Buttermilk Chess Pie for Pi Day

As I have said before, Pi Day has become a special holiday for me. I also much prefer pie over cake, which most people don't agree with. (And yes, that is a Pi dish in the picture above.)

Last year, I became enamored with the idea of making a chess pie. I don't know why - I had literally never tried a chess pie in my life and couldn't even describe one to you. But somehow, I got this idea in my head, and it just wouldn't let up. I read recipe after recipe, and they all varied by little bits (I even drew an elaborate chart to see how many tablespoons of this and how many cups of that went into each recipe I found). The recipe below is what I pulled together from my research. (I have no idea if this is indicative of traditional chess pie, but I really like how it turned out.)

A note about crust: I don't make my own crust anymore since going gluten-free. I'm still wobbly on gluten-free baking, and I haven't yet attempted pie crust. I have, however, found a gluten-free crust that I LOVE that's premade. It's the Whole Foods brand, found in their freezer section, and it comes two per package. I've used them for both sweet and savory pies and found them to be very tasty. Just take a look in the package before you buy them - sometimes the edges are a bit broken up. (And the pie in the photo above is not actually a Whole Foods crust - they look a little better than that.)

Buttermilk Chess Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp cornmeal
5 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Place pie crust on a baking sheet. Mix together sugar, cornmeal, eggs, and buttermilk until blended. Mix in melted butter and vanilla. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the center is set. Cool before serving.

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

The thing about the online food world is that the seasons are marked by recipes. The current recipe perfect for fall that's on just about every site there is? Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad.

I have seen versions of this recipe in my email, on twitter, on gorgeous pictures on Pinterest for days and days. The more I saw, the more I wanted to eat it myself.

I guess I'm pretty susceptible to advertising, then.

Chopping everything takes some time, and I definitely hit a point when I thought that all that chopping couldn't be worth it. (I also realized that I had been cutting the brussels sprouts poorly. The best way is to cut in half through the stem, then slice thinly horizontally from the top, working your way down towards the stem. Once I figured this out, things went much smoother.)

All that chopping is most certainly well worth it. I realized about halfway through dinner that I should have made a double or even triple recipe, because this salad was pretty much all I wanted to eat. A day later, I'm still thinking about how much I want to eat this.

Good thing I have more brussels sprouts and kale in the fridge.

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound brussels sprouts, sliced very finely so the layers flake apart
1 large bunch of kale, ribs removed, sliced thinly
4-5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
handful of hazelnuts, roughly chopped
pecorino romano

Whisk together the dijon mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add salt to taste (a pinch will probably do).

In a large bowl, combine cut brussels sprouts and kale. Toss with dressing - make sure it gets all the leaves covered. Let sit 15-20 minutes before finishing. If the salad is still a little dry, add another splash of olive oil and toss. The dressing will wilt the leaves a little and make them softer.

Before serving, add crumbled bacon, hazelnuts, and shavings of pecorino cheese. Toss and enjoy.

Taking "Cave Cibum" a Little Too Literally

Are you surprised to see a new post here? So am I! Truth be told, I got a little burned out with this project for a while, and when I finally had new things to write about, I wasn't too excited to actually follow through. But enough of my family has guilt-tripped me into writing again, so I guess you have them to blame for this (*cough*Berj*cough*).

Anyway.

When I named this blog Cave Cibum (which is Latin for "beware the food"), I didn't have any particular allergies or anything to be cautious about when it came to food. I was just being a nerd, wanting a title in Latin to confuse just about everyone. (Guess what? That worked! No one can pronounce Cave Cibum!)

But a little over a year ago, I decided to try eating a gluten-free diet for a little while to see if it would clear up the myriad tiny health problems I had that all added up to me feeling terrible. I had had periods of eating low-carb (South Beach style) in the past where I felt great, but I assumed that was because I wasn't eating anything bad for me. I had an inkling that maybe wheat was the real issue.

I won't bore you with the details, because everyone who has moved to a gluten-free lifestyle has a story to tell about how they got there, but suffice it to say that this has definitely done the trick for me. I don't have celiac disease (thank goodness!) or even an allergy, but I can tell the difference when I eat wheat, and that's all that matters.

Screw all those people who think I'm being pretentious or have just jumped on the next diet bandwagon.

I've spent the last year just getting my footing in the kitchen again. A lot of things I cook are already wheat-free (or are very easily adaptable), but do you really want to hear about egg scrambles and stir-fry? I've also never been big into cooking - baking has been my love. I haven't really jumped into gluten-free baking yet because I'm intimidated. Hopefully I can work out some of that intimidation right here.

So are you along for the ride with me? It's ok if you're not; if I just write this for me and those couple of cousins and aunts who keep hounding me, I'll be alright.

New England Summer in a Bowl

There is nothing more evocative of a New England summer than corn, tomatoes, and lobster. A summer is not complete without a meal containing all three (luckily, I have never had a summer go by without a meal like that).

However, I'm not a huge fan of eating a whole lobster as a meal. It's too messy, and the tail gets cold while I'm working on the claws (or vice versa), and what do you do with the plateful of water that comes pouring out of the body?! Add to that a trip to the sink to rinse the gunk out of the tail meat, and you don't have the most pleasant of meals.

This recipe came about precisely because of this. It's the best way to combine those summer flavors into one dish. It's so simple, in fact, that this is really an un-recipe. I've spread it around to friends and family, and each person makes it their own. So consider this less of  something to follow and more of a jumping-off point.

This recipe naturally doubles or triples very easily, and it's a wonderful dish to serve a party (plus, you're serving lobster! But you only have to buy 4 or so to feed a crowd!).

Lobster, Corn, and Tomato Hash
2 Tbsp butter
3-4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, the smaller the better (you can use big tomatoes too, like I did above, but the result is a little more watery)
2 1-lb(ish) lobsters, cleaned, and meat roughly chopped
Handful of basil, torn into small pieces
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add corn and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to burst. Add lobster and basil and cook until lobster is warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Kiwi Avocado Nachos

If you've been following my sporadic posts this year, you know that I like to check out Kitchen Play for new (and often quirky) dishes to try. Every month, Kitchen Play hosts a dinner party with a theme, and most typically, the theme is an ingredient. June was Zespri Kiwi month, and I'm getting my entry in just under the wire.

My McDonald Meal offered up kiwi avocado bruschetta, and since I always love pairing avocado with fruit, I wanted to give it a try. But my gluten-free friend was joining us for dinner, so I swapped out the bread for tortilla chips. Of course, once I got around to cutting my avocado, I realized that it was way too soft to remain in chunks, and it mushed as soon as I looked at it. That's ok, I love guacamole, and what goes better with tortilla chips than guac?

I opted to use Scoops tortilla chips for presentation, but if you want to be more informal, just use regular chips and scatter in a glass baking dish before topping with cheese.

Kiwi Avocado Nachos inspired by My McDonald Meal
2 ripe avocados, mashed
2-3 kiwis, diced
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1 bag tortilla chips
about 8 ounces shredded mixed mozzarella and cheddar

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a bowl, combine avocado, kiwi, tomato, and lime juice. Mix to incorporate everything and season to taste.

Arrange tortilla chips on a baking sheet (for Scoops) or in a glass baking dish (for regular tortilla chips). Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for a few minutes, until cheese is melted and just beginning to brown in spots.

Top with avocado mixture or just dip the chips right in.

Almond Macaroons

I don't get confused easily (at least, I don't think I do), but there are a few things I can never get right. Using affect when I mean effect, for example (although I'm generally pretty snobby about my grammar, this one just doesn't stick). In that same vein, macaroons drive me crazy. Coconut vs. almond, macaroon vs. macaron - it's enough to drive someone to bake.

For years, I maintained that I didn't like macaroons due to a distinct distaste for coconut, and then these crazy chewy cookies made with almond paste appeared. But wait - almond macaroons are not the same as macarons, the fussy little cookies made with almond flour and sandwiched with delicious fillings? You know, I've stopped caring what I call them - these cookies are just plain delicious.

These almond macaroons turn out flat, with a crispy edge and a chewy middle. Use alcohol-free vanilla to make them gluten-free!

Almond Macaroons
3 1/2 ounces almond paste (half a 7oz package)
1/2 cup confections' sugar
pinch of salt
1 large egg white
1/4 tsp. vanilla
sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 300° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together almond paste, sugar, and salt until crumbly, about 3 minutes. Add egg white and vanilla and mix until smooth and thickened, about another 3 minutes. Drop by teaspoon onto baking sheet, about two inches apart. It doesn't look like you have much dough at all, but this should make 12-13 cookies. Arrange two slices of almond on top of each cookie. Bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Slide parchment off baking sheet and cool completely.

Gluten-Free Marshmallow Treats

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I like a challenge. Gluten-free cooking continues to be a challenge for me, as I've been hanging out more with my GFF (gluten-free friend) of late and have been trying to think of fun things to make for her. So when U.S. Mills (which manages the brands Uncle Sam, Farina, and Erewhon, among others) got in touch with me about trying some of their cereals, I was most intrigued by their gluten-free options and what I could make with them.

While U.S. Mills has a number of GF options, I asked for some crispy brown rice. Honestly, all I can think of to cook when I see a big box of crispy rice is Rice Krispie Treats. So really, this isn't a new recipe, insomuch as it's a very easy way to adapt a recipe to be gluten-free. The crispy brown rice from Erewhon (as well as the cocoa brown rice from New Morning) are GF, as are any marshmallows that list the modified food starch as "corn" (I used Campfire brand, although most big-name brands of marshmallows are GF).

The best thing of all is that the brown rice is not all that different than regular Rice Krispies. I took these to a party after making them (since I knew there would be a number of GFFs there), and these were the first thing to go - everyone, non-GFFs included, couldn't get enough.


Gluten-Free Apricot Marshmallow Treats
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
10 oz. GF marshmallows
6 cups Erewhon GF Crispy Brown Rice
10 dried apricots, finely chopped and dusted with cornstarch, divided

Grease a 13x9 inch pan with butter and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add brown rice and 3/4 of the chopped apricots, and mix to coat. Pour into the greased pan and, using a greased spoon, pat cereal down. Sprinkle remaining apricots over the top and pat down. Cool before serving.

Chocolaty Gluten-Free Marshmallow Treats
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
10 oz. GF marshmallows
6 cups New Morning Cocoa Crispy Rice
Chocolate M&Ms

Grease a 13x9 inch pan with butter and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add crispy rice and mix to coat. Pour into the greased pan and, using a greased spoon, pat cereal down. Sprinkle M&Ms over the top and pat down. Cool before serving.

A Gluten-Free Test Drive

Movie night with the girls has changed a bit over the years. In high school, my regular dates with my best friends consisted of whatever bad (or awesomely bad) movies and junk food we could find. The night we watched Excess Baggage is still talked about to this day. Since college, though, we've toned it down a bit... foodwise. For our latest gathering, we had fresh Maine shrimp (since the season's so short), nachos, plenty of wine, and some gluten-free goodies as per one friend's diet.

Now, I've never worked with specifically gluten-free products before. Sure, I've made lots of stuff without wheat, but using GF flour, etc, was different. I had a hell of a time tracking some stuff down, and I gave up on the xantham gum (apparently an important ingredient) when even Whole Foods didn't have any. All in all, my efforts weren't too bad. I managed to make some kind of chickpea cracker, mini quiches, and these awesome mint bars. My GF friend took all the leftovers home and fed them to everyone in her family over Christmas. Hell, I would even make these on a regular basis for myself, gluten-free or not!

Gluten-Free Mint Bars

Crust:
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp GF vanilla
1/2 cup GF flour (I used Bob's)
1/2 cup almond flour
pint of salt
Mint icing:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups confections' sugar
2-6 Tbsp heavy cream
1-1 1/2 tsp mint extract
Glaze:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9 inche square pan.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and blend. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients, blending well. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes and cool completely.

For icing, cream butter and sugar. Add mint extract and just enough cream to make icing thin enough to spread. Spread over cooled crust.

For glaze, melt chocolate and whisk in butter. Spread over icing. Allow to harden before cutting.