The aim of this accessible cookbook is to demystify gluten-free cooking and show you that it's surprisingly easy to create foods that you thought you'd never be able to eat again. The introductory section contains clear medical and nutritional advice on all aspects of gluten-free diets and eating. You'll find information on the various types of gluten-free flours, what bakes they are suitable for, and how to blend them. Then there are more than 165 tried-and-tested recipes for all kinds of breads, cakes, cookies, pasta, pies, puddings, pastries and sauces that will revolutionize your gluten-free diet and help you enjoy foods you may have thought were off the menu for good. You'll find traditional recipes that have been reworked to make them gluten free, as well as plenty of delicious new ideas and inherently gluten-free dishes that everyone should have in their repertoire. Wholesome breads, pasta, pastries, puds and all manner of other sweet and savoury bakes are all included, many of which are also dairy-free, vegetarian and/or vegan recipes - attributes that are denoted by a clear label at the top of the recipe. Some are also lower in refined sugar than normal, to suit healthier eating choices, and of course all are 100 per cent gluten free. All have step-by-step instructions to ensure success, along with a gorgeous photograph of the finished dish.
More than 13 per cent of the UK population (and up to one-third in the USA) say that they currently avoid eating food containing gluten. Many of these are gluten intolerant while others find wheat-based and high-gluten products difficult to digest and simply feel better and healthier eating a diet without or containing less of these foods. An estimated one in a hundred people have coeliac disease, an incurable, lifelong, autoimmune reaction to gluten, and a similar number have a wheat allergy. For those who fall into these camps, embarking on any restricted diet can be daunting, but especially when you need to exclude all foods containing gluten. Bought ready-prepared gluten-free foods can be expensive and monotonous, and the range of basic gluten-free products such as flours and more unusual ingredients such as xanthan gum somewhat bewildering.