The Family-friendly Gluten-free Cookbook

The Family –friendly Gluten-free Cookbook

 

I’m always on the lookout for gluten free treats as so many of our friends and family members are going gluten free these days.  Sarah King’s new Family-friendly Gluten-free Cookbook has lots of quick and delicious gluten free recipes which are not too expensive.  Included are basics like bread, scrumptious goodies for afternoon teas like chocolate éclairs and a whole lot of ideas for lunch box fillings.

This is her first cook book. Aged 35 she has had a fascinating and varied career including working as a nanny for Pink Floyd’s Rick Wright in London and as a wedding planner. She is now running the Gluten-Free Grocer in Mount Eden with her husband Mitch, and is committed to sharing her knowledge of affordable gluten-free cooking with others.

She always bakes gluten free at home as her husband and four children are all gluten and dairy intolerant. Refreshingly honest, she admits that there were years and years of baking disasters along the way, some so bad that even her chickens and ducks refused to eat them. The reality is that a lot can go wrong when baking gluten- free and it has taken a lot of experimenting to create the tried and true recipes which eventually found their way into this cookbook.

The main trick to producing successful gluten-free baking is to mix several gluten- free flours in exactly the right proportions and then to bind them together with gum.  So it is essential to follow each recipe exactly. Even then there may be an occasional failure. For instance a humid day can cause something that is usually successful to flop. Her advice is not to get discouraged, and to try and try again. Any failures need not go to waste and can be turned into yummy treats like chocolate truffles.

My first attempt at baking from her book, the lemon syrup cake, was not entirely successful. The texture was somewhat rubbery.  Maybe it was the commercial baking mix I used or perhaps I had not been meticulous enough when weighing the ingredients.

I had much better luck with her gluten-free ginger crunch. It did feel alarmingly soft when I first removed it from the oven. But it hardened as it cooled. It was slightly chewier than my usual recipe but covered with a thick layer of delicious gingery icing it was eagerly demolished by all. As it is also easy to make this slice it will definitely be one of my standbys for a gluten-free afternoon tea.

Bread is a daily staple and Sarah’s yeast-based gluten-free white loaf can conveniently be cooked either in a conventional oven or in a bread maker. Another of her recipes is for a yeast free bread which can be refrigerated overnight and baked in the morning. But you would have to rise bright and early to have it out of the oven before the kids head off to school. Any leftovers can be used make delicious French toast.

And if you have children’s lunchboxes to fill every day and they come home after school clamouring for afternoon tea the afghan biscuits, chocolate cookies are sure to become their favourites.

There are a few savoury items such as pizzas, a chicken pie and bacon and corn muffins in this book. But most of the recipes are for sweet treats including a tangy lime cheesecake decorated with fresh tropical fruits. It looks very decorative but should be quick and simple to make. Another recipe which I can’t wait to try is a spectacular looking lemon meringue pie filled with lemon curd and topped with piles of light billowing meringue.

Children’s birthday parties are a special event and Sarah suggests that where there are gluten- free guests it is easier to put only gluten-free treats on the table. Then they will not be tempted to eat the wrong foods or feel excluded. So she has planned a totally gluten- free birthday spread that any kids would enjoy. This includes pizzas, mini sausage rolls, fruit kebabs and an iced birthday cake.

And when the kids are in bed the adults can party. If you are planning to cater for a group she has a whole lot of ideas for gluten free canapés, both savoury and sweet. She does add one cautionary note. Don’t forget to check that any alcohol being served is also gluten-free.

The Family-friendly Gluten-free Cookbook

By Sarah King (published by New Holland) RRP $39.99
Reviewed by Lyn Potter

This review first appeared on The Breeze website http://www.thebreeze.co.nz

Treats from Little and Friday

 

Treats from Little and Friday" a recipe book in which Kim Evans shares all her delicious baking secrets.

Kim is a passionate self-taught baker. She began her remarkable journey in Sydney where as a cash strapped fine arts student she swapped her baking for art supplies. Back in New Zealand she sculpted wedding and special occasion cakes in Christchurch. Then moved North and sold her baking at weekend markets. In a daring move she took the plunge with a tiny capital of $3000 to establish a baking business. It was so successful that she now owns two cafes and a bakery in Auckland. This is her first recipe book.

Little and Friday café lives in a peaceful suburban Takapuna street. The parking is easy. I took my nine year old granddaughter there for a treat. Right next door is the bakery. She took a peek through the window to see the bakers busy at work creating gorgeous cakes, donuts, brioches and pastries both sweet and savoury.

We ordered our drinks at the counter. She asked for a Foxton Fizz Curly Top lemonade. I ordered a cappuccino.

We sat down at the large wooden table which takes up most of the interior space and lends a relaxed communal feeling .We were surrounded by other family groups and a few couples. While waiting we poured ourselves a glass of cool water spiked with a cinnamon stick and a sprig of mint from the retro milk bottles on the table.

My granddaughter loves meat pies. I rarely bake them. To her delight there were plenty to choose from. She spotted a chicken and leek and a bacon and egg pie but could not go past her favourite, a mince and cheese one. I asked her to rate it.

She approached this task like a Junior Master chef judge. First she carefully lifted the lid of the pastry to reveal a plentiful meaty filling with no gristle or fat in sight. A pool of melted cheese lay in the centre.

She took a bite out of the pastry lid and declared it was not quite as crispy on top as it was on the sides. But it’s really yummy she said. Then she finished it to the very last crumb and gave it an excellent rating.

I indulged my sweet tooth with a sizeable walnut and fig slice with a creamy icing topped with some ginger, rich but moorish.

Having been to Little and Friday my granddaughter can’t wait to spend some of her holidays baking with me. Given half a chance she’d bake every savoury pie and galette in the book.

It’s not a book specially written for children but the recipes are so clearly explained and easy to follow that they are perfect for parents and grandparents to bake with them.

For young cooks who have a sweet tooth making small tarts with sweet pastry which is made in the food processor) and the chocolate chip and Anzac biscuits would be a good place to start.

When the grandkids are out of the kitchen I’ll try my hand at some of the more sophisticated treats like the pistachio shortbread crescents spiced with cardamom and rosewater.

The art of baking macaroons is one I have yet to master but her cranberry ones look very achievable. It’s a modern take of a recipe Kim found in one of her Mother’s Home Ec manuals for which you don’t need to beat the egg whites.

Kim has also simplified the process of how to make a buttery brioche. It’s going to be hard to choose between the caramelly flavoured cinnamon, date and walnut and the chocolate ones. Think of hot chocolate oozing out as you bite into them straight out of the oven!

Panforte filled with white chocolate, manuka homey, dried figs and walnuts would be just right to pass around with a coffee as an after dinner treat.

The raspberry and chocolate meringues promise to be crisp on the outside with a lovely gooey filling. I’d serve these for dessert with a berry coulis.

At the back of the book there are also some very useful finishings and fillings. Basics like cream cheese icing, tomato relish and lemon curd as well as some original recipes for caramelised beetroot and candied carrots.

It’s not just the recipes but the whole philosophy on which this book is based on which appeals. My granddaughter has been well taught at school, Words like sustainability and recycling come easily to her generation. She likes the idea that at Little and Friday many of the ingredients used in the baking are organic and locally sourced. And that the food scraps are not wasted but are swapped with an organic pig farmer for free range eggs.

This is one of those recipe books that won’t linger unloved on my recipe book shelf. My granddaughter will see to that!

Treats from Little and Friday by Kim Evans is published by Penguin Group (RRP $44.99)
This review first appeared on the Grownups website.

 

Cute Japanese Tableware

I'm always on the lookout for tableware I can use for my food photography and spotted these cutesy bowls, ramekins, platters and mugs at the Japanese store Daiso in Queen Steet. Everything in this store is very affordable ( any three for $10.00)

Now I'll just have to create some food to match these dishes!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Diwali Festival Snacking

My brother and I joined the crowds at Diwali Festival again this year and spent a few happy hours eating Indian snacks and enjoying the dancing. We wanted to sample some we hadn't tried before and to not over indulge in too many deep fried snacks (of which there were many).

Some of the snacks we especially enjoyed were:

Idli ( little steamed rice cakes  served with two spicy sauces)

Kulfi Icecreams ( one mango flavoured, the other with paan ). This Indian ice-cream is like a creamy gelato . The paan flavoured one was unusual but especially good. Paan is the refreshing mix of spices which are chewed at the end of an Indian meal to refresh the mouth.

A plate ful of the little hollow deepfried snacks pictured below, whose name eludes me.

We washed these down with cups of spicy chai tea and a mango lassi.

It was tempting to have a spicy potato filled dosa ( large pancake) and some samosas served with a spicy sauce and crunchy topping but there is only so much one can eat in the space of one afternoon.

I loved Diwali again this year with its combination of a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, the dancing, the colourful costumes, and the delicious food !

 

 

 

Antipasta Salad

Sometimes I ring the changes and instead of artfully arranging all the individual ingredients for an antipasta seperately I toss them casually together and turn them into a salad which also gives the flavours a chance to mingle.

For this antipasta salad I used a mixture of black olives, red and yellow chargrilled peppers, halved cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and chopped Italian parsley. The dressing was made from olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

I always halve the cherry tomatoes which gives the dressing a chance to soak in and flavour them. The kind of olive oil used does make a difference in this salad. A fruity flavoured one such as Lupi Cold Pressed Extra Virgin is good. But one from a boutique vineyard, though expensive, will be  more delicious.

I encourage everyone to help themselves from the bowl with a large spoon and serve crusty ciabatta . alongsife. Good for lunch too.

Happy Diwali Auckland

I have been going to the Auckland Diwali Festival for several years now. It's vibrant, colorful and you can snack on all sorts of delicious Indian food . I think it is great that our city has embraced this festival and that we can all join in and celebrate it with our Indian community.

And there are some great photo opportunities.

 

 

The Artful Cappuccino

 

The art of creating a decorative swirl on top of a coffee is one that quite a few baristas excel in. I loved this coffee from Sandfly Cafe in Te Anau while we were on holiday there last week.

One of the locals recommended it as the best cafe in Te Anau . It was obviously very popular and we were lucky to find a seat. The service was friendly, the food fresh and tasty and the coffee great. So never mind about the bad weather!

 

 

And here is another artistic effort based on Casper the Friendly Ghost  which my niece who lives overseas has just posted on my Faccebook page. Location of cafe and who created this 'Caspercino' unknown.

 

 

 

Jam Drops

 

 

I love searching for community cookbooks in secondhand shops and school Fairs. Leafing through these tried and true recipes from other cooks  always reminds me that recipes are for sharing.
 

Here is a one for jam tarts which were fun to make with my granddaughters.A sticky not too runny jam is good for this recipe. We used Anathoth raspberry Jam which is a bright red colour and has a lovely fruity flavour. It's become a bit of a New Zealand icon as it was the first of the Anathoth jams. It was produced in 1987 and grown from raspberries on the Anathoth farm.
 

The secret to making successful jam tarts, as we learnt, was to make the holes big enough so the jam did not overflow, and to leave a little space for spreading. Every oven is different. I found that only 9 minutes at 200 degrees C was just right in mine.  My advice would be that the first time you make them you bake just a few tarts first to check if your temperature is right and how long they take to brown lightly.

We watched them carefully towards the end . They can burn easily.

In hot or humid weather biscuit dough this mixture could be sticky, In this case put it in the fridge for a little while to warm up and/or flour your hands lightly before rolling it into balls.

 

Jam Drops

 

inspired by a recipe in the Bayswater School 1998 recipe book)

 

Ingredients

 

125 gm butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup of castor sugar
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 1/3 cup self-raising flour
raspberry jam

Method

• Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

• Beat in the egg, and the vanilla essence.

• Stir in flour.

• Shape teaspoonfuls into balls and place on a greased baking tray, leaving room for spreading.

• Gently indent top with handle of wooden spoon or make a thumb print

• Spoon ¼ tsp of jam into hole.

• Bake at 200 C for approximately 10-12 minutes.

• Cool on tray. ( This is important as the hot jam can burn your mouth)_

 .

Apple Snow: A Light Dessert

 

This  oldfashioned dessert that is very light and refreshing. My Mother in Law liked to make it for us. She cooked simple, hesalthy food that always tasted so good. Best made with a sweetish apple, rather than Granny Smiths.

It  does need to be put into the fridge for at least a couple of hours to become well chilled .You could add a squeeze of  lemon juice and some finely grated lemon rind, Sometimes I also sprinkle it lightly with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon .

Ingredients:

6 sweet apples ( about 800gm) peeled and sliced
3 tbsp of water
2 egg whites
1-2 tbsp of castor sugar

Method:

Put apples in microsafe dish with 3 tbsp of water.
Cover with a plate and microwave for about 10 minutes (stirring once) until the apples are tender.
Leave to cool for a while and then whizz in a food processor to make a smooth puree.

Beat 2 egg whites with 1-2 tablespoons of castor sugar until thick. Stir a little of the eggwhite  into the apple puree to lighten it and then scoop in the rest.

Ladle into small cups or glasses and chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Little Lime and Coconut Tarts

The recipe for these little tarts was given to me by Tracey Barton and Alison Dobson-Bonney, from The Brown Bag Lunch Company. This they ran from Bella Pacific, a unique little gift shop that doubled as a café along Jervois Road in Herne Bay.
 

The store was a riot of colours from floor to ceiling. A string of delicately cut paper Mexican fiesta flags fluttered high above the counter. On the walls hand painted ukuleles hung alongside little Mexican Milagros (or miracles) traditionally used by people to petition saints
 

The appliquéd bedspread and cushions, made in Hawaii, looked very inviting on the queen-sized bed which took pride of place in the middle of the shop.
 

The shelves were laden with quirky cat stops by Lyn Dunfit, Poppie and Oscar handbags, little stacking dolls, painted bird brooches, natural cosmetics and handcrafted jewelry.
 

 

Alas, Bella Pacific closed down some time ago, but I still treasure the recipe which follows.Great for morning tea with a cup of coffee or as a dessert treat.
 

 

Bella Pacific Lime Tart

 

Ingredients

Base

 

200g unsalted butter, softened

250g (2cups) plain all purpose flour

30g (1/4cup) icing sugar

1 egg lightly beaten

 

Filling

6 eggs

375g (11/2cups) caster sugar

60g (1/2cup) plain flour

125ml (1/2cup) lime juice

Finely grated zest from 4 limes

1/2cup of toasted coconut threads for sprinkling on top

 

Method

Grease and line the base and sides of a 25cm tart dish with baking paper and set on a baking tray.

To make the base, mix the butter, flour, icing sugar and egg together in a food processor until a dough forms. Press the dough into the tart tin.

 

Refrigerate the dough in the tin for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 then bake the base for 20 to 25 minutes, until pale golden.

 

While the base is cooking, make the filling. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the sugar, flour, lime juice and zest and whisk until combined.

 

Pour the filling onto the cooked base and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Remove tart from tart tin.

Decorate with toasted coconut threads. Cut into 12 pieces.

Or can be made in small tart tins.