Gluten - Free

Even though I am busy, with graduate school (btw I got in :), I picked up some books at the library that I am excited to read. Most of you know that I love to cook and learning how to cook new things, so I picked up some books on Gluten-free cooking and am really excited to give it a try, especially the baking.

My mother is always calling me for ideas on what to cook for her friend that is allergic to wheat and now just found out she is also allergic to corn, rice, oats and a multitude of other things. The poor girl is eating mostly protein, fruit, and vegetables. Now those are all fine and all, but if you are used to all of your baked goods being made with brown rice it can be a shock to your body to stop eating carbs, not to mention it is unhealthy for brain function. So I thought I would look into it and try some different recipes to help her find a variety of foods that she can eat.

I never knew how many different kinds of flour there are, it makes me so happy and excited to try them all. Here are a few that I already knew about and a few I didn't:

Bean Flour - Garbanzo beans or lentils work nicely.
Buckwheat Flour - Common misconception that this is related to wheat, it is not. It comes from the rhubarb family.
Quinoa Flour
Almond Meal Flour - Made from blanched almonds.
Tapioca Flour - Same thing as Tapioca Starch.
Amaranth Flour - Very strong taste, suggested to mix with other flours.
Potato Flour - Made from cooked potatoes, unlike potato starch which is made from uncooked potatoes.
Sorghum Flour - Taste similar to wheat; you have to add arrowroot or cornstarch and xanthan gum to help it bind.
Soy Flour - Has a strong smell and doesn't store well.

I didn't list White Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, and Oat Flour because she is allergic and I only want to work with flour she can eat.

I am very excited to try some recipes, I think I would like to try the Gingerbread and Blueberry Muffins first. Each recipe calls for Sorghum Flour so my first stop is to find some at Henry's, Windmill Farms, or Whole Foods.

I will let you know how it goes.

Take care,
Kristina

*Books:
Gluten-free, Sugar-free Cooking By Susan O'Brien
Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day By Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (Gluten-free section)
Gluten-free girl by Shauna James Ahern