Welcome to 1-800-Bakery’s interview series, “The Baker & The Blogger.” Each week we’ll be sharing an interview with one of our favorite bloggers. Enjoy!
This week: Simply…Gluten Free
Name: Carol Kicinski
Blog: Simply…Gluten Free
How long have you been blogging? A little over 5 years
What are some of your favorite food-related memories from your childhood?
Food and memories go hand in hand for me. Often I can barely remember where we were or what was happening but I can certainly recall the food! I clearly remember eating my first taco. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I think that was the beginning of my love of Mexican food. Another special food related incident was with my family, I think I was about 13 years old. We were driving through the country side in Spain. We stopped at a restaurant, it was not really open yet after siesta but the owner must have felt badly for my parents with 3 hungry children so we were graciously seated and the owner just brought us out course after course of amazing food. We didn’t order, they just brought dishes out as they were prepared. To this day it was one of my most favorite meals.
What is your all-time favorite dessert?
That’s a really hard one but I am going to go with cream puffs filled with pastry cream. I was so happy when I figured out how to make them gluten free.
Do you have a signature dish? If so, what is it?
Probably my gluten free coconut cupcakes, they are certainly my most requested recipe – even by gluten eaters! The recipe is in my dessert cookbook, Simply…Gluten Free Desserts.
If you have children, how do you get them involved in the kitchen?
I do have children, two boys. They are grown and out of the house now but they are both really good cooks. We sat down for dinner every night while the boys were growing up, dinner was the main highlight of the day. They often helped in the kitchen to prepare food and they were always eager to learn. They both like to eat good food so learning how to make good food is helpful! I let them experiment and we ate what they made. For whatever reason my boys were always so appreciative of food I prepared for them, they always thanked me for dinner – every single night – and I think they like to feel the appreciation from others when they cook.
Share 5 of your favorite recipes and tell us why you love them.
Creamsicle Pavlovas – I love pavlovas of any kind but these are particularly dreamy
Tilapia tacos with cherry chipotle salsa – I am obsessed with tacos of any kind but there is something really special about these
Gluten Free Pate Choux – so versatile (the base of those cream puffs!) and not as difficult as one might imagine
Gluten Free French Bread – I was pretty excited when I finally got this recipe right!
Bean & Veggie Chili – I just make this all the time, perfect for casual entertaining when you have to feed a crowd and it works for vegetarians and meat eaters alike
Do you prefer cooking or baking? Why?
Cooking – it is not as scientific and even though I do a lot of dessert recipes I really prefer savory food to sweet.
Tell us your childhood memories of desserts you enjoyed as a child.
I am a middle child and my Dad is a middle child as well so he knew that we often get overlooked. Sometimes he would take me (and just me!) to this place where we would get frozen custard. We both love vanilla frozen custard. It was such a special treat.
