Carrot Believe I've Done It Again

What do you get when you accidentally order x bags of carrots instead of x carrots? Gluten-free carrot cake surely!

I could have made a dozen cakes...

It's not the first time such a miscalculation has happened, shamefully, but we do cook dinner at home most nights so they will most certainly be consumed. One thing I've learned from all this baking malarkey is that my preference for working with dough over batter has tipped heavily in favour of the former. Like a combination of my being able to read a bread dough better than a batter, the resilience of dough itself, and the satisfaction of working with my hands. And at least baking a cake gives the gluten-free self-raising flour a purpose in life.

Hole in One

Gluten-Free Bagels

My proudest baking endeavour to date: gluten-free bagels. Attempted and nailed No Gluten, No Problem's recipe, substituting the artisan flour with Doves Farm Gluten Free Bread Flour and still opting for the extra xanthan gum. I nearly omitted the second egg white in the initial dough but thankfully Paul came in to the kitchen and pointed out that I evidently suck at counting to two. I added the second egg-white before the divide and shape, which made everything alarmingly slick but once incorporated it was fine. Crisis averted. The recipe provided some excellent tips, namely proving in a hot, damp oven, and the pre-boil flash baking; steps that might be tempting to curtail but I'm convinced they add to the authenticity of these bagels. That being said, nothing will ever beat a Montreal bagel in my heart and if I could recreate that perfectly circumferential contour, I'd be immensely pleased with myself as texture and crust of these bad boys are otherwise damn near perfect, even as a gluten-free bagel.

Next time, let's try doubling the batch. While the effort was well worth it even for just four, it seems silly not to make more when I know they will turn out and be eaten. Half the process is allowing them to rise and bake so it's enough down time to read a few chapters, and admittedly not clean the kitchen. File this one under 'Repeat'.

Word on the Mill

Our last night in Villa Minozzo happened to include a dinner in the town square, organised by a local football squad, featuring polenta, another Italian staple, effectively just cormeal boiled into a porridge-like consistency, which, when given time to set, makes for a wonderful accompaniment to stews; an outstanding alternative to pasta or mash. I was able to go behind the scenes and talk to the chefs preparing the polenta in massive vats and they assured me the mill that processes the polenta grains is separate from any wheat mill so there was little to no risk of cross contamination. I opted for more prosciutto as a side and I couldn't have been happier in a bath of champagne.

Most of the locals turn up for the al fresco wining and dining experience in the town square, as they do for any opportunity to enjoy summer nights, live music, and a bout of gossip.

Polenta in the town square

Training Plan

1. A dry September. Between softball, Italy, 1955 Hill Valley, and Amsterdam, August, you were a blast.

2. Three weekday morning/evening 5k runs per week.

3. One big run each weekend.

4. Salads and/or jacket potatoes for lunch at work to avoid being glutenized. They're generally good with labelling allergens but might as well eat healthy anyhow.

Such is my September training plan for the Ealing Half Marathon Am applying for a spot in the London Marathon through Coeliac UK. The prospect of the running and fundraising combined is quite daunting and I expect the competition for the 5 available spots to be tough but am up for the challenge.