Letter from JoyI discovered that I was 'gluten intolerant' a couple of years ago whilst I was writing 'Nosh Gluten-Free'. Friends had asked me to write a gluten-free book, but during the process, I realised that the stomach pains, which I had thought were due to medication I was taking, were significantly relieved when I cut out gluten from my diet. I was glad to find the cause of the problem, but knew that this would make life challenging! So I began my journey of gluten-free living with the book 'NOSH Gluten-Free' to help me and now I have added this latest book, 'NOSH Gluten-Free Baking'. I have to be frank and say that the 'Baking' book has been the hardest book I have ever written; I have never had to deal with so many failed attempts in all my years of cooking! For instance, bread depends on gluten for its elasticity and 'bounce'. I must have made about 50 different breads, all of which ended up in the bin, before coming up with the new ones in this book, and my quest still goes on to find more. During the process of writing this book, one of the highlights would definitely be the puff pastry recipe. When that pastry came out of the oven, with its distinct, crispy layers, I could have done a little jig in the kitchen, right there and then! When we find we are gluten intolerant, or 'coeliac', it can seem like a 'life sentence of no treats'. We go into a cafe for coffee and cake and often find there is nothing we can eat - all the 'yummy'-looking ones are full of gluten! My aim in this book has been to reverse the 'sentence'. I have tried to include recipes for the many things we might like to eat in the coffee shops, as well as the regular desserts and savoury pastries that seemed to be 'forbidden'. I hope that you enjoy cooking and eating many of these re-found treats.
