Gluten-free Gourmand

Making cornbread gluten-free is easy. Unlike other breads, cornbread does not rely on wheat for any of the properties that make it what it is. The taste and texture depend mostly on the corn. I have had corn bread with lots of different types of flour, and they all turned out well. I use a gluten-free pastry flour mix for a more tender and moist crumb, but feel free to use rice flour, brown rice flour, or your favorite flour mix. Southern corn bread calls for just corn meal, and is more savory than sweet. This is a northern cornbread recipe, which calls for all-purpose flour in the mix and has a more cake-like consistency. Use some corn flour in addition to the corn meal if you want to make the texture even more tender. Gluten-free Cornbread Recipe Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9x9x2-inch pan. Mix together in a large bowl: 1 cup stone ground corn meal 1/4 cup corn flour 3/4 cup  Deluxe Pastry Flour 4 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1...

These savory and sweet cornmeal waffles are one of my favorite breakfast foods. I am not bragging when I say that these are the best waffles I've ever tasted. I'm simply telling the truth. This recipe is essentially the Joy of Cooking Cornmeal Waffles recipe that has been modified to be gluten-free. If you are on a no-dairy diet try almond milk instead of cow's milk and a mild-flavored oil (not olive) instead of butter. I'm afraid there's no helping the eggs - they are essential for making the waffles fluffy. If anyone has an egg-free version I'd love to hear it! Corn Waffle Recipe Mix together in a large bowl: 1 cup  Deluxe Pastry Flour (something with a lot of potato flour is excellent) 1/2 cup corn flour 1/2 cup corn meal 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (if your flour mix doesn't have it already included) 1/4 cup sugar Separate: 2 eggs Beat until stiff in a separ...

Now what you have all been waiting for: the recipe for the polenta that I served with the braised rabbit in my previous post. Unlike rabbit, polenta is completely vegan. At its simplest, it's made from just corn meal and water. This recipe uses vegetable stock and onions to give it a savory, hearty flavor. This dish can be served as a main course and topped with a tomato sauce, a white sauce, or cheese. Here I have it as a side dish, and it is tasty enough to be served plain. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan heat: 3 cups vegetable stock In a large skillet, heat on medium low: 2-4 Tbsp olive oil Chop into small pieces, then add to the heated oil: 1/2 onion Sautee the onions for about five minutes, then add the vegetable stock to the skillet. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together until smooth: 2 cups warm water 1 1/2 cup yellow corn meal Slowly add the corn mixture to the stock-and-onion liquid on the stove, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Simmer for 10 minut...

I hold fast to the belief that going gluten-free doesn't mean eating meals that a person with normal digestion would never tolerate. However, in my quest for gluten-free alternatives I have braved many a meal some would qualify as inedible. In all my days I can't think of anything I've eaten that was worse than soy pasta. Not only is soy pasta not a standard grain substitute, but it hardly deserves the label "food." The texture is so far removed from what one expects from a pasta that it is disturbing to eat. The texture is so wrong that it is useless to ruin your favorite sauce by placing it on top of this noodle product. It is experiences like eating soy pasta that might convince a gluten-free novice to give up on experimenting with new brands or substitutes. However, I personally have not considered giving up on food as a practical option. And what I must consume to live I will find a way to enjoy eating. After the soy pasta fiasco I was determined to f...