We are starting to feel “at home” in our new home.
One of the things we love doing is entertaining friends at home, and for me that means food is going to be involved via brunch, lunch or dinner.
This afternoon we had friends for lunch.
We had met this great couple when we were still living in the hotel. When we moved here last July we had thought we would be in the hotel for a month or 2 at the most. When we realized it was going to be much longer I began looking for a rental with extended availability, (not to mention I REALLY needed a kitchen…I can only tolerate so many breakfast buffets…need I say more?)
We were fortunate to find a lovely one bedroom rental walking distance to downtown, with a cute little kitchen that had all the basics one might need. And there was a six week availability!
The owners were our guests for lunch this afternoon, and we were thrilled to be able to show them the house, but more importantly, share lunch and conversation with them at the table.
They had been so welcoming and accommodating during our time there that it made the stress of moving and construction delays somewhat tolerable. They filled us in on where to go and what to do in our new “hometown”, and for the first time we began to feel what it would be like to live downtown.
Because one of them has recently gone on a gluten and dairy free diet I prepared a gluten and dairy free lunch. With a little forethought and planning it really isn’t hard to do.
We started out with tortilla chips and salsa and home made guacamole.
For lunch we had grilled chicken teriyaki, my favorite potato salad, and a beautiful green salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
But when it came to dessert I had to give it a bit more thought, and this is what I came up with.
Angel Food Cake (Gluten-Free) with assorted berries and raspberry sorbet
(For a gluten-free and dairy-free dessert substitute sorbet for the whipped cream!)
Here is the recipe for the cake from the King Arthur’s Flour website.
Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake
- ¾ cup King Arthur’s all-purpose gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup Baker’s Special Sugar** or superfine sugar
- 1 ½ cups egg whites (10 to 11 large eggs, separated, yolks discarded or reserved for another use)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract or Fiori di Sicilia, optional
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons Baker’s Special Sugar** or superfine sugar
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in its lowest position.
2) Whisk together and then sift the flour, cornstarch, and ¾ cup sugar. Set aside.
3) In a large, clean (grease-free) mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until foamy.
4) Add the flavorings. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer and continue beating until the egg whites have increased in volume, and thickened.
5) Gradually beat in the ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, a bit at a time, until the meringue holds soft peaks.
6) Gently fold in the sifted flour/sugar blend ¼ cup at a time, just until incorporated.
7) Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10" round angel food pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter and remove any large air bubbles.
8) Bake the cake until it’s a deep golden brown, and the top springs back when pressed lightly, about 45 minutes.
9) Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto the neck of a heatproof bottle or funnel, to suspend the cake upside down as it sets and cools, about 2 hours.
10) Remove the cake from the pan by running a thin spatula or knife around the edges of the pan, and turning the cake out onto a plate.
11) Cut the cake with a serrated knife or angel food cake comb. If it’s difficult to cut, wet the knife and wipe it clean between slices.
12) Serve with whipped cream and fruit. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature.
Yield: one 10" cake, about 12 to 16 servings.