A little background about this blog
Ever since I was young girl, I secretly wanted to be a writer the way other people want to be rock stars or Wimbledon champions or astronauts. I never told anyone. And it took decades for me to actually have the chance to give it a try. There’s something about a seven year career itch that takes 20 years to start itching. You don’t take it seriously at first. But there it is, itching at you day after day: try it try it try it.
I listened carefully to what I was saying deep inside and realized that I would finally need to yield to this longing. But how would I start and what would I write? I considered going back to school for my PhD in philosophy; it is something I had always wanted to do. But that might have required moving to a new part of the country for a teaching job afterwards, and my husband and two sons would not be able to move with me (at that point in time). Next.
There is a common sense dictum that you can be “successful” if you do what you love, and another one that writers should write about what they know. I knew I loved philosophy and asking lots of questions, but I also loved to eat and entertain and I knew a lot about cooking and baking. I merged the two- I would write about food. I would be a “food philosopher”. And so my new writing career took shape.
I started writing at the beginning of 2002. But as so often happens, life throws curveballs: after decades of carting around a challenged immune system that led to bad seasonal allergies, two bouts of mono and more cases of strep throat, bronchitis and pneumonia than a person is entitled to have in one lifetime, I was diagnosed with celiac disease at the end of 2002.
After three published books, a revised/expanded edition, one Foodphilosopher.com website, hundreds of classes, demos and speeches, and commitments for several more books, I’ve been getting that same seven year itch again – but after only nine years. Oh my. What to do? I think Wimbledon will have to wait. I am going to road-test the immediacy of the blogosphere with the hope that it will be interesting and fun and keep me going until my next seven (or nine or twenty) year itch arrives.
So welcome to My Gluten-Free Table. It will give you a taste of life in and around my kitchen. I’ll be serving up delicious recipes, commentary, and classic tales of baking and cooking in a home where food is excitement and eating is a celebration.
About Annalise Roberts
After being diagnosed with celiac disease in 2002, Annalise devoted herself to developing gluten-free baked goods that taste just as good, if not better, than their wheat flour counterparts. Gourmet magazine featured several of her recipes in its November, 2005 issue; she was the first gluten-free writer to have her work published in a mainstream food magazine. Since then, her recipes have been featured in newspapers and magazines across the country, including Yoga International, American Dietitian, Today’s Diet and Nutrition, Living Without, Gluten-Free Living, Autism Advocate (magazine of the American Society of Autism), and Today’s Dietitian.
Annalise is the author of three gluten-free cookbooks that are sold in North America and overseas. Translated editions are available in South America and Eastern Europe. An expanded and revised edition of her best-selling book, Gluten-Free Baking Classics (April, 2006), was released in September, 2008. Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine, a collection of recipes developed for the Zojirushi bread machine was released in April, 2009.
Annalise and her sister, Claudia Pillow, PhD, joined forces to write a third book, The Gluten-Free-Good Health Cookbook (January, 2010). The focus of this unique work is on managing daily food-related decisions in order to strengthen the immune system, prevent disease and lose weight by eating real food. It provides food choice explanations and guidance, cooking advice, and more than 140 flavorful, culturally diverse, gluten-free recipes.
Annalise works with celiac support groups across North America and teaches gluten-free cooking and baking classes in the New York metropolitan area. She writes for and manages the www.foodphilosopher.com website with her sister, and recently started a new blog MyGluten-FreeTable.com. More cookbooks are in the works.
Annalise’s background has largely been in communications and marketing. She graduated as a Henry Rutgers Scholar from Rutgers College, earned an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business, worked at CBS, Inc., Dow Jones & Co., Merrill Lynch, two New York City ad agencies, and taught at the Rutgers University School of Business. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons.
Dear Annalise,
I want to thank you for your wonderful cookbook, GF Baking Classics. You can’t imagine how much joy it brings me to bake from your recipes. I want to share one of my all-time favorite experiences. When my celiac-diagnosed son went away for a weekend with a church group, I offered to organize all the food. My son would rather starve than bring attention to himself by eating “special” food, so I made an effort to make all the food for the group gluten-free. My son was mortified by the thought of sharing “weird food” and hoped no one would know who was responsible for it until he overheard one girl ask, with evident amazement, “Who made these muffins?” and another girl reply, “God???” Clearly, your chocolate ricotta muffin recipe did more than provide a tasty treat. Your recipe allowed my son to feel “normal”, even proud, a gift for which I will always be grateful.
Thank you!
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth!
Thank you so much for sharing that story. It brought a big smile to my face and touched my heart. And I can really identify- my son is not big about self-identifying either. Like you, it was really important for me to figure out a way to make delicious food at home. I didn’t want him to feel deprived. It was bad enough when they served pizza, cake, etc. at school, at parties, and after sports. It was really important for him to come home and feel “normal”.
And we love those muffins, too!
Very best regards,
Annalise
Can you make your bread recipes from Baking Classics in a breadmaker?
hi!
You can’t make them in the large 2 pound machines, because the bread recipes in my book are for smaller (more llike 1 pound) breads. And they also need a bit of tweaking for a machine. What machine did you want to use and what size? I am currently finishing up recipes for the 1 pound Zojirushi!
very best regards,
Annalise
Hi! I am so excited to have found your blog! I just purchased your Gluten Free Bread Machne recipe cookbook and was wondering if I could use those recipes in my Zojirushi BB-PAC20 with the gluten free cycle or if I would have to manual input the settings! Thanks! I know this is a newer model so I wanted to be sure before I baked anything!
Thanks so much!!
hi!
I contacted Zojirushi about this just to be on the safe side. It appears they have programmed the new machine based on my book! They also seem to have tested my recipes in the new machine with the new gf setting and they said it worked well. That said, I have not tried the new machine. But they maintain it is just like the old one except for the color and this setting for the most part. So if it were me (because I am a big tester!), I would try it first with the new GF setting and then with my settings to see if it makes a difference in your bread.
Please let me know how you make out. I’ll be looking forward to hearing back from you.
very best regards,
Annalise
Thanks so much for your quick response! I will hopefully be making some tomorrow! I will let you know!
Hi! I made the French Italian bread today in my Zojirushi bb-pac20. I added the liquids first first, then added the dry ingredients next making a well for the yeast at the top just like my machine advises. I did not preheat anything as my machine has a 33 minute rest time where it raises the temperature. I set it on the GF setting, dark crust. When I removed it, it was only about 2.5 inches tall in the middle. Why do you suppose it fell a little short. It was crusty on the outside and tasted good, although rather light on top. Should I have preheated everything first? Should I try again using your settings manually? Any advice to get a taller laf would be great! Thanks so much!
hi!
Well, for a true test, it might be best to preheat. Even though my preheat is shorter, a jump-start can help. In fact, when your home is warm, it sometimes helps to preheat more than the temperature in the recipe (see page 18). What is the temp in your home today?
You might want to try my settings next (with the preheating), see how it goes and then revisit there GF setting.
best,
Annalise
Have you experimented with sourdough gluten-free bread? I truly miss that flavor and am a very experienced baker. I’ve just started experimenting to make my own sourdough starter from wheat, but, I would love to try it with a gluten free alternative. Let me know if you need a tester for any of your recipes, or if you explore this alternative. I just received some of the Authentic Foods flour. It is not carried near me, so I had it shipped from the company. Thanks for all the good work you do. I love both books: Gluten-Free Good Health and Gluten-Free Baking Classics.
Charli Vogt
hi!
I have– but I haven’t come up with a sour dough that I think is excellent (but I am really fussy). I will keep your information for when I am finally successful so I can find out if you might want to test.
I’m glad you are enjoying my other recipes!!
very best,
Annalise
Thanks so much. I’ll be watching for your note.
Charli Vogt
Hi Annalise!
When my son was diagnosed with celiac disease 3 years ago, your book, Gluten Free Baking Classics was the first gluten free cookbook I bought, and it’s still my favorite! You have done a wonderful job of finding great flour blends and developing recipes to replace the things he loved but could no longer eat. I am forever grateful. I was wondering, now that strawberry season is upon us, if you have a recipe for gf shortcakes?
Thanks so much.
Erin Gora
h!
I’m glad you are enjoying my work! And although I don’t have an actual recipe for strawberry shortcake, I do make it several ways with my recipes: with my vanilla layer cake or my vanilla sponge cake or my biscuits (made with a little extra sugar). I make fresh whipped cream and either create an actual layer cake (with the sponge cake or vanilla layer cake recipes), or serve the biscuits with a big spoonful on the side. I hope this give you some ideas to create your own version!
very best regards,
Annalise
Hello Annalise,
We recently discovered a family member who has been diagnosed with celiacs disease and used it as an excuse to upgrade our 12 year-old bread maker to a Zojirushi BB-CEC20 which looks (I think) almost exactly like your Zojirushi BBCC-X20 and perhaps has the same timer functions that we can easily follow the recipes in your book, “Gluten-Free Classic Recipes for the Bread Machine”.
Thanks for authoring the book, it has made us more confident to make gluten-free breads for our family!
Jerry Kuchera
hi!
I hope you find some recipes that you really like. Please let me know if you have questions as you start baking. I also hope you are able to try some of my recipes for bread made in the oven. You’ll be able to find the Rustic Flat Bread recipe here on this blog and the hamburger bun recipe on my Foodphilosoher.com website. And Gluten-Free Baking Classics has artisan breads and even flour tortillas.
Very best,
Annalise