Need Recommendation for GF Cookbook

[garina]

Having been on a GF diet now for approximately 2 weeks and seeing so much improvement, I would like to buy a GF cookbook, but I'm overwhelmed with how many there are, and have no idea which one to buy.

Amazon.com has several, plus Ebay, and if anyone knows of one they could recommend that works for them, I would be very appreciative. I also would like to buy one that has bread recipes that could be used with a breadmaker.

This site has priceless recipes some of which I've printed out and making a notebook, and I'm grateful for that, but I still would like to have a recipe book, also.

I know this diet is for life, and even though I have a collection of cookbooks, I have not found any one of them that have GF recipes. So, this is all new territory.

Thanks very much.

garina

P.S. (Off topic) I itch from the top of my head to my toes, every day...my arms, legs, shoulders, everywhere. No rashes. I'm thinking it must be some kind of slight allergy/sensitivity, but I can't figure it out. Usually, in the evening is the worse time. I'm careful to eat GF, so could it be my system trying to eliminate what gluten is left or something like that? Does any of that make sense?

[JLH]

I don't really have one. I eat pretty simply and plain. There are zillions of blog sites and Facebook sites with recipes for free.

If you go to Amazon.com you can usually look inside the books and see if it's what you are looking for or not.

I saw one that was a budget GF book, I'll see if I can find it somewhere.

[JLH]

http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Shoes ... 143&sr=1-5

[sarkin]

Garina,

I have heard good things about the "Gluten Free Girl" books - one I believe is a cookbook she wrote with her husband, who is a chef. I think the first one was about her... with recipes, but also a story about finding out she has celiac disease and adapting? It would be worth spending a little time on Amazon or her own site and getting to know her, so you can decide what you think. She definitely makes a lot of things like breads and pizza crusts, and I know they are big food-lovers.

I'm with Joan, for the most part - I use my current cookbooks and focus on the meat/veg dishes and not the baked goods. Tonight we had an exceptionally nice cut of beef that the butcher recommended to my husband (and not crazy expensive), plus mushrooms and a salad. And a coconut frozen dessert (store-bought, not home-made).

I have always used my cookbooks more for research and inspiration than 'instructions' (and this is why I'm not a great baker), so finally I have found a situation where being ornery and not following directions really comes in handy

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better, after 2 weeks of GF eating. Congratulations on making this positive change (and yes, it can be a challenging change as well!).

All my best,
Sara

[tex]

P.S. (Off topic) I itch from the top of my head to my toes, every day...my arms, legs, shoulders, everywhere. No rashes. I'm thinking it must be some kind of slight allergy/sensitivity, but I can't figure it out. Usually, in the evening is the worse time. I'm careful to eat GF, so could it be my system trying to eliminate what gluten is left or something like that? Does any of that make sense?

No, that problem is not caused by avoiding gluten. It's probably worse in the evenings, because the symptoms are triggered by certain foods, but it takes a while for the symptoms to develop, so they are less likely in the mornings, (after not eating all night), and more likely later in the day. The problem is very, very likely to be due to mast cell degranulation, or eating foods that are high in histamine. Many of us have mast cell issues, as a satellite issue with MC. I sometimes have itching, similar to what you describe, but I'm very fortunate, in that it's not a serious enough problem to cause me to have to modify my diet, (but my luck may be due to the fact that I rarely eat foods that are high in histamines, and I also mostly avoid histamine-releasing foods, these days). I didn't modify my diet with that in mind, it just so happens that I don't normally eat those foods. Thinking about that, I rarely have the problem these days, but it used to be a frequent aggravation, (back when I often ate such foods).

A few members actually have been diagnosed with mastocytic enterocolitis, (excessive numbers of mast cells), but most of us here who have mast cell issues, do not have too many mast cells. Instead, we have normal numbers of mast cells, but they degranulate too easily. In most cases, the degranulation is triggered by certain foods, but in a few cases, it can also be triggered by sunlight, (heat), intense exercise, vaccinations, and a few other things. Most of us who have this problem also have symptoms from eating foods that are high in histamine. (When mast cells degranulate, they release histamine, and histamine is what causes itching).

Most GI docs aren't familiar with mast cell issues, associated with MC, but Mary Beth and Julie are experts on mast cell issues, because they have serious mast cell problems, themselves. Most of the rest of us have only minor issues with mast cells, and we don't have to worry about anaphylaxis, or other serious health risks that mast cells can cause. Most of us only have common allergy symptoms, if we eat certain trigger foods. Here are some examples of some of the foods that I'm referring to:

http://www.michiganallergy.com/food_and_histamine.shtml

Tex

[Sheila]

Try going to your local library and check out as many GF cookbooks as they have. I took several out from my library and got a couple of recipes from one book. I then went to amazon.com and browsed the GF books available there. I read the reader comments, author bios etc and ordered 2 books. I haven't had them long and have only tried a few recipes. I got "100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes" by Fenster and "Best Gluten-Free Baking" by Barbone. So far, the recipes I have tried have been a mixed bag. The GF hamburger rolls taste good and have good texture but they are not like any hamburger roll I've ever had before. That's just how GF bread products are, they're different. Next time I make them I'll make them larger and better shaped. The dough is hard to work with and the rolls weren't completely round. A roll shaped like a comma doesn't work for a hamburger!!

I was feeding our mottled ducks and birds GF bread products that I would not eat. I tried making bread crumbs out of the last loaf that I bought before I started making my own bread. If you add seasonings to them they work fine in meatloaf and for breading chicken, pork roast, fish etc.

Don't give up hope, there are some good recipes out there and eventually I guess we get used to eating things that just taste "different" from what we are used to.
Sheila

[garina]

Joan, I looked at the book "GF on a Shoestring", and I think I will order it. Looks like a good one. It seems like she explains things, and I like that. Thanks for the tip.

Sara, I haven't checked out "Gluten Free Girl", yet, but it's on my list of things to do today. My mouth is watering for that coconut frozen dessert you had!

Tex, In looking at the site you posted on histamine, I think it was the fresh mushrooms I sauteed for dinner last night with onions. It was a lot of mushrooms, all fresh, and I ate lots of them. It just seems like sensitivities are croping up more and more the older I get.

I had been Rx'd Claritin 10 mg., but I rarely take it, as I hate to take too many drugs, but maybe I'll start it again. It has something to do with histamine I think.
I will have to watch my food intake, and thanks for the site listing offending foods. That will be a big help.

Sheila,

I will check out the library, hadn't thought of that. You're right in that everything does taste different. In fact, I find it harder to get enough fiber, but will work on that after everything heals more. You have ducks and birds that you feed....how cool!

garina

[sarkin]

Garina,

Those frozen coconut "ice cream" desserts are available from several different manufacturers. I actually like the sorbet from Sharon's the best (it's the least creamy... everyone else around here likes the So Delicious better, and I'll double check the other brand when we next pass the freezer aisle).

I'm thinking of making kale sorbet today. It's too hot to cook and almost too hot to chew!

Keep us posted as you navigate the world of GF cooking. I keep remembering a cold 'cream' soup I used to make with nuts instead of dairy... if it ever cools down, I will try that again. I have used both cashews and almonds in dishes of that nature - you soak the nuts overnight (cashews can soak less), then rinse blend them with fresh water. You can make nut milk the same way, and Gloria has posted the recipe in Dee's Kitchen. When I make the 'cream' I just use less water. You can adjust for sour-cream-ish, or heavy-cream-ish, or pseudo-half-and-half, depending on what you're making.

I hope the Claritin helps. I have some symptoms I now believe are related to mast cells, and am really glad that Tex & Mary Beth brought that to my attention. It seems a little better now, as I continue healing, but I know the potential is there, and am keeping an eye on it and keeping my diet simple.

All my best,
Sara

[tex]

[quote"Garina"]I think it was the fresh mushrooms I sauteed for dinner last night with onions.[/quote]

Many of us have problems with onions, (D), but if you have mast cell issues, then yes, mushrooms would be very likely to cause a histamine-based reaction, since they are definitely a high-histamine food.

Claritin is an H1 blocker, so it should help to resolve the problem with itchy skin, but it should be taken before you eat foods that cause the problem, for optimum results. If your symptoms are caused by foods, then the ideal time to take an antihistamine is roughly 20 to 30 minutes before each meal that might contain foods that are high in histamine, or foods that might promote mast cell degranulation. Other H1 blockers that should work, include Benadryl, Chlor-Tripalon, Dimetane, Allegra, Reactine, etc. Some of the tricyclic antidepressants, (such as Doxepin), have antihistamine effects, also, but some of the tricyclic antidepressants have been linked with triggering MC, unfortunately.

Tex

[sarkin]

Garina,

I should have mentioned Histame in my previous note. It is an enzyme that helps the body clear histamines from the system, and under-production of this enzyme may be implicated in mast-cell problems. It is available at iHerb.com, and it is not cheap. So I try to use it when I am eating a meal that's not entirely in my control. I have also used it at home when I eat a food I believe is riskier, such as fish. I only attempt fish or any "iffy" food when I'm doing really well. So far I have never had a problem with fish, but I do believe that my system is more stable when it's been stable for some time, and more easily 'triggered' when it's being challenged. In weeks when I wind up eating out more than once, I eat very conservatively at home, and that seems to help. But I am pretty new at this.

I don't think Histame could stop a big reaction from a big trigger food (and it absolutely will not protect from gluten or other true intolerances), but I consider it sort of like insurance, and keep it in my toolkit, in my purse.

I hope this helps,

Sara

[Sheila]

I just made a loaf of zucchini bread, recipe from the "Easy Gluten Free Baking" book. Good, a little crumbly, but GOOD! I would add chopped pecans or walnuts next time. I froze the slices individually and will definitely take some with me when I travel to visit the grandchildren in Panama City next week. I plan to take a cooler with homemade GF bread and chicken sandwiches for the car; quinoa tabbouleh; GF zucchini bread; nuts; extra bread for sandwiches at my son's house. I don't want my son or his wife to feel that have to cook "special" for me. In one of the cookbooks I took out of the library there was a recipe for bread that was baked in preserving jars (the kind you use when you are preserving fruits & veggies from your garden). You seal the bread into the jar and when traveling you take the sealed jar with you. Interesting idea.
Good luck with your GF cooking and baking. It can be fun to try new recipes and the "critters" don't mind the failures. They aren't as picky.
Sheila

[garina]

I wish I knew what I was doing like all of you. Gosh, Sara, kale sorbet, cold cream soup...I've never even heard of those foods. This is a whole new way of cooking. I got on Vitacost and found Histame...you are right, it is expensive. It cost $23.00 for 30, but I do think it is a good idea to carry some along. I may do that for our upcoming cruise, just-in-case. I'm definitely going for the coconut dessert.

Tex, it hadn't occurred to me about the onions, and I do love onions and cook with them a lot, so I'm hoping it was just the mushrooms. I think I'm due for another Rx of Claritin when I see my PCP next time, but I really haven't been that concerned about getting it and probably would have just stopped it, but now, I think I'll go ahead with it. But Sara had a good idea about the Histame, also. Claritin does not increase my BP like Benadryl and some of the others.

I do have a question for you. How do you even know you have a Mast Cell issue? No one ever mentioned that to me and hadn't even heard of it until I came on this site.

Sheila, Zucchini bread sounds good, so I will check out The Easy Gluten Cook Book. I like the word "easy", as some recipes are really complicated and have items in them I don't have.

garina

[sarkin]

I have been using a lot of recipes from the 'Paleo' blogosphere as well. My SIL has been eating mostly Paleo and doing Crossfit (and wow, is she in great shape), and I was thinking of getting her the cookbook for her upcoming birthday (don't tell!). It's definitely very baking focused, but I did make amazing almond-butter waffles - no flour at all, but very bready. They have eggs as a major ingredient, so are now out for me. I believe the recipe could be baked in a loaf pan as well, and used as bread. I actually squealed a little when I ate my first one, because it was the most bread-like thing I had eaten... in a long time. It's in Dee's Kitchen (and I will post the link later if you can't find it, sorry to chat and run!), and it must have been from before late May, when I learned eggs were no longer in my diet.

Hope this helps!

Sara

[garina]

Sara, you are so cute! I promise I won't tell!

garina

[Gloria]

Hi Garina,

I also went to the library to look at GF cookbooks before I purchased any. I have several, and there are some that I like better than others for different reasons. Since you can't eat eggs, I wouldn't recommend any of Betty Hagman's books because she uses a lot of eggs in her recipes. That said, my egg-free bread recipe does come from one of her books.

My favorite cookbooks are:

"The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook" by Marjorie Hurt Jones, R.N. because she explains the rotation diet, gives the food families, and has many recipes using buckwheat flour. Her book is where I found how to make tortillas using rice, buckwheat, corn, and other flours. Her recipes are generally free of all common food allergens. As you progress on your road to remission, it's possible you will discover other food intolerances and this book will be helpful.

"Cooking Free" by Carol Fenster, PhD. because she gives excellent charts at the back of her book explaining which flours are most useful for thickening gravies, what substitutes to use for eggs, how much GF flour to use as a substitute for wheat flour, and much other helpful information. Her recipes use tofu quite a bit as a substitute for eggs, however. If you are intolerant to soy, these recipes will need to be adapted. My EF waffle recipe comes from her book.

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on cookbooks until you can determine which flours are OK. Get some basic ones for starters or check some out at the library.

Others have mentioned some excellent websites for GF baking and cooking. I've found several recipes on vegan websites. They'll have recipe without eggs. It's easier for me to change the flour to be gluten-free in a recipe than it is to change it to be without eggs. In many cases, eggs perform a more important role than gluten does in a recipe.

Good luck!

Gloria