savories - Against the Grain: Extraordinary Gluten-Free Recipes Made from Real, All-Natural Ingredients (2015)

Against the Grain: Extraordinary Gluten-Free Recipes Made from Real, All-Natural Ingredients (2015)

savories

shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée)

WHEN I MEET CUSTOMERS, the question I get the most often is: How do I make a pie crust? How do I make the same kind of pie I have made for years? I once faced the question from a local celiac support group, so I gladly took their e-mail addresses to send them a recipe. One older woman apparently didn’t do e-mail, so I walked her through making the crust over the phone. A few months later, I was shopping at the grocery store and a woman comes up to me with a huge smile on her face. It was the pie crust lady, and she was so excited that she had made her best pie ever.

A really good, gluten-free pie crust is not hard to make. My major breakthrough was learning to work with plastic wrap. Before I had always used wax paper or parchment paper, neither of which is very flexible when wrinkled … and it is hard to tuck a flat crust into a round pie plate without encountering wrinkles. Plastic wrap eliminates that problem. It tucks, folds, and releases easily with a light touch. In this recipe, the strength of the dough comes from the egg white. The resulting pie shell is strong enough to be baked in a tart pan with a removable bottom and served as a stand-alone quiche or tart. The egg white is also another source of protein for optimal browning. It works wonderfully for sweet pies as well as savory quiches and pot pies.

makes enough for a single 10-inch pie crust

¾ cup (105g) tapioca starch

1 cup (120g) light buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into 10 to 12 pieces

1 large egg white

1. In a food processor, combine the tapioca starch, buckwheat flour, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the chunks of butter are no larger than peas.

2. Add the egg white and pulse to combine. Add up to 3 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will start to come together, but it will still be loose and crumbly. Transfer the dough to a bowl and knead lightly to combine the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Roll out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. Peel back the top layer of the plastic, place a 9-inch pie plate upside down in the center of it, and invert the pie plate and pastry together so the pastry ends up over the pan. Gently press the pastry into the sides of the pan, flattening the bottom and pressing it against the inner walls, and remove the remaining plastic wrap. Trim the overhang and gently flute the rim by pinching the crust between your forefinger and thumb, and pressing with your other forefinger.

vermont shepherd quiche

MY SON MARTY was the last of our family to graduate from college, and family members came from around the country for this celebratory occasion. We were a group with diverse dietary needs: gluten-free, soy-free, corn-free, low-glycemic, and vegetarian. I developed this quiche in honor of Marty, whose senior fellowship topic was a project on the pastoral tradition in contemporary poetry. The heroes of these new and ancient poems are shepherds, real and metaphoric, who sing of their love, their flocks, and their surroundings. It just so happens that Vermont Shepherd Cheese (from Putney, Vermont) is his very favorite cheese. Although Vermont Shepherd Cheese makes this quiche sing just like dueling shepherds, you can substitute a cheese of your choice. This particular cheese was a 50/50 blend of raw sheep’s milk and raw cow’s milk. I baked this quiche in a tart pan with a removable bottom. It makes a beautiful, stand-alone, golden brown crust with just the right amount of tender butteriness. This is a rich, creamy quiche that is both sturdy and melts in your mouth at the same time.

makes one 10-inch quiche

Shortcrust Pastry

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

5 ounces any 50/50 raw sheep’s milk and raw cow’s milk cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes

2½ ounces any Alpine cheese (such as raclette), cut into ½-inch cubes

4 large eggs

1½ cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Make the pastry crust and roll out as directed. Use it to line a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

3. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes.

4. Line the bottom of the quiche shell with the cubed cheese. Layer the sautéed leeks on top.

5. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the half-and-half, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, and pepper to taste and whisk until the mixture is thick and foamy. Pour the mixture over the leeks.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake the quiche for 40 minutes, or until the center is set. Transfer the quiche to a cooling rack, allow it to cool for 15 minutes, and unmold it from the pan before serving.

Sherried Carrot and Kale Tart

sherried carrot and kale tart

CARROTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE one of the easiest garden vegetables to grow. Tell that to our garden. The rainbow chard has always leafed out in splendor, the broccoli matures and rewards us all summer with side shoots, and the green beans are so prolific they are hard to keep up with. But carrots, we typically haven’t had much luck … until the past few years. Perhaps it has been a string of hotter summers, or the quality of the seeds, but we’ve been swamped with carrots ever since. The variety of carrots we plant takes 65 to 70 days to mature, and by the end of August we can have as many as 30 pounds of carrots from a single packet of seeds.

The good thing about carrots is that they store well so we can eat them all winter, but it is always nice to make interesting dishes with freshly harvested vegetables. The tart combines the spiciness of the carrot sauce with a ricotta and cheese mixture reminiscent of cheese ravioli. It is a perfect dish for a luncheon or dinner when paired with a garden salad and garlic bread.

makes one 10-inch tart

Shortcrust Pastry

FOR THE CARROT SAUCE:

2½ tablespoons salted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped (about 230g)

½ cup cooking sherry

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE RICOTTA FILLING:

1 container (15 ounces) full-fat ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cups finely chopped raw kale (you can also substitute fresh or frozen spinach)

1 large egg

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Make the pastry crust and roll out as directed. Use it to line a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

3. Prebake the tart shell for 15 minutes. Remove the shell from the oven and set aside. Leave the oven on.

4. Meanwhile, make the carrot sauce: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, sherry, pepper, and ¾ cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the skillet and let it simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Transfer the carrot mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.

5. Make the ricotta filling: In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta, Parmesan, kale, and egg until they are well blended.

6. Spread the ricotta filling in the bottom of the tart shell and top with the carrot sauce. Insert a butter knife in the tart and gently swirl the ricotta mixture with the carrot sauce until you get a marbled effect.

7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.

Potato and Prosciutto Tart with Wild Leek Pesto

potato and prosciutto tart with wild leek pesto

AS A PLACE TO WORK, Against The Grain is known as a haven for foodie liberal arts majors. We talk foodie topics all the time, but the chatter reaches a fevered pitch in late April and early May. That’s when wild leeks, also known as ramps, emerge as an emerald green splotch after the snow recedes. This past spring, a staff member and locavore caterer brought a bag of them to work, and two other staff members found an undisturbed two-acre parcel in the woods. We can’t escape reading about ramps in the food media, but we’re pretty smug—southern Vermont is ramp ground zero.

Ramps are sort of a pungent cross between spring onions and wild garlic—you eat the leaves and bulbs, either cooked or raw. They are prevalent in the Appalachian Mountains and grow in deciduous forests from Canada to Tennessee and North Carolina, and as far west as Missouri and Minnesota. Here I use one of the popular Appalachian recipes for ramps fried with bacon, potatoes, and scrambled eggs as the inspiration. Thinly sliced new potatoes are tossed in ramp pesto, layered with prosciutto, baked in a buttery tart shell, and garnished with bright pimientos. The tart smells and tastes as good as it looks. If ramps are not available or in season, you can substitute store-bought basil pesto.

makes 6 mini-tarts

FOR THE PESTO:

½ cup sunflower seeds

About 5 medium ramps, bulbs and leaves chopped

¼ cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

FOR THE TART:

Shortcrust Pastry

5 small new potatoes, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto

½ cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon sliced pimientos

1. Make the pesto: In a food processor, process the sunflower seeds until reduced to a fine meal. Add the ramps, oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until the ramps are broken down and the pesto is uniformly mixed. Add the Parmesan and blend until it is mixed in.

2. Make the tart: Prepare the pastry crust, divide into 6 equal pieces, and roll out as directed. Line 6 mini-tart pans with removable bottoms with the dough; place the tart pans on a baking sheet.

3. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

4. Place the sliced potatoes in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, blend the oil with the ramp pesto. Drizzle the pesto over the potatoes and toss to mix.

5. Arrange a layer of potatoes in the bottom of each tart shell. Top with a layer of prosciutto, then Cheddar. Repeat this layering, and top the tarts with a layer of the potatoes. You will have three layers of potatoes. Dot the top with sliced pimientos.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake the tarts for an additional 30 minutes, or until the pesto is fragrant and starting to bubble and the potatoes start to get crispy. Remove the tarts from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack to set for 10 minutes before unmolding and serving.

variation

For a tangy tasting tart, substitute chopped fresh asparagus for the Cheddar cheese, and sprinkle ½ cup of crumbled goat cheese over the top with the pimientos.

Savory Crepes Stuffed with Asparagus

savory crepes stuffed with asparagus

I’VE ALWAYS ASSOCIATED CREPES with my late mother-in-law. On my first trip to Houston to meet my future in-laws, Tom’s mother took me out to a restaurant popular with the ladies-who-lunch crowd—The Magic Pan in Houston’s Galleria. In every restaurant, a crepe chef in full view would make crepes on a carousel of upside-down pans that passed through a circle of flames. Instead of filling crepe pans with batter, the hot pan was dipped in the batter. It was mesmerizing to watch, and it made perfect crepes.

Buckwheat is an ideal flour for gluten-free crepes. Indeed, it is the main ingredient in Acadian ployes, sort of a cross between a pancake and crepe, popular in northern Maine and Canada. It is important to not overbeat crepe batter to minimize the air bubbles, and it is best to chill the batter at least 2 hours or even overnight. Filled with a rich Mornay sauce and fresh asparagus, this is an easy-to-prepare gourmet meal.

makes 12 crepes

FOR THE CREPE BATTER:

½ cup (60g) light buckwheat flour

½ cup potato starch

Dash of salt

3 large eggs

½ cup canola oil

1½ cups milk

FOR THE MORNAY SAUCE:

4 tablespoons salted butter

¼ cup chopped sweet onions

1 tablespoon light buckwheat flour

1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

2 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

2 ounces ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Butter or oil, for cooking the crepes

4 bunches fresh asparagus, steamed

½ cup freshly chopped chives (optional)

1. Make the crepe batter: In a bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, potato starch, and salt. Add the eggs and oil to make a thick paste. Gradually add the milk and whisk until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).

2. Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are soft and transparent. Add the buckwheat flour and allow it to cook as a paste for about 5 minutes, or just until it begins to brown. Blend in the cream thoroughly and cook until the sauce thickens, but don’t let it boil. Stir in the cheeses until they are melted, then add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Keep the sauce warm until ready to assemble the crepes.

3. Make the crepes: Allow the batter to come to room temperature. (The batter should have the consistency of thick cream. Thin it with a teaspoon of water at a time, if necessary.) Using a 12-inch seasoned or nonstick pan over medium heat, brush the pan with butter or oil as necessary. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the pan. Tip the pan to coat the bottom with a thin layer. Flip the crepe when the edges start to brown, and cook briefly to brown the other side. The crepe should still be flexible. Place the crepes between folds of clean kitchen towels to keep them warm until serving.

4. To serve, place 4 spears of asparagus in the center of a crepe. Spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce along the asparagus. Fold up both sides, top with another tablespoon of sauce, and sprinkle with the chives (if using) to serve.

lemon thyme-summer squash ravioli

THE BEST RAVIOLI I ever tasted was at a restaurant outside of Zurich on a business trip. My hosts had taken us to an out-of-the-way restaurant, of which I remember two things: the unforgettable homemade ravioli, and the fact that there was a horse-riding ring in the center of the restaurant. Two small, homemade cheese ravioli were served on an unadorned white plate, with just a tiny puddle of Alfredo sauce. I could have ended the meal right there.

In general, dry gluten-free pasta is pretty decent, and there are a number of brands to choose from. But fresh gluten-free pasta is a rarity, and frozen gluten-free ravioli are both rare and expensive. The expense is not surprising when you look at the process it takes to make a homemade version, but it is so worth it. Gluten-free ravioli dough has to bind together, be stretchy and pliable enough to handle, and has to withstand a rolling boil without leaking or exploding. This dough has just four ingredients and uses the natural stretchiness of mozzarella to give it all the elasticity and chew it needs. Fill the ravioli with this creamy summer squash-cheese filling or any other filling of your choice. Top it with a tomato vodka or Alfredo sauce, or simply toss it with olive oil and chunks of grilled summer squash and onions.

makes 8 to 10 ravioli

FOR THE FILLING:

1½ tablespoons salted butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 baby yellow summer squash, chopped

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

4 ounces cream cheese

1 large egg yolk

FOR THE DOUGH:

1 cup (140g) tapioca starch

3 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes

4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1 large egg

1. Make the filling: In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, squash, pepper, and lemon thyme and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Add the lemon juice and salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. Place the mixture in a covered bowl in the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes.

2. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a food processor and blend with the cream cheese and egg yolk until it is smooth and creamy. Return the mixture to the refrigerator while you prepare the ravioli dough.

3. Make the dough: In a food processor, combine the tapioca starch, butter, mozzarella, and whole egg and process the dough until the mixture looks like small curds.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and press it together with your hands to form a smooth ball. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to the desired thickness—1/16 to ⅛ inch works well. Using a dough scraper or pizza cutter, cut the dough into eight to ten 2 × 5-inch rectangles. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling on the bottom half of each rectangle and fold the top half of the rectangle down to cover the filling. Lightly press around all edges with your fingers—the dough will stick together without wetting the sides or using an egg wash. Use the dough scraper or a knife to neaten the edges. Use the dough scraper or a spatula to pick up each ravioli and transfer it to a plate. Cover the ravioli with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out while you roll out and stuff the remaining ravioli.

5. To cook the ravioli, bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop the ravioli, several at a time, into the boiling water. The ravioli are done when they float and the filling is hot—depending on the size and thickness of the ravioli, this may take 2 to 3 minutes. (You can also cover the ravioli with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.)

ravioli with creamy roasted garlic filling

CHESTER, OUR GOLDEN RETRIEVER, is our office receptionist: He barks when someone is at the door and chases away salesmen. He’s great with people but only has one dog friend in the world, Clover, a dark golden retriever. Chester and I walk with Clover and her “mom,” Tammy, during our summer getaways at the St. Lawrence River. One morning, while I was working on this ravioli, Tammy told me that someone had just given her a whole bunch of fresh garlic. Later that afternoon she delivered a bunch to my cottage, and roasted garlic became the centerpiece of this ravioli.

This pasta relies on both tapioca starch and potato starch to create a gel that can withstand rolling and boiling. The addition of the mashed potato adds both structure and tenderness to the finished ravioli. The egg white adds protein to the mix and serves as the binder that holds the dough together. I have always been fascinated with vegan cheese, but have never tasted any commercially prepared vegan cheeses that were substitutes for the real thing. Then I discovered cashew cheese: Soaked raw cashews make the creamiest base for all kinds of vegan cheese spreads. Add some freshly roasted garlic and it makes a creamy, savory filling for the ravioli. No one will have any idea that it is gluten-free.

makes 10 ravioli

FOR THE FILLING:

7½ ounces raw cashews

1 head garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

FOR THE DOUGH:

½ cup (70g) tapioca starch

½ cup (96g) potato starch

¼ cup cooked mashed potato

3 tablespoons palm oil or other solid shortening

1 large egg white

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1. Make the filling: Measure the cashews into a medium bowl and pour 3 cups water over them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it on the counter overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the outer layers of skin from the head of garlic, leaving the bulb and cloves intact. With a sharp knife, cut about 1 inch off the top of the garlic bulb to expose all of the cloves. Place the head of garlic in the middle of a 7 × 7-inch (or larger) piece of foil. Brush the olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap the bulb tightly in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it is soft and fragrant.

3. Rinse and drain the cashews and transfer them to a food processor. Blend until they are smooth and creamy. Pop the roasted garlic out of its skin by squeezing on the side of the cloves and add it to the cashew cream. Add the lemon juice and salt and process the filling until it is smooth. Return the filling to the bowl and refrigerate until ready to make the ravioli. (The filling may be prepared a day ahead.) This recipe may make more filling than you need. Serve the remainder as cashew “cheese.”

4. Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse to combine the tapioca starch, potato starch, mashed potato, palm oil, and egg white. Add the honey, vinegar, and salt and process the dough until the mixture looks like small curds.

5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and press it together with your hands to form a smooth ball. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to the desired thickness—1/16 to ⅛ inch works well. Using a dough scraper or pizza cutter, cut the dough into ten 2 × 5-inch rectangles. Place 1 teaspoon of filling on the bottom half of the strip and fold the top half of the strip down to cover the filling. Lightly press around all edges with your fingers—the dough will stick together without wetting the sides or using an egg wash. Use the dough scraper or a knife to neaten the edges. Use the dough scraper or a spatula to pick up each ravioli and transfer it to a plate. Cover the ravioli with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out while you roll out and stuff the remaining ravioli.

6. To cook the ravioli, bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop the ravioli, several at a time, into the boiling water. The ravioli are done when they float and the filling is hot—depending on the size and thickness of the ravioli, this may take 2 to 3 minutes. (You can also cover the ravioli with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze them until ready to cook.)

NOTE: Making the filling is a 2-day process if you want to achieve the creamiest possible filling. You also can roast the garlic ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the filling.

Lobster Rolls

lobster rolls

THE NIGHT BEFORE my son Marty’s college graduation, my family booked three hotel rooms in central New York. With a family of diverse dietary challenges, my sister, Lynn, planned a literal moveable feast (apologies to Hemingway). In one room we had wine and appetizers, we moved on for the main course, and in the last room, we had dessert and gifts. The challenge was to make a fresh-tasting feast that required assembling rather than cooking. That evening, we gave new meaning to “lobster rolls” by using rice paper rounds, which are “cooked” using nothing more than a bowl of hot water. While one of us dunked and softened the stretchy rice rounds, the other stuffed the wraps with the lobster filling, sprinkled them with fresh arugula leaves, and folded them tightly. It was a truly moveable feast.

This recipe might just as well be subtitled “Gourmet Travel Food.” It was inspired by Ina Garten’s Lobster Cobb Salad Rolls and was adapted to be both gluten-free and hotel room-friendly. Typically, I don’t use prepackaged ingredients, but in this case rice paper wraps (also known as spring roll wraps) can’t be beat.

serves 8 (2 rolls per person)

2 pounds cooked lobster meat, cut into ¾-inch cubes

½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

2 avocados, cut into ½- to ¾-inch cubes

Juice of 2 lemons

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 packages rice paper wraps (8 rounds per package)

3 cups fresh baby arugula

1. In a large salad bowl, toss together the lobster, bacon, Gorgonzola, and avocados.

2. In a screw-top jar, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper and shake until the dressing comes together. Pour the dressing over the lobster mixture and toss until the salad is well mixed.

3. To prepare the rice paper wraps, fill a shallow bowl with hot water. One at a time, using two hands, dip the wrappers into the hot water until they are just moistened. Place them on a clean kitchen (or hotel) towel to finish softening.

4. Onto each rice paper wrap, spoon a strip of lobster salad about 3 inches long down the center, and cover with a small handful of arugula. Roll the rice wrapper like a burrito, folding both ends in and then rolling the wrap around the filling. The rice wrapper when moistened will naturally stick together.

calzones

NEW YORK CITY is full of pizza snobs. We are reminded of this often by customers from the city who tell us that we “nailed” gluten-free pizza. They reminisce about the oversized slices of pizza available all over the city that you fold in half and let orange oil drip all over your paper plate—and according to them we’ve created an appealing substitute. When we worked on Wall Street, my building was a few blocks from one of those hole-in-the-wall pizza joints. I didn’t go there for the pizza, though. It was their puffy, crescent-shaped spinach and cheese calzones that I was after.

At Against The Grain, pizza is all about the crust, and that is definitely the case with calzones. A calzone is typically made with pizza crust, but the crust is folded over into a semicircular shape. Where calzones differ from pizzas, though, is the opportunity to stuff the calzone with a variety of fillings that are contained by the crust. Some calzones are fried, but most, like these, are baked. When I bite into the crusty exterior and the cheesy filling oozes out, it reminds me of the calzones that we ate as we threaded our way back through the lunchtime crowd to our cubicles high above Wall Street.

makes 6 calzones

FOR THE DOUGH:

2 cups (280g) tapioca starch, plus up to ½ cup (70g) kneaded in for rolling

¾ cup (90g) light buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

¼ cup canola oil

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 large egg

FOR THE FILLING:

1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 large egg

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup chopped cooked kale or spinach, with water squeezed out

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1. Make the dough: In a food processor, combine 2 cups tapioca starch, the buckwheat flour, and salt and pulse until blended.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and oil to a boil, stirring constantly. Immediately pour the hot mixture into the flours and process until it is moist with a sand-like texture. Allow the dough to cool for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and ⅓ cup warm water and allow it to proof for 15 minutes.

4. Add the proofed yeast to the flour mixture and blend until combined. Add the egg and blend the dough until it is smooth and comes together. Cover and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

5. While the dough is still in the bowl, use a rubber spatula to knead in up to ½ cup tapioca starch so that it can be handled, but is still tender and not stiff. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap dusted with tapioca starch.

6. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll into balls. Cover them with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise while you prepare the filling.

7. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

8. Make the filling: In a bowl, by hand, stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, egg, Parmesan, kale or spinach, and nutmeg until the filling is well blended.

9. Working on the plastic wrap, dust your hands with tapioca starch and pat each ball into a 5-inch-diameter round, one at a time. Spoon one-sixth of the filling on the lower half of the circle. Using the plastic wrap to support the dough, fold the top over to form a half-moon, and lightly pinch the seams together. The dough will stretch slightly as you fold it. Lift the calzone using the plastic wrap like a sling, and invert it onto the baking sheet. With a sharp knife, score the top with 3 or 4 steam vents. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

10. Bake for 25 minutes, or until browned at the edges and the filling oozes out of the slits. Transfer to a cooling rack or serve warm.

Tattie Scones with Chives

tattie scones with chives

THE FIRST MEAL I ever made for my husband, Tom, was the summer before our senior year in college, when I stayed in New Orleans to take a summer school course. We had gone shopping at Schwegmann Brothers Giant Supermarket, an only-in-New-Orleans institution where shopping was an event. There, in the middle of the red sea of meat, we found a little cast-iron hibachi grill, and I declared that I was going to make burgers. “If we’re going to have burgers,” Tom said, “we really ought to have mashed potatoes.” That day, we made probably the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten, and mashed potatoes have remained one of Tom’s very favorite dishes.

When I first learned about Tattie Scones, a traditional Scottish potato scone, I figured they meant Tom could have mashed potatoes for breakfast. They are tasty accompaniments to eggs and are sort of a cross between the crustiness of hash browns on the outside and the creaminess of mashed potatoes on the inside. In this recipe I use eggs as a binder, and the buckwheat and chives give them a crispy texture and savory taste. They are also pretty simple to throw together in the morning, particularly if you have leftover potatoes.

makes 8 scones

1 pound new potatoes, cooked and mashed with skins on (about 4 medium potatoes)

2 tablespoons salted butter, softened, plus 1 tablespoon melted for brushing tops

1 large egg

½ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup (80g) light buckwheat flour

⅓ cup (45g) tapioca starch, plus a little extra for rolling out, if needed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the mashed potatoes with the softened butter and egg. Add the salt, buckwheat flour, tapioca starch, and baking powder and mix on high until stiff and fully blended. Fold in the chives by hand.

3. Wet your hands and form the dough into 2 balls. The dough will be sticky but hold its shape. Dust the dough with a little tapioca starch, if necessary. Flatten each ball on the baking sheet to a round about ½ inch thick. Use your damp fingers to smooth the edges. Cut each round into quarters. Do not separate the quarters, but gently slide them about ¼ inch apart using a dough scraper. Brush the tops with the melted butter.

4. Bake the scones for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. (You can also “bake” the scones on the stovetop in a buttered cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Brown, then flip and brown the other side, for a total of 5 to 7 minutes per side.)

snappy jalapeño cheese bake

MY LATE MOTHER-IN-LAW elevated entertaining to a high art, and she lived long enough to achieve her goal of hosting a fiftieth anniversary sit-down dinner in her home for 100 people. We flew to Houston for the event, and it was dinner party mastery at its best: a piano player in the living room, guests circulating through the rooms to various hors d’oeuvres tables, and couples sitting down to a hot, unhurried meal. She had a number of entertaining rules, but simplicity was the overriding factor. One rule was to strive for simple elegance—dishes that didn’t require fussing over.

She recommended this particular dish to me for entertaining. It is easy to prepare and doesn’t involve standing over the stove: You whip it up just before guests arrive, and pop it in the oven. While guests are circulating during cocktails, it bakes to perfection, infusing the kitchen with a delicious smell. The original recipe, from the 1968 Houston Junior League Cook Book, called for Bisquick, Cheddar cheese, and canned green chilies. Here, I have substituted a self-rising gluten-free mix, fresh jalapeños, and sharp Cheddar. Served with a side salad and Cheesy Breadsticks, this dish satisfies vegetarians, carnivores, and gluten-free guests alike.

serves 8

2 medium fresh jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and finely diced

1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese (such as Cabot Seriously Sharp), freshly shredded

¾ cup (90g) light buckwheat flour

½ cup (70g) tapioca starch

¼ cup (48g) potato starch

½ teaspoon baking soda

6 large eggs

1 quart milk

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.

2. Sprinkle the jalapeños in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the jalapeños with the shredded cheese.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the buckwheat flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, baking soda, eggs, and milk until they are somewhat thickened and well blended. Pour the mixture over the cheese. It will be liquid enough that it will spread to the sides of the dish.

4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until the center is set and lightly browned. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing into servings.

maple flaxseed crackers

EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE LIVED IN VERMONT for twenty years, I am still in awe of how the watery sap from maple trees can become a thick, amber sweetener. During one of our first springs, we tapped a half-dozen trees in our yard. Tending those taps was a devotion, a bit like tending a sick baby, but we learned firsthand that it takes 43 gallons of sap (and back-breaking effort) to produce only 1 gallon of syrup.

These are about the simplest crackers in the world, and are the marriage of two ingredients with amazing properties: flaxseeds and maple syrup. Flaxseeds are well known for their health benefits, including their high omega-3 heart-healthy fats and lots of fiber. They are also hydrocolloids, which means that they (the outer seed layer, in this case) form a gel when combined with water, which, when dried, is the structure for these crackers. These crackers are most easily made with a food dehydrator, but it is also possible to make them in the oven—I’ve included directions for both here. These are sweet, crunchy, healthy crackers that will delight adults and kids.

makes 2 baking sheets of irregular-shaped crackers

1 cup golden flaxseeds

2 tablespoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flaxseeds and 2½ cups water. Allow the seeds to soak for at least 1 hour. The seeds will form a gel and the mixture will be gelatinous and thick.

2. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon and stir well.

3. Make the crackers in a dehydrator: Spread the crackers on the fruit roll or nonstick sheets of your dehydrator (you can also use parchment paper). Make them as thin as possible, although they will spread some on their own. Every dehydrator differs, but I set mine on the maximum temperature and allow the crackers to dry overnight. You can hasten drying by turning them after 4 to 5 hours. The crackers will first be kind of chewy, then gradually more brittle and crunchy. How long to dry them is a matter of preference. When done, break the crackers into irregular pieces and store them in an airtight container. They will last for months.

Make the crackers in an oven: Preheat the oven to 200°F and line 2 baking sheets with foil. Spread the flaxseed mixture on the baking sheets and bake the crackers for 3 hours, or until the tops of the crackers dry out. Remove the sheets from the oven and peel the crackers from the foil. Flip the crackers over and return them to the oven for another 2 to 3 hours. At this point the crackers should be brittle. Turn the oven off and allow the crackers to cool in the oven. Break them into pieces when completely cooled.

sweet sesame-maple-fig crackers

LONG BEFORE we were eating a gluten-free diet, I stumbled upon a sesame and honey wafer at a cheese shop in eastern Canada. I thought they were very clever and bought several for hiking and biking. At the time I never would have imagined that I would be relying on sesame in gluten-free baking, and the memory of those wafers was the inspiration for these crackers. These crackers rely on two ingredients that I think suffer from somewhat of an identity crisis: figs and sesame seeds.

I’m not sure how old I was before I realized what a fig looked like. My understanding of the fruit was a thin layer wedged inside a slightly crumbly cookie shell. Who ever knew that figs are high in potassium and dietary fiber, and a source of calcium? I’ve always liked the sweetness and chewiness of dried figs, as well as the crunchy seeds. Everyone is familiar with sesame in savory foods like tahini and sesame oil, but few realize it has similar properties to flour. In this recipe, the figs provide the glue and sesame is the structure. The natural sweetness of the figs, combined with the maple syrup and coconut, offsets the slightly bitter taste of concentrated sesame seeds. This dough also makes an excellent base for a cheesecake or a savory fig and goat cheese tart.

makes thirty-six 2-inch round crackers

8 ounces dried figs (about 25 figs), with stems removed

¼ cup maple syrup

2½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut

2 cups sesame seeds

1. In a food processor, combine the figs, maple syrup, coconut, and 1¼ cups water. Blend the mixture until all the liquid has been incorporated into the figs and coconut. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and work in the sesame seeds by hand. It should be a rollable dough.

2. Working with a third of the dough at a time, roll it out on a piece of parchment paper to a thickness of about ⅛ inch (you can make them thicker if you like, but the drying time will be longer). Dampen your hands and the rolling pin slightly if the dough is sticking. Cut out 2-inch rounds or whatever size and shape you’d like. Repeat with the remaining dough.

3. Make the crackers in a dehydrator: Transfer the crackers to the fruit roll or nonstick sheets of your dehydrator (you can also use parchment paper). Every dehydrator differs, but I set mine on the maximum temperature and allow the crackers to dry overnight. You can hasten drying by turning them after 4 to 5 hours. The crackers will first be kind of chewy, then gradually more brittle and crunchy. How long to dry them is a matter of preference. When done, allow them to cool and store them in an airtight container. They will last for months.

Make the crackers in an oven: Preheat the oven to 200°F and line 2 baking sheets with foil. Transfer the crackers to the baking sheets and bake them for 3 hours, or until the tops of the crackers dry out. Remove the sheets from the oven and peel the crackers from the foil. Flip the crackers over and return them to the oven for another 2 to 3 hours. At this point the crackers should be brittle. Turn the oven off and allow the crackers to cool in the oven.

variation

A similar cracker can be made by substituting dates for the figs and honey for the maple syrup. Finely ground pecans or almonds may be substituted for the sesame seeds.

Cheddar Puffs

cheddar puffs

THE FIRST TIME I perfected these savory, cracker-like appetizers, I cut them out in stars. When they came out of the oven, they were light and flaky little golden stars, with a puff pastry-like texture. It was exhilarating to see a gluten-free formulation look, well … normal. My very favorite Dr. Seuss story, The Sneetches, came to mind: It’s about star-bellied creatures who are singled out for their differences.

Although gluten-free has become mainstream, it is difficult to have to advocate for yourself and your dietary needs. It can also be difficult watching your friends chow down on something so basic as peanut butter cheese crackers. These cheese puffs can’t be found in vending machines … but dab a little peanut butter between two of these, and you’ve got basically the same thing. When making these puffs, it is important to make the thickness as consistent as possible to ensure the puffs crisp and brown evenly. The “puff” comes from the water in the butter and the added water that is incorporated into the dough. It seems counterintuitive, but water that is converted to steam as the puff bakes makes it crispy.

makes 30 to 40 crackers

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

¾ cup (90g) light buckwheat flour

½ cup (70g) tapioca starch

4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into small pieces

½ teaspoon paprika

1. In a food processor, combine the Cheddar, Parmesan, buckwheat flour, tapioca starch, butter, and paprika and pulse until the cheese and butter have been incorporated into the flour and the texture is sand-like.

2. Slowly add ¼ cup water to the mixture and pulse until the dough begins to come together as larger curds. (You should be able to shape the dough between your fingers.) Knead the dough into one big ball and divide it into quarters. Set aside one-quarter of the dough and refrigerate the rest.

3. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Working with one-quarter of the dough at a time, pat it down on a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Using a rolling pin guide, roll the dough out evenly to a thickness of ⅛ to 3/16 inch. Either cut the dough into small squares using a pizza cutter or cut the dough into shapes using canapé cutters. Repeat with the remaining dough.

5. Transfer the puffs to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Serve warm as an appetizer or room temperature with a dab of peanut butter or Cheddar cheese spread. Store in an airtight container for several days. To recrisp them, if necessary, place on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

cheddar cheese crackers

WHEN WE FIRST MOVED TO VERMONT, we enrolled the kids in the Meetinghouse School, a Waldorf-like preschool. Having just arrived from New York City, I was your typical insecure country mom. When my turn arrived to provide the weekly snacks, I got it into my mind that I was going to make crackers from scratch. Mind you, I had never made crackers before from scratch. The cracker recipe looked so simple and yummy, it didn’t occur to me to have a backup plan in case my baking went awry. Crackers, I learned, are anything but simple: The night before, I faithfully followed the recipe, and came out with the snarliest, worst-looking crackers imaginable. With nothing else to share, I brought the crackers into school with my tail between my legs. Much to my surprise, when I went back to pick up the boys, I was met by a tangle of preschoolers, all raving about my crackers. That was my first understanding that homely homemade baked goods with quality ingredients trump anything from the grocery store.

Gluten-free crackers are not that hard to make, but getting them to puff up with the right degree of crispiness is the challenge. In this recipe, crispiness is achieved through the oil in the butter and cheese. The puffiness comes from steam created by the water, as well as the water content of the butter and the cheese, which can be almost 40%. The egg white serves as both a binder and a drying agent.

makes 24 to 30 crackers

1 cup (120g) light buckwheat flour

¾ cup (105g) tapioca starch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes

6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

1 large egg white

1. In a food processor, combine the buckwheat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, sugar, and salt and pulse until well blended. Add the butter and cheese and pulse until the mixture is just crumbly, but don’t overblend. Add the egg white and pulse to combine.

2. Add 3 tablespoons water and process the dough just until it begins to come together. Transfer it to a large bowl and form 2 balls. Cover and place the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Working with one ball of dough at a time, remove a ball from the refrigerator and roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper as thin as you can get it without it sticking (about 1/16 inch). Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut out the crackers in whatever shape you’d like. Transfer the individual crackers to the baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, poke docking holes into the crackers (to allow steam to escape). Repeat with the remaining dough.

5. Bake the crackers for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they begin to brown around the edges. (Differences in the moisture content of the cheese could alter the baking time by several minutes.) Check your crackers frequently toward the end. You want crispy crackers, but you don’t want them too browned.

6. Transfer the baked crackers to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If the crackers lose their crispness after a few days, recrisp them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.

Cheesy Breadsticks

cheesy breadsticks

EVERYONE REMEMBERS his or her first dinner party: Mine was not long after we were married and had moved into our first apartment in Philadelphia. I made a lovely spinach noodle casserole, a salad, and some breadsticks fashioned from a prepackaged dough. After hors d’oeuvres, we moved from the living room to our dining room table (a repurposed picnic table with tippy benches). My guests were quite taken with the golden breadsticks, but halfway into the meal, my colleague’s husband asked, “What are these, anyway, green beans?” referring to my spinach noodle casserole. Tom almost fell backwards off the bench laughing. I stressed myself out to make a gourmet meal, and this guy couldn’t tell the difference between spinach noodles and green beans … but he ate practically the entire batch of crummy breadsticks.

That was my early lesson on the importance of what food looks like, not just how it tastes. People like familiar, attractive, and comforting foods. These breadsticks are just that—twisty, golden … and they don’t look gluten-free. They are also made of a few simple, quality ingredients that will impress your guests at your next dinner party, even if you are dining at a picnic table.

makes thirty 12-inch breadsticks

1 cup plus 1 teaspoon (150g) tapioca starch

4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, freshly grated

2 ounces freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons salted butter, cut up and chilled

1 large egg

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, combine the tapioca starch, Cheddar, Parmesan, butter, and egg and blend until the dough just begins to come together.

3. Pinch out tablespoon chunks (30g) of dough and roll them out on the counter into 12-inch ropes of even thickness. Carefully transfer each rope to the baking sheet. Using your forefinger, press on the rope every inch or so to create a twisted rope effect. You can place them fairly close to each other since they don’t puff up much during baking.

4. Bake the breadsticks for 10 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on the bottom. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

graham crackers

WHEN MY SON MARTY graduated from high school, my sister, Lynn, hosted a family RV/campground party at Ft. Dummer State Park in Brattleboro. The bright and casually elegant picnic table was laid with a variety of mouthwatering antipastos, freshly steamed lobster, and mountains of corn on the cob. For dessert, my sister had brought Marty a surprise—gluten-free graham crackers “imported” for s’mores. Poor kid, he had forgotten what graham crackers tasted like … alone, he finished at least half of the package. Although the crackers were the best gluten-free version we had ever tasted, they were still more like a platform than a cracker.

Realistic graham crackers have remained some of the most elusive comfort foods of the gluten-free world. Any gluten-free graham cracker recipe I tried always seemed like cookies. However, the minute I tasted my first baked good made with light buckwheat flour, I was struck by its slightly grainy texture, light crispness, and an almost sweet aftertaste.

It screamed GRAHAM CRACKERS to me. They bake up with just the right texture, a pleasant but not too sweet taste, and a hint of cinnamon. In this recipe, butter lends to the crispiness, but it needs to be well chilled to harden the fat in the dough. Molasses gives the cracker its characteristic color and lends to the “graham” flavor.

makes twenty-four 3-inch square graham crackers

1 cup (140g) tapioca starch

1¼ cups (150g) light buckwheat flour

¼ cup (48g) potato starch

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into 8 slices

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon dark molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1. In a food processor, combine the tapioca starch, buckwheat flour, potato starch, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the dough is mealy.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, molasses, and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the processor and combine until the dough holds together. Divide the dough in half and form into 2 logs 8 inches long. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. Keep one log refrigerated while you work with the other.

3. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

4. On a piece of parchment paper, roll a log of dough out into a sheet ⅛ inch thick. Score or cut the dough into twelve 3-inch squares using a pizza cutter. Don’t worry about the scraps along the side—just bake them and reserve them for graham cracker crumbs. Poke holes in the dough for expansion. (For cinnamon crackers, sprinkle the granulated sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough.)

5. Slide the entire piece of parchment paper onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the sides are lightly browned. Allow the crackers to cool for several minutes on the baking sheet and rescore the lines while the crackers are still warm to minimize breakage. Repeat with the remaining dough.

NOTE: One of the keys to making these crackers crisp is rolling them out to a uniform ⅛-inch thickness. The best way to do that is to use rolling pin guides. Commercially available guide rings work well, or you can make your own ⅛-inch-thick strips to place alongside the dough. The wooden paint stirrers you get at paint stores for free are exactly ⅛ inch thick and work as well as anything.

Puff Pastry Croissants

puff pastry croissants

WHEN WE LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY, croissants were a huge treat on Sunday morning served with dabs of blackberry jam and the New York Times. It all seems kind of retro now, between our digital paper subscription and the lack of gluten-free croissants. Croissants are one of our most requested products from customers, mostly because it’s so hard to pass a tray of freshly baked croissants and know they are off-limits. Gluten-free dough is not typically stretchy, and it is the stretchiness of croissant dough that makes it expand and flake when the water in the dough creates steam during baking. The butter gives the croissant its rich taste and functions to separate its many layers.

Traditional croissants are made with yeasted, laminated dough. The lack of gluten makes it nearly impossible to create stretchy sheets of dough with or without any gums or stabilizers. Instead, I developed a puffy pastry that has the taste and texture of a croissant: a modification of my choux pastry piped out in the form of a croissant, made and baked in less than an hour. The tapioca gel created by adding tapioca starch to boiled milk and water is quite stretchy, and the taste and texture bear a distinct resemblance to traditional croissants. Guess what we’ve now added to our Sunday morning breakfasts?

makes 6 croissants

½ cup milk

4 tablespoons salted butter

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (140g) tapioca starch

2 large eggs

1. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a saucepan, bring the milk, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Immediately stir in the tapioca starch. Continue stirring and cooking for about 1 minute, until you have a gelatinous mass. Allow the dough to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Using a hand mixer, beat in one egg at a time until fully incorporated. At first, it will seem like scrambled eggs; continue beating the dough until the dough becomes pasty before adding the second egg. (You may have to scrape down the sides and beaters multiple times.) The dough is ready when it thickens and stretches back when tugged—any small lumps will bake out.

4. Gather the dough together and spoon it into a sealable plastic bag. Snip off about ½ inch of one corner of the bag to use for piping.

5. Build a crescent-shaped croissant by piping the dough starting with a tapered “leg.” Zigzagging back and forth, pipe the croissant wider toward the center and then taper it down for the other “leg.”

6. Bake the croissants for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.

flour tortillas

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, we began our gluten-free journey worrying about what we were going to do about sandwiches. Our boys went to small, rural schools, and lunch was a brown-bag affair. We started out with romaine lettuce wraps, but by the time the wraps got to lunchtime, they resembled damp washcloths. We tried corn tortillas for a while, but they dried out or became kind of flabby. Then we tried commercially available gluten-free tortillas. They seemed to break in venetian blind strips at every fold.

These homemade tortillas are now a staple in our house—they are stretchy, chewy, and flexible without cracking or drying out. The secret to their flexibility is that they are not flattened dough balls. Rather, they begin as a batter and are more pancake-like until they are baked. The tortillas are made one at a time in an electric tortilla press, and inserted between the folds of a clean kitchen towel to retain their moisture and flexibility until all 8 have been made. We use these tortillas for leftover barbecued chicken or pork, but they are also excellent with a big spoonful of Great Northern or black beans as the base.

makes 8 tortillas

1¾ cups (245g) tapioca starch

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup milk

¼ cup canola oil

3 large eggs

1. In a food processor, combine the tapioca starch and salt.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and oil to a full boil, stirring constantly to keep the milk and oil in solution. Pour the hot mixture into the food processor and pulse until the mixture is fully moistened and grainy. Allow the mixture to rest and cool for 15 minutes.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and pulse the batter until it is fully blended. The batter will have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Pour the batter into a medium bowl and set it next to your tortilla press as it preheats according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Pour approximately ¼ cup of batter onto the center of the press. Press down lightly with the lid, then release it. Within seconds the bottom will be cooked enough that you can spin the tortilla with your fingers 90 degrees and press down again. Repeat this process until the tortilla extends to the edge of the tortilla press bed and is the desired thickness. Open the press, let the bottom cook for a few seconds, and flip the tortilla over using a spatula. You can flip it over as many times as you like, but make sure that you don’t overcook the tortilla or it will get too crispy. A done tortilla should be light and stretchy and have barely any browned marks on it. Making perfect tortillas takes a bit of practice, but even wrinkled ones work and taste just fine. If you find that the batter is too thick as you work, thin it with 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you attain the desired consistency.

5. Place the cooked tortillas between the folds of clean kitchen towels to retain their warmth and flexibility as you prepare the remainder of the tortillas. Keep them in the towels until you serve them; otherwise, they will dry out.

NOTE: If you have any tortillas left over, they can be frozen between sheets of wax paper in a sealable plastic bag. Heating up a frozen tortilla is a simple matter of microwaving it on a plate for 10 seconds or leaving it in the sealable bag on the counter until it reaches room temperature.

vegan spinach tortillas

HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE TORTILLAS are well worth the effort. I often rely on tapioca starch to create a starch-based gel and use eggs for their natural binding properties. Such is the case in the recipe for regular Flour Tortillas. This recipe, on the other hand, is based on flax meal as an egg replacer. Flax, which forms an egg white-like gel when soaked in water, is the binder, but it also adds an overpowering taste if not used sparingly.

Not one to shy away from challenges, I developed this recipe to showcase the optimum balance of starch and flaxseed to create a flavorful, bendable, and robust tortilla. Flax forms a viscous gel in a ratio of about 1:3 flaxseed to water. The spinach adds color, and its flavor neutralizes the distinctive taste of flaxseeds. You will need an electric tortilla press to make this recipe, but you can make the tortillas as big as your machine will allow. Fill with a combination of garlic-sautéed portobello mushrooms and fennel with shredded lettuce for a light vegan treat.

makes 8 tortillas

1 tablespoon flax meal

1½ cups (210g) tapioca starch

⅓ cup (40g) light buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (included for flavor; optional)

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ cup canola oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

¼ cup chopped spinach, fresh or frozen (with excess moisture pressed out)

1. In a small bowl, make the flaxseed slurry by combining the flax meal with 3 tablespoons water.

2. In a food processor, combine the tapioca starch, buckwheat flour, yeast (if using), and salt and pulse to combine.

3. In a medium saucepan, bring the oil and ⅔ cup water to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to keep the water and oil emulsified. Pour the hot mixture into the food processor, add the vinegar, and pulse until the mixture is fully moistened and grainy. Allow the mixture to rest and cool for 15 minutes.

4. Add the flax slurry, the spinach, and ¼ cup water to the food processor. Pulse the dough until it comes together as a ball. It will be stretchy and a bit sticky, but easy to make into 8 individual balls.

5. Preheat a tortilla press according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place one ball onto the center of the press. Press down lightly with the lid, then release it. Within seconds the bottom will be cooked enough that you can spin the tortilla with your fingers 90 degrees and press down again. Repeat this process until the tortilla extends to the edge of the tortilla press bed and is the desired thickness. Open the press, let the bottom cook for a few seconds, and flip the tortilla over using a spatula. You can flip it over as many times as you like, but make sure that you don’t overcook the tortilla or it will get too crispy. A done tortilla should be light and stretchy and have barely any browned marks on it.

6. Place the cooked tortillas between the folds of clean kitchen towels to retain their warmth and flexibility as you prepare the remainder of the tortillas. Keep them in the towels until you serve them; otherwise, they will dry out.

pâte à choux

ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECTS of gluten-free baking is that you must always be thinking about structure. The high hydration levels required for gluten-free bread mean that tasks like making layered puff pastry are compromised at best, since gluten-free dough has a tendency to collapse under its own weight. Then there is pâte à choux, a puffy pastry dough that traditionally contains flour, water, butter, and eggs. Pâte à choux, or choux pastry, is the basis for éclairs, savory cream puffs, profiteroles, and gougères. As a gluten-free dough, it has its own internal structure and it can be shaped into rings and even swans. This dough is formulated somewhat differently from wheat-based dough: canola oil, which spreads less than butter, allows the pastry to rise more, and using milk rather than water adds protein while providing a traditional buttery taste. When piped onto parchment paper, the dough is rather gelatinous, but it keeps its shape as it rises and bakes. Fill this pastry with savory ingredients or add 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar to the dough and fill with Pastry Cream. In less than an hour, you can have a striking appetizer or dessert that no one will know is gluten-free.

makes enough pastry for a 9-inch gougère or 8 cream puffs

½ cup milk

¼ cup canola oil

½ teaspoon salt

1¼ cups (175g) tapioca starch

2 large eggs

2 to 3 teaspoons sugar (optional for dessert pastry)

1. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a saucepan, bring the milk, canola oil, salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Immediately stir in the tapioca starch. Continue stirring and cooking for about 1 minute until you have a gelatinous mass. Allow the dough to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Using a hand mixer, beat in one egg until the egg is fully incorporated. Continue beating the dough until the dough becomes pasty before adding the second egg. (You may have to scrape down the sides and beaters multiple times.) The dough is ready when it is too thick to mix and stretches back when tugged—it may still have small lumps in it, but they will bake out.

4. Gather the dough together and spoon it into a sealable plastic bag. Snip off about ½ inch of one corner of the bag to use for piping. Pipe the dough in whatever shape you like onto the baking sheet—elongated éclairs, rounded cream puffs or smaller profiteroles, or a connected ring of puffs.

5. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for 20 minutes more. Open the oven and allow the pastry to cool in the oven for 15 minutes to help it dry out.

NOTE: The trick to good choux pastry is a combination of temperature and moisture, so make sure your oven is baking to its true temperature.

c-biscuit pet treats for dogs and horses

YOU MIGHT FIND it surprising to find a pet treat recipe included in this collection, but our golden retriever, Chester, has been my front-line recipe tester throughout this book. Of course, he didn’t taste recipes with ingredients off-limits to dogs, but he did get to chase several bread bloopers that were more akin to edible Frisbees.

Why feed your pet highly processed treats when you can make your own without grains, binders, or fillers? These are vegan biscuits—flaxseeds are the natural binders—that are cut out and dried. Store them in an airtight container and you will always have them on hand for man’s best friend … or a horse. These pet treats are most easily made with a food dehydrator, but it is also possible to make them in the oven—I’ve included directions for both.

makes thirty 2-inch treats

2 tablespoons flaxseeds

1 cup (140g) tapioca starch

1¼ cups (150g) light buckwheat flour

2 cups chopped carrots

2 tablespoons palm or solid shortening

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons molasses

1. In a small bowl, combine the flaxseeds and 6 tablespoons water and set aside to form a gel.

2. In a food processor, combine the tapioca starch, buckwheat flour, carrots, shortening, rosemary, molasses, and flax gel. Process until the dough comes together as a ball. Roll out the dough to a ½-inch thickness and cut into shapes.

3. Make the treats in a dehydrator: Transfer the treats directly to the rack of your dehydrator. Every dehydrator differs, but I set mine on the maximum temperature and allow the treats to dry overnight until all the moisture has evaporated. You can hasten drying by turning them after 4 to 5 hours. When done, cool and store them in an airtight container.

Make the treats in an oven: Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Transfer the treats to the baking sheet and bake them for 3 hours, or until the tops of the treats dry out. Remove the sheet from the oven and peel the treats from the foil. Flip the treats over and return them to the oven for another 2 to 3 hours, or until the treats are completely dry. Turn the oven off and allow the treats to cool in the oven.

NOTE: To make these treats tasty for cats, add a 5-ounce can of tuna in oil and decrease the palm shortening to 1 tablespoon—dogs will like them too.