The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking (29 page)
Read The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking Online
Authors: Peter Reinhart
I find myself in a tricky position. I am a bread guy, and working with gluten has paid the bills for over twenty-five years. And, frankly, I love bread. However, although I’m not technically gluten intolerant, I totally accept the current data on the correlations between gluten and compromised health even for those who don’t have celiac disease. Working with Denene and seeing the life and death aspects of diabetes and celiac disease was the motivation I needed to make a change. I have been overweight for twenty years, ever since I sold my bakery—where I burned off calories through hard physical work—to become a teacher and a writer. To further complicate matters, I report on the country’s best pizza as the host of a website called Pizza Quest, which “requires” constant very tasty “research.” Do you see my dilemma? I’m aware of the changes I should make to preserve my health, but putting them into action is difficult.
When I started working on this book with Denene, I weighed 214 pounds. Within two and half weeks of eating a low-carb diet while testing our recipes, I lost 14 pounds. Of course, I knew that the first pounds are the easiest to shed and that I couldn’t keep up that pace but, hey, I’d settle for a pound a week. However, it wasn’t long before the seesaw results of my twin projects became apparent. When I went back on the road to film a round of videos for Pizza Quest, I made my internal vows to eat sensibly and watch my carbs but the lure of the pizza siren was Homeric in its strength. The final weeks of editing, tweaking, and more recipe testing for this book were beneficial, but the gains were undercut by simultaneously teaching my artisan bread class at Johnson & Wales and consulting on a new pizza restaurant in Charlotte. I was stuck on the fulcrum of the seesaw.
Then Dr. Tom Schneider wrote his foreword for the book and I spoke with him about his own health transformations and the rationale behind the low-carb wellness movement. Again, I saw clearly that information is only part of the equation; it really comes down to will. So, once again, I decided to rededicate myself to modifying my eating habits, realizing that it would take a day-to-day effort to stick to the plan. I came to grips with the fact that, if I want to be able to eat a well-rounded diet that includes all the things I love, I must first restore my body to its proper healthy and functioning state. It hardly matters that I work out
regularly and feel pretty good most of the time; the scale says I’m fifty pounds overweight and my body is storing too much of what I eat—even the healthy foods—as fat. That means I’m producing too much insulin and overworking my pancreas, wearing out my system and putting myself at risk. So, at the eleventh hour, in early January 2012, I rededicated myself to using these recipes as tools to rebuild my health. This is not a weight plan book—I used other resources to help me as well—but that was Day One of connecting the dots and gaining control of my eating.
As I write these words, I can give only a short-term progress report and can’t promise that I will be able to stay the course. (Both Denene’s story in the introduction and Dr. Schneider’s Foreword illustrate the long-term results far better than mine.) I haven’t cut out carbs completely, but try I to keep them to under 120 grams a day, and I reduced my sugar intake to about 15 grams a day, mainly from fruit. Within the first three days, I dropped 4 pounds (the easy ones). Better still, my energy level increased and I felt less drowsy after meals. I’m pleased to say that I’m keeping to the plan, continuing to eliminate excess carbs and using the recipes in this book every day to replace the usual breads and desserts I would have previously eaten. I have a couple of slices of our toasting bread everyday (toasted, of course)—it’s my favorite! To confront my carb-heavy job, I take only small bites of students’ bread to judge the quality. You can follow my progress at
www.thejoyofgluten-freesugar-freebaking.com
. My new life has begun.
Although there is no other book quite like this one, there have been a number of excellent gluten-free and diabetic friendly books that we’ve used as resources and that have paved the way for public acceptance and awareness. There is no way to list them all, but there are a few that we think you should consider for your own reference library. We list many on our website.
The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
and
Gluten-Free Cupcakes
, both by Elana Amsterdam (Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press)
The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook
by Cybele Pascal (Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press)
Gluten-Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America
by Richard J. Coppedge, Jr. (Avon, MA: Adams Media)
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Cooking
by Jean Duane (New York: Alpha Books)
Glutenology: Healthy Recipes for the Gluten-Free Warrior
by Dr. Peter Osborne (Waverly, IA: G and R Publishing)
The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread
by Bette Hagman (New York: Henry Holt)
Glycemic Index Cookbook
by Publications International, LTD (Lincolnwood, Il)
The GL Diet Made Simple
by Antony Worrall Thompson (London: Kyle Books)
The Belly Fat Cure
by Jorge Cruise (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House)
Death to Diabetes: The Six Stages of Type 2 Diabetes Control and Reversal
by DeWayne McCulley (North Charleston, SC: Book Surge, LLC)
Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes
by Neal D. Barnard, MD (New York: Rodale)
There are many useful websites dedicated to both gluten intolerance and diabetes awareness, and an Internet search will lead you to them. These have been especially helpful to us:
www.celiaccentral.org
: The official site of The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.
www.celiac.com
: One of the longest running websites dedicated to gluten intolerance.
www.glutenfreesociety.org
: Dr. Peter Osborne’s passionate site, which highlights many little known, hidden sources of gluten and the way gluten intolerance manifests even for those without celiac disease.
www.diabetes.org
: The official site of The American Diabetes Association.
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search
: A helpful database that provides nutrient information for a vast array of foods, allowing you to calculate the glycemic load.
www.nutritionvalue.org
: Another great resource for information on the nutritional value of many ingredients.
www.floridahealthspan.com
: Dr. Tom Schneider’s medical institute focusing on wellness and regenerative medicine, with a special focus on diabetes and gluten awareness.
The online retailer Netrition (
www.netrition.com
, (888) 817-2411) offers the best prices we’ve seen on all types of nut and seed flours and meal, liquid stevia, powdered stevia, ChocoPerfection bars, xanthan gum, baking powder, soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, sugar-free maple syrup, and much more. Their flat shipping rate of $4.95 helps keep costs down.
Here are additional details on the individual brands and ingredients that we find perform the best in our recipes:
Coconut flour (It has the consistency of powdered sugar and works better than any other brand we’ve tried.)
(888) 505-4439
Aluminum-free baking powder
(866) 373-2300
Flax seed meal and whole flax seeds, hazelnut meal or flour, coconut flour, shredded unsweetened coconut flakes, garbanzo bean flour
(800) 349-2173
Sugar-free chocolate syrup
(800) 468-1714
Our main source for almond flour and flax seed meal. (
Purchasing in large quantities confers a price break.)
(888) 810-3212
ChocoPerfection bars
(800) 332-1773
Sunflower seeds, liquid or powdered stevia, xanthan gum
(888) 669-3663
Sugar-free maple syrup, Vermont sugar-free syrup, sugar-free chocolate syrup
(802) 748-5141
Powdered erythritol
Our primary source for pecan meal, with the best price we’ve found.
(800) 627-6630
Soy Slender vanilla or chocolate soy milk, unsweetened plain soy milk
(800) 434-4246
Bulk Bins and
Store Brands
This book would never have been possible without Denene Wallace, who has single-handedly pioneered the methods descibed in these pages. It was my good fortune to meet her at the right moment, just as the world was becoming more aware of the twin health crises of gluten intolerance and diabetes and their interconnectedness. Denene generously shared her methods with me and was a delight to partner with; she was a tireless worker as we crafted this book together over eighteen months.
Of course we both had tremendous support at home. As always, my wife, Susan, created the time and space necessary for me to carry my end. She was also a major contributor to the recipe-tweaking process, as she brought her objectivity and critical palate to the various tasting sessions. She is always the “secret weapon” behind my book and product development projects.
Thank you to Johnson & Wales University for again providing the flexibility that allowed me to work on this book, especially Charlotte campus president Art Gallagher, and the culinary and baking and pastry deans, Mark Allison and Wanda Cropper. Also, thanks to my colleague Laura Benoit, who provided her keen proofreading eye for the third book in a row.
This is my second collaboration with photographer Leo Gong, who proved again what a great talent he is as well as being a wonderful host. He and his wife, Harumi (and Samantha, their adorable mini-dachshund who was our team mascot for the second time), took great care of us during our weeklong photo shoot at their San Francisco studio. Karen Shinto again provided exceptional food styling and kitchen management support and I can’t imagine accomplishing as much as we did in such a short time without her. Denene’s mother, Dot, was amazing at the photo shoot, and many of the shots you see are a result of her contributions in the photo studio kitchen.
Thank you also to Melissa Moore, our super-talented and patient editor, who brought all the pieces together, and to the Ten Speed creative team, including designer Katy Brown and managing art director Betsy Stromberg. Many thanks to our copy editor Jasmine Star. This is my sixth book with Ten Speed Press and I don’t believe there is a more creative,
collaborative publishing house, so a special thanks to publisher Aaron Wehner, who has not only guided me through all of my Ten Speed books but who also conceived this one and invited me to take it on.
Without Peter’s confidence in me I would not have been able to do this book. When Peter and I met a few years ago, he loved the taste of my recipes and graciously asked me to participate in this book. He is by far one of the most genuine people I know. His love for the art of baking great breads is contagious and I am proud to coauthor this book with him. Peter, thank you for believing in me.
It has been an honor to work with Ten Speed Press. Thank you all for making this a delightful experience.
My husband, Greg Wallace, is my rock. He has always helped me believe that I can do anything I choose. I love you with all my love.
My mom, Dot Miller, has been by my side in the kitchen for more than five years. Thank you for your time and support. And to my dad, John Miller, who taught me to “just keep pedaling,” I love you both very much.
My niece and nephew, Lauren and Nicholas, have participated in more taste tests than I can count, providing me with very important feedback. Thank you both. You are the lights of my life.
It was obvious from the first time I met Dr. Tom Schneider that he truly gets it. Thank you, Tom, for being my friend and providing a wonderful and informative foreword to this book.
Dr. Tammy Robinson, my personal physician, taught me that I am brave and can manage my own health. Thank you for your dedication and compassion.
The following people have contributed in their own ways to making this book a reality. I am grateful for their friendships and I love each of you: Steve Avary, Mike and Kathy McGovern, Charles and Barbara Harvey, Herman Garner, Dr. Bruce McCormick, Octavia Shepard, Susan Reinhart, Melanie and J. T. Frazier, Ingrid and Paige Horil, Ginger Walker, Jennifer DeNyse, and many others.
My hope is that through small miracles like the recipes contained in this book, people all over the world can begin to heal their bodies. I am grateful on a daily basis for the healing I have experienced.
Finally, a big, long thank-you to our many international recipe testers and Mark Witt, who coordinated the whole process by creating a dedicated Internet site and response mechanism
that allowed us to merge all the feedback we received. The testing was absolutely critical in helping us make these recipes user-friendly, and especially important as we worked through all the variables regarding sugar replacements. Thank you all:
Stacy Abernathy, Patricia Alfano, Chuck Allen, Sandra Alvarez, Rohan Arnold, David Baldwin, Kristine Bertram, Barb Blackmore, Donna Bratton, Ricardo Brill-Thiel, Patricia Brogan, Sue Brogna, Kathryn Bundy, Patrick Campbell-Preston, Laurie Chappell, Nis’ku Closs, Mark Cohen, Kurt Congdon, David Coppes, Christopher Dana Benjamin DeKoven, Christopher Dibble, Louise Doubleday, Carolyn Doyle, Amy Dunbar-Wallis, Kevin Farnsworth, Tim Fischer, Richard Garay, Ofelia Gonzalez, Judith Griss, David Hellman, Jan Hickey, Annie Holt, Eirlys Jenkins, Carie Jo, Cindy Johansen, Kerry Johnson, Neal Johnson, Joyce Johnston, Robyn Josephs, Dan Kane, Julie Kato, Anne Kirkland, Logan Kistler, Norma Knepp, Donna Lamoreaux, Margie Layfield, Betty Lee, Johnisha Levi, Kristen Levitt, Jay Lofstead, Janice Mansfield, Monica Marty, Jeremy M. Matthews, Samantha Menzies, Gretchen Miller, Keila Miller, Andrea Morgan, Dan Morgan-Russell, Clark Murray, Jonathan Nacht, Trang Nguyen, Robert Nowacki, Jeanne Phillips, Marianne Preston, Sue Pye, Deborah Racine, Namita Reisinger, Norell Rosado, Steve J. Ross, Mary Ann Sereth, Audi Shake, Carole Sibley, Joseph Sloan, Jennet Sullivan, Dane Summers, Scott Thompson, Michelle Tseng, Tim Turmelle, Tanith Tyrr, Lasse Warje, Jacqueline Williams, and Michal Wolf.
