+Blog Book Tour+ “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” by Jillayne Clements

Posted Sunday, 7 September, 2014 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

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Published by: Front Table Books (@FrontTableBooks)

an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFort)

Available Formats: Paperback & Ebook

Official Author Websites: Site | @Jillaynewrites | Facebook | YouTube

Converse via: #TheSecretsofGlutenFreeBaking, #gfree & #glutenfree

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Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” direct from the publisher Front Table Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I have been embarking on a Quest for living healthier and more vibrantly than I had been before I stumbled across a few culinary disciplines: Macrobiotics, Veganism, Vegetarian, Whole Foods, and Gluten-Free living. I also came across an appreciation for raw juicing as the benefits of drinking vegetable juice as it was intended to be consumed has a strong impact on my well being moreso than always attempting to eat the number of vegetables we all need to have on a regular basis. At my heart of hearts, I am a vegan vegetarian who accidentally became gluten-free! In reality, I am living an omnivore life whilst finding myself Gluten-Sensitive. Circumstances affect all of us from one point in our lives to the next, and although I spent five years eating through the seasons whilst purchasing farm to farmer’s market fresh fruit and veg (all organic or non-chemical grown); last September I had to put that part of my life on hold and switch back.

When I saw this particular cookbook come up for tour at Cedar Fort, I was celebrating the joy of the find because one area of cookery I am always delighted by is *baking!* I daresay, I was a budding baker long before I became a budding chef! Laughs. In truth, I was a lot like Julia Child — I came into my own with the ways of food and the kitchen a bit late in life (my late twenties) which grew out of my passion for eating. I love the experiences food can create and the palette of choice due to different cultural styles of cooking and the different ingredients that can be combined to create a bit of bliss inside of a bite! I rarely meet an herb or a spice that I do not passionately become addicted too (one reason the film “The Mistress of Spices” is amongst my favourites!) and I am forever growing in appreciation for Ancient Grains & Fibers. My favourite resource for picking up these beautiful lovelies to cook with and grow in appreciation for tastes unlike any I grew up knowing so well is Bob’s Red Mill.

Originally when I requested my place on the tour, I felt for sure I could bake at least two or three of the recipes, because I always happen to have quite a few ingredients on hand which makes gluten-free baking quite easy to do. However, somewhere between then and now, we had an epic blackout (in late July) and clearly that experience erased my memory of the consequences of having your power off for over 18 hours! I had remembered walking to neighbour homes around 9pm and asking if space could be borrowed in their refrigerators; the part I had forgotten? The loss of most of our stock for baking supplies – including the beautiful Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour from Bob’s Red Mill!

I cannot bake the recipes at the moment, but what I can do is not only celebrate my joyous impressions of what Ms. Clements included in this primer for anyone who wants to start baking through gluten-free methods, but give my own thoughts on the ingredients she is referencing to use as a living standard to thrive!

+Blog Book Tour+ “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” by Jillayne ClementsThe Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking
by Jillayne Clements
Source: Direct from Publisher

When The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking author Jillayne Clements learned gluten was off the table, her taste buds rebelled. But she soon discovered that gluten-free food can be healthy and delicious! Use her unique whole foods approach to create:

Cinnamon Rolls
Buttermilk Biscuits
Honey Oak Bread
Breadsticks
and more!

Whether you're on a temporary or permanent gluten-free diet, learn Jillayne's tips, preferred ingredients, and secret against-the-grain methods to baking delicious food without gluten. This book blends taste and satisfying nutrition into mouthwatering gluten-free recipes your whole family will enjoy.

Bake your way to Better Health today!
Genres: Cookery, Gluten-Free Cooking & Baking



Places to find the book:

Published by Front Table Books

on 10th December, 2013

Format: Paperback

Pages: 192

Author Biography:Jillayne Clements

Jillayne Clements hold’s a bachelor’s degree in family and human development from Utah State University and is an author of both fiction and nonfiction books, including Deadly Treasure: A Novel, The Diet Rebel’s Cookbook: Eating Clean and Green, co-authored with Michelle Stewart, as well as an upcoming novel.

After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, she studied the importance of whole foods cooking and began creating her own recipes. She has taught classes in her community and at the Young Living Farm, including their yearly Lavender Days events, and has catered for some of their essential oil conventions. She has also made whole foods deserts on both Good Things Utah and on Studio 5.

Jillayne resides with her husband and children in the shadows of Mt. Nebo, where she enjoys writing fiction, four-wheeling up mountain trails, and growing a lot of her own produce.

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The reason I referenced I had ‘accidentally’ become gluten-free is because when your baking vegan, you’d be plumb surprised how difficult it is to get a good rise out of your baking experiments without using an All-Purpose Flour which is Gluten-Free! My personal preference of course, is Bob’s Red Mill, as this particular resource is my mainstay for sourcing all ingredients that I can possibly afford to purchase in order to cook or bake to my heart’s delight of joy! The only other curious tidbit I had to learn in vegan baking is that the rise is also connected to having either more baking powder OR Xanthan gum; personally I was never too keen on using Xanthan gum even though I did notice a considerable difference in how baked items would appear more like their normal selves than a modified result. At least everything I bake is edible on some level, even if the precise result is not always on par with my idea!

I want to focus today on the opening bits of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking, because when I first opened this baking book, this was the section that had me grinning from ear to ear! Finally! I had found someone else out there who was uncovering the same pieces of information and using that knowledge to not only empower their own life but to share the nibblements with others too!

Before I begin, I want to clarify one thing: because I am gluten sensitive and not suffering from Celiac Disease, I do eat around my triggers. What I might be able to eat myself is not what I know others who have higher levels of gluten intolerance can eat. We’re all individuals and so, as I share my own story and adventures in cookery & baking experiments, please keep in mind that you have to make your own choices which work for you and your family. This is only one girl’s journalling of exploring healthy options and healthier living. Remember only you and your physician can make choices that benefit your own health and wellness. Please be advised I am only sharing personal recollections of cookery & baking books whilst experimenting with the recipes inside.

Starting in Section Two, Ms. Clements starts to talk about the benefits of whole foods, scouring, and sprouting; of the three, sprouting is the one part of having a living kitchen I intend to implement in the future as next to growing my own herbs and having a bounty of a backyard garden, sprouting is most definitely where I want to procure my own ingredients! Whole foods are not a hard sell for me to conceptualise nor to accept as having beneficial properties because I have already started to incorporate whole foods into my own diet. In Section Three she talks about what to find in her personal pantry, and this is the section I felt the happiest in reading; even if I disagreed with a few choices of hers, I realise we all will have different selections for our own pantry: for starters, some of us are going Gluten-Free for intolerance reasons, others seek better health, and for the majority it is the only way they can survive.

The Ancient Grains she mentioned are: Teff, Quinoa, Amaranth, Sorghum, and Millet. I disagreed with her on the taste of Teff, Quinoa, and Amaranth as these are the grains I have used the most in the past. In fact, I have a most excellent and delish recipe for Amaranth Bread with either currents OR raisins that is simply so divine you can eat the whole pan right in one sitting after it comes out of the oven! I find Amaranth to taste like a seed and when combined into a baked bread which you can then cut into slices and re-bake a bit to gain a toasty end result before you put on a bit of jam is most divine! I have a preference for using Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil (not only due to its high set point but due to its medicinal properties for health) from Kelapo (quite literally the fourth or fifth brand of choice; all previous ones went out of business due to high demand).

For Teff, I personally adore the breakfast cereal which can be eaten morning, noon, or night — it is quite addictive, but the recipe I use is actually for ‘Teff Pudding’ but for me? If it looks in texture and tastes like cereal, why not just say ‘cereal’? Adding in a bit of locally harvested wild flower honey (local honey is my go-to resource to discourage seasonal and environmental allergies; which she mentions in the book) or Agave syrup is the best way to make Teff a wicked addictive treat! Throw in some raisins and you’ll think your having desert! Laughs. I wasn’t sure how to relate to her notes about Teff, as I had personally not experienced those issues.

I came across this beautiful short documentary about Ancient Grains last year from Bob’s Red Mill, and I thought if my regular readers and new visitors from this blog tour were as curious about where the grains originated as much as a bit about their history or nutrition, I’d be foolish not to share it! Take a moment to appreciate the film before continuing on with this review!

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Ancient Grains from Bob’s Red Mill | Introducing Grains of Discovery™  by BobsRedMill

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The one Ancient Grain not mentioned in the book, but used readily in my own baking and cooking is Chia Seed! I have come to appreciate this curious little seed with new found joy, as you can mix it into nearly anything your going to eat! I even find that it works well in stir-fry dinners where you start with your onions, carrots, peppers, etc. in the pan, before you add-in the heart of the meal; as it starts to cook on simmer and become the dish your intending to create is the time I like to add-in Chia Seed! At some point, I will be experimenting with smoothies and salads, which is how it is normally meant to be used! I bring up the Chia Seed for one reason: it is quite literally the one ingredient I keep my eyes open for finding a baking recipe that will delight my taste buds! I love how versatile the Chia Seed is and the only time I’ve found a recipe I’m addicted to tasting are the local Gluten-Free Brownies my health food cafe creates! Talk about ‘beyond yum!’

I was surprised she said Coconut Flour has such a strong flavour profile as I used this flour once in the past when I wanted to experiment with mixing my own Gluten-Free Flours for different recipes rather than falling back on my go-to bag of the GF AP Flour from Bob’s Red Mill! I found a different negative to using Coconut Flour, which is the fact it is such a delicate flour (here delicate refers to the fact it cannot always stand up by itself in baking) you really have to get your balance right when baking recipes! If there was a definitive way of knowing, baking is about chemistry & the balance of the ingredients working in harmony it is never more true than using Coconut Flour! Despite my previous failed attempts to harness its goodness, it is one flour on my list of ‘keep experimenting’! Almond Flour has the same components of Coconut Flour on the level that I did agree with Ms. Clements this time round as it needs ‘help’ to stand strong in recipes!

I use Bob’s Red Mill Baking Powder which is Aluminum-Free and I am not sure if I picked up the GF version of it, as I am limited by where to source my Bob’s Red Mill supplies; generally speaking the health food stores are priced higher than Big Lots, but Big Lots does not always have everything the line offers to use. Any family who has had a grandfather who passed on from Alzheimer’s understands the benefits of removing Aluminum from one’s diet and personal hygiene products. I must admit, I love the proponents of using Arrowroot Powder (Mum giggles whenever she hears me say it aloud – apparently I say it with a British lilt), as not only a starch in baking but I like to use it as a thickener as well. I’ve never had any trouble with Arrowroot nor have I heard anything negative about using it until I read this book where I had a feeling there is a hidden cause of concern for ‘starch’.

Flax – either Flax Seeds or Flax Meal (again yes, from Bob’s Red Mill!) is one of my favourite ingredients to find ways to incorporate into my baking! I even have the benefit of experimenting like a mad scientist to ‘whip’ flax eggs into vegan baking dishes! I am not sure how I sorted it, as every recipe for Flax Eggs makes your head want to spin on the ratio of flax to water, but somehow with a pen and a determined spirit, I sorted out the ‘right’ ratio to get them to appear ‘whipped’ in nature! Without that ‘whip’ effect, I noticed I have my own batch of “bloopers for baking” like the ones Ms. Clements included in the Appendix! I honestly appreciated seeing her trials of error and experiments in the back of the book, because that is clearly one area no one likes to admit happens! I find that by seeing how others walk through their own learning curve of sorting out a recipe, it helps me realise the different times I walk into a ‘miss’ out of the oven, I am only one bake time away from a ‘win’!

By the time you enter into the recipe sections, you are given how-to guides for creating your own mix of flours and nut milks! Nut milk is something that has been in my life for awhile as I have intolerances to lactose – originally I would go with Rice Milk, but my true preference is Coconut Milk and/or Almond Milk. Seeing how to create my own milk at home is a great benefit, as generally most of the recipes I have come across are far more complex than the one on page 34!

As an aside, one of my dreams was to sort out how to culture and curate my own Natural Yeast, as I even noticed that there are two sections for Breads inside this baking book: one for Yeast and one for Non-Yeast. Whilst I was prepping what I wanted to share on this blog post last night, I stumbled across a new blog tour (from Cedar Fort): Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast Cookbook! Imagine my happy surprise?! One author with Front Table Books provides Yeast needing recipes and the other author provides a way to get into the Natural Yeast revolution! If you ask me, that is a lot of positive cross-referencing and cheer for baking happening right now! Part of my interest in using Natural Yeast comes from my grandfather who used to teach my Great Uncle how to bake bread (from scratch) to reduce his work related stress which was negatively impacting his life. This was the classic method of stress relief before video games took over. I think we should go back to basics, eh? Growing up hearing about how Natural Yeast was difficult to keep and maintain, I was never sure if I had the know-how to dive into it. When I read about the upcoming blog tour’s book, discovered the live book launch on YouTube (and tweeted about it!), and read all about the author on the Bread Geek; I felt maybe this is something we can all learn to accomplish after all!

When I have all the ingredients I need to start baking the recipes out of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking, these are the ones I am going to start with:

Yeast & Non-Yeast Breads:
  • Breadsticks – let’s face it, I have an unhealthy addiction to *bread!* and I didn’t fall that far from the tree on that particular addiction either! laughs. one of the best additions to eating out especially when going for Italian, are the baskets of breadsticks and/or garlic bread (as let’s face it – i ADORE garlic!). to be able to make my own would be positively wicked!
  • English Muffins – who knew I would develop an allergy to a beloved breakfast item!? If I hadn’t been shopping at the grocery store at the same time a recently diagnosed woman with ‘gluten-sensitivities’ I might not have discovered the brand Glutino who makes corn English Muffins! The most startling surprise was being able to ‘toast’ them on Pre-Heat! laughs. The recipe inside for homemade English Muffins trumps buying them! just look at the beaut on page 45 if you pick this book up! wow. YUM!
  • Scones – seriously, I’m a tea girl whose crazy for java these days, but least I be continuously vexed by an inability to create delish scones to accompany my tea!? I loved the little preview photo with this recipe which clearly points out that I know nothing, positively nothing about baking scones! Mine could sub for a puck at the hockey rink!
  • Dumplings – ooh dear, dumplings! is there a more cosy comfort food than dumplings? hmm,… no! At least not on cold Wintry days where a soothing mug of soup will warm the frost off your nose!
  • Crepes – I graduated into eating crepes shortly after losing my diehard obsession with French Toast (approx 9 years of age); these light as air versions of what I could not eat enough of as a child whet a desire to scour the area for a pan that will not stick and wreck my sanity to create them!
  • Irish Soda Bread – not my favourite growing up but I’ve since grown into a new appreciation for this traditional bread served around the holidays. if I could champion the recipe and find my own homemade baked version was as keenly delish as the kind I purchase at the bakery – even better!
  • Injera – I have always been one who is keen to try new cultural foods that are outside my own traditions; this particular bread is from Ethiopia and I have a feeling I might become as attached to eating this as I am Naan!
  • Corn Tortillas – although there is a nice recipe inside for these, part of me would like to take the recipe and add one step to making them which is to use the traditional tortilla press as well!
Pancakes & Cereals:
  • Sourdough Pancakes – hands down – THIS! is the recipe I wanted to make for this blog tour! I am seriously in love with anything to do with ‘sourdough’ and as I have never had homemade pancakes turn out as plump, light, and wickedly delish as the ones featured on the book cover (yes! this is *that!* recipe!), who could blame me!?
  • Grape Nuts Cereal – as forementioned I simply *adore!* Teff and this is a take on a classic I already enjoy!
Sweet Breads & Muffins:
  • Zucchini Muffins – recipes for Zucchini Muffins are either moist (light or heavily so!), dense, or an entry into my own blooper reel for newbie bakers! laughs. I liked seeing the inclusion of sprouted white beans as this is earmarked for a long-term goal of mine to produce in my own kitchen! There is such a bounty of sprouting possibilities that its hard to know where to start – *this!* is where I think I should!
  • Pumpkin Bread – this was my second favourite recipe and one that I wanted to bake for the blog tour! I am seriously passionate about ‘pumpkin’ anything, and being that I have a bit of extra pumpkin left-over from last Autumn/Winter, I felt ‘why not?’!! I’ve baked various pumpkin bread in the past (including a very unique scone!), but I either find that the pumpkin bread is overpowered by the spices and/or is so dense you have to turn it into Scorba in the oven!
  • Orange Cranberry Bread – seriously!? This is an instant favourite and I haven’t even eaten a bite of it! One of my favourites for Thanksgiving is purchasing a deli/bakery’s version of Cornbread Souffle and cranberry relish! I have a serious penchant for cranberries and the lushness of the pictures on page 95 made this an instant classic!

The rest of the offerings interested me, but more as recipes to play around with on a more long-term basis. If I had enough ingredients on hand, the ones I’ve highlighted I would have *loved!* to bake between now & the start of the holidays! The best part of the cookbook itself is that everything is user-friendly, from the opening sections on how to add items into your pantry to the recipes themselves, where each header clearly tells you the yield, the prep time, the baking time, and the temperature of your oven. You can therefore always Pre-Heat your oven before you even pull the ingredients together on the counter! Talk about a time saver!

Ms. Clements did list 5 Resources in the back section of the Appendixes of companies I have not yet heard of nor have tried their products. Aside from using Bob’s Red Mill, I do like to experiment with other providers for the ingredients I cook and bake with yet what brings me back to Bob’s Red Mill is the quality of the product and the predictable knowledge that when I use their products I am going to be satisfied with the end results rather than feeling let-down. Therefore, I am going to seek out the Resources and hopefully find their available in my area down the road!

The best part about receiving a cookbook like this is dreaming of all the lovely flavours and tastes that are going to dance in my mouth as soon as I pull the ingredients together and start baking! As a preview of what to expect on my tour stop tomorrow for Gluten-Free Made Easy, kindly pull up my Twitter Profile @JLovesAStory and open the Photos & Videos section in the left sidebar. You will find that I celebrated the *first!* recipe from tomorrow’s cookbook spotlight which were the Raspberry Breakfast Bars! Enjoy the preview, and I hope you enjoyed my joyous findings of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking as much as I had in sharing a part of my kitchen and cookery delights! Please light up the comment threads with suggestions on sourcing the ingredients, and/or your own Gluten-Free adventures in baking! Until tomorrow!

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This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc.:

Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Virtual Road Map of “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” Blog Tour can be found here:

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In conjunction with launching a *NEW* Feature on Jorie Loves A Story:

The Bookish Foodie a blog feature of Jorie Loves A Story

This post starts off a central thread of connection on my bookish blog where I am going to be highlighting both fiction and non-fiction Foodie delights! I have always appreciated “Foodie Fiction”, but I am also an amateur sous chef who likes to experiment in the kitchen with her Mum! I grew up with a keen interest in savory and sweet decadence from a Mum whose culinary wanderings spanned the world. We were always a family who were considered to eat ‘bland’ food due to the fact we limited our salt intact, and we never used black pepper! Ironically, it was through the herbs and spices my Mum always fused into our cooking adventures that first sparked my own interest in getting a bit more involved than merely developing a ‘taste’ for what I appreciated. I developed my own yearnings for Indian spices (i.e. Curry Powder, Garam Marsala, Turmeric, etc) and foods, as much as I always had a hankering for extra garlic cloves due to a high concentration of Italian foods I consumed growing up. I wanted to merge my bookish joy of reading ‘Foodie Fiction’ with my quest to uncover a healthier and more vibrant way to eat, live, and thrive. Therefore, I decided to begin featuring what I consider fit under this new Feature of Jorie Loves A Story: The Bookish Foodie! As I am *exactly!* what the title eludes — I’m a bookish girl who has a Foodie soul! Drop back and spend time with me to see where this Feature takes me!

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis and Book Cover of “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” the blog tour badge, and the Cedar Fort badge were provided by Cedar Fort, Inc. and used by permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. The Bookish Foodie & Bookish Events badges created by Jorie in Canva.The video by Bob’s Red Mill had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for this opportunity to share such an imaginative exploration with you. Cross-posted Riffle badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

read more >> | Visit my Story Vault of Book Reviews | Policies & Review Requests | Contact Jorie

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Posted Sunday, 7 September, 2014 by jorielov in 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Films, Bread Making, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Cookbook, Cookery, Documentary on Topic or Subject, Foodie Fiction, Gluten-Free Foods, Non-Fiction, The Bookish Foodie




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2 responses to “+Blog Book Tour+ “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” by Jillayne Clements

    • Hallo Ms. Strykowski,

      Thank you for dropping by today! :) What I found so incredible was the ease in which the recipes are to create and how delish the results are afterwards! I am so thankful I could point out a new cookbook which will bring you as much joy as it gave to me! :) I was smiling seeing your comment as this was only the second time I’ve featured a cookbook on my blog! Thrilled to bits I inspired someone else! :)

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