Bastille Day Champignons

Champignon aux "Pommes de Terre"

(garnished with mint, not a bad idea after so much garlic and onions!)

One of my favorite concepts in literature is that of "the double"— the two characters that represent different sides of the same person, the parallel universe if opposite choices had been made, if a different life had been lived. Bastille Day and America's Independence Day are democratic double of sorts. The French assisted the U.S. Revolution (if only out of spite for the British); America's revolution, in turn, fanned the revolutionary rumblings against the excessive French monarchy. America celebrates our declaration of a democratic government on July 4th, the French their more literal unseating of royalty on July 14.

So what does this have to do with gluten-free food? The Theme for the July 2010 "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free" is Bastille Day. While pastries and bread seem to capture the American imagination when discussing French cuisine, so much of what the French do well os naturally gluten-free: fresh vegetables (particularly mushrooms), herbs, potatoes and cheese. So why not blend a portion of the rich French culinary tradition with American ingenuity and confidence to make statements that the rest of the world thinks are crazy (Raw food) in honor of our shared independence month? So here is a culinary double entendre, two staples of French cuisine, champignons (mushrooms) and Pommes de terre (potatoes or actually cauliflower in this case) styled with the distinctly American flair as "Steak and Mashed Potatoes."

CHAMPIGNONS/ STEAK (RAW)

Serves 4-6

adapted from the Juliano Raw Uncook Book

4-6 Cleaned portabello mushrooms (whole or sliced)

2 Onions sliced into ringlets

1/2 C. Tamari or Gluten-Free Nama Shoya

1/4 C. Wine, cooking wine or wine vinegar*

1/4 C. Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

1. Whisk together the last 4 ingredients or Blend in cup with a stick blender.

2. Pour over onions and mushrooms in a shallow dish and cover.

3. Marinate for 15 minutes to 6 hours.

Serve alone, over salad, or with other vegetables.

*This has been my favorite way to get rid of red wine that wasn't drunk in time and therefore relegated to the refrigerator for cooking.

Serve with Ani Phyo's Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. Ani Phyo had the best cauliflower mashed potato recipe of the many that I tried. Her step of blending the cauliflower with water and then straining takes away most of the cruciferous raw cauliflower taste which most other recipes tried to conceal by using large amounts of nuts.

And I can't discuss Independence Day/ Bastille day without sharing one of the other things the French begrudgingly love about America: Jazz. My favorite American Anthem:

The Beautiful American- Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington