I am back with second helping of The Dairy Free & Gluten Free Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, Paperback, January 2012) by Denise Jardine . Book offers 150 recipes (from Pancakes to Pizza) for all occasions and seasons.

After spinach, doughy goodies.

Amaranth Sesame Breadsticks

Free of egg, soy, nut
makes 12 breadsticks

1 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup Gluten-Free Flour Mix (page 172)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
1 package (21/4 teaspoons) quick-rise dry yeast
1 teaspoon olive oil
Kosher salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

To prepare the dough:

Combine the amaranth flour, flour, sesame seeds, sugar, xanthan gum, salt, and onion powder in a large bowl. Mix together with a whisk until blended. In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water and whisk in the olive oil. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, stir until the mixture comes together and forms a ball. Divide the dough into 12 balls. Line a flat work surface with parchment or waxed paper. Using your hands, roll the dough to form 12-inch-long, cigar-shaped rolls.

Transfer the rolls to the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm, draft-free location for 20 minutes or until the breadsticks have risen slightly. If desired, sprinkle with kosher salt. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the breadsticks are dark golden brown and slightly crisp on the bottom. If desired, sprinkle with additional sesame seeds.

(* "Amaranth Sesame Breadsticks recipe from THE DAIRY-FREE & GLUTEN-FREE KITCHEN by Denise Jardine, Paperback published by Ten Speed Press, January 2012, all rights reserved)

Whether for health reasons or making a choice to eat in a more balanced way, The Dairy Free & Gluten Free Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, Paperback, January 2012) by Denise Jardine offers 150 recipes (from Pancakes to Pizza) for all occasions and seasons.

For lunch or dinner a salad is always welcome. In the winter say it with pears

Spinach, pear, and beet salad with sherry dressing

Free of egg soy nut sugar

serves 4 to 6

Salad
3 medium golden or red beets, trimmed
6 cups stemmed baby spinach leaves, lightly packed (about 1 bunch)
3 ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/3 cup dried cranberries
 

Dressing
1 cup peeled, cored, and diced ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear (1 or 2 pears)
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon gluten-free Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Date Syrup (page 189) or honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the beets: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil, enclosing them completely. Roast the beets in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow the beets to cool completely, about 2 hours or overnight. Using a sharp paring knife, peel the beets and slice them 1/2 inch thick.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing.

To prepare the dressing: Combine the diced pear, sherry, olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, mustard, date syrup, salt, and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and correct the seasonings.

To assemble the salad: Place the spinach in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the greens and toss to coat. Divide the greens equally among 4 to 6 plates. Arrange the pear slices and beets atop the greens, and scatter the cranberries over them.

Serve immediately.

(* "Spinach, Pear, and Beet Salad with Sherry Dressing” recipe from THE DAIRY-FREE & GLUTEN-FREE KITCHEN by Denise Jardine, Paperback published by Ten Speed Press, January 2012, all rights reserved

Shy, shy go for the Blushing Greyhound non-alcoholic drink from The Intolerant Gourmet: Glorious Food without Gluten & Lactose by Barbara Kafka (Artisan Books)

Blushing Greyhound

Makes 1 Serving

Enjoy as a beverage or use as a base for a sorbet.

½ cup ice cubes
½ cup fresh grapefruit juice
2 ½ teaspoons grenadine syrup
Wrap the ice cubes in a dishtowel and pound with a heavy saucepan. Place the remaining ingredients in a tall glass with the crushed ice. Stir well. Serve immediately.

Variation

Blushing Greyhound Sorbet
Makes 1 Quart
To make a sorbet, combine 2 cups grapefruit juice, 3 ½ tablespoons grenadine, and 1 cup Simple Syrup and freeze the mixture overnight. Make sure to scrape it periodically with a fork to prevent it from becoming one solid block. Otherwise, pour the mixture into ice cube trays, freeze overnight, and then process in a food processor. Alternatively, use a sorbet maker.

Simple Syrup

Makes 3 cups

Simple Syrup is often used to sweeten cold drinks—alcoholic and non—as the sugar is already dissolved. It is also used to make sorbet. It sweetens the dish but also keeps it from degenerating into large crystals.
The simple syrup given here is a one-to-one syrup, meaning one part water to one part sugar. Sometimes a heavier syrup made with two parts sugar to one part water is desire, or, conversely, a lighter one made with one part sugar to two parts water. Boiling the syrup not only dissolves the sugar but also stabilizes the mixture.
2 cups sugar
Combine the sugar with 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

(*Excerpted from The Intolerant Gourmet: Glorious Food without Gluten & Lactose by Barbara Kafka (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2011. Photographs by Johnny Miller.

Amongst the books I received in runup to Thanksgiving is The Country Cooking of Italy (Chronicle Books, Fall 2011) by Colman Andrews with appetizing photographs by Hirsheimer and Hamilton.

Colman Andrews serves recipes for all seasons and all meals.

As first excerpt, I went for a simple Panelle recipe from Sicily for 3 reasons.

To start with it only takes a few steps, second it will bring a fresh note at cocktail time, third it is made with chickpea flour so gluten free.

Panelle (Chickpea Flour Fritters)

Panelle are the Sicilian equivalent of the panisses of Nice and vicinity, essentially fritters made from chickpea flour that has been cooked like polenta. One of the island’s great gastronomic delights, they are street food, found in markets like the famous Vucciria or larger but less famous Il Capo in Palermo, and sold all over the island in the frigitterie, or fry shops. Sicilians often eat them as an unlikely sandwich filling, much as the Spanish fill sandwiches with slabs of potato omelet.

Serves 6 to 8

11/2 cups/360 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
Coarse sea salt
2 cups/250 grams chickpea flour
Pepper

Lightly oil a shallow 9-by13-inch/23-by-33-centimeter baking pan.

In a large pot, combine 1/2 cup/120 milliliters of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3 cups/720 milliliters water. Turn the heat to medium and immediately begin pouring in the chickpea flour in a very slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until it is well combined. Add a little more water if necessary to obtain a thick but still fluid consistency. Continue cooking and stirring constantly, switching to a long, strong wooden spoon when the mixture becomes too thick for the whisk, until it is thick and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes.

When the chickpea mixture is ready, pour it into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

To serve, cut into 3- or 4-inch/7.5- or 10-centimeter squares or into triangles of the same length. Pour the remaining 1 cup/240 milliliters oil into a large frying pan over high heat and heat to 375ºF/190ºC. Working in batches, fry the pieces until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. As they are done, drain on paper towels.

Dust generously with pepper before serving.

(* Recipe from The Country Cooking of Italy by Colman Andrews- Chronicle Books, Fall 2011- reproduced with permission of the publisher- all rights reserved- Photography by Hirsheimer and Hamilton)