| If you aren't participating in a gluten free diet on a | | | | do believe the birds enjoyed it. |
| daily basis like those of us who have had the | | | | I became the librarian's best friend. I studied |
| calling, then you might think what we must eat is | | | | anything I could get my hands on to learn the art |
| bland, tasteless, unappealing, unappetizing, or any | | | | of gluten free cooking and baking. It is an art and |
| other negative word you can think of. Well, for | | | | I was determined to master it. Using gluten free |
| your information, my gluten filled friend (or gluten | | | | ingredients cannot compare in any way to using |
| free friend), a GF diet can be just the opposite. | | | | wheat containing ingredients. GF flours do not |
| Of course, you see, I am completely biased in my | | | | react the same way to yeast, baking soda, |
| opinion, as I have no choice but to be. Those of | | | | baking powder, etc. But, if you are just learning, |
| us with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance must | | | | no need to panic. Really good cooks and bakers |
| live without wheat, rye and barley. It's just a fact | | | | have perfected the whole process. |
| of our lives. | | | | Today there are many resources for someone |
| What this really means is that I've learned to | | | | newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Fortunately I |
| make the best of it. Fortunately for me I love to | | | | found a book that not only explained Celiac |
| cook and bake. It's what I do. It's how I | | | | Disease, it contained recipes as well. For me, it |
| de-stress. Needless to say, it was very difficult | | | | was THE book. I use it today. It is important to |
| back in the day, to adapt to this diet. In the early | | | | realize that if you are learning to cook and bake |
| 1990's GF foods were almost impossible to find. | | | | gluten free, you just need to think differently. |
| They did not exist in local stores. I learned how to | | | | What this means is that you must pre-think each |
| use the Internet and shopped there. Unfortunately | | | | and everything you cook and bake. If you are |
| I live in the east and most of what I found had to | | | | using a GF cookbook and following the recipe (and |
| be shipped to me from the west coast. Often | | | | the rules), no problem. But if you're like me, you |
| times I would order bread only to have it arrive | | | | like to formulate your meal as you go, which can |
| about a week later. My initial excitement of finally | | | | get a little tricky. You need to have GF staples on |
| being able to have anything made into a sandwich | | | | hand at all times. I am not much of a |
| quickly turned into a huge disappointment. You | | | | planner-ahead kind of girl. I do tend to fly by the |
| see pre-baked products usually arrived with mold | | | | seat of my pants at the end of the workday. I |
| already growing. Double trouble. I am also allergic | | | | love the concept of 30-minute meals. I am one to |
| to mold. I once bought a whole case of GF | | | | throw pasta & veggies with broth & wine into a |
| crackers. Who doesn't like or need crackers? Well, | | | | deep skillet and see what comes out. I always |
| when I opened up that case fast and furious I | | | | have artichokes, canned tomatoes, sun-dried |
| discovered that these crackers were not | | | | tomatoes, roasted peppers in a jar and capers in |
| crackers...they were odd shaped pieces of | | | | the fridge. It's all about flavor. Don't forget spices. |
| cardboard that no one could possibly eat. What | | | | All kinds. And don't be afraid to use them. Some |
| was I thinking? Live and learn. That case sat in | | | | of these ingredients might sound odd, but they will |
| my basement cupboard for a really long time. I | | | | make your dish pop! |