Gluten Free

wheat

wheat

Even though I don’t believe in resolutions, I am going to try and stop eating gluten in the New Year. My sister and niece have celiac, so chances are, I may have some predisposition to the stuff myself. There’s only one problem: I love all things flour. Some of my favorite gluten-filled treats are: homemade breads, and pasta… maybe cookies, too… and cake. Besides eradicating this toxin from my body, I’m also excited at the prospect of losing a few holiday pounds.

The downside

Apparently there are a few downsides to eliminating certain foods from your diet entirely. First, you can’t indulge in delicious, flour-filled foods anymore. Secondly, you have to endure the physical symptoms of the withdrawal. A few things one can look forward to are: dizziness, headache, frequent urination, and strange food cravings (all of which I seem to be enjoying recently).

The upside

After a few weeks of detoxing I’m hoping to be energized, and euphoric- I’m also hoping to become healthier in the process.

There you have it- an interesting food experiment that will hopefully yield some interesting data, all of which I will share.

I’m also toying with the idea of giving up sugar.

Maybe I do believe in resolutions.

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

photo: goodwallpaper.com

How to Temper Chocolate

Untempered Chocolate

Untempered Chocolate

How to Temper Chocolate

If you buy chocolate in bulk, and plan on using it for candy-making or dipping, it’s necessary to temper it. Have you ever bought a candy bar, and snapped of a piece to pop in your mouth? That snap occurs because the chocolate has been tempered.

Tempering refers to a process of heating and cooling chocolate to prepare it for dipping and enrobing. The tempering process ensures that the cocoa butter in chocolate hardens in a uniform crystal structure. Chocolate that is tempered has a smooth texture, a glossy shine and a pleasant “snap” when bitten or broken. Chocolate that is not tempered might be cloudy, gray, lumpy, and sticky at room temperature. Tempering chocolate can be accomplished at home with a chocolate or instant-read thermometer and a double-boiler. (about.com)

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Homemade Caramel

Homemade Caramel

Homemade Caramel

This is a relatively easy recipe for homemade caramels. You can do all sorts of things with these delicious, creamy caramels… dip them in chocolate, eat them plain, or roll them in nuts. If you have some crisp apples, dip them in the caramel and serve to your guests!

Happy Holidays!

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Veal Campobasso

Veal Campobasso

Veal Campobasso

Mountain States Rosen Lamb & Veal

I recently got some veal cutlets from Mountain States Rosen Company. They were sealed in easy to use pouches with the air removed. When I make scaloppini, (defn. small, thinly sliced pieces of meat, especially veal, dredged in flour, sautéed, and served in a sauce) I use a mallet to flatten the meat before searing. These cutlets were already perfectly thin and tender- no mallet required!

Veal Cutlets

Veal Cutlets

I came up with this recipe for veal cutlets- I hope you have a chance to try it.

Veal Campobasso

Veal Campobasso

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Tomato-Shrimp Soup with Fresh Basil

Tomato-Shrimp Soup with Fresh Basil

Tomato-Shrimp Soup with Fresh Basil

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

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