Gluten-free cooking is easier than you think

July 2, 1:10 PMAtlanta Gluten-Free Food ExaminerTiffany Janes

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Atlanta Gluten-Free Food Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

 

One of the hardest things for people to do once they’re told to give up gluten is actually unlearn everything they ever knew about cooking. If one is unfamiliar with their own kitchen and how the stove works when they embark on the gluten-free diet, it might be easier for them to learn to cook gluten-free than an accomplished chef. There is a science regarding how foods react in cooking and most traditional rules simply don’t apply when you start using gluten-free ingredients.

Steak and chicken still grills up the same way it always has but when you start talking about things like gluten-free bread, cookies, cakes, pie crusts and biscuits, it’s a whole new ballgame. Luckily for the culinarily challenged, as well as those who are gifted in the kitchen, there are a host of fabulous gluten-free cookbooks on the market.

One of the easiest introductions to the challenging task of learning to cook (and bake) gluten-free is the book “Gluten-Free Cooking for Dummies”, from the famous yellow and black “For Dummies” series. Finding out that Danna Korn, founder of R.O.C.K (raising our celiac kids), was part of the team that created the book was a tiny bit surprising at first. Danna is considered the original gluten-free guru but following recipes is not exactly her forte. She’s a very intelligent and creative person who uses her creative spirit in everything she does. That means when she’s cooking she doesn’t really follow recipes – or measure ingredients for that matter. Yet she creates amazing dishes, like most creative types tend to do.

Still, we are talking about a cookbook here, so there had to be tried and true recipes in it, complete with measurements and everything. Luckily Danna had a connection with well respected Chef and cookbook author Connie Sarros. The two talented women teamed up to produce one of the most unintimidating gluten-free cookbooks around.

As usual, Danna regales readers with stories of approaching the gluten-free lifestyle with fun and enthusiasm. She loves making up words which is both refreshing and hilarious. For many years Connie Sarros has created incredible gluten-free recipes and she continues to do so. She is committed to staying educated about the latest news regarding gluten-free living and informing her readers in her monthly newsletter. Connie even produced a fabulous instructional gluten-free cooking DVD.

Like all books in the “For Dummies” series, Gluten-Free Cooking for Dummies follows an easy to understand format. As she does in all her books, Danna explains how she got involved in the gluten-free community almost twenty years ago, when her toddler was diagnosed with celiac and there was no one to tell her what that really meant, or how to feed her son. Though the celiac diagnosis was devastating in the beginning, Danna’s positive outlook on life turned the adversity into a blessing she wouldn’t trade for anything today.

This easy to read book includes chapters explaining what gluten is, how to start the diet, how to shop for food and how to set up the kitchen safely - especially if the whole household is not eating gluten-free. Danna will really get your attention when she explains the possible connection between consuming wheat and wrinkles. Could eating gluten-free really mean one might grow old more gracefully?

Connie offers up extraordinary recipes in every conceivable category – appetizers, snacks, breakfasts, lunches, main courses, soups, vegetarian dishes and of course desserts. There are sections about cooking for gluten-free kids and easy to prepare comfort foods. Gluten-free flours are explained and the tips on gluten-free bread baking will help anyone committed to baking excellent gluten free breads. Several tasty gluten-free bread recipes are included like French Baguettes and Breakfast Biscuit Bread.

No one who follows the gluten-free diet would ever imply that learning how to do it is easy. Fortunately for us all, Danna Korn and Connie Sarros not only do a fantastic job of showing people how to eat and live gluten-free, they actually make their readers glad to be gluten-free. That sentiment is something we can all use a dose of from time to time. Danna’s goal is to teach others how to live and love the gluten-free lifestyle and Connie lends her great cooking expertise to make that possible, even for the most novice chef.