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From the page: "Julieann's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-, dairy- & refined sugar-free)

Makes 3 dozen

2 tablespoons ground flax seed (golden or brown)
6 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch)
3/4 cup quinoa flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 3/4 cups coconut sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons mashed banana
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups cacao nibs
1 cup chopped lightly toasted nuts of any kind (optional)

Instructions: Mix ground flax seed and boiling water in a small bowl. Cool and refrigerate until thickened. This flax seed "egg" can be made ahead.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Combine the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, quinoa flour, xanthan gum and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. Cream coconut oil, coconut sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl. Add the prepared flax seed egg, mashed banana and vanilla; mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down bowl. Add the flour mixture, and mix until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using. Chill dough for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.

Form heaping tablespoons of dough into balls; space about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press the tops down to help the cookies spread evenly. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet and bake another 3-5 minutes more. These cookies tend to be light in color when fully baked. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per cookie: 178 calories, 1 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat (5 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 109 mg sodium, 4 g fiber."

From the page: "Zucchini makes great low-carb alternative to pasta

Sophie Brickman

Sunday, May 29, 2011
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Craig Lee / Special to The Chronicle

Gnudi With Veal Polpettine; styling by Sophie Brickman
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Gnudi With Veal Polpettine; styling by Sophie BrickmanZucchetti; styling by Sophie Brickman View Larger Images
Teaching Dave

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Zucchini makes great low-carb alternative to pasta

Two years ago, for three months, I spent my days in a windowless New York basement kitchen fiendishly julienning pounds of zucchini for Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

As a culinary intern in the prep kitchen of Vongerichten's eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant, I was on the lowest rung of the totem pole. I worked in exchange for the privilege of observing the inner workings of a top-tier restaurant, but was so anxious that I observed little but my zucchini, which became garnish for a fish dish.

Vongerichten's attention to detail filtered down through the sous chefs to the line cooks to me, although I only saw Chef when, dressed in a white chef's coat, black pants and Prada loafers, he'd toast his morning bagel near my station. The sous chef would meticulously inspect my work, tossing sub-par zucchini sticks into the compost bin with a raised eyebrow. A curt nod signified satisfaction.

It was terrifying.

For months after my internship ended, even a glimpse of zucchini would bring me back into that kitchen, my hands wet and raw, the band of my nerdy commis hat tightly hugging my forehead, my single allocated kitchen towel littered with vegetable detritus.

When I saw the first of the season's zucchini and summer squash at the market, my Vongerichten days safely in the past, it occurred to me that my julienning skills might come in handy to make a light, summery and low-carb pasta alternative.

Why low carbs?

Dave has been on a limited-carb kick lately. I blame Novak Djokovic, one of Dave's favorite tennis players, who is attributing his best season ever to a new gluten-free diet.

Dave is now halfway through a scientific nutrition book that features an ominous picture of a piece of toast and a melting butter pat on its cover.

So one night, we julienned "pasta" out of zucchini and squash, which we lightly sauteed, then kicked up with hot chile flakes, garlic, lemon zest for brightness and pine nuts for crunch. Because we only used the outside layers of the vegetable, the zucchini was slightly crunchy and twirled, pasta-like, around our forks.

A few weeks later, challenged to work within low-carb pasta parameters, we made gnudi - ricotta dumplings bound with egg and just a smidge of flour - accompanied by veal polpettini, which cook in a flash, and tomato sauce. Health-conscious readers: Whole milk ricotta yields a better-tasting gnudi, but you can use skim or partially skim milk ricotta and strain it for a few hours to thicken it up.

Not only are gnudi lower-carb than traditional gnocchi Parisienne and potato gnocchi, they are significantly easier to make. Gnocchi Parisienne requires cooking flour and mixing the dough over regulated heat until just the right moment, and potato gnocchi includes the extra steps of cooking potatoes and putting them through a ricer.

To give the gnudi a little something extra, I taught Dave how to quenelle - the act of scraping the dough back and forth between two spoons to form a perfect oval-shaped dumpling, something rarely done except in professional restaurants. Traditionally, poached fish mousse is formed into quenelles, as is ice cream. Professionals can quenelle in two quick flicks. I go back and forth, spoon to spoon, endlessly.

After a brief demo, I gave the spoons to Dave. He picked up the motion after a mere three tries, shrugging off my praise and attributing his deft skill to childhood Nintendo playing.

"Rapid and repetitive thumb and forefinger usage, that's all it is," he said.

The finished dish was warming and satisfying - perfect for the impending San Francisco summer. And while the presentation was a bit rustic for Chef Vongerichten's standards, I'm certain Dave's quenelles would have warranted at least a nod.
Zucchetti

Serves 4

Nix pasta altogether and substitute spaghetti-like zucchini and squash strips for a lighter, low-carb alternative. If you prefer a more pappardelle-like shape, use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to get thicker ribbons. You want the zucchini, as you do pasta, al dente.

1 pound zucchini (about 3-4 medium-sized)
1 pound yellow summer squash (about 3-

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