seasonal recipes from a recovering pastry chef
When January rolls around, I’m always grateful for the bright orbs of juicy, sweet citrus fruits that fill the market. Clementines, satsumas, blood oranges, cara caras, grapefruit, meyer lemons, kumquats, and bergamots refresh the palate after the decadence of December. When life gives you a rainbow of citrus fruits, indulge in these vibrant gluten-free and vegetarian winter citrus recipes. From citrus salads to citrus desserts, they’re sure to bring edible sunshine to your kitchen.
This silky, creamy, dark chocolate pudding gets its luscious flavor and texture from an unlikely ingredient: sweetened condensed coconut milk. Optionally vegan and dairy-free. From Extra Helping by Janet Elsbach.
According to the dictionary, the definition of the Yiddish word “mensch” is “a person of integrity and honor.” That uptight definition doesn’t even begin to do justice to my friend Janet, author of the blog A Raisin and a Porpoise, the book Extra Helping, and this glorious chocolate pudding recipe.
Closer is this definition from ThoughtCo:
A mensch is someone who is responsible, has a sense of right and wrong, and is the sort of person other people admire. A mensch shows up for her friends. In English, the word has come to mean “a good-hearted, dependable, solid person.” Menschlichkeit is a related Yiddish word used to describe the collective qualities that make someone a mensch.
But my definition of “mensch” is simply: Janet.
With a cocoa almond crust, vanilla crème fraîche custard, and mulled wine poached pears, this gluten-free pear custard tart makes a showstopping holiday dessert. Thanks to Bi-Rite Market for sponsoring this post!
I’m a total sucker for specialty grocery stores, and I’ve been a fan of San Francisco’s legendary Bi-Rite market since I moved here in 2004. At the original location on 18th street, Bi-Rite packs an enormous selection of goodies into their tiny 2,000-square-foot space: uncommon seasonal produce, local cheeses, exquisite chocolates, and sweet treats from their creamery across the street. I always find new-to-me local, artisanal, organic treats to try, making it well worth the effort of navigating narrow aisles and joining my fellow SF foodies in line.
This gluten free chocolate bundt cake gets its fudgy interior and fine crumb from nutrient-rich teff flour plus loads of butter and crème fraîche, all crowned with dark chocolate ganache. Thanks to Vermont Creamery for sponsoring this post!
I’ve always felt a bit intimidated by bundt cakes. They’re just so BIG, and they bring with them so many opportunities for things to go wrong. They can come out dry, burn on the outside while staying raw inside, or stick, cement-like, to the interior of the pan. I’ve baked and styled my fair share of bundt cakes for NYT over the years (in fact the very first recipe that Sarah and I styled for them was this tunnel-of-fudge cake baked in a bundt pan!) But nine years into this site, I thought it was finally time to embrace the bundt.
A vegetarian take on the Southern favorite shrimp and grits, aka Shrooms and Grits! Creamy grits loaded with cheddar cheese support meaty king oyster, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms seasoned with tomatoes, peppers, and a splash of cream.
This pillow of creamy grits on which rest a mess of meaty mushrooms in buttery tomato sauce is winter comfort food at its best. I adapted this dish from a recipe that Sarah and I styled for The New York Times last year. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I slipped a spoonful of ultra cheesy, creamy grits and tomato-based sauce into my mouth. Since I’m mostly vegetarian these days, I vowed someday to try the recipe with seared mushrooms swapped in for the shrimp.
Going gluten free doesn’t have to mean going without dessert! These gluten free pies, tarts, and galettes go beyond traditional pumpkin and apple, and they’re delicious enough to offer up at any holiday table, whether or not your guests are gluten free. The recipes use whole grain flours, nuts, seeds, and fruit for an added nutritional boost, and no gums ever.
