cooking is an adventure.

Listen up local folks! If you haven’t been to an event where Gerard’s Paella is front & center (a Sonoma County local’s wedding, for example, or The Great Handcar Regatta), then you might not be quite as excited as us to learn that Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg, Calif. has snagged him for a couple of paella cooking classes over the next couple of months. This weekend’s May 27 class is sold out, but act early for the upcoming June class to make sure you get a spot! The deets are these:

Winery Paella Party (hands-on) with chef Gerard Nebesky
Sunday, June 26, 11 am – 2 pm @ Lambert Bridge Winery, Healdsburg, Calif.
$140

Sonoma County’s own “Paella Guy” chef Gerard Nebesky has carved time out of his busy schedule to lead an inspired Paella class in the beautiful al fresco kitchen at Lambert Bridge Winery. Chef Gerard will lead you as you make three delicious paellas, including his famous Paella Mixta that handily won the Throwdown with Bobby Flay. We’ll work together to prep and cook all the paellas as chef Gerard talks about traditional paella-making methods and shares stories of his international adventures. Guests will learn the process for perfect paella, especially socarrat, the crispy bottom crust that signifies authenticity. Take advantage of this unique experience to learn about Paella and savor a tremendous Spanish meal paired with specially-selected Lambert Bridge wines.

• Sautéed Shrimp with Garlic
• Gerard’s Paella Mixta
• Chicken and Chorizo Paella
• Veggie Paella
• Green Salad Española
• Fresh Fruit Dessert

This Relish class includes 10 ounces of wine per person served to all participants over 21 years of age. Additional wine is available for purchase by the bottle.

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This class is not-to-be-missed. In our humble opinion. Sign up on Relish Culinary Adventures’ website or call 707.431.9999.

carrot cake. with cream cheese frosting.

One of The Lab’s male counterparts recently made a request for carrot cake. We’re not gonna lie: Gluten free baking can be an undertaking when working from scratch and sometimes even we want to just whip something up on the fly. So we searched for a quick and easy carrot cake online and found one on the Gluten Free Goddess‘s blog. We did not change anything in Karina’s original recipe beyond omitting raisins and coconut from the batter, and rather than making her coconut icing we topped it with a basic, barely-sweet cream cheese frosting. Then we ate if for dessert. And breakfast. And lunch. It’s got veggies in it! It’s healthy right?!

We especially love that this recipe calls for Pamela’s Baking Mix. Pamela’s makes such quality mixes that pulling together a little gluten-free something is a breeze. Pamela deserves some sort of a medal for the pioneering she’s done in the gluten-free mix world. If you’ve never used it, run — don’t walk — to the store and get some.

This carrot cake is light and spongy, but also very mild in spice and sweetness, which we happen to prefer. If you’re looking for something with a bit more kick or spice, consider adding a touch more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, and a bit more sweetener. Without the addition of the pile of cream cheese frosting, the recipe almost seems more like a breakfast bread…that you can’t stop eating.

Enjoy!

. . .

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Coconut and Cream Cheese Icing 
from the Gluten Free Goddess

Serves 8-10

Please note: This recipe has no added leavening because it is using a leavened baking and pancake mix.

3 large organic free-range eggs

1/2 cup light vegetable oil orSpectrum Organic Shortening

1 cup organic light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup plain yogurt or coconut yogurt

2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey or agave (for added moisture)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice, or Apple Pie Spice [or a mix of nutmeg, clove, ginger, allspice]

2 cups Pamela’s Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix *see notes

3/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1 1/2 cups processed or finely grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)

1/2 cup golden raisins or currants

1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch Springform cake pan.

In a mixing bowl beat the eggs; add the oil and beat; add the brown sugar and beat till smooth. Beat in the yogurt, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and spice. Add in the baking mix and beat till combined. The batter should be a bit thicker than wheat flour batter. Add in the coconut, carrots, raisins and nuts; stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan; and place the pan in the center of a preheated oven. Bake until the cake is firm, and a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean, about 40 to 45 minutes or longer if necessary – I baked mine at high altitude. Cool on a wire rack.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese icing and sprinkle with coconut, if desired.

Cream Cheese Icing

4 oz. softened cream cheese

2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract, to taste

3 cups powdered cane sugar- or more, if needed

A squeeze or two of fresh citrus, to taste- lemon, lime or orange

In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time; squeeze a little lemon or other citrus juice into the frosting and beat till smooth. Taste test. Add more sugar, if needed, to thicken; add more juice to thin.

Karina’s Notes:

GF/CF Folks: Use canned pumpkin or applesauce in place of the yogurt, and your own leavened dairy-free gluten-free baking and pancake mix.

Forgo the cream cheese icing and frost with a simple confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice frosting.

For replacing Pamela’s Baking Mix, try another leavened  mix such as Gluten-Free Pantry Pancake Mix or Arrowhead Mills Pancake Mix.

Gluten free cakes dry out quickly. If you are not serving this cake the day you bake it, I’d advise chilling it to firm up the icing; wrap well and chill. For more than a day ahead, I would wrap and freeze it; thaw the day of serving (remove the wrap so the icing doesn’t stick!).

springtime potato soup.

It’s funny how a few days of rain can put us right back into winter mode: wearing sweaters and cozy boots, sitting by the fire with a mug of hot tea, craving a piping hot bowl of soup. Our favorite springtime foods are everywhere to be found in markets, though, and so when we crave a hot bowl of soup, it’s bound to showcase some springtime flavors. This springtime potato soup is light and satisfying for a rainy spring supper. It can get dressed up pretty easily with a dollop of créme fraiche and a pile of pea shoots, or dressed down with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side (ours: 2 slices Rudi’s Original Gluten-Free Bread with Australian Cheddar cheese and caramelized onions). The next day? Simply served in a cup with a taste of the season’s final crop of citrus alongside. Despite the fact that the sun has come back out, we’re warmed to our core!

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Springtime potato soup
This soup is light and creamy. If you feel like splurging a little, use heavy cream in place of the milk. And be sure to use a good-quality chicken broth like Better Than Bouillon)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
7 small purple and/or red potatoes, thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1/2 cup good quality dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
pinch of cayenne
1/4 x 2-inch piece of Parmasan rind
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup milk or milk alternative
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Heat butter and oil in large saucepan. Add onion and celery, cook , stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes. Add potato and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup water and white wine. Cook until potatoes are softened and beginning to break apart, about 15 minutes. Add remaining water and broth, Parmesan rind, and cayenne. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. If desired, pulse with an immersion blender to create a smoother soup (as pictured). Stir in grated Parmesan, milk, and parsley and serve.

the cracker that would become a cookie.

A very quick and a very sincere thanks to Jenna at Eat, Live, Run for the guest spot on her website! If you didn’t happen to catch the post yesterday, we recommend you mosey on over there because you’re gunna wanna get a load of these shortbread cookies sandwiched with deep rich chocolate!

Remember the Ritz-like cracker we were so excited about a few weeks ago? It didn’t seem right in its own skin for some reason…probably because it wanted to become a shortbread cookie! View the full story & recipe here…but don’t say we didn’t warn you. These cookies are dangerous!

howard station gluten-free waffles.

Remember waffle weekends, when, as kids, our moms would pull out that monster of a kitchen appliance, the waffle iron, whip up some batter, and then we’d all wait with bated breath as the waffle iron worked its magic? Once on our plate, we’d fill each sunken square with a balanced ratio of butter, syrup, powdered sugar, yogurt, fruit (or all of the above), thus making a grid of perfect bites. So satisfying.

It’s been a while since we’ve had the opportunity to really indulge in waffle weekends, so when we were recently informed by a reader that Howard Station Café in Occidental, Calif. now has gluten-free waffles on their menu there was a bit of a waffle dance party here at The Lab. Our first order of business: call and make sure it’s really true (it is.). Second: to confirm that a separate waffle iron is used to make the gluten-free waffles (there is.). Third: to get an ingredients list, which consists mainly of rice flour and potato flour (no corn!).

With our orders of business out of the way, and our gluten-conscious minds put at ease, we joined the ranks Saturday morning and waited for a table to open up. Meanwhile, we conducted a careful menu scan. Here’s the deal: Howard’s has about 6 topping options for the waffles, and all of them are available in a gluten-free option. The Double Decker was super tempting — two waffles with peanut butter and banana sandwiched between them — but we opted to keep it simple and went for the standard blueberries and whipped cream combo so we could really judge the waffle’s authenticity. This is important research we’re conducting after all.

The waffle did NOT disappoint in looks or in taste. Upon delivery to the table we commenced the requisite staring and poking, and, in all honesty, they looked a little too good to be true: They weren’t half the size of a normal waffle! They were just as fluffy as the regular wheat waffles other diners were eating! And after asking the waitress just one last time “are these really gluten-free?” we dug in. After doctoring them with syrup and butter and other preferred accoutrement, we were delighted to find the waffles were absolutely heavenly. Not too dry. Not too hearty. Crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. We noticed a tad more chew than a regular wheat-based waffle, but that’s to be expected considering the properties of GF flours. Overall, these waffles knocked our striped socks off. Our non-gf partner-in-crime dining companion also deemed them delicious, even going so far as to say that he would not have know they were GF if we had not mentioned it. A non-GFer stamp of approval is pretty legit folks. These waffles are for reals!

Nice work Howard Station, keep that waffle iron fired up because we’ll be back soon.

Howard Station Café
3811 Bohemian Highway
Occidental, CA 95465
707 874 2838
**CASH ONLY**

And stay tuned for The Lab’s next field trip! We’re heading out, armed with notebooks & cameras & appetites to check out the gluten-free naan at Sizzling Tandor and the gluten-free fried chicken at Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar.

chicken gabriella & roasted potato coins.

Last night’s dinner was a real winner, and, as per usual for our simple weeknight dinners, we found it via epicurious.com by clicking on the “fast dinners” quick link. Since this recipe for Chicken Gabriella calls for not much more than chicken, onions, herbs and wine (hey! we’ve got all that!) it was a no-brainer. And going by that photo above? It almost looks more delicious in its uncooked state (left)! All those onions, hunks of bone-in chicken and rosemary needles worked themselves into a right tasty mess (right), which, in our opinion, needed some oven-browned potato coins to help soak up the herby broth. Both recipes are below for your easy weeknight dining pleasure!

. . .

Roasted potato coins

6 medium-sized Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 tablespoon salted cajun seasoning, such as Morton & Bassett Cajun Spice Blend
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat two baking sheets with 1/8 cup olive oil each. Spread with fingertips to coat completely, then set aside. Slice scrubbed potatoes into 1/4-inch thick “coins.” Place on prepared baking sheet, turn once to coat with oil, and then sprinkle evenly with cajun seasoning. Bake in preheated oven until bottom of potato slices are golden brown and tops are just beginning to crisp, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Gabriella
via Epicurious, by by Anna Boiardi and Stephanie Lyness

1 (3 1/2-to 4-pound) chicken, skinned and cut into small (about 3-inch) pieces, with bone, thighs, and wings left whole (ask your butcher to do this for you or use kitchen shears)
2 onions, chopped
Needles from 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (about 1/4 cup), finely chopped
5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
About 1.4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1 lemon

Put the chicken pieces in a 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) with a lid, along with the chopped onions, rosemary, and sage. Stir well to coat the chicken with the onion and herbs. Add enough olive oil to coat all of the chicken pieces, but not so much that it pools in the skillet. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Set the skillet over medium heat. Cook until the onions are very soft and the chicken and onions have turned golden brown, about 20 minutes. If the onion begins to brown too fast, turn down the heat. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer gently until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Squeeze the lemon over, taste for salt and pepper, and serve.

springtime recipe contests.

Time to hone your whisks and sharpen your knives…there are two great gluten-free recipe contests that are just BEGGING you to share your best gluten-free recipes with the world!

Glutenfree.com
The only parameter for this recipe contest is to use at least one ingredient from glutenfree.com (easy-peasy in our opinion!). To enter: submit a photograph of your final recipe and the ingredients & method for the recipe to contest (at) glutenfree.com by Tuesday, May 24, 2011. The grand prize is a $100 gift card to glutenfree.com (with second and third places winning $75 and $50 gift cards respectively. Plus, all three winners will be showcased in the May 31, 2011 newsletter AND on the glutenfree.com recipe page!

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery
Send Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery your Unbelievably Good gluten-free recipe for a chance to star in your own online cooking show and win other prizes. Three finalists will receive a trip for two to Boulder, Colo. for the final recipe cook-off (trip includes round-trip transportation for two, three nights of lodging, and a culinary tour of Boulder). Plus, you’ll be automatically entered to win the Rudi’s Daily Giveaway, where each day one person from the participant pool (including both contest entrants and voters) will be chosen to win the Daily Giveaway (prizes will vary). Recipes are due by May 20, 2011 and are submitted via Facebook. Log on to submit your recipe (now through May 20) or to vote on recipe submissions (now through June 6).

kelp noodle salad with baked tofu.

Kelp noodles, huh?

Before you dawg us and declare us hopeless California hippies, imagine this: a noodle that is cool & refreshing, crispy like a mouthful of sprouts and neutral in flavor. It could very easily be an alternative noodle in your run-of-the-mill Vietnamese Bún, or it could just be a member of the supporting cast in soups and stir frys.

So in preparation for the weather warming up, and in favor of not having to cook these noodles over a hot stove (score!), we introduce our Kelp noodle salad with baked tofu recipe.

. . .

Kelp noodle salad with baked tofu
Serves 4

FOR NOODLES
1 12-oz package Sea Tangle Noodle Company Kelp Noodles
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon wheat-free tamari
chili garlic sauce (optional)

FOR TOFU
1 16-oz block extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup wheat-free tamari
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 – 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (optional)

TO SERVE
a few handfuls of mixed baby greens or shredded leaf lettuce

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mix ingredients, tamari through chili garlic sauce, in 7×11-inch oven-proof glass casserole pan. Set aside and slice block of tofu horizontally into 8 pieces. Place into tamari mixture, turn to coat each slice, then bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn tofu over and crank heat up to 450°. The remaining liquid should evaporate and tofu should become very dark in color in the next 15 minutes of baking. Remove tofu from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare kelp noodles. Rinse noodles per package directions, place in a large bowl, then add remaining ingredients, cilantro through chili garlic sauce. Mix well (fingers are best!) and let rest in fridge until tofu is cooled to room temperature or overnight. Feel free to add more mix-ins that appeal to you. Cucumber cut in julienne and/or shredded carrots would be delicious and would also add some nice color to the mix.

To serve, place a handful of marinated noodles and a handful of mixed greens in a bowl. Top with 2 slices baked tofu.

weekend salmon dinner.

Ah, weekends. To us, it means slowing down a mite bit, sipping cocktails, enjoying dinner al fresco, lingering at the table just a bit longer than usual (yes, yes, there are chores on the list, too, but those are better left forgotten when recounting the events of the weekend). But Saturdays and Sundays don’t always allow for the making of complex meals. In fact, the simpler the better, because it just means more time to enjoy around the dinner table. And with a friend who keeps our freezer stocked with wild-caught salmon from Alaska, this meal came together in no time flat: slow-baked salmon with lemon & thyme, roasted asparagus, and quinoa cooked in chicken broth. Couldn’t get simpler; couldn’t be tastier!

. . .

Slow-baked salmon with lemon & thyme*
Baking salmon in a low-temperature oven slowly melts the fat between the flesh and leaves the fillets incredibly moist and tender. Lemon and a thyme, a classic Mediterranean combination, add another layer of flavor without sacrificing this dish’s elegant simplicity.

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 6-to 8-ounces boneless salmon fillets, skin on
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 lemon wedges (for serving)Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on prepared baking sheet. Mix remaining oil, thyme, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Spread thyme mixture over salmon fillets, dividing equally. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.Bake salmon until just opaque in center, 15-18 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.. . .

*from Bon Appétit, May 2011