Lori teaches students at the CIA how to cook for those with celiac disease.

I just returned from an incredible adventure to Hyde Park, New York!  I was given the opportunity to teach a class on gluten-free baking at the Culinary Institute of America.

The C.I.A. is the premier culinary school in the United States, thus the invitation that was extended to me by Chef Richard Coppedge was an offer I couldn’t refuse!

As someone who’s had an appreciation for the culinary arts all of her adult life, it was a surreal experience finding myself working in the kitchens of the C.I.A. The campus is situated along the banks of the Hudson river in a breathtaking setting while the facility itself is extensive and spectacular.

I found the students to be enthusiastic and eager to learn about the special dietary considerations facing individuals with celiac disease. Since most everyone enjoys sweets, I decided to demonstrate teff peanut butter cookies, teff chocolate cake and quinoa energy bars.  They were intrigued with my presentation as not only had they not baked with these flours but some had never even heard of these grains.

One of the highlights of my time with the students was when they all chose to sign a C.I.A. apron for me as a memento of our time together. I will never forget my time at the C.I.A. and will treasure meeting members of the exceptional staff, the instructor chefs as well as spending time with these awesome students!

Cheers!
Lori Sobelson

Nancy and Polly were so helpful and happily toured me around the farm.

Part of the Golden Spurtle competition is plating your gastronomic creation. Not only does your oatmeal concoction need to taste amazing, it needs to look beautiful too. As part of our plating, we wanted to highlight the beauty in all of our Oregon ingredients- deep green pears, rich red cherries and fresh hazelnuts.

Hazelnut in the husk still on the tree.

Oregon provides 99% of all hazelnuts grown in the United States. Yesterday, I had the privilege of visiting Rich and Nancy Birkemeier at their hazelnut farm, Birkemeier Farms, in Canby, Oregon. I was on the hunt for the beautiful hazelnut husks to use as part of our plate presentation and was rewarded with a bounty of green, husk covered hazelnuts. Upon arrival, I received a warm welcome from Nancy. Polly, from the Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board, who had so kindly set up my visit, met me at the farm and together they explained all about hazelnut farming in Oregon.

Hazelnuts being harvested.

I was very lucky to visit during harvest season and was witness to the hustle and bustle that takes place for six weeks of the year.  The beauty of the farm- rolling hills of tree upon tree- was breathtaking. The ground had a golden sheen from the thousands of freshly fallen hazelnuts, no doubt representative of their immense worth to these people. I learned all about how hazelnuts are grown, harvested and the challenges the farmers face each year.

Thanks again to Rick, Nancy and Polly for giving me the grand tour yesterday!

Giveaway:

Hazelnuts are delicious on their own, but they can also be used to turn an average dessert into something truly decadent and a savory meal into something out of this world. This week, we’re giving away our second spurtle set. To enter- simply post a link to your favorite or any delicious sounding hazelnut recipe in the comment field. On Friday, we will randomly select a winner from all who post.

The winner of our spurtle giveaway is Diane Crosby. She was randomly selected from all of the comments posted in response to our Golden Spurtle update. Congratulations, Diane! A spurtle and steel cut oats are on their way. Watch for a new contest next Wednesday and another chance to win a spurtle!

Nestled in the forests of Scott Valley, in northern California, are two traditionalist Greek Orthodox monastic communities – the St. Gregory Palamas Monastery, with twelve monks, and the Convent of St. Elizabeth, with fourteen nuns – located five miles apart in the small village of Etna. Following a religious life dating to the first century, their daily cycle of services follows the Old (or Julian) Calendar, which runs thirteen days behind our modern (Gregorian) Calendar. The communion bread used in daily worship is made exclusively from Bob’s Red Mill Hard White Whole Wheat Flour. They have graciously let us share their recipe.

Communion Bread

(Recipe from the Convent of St. Elizabeth, Etna, California)

 The Convent of St. Elizabeth has provided a recipe for their communion bread (called phosphoro, from the Greek word for “offering”). The loaves, when used for the Eucharist, are ornately decorated with a wooden stamp of the Cross, and Greek letters representing Christ and other religious figures. A healthy, simple yeast bread, it has a uniquely robust, slightly sour flavor.

Ingredients:

4 cups of Starter*
4 cups Warm Water
1 Tb Active Dry Yeast
2 Tb Sea Salt, finely ground
9-11 cups Bob’s Red Mill Hard White Whole Wheat Flour

Directions:

Place starter in large mixing bowl. Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Stir water and yeast mixture into starter, mixing well. Sprinkle 3 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Hard White Whole Wheat Flour on top of the yeast, water, and starter mixture. Do not stir the flour into the mixture. Add salt (when used for Orthodox communion bread in the Eucharist, salt is added to the dough in the form of a cross). Now stir all ingredients together, adding as much flour as necessary (usually 6-8 additional cups) to achieve proper consistency for bread dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and strong (about 10 minutes). It should feel slightly tacky, firm, and it should spring back gently when it is ready.

Allow the bread to rise for 3 hours. Punch down and allow to rise again for ½ hour. Shape into small loaves, 4 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick. Two of these smaller loaves are stacked, one on top of the other, and very lightly squeezed together to form a larger loaf. (These 2 smaller loaves represent the divine and human natures of Christ, when they are used for communion bread). With a toothpick, make half a dozen small air holes in the bread before baking, in order to allow them to vent. Bake on a flour-dusted cookie sheet for 20 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Cool on baking rack. Makes 18-20.

*Natural sourdough starters are universally available. Follow the package directions when preparing the starter for the first time, making sure that you have enough for a single recipe and at least one cup left over. Keep the remaining starter refrigerated. Perpetuate the mixture by removing it from the refrigerator every week or two (as required) and adding 1 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White Pastry Flour and one cup of hot tap water (or heated spring water). Stir the mixture vigorously to aerate and let sit overnight on a counter. Return to refrigerator after using.

A spurtle is the perfect tool for making porridge in true Scottish style.

On October 11^th, team Bob’s Red Mill will be competing in an oatmeal championship in the small village of Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands. The Golden Spurtle World Porridge Championship draws people from all over Scotland, the UK, the United States to compete for the title of World Oatmeal Champion.

Our team will compete in two categories- best traditional porridge, using salt, water and steel cut oats, and best original porridge where we will enter our Oregon Orchard Oat Brûlée. Our specialty porridge contains four distinct Oregon ingredients- Bartlett pears, dried cherries, hazelnuts and Pear Eau de Vie from Clear Creek Distillery- and is topped with a candied sugar topping.

Bob’s Red Mill has long held the honor of providing the best oatmeal in the country and been praised by customers and chefs alike for chewy, hearty oats. It is time to pit our oats against other champions and bring home the title of Golden Spurtle Champion.

What is a spurtle anyways? A Scottish kitchen tool dating back to the 15th century, a spurtle is a rod-like stirring stick that is traditionally used to prevent porridge from becoming lumpy. Tradition also dictates that the porridge be stirred clockwise with the right hand to ward off evil spirits during cooking. You can read more about spurtles here.

As we prepare for our trip and travel halfway round the world, you can track our journey by reading this blog, following us on Twitter and on Facebook.

GIVE-AWAY:

This week, I’m giving away our first spurtle kit- a lovely myrtle spurtle and a package of steel cut oats. I will randomly select a winner from all who comment on this blog post. Not sure what to say? Wish Matt luck! Winner will be announced on Friday. Watch for giveaways next week.

Matt gives our pear and cherry compote a fiery touch.

With only 4 weeks left before the Golden Spurtle Competition, our team has been busily preparing for the journey. Beyond practicing our oatmeal entries, we’ve been planning and packing supplies, mapping our trip and scrambling to think of every possible contingency. Now that most of our essentials have been shipped ahead, we can focus on all of the final details and breathe a little easier.

We’re definitely getting excited for our trip and cannot wait to tell you all about it! For the next four weeks, we’ll be sharing training pictures, videos and telling you how to keep up with us while we’re in Scotland. Each week on Wednesday, we’ll announce a contest for you to win your own spurtle and Steel Cut Oats. Winners will be announced on the Friday following the contest. Watch for the first contest on Wednesday, September 16^th!

Sensible treats for sensitive dogs.

When we started producing gluten free flours in a dedicated facility, we knew that this would help many people with food allergies or intolerance to feel safe about the products they were choosing. What we didn’t anticipate is how this might ripple out into other communities.

Pictured above are the traditional biscuits (left) and starlets (right)

In 2005, Annette Frey began ordering our gluten free flours and cereals for her company, Biscuits by Lambchop. Biscuits by Lambchop offer sensible treats for the sensitive dog- wholesome dog treats made without common allergens, including gluten, wheat, eggs and dairy. Biscuits by Lambchop offers two types of treats- traditional biscuits or starlets- both of which were approved by her official taste testers, Lambchop and Starlet.

Annette got her start when she adopted Lambchop, a darling adventurous dog who developed myriad medical issues, including kidney disease and food allergies. With no suitable dog treat on the market, Annette took to her kitchen to create a dog treat that was safe for Lambchop and passed his high standards for delicious treats. Thus, Biscuits by Lambchop was born.

Starlet is the Chief Cookie Officer at Biscuits by Lambchop

Since taking her company to the next level in 2007, Annette has also launched Starlets, which blend apple, cinnamon and honey, for her newest canine and Chief Cookie Officer, Starlet. Both treats combine garbanzo bean and fava bean flour, sorghum flour, coconut oil, starches and calcium carbonate to create a treat that is delicious and balanced for a dog’s nutritional needs.

To meet her team and learn more about these special dog treats for the sensitive dog, visit Biscuits by Lambchop. Freshly baked to order, biscuits and starlets can be purchased online or by visiting retailers listed on her website. Follow Annette and the gang on Facebook or Twitter, and be sure to check out her blog, Throw Your Dog a Bone.