{GF} Key Lime Cheesecake Tarts

Gluten free baking has never been more fun in my kitchen! I've been enjoying the trial and error of baking, especially when it comes to gluten free goodies. My recent success are these {GF} Key Lime Cheesecake Tarts.  These delectable key lime cheesecake tarts are everything like the original with the exception of a gluten free pecan shortbread crust. Tangy and creamy key lime cheesecake is baked into a sweet, pecan shortbread crust before garnishing with a dollop with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkling of freshly grated lime zest.... and it's all complete gluten free!

When I took a hard look at my favorite cheesecake recipe, gluten was only used in the crust - in the form of plain old graham cracker crumbs. Well, thanks to the numerous gluten free cookies available, why would I have to limit myself to just gluten free cracker crumbs (which can be pricey)?  Normally I don't even bother with store-bought gluten free cookies since the ones I've tried weren't as good as making them homemade from scratch. However, I now have room for these gluten free cookies in my kitchen... not so much for snacking on, but for baking with. I used a gluten free pecan shortbread cookie which I processed finely, in place of graham cracker crumbs. It made for such a delicious crust and a time saver as well!

{GF} Key Lime Cheesecake Tarts
recipe adapted from Taste & See

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup gluten free shortbread cookies, crushed fine
• 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• Zest of 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tablespoons key lime juice

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together the finely crushed cookies, melted butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, half the lime zest and vanilla. Press mixture into 6 mini tart pans. Set crust aside.
3. Combine sugar and lime zest and mix with the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream and key lime juice and blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Pour batter into prepared crusts and tap the pans on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pans onto a baking sheet.
6. Bake 25-35 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top.
7. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill.
8. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.
9. To garnish, top with freshly whipped cream and a touch of freshly grated lime zest.

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Cherry Mobile OMEGA finally here! for only Php 6,699

Cherry Mobile is getting aggressive in their campaign on Android Phones, and now their latest offering is the Omega with 5.2 inches 5 point Capacitive Touch Screen and run on the latest  Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The Omega is the first smartphone from Cherry Mobile to run the latest 4.1 Jelly Bean, besides that most of it's tech specs are the same with their other products. Although the 512MB ROM is a bit low it should have been equipped with at least 1GB ROM, I'm sure there are a lot of Android fans out there that is a bit disappoint on this.

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Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

How often do you make soup? I really should make soup more often. It's a great way to sneak in more vegetables into our diet. Usually when I have family and friends over for dinner, I'll have salad as a first course. But with the cold weather, soup seemed more appropriate. Now I feel like I've overlooked how great soup is as a starter, if not a meal in itself. The most recent soup I made was this Butternut Squash & Apple Soup. Who knew making this was as simple as combining butternut squash puree, apple slices, chicken broth and some aromatics, then giving it all a good whiz with an immersion blender?...

I need to make soup more often. Especially now when the weather warrants a steaming bowl of delicious warmth. This was a perfectly balanced soup with both the sweet and savory notes throughout. You could blend the soup as smooth as you'd like but I left some small bits of apple for additional texture. The original recipe called for blending the soup with the creme fraiche but I opted to dollop each serving with some so that folks could swirl it in as they ate. It also offered a nice color contrast and presentation to have the creme fraiche unblended. If you have difficult finding creme fraiche in your area, no worries - substitute it with some sour cream or even Greek yogurt.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 16 ounces butternut squash puree
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored & thinly sliced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 small bay leaves
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• fresh chives for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Add the butternut squash puree, apple, broth, bay leaves and salt and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until smooth.
4. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche and fresh chives.

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IACC Neurodiversity Member Matt Carey Single-Handedly Reduces Intellectually Disabled To A "Small Segment of the Autistic Population"

The Interagency Autism Co-ordinating Committee (IACC) plays an important role in autism research and understanding.  It is unfortunate that sitting as a public member of the IACC is lbrb blogger Matthew J. Carey,  a member of the Neurodiversity movement which, at its core (1) portrays autism as a different way of thinking  not a disorder or disability and (2) belittles efforts to seek cures for autism. His official bio posted on the IACC web site emphasizes his considerable background as an industrial researcher and his deep commitment to "communicating the importance of getting the science right for autism".  The bio is very specific about his many accomplishments in  industrial research. Although it does describe him as a blogger the bio makes no mention of  Matthew J. Carey, Ph. D.'s anti-cure, autism is a strength Neurodiversity ideological biases:

Matthew J. Carey, Ph.D.

Parent and Autism Blogger

Dr. Matt Carey joined the IACC as a public member in 2012. Dr. Carey is the father of a young child with multiple disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder, and is a frequent contributor to the Left Brain/Right Brain blog and other autism blogs. His writing focuses on reviewing current autism research in an understandable way for the public and he is deeply committed to communicating the importance of getting the science right for autism. He is also interested in analyzing trends in health and education public data sets; his critique of "Timing of Increased Autistic Disorder Cumulative Incidence" was published in the journal Environmental Science &  Technology and his analysis of parents' academic expectations for their children with ASD, based on the 2007 National Household Education Survey, was presented at a poster session during the 2011 International Meeting For Autism Research (IMFAR). Dr. Carey is an active industrial researcher in computer hardware whose current research interests include magnetic thin films, spintronics, and magnetic nanostructures. His work has been published in high-impact journals such as Nature Materials, Physical Review Letters, and Applied Physics Letters and he currently holds 106 patents or published patent applications. He received his B.S. in physics from Harvey Mudd College, his M.S. in Physics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, San Diego.

In a recent comment  at his lbrb blog criticizing the Slate article Is the Neurodiversity (ND)  Movement Misrepresenting Autism?", and its  author Amy S.F. Lutz, Carey singles in on her comments about autism and the intellectually disabled and in the process single-handedly reduces the numbers of persons with autism and intellectual disability:

 "The fact of the matter is that intellectual disability, especially those unable to read, write and/or speak, is a small segment of the autistic population. And as we learn more about autism, this fraction is an ever shrinking percentage of the identified autism population."

The fact of the matter is that,  according to CDC autism expert Dr. Marshalynn Yeargin-Allsopp, persons with autism once constituted the "vast majority" of persons with autism ... until the APA expanded autism by grouping it with PDD-NOS and Asperger's in the DSM-IV group of pervasive developmental disorders now known as the "autism spectrum" reducing the intellectual disabled to approximately 40% of the entire autism spectrum.  

The fact of the matter is that, according to  CDC surveys in 2004 and 2006 those with intellectual disability still constituted 41-44%  of the entire autism spectrum.  

The fact of the matter is that in Autism and intellectual disability: a study of prevalence on a sample of the Italian population, La Malfa G, Lassi S, Bertelli M, Salvini R, Placidi GF, the authors reported that their study confirmed the relationship between ID and autism and suggested a new approach in the study of ID in order to elaborate a new integrated model for people with ID and autism.

The fact of the matter is that IACC member Matthew J. Carey,  Ph. D., (Physics), accomplished industrial researcher, provided no sources or authorities for his claim that intellectual disability is a small segment of the autistic population.  

Of course in fairness to Matthew J. Carey, Ph. D., industrial researcher, his Neurodiversity beliefs probably didn't  allow his purported commitment to "communicating the importance of getting the science right for autism" to function properly.   

Amy F.H. Lutz is of the view, as am I, that Neurodiversity misrepresents autism.  IACC member Matthew J. Carey's attempts to single-handedly reduce the numbers of intellectually disabled is a very clear example of such misrepresentation.

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Vellutata di cavolo nero Black Leaf Kale Cream Soup

A creare questa ricetta è stata la mamma di Simonetta Agnello Hornby per caso: voleva utilizzare il cavolo nero acquistato per una ribollita che non aveva preparato, come Simonetta stessa racconta nello splendido libro La cucina del buon gusto. La consistenza dura del cavolo viene ammorbidita dal passaverdura e dal frullatore.

Per realizzarla vi occorreranno 1 cipolla bionda grande, pelata, tagliata a quarti e affettata sottile; 1 cucchiaio d'olio; 1 patata grande farinosa, pelata, tagliata in quarti e poi a pezzetti; 200g di foglie di cavolo nero lavate, private dei filamenti più fibrosi e tagliate sottili; 1 litro di brodo vegetale; se lo gradite pecorino grattugiato per servire; sale e pepe.

Riscaldate l'olio in una padella e soffriggete la cipolla a fuoco dolce con un pizzico di sale per almeno cinque minuti. Per tagliare queste e le altre verdure ho utilizzato il magnifico coltello in ceramica Chef Classe, non si ossidano e mantengono inalterato il loro colore e le loro proprietà nutritive.

Aggiungete la patata, mescolate con un cucchiaio di legno e rosolate per qualche minuto. Incorporate il cavolo nero, saltate per 3-4 minuti a fuoco medio rimestando con il cucchiaio di legno in modo che non si attacchino al fondo.

Versate il brodo bollente, rimestate e cuocete a fuoco basso per trenta minuti, coperto.

Passate la minestra nel passaverdura - disco a fori sottili, versatela di nuovo nella pentola e frullate con il frullatore ad immersione.

Servite con un filo d'olio e, se lo gradite, con del pecorino grattugiato.

Translated: Gabriella Caruso Reviewed: Amitai Kissinger

This recipe was created by chance by Simonetta Agnello Hornby's mom: she wanted to use the black leaf kale she had purchased for a ribollita (meaning 'reboiled', a famous Tuscan soup made with leftover bread and vegetables) she never got a chance to prepare, as Simonetta herself explains in her wonderful book "La Cucina del Buon Gusto" (The Cuisine of Good Taste). The firm consistency of the kale is made tender by using both the food mill and the blender.

Black Leaf Kale Cream Soup

Ingredients:  

- 1 yellow onion, peeled, cut into quarters and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 large potato, cut into quarters and then into pieces
- 200 gr. (8 oz.) of black leaf kale, washed (any fibrous filaments should be  removed) and sliced thinly
- 1 lt. (1 qt.) of vegetable broth
- salt and pepper
- if it is to your liking, you may serve with some grated pecorino (sheep milk cheese).

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion on low heat with a pinch of salt for at least five minutes. To slice the vegetables I used the magnificent ceramic blade knife by Chef Classe; the vegetables cut with this knife do not become oxidized and maintain their color and nutritional properties.
Add the potato, stir with a wooden spoon and sauté for a few minutes. Add the black leaf kale, sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium heat stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid the ingredients sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Pour the boiling broth into the pan, stir well and cook, covered, on low heat for thirty minutes.
Place the soup in a food mill - with the fine disk, pour it back into the pan and use an immersion blender to render the soup even smoother.
Serve with a drizzling of oil, and if you like, some grated pecorino cheese.

Nella mia cucina:
Piatti e tovaglietta Villa d'Este Home
Coltello in ceramica Classe

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Globe joins Metro Weather for free and near real-time weather data

Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom has joined Metro Weather online weather project in Metro Manila, Rizal and Corregidor designed to provide free and near real-time weather data necessary to help people prepare for typhoons, heavy rains, and severe flooding.

By providing information and communications infrastructure to Metro Weather, Globe hopes to promote awareness of environmental issues to its employees and stakeholders, and prompt them to participate in activities that help conserve the environment and mitigate climate change.

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Comforting Pot Roast

The chilly winter has definitely made itself known and that means it's the perfect time for hearty meals to keep us warm. One dish I tend to make during the fall and winter months is pot roast. It's easy to prep with little effort and it usually hits the spot. I recently tried this recipe for a Comforting Pot Roast which was extremely flavorful, leaving my beef so juicy and even better the next day. A beef chuck roast slowly braises in a savory bath of red wine, beef broth and aromatics until tender enough to forego using a knife. It's a melt in your mouth kind of pot roast. Seriously....

This was a home run recipe and we really enjoyed it. It's the perfect meal to prepare on a lazy Sunday so that the aroma of the beef cooking in the oven can fill up the kitchen. If you wanted to convert this into a slow cooker/crockpot recipe, follow steps 1-4 below only transfer the beef roast and sauteed onions instead of the same pan. Once you've deglazed the pan, transfer the wine mixture along with the aromatics into the slow cooker over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

Comforting Pot Roast
recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1 bay leaf

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season both sides of chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan.
3. Add onion to pan; saute 8 minutes or until tender.
4. Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; scrape up bottom of pot to deglaze and bring to a simmer.
5. Cover pan and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
6. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Transfer roast carefully into serving dish.
7. Heat liquid in the pot over the stovetop and cook until slightly reduced. Pour over roast and serve.

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