Gluten is the protein in flour which gives the dough elasticity and strength.
\nLearning to bake gluten free can be a challenge but once you know which flours
\nwork well you will be able to adapt your own recipes and make new ones that
\nwill tempt and please your palate as well as your family and guests.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to remember that when you are omitting gluten in your
\nbaking, your breads and cakes may not have the same look as when you were baking
\nwith wheat flour. Flours such as chickpea, arrowroot, tapioca, potato, brown
\nrice, teff, quinoa, amaranth, millet, sorghum, coconut, chestnut and buckwheat
\nall work well in place of wheat flour, so no need to think you are going to
\nnever have banana bread or a brownie again.<\/p>\n

A good trick that I use is a combination of chickpea flour and brown rice
\nflour. I use 1\/2 and 1\/2 of each. Or I combine chickpea flour, brown rice flour,
\ntapioca flour, arrowroot flour, and potato starch with some baking soda. This
\nis in descending order, in other words, higher amounts of chickpea and brown
\nrice flour than the others. This usually works well.<\/p>\n

Finding these flours is a lot easier than you think. Many local health food
\nstores or bulk stores now offer a variety of gluten free flours along with a
\nwide selection of gluten free crackers, pasta, cereals and other snack items.
\nRainbow Foods located at 1487 Richmond Road has a great gluten-free section
\navailable and if you have the time, ask to speak to Dorothy who is a wealth
\nof information. The Natural Food Pantry which has a few locations in the city
\nis another great health food store that features gluten free products. Try Lindberg\u2019s
\ngluten-free Rice Chips, they are really tasty and make a great lunch with a
\nhummus or a homemade bean dip. The Bulk Barn is another store which is starting
\nto feature gluten-free flours and crackers and because you can purchase your
\nflour in bulk you can buy only a small amount to try in your baking to see if
\nyou like the consistency or the taste. Loblaws Organics section is also featuring
\ngluten-free pastas, flours and cereals. Try Perky\u2019s Nutty Rice or Nutty
\nFlax cereal as a breakfast cereal or in recipes.<\/p>\n

Some recipes can even be adapted to omit the flour and by using a substitution
\nof beans or lentils, a wonderfully moist and tasty brownie can be created. Another
\nimportant tip if you are omitting eggs in your baking is pay special attention
\nto your liquid amounts. You may need to add some extra fluid to the recipe or
\nyou may want to consider using an egg substitute such as boiled flaxseed.<\/p>\n

Remember that in any baking recipe you can replace the milk requirements with
\nequal amounts of nut milk, rice milk, soy milk or also with coconut milk which
\nadds a lovely flavour to any baked good. Also, applesauce or apple butter is
\na wonderful low calorie and healthy oil replacement.<\/p>\n

These are just a few tips that I use when planning menus for people who need
\nto avoid certain foods due to allergies, intolerances and other diet related
\nillnesses like celiac disease, heart or kidney disease. I consider not only
\nthe individual\u2019s dietary restrictions but also their food likes and dislikes,
\ncooking ability and, most important, their lifestyle.<\/p>\n