Today I am not posting a recipe or kitchen hint, I just couldn’t let this topic go unmentioned.

“Come fall, the ground beef used in school lunches will be as safe as ground beef sold to the nation’s fast food chains — a major improvement, critics say.” USA Today

These changes are coming due to a USA Today investigation that revealed some major concerns.

Here is the full article.

Okay, am I the only one this scares? The meat in our school lunch program didn’t have strict rules. It was not held to the same regulations as restaurants or grocery stores. YUCK!

My kids aren’t in public school, so maybe I shouldn’t get all worked up about these things, but food safety is really important.

I think it is disgusting the food we serve via the school lunch program, a program that is supposed to provide a nutritional and I assumed, safe meal for school children, many of which get these lunches free or at reduced costs.

And given the state of the economy, I would guess this would be the one “good” meal many of these children even get.

I just find it frustrating. Especially given that fact that people die every year from food borne illnesses in this country, many of which are children. How many salmonella or E.coli outbreaks do we have to have before we make major overhauls?

I guess it’s a step in the right direction, just really scary that these regulations weren’t already in place and it took journalists to even initiate change.

I think Jamie Oliver is really on to something, our school lunch program needs a serious Food Revolution.

Kitchen Extras, Uncategorized

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I thought I would make a list of some of my favorite gift suggestions for moms that love cooking.

However, if the mom in your life hates spending time in the kitchen, I would steer clear of all things cooking related and stick to things you know she’ll love

I tried to keep the items practical and around the $20 price point. Most of these items can be picked up at any local kitchen or housewares store, but a few are specialty items.

Cast Iron Tortilla Press

I love making tortillas at home; they are so easy and quick to make, not to mention so much cheaper and healthier than the store bought variety. I would really recommend a metal or cast iron one, I had a thick plastic one break. Finer kitchen stores or Mexican markets should carry these.

Instant Read Thermometer

Every home cook really needs an instant read thermometer. If mom doesn’t have one, do her a huge favor and buy her one. Make sure the end is pointed though, allowing her to pierce meats. These are available for under $20 at kitchen store and places like Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Immersion Blender

I put off buying an immersion blender for years, but I finally purchased one after having hot soup go all over my kitchen in a blender incident. They can get pretty expensive, but I have a sub $20 one and it works fine. They are great for hot soups or vegetables you want pureed and cleanup is a snap. Also great for making smoothies.

Food Steamer

A food steamer is a great gift for a new or expecting mom that wants to make baby food at home. I know steaming foods isn’t that difficult, but this makes it that much easier; paired with a food processor or immersion blender, making baby food will not be such a chore.

Silpat Mat
Seriously, if Mom doesn’t own one of these, get her one. These make baking so much easier. Make sure you buy her a size that will fit her baking sheets though.

I find these the most practical pans in my kitchen. They are used for everything from roasted veggies to cookies. Try to stay clear of the really dark pans, as they will over-brown baked goods. These are available everywhere kitchen stuff is sold.

Silicone Rolling Pin

Ok, so I don’t have one of these, but if you have ever tried to roll out a gluten free crust or cookie dough you’ll know what this would be a really useful tool. If mom bakes a lot gluten free, this would help her.

Cast Iron Pans or Griddle

I love my cast iron. I really recommend you get the pre-seasoned variety, it will save  some work. For tortilla making I love my 10-inch griddle, but my skillet gets a lot of use; it is hard to go wrong with cast iron, whatever you choose, I am sure it will years of use. (One note though, cast iron is heavy, so they aren’t the best pans for everyone)

Magnetic Knife Rack

I got a magnetic knife rack from Ikea a few years ago, and I love it. If you have an Ikea nearby, it is hard to beat their price.  I really wanted to get my knives out of my drawer because I had an active toddler who liked to get into things and this does the job.

I like the simple design and it is so practical for the busy cook. I have a pretty tile backsplash, so we used heavy duty double-sided tape to hold mine in place; no drilling required.

There are lots of sizes available, just make sure to get a length that will work in her kitchen.

I love my inexpensive digital scale, it is so easy to weigh out exact measurements for recipes,  but if your mom has a retro kitchen this Paula Deen one at Walmart is too cute.

Message Cookie Cutters

These cutters from William Sonoma allow you to create custom messages on your cookies. Any mom who loves to bake would find these unique cutters great!

Whoopie Pie Pan

I love my Whoopie Pie pan; very similar to a muffin-top pan, but it has 12 spaces (some have 20), which I think makes it more practical. You can make so many things in this: mini quiche, oven pancakes, hamburger buns, coookies, and of course whoopie pies.

They are available at finer kitchen stores such as William Sonoma, Sur la Table and Crate and Barrel. Prices seem to range from $12-20.

Spring-Loaded Cookie Scoops

These are so nice for making uniform sized cookies, meatballs, drop biscuits etc. Any cook could use a few of these in different sizes; they should be available everywhere housewares are sold.

Baguette or French Bread Pan

Great for the mom that bakes her own bread, these pans allow us to get that classic French bread or Italian baguette shape at home.

If you do buy a pan with perforation, it will be necessary to line it with parchment of foil for really wet doughs, such as gluten free.

Ceramic Baking Pans

These are a great size for casseroles and cobblers and with handles! I think any mom would love one of these beautiful dishes. And with this sale at Sur la Table, the price is hard to beat.

I hope you enjoyed my list and that you got a few ideas for Mom (or maybe yourself). Happy cooking and Happy Mother’s Day.

Gluten free baking necessities, Gluten free kitchen essentials, Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras gifts for mom under $20

Jules Shepard is the author of two books, The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed and Nearly Normal Cooking For Gluten-Free Eating: A Fresh Approach to Cooking and Living Without Wheat or Gluten.

As a Celiac herself, I find her books to be very relevant, informative, and easy to read. She seems extremely knowledgeable and eager to share what she has learned.

Not only is she an author, but she travels the country speaking and teaching cooking classes, has a website, newsletter and a whole line of products branded Jules’ Gluten Free.

My favorite gluten free flour blend is from her books, although I believe she has improved upon the original ratios, adding Espandex to the version you can buy now.

I have made many of her recipes and they really do work. Her flour blend is the closest thing I have found as a cup for cup replacement for all-purpose white flour.

So the great news: for a limited time Jules is offering a free cookie e-book, featuring 11 cookie recipes and full color photos. I have used her free codes on several occasions, and although free seems too good to be true, they really are free; and best of all the recipes really work!

Here is the link and the coupon code is cookie1 (it is case sensitive). Enjoy.

Gluten free baking necessities, Kitchen Extras Jules free e-book

I love my cast iron pans. Okay, so they are heavy and a bit of a pain to “season,” but they last forever, are oven safe, distribute heat evenly, and they have a non-stick surface that will outlive you. Seriously, you should be able to give your grand kids these pans.

Cast iron does need some maintenance. It  needs seasoned, or cured. This is a process of baking oil into the pores of the cast iron to prevent it from rusting and also makes it non-stick. This process is restorable, so if you find an old, mistreated cast iron pan or you don’t take care of yours, there is still probably hope the pan can be re-seasoned and saved.

To season, you basically take a new or scrubbed and cleaned pan, and rub the surface with oil or shortening and bake it in a hot oven (somewhere in the 300-400 range), making sure to place the pan upside down with another pan or some foil underneath to catch any drips. Let the pan cool. With enough seasoning the pan will get that characteristic black sheen to it and will be very non-stick.

There are a few things you need to know to care for your cast iron.

Never place it in the dishwasher. Soaps and detergents break down the oils on the surface. Don’t tell the kitchen police, but I do wash my pans out briefly with soap and hot water on occasion, never soaking them though. I know others will disagree here and swear that soap should never touch cast iron. Restaurants must use some soap, I can’t imagine they are just wiping out their cast iron pans and reusing them. Maybe they are……maybe it’s better not to know.

If you have food stuck on, you can scrub your cast iron with a firm bristled plastic scrubber or kosher salt. If it gets rust spots you can use steel wool. Always take your washed pan and place it on a hot burner until it is completely dry, you can also throw it back in a warm or hot oven.

It is suggested that you season after every cleaning, but as long as you place your cleaned pan in a warm oven or hot burner (to remove any excess water) I find that older pans can go quite a few washings without actually seasoning them, but this isn’t the recommended approach

And although I am not sure why you would want to, I better mention that you can’t store food in cast iron. It will most likely ruin the finish and make the food taste metallic.

If you are going to acquire cast iron, especially if you have never owned it before, I suggest you go with the pre-seasoned pans. Lodge makes some reasonably priced pre-seasoned pans and they have been making cast iron pans for over 100 years. They are available in most department or home stores, I have even seen them in the outdoor/camping department.

I own several pieces of cast iron and two enameled cast iron dutch ovens. I must warn you, although the enameled pans are far easier to clean and don’t require seasoning, they chip, crack and stain; basically they have some major drawbacks. Considering the cost and longevity I would definitely just stick to plain old cast iron if I had to do it over again. My enameled pans are not going to last more than a couple years and cost about twice as much.

Cast iron pieces are seriously worth the small investment of time, money and effort that they require. So grab grandma’s heavy pan, dust it off and get cooking. I think once you try it you’ll be searching for more cast iron pieces to add to your collection.

Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras, Kitchen Tips cast iron care, cooking with cast iron

A few weeks ago I posted about Jamie Oliver’s reality show, Jamie’s Food Revolution on ABC Friday nights.

I hope you have tuned in, but if not you really should. I think Jamie is attempting  to do something great in this country; help us rethink what we are mindlessly eating everyday and serving to our kids via the school lunch program.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I think the idea of a school breakfast/lunch program is good, and the task is enormous. I know many kids would go hungry if it weren’t for these meals. But….and it is a huge BUT, we need to provide them with healthy meals, not just any cheap and easy meal.

Let’s stop and think about it, french fries are considered a vegetable serving by the USDA. Hey, I love a french fry as much as the next person, but I don’t eat them everyday. I don’t even eat them every week. And when I do, they are potatoes I cut up and toss with olive oil and a little salt; not some processed, preservative-laden potato product.

Pizza and chocolate milk for breakfast, chicken nuggets and fries for lunch, every day, every week, every year of childhood.

I was thinking that every Friday, while the show is airing, I will come up with a Food Revolution challenge of sorts; something small that we can do in our home cooking to make eating healthier a normal part of our diets. I think it is really about changing our eating habits one small step at a time.

This weeks challenge, if you are up for it……..Let’s all introduce one new fresh produce item to our families. This is actually quite easy considering the international produce section we have at local grocery stores. There are of course rules, #1  it can’t be deep fried and #2 it can’t be made into a dessert.

You might want to start with something simple, like a tomatillo for making a salsa or a new variety of squash, lettuce or bananas. Try to pick something that will be fun and is similar to foods they already enjoy.

Get the kids involved, have fun and don’t forget to comment and let us know what you tried and how it went. Just a piece of advice, when in doubt, ask the produce manager for ideas of how to pick out the fruit or vegetable and how to cook or serve it. It my experience, they have been very knowledgeable and helpful.

Cooking With Kids, Gluten Free, Kitchen Extras Food Revolution at home

Sur La Table, my very favorite store. This is a Seattle based company specializing in all things kitchen. The company originated as in the 1970’s, specializing in hard to find kitchen wares imported from France. If you need a special kitchen item for yourself or a gift, Sur La Table is the place you’ll find it.

So, last week I stopped by my local store to buy a cast iron tortilla press, my plastic one broke. Not only did I find my tortilla press, but I found a Whoopie Pie Pan. It is very similar to the Chicago Metallic Gourmetware Original Muffin Top Pan that seems to be very popular right now.

I chose the Wilton Whoopie Pie pan because it is nonstick, has 12 spaces, and was less expensive than the very similar, smaller, muffin-top pans.

I must confess, I have never even had a Whoopie Pie. I am planning on trying to adapt the recipe that was included to make it gluten free though.

I have successfully used my pan to make uniform hamburger buns. If you have ever made gluten free hamburger buns or rolls, then you know that they need something to give them shape. I have used mini-tart pans and mini-disposable foil pie plates, but the whoopie pie pan was so much easier!

The pan makes a dozen cute little rolls, perfect for a sandwich, sloppy-joe, or hamburger. Now, I must warn you, these aren’t going to be those huge, gourmet style buns bakeries and grocery stores sell. These will be more modest, but adequately sized rolls.

A roll I made with my whoopie pie pan makes a cute sandwich

Individual-sized frittatas I cooked in the whoopie pie pan

I also baked frittatas and cookies in the pan. Gluten free cookies have a tendency to spread, this pan solves this problem and makes the cookies a perfect size for ice cream sandwiches.

I think this pan could also be used for mini-quiches, souffles, brownies, and of course whoopie pies or muffins. If you are looking for an inexpensive solution to gluten free baked goods spreading, you should consider buying a whoopie pie or muffin-top pan.

Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras Whoopie Pie pan

Not only do I love food and cooking, I am a big advocate for cooking from scratch and reclaiming a healthy diet. I really think we have an unhealthy obsession in our country right now with frugal, convenience foods.

Everywhere I look, there are articles about how to eat cheaper, quicker meals. These processed foods may save us some time and money, but they are costing us our health. I think we really underestimate how nutritionally poor we eat in this country. There seems to be a major misconception that the only way to eat within a budget, or have meals on the table quickly, is to use processed foods.

You may have heard of Jamie Oliver, sometimes called the “Naked Chef.” He is a British chef who really likes food simple, stripped down (hence the naked part), nutritious, and best of all affordable. Well, he is on a mission to change the way we eat; he’s calling it a Food Revolution.

Much like the Unites States, Great Britain is undergoing an epidemic of diet-related health problems. Oliver is trying to spread the word about how simple and affordable cooking from scratch can be and I couldn’t be happier. Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be a huge chore and it can be really fun and rewarding for the entire family.

He has a new show on ABC on Friday nights called Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution that I think will be not only informative, but fun as well. The premiere will air this Friday, March 26th. Here is Jamie’s website with recipes, tips, techniques and tons of information; he also has an American site.

If you have never looked at one of Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks or seen him on television before, I can assure you that he is both insightful and witty. I hope that the show is a huge success and that we really can have a Food Revolution in this country.

Kitchen Extras Jamie Oliver Food Revolution

I read a cooking tip in my local newspaper, If you have leftover cream perilously close to its expiration date, just freeze it. Well, I haven’t been to impressed with freezing dairy, but I always seem to have leftover cream sitting in my fridge that will ultimately be thrown out. If it could actually freeze that would be such a time and money saver.

The tip also went on to say that you could whip the cream and freeze the dollops for several weeks; and the best part they only take about 10 minutes to thaw at room temperature. Now this was one tip I couldn’t overlook. How many times would having pre-whipped cream have been so nice? Too many to count at my house. Not only would this be great for the holiday, but anytime you have company over. It would be such an easy thing to prepare ahead of time.

I was skeptical that this would actually work. First, my cream carton said clearly on the side DO NOT FREEZE. So I had to put these freezer cream tips to the test.

To freeze liquid cream, you have to leave 1/2 inch at the top of the container, giving the cream plenty of room for expansion. I used containers designed for freezer products, but I think any freezer-safe jar or container with a lid would do; you could even reuse a cottage cheese or yogurt container. It will thaw overnight if placed in the refrigerator. It will most likely separate, so shake it before using. This really does work!

For the whipped cream, I placed small dollops on a parchment lined baking sheet and placed in my freezer until frozen. Then I placed them in an airtight container and returned them to the freezer. When I checked a couple weeks later, they still looked good. I pulled a few out, let them defrost on the counter. They still held their shape and tasted just like fresh whipped cream!

Freezing cream is one kitchen tip I am glad I discovered. I hope it saves you time and money in your kitchen as well.

Kitchen Extras, Kitchen Tips, Make ahead freezing cream, freezing kitchen tips, Gluten Free