<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Gluten-Free Baker Delivers Breakthrough With New Cookbook

 

    Cookbook writer and teacher Annalise Roberts knows that a good Italian bread should bite back, even when it's made from gluten-free ingredients. 

 

    Roberts' new cookbook, Gluten-Free Baking Classics (Surrey Books, $16.95), contains a recipe for a French-Italian loaf that she claims is unique in the gluten-free community. "A good Italian or French bread should have a crusty crust, a chewy interior with little air pockets, and a rich grain-like flavor.  When I was growing up, my father would bring home amazing breads from Prince Street in New York's Little Italy. I wanted to recreate those breads." 

 

    Roberts started developing recipes because she wanted to be able to eat the baked goods she had always enjoyed before being diagnosed with celiac disease four years ago. "It became really important once my son was diagnosed --celiac disease often runs in families -- and I didn't want him to miss out on having his favorite cookies or birthday cake, and we were both hungry for good bread and pizza!"

            

    Celiac disease is a genetic intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. When a person with celiac disease eats these foods, gluten triggers the immune system to attack the lining of the small intestine. This reaction causes inflammation and interferes with the digestion of vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients. For people diagnosed with celiac, a gluten-free diet is a medical necessity. 

 

    Roberts explains that the search for a decent gluten-free recipe is often a minefield of disappointment and failure for gluten-free bakers. "I understand first hand the need to have recipes that are not only delicious, but that work," she says. She swears her recipes not only will work but also won't squander a baker's emotional and physical time and energy.

 

    Roberts' approach to gluten-free baking distinguishes her from other gluten-free recipe mavens. "I use only two very specific flour mixes," she explains, "a flour mix I've invented for breads and an all-purpose mix designed for cake and other pastries, so you can bake the same way you would as if with wheat. 

 

    "My recipes are all designed to work with only these two specific flours, so once you create the mixes, it's really easy to make everything in the book." 

 

    Roberts' culinary talents don't stop at bread.  Gourmet Magazine featured several of her recipes in the November, 2005 issue, where editors lauded her "near-miraculous gluten-free take on the classic chocolate chip cookie" and her "lighter-than-air lemon layer cake." Gourmet also featured her New York-style pizza crust, which they called "delicious."

 

    Gluten-Free Baking Classics includes just about everything  -- muffins, sweet breads, pie and tart crusts, cakes, cookies, sandwich bread, French-Italian style bread, submarine sandwich bread, rustic flat bread, biscuits and pizzas, all made from the two flour mixes. The recipes are designed for a variety of baking skill levels, from experienced bakers interested in making éclairs and cream puffs to beginners who want to try making gluten-free corn muffins.  There is an extensive introduction in which the author explains how to handle gluten-free flours and how to stock a gluten-free pantry.

            

    Gluten-Free Baking Classics is available at local and web-based booksellers, or from Surrey Books at 800-326-4430.  

           

About the Author:  Annalise Roberts teaches cooking classes and offers culinary advice and recipes on her website, www.foodphilosopher.com. She lives with her family in northern New Jersey.

 

Betty Barfield, TX (I have no financial interest in her book.  I do enjoy her recipes and website.) 

 


*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC