OUTING # 1: Brown Bagging it at The Gamble House

OUTING: The Gamble House

4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena, California 91103

It was on a day, much like today, a little drizzly and overcast, that I told my walking buddy, "I gotta get out of town..." and so we drove to the east--five minutes--ending up in the beautiful neighborhood of palatial craftsman houses behind the Rose Bowl to walk and have a change of scenery.  We talk slash walked under the soaring trees lining the street, rounded the corner and ended here! Cue angelic voices: AAAAAAAAHHHHH.  We did a little investigating and found that we had actually stumbled upon...

 The Gamble House.  "I've been wanting to see it," my buddy said and we vowed to return-showered--to tour and so we did...

We arrived on a sunny afternoon at the historic "ultimate" bungalow with our sack lunches in hand.  Tuesday is sack lunch day--so you can bring your lunch and eat in the backyard of the house. The Gamble House was built in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble--of Proctor and Gamble--by the famous Arts and Crafts architect brothers Charles and Henry Greene.

We walked up the front steps and inspected the beautiful very solid front doors.  The Arts and Crafts movement put great value on incorporating the hand made decorative arts...thus the intricate stained glass designs... 

One more picture...got it!

We made our way around back noticing the picture glass windows that sit almost right on the porch floor...the Greene brothers desired their ultimate bungalows to feel like the house had grown up out of the land, an extension of their garden and landscape--and designed these windows to bring nature in.

We noticed a lantern light fixture now familiar to us as arts and crafts...

And glancing up at the timbers and beams...

the house looks and feels so solid and strong and permanent and...isn't that what we all want to feel at home?  

A bit Swiss Family Robinson, too, do you see that...sort of an ultimate tree house??

We arrived in the back yard to eat lunch before our tour.  If you feel like that lantern gives off a Japanese vibe...your right, the Greene brothers admired Japanese architecture.   Something they bumped into in Chicago at the World's Columbian Exhibition on their way out to Pasadena...

Well, here we are.  In a shower of sunlight, the tables set out for us...peanut butter and jelly, sun chips and cuties...

The tour crowds start to gather at the side entrance, waiting for the docents.

We are told to ring the doorbell...the door opens and WAH! we step into a bit of history and one of the most well built homes in America.  

Isn't it amazing what adventures we can find in our own neighborhoods??

Even if the bungalow style doesn't sing to you personally--the Gamble House will make an impression.

Enjoy!

the Good Food fairy

Chicken Strips

What child in America doesn't want chicken strips??  Boonie, my big guy, is no different.  So when he began a gluten-free diet, I set out to make all the foods he loved--gluten-free.  That meant chicken nuggets and these chicken strips pass the highest standard -- all three boys love them!

What you'll need:

boneless skinless chicken breasts

brown rice flour

garbanzo and fava bean flour

curry

salt pepper

buttermilk

egg

canola oil

lime (optional)

Wash and dry and trim the fat of five fully thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts.

We're gonna have to sacrifice a ziploc baggy to get our chicken breasts pounded to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Slip it inside the bag and pound out those frustrations with the flat side of the meat pounder.

The one on the left has not been pounded and the one on the right has been pounded.  Pound all of the breasts so that they are uniform in thickness.  This way they will cook uniformly and for the same amount of time. Cut each breast into strips.  I usually get four.

In one pie plate add 1/2 cup of brown rice flour and...

Garbanzo & Fava flour (Garbanzo flour is fine).

1 cup.

2 teaspoons salt...

2 tablespoons curry powder...hmmm...

and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Whisk it together--careful! so it doesn't all go spilling over the edge.

In a second pie plate add an egg...

3/4 cup buttermilk...we've been working through that buttermilk...

into the pie plate of wet stuff...

a tablespoon of canola oil

about a tablespoon of water...

and the juice of 1/2 a lime (if you don't have one, don't worry just keep going).  Whisk the wet stuff up really well.

Set up your assembly line of chicken strips, wet dip and flour dip.

Fork each strip a couple times so the wet dip will soak in.

Now we have to add about a 1/2 inch of canola oil (high-burning point oil--not olive) to a large stainless steel skillet.

This much oil.  Turn on the heat to medium-high for five minutes, then turn it down to medium for three minutes.

Dip the strips in the wet dip.

Let them soak while the oil is heating up.

Roll each strip in the flour mix.  I end up using my hands to roll it, pat it and whatever else to get it really covered with flour.

Lay the strips in the oil gently...don't overcrowd...

Stay with the strips and watch them...about four minutes and...

 and some will be ready to turn.

Turn with your fork when one side is golden browned.

When they're finished, they go onto paper towels to cool a bit.  Then I get the organic ketchup and mix up a big spoonful of mustard, a small spoonful of Dijon, a big spoonful of honey and a three drops of Tamari soy sauce (gluten-free) for a tangy honey mustard.  The Boys love it!

Yours will love them, too!

Enjoy,

The Good Food Fairy

GLUTEN-FREE CHICKEN STRIPS

Ingredients

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 cup garbanzo & fava bean flour 

2 tablespoons curry

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon water

canola oil for frying

Method

1. Prepare chicken strips.  Pound each chicken breast to uniform thickness (about 1/2 inch) and cut into strips.

2. In a shallow dish whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. In another shallow dish whisk together the wet ingredients.

4. Prick the chicken strips with a fork three times each or so and soak them in the buttermilk mix while the oil is preheating.

4. In a large skillet, add enough canola oil to come about a 1/2 inch up the sides of the skillet and preheat it over med-high heat for five minutes.  Then turn the heat down to medium for three minutes.

5. Dip the strips in the flour mixture until thoroughly covered and lay them gently in the oil.  

6. Cook until tdeep golden brown on each side (about 4-6 minutes on each side).  Remove to a platter lined with paper towels.  Serve with favorite dipping sauces.

*Frying tip: Allow the oil to heat up about a minutes in between each batch of strips.

MAGIC MOMENT # 5: WAHOOOOO!

A tree.  A rope.  A ladder.  Ahhhhh to be a kid...

Do you have to be a kid to try??  What do you do first?

Climb up ladder with rope...I can do that.

Hold on for dear life and...

Geronimo!  

On second thought, I'll just watch.

Have a great weekend!

the Good Food Fairy

&

Cinnamon, the dog

Banana Buttermilk Cream Pie

On  Sunday, I found a blizzard of crumbs at the foot of the cupboard where  I keep all of the baking stuff: ie. chocolate chips, pralines, almonds, cornstarch...you get the idea.  Almost on cue, the Horseman walked through the kitchen and said, "Sorry mom, but those crumbs are good.  What are they for?" As I began to pontificate on the finer uses of Graham Cracker crumbs--say, as a crust in the service of a banana cream pie--a chemical reaction in the brain triggered an inner yearning for banana cream pie.  Of course the desire to educate my son with an object lesson as to the greater culinary purpose of graham cracker crumbs played a key role and soon I was pulling out the ingredients.  This version has a slight twist because we didn't have milk...only buttermilk!  So there's a zing, not to mention maple syrup whipped cream and nutmeg in the crust to complement...

 I drove right out to my mom's on Monday and made one for her, too.  She loved it.  

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:

FOR CRUST                                                             

graham cracker crumbs 

sugar                                                                                                   

margarin or butter                                                                

nutmeg                                                        

FOR BANANA PUDDING   

sugar           cornstarch

salt               buttermilk      

5 egg yolks  2 bananas

vanilla          butter

FOR TOPPING

heavy cream & real maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 F. for crust.

In a mixing bowl measure 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs...

1/4 cup sugar and ...

5 tablespoons butter or margarine or a combo of the two.  I had 4 tablespoons of margarine and 1 of butter at my house, so that's what I used.  My mom only had butter, so that's what I used there.

and 2 teaspoons of nutmeg.  You know, until culinary school, I never knew nutmeg was actually a cut nut that you grated very finely.  Grating from the nut lends a more forte nutmeg spiciness, but whether grated fresh or not, will be just fine.

Now whisk it together till everything's moistened.

To form the crust, pour your mixture into the pie plate and moving out from the center, flatten the crust up along the sides.  I used the back of a measuring cup.

Bake at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes.

Mush two bananas with your mixer.  The riper the banana the more banana flavor.

Choose a good pot for making the pudding.  I have here my medium sized stainless steel Costco generic brand I received when we were newlyweds.  They work great.  So add 2/3 cup sugar... 

1/4 cup corn starch and...

1/4 teaspoon salt and whisk it good.

Whisk in the 2 1/2 cups buttermilk really well and then...

the banana mush until smooth.

Ding!  Time to take out that crust and let cool.  Back to the pudding...

Plop plop plop...whisk in those 5 beautiful egg yolks, turn on the burner to medium heat (med heat as the boys would say) and prepare for a pre-arthritic condition!  Wahoo!

Stir stir stir!  But pace yourself, we've got at least 10 minutes before we hit a bare simmer (tiny bubble here and there) and the pudding thickens.  That is what we are doing here...cooking those egg yolks and getting that pudding thick.

The Horseman comes to the rescue...wanted to save his mother's wrists from that pre-arthritic condition...

And my Knight!  Taking over, not wanting his son to catch fire or his wife to end in decrepit hands...He's feelin' the burn...

Ok, I'm back on stir patrol.  You will feel and see it it begin to thicken and a tiny bubble or two will burst.  Take the pot off the heat and whisk real good.  It may look a little lumpy...don't worry.  Stir for about three minutes.  Then put it back on the heat, stirring still and bring it to a boil.  At the first sign of a big bubble/s bursting. Take it off the heat completely.

Stir in a teaspoon of real vanilla.

And 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk it, whisk it good.

Pour the pudding into your crust and...

cover with plastic wrap.  Push the plastic wrap right against the pudding and crust so no condensation forms between the wrap and the pudding.  Then refridgerate it for three hours...or if your in a big hurry, put it in the freezer.

Now clean up all your dishes...this will give the pie time to cool for the topping and inspire your mother to say something in wonder like, "Wow, you've started to clean up after yourself."  And you smile and think, but do not say "Mom, remember, that was when I was 12."

Now start the topping, mixing a cup of heavy cream with a 1/4 cup pure maple syrup...sorry, no Aunt Jamima's here.   Whip until peaks form and hold their shape.  Take the pie out of the fridge or freezer, remove the plastic wrap and smooth the whipped cream layer on top with a rubber spatula and put back in the fridge or freezer uncovered for a couple more hours.  Cover with wrap if you're not going to eat it for a while and keep it in the fridge.

Enjoy!

The Good Food Fairy


P.S. the Horseman LOVED it!  

Banana Buttermilk Cream Pie with Maple Syrup Whipped Cream

Ingredients

for the crust

1 1/4 c.     graham cracker crumbs

5 T.          butter or margarine, melted

1/4 c.        sugar

2 t.            nutmeg

for the pudding

2              bananas

2/3 c.       sugar

1/4 c.       cornstarch

1/4 t.        salt

2 1/2 c.    buttermilk

5              egg yolks

1   t.         vanilla

2  T.        butter

for the topping

1 c.          heavy cream

1/4 c.       maple syrup

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, add the ingredients for the crust and whisk together until moistened. Pour mixture into a pie baking dish and, working from the center out, flatten the crust against the dish up along the edges. Bake at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Prepare the pudding: Mash up two bananas with a mixer.  Set aside.

4. Measure sugar, cornstarch and salt into a medium sauce pot.  Whisk together completely.  Whisk in buttermilk and banana mush.

5. Whisk in five egg yolks. Stir constantly over medium heat until the pudding thickens and first signs of simmer (tiny bubble burst here and there).  

6. Remove from heat, stirring for about three minutes.  Return to heat, stirring constantly until first signs of a boil.  Remove from heat completely.

7.  Stir in vanilla and butter until fully incorporated.  Pour pudding into crust and cover with plastic wrap.  Cool in refrigerator for three hours.

8. Prepare topping: Mix the heavy cream and syrup until thick. 

9 When pie has cooled to luke warm, remove pie from refrigerator, remove plastic wrap and smooth topping over the pie with a rubber spatula.  Return to fridge until firmed and ready to eat.