Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Unfortunately so much has been happening, from weddings to functions to travel around the country and all the rest of it, I’ve barely been able to keep up with much at all.

To sum up:

Firstly, I really need to get better at ‘saying no’.

As some of you would be aware, from earlier posts, I have been following a gluten free diet for a little over 13 years. I am a diagnosed coeliac and have excluded gluten from my diet for all this time.

I had always notice that when I do consume small amounts of gluten (i.e. less than 1/100th of a piece of bread worth of gluten) I don’t seem to have a problem at all.

Just after easter, I was served croutons and was told they were gluten free. I wasn’t so sure as they tasted a little different but I kept eating away. I noticed I had slightly more flatulence that evening and some extremely ‘slight’ symptoms but I was in no way unwell.

As I normally avoid gluten like the plague for all this time, however, I had forgotten what a normal slice of cake tastes like in comparison to gluten free slices of cake. I can often tell whether a cake is gluten free or not just by looking at the texture of it when it’s cut.

So I asked myself this question: “What if I’m at a gathering? And an irresistibly yummy normal cake is on offer? And I decide to have a slice for myself?”

I assumed that my reaction would be minimal. But I stood corrected, as was evidenced by the reaction I had had to the piece of cake. Within 4 hours I had quite a sore stomach and not long after I had trouble keeping my balance due to joint pain. This reaction went on for about 5 days (have no Idea about whether there was any soy in it, however the real problem was the gluten). Thankfully the reception was over before I got really sick. However, I must say that wheaten cakes were quite different in texture to the typical gluten free cakes out there. They tend to have a more craggy appearance and taste and often tend to satisfy my cravings far more than their gluten free counterparts.

This, in turn, has led me to research how to get a typical ‘cakey’ texture on gluten free cakes so they are hard to tell apart. I began by asking questions on social networking sites as well as many other places on the web. Of all the suggestions, I managed to find two great ideas. One which involves a cake mix and another which is flourless and can be baked from scratch.

source: Sun Flour Mills

Sun Flour Mills – Based in Idaho (in the USA), they produce a variety of gluten free mixes (including an Award-Winning chocolate cake mix which apparently is to die for (I have yet to order and try it myself but if it turns out well, I’ll be sure to review it here).

 

 

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake - Gluten and Nut Free

Thanks to Almost Bourdain, I have also found a Flourless Chinese Five-Spice Chocolate Cake recipe that does not utilise ANY grain or nut flours in it’s recipe at all. Again, I have yet to try this out, however this simple recipe makes the perfect delight for any occasion. Just be sure that the chocolate is soy free. I use Cadbury’s Old Gold 70% chocolate instead of Lindt for cooking here in Australia, but other brands work well too.

I also meant to review some Amedei chocolates I received but ate it all up too quickly. It was DELICIOUS! Some of my favourite chocolate I’ve come across in my life. I certainly recommend ordering some for yourselves (which can easily be done at King’s Fine Foods (UK), where I got the best price for this exquisite delight). More is on the way and I plan to do a comprehensive review in the coming weeks.

And, of course, I will try harder to stay clear of the wheaty cakes and croutons. ;)