Cinquepalmi's Sorghum Cook Book

First posted on June 28, 2008   Sorghum Flour Baking Cookbook

I DID IT! I was cynical about spending about $105.00 to drive 150 miles to this gluten free class but I must say, it was money well spent!

We gorged on teff blueberry waffles, wraps, chocolate cake, sandwich bread, and crackers that were delicious! If I figure it right, it was just about as expensive as eating out at a really good gluten-free restaurant, watching the chef make them and then asking for the recipes. AND THEN GETTING THEM.

You know, I'm a haphazard baker at best, but even when I ripped home and made my version of the cracker recipe, by adding 50% too much butter and then the wrong flour measurement, and then evened it out by adding starches in the wrong increments, EVEN THEN, the crackers were delicious. Light, crunchy, crispy and delicious with no after taste. And the techniques she explains in her book were swift and easy. I will pop crackers off again in the near future with no problem. I can't wait to try her graham crackers.

I can recommend Jennifer Cinquepalmi's book, The Complete Book of Gluten-Free Cooking, available by Aidant Publishers at http://www.aidantbooks.com/ because as a scratch baker who likes whole grains and quick and easy, I was impressed.

NOPE:  OLD LINK:   Today, I just bought a new copy (loaned out the old one) on Amazon used books for twelve bucks.  http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Gluten-Free-Cooking/dp/0977847403

Going Eggless: Flax and Egg Replacer

First Posted 3-4-09

Egg Replacer: What is it and why do we need it?

Egg Replacer has a place in many of the GF recipes I have purloined from GF bakers. I use the EnerG brand (only because that's all I've found). It is not at all related to eggs and is formulated specifically for people with egg allergies. Most of the recipes also use eggs in the wet ingredients, so I don't know why many of our recipes use both. Do we have a chemical food expert who can clue us in?

If you are allergic to eggs this is a great site to review on HOW TO REPLACE THEM.

http://www.theppk.com/veganbaking.html

I have experimented with these methods because I frequently find myself midway through a recipe when I realize that my sons have just enjoyed the last egg over easy for breakfast, and running to the grocery would involve a shower and that means the wall I was planning to mud and paint today won't get started because who wants to get dirty again!

But, I digress... yet again! Here is a site highlighting flax as egg replacement. Whisk or blend one tablespoon ground flax meal or flour with 3 tablespoons water until thick and coagulated. This typically substitutes for one egg in baking.

http://www.egglesscooking.com/2008/10/15/egg-replacement-event-flaxseed-meal/

The flax seed replacement works well. I grind flax and stir it into water, but I've also boiled this mixture and used it after it has simmered for a minute.

This next site enumerates every single known replacement for eggs from agar to xanthun, including fresh fallen snow!

http://www.thecookinginn.com/eggsub.html

So, go eggless!

Keep my Kitchen Kosher

UPDATED FROM 2009

Must I keep my kitchen completely clean and banish the wheat?

I don't think this is necessary unless you intend to eat in the kitchen.

I jest, but many celiacs are ultrasensitive to wheat, (one man gets sick if he smells wheat soup wafting in the air) and those people definitely need to separate their preparation areas.

I have separated the two parts of the room. On one side I bake, grind, toast, blend, store all my gluten-free flours, and in one small section of the farthest distant region of the garage, is the wheat area. (Again I jest)

I'm mostly joking. I do grind wheat in my garage, but there is one wheat counter where the husband is allowed to cut his bread and make his sandwiches when he brings that devil's mix into the house.

I have a separate mixer, toaster, and grinder, but that is because I don't thoroughly dismantle and scrub these tools after each use and who knows what floats where inside and outside of these machines.

We once had separate cutting boards, and measuring cups, but for the most part, as each members of the family have slowly converted to gluten-free, and our food has morphed to the more delicious/more nutritions g-f variety, we have taken over more of the kitchen.

The husband has stopped buying and bringing in the forbidden substance as he finds that GF food is delicious and more nutritious and life is infinitely easier when he doesn't have to hunt and gather for his own sustenance.(And, Mr. Darcey will pick my hot whole-grain sorghum over store bought wheat anytime.)

His only weakness is still the hot whole-wheat bread, and while I'll grind and have him mix it (in the garage) he has to be on hand to shape, rise and bake it.

Some things are worth the sacrifice for a happy man.

Thirteen beautiful rolls of Poison!

On Friday I get to go to school to help with 6th grade Science Enrichment. Our topic is safe lab practices. I've been practicing preventive safe lab practices all this week because I've been baking cake--not gluten free cake.

I'm in the midst of baking, rolling, unrolling, filling, rerolling and frosting cakes, and when one is working with dangerous substances, safe lab practices are essential.

I'm clearing the counter, washing all tools in hot soapy water, dishtowels in separate loads in the washer and I've changing clothes twice during the process. (It's a contamination issue, because I spill a lot.)

Most importantly, I'm baking cakes with my retainers in. Retainers are worth more than just a great smile, sometimes they are a life-saver. Unfortunately, I am a taster baker which means that after the cake is in the pan, the frosting or the batter tool makes it to the mouth on it's way to the dishwasher. And that thoughtless little mistake could prove deadly, so I'm wearing the retainers and it's working.

I'm glad I don't do this very often because it's torture to bake thirteen cakes without slurping even one drop, nor pulling even a crumb off the baked pan.

(This is not wrapped solely for my protection, but because the cake has to freeze solid before it can be frosted.)

The final slap, in the time it takes me to bake one gluten-free cake--I can have four box cakes whipped up and out of the oven.

Oh the trials! What I will sacrifice for beauty, no I mean health--well, health and beauty.

Xanthun vs. Guar Gum

Xanthun vs. Guar Gum PROOF POSITIVE THAT I AM LOSING MY MIND and have been blogging too long:

Here is the other post I did on this same exact topic and not that long ago either.

Again, what are they and how do they compare?

Guar Gum? Xanthun Gum? Price is the main point for me. Buy the cheap one.

Pasta Joy? WHAT?

Reprinted from January 09, with this update for Michael Fusco's fresh pasta recipe.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectID=39&articleID=20090827_4_D1_Gluten323487 It's delicious, I've eaten it.

There are some wicked GF pastas out there. And I have purchased all the gnarly, bad ones. Here are some brands I've had some success with over the years:

Tinkiyada pastas are by far the best. If I tried no other I would be satisfied. If the doctor said to me, you have celiac disease and you have a prescription for Tinkyada pasta, (no generic substitute) he would be totally and completely right.

DeBoles (no boil) Rice Lasagna Noodles are also delicious because there is no boiling to be done and no flavor can penetrate my maranara sauce.


Heartland make a pasta from beans that I've heard is good. http://www.heartlandsfinest.com/

Exotic Grain Substitution Flour Chart

Exotic Grain Substitute Flour Chart

Just starting out? Substitute 1/3 of your conventional flour with whole grain. YUM!

1 cup of wheat flour = the following flours:

7/8 cup amaranth flour
1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup white or pinto bean flour
7/8 cup quinoa flour
1 cup coconut flour
7/8 cup garbanzo (chickpea) bean flour
3/4 cup corn flour
1 cup cornmeal flour
3/4 cup flax meal
3/4 cup millet flour
3/4 cup oat flour
5/8 cup potato flour
3/4 cup potato starch
7/8 cup rice flour
7/8 cup sorghum
3/4 cup soy flour
7/8 cup teff flour

Modified from original source: http://www.glutenfreedrinks.com/

I use this table to make my substutions for non GF recipes. It works out to holding back about 1/4 of the flour and waiting to see how it all comes out.

A skilled baker develops the knack of knowing just how much feels right. As a rule, they say that most cookie dough should pull away lightly from the bowl, and still be lightly tacky. Mine is never correct the first time, but if I follow the rule and add more fat if too dry and more flour if the cookies are too flat, I get by.

Whole grain flours do take more liquid and time to reconstitute. I allow many of my batters sit after mixing for a few minutes before making the final liquid adjustments.

Gone Crackers!

Yay! I made great crackers! These are better than the last batch. We'll see how next week's modifications are even better! Meanwhile, HAPPY EATING! These are delicious.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tsp. salt
2 t. xanthun gum
1 tsp. egg replacer
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup almond meal
1 Tbs. dry yeast granules

6 Tbs. butter (shortning for CF)
1/2 cup buttermilk (almond milk for CF)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray or butter an 11x17 jelly roll pan. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, beating for 2 minutes to stiffen.

Drop ball onto pan, cover with sprayed plastic and roll out with a pastry roller or the edge of a smooth drinking glass. Remove plastic, score into small squares. Bake 20 minutes til lightly browned.

Cool in pan, break apart, (these popped apart during baking). Stores days--even weeks in an airtight container.

Batch doubles just fine.

Mixed Up and Off to College

Vacation is over and in two weeks the college-bound must be totally trained for living the gluten-free lifestyle. We opted for the dorm kitchen and now she must re-train for g-f cooking too.

Every waking moment is spent with caveats, "No, that's not GF." She wants to know Where are the Cliff Notes? Thank the Lord for blessed people who are her support and are willing to help her through this!


I hear the nine-year old--for whom celiac disease is old hat--telling her "Twix? That's not gluten-free? It's a cookie covered in chocolate, duh!"

Wholegrain Gluten-free Flour Mix

Gluten Free Flours -- an ESSAY    Also see this Flour Table Link

First posted 6-20-08

For those of us that are gluten-free, this topic deserves some sifting through...  (bad, I know.)

There are four grains that celiacs must avoid and 24 others. Why are we not eating from the full spectrum! Let's be daring enough to investigate the 24! Be exciting, be gourmet, bake cutting edge cuisine!

Most celiac bakers settle on a flour, either a purchased mix or one that they combine themselves.  The perfect flour mix would be one that we could substitute in most applications. Unfortunately many of these that work well are not nutritious but are all made of starches. We are of the wholegrain generation! Let's use wholegrains whenever we can.

FYI: Useless statistic time? 12% of Americans do not know popcorn is a whole grain!

The wholegrain flour mix that I use seems complicated, but it's full of nutrients and fiber—it must be, it’s full of whole grains! During my initial GF morph transformation, I purchased a selection of flours (okay every one I stumbled upon) and one day my husband rummaging through the freezer could no longer identify any “real” food and that was when I realized I could stop hoarding my collection and start using the impressive array.

My best swap GF flour mix consists of a selection of  flours and if I run out of one, I swap in another.

1 c. Millet (Yes the popular bird seed was once considered people food—ask your grandma)

2 1/2 cups Rice flour – I try to use brown rice and grind, freeze and use it up before it goes rancid.

1 c Potato starch or corn starch (Bob’s Red Mill, or in 50 lb. bags at http://honeyvillegrain.com/) A STARCH!! WARNING, WARNING.

2 cups Tapioca starch also known as tapioca flour (I buy this at my neighborhood Asian or Indian store) I love the chew it gives food.

1 c. Sorghum flour (Bobs Red Mill or http://www.twinvalleymills.com/ in NE will ship) I buy it cheaper in grain and grind my own--and it lasts longer.

1 c. buckwheat flour I buy it online in groats and grind it myself.  waltonfeed.com

1 cup corn starch also cheapest at my Asian or Indian store


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If I have an urge, I use one of the following in the mixture also.  Most bakery items are pretty forgiving.

Coconut flour (http://www.bobsredmill.com/ or simplycoconut.com or grind your own from unsweetened flaked coconut.

1/2 c. Gar-fava bean flour is a mix of garbanzo and fava bean flour mix (Bob’s Red Mill )

1/2 c. Montina wild rice flour (When I’m feeling cash poor, sometimes I substitute a ground up Honeyville's wild/white rice flour blend or skip this ingredient entirely)

1 c. Almond flour (blanched and ground) or just meal made in my K-Tec blender (see Will It Blend on youtube) by blending almonds with a touch of rice flour to keep the mix from becoming almond butter. It's better if you have a food processor. That works best.

I have swapped out amaranth, quinoa, white bean, arrowroot starch, and teff successfully. These alternate grains are really good and tremendously forgiving. Good luck with your mix.

I have a good grain grinder and this makes everything less expensive to buy and store as a whole grain for longer storage, in larger quantities.

Flours we can eat:

Almond, Amaranth, Arrowroot, Black Bean, Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Corn flour, Coconut, Garfava bean, Garbanzo bean, Green Pea, Hazelnut, Millet, Pinto bean, Potato Flour and Starch, Quinoa, Romano bean, Sorghum Soybean, Sweet Rice, Tapioca root, Teff, Wild rice, White bean.

Bette Hagman’s (Praise Be Her Name) recipe books have introductions to a diverse number of exotic flours. She explains and discusses their properties and their substitution ratios, as well as offers mixes that one can make up for different recipes. (I love her French bread/Pizza mixture from Bette's The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread Recipe Book)

Xanthum or Guar, it's an Alien ingredient, but we need it.

Xanthum gum is made from a seaweed, no an cephalopod, no it's a rare derivitive of the seashell of a mollisk...

Actually,
Xanthan gum is a long chain polysaccharide - a polymer made up of sugar subunits, like starch or cellulose. Xanthan gum is composed of glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid linked together to form a strand of cellulose with trisaccharide (three sugar) sidechains branching off every fifth cellulose sugar. This gives Xanthan gum the consistency of corn starch while making it undigestible (and thus more stable) like cellulose. Xanthan gum is produced by fermenting corn sugar with Xanthomonas campestris bacteria which produce Xanthan as part of their cell walls. This makes Xanthan gum a natural food just like wine, cheese, and yogurt which are also the products of bacterial fermentation
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb99/918851605.Bc.r.html

And, it's really difficult to spell, with an n or m, who knows, so I do it both ways.

Okay, that definition does go far to explain why this food additive is a pricy as gold. When we are checking labels, we find it is a lot of foods now. It's a common ingredient that common people eat, but common people didn't cook with. But, it is used by us Celiacs and in many diabetic recipes to add chew and durability to our "flour" products.

GUAR GUM is an equally good, and much less expensive alternative. Check for these in health food stores and large grocery stores in the baking aisle.

I'm sticking with the "from the sea" story. It is a great way to get my boys to eat GF food, "I Double Dog Dare ya", I challenge.

The Best GF Books

I have been able to order all of these books from my Library.

Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic" by Dr. Peter Green of Columbia University

Gluten-Free for Dummies by Donna Korn

Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast & Healthy" by Bette Hagman
Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Breads
Gluten Free Gourmet Comfort Foods
Bette Hagman has written several books. Go to Amazon.com and check out all of her books. I love them all.

"Against the Grain" and "The Gluten Free Bible" by Jax Peters Lowell
Excellent books (there are two books) for general information and especially the newly diagnosed.

"125 Best Gluten Free Recipes" by Donna Washburn & Heather Butt