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When I started eating gluten-free food I discovered a flour mix in a book called Living Healthy with Celiac Disease, Wendy Wark (AnAffect, 1998). In addition to the standard gluten-free flour mix of tapioca starch flour, potato starch flour and rice flour she added cornstarch and sweet rice flour. The addition of these two flours make a huge difference in the texture, flavor, and moisture content in gluten-free baking. I couldnt understand why more people werent using this superior flour mix so I made it my mission to distribute this recipe around. (If you cant tolerate corn, just substitute the cornstarch with equal parts of sweet rice flour and tapioca starch flour.) While Wendy gave me permission to use the flour mix and many of her recipes I failed to tell her I was naming the flour mix after her in my book. She has since told me that she found it on the internet and doesnt know the source of the recipe, she doesnt feel that she should take credit for the mix. Recently Authentic Foods decided to mix these flours in their factory and sell it as the Multi Blend Gluten-Free Flour, now available at The Gluten-Free Mall. Multi Blend Gluten-Free Flour (Wendy Warks Gluten-Free Flour Mix) 1 cup brown rice flour (requires refrigeration) 1¼ cup white rice flour ¼ cup potato starch flour 2/3 cup tapioca starch flour ¾ cup sweet rice flour 1/3 cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum I often use only brown rice flour in the mix as it is healthier and better tasting. I buy at least 5 pounds every time I order (from manufacturers that sell a lot of brown rice flour). I keep it refrigerated and highly recommend it over white rice flour. This flour mix is the basis of many of my sweets, breadsticks, tortillas, waffles etc. I also like to use pure buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa flour to increase the flavor and healthfulness of certain items. It is important to buy these alternative flours from pure, gluten-free sources. Pure in the sense that they are grown in fields that are not adjacent to wheat fields and that they are processed in a 100% gluten-free environment from the field to your table. Triple this flour mix recipe and keep it on hand for all of your baking needs. Once you have the flour mix together you are ready for about a months worth of gluten-free baking. The Multi Blend Gluten-Free Flour mix is used cup for cup in recipes such as tortillas, pancakes/waffles, and cookies. If you plan to use this flour mix for cakes, sweet breads or brownies add an additional ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup flour mix. I dont use this flour mix for bread, pizza crust, breadsticks, etc. as they require specific flour combinations for the best results (see Cooking Gluten-Free! A Food Lovers Collection of Chef and Family Recipes Without Gluten or Wheat Celiac Publishing, 2002).

02/19/2015 - The Japanese make a dish called Zakkokumai, which is cooked Japanese rice and millet. Zakkoku just means “mixed grains”, and mai is rice. Commercial Japanese dry mixes often use barley, so it’s best to make your own. I’ve modified that a bit by adding quinoa to the bunch. If you’re eating gluten-free because of celiac disease or gluten-intolerance, chances are you’re not getting enough fiber, or vitamins. If you’re like me, you may eat a lot of rice. One easy way to get a wider grain profile, and more nutrition, into your diet is to add gluten-free grains to standard brown, white or mixed rice. Ingredients: 1 cup brown rice 1 cup white rice ¼ cup quinoa ¼ cup millet 5 cups water Directions: Rinse rice and grains in clean water. Place in pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender to taste, about 40 minutes. Other options include buckwheat, flax seed, sesame seed, poppy seed, black rice, wild rice, gluten-free oats, or any other gluten-free grain. Adjust cooking time and wage levels as needed.

This recipe comes to us from A.J. McEvoy. Yeast Mix: ¼ cup warm water 1 ½ teaspoon sugar 2-teaspoons Red Star yeast (or your favorite gluten-free brand) Dry Mixture: 1 cup tapioca starch ½ cup quinoa flour (or you can try amaranth flour in its place) ½ cup sweet rice flour ½ cup potato starch 1/3 cup powdered dry milk ¼ cup soy flour 3 tablespoons sugar (I prefer C&H Ultra-Fine Bakers Sugar; it mixes best) 2 teaspoons xanthan Gum Wet Mixture: 2 large eggs, well beaten 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup warm water ¾ teaspoon apple cider or wine vinegar Start yeast mix, and leave it in a warm (not HOT) place so it can grow while you mix the other ingredients. By the time the other ingredients are combined, the yeast mix should have a cap of cream-colored froth on top. If your yeast doesnt do this, either your water was too hot, or your yeast is old and dead. Measure ingredients in the order listed into a large mixing bowl, making sure to mix thoroughly (I like to run the whole dry batch through a sifter afterward, but this is really not necessary). Add the oil to the eggs. Add the vinegar to the water. Then add these to each other. Add wet mix to dry mix, stirring well. You can use a dough mixer, but a good, strong arm will do the trick nicely. Lastly, add the yeast mixture, stirring until evenly mixed. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap, leaving it in a warm (and preferably, dark) place to rise for 30 minutes. After first rise, stir dough, beating out most of the air-bubbles. Grease a medium-sized bread pan. Spoon the dough into the pan; then cover and let rise a second time in a warm, dark place for another 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Leave to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool on a cooling rack for no less than 15 minutes before slicing (When Im over-eager and slice the bread too soon, it caves in the middle, leaving bread slices that are misshapen). FOR PIZZA CRUST: Use basically the same recipe, reducing water in wet mixture to ¾ cup, and using brown rice flour in place of quinoa flour in the dry mixture. After first rise, spoon dough into the middle of a greased 12 pizza pan. Dust top of dough ball with tapioca starch, so it wont stick to your hands. Dust fingertips as well. Using your fingers, flatten the dough, working to stretch it to the outer edges of the pan. Over a sink, use a turkey baster to puff air across the crust to remove the excess starch from the crusts top (Or, if youre feeling particularly uncouth, you can just blow on it!) Brush crust with olive oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave pan in a warm dark place to rise for 30 minutes. Bake crust for 12-15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove from oven. Cover with sauce and toppings. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.