If you are looking for a one word answer, then its No! Gluten Free means there is no gluten, which comes from wheat, in the product. Wheat products are things such as bread, cakes, and biscuits to name a few, unless they specifically state that they are free of it. Some supermarkets and grocery stores carry gluten absent products.

On the other hand, Yeast does not contain gluten, so a product can contain yeast and still be gluten free or vice versa. Yeast is a baker’s friend and the human bodies enemy. Yeast is a fungus/mold and used in fermentation. It is used in nearly all bread products and in the fermenting process for beer. Although, there are recipes out there for bread and other foods that are yeast free, as well as gluten free, and free of a lot of other things to. Yeast is bad for the human body, so needless to say, removing it from ones diet would help clean ones body and remove any toxins and or other harmful chemicals derived from yeast “enhanced” products.

So the answer is no, they are not the same thing, gluten and wheat are similar but I wouldn’t say they are the same either. One similarity that both gluten and yeast share, is the fact that living without them, is much healthier for you and your body, and there are many benefits of removing them your daily diets. Some of the benefits are weight loss, more energy, get into better shape, it helps many different medical problems, and several day-to-day problems. The benefits are too long to list, most of them are health related, but in this health conscious world, how could you go wrong?

Flour has always been an integral element of Indian food fundamentals. It doesn’t matter whether the kitchen is from the North of India, from the South, from the East or the West; every homemaker depends in a major way on one core flour type for her daily preparations.

The interesting part is that most kitchens in modern India rely heavily on one particular kind of flour – like the Besan Flour or wheat flour or rice flour. What’s all the more disturbing is that due to the advent of western cuisine and fast-food influence, over independence and invisible dominance of some not-so-healthy varieties like the refined flour (also called Maida), have started showing some unpleasant effects.

Lifestyle diseases like obesity and blood pressure imbalance are on the rise. At the same time, deficiency of important nutrients is gaining widespread impact in every other household.

This is probably the best time to go back and go deep into the Indian history and its heartland. The core of Indian cuisine lies in a mix of different flavours and flours. Far-off villages and rural population of the country have for years been reaping locally-grown food and that includes a mix of flours that give them core strength and stamina to handle physically-intensive chores like farming, harvesting, forest livelihood, etc.

This is a wake-up call for urban eaters and it is high time we realise that just scraping by our daily food intake is not going to help us fuel our long-term health goals in any way. It’s easy and sometimes forgivable to miss important nutrients in the daily grind and fast blur of life. But sooner or later, small and big symptoms serve to remind us that our body needs everything in a good, balanced, multi-dimensional way.

To avoid one-dimensional food habits is the first step in striving towards that balance. Try to inculcate more types of flours in your daily diet. They not only supply essential fibre for the functioning of the digestive and renal system but also inject important vitamins and energy sources that the human body needs.

Having a good blend of organic ragi, besan, bajra etc in the daily dough of wheat and rice flour would further add to the taste and variety that every Indian dinner table desperately looks for. In fact, many interesting recipes are made better with the use of varied proportions of ragi, wheat etc., together and many vegetables and snacks turn awesome in a quick batter of good rice or besan flour. They range from Gujarati Dhokla, Rajasthani Baati or Rotla, Maharashtrian Thalipeeth, to South Indian Idli or porridge or Mudde varieties. Of course, you can also make delicious cookies or cakes out of the amazing mix.

Once you start developing a habit of using and mixing these flours in your routine, you can also start experimenting with many dishes and tapping organic variants that add more health to this energetic mix.

Ragi and Millet flours give strength, and other flours give stamina. They also aid strongly in weight loss and regulation of metabolism. Issues like cholesterol levels or diabetes can be readily wiped out with a prudent mix of various grains and flours in a good recipe.

They lack glutens that other flours have. They pack fibre that other flours lack. They are low in unsaturated fats. Their natural and unrefined characteristics set them immediately apart from the usual flours that are often consumed in a hurry or out of habit. They are best used in their natural form and thus need not be polished, which is what gives them a distinct place in the food system.

These healthy organic flours like besan and Rice Flour are also, now as easily available and as affordable as their not-so-healthy counterparts. They are not bland, can be whipped into any recipe and plus, go flexibly well with each other in various formats.

Full of nutrition and ripe with minerals, iron, calcium etc., this is the same multi-grain wonder that those western-world Granola bars provide. Why not pick something Indian and right within your arm’s reach for the same bundle of benefits?

I love my dogs and try to give them the healthiest and best foods. Dog treats are no exception, so when I have time I make my own in my toaster oven. This way I know exactly what’s in them and I don’t have to worry about dangerous additives and preservatives. They are cheaper than store-bought yet easy to make. Below you’ll find a simple, basic recipe plus my two dogs favorites: bacon balls and peanut butter bars.

I find the toaster oven provides an ideal baking environment for the dog treats. The close proximity of the baking elements help them to dry out perfectly without burning. However, you could make these in a regular oven if needed. Just raise the temperature by 25 degrees F and keep a close eye on them.

Basic Dog Treats

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken or beef stock

1 large chicken egg

Directions

Heat your toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the egg and stock. Slowly mix in the whole wheat flour. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Cut into desired shape with a pizza cutter (but don’t separate.)

Bake until lightly golden, about 25 to 35 minutes. After cooling, break apart and store in an airtight container.

Bacon Balls

Ingredients

3 strips of bacon, preferably nitrate free

3/4 cup of whole milk

1 large chicken egg

2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

Directions

Heat your toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Dice the raw bacon and cook on your stove top over medium heat until fully cooked. Set aside to cool.

Beat the egg and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add the bacon (including the drippings.) Mix well. Slowly mix in the whole wheat flour. Use your hands to roll into a dozen round balls, each about 2 inches. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Any bacon balls leftover will need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup of whole milk

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Directions

Heat you toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Put the peanut butter and milk into a large mixing bowl and stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and baking powder. Mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well.

Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut into a rectangular bar shape. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes.

Tips and Suggestions

All of these doughs are on the thick and dry side; if you have trouble rolling them out add a little bit of water or low-sodium stock.

To find the best toaster oven for making dog treats and so much more, visit Toaster Oven Reviews. You’ll find information and reviews on all the top brands and models.

Is mustard gluten free? In its raw seed form, yes, but when it is mixed into prepared mustard paste, flour, beer, or malt vinegar is sometimes added. This is a “read the label every time” products but if the ingredient list doesn’t include flour, beer or malt vinegar, go ahead an enjoy it.

Commercial mustard comes in many forms from raw seeds to powdered mustard flour to rich creamy or oily spreads that go well with roasted meat and in sandwiches.

Mustard seeds are tiny round seeds – about 2mm or less than one eighth of an inch in diameter. The seed color ranges from almost white to black. These seeds are naturally gluten free and are vastly different in size from any gluten containing grain. When the seeds are separated from the pods and stems, a sieve with very small holes will also separate out any volunteer gluten-containing seeds. Most commercially exported mustard seed comes from Canada, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

Mustard seeds are mixed with water, vinegar, oils, and other spices and flavourings to make the spreadable prepared mustard pastes. Depending on the type of seed and the processing traditions, the final product ranges from white to bright yellow to black. The seeds may be crushed into a fine powder or left whole. Prepared mustards may be thick or quite thin.

Dry mustard, mustard flour or mustard powder is very finely ground mustard seeds. It has a flour-like texture but it does not contain wheat flour. Mustard powder is often added as an ingredient in other commercially prepared foods as a flavoring agent.

Wheat flour is sometimes added to prepared mustards to adjust the texture, taste, and cost of the product. If wheat flour is added, it must be listed on the ingredient list. Beer is occasionally added to specialty mustard, making the product not gluten free it must also be included on the label. Malt vinegar does not seem to be used in commercial prepared mustards, but it often appears in recipes for home made mustards. If so, the mustard will not be gluten free.

As a summary, mustard has a very low risk for cross contamination at planting and harvesting. A few commercial prepared mustards use flour or beer as an ingredient. Homemade prepared mustard may use beer or malt vinegar. Don’t worry about mustard powder or seeds used as an ingredient in other condiments like mayonnaise or salad dressing.

This is one of the quickest Italian pasta recipes and, as it is made with tomatoes and eggplants only, is very low on fats content!

It comes from my grandmother’s cookbook and I remember that all of my family was really happy when we saw this incredible pasta for lunch or for dinner.

It’s great even if your fridge is completely empty (mine often is, especially when I work a lot) and you still want to enjoy what you eat, or you discover by surprise that you have someone for dinner.

Ingredients (4 people):

320 g durum wheat pipe pasta (be careful to buy durum wheat pasta, not soft wheat one: real Italian pasta recipes need this kind of pasta!)

300 g eggplants

200 g mature tomatoes

extra virgin olive oil

a bit of oregano

salt

How to do it!

Put on fire a medium-sized pot with abundant water and half a hand-cup of sea salt.

Wash eggplants, peel them and cut them into small cubes.

In a pan, put some olive oil. When it’s hot, pour in the cubes.

Cut your tomatoes into big cubes and in the meantime fry eggplants adding more olive oil. Mix them well and add oregano.

Add tomato cubes, a cup of the boiling water and a bit of salt. Turn fire to its minimum and go on cooking it for 5 minutes.

When water is boiling, pour in your pasta. When it’s nearly cooked, drain it and pour pasta into the pan. Mix it all for a couple of minutes and… eat!

Baking isn’t a secret art that only a chosen few get to experience. Anyone can become a great baker with time and practice. Aside from having good equipment to work with, having top quality ingredients is key. In addition, understanding what role your ingredients play is also important.

If you are baking something, odds are good that it has some amount of flour in it. Flour is the foundation for whatever you are making. It gives your product structure. What you are making and the type of end result you are looking for determines what type of flour one uses. Certain flours will make a fluffier, light bread. Others will end up with a heavy, dense one.

As the name says, all-purpose flour is a standard for many different types of products. It comes in bleached and unbleached and works well in almost everything. It is also the least expensive. It can be purchased in 5 and 10 pound bags at the grocery store. Most basic recipes call for all-purpose flour, including those for scones, chocolate chips cookies and biscuits.

In additional to all-purpose, there are many flours used for specific outcomes. These include cake flour, self-rising flour, bread flour, whole wheat, rye, oat and soy flours. Which one you choose will affect how your product turns out.

As the name suggests, cake flour is used for making cakes and fine pastries. It has a low protein content, typically about seven percent, and is able to hold large amounts of fat and sugar, which produces a tender crumb. Cake flour is made from the soft part of the wheat called endosperm. Not surprisingly, this is the most tender part of the wheat. It’s then goes through a heavy milling process to make it extra fine and fluffy.

Self-rising flour is not quite as popular but still used for specific recipes. It is simply all-purpose flour with salt and a leavening agent added. If your recipe calls for this, you can buy it at the store or make your own.

Bread flour is a high protein flour used specifically for bread. It has a high gluten content. While it can be used for regular all-purpose flour in a pinch, it won’t produce the tender crumb desired in pastries and desserts.

Whole wheat, rye, oat and soy flours have unique characteristics all their own. They are definitely in the “specialty” flour category and should be used with care in recipes that don’t call for them.

Gluten intolerance is a fairly common condition in our country. In fact, some studies show that it affects approximately 15% of the US population. It is characterized by an inability to handle foods containing gluten.

So what exactly is gluten? Gluten is a composite of the two proteins gliadin and glutenin. The word gluten is derived from the Latin word for “glue.” Gluten is a mash up of starch, gliadin and glutenin and is found in grass related grains such as wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats. Most breads, pasta, crackers and cookies contain gluten since they are typically made with wheat flour.

Gluten intolerance is categorized as an autoimmune disorder, meaning the immune system attacks it’s own body’s tissues. When a person with a gluten sensitivity eats, say, a plate of spaghetti, cells present in the small intestine misread the molecules in the grain as a foreign invader. There is then an interaction resulting in programmed cell death and an immune response, which results in the typical symptoms of gluten intolerance. It is important to identify a gluten intolerance and act accordingly because over time when someone with a gluten intolerance continues to ingest gluten, damage to the small intestine occurs. In its most severe form, gluten sensitivity can manifest in the form of celiac disease, which can be not only uncomfortable to a person, but indeed dangerous as well.

A dietary sensitivity to gluten can carry with it a variety of symptoms which unfortunately are often misdiagnosed since the symptoms are common to other diseases and disorders as well. Gluten sensitivity or intolerance is usually not the first suspect and people often go years and years without a proper diagnosis. As expected, the initial symptoms of gluten intolerance are mostly gastrointestinal symptoms, although other outside symptoms, do present themselves as well. The good news is that this is easily treatable by simply eliminating gluten from one’s diet.

Gluten Sensitivity or Gluten Intolerance Symptoms:

1. Digestive Symptoms- Digestive symptoms are the most common. This includes abdominal pain, bloating, cramping, constipation or diarrhea, constipation and diarrhea (alternating), weight loss or weight gain.

2. Inflammation- Inflammation is an immune response to the gluten.

3. Lactose Intolerance, Dairy Sensitivity or Other Food Sensitivity- This is a secondary condition which results from damage to the small intestine (leaky gut) from the primary problem of gluten sensitivity.

4. Malnutrition and/or Anemia- Since the small intestine may be damaged in cases of gluten intolerance, and since food may be excreted rapidly as waste, the body often has a hard time absorbing nutrients, leading to this symptom developing. Specifically, a low iron level is common.

5. Chronic Fatigue, Exhaustion and Dizziness.

6. Body and Joint Aches.

7. Frequent Infections- The small intestine makes up 70% of the immune system and since gluten sensitivity causes damage to the small intestine, infection is a common symptom of gluten sensitivity.

8. Steatorrhea- This is the presence of excess fat in feces. This can lead to further embarrassing and painful complications, such as anal leakage or incontinence. Fat is present in the stools due to poor digestion.

9. Head aches.

10. Depression, Irritability and Mood Swings.

As stated above, treatment for gluten intolerance is easy. Simply eliminate gluten containing foods. This means that gluten-containing grains such as those found in bread, cereals, and pasta must be completely eliminated, as well as drinks such as beer, since these involve fermenting grains containing gluten.

If you experience any or all of the above symptoms, you may want to get tested for a gluten intolerance. The answer could be life changing.

Breadmakers – Understanding the Different Bread Options

One of the most challenging issues, once you have decided to make the leap to a Breadmaker, is deciding which model is best for your needs.

Each bread machine offers a variety of settings related to the type of bread it can make. Some machines also offer additional options, such as cake baking, jam making, or even low carb bread baking.

The manufacturers all offer some of the more basic settings, but after that, all bets are off.

If you are looking for a budget machine, you need to understand that some of the more exotic options may not be available within your shopping budget. If this is the case, I suggest that you make a list of the MUST have setting you need and shop accordingly.

For instance, I know that I want the Low Carb option for my next machine. This will immediately limit my choices among models, but I want this feature enough that I am willing to severely reduce my options.

Be aware that different companies may use different terms for these features. I have tried to use the most common terminology or use descriptive phrases, so you’ll know which feature is being discussed!

In addition, for successful baking, it is very important that you read the instructions given by your machine’s manufacturer for each feature and follow those specific instructions!

Bread Machine Bread Making Options

It is important to use the right bread machine setting for any given recipe. These setting have been programmed to adjust times and temperatures according the type of bread specified. They may also have adjusted kneading patterns, as well as other changes.

BASIC Bread Setting

This setting is generally used for recipes that are primarily white bread flour, although, depending on the company, small amounts of whole wheat may be possible.

If you want to experiment with a new recipe that doesn’t call for a specific machine setting like French bread or whole wheat, this is probably the setting to try first.

FRENCH Bread Setting

French and Italian breads are different from Basic White Bread. They require different kneading, rising, and baking patterns in order to product the desired light interior texture and crispy crust combination. Generally, these recipes will not include butter or margarine or milk, changes which also require adjustments.

WHOLE WHEAT Bread Setting

Whole wheat flour, called wholemeal strong flour in some countries, differs greatly from regular white bread flour. Bread machines are designed to allow for these differences yet still produce a delicious bread.

Rising time is one of the factors that has been adjusted.

Whole wheat is a particularly heavy flour, so if your bread machine doesn’t offer a Whole Wheat Setting, don’t assume that you can make adjustments successfully. It is entirely possible to burn out a bread machine’s motor trying to make whole wheat bread in a breadmaker that isn’t designed for it.

MULTIGRAIN Bread Setting

This setting would be used for bread recipes that call for additional ingredients such as rye, oats, millet, corn, etc. Often these recipes are based on a whole wheat / wholemeal strong flour base.

These recipes need adjustments such as resting periods, allowing the grains to absorb the liquid ingredients. These breads are likely to be shorter and more dense than basic breads or French breads.

QUICK BREAD Setting

The always popular Banana Nut Bread is a common example of a Quick Bread. Unlike yeast based breads, quick breads rely on baking powder or baking soda in order to rise. Because of this, this setting has unique programming and should only be used for this type of bread.

SWEET Bread Setting

When I first saw this option, I thought that the Sweet setting might be a synonym for Quick Breads, but this is not the case.

If you have a recipe that contains fruit juice, extra sugar, or any other sweetening – dried fruit, raisins, coconut flakes, or chocolate, use the Sweet Setting for best results.

The sweet setting is for baking breads with high amounts of sugar, fats, and /or proteins, which increase browning. The Sweet Setting adjusts the baking in order to avoid over browning and burning.

SPEED OPTION Setting

Many brands offer a special setting allowing you to bake a loaf of bread in a greatly reduced length of time. Both the name of this setting and the baking time will vary from company to company.

Generally this option has higher temperatures for the rising and baking cycles. Often, the types of bread this can be used for will be limited, so be sure you check this out before trying to bake. In addition, the resulting loaves may be shorter and denser.

Also, some manufacturers will require that you use rapid rising yeast for best results.

DOUGH Setting

This setting is designed to create dough which will then be removed from the bread machine, shaped by hand, placed in the appropriate pan or container, allowed to rise a second time, and, finally, baked in a conventional oven.

ARTISAN Bread Setting

Artisan bread is a term referring to bread baked with traditional methods and ingredients.

In the case of bread machine bread, an Artisan cycle will have several long, slow, and cool rises. It is important to read the directions carefully. The ingredients may need to be cool and there may be restrictions on where the machine is placed – out of the sun, for instance.

The purpose of this setting is to enhance the texture, taste, and crust in the final loaf or baguettes.

As in the DOUGH Option, Artisan bread is removed from the machine, shaped and prepared as needed for baking, then is baked in a conventional oven.

PIZZA Setting

The Pizza option may differ slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Basically, it is a process that mixes, kneads, and rises the dough through the first rise cycle. The dough should then be removed, deflated, shaped by hand and allowed to rise one or two more times, before being dressed with the pizza ingredients and baked in a conventional oven.

It is appropriate for many dough recipes except for low carb and gluten free recipes.

It can be used to produce pizza, focaccia, other Italian breads, and pretzels.

PASTA Setting

Depending on the manufacturer, this cycle may also be used for Cookies.

The machine is used to mix the dough and then removed from the machine for preparation and baking. Read your machine’s instruction book carefully.

These doughs are very heavy and your machine may need help during the mixing cycle. If this is the case, it will be explained in your bread machine manual.

COOKIE Setting

Depending on the manufacturer, this cycle may also be used for Pasta.

The machine is used to mix the dough and then removed from the machine for preparation and baking. Read your machine’s instruction book carefully.

Again, as mentioned previously, these doughs are very heavy and your machine may need help during the mixing cycle.

GLUTEN FREE Bread Setting

Most flours contain gluten, making them unsuitable for gluten free diets.

The adjustments needed to produce a gluten free product result in a yeast bread, however, the dough itself ends up much wetter and more like a batter than a traditional bread dough.

You need to be careful not to over mix or over knead the dough / batter. The cycle has only one rise and an increased baking time. These are needed to adjust for the higher moisture content.

Some manufacturers specify one particular brand and type of yeast, so be sure to read and follow the instructions for your machine.

LOW CARB Bread Setting

Low carb cycles will generally have an adjusted baking time, due to the low sugar content. Be careful not to over mix or over knead. Read your machine’s instructions and follow them carefully.

JAM Setting

This cycle is used to produce Jams and, sometimes, Chutney. (Chutney is a sweet and sour condiment. It is made from fruit and sugar, along with vinegar and sometimes onions. It can also be seasoned with hot, spicy ingredients. It originated in India)

Read your machine’s instruction manual carefully before preparing jams. It is important to avoid having the ingredients boil over. If this happens, stop the machine immediately and follow the clean up instructions for your machine.

CAKE Setting

This setting, available on only a few models, is used for making and baking cakes in the bread machine. Read and follow the instructions carefully.

SANDWICH Bread Setting

Available on only a few models, this setting lets you prepare bread with a texture suitable for sandwiches.

BAKE Setting

This is one of those settings that is available on quite a few models but the actual mechanics of the cycle may differ from company to company. Read the instructions for your machine to understand when and how to use this setting.

In general terms, this setting is for baking dough that you may have prepared without using any of the machine’s previous settings. It may also be used if the crust is too light or can be used to bake pre-made dough.

Making Your Decision

As you can see, the myriad of different options available will greatly increase the scope of opportunities for any bread machine. As mentioned earlier, it can be difficult to compare two different machines, especially if the options offered are different.

My recommendation is to review the available options, prioritize according to your needs and then base your decision on those decisions.

Best of luck and happy bread baking!

Northern Africa is comprised of several countries, namely Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Libya and Egypt. Clearly its foods have been influenced over the centuries by the ancient Phoenicians (a Semitic civilization now modern-day Tunisia) who introduced sausages and wheat, and Berber nomads who adapted the semolina from wheat, creating couscous which has become a main staple. Fast forward a few centuries, and you have the Arabs bringing a variety of savory spices, like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and saffron. From the New World, chilies, tomatoes and potatoes appeared, with lamb as a primary meat. (For you old movie buffs, Casablanca is Morocco’s chief port and the location where Humphrey Bogart’s character owned a bar.) These very foreign and strange-sounding foods make up a majority of dishes and regional cuisine:

Chermoula: a mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt, used as a marinade and relish;

Couscous: popular in many countries (including the U.S.) as a rice and potato substitute, made from steamed and dried durum wheat;

B’stilla: also known as pastilla, is Moroccan in origin, dating back to the eighth century; generally a sweet and sour pigeon pie, or made with chicken or quail. onions and spices like saffron and coriander, almonds and beaten eggs, wrapped up in thin warqa pastry that becomes crispy when cooked; (a main course and dessert all-in-one)

Tajine: a famous Berber dish, named for the pot in which it is cooked; your basic slow-cooked stew with meat, veggies, spices and dried fruit;

Shakshouka: a Tunisian dish, sometimes called chakchouka, also enjoyed in Israel and believed to have originated with Maghrebi Jews; served at any meal, containing chopped onions, chili peppers, tomatoes and cumin, until it has formed a thick sauce,topped with poached eggs;

Ful Medame: the national dish of Egypt and a popular street food in Cairo and Giza,containing cooked fava beans, then served with vegetable oil and cumin, garlic, onions, peppers and hard boiled eggs, dating back to Egypt in the fourth century;

L’hamd Marakad: the pickled lemon, an essential ingredient in Moroccan cooking, one the main ingredients in salads and plates of vegetables or flavored chicken dishes; fermented with lemon juice and salt for a month;

M’hanncha: sometimes known as the ‘Moroccan snake’ cake, (mercifully not made with actual snake) It derives its name from filo dough filled with a sweet almond paste, rolled and flavored with orange water and cinnamon, then cooked;

Harira: a soup always eaten during the Holy Month of Ramadan, when a fast is broken at sunset, usually a snack or appetizer;

Matbucha: another small dish, native to Israel, Syria and North Africa, your basic cooked tomatoes and peppers, spiced up and served with bread and olives; surprisingly, tomatoes did not arrive until the early nineteenth century, brought by the British Consul in Aleppo;

Mhadjeb: also called mahjouba, is a staple of Algerian cooking and a common street food, sometimes called Algerian crepes, filled with a paste of tomatoes and chopped cooked vegetables; if you utter “take me to the Casbah” you are likely to encounter these crepes, and who knows what else, so it’s best not to kid around;

Mechoui: the traditional North African meat, a whole lamb roasted on a spit or in a pit, served with flat breads, dips and yogurt;

Mrouzia:a dish traditionally served during the Eid al-Adha festival in Morocco. a very specific type of tajine, made with lamb;

Authentic Northern African restaurants are pretty scarce, especially outside of major cities, but well worth the adventure should you be lucky enough to find one. Expanding our knowledge of different cuisines may be out of our comfort level but certainly worth a try. So if you have the opportunity, take advantage. And if you are an avid multi-cultural cook, you can order many African food products online.

Teff is a gluten free grain that is a native of northern Ethiopia. It contains high levels of calcium, iron, fiber, and other important nutrients. Teff flour can be used with other flours for gluten free baked goods and as a whole grain, it makes a nutty porridge. The primary cross-contamination risk comes during milling; it must be milled using equipment that is only used for gluten free flour.

Teff is grain that originates in northern Ethiopia where it is the primary grain used to make injera, a pancake-like bread. It has tiny seeds (about 1 mm or about 1/32 of an inch) that are nothing like wheat, rye, or barley seeds. With such tiny seeds, it is very difficult to separate the bran from the inner endosperm, so teff flour is generally made with the whole grain.

Teff has is high in calcium and it also contains phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminum, barium and thiamine (vitamin B1). Teff is high in protein and fiber, especially compared to the “white” gluten free flours – white rice, corn starch, and tapioca starch.

You can replace some of the flour in your gluten free baked goods with teff to add both flavor and nutrients. Teff has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. You might want to start by adding teff to your muffin or bread recipes. If you like the taste, increase the amount of teff.

You might also like to try teff pancakes. You will find lots of recipes available. Make sure you choose a gluten free recipe because you will find some that call for wheat flour. Many of the posted recipes are vegan, but you will find also find recipes that include eggs and milk if you prefer.

You may also want to try teff porridge. It is made with teff seeds rather than flour. Some people toast the seeds briefly before adding water to enhance the nutty flavor. Most recipes call for four parts water to one part teff along with some kind of sweetener and a tiny bit of salt. Simmer about 20 minutes or until the water is all absorbed. If the porridge gets too thick, add a bit more water or milk.

Traditionally teff is used to make injera, Ethiopian flat bread. Teff flour, water and a sourdough-like starter or yeast are allowed to ferment at room temperature, then mixed with a little salt and cooked with a small amount of oil. The injera flat bread is used both as a plate and an eating utensil for traditional stews. If you try injera in a restaurant, make sure that no gluten flours have been used in the starter or to modify the texture of the bread.

Because the teff seeds are so much smaller than wheat or barley seeds, the only real cross-contamination concern with teff comes when it is milled into flour. It is virtually impossible to clean equipment used to mill wheat well enough to mill gluten free grains without cross-contamination. As a gluten free consumer, this means you have to take the extra step to make sure your flour is safe. Make sure you ask the manufacturer if the teff was ground on shared equipment. If they purchase the teff in bulk and repackage it, follow the trail back to the milling company.