Tasting Table & Thomas Keller

Like most red blooded Americans with an Internet connection, we find ourselves receiving frequent emails from businesses and organizations that we have no clue how we got signed up for, but 1 of the 4,862 we get  is worth sharing.....

Tasting Table "is a free daily email that delivers the best of food and drink culture to adventurous eaters everywhere. Each weekday, we send our members one delicious idea about dining, wine, cocktails, cooking or restaurant personalities. We feed you only first-hand recommendations that we have tested thoroughly ourselves—one bite at a time."  If memory serves me right, Tasting Table is owned by the haute kitchen retailer Williams-Sonoma.

While it seems that lately the daily email is tied to a particular product along with instructions on how to buy said product, the information provided is informative and fun to read.  Recently Tasting Table featured Champaign, IL's very own Prairie Fruit & Cheese Farm's goat cheese, a perennial favorite at the Urbana Farmer's Market and among Chicago-area chefs (Article Here).

So on a Wednesday afternoon after a holiday weekend, who should appear on Tasting Table?  None other than Thomas Keller! 

Tasting Table reports that Thomas Keller, along with his research chef (how do I get that job?!?!) Lena Kwak, have created a proprietary, gluten-free flour blend.  Named C4C-Cup 4 Cup, TK states that the potato starch-potato flour-tapioca flour-rice flour blend can be swapped in a recipe "cup for cup" with regular all-purpose flour. 

We're rather intrigued by this product given the attention that the media as well as some of our friends have given to the advent of gluten-free diets.  We've even heard tales of gluten-free diets improving children's ADHD and the behavioral problems.  From a baking perspective, Liz has been substituting half of the all-purpose flour content of her banana bread with whole wheat flour with great results, so we're clearly sold on the ability to substitute flours.  The C4C website had some interesting recipes to use the flour in, including a Bacon-Comte Cheese Biscuit. 

If you're feeling adventurous, the flour is available on the Williams-Sonoma website (surprise, surprise) priced at $19.95/3 lb. bag along with 3 glowing reviews of the product.