Dad says: Today at The Great Food Debate we are going to start a new series of conversations. And while these topics will not be restaurant or recipe reviews, they are about food. We will be letting Gia blog about a recently developed food issue. My wife and I knew there was an issue because Gianna was not feeling well and was suffering from too many head aches for over two months now. We had her tested and when the results came back we were already suspecting what the issue was…Gia’s test came back saying she was gluten intolerant. To be honest, the results did not surprise us all that much because food allergies and intolerances are typically hereditary, and since my wife has them it was very possible Gia did as well.
So starts a new chapter in my daughter’s life. One where she has to give up certain foods she really enjoys and no child should have to go without. Gia already has a leg up on this though. Since my wife has the same issue we are already pro’s at reading labels and understanding how this silent culprit works and how it manages to hide in a good majority of our foods. Because that is the case, Gia has for the most part already been living this lifestyle for a few years now. Is the adjustment still difficult for her?...you bet it is! So she thought it would be a great idea if she could share her day with us all from time to time. She wants everyone to know that it is hard, but not impossible. She also wants her stories to help other kids who may be afflicted with the same issue as she is.
Here are her stories...
Gia says: Recently, I found out that I am Gluten intolerant. Gluten is the protein found in rye, oats, wheat, and barley. Now I can’t have regular breads and delicious deserts. It is kind of hard at lunch and snack time when I’m sitting next to my friends and they’re munching on bagels, cookies, and other treats….meanwhile, I eat rice crackers with ham or pepperoni. Dad recently made a tomato sauce/soup. He also found a gluten free pizza crust. He used the sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese and made me pizza. It was a really happy day because not only did I get pizza I got fuzzy slippers for staying on my new diet. I’m really not sad that I can’t have gluten, I am actually happy because there are still a lot of good tasting foods I can have.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Pow-Pow Pasta
Dad Says:
This is a dish we made up because we had a lot of leftover sliced chorizo from a party the night before. For those of you who don’t know, chorizo is a cured Spanish sausage made from pork. It is exactly like Italian Sopressata but chorizo is made with a lot of paprika which makes it spicier.
We typically make Pasta with Garlic & Oil (a typical, easy Italian pasta dish) but we make it with a lot of red pepper flakes. When we decided to throw the chorizo in the dish it became REALLY spicy, so we decided to name it “Pow-Pow Pasta”…on account of the double whammy factor. After the first attempt we liked it so much we decided to make it again but really draw out the flavor of this delicious Spanish sausage. We added onion to the dish and cooked the chorizo low and slow in the oil along with the onion so we could render the fat and impart the spicy flavor of the chorizo throughout the entire dish. We also added one egg (beaten) to the dish, a lot like Pasta Carbonara; the secret to this is to add a few tbsp of the hot pasta water to the egg mixture to temper the eggs so they do not become scrambled eggs but rather make a silky coating throughout the dish. There are very few ingredients to this dish but it is a nice departure from the typical Italian food.
The other great thing about this dish is that Gia invented it with me. This made her more eager to try it because she had a hand in its creation. Getting your kids involved in cooking is a great way to expand their diet. Most kids won’t eat their veggies or a dish that does not look “chicken nugget-french fry” to them. But when they are able to help out it makes them happier and curious about the dish. There are lots of things I thought she would never eat, but when I allow her to help me she not only tries it but it ends up being something we can now add to our ever expanding menu. Let’s see what Gia says….
Gia says:
Let’s make Pow-Pow Pasta! It is a dish that Dad and I made up.
It has in it chorizo, tomato, onions, red pepper flakes, and a little bit of egg.
Dad told me about the egg and how you don’t want it scrambled or else the whole pot will be filled with scrambled egg, but the dish won’t taste like pasta it will taste like pasta with scrambled egg.
You need to beat it like it is any other egg. Then, instead of putting it in the pot, you take a little bit of hot pasta and put it in the bowl of eggs and the eggs heat up so when you put the egg mixture in the pot it wont become scrambled eggs. Now with the egg in there I think it makes the pasta taste really good.
RECIPE
Pow-Pow Pasta
Ingredients:
· 1 lb of Pasta (Rigatoni work best here)
· 1 large Onion; diced
· 3 cloves of Garlic; minced
· A 6 inch piece of Chorizo; large size dice
· ¼ cup fresh Parsley; chopped
· ½ tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
· ½ cup olive oil
· ½ cup of the pasta water reserved
· 1 egg; beaten
· ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Method:
1. Cook the past until almost al dente (just before al dente).
2. While the pasta is cooking; in a large pot add the olive oil and chorizo and cook on a low flame to sweat the onions and render the chorizo.
3. After onions and chorizo are cooked; add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Beat the egg and add a few tbsp of the hot pasta water to temper the eggs. Add the parmesan cheese to the egg mixture.
5. Drain the pasta (reserve ½ cup of the pasta water); add the pasta, parsley and reserved pasta water to the chorizo mixture and toss to coat.
6. Shut the heat off (have a cover ready for the pot) and put the egg mixture in; stir thoroughly to combine, put the lid on and leave it for about a minute (the egg will now be cooked \ serve and eat).
This is a dish we made up because we had a lot of leftover sliced chorizo from a party the night before. For those of you who don’t know, chorizo is a cured Spanish sausage made from pork. It is exactly like Italian Sopressata but chorizo is made with a lot of paprika which makes it spicier.
We typically make Pasta with Garlic & Oil (a typical, easy Italian pasta dish) but we make it with a lot of red pepper flakes. When we decided to throw the chorizo in the dish it became REALLY spicy, so we decided to name it “Pow-Pow Pasta”…on account of the double whammy factor. After the first attempt we liked it so much we decided to make it again but really draw out the flavor of this delicious Spanish sausage. We added onion to the dish and cooked the chorizo low and slow in the oil along with the onion so we could render the fat and impart the spicy flavor of the chorizo throughout the entire dish. We also added one egg (beaten) to the dish, a lot like Pasta Carbonara; the secret to this is to add a few tbsp of the hot pasta water to the egg mixture to temper the eggs so they do not become scrambled eggs but rather make a silky coating throughout the dish. There are very few ingredients to this dish but it is a nice departure from the typical Italian food.
The other great thing about this dish is that Gia invented it with me. This made her more eager to try it because she had a hand in its creation. Getting your kids involved in cooking is a great way to expand their diet. Most kids won’t eat their veggies or a dish that does not look “chicken nugget-french fry” to them. But when they are able to help out it makes them happier and curious about the dish. There are lots of things I thought she would never eat, but when I allow her to help me she not only tries it but it ends up being something we can now add to our ever expanding menu. Let’s see what Gia says….
Gia says:
Let’s make Pow-Pow Pasta! It is a dish that Dad and I made up.
It has in it chorizo, tomato, onions, red pepper flakes, and a little bit of egg.
Dad told me about the egg and how you don’t want it scrambled or else the whole pot will be filled with scrambled egg, but the dish won’t taste like pasta it will taste like pasta with scrambled egg.
You need to beat it like it is any other egg. Then, instead of putting it in the pot, you take a little bit of hot pasta and put it in the bowl of eggs and the eggs heat up so when you put the egg mixture in the pot it wont become scrambled eggs. Now with the egg in there I think it makes the pasta taste really good.
RECIPE
Pow-Pow Pasta
Ingredients:
· 1 lb of Pasta (Rigatoni work best here)
· 1 large Onion; diced
· 3 cloves of Garlic; minced
· A 6 inch piece of Chorizo; large size dice
· ¼ cup fresh Parsley; chopped
· ½ tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
· ½ cup olive oil
· ½ cup of the pasta water reserved
· 1 egg; beaten
· ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Method:
1. Cook the past until almost al dente (just before al dente).
2. While the pasta is cooking; in a large pot add the olive oil and chorizo and cook on a low flame to sweat the onions and render the chorizo.
3. After onions and chorizo are cooked; add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Beat the egg and add a few tbsp of the hot pasta water to temper the eggs. Add the parmesan cheese to the egg mixture.
5. Drain the pasta (reserve ½ cup of the pasta water); add the pasta, parsley and reserved pasta water to the chorizo mixture and toss to coat.
6. Shut the heat off (have a cover ready for the pot) and put the egg mixture in; stir thoroughly to combine, put the lid on and leave it for about a minute (the egg will now be cooked \ serve and eat).
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