While some chefs may have mistaken “Gluten free” as a temporary fad in the culinary world, this buzz word doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Higher numbers of consumers are requesting gluten free menu items, and gluten free has become more of a lifestyle for many people looking to boost health, lose weight, and minimize processed foods.
At Today’s World Kitchen, we understand that as a chef your goal is to accommodate and provide hospitality to your guests by any means possible. You don’t want to turn potential guests away due to lack of preparation or flexibility, so how can you accommodate this tremendously popular request? Our social sharing for chef’s platform is here to help.
Learn about gluten. It is best to refresh your memory on what exactly “gluten free“ means. Gluten intolerance means your guest cannot consume products made from wheat, barley, or rye. Some people simply choose not to consume anything with gluten because it makes them feel better. Regardless of their reasons, it’s important for a chef to understand the concept, and to be knowledgeable on where gluten is found, as it can pop up in some unexpected places. Gluten can be found in things like beer, vinegar, soy sauce, pasta, soups, processed vegetables, breads, crackers, and seasonings.
Substitute. You can substitute traditional flour with coconut flour, cassava root, or banana flour. Keep in mind, coconut flour requires double the amount of liquid that wheat flour needs. Cassava and banana flour can typically be used in the same amounts as traditional wheat recipes would.
Incorporate different foods. If you are on a time crunch and can’t find a substitution for a recipe item containing gluten, Michelin star chefs recommend that you try focusing on foods that are naturally gluten free. Examples of these are fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, dairy, fish, seafood, beans, legumes, and nuts – these foods are OK for those with gluten free requests.
Build a gluten free menu. To properly accommodate your gluten free guests, preparing a menu ahead of time will make food preparation easier on your staff, and it will also prevent a gluten free guest from having to come up with their own dish. The Michelin-starred chefs on our social sharing for chefs platform recommend keeping it simple and using fresh ingredients. Try featuring between 3 5 gluten free recipes that your guests can chose from.
With our social sharing for chefs platform on Today’s World Kitchen, meeting the ever-changing demands of the culinary industry is made simple. Follow this guide to ensure your gluten free guests have a positive experience in your restaurant.