Corn Allergy

We just recently (around Thanksgiving) discovered that my oldest brother has a corn allergy. Corn is pretty easy to cook without, but when it comes to buying pre-made foods, it is in almost everything - dextrose, corn syrup, modified food starch, MSG, to name a few. Even Iodized salt - third ingredient - dextrose. Here is a great website for someone with a corn allergy - http://www.cornallergens.com/. Click here for a list of ingredients that are corn-based, or can be made of corn.

Since going gluten-free, we were eating corn tortillas and tacos all the time. But, when we found my brother's corn allergy, we looked into making crepes. They are soo simple, so that is what we have been making instead of corn tortillas. Just mix together 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup water and 2 eggs. Tip the hot pan and pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the batter on the top of the pan, and spread around by tilting the pan. Cook, flip, and DONE!

While I am baking, I look at each ingredient BEFORE I add it in the recipe.

Powdered (aka confectioners', icing) sugar has cornstarch in it. You can make your own by simply grinding regular granulated sugar in your blender, food processor, or vitamix.

Baking powder - it has corn in it, too. For a substitute, use 1/2 baking soda and 1/2 cream of tartar for the amount of baking powder in your recipe.

Cornmeal, Corn flour (masa harina) - obviously is made from corn. Instead of cornbread, we made a cornbread recipe but used rice flour instead of cornmeal. We called it "Rice bread" ;).

Corn syrup - See my recipe for Corn Syrup Substitute.

Cornstarch - You can use flour, but this doesn't work for sauce or something alike if there is leftovers - because it doesn't stay thick. Arrowroot powder we have heard works good.

Xanthan Gum - is corn-based. Guar gum we have heard is good in GF baking, like xanthan gum.

~ Hanunyah