Winter Holidays: Celebrating Gluten-Free

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Celebrating gluten-free in style.

Looking for inspiration and recipes for your gluten-free Christmas breakfast? Winter solstice brunch with friends? Vegan Hanukkah guests? A romantic New Year's Eve? Some simple winter comfort food?

Here is my collection of holiday favorites. Browse gluten-free recipes (most are dairy-free as well) and create your own winter holiday menu. Celebrate gluten-freestyle.

With love.



A Mid-Winter's Menu


Brunch and Breakfast
Apple Cake with Cranberries
Applesauce Crumb Cake
Cranberry Banana Smoothie
Eggs Diablo on Soft Polenta
Gold Potato Frittata
Maple Apple Sausage Patties
Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts 
Pumpkin Donuts (baked, cinnamon-sugared)
Pumpkin Scones with Maple Nutmeg Icing
Pumpkin Waffles
Roasted Vegetable Cheddar Quiche
Ruby Applesauce
Smoked Salmon & Spinach Goat Cheese Strata
Sweet Potato Coffee Cake





Bread and Muffins
Banana Nut Bread
Chocolate Gingerbread
Cranberry Bread
English Muffins
Gluten-Free Ryeless "Rye" Bread
Pueblo Bread with Green Chiles 
Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts
Pumpkin Pie Bread
Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
Quinoa Breakfast Brownies
Skillet Cornbread with Green Chiles
Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Whole Grain Olive Bread



A Holiday Lunch
Baked Cheddar Pasta
Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Brown Sugar Turkey Meatloaf
Cranberry Buffalo Roast Stew
Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach Bake with Mozzarella
Mediterranean Pasta Frittata with Goat Cheese
Pineapple Salmon Brown Rice Bake with Green Chiles
Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Cranberries
Roasted Acorn Squash Risotto
Roasted Vegetable Chowder
Sweet Potato Latkes with Ruby Applesauce
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie



Appetizers & Bites

Crispy Latkes and Cinnamon Applesauce
Crispy Potato Sticks with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Hummus Tahini with Spiced Oil
Pecan CrackersRoasted Eggplant Tapenade
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Vegan Hot Artichoke Dip
Winter Pesto



Slow Cooker Comfort
Coconut Chick Pea Soup
Beef in Pomegranate Sauce
Butternut Chili
Cranberry Buffalo Roast Stew with Potatoes
Pork Roast in Apricot Mushroom Sauce
Sweet Potato Soup



Buffet & Pot Luck Dishes
Cozy Beef Rice Bake with Mushrooms and Cranberries
Horseradish Spiked Red Potato Salad- Serve Warm
Jazzed Up Turkey Tetrazzini
Pinon Rice Bake with Artichokes and Goat Cheese
Roasted Vegetable Noodle Kugel
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach Bake
Turkey and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Turkey Meatballs in an Asian-style Sauce



Dinner Is Served
Baked Chicken Mediterranean with Peppers
Beef and Potatoes au Chocolat
Beef in Pomegranate Sauce
Italian Meatballs
Lasagna Vegetariana
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Curried Apple & Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing
Pumpkin-Sweet Potato Soup
Pomegranate Glazed Green Beans & Portobellos
Roasted Acorn Squash Risotto
Savory Roasted Winter Vegetable Ragout with Shaved Parmesan
Stuffed Cabbage with Roasted Sweet Potato & Quinoa



Dessert
Anise Biscotti
Apple Crisp (with Quinoa Flakes)
Apple & Pear Crisp
Apple Cake with Cranberries
Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Biscotti- low sugar
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Icing
Chocolate Layer Cake
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chocolate Quinoa Brownies
Coconut Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Coconut Chocolate Nirvana Bars
Coconut Layer Cake
Coffee Biscuits with Chocolate ChipsCranberry Crumble
Dark Chocolate Brownies
Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Gingersnaps
Lemon Almond Yogurt Cake
Lemon-Iced Ginger Thins
Maple Frosted Pumpkin Cake
Mexican Chocolate Cake
Orange Creme Cupcakes
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie
Quinoa Pumpkin Cookies
Snowy Lemon Cookies
Sweet Potato Pie

P E A C E

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Gluten-Free vegan pumpkin cheesecake- creamy and dairy-free.

Is this the week to shun dessert in favor of lettuce and green detox soup? I can answer that.

The answer is no.

As in N. As in O. NO. Nope. Nada. Not gonna happen.

Because I, my darling, am a temptress. I am not going to write about New Year's Hoppin' John today, or some virtuous legume soup with kale. I am going to tease you. I am going to lure you- with one more fork-worthy dessert recipe before the final eve of 2012. A silky, creamy pumpkin cheesecake recipe that begs for a party. One last hurrah before the pale glare of January dawns in all her cold and sober glory. One last indulgent sweet before I gingerly step on the reality check scale. And maybe, sigh. A little hint of a sigh.

Because the annual jean shrinkage has begun. You know- that time of year when (mysteriously!) my jeans come out of the dryer a size too small. And that familiar jolly pie roll affectionately known as Doris is rolling her merry way up and out of my favorite roomy cargo pants. It's rather comical. And in truth, she makes me smile. I pat her affectionately.

Like a pet bunny.

Because the truth is I am not about to start counting calories.

Though I admit I may feel the need to cleanse my palette in the bright new year that lurks around the corner (the new year the Mayans allegedly did not give a whit about). Detox mulligatawny is surely in my future. If for nothing else, for the sheer love of shedding old stuck energy. A fresh start feels good. If you do it with a big dash of humor.

And humility.

I know from experience that January will ignite the urge to clean out closets, chase those dust bunnies and walk off our collective Doris's. Or would that be Dori, for plural? We have plenty of time, come 2013, for detoxing and courting virtue with ginger laced green soup, and recipes that will encourage our lovely pinchable pie rolls to skedaddle. I promise. I'll be first in line with fresh whipped smoothies and cleansing soup recipes come January.

But this week? Nah.

There's one more gluten-free dessert recipe to share in 2012.

And it's cheesecake. Well, faux cheesecake. And no one will suspect it is vegan and gluten-free.

I won't tell, if you won't.


Have a beautiful, safe, healthy, light filled New Year!

No eggs or dairy in this rich and creamy gluten-free cheesecake.

Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

This recipe is loosely based on my pre-celiac pumpkin cheesecake recipe. The cheesecake crust is based on my coconut-pecan pie crust recipe from my Pumpkin Praline Pie. Serve slices garnished with fresh berries, if you like. Or mint leaves.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Prepare a 9-inch Springform pan by lining the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.

First, make the cheesecake crust:

Crust ingredients:

1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour blend
1/2 cup organic light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
5 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

Place all of the dry ingredients into a food processor bowl and pulse until the mixture looks a bit like coarse sand. Add in the vegan butter and pulse in quick, short bursts until the crumbs are moist and fall away from the sides of the bowl.

Dump the crumbs into the cake pan and spread them evenly. Using your fingers gently press the crumbs across the bottom and up the sides- about half the way up.

Set aside.

Wash out the processor bowl.

For the cheesecake filling:

16 ounces vegan cream cheese (I used 2 8-oz containers of Vegan Gourmet Non-GMO Soy Cream Cheese)
14 ounces organic non-GMO silken tofu (I love the sprouted soy tofu)
1 cup cooked organic pumpkin (canned is fine)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Scoop the vegan cream cheese, soft tofu, and pumpkin puree into the food processor bowl. Add the lime juice, vanilla extract, sugar, tapioca starch, ginger, cinnamon and sea salt. Process until the ingredients form a smooth and creamy pudding-like filling.

Spoon the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the prepared pan. Spread the filling evenly and smooth out the top with a back of a spoon.

Place in the center of a pre-heated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until golden. Turn the oven OFF. Leave the cheesecake in the cooling oven to set for one hour.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set it on a wire rack to continue cooling.

When cool, place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the pan and place an inverted dinner plate on top. (This helps to keep condensation from forming and dripping onto the cheesecake.)

Chill the cheesecake for several hours- overnight is even better.

Using a thin flexible spatula or plastic knife, gently loosen the sides of the cake from the Springform pan; release the spring and carefully remove the ring.

Use a thin sharp knife to slice the cheescake. Serve with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, fresh berries, or mint leaves.

Cook time: 1 hour

Yield: Serves 10-12



More pumpkin cheesecake goodness from bloggers:

The Baking Beauties: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping at Hold the Gluten

The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Book of Yum's Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Egg-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars by Jules Gluten-Free

Elana's Pantry: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Cheesecake

Review: Tony's

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I recently had one of the best dining experiences I've had in a really long time! Granted, I haven't been out to eat very much lately, but I was more than impressed by the food, service and experience I had at Tony's. I went on a Saturday evening with my aunt, which was my second time dining there and her first. My boss at work turned me on to Tony's Steakhouse about a year ago after he raved about how amazing it was and that the steak is better than Jeff Ruby's. That got my attention because I love Jeff Ruby's! 

Tony Ricci is the owner of Tony's and, according to their website, has worked in upscale dining for over 25 years. I know he was previously the general manager at Jeff Ruby's Precinct for a very long time, and he has certainly taken his knowledge and experiences from there to create a fantastic restaurant of his own!  

When my aunt and I arrived for our 6:30 reservations, the restaurant was already starting to fill up, and there was a crowd forming at the bar. You instantly get a good vibe when you walk in the door. They have such a warm and inviting atmosphere. I love that you can see the chef's cooking in the kitchen and the servers pulling their orders. Soft, classical music (think Frank Sinatra) plays in the background. A jazz band was setting up near the bar a little later in the evening. While some may describe Tony's as a "fancy" restaurant, it doesn't feel stuffy or cold like other "fancy" restaurants.

We were seated right away by a friendly hostess and a server immediately came over to fill our waters. Then our main server came over to fill us in on that nights specials, take our drink orders and give us bread and butter. The butter is topped with a crunchy garlic salt that is delicious. I couldn't get enough!

My aunt and I both decided to order the filet mignon. It came with a choice of mashed or baked potatoes and a salad, which is a great value for only $34. I chose the caesar salad based on the recommendation from our server. She said the homemade caesar dressing is amazing, and she was right! For a simple salad, it was quite delicious! There was a small hint of flavor from the anchovies, but not too overbearing, which is my fear with homemade caesar dressing. I broke the Parmesan crisp into pieces and sprinkled it over the top of the salad, and it added the perfect crunch and flavor to the salad.


My aunt went with the wedge salad, which was an iceberg wedge with ranch or blue cheese dressing (she chose ranch), bacon and tomatoes. This looked delicious as well, and she really enjoyed it!


After another piece of bread and butter, our entrees made their way to the table. I chose to get the mashed potatoes (which I forgot to take a photo of) with my filet. It was such a treat to have homemade mashed potatoes. They were creamy and garlicky and yummmmy, although we had so much food I could hardly eat them.

My filet was outstanding. I ordered it "medium rare plus" and it was cooked to perfection. I ordered it Oscar style, which comes with crab meat, bernaise sauce and asparagus. This is my favorite way to order a filet! My only complaint was that there were a few shells still on the crab meat. This was disappointing, but the filet with the bernaise sauce was out of this world delish and made up for that little snafu!

Oscar style filet - sorry it's sideways! Wouldn't let me flip it around!

My aunt ordered her steak "medium plus" and hers was cooked to perfection as well. On our way to dinner, she was telling me how she likes a lot of pink and no red in her steak and no restaurants ever get it right. I was glad Tony's got it right for her! She ordered hers with a side of mushrooms and the baked potato. I've had the baked potato before, and it is delicious. As you can tell from the picture, it's huge, and it's covered with garlic and salt and served with butter. Seriously...what's not to like??


Halfway through our dinner, we saw my boss (ironically, the same one who originally told me about Tony's) across the restaurant and chit chatted with him for a few minutes. After we finished our entrees, our server came over and told us that my boss wanted to treat us to dessert. What a great surprise! Although we were stuffed to the gills, we managed to make room for a couple desserts. Usually there are only one or two things on a dessert menu that I like (usually the ones with chocolate!), but the dessert menu is quite extensive at Tony's. It was the toughest decision of the night! Tony's mother makes homemade tiramisu and cannolis at her home and brings them to the restaurant. Last time I went to Tony's, I had the cannolis and they were amazing, but I wanted to try something different this time. I decided to get the pot de creme. This chocolatey, custard dish was rich and delicious and was topped with whipped cream and strawberries. It tasted like the inside of a chocolate truffle. I'd highly recommend for chocolate lovers, although I'd suggest sharing because it is super duper rich. We were so excited about dessert, we forgot to take photos! L

My aunt got the vanilla bean creme brulee, which was also amazing. It was much lighter than the pot de creme so we shared the two and they balanced each other out perfectly. It was crunchy on top and smooth and creamy inside. It was served room tempeture, which I like. Sometimes creme brulee is served chilled, and I don't like that as much. Sorry again for no photos!

To wrap up this really long post...I think it's clear that I would highly recommend dining at Tony's! The whole experience, from the service, to the ambiance, to the food is outstanding! Our server was amazing...she was friendly and attentive and made great recommendations. And both times I've been to the restaurant, Tony is there and he greets every single table and asks how your server is doing and how the food is. It is such a nice touch and makes you feel "special" - as cheesy as that sounds! I will most certainly be back!

~Kris

Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall: 5

Review: Barresi's

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I first of all have to note that if you follow a lot of Cincinnati Food Blogs, you will feel that this is repetitive of Cincinnati Bites post.  Apparently, we were both at Barresi's on Valentine's Day! So, check out his blog too for more reviews if interested :)

I have lived near Barresi's for a really long time and have never gone.  I walk past this restaurant on my neighborhood walks at least 3 times a week and had often wonder what it's like on the inside. Kris and I have both have lived near hear and always talked about going but never did.   From the outside, Barresi's looks like a renovated stucco home with vines and flowers painted on the outside of the building.  It appears very charming from the outside and was always a mystery to me.  I had heard that this was a pretty pricey place, which was why I had never gone before.

I typically am able to talk Ross into going to a nicer restaurant for Valentine's Day.  Yes, we do go out for Valentine's Day.  It really is a good excuse for me to go to nicer restaurants that we wouldn't normally go to :)  When I suggested Barresi's, he immediately agreed.  He had been wanting to try it too!

We made reservations since it was a holiday and knew that it can fill up quickly.  We made early reservations though and I think we would have been able to go on in and have a seat.  Barresi's is a very warm and inviting restaurant.  We were greeted by a hostess who offered to take our coats for us and led us to the hostess stand to check in for our reservation.  The inside of Barresi's is pretty close to what I imagined it to be.  Lots of rooms that have eclectic touches that make you feel like you're at home.  We were led to an upstairs dining area that was broken into 2 or 3 separate rooms.  We sat toward the back next to a fireplace.

After looking over the wine list for a minute, I selected a glass of wine and Ross opted for a beer.  Our server was attentive and friendly, but appeared a bit nervous.  She may have been new, but this didn't bother us in the slightest.  She was very knowledgeable and shared good opinions about the menu items.  The full menu was not available this night, but there were still plenty of options.  As we looked it over, a basket of their famous Zeppoles.  These things were AMAZING.  I had never heard or tasted such things before, but these were addictive.  Zeppoles are little square bites of fried dough and had just enough salt and garlic.  They were served with butter.  I tried not to eat too many before even ordering my meal because I wanted to save room, but I could have easily eaten that entire basket of these.

There were so many different menu items that sounded delicious that it was hard to decide.  After asking the server her opinion and going back and forth a couple times, I decided to get the Beef Crab Gorgonzola.  This was twin filets with lump crab meat, topped with a mushroom and artichoke Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Need I say more!?

Ross ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Crabmeat Cardinale.  This was one of our server's suggestion and was one that I almost ordered too.  All the entrees were served with a house salad and a side pasta.

The salads came out first.  These were just OK.  I was actually expecting a better salad. The house dressing was pretty good for the most part, but again, just fine salads.

Now, for my complaint that really has nothing to do with the restaurant itself.  Ross and I were enjoying the quiet ambiance of the restaurant, which was pretty quiet overall until the table next to us was sat.  This was a family of 5 or 6 people with two boys and 3 or 4 adults.  I don't mind groups, kids, or even noisy groups; however, this was by far one of the most annoying tables I have EVER sat by in my entire life. Keep in mind this was Valentine's Day in a more "upscale" restaurant that is pretty quiet.  The kids were fine, but the adults talking to these kids was so distracting that it pretty much ruined my dinner.  The continuous nitpicking then complimenting, then correcting, then praising...it was all too much for me.  This non-stop banter continued the rest of the meal....

So, for the rest of my food...I can easily say it was delicious.  The filets were cooked perfectly, juicy and tender.  The crab, filet, and gorgonzola cream sauce was a very rich and flavorful combination.  There was a little earthiness from the mushrooms and artichokes, but overall the entire dish was spot on.  It was definitely a very rich and creamy sauce, so if that's not your thing this wouldn't be your dish, but I loved it and would easily order it again!
My meal was also served with a side of pasta.  I'm not really sure why, I didn't need the pasta, but I tried it.  The red sauce was pretty good overall, but I honestly didn't have more than a bite or two of this, so I can't say a whole lot about it. But it was nice to try their homemade sauce :)

Ross also loved his lobster ravioli.  This also had a lobster cream sauce served with it.  I thought the portion was a good size and a really unique option for Italian.  I tried this as well and liked it a lot, but liked mine better :)

Barresi's was a great choice for a restaurant for a special occasion. Like I said, Italian food is one of my favorites and this did not disappoint.  I wish that the rest of the patrons had been a little more tolerable because it really was completely distracting and made it difficult to pay attention to anything else!

Service was overall good, nothing that stood out, but average overall.  But if you want a nice, family-owned neighborhood restaurant, this will definitely give you what you're looking for.
~Kate

Food: 4.5
Service: 3.5
Overall Experience: 3 (due to the other guests)

Review: Pompilio's

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My friend has been raving about Pompilio's in Newport for a couple months now.  She said she loved the small local feel of the restaurant and really enjoyed her meals that she has had here.  I do love Italian, so when my husband was recently craving Italian, I suggested we give it a try.

Pompilio's is located in the small neighborhood of Newport, KY and there is a location in Independence too.  It is well-known for having a scene from Rain Man filmed here.  There was plenty of parking options located on the neighboring streets.  I loved the location, making it definitely feel like a neighborhood gem.

Upon walking in, I was a little taken aback.  The bar area was packed with people...and smoke.  I forgot that Kentucky still allows smoking in restaurants.  I am not one who typically is bothered by smoke actually, but this was pretty intense.  We were led to the hostess stand in another room who asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking.  We chose the latter.  We were immediately seated to a cozy booth in the back of the restaurant.

As we got comfortable I was able to take a minute to soak in the ambiance and patrons of Pompilio's.  I liked how the interior had a feeling of being in a family restaurant.  There was a variety of patrons, including families, children, and couples.  It wasn't too loud and had some great eccentric pieces adorning the walls.

Ross and I took some time looking over the menu after ordering our drinks.  The menu is huge.  It offers specialty dishes, pastas, chicken, salads, appetizers, and more.  It really is pretty extensive.  I asked our matter-of-fact waitress what she recommended, and she suggested the chicken tortellini which was one of the dishes I was debating, so I went for it.  This was served with a side salad.  Ross decided to order the Cannelloni.  He has never ordered this before, so I was surprised, but it sounded good! He wanted a Caesar salad with his meal.

As we waited, a server brought us some bread to snack on.  This was pretty boring.  It really just was white bread.  It seemed to me like bread that I could get from a bag at the store.

Next, came our salads.  These salads were too a bit disappointing.  It was a portion of iceberg lettuce topped with two cucumbers and two tomatoes.  I had the Italian dressing, which was just okay. Ross didn't really care for his salad either.  It was over-dressed making it taste a bit soggy.  Not terrible, but not that great either.


At this point, we were excited for our entrees to come.  We finished our drinks and chatted while we waited....and waited...and noticed that the table who was sat 10-15 minutes after us received their entrees.  We weren't terribly bothered by this, but we did notice it.  Our waitress did stop by a bit later and apologized for the food taking longer than normal, which was nice to acknowledge.  Finally, our food arrived.

The chicken tortellini is sauteed with garlic, basil, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes and served in a Parmesan cream sauce.  This overall was just okay.  I thought there was way too much cream sauce making it a little too rich for me.  Other than that, I really liked the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken was pretty good too.  This was a big portion and had about half to take home.  I think this was a decent dish, but just too much cream/cheese, in my opinion.

Ross' dish was not good.  I really can't even try to make it sound good.  I thought it was terrible.  The cannelloni tasted rubbery to me.  It was stuffed with beef and Italian sausage, which really had no flavor.  Ross chose Alfredo sauce on top of it, and I didn't think that had any flavor either.  It really needed some salt and pepper at least.  This was a very bland dish.  I also thought for Italian food it was a small portion. Ross didn't mind though because he didn't like this either.

I was so disappointed in Pompilio's!  I really wanted to like this place.  I thought the interior and exterior is really unique and a lot of people seem to enjoy it.  It was busy, but not on a wait, and prices are pretty fair.  My friend who recommended it said that she has only had the red sauce and really likes that, so if I ever do go back, I guess I will have to try that.  The food and service was just mediocre in my opinion. I don't need a server who is overly friendly or anything like that, but ours was really just down-to-business.  Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear other thoughts on this place.
~Kate

Food: 2
Service:2
Overall Experience: 2.5

Gluten-Free Corn Muffins - A Spicy New Recipe

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Our newest gluten-free muffin recipe- grainy and tender with a hint of spicy.

My heart is often tugged in multiple directions. Yanked this way, and pulled that way. Like one long, drunken walk of contradiction. Opposing strategies, assumptions, and intentions collide and churn and grip my emotional little pump like a fist- far more often than I care to admit. For all kinds of reasons. If I was a believer in astrology I would now confess my Gemini imprint. Which allegedly explains my dual nature and divergent tendencies. I have always pursued two paths at once, and wrangled opposites like the celestial twins I supposedly embody. But the only current subscription card I carry is not to the stars above in any connect-the-dot sense, but to the Big Kahuna. The Mother of All. That's right.
Love.
That's why this past year was so tough, Babycakes. 
So much anti-love. So much devoted divisiveness. So much snide finger pointing and blame. So much snark and cynicism. So much collective denial. So much hurt and incredulity for anyone who has a heart. Or tenders a tendency to listen rather than rail. And this year's ending. Its post-hurricane holiday season bruised by glass-eyed shock and long, long heartache. Every mother in the world nested that cold pit of terror darkly inside her deepest, secret place. That place without words. The terror is clean and razor sharp. It beats, too, like a heart.
So I must write about it. In words that sting and stutter in their inadequacy.
I am tired of our culture of death. I am weary of our appetite for power and violence. I am numb from the depth of greed that poses as success.
I tell you this because I must. I have no choice, truth be told. I gotta talk about it. If you visit for the recipes only, or stop by for encouragement and celiac support, you may be raising an eyebrow right about now. You might prefer fun and perky chit chat. Not all this complicated feeling stuff. I know.
Recipes, inspiration and support- it's all here for you. My family and I knit our love of good food and gluten-free support for you. We have for seven years. And will continue to do so in the new year. 
But you should know- goddess status aside- I struggle with this stuff every day- just like you. I know you do, too, because you are here right now. Reading these words. You care. You love. You worry. You are tired of the superficial, the weak reasoning, the shrugging dull acceptance that this is the way it has to be. Because you know- like I do- it doesn't.
Love can win. Light can penetrate the darkest hour. Denial can be pinched and prodded awake. Common sense values can be sexy. Golden Rule ethics are still hot. Still small voices can be excavated. And heard.
I am turning to the new year with hope for a better one. Where not one single child is riddled with bullets (is this really too much to hope for?). Where our political process is governed by doing the right thing- and not by money, and its corporate culture of greed. Where guns are not sexy. And our appetites are hungry for knowledge, art, culture and truth.
I know, I know. My Age of Aquarius hippie artist proclivities are showing.

And if I could? I would invite you all over for cocoa and muffins. I would make you a big bowl of mulligatawny and hand you my favorite spoon, and play some Yo Yo Ma and James Taylor on the HiFi. We could watch the deer outside the kitchen window as snowflakes spin their magic just before dark. The recipe I would make would be this new corn muffin recipe spiked with spicy green chiles and golden pumpkin.

A match made in heaven.

Or hatched by a Gemini goddess wrestling with light and dark.

You decide.

Warm from the oven corn muffin, waiting for butter.

Gluten-Free Corn Muffins - A Spicy New Recipe

Steve whipped up these chile studded golden morsels of corny goodness this week to have on hand for the Crock Pot stew and soup we planned to make. These would also be killer with this chili.

As we started gathering ingredients for our favorite corn muffins, we just so happened to have some leftover canned pumpkin in the fridge. And some Trader Joe's roasted green chiles. What happened next? A new recipe was born.

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup (gluten-free certified) cornmeal
1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1/2 cup organic light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon GF chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 free-range organic eggs, beaten
1/2 cup expeller pressed organic Canola oil
1/2 cup warm milk or non-dairy milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin or winter squash
1 4-oz can chopped roasted green chiles, drained
A sprinkle of cinnamon and GF chili powder for topping

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sorghum flour, GF cornmeal, potato starch, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, chili powder, and cinnamon.

Add in the eggs, oil, milk/non-dairy milk, pumpkin and beat until a smooth batter forms. You can use elbow grease and a wooden spoon, or your trusty mixer.

Stir in the chopped roasted green chiles by hand.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, and smooth out the tops with wet fingers. Sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon or chili powder.

 Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 20 minutes, until domed and golden. The tops should be firm to a light touch. Test doneness with a clean toothpick, if you like.

Cool the muffins on a wire rack. Serve warm for fabulous flavor.

Wrap, bag and freeze leftover muffins to preserve fresh-baked texture and taste. Reheat on a griddle with a dab of butter, or olive oil.

Wonderful with a bowl of hot soup or chili. Delicioso with Mexican food.

Makes one dozen muffins.


Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
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Karina's Notes:

For my vegan companions- Steve made this corn muffin recipe with eggs, but I know they'd also work with Ener-G egg replacer. See this older corn muffin recipe for proof.

We used organic soy milk- but any milk or plain non-dairy milk will work.

No pumpkin on hand? I've also made a version of these using cooked sweet potato. 

As for flour changes- I hesitate to recommend any rice flours these days. I'd say- use your favorite blend- but- realize you may not achieve the lovely crumb we got here, with sorghum flour, cornmeal and potato starch (there really is a difference in GF flours- the blends we are whisking up these days are not gummy or gritty or dense- they are light and tender). 

Remember to keep your added ingredients on the room temperature to warm side- adding in ice cold pumpkin puree or milk will chill down the batter and require a longer bake time. 

Happy New Year!

Review: Tony's

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I recently had one of the best dining experiences I've had in a really long time! Granted, I haven't been out to eat very much lately, but I was more than impressed by the food, service and experience I had at Tony's. I went on a Saturday evening with my aunt, which was my second time dining there and her first. My boss at work turned me on to Tony's Steakhouse about a year ago after he raved about how amazing it was and that the steak is better than Jeff Ruby's. That got my attention because I love Jeff Ruby's! 

Tony Ricci is the owner of Tony's and, according to their website, has worked in upscale dining for over 25 years. I know he was previously the general manager at Jeff Ruby's Precinct for a very long time, and he has certainly taken his knowledge and experiences from there to create a fantastic restaurant of his own!  

When my aunt and I arrived for our 6:30 reservations, the restaurant was already starting to fill up, and there was a crowd forming at the bar. You instantly get a good vibe when you walk in the door. They have such a warm and inviting atmosphere. I love that you can see the chef's cooking in the kitchen and the servers pulling their orders. Soft, classical music (think Frank Sinatra) plays in the background. A jazz band was setting up near the bar a little later in the evening. While some may describe Tony's as a "fancy" restaurant, it doesn't feel stuffy or cold like other "fancy" restaurants.

We were seated right away by a friendly hostess and a server immediately came over to fill our waters. Then our main server came over to fill us in on that nights specials, take our drink orders and give us bread and butter. The butter is topped with a crunchy garlic salt that is delicious. I couldn't get enough!

My aunt and I both decided to order the filet mignon. It came with a choice of mashed or baked potatoes and a salad, which is a great value for only $34. I chose the caesar salad based on the recommendation from our server. She said the homemade caesar dressing is amazing, and she was right! For a simple salad, it was quite delicious! There was a small hint of flavor from the anchovies, but not too overbearing, which is my fear with homemade caesar dressing. I broke the Parmesan crisp into pieces and sprinkled it over the top of the salad, and it added the perfect crunch and flavor to the salad.


My aunt went with the wedge salad, which was an iceberg wedge with ranch or blue cheese dressing (she chose ranch), bacon and tomatoes. This looked delicious as well, and she really enjoyed it!


After another piece of bread and butter, our entrees made their way to the table. I chose to get the mashed potatoes (which I forgot to take a photo of) with my filet. It was such a treat to have homemade mashed potatoes. They were creamy and garlicky and yummmmy, although we had so much food I could hardly eat them.

My filet was outstanding. I ordered it "medium rare plus" and it was cooked to perfection. I ordered it Oscar style, which comes with crab meat, bernaise sauce and asparagus. This is my favorite way to order a filet! My only complaint was that there were a few shells still on the crab meat. This was disappointing, but the filet with the bernaise sauce was out of this world delish and made up for that little snafu!

Oscar style filet - sorry it's sideways! Wouldn't let me flip it around!

My aunt ordered her steak "medium plus" and hers was cooked to perfection as well. On our way to dinner, she was telling me how she likes a lot of pink and no red in her steak and no restaurants ever get it right. I was glad Tony's got it right for her! She ordered hers with a side of mushrooms and the baked potato. I've had the baked potato before, and it is delicious. As you can tell from the picture, it's huge, and it's covered with garlic and salt and served with butter. Seriously...what's not to like??


Halfway through our dinner, we saw my boss (ironically, the same one who originally told me about Tony's) across the restaurant and chit chatted with him for a few minutes. After we finished our entrees, our server came over and told us that my boss wanted to treat us to dessert. What a great surprise! Although we were stuffed to the gills, we managed to make room for a couple desserts. Usually there are only one or two things on a dessert menu that I like (usually the ones with chocolate!), but the dessert menu is quite extensive at Tony's. It was the toughest decision of the night! Tony's mother makes homemade tiramisu and cannolis at her home and brings them to the restaurant. Last time I went to Tony's, I had the cannolis and they were amazing, but I wanted to try something different this time. I decided to get the pot de creme. This chocolatey, custard dish was rich and delicious and was topped with whipped cream and strawberries. It tasted like the inside of a chocolate truffle. I'd highly recommend for chocolate lovers, although I'd suggest sharing because it is super duper rich. We were so excited about dessert, we forgot to take photos! L

My aunt got the vanilla bean creme brulee, which was also amazing. It was much lighter than the pot de creme so we shared the two and they balanced each other out perfectly. It was crunchy on top and smooth and creamy inside. It was served room tempeture, which I like. Sometimes creme brulee is served chilled, and I don't like that as much. Sorry again for no photos!

To wrap up this really long post...I think it's clear that I would highly recommend dining at Tony's! The whole experience, from the service, to the ambiance, to the food is outstanding! Our server was amazing...she was friendly and attentive and made great recommendations. And both times I've been to the restaurant, Tony is there and he greets every single table and asks how your server is doing and how the food is. It is such a nice touch and makes you feel "special" - as cheesy as that sounds! I will most certainly be back!

~Kris

Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall: 5

Review: Barresi's

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I first of all have to note that if you follow a lot of Cincinnati Food Blogs, you will feel that this is repetitive of Cincinnati Bites post.  Apparently, we were both at Barresi's on Valentine's Day! So, check out his blog too for more reviews if interested :)

I have lived near Barresi's for a really long time and have never gone.  I walk past this restaurant on my neighborhood walks at least 3 times a week and had often wonder what it's like on the inside. Kris and I have both have lived near hear and always talked about going but never did.   From the outside, Barresi's looks like a renovated stucco home with vines and flowers painted on the outside of the building.  It appears very charming from the outside and was always a mystery to me.  I had heard that this was a pretty pricey place, which was why I had never gone before.

I typically am able to talk Ross into going to a nicer restaurant for Valentine's Day.  Yes, we do go out for Valentine's Day.  It really is a good excuse for me to go to nicer restaurants that we wouldn't normally go to :)  When I suggested Barresi's, he immediately agreed.  He had been wanting to try it too!

We made reservations since it was a holiday and knew that it can fill up quickly.  We made early reservations though and I think we would have been able to go on in and have a seat.  Barresi's is a very warm and inviting restaurant.  We were greeted by a hostess who offered to take our coats for us and led us to the hostess stand to check in for our reservation.  The inside of Barresi's is pretty close to what I imagined it to be.  Lots of rooms that have eclectic touches that make you feel like you're at home.  We were led to an upstairs dining area that was broken into 2 or 3 separate rooms.  We sat toward the back next to a fireplace.

After looking over the wine list for a minute, I selected a glass of wine and Ross opted for a beer.  Our server was attentive and friendly, but appeared a bit nervous.  She may have been new, but this didn't bother us in the slightest.  She was very knowledgeable and shared good opinions about the menu items.  The full menu was not available this night, but there were still plenty of options.  As we looked it over, a basket of their famous Zeppoles.  These things were AMAZING.  I had never heard or tasted such things before, but these were addictive.  Zeppoles are little square bites of fried dough and had just enough salt and garlic.  They were served with butter.  I tried not to eat too many before even ordering my meal because I wanted to save room, but I could have easily eaten that entire basket of these.

There were so many different menu items that sounded delicious that it was hard to decide.  After asking the server her opinion and going back and forth a couple times, I decided to get the Beef Crab Gorgonzola.  This was twin filets with lump crab meat, topped with a mushroom and artichoke Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Need I say more!?

Ross ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Crabmeat Cardinale.  This was one of our server's suggestion and was one that I almost ordered too.  All the entrees were served with a house salad and a side pasta.

The salads came out first.  These were just OK.  I was actually expecting a better salad. The house dressing was pretty good for the most part, but again, just fine salads.

Now, for my complaint that really has nothing to do with the restaurant itself.  Ross and I were enjoying the quiet ambiance of the restaurant, which was pretty quiet overall until the table next to us was sat.  This was a family of 5 or 6 people with two boys and 3 or 4 adults.  I don't mind groups, kids, or even noisy groups; however, this was by far one of the most annoying tables I have EVER sat by in my entire life. Keep in mind this was Valentine's Day in a more "upscale" restaurant that is pretty quiet.  The kids were fine, but the adults talking to these kids was so distracting that it pretty much ruined my dinner.  The continuous nitpicking then complimenting, then correcting, then praising...it was all too much for me.  This non-stop banter continued the rest of the meal....

So, for the rest of my food...I can easily say it was delicious.  The filets were cooked perfectly, juicy and tender.  The crab, filet, and gorgonzola cream sauce was a very rich and flavorful combination.  There was a little earthiness from the mushrooms and artichokes, but overall the entire dish was spot on.  It was definitely a very rich and creamy sauce, so if that's not your thing this wouldn't be your dish, but I loved it and would easily order it again!
My meal was also served with a side of pasta.  I'm not really sure why, I didn't need the pasta, but I tried it.  The red sauce was pretty good overall, but I honestly didn't have more than a bite or two of this, so I can't say a whole lot about it. But it was nice to try their homemade sauce :)

Ross also loved his lobster ravioli.  This also had a lobster cream sauce served with it.  I thought the portion was a good size and a really unique option for Italian.  I tried this as well and liked it a lot, but liked mine better :)

Barresi's was a great choice for a restaurant for a special occasion. Like I said, Italian food is one of my favorites and this did not disappoint.  I wish that the rest of the patrons had been a little more tolerable because it really was completely distracting and made it difficult to pay attention to anything else!

Service was overall good, nothing that stood out, but average overall.  But if you want a nice, family-owned neighborhood restaurant, this will definitely give you what you're looking for.
~Kate

Food: 4.5
Service: 3.5
Overall Experience: 3 (due to the other guests)