It Was A Spectacular Week

We recently had the opportunity to spend a week with this wonderful group of gluten free travelers at jovial’s Culinary Getaway in Lucca. Spending the week together in such a beautiful place with a group who shares the same concerns over gluten intolerance fosters a nice feeling of camaraderie. These events are special not only for the guests, but also for the hosts. We love to have the opportunity to meet and get to know some of the great people out there who support our company. In fact, we were delighted to learn that one guest with Celiac Disease spotted jovial’s brown rice capellini at the store and, tired of the other gluten free pasta she had been eating, decided to take it home to try. She prepared the recipe on the box and found the pasta to be so delicious, she called her son, who also has Celiac, to tell him about it. A visit to our website led her to see the getaway and in a short time thereafter, she had her room booked. How cool is that?

We had three cooking classes together, but everyone’s favorite was the pizza. Each guest mixed their own selection of gluten free flours for pizza dough, then we took a trip down to the market to purchase fresh fixings. One of our guests lit the fire out in the brick oven very early, so the pizzas cooked up beautifully.

As the last day of the getaway approached, we were all feeling the weight of getting back to normal life again, but there was still one day under the Tuscany sunshine to enjoy together. This Friday happened to fall on the same evening of the Festival of Lights in Lucca, a special event that takes place on September 13th each year. At sunset, all the lights of the city are turned off and the streets are lined with candles. We strolled through the cobblestone streets of the ancient city, after enjoying an early dinner together. Lorenzo, our pasta artisan, prepared a slow-cooked lamb dish that roasted from early in the morning to the afternoon. Carla, our founder, put together a traditional Italian lasagna with jovial’s new gluten free noodles. Shauna and Danny Ahern added some savory dishes and dessert to the feast.

What makes these getaways so magical? Staying at the beautiful villa feels like home to everyone and cooking in the gorgeous kitchen with a glass of local wine in hand definitely feels special.  Not having to worry about gluten intolerance for a week, while still enjoying delicious food is a pretty nice way to relax too. Celiac Disease may be a difficult diagnosis but we have found that it can also be a gift, a new catalysis for learning how to cook and for exploring new ingredients. So many of our guests are quite excellent cooks indeed. I still can smell the aroma of Joan’s chicken, mushroom and wine sauce that she served over our new tagliatelle one night as I strolled into the kitchen on my way to dinner. I heard that Marilyn prepared quite a delicious tomato sauce one day. In talking with Sharon, I became intrigued by her grandmother’s Apple Custard Pie. We talked about organizing the jovial Gluten Free Getaway Alumni Week next year, just so we could be cooking, eating and smiling together again. Next month, we will be announcing two new trips in May 2014- we know we will see some of you then!

GLUTEN FREE APPLE CUSTARD CRISP

Adapted by the recipe kindly provided to Jovial by Sharon Sengelaub. Thank you Sharon!

Ingredients

Base:

• 6 large tart apples, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 tbsp. (15g) sugar
• 1 tsp. (2g) cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg (4-5 scrapes from mill)
• grated fresh ginger to taste

Custard:

• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup (50g) sugar
• 1 tsp. (5g) vanilla
• ¼ tsp. (2g) salt
• 1 cup (225g) sour cream

Streusel Topping:

• 6 tbsp. (90g) butter, softened
• 1 cup (120g) gluten free flour (we used 1/3 cup millet, 1/3 cup brown rice, 1/3 cup fine corn flour plus 1 tbsp. tapioca starch)
• ¼ cup (50g) sugar
• ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Grease a 9 x13 baking dish or round pie dish. Place apples in dish, sprinkle with sugar and spices and stir to mix.
2. Beat custard ingredients together, pour over sliced apples.
3. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes.
4. Work the flour, sugar and nuts (if you are using) into the softened butter with your fingers until you get a nice crumbly consistency.
5. Remove the pie from the oven and spread the topping over the apples.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Cool for 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.  Good served cold or slightly warmed.