105 Things to Try

I was recently surfing the web, following one idea to the next down some proverbial rabbit hole and ended up inspired a blogger (Brow-Eyed Baker) who had a tab entitled ‘My 100’.  It was a culinary bucket list of sorts that she had compiled, comprised of the many dishes she hoped to conquer in the kitchen.  And that got me thinking – why not put together a list of all the yummy things that aren't, by nature, vegetarian gluten-free that we could try to make that way?

Now most of the things on the list are already vegetarian OR gluten-free, so should not be too difficult to adapt.  Some dishes did rise to the top of the difficulty meter, by being neither veg nor gf (French onion soup, beef stroganoff, sausage & chard strata, grilled burgers, meatloaf, Chinese-style lemon chicken), by being very hard to substitute with gf products (fresh pasta, gnocchi, ravioli, a ‘real’ baguette, tiramisu, spanakopita, samosas), by being difficult to approximate with gf veggie protein (beef burgundy, paella, bacon, lardons), or by being just technically difficult (soy cheese,mozzarella, verjus). I’ve nicknames them ‘The Tricky Twenty” and they are highlighted in bold in the list below.

Observant types might have notice mozzarella – hey, that is vgf already, what gives? Well, that’s where the rest of the ‘bucket list’ comes in. I ended up with 75 items to adapt, but as the ideas were rolling in I started thinking of some culinary delights I would love to create, just for the joy of it.  These 25 loosely fall into fresh cheese making, pickling, and creating other things from scratch - like homemade mayo.

I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceburg, but it is a good start – and a way to inspire me in the kitchen when I’m thinking ‘what should I make today?’.  I’ve reposted it in its own tab too (without the commentary), where I will cross off dishes as they are developed and pass muster (along with the inevitable failures). See My 105. Bonus is that we have already made meatloaf and mac 'n' cheese - yay!  I want to know from you – what is on your 100?  What are you struggling to adapt to meet your needs?  Let me know and we can work at it together.

Italian Delights

1.       Fresh pasta - A quintessentially ridiculous dish to make gf.

2.       Gnocchi - We have tried, failed, and will try again.

3.       Lasagna - What could be more homey and delicious?

4.      Eggplant parmigiana – Successfully breading the eggplant may also lead to parmigiana sandwiches.

5.       Pasta e fagioli - Pasta and beans, traditionally favas.

6.      Stuffed zucchini blossoms - Usually dredged in flour and stuffed with breadcrumbs.

7.       Arancini - Risotto balls usually bound with breadcrumbs or panko.

8.      Ravioli - Once the pasta is figured out we can explore these beauties.

Bread! & Baked Things

9.      A ‘real’ baguette - A HUGE treat, yet to find one gf that passes muster.

10.    Biscuits - Almost as good as a baguette.

11.     Flatbread -  Pita, na’an, or chipatis, looking for whatever will work best.

12.    Good sandwich bread - Something that will hold up to mayo and all the fixin’s.

13.    Whole brown rice bread - A mythic, traditional Japanese loaf that sounds fabulous.

14.    Sprouted grain bread - Why can’t it be gf too?  Easier to digest than flour.

15.    Pizza dough - Enough said!  A craving for us gf folks.

16.    Quick bread - Something that can be adapted to sweet or savory ends

17.    Muffins - Would love to replicate my mom’s Pumpkin Crunch in gf!

18.    Cottage cheese bread - Have some very nostalgic memories of this, with lots of dill.

19.    Crackers - A must for all the fresh cheese further down the list.

Sweets

20.   Angel food cake – My absolute fav as a kid.

21.    Fruit galette - My absolute fav now.

22.   Broken glass dessert - A jello & whipped cream concoction of my Grandma’s with lots of memories J

23.   Cheesecake - Who doesn’t love a good cheesecake?

24.   Brownies - Hard to resist, even for us non-dessert types.

25.   Meyer lemon curd - The quintessential lemon indulgence, I have to try it.

26.   Vegan fruit crisp - Loooove fruit crisp, why not make it more inclusive?

27.   Tiramisu - Lots of gf hurdles with this one, homemade ladyfingers?

28.   Gingerbread cookies - Another sweet soft spot.

29.   Shortbread - We’re Scottish, after all!

30.   Chestnut flour cake - Intriguing traditional Italian confection.

31.    Decent tart shell - That can take a bunch of seasonal fruit & still behave.

Savory Pastries

32.   Gourgettes - French cheese puffs, would love to make these work out.

33.   Spanakopita - Miss this fantastic combination of feta & spinach.

34.   Samosas - One of the best, hearty snack foods I used to adore.

35.   Empanadas - Latin American handpies, maybe with maseca?

36.   Turnovers - Infinitely stuffable with goodness.

Soups & Stews

37.   French onion soup - Beef broth & bread slice make this a double hurdle.

38.   Mulligatawny soup - Creamy, curry chicken with surprises of apple.

39.   Naomi Pomeroy’s celery velouté - Looks divine, but started with a roux.

40.  Miso soup - Complete restorative; usually has bonito fish broth.

41.    Posole - Heartwarming soup with hominy, pork and chicken.

42.   Pho - The Vietnamese staple that hits all the right notes.

43.   Guinness stew - How to get that rich beefy goodness in veggies form?

Main Events

44.  Meatloaf - JJ’s favorite, especially for sandwiches

45.   Falafel - One of my favs, but often adulterated with wheat flour, and served in a pita.

46.  Beef burgundy - Julia Child might not be impressed, but I am determined!

47.   Beef stroganoff - A yummy classic that needs much VGF revision.

48.  Mac & Cheese - Oh yah!

49.  Sausage & Chard Strata - Found this bread-based recipe and just have to try it.

50.  Burgers that can be grilled - If only… without breadcrumbs they tend to fall apart.

51.    Beef burgers - Looking for depth of flavor and great texture

52.   Chicken burgers - Something lighter but still substantial with some zing.

53.   Lamb kofta - Trying to be like our friend Huseyin, who makes it best

54.   Soufflé - For those fancypants dinner parties, usually contain flour

55.   Shepherd’s pie - Rich and comforting even in VGF form

56.   Chicken wings - If it’s coated in good sauce, will you know that it’s tofu?

57.   Bacon - Working for that smoky somtin’ somtin’.

58.   Paella - How to make so many kinds of meat replacements?

59.   Dirty Rice - A New Orleans staple.

60.  Lion’s head meatballs - Pork-based Chinese wonders.

61.   Chinese-style lemon chicken - A guilty favorite.

62.   Carne asada - Gimme spice!

63.   Shredded beef - Love the texture, would love in more on a sandwich.

64.  Lardons - Pork belly cubes of saturated goodness, might be hard to make veggie style.

65.   Butter chicken - Love it! 

66.  Jerk chicken - Bring on the heat…

67.   Chili - A favorite of sporting events, sloppy sandwiches, & nachos

68.  Something tea-infused - Totally intrigued by the cover of Culinary Tea.

Faux Dairy

69.  Vegan “butter” - There has to be something healthier to dip my artichokes in.

70.   Vegan cheese sauce - Morbid curiosity.

71.    Vegan mayo - We use veganaise, but it is getting sooooo expensive!

72.   Almond milk - Homemade has to be better, right?

73.   Soy milk - Intrigued, because of the following two possibilities:

74.   Soy yogurt - Does this work or taste okay?

75.   Soy cheese - Is this possible at home?

{Onto those that are just for the fun of it….}

Fresh Cheese & Dairy Delights

76.   Mozzarella - Mmmm fresh mozza with tomatoes, basil & olive oil.

77.   Ricotta – Yummy.

78.   Ricotta salata - Double yummy.

79.   Mascarpone - Is seem some great dessert potential.

80.  Paneer - Then onto peas paneer, one of JJ’s fav Indian dishes.

81.    Queso blanco - A must for the Latin dishes.

82.   Quark - The oldest form of cheese in Europe, dates to 3 B.C.E!

83.   Feta - Can you imagine fresh feta at home?!?!?!

84.  Chèvre - Another big favorite – though JJ isn’t as fond of it as I am.

85.   Soft goat cheese - Apparently there is a difference between this and chèvre.

86.  Goats milk mozzarella - Interesting…

87.   Sour cream - I’ll try it at least once, just to see.

88.  Crème fraîche - And then onto Truffled Crème Fraiche!

89.  Butter - Looks too easy not to try.

90.  Ice cream - Saw a recipe for white chocolate ice cream, so have to try it.

91.    Paskha - An interesting looking Russian Easter ‘dessert’ made in clay flower pots! HAVE to try that!

Canned & Homemade

92.   Dill pickles - A classic, growing my own cucs this year too!

93.   Pickled eggs - Not as weird as you think, now I’m addicted!

94.  Pickled beets - Just for Kim J

95.   Picked asparagus or beans - I won’t lie, they're destined for Homemade bloody marys.

96.  Pickled hot peppers – Addictive! Thinking of you, Shelly!

97.   Giardiniera - A classic Italian picked veg medley that is delicious.

98.  Verjus - Vinegar made out of unripe grapes, and boy do we have grapes.

99.  Low-sugar fruit jam - Apricot, fig or blueberry? Decisions decisions.

100.   Pear or apple butter - Fruit purees that you spread like butter caught my interest.

101. Apple sauce - Just to try, probably destined for baking.

102.Homemade mayo - A must.

103. Homemade mustard - A cool looking Roman mustard recipe sparked this.

104.   Homemade ketchup - Because the stuff from the store is SCARY.

105.Own Montréal steak spice - One of our secret weapons, so why not make it our own?

A Site for Sure Knives

I came across a great site the other day that I must share with you!  It was once I wrote out the steps on How to Cut Suprêmes that I realized a video tutorial would go a lot further to help you from cutting your thumb off in the process!  I posted a link to the one I found at Stella Culinary, but thought that this fabulous site needs its own post to make sure everyone checks it out.  

It is a fabulous compendium of culinary information from the Truckee, CA, kitchen of Chef Jacob Burton.  He features explanations of ingredients, techniques and more - in pictures, print & video - so you can learn at your own pace.  The videos are short, succinct, and free of all the humming and hawing that characterize so many YouTube flicks (and feature a headless chef just like this blog!).  And apart from the little intro sequence, there are no adds or other plugs.  He emphasizes local and seasonal ingredients, and you can sign up for a monthly newsletter too.

So I encourage you to work on those knife skills, hone your cooking techniques, and generally be inspired to be a more confident and competent chef - thanks Chef Jacob Burton for sharing your knowledge!

http://www.stellaculinary.com/

Citrus Celebration

Makes ~ 6 cups + juice

The absolute best eating comes from local, seasonal food, picked at the peak of freshness and spared from long travel distances from farm to fork.  The second best is eating seasonally, even if that locale is a little farther away. 

In winter and the earliest reaches of spring comes the welcome blessing of citrus season.  While these fruits necessarily hail from places like Texas, Florida and California, their natural “packaging” makes them easy to ship in quantity without refrigeration.  And they are a bright light in the middle of what may seem like a fresh fruit void.  While frozen berries in winter are always a delight, a fresh citrus salad can lift the spirits, not to mention the gloom of winter rains in the Pacific Northwest.  So gather up a basket load of succulent citrus while at its best, and dream of tropical escapes.

This can be as simple or as fru-fru as you want to make it – either way it is best to take a little extra time to cut the fruit into suprêmes – a French term for cutting citrus into sections minus their membranes and pithy cushioning (check out How to Cut Supremes).  Don’t fret – it’s really easy with a sharp knife (you need at least ONE sharp knife to function in a kitchen!).  You can section them into a small bowl to check for pits and pith before adding it to the main dish, or just section off into the big bowl and try to catch them as they come.  Either way be sure to squeeze all the juice from the left-over membrane – this can be the best part!  If when you are done the salad is too “soupy” for you, drain some of the juice off and make yourself a beautiful glass of OJ or splurge with an exquisite mimosa.    

This will keep for a few days in the fridge, so make a big batch even if you are only 1 or 2.  You can serve this just as it is, or with a dollop of plain yogurt and some gf granola.  You can even turn it into a citrus salad (see below). 

And anytime you are going to make a big batch of citrus anything, consider peeling the fruit first and making home-made candied citrus peels and get flavored simple syrup as a bonus.  Talk about using it all up!

Cut into supremes a mixture of seasonal citrus, such as:

• 6 navel oranges, such as Cara cara
• 3 blood oranges, such as Minolo or Tarroco (these make the juice a wonderful magenta and offer a unique flavor too)
• 3 tangerines, like Honey
• 2 large grapefruit (or 3 small), I prefer the red varieties
• 1 or 2 Meyer lemons, sweet limes, or kumquats for the adventurous

Ginger makes this salad a potent immune booster!

With beautifully sweet-tart fruit, you may want to leave well enough alone.  Otherwise you can follow one of the following variations:

• 3-4 t freshly grated ginger OR
• A handful of fresh mint, chiffonaded  (check out Stella Culinary for a chiffonade how-to video)

If the juice is a little on the sour side, add

• A drizzle of agave syrup once you serve  (adding it to the whole batch could make overly sweet)

Citrus Celebration Salad

Dressing:

• 2 T juice
• 1 T flax oil (or hemp, or evoo)
• 1-2 t your favorite mustard
• Dash of garlic powder
• Fresh cracked pepper
• (for a twist, add 1 t garam masala or curry powder)

For each portion plate

• Large handful mixed baby greens, spinach or lettuce, seasoned with kosher salt and cracked black pepper & tossed with dressing

Top with

• ½ c citrus segments, drained
• 1 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 T nuts such as sliced or slivered almonds, cracked hazelnuts, or walnuts (toasted is nice!)
• ½ T dried fruit such as currants, golden raisins or cranberries

Makes a great appetizer, side salad or light lunch.  Add a hard-boiled egg for a great dinner salad.

For a fascinating account of all things citrus, check out http://www.enotes.com/citrus-fruit-reference/citrus-fruit

How to Cut Suprêmes

Suprême is a French term used to describe a citrus segment in which the inner flesh has been separated from the membrane, seeds, and outer white fluffy pith. Doing away with the membranes and bitter pitch makes citrus segments more enjoyable to eat in a composed dish, such as a salad or desert, and is an easy technique to master with a sharp knife. Any citrus - from plummelo to kumquat – can be cut into suprêmes.  This technique is vital for a Citrus Celebration.

1. “Top & Tail”: Cut the top and bottom off the orange and rest the bottom flat on the cutting board. 

2. Using the amount of pith (white part) that is exposed at the top as a gauge, run your knife from top to bottom along the curvature of the orange to remove the pith & peel from the flesh. Try to remove as little of the flesh as possible. Go all the way around the orange and clean up any necessary remaining pith. 

3. Holding the fruit over a bowl to catch any juice (if desired, or just cut over the cutting board), slice between the fruit and the membrane on each side of the segment, releasing it from the rest of the orange. Be careful to only slice halfway through the orange, and not into your hand. If you have to saw to accomplish this, your knife is NOT SHARP ENOUGH. Then deposit the new suprême in the bowl and continue around the fruit until all you have are the membranes left. I like to give these a final squeeze to release any juice (be careful of seeds) and there you are! 

For a well-made, short video on the subject (that also features a “headless chef”!) check out Chef Jacob Burton at Stella Culinary http://www.stellaculinary.com/podcasts/video/how-slice-citrus-supremes

If you are using a large quantity of citrus, think of saving the peel and candying it - check out the recipe here.

Yes, I AM That Crazy

Notice the "key ingredient" to cook in this mess (hint: its not the spackle knife)

I know that this has been a long reno "black out" period for the blog, but I want you to know that I am still working on recipes and pictures for post-kitchen-apocalypse posts!  Here is a snapshot of what it was like last week, when I couldn't take take-out anymore (but apparently had no problem adding more chaos to the counters).

I wish the shopvac I was tripping over made dinner clean up easier!

I had come across a recipe for a jerk marinade (applied to chicken of course) earlier in the reno and decided to give it a go with tofu.  Well, after three days marinating in the fridge I figured it was now or never to make it for dinner.  I added some sauteed caramelized plantains, fresh cara cara orange segments and toasted cashews, all nestled on a bed of spinach with a simple lime juice vinaigrette.

Nothing says tasty like a little construction adhesive!

Unfortunately whether it was the extended marinade, the adaptation to tofu, or the sizes that I cut everything, it wasn't quite where I wanted it to be....don't get me wrong, it was totally edible and still welcome after a long day of dust and elbow grease.  I just want it to be stellar in order to post it for you!  So if you have a great Jamaican jerk marinade recipe, by all means try your own version of this simple yet flavorful, and filling, dinner salad.   Until a can try out a better one, at least you can have a laugh at how food crazy I really am.

In the end it was still better than another night of takeout

Fun with Bitters

I was bestowed with a gift of bitters for the holidays from my sweetie (I asked for them, so it’s a good thing!) and have been having fun experimenting ever since. While bitter flavors are generally underrepresented in the west, they are an important part of the kitchen and nutrition arsenal none the less.

Bitters literally “wet” the appetite by stimulating the production of digestive enzymes from the mouth (saliva), stomach (acid), and liver (bile).  Many greens and other things you eat have bitter constituents, such as collards, endive, dandelion, mustards, and kale; even artichokes, Seville oranges, coffee and good dark chocolate are bitters.  If you’ve ever had a sazerac in New Orleans or a negroni before dinner, you have partaken in some lovely cocktails featuring bitters. 

Leonetto Cappiello Campari poster c.1921 art.com

To become bitters plants are either infused into alcohol (or sometimes glycerin) or their essences distilled into it, to impart their unique flavors and nourishing properties.  Concentrated amounts were and are still used medicinally, whereas the most common bitters on the market today are used more as digestifs and aperitifs.

The campari used in a negroni is a secret mixture of herbs, fruit and (traditionally) carmine dye to impart its deep red color.  Likewise, many other bar staples have a bitter quality imparted by one or more specific herb: Absinthe (wormwood), Tonic water (quinine), Angostura (gentian) … even our own Oregon Grape is a potent bitter that might make a lovely addition to a cocktail someday!

Where tonic & campari are used in relatively large volumes, Angostera bitters and other such brands (such as Fee Brothers & Scrappy’s) are used by the dash.  This is also the case with the bitters that I am now playing with. 

We are down to one bulb - so sorry about the lighting!

The two sample packages I received include: aromatic, lavender, celery, orange, chocolate, cardamom, and grapefruit bitters, while Scappy’s also makes root beer and lime bitters.  I have seen mint & peach also from Fee Brothers, and that is just the beginning.  Shops such as The Meadow on N Mississippi have so many flavors & varieties that it boggles the mind that there are so many small-batch crafters of bitters!

So far we have come up with the following little ditties, all of which would make wonderful virgin concoctions to keep with any new year’s resolutions to imbibe less, or if the new year has brought a new gift that requires a seat back “on the wagon” (congrats Nicky!).  Just omit the booze entirely, or substitute more flavored or plain soda to make up the difference in volume.  Or to get a gin-like flavor, try pouring in a little juniper dry soda.

New Years Even with tequila & chocolate bitters

A note on dry sodas: the “dry” here is similar to why you would call a certain wine dry – namely, it is substantially less sweet.  I like the Seattle-based Dry Soda Co.’s adventurous flavors, and less-is-more mandate.  Each variety has only four ingredients and weigh in at around 55 calories (40-70) and come in fun flavors like rhubarb, lavender, juniper, vanilla bean, lemongrass, wild lime, blood orange and cucumber. Visit the website for the flavor profiles that feature food pairing suggestions and cocktail recipes.  http://drysoda.com You can find these at many well-stocked grocery stores in the Pacific Northwest, including New Seasons & Freddy's.

Once you start with bitters, you’ll find yourself adding them to all sorts of drinks and even start sneaking it into salad dressings, marinades and whatnot for an extra little bite!  A votre santé!

Some Easy Combinations to Try...

Floral Gin like G’Vin Floraison or Bombay sapphire | lavender dry soda | lavender bitters

Crisp Gin like Aviation, New Amsterdam or Plymouth | rhubarb dry soda | celery bitters

Good Tequila like Avion Resposado or Corralejo Resposado | slightest lime squeeze | chocolate bitters (you could also try the grapefruit or lime bitters)

Celebrate citrus season with a Campari & OJ

Bourbon like Makers Mark | chai tea | orange bitters

Campari | juice of one valencia orange | orange bitters

(Cheap) Sparkling Wine | grapefruit fanta | grapefruit & cardamom bitters (this concoction of Tricia's shouldn't work but it does!)

(Not as cheap) Sparkling Wine | aromatic & lavender bitters

Water | fresh-squeezed lemon | aromatic bitters

Other ideas: Wake up a dirty martini or a bloody mary with a good shot of celery bitters, try spiking cold herb tea/infusions with a dash of bitters...fabulous!

Add aromatic bitters to herbal teas for a kick

Intrigued by Bitters?  Check out...

Scrappy’s Bitters http://scrappysbitters.com/ - Recipes are grouped by flavor

Campari Cocktails http://www.campari.com/int/en/cocktails/list/

Renovation Interlude

(Insert Jeopardy theme music here)

The production of Very Good Food has been temporarily interrupted... with a New Year will hopefully bring a New Kitchen with many New Recipes!  We are working hard to get it back soon... and I will try to post a couple of fun things in the mean time too.  Until then.. the kitchen looks like this.

Stay Tuned!