Jeana's Tips, Staples and Restaurants

NOTE FROM JEANA:



When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2009 I knew I was about to embark on a challenging adventure (and I was a bit teary eyed about the prospect). I've always liked to cook and bake and have many tried and true recipes that I have tweaked to make my own. My first attempts at altering them to be Gluten Free was an utter failure. My fried chicken had a nasty extra-greasy glue on the outside. My cakes were dense and disgusting. My cookies had a sand-like texture. And my pies, oh my pies, they were an utter failure! The "glue" that holds the pastry together was missing! I then started eating only gluten free foods that were pre-made but I kept cooking all of the gluten-filled yummies for my family. At that time we had a local GF store owned by a family with Celiac. I was excited to talk to them and get advice. But when I asked about different products, I was taken to the shelf where they offered many options, but there was no personal opinion or advice. Back to the drawing board I went. As I became more familiar with how different GF flours and blends worked, my baking and cooking began to expand slowly. With each success, I became more daring and gradually became successful in altering all my favorite recipes. Over the years, many more products have become available too! As a very busy business woman and mother of 4, these time-saving products became my go-tos and I was no longer had to mix my own flours. It is my desire, not only to share my recipes with others, but to share many different tips and some of my pantry staples. I hope these will embolden you to broaden your cooking skills if you are a GF novice or have been GF for years. As I think of them I will gradually add things to this page! Certainly, if you have any questions or require any assistance, feel free to email me. Click here to find my email. May you have many years of incredible Gluten Free cooking ahead!

STAPLES