Cooking and baking your way around multiple food allergies sounds hard, but it’s a snap once you get the hang of it. The first thing you will need is a shopping list and an explanation of some of the new ingredients you’ll need to stock your pantry and freezer. Perhaps you’ve never heard of these ingredients, or maybe you have some of them on hand already; either way, we are so lucky that many of these items have become commonplace in today’s supermarket. This wasn’t the case when I was diagnosed with food allergies. If you cannot find a couple of these ingredients in your local market, don’t worry: Most stores will happily order items for you, and if that doesn’t work, Amazon carries almost all of them. Check the Where to Shop section at the back of this book (p. 182) to find alternate places to buy all the ingredients you will need to get started.
Agave Nectar—By now you surely have heard of agave nectar. I see it on almost every supermarket shelf now that Domino Sugar is bottling it. Agave comes from a cactus and has a lower glycemic index than, say, sugar or honey. But that’s not why I use it. I use it in icebox pie-crust recipes because it imparts neutral flavor and helps hold the crust together. Plus it is sweet and delicious.
Baking Powder—Baking powder is a leavening agent that is used in larger amounts than baking soda, and it does not need to be activated with an acid. Make sure to check that your baking powder is gluten-free. Not every brand is; be leery of brands made with modified food starch because that is another term for wheat starch. Brands made with corn or potato starch are safe.
Chile de Árbol—Chile de árbol is a thin, red, Mexican chile pepper that I usually buy dried in packets. I use this to give heat to dishes like my Chicken Posole (p. 14). Just a little goes a very long way and will liven up any dish that needs zip.
Chinese or Superfine Rice Flour—I used to avoid rice flour at all costs because, unless it is ground superfine, it tends to make recipes sandy and coarse. However, a friend recommended that I try superfine rice flour a few years ago, and I was sold. At first I bought it at the Chinese bodega, but then I found Authentic Foods’ Superfine White Rice Flour online and have never looked back. It is flavor neutral, which means that the cookie dough tastes great even before it is baked, and the texture is never gritty. When I refer to superfine or Chinese rice flour, I am always referring to the white variety. Superfine brown rice flour weighs more and will change the outcome of your recipe. See the Where to Shop section (p. 182) for brand names and where to purchase them.
Cider Vinegar—I use cider vinegar in my baking recipes to activate the baking soda. In traditional recipes, acidic buttermilk serves this purpose. The good news is that the vinegar is tasteless in the finished product and even in the raw batter.
Coconut Milk—Some of you may be wondering how coconut found its way into this book. Though the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reclassified coconut as a tree nut, talking with doctors and researchers on the board of the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) convinced me that coconut is actually part of the palm family and that it very rarely causes reactions in people with tree-nut allergies. Of course, I am not a doctor, so please check with yours before you use coconut products in your cooking. I love canned coconut milk because it is nondairy and great in things like curry, where it is desirable to taste the coconut flavor and the dish requires creaminess. If you aren’t crazy about coconut flavor, use the other kind of coconut milk, the kind you find in the dairy section that comes in “milk” cartons instead. Also, the solids in canned coconut rise to the top and, when refrigerated, can be whipped into dairy-free Whipped Cream (p. 181)!
Cultured Coconut Milk—Cultured coconut milk is my go-to substitute for traditional buttermilk. I prefer the original flavor, but if you are using it for baking a cake, try the vanilla. It’s good, too.
Corn Flour—Corn flour is different than cornmeal, so pay close attention when you are buying it in the supermarket. Corn flour is very finely ground and not as coarse as regular cornmeal. It is available in most supermarkets. If you cannot find it in the baking section, look in the international section with the salsa and taco fixings.
Dairy- and Soy-Free Margarine—Earth Balance dairy- and soy-free margarine is, in my opinion, the best tasting butter stand-in on the market. I usually prefer solid, organic palm fruit oil shortening (it now comes in dairy-free butter flavor, too) for baking, but Earth Balance is great for spreading or for making, say, a risotto or an herbed butter. It lends buttery flavor but is safe for those with dairy and soy sensitivities.
Dark Chocolate—In my first two books, this was a difficult ingredient, because so many chocolate companies have cross-contamination issues. Since the publication of my second book, Enjoy Life Foods has introduced Boom Choco Boom Bars in addition to their mini semisweet chocolate chips and Mega Chunks. This brand is made in a dedicated gluten-, dairy-, soy-, nut-, and egg-free facility. Sometimes, if I’m feeling particularly decadent, I like to coarsely chop this and add it to Blondies (p. 136) or Plain Old Brownies (p. 168). See the Where to Shop section (p. 182) for recommendations about where to find it.
Dijon Mustard—Be careful which mustard you use. Many types of mustard now add additional ingredients beyond the traditional ground mustard seed, vinegar, and water. Some mustards contain soy. I recommend Maille or Bournier brands for their robust flavor and lack of additives.
Flaxseed Meal—Flaxseed meal is just ground flaxseeds. I prefer the golden variety, but you can use the darker kind, too—they are the same; the golden variety is simply less visible in the finished product. One of the great things about flaxseed meal, aside from making a wonderful egg substitute in baking, is that it is also loaded with omega-3 essential fatty acids and fiber, both of which are fantastic for heart health.
French Lentils—Smaller than red and brown lentils, French lentils are green and don’t get mushy during cooking. Le Puy lentils are a little more expensive, but I think that they are definitely worth the price because I strongly dislike mushy lentils.
Gluten-, Dairy-, Soy-, Nut-, and Egg-Free Chocolate Chips—When I first started baking my way around multiple food allergies, chocolate chips were a hang up. Most chocolate in this country is emulsified, or held together with soy lecithin. However, Enjoy Life Foods makes delicious dairy- and soy-free chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and chocolate bars. They are all made in a dedicated gluten-, dairy-, soy-, nut-, and egg-free facility, which makes me feel even better about using them.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour—Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All- Purpose Baking Flour is great for baking cookies. When I want to make a cookie that spreads, like most drop cookies do, I look to this flour. It provides just the right texture and makes for a lovely, rich flavor in the finished product. Fortunately, it is easy to find at most supermarkets. However, if you cannot find it in your area, check out the company’s website (www.BobsRedMill.com) to have it shipped directly to you. If you feel uncomfortable with Bob’s products because of possible cross-contamination issues, Authentic Foods also makes a nice gluten-free all-purpose flour called GF (as in gluten-free) Classical Blend.
Gluten-Free Rice Milk—Some rice milks are not gluten-free because they contain barley. Make sure to check the label. If you are intolerant to coconut milk and opt to use rice milk and cider vinegar to replace cultured coconut milk in my recipes, just be sure that the rice milk you are using is 100 percent gluten-free.
Herbes de Provence—This is an herb blend that is, not surprisingly, often found in Provençal cooking. Basil, thyme, rosemary, sometimes lavender, and savory are usually included in the commercial blends.
Kasha—Do not be fooled: This is not Kashi cereal. Kasha is buckwheat groats. It is gluten-free, and while I use it in savory Kasha and Pasta (p. 102), it is also delicious served with berries and a little honey for breakfast.
Lyle’s Golden Syrup—Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a British baking classic that is traditionally used in treacle pudding. However, it makes a great stand-in for corn syrup if you cannot tolerate corn or just choose to avoid corn syrup in cooking. Melani Bauman, who photographed this book and is British, brought it to my attention, and I have come to rely on it for icings and sweetening some desserts.
Organic Palm Fruit Oil Shortening—In our family, shortening was always used in place of butter in our homemade chocolate chip cookies. When I started baking dairy-free, shortening was a natural fit. However, to take my recipes one step further to soy-free, I had to find a new substitute. At first this product was only available online, but now I find the Spectrum organic palm fruit oil shortening at most supermarkets. It is usually labeled “all-vegetable shortening” on the front of the tub.
Potato Starch—Potato starch is a natural thickener made from potatoes. It is especially fine and white. I use it in my baked goods to help with browning and to create a more delicate crumb in the finished product. It is not the same as potato flour, which is much heavier and will change the density of your recipes. Make sure to read the label carefully: Potato starch is bright white; potato flour is not.
Powdered Vanilla Rice Milk—Powdered vanilla rice milk revolutionized my Even Easier “Buttercream” Frosting recipe (p. 162). This ingredient added flavor, depth, and creaminess to my frosting when I felt like it was missing something. Now, frosting is so easy to make. Powdered vanilla rice milk is gluten-, dairy-, soy-, nut-, and egg-free as well as shelf stable, which makes it more economical than buying regular vanilla rice milk that I might only use in one recipe. Add a little bit of it to water mixed with apple cider vinegar as another buttermilk alternative.
Raw Coconut Aminos—This is the best ingredient I’ve stumbled upon in a long time. Raw coconut aminos are a great stand-in for soy sauce. They are made from coconut tree sap, which contains 17 naturally occurring amino acids—thus the name aminos. They are low glycemic and work well as a soy sauce stand-in in my Asian-influenced recipes.
Rose Water—Rose water is a natural flavoring that is made from rose petals and water. It is commonly used in Greek, Indian, and Middle Eastern cooking and is available, bottled, at most health food stores. Not only is it used for cooking, but some people mist rose water on their faces as a toner or spray it on their clothes when ironing to infuse its wonderful scent into the fabric. It is possible to make rose water from scratch, though, admittedly, I have never tried it, because it’s so easy to find at the supermarket.
Soba Noodles—Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat, which is naturally gluten-free. They have a distinctive flavor that is perfect for cold noodle salads. Not all brands are gluten-free because some manufacturers blend regular wheat flour in with the buckwheat flour, so be very careful and read the label closely before purchasing.
Sorghum Flour—I love sorghum flour because when used alone it reminds me of graham flour. Denser than rice flour, sorghum flour is also gluten-free and helps keep cookies from being too crisp but keeps cakes light and moist. Sorghum is naturally a little sweeter than other flours and has a neutral flavor.
Xanthan Gum—Occasionally, I see gluten-free recipes that do not contain xanthan, and they work, but they work because they contain eggs. In allergy-free baking, xanthan is the A–No. 1, most important ingredient. Without xanthan gum, gluten- and egg-free baked goods will not rise, no matter how much leavening is added to the recipe. Xanthan replaces gluten by creating the air bubbles that pop to leave behind the delicate crumb in cakes and the chewy texture of cookies. Without this ingredient, baked goods will just look like melted blobs when they come out of the oven. Sometimes, xanthan gum is used as a thickener, though I prefer not to use it that way. Xanthan does not thicken cold liquids and can make things slippery rather than thick if not used in the right proportions.