Crafting your own Cuisine – January 2020
By Eileen Perkins –
It is January and a new year lies ahead. Resolutions to improve health and well-being are statistically at the top of the self-improvement list. Natural food stores typically experience a surge of business during the first weeks of the year. Both organic and conventional produce sales spike. People eat more fresh veggies. Store patrons stock their refrigerators and pantries with products that support new dietary goals. Individuals with food intolerances also search for new foods to try, although the goal to get healthier may have been thrust upon them in a past more distant than January 1; they relinquished, by force of necessity, many old food friends and were pried loose from habits to consume foods that were simply convenient, tasty solutions at meal time. Spurred by health related, environmental or ethical motivations, a growing number of individuals are choosing to reduce or cut their consumption of animal products, and face the question of what’s left when meat, dairy or eggs are minimized or eliminated.
Each of these motivations for nourishing oneself in a new way requires a change both of food and its preparation. There is a learning curve. It helps to be patient with oneself, while seeking out new products and, perhaps new techniques, to enlarge the range of satisfying food options.
This column is designed to introduce you to products that may be new to you, and cooking techniques useful for this food odyssey. I am not a medical professional and offer no medical advice. I am a cook, and I look forward to sharing resources that may be helpful to you!
Monthly Cookbook Review: 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes
1000 Gluten-Free Recipes is an encyclopedic collection of recipes authored by internationally recognized GF expert Carol Fenster, Ph.D. The tome is very well organized, with an approachable format. There are plenty of formulas that are quick-to-make, as well as being vegetarian, and both are clearly marked. Although the author offers suggestions for workable dairy substitutions, as you investigate the recipes bear in mind that the book was written over ten years ago, and non-dairy products have since exploded into the market place. You will find a greater selection of dairy analogs to choose from than were available when the book was written, but the author does provide a place to start.
I was impressed by the breadth of the book’s scope. In addition to the many recipes, the author makes the book personal by recalling her own introduction to the GF lifestyle. She also answers many questions that puzzle newbies, such as exactly what gluten is, types of gluten intolerance, how to approach reading ingredient labels and seasoned advice about how to cook and bake with GF supportive ingredients.
One helpful baking ingredient the book introduced me to is a product called “Expandex”. This tapioca starch product contributes to making GF baked goods behave more like ones that contain gluten, no small feat! Mimicking the taste and texture of wheat products, without gluten ingredients, requires know-how. Of the formuas I tried, I found they yielded reliable results. Among the ingredients in her baking arsenal is a flour mixture she developed and appropriately named “Carol’s Sorghum Blend”; it is key in the success of many of her baked goods. Hers is not the only flour blend that I use, but it does have a respected spot in my own pantry.
Carol Fenster’s website, www.savorypalate.com, is informative.
1000 Gluten-Free Recipes is available for loan through many area libraries.
Products to Try
•“Nut Pods” (shelf-stable) Almond and Coconut Creamer – A convenient, unsweetened, gluten free, non-dairy delight for coffee drinkers, available in a number of flavors. I like caramel best!
•“Simple Mills” Artisan Bread Almond Flour Mix- I am surprised by how satisfying the bread this GF mix makes. The recipe calls for eggs. I contacted the company for a tweaked egg replacement suggestion, for those going egg free, since making gluten free baked goods without eggs can be tricky. The company’s customer service representative was very prompt and helpful. She mentioned the usual flax seed and fruit substitutions, adding that their team is working on tailor making egg substitution advice for their products. If you try doing this yourself, I’ll be happy to hear about your experience. This bread is pictured next to the Broccoli Cauliflower Soup in the recipe photo.
•“Live G Free” (Aldies brand) Gluten Free Everything Bagels –This is the best brand of GF bagel I have tried. The company makes a raisin bagel, that I also enjoy. Store in the freezer after splitting fully in half, and toast as needed. The DF cream cheese left from the featured soup recipe is a good match!
