Katz Gluten Free (a review)

Katz Gluten Free Bakery

I don't remember how I came across this site but they are FABULOUS!! I think I was looking for gluten free Challah, and I have to say theirs is really awesome. Though.. my favorite thing they make has to be the Cinnamon Rugelech this is the most wonderful sweet I have ever purchased and placed in my mouth. They melt in your mouth, are just the right amount of sweet and crunch, you can eat them frozen or thaw them, they are just WONDERFUL. They have many wonderful products though, I love their Hamburger buns  and their Whole grain bread makes really wonderful toasted sandwiches, its a good size and has a good crumb without being too tough. I just placed my second order with them I will have to tell you when it comes in how wonderful the new items I got (pizza crust and cinnamon strips) are. Given everything I have eaten from there I expect them to be wonderful. Also they offer a nice sample pack . Give them a try, you won't regret it.

Best EVER gluten free substitution list

http://jenncuisine.com/resources/gluten-free/

omg, I so wish I had the time to do this! but I don't have to. The lovely author of JennCuisine did it for us. This wonderful person has come up with an amazing list of gluten free substitutions thats just amazing! 15 wonderful easy to follow weeks of what gluten free is and how things work and what happens and why you should use one thing over another. For those of us who are gluten free Jenn your a godsend! For the rest of the world, look and learn, she did an amazing job (yes, I am really that amazed) and you can use these tips to make even non gluten free items!

Ok so I am on vacation.. but...

I heard about "Chef" Damian Cardon, who has decided that Gluten Intolerance is not a real issue and decided to give diners who ask for gluten free food gluten filled pasta without telling them.
"Gluten free is B***S***!! Flour and bread have been a staple of life for thousands, THOUSANDS of years. People who claim to be gluten intolorent dont realize that its all in there disturbed liitle heads. People ask me for gluten free pasta in my restaurant all the time, I tell em sure, Then I serve serve em our pasta, Which I make from scratch with high gluten flour. And you know what? nothing, NOTHING! ever happens! People leave talking about how good they feel gluten free and guess what, They just had a full dose! Idiots!"
In addition, in a later post, Damain comments, "May god help the Liberal hippie idiot who's going to ask for gluten free pasta this weekend."

"Chef" Damian Cardon
Here is what happens to me when I get gluten.

Actually I usually get like about an hour after consuming gluten before the reaction starts but then...

First comes the headache not really too bad until it develops into just short of a migraine this usually lasts for about 12-24 hours. Shortly after I start to feel nauseous, followed usually by at least one vomiting session depending on how much wheat I eat. This is followed by doubled over in pain stomach cramps that last anywhere from 2 hours to 12 hours, again depending on how much gluten I eat.
In addition to this I get the diarrhea this lasts for 8-12 hours depending on how much the intake is from. Oh and this diarrhea, it is also accompanied by joint pain and the feeling that every ounce of energy is exiting your body through your ass as the diarrhea comes out. The joint pain usually goes away after about 4 days of being gluten free.

Okay so my nonexistent hippy condition, doesn't exist, and its all in my head right? Then why is it, every attack I have had since I went gluten free has been from hidden gluten? I go back and look at ingredients, I check where I might have made a mistake and sometimes I don't find the issue, as I am sure many diners who have left your restaurant believing incorrectly that your an awesome chef who managed to come up with a gluten free pasta they couldn't tell the difference from regular (because there was none) only to have to deal with these issues.

So no someone isn't going to come back to you for giving them a gluten filled pasta instead of a gluten free one (which by the way would require more creativity on your part, I know being a busy man and all that you might not have time to be creative but well most real chefs would welcome the opportunity to learn something new.)

A real chef would never purposefully give people food poisoning. So "Chef" you do not deserve the title chef, you deserve the title Moron. 

http://theview.abc.go.com/forum/chef-poisoning-celiacs
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/food-poisoning-and-safe-food-handling-symptoms
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm

On vacation

On vacation but still looking for recipe ideas! Vacations are a new things to avoid every day, but as they say there is an app for that.. or a few, and other websites are my friend too, just google what I want to eat and gluten free, usually something pops up!
oh well back in a couple weeks with some new recipes. Until then http://foodgawker.com/

Red cabbage and something like Schnitzel

When I went to the store Friday, there were some beautiful small cabbage heads in the produce department! My  friend was coming to visit this weekend and I know he adores German cabbage. This is how today's menu was born!

"German" Red Cabbage in a Crock pot

Makes about 6 cups
Prep time 10 mins with about 5 hours cook time

Ingredients:

• 1  medium head red cabbage cut in 4th's then cored then sliced thin
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 Apple of your choice pealed and cut into large chunks
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Chili Powder (yes really and I know its not German but I like what it adds)
• 1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put everything in your crock pot but the salt and pepper and cook on high until its tender (about 5 hours for me). Salt and pepper to taste, and serve! Feel free to add more sugar if its not to your taste or less for that matter!

'Schnitzel'

Before I went gluten free Schnitzel was one of my very very favorite foods!
This is not quite it but with some tweaking maybe some day I will get it perfect, but its still awfully good.
Serves 4

Ingredients: 

• 4 Boneless pork chops of your choice
• 1 Sleeve Schar Naturally Gluten-Free Table Crackers 
• 1/2 cup OrgraN All Purpose Rice Crumbs 
• 1/2 cup Authentic Foods Classical Blend Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour 
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups Buttermilk
• 1/4 inch of oil of your choice (most any oil with a decently high smoke point will work I used Veggie oil)

Directions: 

Take your boneles porkchops and place in a zip top bag  and pound them thin one at at time, I find it helps if you slit the sides of the bag so you can open them and peel the pork off.
In a shallow bowl or pan large enough to accommodate the pork place the milk. As you finish the pork place it in the milk and let it soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Place the sleeve of table crackers in a zip top bag and pretend they are someone who drove you nuts today, the guy who cut you off in traffic or the person who had to order 5 drinks all with 10 different modifications at the Starbucks line in front of you when your already late for work. Try not to turn them into a fine powder you want it to have a little texture (otherwise I would say use a food processor but this really makes it too fine)

In another bowl combine the crackers, flour, spices and rice crumbs, mix them together well.

Prep the pan, I use a large nonstick pan with about an 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom and make it hot but not smoking)

Remove the pork 1 at a time from the milk and coat them in the flour mix then lay them in the pan fry until golden. then place on a rack (I place them in an oven that's warm to wait until they are all done).

I then drained the oil and add a couple tablespoons of the gluten free all purpose flour  (enough to absorb the remaining oil) and a little salt and pepper, and then added some gluten free beef broth enough to make it runny and sauce like, and cooked it until it bubbled. Taste, add more salt or pepper or both. If it gets too thick add more broth.

Serve and enjoy!

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits

These are yummy and pretty light for biscuits! make them bigger rather than smaller they are yummy and very buttery! The cast-iron adds a wonderful crunch to the bottom!

I stole this recipe from Food.com

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:Serves: 8, Yield:8 biscuits

• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 27 mins
Preheat the oven to 375°F Spray a baking sheet (preferably a baking stone) with cooking spray. (I used a cast iron griddle and preheated it with the oven, 1/4 stick of butter added just at then end to coat the pan)

Place the starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Process with six 1-second pulses. (I used a bowl and sifted these together as I measured them.

Sprinkle the butter cubes evenly over the flour mixture, cover, and process with 12 1-second pulses. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs. (I broke the butter and mixed it with my fingers until it was grainy)

Pour the buttermilk evenly over the mixture. Process for 8 1-second pulses, or until the dough gathers into a moist clump. (I used a spoon for this just carefully folding things together mixing as little as possible)

Using your bare hands, quickly gather a clump of dough, lightly form it into a biscuit shape, and drop it onto the cookie sheet. (again I used a cast-iron griddle with butter on it I also turned the biscuits in the butter to coat the top and bottom to make them yummy) Repeat this for all the remaining dough, trying to handle the dough as little as possible (it's sticky). Also, I coated my hands in some gluten free all purpose four so my hands didn't stick!
This made 10 small biscuits but the bigger they are the nicer the texture so make them bigger! When I make this again I will make 5 biscuits with it!

Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Gluten Free Cheese and Onion Bread

Ok I was craving a savory bread, I had some onion laying around and some bits of cheese that needed to be used. (As a side note my hubby who isn't gluten free likes this so much he has asked 2 more times for me to make it since last week I told him the recipe will be on my blog have at it dear)

GF Cheese and Onion bread

I found a basic Gluten Free Bread recipe at Recipe Rascal

I changed it some

Liquid Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup oil (I used 1/2 stick Margarine melted)
• 1 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon milk into which 4 Tablespoons dry buttermilk has been dissolved. Heat milk such that liquid mixture will end up at room temperature. (I used 1/2 c cream, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and the remainder milk)

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice flour (I used 1cup brown rice and 1 cup white rice flour)
• 1/2 cup potato starch flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup caramelized onions cooled*
• 3/4 cup Cheese of your choice (I used finely grated cheddar and a mild swiss like cheese)

Mix sugar and Yeast into the milk let sit.

Sift all the dry ingredients together, except yeast, and pour into the bread maker.

Pour in the milk, yeast mix.

Mix eggs and butter add that to the top.

Set the bread machine to basic and Medium.

When the machine beeps add add the onion and cheese.

Try not to eat it from the bread machine.. trust me its hot in there!

*Carmalized onions.

Thinly slice two and a half small white onions (I used a mandolin for this)

In a large frying pan melt half a stick of butter put onions in the melted butter add salt and pepper to taste.

When onions are just soft add about 2tbsp brown sugar and continue to cook until soft brown and yummy allow to cool before you add to the bread or it will cook the melt the cheese into a big lump.

This turned out awesome it was moist and tasted really tasted of Onion, but next time I want to up the cheese to 1 1/2 cups. I personally couldn't taste the cheese at all!