Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Martha Stewart goes gluten-free

...[or at least one of her recipes]

While I was waiting for the vicodin for my husband's sciatica, I picked a copy of  Martha Stewart Living at Walgreens.  Flipping thru the pages, I found Rhubarb Upside Down Cake.  "Dang! That sounds awesome!" - said my inner Southern girl.  Rhubarb is so delicious; I am so fond of rhubarb.  When I was little, I told my mom that I would not eat peanut butter & jellies without grandma's strawberry rhubarb jam so not to bother if the jam was otherwise.

So, it is time to put the Bistro Blend All Purpose Flour to another test.  I've got to have this cake!

(The Bistro Blend All-Purpose Flour: Our flour blend was formulated to perform like all-purpose flour, but without the gluten.  It is a proprietary blend of 5 whole grain, non-GMO flours.  Not only does it perform beautifully, but it is optimized with nutritious flours for your health.  Contains protein, fiber, and b-vitamins, naturally.  It can be substituted for AP flour 1:1, without compromise.)

This is my experience of de-glutenizing the Rhubarb Upside Down Cake from Martha Stewart Living [original link at the bottom of post]  Thanks, Martha, for giving us such great recipes.  Always keeping it fresh.

My experience making this cake....


  • I found fresh rhubarb at the grocery today! I sliced it on the diagonal and laid them uniformly on the bottom of the pan. I think it will look very pretty when it comes out.

  • I still use my Toastmaster 5 speed mixer that I got in college. It worked quite nicely when I was creaming the sugar and butter though. I guess it works well enough for me, which is why I have not replaced it.

  • I did make a mistake on step 3. I didn't keep the dry and wet separate so I had to start over with the batter. Once I really started over and was back on track, all went well.

  • The batter was stickier than I imagined.  Thick and sticky.  The orange zest and  juice made the batter smell fantastic.

  • Right now, it is in the oven for an hour.  Fingers crossed.......................

While baking:

  • Not feeling super smart right now.  I had the 2 pans stacked and didn't realize it.  I pulled it out at about 50 minutes.  Separated the pans.  Put it back in.  Not sure how it will effect it.

  • I have learned with gluten free baking that you should usually do a small one on the side to taste the new recipe, especially if you are taking it over to a party!  The good news is that the little one tasted fantastic!  There is hope!

  • Hour and 20 minutes bake time at 350.

  • I am wrapping it in foil and a towel to keep the heat in while we take it over to the party.



Overall:

  • Flavor: 5 stars, the orange juice and zest is a great compliment to the rhubarb.

  • Texture: 3 stars, it was dense because it fell when I pulled the second pan out.  I think if I didn't mess with it so much that it would be where it needs to be.  The crumb topping had very good texture.

  • Presentation: 5 stars, the rhubarb that was laid uniformly was the right choice.

  • Everyone really enjoyed it.  We ate half the cake between 5 people divvied up the rest at the end of the night.

  • It could be better, so I am going to try again, another day.

Original recipe:  http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/rhubarb-upside-down-cake



Rhubarb can be found in your grocers freezer if you can't find it fresh.

Use aluminum free baking powder!

The Bistro Blend All Purpose Flour is not yet available to the public but if you are dying to try it, we will send you a sample.  Send us a request at info@theglutenfreebistro.com

To your health,

Kelly, Co-Founder of The Gluten Free Bistro

Gluten-free in Boulder, CO

Monday, May 17, 2010

Gluten-Free Items I love

I first went gfree in 2004.  I read a lot of labels that year.  It is amazing what items they slide B.R.O.W. [barley, rye, oats, & wheat] into.  Not that I ever ate a lot of packaged foods to begin with, however there are simple things that I used to use that are contaminated, such as: energy bars, soy sauce, tea, etc

Now, it is not a big deal because I have replaced the old items with new GF ones.

I put together a list for my readers.  Whether you have been gf for a day or a decade, it is always fun to find new items that give more variety and simplify our lives.  I think that one thing about GF living is that it can get a bit complicated so I have tried to simplify my life and remove the clutter of eating & living.  I continually try to purge items that take me away from the precious time with my family, friends, and work.

What items make your GF life easier?  What are your go to items in your pantry?
These are just a few of the items I like to have on hand at all times.
Simple GF Living Shopping List:

Stash Organic Earl Grey Black & Green Tea:  my favorite, Earl Grey, with the health benefits of black & green tea in one cup.
Think Thin:  great energy bar to grab on the go.  I enjoy the peanut butter one the most, but they are all good.
Strawberry Smoothy:  365 frozen organic strawberries, a banana, So Delicious Coconut Kefir [for the probiotics], & vanilla almond milk.
Mary's Gone Crackers:  these are whole grain crackers.  Fantastic with hummus.
Larabars: great to grab on the way to a hike. I love the lemon. The cashew cookie is not for my palate though.
Tamari: it is kind of like soy sauce, sometimes they hide wheat in tamari too so be sure that it is wheat free.
Quinoa: it is the grain with the highest protein content. I love to make tabouli with it. I like the Ancient Harvest brand because it is always clean. When I have bought from bulk bins at the market, I have always bit down on a pebble or 2.
Detox tea: we love ending the day with detox tea. Note that some detox teas add barley. Yogi Detox is GF.
Chipotles in Adobo Sauce: smokey, spicy flavor of the chipotles is great in chilis, mixed with pizza sauce, mix with sour cream for fish tacos [full recipe soon to come].
Chicken Broth: great for cooking up veggies, creating soups. I love to make a chipotle soup which I will share with you soon.



To your health,

Kelly, Co-Founder of The Gluten Free Bistro

Gluten-free in Boulder, CO

Are you tired of gluten-free products that taste like cardboard?  So were we when we started our company.

To order The Gluten Free Bistro's Gourmet Pizza Crust, go here: http://www.theglutenfreebistro.com/products.html