This is my first time participating in Book of Yum’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event. I’ve pondered it before, but then never got around to joining. Mike has been nagging me to stop being lazy and just do it.
Then, a couple days ago, I sent Mike the link the Carrie’s website. I was excited about the pictures of Ocracoke Island–my family had some great camping trips there when I was a kid. Mike didn’t care so much about the pictures but was excited about the Potato and Spinach Enchiladas and insisted we make them. So my first “adoption” came about.
Carrie was nice enough to agree to answer some questions about herself so that we can all get to know her a bit better.
1) You mention your love for reading. What book are you currently reading? Would you recommend it?
I do love to read! I am reading all the time! We have piles of books all over our house, and I’m always in the middle of 3-4 books! Currently I’m reading several vegan cookbooks. (I can literally sit and read them as a novel! I learn so much about cooking techniques by reading cookbooks!) I’m also currently reading a biography called My Lobotomy by Howard Dully. I love reading about other people’s lives, and if you find medical history fascinating you would find this book intriguing. I also love southern fiction and literature. I’m also currently in the middle of reading a book called, Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith. The book is full of witty characters that remind me of the people who were in the small southern town I grew up in. I also love reading about animals and I’m halfway through one of my favorite books by James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small.
2) It seems like your About page was written a while ago. Have you since learned how to ride a bike? If so, any tips? (Neither Mike nor I know how to ride a bike either, heh.)
Unfortunately, I have NOT learned how to ride a bike yet! Strangely enough I mentioned this to my husband the other day. I said “I MUST learn how to ride a bike. And I want to do it soon!” If I find out any tips I’ll let you know! 
I’m just hoping I can figure it out without having to visit the chiropractor afterwards! ;-P
3) What’s your favorite cookbook(s)? What do you love about it?
Oh goodness… favorite cookbook… I have so so many! I think my absolute favorite cookbook of all time is The Joy of Cooking simply because my dad really enjoyed cooking recipes out of it when I was growing up. He made the chocolate chip cookie recipe very often (hence my love of chocolate chip cookies!), and I think he learned to marinate meats and how to prepare them from that cookbook. So for the sake of good memories, I have a ragged, torn, and very well-loved copy on my shelf! (My dad’s first copy as a matter of fact!)
As far as gluten free cookbooks? All of the Bette Hagman books are excellent. I have so much admiration for her because she started it all. She created gluten free cookbooks at a time when most of the medical community in America thought her celiac diagnosis was a made-up disease. She was truly inventive in the kitchen and came up with wonderful flour combinations and “real bread” for people who could not have wheat bread.
Another favorite gluten free cookbook author is Carol Fenster. My favorite of her books is Cooking Free. I still use this cookbook on a nearly weekly basis. As a matter of fact I used it on Friday night to make a gluten free, vegan pizza crust! Her recipes are simple, yet full of whole grains and always have great results whether you are a beginning baker or an experienced chef!
4) What do you consider your biggest gluten-free triumph?
This is what I love about baking in particular… I am ALWAYS learning new things and new techniques and how ingredients work together! I truly am in love with the science of baking. I’ve had so many “epiphanies” in gluten free baking. When I first started baking gluten free I thought you had to double the amount of leavening like baking powder. I think I read this online somewhere. At any rate, after weeks of baking things that tasted like baking soda, i finally figured out that I didn’t need so much leavening. I realized that by using a lighter combination of flours, a “normal” amount of baking powder, and whipping my egg whites would give me a baked product that looked and tasted like it was made of wheat. Later along the way I learned which flours worked better than others (for my personal preferences), and I learned that you don’t have to follow a recipe exactly… meaning it’s okay to experiment. It’s okay to try something new. It might fail… and that’s okay too. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve thrown away in the past few years… but at the same time I learned which combinations worked and which did not. It’s all about learning. And I love to learn!
5) If you met someone who just learned she/he had to start eating gluten-free (and/or vegan, soy-free, [insert other restrictions here]), what one piece of advice would you give her/him?
The best advice that I can ever give to anyone having to follow a restricted diet is to keep it simple. If you’re not comfortable with baking, then don’t try baking at first. First, just learn the simple, whole foods you can eat. Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store. Nearly everything in the produce section is gluten free. Try sticking with foods that don’t come in a box or a bag. Try new vegetables you may not be familiar with. Eventually as you get comfortable making and creating simple meals, add new grains, new meats (if you can eat them), new fruits, etc.. It may seem incredibly hard at first, but once you’ve become comfortable with the foods you can eat and the new foods you were probably missing out on before, you will be able to create delicious, whole, and filling meals for your family!
Now, some notes about the enchiladas:
- These things are crazy healthy. 6 cups of spinach! Do you know how much spinach that is? (One more cup than five Carrie is working really hard on healthy eating right now, and these are right on the mark.
- They are mighty tasty too. I’d never made sofrito before, but really enjoyed the flavor. (Like Carrie we used half cilantro/half parsley.)
- They’re quick and easy, which is always a plus for weeknight meals.
- I think next time I’ll go ahead and add in the whole can of beans. We love our beans around here.
- There were lots of leftovers. Just the two of us here, and we value our leftovers. Great way to save time during the week and have delicious lunches that are the envy of your coworkers.
Thanks to Carrie for the great recipe and for taking the time to answer my questions. 
If you’d like to try some tasty vegan enchiladas, head on over to her site to get the recipe.
Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?
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I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein.
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- More than 200 tasty recipes,
- Numerous tips for succesful gluten-free cooking and baking, and
- Nutritional information (calories, grams of protein, fat, carbs, etc.) for every recipe.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Great idea. The interview was fun to read. And the healthier enchiladas look great, too. Wow, six cups does seem like a lot of spinach to put in 10 enchiladas.
Like most greens it cooks down a ton. It’s really the main ingredient for the filling.
Thank You for the mention, hope you enjoyed the book.
Howard Dully
I’m always looking for new books to read. I will definitely be checking your’s out. Thanks for stopping by.
These look yummy. Good interview, Kali. These may get made sometime soon…I like spinach. (And I’m using all cilantro!)
Mike isn’t a cilantro fan so we had to compromise. /shrug Hope you get to give them a try.