Thick and Savory Beef Stew recipe

Kayleigh here. Before I launch into the recipe, let me give you a little backstory on it. With the two of us currently living on the opposite coast from friends and family, we knew that Thanksgiving this year was going to be a little different. After all, have you ever seen a Thanksgiving spread that feeds only a couple people? In need of a workaround, we came up with the idea of each making a dish that the other one wouldn't want- Potroast with mashed potatoes for him, and a coconut curry with scallops for me. Of course, we still had leftovers for days, but it helped make the day seem different than the family get-togethers of years past.

Once dinner was over, and cleanup had ended, we took the roasted bones and drippings from the potroast pan and made a fragrant beef stock over the next few hours (by the way, simplest prep ever- you barely need to check on it!). With no real use in mind for it, I quizzed Jason on what he would be in the mood for.

Now, if you are a gluten-less shopper, you may have noticed a rather annoying trend in the soup aisle. Buying plain beef, chicken, or vegetable stock is almost always completely safe, but as soon as they throw in some more ingredients and make a heat-and-eat soup out of it, flour suddenly gets tossed into the mix! Since Jason's college quick meals of Campbells Chunky soups have thus been bumped off our menu, the thought came to us- why not give it a shot and make our own!

Thick and Savory Beef Stew

Ingredients:
4 cups Beef Stock (homemade, or 2 cans worth)
2 TBS GF Soy Sauce (or Tamari sauce)
1 ts Worchestershire sauce
1/2 ts Ground Black Pepper
1/4 ts Garlic Powder
1 ts Dried Oregano
1 ts Garlic Chili sauce (optional, but adds an interesting note)
1 lb Stew Beef (doesn't need to be a fancy cut for this)
1 Large Red Onion
Olive Oil (for pan)
3 Potatoes
3 Large Carrots (or 4 smaller ones)
1/4 Cup Cornstarch

Directions:

1) First off, dice up the beef and all the vegetables so everything is roughly the same size. Well, bite sized.
2) In a saucepan, drizzle some olive oil and bring to medium/high heat.  Add the beef, and cook until browned. I recommend throwing some salt and pepper into the mix, since the beef will not be added until the end, so this will help impart some more flavor.
3) Once the beef is cooked and removed from the pan, throw the onions in and cook until caramelized. Set these aside with the other vegetables.
4) In a large pot, dump the stock along with all the spices/sauces. Heat up to medium heat, add the vegetables, and turn it down to low heat.
5) Let the soup simmer for about 2 hours. By then, the potatoes and carrots will be very soft, and the broth will have broadened it's flavor. If it tastes lacking, feel free to reseason!
6) In another bowl, add the cornstarch, and spoon in about a half cup of broth from the pot. Stir well, then dump the thickened broth back into the soup. You may have to add a second dose of stock to the bowl to get all the cornstarch clumps out- don't just throw them in the soup!
7) Stir the soup well, until all the broth is uniformly thickened.
8) Add the beef in, and serve!

Now, with that amount of cornstarch, the soup thickens up a LOT. We were trying to go for a very thick, canned soup imitation, but feel free to add less or no cornstarch if that is not your thing. It won't affect how it tastes!

Jason here. Canned soups have always been one of the foods I kept around the house. They made fairly healthy meals, kept almost forever, and were super quick to make. Ever since having to go gluten free, I have missed the taste of those canned soups. I grew up with them, and there were a staple for me. I suspect many people have their own homemade soup recipes, but every time someone offers me a homemade soup, it has both the taste and texture of being watered down. So this recipe was designed to pack as much flavor into a thick soup as possible, and it certainly delivers. It really did remind me of the canned soups I used to enjoy. So if you find yourself wanting a soup with a little more kick, go ahead and try this out for yourself and tell us what you think.

Arnies Restaurant Review

Jason here. A little while back it was Kayleigh’s birthday, and we wanted to celebrate by going out to a nice restaurant for dinner. You see, ever since we moved to the King County area, Kayleigh has been dying to go out to a nice seafood restaurant and enjoy a well cooked fish. I on the other hand, don’t really enjoy fish. I enjoy shellfish, just not fish. With this in mind, Kayleigh chose a place down on the bay called Arnies.

The atmosphere of Arnies is perfect for a date. For starters, it overlooks the bay for what I suspect would be a very nice view during the day. We went at night, so unfortunately it was too dark outside to really see anything past the dock. Inside, it has a high class dining atmosphere. The type of restaurant you wear a nice suit to.

The main part of my meal consisted of garlic mashed potatoes, and a steak. The steak came slightly pink on the inside, which is exactly how I like it. The highlight of my meal though, wasn’t the steak. It was actually the mashed potatoes. You see, right after it was brought out, the waiter came over with a cup of bacon bits and told me how delicious they were, and would I like some added to my mashed potatoes, and how much. After discussing a bit, she added a few heaping spoonful’s.  Usually when you get bacon bits added, it is only a few pieces which act more of an accent. With that amount I really tasted bacon with each bite, and I loved it.

To drink I ordered their, “Dragon Berry Bite” which consists of Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, lemonade and cranberry juice. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I tend not to like drinks which taste overly of alcohol, so this fit my tastes perfect, very fruity and sweet, with just a hint of rum.

Kayleigh here. I admit, the entrée I selected (fried prawns with cocktail sauce) was decidedly not gluten-free, so I cannot speak on the food aspect as much. I can say the wait staff was very attentive, and we saw the manager making rounds several times over the course of our dinner, so we were never concerned about questions going unanswered, or courtesies slipping through the cracks. In fact, the waitress was able to cite gluten risks off the top of her head for nearly every dish, so we did not even have to wait in between questions and answers! This service, coupled with the amazing layout of the room (literally every table in the restaurant has a waterfront view), made it a place I will very likely pick again for my birthday next year!

All in all, Arnies is not a restaurant that caters to a gluten free audience, but it is well aware and equipped to deal with substitutions and cross-contamination prevention. And if you have any questions about what is and is not safe on their menu, do not be afraid to ask!

Gluten Free on a Shoestring Cookbook Review

Kayleigh here! We're going to be taking a bit of a break from recipes as we tackle a mounting pile of product reviews. Our relatives have been ridiculously supportive since Jason had to make the switch to gluten-free cuisine, and have been sending us everything from recipe emails and brand suggestions, to flour mixes, gluten free imitation brands, and even several cookbooks!  In fact, while we are on that topic, how about we start with Gluten Free on a Shoestring, by Nicole Hunn!

This book is amazing, not only for the delicious and diverse recipes, but also the extensive front section detailing how to plan, shop, and cook with money saving in mind- something that seemed impossible from when we first tossed the all-purpose white flour and ramen noodles! With tips like worthwhile flour blends and general price comparisons, she even goes into how to plan from week to week by 'piggy-backing' perishable ingredients to use up bulk purchases, saving you tons in the long run.

As far as the recipes go, Hunn has put together quite the variety! Of course, she tackles the breads, muffins, and pastries that are staples of gluten-free learning, but what makes this cookbook unique is her additions of foods that, while they SHOULD be safe, the pre-made purchases often have flour or some form of gluten as an additive to save money. Recipes for hoisin sauce, roasted red pepper hummus, and savory slow-cooked black beans are all present as simple solutions to your gluten free rut. And boy, these dishes don't disappoint!

Just last week, Jason and I gave a go at the tantalyzing Tomato Soup recipe, wishing to satisfy that yearning for a warm bowl of Campbells soup and a melty grilled cheese sandwich on a cold early winter's night. And boy, did this hit the spot! The taste was nearly identical to what we remembered, but even thicker and more satisfying because of the whole pureed potatoes, carrots, and roasted tomatoes. (And you know what? A darn sight healthier, too!)

Jason here. The tomato soup was absolutely delicious. It was very hearty, and had quite the bit of taste to it. It had a very good consistency, thick but not overly so.  I’m hard pressed to find many words to describe tomato soup. I will simply leave it, with we will be trying many more recipes by Nicole Hunn.

Chilis review

Jason here. Most of the restaurants we have been reviewing are local to King County, WA. Whenever we travel, we are never sure where we can go. Friend and family always want to eat out, but we are unsure of where we can local that would be safe. Without prior research, that only leaves national chains. Recently we tried our luck at Chilis.

For those of you who have never been, it is a grill and bar type restaurant, with a tex-mex theme. It has a bustling atmosphere, but quieter than some of the louder of chain restaurants.

I’m happy to say they have a gluten free menu. In fact, they have allergen menus for Soy, Gluten, Milk, Nuts, Shellfish, fish, and egg. I can certainly appreciate a restaurant that has an official allergen menu, as it makes me feel safe eating the food. Unfortunately the menu is lacking in variety.

I found myself ordering the original ribs, with a side of loaded mashed potatoes. The ribs were good, with a tangy BBQ sauce which I enjoyed. The loaded mashed potatoes were also good, but were a little light on the toppings. Even worse, is that for appetizers you really don’t have any options. My table ordered the Bottomless Tostada Chips. While these should be gluten free, they are not listed on the gluten free menu. Most likely this is because they use the same deep fryer, so they are an eat at your own risk type food. I had a few myself, and felt fine afterwards.

Kayleigh here. I will say, Chili’s seems to know what it means to offer gluten free options. Your choices are definitely limited, but it is not a death spell if your friends decide they are in the mood for something more mainstream. And if nothing on there tickles your fancy, then you can always look to the extensive margarita menu, then check back to see if anything seems more appetizing.

All in all, Chilis will do in a pinch, but the lack of veriety and generally busy atmosphere would not make it my first go to resteraunt.

Product Review - Manini's Bread

Kayleigh here. I'm just going to throw it out here: baking every loaf of bread from scratch isn't exactly friendly on your time. But after choking down one too many slices of store bought brands, we had simply resigned ourselves to laboring in the kitchen at least once a week to make sure something at least halfway edible would be in the fridge for quick lunch fixes. Those simple days of buying bread were simply gone... until a friend keyed us into Manini brand bread.

Yes, Manini isn't as widely available as Udi's or Rudi's, but there are still many markets in the Seattle area that carry this special brand. Dense, chewy, and flavorful, their sandwich bread hearkens back to the gluten-full brands of yore, with only the label to remind you otherwise.

Manini's bread has an interestingly light sourdough tang to the taste, so I would say the loaves are better used in savory meals, like cold cut sandwiches or veggie hummus combos. Toasting the slices does mellow this taste, making it a great vessel for jams, nut butters, or a simple drizzle of melted butter and honey. Really, I enjoy the slightly tangy contrast the bread provides- a far cry from bland rice loaves- but I could see where this may clash with certain condiments.

Jason here. Manini’s breads are pretty good. To be honest, at this point I’m starting to forget what normal bread tasted like. Manini’s does taste a little like sourdough bread. I like to take turkey, American cheese, and mayonnaise sandwiches to work. This bread works pretty well for those. Our Brown Rice Bread is also pretty good, but it has more of an earthly taste. We will certainly continue to bake our own breads, but for now I am happy to have two great breads to use for sandwiches. Perhaps soon we will get a light pastry bread to try. Stay tuned!

Mozzarella Sticks Recipe

Kayleigh here! So, this week seems like a good time to talk about appetizers. Growing up, we'd have a schmorgashboard of appetizers every New Years Eve, to snack on all night instead of a regular meal. Seriously, I looked forward to that holiday so much- all that variety!

Of course, this meant we developed quite the catalogue of appetizer recipes, and tried to improve on the different dishes each passing year. From sweet and sour meatballs and stuffed mushrooms, to spinach dip on escarole and baked brie, trust me when I say we really ran the gamut.

So, now that Jason and I are spending those family occasions together, it is about time we updated those recipes to make them a little more... Gluten free friendly. So, without further ado, how about we tackle Mozzarella sticks first?

We ate these puppies with potato, beef, and onion croquettes, since the fryer was already fired up. Sorry, no recipe for those here!

Just a warning, though: this recipe is pretty much an all day process. Each coat of breading needs over an hour of freezer time to set. So, it is not heavy-duty work, but it is a plan ahead sort of appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 block Mozzarella Cheese
2 Eggs
4 TBS Milk
1/2 ts Salt
3/4 cup Garbanzo Flour
3/4 cup Corn Starch
1/2 cup Crushed Corn Flakes or Breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Directions:

1) Slice mozzarella block into long strips.
2) Beat eggs in one bowl, adding the milk until just combined. In another bowl, combine Garbanzo flour, corn starch, and salt.
3) Dip mozzarella sticks in egg wash, then coat in flour mix. Place the coated sticks onto a cookie sheet, and place in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours or so, until the flour coat is completely solid. Put the eggwash in the fridge, so it does not sit out and get warm that whole time.
4) Repeat step 3, so the sticks have two coats of flour now.
5) Fill a final bowl with the crushed cornflakes. Dip sticks in egg, then cornflakes, then line them up on the sheet for another hour to freeze 'em. Don't take them back out until you're ready for frying- you want them cold.
6) Heat a pan full of oil until adding a drop of water makes it sizzle like crazy. Then, add the mozzarella sticks to the oil, turning them once to make sure all the sides get good and golden brown. Don't keep them in for long at all- the cheese can start to escape, and you could turn the whole pot into a melty, oily mess!
7) Lay onto a plate covered in paper towels, to wick some of the excess oil off. Wait to eat them until they've cooled mostly. Seriously, don't try molten mozzarella.

Serve with marinara sauce, and savor the crunchy, creamy golden goodies. You earned it!

Jason here. These mozzarella sticks turned out really good. When we first set out, we were not sure if the breading was going to react the same way as normal flour to deep frying. We had some experience with our buffalo calamari, but a longer multiple coat process like this was still somewhat new to us.

We were very happy when the coating starting turning golden brown, a good sign they will crispy afterwards. They tasted great. Mozzarella is one of my favorite cheeses, and breading turned out very crispy just the way I like it.

There is one problem that we never figured out a solution for, and that is how to serve these hot. This isn’t a unique problem to gluten free mozzarella sticks, but just to mozzarella sticks in general. They tend to reach room temperature very fast after taking them out of the fryer, so that by the time you sit down, you have to get up and microwave them again. If anyone knows a solution to this, let us know in the comments below.

Despite that, these turned out great and I would for sure make them again. 

Brown Rice Bread Recipe

Kayleigh here. So, after many, many, MANY crumbly and dense loaves of bread, I think we've finally found a recipe for the perfect gluten free sandwich bread. The recipe? It came from my Great Grandmother.

Well, mostly. She had no concerns about using non-gluten flours, so I did have to modify it a bit to match our needs. But fortunately for us, nearly every baked good she wrote down the recipe for included 2, 3, or even 4 different sorts of flours. So instead of guessing at what would match what quantities of the All-Purpose flour, I just plugged in direct substitutes I knew would match the taste!

Another addition to this particular recipe came from the previous post, actually! After making a wonderfully light and fluffy Angel Food Cake, Jason wondered 'Why can't we just make sandwiches out of this?' Although a sandwich made out of cake sounds a bit tempting, we realized it was probably not the best idea, but there was nothing saying we could not take a couple pointers from the cake-making process.

For those of you who have made gluten-free bread before, you know how hard it is to make anything close to the light, springy wonder breads of yesteryears. Certainly, the right flour blend can help with this, but most of the success actually comes in the process. Sift the dry ingredients at least once or twice to introduce more air to the loaf. Make sure all the refrigerated ingredients are taken out well beforehand, so they are at room temperature. Before adding the egg, beat it with Cream of Tartar until it forms a stiff foam. And make sure to proof your yeast beforehand!

What is proofing? Well, just take your liquid (water or milk, depending on the recipe) and heat it until just slightly warm. Add a tablespoon or two of sugar, then pour in the yeast, stirring well. After ten minutes or so, the surface should be very foamy looking, which means the mixture is ready to use. If you give it a fair amount of time, and it still does bot foam, then either the liquid was too cold, or the yeast is no longer active. Either way, it is no good, and your bread would not have risen with it!

If you are using a breadmaker, like we are, then you do need take an extra step beyond pressing the 'start' button. Pay attention to the first stirring cycle. As soon as it ends, reach in and remove the stirring paddle. That way, the first rise can happen uninterrupted, and the second stirring cycle will not undo all of that. Really, this will make or break the final rise and texture of the loaf, so do not forget this step! Gluten-free loaves do not have enough elasticity or strength to rise a second time.

Well, suppose I should stop rambling. Onto the recipe!

Brown Rice Bread

Ingredients:

1 Cup Brown Rice Flour
1 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 Cup Tapioca Starch
2 ts Guar Gum
1 ts Baking Soda
1 1/2 ts Baking Powder
1/2 ts Salt
1 Packet Active Dry Yeast (or 2 1/2 TBS)
1 Cup Milk
2 TBS Sugar
2 ts Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Mollasses OR Corn Syrup
1 Egg
1/2 ts Cream of Tartar

Directions:

1) Heat the milk until just barely warm, then stir in sugar and yeast until dissolved. Let this sit for at least 10 minutes, or until proofed.
2) Sift all three flours, guar gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. If you're feeling ambitious, sift it two or three times!
3) Break the egg into another bowl, add the cream of tartar, and beat with an electric mixture until very foamy, and you can form stiff peaks.
4) Add the milk mixture to the breadmaker, followed by the molasses/corn syrup, vinegar, flour mixture, and egg.
5) Set the bread machine for a 1 1/2 lb loaf, and press start. We recommend checking a couple of times early on, and scraping off the sides if they are not getting combined properly. Remove the stirring paddle after the first mixing cycle, them just let the rest of the process run its course as normal.

By the end, you should have a beautiful, airy loaf with an earthy brown color. And we promise, it tastes even better than it looks!

Jason here. I’ll be brief, I promise.

Finally a decent home cooked bread I could enjoy. All of the previous breads turned to bland tasteless mush. This holds its texture fairly well, while having a distinct bread taste. The bread itself is harder than a regular bread, but not in a dense sort of way. It is more like how bread feels after you lightly toast it, just now all the way through.

It is missing the elasticity that gluten brings to regular bread. This can make it crumbly at times, so I have taken to occasionally eating my sandwich with a fork and knife. I don’t really mind, it just makes it a little messier. 

All in all, this makes for very decent sandwich bread, if you can spare a little mess.

Long Provincial Vietnamese Restaurant Review

Jason here. Last weekend we went to an awesome Vietnamese restaurant named Long. It is conveniently located right around the corner from Pike Place Market, so if you are in the area we highly recommend you check this place out.

The atmosphere was great. Unlike the last few places we went to which were loud, this place had a much quieter atmosphere, making this a great place for a date. The wait staff was very friendly, and attentive.

We read online somewhere that essentially everything in Long was gluten free except a few choice drinks which obviously contained gluten, and a few very specific menu items. You may be thinking, “How can that possibly be? Vietnamese cuisine typically uses soy sauce”. Well you would be correct, except that Long makes all their soy sauce in house and is gluten free. This is wonderful news for people that love Eastern cuisine, but feared they would never again be able to eat out for fear of gluten soy sauce being used. Just to be sure I asked the waitress when I order my meal if it was gluten free, and without skipping a beat she said yes. 

  The next thing is their menu. Long stays true to its name by having a very long menu. The amount of specialty drinks alone is impressive. I can’t wait to go back when kumquats are in season, and try the Kumquat crush. Curse my luck discovering Long shortly after they go out of season. The menu is also very friendly for those of us who do not speak Vietnamese, with very clear descriptions of the food, and even English translations for the food. You would think this would be the norm, but I often find myself perplexed as to what a dish actually is as I stare at a poorly designed menu.

I ordered an absolutely delicious Pomegranate martini. It was fruity and sweet with a hint of vodka, which is exactly what I look for in a martini. I can certainly add they did not skimp on the vodka either.

For an appetizer we ordered the grilled tender squid, which can be found in the Satay section of their menu. We had about 6 skewers of absolutely delicious squid. They came with a sprinkling of nuts, and were seasoned with what tasted to me like a smoky soy sauce. They also came with some pickled carrots on the side which were tasty themselves.

For my main course, I ordered a specialty dish of Co Ngu crispy shrimp. It came with a heaping salad including the standard green of lettuce, but also some very large minty greens, which I can only assume were full mint leaves. While the salad was impressive, and unique, I unfortunately did not enjoy the mint leaves which dominated the salad. Next time I will simply ask for some sort of caesar salad instead. On the other side was deep fried sweet potato. This was not simply sweet potato French fries. Oh no, the sweet potato was in long almost noodle like strands and sort of woven like a birds nest. The taste was heavenly, like the most delicious crispy noodle you will ever eat. I don’t know how I have gone this long without discovering this magnificent treat. On top of the fried sweet potato were some excellently cooked shrimp, which when dipped in the sauce was delicious. The sauce was very sweet, with just a hint of salt.

Kayleigh here. For my meal, I could not help but opt for the fried tofu pho. Having only been introduced to this lovely soup a few months ago, I have fallen in love with the idea. Deliciously simple broth absorbed by the simple rice noodles and bite-sized bits of tofu, with a bountiful plate of condiments set in front of you to further flavor the bowl. I mean, this pho was good enough to eat plain, but I still gave it a kick with the hot sauce and peppers. Plus, the fragrance of the fresh basil was mouth-watering on its own as I ripped up the leaves to float on top. And to wash it down, I was delighted to spot and order the peanut butter martini. Smooth and creamy, with a strong vodka kick- it really hit on everything I could ask for in a PB drink!

At the end of the meal, after ordering two alcoholic drinks, an appetizer, and two main dishes, I naturally expected the bill to be on the higher side. I was stunned to find it about half of what I’d usually expect. Seriously, for that food, and the prompt service- kudos!

For such excellent service, a diverse menu, stunningly delicious food, great atmosphere, gluten freeness, and a low price, I cannot help but full heartedly recommend Long Provincial Vietnamese Restaurant. It’s a couple blocks away from the Pikes Place stretch, but well worth the extra few steps.

Eden B Bakery Review - Revisited!

EDIT- We are very sad to say, but Eden B. Bakery had to close its doors in October 2013. We have high hopes for the owner, Brooke, to continue helping out the gluten intolerant community in some way or another, so we can update this post again with some good news! 

UPDATE- The menu has changed, and changed again since this revisit! Their seasonal rotation provides a wonderful opportunity for us gluten-free lunch-seekers to enjoy sandwiches and sweet treats that really match the mood of the weather outside, and leave us with a better, brighter mood.

Jason here. Last weekend we had the great opportunity to have a sneak peek at Eden B. Bakery’s new fall menu. When our schedules match up, Kayleigh and I like to meet up for a bite to eat at lunch. Since I work nearby, Eden B. Bakery is our favorite place to go. So now that we have frequented the establishment on a fairly frequent basis, and they are unveiling a completely new fall menu, we thought it would be fun do a new review. The staff is still as wonderful as ever, and the shop itself hasn’t changed so we won’t go into detail there. What we will talk about is the delicious new menu.

Let’s jump right in.

I have a new favorite go to item. Out goes the oven roasted turkey. It comes the grilled pepper steak. Those who read the blog may already know that I love food with hot sauce. From the moment they announced the new steak sandwich was going to have franks hot sauce, I couldn’t stop smiling. I knew I had a found a new favorite and it did not disappoint. The grilled pepper steak is fantastic. It has fresh house-made onion rings, arugula, roasted red peppers, and franks red hot aioli. It tastes fantastic. It is slightly reminiscent of buffalo chicken cheese steaks I used to get when I lived near Philadelphia. I can’t wait to get back and enjoy my favorite buffalo taste again.

Kayleigh here. I admit, I might be a bit biased, since fall flavors are my favorite out of the year. But when I heard pumpkin and squash not once, but multiple times, I could not help but get excited! Ranging from the rich, flavorful Butternut Squash Soup, to the little chunks of squash and pumpkin seeds in the Cornucopia salad, to ending with the creamy, decadent Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcake, I don't think it will be hard to form new favorites. The standout to me, though, was the Roasted Autumn Veggie Sandwich. Eden B. Bakery has really outdone themselves, innovating on the classic Eggplant Parmesan tastes with the addition of roasted parsnips, butternut squash, leeks, and spinach. When is the last time you got to have parsnip in your sandwich? Well? It's about time- it just melded so beautifully with the provolone cheese, creating an amazing earthy contrast!

If you are interested, here is a link to our first review.

Dragon Cake Recipe

Kayleigh here. So, this is going to be more of a technique post than a recipe. Why? Well, because we didn't invent the cake, but Jason DID discover his hidden talents as a decorator.

Jason here. This post is going to be a bit different. Usually our comments are kept completely separate. This time however, I just went ahead and added my tips and tricks right along Kayleigh's.

Dragon cake! And actually, it's real easy to do! Don't let those crazy competition shows fool you- you can make pretty darn neat cakes with the items you already have in your cupboard. In this case, a single bundt pan of cake can be cut into a winding, serpentine monster.

Now, down to instructions. First, make an Angel Food Cake in a bundt pan. Pretty much any recipe you find should be safe, since most have a consistent flour-egg white-sugar ratio. Once that's out of the oven, either whip up a batch of vanilla buttercream icing, or set a storebought container out, making sure it is room temperature and easily spreadable- this is a delicate cake!

Now, for the sculpting. Make sure you've got a cookie sheet on hand, or an equally large surface to sculpt and store on. Then, cut the cake in half and place it to where the halves are sideways, forming two humps. At this point, use a smaller or more slender knife to begin smoothing out the humps. You want to use a serrated knife and saw the pieces of the cake off. Otherwise, you will end up just breaking the cake apart in ways you did not intend. Don’t worry to much about making the cake “round”, slicing off a bit of the edges to make it rounder will do. You will be surprised how much the icing and scales cover to make the cake look cylindrical. Make sure to cut the pieces out in fairly long strips, so they can be used more easily later.

Once the humps have been carved and placed to your satisfaction, you can start working with all those shavings! Use a longer, tapered piece for the trailing tail, then moosh and meld the rest into a Draconian head and neck, making sure to add bumps for the eye ridge areas. Tip: it will be easier to attach the soft insides of the cake to each other than the tougher, drier outsides. This will help the head hold itself together in the long run.

With the cake base all set and sculpted, it is now time to apply the icing. Do not be afraid to slather it on fairly thickly- you will actually be using it as a glue for the 'scales' And what are those? Well, you can either buy the nonpareils chocolates from the grocery store, or check a local crafting store for the melting decorators chocolate. The nonpareils give a 'glittery' sort of look and a fun crunch, but the melting chocolate is great if you want a unique flavor or color, since there is a huge variety out there.

Starting from the back and bottom, lay a layer of chocolates across, smooshing them lightly into the frosting to cement it. Put the next layer above, slightly overlapping, and offset so they are covering the larger gap areas (like real scales!). Make sure you push these into the frosting even more, since they do not have as much support. Once an entire section of cake is covered, use your hands to gently smoosh the whole cake inwards, which will further secure the chocolate pieces from falling off. The picture should help with an idea of how to layer the scales.

Once you get to the head, you have quite a few options. You could keep tiling the head with the chocolate pieces or switch things up with regular chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, or whatever you have on hand. We also used a tube of red gel to make a couple of slit pupils for the eyes and a gout of ferocious flame right onto the baking sheet. Basically, go crazy here! Make it YOUR dragon!

Now, you have a kick-butt cake, that you can be proud of and how off to all your friends! It is a great project to involve kids in, too, since it brings out their creative side.

Cheesecake Factory Review

Jason here. One of the restaurants I used to go to was The Cheesecake Factory. One of the things I love to order at restaurants is appetizers. In fact, most of the time I eat out, I order an appetizer as my main meal. The Cheesecake Factory has one of the most expansive menus at any restaurant I have been to, let alone the diverse appetizer menu. A great part about the Cheesecake Factory, is you get as fancy a meal as you would like, all for what I would consider a low cost.

I also thought that since they are a large chain, they would also be very gluten friendly. Unfortunately that was not entirely true. When I arrived I asked if they had an allergen menu, or a specific gluten free menu. At least at the Bellevue Square location, they did not have either. So I thought, alright maybe the regular menu calls out allergens. Again no such luck. When we sat at our table, there was an additional nutritional information menu/information pamphlet. No a single piece of allergen information in there. In fact, not a single piece of allergen information anywhere. I check online and found some sources which claim to have received allergen information after contacting their headquarters, and another source, that claimed to have pictures of the allergen menu which they uploaded. Maybe those were old, or maybe my store just did not have them, either way it was frustrating.

Luckily, the rest of the experience was very pleasant. Our waiter was very nice, and understanding when I asked her about a couple items if they were gluten free. With such an expansive menu, I certainly would never expect anyone to remember if any of the items were gluten free, so I completely understood when she said she would have to go back and ask. She quickly came back and told us my second choice of the New Orleans Shrimp was gluten free. As a side note, the waiter also constantly on top of things, refilling my drink as soon as I finished it, clearly my plate when I finished, etc.

The food was very good. It had shrimp, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, Andouille sausage, and served in a light sauce. I opted for the white rice side. The whole meal was filled with flavor, the sauce coating the entire dish, making it almost like a shallow soup. As a drink I highly recommend the strawberry lemonade. I must have had 3 or 4 refills that night. They are so sweet and refreshing.

Kayleigh here. It was rather relieving to find a good experience here, considering the memories we have of several Valentines Day double-dates through our college years. With hundreds of items on their menu, there are really even more entree options to finagle than most other GF-friendly restaurants can offer! And although they currently do not have an option to finish off the experience with a slice of gluten-free cheesecake, Jason and I remain optimistic about it. Really, it creates an excuse to go and seek dessert somewhere quieter, such as a Frozen Yogurt joint. But that is for another post, now isn't it?

The only other comment on the Cheesecake Factory would be that is was loud. This has little to do with the restaurant itself, as they do everything they possibly could to keep the volume low. It is simply a very busy restaurant, with a lot of people, so be aware If you plan on have a quiet talker with you. Other than that, the moral of this story is to give chains like this a chance- even if they don't have a menu on hand, the chef on shift should be knowledgeable enough to provide you a delicious and poison-free experience.

Emergency Burger Buns Recipe

Kayleigh here. So, I do love cooking dinner every night, and making as much as possible from scratch, but I tend to prepare most of the more complex dishes over the weekend, and heat or reheat them on the weekdays.

The other week, though, I was driving home in the evening, and realized that those lovely brown rice burgers sitting in the fridge were...rather lacking in buns.

So, in a frantic fit of using what was on hand, I fried up a batch of.... sort of arepas, sort of corn pancakes. Not as light as a bulkie roll, but amazing for a last minute fix, when there's no way your hunger can wait for that darn yeast to activate. And, actually, it went quite well with the earthy flavors and spicy mayonnaise-based sauce.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Corn Flour
1/4 cup Garbanzo Flour
1/4 ts Guar Gum
1 Tbs Brown Sugar (or Molasses, for a wheaty taste)
1/2 ts Baking Powder
1 Egg
1/4 cups milk
1 Tbs melted or softened butter
Salt to taste
Peanut/vegetable oil for pan

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring ONLY until ingredients are mostly combined. Over stirring can make it tough!
2) Put a pan on medium heat, putting in enough oil to lubricate things a bit. We didn't deep fry these puppies, but you can if you'd like more of an arepa feel to them.
3) Spoon batter into the pan. You should be able to have enough for three bun-sized dollops.
4) Just cook these like pancakes- try flipping them after four minutes. If the bottom has begun to brown, then it's good to flip. Cook the other side for three or so minutes, until brown on that side as well.
5) After letting them cool for five minutes or so, slice them in half. Then, either grill the insides lightly, or use as is with whatever sauces, patties, and toppings you want!

Another possible variation of this would be to add a bit extra sugar, cook with butter instead of oil, and serve as corn pancakes for a different breakfast spin! Well, and top with peanut butter if you're Kayleigh, and chocolate chips if you're Jason.

Jason here. These turned out surprising well for a spur of the moment sort of dish. A couple things to note.

They came out a little oily as they need to be fried in a pan. This makes eating a burger a messier enterprise than usual.

Second thing, these were way better fresh. We ended up making a ton of extras, and freezing them to use later. Initially they were this delicious crispy fried bread texture which went awesome with the burger and sauce we used. Unfortunately, after reheating in our toaster oven they had more of a stale bread texture to them. Luckily they still had a good corn bread like taste to them. What I got out of this, is don’t make a ton of extras and you will have one really delicious, if messy, burger bun on your hands.

We'll be trying to engineer a better bun recipe in the future, when we have time to wait for rising, but we'll definitely be cooking these babies up next time we need a quick fix!

Brownie in a Mug Recipe

Kayleigh here. So, who here has tried that old standby of brownies in a mug?

Well, for those who haven't seen this odd concoction before, it's a wonderful vehicle for making a decent dessert for one in a matter of five minutes, with the use of common household baking ingredients. It's great for rainy days, sudden chocolate cravings, and spontaneous house guests!

Now, I've always made the original kind a bit differently than the standard recipe. It might be just because I love peanut butter, but I've found that adding a tablespoon or two in place of some of the oil or sugar tends to give it a much nicer texture. I know Jason sometimes prefers the oil, and adding extra chocolate syrup or chips. But let's just stick to the standard formula for here, so you can figure out your own sweet spot!

Gluten Free Brownie in a Mug

Ingredients:

1 Mug (or microwave safe bowl/container)
1 Egg
4 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Sorghum Flour
1 Tbs White Rice Flour
1 Tbs Tapioca Starch
Pinch Guar Gum (really, like 1/8 ts)
1 1/2 Tbs Cocoa Powder
3 Tbs Milk
3 Tbs Vegetable Oil
Handful chocolate chips, Reeses Pieces, Nuts, etc.

1) Combine all ingredients in the order listed (putting the egg in first makes sure you don't end up with unmixed flour at the bottom of the bowl)
2) Stir and add candy/chocolate/nuts.
3) Microwave (2:40 is perfect on our machine, but it may be more or less depending on yours).
4) Eat.

If you're feeling guilty about this last minute indulgence, you can always put Millet or Brown Rice flour in instead of the White Rice. Give it a whole-grain sort of feeling, and it won't seem so bad.

On the other end, you could all out, an mix up a simple sugar-milk glaze, or top with chocolate syrup, ice cream, or more nuts/candy. There- just as good as any diner dessert, and even faster than going out for it!

Jason here. Ignore her guilty comments. Top it with all the chocolate syrup you want. Add handfuls of chocolate chip. Mix in some chocolate syrup. Basically you can make it as decadent as you want, and to me that means go crazy.

To me this recipe doesn’t really match the name. It tends to come out more like a dense cake in a mug, then a brownie. Perhaps that’s why I like to add so much extra chocolate. Saying it is more like a cake is not necessarily a bad thing; It still tastes delicious! Also make sure you mix the ingredients well enough. I have often found that they don’t mix well and makes the taste uneven throughout, especially the egg.

This recipe is great for kids to. If you premix the dry ingredients, you can whip up a brownie in a mug in a no time at all. All the while you can have the kids add whatever ingredients they want to their own individual brownies. Seeing a kid’s face light up as they throw their own handful of chocolate chips in, and add the sprinkles on top will let you know you have found a hit recipe.

Blue Moon Burgers Review

Jason here. A weekend or so ago, we decided to take a trip downtown to the Woodland Park Zoo. We planned it so we left early in the morning, and be leaving sometime between lunch and dinner. This way we could stop at one of the nearby gluten free places and grab a bite to eat. We decided on a burger joint named Blue Moon Burgers.

Wow do they have some delicious burgers. Both Kayleigh and I got their signature El Diablo Azul burger. The burger has cayenne and cumin seasonings, as well as a buffalo sauce. Jalapeno bottle caps, pepper jack cheese, fresh lettuce, and Pico de Gallo. Usually it is served on a Potato Square, but we requested the gluten free buns. As I said this burger is delicious. It came dripping in sauce, which had a unique creamy buffalo taste. Much more than a burger with Franks Red Hot splashed on top, which you see so often. The jalapeno bottle caps were substituted with fresh jalapeno slices, to make the burger gluten free. All of the produce was very fresh, including the jalapenos which added a nice kick to the burger. Despite all of the spicy toppings, I would not call it overly spicy. The buffalo sauce and jalapenos added spice, and only enough heat to add to the experience. The gluten free buns were good, but fairly standard in both taste and texture. That is to say, the burger buns were not there to add taste, but merely a device used to transport the rest of the meal. The only warning I have about the burger is that it was very messy. The sauce was dripping off the burger, and there were a lot of toppings which slid out at times. So if you are on a date, I would recommend you get something a little more manageable to eat.

We also split an order of fries. For one serving we definitely got our money’s worth, because there was a heaping of fries in our dish. The fries were nicely cooked. They came out on that fine line of well done enough to be crunchy on the outside, but still light and fluffy on the inside. Other than that I don’t have much else to say about the fries.

I am happy to say the restauaunt is very gluten friendly. They advertise right on their website and menu that they cater to gluten free individuals. When I ordered the El Diablo Azul burger with the gluten free bun substation, without missing a beat the waiter asked if I would also like to substitute the jalapeno bottle caps with just fresh jalapeno slices, since the bottle caps contain gluten.

Kayleigh here. The waitress really did impress me with how well she knew the menu, and what allergens were in each item. She filled us in about the gluten free frier as well, guaranteeing that no cross-contamination would reach the fries. I would also like to mention how fabulous the handmade peanut butter shake is. I mean, I'm a happy camper any time a restaurant has peanut butter somewhere on the menu, and it is a huge bonus when I do not need to finagle a special order to get it. According to their menu, you can even mix the various flavors together- maybe I'll throw in some strawberry next time!

So, next time you are planning a trip downtown, check to see if there is a Blue Moon Burgers in the neighborhood. Plenty of signature burger options, as well as the ability to make a custom burger with gluten free, vegetarian, and just plain unique options. Of course, it helps that their ingredients are locally sourced, fresh, and hand-made on premises. And really, it is a freshness you can taste.

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Kayleigh here.  When is the last time you indulged in a warm, gooey cinnamon roll? The kind that comes from a high-end bakery, or over a full day of preparation and patience? Don't you wish you could get that kind of satisfaction on a whim, whenever you start to get that craving?

My desire for instant cinnamon buns ended in a realization- I really like waffles, too. And waffles are quite a bit faster than overnight rolls.

So, now the work came of making a waffle batter with the deliciously sweet kick of cinnamon sugar in each bite, and just enough denseness to hold up to the syrupy soaking it would receive. And really, I think these did the job quite well.

Ingredients:

For the waffles (makes 2)

1/4 cup Sorghum Flour
1/4 cup White Rice Flour
1/8 cup Tapioca Starch
Pinch Guar Gum
2 ts Baking Soda
1-2 TB Cinnamon, depending on tastes
2 TB Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
1 TB Cashew Butter (optional, but adds a richness to the batter)
1 Egg
1/2 cup Milk
1 ts Vanilla Extract
1 TB Butter, melted
Handful Walnuts/Pecans (optional)

Cream Cheese Sauce

4 TB Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 TB Butter
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
Small splash of Almond or Vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Combine all waffle ingredients in a bowl. Mix only until combined- overmixing batters can cause weird texture changes in the final product.
2) Heat up the waffle iron, and begin making those waffles. While you're waiting, mix the cream cheese sauce ingredients in a smaller bowl. If you desire, you can heat it up in a microwave in 10 second intervals. Be careful- cream cheese has a tendency to coat the walls of your microwave if you are not watching closely.
3) Once both waffles are done, cover them in the sauce and serve up hot!

Other variations: If you find the waffles to be too dry, or miss that cinnamon sugar filling, then microwave a mixture of 2Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, and a pinch of powdered Ginger. Also, if you're not a big cream cheese fan, you can always mix up a standard milk and sugar glaze ( I won't put a recipe up here, but you should be able to find one easy enough)

Jason here. First thing, always be careful when microwaving the cream cheese sauce. Any sauce really, but I have found anything with sugar to come out like lava, if microwaved for even a second too long. Second, these are really delicious. We whipped up a generous amount of cream cheese sauce and kept the extra in the fridge, since it reheats so nicely. Delicious cinnamon bun waffles for breakfast before heading off to work really started my day off right.

Gluten free baking has been a very odd experience for me. So far we have been trying to duplicate different baked goods. This of course makes it impossible to bake the exact same thing using different ingredients. I have no other better way of describing it other than saying it is a weird mental sensation. I look at something we have baked, say bread, and think to myself this will taste exactly like the bread I have always tasted. I can’t help but to think that. This means even if tastes fine, it still doesn’t taste like “bread”. 

Thankfully, these unique tasting experiments we create can be repurposed. The cinnamon bun waffles are such an example. When I eat the cinnamon bun waffles, I don’t have a preconceived notion of what they should taste like, what their texture should be. I only know that they taste delicious, and the waffles we created work perfectly.

So I’ll end this post by saying, don’t be afraid to repurpose things you cook. Just because it didn’t come out exactly how you would like for one dish, doesn’t mean it isn’t perfect for another.