Testing Testing Testing

For the last year I have been a test subject, well, that’s not quite right because in a way I have been the tester, or at least obliged to say what I think. Lois gave up eating gluten and wheat a year or so ago and has been experimenting with gluten free cooking ever since. Anyone with Coeliac Disease will be familiar with the products that are available through the NHS, but lets face it they taste like medicine.

Lois has set about trying to make interesting food with alternative flours. We bought a small electric flourmill from Switzerland – the Internet is wonderful isn’t it – and can now make flour out of almost anything, peas, almonds, tapioca, even the maise we grew in the garden.

I’m not going to give away trade secrets, because Lois is now writing a cookbook and about to start selling some of her cakes. The rationalle is; why shouldn’t Coeliacs have treats?

So where do I come in? Each new recipe has to be tested, so Lois invented test sheets. Imagine eating a delightful new cake or biscuit and then filling in a form full of terms like:

Mouth feel.

Crispness.

Chewiness.

Early flavour.

Late flavour.

Aftertaste.

You get the idea. In many ways it is a lot of fun. So far she has cracked cakes and pastries and biscuits and now makes versions that are at least as good as anything made with traditional wheat flour. The next step is being inspected by the environmental health folk, hence getting the uniform as seen in the picture. Further excitement will be getting the products tested to be sure we haven’t accidentally introduced any gluten, designing packages, establishing a brand name. Much more fun than getting rejection letters from agents. Watch this space.