After numerous visits to my doctor complaining of itchy skin and leg cramps and drawing a blank every time i decided to try the computer and find out what I could do myself . I read about gluten intolerance then went back to the doctor and the blood test results that I had proved that I am intolerant.I am now reading all that I can to alter my diet.What I would like to know is what flour do I use for what? Is there an all purpose one or one you would bake with, or another type for Fritters?Also where do you buy it or any particular brand?Can you use any everyday recipe and just change the white flour to a gluten free flour and still get the same results?This will be an interesting journey for me but I can also see the health benefits.

I have used the Healtheries Gluten Free flour in muffins- my Aunt and friend who are both long term gluten free bakers find muffins more successful than some other baked goods such as biscuits or scones.

My go to gluten free baking is the Middle Eastern Orange Cake made with ground almonds where you boil up the orange first.

There are lots of sources online - it will be good to be feeling better.

I rarely bake, but when I do I use ground nuts rather than flour substitutes. If you would like some recipes let me know.

marylew, I know it can be a bit of a learning curve when you have been diagnosed with something such as needing to be aware of gluten in your diet.
Do you have a gluten-free store in your area? The staff are tremendously helpful.
A good website is well worth joining for help and support from those who have already been through it all.
I won't bombard you with websites, but the glutenfreegirl and glutenfreegoddess are well worth looking at. There is also the Coeliac society (NZ).
I also endorse the Middle Eastern Orange Cake mentioned by Cheese Lover.

For an all purpose gluten free flour I have found the Edmonds branded one works as a straight substitute in the recipes I have tried so far..... A basic cookie recipe, muffins, slices etc.
The texture will always be slightly different to things made with wheat flour but that's ok most of the time.

There is a recipe for http://www.girlcooksworld.com/2012/03/dark-and-rich-gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes.html]dark and rich gluten free chocolate cupcakes[/url] on the Girl Cooks World site which has become my kids favourite, and they only eat gluten free occasionally due to a coeliac friend! They consider them to be better than "normal" cupcakes.

Have fun experimenting, and don't worry too much if things don't work the first time!

I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance 11 years ago - and my health improved dramatically with the change. While tough at first, it does get easier over time. With more of a focus on gluten free diets the choices continue to grow.

You will need to experiment - I managed to adapt some of my existing recipes to work gluten free. For example, I thicken sauces with cornflour, I coat fish etc in rice flour, I use gluten free breadcrumbs, and I use gluten free pasta. The best pasta I’ve found so far is Casalare, however I've had to get it from specialty stores. Some of the supermarket brands are okay.

For baking I tend to bake recipes that are gluten free, as I can't be bothered with experimenting to get my previous recipes to work. There are a lot of good websites online. Sharon mentioned some good ones. Another one I like is: [www.mydarlinglemonthyme.com].


You may find joining the Allergy Awareness Association (http://www.allergy.org.nz/) useful. While many people will have allergies, rather than intolerances, their material is helpful. They also have a good Facebook page.

There is an annual Gluten Free and Allergy Show that I would recommend. Hopefully you live near one. It is a good way to try a lot of new products without spending a fortune.
[www.glutenallergy.co.nz]

If you live outside of a major city, you could always buy things online - eg:
[www.glutenfreegrocer.co.nz]

Good luck with the change!

Thank you everyone for the tips. I have found myself doing the walk of shame here.I used to quickly turn the page when I came across anything to do with Gluten Free and here I am now searching for any information I can get.Cheesecake do you buy Gluten Free breadcrumbs in a packet or do you buy a loaf and crumb it yourself?Thanks for the website advice everyone very helpful.

marylew Wrote:
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> Thank you everyone for the tips. I have found
> myself doing the walk of shame here.I used to
> quickly turn the page when I came across anything
> to do with Gluten Free

I was exactly the same. Until about five years ago I thought that gluten avoidance by anyone other than people with coeliac disease was a silly indulgence. However as soon as I changed my diet to avoid bread, cakes and anything else involving wheat or gluten I changed my tune, and now I am a fervent advocate of a gluten-free diet.

Can I suggest that you try to wean yourself off baked goods, fritters, pancakes and avoid gluten-free "products", as they are highly processed and often packed with sugar and other unhealthy additives.

TPANDAV I am a little bit confused by your comment to avoid Gluten Free "products" do you mean dont buy any products any pre-packaged goods saying Gluten-Free?I dont eat cakes, biscuits or pancakes and only eat fritters once a year in the Whitebait season ,which I make with flour and baking powder. That really hit home that the fritters will never taste the same again.What can I have for breakfast and lunch which are always involving bread ? I love a gravy or cheese sauce always what now?

Regarding breadcrumbs, I use the packet ones for crumbing something like fish. I use fresh for everything else. Gluten free breadcrumbs don't always work as well as standard ones - eg a meatloaf recipe I used to love wasn't as good with gluten free breadcrumbs. In other things you can't tell the difference.

Regarding cheese sauce, I just make it using cornflour and that works fine. I'm sure it would also work fine in a gravy.

I also struggled with breakfasts and lunches. For breakfast I either make myself a rice or amaranth porridge, or a nice gluten free muesli (eg Brookfields macadamia muesli is excellent). For lunch I eat a lot of soup with gluten free bread, or I fill gluten free rolls. I love the Bakeworks burger buns and "torpedo rolls" (which I have made a nice garlic bread with).
[www.bakeworks.co.nz]

And for a substitute for standard soup mix (which contains barley) this is good:
[www.ceres.co.nz]

marylew Wrote:
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[That really hit home that the fritters will never taste the same again].

When I am lucky enough to have whitebait I make whitebait fritters with eggs and a tiny amount of cornflour. They should be all about the whitebait, not the flour.

[What can I have for breakfast?]

Eggs are our standby for breakfast: omelettes with spinach, silverbeet or mushromms, blue cheese or gruyère; fried or scrambled eggs with bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, kumara, potatoes; soft boiled eggs with butter., poached eggs with kippers or other smoked fish. Otherwise we sometimes have full fat natural yoghurt with banana and other fruit.

[and lunch which are always involving bread ?]

Yoghurt and fruit; hard boiled eggs; salad of leaves with feta or tinned tuna or leftover roast chicken or rare beef; chcken and vege soup in the colder weather. Cheese with homemade chutney and Ceres rice crackers.

[ love a gravy or cheese sauce always what now?]

Make gravy from the pan juices with homemade chicken stock, red or white wine, thicken by reduction. Make cheese sauce with cream and cheese melted gently together and whisked.