GF Culture

You will see sweet rice flour mentioned many a time on this website. It is an ingredient in our signature Cheatin' Wheat Gluten Free Flour Blend and our go-to "dusting flour" of choice for rolling out things like pie dough, Christmas cookies and cinnamon rolls. "So what is the problem?" you say.

We like quirky, we like words, we love food, we are naturally curious and ask too many questions. So it should come as no surprise that we are always on the lookout for new books, new blogs, new ideas, etc that help us navigate all things gluten free. Whether you are just experimenting with a few gluten free recipes, or you’ve been living a gluten free lifestyle for years, we believe in soaking up the knowledge. And there has never been a better time!

Prior to following a gluten free diet, I worked as a baker, then pastry chef, then as a culinary instructor. When people discover this about me, they immediately want to know why I became gluten free. To them, someone like me would be the last person to follow this diet; a stalwart against the supposed fad-seekers and trend followers. So why? The answer is, "Because I had to." It can really be that simple.

My journey to a gluten free life was a little different than the normal path. In 2003, I had a lot of complications following the birth of my son, and ended up with a nerve injury that affected my left leg. It was a pretty serious time medically, with a long hospital stay and an even longer recovery. As I was working on making my leg work again, I started to have somewhat diffuse, unrelated issues, including rashes, hives and a variety of "aches and pains" not necessarily tied to my leg.

It seems an odd thing to ask whether or not brown sugar is gluten free. I mean, yes, all sugar is naturally gluten-free. But....

Gluten Free? Avoid wheat and and wheat by-products. It all seems so straightforward right? Yes, I know as well as you that there other ingredients to look for in order to be gluten free, but WHEAT is a big, bad word. Well, this is not necessarily the case. Products made from wheat starch, yes I did say wheat starch, are commonly eaten by celiac patients in some European countries. In addition, Dr. Schar has a gluten free croissant available that is made with gluten free wheat starch. Hmmm....

Maybe it is because I am gluten free, but it feels like gluten free is on its way to becoming a cultural norm. Groceries, restaurants, websites, blogs, breweries, labeling laws... And yet the question I still get asked at least once a week is, "What is gluten?" More importantly, this question is often being asked by someone who is living gluten free.

The question of whether or not to eat oats comes up quite frequently when people begin a gluten free lifestyle. At first, it seems like getting the answer should be crystal clear – do oats contain gluten or not? After all, this is the sifting criteria right? However, even though oats, by nature, do not contain gluten, this fact alone doesn’t tell the whole story. And I am a sucker for “the whole story” - I just love information!

Wine has been an integral part of my diet for over 10 years. Although I am well over 21, it took culinary school to awaken this appreciation in me. Wine is instrumental to my cooking, dinner parties, gift giving and easy going nights with friends. And, it was my go-to beverage when I first began living gluten free.

Vinegar can be a touchy subject for those who practice a gluten free diet. On one hand, most experts consider almost all types of vinegar, including vinegar created from gluten containing grains, to be gluten free. This is made possible by our friend distillation. Basically, the vinegar distillation process breaks down and eliminates gluten from the equation.