Time for change

 

When I was diagnosed with Celiac disease I had to make a drastic decision, and fast!

 As a professional chef, I was no longer able to taste the foods that might contain gluten.

 Big Problem!

I started looking at gluten free recipes and I became perplexed! Rice flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, flour, flour, flour! I took a step back, and wondered what my body was telling me. Did I have to give up fried foods, fresh baked baguettes, French fries?  French Fries?!? Yes, items can become cross contaminated in the fryer.

Gluten is present in many food items. It is disguised, covered up, and presents itself in hard to pronounce compounds. Gluten is present around us, and it has become a staple in our food culture. The discussion on wheat processing and distribution is for another day.

 I had to find a way to eat without consuming wheat, wheat bi-products, barley, malt vinegar, modified food starch, etc. At first, I was still facing the anger and denial point of my diagnosis. I couldn't face eating another day without bread! Bread is my weakness, I need it daily. I can't lie, to this date I still miss good bread, but oh well.

I had learned that gluten free was my only option. So, here I am.

Of course I didn't want to miss out on my occasional "S'more" or flaky pie crust, so I had to establish a healthy/enjoyable gluten free diet, and not be intimidated by this new approach to cooking.

There are many foods that you can enjoy on a gluten free diet without even thinking! Go to your local farmers market and see what is in season. Don't forget that these farmers are there to answer your questions and to give advice. If you are unsure of a products quality or use, ask for assistance or a taste. Be sure to tell them on the next visit how much you enjoyed their products. If you stick to a whole foods based diet, living gluten free is a breeze. This means avoiding the processed foods, including the "healthy" ones.

There will always be a void where those gluten rich items once were, but you'll be feeling better in no time.

This week I plan on cooking some good classic comfort foods since the 60 degree winter temps have settled in, brrrr! I'll share some of the recipes later in the week.

 

Another day of play in the kitchen
Last week I stumbled upon these pasta samples from "Explore-Asia" and I had to give them a try. You can read last weeks "Plying with my Food" here for more on the product. The black bean pasta I used for this recipe had a great texture after only three and a half minutes of cooking. I chose bright colors for this cold salad. I used several fresh fruits and vegetables to prepare the salad, feel free to substitute what you have available, and what's fresh. Jicama could be used in place of red peppers for texture, carrots would add nice color, have fun! For the dressing I utilized juice from the oranges and added rice wine vinegar to give it a bite. The sweetness of the dressing is rounded out with sesame oil, which also adds a nutty flavor. This salad also works well with Quinoa in place of the pasta. 1 Cup of Quinoa(dry) should be plenty. Follow instructions on package to prepare.
 
 

INGREDIENTS

7 oz. package Explore Asian black bean spaghetti

2 ea. green onion, sliced thin

1/2 bunch purple kale, de-stemmed and shredded

1 red bell pepper, small dice

1 mango, peeled and diced

4 tangerines, peeled and sectioned

1 cucumber, seeded and sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsp. Sriracha

1/4 cup sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4 as Entrée Directions

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook for 3 1/2  minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. Add pasta to a large bowl and add next 6 ingredients. Make dressing by combining orange juice., vinegar, and Sriracha in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad and toss gently.

Cream of tomato soup with crackers

We finally had a day of winter in Long Beach this week so I went for my favorite cold weather meal, soup and crackers. The soup recipe is simple, and the crackers actually taste pretty similar to your old favorite.

Tomato soup:
2-28oz cans whole tomatoes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp raw sugar
1/2-3/4 cups hvy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, spices, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and blend with immersion blender. Add cream, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish with basil or shaved parmesan.

Crackers:
1 cup gluten free flour blend. I used an almond based blend.
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp honey or agave syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2-3/4 cup warm water.
Combine first 5 ingredients and blend well. Add water until dough becomes like play-doh consistency. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and dust with flour. Form dough in to disk and place in center of paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment and roll out to 1/8" thickness. Remove top sheet and transfer dough on bottom sheet of paper to a sheet pan. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough in to 1x1 squares. Do not separate. Brush dough with water and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake in a 400 F oven for 15-18 minutes. Slightly golden brown. Allow to cool and separate crackers.

Personal Chef Services

COMING SOON!

Personal Chef:

Beginning in mid February I will launch my "gluten free" personal chef service in Long Beach, CA. Being that I am a chef and live with celiac disease I wanted to be able to continue to cook for people, and this seemed to be the perfect fit. The difference between a personal chef and a private chef is a personal chef can cook for several clients. The way it works is simple, I sit down with you and we put together your ideal menu plan. We discuss likes, dislikes, specialty diets, meals served, and planning a day where I can begin preparing your custom menu. I charge typically $350.00 to prepare 5 meals that are 4 servings each with sides that compliment the entrée. The cost of groceries is billed separately.  On the agreed upon cook date I will begin the day by grocery shopping for your selected ingredients. I will shop at specialty markets, farmers markets, and any grocery store that carries what I need to create your menu. I understand how to prepare fresh foods on a limited budget so I will try to provide as much cost savings as possible. Since groceries are billed separately I can adjust your menu to meet a desired food cost. When I arrive at your home I will have all of my own equipment so no need to worry about shopping for new kitchen tools. I will prepare all the meals, package them, and leave specific instructions on how to heat or prepare. When the meals are complete I will clean the kitchen area and remove all trash. You come home to a weeks worth of delicious gluten free meals that you can feel safe eating. Please email me directly through the link below if you would like to discuss planning a menu or to hear more about the service.

Dinner Parties:

I can provide in house catering for small dinner parties, ranging from 2 to 20 people. I will prepare gluten free menu options that will please all guests and create a memorable experience. I can help with the planning, food prep, and clean up. I charge an hourly rate plus the cost of groceries. I can arrive early and prep as much as possible leaving you with minimal instructions, this way you can take the credit : ) Or I can stay for the entire event. For larger parties I can arrange for servers and bartenders as needed. Please email me to set a time to discuss how I can make your next party a worry free-gluten free experience.

Cooking Classes/Parties:

Looking for a great way to interact with guests, eat delicious food, and learn some new cooking skills? Have a group cooking class/party.
Appetizer Social: Prepare themed appetizers under my guidance with your guests while enjoying some great beverage pairings. When the food is prepped we'll discuss presentation and serving ideas, then its time to enjoy what we've prepared.
Brunch/Lunch or Dinner Buffet: You and your guests will work along side me in your kitchen and prepare a memorable event that will teach you the skills of how to prepare meals for a group, and some beautiful presentation ideas.
Grill Skills: Learn to appreciate that grill in the backyard and put it to use. You and your guests will prep several items that can be prepared on the grill and delicious sides to accompany them. We'll discuss meat or vegetarian options, marinades, rubs, cooking temps and methods, presentation and serving. With 360 sunny days per year in Long Beach you'll learn skills that can be used over and over again.

Please email me to discuss booking a party or to create a custom event just for you!

 

 

Playing with my food!

1-30-2014                                                                                                                          

My first recipe post!

Finding new ingredients is always a joy. I recently came across a new line of pasta’s from“Explore-Asian Authentic Cuisine” that are made from several varieties of beans. I received a Mung Bean Fettuccine, Black Bean Spaghetti, Adzuki Bean Spaghetti, and Soy Bean Spaghetti. All the pastas are 92% bean and 8% water. Simply said, the pastas are organic, gluten free, vegan, and kosher. The noodles have vibrant colors that naturally match their bean variety. The pasta packs in 25g of protein and 11g of fiber. I found the texture to be better than most of the gluten free pastas that I have tried. They are still delicate when cooked but do not have gummy texture commonly found in other noodles. When I cooked the pasta I noticed the package called for a 7 minute cook time, this didn’t seem right. I decided to check the pasta every minute and note the texture while it was cooking. I reached the desired al’ dente texture at about 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The 7 minute cook time would have resulted in mush. My first pasta choice was the Mung Bean; it has a really cool texture and great color. There are actually little dimples in the pasta that resemble the outer shell of a Mung bean. As I mentioned earlier the pastas are made by “Explore-Asian”, but don’t let the name tell you what direction to take when preparing meals. I took the Italian route with the green pasta and I was happy with the results in texture, taste, and appearance. I made a traditional Caprese salad of fresh Mozzarella, grape tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and Balsamic vinegar then blended it with the pasta.

My original idea was to keep this site simple and here I start with an obscure new pasta, and not even sure where it is available, well I know Amazon has it. The good news is that I’ll link us to the manufacturers’ page and we can learn where to get the product. If you can’t find the pasta you can substitute another gluten free variety, or try using quinoa. It was an easy meal to prepare and those who sampled it were impressed, nice!

The recipe:
Caprese Salad with Mung Bean Fettuccine
Serves 4 as an entrée

7 oz package Explore-Asian Mung Bean Fettucine

12 oz container fresh   Mozzarella, diced

1 pt of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup micro basil

2 oz Annies Naturals Balsamic dressing

Season with salt and pepper

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add fettucine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. Place pasta in large bowl and add tomatoes, mozarella and 1/2 of the basil. Add dressing, salt, pepper, and gently mix. I use my clean hands. Place salad on serving platter and garnish with remaining micro basil.                            
*Regular basil can be substituted for micro basil.

 

 

http://www.explore-asian.com/

My first blog...Just layin it out there

1-30-2014

A little lesson on Karma…

                In October of 2000, I graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. This was a major career change after serving two terms as a medic in the United States Air Force.  I was determined to progress quickly on my career path because I had a new son and family to support.  I worked throughout the country in various types of food service establishments, from line cook to research and development chef, from fine dining to healthcare, where I consulted with dieticians about creating healthy meals that were specific to patient needs.

 About a year and a half ago, I was led to Long Beach, California to take part in the opening of the new airport. The airport features scaled down versions of local restaurants that represent all corners of the city. I was brought on as the Executive Chef and began working on menu development with our local partners.  I spent hours working in their kitchens and was quickly reminded of how needy today’s diners have become. As a chef, cook, server, bartender, and person well versed in the restaurant industry you learn to build a level of disrespect and callousness towards needy diners, of which there are plenty. Every year a new fad—no carbs, no beef, no beans, all protein, no dairy—the list goes on and on. Well, holding steady for the past few years is the favored enemy, gluten—NO GLUTEN, GLUTEN, GLUTEN—and at this very juncture is where my karma kicked in.

 I got sick, like real sick. After eating a lot of meals I got horribly upset stomachs, cramping, and had to run off to the bathroom immediately, but didn’t know what to do. I’m still a bit of a burnt out medic so I think the only time you go to the doctor is when you’re completely unresponsive. I tried to deny it by eating handfuls of Imodium throughout the day, taking Motrin around the clock, and slugging an occasional Zofran to help with the nausea. I was killing myself. Eventually, I went to the G.I. clinic, got scoped, biopsied, and received a positive blood test.  A few days later, I find out I’ve got Celiac Disease.

So here I am, a professional chef that can no longer do the work in the same way that I have done for the past 14 years. Most of the food I used to make, I can’t eat anymore. I am now one of those needy patrons I loathed. I am gluten free. I have to be. This is my new beginning and I’d love you to take this journey with me. I’m not looking to duplicate every snack item out of a vending machine. I’m not looking to fine tune my molecular gastronomy skills. I just want to eat real food—real food that tastes good and doesn’t make me sick afterwards.  A lot of my background is in research and development so I enjoy playing with food until it tastes just perfect. That’s what we’ll be doing here—researching and developing delicious gluten free cuisine that tastes great to anybody and everybody.  I’ll be posting recipes throughout the week, some from my personal chef service, and some just for fun.

Onward and upward we go!!