Drum roll, please! For the very first time, we are pleased to host our very first Book of Yum video introducing Carol Fenster’s new sorghum pie crust from her book 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes. Some months ago, I was pleased to receive a review copy of Carol Fenster’s beautiful new, hardcover cookbook. The great thing about this book is that there are such an enormous range of recipes. It could really replace the old gluten-filled Better Homes and Garden cookbook as a single, classic gluten-free cookbook. It covers a wide variety of recipes including breakfast, quick breads, yeast breads, appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, pastas, grains and beans, fish and seafood, other meat bits, vegetables, cookies and bars, cakes and cupcakes, pies and pastries, and fruit and custard desserts. Whew. I’ve found tons of beautiful recipes in the book I’m looking forward to trying, but when trying to pick one for this review, I decided to try her pie crust since it was perfect for Thanksgiving, and also because we don’t have many pie crusts here at the Book of Yum. I was extremely impressed with how easy it was to work with the dough. I think it really might rival gluten pie crusts for workability. I almost felt like I could have swung it over my head like pizza dough! After making a pie crust to save for later, I decided at the last minute to use some as the dough for a savory Thai turnover. (Picture of Filling Here) This dough is undoubtedly great for sweet pie crusts, but it clashed with the salty and savory seasonings in the Thai filling. I also have mixed feelings on the flavor of sorghum in general, but the chemistry in this recipe is absolutely fabulous. I’ve never had such an easy time making pastry before!

Now about the video. A friend of mine recently got a new video camera and some video editing software. He suggested we do a video for the Book of Yum so he could play with his software. I decided that Carol’s pastry would be the perfect special, video-worthy subject, and one weekend afternoon he and his wife came over to do this fun video. In retrospect, I would NOT wear an apron. Let’s face it, I look like a little muffin. But I was thinking flour all over my dark blue dress wouldn’t be great, so there you have it. It’s a bit goofy, but what the heck. I thought I’d post it for Thanksgiving. Hope you enjoy! Please be kind… lol.

Want to see more recipes from Carol Fenster’s 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes cookbook?
Celiac Chicks Reviewed and posted her new fabulous pizza crust
Food Writer for Delish reviewed and posted Carol’s Sorghum Blend, Buttermilk Pancakes and Green Chile Cheese Bread Recipes

Reviews:
GFCF Mommy’s review of the cookbook
Eating out Loud’s Review of the Cookbook
Gluten Free Steve’s Review of the Cookbook

Carol Fenster’s Sorghum Pie Crust Recipe Dessert  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1 cup Carol’s Sorghum Blend* 3/4 cup tapioca flour 1/2 cup sweet rice flour 3 tbsp. sugar, divided 1 tsp. xanthan gum (or 2 with no guar gum) 1 tsp guar gum (or 2 with no xanthan) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. baking soda 1/2 cup shortening, such as Crisco or Spectrum Vegetable, or Buttery sticks such as Earth Balance 1/2 cup 1% milk (soy, rice, potato, nut, or cow) 1 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice Directions 1) Place the sorghum blend, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, 2 tbsp. sugar, xanthan gum, guar gum, salt, baking soda, and shortening in a food processor and process until crumbly. Add the milk and vinegar and process until the dough forms a ball. If it doesn’t form a ball, use a spatula to break up the dough into pieces and process again, scraping down sides if necessary. Remove the dough from the food processor and knead with your hands uyntil smooth. Shape the dough into your two 1-inch-thick disks, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour. 2) Massage a disk of dough between your hands until it is warm and pliable, making the crust easier to handle. With a rolling pin, roll to a 10-inch circle between 2 pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Move the rolling pin from the center of the dough to the outer edge, moving around the circle in clockwise fashion to assure uniform thickness. 3) Remove the top plastic wrap and invert the crust, centering it over a 9-inch nonstick (gray) pie pan. Remove the remaining plastic wrap and press into place. Trim the edges to an even overhang all around the pan. Shape a decorative edge around rim of pan if you are making a single-crust pie. If not, leave the over-hang in place. 4)For Double-Crust filled pie, follow steps 1,2, and 3. Add filling as directed in your recipe. Roll remaining disk of dough to a 10-inch circle, invert, and center on the filled crust. Do not remove the top plastic wrap until the dough is centered. Trim the top crust to the same over-hang as bottom crust. Press the two crusts together and shape a decorative edge around rim of pan. Freeze 15 min. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Prick the top crust several times with a fork to allow the steam to escape. Place the pan on a nonstick baking sheet. 5) Place a rack in the bottom position and another in the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake 15 min. to brown bottom crust. Move to middle position and bake 25 to 35 minutes more or until the top crust is nicely browned. Cover loosely with foil if the edges brown too much. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Notes Sorghum Blend: 1 1/2 cup sorghum flour 1 1/2 cup potato starch/ corn starch 1 cup tapioca flour

Rating:  10 Original Source:  Carol Fenster’s 1,000 gluten free Recipes. Printed WITH PERMISSION. Thank you Carol’s publishers! Please do not replicate anywhere without THEIR permission. Recipe ID:  1326 Added:  November 25, 2008 Last Modified:  November 25, 2008

Pesto Grilled Veggie Pizza- one on Chebe crust (front) and the other slice (back) on Carol’s crust…

And now- for the recipes! One of the most interesting recipes that I made for this potluck was a totally allergen-free sundried tomato pizza. As you may know, I have been happily using Carol Fenster’s pizza recipe, available at her Savory Palate web site and in many of her books, for a very long time. I have developed some special tricks for working with the dough over the years that I really wanted to share it with you, but since I don’t publish recipes by gluten-free cookbook authors without permisison, I emailed Carol Fenster for permission to reprint a modified version of the recipe. She graciously gave permission, so you can see the recipe below, modified to be dairy free and vegetarian and including my dough tricks. Carol recently released Gluten-Free Quick & Easy: From Prep to Plate Without the Fuss. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m sure it’s full of great recipes just like her others. Two of my favorite gluten-free recipes ever have come from Carol Fenster- her pizza crust and her equally yummy flatbread. I also like her recipes for their flexibility with flours- if you have multiple flour allergies besides gluten, you can easily adjust her master flour blends to accommodate those intolerances, with excellent results. So, if you haven’t tried any of Carol’s recipes yet- I hope you will, and if you’re a long term fan like many of us, I hope you’ll take this chance to check out her new cookbook!

For another grilled veggie pizza, see my post on The Best Gluten-Free Pizza ever.

Adapted Carol Fenster’s Pizza Crust Recipe Alternative Grains  Italian

Ingredients 1 tablespoon dry yeast 2/3 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour 2 teaspoons xanthan gum 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning OR “pasta seasoning” mix like Trader Joe’s 2/3 cup warm non-dairy milk (110) (rice etc.) 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon cider vinegar Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put a pizza stone on the bottom rack, leaving the main rack free. Combine dry ingredients in your mixer, including yeast. Then add the liquid ingredients slowly and beat the ingredients for two minutes. If the dough bounces around the mixer, it’s too dry, so add extra liquid a little at a time until it will mix smoothly. Prepare a pizza pan by greasing it either with nonstick baking spray (NO FLOUR VARIETY) or grease the pizza pan with a little olive oil. Next, take your mixed dough and either split it for two mini pizzas or use it for one large pizza. throw your dough on the pizza pan (rectangular pan for two, round for one) and take a freezer-quality ziploc bag. Either spray with nonstick baking spray OR grease with a little olive oil. Put your hand inside the bag and use it to spread the dough out into a pizza shape, giving the dough a little rim around the edge to hold the toppings. Bake for ten minutes and then remove from the oven. I like to baste the crust in oil from sundried tomato pesto. Cover the pizza with your desired toppings and then move the pizza stone to the middle rack and put your covered pizza on the pizza stone and bake it for at least ten minutes or until the pizza is done. Notes THIS PHOTO SHOWS THE HALF-BAKED DOUGH BEFORE THE second-baking on the pizza stone. After baking the second time, especially after pesto basting, the dough turns golden brown. The pizza stone really makes the dough nice and crispy so I highly, highly recommend one!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Based on Carol Fenster’s Pizza Recipe at Savory Palate. Please do not replicate this recipe anywhere without BOTH Of our permission. Recipe ID:  1230 Added:  May 15, 2008 Last Modified:  June 7, 2009

Slow Roasted Tomato Recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 2 lbs or more of your favorite medium sized tomato high quality olive oil sea salt pepper a dash of sugar Chili flakes or any other desired seasoning (not too many, though- you want the tomato flavor to be central!) Directions Preheat oven to 200F Slice your tomatoes and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, ground pepper, and a teeny amount of sugar. Space the tomatoes out evenly on a dark baking pan (or whatever you have). Bake for an hour and a half and then raise temperature to 225f or 250f, and bake for at least another 45 minutes. Your tomatoes should have shrunk somewhat but still be slightly moist. Remember, you’re not making sundried tomatoes, but intensifying and condensing the flavor. Notes Yummy yummy! Great for using in all kinds of recipes!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Based on I Heart Farms recipe Recipe ID:  1231 Added:  May 15, 2008 Last Modified:  May 15, 2008

Dairy-free, Nut-free Vegan Sundried Tomato Pesto Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 8 or more high quality sundried tomatoes (fresh packed) 4 slow roasted tomatoes 1-2 slow roasted garlic cloves 1/8 cup high quality olive oil freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper Directions Soak your sundried tomatoes in hot water for 30 minute or so and then drain. Combine all ingredients in your food processor. Blend and taste. Adjust seasonings, add more olive oil if desired. Notes The great thing about this recipe is that you can use it for pasta too! Here the pesto is pictured with some Glutino corn pasta with grilled veggies and a touch of marinara. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1228 Added:  May 10, 2008 Last Modified:  May 16, 2008

Dairy Free Basil Pesto Recipe for Pizza or Pasta Main Course  Sauces & Condiments  American

Ingredients 2 cups basil leaves, destemmed, and packed tightly 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (*Edited to have more nuts) 1/6 cup rice wine or cider vinegar 1/8 cup water 1/6 cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional) 2 cloves roasted garlic (bake with other dishes in the oven or use raw if you like) 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper Your favorite gluten-free pizza recipe (from mix, scratch (carol fenster) or pre-made) Directions Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender through the garlic, and pulse until ingredients are combined and chopped. Add olive oil in a steady stream with the machine on until you form a nice pesto paste. Scrape out pesto into a bowl and reserve. Notes Reserve one or two tablespoons of pesto for other recipes like my buckwheat grit pesto fries! You can use it for pizza: Prepare your gluten-free pizza according to recipe and top with pesto. Add any other ingredients you like (olives? artichoke hearts? portabella mushroom slices?) and bake according to instructions. (Usually 10-15 minutes). Slice and enjoy! Or for pasta: Combine with gluten-free pasta, grilled veggies and plenty of pesto. Yum!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  modified version of this recipe: http://www.bookofyum.com/recipes/showrecipe.php?recipe=1024 Recipe ID:  1208 Added:  March 16, 2008 Last Modified:  May 15, 2008

Gluten-Free Grilled Vegetable Pizza Recipe *Dairy Optional* Main Course  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 1/2 recipe dairy-free, nut free sundried tomato pesto (recipe in files) Enough slow roasted tomato slices to cover your pizza (recipe in files) High Quality Organic marinara sauce 1 whole portobello mushroom 1/2 red pepper Several creamy white potatoes 1 zucchini, sliced horizontally 1/2 red onion, sliced olive oil Pasta seasoning blend, salt, pepper to taste 1 recipe Carol Fenster brown rice pizza crust (can be made with rice milk for dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free) *OPTIONAL* equal amounts of grated romano and mozarella cheese Directions Assemble pesto, slow roasted tomato slices, and marinara sauce and reserve. Season some olive oil with your pasta seasoning mix (or italian seasoning mix) as well as salt and pepper, and baste your whole mushroom and red pepper, zucchini, red onion, and potatoes. (Actually, I threw the potatoes in with the tomatoes while I was roasting them and then grilled them after they were mostly baked.) Grill your vegetables and then reserve them for the pizza. Bake pizza crust for ten minutes and then top with pesto, slow-roasted tomato slices. Fill in the holes with marinara sauce. Top with grilled veggies and cheese, if you like, but this pizza was designed to be delicious without cheese. Bake for another ten or fifteen minutes on a pizza stone and enjoy!

Additional Pictures

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1229 Added:  May 10, 2008 Last Modified:  May 15, 2008

Note: This is so my favorite memory I think I’ve mentioned it at least once before. Oh well, hopefully it will be a new story at least to any new readers who might have wandered by. Also, I promise that DH has more than just this one brown shirt- it seems to be his lucky “cooking” shirt as he’s wearing it in most of his pictures. lol.

Lately I’ve been thinking about American cuisine and its characteristics, merits and demerits. Whenever the topic of American food comes up, it seems like one of several things happen. Either people start talking about Idaho grown potatoes, beef and apple pie, or they shrug their shoulders and start listing American cafeteria food- Hamburgers, french fries, pizza. Or, if they are me, they start thinking about all the international influences and fusion foods that co-exist here and finally shrug their shoulders without answering. You can learn a lot about someone’s eating philosophy by asking them to talk about American food. Personally, I love the international cuisines and diverse ingredients available in big American cities like San Francisco, New York, and Seattle.

I also love the sophisticated vegan and vegetarian products and options that are so easily available to us, although veganism actually originated in the UK in 1944 with the creation of the UK Vegan society so cannot be claimed as an “American” invention. But, it’s certainly relatively easy to be vegan or vegetarian in the US, in contrast to countries where vegetarian means you only want a little bit of chicken with that stir fry, and Japan where a dish without a fish product is like a sandwich without bread. (I know, I know, I’m speaking to the gluten free here, and I’m sure many a corn tortilla etc. is being defiantly brandished in my general direction. But just work with me here… ;) ) Feeling that I really ought to put my sense of ethics into practice, some time after I had become a vegetarian I tried being vegan. And yes, I fell off the bandwagon, and have since reconciled myself to the fact that currently a more flexible diet is better for my lifestyle. I think they call it being a flexitarian, , or, as I call it sometimes, “wimpy half vegetarian.” Yup, that’s me. But whether or not I stuck to the vegan diet, the fact is, I learned a lot about food and invention from the vegan diet, which is now why I have half a bookshelf full of vegan cookbooks. My favorites are Joanne Stephanoik, Sarah Kramer, and that firebrand, Isa Moskowitz. I think vegetarian or vegan diet resources are fabulous for gluten free folks with other intolerances such as dairy or eggs, because it’s all about replacing these things with creative alternatives that yes, have a yum factor. Because whether you’re gluten free or vegetarian, taste matters. We have taste buds, and my theory is, we might as well make them happy and ourselves too!

So with that lengthy introduction- Lately I’ve been playing with pizza, and thinking about dairy and egg intolerances and seeing just how far we can push the boring old “American” pizza, with its Italian lineage but the marvelous ability to be transformed by local tastes and flavors. Definitions of varieties of Italian pizza have become something of a political issue, at least in Italy and some parts of Europe, while here in the states it seems like pizza variety, especially crust has become a point of regional identity. There’s thin New York-style pizza, Chicago-style deep dish pizza, St. Louis-style pizza (apparently it’s a cheese thing), thick crusted New England Greek pizza, Rhode Island Grilled pizza, and finally California-style pizza which Wikipedia describes as “pizza with non-traditional ingredients, especially those that use a considerable amount of fresh produce.” Source: Wikipedia (California Pizza Kitchen is apparently partially responsible for popularizing Thai-inspired, chicken pizza and other innovative combos.) Us gluten free people have our own take on pizza, sometimes informed by our pre-gluten free lifestyle. There’s Amy’s frozen pizzas (available with cheese or dairy free with spinach, my personal favorite), some people swear by premade kinnikinnick or by george etc. pizza crusts, others are fanatical about Chebe pizza.. And then there are the brave rebels who are happy to put pizza toppings on a gluten free bagel (kinninick etc), gluten free toast, corn tortillas, or even soccas, french style chickpea crepes. Then you get into the cookbook gurus- Bette Hagman and Carol Fenster both have dedicated considerable energy to creating yummy pizza crusts. Although I’ve tried many different crusts, my favorite is Carol Fenster’s recipe which she has thoughtfully shared with the public on her web site at www.savorypalate.com. I usually make it with brown rice and tapioca flour, and leave out the yucky gelatin. I like it because she incorporates flavorful Italian seasonings into the crust. It’s also fast, easy to work with, and has a nice “brown” crust. It’s super yum with red tomato pesto rubbed into the crust (even, or especially on the rim).

But lately I’ve been thinking… especially since I’m living in California- I ought to be a little more adventurous with my pizzas than the standard Neapolitan pizza with tomatoes and cheese. How about a really international, dairy free, potentially vegan pizza where the toppings are as adventurous as you dare to make them? Unfortunately, gourmet pizza places generally have nothing to offer me, but reading the menu makes me drool- not because I want any of the yucky gluten, but because the best ones sound like a gorgeous salad minus all the boring lettuce. artichoke hearts, calamata olives, pine nuts, roasted red peppers, mushrooms… This is what I’m talking about.

Some time back a member of the SillyYaks yahoo gluten free group posted a terrific recipe that was inspired by a South African recipe. I was intrigued because it used roasted eggplant and mayonnaise to create a creamy, cheesy topping. Mayonnaise might sound pretty unconventional, but it’s actually a very common topping in Japan, along with seafood and sliced boiled eggs. So, I was willing to give it a try. I grilled the eggplant and garlic, blended it with mayonnaise, and then used it as a topping with grilled vegetables. I added cheese for DH’s half, but it was equally good without- and the mixture of grilled, smoky vegetables and creamy sauce on a pizza crust was actually very good. At the time I added some premade tomato pesto, which also enhanced the flavor. I knew this would be a recipe to return to.

So, Friday night I made my eggplant “Cheese”, Saturday night I made the pizza crust (vegan, from Carol Fenster’s Cooking free pizza mix recipe), grilled vegetables and baked it in the oven until done. It was really good- but since I didn’t have any pesto, I felt like it was missing a certain something. Saturday I made my favorite dairy free pesto recipe. Then I roasted broccolini in the oven with olive oil, grill seasoning, and chopped garlic. I made one more pizza crust, baking it for ten minutes and spread pesto as a base and then covering it with toppings. One side was artichoke hearts and roasted broccolini, with pine nuts, and the other side was artichoke hearts, calamata olives, roasted red pepper, spinach, and pine nuts. I dabbed little gobs of pesto and eggplant mayo on top, put it in the oven, and enjoyed. Mmmmm, yummy. It might make Italian chefs cry into their apron to see their beloved pizza reinvented to be vegan, gluten free and crammed full of toppings, but it made me and my taste buds Very, Very happy. I hope you will like it too. The basil pesto is really very versatile, and good on all sorts of things… sandwiches, pasta, blanched vegetables. Just like with pizza, the possibilities are endless.

Eggplant Mayo Pizza with Grilled Veggies Main Course  Sauces & Condiments  African

The whole big pizza Ingredients Eggplant Mayo cheese Sauce 1 lg eggplant (roasted and skinned) 4 baked garlic cloves 1/2 cup mayo (vegan, regular mayo, or japanese for flavor) salt & pepper Toppings such as: tomato pesto, spinach, portabello mushrooms (grilled), red peppers (grilled), olives, marinated eggplant, pine nuts, and red onion, spinach, fresh basil. Favorite GF pizza crust (I like Carol Fenster’s pizza crust) Directions Blend sauce ingredients in blender. Bake the pizza crust. Top it with grilled veggies and pine nuts, fresh basil etc. Then dabble with globs of eggplant mayo as if you were placing slices of fresh mozzarella on top, and bake until the top is pleasingly brown or at least looks hot and you don’t want to wait any more. Notes The kind of mayonnaise you use makes a huge impact on the flavor. I think Japanese mayonnaise is the ultimate due to its rich, creamy, egg flavor, but it does contain msg so you may or may not want to indulge. Lowfat Mayonnaise may contain too much vinegar so you would want to somehow counterbalance this if you used it. Vegan mayonnaise (I used veganaise this last time) has what to me seems to be a slightly flat, off flavor, and is rather high in calories. Use sparingly and make sure that there are plenty of other flavors to counter this element- and enjoy it for the creamy richness it adds to the dish. Homemade mayonnaise would probably be the cats meow in this dish, but I for one am not ready for that much food commitment. When I am, and finally give it a try, I’ll let you know how it goes. :)

Rating:  7 Original Source:  SillyYaks message board Recipe ID:  1021 Added:  February 22, 2007 Last Modified:  February 25, 2007

Dairy Free Basil Parsley Pesto Sauces & Condiments  American

Yummmmmy Pesto Ingredients 3 cups basil leaves, destemmed, and packed tightly 1 1/2 cups parsley leaves, destemmed 1/2 cup pine nuts 1/3 cup rice wine or cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 cup olive oil 4 cloves roasted garlic salt and pepper Directions In a food processor, place the basil, parsley, and pine nuts, and pulse a few times to roughly chop. Add the vinegar, water, and nutritional yeast flakes, and process for 30 seconds to combine. While the machine is running, add the olive oil and continue to process until smooth. Add roasted garlic, process again, and add salt and pepper to season. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Use to flavor soups, salads, grains, side or main dishes, as a dip or spread for veggies or bread, or as the base for salad dressings or other sauces. Notes ———————————— The fresh dairy free basil pesto I made the other day really DOES improve with age, and I am loving it on pasta, as a topping on Bette Hagman’s french bread, etc. When you first make it, there is a kind of flat undertone which fades as the flavor deepens with time. Highly recommended for basil pesto lovers! You won’t miss the cheese in my opinion, and I love cheese.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  http://www.veganchef.com/bppesto.htm Recipe ID:  1024 Added:  February 24, 2007 Last Modified:  February 25, 2007

In the gluten free world, two authors have emerged as the undisputed masters of gluten free baking- Carol Fenster and Bette Hagman. I love Bette Hagman’s breads based on her four flour blend, which incorporates bean flour and sorghum for amazingly light and elastic gluten free breads. But I’ve also owned Carol Fenster’s cookbooks for years- and while many of her books have been quite successful, her recent book “Cooking Free” has caused a great deal of buzz on gluten free message boards and web sites. Part of the appeal is that she has developed a very flexible flour blend which you can adapt to your personal taste (and allergies). After first ordering this book, I tried a bread with her blend using sorghum, potato starch, tapioca and corn flour, which she said she used most often at home. I felt that the bread was heavier than Bette Hagman’s recipes using bean flour, so decided that the next time I made a recipe I would definitely use bean flour.

Last night I started some Vindaloo Vegetable Stew from my “Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker” cookbook, and had some for breakfast and lunch with basmati rice. Noticing that we didn’t have much rice left for dinner, I decided to spice up the meal by following the Northern Indian tradition of serving flatbread with meals- so I dipped into Carol Fenster’s “Cooking Free” and decided to try the recipe for Herbed Flatbread on page 26. I’ve been a longtime fan of her pizza crust, which is earthy and nutty and uses italian seasonings to flavor the dough. I was attracted to her flatbread recipe because instead of Italian spices it used an intriguing blend of caraway seeds, fennel seeds, dill weed, ground cumin, dry mustard and minced dehydrated onion. The recipe sounded both savory and like it would complement my tomato based spicy vindaloo nicely.

It found it quite easy to make. I spun the ingredients in the mixer and then patted it out in a jelly pan, flouring the dough and then patting it down with a freezer type ziploc bag that had been sprayed with cooking spray. This method ensured my hands didn’t get all gummy and also that I didn’t have to drown the poor defenseless dough in flour. Then I brushed some locally produced olive oil (bought at the wonderful European dairy and produce shop The Milk Pail in Mountain View) onto the dough, and sprinkled some course kosher salt on top, baking the bread for 15 minutes.

The smell of delightful seasoned bread filled the house and I couldn’t wait to take it out of the oven. It was beautifully browned and was flaky when I tore off a piece to enjoy. The recipe said it served 12, but in my opinion only if those 12 were the “nibble on a raw spinach leaf and call themselves full” type. For my, um, healthy appetite, it could serve three. This time when I made her flour blend, I used Sorghum, potato starch, tapioca starch, and garfave bean flour- and it was just perfect, adding elasticity and lightness to the finished product. I think I’ve found MY favorite blend- and this recipes is a real keeper- I’d give it 9/10, but you should try it yourself and see what you think!