Autisticana

a gallery of autistic special/intense interests

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Category: Culinary Arts

Apps -olutely

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Autism, Baking, Cooking, Cooking night, Cooking Night, Creative Writing, Culinary Arts, Disability, Dr Christine Grimaldi, Dr. Christine’s Positive Sociology, History, Recipe Thursdays, Recipes

Small Bites, Big Taste

We decided to make a winter appetizer tonight called

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese originally called “Devils on Horseback. “

This appetizer was started back in the 19th century. It is usually commonly served during winter holidays.

The origin of the name “devils on horseback” is unclear. Some articles state that they are “Probably so called on account of being typically served very hot” and give the earliest reference to 1885, in the American agricultural magazine The Country Gentleman.[4] Another source states that there is “a surfeit of theories” but dates the idea (as a refinement of the oyster in bacon combination) to 1800.[5] One recurring suggestion fancifully suggests the name derives from “Norman raiders (who) would ride into towns wearing rashers of bacon over their armor to scare villagers.”[6] However, the earliest mention of this is from 2008,^[7] while the dish itself dates from the 19th century,^[5] 800 years after the Norman Conquest.

Recipes vary, but generally, they are a variation on angels on horseback(bacon wrapped oysters), made by replacing oysters with dried fruit. There are many variations on the basic concept of a bacon-wrapped prune stuffed with cheese, almonds, or other foods. Devils on horseback are commonly served as part of a Christmas feast. We made our version with turkey bacon and stuffed it with blueberry goat cheese. We had to baste the Turkey bacon with some ghee ( clarified butter) to make it crisp up and give it a bit of fat. As a team, we loved it. This appetizer was something new, and all of us enjoyed it.
We give this holiday appetizer 5 stars !!

Our Joanna working hard at her great cooking !

Our lil Gi supplementing this appetizer with a little melon and prosciutto.

Recipe three easy ingredients !!!!

Dates, blueberry cinnamon goat cheese, and turkey bacon.

Try to find dates that are already pitted.

Stuff them with the goat cheese of your choice

Wrap with bacon of your choice

Cook at 350 for twenty minutes.

( Because we used Turkey bacon, we broiled it for an extra 3 minutes with butter or ghee on top to crisp it up !!

Cool a bit, and enjoy!

Good Work, Team!

Delicious!
Happiness is Found in a Slice of Pizza

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Cooking, Culinary Arts, Disability, Dr Christine Grimaldi, Field Experiences, History, Parents, Friends, & Allies, Parties

Apps-olutely the finest

Our New Cook Book !

Small Bites, Big Taste

Authors by: Dr. Christine Grimaldi & Scott Weisbrot

We decided to create a few different recipes for pizza appetizers, as newsmaker investigators, the first thing we investigated was where pizza was created.

Pizza originated from ancient civilizations such as the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians who ate their bread in the form of flatbreads with toppings. In the 18th century, pizza was born in Naples, Italy as a cheap and simple dish for the poor. It was not until the late 19th century that pizza gained more respect and popularity, particularly when Italian Raffaele Esposito made a pizza for Queen Margherita in 1889, which was named after her and had the colors of the Italian flag as toppings. Pizza began to spread to other parts of the world, particularly in the United States, through Italian immigrants and the opening of pizzerias and pizza chains. Today, pizza is a beloved and popular fast food enjoyed by people all over the world.

We decided to do a taste among the appetizers we created. We created gluten-free dairy-free, and traditional options to create a pizza for all abilities. Then we did a taste test, and I must say that they all came in 1st place. It was interesting to experience different kinds of crust from naan bread “the Indian form of pizza.” From gluten to dairy-free to oil and fat full.

My favorite is the apple bacon pizza.

1 ball of pizza dough
½ cup (125 mL) white Sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup (250 mL) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons (30 mL) caramelized onions (recipe below)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) chopped fresh thyme
3 strips (3 ounces/85 g) bacon, cooked and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks (about ¼ cup/60 mL)
½ apple, cored and thinly sliced (we use Golden Delicious)
¼ cup (60 mL) grated smoked cheddar cheese, for garnish
5 fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Here are the instructions that will give you a recipe to make a pizza by using a pizza tray or stone. The recipe starts by preheating the oven to 550°F (290°C) and letting the pizza stone heat for an additional 30 minutes. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a rimless baking sheet instead. Once the oven is preheated, the dough is stretched and placed on a floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet, then topped with white sauce, mozzarella, caramelized onions, thyme, bacon, and apple slices. The pizza is then transferred to the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet and baked for 9 minutes (or 11 minutes if using a baking sheet), keeping a close eye on it. Once it’s done, it’s removed from the oven, garnished with smoked cheddar and sage leaves, sliced, and served immediately. To make it gluten and dairy free, you can substitute the cheese for vegan options or remove it from the recipe. There are so many gluten-free options for pizza dough. At Autisticana, we enjoyed chickpea, lentil, or cauliflower dough substitutes. Why don’t you enjoy and experience all the options there are out there for dietary restrictions.

Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com
Appetizers or the full course ?

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Autism, Cooking, Culinary Arts, Dr Christine Grimaldi, History, Parties, Recipes

Stay tuned for our new book

App-solutely the finest

Small Bites, Big Taste

by Christine and Scott

Appetizers appear simultaneously in England and America in the 1860s, mainly to provide a global counterpart for the French ” hors d’ oeuvre.” Also called finger foods, these little bites have popped up in one form or another in practically every civilization since ancient times. One may say it was an instinctual evolutionary throwback to our hunting and gathering days of fruits and nuts.

As the founder of Autisticana, I asked one of my newsmakers what the difference was between the two.

Lisette replied,”” appetizers are usually served in restaurants or before you usually have a big meal.

She then said, ” Hors d’ oeuvre is typically served at parties as one-bite meals.

As investigators, we then researched the difference and this is what we found.

Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres are similar in that they are both small bites of food that are served before a meal. However, there are some key differences between the two.

One key difference is the time at which they are served. Hors d’oeuvres are typically served before the meal even begins, while appetizers tend to indicate the beginning of the meal. Another difference is that hors d’oeuvres are not considered to be part of the meal, whereas appetizers are usually chosen specifically to complement the following courses.

In summary, Hors d’oeuvres and Appetizers are similar in that they are both small bites of food, but Hors d’oeuvres are typically served before the meal even begins, whereas Appetizers are usually chosen specifically to complement the following courses and are considered as a part of the meal.

The literal meaning between the two is really about serving time. Hors d’ oeuvres are typically served before the meal even begins, while appetizers tend to indicate the beginning of the meal.

Hors d’ oeuvre isn’t considered to be part of the meal, but appetizers are usually chosen specifically to compliment the following courses

We asked the team if they prefer to eat a whole meal, or do they enjoy eating appetizers instead.

They said they rather eat appetizers and dessert and call it a night!
A Thanksgiving Experience & Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe

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Cooking, Culinary Arts, Holidays, Nicole’s Creative Visualizations, Recipes
by Nicole Magee

My name is Nicole and I am your creative visualization blogger for Autisticana. I love creative visualizations and storytelling because it helps me create and meditate – which promotes happiness and relaxation for me.

Thanksgiving is a very important holiday for me because it is all about gratitude, sharing and being with others.

I also love to be with all of my family and help prepare for our festive dinner with them. I like to be involved with the fun of cooking, baking and spending hours with my wonderful family.

I wanted to share one of my favorite gluten free stuffing recipes with you all. It is yummy and can help prevent stomach issues, so this recipe will be delicious and healthy for the whole family.

Holiday Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 loaves of gluten free white bread

1 loaf of gluten free grain bread

1/2 cup of vegan butter

fresh rosemary sprigs

3 eggs

1 cup of chicken broth

Package of mushrooms of your choice

2 packs of organic apple and chicken sausage

chopped onion

salt and pepper to taste

a stalk of celery

Directions:

Place the loaves on a tray and brown them to dry out
Cut the three little loaves into cubes
Saute the mushrooms, onions, and butter in a pan
Broil the sausages until brown ( you can even air fry them)
Cut the sausage links into little strips
Place bread in a bowl and stir the eggs in and combine the sauted celery, onions and mushrooms and chicken broth
Then add cut up sausages
Take a pan and wipe with vegan butter
Place ingredients in a well greased pan
Place tin foil over pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
Take cover off top, drizzle a little butter on top add salt and pepper and let cook broil for another 10 minutes to brown
Let cool for 20 minutes and enjoy

Nicole’s favorite gluten free stuffing

Nicole’s Thanksgiving Visualization:

Breathe
Relax
Enjoy!

Edited by avanicole23
Small Plates and How They Inspire Me

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Cooking, Culinary Arts

Submitted by Anonymous

Various colorful small plates and meals

Small plates are small dishes resembling appetizers. They can also be the small courses of a greater and more formal meal. They can include rice bowls, salads, and many other foods. I have been inspired by them because everything has to be small and precise. In 2010, my interest in the culinary arts formed while I was taking a cooking course on small plates. My interest in cooking and the culinary industry has culminated into something great, as I now work at Elegant Eating with a huge selection of small plates. These tasty mini meals are very essential to the culinary world.

In a world of so much confusion, isolation and chaos, the culinary arts is something I truly enjoy. I believe that my passion for the culinary arts benefits from my ability to be very detail oriented. When I was four, my mom and I attended church every weekend. I was fascinated as a child about the way they arranged the flowers on the church alter. I thought that I could do it better. One Sunday during a lecture, I jumped up to the alter and started re-arranging the flower designs. I heard giggles coming from the crowd, and now realize what a good job I was doing.

It’s not only my interest in the culinary arts that benefits from being detail-oriented. I still create and design and sketch; I am fascinated by tables scapes, floral arrangements and the idea of food as art.

I believe that these interests and my ability to be detail oriented has helped me with my lonliness and to use creative thinking to move past it. I am able to pull the abstract into detail oriented art forms. I now have the opportunity to explore the culinary arts and design: to take abstract ideas and develop them into detailed art forms. I truly have the career of my dreams. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work at Elegant Eating.

If you dream it, and are persistent, you can do anything!

Edited by avanicole23