Custom Cakes

Much to my surprise there is still a need for bakers in the area. I never thought of myself as a baker, just one who enjoyed simple confections. I often do my own baking for catered events focusing on simple tasty treats. Goodies and cakes that you might remeber your mom or grandmother making. I love using quality ingredients; organic flours, local eggs, organic butter, evaporated cane sugar... Recently I have been comitioned to bake birthday cakes, some even gluten free! So next birthday, shower, graduation...think of Alexa Carlson Catering!

My prices are as follows (all cakes are at least two layers):

6"round...$26 and up

9" round...$52 and up

9x13"...$80 and up

Pictured is a tasty chocolate gluten free cake with toffee bites and chocolate mocha butter cream!

Please look at the Afternoon Tea heading for other baked treats.

Higganum Village Market

The following menu will be available to order from for next week's market. Place your order by 5pm Wednesday for Friday pick-up at the Higganum Village Market (3:30pm-7pm.) Please email me orders at alexacdrc@aol.com

Casseroles (serves 8-10 people) Great for Freezing!
Meat Lasagna…$45
Chicken and Spinach Lasagna…$45
White Pesto Lasagna…$32
Cheese Lasagna…$30
Baked Beef Burritos…$45
Baked Chicken Burritos…$35
Baked Bean Burritos…$20
White Bean Gratin…$20
Baked Macaroni and Cheese…$20
Dad’s Classic Meatloaf…$30
Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf…$25
Alexa’s Sheppard’s Pie…$45

Half and quarter size portions are available upon request.

Meats (prices per person or otherwise noted)
Split Roasted Chicken…$10/half
Split Roasted Duck…$18/half
Broiled Salmon (organic or wild caught)…$10
Turkey Meatballs and Chicken Sausage in Marinara…$6

Sides (prices per person)
Maple Glazed Carrots…$3
Sautéed Artichokes, Red Onions and Garlic…$4
Parmesan and Sage Polenta Triangles…$3

Soup, Chili and Chowder (prices per quart)
Beef Chili…$12
Turkey Chili…$10
White Chicken Chili…$10
Clam Chowder…$12
Carrot Ginger or Carrot Dill…$6
Mushroom Bisque…$8

Frittata
Spinach, Tomato and Feta…$4
Mushroom and Caramelized Onions…$4
Asparagus, Dill and Feta...$4
Lamb Sausage, Sage and Pleasant Cow Cheese...$5

Green Salads (prices per person)
Baby Spinach with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms, Toasted Pecans and Red Wine Vinaigrette…$4
Field Greens with Toasted Walnuts, Cranberries, Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette…$4

Pasta Salads (one pound minimum)
Farfelle Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan…$6/pound
Spinach and Egg Fettuccine with Calamata Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Grape Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and Dill…$7/pound

Other Salads (one pound minimum)
Organic Wild Rice Salad with Pecans, Scallions, Cranberries and Orange Vinaigrette…$7/pound
Broccoli Salad with Raisins, Peanuts and Sweet Red Wine Dressing…$6
Organic Wheat Berry Salad with Oranges, Pomegranates and Currants (seasonal)…$6/pound
Organic Curried Couscous with Currants, Golden Raisins, Toasted Almond, Carrots and Scallions…$6/pound

Lunch Salads (one pound minimum)
Tuscan Tuna Salad…$6/pound
Organic Salmon Salad…$8/pound
Curried Egg Salad -or- Tarragon Egg Salad…$5/pound
Curried Chicken Salad…$8/pound
Tarragon Chicken Salad…$8 /pound
Classic Chicken Salad…$6/pound
Classic Tuna Salad…$5/pound
Classic Egg Salad…$4/pound

As a chef local, organic and sustainable foods are very important to me. I use as many local ingredients as possible. Ingredients I'm unable to purchase from here in CT are natural and organic.

Gluten Free Wraps!!!

The brown rice wraps I used yesterday at the SGFA Conference were Food for Life. I was calling them life is good, oops!!! Well life is good when you find a tasty wrap. Look for them in the freezer department of your local health food store. If they don't have them ask! Any retailer using UNFI (United Natural Foods) can get them. Their sprouted corn tortillas are also very good. They are great for Mexican lasagnas.

A Mexican Lasagna, sounds silly but they are sooo good. I make home made salsa, that I can in the fall, but your favorite store bought salsa will do.

You will need:
a large lasagna pan
your favorite cheese (soy or dairy), shredded
2 packs of Food for Life corn tortillas, defrosted
3-4 jars salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.Grease your lasagna pan.
3. Spread down some salsa.
4. Layer down about 6 tortillas.
5. Sprinkle cheese.
6. Continue this until all tortilla are used and top with salsa and cheese.
7. Bake until heat through and bubble. Finish under the broiler for a extra crispy edge and toasty brown cheese!!!

This is a great comfort dish for people of all ages and so easy to make. When I have a busy week of catering and cant chop another veggie this is a great dinner. Serve with a salad and you have a quick and tasty meal!!!

Vegetarian Chili for a Party

This yummy chili recipe will make enough to feed an army of friends or great for freezing. I used canned tomatoes, but this would be a wonderful way to use the summer's abundance of tomatoes and peppers.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
Yield: 20-22 quarts

3-4 T Canola Oil
4 medium Spanish onions, small diced
1 head of garlic, minced
4 jalapenos, minced
6 green peppers, small diced (Any color you like, green were on sale this week!)
8 sweet potatoes, medium diced
8, 28oz cans whole tomatoes (I like Muir Glen!)
6 cups water (Use the cans to get all tomato residue.)
½ cup chili powder (I like Frontier salt-free!)
8 cups dried black beans or 20 cups canned

1. Soak and cook beans as described in the White Bean Gratin recipe.
2. Sauté onions and garlic in oil, cook till translucent and slightly caramelized. Add peppers and sauté until soft.
3. Add sweet potatoes and sauté a few minutes more.
4. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands leaving them chunky. Add all juice from tomatoes and the water.
5. Stir in chili powder and bring to a simmer cook until sweet potatoes are tender. Add black beans and simmer until desired consistency.
6. Garnish with cilantro, cheese, sour cream or your favorite topping.

Wheat and Gluten Free

Last week my good friend Laurencia asked me to be a part of the Shoreline Gluten-Free Association. Although I'm not wheat and gluten intolerant I have many friends and family members who are. At their monthly meeting I learned that 15% of the population is dealing with this daily struggle. I was surprised by how much wheat is out there. The obvious breads, pastas, crackers and sweets are just the tip of the iceberg. Almost every label you read has modified food starch and now the question has to be, "where does that starch come from?" The starch can come from many places. Potatoes, corn, rice and tapioca are commonly used but wheat by far is the most common. This is where the 1-800#'s can be useful, call them up! You finally have a good reason to use your cell phone in the middle of the grocery store.

I already love many different grains; quinoa, millet and the wide family of rice. Matthew and I cook and eat these on a daily basis. We have been looking to incorporate them into catering and now the time has come. With these grains, as with all your foods, you have to be careful of cross wheat and gluten contamination. Always read the labels! Soups and stocks are another culprit for wheat starch. This never occurred to me because I make my own soups and stocks from scratch. If a thickening agent is needed there are great alternatives to a roux. Not only will cornstarch and arrowroot thicken your soups, stocks and gravies it will do so with out the extra butter!

As for those breads, pasta, sweets and crackers....there are so many WF & GF products out there that are very tasty. I was surprised at how great some of the products are, some even tastier then the conventional alternatives. I love Pamela's cookies! You can find many of these products at your grocery store in the health/organic section or your favorite natural food market. I have enjoyed the last week trying out different recipes. I am trying to stay away from recipes calling for additives and that has been a challenge. Although many come from natural ingredients, I'm not a fan. For instance xanthum gum comes from fermenting corn. There is no avoiding this product in commercially made items (Pamela's cookies,) so I choose to avoid them in homemade baking and cooking. When you start looking at these additives you find they are in everything; livestock feed, cat food, baked goods and meat and poultry packaging. I think you catch my drift! Xanthum gum is used in WF & GF baking because it adds stability and strength to wheat alternative flours. I have made some very tasty brownies and shortbread without any xanthum gum. I used the Arrowhead Mill's GF & WF Baking Mix and the batch used contained no additives. This may not always be true, so if important to you read the label every time you buy. Please enjoy!

Alexa's Chocolate Shortbread

1 cup Arrowhead Mill's GF&WF Baking Mix

1/3 cup Green&Black Cocoa Powder

3T corn starch (WF & GF)

1/2 cup Confectioner's Sugar (WF & GF)

3/4 cup butter

1. Put all dry ingredients into food processor bowl and pulse to mix.

2. Add butter to dry ingredients (for easier mixing cut the butter into small cubes). Process ingredients until they come together in a ball.

3. Divide dough in half and roll into logs about 1inch in diameter. Roll in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Slice logs (about 16 cookies per log) and place in baking sheet in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven. Bake about 12 minutes or until cookies are firm but not colored.

5. Let rest 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Alexa's Chocolate Brownies

140g butter

200g dark chocolate (WF & GF)

340g cane sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

140g Arrowhead Mill's WF & GF Baking Mix

2t baking powder (WF & GF)

1/2t salt

1t vanilla extract

9x11 inch pan (lined with foil and then greased)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

2. Melt butter in sauce pan and then add chocolate, stir with heat proof spatula until chocolate is melted. Mix in the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Add vanilla to the eggs. Pour egg mixture slowly into the chocolate mixture (be sure to keep mixing so you don't cook the eggs.)

4. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into the wet ingredients.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Be sure not to over bake.