as to their capabilities of preparing gluten free pasta. I found this restaurant close to where we stayed in Rome, so that on the first day of arrival, it would be convenient to find and enjoy a good meal. I emailed the owner asking for gluten free pasta, and he replied that he could provide it, so I went ahead with the reservation. When we arrived, he led us in to seat us and commented that I was the reservation that had requested gluten free pasta. I was very impressed that he remembered!

The food is amazing, prepared with love and many years of experience. You can dine al fresco or downstairs in their romantic lamp lit and candlelit dining room. The walls are covered with pictures of the owners (two brothers) and many celebrities and lesser known patrons.

For appetizers, we shared smoked mozzarella and prosciutto with melon. Yummy! Wayne, my husband, had a fresh baked tuna steak with pomodoro and olives. I ordered Spaghetti with Vongole (clam sauce), pictured here. It was heavenly. I was so happy to be eating gluten free pasta in Rome! My son, Alex, had Pasta Amatriciana (tomato sauce prepared with pancetta). I tasted the sauce, and it was scrumptious. He followed with an entree of grilled Scampi (what Italians call langostinos).

I don’t know where we found the room, but Alex and I ordered three desserts: creme caramel, fresh strawberries and cannoli. I was unable to eat the cannoli, but my creme caramel and strawberries were sublime!

We were fussed over. We were made to feel like family. We were not rushed. They did not care if we sat there all evening. The waiters scurried around and we watched as they just could not be more accommodating to all!

This gem of a Rome restaurant, Osteria St. Ana, on a street just off Piazza Popolo, made us feel so very special. Many generations of the same family have run this restaurant, and therefore, the food is unmistakeably cooked and served with much pride and love.

I shall never forget our evening at Osteria St. Ana. It was and will continue to be a loving and lasting memory of my husband, my son, and I in beautiful Rome with delcious food, laughter, affection, and an ambiance of family tradition.

And thank you, Roberto, for remembering my gluten free pasta! Grazie mille!

May 23, 2009June 11, 2020

Zibibbo!

Gluten Free Spaghetti with Fresh Sardines

Just inside the city limits of the foothills of Florence, one finds this unique trattoria (informal Italian restaurant) run by chef-owner Benedetta Vitali. The 14C bus will drop you off practically right in front of the restaurant which is right off the Piazza di Carregi. The latter piece of advice actually came from Benedetta herself after I emailed her telling her that most likely we would not be visiting her restaurant, as I was told that the taxi ride cost over 50 euro round trip.

From the outside, Zibbibo looks like the front of an every day bar, but step inside, and it becomes a very beautiful dining area overlooking the Tuscan landscape. Benedetta, herself, will lead you to your table, explain the menu and even serve you many of the dishes. She runs a cooking school out of the same kitchen. Each dish is made to order, so be prepared for long pauses to reflect on the goodness of the dish that you had just eaten.

We told Benedetta that we were celebrating Alex’s college graduation, and at the same time, Alex asked to be surprised, so Benedetta picked out eachcourse that he ate, and he loved them all. Admittedly, they became better and better as the evening progressed. In Italy, you have an appetizer (antipasto), then a first course, primi patti, and then a second course (secundo patti), a side dish such as a vegetable (contorno), and if you have space in your stomach, dolce (dessert) and cafe or coffee.

Alex loved his octopus appetizer and black ink pappardelle with squid. He has been emailing all of his friends about it. Wayne and I shared a gluten free spaghetti dish of fresh sardines pictured here). It was very delicious and I plan on trying my hand at this dish when I get home. Benedetta was supposed to share the recipe, but the restaurant became busy as we left, and we both inadvertently forgot about the promise. From what I could discern myself, this dish is a savory mixture of sardines, olive oil, pine nuts, sultana raisins, and just a hint of fresh fennel.

Unfortunately, Benedetta said that she was out of gluten free bread, and admittedly, I was disappointed. I have not encountered any gluten free Italian bread since arriving in Italy just one week ago. Most servers are quite familiar with “gluten free” pasta (pasta senza glutino), but the bread is hard to come by. We are now in Rome and I remain optimistic that I may finally get to taste gluten free bread in Italy.

I was thinking about emailing Benedetta for the sardine recipe, but better yet, I do believe that I will take the creative approach and try my hand at it with my own personal improvisations. Recipe to follow on this blog.

Benedetta Vitali — Viva Zibbibo Firenze! Thank you Benedetta.

May 11, 2009June 11, 2020

Al Tranvai Restaurant-Florence, Italy

Beans with shrimp appetizer-Al Tranvai Trattoria, Florence

Pinch me. Here I am with my son and husband in beautiful Florence. This evening, we dined at a tiny trattoria that went through the trouble of cooking me an amazing and very memorable gluten free meal. This is not just any restaurant. This is a tiny place with about 7 tables and all the locals come, feast, chat a lot, and laugh a lot. The walls resound with the fullness of life. The chef pictured here with our wonderful server was so very proud to prepare for me Taglitelle (gluten free) with a rich mushroom sauce. Spectacular and so very delicous. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the appetizer of fagioli with shrimp, vibrant with flavor and fresh herbs. It is a dish that I have never had before. My son took his bread and scraped up everylast bit of sauce. My husband also had the fagioli and then followed with penne pasta with sausage and wine sauce.

The chef himself came out to serve me my “gluten free” pasta dish. He smiled and winked at me, and we silently acknowledged the understanding that he was happy to create this special dish for me and that I was so very grateful for the effort and culinary love he put into it.

It was an evening never to be forgotten. Delicious. Happy. Being in the moment. Alex, my son, my husband, Wayne, and me together across the globe from home.

I highly recommend Al Tranvai. In fact, we shall return Friday evening, just before we go on to Rome, to celebrate the flavors of this gem hidden away in a residential

neighborhood of Florence. And the best part-they love you gluten free and all!

My son, Alex, and me-Al Tranvai Trattoria, Florence

April 28, 2009June 11, 2020

The Florida Ruskin Meets Exotic Italy Tomato Sandwich

I truly don’t think that my ripe and sweet Florida Ruskin tomatoes ever thought they would be seasoned with real Balsamic vinegar from Italy. This is authentic Balsamic vinegar (il borgo del balsamico) aged in oak casks carried with love by Wayne’s sister, Debbie, all the way from the Emilia Romano region of Italy. The bottle is small and lovely and filled with this dark and precious vinegar. What a fabulous gift. It is so, so delicious. Debbie told us that sometimes Italians put this vinegar over ice cream or fresh strawberries. I haven’t tried that combo as yet.

This evening I created the perfect tomato stack. I sliced a fresh, ripe Ruskin that I bought at my local produce market. I went outside and picked some perky Basil leaves fresh from our plants. They are doing really well. Wayne has grown a bunch of little basil plants from seedlings. They are really taking off now. I took out my pepper mill, extra virgin olive oil, Debbie’s Balsamic, and mozzarella cheese.

First I placed a tomato slice on the plate, followed by a slice of mozzarella, then a basil leaf or two, then some cracked pepper, then another tomato slice on top, followed by more basil, and then olive oil and a sprinkling of vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Voila! The Ruskin meets exotic Italy tomato sandwich!

I dedicate this delicious tomato creation to Wayne and his sister, Debbie. Debbie, thank you so much for thinking of us and for your thoughtfulness to carry this precious bottle of Balsamic all the way from Italy. And both Debbie and Wayne were raised in the Tampa area of Florida not very far where Ruskin tomatoes originate.

And last but not least, Wayne planted the seeds that grew into this amazing sweet Basil pictured above.

The tomato sandwich was sublime and truly an unexpected marriage of flavors. Thank you, Debbie, again, and thank you, Wayne. Thank you, Mom, for the gift of your beautiful plate (pictured above).

April 17, 2009June 11, 2020

To Rice Chex or Not to Rice Chex, That is the Question

Being gluten intolerant, I have not indulged in breakfast cereal in a long time. Most of the gluten free ones are like eating Styrofoam floating in milk, so I had humbly crossed that option off my breakfast choices. I must admit, however, that I missed cereal now and then, because it is so refreshing in the morning with some cold milk, and also, I missed the fact that here was a wonderful way to get some “fiber” into my diet. Then I recently read about Rice Chex becoming gluten free. Like every other gluten free person, I became very excited about this. I don’t know whether I was excited about that fact that they had become gluten free, or that I could actually walk down the regular cereal aisle in the supermarket (and it is a big one at that), and find a gluten free cereal choice.

So, during my next food shopping excursion, I perused the cereal aisle, and lo and behold, there they were, Gluten Free Rice Chex. I picked up the box and read all the ingredients and nutritional value box. I was a bit disappointed, as this product clearly lacks fiber and has added refined sugar as well as the preservative, BHT. I walked over to the Greenwise section of my market (Publix has a separate area for natural and organic foods), and discovered Nature’s Path Organic Corn Flakes. They offered 2 grams of fiber per serving as well as organic ingredients with no preservatives and the promise of organic.

Now in my heart, I just knew, even without tasting them, that the Rice Chex were going to taste good. I was taking a gamble with the corn flakes. You, being gluten free, are quite familiar with being at this crossroads. I did not dare say to myself, “How bad can they be”? I urged myself to be optimistic. I brushed out of my mind the usual little balloon over my head that would have imagined a bowl of tasteless wood chips floating in cold milk.

This morning, I poured myself a bowl of Natures Path Gluten Free Corn Flakes. I topped it with fresh blueberries. I used Almond Milk and just a teaspoon of Half and Half cream in lieu of milk. I just love the unsweetened Almond Milk. It is gluten free and makes some awesome smoothies. Yes, the corn flakes are delicious. They are crisp and full of flavor, and they clearly lack that odd preservative flavor. They are a hit and I am as excited, if not more excited, than everyone else who became excited about the Rice Chex. I proceeded to visit the Nature’s Path website, and they do offer many other cereals that are gluten free, including some “rice” versions. Will have to try some of those too.

In retrospect, it is truly a matter of choice and taste based on so many variables. I am sure you will agree. As for me, I could use some extra fiber in my life and I don’t need a lot of BHT, so I suppose I won’t be “chexing” any time soon.

And it you haven’t already, “chex” out some Natures Path cereals.