Knotted

Finally! A recipe that requires no real additional or unconventional steps to satisfyingly render gluten-free. That being said, it's time-consuming for something that incorporates only 3 core ingredients and a hint of seasoning.

Nevertheless I have fond memories of making gnocchi with my family; three generations, packed into a kitchen, covered in flour, rolling small bits of potato dough off the prongs of a fork, memories of my mother yelling at me for rolling them too vigourously onto the floor and/or eating them raw. Happy memories, I promise you.


Armed with her sound advice of using baking potatoes, I purchased a small gnocchi board; a ridged paddle of wood off which you roll the morcels of dough to get that ridged top on each little dumpling. It's less awkward to maneouver than a fork and while I feel the purchase is justified in its authenticity, having been procured at an Italian village street market for a mere €3, a fork would still suffice, and frankly be easier to clean. Any old gnocchi recipe, bake (don't boil!) the starchiest potatoes you can find, and substitute any all purpose gluten-free flour - one with a rice component for best results.

Add this one to the list of foods that Brits have trouble pronouncing. Hearing them butcher "mille-feuille" is also comical. Seeing them attempt to spell it, on the other hand, is shameful.

Carrot Believe I've Done It Again

What do you get when you accidentally order x bags of carrots instead of x carrots? Gluten-free carrot cake surely!

I could have made a dozen cakes...

It's not the first time such a miscalculation has happened, shamefully, but we do cook dinner at home most nights so they will most certainly be consumed. One thing I've learned from all this baking malarkey is that my preference for working with dough over batter has tipped heavily in favour of the former. Like a combination of my being able to read a bread dough better than a batter, the resilience of dough itself, and the satisfaction of working with my hands. And at least baking a cake gives the gluten-free self-raising flour a purpose in life.

Hole in One

Gluten-Free Bagels

My proudest baking endeavour to date: gluten-free bagels. Attempted and nailed No Gluten, No Problem's recipe, substituting the artisan flour with Doves Farm Gluten Free Bread Flour and still opting for the extra xanthan gum. I nearly omitted the second egg white in the initial dough but thankfully Paul came in to the kitchen and pointed out that I evidently suck at counting to two. I added the second egg-white before the divide and shape, which made everything alarmingly slick but once incorporated it was fine. Crisis averted. The recipe provided some excellent tips, namely proving in a hot, damp oven, and the pre-boil flash baking; steps that might be tempting to curtail but I'm convinced they add to the authenticity of these bagels. That being said, nothing will ever beat a Montreal bagel in my heart and if I could recreate that perfectly circumferential contour, I'd be immensely pleased with myself as texture and crust of these bad boys are otherwise damn near perfect, even as a gluten-free bagel.

Next time, let's try doubling the batch. While the effort was well worth it even for just four, it seems silly not to make more when I know they will turn out and be eaten. Half the process is allowing them to rise and bake so it's enough down time to read a few chapters, and admittedly not clean the kitchen. File this one under 'Repeat'.

Stocked on stems and stalks

Stumbled upon a wonderful little nursery and organic food shop in New Cross Gate called Dig Thie Nursery. They offer a wonderful selection of seeds and seedlings, big on variety if small in numbers. They stock assorted flavours of 9bars (a great seed bar that is my go-to snack on the run) and some gluten-free products I hadn't seen elsewhere. Doves Farm Stem Ginger biscuits were acquired alongside parsley and Greek basil plants. Fresh produce, assorted food cupboard essentials and a wonderul cactus named George (who was not for sale) make this a great stop for anyone who commutes via New Cross Gate, whih I admittedly do not bit I will happily make the trip to visit again.

Tesco have been upping their game in the Free From aisle and have added quite a few more flours to the mix; something I pounced on when taking advantage of their latest 4 for 3 offer on free-from items, ongoing until August 24th. The variety truly allows for a wonderful amount of flexibility and creativity in the kitchen. Udi's have really grabbed hold of the gluten-free market and seem to be overtaking Dietary Specials in quantifiable shelf space though the DS Ciabatta Rolls still get my vote for the ideal burger bun.

I am now well equipped to tackle the next ambitious (perhaps overly so) project: homemade gluten-free bagels.

Starting lineup: Udi's, Doves Farm and 9bar