Going gluten free probably never will be easy.
That's because those pesky proteins common to wheat and other grains can show up in the most unlikely places, from sour creams and chocolate milks to salad dressings and dips.
But life is getting easier for the estimated 1.5 million to 3 million Americans with celiac disease, a condition that leaves them unable to digest gluten. As awareness has grown, so have the number of products and books to help people cope.
"It's like night and day," Danna Korn, author of several gluten-free cookbooks, says of the availability of gluten-free products now compared to when she first needed them for her gluten intolerant son 17 years ago.
"I walked into a store and said, 'Hi, where's your gluten-free department?' " she says. "There was one type of bread that was less tasteful than sawdust glued together. I cried as my son ate it."
Today, choices abound. Once a niche of the natural foods market, gluten-free products now can be found in mainstream grocers. Even King Arthur Flour Co. is launching a line of gluten-free mixes.
And just as importantly, the quality of these products is markedly better.
Part of what makes gluten so hard to avoid is that it is an essential component of so many everyday products. The elastic nature of gluten proteins is what enables breads and other baked goods to rise.
Gluten also is a common additive in processed foods, often used as a thickening agent.
The easiest way to avoid gluten is to stick with unprocessed foods that are naturally gluten-free, such as produce, most dairy, nuts, beans, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, rice, corn, potatoes and grains such quinoa, buckwheat and millet.
And most ethnic cuisines — including Mexican, Indian, Chinese (use wheat-free soy sauce) and Ethiopian — rarely use gluten. So switching to a gluten-free diet involves more of a shift in perspective than a departure from good taste.
"(Eating gluten free) can open people up to a different way of eating. The American diet is pretty narrow. I eat more varieties of food, produce and ethnic foods than I ever have in my life," says Shauna James Ahern, author of "Gluten-Free Girl," a memoir and cookbook based off her blog glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com.
The gluten-free kitchen
Even with all these new products, eliminating gluten from the kitchen still involves a learning curve. Recipes without gluten — especially baked goods — don't behave the way their conventional counterparts do.
So here are some tips from the experts for making the most of all those new products.
r There are numerous flours than can be used in place of those that contain gluten. It's best to experiment to find a taste and texture you like. And be sure to try combinations of them.
Sorghum flour, for example, can provide protein and structure to a baked good, while potato starch can help lighten and soften the crumb. Tapioca flour can give it a more traditional bread-like consistency.
Carol Fenster, author of "Gluten-Free Quick & Easy," suggests making your own basic flour blend with 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour, 1 1/2 cups potato starch or cornstarch, and 1 cup of tapioca flour.
r Think thickeners. Without gluten to act as a binder in breads and other baked goods, you won't get much rise unless you replace it. Xanthan and guar gums (both available at natural foods stores) are all-natural substitutes.
r Start with quick breads and cookies. They are generally easier to make than bread.
r Let ingredients come to room temperature before using them. This helps the rising process.
r Accuracy is key. So make sure you measure carefully.
Aerate flour by stirring it with a whisk before measuring. Don't pack the measuring cup. And after you've filled the measuring cup, level it with a knife. Skipping that last step can add 20 percent more flour to your recipe.
r Don't over-cream butter and sugar when making cookies. Blend them just enough to combine the ingredients, then refrigerate the dough for a few hours or overnight to make it easier to shape, suggests Ahern.
r Gluten-free doughs and batters are almost always wetter than their conventional counterparts. Bread dough should be the consistency of cake batter and does not need to be kneaded.
r Gluten-free bread doughs need only one rising.
r Bake in smaller portions. Two smaller loaves of bread will come out better than one large loaf. Round pans bake better than square ones.
r Use nonstick pans for breads and quick breads. And use a little extra oil or butter to coat them. Avoid glass, aluminum and ceramic; your goodies may not cook evenly and can stick to these pans.
r Invest in parchment paper or a silicone baking pan liner for delicious cookies that don't stick or fall apart immediately. You can reuse parchment paper several times.
r Let most baked goods cool at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Then let them cool further on a rack. This will help prevent crumbling.
r Store bread and baked goods in the refrigerator or freezer — or just eat them immediately. This improves the consistency and helps prevent mold. Gently toast or warm them on a low power setting in the microwave.
r Allow for flops. "You kind of have to allow yourself to be a mad scientist. You can always chop it up for breadcrumbs," says Shauna James Ahern, author of "Gluten-Free Girl."
r If your grocer and natural foods store don't have the ingredients you need, check out The Gluten-free Mall at http://www.glutenfreemall.com and Bob's Red Mill at http://www.bobsredmill.com.
Gluten-free Lemon Olive Oil Cookies
These cookies are chewy, tangy and rich in complexity thanks to olive oil. You can make your own almond flour by grinding raw almonds in a food processor, then using a fine mesh strainer or sifter to separate any leftover chunks. Look for lemon olive oil in specialty shops, well-stocked grocers or online.
1 cup sweet rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup high-quality lemon olive oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
Start to finish: 3 hours 15 minutes (40 minutes active)
In a large bowl, combine the sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a second large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the olive oil and 1/2 cup of sugar until well combined. Add the egg and blend. Slide in the sour cream and lemon juice. Mix until a cohesive mixture has formed.
Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, a quarter cup at a time. Incorporating the dry goods slowly improves the texture of gluten-free baked goods.
Add lemon zest at the last moment. The dough will be sticky.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours, or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form the dough into small balls. Roll each ball in the bowl of sugar and place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
The cookies will be soft and cakey, not crisp. Carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to rest for another five minutes, during which time they will harden.
Makes 10 large or 15 small cookies.
— From Shauna James Ahern in "Gluten-Free Girl," Wiley, 2007
><p>
Gluten-free Pizza Crust
This gluten-free pizza crust tastes great, but calls for a slightly unusual method. It is shaped and partially baked prior to adding the toppings. This is because gluten-free dough is much softer than standard pizza dough. Without precooking, the toppings would soak into the crust and make it soggy.
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon gelatin powder (such as Knox brand)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Rice flour, for dusting
Start to finish: 1 hour (20 minutes active)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a 12-inch nonstick pizza pan.
In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve, then aside for five minutes.
In a food processor, combine the milk mixture with all remaining ingredients except the rice flour. Process until the ingredients come together and form a ball. The dough will be soft.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Liberally sprinkle the dough with rice flour, then use your hands to press the dough into the pan, continuing to dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Make the edges thicker to contain toppings.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven and add sauce, toppings and cheese. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.
Makes one 12-inch crust.
— Adapted from Carol Fenster's "Gluten-Free Quick & Easy," Avery, 2007
><p>
Gluten-free French Bread
With this recipe, it's best to use a pan specifically designed for French bread. They are widely available online and at kitchen stores for about $20. Carnation brand powdered milk is not recommended for this recipe because it is more granular and less dense than other powdered milks. The differences between the two ingredients can cause this recipe to flop. And be sure not to preheat the oven; this recipe relies on the slower start.
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1 3/4 cups potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon guar gum
1/4 cup powdered milk
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Start to finish: 1 hour (20 minutes active)
Line a two-baguette French bread pan with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water and stir until dissolved. Set aside for five minutes.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, guar gum, powdered milk, salt, butter, cider, three of the egg whites and the yeast mixture.
Beat on low to blend. Once blended, beat on high speed for two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough will be soft. Transfer half of the dough to each side of the prepared pan.
Use a wet spatula to smooth each into a 12-inch loaf.
Lightly beat the remaining egg white, them use a pastry brush to lightly coat the top of the loaves. Use a knife to cut three diagonal slashes (about 1/8 inch deep) across each loaf.
Place the pan on the middle rack of a cold oven. Set the oven to 425 degrees and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove the bread from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Makes two loaves.
— Adapted from Carol Fenster's "Gluten-Free Quick & Easy," Avery, 2007
Good-bye, gluten
If you're going gluten-free, or just learning to cook for someone who is, bookstores and the Web are suddenly awash in recipes to help you with the challenge.
One recent addition is Danna Korn and Connie Sarros' "Gluten-free Cooking for Dummies." The authors offer a chatty, comfortable but thoroughly informative primer on how people with wheat sensitivities can still enjoy a full range of foods.
Among the authors' 150 recipes are flatbread, waffles, spinach pie, cookies, cakes, lasagna and numerous other dishes you might assume weren't possible on a gluten-free diet.
If in addition to being gluten-free you also happen to be vegan (no animal products), Susan O'Brien has you covered with her cookbook, "The Gluten-Free Vegan."
A short introduction is followed by 150 recipes, such as vegetable paella, blueberry buckwheat pancakes, and various chilies and risottos.
— J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press
