Mmm Australian Pavlova

I was first introduced to pavlova at a party in Melbourne. Imagine whipped cream cuddled in a large meringue shell that is crispy on the outside with a soft marshmallow-like center topped with kiwi and passion fruit seeds. Wow!

In my search to make this a GF, DF dessert, I tried a variety of low glycemic sugars - agave and coconut but could not get the results perfect. I was able to get good results lessening the sugar by a third yet still get the firm glossy stiff consistency for the shell. Less sugar, same yummy results.

I have tried replacing the whipped cream with soy cream, a cream made by blending a block of firm tofu with agave. It was pretty good however, the best results were from using the product "Mimic Creme" (see my earlier blog on this delicious whipped cream alternative) made with cashews and almond oil. You can try either depending on your allergies with nice results. The key to this is the meringue shell. Here is the perfect recipe for you to try:

Pavlova
4 egg whites, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar (Baker's Sugar gives nice results)
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Mimic Creme
Fruit of your choice - kiwis, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, rasberries - wash well

Preheat oven to 280.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
Slowly add in sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Beat till still glossy peaks form. Your meringue should be stiff enough to form.
Sprinkle vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla over meringue and fold with a spatula.
Spread the meringue on the baking sheet. Shape into a large circle with an indented center similar to making a bowl. This center or well will allow your cream to sit in the middle.
Bake for about an hour until the meringue is light brown.
Turn off oven and leave door slightly ajar and let meringue cool. As it cools it may crack slightly.
When ready to serve, remove from oven, place on a plate
Whip Mimic Creme for about 3 minutes.
 Fill meringue with cream and top with fruit.
Serve immediately.
Note: Do not assemble till ready to eat or the meringue will get soggy.

San Francisco's GF stars

Always progressive, the San Francisco Bay Area has a huge selection of GF finds.

Draeger's grocery has the largest selection of GF foods in the Bay Area. Shown here are their refrigerated section, not shown is an equally impressive selection of dry goods. They hold a regular GF food faire to introduce their new GF DF products. It is a personal crusade for Draeger's as there is a family history of GF sensitivity.

The local Whole Foods are also wonderful about promoting GF products from the area resulting in an impressive selection of GF, DF offerings like ice creams made of everything from cashews, coconuts, soy and goat milk as well as kale, rice and quinoa chips. If you can't find a restaurant that serves your GF needs, head to your local Whole Foods.

For bakeries, there are two in the Bay Area that are exclusively dedicated GF bakeries, the Zest Bakery in the SF Peninsula and Mariposa in the East Bay. It's at the Zest Bakery in San Carlos where I had the most delicious turkey sandwich stuffed with cranberries and vegetables. The bread was possibly the best anywhere - soft but firm enough to hold a 2 inch sandwich together. Wow! The bakery also has an assortment of GF goodies from cupcakes to breads. I took home a bag of fresh ravioli which cooked up perfectly for dinner. It's nice to have an alternative so close to home.

Mariposa Bakery has an extensive selection of non wheat alternatives. They are sold at their bakery in Oakland and a store at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. In addition, their products are sold at local Whole Foods in the area. Their "Peguins", a cream stuffed chocolate cupcake, are one of their best sellers. A few friends swear by their crisp and tasty pizza crusts. They carry cinnamon rolls (unfortunately, the two times I bought them they were raw in the center, I almost thought they were a cookie dough??), cakes, a variety of breads. They have recently expanded from a little kiosk in the San Francisco Ferry building to a storefront there. They're market is surely growing as fast as their product line. 

Other places to enjoy GF DF meals are restaurants like Cafe Gratitude in SF and Marin County, Loving Hut and Lyfe Kitchen in Palo Alto and of course, Lydia's in Fairfax. Cafe Gratitude and Lydia's are raw food restaurants so by nature they are wheat, dairy and egg free. Pictured here is a raw cheesecake made with a date nut crust and cashew cream with strawberries - a perfect GF, DF dessert!

Loving Hut is vegan but you can ask for their GF substitutes like the burrito made with a teff wrap which is divine. The new sustainable healthy Lyfe Kitchen offers a dedicated GF menu for their patrons.

If you're craving for Italian food, restaurants like Amici's Pizza and Osteria Coppa in San Mateo have GF Pizza and pasta alternatives. Now the dairy is always a problem in Italian restaurants for me, so cheese on the side for the pasta or if all else fails, a salad with a poultry entree is my fallback.