As I’ve mentioned before, going gluten-free for us was an accidental health benefit. We initially decided to try this out of interest and a challenge. Within two weeks, we discovered that my husband no longer suffered from indigestion and drastically reduced his intake of medication just to survive a meal. A little research discovered that the lactose intolerance he dealt with for years and years but just a clamor from his body notifying him that gluten was the culprit. When we omitted gluten from our diet, he no longer at a problem with dairy products. No more digestive medication in order to eat a meal.
Naturally, once we knew it was not going to be an experiment in diet but a lifestyle for the sake of my husband’s health, my time in the kitchen got serious. Yes, generally, the main necessities of eating didn’t involve gluten but we began to think wistfully of things like pizza, cake, cookies, pasta which would be difficult to work around. A lot of internet surfing, research, and reading and anyone who enjoys a meal at our home, doesn’t even realize they are eating gluten free.
My first, gluten-free recipe book was a fortunate choice and the author made is clear that with some ingenuity and patience, most anything in the gluten world could be transported into the realm of gluten-free.
Gluten-Free on a Shoestring by Nicole Hunn took the mystery out of cooking and baking gluten-free and, if you follow her recipes carefully, you can be successful every time.
Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, Quick and Easy by Nicole Hunn soon joined my bookshelf. I think it was the chocolate donut on the cover that got me. Thanks to her, we can enjoy chocolate donuts, cinnamon donuts, powdered sugar donuts . . . along with 99 other great recipes in the book.
When I heard about it, I immediately signed up and paid in advance pending publication of Nicole Hunn’s latest book Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread. It did not disappoint and we are able to enjoy sandwiches, rolls, and a ton more without jeopardizing my husband’s health.
I did have a bit of nostalgia for my favorite American’s Test Kitchen recipes and magazines. Imagine my happiness when I was browsing through Costco, one day, and discovered America’s Test Kitchens has published The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook! It seems to complete my wishes in a gluten-free world! The advantage of this cookbook is that they always explain WHY something is done or used in a recipe.
Of course these are only four of a shelf-full of gluten-free books I’ve acquires in my wanderings. Last year I made a complete Chinese meal for my husband’s birthday including gluten-free Pot stickers. The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen by Laura B. Russell is a staple in my cookbook line up.
In other words, if you find your need to omit gluten and related wheat products from your menu, life is definitely not over. In fact, there seems to be more adventure in trying new recipes because you can!
Crazy Quilts, Catholics & Cookies 