There is so much helpful video information being uploaded to the Internet all the time. It’s easy to miss if you’re not specifically looking for it every day. Keeping up with it all would easily be a full-time job and I don’t think that many of us can afford to spend that much time searching for all this information.

Fortunately, I found a way to pull all the gluten free related videos from YouTube.com into one location and incorporate it into a new feature we have just added to this site called the “Gluten Free Video News” page.

It is all set up and can be accessed by clicking the new video graphic in the Right Hand Column of this page. (I’ve included a “click-able” copy of that graphic above, so you know what you are looking for.) Check it out. (more…)

On a couple of occasions we’ve been asked about how to make gluten free baked products lighter (we understand that “door-stop bread loaves” are just not the fashion any more); and how to make your own self-rising flour for use in gluten free cooking. 

As is the case with all kinds of flours, the only difference between the “plain” and the “self-raising” flour, is that the self-raising has had chemical leavening agents (baking powder) added to it that causes it to rise (this process was first invented back in the mid-1800’s B.T.W.).

What You Need To Know About Baking Powder:

Typical quantities of baking powder used in a recipe would be as follows:
100grams of flour,
3 grams of baking powder
and just a pinch of salt (up to 1 gram).

The basic formulation for baking powder itself, varies, but it commonly contains sodium bicarbonate (an alkali) combined with a starch (to keep it dry) and some form of acid salts such as cream of tartar or certain aluminum salts. (Here is a LINK to ingredients used in common baking powders plus more fascinating info) 

It’s the body’s excessive exposure to aluminum salts that are of BIG concern. These are usually found in what are called “double-acting” baking powders and should be avoided. Studies have presented compelling evidence of aluminum being directly linked with senility and Alzheimer’s, just to name a few. (Other aluminum-containing formulations are found quite commonly in underarm deodorants as well). (more…)

Are you ready for your THIRD serving of oats in this blog ! ?

I want to start by saying that we have some potentially shocking scientific references in this article that may open up a whole new world for you.

The “Cereous” Business Behind Preparing Oats Properly.
In PART 2, I was “monkey-ing” around a bit, attempting to get the point across, that traditional wisdom has a lot to offer us in terms of how we can prepare our day-to-day foods. That this age-old approach may hold valuable keys to have contemporary consumers THRIVING instead of just surviving.

Using our oats theme as an example, today’s article weaves in some of the many scientific studies which confirm the transformative processes of soaking, fermentation and cooking.

For the celiac, or those concerned with the contamination of their oats with other gluten-containing grains, it has been suggested that “rolling your own” oat grain is the ideal solution. This way you can not only sort through and pick out any offending, alien grain, but you also gain the added benefit of freshly rolled oats.

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Well, the day has finally arrived where we have successfully negotiated the technical maze and completed our first video for the web. Needless to say it has been quite a learning experience.

Now that we have the basic tools to create educational videos like the one here, the door is open for unlimited possibilities. We are so excited about tapping into our “thirty something” years of whole foods cooking experience and building a practical and helpful range of ”How to” cooking video modules. (more…)

I know it’s been ages since our last post but rest assured that we have been busy behind the scenes. No slacking off in this department. No, no !!

We have been so looking forward to including our own video presentations. We are now a major step closer. In fact, our first little presentation is entering the latter stages of editing. So, unless something major happens in the next short while, we expect to be in a position to post it in the next day or two.

We will be doing a video demo of our earlier post on Gluten Free Designer Leftovers. Now, please, please …….. I hope we don’’t hear anyone coming up with a smart remark like  ……  “Oh no!!  Not leftovers again !!” 

We know it’’s all very basic stuff too, but you know, it’’s the simple things like this that can make a huge difference when you’re just stuck for ideas, short on ingredients and/or you need to come up with something tasty in a hurry. Those of you who are eating gluten free by necessity, will especially appreciate that fact, I’’m sure. (more…)

Continuing along on the rice theme, here are a few ideas on how to use those gluten free leftovers that you may end up with from time to time. I’m sure you’ll find these of value, especially if you live a very busy life or if you simply want to extend your dollar further.

This idea gives you tremendous flexibility when catering to unexpected guests with hungry tums. It is always a challenge to prepare exactly the right amount of food for each meal. If you’re like most people, you probably end up over-estimating how much is needed for any particular meal or occasion. “Better a little too much than not enough.”, as they say.

With grains (in this case, rice) it can be a distinct advantage to deliberately cook two or three times more than you actually need for the upcoming meal. By doing this, you are, in effect, setting the ground work for several meals ahead of time. With a little imagination you are well prepared with the gluten free basics for creating a number of quick, tasty leftover dishes for your starving hordes. (more…)

If you’re already familiar with these basics please bear with us as we start to build the solid foundation needed for the budding new gluten-free cooks out there. Also, if you have some constructive input please feel free to post your contribution at the end of this article.

Background: Rice is the more obvious and most popular choice of gluten free grains to work with. Like most of the other grains, books can be written (and have been) on this one subject alone.

There are over 100,000 rice cultivars currently registered, each with distinct characteristics. This offers an enormous variety of flavors, textures, aromas and colors. If you live in the west, then those most familiar to you would most likely include varieties that range from the wild rice, black rice through red rice, brown rice and basmati, through to the more processed common white rice we all know so well.

The Possibilities Are Endless: No matter where you live, it is likely that you will have several (or many) of these varieties available in your local area. Combine each of these with the many different ways of cooking, preparing and serving the grain, then, right there, you have a rich resource of tasty possibilities at your fingertips. Your only limit is your imagination and creativity. (more…)

We thought this short video would be helpful for those who are still struggling with coming to terms with the Celiac condition and trying to explain it to others. It also provides another resource easily passed on to friends or family for better understanding. Just refer them to this post.

This interview with Dr. Peter Green M.D.*, author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, although brief, covers a lot of ground and raises awareness of this condition to the general public. As was pointed out during the interview, because the treatment of this condition does not involve drugs (and the related large advertising budget allotted to such drugs), this condition therefore gets very little public exposure.

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Perhaps you have just discovered that you are gluten intolerant and for the first time ever you’ve started reading labels in the supermarket looking for something that fits your new dietary regime.

Did you panic just a little as you went through pack after pack of all those foods that were so familiar and now you cannot eat at all ? Did you experience a curious mix of emotions as you finally walked out of that store with nothing but a bag full of rice cakes? If you did, you’re not the first one to do that, believe me !

 Fortunately, finding “ready made” gluten free foods these days is getting easier and easier. But what if you don’t want to eat highly processed foods all the time? What if these aren’t easily available to you or don’t fit your budget? The answer lies in getting back into the kitchen yourself. With a little guidance, step by step you’ll soon start unlocking a treasure of wonderful tasty snacks, treats and meals. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll adjust to a new way of doing things. So R-E-L-A-X. Things are just going to get better and better because you’re about to put yourself in the driver’s seat.

The aim of this site is to lead you through the basics of Gluten Free Cooking and to stimulate a whole new way of thinking about and preparing your food. In addition to our own insights, tips, videos and recipes we’ll also be introducing other multimedia sources of information and inspiration to cater to a wide variety of tastes, desires and circumstances.

I must reveal the fact that our own personal orientation is towards more natural, wholesome foods, free of chemicals and refined sugars. But not everyone has this as high a priority as we do, so we will relax a little in this department and offer more wholesome alternatives as and where it may be helpful and appreciated.

We hope that the following CNN news clip will provide a good starting point to our journey together. Just click on the “Start” arrow to load up.

After spying Vanessa’s book on this news byte, our interest was perked with her fresh, young, enthusiastic energy. If you explore further, you’ll see at the Amazon.com site she has some very encouraging reviews posted about her book. (more…)