One of my mos frequently used staples in my kitchen is this homemade chocolate sauce.  It’s an old family favorite that I’ve made with my mom since I was little.  You can make a batch of it and it keeps well in the refrigerator for months.  Just reheat it in the microwave and put on top of ice cream or pound cake.  Stick the leftovers back in the fridge until next use.  I’m thinking about drizzling some on top of macaroons the next time I make them.

I pretty much always have chocolate sauce in our house as it’s so easy to make.  It’s always a fall back when we’re having people over and I don’t have time to bake a dessert.  Chocolate sauce is a perfect way to dress up simple vanilla ice cream.  (I prefer it on top of mint chocolate chip ice cream.)  Family friends now expect chocolate sauce when they come to our home.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 8 oz. (or a small carton) of whipping cream (heavy whipping cream works fine too)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, heat chocolate chips and whipping cream together on low heat, stirring frequently.  (You want to cook it on low so that the chocolate doesn’t burn.)  Once the chocolate has completely melted and mixed with the cream, remove from heat.  Stir in 1 t. vanilla.  Just reheat when ready to use.  So easy!

I made a big batch this weekend and tonight for dessert I’ll be drizzling chocolate sauce over homemade blondies.  (Stay tuned for my blondie recipe!)

I’m always eager to read more when I see an article by Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, in the New York Times. While Michael Pollan does not have celiac disease or a gluten allergy, he writes about food, that it should enjoyed, and that we should consume it in its most natural state, with as few stops from farm to table as possible.

One of the things I love most about Pollan’s writing is that he encourages his readers to eat well and eat sensibly.  Being a conscious eater has become a political priority for many, as well as a nutritional concern, but for us celiacs, we simply have no other choice but to be conscious consumers.

Because of my celiac disease, I’ve become much more aware of the many different issues facing food, nutrition, environment, politics and our nation’s health today.  Georgia floods, nutritional labels, government legislation, and advertising all affect what we eat.  I agree with Pollan in that we should be the ones to control what goes into our bodies, not the media and our culture.

In Pollan’s article,“Rules to Eat By,” in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, he talks about our dietary choices and how we make those decisions.  While a short article, it raises great questions for readers about who we listen to as consumers.  Earlier this year he asked readers to provide their own wisdom on eating.  At the bottom of the article, you can click on a link to Pollan’s 20 favorite responses from his readers.  While most responses are short and simple, they are insightful and thoughtful bits of wisdom.  Click here to check them out.  You can also post your own “rules to eat by.”  My personal favorite is “pack your own lunch each day.”

There are many reasons I’m thankful for my celiac diagnosis, and one of them is the fact that I always pay attention to what I’m putting into my body.  I enjoy food more now than I ever did before and I have a responsibility to my health to know more about where my food came from and how it got to my table.

I love this Sarah Foster’s recipe because of its simplicity, color and taste.  These mashed sweet potatoes are a perfect compliment to pork chops or grilled chicken.  Another good, fall dish that not only tastes like fall, but looks like it too with its vibrant orange color.  I also like any mashed potato recipe that doesn’t involve pureeing.  Much easier time commitment, one less dish to wash and not nearly as messy in the kitchen.

Last week a customer at The Local Farmstand complained that her husband didn’t like sweet potatoes because they’re too sweet.  Well, I love sweet potatoes no matter how they’re served, but I told her about this recipe because it makes the sweet potatoes more savory than sweet, by using the parmesan cheese, salt and olive oil as opposed to the brown sugar and butter that most sweet potato recipes call for.

I really do think getting fresh, organic sweet potatoes makes a huge difference in the color and taste of this side dish.  Because there are so few ingredients, you want to have really flavorful and vibrant sweet potatoes, not the huge, colorless ones you often find in grocery stores.  I’m confident that it’s worth paying a little extra money for fresh, local, organic here.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnishing
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  Bake sweet potatoes directly on oven rack for one hour.  Remove potatoes from oven and let cool.  Peel the sweet potatoes (the peels should come off very easily) and put the potatoes in a bowl.  Add olive oil and parmesan cheese while mashing the potato mixture with a masher.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

In my opinion, you can put as much or as little parmesan cheese as you want into this dish.  Just taste as you go.  Same goes with the olive oil.  If you need to make a dairy-free meal, you can simply omit the cheese and it’s still a flavorful dish because of the sweet potatoes.

You can make these sweet potatoes ahead of time and just reheat before serving.  We served them for Sunday Supper with Roasted Pork Loin Wrapped in Pancetta.  It made a delicious combination and looked good on the plate.  Great leftovers too.  I always like to make extras so that I can eat them for lunch during the week.  In case you can’t tell, I can’t get enough sweet potatoes!  These mashed sweet potatoes are one of those recipes that you can easily adjust, depending on how many people you’re feeding and/or if you have a CSA, how much produce you have to work with.

Recently I’ve been finding ways to add pancetta to my cooking.  This flavorful, salty meat adds nice complexity to many dishes and you don’t need to use very much so it’s not too much of a financial splurge.  I’ve been buying the house-cured Pancetta at Star Provisions and I have not been disappointed.

Last week I made two meals with pancetta, the first was a Sunday Supper with roasted pork loin wrapped in pancetta, using a recipe I borrowed from Martha Stewart’s Cooking School.  Martha’s roasted pork loin is another great meal to serve when you have dinner guests because you can do all of the kitchen labor earlier and then you just have a lovely smelling kitchen when your guests arrive.

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless pork loin (about 2 pounds)
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 T. finely chopped rosemary, plus one whole sprig
• olive oil
• Pancetta (I use about 10 thin slices (which was plenty), but Martha calls for 20 slices)

The first step in the cooking process involves searing the meat.  This gets a nice crust on the meat before you start roasting.  It keeps the juices in and adds to the texture.

Heat oven to 450.  Let pork rest at room temperature for one hour.  Pat pork dry with paper towels, then season lightly with salt and pepper.  (Don’t use too much because there will be plenty of salt in the pancetta.)  Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat.  Add enough oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan and heat.  Sear pork until brown on all sides, turning with tongs as each side browns.  This takes about 8 minutes.  Remove pork from pan and let cool for about 15 minutes.

*A note on skillets: We bought our skillet about two years ago and it is definitely on my list of Top 5 pieces of kitchen equipment.  We use our skillet all the time and it’s so versatile.  I make chick pea flat bread, pork chops, steaks and many other dishes on the skillet.  It’s great for making an easy transfer from the stove top to the oven as seen in this recipe.

Next you’re going to wrap the pork in pancetta.  (Mmm…so good.)  Rub the pork with chopped rosemary.  Lay six pieces of kitchen twine on a clean surface, putting four in one direction (these should span the length of the pork because they will wrap crosswise) and two longer strings across those four.  (See photo below for guidance.)

On top of the twine arrange a little more than half of the pancetta, overlapping slights, in a rectangle.  Lay the pork on top of the pancetta and put the remaining pancetta slices on top, overlapping slightly.  Lay the rosemary sprig on top.  Tie the twine around the pork loin.

Return pork to skillet and place in oven.  Roast, basting with pan juices occasionally, until the meat is 138 degrees, for about 40-45 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Cut off twine, carve and serve.

It’s really important to let the meat rest because it will continue to cook during that 10 minutes.  This is always hard for me because I can be a hungry and impatient cook!

All of my sides for last week’s Sunday Supper came from  produce purchased at The Local Farmstand.  With most of my meals now, I don’t even start to plan until I’ve seen what’s fresh and local that week.  Lucky for me, sweet potatoes are abundant as well as delicious mixed salad greens.  So I made Sara Fosters’ super easy mashed sweet potatoes (recipe to follow) and served a salad with mixed salad greens, micro greens, cherry tomatoes and dried cranberries.

The pancetta really adds a lot to the meal and makes the final product look prettier than simply serving roast pork.  I think it also holds in the flavors of the pork well too.  Stay tuned for more pancetta recipes!

Last week I received a great tour of Return to Eden from their Gluten Free Product Manager, Jennifer Harris.  I was amazed by the collection and selection of gluten-free products they have at their store as well as the breadth of knowledge that Jennifer has about the many items.

Return to Eden has clearly made a commitment to their gluten-free customers by hiring Jennifer to be in charge of their gluten-free product ordering.  Jennifer has been diagnosed with celiac for over 12 years and is passionate about finding quality gluten-free products as well as connecting with the companies and people that make those products.  Jennifer has embraced her celiac and works to help others find good food that meets their individual tastes and needs.

Return to Eden is not a large store, but it has the largest selection of gluten-free products that I’ve ever found in one store.  Not only is there an abundance of gluten-free items throughout the store, but they are clearly marked with labels throughout the store as gluten free.  Jennifer is always aware of what they have in the store at that time and she’s constantly investigating new products.

I thought I’d tell you about what I put in my shopping cart to help you see just how much variety and gluten-free selection they have at Return to Eden.  I had to really hold myself back because I wanted to buy much more!

-       Lara Bars…Return to Eden had a huge selection of Lara Bars and even has the newest flavors, Peanut Butter & Jelly and German Chocolate Cake.  (I purchased PB & J, Ginger Snap, Cinnamon Roll, and Apple Pie).  These are one of my favorite gluten-free protein bars because they’ve got simple natural ingredients and good fiber.  They’re also not 500 calories like a lot of protein bars.  I always carry one with me and I was particularly glad I had one in my purse last night at the U2 concert at the Georgia Dome.

-       Breads from Anna Pumpkin Bread Mix.  I made it this weekend for my whole family and it was delicious!  I added chocolate chips to it (surprise, surprise!) and it was a hit and perfect for brunch on a cool, fall morning.  I’ve been eating leftovers all week and I just froze the last bit of it today to save.

I could not believe how many brands of bread mixes and other baking mixes Return to Eden has on its shelves.  I even found Authentic Foods flour, which I’ve never seen in an Atlanta store before.  Before I went to Return to Eden, I thought you could only order it online.

-       JO-SEF Graham Crackers: These are also egg and dairy free which will be a great dessert for when I’m cooking for others with food allergies.  You can enjoy them as a cookie, crumbled over ice cream or make a pie crust with them.

-       Golden raisins: Yes, I know this is random and obviously gluten-free, but I have multiple recipes that call for golden raisins and I haven’t been able to find them anywhere.  I also bought them to add to sauteed spinach.

I mention the golden raisins because Return to Eden has great bulk containers that have things like raisins, nuts, and even a GF baking mix!  (That’s where I found the golden raisins.)

-       Simply Asia Pad Thai sauce and rice noodles: Chicken Pad Thai is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals and this Pad Thai sauce can be difficult to find.  Just add chicken (or tofu), a scrambled egg, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts and lime juice and you’ve got yourself a delicious (and cheap!) Thai dinner.  It only takes about 20 minutes to make this meal and it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.

My purchases don’t even begin to tell you just how many gluten-free products Return to Eden has in stock.  An abundance of frozen breads and dinner rolls of all varieties, I’ll definitely be doing a lot of my holiday shopping here.  I was also impressed by all of the ice creams and frozen dessert that were dairy free and gluten free.  Other highlights included pizzas, cinnamon rolls, tortillas and even fish sticks!

Everyone should check it out for themselves, even those without celiac.  I love supporting local places and venues that go out of their way to find good, gluten-free food.  As I mentioned before, Jennifer is extremely helpful and thoughtful and puts a lot of energy and enthusiasm into making Return to Eden a ‘Gluten Free Friendly’ store.  She also gives gluten-free tours for shoppers to help them learn about the different products available.  Return to Eden does gluten-free cooking demonstrations in the store as well.  I’ll post the dates and times for both of these.

Return to Eden Organics

2335 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324-3725

Here are some cool things going on around Atlanta and in the GF world during October:

Third Annual Gluten Free Vendor Fair:

When: Saturday, October 17^th from 9:00 am-1:00 p.m.

Where: Double Tree Hotel

1075 Holcomb Bridge Rd.

Roswell, GA 30076

What it is: Free admission and you get to try samples from over 70 gluten-free product vendors. There will be local and national businesses.  I’ll definitely be here!   Click here for more information about the different vendors and products.

Georgia Flood Relief at Rosebud Restaurant: Dine Out Week for Flood Relief: Dine at Rosebud this week and 15% of the proceeds go to Georgia Flood Relief.  This is a great way to eat at a delicious restaurant AND support our local farmers.  Thank you, Rosebud, for hosting this!

Cake in the Box Bakery: Check out this allergy-friendly bakery that recently opened for pick up orders on September 28^th.  Hurray for more local companies that help us satisfy our gluten-free sweet tooth!

Check out their gallery to see some of the cool cakes Cake in the Box has made.

Liz Lovely Cookies: Gluten-Free Sale on their gluten-free cookies during the month of October.

Let me know of other events happening in the area!  I love knowing what’s going on.

As many of you know, one of the toughest times to have celiac disease or a gluten allergy can be at special events, especially weddings.  In the two years that I’ve been diagnosed, I’ve become very good at planning ahead, eating peanut butter rice cakes between the wedding and reception and stuffing David’s suit pockets with Lara Bars and nuts, knowing that I will not be able to partake in the buffet or the seated meal.  I have even searched high and low for a semi-fancy, semi-cute large purse that I can carry my food in to these events.  Let me know if you’ve found any cute bags that would do the job.

When people ask me what the hardest thing is about having celiac, the thing that comes to my mind is weddings.  Food is such a large part of these celebrations and no matter how many years I’m gluten free, it will always be awkward to watch other people eat, meanwhile getting funny looks from guests who don’t know me, and having to explain why I’m not eating.  (A note of warning: be careful about consuming too much alcohol at events such as these. While all of your friends are eating, it’s easy to have one too many glasses of wine.)

This is not a pity post, however.  I don’t expect any bride or groom to consider me when they’re planning their big day and there was most likely someone at my wedding reception who couldn’t eat anything because they had a food allergy that I overlooked.  Also, there are probably some things at receptions and events that I could eat, but I don’t feel like weddings are the right time to be in the back of the kitchen, demanding to know from the chef whether or not the filet was marinated in soy sauce or if the gratin has bread crumbs.  It’s someone else’s day, not mine, so I usually stay quiet about my dietary needs at wedding receptions.

I say all of this because about a month ago my sister-in-law, Heidi, got married in Phippsburg, Maine at Sebasco Harbor Resort, about an hour drive from Portland.  I was so excited to be a bridesmaid, to celebrate with Heidi and her fiancé, Ross and to spend a long weekend in Maine with my family.  David grew up going to Maine with his family so it’s only fitting that Heidi got married in Maine.  The wedding was absolutely incredible and the whole weekend was so much fun.  Heidi was beautiful and her lucky groom, Ross, could not stop smiling at the reception.  Overall, a truly lovely weekend spent with friends and family, celebrating a wonderful couple.

In the midst of planning a destination wedding, working full time, and buying a new house, Heidi made sure that I was able to eat throughout the weekend.  Both my mother-in-law, Elaine, and Ross’ mom, Martha, worked hard with the staff at Sebasco to make sure that I was taken care of throughout the weekend.  For those of you with food allergies or celiac, you know how rare it is to be able to share food at the table with everyone for an entire destination wedding weekend so you can imagine how touched I was by the extensive efforts people went to for me.  I have to tell you about the wonderful staff at Sebasco and Mae’s Café, as well as the delicious food I enjoyed throughout the weekend.

If you love Maine, Sebasco is a perfect spot for a wedding.  Think Dirty Dancing meets Maine!  A beautiful backdrop, with adorable (and quite nice) cottages of all sizes all over the property.  Sebasco also has individual rooms available at their various inns on the property.  Right on the water, Sebasco also has a golf course, beautiful views, a game room (with bowling!), restaurants, a bar and event rooms.  They even make your bed every day!  I’ve never stayed in a cottage before that does that.

I arrived at Sebasco on Thursday afternoon and the first people I talked to were Marianne Vold (who’s in charge of all special events) and Chef Michael.  I’d already spoken with both of them over the phone in the weeks leading up to the wedding and they wanted to double check and make sure that I was taken care of for the rehearsal dinner and wedding.  What a good sign.  I immediately felt welcome at Sebasco and confident in these two people.

So let me tell you about the food!  On Thursday night Heidi and Ross’ two families had a pizza dinner in our cottage.  Even at this small family meal, Chef Michael brought me grilled chicken, baked potato and a separate salad from everyone else.  It was delicious and made me (and my digestive system) immediately feel comfortable at Sebasco.

On Friday, we had the bridesmaid’s luncheon off of the resort, in a small town called Bath at Mae’s Cafe.  Mae’s is an adorable lunch and breakfast spot and we had our own room for the event.  Heidi made sure in advance that I was able to eat everything in the meal.  We each had a plate with grilled vegetables, shrimp salad and chicken salad and mine was exactly the same as everyone else’s.  It was delicious and we enjoyed a leisurely afternoon sharing stories and our memories of Heidi.  At the end of the meal, I was served a piece of flourless chocolate cake.  I was already so touched that I got to eat lunch, but what a treat to actually get dessert!  The cake was so rich and delicious that I couldn’t eat all of it, so it provided me with something sweet for the rest of the weekend.

Back at the Sebasco Resort on Friday evening, the rehearsal dinner was a picture perfect lobster bake outside.  Chef Michael told me that I could have everything except the rolls and clam chowder at the rehearsal dinner so I enjoyed a whole lobster, potatoes and corn.  It was a great meal to eat outside in the cool, September Maine air!  Messy and fun.  Ross’ mother, Martha, really worked hard to make sure that I was able to enjoy this meal and feel confident that everything was ‘safe.’  And it was!

After a lovely ceremony on Saturday afternoon, the wedding reception on Saturday night provided a perfect venue to eat, drink, dance and continue celebrating Heidi and Ross. Chef Michael let me choose which entrée I wanted for the seated dinner.  I chose the steak (of course!) and he made me a separate steak with a different sauce because the one everyone else had contained soy sauce.  I was able to enjoy the earlier courses as well.  The first course was a nice salad (I just asked not to have blue cheese on mine) and the second course included a beautiful squash soup.  The waitress even brought me some espresso ice cream with a homemade blueberry compote while everyone else ate cake.  What a meal!  And the take home gift at the wedding reception were adorable mini-jars of homemade (gluten-free!) jam made using Elaine’s very own Linden, Virginia blueberries.

I can’t express enough to my family and the people at Sebasco and Mae’s how touched I was, and still am, that they went to such great lengths to include me in every dining experience that weekend.  The weekend would have still been such a great time, but the special meals and treatment only added to the fun.  I truly felt like I was part of the event and not watching from the sidelines.  Thanks again to Marianne, Chef Michael, Mae’s Café, Heidi, Ross, Elaine and Martha for going to such lengths for me!