The Healthy Cooking Coach

I Scream for Ice Cream Challenge and Ice Dream Cookbook Giveaway

Compliments and rave reviews are great. Imitation can be good too. Imitation is supposedly the most sincere form of flattery, right?

Well, I’m flattered that blogger Yasmeen Mohammad The HealthNut loves my Ice Dream Cookbook and recipes, that she gave it a big thumbs up in her review in July of 2009, that she took breathtakingly beautiful pictures of the recipes she made (without an ice cream maker!), that she regularly cooks from and recommends my Ice Dream Cookbook, that she's recently created a new frozen dessert using my recipes  as a model, and that she's created a fun contest this month.

In her review of my book on July 15, 2009, she made Roasted Banana Nut Ice Dream with Blueberry Sauce and dairy free Peach Melba. (Click review link for recipes.) She also made my Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Dream in March of 2010 (all without an ice cream maker). Photo right by Yasmeen,The HealthNut.>>>

About the book, Yasmeen says:
“I totally love the book for introducing the healthier alternatives in home made ice creams, clear and descriptive recipes with fabulous variety of flavors. I've been using her recipes to make most of my Ice creams ever since I did the review. The cookbook is a best buy for any diet-conscious, ice-cream aficionado and those on restricted diets (low-sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free). You can read my complete review here.”

That's Peach Melba Ice Dream (above) made without an ice cream maker. Photo right by Yasmeen, The HealthNut.>>>

To share her enthusiasm and inspire others to make delicious, dairy free, naturally sweetened, low-sugar frozen desserts she’s created the “I Scream for Ice Cream Challenge, and Ice Dream Cookbook Giveaway” and posted her most recent recipe for dairy-free Kumquat Ice Cream with Kumquat Syrup and caramelized Kumquats modeled on recipes from my Ice Dream Cookbook. The deadline for entries is June 30th, 2010.

Are you up for the challenge?
You already know that homemade frozen desserts are far superior than store bought versions. You can customize the flavors and ingredients, use higher quality sweeteners and less of them, reduce unnecessary calories, and eliminate preservatives, artificial colors and artificial flavorings. You can also save money. Homemade frozen desserts typically cost half what you’d pay in stores.

 Can you create a fresh, healthy, homemade dessert recipe that fits her criteria? If so, you could win a copy of The Ice Dream Cookbook.

Do you need an ice cream maker to enter?
No. You’ll get the best texture using an electric ice cream maker, but if you don’t have one, Yasmeen offers tips for freezing desserts without one. (Note: You won’t get as much loft, your dessert won’t be as smooth, and they won’t keep as long in the freezer without icing up. If you shop at Costco, in many locations you can buy a Cuisinart Ice Cream & Sorbet maker with an extra prechill canister from Amazon using the link here.)

That's Yasmeen's Kumquat Ice Cream modeled on recipes from my book. Photo right by Yasmeen, The HealthNut>>>>

For complete rules to enter the "I Scream For Ice Cream!" Challenge click here. Note: You’ll submit your recipe on Yasmeen’s blog, not on my blog. Photos right by Yasmeen, The Health Nut.

If you like coconut milk, coconut cream, naturally sweetened desserts, non dairy frozen desserts, The Ice Dream Cookbook, or this blog, tell your family, friends and co-workers about this giveway and the how they can enter to win this book. Tweet about it, announce it on Face Book. I thank you, Yasmeen thanks you, and your family and friends will thank you after they dry the delicious recipes you make.

About the book
 The Ice Dream Cookbook is the first cookbook to feature delicious, naturally sweetened dairy-free frozen desserts made from coconut milk along with wheat- and gluten- free, naturally sweetened cookies, fruit compotes, and sauces. It provides information about the health benefits of coconut; tips for using a non-caloric herbal sweetener; charts to help you modify your favorite dessert recipes; a guide to buying ice cream makers and other kitchen tools; ingredient glossary; 80 recipes with more  than 200 variations; clear and detailed instructions; nutrition breakdowns, four appendices, index, illustrations, and 300 total pages.

If you can’t wait and you want to order your copy of the Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces today, click here or here to order it directly from the publisher for fast shipping.

For more healthy recipes, beautiful food pictures, and ideas, check out Yasmeen's blog. Book cover photo right by Reed Hamel, Phoenix, AZ.

Spice Crusted Salmon

Saved by salmon & sardines!
I’ve been a fan of fish since I was a child. I liked eating oil packed sardines eaten straight from the can, tuna salad sandwiches, and bagels with lox (Nova Scotia Salmon) and cream cheese. I remember several holidays in which my mother ordered half a side of smoked salmon from Hegg & Hegg Smoked Salmon from Oregon or Washington state. It was a favorite in omelets. By my early teens I liked Caesar salad (made with anchovies). These were among some of the healthiest foods I ate back then. For that (and for my mother’s wisdom in buying them) I am eternally grateful! Photo right from Wikipedia.com

I didn’t grow up eating three square meals a day or many vegetables. My mother bought some things considered “health foods”–– Roman Meal Bread, oatmeal, brown rice cakes, fresh and dried fruits, and carob candy bars. She also bought potato chips, bologna, margarine (by request because I didn’t like rock solid, unsalted butter taken straight from the fridge), boxed macaroni & cheese, TV dinners, Jell-O, Cool Whip, Pepperidge Farm cookies, canned fruit cocktail, artificially flavored fruit punch, Kool Aid (which I discovered at my friends’ houses), a cornucopia of sugar frosted cereals, and a long list of other abominations of the processed food industry. I shudder to think about how I would have fared had I not had regular infusions of oily deep ocean fish to fill in some of the nutritional gaps in my otherwise deficient diet.

I missed the boat
Unfortunately, I missed out on hundreds of possible fish meals during most of the time I lived in Seattle, Washington. At least eight of the 12 years I lived in the Pacific Northwest I followed vegan and near-vegan macrobiotic diets, which not only left out the fish course but also the eggs, meat, poultry, and dairy. My health suffered on those regimens regardless how many how diligent I was with food selection and preparation, how many times I chewed each mouthful, and how much I believed in that way of eating.

The paleo path to better health
In early 1997, after 12 years of mostly vegan diets interspersed with several 6- to 12-month periods of eating some animal products, my former husband and I still had signs of nutritional deficiencies, so we decided to follow a paleo diet modeled on hunter-gatherer or paleolithic food ways. We continued to eat generous amounts of fresh vegetables. We increased our fruit consumption, which the macrobiotic diet had limited, and added in lean, clean meat, eggs, and fish. We limited grains, beans and sweeteners to very infrequent use.

Dr. Price was right
In the 1930s, Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist from Cleveland, Ohio, and his wife traveled around the world visiting primitive groups of people isolated from modern commerce and free of the diseases of civilization. Dr. Price visited Swiss in isolated mountain villages, Gaelics in the Outer Hebrides, Eskimos, Indians of North and South America, Melanesians and Polynesians, many African tribes, Australian Aborigines, and New Zealand Maori. He took thousands of photographs of people eating primitive diets, and of people of the same genetic stock who had switched to modern diets. He recorded what they ate and analyzed many of their foods. In 1936, Dr. Price published his findings in a landmark book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration (republished by Keats in 1999).

Price examined many mouths looking for dental disorders and spoke with physicians knowledgeable about the natives’ general health. He found numerous people isolated from modern influences who had handsome faces, straight, decay-free teeth, and robust physiques. In some tribes, such as the Maori, Price had to look at 2000 teeth to find a single decayed or missing tooth. These people also appeared to have a high resistance to both infections and degenerative diseases.

Interrupted heredity
Price showed that most degenerative diseases are caused by what he called “interrupted heredity.” Originally people had healthy genes, but when eating deficient diets, their genes are not able to produce handsome development and robust health for lack of proper (building) materials.

Imagine you have a blueprint for a sturdy house, but only give the builder cheap, weak materials. No matter how hard he tries to make a sturdy house, in the end it will only be as good as the raw materials. This is how weak and sick bodies are created and how people who appear seemingly health can, over time, become increasingly ill.

Keys to health
All of the tribes Dr. Price studied ate omnivorous diets; some ate animal foods in large amounts (e.g., Inuits). When he studied the nutritional composition of their foods, Price concluded that their robust health resulted from high intakes of animal products rich in fat-soluble vitamins, special fat-soluble activators, water soluble vitamins, and essential minerals.

Health food from the sea
Dr. Price was particularly impressed with the physical and mental development and high immunity to degenerative diseases among coast-dwelling people who ate liberal amounts of seafood, the best source of iodide. He found natives all around the world were aware they needed foods from the sea to maintain health. When Dr. Price asked highland Peruvians why they went to great lengths to obtain fish eggs and kelp from coastal people, they told him it was necessary to maintain female fertility and prevent the “big neck” disease––i.e. goiter––often developed by white people.

To learn more about Dr. Weston A. Prices work, pick up a copy of The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz (that’s me!) and Don Matesz. Much of the info above was excerpted from this book. You can also read more about the wisdom of paleo and primal diets on the Primal Wisdom blog. If your local library doesn’t carry The Garden of Eating, please help us spread the word by asking them to add it to their collection.

Safe seafood
Seafood is still a superfood, although we have to be more selective about the kinds we eat due to over fishing and problems with polluted waterways. Wild Alaskan salmon is one of the cleanest fish you can eat, far more nutritious than Atlantic or farmed salmon. My friend Kenny Aschbacher (know in Phoenix, AZ, and Albuquerque, NM, as The FishHugger) sells several varieties of sustainably harvested wild salmon from the Kodiac Islands, where he fishes commercially every summer. He sells his fish at farmers’ markets around the valley, to some local restaurants, and to individuals. If you’ve had salmon that tastes too strong for your liking, he has some mild-tasting varieties.
   
Still crazy about salmon after all these years
Wild Alaskan Salmon is one of my favorite foods. Here’s a recipe I’ve made twice so far, once in January and again today. I pan fried the salmon in Ahuacatlan Avocado Oil that I got from a vendor at the Town & Country Farmers’ Market here in Phoenix. I’ll tell you more about the virtues of avocado oil in the next couple of weeks. You'll have a chance to enter to win a bottle of this oil as well. It’s a great all purpose oil rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and far safer for cooking and salad use than vegetable oils.

After a vigorous 2-hour hike at Cammelback Mountain with my friend Kristy, here’s what I ate as a combined lunch and dinner:

• A 5-ounce piece of Spice Crusted Wild Alaskan Salmon (recipe below)
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups locally grown (leftover) blanched vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and bell peppers) dressed with a tablespoon of light and toasted sesame oil mixed with a squeeze of fresh ginger juice
• 1 locally grown orange from McClendon's Select Citrus
•  1 to 1.5 ounces of outrageously delicious Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo 70% dark chocolate bar w/Crunchy Cocoa Nibs*
• about 1/3 cup Pralined Pumpkin Seeds  (recipe from The Ice Dream Cookbook, honey replaced with Swerve brand erythritol)
• 1 cup darkly brewed Teeccino (coffee alternative) with a few tablespoons of plain, unsweetened coconut milk and several drops of liquid vanilla stevia

* Note: A 1.5-ounce serving (half of 3-ounce bar) of this variety of Askinosie chocolate contains only 7 grams sugar. It also contains 5 grams fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 17 grams of good fat. It was so delicious!


Spice Crusted Salmon

Prep: 15 minutes    Cooking: 8 to 12 minutes    Yield: 4 servings

I found this recipe in Healing Foods: Cooking for Celiacs, Colitis, Crohn’s and IBS by Sandra Ramacher. Even if you don’t have digestive disorders, I highly recommend this cookbook. It has some amazing recipes. I've tried at least three of them so far and they've all been winners.

My notes: I doubled the amount of spices and sesame seeds to make enough to coat both sides of the salmon fillets. I cooked enough fish to allow for leftovers the next day and two pieces to freeze for future meals.

Ingredients:
1½ tablespoons whole dried coriander seeds*
1 tablespoon dried cumin seeds*
1 tablespoon sesame seeds* (I used black sesame seeds today; brown ones last time)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 salmon fillets with skin on one side (I used FishHugger salmon)
1 egg white
Olive oil (I used 2 tablespoons avocado oil, which has a higher smoke point than olive oil; Spectrum Palm shortening, Tropical Traditions Palm Shortening, and  ghee also work well)

*seeds are only for advanced stage of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and need to be crushed finely.

1. Heat a dry skillet; toast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds, stirring constantly until they become fragrant. Remove seeds. Repeat the process with the sesame seeds. Remove from heat, add to the spices, and crush with a mortar and pestle (or pulse on and off in a spice-dedicated coffee grinder).
2. Add the thyme, salt and black pepper.
3. Dip the skin side of the salmon fillets into the egg white. Then press into the spice mixture. (I dipped both sides of the fish into the egg and spice mixture, so I needed more coating.)
4. Brush the skillet with olive oil and bring to a high heat. (I oiled the pan more liberally)
5. Place the fillets with the seeded side onto the oil (start with the flesh side, then flip to the skin side for the pretties presentation).
6. Fry on high for two minutes.(I used medium high heat for about 3 minutes per side.) Turn the heat to low. Flip the fillets and cook on low for up to 8 minutes, depending on how well done you would like them.
7. Serve with our asparagus with hazelnut butter and sautéed Asian greens. (I served my favorite: blanched vegetables).

Source: Healing Foods: Cooking for Celiacs, Colitis, Crohn’s and IBS by Sandra Ramacher

Cooking to Heal Digestive Disorders & Promote Health

With all the recipes I have in my cookbooks, I still enjoy trying recipes from other sources: cookbooks, magazine articles, blog posts, and links that some of my friends send me. It keeps my cooking fresh and gives me ideas for new recipes and combinations of ingredients and techniques I haven’t thought of.

This past November I spent four days in the Salt Lake City Utah area with one of my former cooking assistants who now practices Naturopathic Medicine with her husband and another ND at Healing Solutions Pediatric Center in Sandy Utah. They use a holistic approach to prevent and treat chronic diseases, childhood developmental disorders, neurologically imbalances, and other conditions.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert Matesz © 2009

A holistic approach to healing
They work with a lot of parents whose children have developmental disorders and chronic diseases, such as Autism, Asthma, Allergies, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Asperger’s, PDD-NOS, etc. Rather than use psychotropic or immune suppressive drugs to alter neurotransmitter/hormonal levels and neurological function, combined with behavior modification techniques, the Naturopathic doctors at Healing Solutions use a more holistic approach to correcting the imbalances by supporting each individual body to come into balance.

The Two-Day Cooking Intensive
Dr. Mary, Dr. Humpherey’s and I led a two-day cooking intensive to help parents learn how to practice several well-known therapeutic diets that have helped developmentally and nutritionally-challenged children heal and function at a higher level. We focused on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), The GF/CF Diet (gluten-free, casein-free diet), and the The Anti-Candida Diet.

To learn more about a holistic approach to treating your child’s health problems, upcoming cooking classes, cooking intensives, healthy shopping tours, and other services offered by Healing Pediatrics staff in the Sandy, Draper, and Salt Lake City, UT area, you can visit the Healing Pediatrics web site.

A new way to cook
If you have Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, celiac disease, diverticulitis, aor other digestive conditions, changing the way you cook and eat can improve the way you feel and function in a profound way. Very few conventional doctors are aware of the healing power of food. As a result, they rarely prescribe the kind of dietary changes that are required to reduce inflammation, heal the gut lining, and promote healthy digestion, assimilation, and elimination.

In preparation for the cooking intensive I checked out several cookbooks from the library (don’t overlook this source when you’re searching for new books and recipes; if you like the book, then you can buy it with confidence knowing you’ll actually use it).

Here are a couple of recipes I found, prepared, and liked from Eat Well Feel Well: Meals to Help Manage Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, celiac disease, diverticulitis, and other digestive conditions by Kendall Conrad (ClarksonPotter Publishers, New York, 2006) The book contains More than 150 Delicious Specific Carbohydrate Diet-Compliant recipes. I found the recipes easy to follow. I found the instructions clear and concise; you don’t need to be a chef to produce great results. Check out this book if you want to learn more about cooking for the SCD diet.

For a holiday meal in December I served the Mashed Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Orange and The Moroccan Cauliflower with Curried Deviled Eggs and Ham, from Trader Joes. I would make the carrot and cauliflower dish again. If I made the curried eggs I would cut the amount of spices way back. I thought the ham was way too sweet for my tastes, although I’m glad I tried it because I hadn’t had ham in decades.

Mashed Roasted Carrot with Cumin and Orange
Prep: 20 minutes    Cooking: 1 hour, unattended        Yield: 4 servings

This deep. Rich orange puree is a great substitute for mashed potatoes and, if you ask me, has even more flavor. The roasted garlic butter adds even more rich, sweet flavor. Serve with a variety of Moroccan or Middle Eastern-inspired dishes.

My notes: I made a few adjustments in the recipe below. You’ll see my comments in parentheses below. The cooked carrot puree reminded me of sweet potatoes, really sweet, almost dessert like! Made me think of making a carrot pie filling some time.

Ingredients:
2 pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/4 cup olive oil (avocado oil and extra-virgin coconut oil also work)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespon grated orange zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (I used Redmond Real Salt, an unrefined sea salt)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. In a roasting pan, toss the carrots with the garlic, oil, cumin, zest, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast for 1 hour, until very tender. Drain any excess oil from the carrots and transfer them to a food process (fitted with a metal blade). Squeeze the garlic out of its skin into the food processor and add 1 tablespoon butter. Pulse to a chunky puree. This can be made 2 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. (Better yet, make a bigger batch, then serve it two or three days in a row with different side dishes).
4. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into 6 slices and top each serving with a slice (I skipped this last step since I used a mix of butter and olive oil to roast the carrots and I refrained from pouring off the olive oil after roasting).

Variations:

• * If you follow a casein free diet, you could replace 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/4 cup ghee or extra-virgin coconut oil, then skip the step where she says to pour off the olive oil; just puree the carrots and garlic with the ghee left in the pan. Then, omit the added butter at the table. You could sprinkle chopped, roasted pecans on top for a rich, crunchy garnish.
• * Try this recipe with red garnet or jewel yams. Choose ones that are small in diameter, not any larger than your hand can wrap around otherwise they’re likely to be dry and mealy textured.

Source: Eat Well Feel Well: Meals to Help Manage Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, celiac disease, diverticulitis, and other digestive conditions by Kendall Conrad (ClarksonPotter Publishers, New York, 2006) with foreward by Elaine Gotschall, M.Sc., author of Breaking the Vicious Cycle.


Moroccan Cauliflower
Prep: 20 minutes    Cooking: 15 minutes        Yield: 4 to 6 sevings

The deep red color of paprika seeps into the cauliflower, which is kept whole, making for a beautiful presenation. The cumin and cinnamon add a wonderful flavor to this vegetable side dish. This is great alongside Moroccan Chicken Stew with Cashews, Saffron, and Currants (page 110 of Eat Well Feel Well: Meals to Help Manage Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, celiac disease, diverticulitis, and other digestive conditions).

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used Redmond Real Salt, an unrefined sea salt)
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Trim the stalk of the cauliflower to the base, keeping the pretty green leaves intact. Set in a large pot with half an inch of water in it. Cover, set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Steam until tender, 10 to 12 minutes
2. Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, lightly toast the paprika, cumin, and cinnamon for 2 to 4 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and whisk in the oil, juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Transfer the cauliflower to a platter and pour the spiced oil over the top. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Source: Eat Well Feel Well: Meals to Help Manage Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, celiac disease, diverticulitis, and other digestive conditions by Kendall Conrad (ClarksonPotter Publishers, New York, 2006) with foreward by Elaine Gotschall, M.Sc., author of Breaking the Vicious Cycle.

Gluten Free Almond Flour Scones

If you’ve been following my blog you’ve read about The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam and the many recipes I’ve made from it. I debated between making her Tropical Chocolate Chip Cookies and her Chocolate Chip Scones. The scones had a sweetness rating of medium, so I chose them.

The photo on the right was taken by a professional photographer who, no doubt, worked with a food stylist. The picture of the two half batches I made don't look as pretty, for the reason you'll read about below. Still they taste great! Photo credit: Annabelle Breakey.”

Modifications I made
I made half the batch with the recommended chopped, bittersweet dark chocolate (chopped more finely than in the picture on the right; these turned out to be my favorite) and half the batch with raisins. I added 3/4 teaspoon of pie spice to each  half batch. I used honey in place of agave nectar. To find out why, read my post on Another Look at Agave Nectar. I used coconut oil to replace grapeseed oil. If it’s the coconut oil is hard, melt it in a saucepan over low heat and allow it to cool before mixing it with the eggs (to avoid curdling them) and the almond flour, otherwise your scones will spread and look more like cookies. If you use palm shortening, a great alternative to vegetable oil, margarine, butter (if you’re severely lactose intolerant), or conventional shortening, you need to beat the eggs, shortening, and liquid sweetener in the food processor or in a bowl with an electric mixer before adding to the almond flour mixture.

I followed the rest of the recipe as written. You can find Spectrum All Vegetable Shortening (made from mechanically pressed organic palm oil) on the baking aisle of natural foods stores or the health food aisle of supermarkets. It's very reasonably priced in stores (much more expensive on Amazon), has a mild, almost undetectable flavor, works well in sweet and savory recipes, and has ome of the same health and culinary benefits of coconut oil. I also like Tropical Traditions Palm Shortening (also made from non hydrogenated palm oil), which you can purchase in larger buckets for economy and efficiency.

The result
16 delicious gluten-free, grain-free, flourless, naturally sweetened small scones (mine came out more flat like cookie because I didn’t wait long enough for the coconut oil to cool after melting so the batter spread more). I like the way the chopped, bittersweet dark chocolate spreads throughout the cookies moreso than the larger chunks of raisins in the variation I created. If I use raisins again, I’ll chop them coarsely. The scones have a smooth consistency and soft texture. I think some people might think they actually contain (grain) flour, meaning you might fool a few skeptics. Remember (see my previous post) that almond meal that contains almond skins will not produce the same results. You need blanched almond flour for Elana’s recipes.

They tasted sweet enough to pass as cookies for me. I don't think the scones needed any less sweetener. Each contains 3/4 of a teaspoon of liquid sweetener and 1 tablespoon of chopped dark chocolate (or raisins). Two small scones with a cup of hot tea or Teeccino made a great dessert for me. If you try them, tell me what you think. You could experiment with dried cranberries, currants, chopped dried cherries, or a combination of one of those with dark chocolate.

You could win a copy of this great cookbook!
If you’d like to be entered into the drawing for a chance to win a copy of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, then  click here for rules and to enter. Enter before midnight, January 15th.

Here is another one of Elana’s delicious recipes reprinted with permission from her publisher. I'm impressed and I plan to continue trying sweet and savory recipes from her book.

Chocolate Chip Scones            Sweetness: medium
Prep: 20 minutes or less    Cooking: 12 to 17 minutes    Yield: 16 scones 

In college, I used to pretend chocolate chip scones were a breakfast food instead of a dessert, devouring one nearly every morning. Using agave nectar to lower the glycemic index of this scone makes my unique categorization less of a stretch. Rich in antioxidants and low in sugar, organic dark chocolate makes these decadent-looking scones a healthy indulgence.

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (I used Nuts On Line brand)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used Redmond Real Salt)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup grapeseed oil (I used Tropical Traditions melted extra-virgin coconut oil)
1/4 cup agave nectar (I used honey)
2 large eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (73% cacao; I used Trader Joe’s gluten-free dark chocolate)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, and eggs.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined, then fold in the chocolate. Drop the batter, in scant 1/4 cups 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, until golden brown or a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Let the scones cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheets, then serve.
5. “Reprinted with permission from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook: Breakfasts, Entrées, and More. Copyright © 2009 by Elana Amsterdam, Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo credit: Annabelle Breakey.”

Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance

Are you gluten intolerant? 
I wrote about gluten intolerance and celiac disease (the most severe form of gluten intolerance) in the front part of my most recent cookbook, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces (Planetary Press, 2008). I wanted to educate people about these conditions and the problems that can arise from eating gluten grains. Even though I don’t have celiac disease I want to learn as much as a I can about it so I can help more people who do have it and help people avoid health problems that can be prevented.

What do you know about gluten intolerance?
Gluten intolerance affects at least 15% of Americans (1 in 7 people). Celiac disease, the most severe form of gluten intolerance, affects at least 1% of the population (1 in 133 people). Many more may be affected---but not yet diagnosed.

How prevalent is it?
According to Dr. Kenneth Fine, an intestinal researcher at Entero Labs, as many as 42% of Americans may have the gene for gluten sensitivity. That means as many as 1 in 4 Americans may have some delayed allergic reaction to gluten––a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats that have been cross contaminated in harvesting, processing, or packaging. Gluten sensitivity may also be a factor in at least 77% of all cases of autoimmune disease.

The projected number of people with celiac disease in the United States is close to 1.3 million. However the vast majority of people with celiac disease are unaware they even have it. Even if you don’t have celiac disease, you may have an intolerance to gluten and it may be undermining your physical, mental, or emotional health.

Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance
I recently watched a video called Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance, a 2-plus hour DVD of the June 17, 2006 seminar at College of Du Page, Glen Ellyn, IL. In it, Dr. Thomas O'Bryan, DC, CCN, DABCN, gives an overview of the research linking gluten intolerance to a long list of autoimmune, neurological, behavioral, and skin disorders. He explains how gluten intolerance can trigger auto-immune diseases, attention deficient disorders, epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, osteoporosis, and other health problems in sensitive individuals.

Here’s what two reviewers on Amazon said:
“Dr. O'Bryan's heavily referenced, easy to follow research overview is crucial to grasping the scope and severity of gluten sensitivity including neurological issues. It extends far beyond celiac disease and is literally a safety requirement in the investigation of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease…”

“This is a DVD worth watching, especially for new Celiacs like me -- I became even more vigilant about staying away from wheat in any form. It would be an eye-opener for people with unresolved health problems. Its extensive research references clearly show a world-wide concern about the effect of Celiac disease beyond digestive problems…”

The iceberg
Drawing on research from the Brittish Medical Journal, Dr. O’Bryan explains how the tip of the iceberg consists of people who have the classic form of celiac disease. They have the gastrointestinal symptoms and they have an endoscopy and blood test that come back positive for atrophy of the small intestines. However, the largest portion of the iceberg is under the surface, unseen, and largely unrecognized.

Eight times more people who have celiac disease have no gastrointestinal symptoms. They silently suffer with this condition. These people often have symptoms outside the intestines so their doctors don’t think to test for celiac disease.

Underneath that part of the iceberg you have people with latent celiac disease. They have the potential to develop the disease. They may be genetically susceptible and may even have some symptoms, but their condition has not progressed so far as to show up on a blood test.

Missing diagnosis
“The rate at which celiac disease is diagnosed depends on the level of suspicion for the disease [Am J Clin Nutr 1000: 69:354-65].” If you suspect and test for it, the rate of diagnosis goes up. So if your doctor doesn’t think you have celiac disease because he’s not read up on the research and is unfamiliar with all the ways the disease can manifest, he may neglect to have you tested for it.

In the U.S. it takes an average of 11 years for a person with symptoms to be diagnosed with celiac disease. One of the reasons is that “Patients with celiac disease may have the silent or atypical form (without gastrointestinal symptoms) and the condition may present outside the intestines [BMJ, Apr 2005].

“Every time the disease is clinically diagnosed in an adult, that person has for decades had the disease in a latent or silent stage [N Eng J of Med, Oct 23, 2003, 1673-4].”

Celiac disease is on the rise
A recent study found that the prevalence of celiac disease has increased 4 to 4.5 times since the 1950s, and that undiagnosed celiacs have a four-fold increased risk of death compared to non-celiacs.

What is celiac disease?
Celiac Disease in an inherited autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive process of the small intestines. When a person who has celiac disease consumes gluten, the individual’s immune system responds by attacking the small intestine and inhibiting absorption of important nutrients. The longer this goes on the more damage is done to the intestines and other body tissues.

Know someone with osteoporosis?
According to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the prevalence of celiac disease in people with osteoporosis is high enough to warrant blood tests for all patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Why is this? Osteoporosis takes years to develop. Dr. O’Bryan explains that if you have celiac disease, osteoporosis starts as soon as you start eating gluten. You never build a high bone density. So you get to age 40 or 50 and you have osteopenia.

According to the Brittish Medical Journal, all patients with osteoporosis should be screened for celiac disease. But don’t expect your doctor to know this and test you. You have to be proactive and find a doctor who will test you.

There’s more
The video, Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance, explains the link between gluten intolerance and autoimmune thyroiditis, type II diabetes, depression, and other conditions that warrant screening for celiac disease.  I won’t try to summarize the entire video. If you want to learn more about gluten intolerance and celiac disease, if you have health problems that have escaped diagnosis, and if you want to know more about how to recognize symptoms that may be indicative of gluten intolerance, I recommend you get a copy of this video and recommend it to your health care practitioner. It explains about what tests you ask for and the second section of the video includes information about shopping and cooking presented by gluten free chef, Sueson Vess, author of Special Eats: Simple, Delicious Solutions for Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cooking, a cooking video called Gluten Free & Dairy Free Cooking with the Seasons, and a gluten-free, dairy free web site with recipes, resources, www.specialeats.com

To order copies of this video or Sueson's cookbook and cooking video, click the title links above or the Amazon icons below.

My review of Hungry Monkey

I thoroughly enjoyed Shauna James Ahren’s book, The Gluten Free Girl and the updates she gave on her blog as she progressed through her pregnancy and the birth of her baby. So when she recommended the new book, Hungry Monkey: A Food Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton, I knew I had to read it.

It was worth waited almost two months for my local library to cough it up. I waited my turn, impatiently. Well, not so impatiently, I had a stack of books already checked out plus a handful of books on my shelf awaiting review. Still, I really wanted this book.

Is this book for you?
Shauna puts it well, “Do you have a child you’re trying to feed Thinking about having one? Love food? Or just want to laugh so hard that your belly hurts?” If any of the above apply, read this book! You don’t need to be a parent to get absorbed in the book, the life of the characters, or feel inspired to try some of the author’s recipes.

Page turner
I found Hungry Monkey utterly delightful and engaging from page one….and I don’t have children and don’t plan to have any. (The closest I will get to having kids in this life is my two lovely cats.) I found Matthew Amster-Burton's writing punchy, witty, utterly honest, and instructive (for eaters of all ages and those who share food with them!). I found myself rereading certain passages because I found them so smartly written. I secretly hoped I could absorb some of Amster-Burton’s wondrous way of writing about food and life!!

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni >>>>

What’s it all about
So Hungry Monkey is about a Seattle food writer and former restaurant critic, Matthew Amster-Burton, and his attempts to raise an adventurous eater.

It focuses on his daughter’s development as an eater (and eventual helper in the kitchen), his life as a self-employed stay at home dad who does dinner, how to deal with the ever changing tastes of children, how to get dinner on the table even when you only have 30 minutes to cook, how to avoid making different meals for the grownups and kids, and how to have more fun shopping for food, cooking it, and eating more meals at home.

I don't believe in baby food
Amster-Burton had me smiling, laughing, and nodding as he challenged and debunked rules about what to feed children and when outlined in popular books. His first rule of baby food is that “there is no such thing as baby food,” a rule he shares with famous chef Jacques Pepin and his daughter Claudine.

Jacques Pepin says:
“Except for very spicy food, she was served exactly what we ate from the time she was an infant. When she didn’t like something, we barely acknowledged the fact. Conversely, when she ate spinach, broccoli, or chard, we  never congratulated her because we didn’t want her to feel that she had done something special.”

Like both of these authors, I don’t believe in baby food. Don’t get me wrong. I believe a baby’s first food and primary food should be breast milk and that nursing should continue as long as possible (1 to 3 years). However, once a baby expresses interest in what the rest of the family is eating, I think s/he should be given that! Not bland, bottled veggie and fruit purees followed by a steady stream of fabricated foods sold in separate sections and packages in supermarkets.

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni

I think the whole notion of children needing and requiring separate foods from their parents is an artifact of our modern food processing and marketing industries! In traditional cultures around the world babies, toddlers, preteens, and teens don’t eat an different diet than their parents. Babies may need their food finely minced. Teens may need more fat, more calories, more food overall, but that can easily be accommodated by a diet of whole/real foods, the same things mom and dad eat.

That said, Amster-Burton isn't against all baby food. He admits to adding Gerbers' fruit purees to greek yogurt, something he himself still eats. (I'm not sure what's in a bottle of Gerbers but you can do the same thing with the fruit sauces from my latest book, The Ice Dream Cookbook. I've done it and it's really delicious.)

Break all the rules
Ambster-Burton questions, then breaks the rules found in the baby books in an honest and humorous way. You know, the rule that say, “Strong flavors scare babies.” Nonsense. His daughter Iris was into spicy food as a baby. She loved habanero chili con carne with beans, frozen Indian food, Ants on a Tree (that’s a Thai dish), and spicy chicken enchiladas.

On the topic of enchiladas, Amster-Burton questions the idea that “it is important to wait several days after the introduction of any new food in order to see if that new food will trigger an allergic reaction.” How realistic is this for a parent?

 “A four- to seven-day wait after every new food? For how long? This advice, repeated everywhere, makes me break out in hives. Iris’s first favorite food, chicken enchilads, contains about a dozen ingredients––some of which practically nobody is allergic to, like cilantro. (Okay, I know cilantro tastes like soap to some people, but that’s not an allergy, and those peole are missing out on some really good salsa.) I could have made the enchiladas with just tortillas the first week, then tortillas and chicken the following week, then tortillas and chicken and onions, and so on for twelve weeks. Sounds like an interesting performance art project, but not much like dinner.

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni

“Laurie and I have no food allergies. If we did, I’m sure we would have been a lot more cautious. But this advice is so cautious, hardly anybody follows it.”

Then there’s the rule that you should “Never feed your baby nonorganic food. Super Baby Food, page 39: Only certified organic food should be used to make food for your precious baby.”

 “If you’re baby’s not particularly precious, you can just spike her bottle with Miracle-Gro.”

 “I’m being flip because I don’t have a good response to this. Like many people, sometimes I buy organic and sometimes I don’t. It depends on how much money I have in my pocket and how the produce looks. When I’m shopping at the supermarket, the organic produce is often inferior to the conventional––and I’m not talking about the kind of cosmetic blemishes that food writer’s like me tell you to overlook. (Nobody has to be told abou the virtues of ugly tomatoes anymore, right?) I compared the Italian parsley the other day and the organic wasn’t just twice the price–––it was jelly, which means old. Then again, maybe it got old because no one was buying it because it was twice the price, because of bad subsidies….My brain is tarting to hurt.”

I like it, I like it!
I like that first and foremost, Amster-Burton is a real person sharing real-world experiences that other parents can glean tips from. He doesn't talk down to the reader, doesn't tell you that you have to elaborately decorate your child's food to make him or her eat. Have you see the cookbooks that feature all the cookie cutter sandwiches and foods made to look like animals, toys, and other play things?

Cumin-Ginger Carrot Coins; Photo Chef Rachel

He's also practical. I admire his priorities, his passion for cooking and eating with his daughter (and wife), the time freedom his chosen career and lifestyle affords him, his sense of humor. I liked reading  about his enjoyment of fat – good fat – butter, pork fat, lard, olive oil, and coconut milk – the traditional stuff and how it makes food taste great. He says “Many of the world’s most delicious foods cannot be successfully made in a low fat fashion.” I agree!

At a time when so few people eat home cooked meals and fewer still know how to cook from scratch, I found reading about a father who was excited about sharing food with his baby refreshing. How many dads get the chance to introduce their children to new foods, teach them how to cook, and share convey-belt sushi? Or to be the only “snack dad” in preschool?

Here's how Amster-Burton puts it:
“In retrospect, I think I was gung-ho about sharing our food with Iris for the same reason people share food with each other everywhere: it’s fun. It was the first opportunity for Iris and me to share an experience and enjoy it for the same reasons…”

Photo credit right: Chef Rachel

Not just a good read
After the writing, the next best thing about Hungry Monkey is the recipes, which are written clear, concise, and enticing. I found so many I wanted to try that I stopped flagging them halfway through. Many of them are easy enough to make on weeknight, even if you only have 30 minutes (add more time for side dishes). While the recipes aren’t paleo, primal, or strictly whole foods, and many of them contain wheat or dairy, you and I can easily make substitutions if necessary.

Recipes I want to try
Browned & Braised Brussels Sprouts
Lemony Chard & Escarle
Beer Braised Shortribs with Wheat Berries (I will omit the wheat berries)
Broiled Teriyaki Mackerel (I love mackerel sushi)
Thai Shrimp Curry
Chicken Strips with Thai Dressing

Here's what I tried
Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika and Cumin-Ginger Carrot Coins. Both were easy to assemble. The carrots cook all of 20 minutes to prep and cook. I've roasted carrots with ginger and love them and cumin's one of my favorite spices. I served it with Asian Mint-Flavored Pork Chops (from a magazine) and sauteed mustard greens with onions (from my Garden of Eating book).

Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika......Photo credit: Chef Rachel

The chicken cooked while I did other things during the day. The wine and smoked paprika enhanced the tomato in the stew and the reduction of pan juices made up for the loss of flavor that many slow cooker recipes suffer from. These are just two of the user friendly recipes you will find in Hungry Monkey.

Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika

Time: About 6 hours, mostly unattended (slow cooker recipe)        Serves: 4 to 8

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons smoked Spanish Paprika
3/4 cup red wine
salt and pepper (I used 3/4 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper)

1. Place the onion, carrot, and celery in a slow cooker. Add the cihcken thighs, stacking them in two layers, bone side up. Add tomatoes, paprika, wine, and salt to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 5 hours or until the meat is very tender.
2. Remove chicken and most of the tomatoes to a platter. Strain liquid into a saucepan. Discard onion, carrot, and celery. Bring the liuqid to a boil and reduce to less than one cup. Add pepper to taste. Serve chicken with mashed potatoes and reduced braising liquid for drizzling.

Photo credit right: Chef Rachel

Note: I didn't drain the liquid from the canned tomato and it still came out great. I didn't serve the chicken with mashed potatoes. Instead, I served it today with a baked sweet potato with butter and a crisp green salad one day and will probably have it with blanched mixed vegetables tomorrow. The rest I'm freezing for future meals.

You can check out Matthew Amster-Burton’s blog" Roots & Grubs

I hope you read and enjoy this book! If you find a book you think I would like to read and review, drop me a note and let me know.

Revisiting The Complete Meat Cookbook

Have you ever purchased a book that sounded great and boasted beautiful pictures then filed it away on a bookshelf and neglected to cook from it for one, two, three, or four years? Have you gone back at a later date and suddenly felt drawn to cook from it?

Such is the case with Bruce Aidell’s and Denis Kelly’s book, The Complete Meat Cookbook: A Juicy and Authoritative Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, and Cooking Today’s Beef, Pork, Lamb and Veal. I bought it as a part of a cook book club promotion and I’m glad I did.

Revisiting the book
After at least four and maybe five years of sitting idle on my bookshelf other than being used as an occasional reference when I wondered about the best cut of meat for a particular dish, I am finally using it. My 1998 hard cover edition has a delicious looking picture on the jacket and eight full color pictures of additional recipes inside. I have the 1998 edition. The newer editions have been updated.

What’s to like
I like the blend of history (of meat in the human diet), practical guidelines for choosing the right cooking method, choosing the right cut of meat, and then preparing each one to perfection. 
Illustrations in each chapter show you where on the animal each cut comes from, the different names for particular cuts, the different ways that each comes, such as square cut boneless lamb shoulder roast vs. rolled lamb shoulder roast, and how to cut each of them.

Sidebars answer common questions, provide cooking tips, cut through popular myths, and offer insights to help you become better at cooking meat. You'll find the detail here that is often lacking from other books. The authors don't assume you know how or how long to cook each kind of meat or how to tell when its done. Instead, they walk you through all the details you need to know to expertly cook meat.

You'll find so many recipes to choose from and they're all marked with helpful notations such as, Fit for Company, Good for a Crowd, Cooking on a Budget, Rewarms Well, Great Leftovers, Mom's Comfort Food, and more. I made two recipes from the book a couple of weekends ago, made another one last weekend, and have more earmarked for weekend with leftovers in mind.

Who will like it?
Whether you new to cooking meat or just looking for new ideas and inspiration, this is a great reference book. I like to refer to it hen I'm faced with unfamiliar cuts of meat, making homemade and healthier versions of old favorites, such as barbecue sauce, exploring different ethnic cuisines, and looking for a less expensive alternative to dining out. Dining in can be so much fun when you try one, two, or three new recipes each week or weekend and make enough for the next day or two.

Thai Style Meat
Since Thai food is my new curiosity, inspired by four recent visits to two local Thai restaurants and one Thai cooking class, I flagged all of the Thai recipes I found in the book.  I’ve used Asian ingredients for more than 20 years, many of them staples in Thai cooking, but I had only gone out for Thai food on a handful of occasions, until this past Spring.

Here’s the recipe I made a couple of weekends ago. I hope you will try it and tell me what you think. My dining companion and I enjoyed it. I would definitely make the marinade again for meat.

Thai Marinade for Pork (also great with beef)

This marinade also works well with spareribs, country-style ribs, pork chops, and lamb riblets. It’s also great with steak, which I used in the recipe below. The Asian ingredients can be found in Asian groceries or specialty stores or by mail-order. I doubled the recipe so I’d have leftover marinade to use with chicken during the week.From The Complete Meat Cookbook.

Ingredients:
¼ cup Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
2 tablespoons Asian peanut oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed and tender center thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sugar (I used palm sugar)
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

3  (1-to-1½- pound slabs) of meat: sirloin, top loin, tenderloin, or T-bone steak, or spareribs, country-style ribs, pork chops, or lamb riblets)

1.  Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and blend well. Put the meat into a zip-lock bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over the meat.  Cover if necessary and refrigerate the meat overnight turning occasionally.  

I added the next set up steps for anyone new to cooking with meat (any former vegetarians or     vegan reading?)
For a video on how to broil steak, click here:

2.  reheat a medium-hot gas grill or position a broiling rack 2 to 3 inches from heat source for 3/4-inch thick steaks, 3 to 4 inches for 1- to 1 1/2-inch thick steaks, 4 to 6 inches for 1 1/2- to 2-inch thick steaks.  Preheat 15 minutes before cooking (5 minutes for a toaster oven).
3. Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Shake off the excess and place on a broiling pan about 4-inches from the heat source or on a hot grill.
4. If using an electric oven or toaster oven, add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the broiler pan (under the meat tray); it should not touch the steaks. During cooking, leave the door of an electric oven ajar.

For estimated cooking time for types and thicknesses of steak, click here:

5. Cooking time for steaks can range from 3 minutes for very thin cuts to 18 minutes for thicker pieces. Grill or broil steaks, turning them once they look done on the first side. To test for doneness, make a small slit in the steak and check the center. The interior should be slighlty less done than desired; the steaks will continue cooking after you remove them from the heat. I prefer rare or medium rare; well done meat can be tough and leathery.
6. Allow the steaks to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes to let the juices to settle, then slice and serve, or refrigerate for later. Deposit any bones in a bag in the freezer for making broth or stock. Freeze leftover meat or consume within 3 days.

Source: The Complete Meat Cookbook: A Juicy and Authoritative Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, and Cooking Today’s Beef, Pork, Lamb and Veal by Bruce Aidell’s and Denis Kelly

Thai Beef Salad
Serves 4
In a Hurry.  Cooking on a Budget. Fit for Company.

This refreshing salad can be made with a freshly cooked steak such as flank steak or with leftover steak or roast beef.  Ideally, the beef should be marinated in Thai Marinade for Pork before cooking, but any flavorful steak marinade will do, since the meat will pick up Thai flavors from the dressing.  The spicy salad makes a lively centerpiece for a lunch or light summer supper; it can also be served as a first course for an Asian banquet.

FYI: I  doubled the amount of meat so I would have leftovers. I also did a slightly different presentation and replaced the tomatoes with red radishes. It made a yummy dinner and I enjoyed the leftovers the next day for brunch.

Note: Thai ingredients are available from Asian groceries or by mail-order.

Ingredients:
¾-1 pound steak, marinated (see above) and grilled, OR ¾-1 pound leftover cooked steak or roast beef
1 cup thinly sliced unpeeled English or Japanese cucumbers (I peeled and seeded the cuke)
½ cup shredded carrots (I peeled, the finely grated)
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
4-6 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (I used romaine)

Thai Salad Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
1 2-inch piece of lemongrass, tough outer part removed, tender center very thinly sliced, OR
2 teaspoons thinly sliced lime zest
½ teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil or other basil

4 large iceberg or red lettuce leaves

Garnish:
20 fresh mint leaves, cilantro sprigs (optional), and 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1.  Thinly slice the cooked beef across the grain and then cu it into ½-inch-wide strips.  Set aside.
2.  Place all the vegetables, including the shredded lettuce, in a large bowl and set aside.
3.  To make the Thai Salad Dressing:  Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
4.  To assemble the salad:  Spread a lettuce leaf on each of four serving plates. Add the sliced beef  and dressing to the vegetables and toss well.  Put one quarter of the mixture on each of the lettuce leaves.  Garnish with the mint leaves, the optional cilantro sprigs, and the cherry tomatoes, and serve.

Source: The Complete Meat Cookbook: A Juicy and Authoritative Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, and Cooking Today’s Beef, Pork, Lamb and Veal by Bruce Aidell’s and Denis Kelly

Do You Follow a Dairy-Free Diet & Lifestyle?

I love to read and I love to cook, so reviewing cookbooks is something that feels more like play than work. I was excited to receive a review copy of Go Dairy-Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living by Alisa Marie Fleming, a fellow blogger I met on line last year.

How it all began
The book opens with a short succinct summary of the authors story, of the baffling and often frightening symptoms she suffered from prior to discovering that she had a dairy allergy, of the cessation of her symptoms within mere days of going dairy free, and of her eventual ease in living a dairy free lifestyle.

Alisa Fleming’s personal success living dairy free area led to the creation and launch of www.godairyfree.org in 2004, an information resource for an estimated 7.5% of the U.S. population that follows a dairy-free diet.  She had no idea that she would eventually reach half a million visitors and receive more than 2.5 million hits over a 2 year period, or that word would continue to grow with each passing month. She didn’t know then that she would be so busy updating her high-ranking site weekly, if not daily, adding new product reviews, recipes, news articles, announcements, discounts, give-aways, personal stories, and other things that might prove useful for dairy-free eaters everywhere.

In 2006 Alisa produced a limited edition guidebook Dairy Free Made Easy in 2006, which quickly sold out. The popularity of both her web site and her guidebook led her to update and expand her guide to address additional FAQs and to include an expansive cookbook section and change the name.

What’s in it?
The 288-page book is broken down into chapters, six main sections. The first section, Understanding Dairy & Dairy-Free From a Health Perspective, includes chapters that explain the term dairy-free, addresses the questions of why someone would choose to live dairy-free, covers concerns about strong bones and calcium, issues relating to infant and childhood milk allergies, and other dairy-free concerns.

The second part of the book, Eating Away from Home, covers restaurant dining and social events and travel while the next section, Grocery Shopping and Preparing your Kitchen, teaches you about decoding food labels, including shipping list inspirations, includes Alisa’s Random Grocery Tips, and How to Create the Well Equipped Kitchen.

The fourth section, All You Ever Wanted to Know about Dairy Substitutes, explores the myriad of milk alternatives, offers alternatives to butter and cheese in cooking and baking, and includes egg substitutes for those who are also intolerant of eggs.

In addition to providing her own findings, Alisa's book features recipes and resources that other authors, experts, bloggers, and eaters have shared with her, including a couple of recipes from The Ice Dream Cookbook. It contains both a general index and a special index containing charts that tell readers which recipes are vegan and which ones are egg, soy, wheat, gluten, peanut and/or tree nut-free, a plus for those with multiple food allergies or intolerances.

What I like about this book
I like the comprehensiveness of the book, the layout and organization, the Q&A’s, and the extensive recipe offerings that meet the needs of people following a wide range of diets.

Although I don’t follow an exclusively dairy-free diet (I periodically eat some dairy foods), I have eaten a mostly dairy-free diet for the past 25 years, including 9 years of veganism in my twenties and early thirties. Many of my clients and cooking students follow dairy-free diets and I hear of increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with allergies or intolerances to milk products, including Children with ADD, ADHD, chronic respiratory problems, ear infections, skin problems, and those on the autism spectrum.

Because of my own experience and what I have learned about the possible health consequences of eating dairy products, particularly modern, pasteurized milk products from factory farmed cows, I can appreciate all that went into this book. 

Simple substitutions
I would recommend it to anyone who follows, or needs to follow, a dairy-free diet. Although some of the recipes call for ingredients I don’t keep in my kitchen or choose not to use, most recipes offer several options for ingredients; for those that don’t readers can easily make their own substitutions.

I think there’s so much valuable information contained in this book that readers who don’t eat this or that food can easily make the modifications they need to benefit from it. You’ll find recipes for savory and sweet things for every meal and any occasion.

 For example, in recipes that call for rice or soymilk powder, you can use coconut milk powder (I’ve done that and it works beautifully). In those that call for white or brown sugar, you can substitute maple or honey granules, coconut palm sugar, date sugar, xylitol, erythritol, honey, maple syrup, or any one of these combined with a tiny amount of stevia. In place of powdered sugar, there’s a new non-caloric sweetener called Swerve (made from erythritol) that looks, cooks, and measures like the real thing. I used it in one of Alisa’s recipes and it came out great.

Some recipes call for vegetable oil or vegetable margarine, one can easily substitute olive, coconut, or avocado oil, or non-hydrogenated palm shortening. If you follow a gluten free diet, you can easily replace all-purpose or wheat flower with a gluten-free flour blend paired with xanthan gum (1/4 to 1/ 2 teaspoon per cup of gluten free flour used). 

What I tried
I tried four recipes from this book: Dulce de Coco, Cinnamon Coconut Pops, Magic Shell, and Cool Whipped Coconut Cream. I thought they all came out great. I flagged additional recipes I would like to try for a special occasion, such as White Chocolate and White Chocolate Mousse.

First I tried the Dulce-de-Coco, a vegan twist on dulce-de-leche, the famous caramel flavored sauce. The recipe contained only four ingredients. I followed the straightforward instructions making only one substitution—replacing the brown sugar, which I don’t keep in the house, with coconut palm sugar, which I recently received a sample of.

I poured some of the finished sauce over sliced strawberries one morning and sprinkled with shredded unsweetened coconut. I shared some of the sauce with friends, who also liked it. I think it would taste great over vanilla or ginger-flavored Ice Dream (my non-dairy, coconut milk based ice cream alternative), commercial coconut milk ice cream. 

The Cinnamon Coconut Pops recipe required a minimum of ingredients and took less than 10 minutes to assemble and pour into popsicle molds. Once frozen, I made the Magic Shell (chocolate coating) in about 5 minutes (recipe below).

I don’t have or use a microwave oven, so I melted the chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat. I ran warm water over the popsicle molds to release the pops, set them on a plate, and spooned the liquid chocolate sauce over them, turning them to coat all over with chocolate. For a prettier finish, go slowly with this step.

I set the chocolate covered popsicles on parchment paper and returned them to the freezer. The result: delicious, ice-creamy coconut milk popsicles covered in a crispy shell of chocolate, reminiscent of the ice cream bars I ate as a child.  I would make them again especially with children or for company. 

For the Cool Whipped Coconut Cream, I replaced superfine or powdered sugar with Swerver (info above) and the rice or soymilk powder with coconut milk powder. The result was a creamy, voluptuous topping that tasted great over berries and just as good on it’s own, spooned into a parfait glass and sprinkled with cacao nibs.

I liked that the recipes were simple, easy to follow, didn’t require any special equipment – except popsicle molds, which I already had. the author also explains that you can replace these with 5-ounce paper cups and wooden craft sticks.

Magical Shell
Yield: approximately 1 Cup

Recipe from Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living by Alisa Fleming

I loved this stuff as a kid, so when I discovered the magical solidifying properties of coconut oil, I knew it was time to recreate this old favorite at home.

Ingredients
6 Ounces Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (see my variation below)
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Grapeseed or Vegetable Oil (I used unrefined almond oil; avocado oil would also work)

Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it on HIGH in 30 second intervals (just 2 to 3 should suffice), stirring vigorously between intervals, until the chocolate has just melted and is smooth (see notes  below for melting without a microwave). Be careful not to overheat the chocolate, as it can scorch easily.

Stir in the two oils until smooth and drizzle away! Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator, warming the sauce as needed.

My notes & variations:
The recipe called for 6-ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I didn’t have in the house, so I subbed 6-ounces of bittersweet dark chocolate plus 3 tablespoons of honey and ½ teaspoon of clear stevia liquid. For the grapeseed or vegetable oil, I used unrefined almond oil. Since I don’t have a microwave oven and I discourage using one, I chose to melt the chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat. It came out great.  I plan to try the leftover sauce over strawberries, other variations on the popsicles, or one of my Ice Dream flavors for another weekend treat.

Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for milk allergies, lactose intolerance, and general casein-free living is now available to purchase via Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com. For those who prefer the instantaneous gratification of eBooks, Go Dairy Free is also available in an eBook format and through Amazon Kindle. For more information, visit our Dairy Free Shop.

Dairy Free Coconut Whipped Cream

Last summer, shortly after I received review copies of my Ice Dream Cookbook, I found Ricki Heller’s blog, Diet, Dessert & Dogs. I perused it, noticed she used some of the same ingredients that I use, that she loves to bake, create new recipes, write about food and her dogs, and follows a wheat-free, dairy-free diet.

I offered to send her an early reading copy of my book. In exchange she tried several of the recipes, took pictures of them, and wrote a review. When I heard she had a book in the works, I asked if she would send me a review copy once her book came out, which she did.

Ricki lives in Maple, Ontario with her husband and two lab-border collie cross dogs. Her book, Sweet FreedinL Desserts You'll Love Without Sheat, Eggs, Dairy, or Refined Sugar, represents the culmination of years of developing recipes, baking, and gathering her most requested and successful recipes from her former vegan, organic bakery, Bake It Healthy, her years of catering, teaching cooking classes, doing cooking demos for groups, and writing her award-winning blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Allergy friendly desserts
“Many people think the term healthy desserts is an oxymoron,” says Ricki Heller, a holistic nutritionist and former English teacher. But when she was forced to change her diet for health reasons, she wasn’t willing to give up her favorite desserts just because she could no longer use conventional ingredients.  So she designed recipes that she could enjoy and share with others who had food allergies or intolerances, such as lactose intolerance, casein allergy, and sensitivity to refined sugar. 

Coconut Whipped Cream in process>>>>

Allergy friendly designations
Each of her recipes includes a symbol/key indicating the special need the recipe is suited to, for example, SF = Soy free, GF = Gluten free, CF = corn free, NF = nut free.  Rather than use wheat, her recipes call for speet, oat or barley flour.  Instead of white or brown sugar, her recipes call for agave nectar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, dried fruit or some combination.  All of the ingredients she uses can easily be found in the health food section of supermarkets and natural foods stores.  Ricki also offers alternatives for those who cannot eat eggs.  She says that about one-third of her baking is entirely gluten-free. 

Btw: If you follow a gluten free diet you could replace the gluten flour in her recipes with a gluten free flour blend, if you do this you will need to add ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon of guar gum or xanthan gum as a binder per cup of flour. Ricki prefers to avoid these binders, so most of her gluten-free baked goods are grain free. I find the binders helpful so I offer the above tip.

Coconut Whipped Cream, ready>>>

Conversion guide
Ricki’s book includes guidelines for converting recipes from sugar to maple syrup, agave nectar, and date puree, how to replace eggs with flax, chia seeds, or tofu, and information on using coconut oil, olive oil, coconut milk, almond milk, and other alternatives.

Who will like it?
If you include have a sweet tooth, you limit or avoid dairy products, you prefer to use less refined sweeteners, you regularly consume grains, or you cook for anyone else who falls into one or more of these categories, you’ll want to check out this book. Most of the recipes in Sweet Freedom focus on baked goods—muffins, scones, rolls, cookies, bars, squares, cakes, cupcakes, dairy-free cheese cakes, pies, and baked puddings although the book does include toppings, frosting and some raw and no-bake treats.

What I tried
I made her Soy Free, Sugar Free Coconut Whipped Cream (page 125), which Ricki says she tested more than 50 times – by far the most in the entire book. 

Although “it’s a slightly fussy recipe with several steps,” says Heller, “the result is well worth the effort:  you’ll have a light, creamy, fluffy topping that can be dolloped over shortcake, pie, or fruit without soy or refined sugar.   She also includes tips for making it stiffer and piping it through a pastry bag.

I made it twice because the first time I neglected to divide the cornstarch and add it at two different stages. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both batches over juicy summer berries one time and my Fresh Fruit Gel the next weekend. While not as light as real whipped cream, it’s a pleasant alternative for those who need to avoid all dairy and it looks like a rich and special treat, my photograph doesn’t do it the justice that the cover of Ricki’s book does.

I made the Cashew “Cream,” (page 106) a staple in most vegan households (which mine is not...but I do love cashews). Mine came out a bit dark because of the quantity of dates I used. The recipe called for a specific number of dates, which here in the date growing Southwest can vary in size. I think future printing of her book will call for a specific weight, which will improve accuracy.

Cashew Cream made w/dates>>>

You can serve it as an ice cream or whipped cream alternative over fresh fruit desserts, or pies. Unlike most sweetened nut cream recipes, this one calls for dates rather than maple syrup or agave nectar.  I found the texture creamy and the flavor sweet – a nice topping for fresh strawberries or peaches this time of year. 

Sweet Freedom, a 7x10 book, contains more than 100 recipes in 172 pages, a four color cover, and a 6 page color insert showing off 18 of Ricki’s recipes.  The cover includes four more. The book is indexed by ingredient and recipe names.  It retails for $27.95 Canadian. For more information or to order, visit the Diet, Dessert & Dogs blog

Soy Free, Sugar Free Coconut Whipped “Cream”
Recipe from Sweet Freedom by Ricki Heller    

In creating this recipe, I ended up testing it more than 50 times—by far the most in the entire book—and am happy to say I’m thrilled with this final version. It’s a slightly fussy recipe with several steps, but the result is well worth the effort: you’ll have a light, creamy, fluffy topping that can be piped or plopped in dollops atop shortcake or pie, all without soy or sugar.

Ingredients
1-1/2 level tsp (7.5 ml) agar powder or 1 level Tbsp plus 1 level tsp (30 ml) agar flakes
2 Tbsp (30 ml) organic cornstarch, divided (arrowroot won’t work for this recipe)
3 Tbsp (45 ml) light agave nectar (I used honey)
1/3 cup (80 ml) plain or vanilla rice or almond milk
One 14-ounce (400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen; the higher the total fat content, the better), at room temperature; shake well before opening
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic, melted (optional; will depend on the fat content of the coconut milk)

For agar powder: In a small bowl, combine the agar powder, 1 Tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch and agave nectar. Whisk well to eliminate any lumps.
Pour the coconut milk, rice milk and salt into a small heavy pot. Slowly whisk in the agave mixture until well combined.

Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. Continue stirring constantly and cooking over medium heat for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into a deep bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, stirring once every minute for the first 5 minutes. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to chill completely, at least 4 hours.

For agar flakes: Combine agar, rice or almond milk, coconut milk and salt in a small, heavy bottomed pot; allow to sit at room temperature, covered, for at least 20 minutes to soften the agar.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cornstarch and agave nectar until smooth. Add to the agar-milk mixture in the pot and stir to blend.

Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to avoid scorching. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a deep bowl (this will catch any bits of flakes that haven’t dissolved entirely; you definitely don’t want chunks of agar in your whipped cream!). Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, stirring once every minute for the first 5 minutes. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to chill completely, no less than 4 hours.

Once chilled, proceed as follows for both agar powder and agar flakes: Break the chilled mixture into large chunks (it should be jelled and quite solid) and place in a food processor. Sprinkle with the last 1 Tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch and process until perfectly smooth, stopping to scrape down sides two or three times. The mixture should have no visible little lumps or grains of gel, and should be very fluffy and smooth. At this point, the cream may be used as is to dollop over pies or puddings. For a firmer cream that can be piped, continue as below.

If the cream is not quite stiff enough to pipe, beat it with electric beaters, as follows: turn the already-processed cream into a deep bowl. If you have time, refrigerate for another 10-15 minutes until very cold (otherwise, place the beaters in the freezer for a few minutes). Melt the coconut oil (start with one Tbsp or 15 ml). While beating the cream, pour the melted oil in a stream over it, and beat on high speed to incorporate; the cold cream and beaters will help to congeal the oil as it’s blended in. The cream should thicken enough to hold a shape. If necessary, use the final Tbsp (15 ml) of oil as well.

Store in refrigerator up to 5 days. The cream will keep its shape and should still remain soft. Makes about 2 cups (500 ml).

For more information or to schedule an interview with Ricki (samples of the baked goods can be provided to Toronto-area events), you can contact her through her blog.

To order, visit www.dietdessertndogs.com/cookbook or www.amazon.com

Real Food for Mother and Baby

I just finished reading, Real Food For Mother & Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two and Baby's First Food  by Nina Planck (Bloomsbury, 2009).

Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post described Nina Planck as “A cross between Alice Waters and Martha Stewart.”

What’s in it for you?
If you’re looking for guidance as you enter the all important act of conception and the stages of pregnancy, breastfeeding, weaning, and introducing nourishing food to your baby, or you educate parents, prospective parents, and caregivers about the essentiality of a diet based on real, wholesome, and traditional foods, you’ll want to read this book.

You’ll get ideas about what to eat when you’re pregnant and why. You’ll glean tips from Ms. Planck’s experience and insight about the changes your body and emotions may go through and how to prevent problems such as swelling, bloating, excess weight gain and varicose veins. You’ll learn from the author's experience nursing a baby and eating real food, how to know when to wean, what to feed your baby, and what challenges you might encounter along the way. You’lll also learn about
How to transition your baby to solid foods.

If you are hoping to get pregnant, this book is worth buying for the chapter on fertility foods alone. You’ll find information that used to be common sense that has been lost in our modern fast food and pharmaceutical focused culture.

For the record
Before we go any farther I want to make it clear that I am not pregnant nor am I even remotely considering becoming so, at least not this time around. If I have another life coming up after this one, I’ll consider it…then! So why am I reading a book on this subject? I thoroughly enjoyed Nina’s previous book, Real Food: What to Eat and Why.  I like the way she cuts through the dietary dogma dictated by the industrialized fast food empire and stands up for real, old, whole, and slow foods.

Practical wisdom
In this, her latest work, Ms.Planck shares practical wisdom and her personal experience going through the stages of pregnancy, delivery, nursing, and introducing solid food to her baby. She debunks many conventionally held beliefs about pregnancy and baby foods.

     “Nina Planck’s personal story of life with baby Julian, from preconception to tending the first tomatoes at their own Small Farm, makes compelling reading. Her non-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is voice cuts through cant and euphemism like a whiff of sharp cheddar for anyone who wants the real dope. Her basic distinction between real and fake foods makes essential reading not just for mothers with babies, but for all of us who want to live and eat well.”
    ---Betty Fussell, author of The Story of Corn, Raising Steaks, and My Kitchen Wars

Tells it like it is
Nina can be controversial. Her op-ed in The New York Times on vegan diets for infants was one of the paper’s most emailed articles; however, if you delve deeply you’ll discover that what she says makes sense – intuitively, historically, nutritionally, and even scientifically. 

    “Science is finally catching up to what our grandmothers knew long ago:  that traditional foods, and even fats, are actually good for you—and a whole lot healthier than the creations of food technology. Drawing on the latest research and oldest folk wisdom, Real Food offers a persuasive and invigorating defense of eggs, butter, mea, and even lard (!(, as well as a powerful critique of a food industry that aims to replace these standbys with its highly processed, and sometimes deadly, simulacra. Nina Planck has written a valuable and eye-opening book.”
    --- Michael Pollan, a real food advocate and author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, and In Defense of Food

What’s real food?
Ms. Planck defines real food as old––meaning we’ve been eating it for a long time, thousands, if not millions of years.

Planck includes stone age foods we can or could hunt or gather: meat, fish, fowl, insects, eggs, leaves, nuts, berries, and the odd sip of honey scavenged from bees – cultivated foods such as whole grains, and foods we can make from them, such as traditionally fermented sourdough bread, porridge, wine, and beer, which in the context of our time on earth are relatively recent additions that entered human diets approximately 10,000 thousand years ago. 

She also includes in this category traditional dairy products––real creamy butter, full fat milk, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, sour cream, and whole milk cheese. By traditional she means foods produced and prepared roughly as they once were before factories gave us refined, denatured, lesser versions.

While her definition may not be spot on for those who espouse and follow a paleo or primal diet,  it’s fairly chose and I believe her definitions would certainly put the majority of Americans on the road to better health by eliminating the most unnatural foodstuffs and focusing on more nutrient dense foods created by nature.

Out with the old school
Rather than the old school notion that pregnant women should take iron supplements, eat low fat foods, avoid fish because of mercury contamination, eat soy for protein and reduce their salt intakes if they’re swelling, Nina explains why you’re better off getting your iron from red meat, eating wild fish for omega 3’s, eating more protein to reduce swelling, eating plenty of traditional fats for boost important fat soluble nutrients. 

Photo right: Rachel Albert Matesz © Copyright 2009

“ Eating is our most fundamental and sensual act. It never did make sense to me that eating what’s good for you should mean depriving yourself of foods you desire. Now Nina Planck explains exactly why we are drawn to foods that delight our senses and keep us healthy.”
    ---Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch

Breast is best
Nina won’t give you the worn out mainstream advice that nursing for 3 months is enough, that your baby needs mushy food, that cereals are soft veggies are good first foods, or that your baby needs iron fortified cereals or formula.  She will tell you about how breast milk saves lives and that formula can’t replace it and that even today’s “good” formulas contain bad ingredients.

Myth busting
Contrary to what your doctor might tell you, Ms. Planck will tell you about how the benefits of nursing for digestion, immunity, and nutrition continue for as long as you nurse, even while feeding real food.

You’ll learn about why Ms. Planck thinks teeth have nothing to do with baby nutrition; why you don’t have to spoon feed your baby, why the best first foods are good fats (avocado, olive oil, and butter) and proteins (meat, cheese, and egg yolks); why you don’t need to make or buy bland or puréed baby food or delay feeding your baby good/real foods, such as milk or eggs, to prevent allergies. Best of all Ms. Planck will encourage you to breast feed and buy and to feed your whole family real foods.

From zero to two
This book is a complete guide to eating from pre-conception to 2 years of age.  Even people who aren’t planning to get pregnant will profit from this practical guide to eat real food. You'll also find valuable resources from books and web sites to organizations that can provide support and education as you move through the stages of pregnancy and mothering.

To read articles by Nina, receive her newsletter, and more visit her web site: http://www.ninaplanck.com/

To pick up your copy of Real Food for Mother and Baby check on line sources such as Amazon or visit your local bookstores. You won’t regret it!