Kolenko Eva - Gluten-Free Wish List: Sweet and Savory Treats Youve Missed the Most

Text copyright 2015 by Jeanne Sauvage.
Photographs copyright 2015 by Chronicle Books LLC.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4521-4389-7 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-3833-6 (hc)

Designed by Alice Chau
Typesetting by DC Typography

Photographs by Eva Kolenko
Food styling by Lillian Kang
Prop styling by Glenn Jenkins

Bisquik is a registered trademark of General Mills, Inc.
Oreos are a registered trademark of Intercontinental Great
Brands LLC.

Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

Thank you to everyone who made my wishes for this book come true.

To the terrific team at The Lisa Ekus Group: My tireless and amazing agent, Sally Ekus, for seeing the spark of an idea and encouraging me to go for it. To Lisa Ekus, for always being there. To Jaimee Constantine, for her good cheer and for keeping track of all the things!

My wonderful editor, Amy Treadwell, for having faith in me.

The team at Chronicle Books: Peter Perez, David Hawk, Doug Ogan, Alice Chau, Beth Steiner, Tera Killip, and Lesley Bruynesteyn.

To my amazing photographer, Eva Kolenko, and talented stylist, Lillian Kang. Thank you for bringing the recipes to beautiful life.

My recipe testers, who are worth their weight in gold. This book wouldnt be nearly as good as it is without your dedication, good cheer, and hard work (in no particular order): Becca Knox, Jo Treadwell, Sofia Reino, Kate Sawyer, Pam Fillin, Stephanie Colman, Rita Biggs, Lorraine Faubion, Ruth Frobe, Dai Polcari, TJ Lato, Kalliope Dimitrakopoulos, Laurie Robbins, Nikol Mitchell, Monica Kirby, Ivanna Wilianty, Lisa Mitchell, Jeanette Gitzel, Cheryl Samuels, Marie Jensen, Mary Wikle, Terri Toscani, Jo Allen, Carolyn Castagno, Carolyn Houghton, Joe Davidson, Dina Neneux, Joy Manoleros, Amy Fothergill, Sherri Carroll, Katie Dellermann, Karen Murphy, Karen Wilson, Janette Gross, Ruby Hylton, Wendy Harrison, Elena M. Stamm, Christine Goers-Barton, Asha Soares, Alice Shipman, Lynne Knopp, Celine Feagan, Elena Nilsson, Mariette Muijsken, Joni Jensen, Carol Kane, Shirley Gardner, Susan Buentello, Clarissa Fleps, Cathlean Sanada, Cheryl Sloane, Debby Vernon, Terrence Dempsey, Laurie Sanders, Deby Bauer, Marie Puffalt, Gail Grunschel, Debbie Anderson, Jean Bolivar, Linda Hartlaub, Erin Williams, Katherine Polhill, Debbie Ellison, Sharla Ashcraft, Julie Ward, Kathy Imbriani, Pat Ewing, Odile Wolf, Jennifer Carden.

My pal Abra Soule, who helped me to figure out how to organize the testing group.

My dear friend, comrade in arms, and cheerleader, Kim ODonnel, for your emotional support for this book and always.

My friend Kim Ricketts, who left us too soon but is always in my thoughts. Your support and confidence in my work started me on the book-writing path. I miss you every day.

My mother- and father-in-law, Charlene and Mark Braun, who have served, since my first days of being diagnosed as gluten intolerant, as my baking guinea pigs and also as tireless supporters! I got lucky in the in-law lotteryI feel privileged to be your daughter!

My husband, Jeff, and my daughter, Eleanor, I couldnt have done this book without your unending support and patience and letting me take over every surface in our house with books and papers and baked items. I love you both as high as the sky and as deep as the ocean.

When I was developing and writing my first book, Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays: 60 Recipes for Traditional Festive Treats, I had the good fortune of being surrounded by several amazing women whom I considered my fairy godmothers. They supported and inspired me and were always there to let me know that I could do it and it would be fine. They were instrumental to my getting my wish to write a gluten-free baking book to help gluten-intolerant individuals navigate the baking-dense holiday season.

With this book, its my turn to be a fairy godmother. I am thrilled to grant the wishes of readers who have written to me over the years asking for gluten-free recipes for their favorite treats. This is the book Ive wanted to write for years. I know how hard it is to have a food intolerance and find some or most of your beloved foods suddenly off-limits. It can be devastating. Food is very personal, and its often wrapped up with memories of childhood and sense of self. If you cant eat the foods linked to your fondest memories or family traditions, it feels like a part of you is missing. Also, its just plain annoying not to be able to eat a cookie when you want one.

I went through a mourning process when I was first diagnosed with gluten intolerance. The world seemed to be filled with gluten, and I felt like I couldnt eat anything. Of course this wasnt true, but thats how I felt. I didnt get much guidance from my doctor on how to eat after my diagnosis, and I spent that first year in a bit of a panic, unclear about what I could and couldnt eat. On top of that, I was devastated that baking, my favorite activity, might be off-limits. I spent days agonizing over the fact that not only could I not bake anymore, but I wouldnt be teaching my daughter how to make cookies or how to knead bread.

Eventually, I got out of my funk and made a decision to figure out how to eat again. I came to the conclusion that I had to bake. Baking is a fundamental passion of my life. Although I always thought of it as a hobby, it became clear that it was much more to meit was a necessity. So I pulled myself together and started on what a friend of mine called the road to deliciousness. I began to research and experiment with gluten-free baking, and I pored over every book on gluten-free baking that I could find, looking for recipes and techniques that would work for me. Even though all the books and recipes were fine, I realized that I wanted my favorite recipes, the ones I had been baking with from childhood and that I missed the most. In addition, I wasnt satisfied with the commercial gluten-free flour mixes I was finding. Some contained beans or other strong-tasting flours, which made my baked goods taste weird; some had too many whole grains, which made my baked items taste gritty; some contained flours that my friends couldnt eat; and others just , which is the base ingredient used in most of my baking recipes.

I also came to recognize that I had a second passion: sharing what I baked. I loved having freshly baked treats for myself and my family, but I also wanted to share with others what I baked. I wanted those treats to be accessible to all the different folks in my life, from those who could eat everything to those who had all sorts of food intolerances. As I started to share my new gluten-free treats, I became aware of other common foods that many people with other food sensitivities and allergies couldnt eat. This informed the development of my flour mix, leading me to create a mix that is allergen-free for most people. My flour mix doesnt contain beans, nuts, dairy, or nightshadesall of which are common allergens. In addition, I started seeking out substitutions for common ingredients like butter and eggs so I could create baked items everyone could enjoy.

As my education into the subject proceeded, I found myself learning what each ingredient contributed to the baking process, which allowed me to use each ingredient to its fullest potential. I figured out which ingredients were necessary for successful baking and which ingredients were not as important and could be modified. That lead me to what I consider my bottom line: Although I am flexible on ingredients, I am not flexible on taste or texture. I want to eat baked items that taste like their wheat counterparts. I consider myself a classic baker, so I use classic ingredients like fat and sugar and starches, as well as classic techniques in order to create baked items that look and taste the way I expect them to.