Monthly Archives: July 2007

Yolanda Rueda Calderon from Mexico has responded to my post about Discovery stopping production of gluten free tortillas. She has kindly provided instructions for how to cook tortillas from scratch at home.

She recommends www.coolchile.co.uk for mexican cooking ingredients, including a tortilla press, though she does point out that masa harina (which is the type of corn flour to use – don’t use “cornflour”) is also available at Sainsbury’s.

Yolanda’s Instructions

Simply mix the masa with luke warm water till it collects into a ball (like pastry) if it is too wet it will still stick to the bowl (add more flour) – if it is too dry it will crumble and make dry tortillas (add more water).

Knead it until it feels very light and fluffy – it should be very pliable now. Take off gobstopper sized (~1″ diameter) pieces and hand roll into a ball before placing into the press.

I find it better to cut up a plastic bag into two rough press sized circles (using a carrier bag from a supermarket) wash it and place it either side of the masa dough ball. When it is pressed flat you can then peel the plastic off one face (ensure you place it down smoothly else the creases will be in the tortillas) and gently peel off the other face.

Don’t flatten too much as it might get too thin and will not cook properly – about 4-5mm thick, gentle press one side – open press turn circle around and press other side.

To cook place directly onto a hot flat plate – a thick based frying pan or flat oven tray (with a thick base) on […]

Carol Fenster, author and consultant on food sensitivities, has a new book coming out very soon (Aug 2), called Gluten Free Quick and Easy. She was kind enough to spend time answering some questions for me, which I thought I’d share in full with you.

On difficulties with wheat

When did you realise that wheat was a problem for you?

I had frequent sinus infections most of my adult life. They worsened and I was frequently too sick to go to work, so a co-worker urged me to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist. When he didn’t find any structural abnormalities in my sinuses, he referred me to an allergist. I was in my early 40′s by this time and had lived with the sinus infections (requiring antibiotics every time) for nearly two decades. At times, I was taking antibiotics for a continuous year.

Did you find it a difficult transition from a wheat-based diet to one free from wheat?

At first, yes, because it seemed that every cupboard in my kitchen was off-limits to me. It was especially challenging because I grew up on a wheat farm, married into a wheat-farming family, and my diet was composed of lots of baked items. But as I gradually replaced my favorite wheat-laden dishes with safe versions, I now live a gluten-free lifestyle fairly easily and don’t miss the old days because I appreciate being so much healthier.

Is there any food that you particularly miss?

I miss filo or phyllo dough and pastry shells that were so easy to prepare.

Would you go back to a wheat-based diet if you could?

I wouldn’t go back to the way wheat dominated my diet back […]

If you’ve got any Apple and Strawberry flavour Pasta Basta sweeties from Haribo, please don’t eat them – they are incorrectly labelled, and contain gluten and wheat.

My children like Haribo, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen any Pasta Basta ones. I don’t know if you can get these in the States, but they are small gummy sweets, usually in odd and horrible shapes that appeal to children – very popular.

Allergy alert came through last night from the Food Standards Agency. For more information, visit the FSA site.