Wednesday, March 9, 2011

6 weeks coffee free! And a grain free cake recipe:D

So I made it to 6 weeks of being coffee free. And after the first couple of weeks where I felt less tummy distress, I thought that maybe I had found the answer. But I wanted to test what happened when I drank a cup of coffee to see if it was actually the cause of my woes. So last Saturday, I had a cup of some tasty Yirgacheffe, as it is less acidic than most. My dear husband tried some with me, even though he is not a coffee drinker in the least, just for solidarity.

And yeah, it did bother me, though not immediately like some yucky brews do, and certainly not as intensely as some. But it tasted so wonderful that I think that I will save it for special occasions. I will admit to having some leftover coffee on Sunday, but since then, I have not had any. Back to chai, tea, and hot chocolate for me. I've been skipping the Zevia sodas for now, as I read on the label that their caffeine comes from coffee. I'm trying not to risk the contamination. I have had some Mexican Coke that is being sold at my local Family Dollar, of all places.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do love baking cakes and other pastries. I get it from my maternal grandfather, I think, who was a supermarket baker. So going gluten-free has been a challenge for me, but at the same time, it's a whole new world!

Tonight, as I will be having a guest for dinner, I'm making a sponge cake from the following recipe. I have never made it before, but my husband's grandmother has, and since she is also a pastry extraordinaire, I am taking it on good authority that it is delicious.

http://www.manischewitz.com/potatostarchspongecake.html
Potato Starch Sponge Cake
Ingredients:

* 7 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups sugar, sifted
* 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 3/4 cup Manischewitz® Potato Starch, sifted
* Dash of salt

Preparation:

Separate six of the eggs. Beat the six yolks and the one whole egg until frothy. Gradually add sifted sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind; beating constantly and thoroughly. Then gradually add sifted potato starch, stirring constantly to ensure thorough blending. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Fold gently but thoroughly into egg-yolk mixture. Place in ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) about 55 minutes or until cake springs back when touched gently with fingers. Invert pan and cool thoroughly before removing cake.

I am going to modify it with orange juice and orange rind, since that is what I have in the house. It should have the requisite acidity and great flavor, as I've made this sub before with other recipes. I'll post how well it worked after!

This post is part of Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesdays!
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/03/real-food-wednesday-3911.html