GlutenFree Archives - Susan Choi

ATK’s Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes

Typically if I’m ever craving pancakes (which is pretty rare given the science of gluten-free baking was the new frontier back in the late 2000s) I’ll head over to Plow for their fantastic almond pancakes and deliciously fried smashed potatoes. I mean deeeeeeeeelish.

Since I’ve started to dive into the world of gluten-free baking I have been pleasantly surprised by the results!

This recipe from ATK’s book was fantastic and my family raved about them. In fact, they were shocked this was gluten-free at all and loved the subtle taste of the buckwheat.

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Friday Focus – 12/30/16

Well, this is it; last Friday of the year, last post of the year, last two days of the year. Where did the year go? While the last few days in particular have been hectic wrapping up the end of 2016, I am so blessed and in deep gratitude my family all decided to gather, here in Seattle, to spend some quality time with one another.

As I sit here writing this my belly is full from a gluten-free pizza (made from scratch thanks to ATK!) we devoured after a full day of running errands, cleaning the house, and getting things in order for 2017.

Oh, and I guess I squeezed in another bake session with these amazing gluten-free chocolate chip cookies…

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Richmond District Farmer's Market. San Francisco, CA

The Zone vs. Paleo Journey

Yesterday I wrote about how I found Paleo and why I still follow this way of eating. I’ve found that it’s truly a lifestyle and I love the way it makes me feel.

While it may have sounded like an all too easy transition to cut grains, gluten, and processed foods, I wanted to share a bit more about why I was miserable on The Zone (Enter The Zone: A Dietary Road map), how it affected me psychologically, and how I made the transition to Paleo.

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Why Paleo?

Paleo is different now than it was almost 10 years ago, and I’m still not sure the way I eat is exact Paleo (because hey, I still love my rice), but I love what it stands for. Especially how Mark Sisson describes it.

I found paleo through crossfit back in 2008. I happened to come across a cool looking photo on the front page of msn.com (remember that?!) featuring crossfit and how it was the best way to get in shape. To be honest, while getting in shape should have been alluring enough it was the barbell and the “cool” Olympic lifts that drew me in. I’ve always been open to trying new things and this seemed perfect.

I inquired at a nearby box and the first session was free so I went the next day. What I loved instantly is that the hour went by so fast! It was effective, challenging, and fun. However, if there was one criticism I had was the fact that, back then, there was no such thing as an “Elements” of “Foundations” class. They would just put you right to it without any proper training or background on form, lifts, or skill based movements. Therefore, I nearly had the dreaded rhabdo which I was THIS close to going to the ER for. Nonetheless, I’m glad current Crossfit boxes have come a long ways to get the proper training in place, and despite what happened I’m still an avid crossfitter, albeit at much lighter weights than before..

It was during this time of drinking the koolaid (oh yes, I was part of the cult following!) that I saw Primal Body, Primal Mind: Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life by Nora Gedgaudas along with Enter The Zone: A Dietary Road map by Barry Sears on the front counter of the box I was attending. I was intrigued enough so I started to follow the Zone diet in hopes of PR’ing more often. Yes, I warned you I drank the koolaid 😉

Unfortunately the Zone made me miserable and in hopes of finding something better I stumbled upon Mark’s Daily Apple and Robb Wolf’s work.

Suddenly I found myself truly understanding, for the first time, how food played a role in our daily lives.

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Deep Dive Into Paleo/Gluten-Free Baking

When I first moved to San Francisco I started to do some “light” baking. And by “light” I mean gluten-free blueberry corn muffins. Yup, that’s it 😉 Then when I realized French macaron’s were naturally gluten-free I took a French macaron class and it changed my world! I learned the basics of baking during this class and how temperamental baking can be if you don’t know what to look out for.

There are three main reasons as to why I love baking and am learning to become an earnest baker:

I love sharing. My closest friends know when they see me carrying anything in my hands it’s usually baked goodies for sharing. I can’t help it. It’s my way of showing love
Thanks to Michael Pollan’s Cooked (which you can find on Netflix) I try to cook everything. I’ve always been a healthy foodie, and like my foods natural in its original form. But Michael Pollan takes it to another level. You want that apple pie? Bake it. You want bread? Make it traditionally and wait a few days. Michael Pollan inspired me to truly take an honest look at every item on the table and see what can be made from scratch.
It’s a form of meditation. Baking is a science and if you aren’t watching temperatures, the soft/hard peaks of egg whites, or the rise in your dough it’s over. Baking gives me great joy and it serves as a form of meditation for me. There’s just no time to think about anything!

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