Customer Reviews

Gluten-Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America: 150 Flavorful Recipes from the World's Premier Culinary College

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Since my Husband was diagnosed as a Celiac last year, I have spent many hours and wasted many $$$$, purchasing cook books claiming to offer gluten free replacements for many of his favourite baked goods. I have frustrated myself (and him!) beyond all reasonable limits, with failures and end results that have only been deemed fit for the bird table in my garden, until I found Chef Richard J. Coppedge that is! His thinking and methods of producing gluten free goods that truly do resemble their gluten-loaded originals, are night and day compared to anything else I've found. The book is sensibly categorised, and each recipe is concisely written for the most junior of Bakers to follow. I applaud anyone who is prepared to devote significant amounts of time into researching gluten-free baking with all its idiosyncracies (and frustrations!) Whether an expert Baker or a novice who knows nothing about baking, especially gluten free, this book will enable you to produce baked goods that as a celiac (or for a celiac!), you thought you'd never enjoy again.

I have been Celiac for almost two years now, I tried gluten free baking cookbooks and on-line recipes when I first became gluten free and quickly gave up on them. I sadly realized that there was no gluten free replacement for my favorite baked goods. When I saw Gluten Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America, I realized someone finally took the time to discover the science behind all the gluten free flours. And does it ever show!
Richard J. Coppedge Jr. has created 5 different gluten free flour blends to mimic the protein levels in different wheat flours (cake flour, bread flour etc) so your cakes turn out light and fluffy and your breads turn out soft and springy. The 5 flour blends are made ahead and become part of your pantry so making the recipes are quick and have a small amount of ingredients to measure out compared to other gluten free recipes.
All the recipes I have made so far have turned out great and are even superior to the better gluten free products you can buy. My picky husband now even requests the recipes by name and I have to race him for the last muffin!
I wish I knew more Celiac's so I could introduce them to this book!

If you need to eat gluten free and miss baking, this is a great book. So far every recipe has been as good as wheat based food. And that is refreshing. You do have to spend a bit of time making custom flour mixes but it pays off quickly. The recipes and flour blends are very adaptable as well.

Gluten-Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America: 150 Flavorful Recipes from the World's Premier Culinary College (Purchased on 06/03/2010)
by Richard J. Coppedge Jr.

This book introduces you to possible gluten-free flour combinations, rating them as to their adaptability for particular baked goods. It includes excellent recipes to replace a variety of common baked goods. It certainly is a good guide for the novice in gluten-free baking.