And to whet your appetite: This recipe for Osso Buco is from Lorna SassâÂÂs Cooking Under Pressure. I have made it both as a slow braise (traditional), and made it in the pressure cooker, and I actually prefer the pressure cooker version. Even if youâÂÂre only cooking for two and using just two veal shanks, donâÂÂt halve the remaining ingredients; the sauce is wonderful by itself. Once you get the Osso Buco started in the cooker, cook up some pasta or rice to soak up the sauce. The gremolata garnish is traditional, but I donâÂÂt care for it; some authorities, such as Marcella Hazan, donâÂÂt use it. Osso Buco alla Milanese (Braised Veal Shanks, Milan-style) Serves 4 4 veal shanks, about 10 oz each 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 large onion, coarsely chopped ý cup dry red wine or dry vermouth 1/3 cup beef or chicken stock or bullion 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped 1 stalk celery, sliced thinly ý pound mushrooms, thinly sliced One 14 oz can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, including juice 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano ü teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional) ý teaspoon salt, or to taste (less if using canned bullion) Freshly ground black pepper to taste Gremolata: (optional) 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest ý cup finely minced fresh parsley Rinse the veal shanks, pat dry, and dredge in flour, pressing the flour into the veal with the heel of your hand. Shake off excess flour. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the cooker. Over medium heat, brown the veal on both sides and set aside on a platter. Add the remaining oil and sauté the onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the red wine and stir, taking care to scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, browned shanks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, oregano, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 18 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally or use a quick-release method (venting the steam or putting the cooker in the sink and running cold water over it). Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape. Prepare the gremolata, if used, by combining the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley. When the shanks are done, stir in the gremolata and simmer for a few minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve. Note: if using smaller shanks, check for doneness after 15 minutes of high pressure.

Here's the recipe I use: 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut 1 (12oz) can coconut milk (sweetened) 4 egg whites melted chocolate (optional) Mix the two coconut types together, add the coconut milk, and then stir in the egg white. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough, form into a pyramid shape, and bake on parchment or silpat at 325° until they were brown at the corners - about 20 minutes. Next cool them on the pan for a few minutes before removing them, and dip the bottoms in melted chocolate. It's from ATK, but I might have adapted it. I usually make only half a recipe. Lars

As usual, I find Rachelellen's post full of wisdom. It gives me some of the guidance I want. Cooking the same cuisine (not the same dishes) for one week straight would be no hardship at all for me. When I returned from a one week trip to Italy I cooked nothing but northern Italian food for at least three weeks. There was nothing monotonous about it. That experience has faded. I need another trip to Italy for a refresher course. I don't see the need to limit the experiment to a single cookbook, although that could be an effective way to do it, given the right book. Books I would recommend are: Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji The Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni The Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy These books are similar in approach and format although about different cuisines and by different authors. They provide a solid foundation for cooking each cuisine. Again, I say that switching to another ethnic cuisine for an extended period of time is a fine idea. Those for whom that is their native cuisine eat it daily year after year don't they? Jim

Ironically, I was using coconut flour (and also nut flours) long before I went gluten-free as a way to reduce high-glycemic foods in our diet. When it comes to sorghum flour, I suggest milling your own, but I suggest that with all the whole grains because "fresh is best" - for the flavor as well as the nutrition. Sorghum is soft enough you can mill it in small batches in a coffee/spice mill. Sorghum flour tends to be gritty, so try to use it with a mixture of other textures, like oatmeal, unsweetened coconut.... Using the "soaked flour" method also helps; and when you make cookies, chill the dough overnight and that will help eliminate the grittiness. --Add 1/2 to 1 T. of cornstarch to every cup of sorghum flour to improve the smoothness and moisture retention. Arrowroot or tapioca flour can also be used measure-for-measure for cornstarch, or you can use 2 T. of Ultra Gel for every T. of cornstarch. --Use xanthan gum as a binder and for moisture retention. Add 1/2 t. of xanthan gum per cup of sorghum flour for cookies and cakes; or 1 t. per cup for breads. --Add a little extra oil or solid fat if you think your recipes are too dry. --Make small cakes, large cakes can dry out quickly. --Add an extra egg or egg white for improved smoothness and crumb structure. --Add a little extra baking powder and/or soda to boost rising properties. --Interestingly enough, you may find mixing doughs and batters longer than what you think would be necessary also helps the end results. --Sorghum flour works well combined with other grain/seed/bean flours. When working with bean flour, mill small white beans because they have the least amount of "beany" flavor. Sorghum flour, in combination with bean flour, helps cut the bitterness of bean flour. --You can also help "mask" some of the strong flavors of these gluten-free flours by choosing brown sugar, or even better, coconut palm sugar, or maple sugar, over white sugar. --Many gluten-free products and recipes use flour/starch mixtures that tend to be very low in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, and are high-glycemic, which can raise the blood sugar of diabetics. I tend to side on healthier ingredients and milling my own grains/seeds/beans for improved nutrition from the commercial all-purpose flour mixtures. Even though these commercial all-purpose flour mixtures are gluten-free, they are not healthy options, in my opinion, so I wouldn't use them frequently. You are potentially trading one health issue - gluten - for another. --Adding legume flours, ground flax, ground chia seeds, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and flour milled from corn (especially high-nutrient blue corn), are going to add a wider variety of nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. Nut flours add protein to keep the glycemic impact lower. --Potato starch is often used in combination with other gluten-free flours, but you can also add dried potato flakes to baked goods, which will aid in holding moisture. --Benefits of using sorghum flour. Sorghum is high in insoluble fiber, with relatively small amounts of soluble fiber. The protein and starch in sorghum endosperm are more slowly digested than many other cereal grains. The slower rate of digestibility of sorghum products may be beneficial to diabetics over using high-glycemic flours and starches. --Sorghum flour tastes similar to wheat flour and is mild-flavored. --Sorghum flour mixes well with corn flour in tortillas. -Grainlady