Connie Sarros

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Writing gluten-free cookbooks began as an accident.

In 1993, my father, at the age of seventy, became very ill. In a period of two months, he went from 165 pounds down to 127 pounds, and the doctors could not find the cause. Even though he was eating, his body was not absorbing any of the nutrients of the foods; he was literally starving to death. After seeing thirteen doctors, he was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

We had never heard the term before and had no idea what it entailed.

Having a computer in my home, I immediately went to the web for some help and information...and found it. Anyone can post anything to the web, so I had to be very careful when considering the validity of the source of any information. But I did find a wealth of reliable sources, including the St. John's listserve. As a member of the listservice, I could post any questions I had, and doctors or people who had lived with celiac disease (CD) for years would answer them. I became involved with the CD support groups. Eventually, I was asked to be the Northeast Ohio representative for the St. John's listservice, which entailed helping "newbies" (those newly diagnosed with CD) ~~ helping them understand the diet restrictions, passing along gluten-free lists by brand names, gluten-free prescription lists, names of gluten-free mail-order companies, etc.

In the meantime, my mother was busy at home trying to adjust to dad's new diet. She was concentrating on preparing "safe" meals and had not yet tackled desserts. Mother's Day was approaching and I thought it would be novel to present mom with a gluten-free dessert cookbook of the family's favorite dessert recipes. So I began experimenting. Like most novices, I thought that all I needed to do was substitute rice flour for the wheat flour called for in a recipe. The results of the first two desserts I tried were a total disaster, very heavy, grainy and gritty. Obviously, just substituting rice flour wasn't going to be enough. I began to add a variety of gluten-free flours; then I added the mysterious ingredient "xanthan gum" to help hold the pastries together. I still wasn't pleased with the results, so I began adding additional flavorings and additional leavening. Slowly, through trial and error, the desserts began tasting more like their wheat counterparts. Finally, when both my husband and I were pleased with the results, I would type up the recipe. Eventually, I had 25 converted recipes, which I printed off my computer. I punched two holes on the left side of the pages, made a cover, then tied it together with a ribbon, and presented it to my mom for Mother's Day.

People talk. When my parents would go out to dinner, their friends would ask Dad about his restricted diet. When some of them heard the name "Celiac Disease", they would reply that they had a niece/child/neighbor/friend that had CD. Mom would tell them about the dessert cookbook I had made her for Mother's Day, and they would ask for a copy to send to whomever they knew with CD. I would run off the copies. Then those friends would tell others...who told others...who all requested a copy. Meanwhile, I was still experimenting in my kitchen and the 25-recipe book had grown to 50 recipes, then to 150 recipes, until finally it reached 400 dessert recipes. Printing the copies at home, getting them spiral bound, then giving or shipping them to the appropriate people became not only very time consuming, but expensive. It reached the point where I had to decide whether to stop taking requests, or to begin taking the book seriously and make it into a commercial enterprise. In September of 2000, I left my job to publish and promote the Wheat-Free Gluten-Free Dessert Cookbook full time. I have never regretted that decision.

Unfortunately, man does not live by cake alone. I have done a lot of cooking for my father, and realized that many gluten-free recipes are high in calories, sugar, fat, cholesterol and sodium. In the past, my father has had two open-heart surgeries and has to watch his fat, cholesterol and sodium intake closely. Once again, I began experimenting, trying to substitute ingredients and come up with new ideas for breakfasts, lunches and dinners that were gluten-free and heart-healthy. I began writing down these new recipes...and the Wheat-Free Gluten-Free Reduced Calorie Cookbook was born.

I enjoy giving speeches to support groups throughout the country. The talks center around cooking and baking in a gluten-free kitchen and the special dietary needs of celiacs, with a portion of my discussion devoted to the benefits of increasing media exposure. Writing, editing, publishing and promoting my own cookbooks, and speaking to support groups, has been an incredible journey and it has enabled me to meet so many wonderful people around the country. A special thanks to all who have supported me in this venture.

Connie Sarros