by Tamara Kaye Sellman

Last month I wrote about my purchase of a pressure cooker and my desire to make refried beans.

Of course, it hasn’t happened yet.  Now I know why.

There are certain devices in my culinary arsenal that I generally don’t use, though my husband uses them. They include things that promise large blasts of heat or smoke or power-tool like effects: the gas grill, the Li’l Chief smoker, the salamander (that little blow torch you use for crème brulee), the pressure canner, and now, the pressure cooker.

I’ve always yielded to his whims with the grill because, frankly, he likes to cook, too, and the grill is one of those things that men gravitate to. The grill is Man territory, where I come from. I know I could use the grill if I wanted to, but I don’t because, really, I’ve deeded that territory to him. When we have our annual neighborhood ribs and pie fest over Labor Day weekend, you can guess that he’ll be making the ribs, and I’ll be baking the pie.

The smoker is something I’ve never used, again, because it seems like it really belongs in his hands. My husband has used it, primarily, to smoke trout and salmon. Let’s face it, he catches the fish, he has a right to cook it up the way he wants, no? (And it’s good stuff, let me tell you.)

The salamander is on my Most Wanted (To Put To Good Use) list for 2010. Neither of us have used it. I balk at it because I’ve still got to figure out how to add the butane. I’m sure it’s a matter of clicking one little cartridge into place and I’m off to the races, but this is unknown territory for me, so the little torch remains prone in the storage closet until I get me up some gumption.

This summer, I’ll have to find that gumption anyway because I want to join the Canvolution. You know what I mean, right? The renaissance of home canning that’s swept the nation? I just went through the last of my freezer fruit sauces and jams and began to wonder about the amount of energy it takes to keep them on ice, when really, all I need to do is can up my blueberry preserves, my raspberry sauce, my strawberry jam, maybe some peaches and cherries, and stick them on a basement shelf, no watts required.

But if I’m going to join the Canvolution, I’m going to need to get over working with the pressure canner. There’s something about the gauges, the whistling steam, the high heat, that make me worry that something in my kitchen’s gonna blow every time the device comes out of storage. But recently I realized that the pressure canner I have, with its PSI gauge on top, is really less to be afraid of than the smaller pressure cooker I recently bought. After all, there’s no guesswork with the big boy: just keep the needle on the designated number and everything works out fine.

Ideally. I’m still concerned I’ll let off the pressure incorrectly and leave my family planted with bits of shrapnel and stewed tomatoes before the doing’s done. I’m not alone in that fear, unfounded or not. Whenever I bring up pressure cookers with friends of mine who like they cook, the vast majority of them express intense feelings of ambivalence about them. On the one hand, they know they save a lot of time in the kitchen and work very well for cheap cuts of meat, beans and grains, soups and stews… but what about that little issue with unsupervised chemistry?

And my new pressure cooker… it doesn’t have a gauge! What? That freaks me out! You have to watch the little rocker top respond to the heat and time accordingly. With all the precision instruments I have in my kitchen, this one seems horribly out of place. You can’t take the lid off the thing to see how you’re food’s doing, you have only this shiny black cap doing the hula on the lid to confirm things are in working order…

Though I must add that the new pressure cooker does work. Well, in fact. Not that I would know first hand. I know only because my husband’s put it to good use several times already. It doesn’t seem to worry him that catastrophe could be just a few degrees away.

So this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to face my fear. I’m going to sort a bag of beans tonight, and soak them, and tomorrow night, I’m going to cook them up on my own. The way I see it, once I master Little Boy, I’ll be able to take on Fat Man later this spring when the farmer’s market opens.

Wish me luck, and if you don’t hear from me next month, it’ll probably be because I’m laid up in the hospital recovering from shrapnel wounds and steam burns.

All in the name of food science, right?

Bio: Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed The Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

“You take what’s on hand and apply to that a little imagination, a sense of timing, to make those ingredients yield what you want.”

by Tamara Kaye Sellman

Laura Kalpakian has received a National Endowment of the Arts, a Pushcart Prize, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, and the first Anahid Literary Award for an American Writer of Armenian descent. Her novels include American Cookery, Steps and Exes, Graced Land, Caveat, and These Latter Days. Her short fiction has been gathered in three collections, including Fair Augusto, which won the PEN/West Award for Best Short Fiction.

Kalon Kitchen: In American Cookery you include a lot of recipes that I suspect are original family favorites. Where (or from whom) did you acquire these recipes? If readers were to make them, would they succeed?

Laura Kalpakian: They are family recipes, created, tested, tinkered with, and enjoyed in my own kitchen amid the flurry and upheaval of everyday life. I chose them very carefully. I wanted them to reflect the span of seasons and the span of possibilities, from unique desserts to finger food. I wanted them to reflect different cultural and geographical areas, like the Famous All the Way to Memphis Barbecue Sauce from the Arkansas cook, to the Copper River salmon recipe from the Northwest. Then too, I chose recipes that did not require exotic ingredients, exquisite techniques, or expensive equipment. Lastly, I wanted them to reflect the novel’s title and fundamental thematic: they should come from a variety of traditions, each altered by that family’s or individual’s experience. The taste of “home” is a powerful connector to the past, and in that regard, going into the kitchen, you actually can recreate the past. However, there were some foods, like “Emotional Cornbread,” central and pervasive in the novel, but which have no recipe. A taste, texture, aroma that potent in memory (and the novel) would be diminished by a recipe.

There were literary considerations in my choices, too. Clearly, each recipe had to reflect on the character who appears in that chapter. With that in mind, at least one, Kitty’s Resurrection Pie, is meant to tell the reader about Kitty, not to be tried in the kitchen! However, for all the others, yes, they’re meant to be undertaken. American Cookery is an ambitious novel, not to be merely read, but to be experienced. Nothing would make me happier than to know that the reader took it into the kitchen, that the book was splattered, and battered. The recipes are written in a casual, colloquial fashion, as your old Auntie might jot it down for you, so there’s leeway for the reader’s, the cook’s own improvisations.

KK: Why were you attracted to the subject of food for this novel?

LK: Because everybody has to eat! The novel takes the old adage, “Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you what you are,” as an epigram. Food sustains the body, but it also sustains the imagination and the culture and the family and creates a set of values that are hard to shake off as one grows up, grows older. I believe—and the novel echoes the notion—that living and cooking are very much analogous. In each you take what you have on hand (your circumstances, your ingredients so to speak) and fashion it, as best you can, into what you want. Inevitably, there are compromises. Not everything turns out as one hopes. But the effort is daily and ongoing. A process.

KK: If you could celebrate one thing that best epitomizes American food culture, what would it be?

LK: I would celebrate that there is no one thing that best epitomizes American food culture. Authentic in America ought to be plural: authenticities abound. I like to watch the ways in which recipes come to belong to the person who makes them. Passed on to another, she will make her own adjustments and it will belong to her. That too is process. I prefer process to product.

Bio: Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed The Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tamara Kaye Sellman

One of the fastest growing areas of dietary concern focuses on food-related sensitivities that wreak havoc with our systems. Celiac disease (or sprue), is an autoimmune disease in which ingested glutens and other related proteins damage the small intestine’s lining. Gluten is the key protein in wheat flour, but it’s also found in barley, rye, and (potentially) oats.

This means, in a nutshell, that people who suffer from celiac disease cannot consume any of these foods at any level without feeling ill. The challenge for people in this category, however, goes far beyond avoiding wheat, barley, rye and other gluten-producing cereals, though avoiding all breads and other baked goods is hard enough for the average person. It’s in identifying the addition of these cereals in processed and prepared foods.

Gluten appears in all sorts of other foods that one might not associate with gluten at all, such as:

Self-basting turkeys, suet, imitation krab, sausages, lunch meat, bleu cheese, gravy powders, baked beans, alcohol, dried mustard, instant coffee, cheap chocolate, licorice, chutneys, pickles, salad dressings, spices, malt vinegar… even some cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and toothpastes.

Virtually everything pre-made thing you buy at the store requires some form of gluten, to bind or thicken its contents, or for flavoring. If you check the labels on cans and boxes of prepared foods, you’ll likely find the additions of food starch, malt, fillers, binders, thickeners—all things that the gluten intolerant person must avoid.

Suddenly, the diet for the average person with celiac disease is greatly limited to raw fruits and vegetables, fresh meats… and that’s about it. They are forced to become vigilant about deciphering food labels, cooking from scratch to avoid unwanted ingredients, and skimming the restaurant menu very carefully.

Celiac affects approximately 3 million Americans, or 1 in 133 healthy people. It’s more common than epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, colitis and other disabling diseases. It’s genetic as well. If left undiagnosed or untreated, it can lead to the development of other autoimmune disorders, as well as osteoporosis, infertility, neurological conditions—even cancer.

You can imagine that the comfort of baked goods will be the first things celiac disease sufferers will miss as they adjust their diets. Bread is a breakfast-time staple in the US; sandwiches make for easy lunch, and pasta, quick work for dinner. The good news is that there are many gluten-free cereals, breads and pastas now available to stand in for their gluten-rich cousins.

Still, if you’re a person who has been diagnosed with celiac disease and you loved to bake, you may find yourself in tough spot. What to do about all those ingredients you can no longer use?

The Celiac Sprue Association offers a great resource for developing your own basic gluten-free flour mixes to use in home baking; these recipes were developed by home economists Mary Schluckebier, Carol Fenster,  and Bette Hagman to suit a variety of purposes (such as for making bread, pastry, cookies, pasta, or as a simple substitute). The trick comes in finding the right blend of gluten-free flours (rice flour, arrowroot flour, buckwheat flour, corn flour, soya flour, tapioca flour) to yield the best possible result in flavor, texture and baking performance.

One key ingredient for successful gluten-free baking is xanthan gum. This polysaccharide (corn-based, fermented product) is used to thicken, bind and emulsify gluten-free ingredients. Without xanthan gum you may end up with loose baking batters and doughs that don’t bind together. You can find xanthan gum at health food stores and, more recently, in the bulk foods section at the grocery store.

Home cooks have arrived at some basic common guidelines for incorporating xanthan gum into gluten-free flour blends. For bread and pizza dough, the addition of 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum per each cup of gluten-free flour works. For cakes, muffins and quick breads, add ½ teaspoon to one cup of gluten-free flour. And for cookies and bars, a scant ½ teaspoon per cup of gluten-free mix should give you the best results.

Here are three easy and classic recipes for enjoying gluten-free foods.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

A flourless chocolate cake is really more a creamy fudge-like torte than a cake. This recipe will come out a little sticky, but that is the desired result. Restaurants often serve their flourless chocolate cakes on a small pool of raspberry sauce for a reason: it’s delicious! Choose the best quality chocolate available to you when you make this.

7 oz semisweet or darker chocolate (anywhere from 45 to 61% cocoa)
4 eggs, separated

1 cup (220 g) sugar, divided
1½ sticks of butter softened to room temperature and cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch cake pan, then line it the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat the egg yolks into half of the sugar in medium bowl. Reserve.

Break the chocolate into small pieces. Place in a glass microwave container. Add butter pieces. Cook on HIGH in the microwave 1 minute; stir to combine melting chocolate and butter. Cook on HIGH 30 seconds and stir again. If chocolate and butter aren’t entirely melted, cook on HIGH for 30 seconds more. Watch carefully, as you don’t want to scorch your mixture. In most home microwaves, chocolate should melt evenly into butter after 1 minute 30 seconds.

Fold the reserved egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture; set aside.

Beat egg whites until frothy with an electric mixer; gradually add the remaining half of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Pour cake batter into prepared cake pan.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 40 minutes. Use the flat edge of a butter knife or frosting knife to separate the cake from the parchment paper. Cake will be very sticky.

Serve warm or cold with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar (or both).  Or do like the restaurant chefs do and bring out the raspberry sauce!

Makes 12 servings

Recipe ©2009 Tamara Kaye Sellman

Basic Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie

Listen, you won’t know the difference, and neither will your kids. Frost these with a simple glaze of  1 cup confectioner’s sugar with ½ teaspoon of your favorite flavoring extract and enough milk (add by the teaspoon) to make the proper consistency. Add food coloring if you like, as well.

2½ cups gluten free flour mix (popular brands include Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill, Namaste)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2½ teaspoons of xanthan gum*

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup margarine
½ cup butter

1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla (no additives)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Combine flour mix, baking powder, xanthan gum (if necessary) and nutmeg in large bowl; set aside.

Cream margarine and butter with sugar in a mixer bowl. Blend in egg and vanilla. Mix well; the more light and whipped the batter, the better.

In stages, blend in dry ingredients until completely incorporated.

Refrigerate cookie dough at least one hour. When the dough is properly chilled, roll it out to a ½-inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.

Bake cookies on an ungreased baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Allow to cool on racks before frosting, if desired.

Yield depends upon size and shape of cookie cutters

*Check labels: You won’t need to add xanthan gum if your gluten-free flour mix already contains it. Also look for guar gum on the label of your flour mix; if it’s present, you won’t need to add xanthan gum.

Recipe ©2009 Tamara Kaye Sellman

Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

I can’t imagine an American household going without pizza for even a week. Fortunately, there’s hope yet for homemade Friday night pie. This particular recipe does not call for yeast, so it can be made up and used right away—perfect for a busy Friday night.

2 cups gluten free flour mix (popular brands include Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill, Namaste)

2 teaspoons xanthan gum*

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1½ cups seltzer water

Sauces and toppings as desired

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a pizza pan and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients (except herbs) first. Grind dried herbs in a mill or mortar and pestle, then stir into flour mixture.

Stir in oil and water and combine well to form a sticky dough. Spread into a circle on prepared pizza pan, dipping fingers in warm water to keep from sticking to the dough.

Bake crust 20 minutes. Remove from oven; add desired sauces and toppings, then return pizza to oven to bake another 15 minutes or until cheeses are melted and toppings are heated through.

Makes 1 pizza crust

*Check labels: You won’t need to add xanthan gum if your gluten-free flour mix already contains it. Also look for guar gum on the label of your flour mix; if it’s present, you won’t need to add xanthan gum.

Recipe ©2009 Tamara Kaye Sellman

Disclaimer: Consume these recipes at your own risk; they do not take into consideration any food allergies that you may have. Kalön assumes no liability if you consume foods, called for or referred to in any way in these recipes, to which you are allergic.

Bio: Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed the Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

by Tamara Kaye Sellman

Connie May Fowler is the author of the soon-to-be-released novel, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly (April 2010) plus The Problem with Murmur Lee, Remembering Blue, When Katie Wakes: A Memoir, Before Women Had Wings, River of Hidden Dreams and Sugar Cage. She also served for two years as the author behind the food column, “Savoring Florida” and in her earlier years worked as a caterer and a bartender. She is the founder of Below Sea Level: Full Immersion Workshops for Serious Writers http://www.writingbelowsealevel.com/). She reveals at her website that, “…if this writing thing doesn’t work out, she fancies herself attending Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy not in Atlanta, not in Miami, but in Paris.” Looks like the writing thing worked out after all, but maybe Ms. Fowler will still find a way to make her way overseas for some cooking lessons…

Kalon Kitchen: How do you describe the Floridian style of cooking?

Connie May Fowler: Florida cooking is as diverse as the people who live here.  In coastal communities, there is an abundance of fresh seafood.  In the interior, we have citrus, cattle, and vegetables such as Ruskin tomatoes and Zellwood sweet corn.  We’re blessed with a long growing season.  Because we are a cultural gumbo, every group who makes Florida home, puts their own stamp on the fresh ingredients grown and raised here.

KK: Do you mention food as a cultural element or influence in your new novel? What about your other novels?

CMF: In How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly, Clarissa can’t figure out how to make her mother’s blackberry cobbler, which was the only thing her mother cooked that was edible.  But at the end, during a cataclysmic event, as she sees her life pass before her, it comes to her: The dessert wasn’t a cobbler at all but a blackberry-and-dumpling divination.

Probably the book that centers most fully on food is Remembering Blue.  It’s set along the shores of the northern Gulf of Mexico, in the panhandle, so seafood is terribly important.  The book features a robust Greek American fishing family who partake in the local bounty with near religious fervor: Apalachicola oysters, bay shrimp, blue crab, stone crab, flounder, and more.  My protagonist, Mattie, doesn’t know how to cook, so when she marries into this amazing family, she’s introduced to both Florida and Greek cuisines.

KK: If you could celebrate one thing that best epitomizes American food culture, what would it be?

CMF: Again, diversity.  It’s our strength as a nation and is the backbone of our culinary heritage.  Each culture brings with them a treasure trove of knowledge, much of it food-based.  The individual cuisines and the resulting fusions are what American food culture is all about.

Bio: Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed The Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!