Judy's Gluten Free

Dinner at The Hind’s Head, Bray

In our continuing saga of eating our way around Great Britain, our final night found us in the small town of Bray, England, known among cooks and food enthusiasts as the home of The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal’s castle of culinary delight. We had laughably looked into trying to swing a reservation a few days in advance, but unless you’re The Queen or Sir Elton John, the place is eternally booked. But we weren’t really put out (it was just an intangible, fluttering dream after all), because Heston happens to own ALL the restaurants in Bray, and Jay opentable-ed us a rezzie at The Hind’s Head, last year’s Michelin “Pub of the Year” right next door to TFD.

A bit more casual and (I’m assuming) less overaweing than Fat Duck, Hind’s Head is situated in a 15th century tavern/inn, with the extremely low door lintels to prove it. We had an early reservation, since neither one of us likes crowds, and because my blood sugar plays havoc if left unattended, turning me into a frenzied, frothing witch if I don’t eat before 9 p.m. We had a drink at the bar while we waited for our table, then embarked upon an impossibly wonderful journey of food:

First sign of wonderfulness: they started me off with my very own gluten free bread selection and separate butter dish from my husband’s. In my 10 days in Great Britain, I had only come across one other GF offering, so I never saw this coming. Luckily the Huz had made mention of my intolerance when booking our table. And as for the bread, I have to honestly say it was the best gluten free bread I’ve ever eaten, even better than 11 Madison Park. I mean, look at it! I bet you would’ve never even GUESSED it was sans gluten!

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Then I moved on to my starter, a Fois Gras and Pork Belly Terrine with Curried Pepper Chutney. Yes, it was as delicious as it looks. I spread some on my GF bread and was very reluctant to share. The chutney was lightly spiced with almost no sweetness, and just acidic enough to cut the smooth fattiness of the terrine. The vegetables still had a soft crunch to them, which made everything feel even more fresh and vibrant.

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Huz started with the Scotch Egg, a menu item that he’d somehow kept missing out on earlier in our trip. It’s a good thing he waited, because I have a feeling any other egg would’ve been put to shame by this one. In the beauty shot at the beginning of this post, you can see the layers of outer crisp crumbs merging into a ring of moist sausage molded around a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg. With a side of pungent English mustard for dipping, this ranked as an A+(Infinity).

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For the main course, I ordered the 10 oz. Boneless Ribeye, medium-rare, with its Bone Marrow Demi, and a side of Triple Cooked Chips. The beef was satisfying and perfectly cooked, but it was the demi sauce that really elevated it to the next level. And, for the second time in one night, I had a “best-of-my-life” experience. This time it was the chips. They really were the best I’ve ever eaten. I wish everyone made fries this good. But then I’d have no recourse but to eat french fries on a daily basis, and I’m sure my health and expected life span would correspondingly plummet. So maybe it’s a good thing they’re across the pond after all.

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The Huz opted for the Veal Chop with Onion-Cabbage Hash and an Herb Demi. I wish I could say more about this and how deliciously awesome it was, but I had my head down across the table sucking up marrow demi through triple-cooked chip straws. I remember thinking how wonderful it was to see something green on a plate, as it was only the third time I’d spied a non-root vegetable in a week and a half, even if it was cooked cabbage, which I’m not partial to. Then I had a bite and immediately loved cooked cabbage, at least Heston’s version.

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Because our bodies had begun withdrawal into nutrient deficiency shock, like sailors on long sea voyages, from lack of vitamins and minerals not sourced from meat, potatoes and whiskey, Huz ordered the Spinach Salad for us to nosh on and rebuild our antioxidant reserves. It looked so luscious and healthy, until we dug in and discovered that - Holy Crap! - it was loaded with “Thousand Lords” Cheese shavings, Toasted Pinenuts and a silky Truffle Vinaigrette. Along with the chips and the bread, this salad firmly earned its slot in the evening’s Top Three Favorites list.

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At this point in the meal, more alcohol became necessary and, after consulting the eclectic drinks menu, my husband opted for something called “The Vicar’s Secret.” With everything going on in the Church these days, it made us wonder what the secret really was, but hopefully it was just that he liked to tie one on occasionally with his favorite cocktail.

p.s. The seasonal fruit was fresh strawberry, and it was YUM!

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As refreshing as the Vicar’s Secret was, it wasn’t built for volume, so we each ordered a classic cocktail to finish off the evening. I liked the funny contradiction of ordering a Manhattan, and suggested Huz try Hendricks in his G+T. Of course, The Hind’s Head had to take the extra step and one-up us on two American classics. My drink’s cherry was very obviously and carefully cured in-house, and the gin and tonic came with paper-thin cucumber peels and a dried rosebud, two flavors our bartender told us were subtly present in Hendrick’s distillation.

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Now we were finally ready for something sweet and decided to split the Chocolate Mousse with Apricot Gelee, Toasted Hazelnuts, Sea Salt and Hazelnut Gelato, since it was one of the already gluten free items on the dessert menu. Smooth, rich and creamy, it went great with my cappuccino and the tiny, cubed Gran Marnier Truffles we received as our mignardise.

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All in all, a truly memorable meal!

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For more information on The Hind’s Head menus, or to make reservations, check out their official site here.

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Hazelnut Date Torte

Summer’s only a few weeks away, which signals the beginning of my private client’s annual cleanse. Last year she discovered Alejandro Junger’s CLEAN Program, which focuses on detoxifying and renewing the body’s digestive and immune systems through a whole food and juice diet. Since I recently got home from Great Britain, where I literally consumed just ONE piece of fruit in a ten-day span, I jumped on board and told her I’d be her cleanse partner.

This is not one of those sadistic crash-cleanses you’ve probably heard about where you’re only allowed to consume lemon water and cayenne, or a ridiculously expensive liquid diet of purchased juice concoctions. Instead, you avoid common allergy-triggering foods like soy, dairy and gluten, as well as inflammatory and chemically modified ingredients like refined sugar and processed meats, and focus on nutrient rich veggies, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins.

Because you’re encouraged to eat well-balanced and tasty meals, albeit healthy, preservative-free ones, this program doesn’t come with the usual baggage of despair and denial I assume is common to most cleanses. And though limiting sugar is integral to the plan, in an effort to break the addictive cycle of “eat sweet-produce insulin-crave sweet,” I’m not one to be deterred by a No-Dessert-Unless-It-Qualifies-As-Healthy mandate.

Enter my Hazelnut Date Torte, tailored to be gluten free, dairy free, high in fiber and low on the glycemic index. It’s almost vegan, but I couldn’t work around needing a binding agent which also doubled as a rising agent, so I ended up using an egg. I’m pretty sure there’s a good egg-free solution right around the corner, but I’ll need time to play around with it ‘cause I just blew through my hazelnut flour cache, and that shit ain’t cheap!

I got the initial inspiration for this recipe from a delish GF parsnip-pear cake I ate in London, and from a chestnut flour tart featured in SAVEUR’s May issue, which I had the pleasure of tasting after Ben Mims whipped one up in the test kitchen a month or so ago. Most of the sweetness in my cake comes from the dates, with just a bit of boost from agave syrup, keeping the refined sugar content of this cake at a big, fat 0%. Both natural sweeteners, as well as the olive oil, help keep the torte moist and give it a dense, soft crumb.

Hazelnut Date Torte

makes: one 10-inch cake

Ingredients

1 cup whole pitted dates, finely chopped

2 cups ground hazelnut flour/meal

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1tsp. baking powder

1tsp. salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup agave

1/4 cup almond milk

2 Tbs. candied citrus zest or chopped skinned hazelnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a greased 10-inch springform or cake pan with a large round of parchment. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the chopped dates. Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup and dates are soft and syrupy, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and form a well in the center. Mix olive oil, egg, vanilla, agave and almond milk into date mixture and pour into the well. Stir until smooth and pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with candied zest or hazelnuts if using, and bake 20 minutes until torte is fragrant and surface springs back lightly when touched.

Breakfast at The Wolseley, London

For our recent stay in London, a food editor friend who used to live there recommended we check out breakfast at the Wolseley Cafe. So we woke up early on a rainy Saturday morning and took a cab from our hotel in the central business district to the Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly. Entering its monochromatic interior awash in gold-veined black marble and soaring white arches, bustling with a hungry weekend crowd, I immediately grew a bit timid, and self-consciously wondered if maybe we should have made a reservation. But the hostess assured us she would have a table for us in ten minutes and invited us to wait at the tiny service bar in the meantime. The Huz and I ordered mimosas, and I watched, first in satisfaction as the same champagne-to-OJ ratio I adhere to was used, then in admiration as our bartender added a splash of Grand Marnier to top off each flute.

Then it was on to our table, where the huz ordered the Wolseley’s own Afternoon Blend tea service.

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I ordered the English Breakfast with Poached Egg, Bacon, Sausage, Baked Beans, Black Pudding, Grilled Tomato and Mushroom. The egg was perfectly cooked, and as you can see, there were at least seven or eight strips of chewy English bacon.

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The Huz opted for Eggs Benedict, and we both marveled at the deep mustard yellow of the Hollandaise.

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To find out more about the Wolseley, you can check out the official site here.

Mackie’s Scotland

These may just be the best chips (err, sorry - “crisps”) in the world. I came across them at the Edinburgh Castle cafe and, because I was in Scotland, opted for the Haggis flavor, of course. But they came in at least half a dozen different varieties, including Flame-Grilled Aberdeen Angus, Scotch Bonnet Chilli Pepper, and Crispy Bacon.

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And I, so stupidly, figured I’d see them in a shop or pub elsewhere in Edinburgh, buy up a bunch, and avoid paying touristy castle prices. I looked, and looked, but didn’t see them again during our visit.

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So I was really happy to find Mackie’s online when I got back home. Apparently, they also do some great ice cream. So far, it doesn’t look like they do international shipping, but the good news is they’re trying to gain a foothold in the US snack market and are already sold at some locations in the states. If you’re in TX or CA, I think you’re in luck. In the meantime, I’m gonna cross my fingers and wait for Mackie’s to come to my local supermarket!

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If you’re interested in finding out more about Mackie’s of Scotland, check them out here.

St. John London

The Huz and I just got back from a spectacular 10-day trip to Great Britain, where we managed to eat at some top-notch places along the way. The following photos are from Fergus Henderson’s St. John Smithfield bar menu. We opted not to go the formal dining room route, since the bar’s casual ambience was much more up to our speed and dress code.

We were walk-ins on a pearly, cool, early Saturday afternoon, put our drinks and food order in at the bar, and grabbed a two-top in the glass-ceilinged entry way. We chose four appetizers off the hand-written chalkboard menu on the rear wall to split between us, sipped our respective glasses of wine and lager, and paged through our hotel’s complimentary copy of the Telegraph while we waited for our food. In order of our enjoyment, here are our dishes below:

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Bone Marrow with Toasted Baguette, Sea Salt and Parsley Salad - classic, simple and delicious, with a bonus on presentation for the elegant marrow spoon. Since I couldn’t have the baguette, I spread my allotment of marrow on the potatoes from the Octopus Salad (photo at bottom).

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Welsh Rarebit with Aged Cheddar - I obviously wasn’t able to do this one, but of the three or four rarebits the Huz ordered on the trip, this was by far the best in his estimation. After he’d polished it off, he saw a girl at the next table make an almost anatomical cross-hatch pattern into the surface of her rarebit before filling in the indentations with a light application of Worcestershire.

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Beef Heart with Beans - this didn’t blow us away, but I can’t say we were really expecting too much. We basically saw “beef heart” on the menu and it instantly qualified as our indulgent novelty order. The best I can say is that the heart was nicely cooked, since it tends to be tough and/or overly chewy otherwise.

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Octopus Salad with Rocket and New Potatoes - sadly, this tasted pretty much as gross as it looked. We had to write this dish off entirely (except for the potatoes, which I fished out and used with my marrow). The octopus was overcooked and rubbery, and its undrained cooking water pooled on the plate, making everything soggy and lifeless. The arugula was slimy, the vinaigrette tasteless, and the whole thing was under-seasoned. Both the Huz and I are big octopus fans, so this disappointment went deep.

If you’re going to be in the general London area and are interested in visiting, or just want to check out the menu, you can take a look at the St. John website here.

Gluten Free / Vegan Almond Agave No-Bake Bites

When I was a little girl in the late ‘70’s, my mom belonged to a natural foods co-op. She bought dried beans and banana chips by the pound, baked all our own bread, and milled baby food for me and my sisters from scratch. She also made these delicious no-bakes out of natural peanut butter, oats, honey and chocolate chips that she stored in the freezer, and would pack for the many car-trips and picnics my family indulged in.

Sadly, the original recipe and the cookbook that inspired her have been lost over time, but every so often I get a hankering for that remembered sensation of chewy oats suspended in freshly ground peanut butter, redolent with the flavors of honey and cinnamon, melting on my tongue straight from the freezer. All the no-bake recipes I’ve come across these days are heavy with commercially processed PB, and overly saccharine with the chalky addition of confectioner’s sugar, so I realized I needed to go back to the drawing board for this one.

To recreate this 30+ year-old recipe, I was inspired by my original no-bake memories without feeling like I was totally confined by them. These days, my adult taste buds prefer almond butter over PB, and I always have agave on hand for its lower glycemic rating. I had fun playing around with variations however, so for old-time’s sake, I did a replication of my mom’s version as well.

Almond Agave No-Bakes

makes: eight 1.5x1.5-inch bites

Ingredients

1/2 cup natural roasted almond butter

3 Tbs. agave

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup GF old-fashioned rolled oats (such as Bob’s Red Mill brand)

vegetable or canola oil for pan

Directions

Lightly oil a 3x5-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with was or parchment paper; set aside. Combine almond butter, agave, salt and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes until ingredients are fully incorporated and mixture is viscous. Stir in oats and press evenly into the prepared pan with a non-stick spatula. Chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. Remove and cut into bites or bars, wrap tightly in wax or parchment paper and store in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

VARIATIONS:

Chocolate Covered Almond Agave Bites

1 recipe Almond Agave Bites

1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (3 oz.), melted

Directions

Make and chill the almond agave bites for 30 minutes. While still in the pan, pour the melted chocolate over top and smooth with a spatula. Return the bites to the fridge for 30-45 min. until the chocolate has completely set. Remove and cut into bites or bars, wrap tightly in wax or parchment paper and store in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Protein Bites

1/2 cup natural roasted peanut butter

5 Tbs. agave

1 Tbs. hot tap water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup GF vanilla protein powder blend

1/2 cup GF old-fashioned rolled oats

2 Tbs. dried blueberries

Directions

Lightly oil a 3x5-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with was or parchment paper; set aside. Combine peanut butter, agave, water, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes until ingredients are fully incorporated and mixture is viscous. Stir in protein powder, oats and blueberries, and press evenly into the prepared pan with a non-stick spatula. Chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. Remove and cut into bites or bars, wrap tightly in wax or parchment paper and store in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

Original PB & Honey Bites with Chocolate Chunks

1/2 cup natural roasted peanut butter

3 Tbs. honey

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup GF old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Directions

Follow the directions for the Almond Agave Bites, adding the chocolate chips along with the oats. Don’t sweat it if the chocolate melts slightly when you stir in the chips; that’s definitely part of the appeal!

Gluten Free Cheese Souffle with C4C

As promised in my last post, A Gluten Free Spring Dinner for Two, here’s the recipe I used to make that glorious, golden and bouncy cheese souffle featured in my photos. I saw Michel Richard’s original recipe in the latest issue of Bon Ap, and was intrigued by his use of xanthan gum, a common ingredient in GF baking, to help the souffle reach new heights. After that, it was just a quick and easy leap to re-imagine this classic recipe sans gluten.

On a side note, I’ve been wanting to test out Thomas Keller’s miracle product, Cup4Cup, in a standard béchamel, the butter+flour+dairy combo that serves as the souffle base in this recipe. I’ve made GF béchamels in the past, often utilizing various combinations of tapioca, arrowroot, corn and potato starches, and getting somewhat inconsistent results. The starches tend to lend either a grittiness (or worse, a sliminess,) to the final product, or else leave a slightly unpleasant raw-starch aftertaste in their wake. In several instances, the starch bonds broke apart completely after undergoing extreme temperature shifts, leaving me with soupy, inedible disasters on my hands. But C4C didn’t disappoint in any of these areas - thumbs up C4C béchamel!

Gluten Free Cheese Soufflé with C4C

serves: 4-6

Adapted from Michel Richard’s “The Loftiest Souffle,” published in Bon Appétit, April 2012

Ingredients

4 Tbs. grated parmesan, divided

4 Tbs. butter, divided

1/4 cup Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour Blend

1 cup cold whole milk

1 cup shredded parmesan, divided

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp. salt, divided

4 eggs, separated and at room temperature

1/4 tsp. xanthan gum

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° with a rack in the center position. Grease a 1-qt. casserole or soufflé dish with 1 Tbs. of butter and coat with 2 Tbs. of grated parmesan; set aside. Melt remaining butter in small sauce pan over medium-low heat, add C4C and cook, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes until toasted and lightly golden. Whisk in cold milk and continue to cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 more minutes until mixture has thickened to a porridge-like consistency. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 2 Tbs. of grated parmesan and 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan. Season with fresh nutmeg and 3/4 tsp. of salt. Let mixture cool 1-2 minutes before whisking in egg yolks. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

2. In a large, clean bowl, beat egg whites with xanthan gum and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt until stiff peaks form and hold their shape. Stir 1/4 of whipped whites into the soufflé base to lighten the mixture, then transfer the base into the larger bowl of egg whites, gently folding with a spatula until whites are completely incorporated and the mixture is light and airy.

3. Gently spoon the soufflé mixture into the prepared dish, top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan and bake 20-25 minutes until soufflé is puffed four to five inches above the top of the baking dish and deeply golden. Remove carefully and serve immediately.

Note: You can make individual soufflés by using six 6-oz. or four 8-oz. ramekins and reducing the baking time by 5-10 minutes.

(Source: epicurious.com)