Swing Eats

Every Super Bowl, my friends and I look forward to a giant hot bowl of chili to sit and watch the big football game. All my friends look forward to it. If I changed the menu, I do not know if they would be too happy. This chili sticks to your ribs, warms you up with the complex, deep flavors and slight heat from the chipotles (smoked jalapeños.) Ground meat, tomatoes, chili peppers, beans and a wide array of seasonings/aromatics are the basis of my recipe. With chili, the longer it cooks, the more the flavors marry together. I find this to be true with dishes that have a tomato base with many seasonings. That means you can throw it together after lunch, put it in the slow-cooker, and it will be perfect come game time. Leftovers are even better the next day, if there's any leftover. My favorite pairing for chili is jalapeño corn muffins. Gluten-free, of course. They are delicate, light, spongy, corny, slightly spicy and sweet. These little treats disappear quickl

  Mac & cheese is the ultimate comfort food. One of my friends was telling me about a crab mac-n-cheese she had at a new highly-rated restaurant.  I thought I can out do this by putting cream cheese into the sauce, adding in sauteed scallions, and add in lots of seasonings like nutmeg, garlic, and cayenne. I used my favorite Italian corn pasta made by Le Veniziane . The taste, texture, and appearance of Le Veniziane proves to be the best time after time for me, and everyone loves it regardless if they are gluten-free or not. I really like the idea of portioning out the six servings into individual ramekins. I only baked baked two in a toaster oven for a friend and me.  Covered the remaining ramekins with plastic wrap and store in either the fridge and freezer. Either way, just pop them into the toaster oven to bake off for easy weeknight dinner or for visiting friends for dinner. Makes cleanup way easier, too. And using the toaster oven saves energy and time. I feel t

When I was personal cheffing, my client was allergic to yeast, eggs, and lactose-intolerant in addition to having Celiac.   He lived in Chicago and grew fond of Chicago deep dish pizza before I started cooking for him and learning of his dietary restrictions.  My solution: using a crisped up polenta shell as the pizza pie crust, don't hold back on the fillings, and top with goat milk mozzarella (goat and sheep milk are naturally lactose-free).  Instant new pizza love.  It's just so different, yet very appealing while still obviously a deep dish pizza.  A pizza pie reinvented. While it takes longer to make this polenta pizza pie crust since it's made from dry polenta, it is easier than a traditional pizza crust.  The beauty lies in its natural rustic character, i.e., the more imperfect it is, the more appealing it is.  Another beauty of this recipe is you can tailor it to your likes and needs.  This pizza has two layers of filling: a spinach/sausage/shallot

  At any restaurant in Greece, you can find pastitsio. Pastitsio is a baked pasta casserole with a meat and tomato sauce and covered with a béchamel sauce. I clearly remember having pastitsio before going gluten-free and it was so good. More Greek dishes than not are naturally gluten-free. However, there are a handful of traditional Greek dishes that I occasionally long for that are filled with gluten. Greek cuisine is similar to Italian in regards to having standardized recipes that they have been using for hundreds to thousands of years. One of which is pastitsio.The gluten-free version is no more difficult to make than the standard version. The key as always is sourcing the best ingredients. I cannot stress the importance of using the best gluten-free pasta possible. My favorite is Italian corn pasta; Le Veneziane is the brand I stock up on. If you have a corn sensitivity, rice pasta works but it is imperative not to overcook, cooking to right at al dente . Pasti