Nowadays, it’s pretty easy to come by gluten-free cookbooks. The question becomes, How do you know which one is right for you?

Beth Hillson isn’t any ordinary writer. Being the founder of Gluten-Free Pantry, the president of the American Celiac Disease Alliance, and the food editor of Living Without magazine, I knew I could learn a lot from her. Beth was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1953 and then again in 1976. Beth decided to get educated on the subject of celiac disease and eating gluten-free. She felt she had no choice but to get educated if she didn’t want to eat just baked potatoes and bun-less burgers for the rest of her life. Beth went to culinary school to understand how food is prepared and how to replace the gluten in recipes.

Beth’s decision to get so well-informed worked to all our benefit. With her website GlutenFreeMakeovers.com, she is constantly using the information she has collected over the years to help as many people as she can transition to a stress-free, gluten-free lifestyle.

In 2011 Beth published her first gluten-free cookbook, Gluten-Free Makeovers. From croissants to stir-fried chicken, this cookbook has a meal for everyone. There are so many things that you cannot eat when you are off gluten. This cookbook not only gives you delicious recipes for those items; it also is as easy to read as it is to follow. Beth includes many tips she has come across from trial and error in gluten-free cooking and baking. Anyone who cooks knows how valuable tips like these are. Beth saves you the aggravating time in the kitchen and makes being gluten-free much more fun.

Being diagnosed with celiac disease myself, I know how much of a struggle it can be to know who to ask advice from and where to get information. Beth isn’t just a diagnosed celiac who has gone through hell and back, she is also a thriving author, researcher and humanitarian who hasn’t let celiac disease control her life. I cannot think of a better person to help anyone on their road to eliminating gluten 100% from their life.

One thing I found really amazing about the Gluten-Free Makeovers cookbook was how extensive it is. It’s 260 pages of recipes and that doesn’t even include the resources, easy-to-use index and other information Beth includes in the book.

Here is one of my favorite recipes from Gluten-Free Makeovers:

Chocolate Angel Food Cake ( gluten-free, dairy-free):

1 cup Cake and Pastry Flour ( see below)

5 tbs unsweetended cocoa powder

1 ½ cups sugar

12 large egg whites at room temp

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp cream of tartar

¼ tsp salt

Cake and pastry flour:

1 cup sweet white sorghum flour (4 ounces)

1 cup white rice flour (5.4 ounces)

¾ cup cornstarch (3.4 ounces)

1½ teaspoons xanthan gum (or guar gum)

½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Sift the flour cocoa powder and 3/4 c of the sugar into a bowl. set aside

Beat the egg whites at low speed in a large mixing bowl until foamy, about 5 min. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 3/4 c sugar in a slow, steady stream. Beat an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the whites are shiny and form stiff peaks.

Sift one third of the dry ingredients over the egg whites and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Repeat until all the flour mixture has been incorporated. Scrape the batter into an ungreased non-stick aluminum 10-inch tube pan. Smooth the top and gently tap the pan onto the counter to remove any air pockets.

Bake 40 to 45 min, until tiny cracks appear on the top and the cake springs back to the touch. Invertthe pan onto a wire rack if the pan has feet pt invert the center tube of the pan onto the neck of bottle to cool completely.

To unmold, run a think knife around the side of the pan and the tube and gently push the base up if using a two piece pan or invert the cake onto a serving plate.

Nots:

You can also make cupcakes with this mix. Try topping the cake with fresh strawberries and frosting! Yum!

Enjoy!

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

It isn’t every day that I come across a fresh, baked-to-order, gluten-free dessert like Madrid Coffee Cakes by husband-and-wife (Sergio and Lia) team committed to making delicious baked goods for their customers.

Sergio comes from a long line of bakers. When he was only 9 years old, he started helping in his father’s bakeries in Madrid, Spain. He had a passion for baking and trained under master pastry chefs and bakers and eventually led his father’s bakery team at the young age of 17. When Sergio moved to the US, it was only right for him to open his own shop following family tradition. With Sergio being the man in the kitchen and Lia handling all the business side of the bakery, this husband-and-wife team were ready to roll!

Sergio and Lia noticed in their customers a growing concern about eating gluten and listened to their frustrations over not being able to find tasty gluten-free treats. They knew they had to find a way to make their famous baked goods enjoyable to all. After educating themselves in the safety precautions of producing gluten-free items, Madrid Coffee Cakes came up with gluten-free baked goods that not only were gluten-free but also grain- and dairy-free!

My taste-testing team and I had the pleasure of testing the Madrid Coffee Cakes. If I could describe them a word, I would say: delicious, homemade taste, comfort food at its finest. Ok, maybe that’s more than one word, but you get the idea. The newest flavor, lemon-poppy, was my favorite. The last time I had something that was lemon-poppy flavored it was a gluten-filled lemon-poppy muffin, which I recall got me quite sick. To be able to eat something so flavorful that was not only gluten-free but also grain- and dairy-free brought me, my mouth and stomach much joy.

My entire testing team loved all the flavors. We noticed a slight lemony flavor in each one of the coffee cakes. It was refreshing and not something you would expect. Although these cakes are gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free, they definitely have sugar in them. They don’t call them cakes for no reason. If you are in the mood for something sweet and delicious, these cakes could be just what you are looking for.

Madrid Coffee Cakes takes to heart all their customers and you can really tell this by all the close attention they give to customer satisfaction. European desserts have made a name for themselves as being the best for a reason, and you can taste why in Madrid Coffee Cakes.

Click here to check out Madrid Coffee Cakes and to see all their different flavors. Be sure to take advantage of their individual portion cakes while you still can!

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

To read the Q and A I did with Madrid Coffee Cakes click here.

Before reviewing all the delicious flavors of Madrid Coffee Cakes, I wanted to get a feel for the company and what makes them so unique. Read their interview below and stay tuned for their product review in two weeks!

So you have this wonderful bakery in Marlborough, Massachusetts and are now selling delicious gluten free baked goods on line. How did you get into baking?

I guess you could say—the old fashioned way. Sergio comes from a long line of bakers. He started helping out at his father’s bakeries in Madrid, Spain when he was just 9-years-old! He was trained by master pastry chefs and bakers as an apprentice and eventually led his father’s bakery team when he turned 17.  After relocating to the states, Sergio opened up his own shop, following with family tradition.

Tell us how you got into Gluten Free Baked items?

Our Gluten Free line emerged organically. Being a small family-owned bakery, we have a very personal relationship with our customers. At the bakery, we listened to disheartened customers who had eliminated gluten from their diets describe their frustration at not being able to enjoy any of our goodies. We took a step back and identified many of our traditional family recipes that were inherently grain free, many of them already customer favorites. Once we identified a few favorite recipes, we educated ourselves about how to safely produce gluten free items using top-notch isolatory methods.

We couldn’t have expected the response! Our Gluten Free products, especially our Coffee Cakes, exploded with popularity. They were already favorites amongst our customers, but now that we could serve the Gluten Free community, folks were driving in to see us from adjacent states and began asking us to ship our special Coffee Cakes across the country.

I understand you are a husband and wife team. Now that is exciting! Who does what in the business or do you share the roles?

It’s definitely fun! We are very lucky to work as a family. It is not too far from the way Sergio grew up, in his family’s business.

The division of labor is simple- Sergio is the artist. I take care of the nuts and bolts. He is quite the perfectionist when it comes to the execution of his recipes and takes much pride in preparing every cake himself—from measuring ingredients to including a little thank-you note in all of the packages.

I actually fell into this bakery-business, business, because of him. I help take care of the stuff behind the scenes. Including getting the word out there. A role that works out quite well- since I TRULY believe these cakes are amazing (eat a slice every day, actually), and Sergio is much too modest.

Being that there is a European connection here, please tell us how that has influenced your bakery and on- line gluten free baked items.

European traditions really influence all of our products to the core. Sergio learned everything he knows about the profession from European masters! The bakery actually serves the same recipes that Sergio made in his family’s bakeries back in Spain. That including the Santiago Coffee Cake that started our gluten-free online product line.

I am sure this has set you apart from the usual bakery. What are the gluten-free baked items you feature for our celiac and gluten sensitive individuals?

Our Coffee Cakes are definitely the stars. We currently have them in 8 varieties:

The traditional Tarta de Santiago (Almond), Chocolate Almond,  Coconut-Almond, Lemon-Poppy Almond, Almond Anise, Hazelnut, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Pistachio-Almond. In the fall, we also offer a Pumpkin-Almond, which is amazing!

In addition to the coffee cakes, at our physical bakery, we also offer:

Pistachio Chocolate Rochers

Almond Chocolate Rochers

Almond Florentines

Coconut Macaroons

Are these common bread/cakes in Europe? If so, tell me us a bit of the history of gluten free baked good in Europe.

All of the Coffee Cakes are original creations that emerged from the perfection of the Classic Almond cake. This type of cake (based on Almond) has been a classic in Spain for thousands of years. In Spain, it is traditionally enjoyed as supper with coffee, tea, or milk. It’s also enjoyed as an after lunch treat (the heaviest meal of the day), usually accompanied by either coffee or “agua ardiente” (strong digestive liquor).

Many European recipes are based on the combination of a few quality ingredients, where the process of combining these ingredients is the key to complex taste. This approach leads to recipes that are potentially free of specific allergens (in our case both Gluten and Dairy), since recipes don’t call for mile-long lists of ingredients, processed foods, etc.

I see you use no dairy in your gluten free cakes. Is this also a need or preference in Europe?

Both Gluten and Dairy intolerance is a growing concern in Europe, certainly. Many traditional recipes are now being re-discovered because of these concerns. In our case, the traditional recipes and methods that are the base for our products were inherently grain and dairy free. We think that this explains the Coffee Cakes’ amazing genuine tastes. We didn’t attempt to “re-create” recipes to “convert them” into Gluten Free or Dairy Free items, and firmly believe that these Franken-foods often fall short of the original.

I always associate desserts with being a guilty pleasure. You state on your site that you are sure your coffee cakes are the healthiest coffee cakes we will ever enjoy. In your estimation makes yours the healthiest?

I think the key to the healthiness of our Coffee Cake line is the simplicity and quality of ingredients. All of our cakes are not only Gluten/Grain and Dairy Free, They are also 100% natural, free of leaveners, and free of any added fat! At the same time, they all have a substantial protein content and are high in heart healthy Omega 3s.

You also don’t use leaveners yet your cakes are incredibly light and fluffy. They really were a hit with my testers! Tell us what you use to make them rise?

The short answer is- science. Sergio is a bit fascinated with the interaction of ingredients on a scientific level. He meticulously created the Coffee Cake recipes, combining ingredient proportions down to the last milligram with the purpose of making sure that ingredients combine in a way that creates “strength” in the dough allowing the egg to rise on its own.  What can I say? The man is passionate.

Do you have future plans you can share in adding any more delicious gluten free baked items? Any other European baked items which may be added to your gluten-free choices in the future? You are on the east coast yet you are shipping all over. Is there any particulars we nee to know about ordering or shipping from you?

Sergio is always developing new taste combinations. Like I mentioned, the Pumpkin-Almond Coffee Cake will be available on the website in the Fall. It has the most amazing “fall” taste! In addition to that, we’re working on getting our goodies on the shelves of quality stores, cafes, etc.

We DO ship all everywhere in the Continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico! We’ve developed a custom shipping system that ensures that cakes make it to any of these destinations fresh and intact. It all starts with baking the cakes AFTER folks order them from our website. Compared to cakes that you might buy off of a store shelf, which were made sometimes months before you open them, it makes for an incredibly fresh product. Most cakes also make it to their final destination within 3 business days. Something most customers don’t know is that even though all of our Coffee Cakes are 100% natural, they have an incredibly long shelf life. They stay moist, fluffy, and fresh—on your kitchen countertop—for weeks! It all comes down to that ingredient combination science Sergio loves so much.

Last but now least is there anything else you’d like to share or say?

Just that, we’re really grateful to all of the folks that are giving us a try and are choosing to support our small family business. We are overjoyed by the appreciation customers have for our artisan goods!

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

What a delicious springtime treat! This recipe comes from Laura Waldo, author of the blog, Living Gluten and Grain Free (http://ourplacelivingglutenfree.blogspot.com). Make some extra strawberry filling and serve it as a parfait, topped with whipped cream and some fresh strawberry slices, in stylish glasses.

Serve it for dessert after having this amazing recipe! Flank Steak with Chimichurri sauce

Strawberry Filling

INGREDIENTS:

2 c fresh organic strawberries, tops removed, sliced

1 c raw cashews

2 tbsp gluten-free vanilla extract

½ c raw honey

1 pinch sea salt

1 c coconut oil, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed and blend until smooth and creamy (approximately 3 mins).

2. Carefully pour into your favorite cooked pie crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Laura’s Favorite Grain-Free Crust

Laura’s favorite grain-free crust was developed by Dr. Bruce Fife. She says this fast and easy pie crust doesn’t require a mixer or food processor and makes a perfect 9-inch pie shell.

INGREDIENTS

½ c sifted coconut flour

½ c almond flour

2 eggs

½ teaspoon raw honey (optional)

¼ c butter, melted

¼ tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whip the eggs.

3. Add all other ingredients and mix until well-incorporated.

4. Using your hands, press dough into a 9-inch pie plate forming a crust.

5. Pierce pie shell all over with a fork, or use pie weights if desired.

6. Bake 15 mins, until the edges start to brown.

7. Remove from oven and cool.

Thanks again to Laura Waldo, author of the blog,

http://ourplacelivingglutenfree.blogspot.com

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

According to the Canadian Celiac Association, DH is “a blistering, intensely itchy skin rash.” It’s usually symmetrical in shape and is most commonly located on the elbows, knees, buttocks, and upper back. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD), people can experience the rash on other parts of the body and severity can vary.

Celiac patients with DH also often experience mild or no gastrointestinal issues, although villous atrophy (damage to the villi of the lining in the small intestine) will most often be present.

The AOCD describes the basic DH cycle, which usually consists of a burning feeling on the affected area, followed by water blisters which tend to get scratched off, followed by scabbing and healing, which takes one to two weeks, then a new outbreak of these bumps or blisters. According to the AOCD, “DH is a lifelong condition, but remission may occur in 10 to 20 percent of patients.”

For a diagnosis, usually a skin biopsy is performed and sometimes some blood testing. And the treatment? The gluten-free diet, of course, although drug options are also available to suppress symptoms.

With an increase in awareness about DH among the public as well as in the medical community, we can look forward to a higher diagnosis rate and better long-term health among celiacs.

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

Chocolate Piping

I made shapes of hearts and ovals but really any shape can be made.  These gluten-free, soy-free chocolate “designs” can be used on tops of cupcakes, cakes, served with a cup of cappuccino or with a small bowl of fruit for a classy dessert.

Make sure you make the piping thick enough.

INGREDIENTS and SUPPLIES

1. ½ package (5 oz.) of Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

2. Parchment triangles

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chocolate in pan on low heat and stir with a wooden spoon constantly or place in a Pyrex cup in microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir at each break.
2. Take a piece of waxed or parchment paper and tape it to your cookie sheet (or counter top like I did) – draw the shapes you desire.
3. Roll your triangles into cone shapes.
4. Once melted you’re ready to fill your parchment paper triangles but make sure the tip is very small, allowing a little chocolate out.  Roll over the top of the parchment and gently squeeze.
5. Place in refrigerator or freezer.  Peel off gently.  Enjoy.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

With regard to genetics, the CCA points out that more than 97% of celiac patients have the genetic markers HLA DQ2 and/or HLA DQ8. Celiac disease is now known to be a hereditary disease. The CCA tells us that “first-degree and to a lesser extent second-degree relatives are at higher risk of having unrecognized celiac disease.”

Next, is the environmental “trigger,” as Dr. Alessio Fasano, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, calls it. This is gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.

According to the Canadian Celiac Association, sometimes severe physical stressors can also trigger the immunologic reaction to gluten that is characteristic to celiac disease. Such sources of stress include pregnancy, infection, surgery, or even severe emotional stress.

In his article, “Surprises from Celiac Disease,” published in Scientific American, Dr. Fasano describes a different triad of factors involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. The first two factors are the ‘’trigger” of gluten, which sets off the immune response, and the genetic predisposition, as previously described. Fasano proposes that “other genes are likely to be involved as well, but these additional culprits may differ from person to person.”

The third factor, according to Fasano’s research is an “unusually permeable gut.” Fasano’s research regarding this third factor of pathogenesis offers hope of new prevention and treatment methods. He says, “Treatments that reduced leakiness could potentially ease not only celiac disease but also other autoimmune disorders involving unusually permeable intestines.”

This research into the leaky gut of celiacs can explain a question that has been perplexing researchers regarding the disease’s pathogenesis: Why do some people not develop celiac disease until later in life? According to Dr. Fasano, this issue could be associated with the microbes in the digestive tract. Should this prove true, we may be able to prevent or treat celiac disease with probiotics.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

Nut Butter Rice Crisps

This is fun, easy, and absolutely loved by people of all ages. Kids have fun making this and you can add variety. Terrific snacks for your child’s lunchbox!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup creamy nut butter (peanut, almond, etc.)

½ cup room-temperature honey (or ½ cup honey and ½ cup maple syrup)

Gluten-free rice crisps (¾ cup to 1 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all in a bowl, and if it’s not sticky enough, roll with your hands into a ball, then add more nut butter. You can add more honey, but it will be sweeter.

2. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.

3. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Remove and store in Ziploc bag. They can be kept either in the fridge or in the pantry, where they will stay softer.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

According to the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA), this treatment is “a STRICT GLUTEN-FREE DIET FOR LIFE.” DH patients may also use the drug Dapsone to suppress their symptoms.

As the autoimmune reaction of celiac disease is triggered by ingestion of gluten, it’s important to completely eliminate this substance from the diet. This will heal the damage to the small intestine’s villi, the finger-like absorptive fingers that line the wall of this organ, which will  allow patients to better absorb the nutrients in their food and will “reduce the risk of developing many of the complications of untreated celiac disease,” according to the CCA.

The CCA recommends that celiac patients work with a qualified nutritionist who is knowledgeable about celiac disease “for nutrition assessment, education and follow-up.” Also, regular visits with your doctor is recommended as well as participation in a celiac support group.

With an increase in celiac research, we may have other treatment options to look forward to in the future, such as probiotics or gluten-digesting enzymes, but for now going gluten-free is all we have.

Miranda Jade Turbin
http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
b.a.

Not only is Heaven Mills a gluten-free certified bakery, it’s also certified Kosher by Star-K and The Beth Din of Tartikov. Heaven Mill’s plant is gluten-free, wheat-free, nut-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, and many more “-free”s.

My West Coast team could not believe how amazing the Pita Bread was. They lightly toasted it and tried it with tzatziki sauce and homemade hummus and couldn’t get enough of it. It can be cut up to go perfectly as a side with salads, or better yet, cut in half and filled with whatever kind of foods you may enjoy, as you would do with a sandwich, for example. They have a distinct pita flavor and texture without any wheat or gluten. They have really pulled off an incredible product with this one.

Now comes the Hamantashen. For those of you unfamiliar with what Hamantashen is, let me explain a bit. It is a triangular-shaped filled pastry which is traditionally served on the Jewish holiday Purim. While today the pastry is filled with a variety of flavors, it is most traditionally filled with poppy seed filling. The name was intentionally distorted to Hamantashan which means “Haman’s pockets” in Yiddish. Some say that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and that is why the dough is triangular. In Hebrew, the pastry is called Oznei Haman, which means “Haman’s ears.”

We all loved the Hamantashens in both flavors. My testers said that they went perfectly with their morning coffees and teas. They were sweet, light, and perfectly sweetened.

The carrot muffins come in a six-pack. Since I am a carrot muffin addict, I tend to be rather picky. I have tried every carrot muffin and carrot cake in every town I can go to. I liked these but did not love them. I found them to be a bit drier than I prefer. I warmed them up a bit and this did help somewhat. I added a little homemade cream cheese frosting and this helped even more. With that said, I found myself “trying” to like them. They just were not my cup of tea. My testers agreed. They said these muffins could be slightly sweeter and slightly moister.

Overall we really enjoyed the company’s products. I have to add, I am very impressed with their attempts to have so many “-free”s and still pull off gluten-free items that taste like the real deal.

Heaven Mills Bakery makes it easy and enjoyable to be gluten-free and Kosher. Even if you aren’t Kosher, these products will still satisfy your gluten-free needs. To order some yourself, you can visit their online store at www.HeavenMills.com.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.