Cooking Out Of Love: No Gluten - No Preprepared Mixes, No Complications 49571x

Table of Contents

Copertina titolo Copyright Table of Contents Attention... Poolish Custard Cream Arancini Ladyfingers Catanese Cartucciate Tagliatelle Saffron and Leek Sauce Sponge Cake Birthday Cake Milk flavoured biscuits Bioscia cu tuppu Graffe Pineapple Pie

Choux pastry or beignet Chocolate Frosting immagini

Massimo Longo

Cooking Out of Love

No gluten - no preprepared mixes No complications

All the tricks to fix your troubles in the kitchen 10 difficult recipes, carried out quickly and in a simple way

Copyright © 2019 M. Longo

The cover image and the graphics were created and edited by Massimo Longo and Lucia Longo All rights reserved

Table of Contents

Poolish and Recommendations 1 Custard Cream 2 Catanese Arancini 3 Bolognese Sauce 4 Home-made Ladyfingers 5 Catanese Cartucciate 6 Fresh Leek and Saffron Tagliatelle 7 Leek and Saffron Sauce 8 Sponge Cake 9 Birthday cake 10 Milk Flavoured Biscuits and Extra Flavouring 11 Bioscia Cu Tuppu 12 Graffe 13 Pineapple Pie 14 Beignets 15 Chocolate Coating For Beignets 16

Do not overlook this point. Read carefully before beginning any recipe.

Just a couple of words before you start reading book.

It is divided into two sections. The first one consists of a series of recipes with their respective images which can can be handy when following a recipe for the first time. Because of the limited space, I had to make a summary of the ages.

On the other hand, in the second part you will find the complete recipe and a few tips for a sure success. The recipe will be more schematic and without pictures so that you can print them out and attach them to your own personal portfolio.

For all those that are approaching gluten-free cuisine for the first time, my advice is do not lose heart: these are easy, "no-frills" recipes. I only recommend you to strictly adhere to the guidance for the gluten-free flours because, in contrast to normal flours, they interact with the other ingredients in a different way. One change and the recipe becomes inedible.

Extra flours and ingredients are chosen among those that are guaranteed to be gluten free. There is not difference among the various flour brands, just use those you have available at home. However, it is important for the rice flour to be extremely fine, otherwise the dish will stick to the palate and you will feel little grains in your mouth.

Be careful when using the liquids: when you add them in the mixer, they might look just a little, but do not be deceived. Gluten-free flours take a long time to absorb liquids. More than once at the beginning of my glutenfree culinary journey, I had been deceived and added more liquids than

necessary, turning the dough into a sludge, and compared to normal doughs, there is hardly a way back. Moreover, the dough that sometimes might look to soft, gets better after the leavening, which will allow you to work the dough.

In gluten-free cuisine, don't be afraid to get your hands dirty: as I have already said, this type of dough always tend to be softer. You can help yourself with fine rice flour or oil. Also, do not waste too much time on the trying to make your creations pretty enough: you will learn how to deal with them. When cooked, they will take a better shape than it seems. Do not take as a reference doughs from the traditional cuisine. In fact, with the same density, a gluten-free dough would turn out to be inedible.

For some dough it is recommended to use seed oil when creating the shapes. This prevent the dough to crack during leavening and turn black if we fry it.

Despite the various online sources telling you to leave the dough to rest, I actually advise you against doing that: in fact, there is no glutinic net.

The leavening process is particularly difficult when it comes to gluten-free doughs. The latter need an extra "push". Hence, I advise you against replacing the following leavening methods with traditional ready-to-make methods, such as using instant yeasts sachets. The first recipe you will find is that of the poolish's. It is the one recipe that really improved my cooking. It is the basis of every recipe. It might vary from one recipe to another but the procedure will stay the same.

Be careful when using the magical xantham gum! It is true that is essential for the realisation of some recipes, it is also true that it has to be used

carefully. It is not a magical ingredient. Too much of it makes the dough too hard or rubbery; on the other hand, too little of it makes the dough unmanageable. For instance, you use as little as when making biscuits as it makes them very chew, even in minimal doses.

One last advice on how to find the flours. Should you not find them in your local pharmacy, you can always buy them from one of the big online retailers or online pharmacy. This is will help you saving some money. Just make sure that you use payment methods that guarantee the arrival of you order.

Poolish

Mix for 250 g of flour:

Ingredients: Mix for 100 of flour 12.5 g of fresh brewer's yeast 170 g of water 1 tablespoon of honey

The ingredients can slightly vary from one recipe to another, but the base for its the preparation is more or less the same.

Preparation: Mix together the different types of flour.

Heat up the water and add it to a bowl (do not heat up the water if you are also adding eggs, the poolish would go bad) and melt the fresh brewer's yeast. Add and melt the honey.

Add the flour mix and mix well with a fork (consistency=baby food)

Close the lid, cover with a washcloth and leave to leaven for 1h- 1h and a half.

The dough should be double the size.

Various tips: Gluten-free dough is always softer than normal doughs.

In order to easily fill in the piping bag on your own, insert the bag itself into a bowl and fill it from there.

Sometimes it is best to use seed oil when kneading the dough in order to prevent cracks, instead of rice flour. Never use starches, as they are not absorbed by the dough. In order to easily remove the cake from the tray, do not forget to grease or butter the tray. Then, add some flour (or breadcrumbs) and move it around in order for the flour to cover it well.

There is no need to leave gluten-free doughs to rest as there is no glutinic net that needs to rest.

Attention on dosage: even small amendments can completely vary the

recipe.

Attention on xantham gum: too much of it can make the dough too hard, too little of it can make the dough unworkable. For instance, use as little as possible in the biscuit dough.

Custard Cream

Ingredients:

500 ml of milk

3 egg yolk

45 g of corn starch

80 g of sugar

1 sachet of vanillin

2/3 drops of lemon juice

Preparation:

Beat the egg yolks and the sugar in a bowl.

Pour the milk in a pot and add the vanillin sachet. Add the lemon juice.

Add the egg yolk and sugar mix into the pot as well as the corn starch (sieve the corn starch before adding it)

Turn on the heat and let it set.

Arancini

Ingredients:

1 kg of Vialone Nano rice

4 meat stock cubes

4 litres of water

Mixed vegetables

Half a yellow onion

Extra virgin olive oil

Pepper to taste

Salt, as required

For the stuffing:

Bolognese sauce

Butter

Mozzarella cheese

Gluten-free breadcrumbs

Peanut oil for deep-frying

Batter:

Corn starch

Water

Preparation:

Chop the mixed vegetables together with an onion in a pan.

Add the rice and let it toast slightly.

Add the broth which was previously prepared by using the 4 litres of water and the meat stock cubes, and leave it to cook until it is done. Be aware that the rice should not be too "al dente", otherwise putting together the arancino is going to be too complicated. Yet, it should not be overcooked either, or the grains of rice will not be well separated.

Leave the rice to cool down. In some versions, you can also add a teeny tiny bit of Bolognese sauce in order to slightly paint the rice red, but in the Catanese version the rice should be white.

In a bowl, prepare the batter. You only need some water and corn starch. The batter should be firm enough to stick to your finger and create a film.

Chop the mozzarella and butter into small pieces: this will keep the arancino moist.

Fill a bowl with water . The bowl should be big enough to wash your hands in it: you will need it to put together the arancino; in this way, the process will be easier.

Create some rice balls of the same size.

Take a rice ball, place it in the palm of your hand and create a hole in the

middle.

Fill the whole with a tablespoon of Bolognese sauce (make sure you select the thickest part, add 2/3 of mozzarella cubes and one single butter cube right in the middle. With the help of your other hand, seal the rice around the filling, shape it into a ball and squeeze the whole thing. If a little bit of Bolognese sauce or filling comes out, no worries, you can always squeeze it back with a finger.

Leave it to cool down in the fridge for about 20 minutes and let it set.

Then, roll the arancini in the batter, trying to cover the whole thing. Roll the arancini in the breadcrumbs. Make sure that the whole surface is covered.

Deep-fry the arancini in boiling peanut oil. Drip the excess oil in a sieve for a couple of minutes. Enjoy warm.

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

750 of minced meat

(half beef, half pork)

0.75 l of tomato sauce

0.35 g of water

Half a yellow onion

Vegetable mix for the sofrito

120 g of tomato paste

250 of peas

Extra virgin olive oil, as required

Preparation:

Prepare the sofrito by chopping the mixed vegetables together with an onion in a pan.

Add the meat and leave it to sauté until it become slightly brown on the outside.

Add the tomato paste and stir in order to mix it well. Then, add the tomato sauce and the water.

Add the salt and cook over a low heat for at least two hours (no lid).

Add the peas about 20 minutes before the end of cooking.

Add extra water, if required.

When cooked, add salt if necessary.

When cooked, the Bolognese sauce has brownish colour.

Ladyfingers

Mix for 200 g of flour: 50 g of tapioca starch

30 g of fine rice flour

Ingredients:

2 eggs

80 g of granulated sugar

1 g of xanthan gum

9 g of baking powder (potassium tartrate and sodium carbonate)

Caster sugar for decorations

Preparation:

Separate the egg yolks.

Whisk the egg whites in the mixer. As soon as they become stiff, add slowly the sugar (do not add the sugar all at once, or the eggs will go back to being normal. Give time to the batter to absorb the sugar).

In the meantime, mix the flours with the baking powder and the xanthan gum.

Once the egg whites and the sugar are stiff and shiny, add the egg yolk and whisk the batter for an extra couple of seconds in order to make it consistent in colour. It will roughly take 10-12 minutes.

Sieve the flours in a bowl and gently mix the dough with a spatula from bottom to top (do not break the air bubbles).

Line a baking tray with oven paper.

Scoop the dough inside a tip-less piping bag and create a series of strips (do not make them too thin: the trick is to hold the piping bag slightly lifted up). Sprinkle with copious caster sugar

Bake on the middle shelf of a static oven at 160° for 20 minutes.

The trick for a successful outcome is: THE MERINGUE

Catanese Cartucciate

Mix for 250 g of flour: 170 g of fine rice 50 g of tapioca starch 30 g of potato starch 4 g of teff 5 g of xanthan gum

Ingredients: 40 g of granulated sugar 6 of salt (1 tablespoon) 40 g of lard 1 whole egg 170 g of water 1 tablespoon of honey

For glazing: one egg yolk

For gilding: 1 egg yolk and teeny tiny bit of milk

For the filling: Ham Mozzarella

Tomato sauce Black olives in brine Oregano Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation: Mix together the different types of flour.

Prepare the poolish with 100 g of flour mix, 170 g of water, 12.5 g of yeast, 1 tablespoon of honey (baby food consistency)

After 1 hour of leavening, put the poolish and the remaining flour in the mixer. Add sugar, lard, zest, egg and knead with a spatula for bread. When all ingredients are blended in almost entirely, add a pinch of salt.

Cover the bowl and let the dough leaven for 1 h and 30 minutes in the switched off oven.

In the meantime, prepare the stuffing: chop the mozzarella, the ham and the olives, season in a bowl the tomato sauce with oregano, salt and olive to taste.

Put the dough on the pastry board and divide it into 4 further doughs that I am going to roll out using my hands (about 3mm), glaze the edges with the egg yolk and put the stuffing in the middle.

Close the cartucciata with the spatula

Lay the cartucciata on a greased tray (no butter) and glaze with beaten egg yolk and a tiny bit of milk.

Cook in static oven at 200° for 17 minutes.

Tagliatelle

Ingredients for 4 servings

Mix for 400 g of flour: 123 g of buckwheat 23 g of quinoa 100 g of corn starch 100 g of tapioca starch 49 g of potato starch 5 g of xanthan gum

Ingredients:

6 egg yolks

180 g of water

15 g of salt

Preparation:

Mix well the flours.

Add all the ingredients in the mixer's bowl, except for the water.

Knead with a bread spatula and add the water as you go along and let it absorb the water. Make sure that it is not too soft. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin; use some fine rice flour.

Cut into thin strips.

Cook in boiling salted water straight away; do not leave to dry.

Be careful: they cook very quickly, in about 2-3 minutes.

Saffron and Leek Sauce

Quantity for 400 g of pasta:

Ingredients:

1 leek and a half

80 g of milk

160 g of parmigiano reggiano

2 0.125 g saffron sachets

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Mince the leek and fry it in extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan on a low heat.

When well cooked, add 80 g of milk and melt the saffron in it, always on a low heat.

When it boils, add the parmigiano reggiano and cook until it is melted and well mixed with the rest of the sauce (about 3-4 minutes).

Pour on the pasta right out of the pan and mix well. Serve immediately.

Sponge Cake

Ingredients for 8:

Mix for 200 g of flour:

85 g of fine rice flour

85 g of tapioca starch

30 g of potato starch

1 g of xantham gum

Ingredients:

200 g of eggs

160 g of granulated sugar

1 sachet of vanillin

A pinch of salt

Preparation:

Add the sugar to both egg whites and egg yolks (do not separate the whites from the yolk).

Beat the eggs for 13-15 minutes (do not worry, it works; the eggs will not set out). The consistency of the dough should allow you to create some drawings with it. In the meantime, mix well the flours with the vanillin.

After beating up the eggs, sieve the flour and add it to the batter. Gently mix the batter with a spatula from bottom to top. The tricks is not breaking the air bubbles within the batter.

Pour the batter in a round baking tray (24cm x 6cm) that you have previously greased and floured with rice flour. Gently shake the baking tray in order to level the batter (do not shake vigorously, or the air bubbles will break).

Cook in static oven at 160° for 45 minutes. Then, let it cool in the oven for 10 minutes. Do not open the oven or the dough will sink.

Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

Sponge cake

500 g of custard cream

500 g of cream

Chocolate chips

Fruits to taste

Cocoa powder

For wetting the sponge cake:

Almond milk

Preparation:

Cut the sponge cake over a 18 cm round lid or plate.

Cut the cake in half. Always keep the palm of your hand on the top of it in order for it not to break.

Wet the sponge cake with the almond milk by using a brush. Wet only the base. Try not to exaggerate.

With a piping bag, pipe the custard cream in spirals starting from the centre.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the custard cream.

Add the second disk on top of the custard cream and brush with the almond milk.

Add a couple of teaspoons of cream. Then, level it with a slightly wet knife. Every once in a while, clean the knife with a damp cloth.

Create a wavelike pattern along the edges with a star-tipped piping bag.

Decorate to taste the top layer. Add the fruit and sprinkle the chocolate powder or powdered almonds.

Milk flavoured biscuits

Portion for 8 big biscuits

Mix for 280 g of flour: 140 g of potato starch

120 g of fine rice flour

20 g of tapioca starch

1.5 g of xanthan gum

Ingredients:

80 g of sugar

1 small egg (about 55 g)

60 g of milk

40 g of lard

1 sachet of baking ammonia (8 g)

1 sachet of vanillin

Flavouring:

Cinnamon

Vanillin

Anise

Sesame

Preparation:

Put in the mixer the flours, the vanillin, the ammonia powder and mix thoroughly. Do not mix the ammonia with milk, but add the former to the flour mix before adding any liquid. Add sugar, egg and lard.

Add half the milk. Then, pour the rest of the milk slowly until the dough is soft enough.

Either add one flavouring inside the mixer if you want one single flavour for all the biscuits, or add the flavouring one at a time when kneading the single biscuit. Knead for a few minutes. Use a bread spatula.

Work the dough straight away or the biscuits will not leaven well enough as the ammonia will evaporate.

Put the dough on the pastry board, and with the help of the fine rice flour (do not use a lot of it: it is better to dust your hand with flour) create a cylinder and section it into 4 portions.

Mix each portion with a flavouring. Then, shape the dough like a roll, cut it in half. Roll each part on the flavouring.

Shape the biscuits like a braid. Then, put them on a tray covered in baking paper.

Glaze the biscuits with milk (not the cinnamon ones, if you have decided to use that flavouring).

Bake at 200° for about 20 minutes in a static oven.

Bioscia cu tuppu

Mix for 300 g of total flour: 180 g of fine rice flour 60 g of tapioca starch 60 g of potato starch 5 g of xanthan gum

Ingredients: two eggs, 1 egg white 1 tablespoon of honey 12.5 g of brewer's yeast 105 g of milk 60 g of granulated sugar 45 g of lard 1 level tablespoon of salt Grated zest of organic lemon, orange or tangerine, as required.

To gild: 1 egg yolk and teeny tiny bit of milk

Preparation:

Prepare the poolish with: 150 g of milk, 12.5 g of yeast, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of wildflower honey and 100 g of the flour mix. Do not heat up the milk as it would cause the egg to go bad. After 1 hour of leavening, put the poolish and the remaining flour in the mixer.

Add sugar, lard, zest, egg and egg white, and knead with a spatula for bread. When all ingredients are blended in almost entirely, add a pinch of salt.

Put the dough on the pastry board and with the hands greased with corn oil, create 6 balls and 6 domes. Place them on a tray greased with oil. Put each dome on top of each ball with the help of a rounded knife.

Cover the tray and leave to leavening for 1 hour and a half inside the oven (turned off).

Brush the brioche with the yolk beaten with the milk. Bake at 180° for 20 minutes in a static oven.

Graffe

Amounts for 8 medium sized graffe

Mix for 365 g of flour: 65 g of corn starch 100 g of tapioca starch 70 g of fine rice flour 130 g of potato starch 1.5 g of xanthan gum

Ingredients:

1 egg white 45 g of water 120 g of milk 1 tablespoon of honey 12.5 g of brewer's yeast

70 g of granulated sugar 40 g of lard A pinch of salt Grated zest of organic lemon, orange or tangerine, as required. Granulated sugar, as required.

Preparation:

Prepare the poolish with 100 g of mixed flours, 100 g of milk, 12.5 g of yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey.

After 1 hour of leavening, put the poolish and the remaining flour in the mixer.

Add sugar, lard, zest, the remaining milk, water and egg white, and knead with a spatula for bread.

When all ingredients are blended in almost entirely, add a pinch of salt.

Put the dough on the pastry board. With the hands greased with corn oil, create 8 strings of dough, then close them up and create 8 ring cakes (do not worry, the process will get much easier after the leavening).

Cover the tray and leave to leavening for 1 hour and 15 minutes inside the oven (turned off).

Dip the ring cakes in boiling oil by using a spatula (otherwise, the cakes will either lose their shapes or break).

Deep fry in peanut oil for 1-2 minutes per each side depending on the oil temperature (it can vary from 180° to 200°). Turn them around often.

The oil has to be boiling in order for the inside of the graffa to stay fluffy.

Drain the excess oil for a minute. Then, roll them in granulated sugar. Eat warm.

Pineapple Pie

Mix for 220 g of flour: 140 g of fine rice flour

80 g of potato starch

Ingredients:

1 can of pineapple in syrup, roughly 10 slices

3 whole eggs

A pinch of salt

1 sachet of baking powder

140 g of corn oil

180 g of sugar

30 g of butter

Shelled walnuts, as required

Preparation:

Put aside three spoons full of sugar and the butter.

Add all the remaining ingredients in a bowl, add 60 g of pineapple syrup and whisk for about 3 minutes (use the same whisk for whipping the cream).

Grease the baking tray with 30 g of melted butter and pour the three spoons full of sugar. Lay over the pineapple slices and the walnuts to cover the holes. Pour over the dough and level it.

Cook at 160° for 50 minutes in a static oven.

Choux pastry or beignet

Servings: 12 medium to large beignets

Mix for 110 g of flour:

44 g of corn starch

37 g of fine rice flour

29 g of tapioca starch

1.5 g of xanthan gum

Ingredients:

113 g of eggs (2 eggs)

125 g of water

50 g of butter

2 tablespoons of sugar

A tiny hint of salt

Preparation:

Put in a saucepan water, butter, sugar and salt.

Melt the butter on a low flame.

Turn on the heat and bring to boil. Then, turn off the stove.

Add the flours, only after mixing them up well.

Leave to cool in order to prevent the eggs to cook.

Add the eggs to the batter and gently knead with the mixer's whisk until the dough is smooth, yet not too soft.

The dough is perfect when using a tablespoon, it falls over leaving a triangle shape on the spoon.

Butter the baking pan. Then, remove the excess grease with a napkin.

Bake at 180° for 40 minutes in a ventilated oven. Then, turn off the oven and leave the beignets to rest for another 40 minutes in order for them to dry on the inside.

Chocolate Frosting

Easy and highly recommended recipe

Ingredients:

120 g of chocolate

40 g of butter

Preparation:

Chop up the chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie.

Add the butter in cubes inside the pot and mix it together with the melted chocolate.

Cocoa icing

Used for this recipe

Ingredients: 120 of dark cocoa

200 g of sugar 120 ml of water

Preparation: Pour the dark cocoa and the sugar in a pot and add a little water.

Using a metal spoon, mix well in order to create a cream without lumps. When it is well mixed, add the remaining water.

Heat the mix above a light flame.

Keep stirring with a wooden spoon and bring to boil.

When it boils, turn off the heat and let cool down.

For the glazing, take the empty beignet, dip it half into the chocolate, place it on a plate. Put the plate in the fridge to set.

For the filling, pierce the beignet with the tip of the piping bag. Then, fill the beignet with the cream.