CAST IRON COOKING

We bought a large cast iron skillet this weekend. With a lid that could double as another skillet..

Personally, I enjoy cooking with cast iron. Be a good stew, a perfectly roasted chicken, or such as today, a perfect Summer Sausage Sizzler.

Just chop up some of your favorite veggies, some potatos add a few different sausages and a simple, tasty meal is ready in no time.

We used sausages from Spolumbo's (incredible) and a couple of Sobey's house brand, Compliments (Very good). 

OLD MOUNTAIN COOKWARE

ADD SOME SPICES, HERBS AND ROAST IT

GOOD FOOD

CROSSROADS MARKET

Does anyone here remember when Crossroads was on 16th Ave? Some 12 years ago?

Not many vendors thought their relocation to Ogden will work. But it did.

Definitely a more down to earth feeling here, compared to other markets around town, but when it comes to uniqueness, this market got it licked.

Especially in the summer, when you find a bigger fruit and vegetable selection than any other market, this is the place to go.

Isabella loves visiting the market with me, not just for her favorite frozen yoghurt, it's the overall experience here that is very different, she says.

NEVER MIND THE SPELLING...

MOSTLY B.C. FRUITS, BUT A GREAT SELECTION

INSIDE & OUTSIDE BOOTH

DUMPLING TIME

LOADS OF EUROPEAN FLAVORS HERE

BIGGEST HONEY SELECTION IN ALBERTA

BEST TURKISH FOOD IN CALGARY

THOSE ROASTED POTATOS LOOK VERY GOOD

SAUSAGES!

EXCELLENT CHEESE SELECTION

AH. BUT OF COURSE!

MY FAVORITE VENDOR. NOT GLUTEN FREE....

SHE MAKES TEH BEST FROZEN YOGHURT FOR ISABELLA

GLUTEN FREE WEDDING CAKE

The happiest day in your life. Big celebration with dozens of guests. In a fantastic setting. You are a Celiac. You want the cake and eat it too. In style. No frowns from your family about the taste. Or the way the cake looks....

Lauren pulled it off again. For a grand and very stylish wedding she made a GF Cake and 120 gluten free cupcakes with piped Roses in the bride's colors. Lots of piping Lauren told me when we drove to Calgary's most prominent country club yesterday.

I helped her set up the display, but mostly tagged along for the drive and the opportunity to take some pictures of GF PATISSERIE'S latest achievement to make a very nice couple's biggest day even more enjoyful than it already was.

The soiree has not yet started but some early arrivals came over and admired the cupcakes and all of them wanted one right there and then. Restraint. Restraint. Tough.

Just before we were about to leave the newly married couple arrived and the bride gave Lauren a big hug for all the work. You could see the infinite happiness on their faces on this big day. Congratulation from all of us.

LAUREN SETS UP THE DISPLAY

I WANT ONE ( OR TWO)

CALGARY GOLF&COUNTRY CLUB

CENTRE PIECE

WILL THERE BE ANY LEFT?

THE HAPPY COUPLE. MATT AND LANA

1980's FOOD

Monte Cristo Sandwich. Sort of a French Toast with Ham & Cheese. Reminds me of my years on the cruise ships. Everybody ordered one in those days. Oh so sophisticated......

Hard to find these days. I had one for lunch today at Wilder Nest Cafe. It was an interpretation of a Monte Cristo with Chicken and Basil. Very good, but not available GF. Victoria was with me and I promised to make her an original, gluten free Monte Cristo for dinner.

Very simple to make, I used GF PATISSERIE'S  sandwich bread, soaked the bread in my egg and cream batter, filled it with swiss cheese and ham, pan fried in plenty of butter, served with Strawberry Jam and sprinkled with icing sugar.

Victoria: "No wonder this did not make it out of the 80's....."

It's not for everyone I guess. But easy enough to try for yourself.

GLUTEN FREE SANDWICH

I like a good sandwich. Good meat, good (home made) Mayo, cheese, and most importantly, good bread.

Until GF PATISSERIE was born, we were a two bread box household. My bread and of course allthe GF breads for Victoria and Isabella.

Even in the first few month of Victoria baking gluten free, I would go to my favorite bakeries for a good loaf of bread.

After a while however, especially once the Italian Flatbread came into the program, I started to use this bread instead of my regular ones. Let me tell you, it makes the best sandwich you can imagine. It's the herb flavoring that makes this bread stand out over others.

Don't get me wrong, I still go to Lina's Italian Market for lunch, or Spolumbo's for a sausage in a bun, but at home it's GF bread now.

Last weekend, Victoria wanted her favorite sandwich, Bacon, Tomato and Avocado. If you have not tried this version before, get some Avocados and make this sandwich. For you and your family.

It's excellent. See the size of Isabella's sandwich? She ate it all....

MAKE YOUR OWN MAYONAISE. PLEASE.

It's easy. And much much tastier than any store bought Mayo. We do use Helman's at our house, but more often than not, I make a patch of Mayo.

Do not fear Salmonella, do not listen do people who tell you it will go bad in two days. Properly refrigerated, I ate home made Mayo a month after I made it. Did not get sick.

All you need is two egg yolks, salt, pepper, some Dijon, lemon juice ( helps blend the yolk and oil) and some good oil of your choice. Use Olive Oil and you got home made Aioli, that stuff they serve at all the hip places. I doubt theirs is made in house, they just call it that, because it's a funky name....

We have one of those Kitchen Aid mixers, but trust me, I made mayo by hand as well as with a very simple mixer.

All ingredients have to be the same temperature, preferably room temp, this way nothing separates and it all gels well in less than 5 minutes. Plenty of measurments online, you can Google it, I just wing it. When the consistency looks right (somewhat like whipped butter), it's done.

Mayonaise, besides spreading it on some good sandwich, is a great base for so many diffferent sauces. Today I added chopped pickles, parsley, sour cream, capers and chives and quickly had the best Tartare Sauce.

Take half mayo, half ketchup, add some horse radish or Wasabi and you got the dipping sauce I use for those GF Paninis.

With home made Mayonaise, the possibilities are endless. So. For a change, please make your own and tell us all about it, next time you visit GF PATISSERIE

THAT'S ALL YOU NEED FOR MAYO.

WHISK UP YOLKS, S&P, MUSTARD

ADD SOME LEMON JUICE AND KEEP WHIPPING

ADD OIL SLOWLY UNTIL IT LOOKS LIKE THIS

YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE YOU

MUSTARD, SOUR CREAM, CAPERS, PICKLE, PARSLEY, CHIVES

 = SAUCE TARTARE

GLUTEN FREE SOMETHING - GOOD & QUICK

If it wouldn't be for the rice that takes 20 minutes to cook, this meal is so simple, you can do it in under 10 minutes. A little cheating though, as I bought Ginger in a Tube, sliced mushrooms and pre cut pork.

But we gotta do what we gotta to.

Place to be, people to see, I don't have time every day to cook GF dinners that look as if Martha Stewart is my room mate. And she cheats too let me tell you..... She got plenty of staff to do all the work for her.....Martha don't cut onions, that could give her wrinkles from crying.

Anyway, I don't have a Wok, if you do, prep this meal in one, as it is supposed to be a stir fry. But really, any hot skillet or pot will do. Unless you are Martha. Then your Chinese helper has one.

ALL IN!

SESAME OIL & GF SOY SAUCE FOR FLAVOR

STRANGE NAME FISH SAUCE & GINGER FOR AUTHENTIC FLAVOR

HOT!

ADD VEGGIES (WHICHEVER YOU LIKE OR HAVE)

SOME CHILI FLAKES FOR SPICE

LESS THAN TEN MINUTES

CELIACS. YOU DESERVE BETTER.

Isabella is gone for a week, so what better way to start off some quality time with Victoria than going out for a late lunch together.
I chose a place that's known for offering gluten free Pasta, just so I can share my favorite food with her. A few regular bakery clients have recommended the place in the past.

Any restaurant that offers a range of GF food as substitute has to be commended for making the effort to accomodate Celiacs. Kudos.
But is that it? Is that all you gluten intolerant people get? Rice Noodles so thin, that if you blink while boiling them, they are overcooked? Chef Boyardee overcooked.
So starchy that the (tasty) sauce did not make it throughout the pile of Spaghetti O's?

You deserve better. Much better. I am putting in a call to Bruno. Someone's gotta do something.

To the restaurant's credit, my pasta was very good and Victoria's plate was comped.

SAME SAUCE - DIFFERENT PASTA

MUSHY

GLUTEN FREE MUESLI

Muesli is similar to BBQ Sauce. Endless recipes, thousand of variations. Everyone seems to have their own way of making it.

Some like it dry, some like it wet, some like chunks of nuts, others grind them, some use yoghurt, some use non fat milk, etc. You get the idea.

In Europe, Muesli can be found everywhere, from hotel buffets to stores, in almost every home for breakfast, even by mail order:

www.mymuesli.com

Above company is amazing. The concept is great because you can personalize your order to every detail. Couple that with excellent marketing and you have a brilliant business concept.

Anyway, my own recipe for a good Muesli is that I can put things in it that I like and leave other ingredients out that I do not enjoy so much.

For example, I like ground hazelnuts in mine, not pieces of walnuts. This way the whole mixture has a nutty flavor, not just when you actually find a piece...I enjoy my apples shredded, not chunks. I prefer dried Cranberries for a small sour kick over sweet raisins.

I do not like Oranges or Bananas in my Muesli. But I love Berries in my mix, so that is one of the main additions. Some prefer brown sugar to sweeten the cereal, I prefer Pine Honey from Turkey.

So. If you have no reaction to de glutened oats ( we use Total Oats), go ahead and make this healthy cereal with your own mixtures. And tell us about it....