Sammy's Woodfired Pizza

Sammy's Woodfired Pizza Margherita....Mmmmm...Pesto Spirals...

When I was first diagnosed with celiac, my biggest worry was that I'd never again get to eat delicious pizza, and for several years, that was just how it was.  No pizza.  If there was any shot at GF pizza, it was a spongey mix or a disastrous attempt at my own homemade crust.

As the years passed, my pizza cravings all but disappeared.  Then one day I get the opportunity to go to NYC where I'd heard rumors that there was a restaurant that had gluten free pizza, pasta, breads, and cakes.  Risotteria opened me up to new worlds of possibilities.  This gluten-free thing might just catch on.

There are now so many great pizza places that make safe-to-eat GF pizzas, it's almost an embarrassment of riches.  BTW, I've read that Domino's is coming out with a GF crust, but not educating their staff about safe preparation or making a GF section in their kitchens, so it's going to be a disaster when people start getting sick from gluten contamination.  CPK tried this awhile back, but rescinded the GF menu upon discovering it's too costly to "Go Gluten-Free" just to latch onto a trend.

Sammy's Woodfired Pizza just opened in Studio City, and they are taking the preparation of their GF food very seriously.  I talked at length with the manager, who assures me all the staff are up to speed about safe preparation of their very tasty GF pizzas.  Their GF menu is pretty extensive, all of their pizzas can be done GF, plus they've got tons of salads, apps, grilled entrees, and even a GF pasta dish.  Sammy's also has a vegan menu, so they are not messing around with catering to us difficult-dietary-needs kids.

Over the years, I've taken quite a liking to Garlic Jims (best take out pizza), Maria's Italian Kitchen (best delivered pizza), Craig's (best fancy date night pizza), and even the house rice crust pizza they cook on demand at Whole Foods (best eat-while-you-grocery-shop pizza).  Let's add Sammy's to the list: Best Family Pizza Night Pizza (with a full bar, HELLO).

We are so lucky, fellow Celiacs!!!  It's safe to pig out again.  However, since I've been following the strict advice of my podcast host, Vinnie Tortorich, I've been avoiding all grains and sugar.

I'm thrilled I made the exception to give Sammy's a try, and I hope you guys do, too.

Podcast with America's Angriest Trainer, Vinnie Tortorich

Bursting out of my thick, gummy cocoon that I hid in for the first part of 2012 has been the wisest decision I've made so far this year.

I have been practicing saying "YES" to everything I can.

I took up running, gave up dairy and sugar, flew in a helicopter, and pushed through my anxiety to write as much as possible...a novel, a feature, a sketch show, and a pilot...and I am loving every minute of it.

My goal is the completion of the shedding of that self-imposed cocoon.  I feel truly happy for the first time in three years.

Part and parcel to my saying "YES" to everything, the incredibly affable, wise, and talented trainer Vinnie Tortorich asked me to do a fitness and diet podcast with him.  Being ever on a diet or trying to constantly achieve some fitness goal (or weight), I said YES.  We have been having an absolute ball, mostly because Vinnie is a joy to work with, and he knows his shit.

I hope you all take a listen soon.

Podcast Site: http://www.vinnietortorich.com/category/podcast/

Podcast on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vinnie-tortorich/id521811037

Soon I will get back to posting recipes.  Lots of them will be dairy and sugar free.

XOXO

Christmas Sugar Cookies

I used to make these cookie-cutter cookies with my mom every year. I knew Christmas was right around the corner, which meant I'd work myself into a guaranteed immune-system-busting holiday frenzy. Like clockwork, I'd contract a nasty coldflufever, adding to the agony of the Christmas countdown since all I could do was hang out at home, bored offa my gourd. Making Christmas cookies is a sweet tradition, although if you have a sickie at home, I recommend separating out the sick dough so as not to infect everyone in the house.

I still have the same cookie cutter shapes of a stocking, bell, Christmas tree, and santa that I used in the 70s and 80s to make these cookies with mom. Since I love the holidays, I had no choice but to figure out how to make these cookies GF.

Make & decorate these sugar cookies with the children in your life, and you will be sure to feel festive in no time flat.

Sugar Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened to room temp

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg

2 1/2 cups GF baking flour, such as Bette's Featherlight Flour Blend

2 rounded tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Extra GF baking flour for rolling/cutting surface

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla. Add in egg until smooth. In separate bowl, sift GF flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until a dough forms. The heat from your hands will fully form the dough. If it gets too warm, wrap dough in plastic wrap and cool in the fridge for 30 mins.

Liberally sprinkle extra GF flour onto rolling surface and rolling pin. Evenly roll out your dough, one section at a time, until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut shapes with cookies cutter, re-rolling the excess until you use up all of your dough.

Bake on cookie sheet (1/2 inch apart) 8 mins at 375 degrees. Let cool on rack completely before decorating cookies.

Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, melted

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

5 drops to a quarter teaspoon of preferred GF food coloring

Using a hand mixer, blend melted butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until it forms a smooth icing. Split icing into separate containers and add desired amount of GF food coloring. Use icing, granulated sugar, sprinkles, etc. to decorate the sugar cookies, but make sure to check the labels of the decorations to ensure they are gluten free.

Brisket

Since I didn't grow up Jewish, the wonders of the cut of meat that is brisket never crossed my path. We were Methodists. Sure, we had our delicious white trash staples, oftentimes pork-based roasts and chops, dumplings and ham hock soup. But I was so thrilled every time I ate Jewish food, like Mrs. Zeitz's fantastic latkes, that when I wound up at Emory (a Methodist school that has an over 40% Jewish student body), I was in heaven when I was lovingly overfed lox, matzoh, kugel, and brisket.

Fast forward to years later, with a spotlight on my love of cooking with the crockpot shining brightly. I surveyed the Jews, the Interwebs, and all the Jews on the Interwebs, but eventually I resorted to inventing my own brisket recipe. Here it is in all of its melt-in-your-mouth glory. If you make it for your family and friends, they will swear allegiance to you mightily.

fresh outta the crock pot, before slicing

Crock Pot Brisket

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup GF soy sauce

1 can tomato paste (6oz)

1/2 cup water

1/2 GF boullion cube (I had chicken, but you can use beef or veggie)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt & Pepper

1 onion

3-7 pound brisket (get a brisket as large as can fit in the crock pot b/c they shrink)

1. Slice 1 onion, place slices in bottom of crock pot.

2. Rub salt & pepper into the brisket. Place fat side up in crock pot, atop of sliced onions.

3. Whisk together remaining ingredients until you've made a marinade with a ketchup-like consistency. Pour over brisket.

4. Cook on low in crock pot for 8 hours.

If you don't have a crock pot, you can use a dutch oven. Combine all ingredients above, cover, and cook in oven at 250 degrees for 8 hours.

Larchmont Bungalow

I rarely do product reviews or restaurant plugs on this blog.

First, I just don't have the time. Second, I rarely find products worth crowing about. I've wasted a lot of money on a lot of shitty gluten-free products. So when I do find something or some place I like/love, I will find the time to shout it to the rooftops and praise whoever does the makin'.

When I heard that Larchmont Bungalow created a new vegan/gluten-free menu, I was intrigued. Then when they contacted me to come try it, I was impressed. If there's a neighborhood restaurant that takes the time to do the proper research and come up with a menu that's safe for me to eat, I will definitely come give it a try.

Even better, once I got there and tasted the food, I knew for sure Larchmont Bungalow needed a far and wide rooftop holler to my gluten-free Los Angeles peoples. Best part, you can go with those who aren't gluten free and know you're not dragging them to someplace where all there is to eat is carrot sticks and alfalfa.

I am only GF, not vegan, but I LOVED these vegan "chicken" tostadas off of their "Vegan/Gluten-Free" menu.

For my dinner, I ordered from the regular dinner menu. I got the pulled pork on the plate (skipping the flour tortilla) with a mango, papaya, cucumber salad on the side. The staff were extremely knowledgable about substitutions and safe preparation in order to avoid cross-contamination. This Carolina style pulled pork was absolutely delicious. Everything was fresh and fantastic.

I only wish they had more GF desserts, but at least they had an option. My chocolate bundt cake was tasty (suspiciously similar to the Sensitive Baker's bundt cake, although I was told it was made by a different baker).

If you live in Los Angeles and have been running out of restaurant options, I'm glad to say that Larchmont Bungalow can be added to the safe places rotation. I hope more restaurants follow their lead and start to cotton to us GF folks.

Larchmont Bungalow

107 Larchmont Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA

323-461-1528

A Heaping Plate of Appreciation

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Plate (Taken Before Gravy)

I hope everyone has a joyous pig out session with people they love.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

For the love of turkey, where in the heck is the whipped cream?

Pie, like soup, is a simple thing to make, containing basic ingredients but a million different ways to assemble those ingredients. When it's done right, serving a kick-ass homemade pie is a pretty satisfactory feeling, especially when it's entirely gluten free, but your guests are none the wiser.

This pumpkin pie starts with a perfect gluten free crust, baked on its own for 15 minutes before baking with the pie filling so the crust doesn't get soggy. The filling is very liquid, so careful not to slosh it around while putting the pie in the oven. You can see the burn around the edge where my filling sloshed up the side of the crust. Best to learn from my mistakes.

If your crust is uneven, feel free to call it "rustic."

The liquid filling cooks up into a very light, smooth custard, which is a perfect way to finish off a Thanksgiving meal without overdoing the richness. Serve with fresh whipped cream, and forget it. The richness is back.

"Rustic" pie crust ready to go in the oven.

Perfect Gluten Free Pie Crust

1 cup Bette's Featherlight Flour Blend (plus extra for the pan)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 cup sugar

5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cubed (plus extra for greasing the pan)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly grease and flour your pie pan.

2. Combine butter cubes, sugar, and vanilla extract in electric mixer until balls form.

3. Sift GF flour, xanthan gum and pinch of salt into electric mixer. Blend until the mix is crumbly. Add in milk and continue blending for another minute. Remove bowl from mixer and knead with your hands until dough forms.

4. Roll out your dough evenly and press into your pie pan. Trim the edges to make even, and you can make fancy fork marks around the edges to finish off the crust.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is a light golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cookie sheet to cool for a few minutes before adding the pumpkin pie filling.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 large eggs at room temp

1 can (16 oz) pumpkin

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 35 degrees. In large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the evaporated milk and pumpkin and whisk until mixed.

2. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves. Whisk the sugar-spice mixture into the wet ingredients until mixed.

3. Pour pie filling into crust and bake for 30-35 minutes. When you check on the pie after 30-35 minutes, the center will still be pretty jiggly. Turn oven down to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the center has firmed up.

4. Remove from oven and let the pie stand for a couple of hours minimum. Serve with fresh whipped cream.