gluten free review

Red Fern Has the Gluten-Free (and Vegan) Midas Touch

December 1, 2022 — Leave a comment

The Red Fern 

The Red Fern; situated unassumingly on the corner of Oxford and Park Avenue has become Rochester’s premiere all-vegan eatery. Its runaway success is in no uncertain terms due to the grit, tenacity, and finesse of Red Ferns’ audacious owner Andrea Parros. Petite in stature but bold and daring in vision; Parros along with a team of 40 hospitality professionals have the Midas touch; growing the eatery from humble beginnings to one of Rochester’s leading gluten-free and vegan restaurants. 

Andrea’s Origin Story 

Red Fern Owner, Andrea Parros standing outside the Red Fern entrance

We can’t dive into the story of Red Fern without starting at the source; the story of the owner and founder Andrea Parros.  Parros grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Northeastern University in 2004. Like many new college grads, she had no idea what she wanted to do with or life or career after college. What she knew is that she loved a good challenge, wanted to work with people, and was ready to take a risk. 

She was smitten by a small cafe located in Boston’s posh Newbury Street district that according to Parros had a “cool, misfit, punk, vibe” that brought together people of all different backgrounds but didn’t take itself too seriously. Throwing fear to the wayside one day she stepped into the establishment and asked the then-owner if she could take a job as a dishwasher. Initially incredulous, the owner soon realized that Paros doesn’t take no for an answer. She was hired on the spot and within a week landed herself a promotion to brunch cook. Thrust into a trial-by-fire situation Parros used this opportunity as a stepping stone to learn and perform almost every role in the establishment giving her vital on-the-job experience that would serve her well for her next big role; manager of a newly hired prep crew. All this experience prepared Parros for the next big opportunity… 

A Move to Rochester 

In 2009 Andrea moved to Rochester to embark on her first entrepreneurial endeavor; the opening of Owl House Rochester with restaurateurs Jeff Ching and Brian Van Etten. Opening Owl House was a big next step and this leap of faith gave Parros the confidence and experience that would eventually lead to her opening The Red Fern in 2013. Together both in business and romantically Parros and Ching managed and guided Owl House to much success. Owl House became known for its local, fresh, and farm-to-table take on American classics which included a bevy of delectable vegan dishes. This attention to the details of vegan cuisine came naturally for Parros who had transitioned several years prior. Initially vegetarian, she became fully vegan (and gluten-free) after experiencing chronic bouts of psoriasis rashes during a six month stint in Hawaii. Managing the menu at Owl House gave her more experience as a vegan and gluten-free recipe developer. Andrea was enthralled by the challenge and eagerly began crafting acclaimed gluten-free and vegan menu items. Eventually, Parros and Ching mutually agreed to end their romantic and business partnership and Andrea took the respite (18 months total) to think long and hard about her next steps. This transition gave her even more gumption and confidence to set out on her own and Red Fern opened its doors to the public in 2013.

Gluten-Free at Red Fern 

Having lived gluten-free for many years Andrea intimately understands the nuances of what it means to live gluten-free. Even though the restaurant serves both gluten-free and glutinous meals they have created meticulous celiac protocols and procedures. One example of this is their dedicated prep boards (red = celiac, yellow = nut) and extensive training for all staff. They are very responsive to feedback and are constantly honing in their procedures, practices, and implementation. They are no strangers to dealing with other food allergies. They once had an epi-pen incident and this led to the development of more stringent procedures and better procedures for handling tree nut allergies. For now, 95% of Red Fern’s menu can be prepared gluten-free including their scratch-made desserts, in-house baked bread, takeout, and catering.

(l) Cinnamon Fry Cakes (gf,vg) (r) Assorted Cookies

Some of the most popular dishes include the loaded mac & cheese nachos and quesadilla with buffalo tempeh. Just writing about the quesadillas makes my mouth water so I highly recommend this on your first visit. In addition to the staple menu items, they offer weekly specials that are 90% gluten-free and include Thursday fry cakes and donuts every Friday. 

Quesadillas and Loaded Nachos (gf,vg)

In addition to serving great gluten-free and vegan food, Andrea has created a culture of care for the Red Fern team. There is a zero tolerance policy for harassment and misogyny, all employees receive a shift meal and shift drink every time they work, and wages start at $15 per hour no matter the position. Employees receive two weeks of paid vacation and 40 hours of sick leave. Red Fern is a must visit if you are looking for a celiac-safe date night or a quick takeout on a Wednesday. It’s also great if you live vegan or just want to eat less meat. And when you visit be sure to try the quesadillas. 

If you go

Address: 283 Oxford St, Rochester, NY 14607

Hours: Tuesday – Wednesday 11 AM – 9 PM, Thursday – Friday 11 AM – 9:30 PM | Closed Sunday and Monday 

Accessibility: No wheelchair access, outside seating when weather permits, curbside pick, and delivery 

Available for: Takeout, catering, and dine in 

Website: www.redfernroc.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redfernrochester

Email: info@redfernrochester.com 

For your first visit try: 

Fun Fact: Redfern is on the garden level of a three-story apartment building and has expanded three times since 2013 in the same building.

Kith & Kin Bakeshop & Bistro Keeps it 100% Gluten Free

October 11, 2022 — Leave a comment

Kith & Kin Bakeshop & Bistro 

Kith & Kin Bakeshop & Bistro is what we call a “hidden gem.” A place you’ve probably never heard of and once you do, you feel like you’ve known about it forever. Kith and Kin may be a quaint & unassuming operation located on a busy stretch of road but it’s a well-oiled full-service gluten-free operation that you need to know about and visit (like yesterday). 

Lisa & Tim Jermyn, Kith & Kin Owners

Origins

Lisa and Tim Jermyn’s journey to gluten-free entrepreneurship started close to home like so many other gluten-free origin stories. Their middle child was diagnosed with celiac disease leading to the diagnoses of their two other children and as you can imagine the course of their lives changed dramatically. Just like that Lisa was challenged with creating gluten-free versions of the foods her children had grown up loving. Ever up to the challenge; Lisa’s creation eventually led her to sell her products to businesses and cafes finally growing into a wholesale gluten-free baking operation. 

Road to Success 

In 2012 the bakery was featured in Buffalo News and after that feature interest in the bakery exploded. The only problem was the bakery wasn’t set up for retail. This interest kicked off the retail part of the operation. Since then Kith & Kin has moved twice, outgrowing its former spaces and finally landing in its current location on South Transit Road. The cafe addition was always part of the vision but happened sooner than planned due to the bakery’s overwhelming success. 

Those early years of the retail operation weren’t without their fair share of challenges and hiccups. Learning the nuances of retail baking on the fly isn’t easy and those early challenges looked similar to what most small-scale retail food operators experience.  Questions like how do we scale our operations? How much do you prepare to make money and limit food waste? A lot of it was trial and error but the Jermyns persevered. 

From the beginning, Kith & Kin has marketed itself as a dedicated gluten-free establishment. This honesty and transparency came with their own set of unique challenges. Mainly overcoming the stigma and bias from the mainstream public that gluten-free is equivalent to taste-free. They learned to adapt the mantra that they made “good food that happens to be gluten-free” and found themselves winning food competitions across the city. Maintaining a consistent presence in the local food festival scene helped them build a loyal following and brand in the Buffalo and Lockport communities. 

What to expect

Lisa and Tim have scaled their business into a small but mighty gluten-free bakery and eatery operation. The “bistro” is a full-service sit-down establishment with a menu that has everything from breakfast, to lunch, full-size salads, and of course a full bakery. Everything is gluten-free and the entire menu is scratch made in-house. Some of the most popular items in the bakery include childhood favorites like cut-out sugar cookies, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies, sandwich bread, muffins, cupcakes, and on Saturday’s donuts. Most gluten-free folks are looking for replicas of their childhood favorites of which the bakery is stocked galore. They offer scratch-made cream puffs that will blow your mind. 

There’s an expansive lunch & dinner menu including all-day breakfast. Tim loves to make pancakes, hand-cut Rueben with “unreal” rye bread, hand-breaded mozzarella sticks and fried mac & cheese balls. One of their most popular weekdays is Friday when they sell over 75 fish fry dinners. These numbers triple during lent. 

My Review 

I made the hour-plus trek to Kith & Kin on a beautiful sunny Thursday afternoon in mid-August. I intentionally took the scenic (non-thruway) route making my way to Lockport basically by taking Buffalo Road west. When I arrived, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the quaint (house) exterior that sits off a busy thoroughfare road in the center of the town. Upon walking in I was immediately greeted and welcomed by the staff who quickly found the owners, Lisa and Tim Jermyn. The hospitality was overflowing from the moment I stepped in. I was offered lemonade and our generous conversation commenced. 

Tim and Lisa were like open books, telling me about the establishment’s origins and making sure I had everything I needed. Tim gave me a full tour of the operations including the back of the house, front of the house, the production kitchen, and their newly built event space that sits on the grounds. 

Meatball Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Funfetti Muffin Tops

I was like a kid in a candy store; eyes wide with so much gluten-free goodness to take in. As I’ve shared, the menu is expansive and there is a mix of traditional (but elevated) diner fare, with lunch specials, soups, sandwiches, burgers, pizza and so much more. What elevates Kith & Kin above most cafes or diners is that everything from the condiments and sauces to the bread is made from scratch. That means from scratch bread and rolls, homemade sauces, hand-breaded mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, onion rings, and more. Everything is delicious and always gluten-free. They take great care to source the highest quality gluten-free ingredients making sure that they offer celiac-friendly meals that are high quality and well-made. It took me a while to decide what to try first and I ended up ordering several items off the menu. For my late lunch/early dinner, I landed on the Pat Classic’s Burger, French Fries, and Appetizer Sampler that includes (2 each) mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, mac and cheese balls, and chicken fingers. If you are looking for lighter fare there are absolutely “healthier” options in soups and greens and a full “Brunch & Brinner” section on the menu. I ended my gluten-free food extravaganza with an assortment of items from the bakery including two types of sandwich bread and even a funnel cake. There’s hand-tossed, pizza, pancakes, paninis, and pasta; truly something for everyone. Everyone includes non-celiac folks as I had a wonderful conversation with a lovely elderly couple that frequently patronize the establishment because the food is that good. 

Appetizer Sampler
Hand Cut Fries
Pat’s Classic Burger & Hand Cut Chips

Honestly, this is what makes Kith & Kin so unique. High-quality food that isn’t just good but great and that happens to be gluten-free. Every celiac’s dream. Why can’t every restaurant be this accessible? 

If you go

Address: 5850 South Transit Road, Lockport NY 14094

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 11 AM – 8 PM

Available for: Private bookings, events and catering 

Website: https://kkbakeshop.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KithandKinBakeshopandBistro/

Email: kkbakeshop@gmail.com 

For your first visit try: Pat’s Classic Burger and Hand-cut fries and the Appetizer Platter  

Fun Fact: The building was once a doctor’s office and a dentist’s office

Kith & Kin Entrance
Sign from South Transit Rd, Lockport
photo of white woman in glasses holding a drink with a green straw

Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurant: Petit Poutinerie

August 1, 2022 — Leave a comment

Introducing the Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurant Series

I’m excited to introduce our new feature: the Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurant series. Each month I will spotlight a local eatery/restaurant that is accessible to those living gluten-free. I want to connect you with eateries that do gluten-free the right way. The debut feature is Petit Poutinerie owned by Ronnie McClive and Lizzie Clapp. You may know of Petit Poutinerie through their prolifically popular food truck that has been a gold standard in Rochester’s food truck scene for over ten years. Lizzie and Ronnie had a hand in building legislation and advocacy for food trucks in Rochester and they have built a formidable brand and now a brick-and-mortar restaurant. They are all-around bad-a** women in business and are committed to equity, quality, and accessibility

A Poutine Origin 

Ronnie McClive met Liz Clapp in college after attending SUNY Brockport. Liz founded and operated the food truck Le Petit Poutine as a solo venture back in 2011/2012. Liz was inspired to start the truck and bring poutine to Rochester after many visits to Canada with her father who is French Canadian. Ronnie knew Liz from college and worked as a fill-in and supporter. Working well together Liz eventually asked her to join the business full-time as a co-owner and the rest as they say is history. They compliment each other well as friends and co-owners; playing off each other’s natural strengths and abilities. This mutual respect and camaraderie is apparent and well encapsulated throughout the fabric of Petit Poutinerie as a business and brand. Contrary to popular belief women can and do get along very well with each other in business. Ronnie and Liz were instrumental in getting early food truck laws established through advocacy and awareness efforts, one truck became two and after about a decade in business they have opened up their first brick-and-mortar fast-casual restaurant; Petit Poutinerie at 44 Elton Street on the corner of Elton Street and Atlantic Ave in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts.  

indoor photos of Petit Poutinerie

Committed to Gluten-Free Inclusivity 

In the early days there were just three items on the menu; traditional poutine, vegetarian, and ginger soda. From the very beginning, Lizzie (the chef and recipe developer of the pair) made sure their gravy was gluten-free; testing out various brands of rice flour over the years. Liz has always been committed to sourcing the highest quality ingredients and making everything from scratch. Fries are cut fresh so the fryers have also always been gluten-free. These high standards weren’t lost on customers who would share with the ladies how grateful they were to patronize in many instances the only food truck with quality gluten-free options. As Ronnie shared this feedback with Liz, it became increasingly important to develop new recipes and items that were inherently gluten-free; think breading on chicken french and the batter for their delicious fried cheese curds. 

Unlike many chefs, Liz saw it not only as great for business but as a fun challenge to make sure that Petit’s menu is as inclusive as possible. She realized early on that gluten-free is not synonymous with taste-free and a mostly gluten-free menu can work if you put in the time and effort. Ronnie recognizes that “gluten-free recipe development does take extra R&D, time effort, and money” but thinking creatively and outside the box has really worked out well for the brand. According to Ronnie, doing it as a want to and not a need, makes the ideas and process flow easier and makes development fun. 

Education, Awareness & Training 

In addition to ingredients and recipes, the Petit team is equally as committed to education and training for themselves and their growing team. What many people don’t realize is that gluten-free is not just about alternatives to wheat, rye, and barley but equally as important is understanding hidden sources of gluten. These “hidden” sources are commonly found in processed foods, preservatives, binders, soy sauces, and dressings. Preparation can also be a hidden source of contamination. In mixed kitchens making sure that knives, cutting boards and other supplies are stored separately from one another is also important. Petit is dedicated to making sure that staff understands gluten, celiac disease, and how to avoid cross-contamination in their thoroughly cleaned kitchen and prep line. Everything is scratch made making sourcing and food safety easier to track and manage. When you are cooking whole real food standardization is easier to implement, streamline and maintain. All their breading, batter, and coatings are gluten-free. Additionally having gluten-free staff and cooks add to a high level of understanding and knowledge as well as creating a culture where asking questions (no matter how silly they may seem) is not only valued but encouraged.

For restaurants and executive chefs that want to make their menu more inclusive to the gluten-free community, Ronnie says making small simple changes works best. For example corn tortillas instead of flour, source a gluten-free bun for a grilled chicken sandwich, and if a dessert has a crumb topping play around with oats in place of flour. 

All of this accumulates to create a culture and a restaurant that is safe and friendly not just for those who live gluten-free but for those that are vegan and dairy-free as well. Unfortunately, the restaurant does fry with peanut oil so those with nut allergies are best served at another establishment. As Petit continues to grow, Liz and Ronnie are always looking for ways to make new dishes gluten-free and even adding a gluten-free dessert in the near future. In fact, they’ve launched a new vegan sandwich as you read this article a Vegan Friend Green Tomato BLT alongside the Buffalo Tofu sandwich. 

My Review 

Ironically even though I am a frequent patron of the restaurant as a creature of habit I’ve tended to stick to the same menu items.  So far I’ve tried to my delight their Buffalo Tofu Sandwich, Sloppy Joe Nachos,  Bacon Poutine, Fried Cheese Curds, and the Beet Walnut Salad. On this particular visit after my interview with Ronnie, they treated me to a tour of the kitchen where I was able to see the amazing cooks in action and then I tried the Chicken Cutlet Sandwich which can be served on a gluten-free ciabatta bun by Biscotti Brewers a local woman-owned gluten-free bakery. If you like a thick rustic style sandwich then you’ll like the cutlet. Battered to perfection and topped with arugula, lemon vinaigrette, goat cheese, and balsamic the sandwich will without a doubt fill you up. The gluten-free bun is sized in perfect proportion to the chicken cutlet but like most gluten-free buns after a few bites the lack of gluten protein, all the juices, and voracious biting; the bread begins to lose the battle, and switching to using a knife and fork the rest of the way allows you to fully finish getting through the sandwich. This is not an indictment on the quality of the bun — just par for the course when you are as used to gluten-free bread as I am. Gluten-free bread just doesn’t act like traditional bread and after a decade of living gluten-free, this is a fact of life. 

Chris the Bartender
Traditional Poutine
Gluten Free Bun
Grape Soda
Zoe pouring a drink
Traditional Poutine to go
Chicken Cutlet Sandwich

What I love even more than Petit Poutinerie’s food is their A+ service and staff. Every single team member I’ve ever interacted with goes above and beyond to make sure that you feel welcome and accommodated. They are knowledgeable, patient, kind, and passionate –treating you like family. I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with Zoe, Chris, and Sophie on a number of occasions and at this point, I’m on a first-name basis. This is a reflection of the style and personality of the restaurant’s owners — who have curated an ethos and mission to produce quality every single time with a smile. 

I’m elated to feature Petit Poutinerie as the first restaurant of this series and I exhort you to visit as soon as you can whether you are gluten-free, vegan, or just like good real food made locally by a bad-a
** women-led team. 

If you go

Address: 44 Elton Street (corner of Elton and Atlantic) (NOTA)

Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 11 AM – 9 PM or at the Brighton Farmers Market Every Sunday 

Available for: Private bookings, EVENTS & WEDDINGS 

Website: https://petitpoutinerie.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petitpoutinerie/

EMAIL: ronnie@lepetitpoutine.com or elizabeth@lepetitpoutine.com For your first visit try: Poutine Flight, Fried Cheese Curds, and a Lemon Lavender Soda.

enjoylife grain and seed bars

Enjoy Life Grain & Seed Bars | Product Review

January 5, 2019 — Leave a comment

With 2018 in the rearview every one is slowly getting back into the swing of the New Year and with that setting goals for cleaner, healthier, and better ways of being. Here on theglutenfreechef blog we promote whole plant based foods processed as minimally as possible but this doesn’t mean that busy active lifestyles don’t need a supplement here and there.

This is where our favorite gluten free snack brand; Enjoylife comes into play. As a brand Enjoy Life is all about taste-FULL worry-free snacks that are full of whole ingredients but free of the most common allergens; gluten, wheat, soy, dairy, and more. They have a huge product line that includes baking chocolate, cookies, snack bars and more. Currently, we’re snacking on their newest flavors of grain and seed bars; cranberry orange and lemon poppyseed.

Enjoy Life Grain & Seed Bars

enjoylife grain and seed bars

The Cranberry Orange Grain & Seed Bars re packed with purity protocol certified gluten free oats, three types of sorghum, plant-based protein, and fruit including tangy orange and sweet cranberries. They are the perfect am pick me up right as you get up in the morning or a lovely mid-morning snacks with a serving of greek yogurt or almonds. Even better this flavor or one of the other five including:

can fill the sneakiest late night sweet tooth craving. Each bar has only 5 grams of suga, 4 grams of protein, and only 120 calories. Whats’ better is you can literally see the real whole ingredients that make up each bar and with a simply ingredient list you can know what you are putting into your body.

Scratch Bakeshop Does Gluten Free (and Vegan) Flawlessly | Gluten Free Restaurant Review

November 14, 2018 — Leave a comment

Scratch Bakeshop…

The female owned and operated boutique bakery founded on Park Ave continues to sling out “tough” cookies, naked cakes, french macarons and other pastries from their airy and trendy space now located in the Neighborhood of Art’s Russell Street.

Since their move to Russell, I’ve made my visits to “Scratch” a bi-weekly ritual of sorts on Sunday mornings where I stock up on their big chunky chocolate chip cookies, cherry chocolate chip muffins, and other confections that go well with brisk fall days and hot tea. However, Scratch is more than a boutique cakery nor is it your every day neighborhood baker. These ladies do it all from trendy layered naked cakes with fig fillings and instagram worthy cut out sugar cookies, to friendly moist muffins, pop tarts, and raspberry rhubarb donuts.

As the gluten free chef I look for all local bakeries to be able to do gluten free well and Scratch passes the test with flying colors. Gluten free and vegan at Scratch is not just a after thought or happenstance. It’s clear that these pastry chefs have studied and mastered the art of baking free of eggs, dairy, and gluten. I love that they create gluten free and vegan versions of many of the traditional favorites that most of us love but also infuse creativity and flavor into their gluten free -vegan creations with selections like cherry, blueberry lavender, apricot, and pumpkin fudge.  

A recent Saturday after dinner visit found me salivating over the Vanilla Cream Cheese Fig layered gluten free cake while my (also gluten free) brother tried his hand on this same cake with the addition of the delightfully delicious mini rice crispy treat. He was just as delighted as I was with his selections. Naturally it wasn’t a Scratch Bakeshop visit for me without the addition of a chunky gluten free chocolate chip cookie which in my view is the best chocolate chip cookie ever gluten free or otherwise.

In 2018 restaurants and bakeries need to be thinking about inclusion and food allergies. More than a trend for those like myself with the autoimmune disease celiac or other life threatening allergies; taking the time and the consideration to create food and pastry selections “without” the most commons allergens shouldn’t be an afterthought but just good business. Scratch Bakeshop is one of the few that takes the cake in this arena.

Rating 5/5

Photo credit: Scratch Bakeshop

Gluten Free Book Review: Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s (REPOST)

May 22, 2018 — 2 Comments

Spring is finally here in Rochester, NY and I’m breaking out the summer fruits and my tried and true e-copy of Faith Gorsky & Alyssa Brantley ‘s Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s . This is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time

The moment I learned about the release of Faith Gorsky & Alyssa Brantley ‘s Blend series I knew that these e-cookbooks would become part of my collection. Already an avid follower of Faith’s stunning food blog: An Edible Mosaic the combination of artisanal, fresh, natural and whole ingredients mixed with stunning food photography and meticulously crafted flavor combinations delighted the foodie in me.

 Blend: The Basics

&

Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s

For several years now , I have been dipping and dabbling in fresh/organic smoothie creations as well as raw juices. Since being diagnosed with several chronic illnesses including IBS and celiac disease for several years now; simple, fresh, whole and organic juice and smoothie blends have become regular part of my diet.

Blend: The Basics is a well crafted smoothie how to guide. In an easy to read user friendly fashion Alyssa and Faith give you a college 101 smoothie crash course. In this first book you learn how to select the freshest most succulent fruit to give you the highest quality smoothie, how to wash your fruit, prepare your fruit, flash freeze your fruit, and cut your fruit. This is in the first six pages alone. You learn how to prepare in advance and create individual smoothie kits so that you always have the ingredients ready and on hand to make the perfect smoothie in just five short minutes. Who knew that there was such an art and science to smoothie building? But make no mistake, this science course is simple yet fun to learn and you will find yourself immersed and taking notes as you read through this well written tutorial.

Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s Summer Volume 1 is the second part of the series and really where the real fun begins. Four sections of mouth watering, expertly photographed smoothie blends fill your screen in this section. The recipes that were built using Faith and Alyssa’s expert advice are there in all their glory for you to re-create. The recipes are divided by type: Indulgence, Fruit, Green, and Coffee + Tea. It took me a day or so just to decide where I wanted to begin and once I started, I was instantly addicted re-creating each of their recipes day after day over a two week time span. Just when I thought I had found my favorite the next smoothie I would try trumped the flavor of the last.

(kiwi lime+kale)

These chefs spared no expense when it came to building these recipes. Their time, attention to detail and flavor combinations is displayed upon first sip of each one of these smoothies. It is evident that they built their recipes from the ground up so to speak and the depth and richness of each taste titillate your tastebuds and tickles your senses. This being done using simple, sensible, and everyday ingredients found in most food markets across the country. Their emphasis on fresh, whole, and seasonal ingredients speak to the type of chefs they are and was a welcome point as I read each recipe.

The Blend series are an excellent addition to the collection of any novice or expert foodie or smoothie maker with just enough information to keep an expert interested but not too much to overwhelm the novice. Most recipes contain six ingredients or less with three directions or less; and if you follow the guidelines presented in Part I you reduce your prep time to even less.I have made it my mission to try every single smoothie in the book and with six down I am well on my way. Blend is a must have collection for anyone interested in improving the quality of their smoothie creations or for the casual cook looking to try something new. Either way this is one collection you don’t want to miss.

For more information on how to purchase your copies of Blend: The Basics & Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s visit Faith’s blog An Edible Mosaic & Alyssa over at Everyday Maven

Rating 5/5

Twelve Days of Gluten Free Cookies | Simple Shortbread (Day 4)

December 16, 2017 — 1 Comment

Everyone who’s anyone in the kitchen knows that a simple shortbread recipe is a necessity in your recipe repertoire. My easy does it Shortbread Cookie recipe is just that recipe. Easy to make and even easier to bake this cookie can be the base for almost any cookie flavor combination.

Simple Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

½ cup powdered sugar
2 sticks real unsalted butter
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour blend

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

  1. Cream together the butter and sugar.
  2. Once blended slowly add the flour.
  3. Continue to mix together until mixture becomes a soft dough (it’ll be crumb like at the beginning…keep mixing and it will turn to dough.
  4. If needed, add 1-2 Tablespoons of water
  5. Add flavors, extracts, or accoutrements as necessary.
  6. Roll out and cut into desired shape.

This recipe can be baked according to any standard short bread cookie recipe about 8-9 minutes on a silpat.