In my mind, one of the trickiest parts of being gluten free is the dreaded cocktail party. While I’m totally in favor of the “cocktail” part of that equation, it’s the mountain of crackers, crostini, and bruschetta that instills fear in my gluten-free heart. Why must everything be served on bread?! I have been known to carry a packet of rice crackers in my purse for such emergencies, but sometimes the texture–or added flavor–isn’t a great match for the food at hand. (Tomato, basil, and mozzarella on a tamari rice cracker? Blah.) Enter Wellaby’s crackers. …

Full disclosure: Kyra Bussanich, owner and pastry chef extraordinaire of Crave Bake Shop, and I are friends. But it’s not what you think. I don’t write about Kyra because we’re friends; we became friends because I couldn’t stop writing about her amazing desserts. (She probably thought I was stalking her and figured it would be easier just to befriend me.) Kyra and I met late in 2009 when she was running Crave Bake Shop as a special-order bakery from her certified gluten-free home kitchen. She brought me a sample pack of some of her cupcakes, …

I first stumbled upon Petunia’s Pies and Pastries last summer at the Portland State farmers’ market. Owner Lisa Clark’s creations immediately caught my eye with the perfect combination of rusticity and girly flair. Knowing full well that it’s not easy to find delicious gluten-free and vegan baked goods, I proceeded with caution, but was pleasantly rewarded with a treat for my taste buds as well. The lineup includes a rotating selection of gluten-free and vegan pies, tarts, cookies, cupcakes, bars, brownies, and—most recently—doughnuts. I’ve faced the daunting prospect of choosing a favorite, a difficult task …

A few months ago, Chronicle Books released Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free ($24.95) by Karen Morgan, quite possibly my favorite gluten free baking book to date. The 75 recipes range from simple popovers to a show stopping Bananas Foster Savarin, and I’m determined to eventually cook my way through all of them. In addition to the terrific recipes, there are stunning photographs accompanying every dish. One flip through Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free and you’ll want to bake from it, whether or not you’re gluten intolerant. Author Karen Morgan visited Portland recently and I had the good fortune of …