Gluten-Free Blood Orange Cakes

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

These days, we all face the issue of making foods for every diet when inviting friends over for a party. While in New York City this week, my partner and I threw a brunch party for over 20 of his friends, and while only one had a special diet, we decided to make a gluten-free dish for her that didn’t take much effort at all, and actually tastes great to those who don’t have an issue with gluten.

With so many natural and flavorful gluten-free cake mixes on the market now, it was easy to find one to use for the blood orange upside-down cakes we were already planning to make. Ripe rings of blood orange, sprinkled with brown sugar, make anything taste great, but especially a gluten-free cake that everyone thinks is not.

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A Valentine’s Day Dessert for Cooking Newbies

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Most holidays can be daunting for the beginning cook, with many courses to serve to large groups of people. Valentine’s Day is the best time for a beginning cook to shine since he or she will be cooking for just two.

I find the best way to approach this day is to see it as a normal weeknight meal, but with the quality and care turned up a few notches.

Serve meatloaf, if that’s what you and your significant other go for, but make it with the best ground beef, pork or lamb you can find and maybe some homemade ketchup slathered on top.

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