What I need to know is this :  As a person who needs GFCF cooking resources would you rather have

A:  smaller  and less expensive books of more pointed focus (ie just sauces , dressings and gravies or other focus)

B: A huge broad scope book that covers everything (think Julia Child here) that costs more

Sound off!!!!   I’m trying very hard to put together what people need/want the most and thus have a resource that actually gets used vs. one that sits gathering dust on a high shelf

I’m afraid that living in the state of Agritopia after 6 years in the sub arctic zone has brought out my hoarding instinct. I must confess, however, that the many jars of vividly colored produce appeals to my aesthetic instinct as well. All that and it just flat tastes better than the commercially canned stuff.

I’m working on the GFCF cookbook as well…and I gotta tell ya my DH loves research and development days.

Be that as it may, I have still managed to get a few pieces done and I’ve quite a few more on the drawing boards.

I’ve started digging into the reference shots that I took while living in the Alaska interior and the ones taken on my recent trip through the Yukon and Northern BC.

This is the most recent painting.

Birch Catkins Mixed Media 2008

I’m finding that very loose brushwork used to create a lot of detail is getting to be my most used technique and tends to make said detail a little less stiff to the eye. It also gives my aspie penchant for twiddling with stuff a place to go that is productive. I’ve also been noticing that over the last few years that my work has been moving from and expression of how I feel and more into an example of how I see.

I like the way that this piece moves.  It invokes spring breezes even with the main focus being on the botanical aspects.   It’s peaceful without being static.  It’s also a study in complementary color relationships without getting in your face.   Overall I think it works.

Birch Catkins detail

Click on the image for a closer look

I’ve also been getting some of the photos that stand on their own finished.

Spring Anemones 2008

Click on the image for a closer look

I do tend to see the world in macro…these flowers were only 2 inches or so in diameter. They were the first wildflowers that I saw of the season and were bravely blooming next to a motel parking lot in Tok, Ak

As always I welcome your opinions of the work, positive and negative alike. And again as always prints of these pieces are available at my Imagekind gallery

As I had mentioned in a previous blog, I am now writing down all of my GFCF recipes as well as devising new ones. My goal is for dishes that aren’t just “good for what it is” good but rather “OH MY GAWD that’s good” good.  I did a ‘cheese’ sauce based Potatoes Au Gratin with Ham that fit the bill this last week.  It made my gluten and casein consuming husband very very happy.

I’m not only transcribing existing recipes but devising new ones as well. The idea in my little brain is that since I cook all the time anyway, I might as well put it all together into a cookbook. If any of you have leads on publishers that would take such a manuscript I’d gladly accept any information.

My mom seems to think that I could do this with one frying pan tied behind my back. I’m not so sure.

My big issue so far has been which things to leave out. Only a bit over a week in and I’ve got 10 pages just on sauces, and I’ve only covered 2 of the French mother sauces and a few variations.

Iwillnotobsessiwillnotobsessiwillnotobsess

Actually finding casein free products that taste decent has been a bit more problematic.

Now who’da thunk that there’d be casein in SOY CHEESE for crying out loud?? I mean who the hell eats soy cheese except those sensitive to milk products and vegans??? Almond cheese too.

I want to know which brainiac in product development decided that this was a good idea. Having an ooey gooey melted texture isn’t going to do the company any good if it makes their clients sick now is it?

I also found out my favorite bratwurst from the Alaska Sausage Company (awesome products btw) while being gluten free has milk solids in it. Poop.

A few cool finds though.

Ghee is caesin and lactose free. WOOHOO for butter taste! I think I can add it to baked goods with a non trans fat margarine to get that oh so not duplicable flavor.

Soy yogurt is a pretty good substitute for sour cream or thinned a bit for buttermilk. It also drips out fairly well and can be used as a soft spready cheese like ricotta or sweetened for use in place of marscapone. The drip thing takes longer than with regular yogurt, but oh well.

Hmmmm. Maybe I should think about a cookbook. I’m cooking anyways (always have), I just tend not to write things down. Mayhap I should start…..

EDIT: I have since found that Tofutti brand soy cheese does NOT contain caesin! The Mozzarella sort even tastes ok! I’m going to try out a GFCF lasagne! Tinkyada rice pasta ROCKS!