With a cherry on top

Today's Pairing Post

Yes - it is a another antipasti platter but with carefully selected items to be eaten together... Yum!

Charcuterie    Toscano salumi and Lonzino

Olives: Sicillian green

Bread:  Greatful Bread Everything Crackers

Cheese: Sbrinz - Raw cows milk from Switzerland; Mozzarella di Bufala from Italy; Fresh Chevre from Georgia; Rembrandt aged gouda from Holland

Gluten-free Apple Tart

My gluten-free baking experiment....  not because I'm trendy, or celiac - but because I am curious.

There is a lot of information out there about how many people actually have Celiac disease or may be gluten intolerant/sensitive.   However, it does seem to be the trendy self-diagnosis as well.   I too very briefly tried going gluten free for a while, but it is simply not possible for me.  First and foremost - I have my doubts about the nutritional value of going wheat free without a doctor telling me to do so and then helping me with the process.   With those doubts, the amount of concentration devoted to eliminating the offending grains became overbearing.  

Instead, I choose to enjoy everything I eat. Spending huge portions of my time and energy worrying about it takes all the joy out of a meal.  

I subscribe to the Slow Food principles of paying attention to my food and understanding where it comes from, but also to taking time to savor the cooking and the consuming of my meals.  Choose to appreciate the good food!

With all of that said, I still decided to try making a gluten free dessert....

Shrinky dinks!! Creative Christmas ideas

My friends and I began a tradition recently - an annual dinner and craft night - to make shrinky-dink holiday ornaments.   We all have very different styles overall, so of course our decorations have vastly different looks.   Plus the skill levels vary a lot in the coloring and cutting out process too.

Shrinky Dinks were started in the 1970's and I remember making them in the 80's with my friends for holiday decorations.  We also would make window ornaments that looked like stained glass by shaving crayons onto wax paper.

Today's Pairing Post -- grilled cheese with cornichons

Some things just say fall weather comfort food - like grilled cheese sandwiches!!

There are lots of ways to amp up the traditional combo of melted cheddar between buttery slices of bread - this just happens to be one of my personal favorites: add cornichons and use sunflower bread.

Cool Stuff to Follow -- Updated

There are far too many blogs and sites posting all sorts of information online about food and about global news - culinary, political, environmental, etc.   I think that all of these categories are inexorably and intimately linked.   The problem is the overwhelming amount of information available.   How does one sort through it all and find the time to follow anything with depth?  I am still working on this problem myself.  I'll let you know when I come up with a solution.   In the meantime, I will continue to update my list of sites which feel contain something worth checking out.
Today I am adding two: Modern Farmer and Global Post.

Antipasti - A Super Simple Dinner

Barely Buzzed, Point Reyes Toma -- Genoa salami, Bresaola, Saucisson Sec -- Semolina

Sometimes you just don't have the energy, time or inclination to "cook" dinner.  This does not mean that you can't still eat well. Avoid the fast food drive-thru or the frozen meal in your fridge....

Grab what is was easily available from the grocery and/or market ( I have an advantage here - hooray for working in a wonderful gourmet shop) and put together your own antipasti platter.

Cheese/Bread/Charcuterie/Wine - pick whatever combination sparks your imagination.  Or do like I do and ask the experts behind the counter.  I've got the cheese and bread under control but I like to see what the folks at the meat counter or the wine shop recommend.

And then for dessert; hot tea and fruit.    Plenty of the meal will be seasonal choices - particularly the cheese and fruit.   And the best part of this dinner?   You will probably have enough leftover for lunch the next day.  

For fall - pear and earl grey tea