Cookbook for those following gluten-free diet has 250 recipes, plenty of tips

Now celiacs and the people who cook for them have somewhere to turn with the publication of a cookbook devoted to recipes that are free of gluten.

"250 Gluten-Free Favorites" (Robert Rose, 2009) by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt also includes dairy-free, egg-free and white sugar-free recipes.

Celiacs have an intolerance to gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and other grains. The disease can destroy the intestines and lead to nutrient deficiencies. Celiac patients often have an intolerance to lactose, the sugar found in dairy products.

Readers of the new cookbook can get a good grounding in how to prepare food for those who must adhere to a gluten-free diet.

The authors received special requests from many people to create gluten-free versions of recipes that had been enjoyed in the past. One friend even brought them a wheat version of Welsh Cakes she'd had as a child so that they could taste the original. "We sent her our GF version, and she was ecstatic," they wrote.

The authors demystify gluten-free whole grains, including amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice and sorghum, and explain how to include them in a gluten-free diet. Storage and nutrient charts for each of the grains are given and websites are provided for readers to seek more information.

Explanations are also given for other gluten-free baking ingredients - fats, flaxseed, legume flours (pulses), nut flours, starches and sugars.

There are more gluten-free products on the market than there used to be, the authors say, but Washburn and Butt still recommend reading labels every time you purchase one as manufacturers often change ingredients.

Three glossaries at the end of the book - equipment, ingredient and technique - are useful for any home cook.

Chapter headings run the gamut from brunch dishes, snacks and soups to main and side dishes. No longer will those on gluten-free diets need to avoid breads and sweet treats. A plethora of recipes is bound to satisfy every sweet tooth.

In the chapter "Favorites By Request," there is even a recipe adapted by the authors for play dough that is gluten-free. The authors say theirs has lasted more than three months stored in a plastic bag.

Here is a recipe from the book for a coffee cake that is free of dairy, lactose and white sugar. A mouthwatering colour photo shows that it is studded with cranberries and topped with pecans. Xanthan gum is called for in many of the recipes because it keeps baked goods from crumbling, gives them greater volume and improves their texture. It's available at health-food stores.

Cranberry Crumble Coffee Cake

Pecan Topping

175 ml (3/4 cup) finely chopped pecans

75 ml (1/3 cup) packed brown sugar

30 ml (2 tbsp) amaranth flour

30 ml (2 tbsp) butter, melted

Coffee Cake

325 ml (1 1/3 cups) sorghum flour

75 ml (1/3 cup) quinoa flour

50 ml ( 1/4 cup) tapioca starch

7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) xanthan gum

15 ml (1 tbsp) gluten-free baking powder

1 ml ( 1/4 tsp) salt

5 ml (1 tsp) ground cardamom

1 egg

150 ml (2/3 cup) packed brown sugar

15 ml (1 tbsp) grated orange zest

250 ml (1 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice