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
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!
The 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!
Places to find the book:
Published by Front Table Books
on 10th December, 2013
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Author Biography:
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.
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!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Go Indie
I Looked For the One My Heart Loves
Originally written in English, this adventure story is about the venturesome life of a planthunter set in the South African tropical forests. It combines the thrilling hunt for a precious flower with unique characters, a cunning intrigue and a heart-rending love story.
Close to the Sun
The Story of Land and Sea